Hi, I'm still here! Here-ish. I hope you're indulging in the glory of slow summer days and crunchy fresh produce.
As I finish sorting through the dregs of my basement, and talk to moving companies, school admins, and karate dojos in another state, I'm trying to channel grace about this whole thing. I have wonderful friends in Michigan. I love the ease and independence that my kids have here. If, however, I'm being honest, I've got an itch to be in the hills, to have new adventures, and to be closer to my sisters.
With the exception of some perfect peach and blueberry pies I haven't been baking much and cooking even less. But last night I went all out. I cooked from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, and Samin Nosrat's Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and it was so good for my soul. We feasted on fried Zucchni blossoms, fried zucchini, tomato cream sauce, and bittersweet chocolate pudding. After dinner everyone was blissed out with perfectly full bellies and we played boardgames until bedtime.
We're going to hit the road in about 10 days. But of course as I start to pack up my kitchen, I'm finally excited to cook again. We've found our modernist dream house and I can now imagine what it's going to feel like to cook in our new home (When we're finally able to move in). I'm starting to have ideas about the recipes I'd like to work on and I've even begun testing a few. Send me some good energy as we load everyone up into the minivan and do some traveling while we wait to settle into our new house.
Traveling in the minivan means not frying in oil. My mother made sandwiches using the 'glove compartment' cover as a counter. Rather than eat at the restaurant adjacent to the service station with the sign "Get gas and eat here", we would stop at the town's IGA grocery store and buy Oscar Meyer packaged meat and cheese, mustard and bread. I hope you have better options now, but at least no one became ill from road food as we drove to Colorado.
Great to hear from you, and happy travels.