Category Archives: Utah

Jim’s never been a whiz in the kitchen. In certain tight spaces I’ve had to keep him out because our Kitchenaid pots and pans were becoming oval, instead of round, because of repeated crashing onto a cement floor. Don’t get me started on Rachel Ray or oval pans. When they start making oval burners, I’ll buy an oval pan, OK?

So, we were at REI this past weekend where I bought my Concord grape jacket. Jim was on a mission. Two weekends ago he got a Char-Broil patio grill with a very small footprint for our small deck, but it also supports a large propane tank instead of the $2.67 un-refillable tanks the old grill used. He’s been grilling lately, the first foray into cookery since he made toast at age four.

I found him looking at headlamps, a headband with a light for hands-free grilling. The REI employee asked him the purpose of this quest. He said, in front of a buff adventurer standing nearby, “grilling.” Both chuckled, then Buff Guy said, try these, this is what I use for grilling. So, we ended up with a dual-light headband that sends light forward for walking the dog or downward for grilling or picking up the dog’s business.

My “outdoorsman,” who may walk 1/2 mile or so with Zoe, now had a miner’s light for grilling burgers. You might file this under geekiest moments. I prefer to think of it as a sweet husband who likes to lift a hand to help out with dinner once in a while. And the butcher told me that yes, people in Utah do grill year-round. I really want to do a leg of lamb but we have to have enough guests to make it worthwhile. Cheers, Dee

The winds have picked up considerably and we’re locked up. Looks like the temperature is too warm for snow but we may get a good deal of rain, and we’re ready for anything. I still need my Overstock boots. I’ll get you a photo if I buy them.

In the meantime the trees are gorgeous here and I’m told it’s a very quick fall so the leaves will be gone in no time.

Fall 2009 Park City

We’ll enjoy what we have and look forward to a snowy winter. Perhaps having a foot of snow on the ground will cure Zoe of her new habit of sniffing around for several moments before doing #1, or the cold will do it! Cheers from the Mountain states, Dee

I’m really going to miss the Sunday market. Its’ last day until next summer is the 27th. I’ll get some mushrooms next week. This week I got a pound of tomatillos to make a salsa to go with skirt steak or beef flap (none was to be found so I had to get ribeyes, a hardship I know). Also heirloom tomatoes. I got a pound of zebra-striped green and yellow tomatoes in various stages of ripeness and the vendor threw in one black tomato he made me promise we’d eat last night.

We did, but on a burger so I only tasted a bit of it. It looked strange but tasted wonderful! I also got two organic grass-fed beef burger patties at Whole Foods, brushed them with extra virgin olive oil, dusted with salt and pepper and they went on the grill, to be served on thawed potato rolls with some organic cheddar and baked fries. Great meal.

A husband/wife team cooked 90 loaves of bread for the event and I had to buy one with herbs and molasses. Jim doesn’t really like it. It’s a rustic bread that reminds me of my time in Mendocino at the wood-fired oven at an ungodly hour of the morning, catching 650-degree loaves with bare hands and placing them on the rack. Frat prank? No, perhaps, probably yes. But I did it for 50 loaves and worked quickly enough to not get burned and not drop one!

Jim and I got an inexpensive keyboard the other day and he’s been having fun with playing drums. Pity the poor dog if he finds the barking dog or doorbell keys. He’ll play them all the time just to mess with her teeny brain. It’s been fun. We can’t hook it up to the computer because I’ve moved it upstairs to the “loft” where I can play at 2 a.m. if I want, on headphones, and not wake a soul. Not that I remember much of my early training. I left music for 38 years. That’s a heck of a long time!!! Luckily Jim supports me in this effort and enjoys hearing me practice (I’m not ready to say the word “play,”)

Perhaps I can just make the salsa and wait for the appropriate meat to come in. I hate to smother a ribeye with salsa. I’ve a ratatouille nearly done that needs more tomatoes and simmering to finish. Perhaps I should do that along with the ribeyes and roast some red potatoes with rosemary. Or make mashed. Jim’s grandmother gifted us with a potato masher (we have three in storage, plus a ricer). Mashed tonight. Got some heirloom garlic from Whole Foods and will make garlic mashed potatoes for dinner.

The storms keep tumbling in but they’re intermittent and not particularly violent. They’ll choose to become so as soon as we turn on the grill! We’ll look forward to grilling the next few weeks. The trees are already turning here and I hope to get some photos this weekend. Take care and have a good week. Cheers, Dee