Fashionista

Hello lovelies. I thought I would try something new today. My friend Kirin writes an amazing fashion blog that features some snappy looks from her closet. She's inspired me to rethink the ponytail mommy rut I'm stuck in. I've been wearing the same sloppy jeans and crappy hoodie for months. It's embarrassing. I used to love putting a cute outfit together, but since I got knocked up and birthed the lady child, I've lost my fashion mojo. I have trouble pulling myself together since I'm generally tired, on the run, and covered in baby food or dealing with post-baby body blues. But I'm ready to feel fashionable again.
So I thought I would take a page from Kirin's book and share my night-off outfit.

New dress! (old shoes)

I'm sure this third picture of the dress is gratuitous, but you really must note our cat licking her own vagizzle in the middle of the street. We like to keep it classy for the neighbors.

Dress- thrifted last weekend at Shipwreck Day.
I am not wearing white tights. That is the actual color of my flesh. Translucent skin is the new black.
Shoes- Cydwoq.
Lipstick- "Dubonnet" by MAC.

Rhubarby Sweetness

Hi Guys. It's been challenging to sneak away from life and blog. I'm sorry I've neglected this space, because I love it. It's my very own space with no work, no teething baby, no bills or other stuff that clogs up my brain and drives me to consider anxiety medication. As Virginia Woolf said, every woman needs a room of her own, even if it's a virtual room.
Anyway.
Let's talk about rhubarb now.

Behold the humble rhubarb!

Rhubarb grows like weeds around here, and it's usually plentiful at the farmer's market. I don't remember ever seeing it in California. I'm not sure if it doesn't grow down there, or if I just never noticed it. I'm certainly more interested in and aware of local foods now then I was ten years ago.
Regardless, I bought some rhubarb a few weeks ago, and later that afternoon I strolled around our lot and discovered a huge thatch of it. Oh well.

Strawberry and baby.

This is a terrible picture but I swear this is delicious

Strawberry Rhubarb Bread Pudding

Adapted from Bon Appetite

ingredient

3 cups 1/2-inch-wide pieces fresh rhubarb (cut from about 1 pound)

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1-pint container fresh strawberries, hulled, halved
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 
  
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• Butter (for dish)
• 8 (or more) 1/2-inch-thick slices brioche or egg bread (each about 5 x 4 inches), cut lengthwise in half

• Make Compote

Combine rhubarb, sugar, and 1/4 cup water in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to simmer, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Simmer gently until rhubarb is tender but not falling apart, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in strawberries. Transfer to bowl and stir in mint.


Make Pudding

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk sugar and eggs in medium bowl. Place milk and cream in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Gradually add hot cream mixture to egg mixture, whisking custard to blend.

Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch oval baking dish. Arrange enough bread slices in dish to cover bottom (some spaces will remain between slices). Spoon half of rhubarb evenly over. Repeat with bread and rhubarb. Pour custard over. Place baking dish in roasting pan. Add enough hot water to pan to come halfway up sides of dish.

Bake pudding until just set in center, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand in water bath 30 minutes; remove.

Happy Days

It's been a great week. I turned one year older, bringing my grand total to thirty-five years. Holy smokes that is odd. I never imagined myself so old. But I feel good. I'm happy. It's taken me a long time to get here.

I had to work at 3 pm on my birthday, but Chef Husband made me a lunch of white King Salmon with oyster mushrooms, peas, and asparagus.

My birthday cake was a cherry and mascarpone tart with shaved chocolate. 

And then I worked, and suddenly, it's July.

Anyway, lately I've been dwelling on an odd fact someone told me- that all the cells of your body are replicated every year. So literally, we are a different person each year.
But when you're pregnant, cells are replicating themselves like crazy. Also, if you're like me you can't stop scrubbing the bathroom, sobbing, or obsessively nagging your baby daddy. Your body and your mind don't feel like your own. At least, mine didn't.
This week, I feel like myself for the first time in forever. I'm not sure what happened. I know I shed some baby weight. I got my hair did. And my friends read this blog and got me some bling. Oh my goodness.
I feel excited and rejuvenated and loved and refreshed. It came out of nowhere. It's a combination of kindness and time. My body finally reset itself, after 8 months. My friends and husband have been steadfast. I am new. I am grateful. If you're reading this, I love you.