A very beloved part of summer

What would the visual equivalent be to the phrase "music to one's ears"?

"A sight for sore eyes"? That doesn't feel quite right, as my eyes weren't actually sore (literally or figuratively) when I saw what I saw this evening.

Well, I'll tell you what happened and we can figure out the correct expression later. Tonight I skimmed through my CSA newsletter and saw these words:

"[The strawberries] are coming on like gangbusters and you will be getting at least three pints of strawberries in your box this week."

I squealed. (This is a fair place to note that I was home alone and Wish did not understand the fuss.) Three pints of strawberries?!

I opened the box, and under the broccoli, garlic scapes, lettuce and more nice things, there was one little pint. And then another - and another and another. Four!?

Today was a gorgeous day in Minnesota, with a huge bright blue sky that I loved, but I have to say that these strawberries were the most beautiful thing I saw today.

And even better: the newsletter urged us to eat them pronto, because they won't keep long. Consider it done!

What a happy Thursday present.

Calligraphy practice

This morning, I was doodling around on my phone, and while perusing Buzzfeed lists, I found 27 Ways to Make Your Groceries Last as Long as Possible. Many items on the list were new to me and fascinating, especially with summer produce season (and our CSA membership) approaching.

I was particularly intrigued by #27, a guide on what to store in the fridge and what to store on the counter or in a pantry. It was lettered, and I thought to myself, that would be fun calligraphy practice. I got out my ink, pen and paper and got to work, making all of the words capitalized so I could practice majuscules.

It turned out to be great practice because it used so many different letters, sometimes repeating a few times so I could become more comfortable with a particular majuscule (like C, as in cabbage-cauliflower-celery-cherries-corn-cucumber). Just for the record, I almost skipped mushrooms because I am not a fan and don't imagine ever buying them, but Josh likes them, so I guess he can have fresher mushrooms.

My only regret is that I forgot to make "grapefruit" its own note. It deserves so much more than the blanket "citrus."

I can't wait until I'm faced with the decision on how to store so many fresh fruits and vegetables!

A sure sign of summer

This morning I walked by a little community garden and did a double-take!

How did this happen?! It's almost strawberry time!

Marvelous Monday: 2012, Vol. 6

How on earth did it turn into six weeks into 2012?

As noted last week, I will keep this entry a true Marvelous Monday instead of a weekend recap.  The weekend was a full one and I will report about it soon enough.  Because I know you are all on the edge of your seats wondering what Very Exciting Plans I had for Saturday, though, I will spill the beans, partly because it was a total fail!  

Last weekend, I was reading the Sunday paper. I always browse the events calender and I almost fell out of my chair when I saw a listing for a hot air balloon festival coming up.  Attending a hot air balloon festival is an item on my 101 in 1,001 list - I've wanted to go the Albuquerque festival in October forever - and I was majorly crossing my fingers that I could go to either Albuquerque or a festival held sort of near Josh's hometown.  But who am I to turn down a festival featuring 40 balloons a mere 30 minutes from my home? How cool does that sound?  I researched the launch times, Josh and I made plans to go on Saturday morning to the 7:30 a.m. launch, and I was very, very excited.

Well.  You remember my hoarfrost/fog photo post, right?  I got up on Saturday morning, put the coffee on, put in my contacts, and was preparing for our 6:45 a.m. departure when I thought I should check to make sure the launch was on.  Of course, it was cancelled because of the low visibility.  (I'm not sure Josh was as dismayed as I was.)  Then we made plans to go to the afternoon launch, drove to the festival, and were hanging out on the launch field with hundreds of fellow hot air balloon enthusiasts when we got word that the 3:00 launch was cancelled, too, because of the muddy field conditions.

In conclusion, a hot air balloon festival is still on my list of sights to see.  I think the precise combination of safe conditions for a mass hot air balloon launch is pretty rare, so I will chalk this up as good practice and knowledge for when I finally do get to see a launch.

And with that tale in the books, I bring you Marvelous Monday:

1) I have been reading a lot lately - is that because it's winter? Regardless, I remembered how much I love to read! The most recent book was "The Descendants," which I recommend, and I'm now very excited to see the movie.  Marvelous: I'm excited to pick my next book.
2) I am determined to return a pile of movies rented from a local Red Box tonight to take control of the open charge on my debit card.  That would be really marvelous.
3) The sun is shining and it is 43 degrees.  I am bummed that it's my day off from running, but it sure is marvelous.
4) I stopped at a grocery store yesterday for guacamole ingredients and had the presence of mind to get enough grapefruit for four breakfasts.  It felt like a little present to myself this morning.
5) I also ate a very terrific caprese sandwich for lunch today from Common Roots Cafe.  There is no end to how much I love caprese.

What is marvelous about your day, Reader?

Produce underdogs

Let's take a moment to appreciate winter produce, yes?  There's nothing like beautiful strawberries and blueberries and watermelon, but winter produce bring a lot of appealing options to the (literal) table, too.

Well.  I can't say Minnesota contributes much of the produce on my mind.  I think we have California and Florida to thank for that. 

I have four avocados resting and ripening in my fruit basket at home. I bought them earlier this week on sale - a really, really good sale - in anticipation for a guacamole-related project for a family party this weekend.  I love the Pioneer Woman's recipe for grilled corn guacamole and will almost definitely manhandle (womanhandle?) a significant portion of this batch at Sunday's party.

I also really, really, really like grapefruit.  I never did until two winters ago, when I decided to give one a try despite its sour reputation.  Oh!  They're so good.  I've started buying one at a time and having a half-grapefruit on days when I have a little extra time for breakfast, so I associate them now with a leisurely treat.  And it doesn't hurt that I would rank their color among my top three favorite hues in the world.

P.S. I dreamed last night that I went to Sweden - I think that's because I just finished reading Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - and later PR'd by two minutes in the half-marathon in a race that ended in the driveway of my childhood home, which no longer exists.  It was awesome and I woke up very pumped up!  I hope that bodes well for tonight's long run.

P.P.S. Did you know I was typing in gray all this time?  I didn't realize that.  I am switching to the eye-catching black.

P.P.P.S. This post started out on track but really went off the rails after the grapefruit picture, just for fun.  It definitely counts as a Hodge Podge.  Happy Thursday to you!

Taking pictures of food

Here is a typical exchange when I show my significant other a camera full of food photos:

Me: "Look at these beautiful foods!  Aren't they so beautiful?"
Him, politely: "Oh, nice food."

Needless to say, he does not share my curiosity about food photography. There is monster backlash in foodie circles about bloggers snapping photos at a restaurant table with their camera phone, and I get that.  (Also, I am also probably too shy to actually do that in real life.) But get me next to a pile of fruits or vegetables, or my own cooking projects, and I go a little crazy.  I think there's something so tremendously beautiful about the different colors of vegetables and fruits all mixed together, and the fact that gardens here seem to spend six months under a pile of snow might have something to do with my enthusiasm. 

I promise, promise to spare you from copious amounts of photos from summer farmer's market hauls.  But today I picked up our weekly CSA box (which comes to St. Paul from a farm two hours south of here) and couldn't resist.  There were some of my late-spring favorites: sugar peas and green beans and good salad mix. That wasn't what got me running for my little camera, though.

I'll share just one teeny picture, of the teeniest, sweetest little strawberries I could ever hope to see:

Oh, look! I stumbled across these berries in this grass!

Wash and eat.