It seems that the spring is really getting here, finally... although according to some locals we have another week of pre-spring, when anything can happen, and I also predicted two more snowfalls. The river has risen, the Greenbelt is closed and my grass is still in semi-dormant state... so I attempted to revive it by another batch of seeds, some spoil in the low spots and such... we'll see. That was about all the gardening I've done this weekend. My compost bin content looked so unchanged the whole time I decided to dig in and check it out, which was relatively easy when using some tarp on the ground. I was surprised to find some, perhaps half of the material, decomposing... So mixing it hopefully helped and in the fall I might work some of it into my yard :)
But it also means I might need to make one more bin for this year's clippings...

It was after a while a nice evening, warmish even after dark, Chompy got three walks in her little legs today and is sleeping very soundly already... poor little bugger. I bought a pair of running shoes and so I am planning on taking her to the park solo, perhaps on some mornings.
And in two days the tulips made their minds and decided that they would bloom. It was about time.
No food pictures this time, the bread rolls and cake I made yesterday got eaten, so did the burgers and stuffed mushrooms and it was good... good that it got eaten :)

still there :)

 Poppy seeds from last year seemed to survive the storage relatively tasty, my grinding technique seemed to work as well just about right, so why not to use more of them and re-visit crazy jewess' recipe? BTW, the dough is easy and with food processor even easier... and seems that it would work with tiny little modification on more than just Kugelhopf... I'll try to make it into different shape next time. Sorry I didn't capture the progress...:)

It's hard to say whether it is just my cravings for sweets, my attempt to re-create a bit of Czech home feeling or desire to show off... but I do love to make this danish with a Czech twist.

 
Half prune filling based on Julia Child, half poppy seed filling from crazy Jewess. Hard to beat.
I have had plenty to say when I started, for example that I use baking to show my appreciation and love. But my brain went to off mode today, so that's all I have to say for now.

Apparently, I am not able even to successfully kill a plant. I have discovered that the tiny micro-parsley from last year survived in the backyard contrary to my efforts to cultivate the soil... and so it grows back, just outside my small plot. Smaller and tinier, but it is a survivor!

The Wyoming winter does not kill everything either. It always seems that spring is not coming, for ages, and then we get three days of spring followed by summer immediately. Saturday trip to the Snowy Range mountains was finished by hiking on the lowest positioned trail, which was a nice change from the winter-ish microclimate on top,

and honestly, the only hikeable trail there so far.

The nature is waking up over there even later than in Laramie, but with almost brutal force and determination. It was a day filled with soft light and warm air. No mosquitoes (yet), no other people, no injuries... an almost perfect day ended by another cooking experiment (breaded cauliflower).

 Sunday was filled with some physical work and I felt I deserved a good American dinner, particularly a burger. The half-pounder didn't seem that big in its raw form, but it stayed that big even after it was done...  and boy was it good with avocado, spinach and grilled veggies on the side! :D

Kveten, za kamnama zustanem

May is usually a nice month even in Laramie. It seems to play "catch" with us this year, though. Three snowstorms in three weeks... The green things (Plantae) seem to be ahead of us, almost jumping up in front of our eyes, when the moment is right, when the day is warm and sun plentiful. Not all of them like the occasional snow, seemingly regular in 7-10 day cycles. But some do not mind, like the tulips. They had the flower buds barely sticking out on Friday, and on Saturday afternoon: here they were! I am glad that half of the tulips is the mid-late variety, as they will probably bloom in a week or less. And I am especially happy that I planted them apparently alright and that they survived so far.

This past weekend I have successfully kick-started the sprinkler system together with C and now I am enjoying the feeling that I am taking care of the grass without having to move a finger :) I'll give a one more try to the reseeding effort in the backyard as well.
Miss Chompy seems to be missing her playmate Sashamonster, not liking to eat on her own, so this morning I tricked her successfully by mixing peanut butter, the dog-irresistible concoction, with her food. Whether it was a mistake or not shall be seen upon Sasha's arrival. I am looking forward taking the little rascal on an inline trip along the river again later today.

frrrgale emericky

May 1st ended the first year of my homeownership and I threw a party, delayed housewarming party, so to speak. Facebook posts of my friends P3 inspired me to try to make my version of frgale, at least as close as I can get. I found a recipe online, made my own plum butter (povidla) from fried plums (prunes) and also tvaroh (farmer's cheese) from yogurt. There were other things to be done, but this was my own challenge.
Of course I put some whole wheat flower into the dough, and made the dough a day ahead, it did not need much of kneading in the first place and was very nice to work with later on. One pie was just "tvaroh a posypka", second had some plum butter under the cheese and third one only plum butter topped with ground poppy seeds with sugar. Soaking raisins in hot rum is fun and I used the rum later to mix with butter for final glazing.

 I cut the finished pies into pretty thin wedges and they were delish. I bet even your grandma from Walachia would have a hard time to compete :)

Laramie, oh Laramie

Sometimes I just wake up early, when it's still dark outside, and after a while I realize I won't sleep anymore. So when I checked the weather forecast for the next few days and there is again chance of snow, I could have just sigh. It was like that last year as well, 362 days ago I signed the papers for my house and it snowed. BTW, I am amazed the house is still standing here, and also that I did not get completely crazy from it.
So, I am planning a variation of a housewarming party, and since it is one year too late, it's called the housecooling party. The insides are definitely not ready for any big celebration, there is always something to take care of etc... but one year is one year.
After an hour long "opinion exchange" with Hana, who cannot get outside her Walachian box, I decided to make my version of frgales and call them frgale, although they can also bear the name "gay pizzas" (since they are sweet and fruity). But than it is not fair to the poor Italians, since pizza is a salty pie... well, one cannot please everybody.
What is going to suck is the weather. I may still opt for making some non-barbecued dish, after all, but homemade burgers just seem to be the best choice...
After discovery of tulips budding out 2 weeks ago on the AIDS walk weekend, I watched them hen over chickens... and the snow last weekend did not make me happy.
As it turns out, tulips are hardier stock than I imagined.Now it's only a question, if they'll manage to bloom as well this year.

And if you want to feel really great, when you wake up early, rub your dog's (or anybody else's) belly, it brings luck and positive emotions!

10 years 365 days

Today was the last day of my 11th year in this country. My oh my, I started second decade by getting green card and a house...did not even have time to think about it last year... Also I feel more like an home owner this year, surviving the winter in a good shape and ready to do a bit more outside. This spring was at first crawling in quite slowly, and than all of sudden we have third week of spring and I am behind!

I was not glad to notice that some creature was digging into the mulch above the newly planted tulips at first, but then I noticed the purple-ended tips of the first tulips getting out. It will be so beautiful!

I've worked that little piece of "garden" next to the garage, incorporated into it some old pot soil in it, some sheep peat, some dry coffee grounds... it better produce some great veggies this year! I am thinking about some peas...but forgot to buy some.. and I already sowed in some chives and green onions. Tomatoes and basil is planted inside, window space allocated by the biggest window. I hope it's gonna work better this year. The hedge along the west border is trimmed and neighbor's side is cleaned as well. I could not resist and went ahead with the first barbecue of the season, not waiting for the May 1st party. And it was worth it.

gray scale

I used to think I was wearing my heart on my sleeve, but quite possibly that was only my own perception. I used to think that I liked someone to the point of loving or not. I had crushes, boyfriend, friends... With time, after I accumulated enough people in the category of "dating", I realized things were not so black and white.
At the age of 38 I met only handful of men after the break up with my partner. The first two are my friends now. Maybe three. Maybe four, but the fourth one lives far. Fifth one could easily be called an ass, but he tried not to be one and I have to give him a point for trying... apparently I am in forgiving positive mood today. Sixth one is out of my life now too, it was probably a wrong timing, although I felt right with him and about him.
The last one is a mystery, because one cannot even start describing him as wearing his heart on his sleeve. He IS the heart hanging on his own sleeve. He amazes me, disarms me, makes me want to be better, and I have not even met him yet. At the age of 38  he sent me a poem by text message! As I already said earlier in these pages I am saying now again: if I am going to hit the bottom, it's gonna hurt! This time I hope that neither of us is going to hit anything, especially the bottom. My imaginary arm wraps around him and I am discovering new pages in my soul, together with some old ones. His laugh is so similar to Blexi's, that it unnerves me, almost. Lets see what the Saturday brings.
In terms of continuing improving myself as baker-amateur, I decided to go and try the "traditional challah". It is like Czech vanocka only made without dairy (milk and butter). First time was it was fine, but did not have time to braid it.And the oil used instead of butter seemed to me to let it be greasy. Second time I did again just a half of recipe and used butter instead of oil. And braided it properly (thanks to internet).

I also let it rise more and since the dough was waiting for 2 days in the fridge, it was on the dry side. More reasons to dab some butter on it!

I am sure I'll never made is as nicely looking again. But maybe more tasty... the honey used instead of sugar is really subtle and the whole wheat flavor goes great with it, traditionally.

And now I need to bake several hundred of them, since the parchment paper with challah footsteps look like really cool wallpaper :). Doesn't it?

e=mc^2

My theory of relativity deals with time: The time needed to pass until the next date seems disproportionally longer the further in the future the date is set to, and vice versa.
I am impatient, when it comes to dating. I can perfectly well explain many reasons for my impatience, but it does not help with the reality of dealing with myself 24/7. Yes, there are distractions, for example last night I tricked myself into being busy by cooking dinner my friends and spending the evening with them. Tomorrow I might go to a concert, tonight perhaps for a swim, if not for a bike ride, depending on the weather. But inside I know that all those distractions are just temporary and weak fixes and do not seem as an adequate supplements. So, I still can't wait for it to be a Saturday, and although I know I am setting myself up for a possible disastrous disappointment, I am willingly doing so, because I HAVE A DATE this Saturday, and it has not been canceled yet. I remember my recent other second date with someone else where things turned from pink to gray. I can't do much about it, only try to make sure that I won't do anything stupid. But I am excited and I feel good amount of excitement from my date as well, when we speak on the phone.
Do you remember the moments when you have met someone and everything felt just right, like you were almost falling in love at the first sight? Well, when you are almost forty, it seems almost impossible without feeling slightly silly, because our "life experiences" taught us differently. And rationally, since we all hope we are somewhat rational, we should take things slowly and be cautious. I disagree with my friend calling me needy, when I am impatient, impatient to either make one more step into a possible falling in love or as much possible hitting my bottom again hard. But I cannot believe, that all men are jerks and that nobody is willing to risk as much as I am. So, I am going to let lose, lift the foot from the brake and experience the free fall.
Poor Chompy is up to a few more sleepless nights with me. But she knows I already love her and that there is room for more.