An Angry Bird and Freezing Fog

On Sunday, a freezing fog encapsulated the garden.   I shivered as I took shots of the ice crystals using my new tripod. 

Doesn't this Rugosa Rose hip look like a spider?

Cars slowed down and people waved at me as I took pictures of the ice lightly decorating the plants like frosting.  

I was happily minding my own business taking pictures of the Cape Fuchsia while listening to the Anna’s hummingbird nonstop litany which sounded vaguely like a cursing rapper, when the Anna’s hummingbird took action and dive bombed me.  The hummingbird’s left wing pivoted off my left cheek and it swooped behind my head and around. And I screamed out, “Really?” 

Cape Fuchsia seed heads

Then the hummingbird resumed its tirade. This hummingbird obviously has the bird version of small dog syndrome. It has all the nerve endings of a bald eagle in that tiny little body. I’m going to put a new hummingbird feeder out front, as a gesture of peace. 

Later in the afternoon, the cold winter sun melted the ice off of the massive fir tree and I watched a glowing rain storm in my back yard on a sunny day.  It was a beautiful day.

Creamy Scrambled Eggs and Freezing Fog

This morning, I captured a few shots of the garden cloaked in a glistening layer of freezing fog while my coffee brewed in my French press.  When I came back inside, I poured the coffee and starting making scrambled eggs while My Pirate slept. 

I stood at the stovetop, slowly stirring my egg mixture and lifting newly formed curds off the bottom of the nonstick skillet, and I reflected back on scrambled eggs.

I remember the first time I tasted the potential in scrambled eggs. My gymnastics team coach, Elejhue, a hilarious black man made scrambled eggs for our team after a sleepover at one of the girl’s house.  The eggs were moist and minced and so close to raw, I almost gasped.  But I piled them onto my piece of buttered toast and took big doughy mouthfuls.  They were nothing like the rubbery scrambled eggs with shattering edges that I’d eaten before.  

Over the years, I’ve played with my scrambled egg recipes, until one morning, 11 years ago, I stumbled upon my very own recipe.  I poured cream into my bowl of scrambled eggs until it turned a soft creamy yellow and added a pinch of sea salt.  I cooked my eggs over medium, while stirring with a heatproof spatula to convect the heat through the mixture until creamy soft pillows of eggs formed.  I turned the heat off and watched the last shimmer of moisture turn matte and then I served them beside oven roasted mushrooms.

I took a bite and gasped when the pillow of egg melted in my mouth.  And I knew that I had found my recipe.  I make these eggs on holiday mornings or when I simply want to demonstrate my love to My Pirate and My Kid. I’ve even served them to a 200 member marching band in a parking lot on competition days.  This recipe is flexible and works great in breakfast burritos and scrambled egg sandwiches, but I prefer them with oven roasted mushrooms and buttered crostini.

Creamy Scrambled Eggs

Servings: 2

1 tablespoon butter

6 eggs—use the best quality eggs you can afford

¼ cup cream—use pasteurized, avoid the ultra pasteurized

½ tsp. kosher salt

tiny pinch of red cayenne

Melt the butter over medium heat in a nonstick skillet. 

Crack the eggs into a colored bowl and double check for any eggshell bits.  Whisk the eggs and add the salt and cayenne.  Whisk in the cream until the mixture turns a soft creamy yellow.

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet.  Continually  stir the eggs with a heatproof rubber spatula to convect the heat through the egg mixture.  Slowly scrape the egg curds off the bottom of the skillet and lower the heat if they start to form too quickly.  When the soft curds have formed and they are no longer shiny, they are done.  Remove from heat and serve. 

Returning for a Sandwich

Remember that pastrami sandwich that I told you about on Monday?  The one that got away.  Well, I returned to Olympic Provisions, yesterday, to try it and turns out it's a ham panini.  They refer to it as their Hot Sweatheart Ham with gruyere, pickled cucumbers, dijon on ciabatta.  Their ham is sweet and smokey and the gruyere was oozy and their pickles were the prefect finishing touch.  It was delicious!

I even saved half for My Pirate.  Well, kind of...

I felt so virtuous until I ate it for lunch this afternoon. 

I owe My Pirate half a ham panini at Olympic Provisions.   I better get on that.

Garden Blogger Bloom Day, January 15

I had an ulterior motive when I started participating in the Garden Blogger Bloom Day.  I wanted to add more winter interest to my garden.  And that meant plant shopping binges in the winter!  I was all prepared this weekend at Portland Nursery to purchase a new witch hazel, edgeworthia, purple daphne, and more hellebores, but I was advised to wait until the cold snap passed later this week.  I was bummed, but not deterred.  I will be back.

However, I was delighted to discover that the violets have started blooming in my back yard.  They have such sweet faces.

The hardy fuchsias refuse to die and I continue to be scolded daily by the Anna's Hummingbirds patrolling my garden like the Secret Service at the Presidential Inaugural Parade. 

Don't forget to drop by May Dreams Gardens to explore all the other Garden Blogger Bloom Day posts!  

Snow Day in Portland

Today, I took a field trip with my friend Cindy, that didn’t involve a high school marching band.  I’m still smiling.

First, we went out to lunch at Olympic Provisions in SE Portland.  It’s tucked back in an industrial area and the restaurant reflected that style and the minute we stepped in, we smelled meat.  Cured meat.  Salami.  Mmm…

We ordered the chef’s choice meat and cheese platters.  And Cindy ordered us some juicy Clos de Noi Monstsant 2009 red wine that smelled like raspberries and spice.

Then we looked through the huge window to watch the falling snow and sipped wine.  I looked around the room and imagined tasting a bite of everyone’s lunch.  The orange salad topped with squidgy pinches of white cheese, olives, and tarragon captured my imagination.  But, the pastrami sandwich practically started talking to me like a Sesame Street puppet.  I will definitely return, if only to try the pastrami sandwich: the pastrami sandwich that got away.

 

Then our lunch was served.  We nibbled on cheeses and meats.  Took some pictures of our food. 

picture by Cindy Zosel

Then we headed off for Portland Nursery on Division Street.  I wanted to show Cindy my favorite winter get-a-way on a budget.  Whenever the winter rains start weighing on my soul, I visit the greenhouse at Portland Nursery.  I usually go sit in a chair and take in the humidity, water feature noise, tropical foliage, and the soft light.  My miniature Hawaiian vacation.  But today was different…

Can you see the snow falling?

It was snowing.  

And we brought our cameras!  Cindy has taught me almost everything that I know about photography.

We captured light through leaves.

 Avoided the hungry venus flytraps.

The snow outside made the musty sweet scent of the gardenias that much sweeter.  

I savored the sound of the water and wished for the hundredth time that Portland Nursery would add a tiki bar that sold Mai-Tai's.  And add some background music for mood...I'm thinking Hawaiian music or maybe some Beach Boys.  Then we went outside to explore and took pictures of snow on the plants.

Cindy took shots with her new iPhone with attachable camera lenses.  I've been wavering about updating my phone, but not after seeing her pictures.  I loved how her macro shots turned out. Don’t you agree?  

picture by Cindy Zosel

picture by Cindy Zosel

picture by Cindy Zosel

picture by Cindy Zosel

picture by Cindy Zosel

picture by Cindy Zosel

picture by Cindy Zosel

Then we headed back across the river to Vancouver and stopped off at Peet's for a warm beverage to complete our afternoon. Snow days rock.


P.S.  If you have any questions about the plants in the greenhouse, check out my favorite garden blogger, Danger Garden, and read about her latest trip to Portland Nursery on Division.