Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Food & Dining

Lemon Blossoms

Lemon Blossom

It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were harvesting lemons from our little tree by the RV drive, but now the lemon production cycle is already starting again. I took this photo of one of the fragrant blossoms being pollinated by a honey bee today. Click on the image to enlarge.

We had intended, and still intend, to trim much of the tree back to eliminate some of the dead branches and suckers low on the trunk and in the ground. If we happen to lop off a few blossoms in the process, it probably won’t make that much difference in the yield this fall. We had way more lemons than we could use last season and gave a lot of them away.

Of course, we will be making more Limoncello and freezing lemon juice in ice cube trays* to keep until needed for cooking, etc. We’re looking forward to our next lemon harvest.

* Freeze the juice in trays, pop the cubes into a bag and keep in the freezer until you need some juice, then take out only what you need, keeping the rest frozen.

22 Mar 2015 by Arizona Flowers Food & Dining Home & Garden Photography

Asparagus Sprout

Asparagus SproutOn Friday, I got out a bunch of asparagus that we put in water to keep it fresh in order to make some asparagus soup. When I got the bunch out, I noticed that one of the spears was much longer than the others and another was already showing signs of sprouting as well.

The largest spear had been growing in the measuring cup I use to hold the bunch while we’re getting ready to use them a few days after buying them in the produce department at the supermarket. I can’t recall seeing any other asparagus spears doing this well (if doing at all) in the shallow water in the cup.

The bottom line is that I chopped up all of the asparagus in the bunch, added some savory ingredients and some bread to thicken the mixture. I then put the mixture in the blender to render a nice aromatic mix. I topped it off at the serving table with some pancetta (Italian bacon) as a garnish. Needless to say, it was a very tasty and healthy late lunch soup that we enjoyed on last Friday.

Yes, I’m good. Click on the image to enlarge.

31 Jan 2015 by Arizona Food & Dining

Wickenburg Weekend Bike Invasions

Bikers in Town

We don’t normally go out on the weekends, but today we had occasion to drive to the post office and then to deposit a check that came in the mail at the bank. We also did some shopping while we were in that end of town (Old Wickenburg).

As we drove through the old section, we noticed a lot of two-wheelers parked at the cafes downtown. We hear the bikes on the weekends from home, but rarely get to see some of the nice motorcycles in person. This bunch of bikers were enjoying some of the great Mexican food available at the only Mexican restaurant in old downtown. Click on the image to enlarge.

18 Oct 2014 by Arizona Food & Dining Photography Something Shiny Wanderlust

Our Little Desert House

Desert House

Damsel and I prepared our weekend dinners trying to keep from having our usual leftovers, which we consume during the week. But, since we are in California for the week, leftovers are a problem. Saturday, we grilled some pork chops with side dishes and on Sunday, Damsel cooked up some Southwestern skillet chicken enchiladas and the works.

The chops were consumed along with the side dishes, but the Southwestern dish (like a casserole) had some leftovers that we would have hated to throw out. Our bachelor neighbor, who lives across the road, gladly accepted the leftovers, since he was remodeling the bathroom in his house and hadn’t thought about dinner in his haste to finish his project. Damsel and I were happy to furnish him with dinner.

I took this photo of our house while I was coming down the hill from the neighbor’s house. As you can see, it was another beautiful day in the desert. Click on the image to enlarge.

08 Sep 2014 by Arizona Food & Dining Home & Garden Photography

Two Games

Two Games

While we often watch two simultaneous sporting events, this is the first weekend of 2014 that we can watch our baseball team and some NFL pre-season games. On the top TV, Mark Trumbo prepares to bat for our favorite Arizona Diamondbacks and on the bottom TV, the Baltimore Ravens are playing the San Francisco Forty-Niners in week one (of four) pre-season scrimmages. Earlier, we were watching NASCAR on one TV and baseball on the other. Click on the image to enlarge.

We don’t just spend our weekends watching sports; we cooked some meaty pork baby back ribs in the crockpot and finished them up on the grill outdoors. They were served with baked beans, Cole slaw and broccoli. Drool alert!

10 Aug 2014 by Food & Dining Retirement Sports

Harvesting Our Garden

Harvest Peppers

This past weekend, we harvested a few Anaheim chili peppers that were growing in pots in our courtyard. I prepared them according to a recipe for Tex-Mex chicken enchilada casserole. They, and the casserole, were delicious!

Just around the corner in the courtyard, are some tomatoes that we hope will ripen before the first freeze. We will have those in another tempting (and healthy) dish after we harvest them. Click on the image to enlarge.

30 Oct 2013 by Arizona Food & Dining Home & Garden

Best Chinese Food in Town

Chinese Food

Actually, the ONLY Chinese food in town.

Last week, we decided to try some of the other restaurants in town instead of patronizing the same one or two. We have a “junk food” day about once a month when we get Mexican enchiladas or Cheeseburgers with fries.

I took Damsel to lunch yesterday at the Sizzling Wok, a Chinese cuisine restaurant less than a half mile from home. The sampler appetizer we ordered was pretty good. The penalty, of course, is the deep-fried goodies are anything but health food. Once a month, we figure, isn’t going to clog our arteries that much. Next time at this restaurant, we might try the Won Ton Soup, or something a bit less fatty. Click on Damsel’s image to enlarge.

21 Sep 2013 by Arizona Food & Dining Retirement

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