use real butter

Recipe: damn good sandwich

Kaweah is back to her normal silly pup self. Thanks to all of the K-girl fans for their kind wishes.

I know everyone is jazzed about the approach of spring because so many are cursing the lingering signs of winter. While I, myself, am impatient for the arrival of softer, sweeter melons in the markets and the ever earlier dawn each day – I can’t contain my smile when we get sun-snowshowers at our house like today. I think people might appreciate winter more if they actually got outside into it, whether to ski mountains, nordic vast snowy fields, walk along a stormy beach, hike through quiet forests, run a frosty country road, skate on a frozen lake. I love stepping into gentle snowfall, watching white blanket the world, smelling the clean cold air, listening to the stillness, and feeling small flakes settling onto my face.

Being outside does my soul good. I know this, because without it I would have gone ape shit by now. I don’t “do” sick, but sick is what I am at least 50% of the time – as in really bloody sick. So when I’m not ill, I mega-dose on keeping active, positive, and getting my butt outside where the air lifts away my pains, my worries, my sadness. Winter air is what I sought when I started my treatment and Spring air is going to see me through the end of it. I gladly welcome any season that I can breathe in and move through.

After 4 years of heavy usage and abuse (i.e. crumbs, disassembly, reassembly, spilled drinks) we upgraded my keyboard. Normally I wouldn’t make a fuss about it except… except for the fact that my new keyboard is a cross between art and a spaceship.

can it be functional and beautiful?

**Jump for more butter**

Recipe: crock pot roast beef

Whoa. It’s spring. Even here in the Land of Ephemeral Summer, it’s bleeping spring. Talk about a mind fuck what with Daylight saving, another round of chemo, and the warm spell this weekend – I have awoken to a world that is now a lot… hotter. Not that I mind spring. Despite my love for winter, I actually embrace the arrival of all seasons because it’s a refreshing change. To be honest, spring here is really a warmer version of winter with nice big snow dumps paired with longer sunny days. Makes for great mountaineering conditions and who doesn’t love to ski some of that corn snow in the backcountry? Tap tap tap – waiting for the snowpack to get just right. Oh, my tele days are not over yet – not by a long shot.

And let’s not forget the bounty of spring produce. I get all excited in anticipation, although I’ll have to figure out which foods I can and cannot partake of because of my treatment. Still, a creative cook can make her way around some of those obstacles. Even though we’re still days off from the official start of spring (and in my neck of the woods it doesn’t feel like spring until May) I got started on my spring cleaning of sorts: closets, cupboards, paperwork, projects… While I was at it, I remembered that I had several recipes squirreled away for posting and some of them are “wintry” dishes. Best to get on those soon, eh?

Oh but first, more goodies in the post – a surprise from dearest, sweetest Anita of Dessert First! I have to say that food bloggers are some of the nicest people in the world. Add to that the fact that they also have teh best taste in food stuffs and you will never be more pampered and showered with love by a better person or persons.

i nearly peed my pants when i saw where the yummies were from!

Isn’t she a dear? What a complete delight to have these to look forward to after my treatment. Anita, you are the best! xxoo

**Jump for more butter**

Recipe: reuben sandwich

My first (food) love is sushi.

My second (food) love is a sandwich. It’s a beautiful thing, really. Totally flexible yet wholly satisfying and comforting. Sandwiches can be cold, hot, both, crunchy, mushy, gooey, spicy, tangy, sweet, open, closed, stacked, dainty, behemoth, you name it. I love me a Good Sandwich.

Oh, but a little business before I go on about my love affair with The Sandwich. Thank you to the person(s) who nominated this blog for the Death by Chocolate competition on Culinate. I am flattered, to say the least. Unfortunately, because of my treatment, I am unable to travel and feel it isn’t appropriate for me to enter. Not to mention, the entries are by some of my absolute favorite food bloggers like: Peabody, Bea, Helene, Anita, Jaden, and Meeta… just to name a few! I encourage you all to go and look, drool, and vote.

Thanks also to all of you for your kind words of support. I think my tastebuds are somewhat recovered (had an infection to boot). I’ve just accepted that my fooding will be boned until treatment ends in several months. So, no worries. I shall still attempt to cook and hopefully post. Things just have a way of improving or sucking very quickly here and I have to go with the flow day to day. Stick with me on this. We’ll go places, I promise. xxoo

**Jump for more butter**