The Much-Maligned Bradford Pear

BradfordPearMarch2010
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

They are gorgeous. For the week they are in bloom. Then they just turn into a dumb ole non-specific tree. Contractors like to plant them in new neighborhoods because they grow fast and are showy when they bloom. And they bloom in early spring, when lot of folks are out shopping for houses.

But the trees are not very strong. After they are full grown they can be easily blown over in a bad storm, particularly ice storms. And then you've lost a mature tree and you have to get it taken out and start all over.

But they sure are pretty right now.

Chasing Sunsets

31910skyNo1
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic

You really have to chase to get good sunset shots here in Indian Land. Ones that don't have power lines in them. I took this on at the high school. It was a bit late by the time I found the spot to shoot from.

Yesterday I ate chicken pot pie for supper. eh. I made it for the guys and then went to a library board meeting. By time I got back it was late and I was hungry enough to just grab. I think as chicken pot pies go it was probably pretty good. But I didn't enjoy burping up chicken after that. Maybe I am becoming a dyed-in-the-wool vegetarian. At any rate, I'm sure it will be while before I try poultry again. And just the smell of beef kind of puts me off. Too heavy.

Tonight I had a massage after school and then dinner with my jazzerfriend Terri. Long, long conversations. Good for the soul but now I'm tired.

The March to Geezer-dom

Since January, when I became a vegetarian, I've been taking a multi-vitamin that was recommended by my massage therapist. I do feel great these days and I don't know if it's the vitamins, the veggie diet, the yoga, meditation, or whatever. But I do not want to change anything and risk going back to be a tired old hag. So I bought another bottle of vitamins yesterday at Earth Fare.

"Hey Liz! These senior vitamins are $7 less than the other ones and they are for 50 and older!"

"Hey Liz! Read these two bottles, will ya, and see if there is any real difference. It's way to much info for me to take in."

"Gee Liz, you'd think they'd make the print bigger on the senior bottle."

After studying the bottles, she announced that the senior vitamins seem to have more Vit D and the herbal ingredients are a little different but seem to be after about the same results. So why not?

No. I did not get an AARP discount. I didn't ask and it wouldn't have done any good anyway, since my AARP SPOUSE MEMBER CARD WAS STOLEN WITH MY WALLET! argh.

We finished the afternoon baking two batches of vegan cupcakes...carrot and chocolate. Both extremely delicious. We did have one minor snafu with the carrot cake ones. We had overfilled the muffin cups, so they adhered to the tops of the cups in the pan and had to be cut out. This made some of the tops pretty loose. We'd been dipping the chocolate ones in the glaze and, without thinking, scooped up a carrot one and tried to dip it. The entire lid came off in the bowl of frosting and we had to fish it out!

But all was not lost. We just got it out and mounded it on top with the frosting. I think it actually looked like on of the best ones.

This recipe was on a website Liz found. It's essentially all vegan cupcakes, all the time. It think it's this one.