Wonderful Sunday

Today pretty much rocked. I woke up around 5:30 and have been having fun ever since. My plan to relax in the yard was foiled as usual by my desire to get a bunch of things done.

This morning I straightened up the mess I've made all week, swept the floors, paid bills and fed the chickens.

Mead came over for breakfast and crafts. I made us breakfast quesadillas with scrambled eggs, jack cheese and green chiles inside. Then we worked on Christmas presents.

Mead and I stood in the backyard scheming about raised beds, rainwater harvesting, bike racks, compost, and a few other things. In case I haven't mentioned it lately, she is one neato friend.

After that I went to buy a new toaster oven as I like efficient baking and our oven takes 10 minutes or so to preheat. That's wasteful and also annoying in the summer when I don't want to heat the whole house up. Our current toaster oven is finally dying--I bought it used about 4 years ago so I guess it's no surprise. Anyway, I bought this Kitchen Aid one because it isn't digital, they're made in the U.S., it has great reviews and I think most of the things I want to cook will fit inside of it.

Then I bought some groceries: yellow carrots, red cabbage, avocados, clementines, tofu, chicken sausages, no nitrates chicken hot dogs, and some other stuff.

I stopped by the nursery right by our house to buy some already established herbs and they sent me home, telling me to plant seeds again just not so deep. Who knew you could still plant things in December? Tucson, you are a weird and special place. So I did, I planted herbs all over again and some more lettuce, spinach and swiss chard. I have veggie fever, I tell you! Next spring I am planting a couple of citrus trees, I think.

Clover and I went for a nice, long walk on the Rillito and I got to catch up with Wendy. It was great to just chat about cooking, growing things, people's idiosyncrasies, magazines, sleeping and other nice mundane things.

For dinner we had pumpkin ravioli tossed with a couple of tablespoons of sage infused, balsamic, brown butter, with apple chicken sausages and a green salad with carrots and pecans and an apple cider, honey mustard, herby vinaigrette. Also we had a little homemade limeade--I finally squeezed those limes from my patient's tree. We have a few liters of limeade now. I think I'll put some mint in one of the jars.

Did I mention that yesterday E hung up that yard art/sculpture thingy for me? I'll try to take a picture of it soon.