Cooking & Eating

That was my day today--cookin' and eatin'.  Today's recipe was Chickpea Curry, which is my favorite of all the recipes that I make.  It's the one that I save for last when I bring up a week's worth of meals to thaw and eat.  I had to make another batch of brown rice to put in there too but I have some leftover for the freezer for next time.

In the eatin' department, I went over to Zambaldi to check out the food truck mini-rally at lunchtime and got a pulled pork sandwich from Taste of Ethiopia.  It was delicious, like regular pulled pork but with different spices and really good slaw on top.  I intended to eat the filling and leave the bun but I took one bite with the bun and I was a goner.  I polished off everything but the pickle, so I skipped supper to make up for it.

Out in the garden I found seven ripe blueberries to pick and eat.  They made it into the house but just barely.  There are a few more out there waiting to ripen.  I'll be keeping my eye on them.

The day lilies are blooming like mad.  This peach one popped open today.  I love the smudge of rouge on the petals.






The pink yarrow is blooming too.  It's so small and delicate.





 
I know I showed you the butterfly weed the other day but I think that this is a particularly good picture of the flowers.  Lots of monarchs have been fluttering around lately.  I keep watching the milkweed but it hasn't bloomed yet and I don't see any cocoons or caterpillars on it.

12 July--Barbara Malcolm, Tropical Obsession.

That woman Mona Davidson for example, she seemed like she might have a motive if he could learn from Mr. Spencer’s attorney if she would inherit his estate or was the beneficiary of a nice, fat life insurance policy.  He was suspicious of her lack of emotion when he had gone to tell her that what he thought was her husband was dead.  She had turned pale, yes, but that could have meant that she had done the crime and thought he was there to arrest her.  Even taking her down to the police station, removing her from her comfort zone had not shaken her contention that she had had nothing to do with his death.  Few tears were shed in Rooibos’ presence, but he did not think that meant she was guilty at least not for certain, but he intended to speak to Ms. Davidson many times before being satisfied that she was innocent. 

While he had been thinking the sun had set and he became aware of the people at the other tables talking, especially two women nearby who were talking about Jack Spencer’s death. 

“I did not meet him, but Dimitri did at the snorkeling club,” said the woman with the Eastern European accent. 

“I only met him once at that climatologists cocktail party George and Susan had a couple months ago when you were off island,” said the other woman.  “Susan had quite a bit to say about the way he treated his mistress or companion, or whatever they are calling them these days.” 

“Oh?  What did she say?” asked the Russian. 

“Well, she saw him ordering her around at the party.  He made her stand beside him all evening even though he was wrapped up in that Dax Manning’s treasure hunter tales.  Honestly, that Manning is some womanizer, isn't he?” 

“I do not believe a word he says.  He is too full of himself and can talk of nothing but his own narrow interests.  I tried to engage him in a discussion of poetry but all he did was recite a string of crude limericks having to do with bodily functions.” 

Detective Inspector Rooibos casually slid his chair so that he could see the women’s table out of the corner of his eye. 

The other woman laughed.  “That sounds like Manning.  But back to Susan, she said that she witnessed Spencer grab Mona’s arm so hard it had to have left marks and drag her over to his side.  She said that Mona had called her to meet for lunch the next day and Mona was wearing three-quarter length sleeves.  Susan could see bruises on her arm, and she did not want to ask about them.  Susan said Mona was near tears the whole lunch.”  

“It sounds to me as if Mister Spencer was beating up on her.  That is despicable.” 

“Yes, it is.” 

Rooibos could see one of the women look around for eavesdroppers and then motion the other nearer.  It was quiet enough in the restaurant that Rooibos could still hear her lowered voice.  

“It makes me wonder if Mona pushed him off a cliff to get him to stop beating her up.  Would not surprise me in the least.” 

The other woman nodded her agreement.  “I would push Dimitri off a cliff if he even dared to raise a hand to me and he knows it.  He would never think of it.”  

Rooibos slowly turned his head to glance their way.  Looking at who he assumed was the Russian he was not surprised. She looked formidable.

Today's toss was some silicone bakeware.  Remember that from the nineties?  Durwood bought me some and I tried it but it didn't hold its shape with food in it and it had to be on a cookie sheet to be moved easily.  I finally ended up using it to mold melt & pour soap but I'm over that.

It was a gorgeous day--warm and not humid.  I had the patio door open all morning and into the afternoon until the a/c turned on when I heated up the kitchen with my cooking.  Ah, now today was a real summer day in Wisconsin.  I hope we have more soon.
--Barbara