Tricks and Treats

Pearl put one over on Frank this morning.  He pretty much goes where she goes and does what she does, so when she went to the kitchen door while I was making coffee and asked to be let out, he went out.  Pearl held back and didn't go through.  As soon as I shut the door and went back for my coffee, she ran to the Treat Drawer and made her wishes known.  Two minutes later, she said she wanted out.  I swear I could hear her sing-song voice telling Frank, "I got a treat...and you didn't.  Hahahaa!"

I had planned a treat for Deb and Craig.  I had wild blackberries in the freezer (picked and gifted by Joel), and wanted to make a blackberry puree and red wine reduction to pour warm over a wedge of Brie cheese for an appetizer.  It is a pain in the patoot to mash the softened berries through a strainer to get the seedless puree, but worth the effort.  That done, I added the wine and a little dab of sugar with the least pinch of cloves and set the mix to simmer and reduce.  And then my downfall.  I opened a new book by an author new to me.  The pan with the burned, hardened mess still sits soaking in the sink.  At some point today, I will caramelize some onions for the Brie and I won't pick up a book.

A good part of yesterday was spent in the kitchen (before I opened the book).  This change in the weather calls out for comfort food, and those bags of dried Lima beans had my name on them.  I started quick-soaking one bag, then read the label that said, "Makes six cups."  Well, six cups would not be enough!  I put the second bag to soak.  There's a predictable end to this story.  I have enough ham hocks and Lima beans to feed Cox's army.  In addition, I'd already taken out and thawed the meat for stew for dinner tonight.  I hope Deb and Craig are hungry.