Monday, February 25, 2013

parley view parsnip... week in review

A few photos from last week...



This is the most comfortable chair ever, from IKEA and has it be at lest 20+ years old.
My little lady Scottie Kirby, loved this chair and until she was so sick that she couldn't walk let alone jump up, this was her chair to curl up in.
Watson who was her companion has now taken over the chair.

Watson loves to read.


Blogging friend "Numinosity" an artist who lives in Bisbee, Arizona and Alaska, found this completely destroyed book on one of her travels.
 Even though it was ripped and taped she had to buy it and send it to The Square Ones.
Thank You ! we are so happy you thought of us.


The artist had to have Scotties because these drawing are excately
what they look like and the trouble they get into !
The sweet drawing on the left is what Watson looked liked when he was a tiny puppy
 that I held in my hand.

ummmmmmm this is defently thehamish.
When he was a puppy,  he was always running under sofa, beds and the coffee table.
As he grew up, I thought he would have brain damage from all the times he smacked his head, not remembering he couldn't run full speed and still fit under the furniture !
I truly think sometimes all his problems can be traced back to this.
yert !


Here are a few photos from Thursday, the day after our big snow storm.


thehamish looking noble next to the snow Scottie
that Watson made for him.


oh nooooooooes it is mealting


and here is what is left of the last little bit of snow.
oh woe is thehamish
he has a broken heart
yert !

Wonderful blogging friend Empress Bee, put up on her blog her low caliore remake
of a Southern dish of slow cooked green beans with ham.
She has all her low calorie re-makes on her side bar.
I always eat my green beans lightly cooked, almost raw.
But I had this dish once a very long time ago and remembered it was very tasty.
On the Wednesday when it snowed and very cold for Tucson,
I made this for dinner and it was so good.
I use a small piece of Canadian Bacon I had on hand in the freezer.
Yeahaw ! Thanks Bee this was so good

sad,  parsnip
music. . . How Can You Mend A Broken Heart,  The Bee Gees
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Friday, February 22, 2013

Square Dog Friday... cold wet white stuff !

Friday !
Best day of the week for Two Little Square Black Dogs.
But everyday is the best day of the week if your Two Little Square Black Dogs !
Lets woof it....


Hey... we were born in Southern California !
Not Scotland ! 
surf not snow !
yert !


Wednesday afternoon
ummmmmm footie prints


thehamish is not understandin'


Big the snow flakes on Watson's back.


Begone cold snow !
Begone I say...
Little Black Dugs gud ! snow bad !

Thursday morning
Watson not very happy, notice left paw up
thehamish checking out the snow melt or squirrel
one never knows.


thehamish has little snow footies !


Watson builds a snow scottie for thehamish.


lookin' just like me thehamish
watson gud dug for makin' me in snow
im' feeling very noble and smar t t  t. . ..... squirrel !


snow scottie that looks just like thehamish with his little sway back.
Watson did a great job.

ohhhhhhnoooooooooes thehamish is mealtin'
nonono noooooooo oooo ooo o o ooo
not likin' this this is bad for little square dug thehamish
oh woe is me
yert

snow. . . parsnip
music. . . California Dreamin',  The Mamas & The Papas
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Thursday, February 21, 2013

I am building a ski lift on my hill in Tucson !

Tucson, Arizona


Tuesday
What many of our Winter days look like.


Wednesday, 11:30 am
ummmmmmm cold wet white stuff

12:00
I live near a school but really never hear the children but today at lunch time,
it was so quiet I got to hear all the laughter and squeals of pure joy !
Snow !

1:30 pm

What is this white stuff ?
Hey, remember we were born in Southern California,
surf not snow !

front yard 11:30 am

...

3:00 pm

5:30 pm


...


...


Back yard 5:30 pm



Huge Winter storm hit Arizona and Tucson got snow ? ? ? ?
This does not compute !
Real snow not a few little ice balls that melt right away.
This is not our normal winter weather.
Snow is usually up on the mountains while Tucson can have sunny days
mixed with some rainy days.

amazed. . . parsnip
music. . . Mad World,  Tears for Fears

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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Wednesday in Tucson... dump cassoulet

I cooked on Monday !
Oh be still, sit down be calm, I know shocking news !

Really cooking, something involving more than a microwave or the broiler.
Involved were knives, can openers, wooden spoons, chopping, pans and the oven.
Plus fabulous aromas coming from the kitchen swirling around the house.

This recipe comes from my Japanese son who used to cook this dish when he was studying at the University Of Arizona before he completed his studies at University in Japan.
So this recipe has come full circle. It is back home in Tucson.

It is called dump cassoulet, his name not mine.
I call it David's Cassoulet.
But that is indeed what you do, just dump everything in the pot.

I made it vegetarian but two quick changes can make it meat based.



2 tins of great northern white beans and one of veggie broth (chicken or beef)
chopped fresh sage, chopped garlic in first pot.
Cook one chopped onion over low heat in second pan in olive oil till clear


dump (his words ) onions into first pot.
Cook 3/4 packet of soy chorizo, you can use pork chorizo but I personally like the soy better less fat/oil  and taste as good.
They were out of soy chorizo at the store so I made my own "fake" soy chorizo.
Ok, lets think about this.
I am making a substitute chorizo for a substitute soy chorizo for the original chorizo.
The mind boggles....
To soy "meat" I added every chili spice in my pantry plus veggie broth and marinated it over night.
Cooked it in the pan add some sciraicha and green tabasco sauce, so good,
toss that in the first pot.
ummmmmmm maybe we should name this toss cassoulet instead of dump cassoulet ?
the mind wanders....
squirrel ! (thehamish)


Add 2 bunches of fresh chopped kale, when he can't find kale son adds a bag of frozen mixed veggies.
 Please don't do what I did when I only bought  1 bunch of kale ! bad bad bad !
Stir it up and then in the words of my son, it is written on the recipe card
"Oh Shit! you realize you forgot to add the wine ! pop open the bottle, dump in about 1/4 cup and then take a liberal slip from the bottle for yourself"

Now you can stir it all together.  woohoo !
I added a Cabernet Sauvignon.


Wipe clean the chorizo pan and add chopped bread, olive oil, garlic, chopped fresh sage and a bunch of chopped fresh parsley.
Toss around to toast but be sure not to burn garlic.


Pour it all in a casserole dish and add the bread topping.
Bake  2 (?) hours in a very low oven till bubbling hot but not hot enough to burn topping.
 Some of the bread cubes will soak up the sauce and get all gooey goodness
and some stay nice and crispy !


... intermission...
sweet plants to add to a terrarium,
bought at the market that ran out of the soy chorizo.

Two hours later...
all bubbly goodness from the oven


 Heaven !

Desert... 
1 cup of frozen raspberries 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt  from the frig.
Blend up with an immersion  blender and add small amount of  pretend sugar
or a small amount of powered sugar.
Homemade quick soft serve frozen yogurt.
yum !


cooking. . .parsnip
music. . . Smooth,  Santana
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Monday, February 18, 2013

parley view parsnip...thehamish vs water monster

.

For all of you still in the throws of winter snow, wind and rain, a short video from last summer.

thehamish is attacking the Loch Ness Monster.  He is Scottish you know !
For some reason utube cut the cute ending ? You need a full stop to see it.

We here in Tucson have been too warm 70/40 but later in the week our high will be only in the low 50's with rain and some snow in the mountains.
Global warming is indeed hitting Tucson. Our winters never had such a huge swing in temperature. We are either 10/15 degrees to warm or too cold.
Weird !

scottish. . . parsnip
music. . . Walking on The Sun,  Smash Mouth

Friday, February 15, 2013

Square Dog Friday.... destroyer of toys

.
thehamish + toy = destruction !


Dr. Watson is staying out of it !

dancing. . . parsnip
music. . . Runaway Baby,  Bruno Mars

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Wednesday In Tucson... storm clouds

The day started out like this...


the storm blew in

lots of fast moving clouds

depositing snow on the mountains


rain in the valley


The next morning

this is what I saw

sun, blue sky and snow.
Lovely
.......................................


Monday evening daughter came over and made a vegan corn and potato chowder.
So good on a snowy, rainy cold evening.
Fabulous !

Daughter cooks vegan at home but out in the world she is a vegetarian.

snowy. . . parsnip
music. . . Roll With It,  Steve Winwood



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