Like a Lion...

Once a week? Once a month? Who cares!? I knew February would be a quick month but to already be a week deep in March is a bit of a surprise. Jayson was gone for a week due to an awesome conference in Syracuse and I seized the moment to spend time in the kitchen, a wild-woman I've become... I did spend a night out with my brother the The Black Krim in Randolph, a much loved place by the both of us. And Emma Sanford joined me for a much needed evening of wine and nachos, so I haven't been a COMPLETE dud.

Firstly, I thawed the rest of the fiddleheads we picked last Spring and made fiddlehead quiche, YUM! Next up was a classic, homemade macaroni and cheese. My mom's favorite recipe involves smoked gouda and is topped with freshly cut apples and it is to DIE for. I've added bacon and peas before but this time I tried something new, oven-roasted mushrooms. Even though they were a bit over roasted (crispy, for sure) I think it is my new guilty pleasure. And on a much healthier note, soup! First up was a loose recreation of Sarducci's own spicy black bean that I finished off with organic coconut milk rather than heavy cream. Another score from the freezer was mashed pumpkin from my brothers garden that I pureed with carrots, celery and onion, seasoned with thyme and serve with either a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt. Finally chili, not vegetarian but grass fed beef, tons of veggies and BEER. Needless to say the freezer is restocked and I've been eating chili for three days straight.

This mac & cheese is good with red or white wine, so I tried both!









Here are some photos from what may possibly be my last snowshoe of the season:

I have been starting to re-pot my indoor plants and plant some herbs in hopes of freshness and life and in anticipation of spring. I now have a baby tangerine tree standing at about two inches and my thyme, dill and basil have all begun to sprout! Where does she find the time? Besides feeling slightly under the weather there have been many people in my life telling me to take a day or two off, so I listened. Somehow I've managed to survive financially with a full week off from work at the restaurant, but I'll be back to the grind tomorrow....

Thankfully part of the reason for my "time off" is the fact that I am teaching seven classes a week at the studio now. They are condensed into 4 days and I love each one of them. I am also planning an Ashtanga workshop with Emily (fellow instructor and teacher trainee) which will be a three hour evening event exploring the Primary Series. We would love for the workshop to grow into something we can hold a few times a year, constantly bringing in new material and revisiting basics! I've eased up on my trips to Burlington in lieu of not spending enough time at home with Jayson and Lola, exhausting my gasoline funds and hoping to attend one of the two David Swenson workshops this summer. The problem is that I miss Yoga Vermont immensely once I haven't visited for over a week :)

And MOST IMPORTANTLY, I just bought tickets to New Orleans to visit Emma S-E and Laura is planning to come at the same time. Isham St reunion in NOLA! I'm feeling incredibly grateful for the richness each day brings to life and the opportunities that lay ahead.

Om purnamidah purnamidan
purnaat purnamudachyate
purnasya purnamudaya
purnameva vashishate

This is full
that is full
from fullness, fullness comes,
when fullness removes itself, fullness still remains

Who Said Size Didn't Matter?

It's not that there isn't as much to do in Central Vermont, it's that there isn't enough time to do all the things that you might want. Why? Because half of the restaurants in this region are closed on Sundays-Tuesdays, or some combination thereof. SO what's a girl to do on Monday night when it's overdue to meet Mom for a night of wine and good eats? Go to the local hotel restaurant. As long as the hotel is locally owned, someone is likely to know about a local date spot. Ask about fine dining. If someone looks at you like an Extra Terrestrial, don't take their advice.

Monday night I went to J. Morgan's Steakhouse, the local hotel restaurant, with my mother. The restaurant offers a recently renovated, swanky appeal, but is eerily quiet. Looking at a reasonably priced wine list with outstanding variety only makes that palate grow larger. FRIED PICKLES?! The appetizer menu is enough to keep anyone on a budget well-fed, but sandwiches and salads for just a few bucks more are also sure to impress. We started with the friend shrimp and calamari. The menu specifies that the customer is to choose between either shrimp or calamari, but my mother keenly asked to have a mixture of both, which was approved by the chef with no problems, as far as we know.

For the main course we had decided to split the flatbread with prosciutto and figs (something striking familiar to a menu at the restaurant where I work) and a steak tip salad, because the place is supposed to be famous for their superior cuts of beef. First, the bread is served as the main course arrives. But the salad is immense. It's even hard to take a bite without pieces falling off the edge of the plate, even more difficult is finding the pile of greens beneath the tower of fried onion rings, which if you haven't already guessed, makes to steak look small. It was dressed nicely and tasted fresh. The steak was cooked perfectly and served piping hot off the grill, yummy, just served with a side of intimidation. The flatbread was deliciously topped with a balsamic glaze and toasted cheese and was accompanied by an arugula salad with fresh strawberries!

The desserts all have the same notorious reputation of size and glory, so I recommend spending $10 on one of their topnotch cocktails to finish off the evening. The Celebration comes with a dazzling recommendation from both myself and my charmingly picky mom. Brunch is wind saved for another review, as I am an avid fan and need not mix my genres.

Cheerio!