the crud

Thanksgiving break saw an unwelcome squatter in our house.   The Crud™ has loosed herself once again upon our home and, more importantly, our chests and nasal passages.  I'm looking right at the six-year-old.  That girl, I tell her "You know, Missy, you'd stay healthier if you'd keep your fingers out of your nose.".   She fixes me with a devilish grin, blue eyes sparkling, and promptly shoves a finger right up her nostril.   Cute, kid.  Real cute.

Regardless of sinusitis, I'm feeling cheerful.  It's a beautiful morning.  The sun is shining.  I'm holed up for an hour (or so) at one of my favourite coffee haunts.  It's deliciously chilly outside today - - for coastal Texas, 35F is about as cold as we get - it gives one leave to wear fuzzy, warm sweaters and my new-to-me brown corduroy pants and drink this big ass cup of coffee with  no guilt.  I'm not much one for guilt, mind you, so that's not really a stretch.

This is a big week for me, full of plans fun and exciting.  Myself and some friends are meeting up for what will be a chilly early morning nature shoot tomorrow morning.  If anyone takes a picture of me in my fuzzy toque, they're getting it.    Thursday night I will be attending the opening for a Juried Exhibition in which I have a piece hanging. My very first time having work displayed in a juried show!  Very excited about that, I am.   Friday night I perform with my choir at a local, Christmas festival.  There is no time, you may note, for The Crud ™ in ANY of this.   Shoo, bug, shoo!

In honour of Meatless Monday, I'm going to be making this later on today ~ Mushroom Hot Pot.  First off, it is visually stunning (click to see the photo).. second, coconut milk, lime, lemongrass and chiles?  How can you go wrong?   I don't have any star anise, but I've got everything else covered.  I think the dish will survive without it.   I even some have lovely, lush cilantro in my garden to serve alongside.

A fiery photo to warm you on this crisp, Autumn morning ~

meatless monday menu

As I already mentioned, we eat meat-free all of the time (13 years & counting, baby!), but one thing that I *don't* do as often as I'd like to is meal plan.   I'm always glad when I do - we eat more interesting meals, and it helps get me out of that rice-pasta-potato-rice-pasta-potato rut.    My husband is always simply delighted at the prospect of not just dinner- but GOOD dinner!  NEW dinner!  He's just tickled by it.   Yes, it helps to have enthusiastic responses, I won't lie.