And Whiskers on Kittens

A brief wet spell in the Napa Valley makes for fun shooting. The gardens and grounds are full of blooms, some I don't remember seeing before. The pink dogwood has come and gone, and the white dogwood is just starting. I've seen irises in an abundance and diversity of colors, including a gorgeous yellow-gold. Tried to shoot that yesterday, but there was just enough of a breeze to thwart the close-up focus.

Today, blue skies are alternating with dishcloth-gray clouds seeping a bone-chilling rain and mist. The calla lilies outside my office window still look starched, fresh and white, but the deep purple irises of my grandfather's that I have in pots in the back have taken a beating. Still beautiful though.

What is spring without rain, asparagus and strawberries? I picked the last shoots of asparagus in the garden a few days ago. So sweet you could eat them raw. There may be a few more reaching edible height soon, but they are consistently available at the store now too.

Have I stressed to you the importance of buying organic strawberries? Strawberries have a soft and vulnerable flesh. Conventional farmers use pesticides and herbicides on them, and these are absorbed into the skin of the strawberry. It is number one on every list I've seen of recommended foods to buy organic vs. conventional. So, from the time organic strawberries are in season in the spring to the time they go out of season (if they do), they are a constant presence in the refrigerator.

To keep them fresh and ready to eat, I rinse the strawberries well when I get them home, then place a dry paper towel on top. Snap the lid closed (or put a rubber band around the basket and paper towel) then flip them over (on a plate for a basket without a lid). The remaining water drips onto the paper towel, preventing rot, and the moist paper keeps the berries from drying out in the refrigerator for the few days it usually takes us to polish off the basket. I call it a "strawberrium". Pics here, in case this doesn't make sense. (Strawberry Rhubarb Pie link here.)

If get a good price at the market at the height of the season and have too many to eat fresh, I hull the berries, cut them into small pieces and place them in a single layer on a parchment-covered baking sheet in the freezer. After they're frozen, I allow the sheet to sit at room temperature for a few minutes, then pop them off into a zippered freezer bag to use for smoothies.

You can also make up a batch of cobbler dough, and cut or pat it roughly into rounds to fit 8 oz ramekins. If you're not going to use it right away, wrap the rounds individually in plastic wrap and place in a zipper bag in the freezer. When you feel like a little cobbler, set out a dough to defrost for an hour (or all day in the fridge), fill a ramekin with berries (frozen raspberries are delicious too), sprinkle with sugar. Top with a defrosted dough round and bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes or until dough is golden brown.

Here's my favorite smoothie at the moment:

Buttermilk Berry Smoothie

2 c buttermilk (less fat and more protein than milk or soy milk)
(You can also substitute 1 c buttermilk and 1 c milk of your choice if buttermilk is too tangy for you, or milk plus 1/2 small container plain yogurt.)
1/2 - 1 c fresh strawberries, cut into small pieces, or any other berry, fresh or frozen
(I love blueberries in this.)
4 level tablespoons hemp powder
1/2 - 1 tablespoon agave syrup, or to taste

This is about 400 calories, so it makes a solid breakfast, with an almost perfect ratio of fats to protein to carbs, and half of the daily recommended amount of fiber. To reduce the calories, you can substitute water or non-fat milk for 1/2 the buttermilk. Buttermilk (be sure to buy organic if you can get it) also has beneficial "probiotic" cultures for your digestive system. You can tinker with the quantities. Sometimes I add a tablespoon of ground flax seed, but mind the fiber if you're not used to it.

Springy watercolors here.

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Here's another totally unrelated tip that I don't have another place for: next time you use a paper toilet seat cover, turn it perpendicular to the seat instead of trying to line up the opening with the seat. It won't slip in as easily.