Steak and Shake V: Fredericksburg

Returning from Richmond yesterday, we found another Steak and Shake.

Indy the No-Longer-Dirty Dog

First Day of Winter

Real-life Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

Just to clarify....this is not our tree.

"Now is the winter of our content[ment]..."

Three modest snowfalls over the past week are most welcome.

Brown Belt

Today, I advanced to Brown Belt.

"Your Winnings, Sir."

The haul from the girls' school's Casino Night.

Indy at Ava's Lacrosse Tournament

Indy at Districts Tennis Tournament

Saturday we all went to Frederick to watch Charlene play in her Combo League Tournament.

Stay-At-Home Mummy

And then there was the time Charlene wanted to build a mummy as a Halloween decoration. This is the finished product. 

Process: Raphael allowed himself to be entirely wrapped in duct tape over the course of two evenings;  then the resulting shape was cut off his body and head. Then the shape was stuffed with two week's worth of the New York Times. Then cheese cloth and gauze soaked in dye was wrapped around the shape. 

Prep time: one week.

Pesce Spada Milanese

Possibly my favorite lunch entree at Frederick's The Tasting Room.

Bull Blast

The Howard County Farm Heritage Museum hosted Bull Blast on Sunday, featuring bull riding, barrel races, and mutton busting.

Blue Belt

Saturday I advanced to Blue Belt, the belt level just below Brown Belt.

What Bill Did with My Figs

Baked figs, stuffed w/ fresh mozzarella, wrapped in prosciutto, then drizzled with a balsamic-rosemary reduction.

Finally, a Few Figs

Attack of the Tomatoes

Today's haul.

Corrosive Liquid, Acidic, Inorganic, N.O.S.

OK, Here They Come

A handful, literally, have nearly ripened. The other hundred should come along in the next two weeks.

The Circle of Life

I'm told praying mantises are herbivores, but tell that to the poor grub getting devoured here.

Even More Tomatoes

I'd trade this fourth haul for a handful of figs, which are dangerously late in ripening.

Gimlet

Trying to get the balance of fresh line juice and gin just right. Needs more work.

Contains Potassium

Colin Powell

London-based artist Goshka Macuga (b. 1967, Poland) creates works which draw upon singular historical episodes to investigate collective memories and political events. For Busted, the artist presents Colin Powell, a sculpture of the former Secretary of State as he delivers his controversial 2003 speech on weapons of mass destruction at the United Nations. Macuga depicts the scene during his address when he famously held up a vial of anthrax. Rendered in the Cubist style, the sculpture is inspired by the replica of Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, the artist’s iconic anti-war painting which usually hangs in the same room at the UN, but was covered by a curtain during Powell’s speech. For more info, visit art.thehighline.org

Brass Monkey

Wall art in this Chelsea bar's men's room.

Watermelon!

Cantaloupe!

Although small, they are really flavorful.

Even More from Ava's Garden

Glad we like tomatoes....

First Round Action

Djokovic; Federer; Nadal; Ivanovic; the Williams Sisters.

US Open

Updates forthcoming.

More from Ava's Garden

Just Another Saturday....

....and Charlene is laundering money.

Ava's Garden, an Update

This is the second dozen cucumbers her garden has yielded this season. Still to come: watermelon, cantaloupe, more green peppers, and more tomatoes.