and so it goes

As I sit down to write, huge raindrops begin to fall heavily. I want to say they're the size of espresso cups, that I can walk between the drops, break out the champagne and celebrate...but the sun is still shining, the sky still blue, white fluffy clouds illuminated by evening light. One of those times when a symphony of weathers converge into the unpredictable. This rain won't help the drought much or put out wildfires, but it feels and smells nice. Cooler air slips into the kitchen, I move to the other end of the table closer to the opened slider to catch the faint breeze. Longing for a breath of cool air on my tired body. Up at 4 a.m. to help spouse with dental emergency takes its toll.

We drive to ER at 5:30 or so. He's given shots to ease pain and gets violently ill. We are told that dentists in Taos no longer handle weekend emergency cases, he'll have to wait till Monday!  At home I make numerous phone calls and finally find one who does. He's about to leave for a hike but says he'll bring his hiking shoes to the office. He turns out to be great, new to town, young, and now part of a long-standing practice. He cheerfully performs a bit of minor surgery and sends us home. Needless to say, Ron is planning to change his dental provider. And now, a few hours later, he's feeling much better, sipping chicken soup cure-all.

bounty to share

fruit compote

Spent yesterday afternoon with six wildly talented women, all authors, poets, essayists, at a mutual friend's Salad Days lunch gathering. We each brought our salad specialties. There was home baked bread, iced herbal tea, a half dozen salads (and not one Jello mold!). Conversation flew non stop in between bites and stories as we all got to know each other. I brought a fruit salad compote for which I baked biscuits using a 1960s recipe that recently resurfaced during my aborted (for now) declutter campaign. When tossed with the fruit the biscuits get soft and cakelike. The tops should be more golden in color, but the oven gremlins (or mice) are at it again and my oven didn't cooperate. The biscuits aren't sweet (you can sweeten them up if you want to). Here's the easy recipe (the fruit salad part is up to you).

Compote Biscuits
grease cookie sheet
preheat oven to 450

1 cup sifted flour                                        
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
3 T shortening
1/2 cup buttermilk (or substitute*)
1 T melted butter
sugar

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda (this is where you can add sugar); cut in shortening with pastry blender until crumbly. Add buttermilk all at once; mix lightly until evenly moist. Turn out onto lightly floured board, knead gently for 1/2 minute, pat (or roll) into a 1/4" thick round. Cut into rounds with floured 1 1/2" cookie cutter; place on cookie sheet. Prick tops with fork; brush with melted butter, sprinkle with sugar. Bake 12 minutes or until golden. Cool biscuits, layer fruit; garnish with mint. Add a splash of cream or yogurt if you can't resist.

*1T white vinegar, milk to 1 cup

Enjoy!

and think pinkly...