She's a Jolly Good Fella

A garden party for Lucky Girl!
That cake looks familiar!
Idyll.
Raise a glass of Prosecco!



The tower of Marmite.

Circa 1958

Put on your pearls and dust off your high heels, it's time to celebrate Hungry Girl's Hawaii-Five -Oh, the Big Kahuna, half a decade of fabulousness!
"I had the best of times. I had the worst of times. I was hungry all the time."
"So many women, so little time."
Purple for passion, darling.
A howl of her own.
What are "spanx" and why are they spelled with an "x" and why are they under the cranberries?
Phony balogna.
My favorite yoga position. Bottle opening under tree.
Nasturtium cheese balls with a side order of ants--toothsome, creamy, with hints for formic acid.
Outta the way Better Crocker, there's a new macaroni and cheese girl in town.







All the best, HG.
xx00

Heaven's Poppies

I am curious about poppies and bees. I was watching the honeybees forage in these poppies in the Landed Learning Garden at UBC Farm. It is an amazing thing to see the bees emerge from the flowers covered in black pollen. But is there any nectar to be found? I also found that the honeybees were not always heading directly to the center of the flower, but sometimes getting lost in the folds of her bold red petticoats. Who wouldn't want to dive right into that scarlet and black boudoir in search of exotic opiate cocktails?

A Shady Deal

Peter and I have trouble cooking together in the same kitchen. We also have trouble working together in the garden at the same time. Did I mention we love each other dearly? When I told him I was having trouble pulling out all the thickly matted roots of the tall bluebells that invade the garden he asks why I would do that. Turns out he sprinkled the tiny seeds all around the garden in the autumn. We had the same discussion about the mallow. He loves invasive plants. I on the other hand want a diverse garden, so I am always pulling them up by the roots. We do agree on hemlock, though. We both pull it up and pull it up again. Also buttercup and bindweed.

So when Peter reamed me out for covering up all his plants in the shady end of the garden with the clay soil I dug out of the veggie bed, I decided to give him the shade garden. "It's all yours," I said. And for Father's Day I bought him a little succulent and a white Bleeding Heart from The Weekend Gardener down the road. So now he is trying to rescue the (invasive) Lady's Mantle, which I have just discovered is medicinal, and worth keeping. One of my favorite web sites--Tree Frog Farm outlines its essential and medicinal qualities:

"Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris) - Like a cool refreshing ocean breeze, lady's mantle brings deep spiritual peace to your whole body and being. Balances the sympathetic nervous system and corresponding levels of the electrical system. [...] Lady's Mantle is a European medicinal herb. Its lobed leaves form cups that sparkle with morning drops of dew or rain in the center and around the edges. It's 1 foot tall stalks of tiny green flowers make beautiful long lasting cut flowers. As an herb lady's mantle is astringent and stops blood flow. It is used as a wound healer, to stop heavy menstrual bleeding and cramps, and to facilitate childbirth. During menopause it is also useful for hot flashes and headaches. Lady's Mantle is thought to be a liver decongestant."

Well, there you go. Turns out this is a shade plant worth saving!

Father's Day at Figmint

I'm quite fond of the unusual pod lights at Figmint. I love the big windows, but the banquettes can get quite hot in the sun. It's lovely to have a view of city hall and the mountains on a sunny Father's Day--especially as we have had such a rainy June.

Poached Spot Prawn with Egg Mimosa, Horseradish Béchamel and Prawn Essence, Crepes. This was delicious, but left me wanting more. I'm so hungry these days. What am I, eating for me and my dopelganger?
Poached Spot Prawns, Melon, Orange, Tomato, Cucumber and Mint.
I'm sure you can imagine how well the spuma went with the boy. He was not impressed and ending up pigging out on a side order of bacon.
Diablo Spot Prawn, English Pea Pancakes.
Peter ordered this and I was struck with Murphy's Law of Dining, and I wished I'd ordered it. Damn! Those pancakes were good.

Peter's shirt matched the banquettes.

Chocolate Mousse with Blood Oranges and Coconut Croquant

I consoled myself with a moody lemon tart. I'd say one of the best in the city.