ABCs of Sunday

A = A rainy day

Okay, I cheated a little with the "a". I realize I may be the only person in the world who feels this way, (if you want to read more about how much I love rainy days, see my earlier post), but honestly, I'm so much more productive and creative-feeling when it's raining. Oddly, though, unlike on sunny days, the productivity doesn't come with a rushed feeling. When it's raining, I have all the time in the world! I pull out my suspenders - I always get a craving to wear them when it's raining, I don't know why - roll up my jeans, throw on some sandals, and off I go!

B = Bookstore

Finally got to check out Grey Matter Books! I've only been wanting to go for AGES (at least a month now). Four of us piled into the car and set out with good intentions of wandering a little and doing loads of work. The work didn't really happen, but truth be told, I didn't expect it to. Instead, we found Grey Matter to be delightful (though not a cozy place to study, in case anyone is wondering). I found at least four books I didn't need - a copy of The King's English by Betsy Burton, which I'd been previously reading online; an old New England Cookbook of recipes that were collected from Yankee magazine (I just can't pass up adorable ancient cookbooks I'll never use); Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, my favorite; and a book for Dad - Talbot Mundy's The Purple Pirate (I always take a look through for Talbot Mundy for Dad in used bookstores. Mr. Mundy apparently writes great fantasy stuff, though I've never read him myself).

The store was also playing some great music - first Otis Redding, I believe, or someone who sounded very similar, and then some neat blue grassy-type stuff. I couldn't help but dance around the stacks as I looked for treasures. I admit it - I judge a bookstore based on its music - one of the reasons I'm a wee bit disappointed we can't play what we want at the Odyssey. But I digress.

C = Cooking

I subscribe to two blogs that send me emails. The first being Lark About (one of my favorite posts here); the second being Pinch My Salt. One speaks to my soul, the other to my stomach. Pinch My Salt's most recent posting was about the Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomato and I drool every time I think of it. I've recently come to terms with my tomato obsession - sundried, slow-roasted, cherry, grape, heirloom, pesto, with cheese, on a salad, in sauce, getting the picture? (Also, reminding you of Forrest Gump?) So, I tried to make some today. I say tried because it's really not a hard process, and if I had spent any time keeping half an eye on the tray in the oven, they might have come out alright, but instead I went on this little bookstore expedition and they came out more like cherry tomato crisps rather than slow-roasted. They're still delish, though, I have to say.

The real crowning glory of my cooking today was rather unexpected. We finally have a South Hadley farmer's market (thank the good sweet deities above - I miss both the Saturday and Tuesday ones in Northampton thanks to work), so I'm able to do my weekly groceries for almost all my fruits, veggies, and yes, even meat, every Thursday. I recently acquired some lamb and pork sausage and thought I would make a nice sausage gravy for myself this weekend. Wouldn't you know it - I forgot to buy the ingredients for biscuits! So, I'm halfway through making the gravy when I realize I've got nothing to eat it with.

Except for that big batch of potatoes over there.

Hashbrowns did come to mind, but I've been craving something more in the scalloped family, so what did I do? Sliced those potatoes right up, pulled out a casserole dish, layered the potatoes and the mostly-cooked sausage gravy, shoved it all in the oven with some Parmesan cheese on top, and VOILA! presto! an absolutely unexpectedly delicious dish!

This is why I prefer cooking to baking - don't have all the ingredients? No problem! Throw what you do have together and make up something new.

So there ya have it folks - the ABCs to a pretty darn good Sunday.

Now I'm going to skip ahead a few letters and get started on...

H = homework