sheppard girls

First rhubarb

 

I came to the computer to find my recipe for Amanda Hesser's mom's chicken recipe, because our stove is finally hooked back up and the only thing I have defrosted in the frig is chicken.  I accidentally googled Molly Wizenberg and found myself on Chowhound.  At the bottom of the page was a recipe for Rhubarb-braised chicken.  It is probably a mistake to use the first rhubarb of the season on an untested, savory dish right?

The kitchen part 2

Also, open EVERY box of tile from the fancy tile store.

Container gardening

Last year a friend and I went on the Tangletown garden tour.  Having just gone on our own suburban garden tour (which we will be on this year) and being a little underwhelmed, I called the dad from one backyard and said "you would just die".  First of all there was art and wine.  Second, they were all so beautiful and creative and individual.  Especially the containers.  I have obsessed over them ever since. 

Today in the paper I read that I am not the only one obsessed with those container gardens, since their creator, Scott Endres, got his own magazine.  Which I will totally be going to find today.  I plant my much beloved adjuga everywhere because of a class I took from Scott at least 15 years ago when he was at another nursery.  My containers can rock this year.  I forgive him for the three $49 shrubs he convinced me to buy last year that have since died.

Trip to Ikea

I went over to Ikea yesterday morning to see if I could find any useful organizational items for the kitchen, or any fun outdoor items like those Victoria outlined last week.  I came home with these.

 
Which look very pretty grouped together on our kitchen island.  But I already have at least six of these vases and nothing to hold our recycling.

The kitchen part 1

 

A note to myself and anyone else remodeling a kitchen.  I know you are busy and are trying to live your regular life while the nice people work on your kitchen.  I know it is tempting to just give the contractor the code to your security system and let them do the work. 

Here is my advice: TRY to be there each day when they begin their work, otherwise you will end up with shiny black countertops installed, even though you spent months looking for just the right NOT SHINY countertops.  And they will have to start all over.  And you will spend another two weeks eating soup from a can.

The best laid plans

 
 
I had high hopes for elegantly surviving the kitchen remodel.  The creative meals we would eat.  And we would still use nice dishes, real glasses and cloth napkins.  But the dad had to go on a work trip, both girls have had evening activities and I got the flu.  Last night we ate D'Amicos take out while sitting on our bed at 8:20 pm.