Puck, Porcinis, Pumpkin, and (Damned) Phlebotomists

Dave thinks the neighbors' cats are much cuter than ours. They are pretty cute! Most mornings they are tethered to a big tree in the backyard next to ours. This is Puck:


Last week a foodie friend from California sent me the amazing cookbook, The Art of Simple Food, by Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame. It's a beautiful book that gets my creative juices flowing.

Sunday was a grilling night cause it was too hot in the house to use the stove. The gas grill came with the house, and I'm so thankful for it on these hot days. Here we have a grass-fed porterhouse steak and skewers of porcini mushrooms marinated, using Alice Waters' recommended method, in fresh oregano and rosemary on the grill:


The little pumpkin flower that I reported on last time died and fell off, but I found a little pumpkin under another leaf that was apparently pollinated when I wasn't paying attention. GROW GROW!


And for the morbidly curious, here is the giant bruise on my arm from the brutal treatment I received at the hands of the phlebotomist and the emergency room nurse last Thursday. It's more green than purple now but it still hurts!