Tel Aviv
I’ve slowly been finding time to get through photos from our trip to Israel, last fall was a bit crazy, this winter hasn’t slowed down much. We traveled in early November, a perfect time to get away from the chilly weather in Maine, to the warm weather of Tel Aviv. While we did some work while there, we also had time to walk and explore. The evenings, in particular, were lovely, most of them we spent walking up along the beach, enjoying the sunset. Here are the photos from one such evening walk. We went from our hotel on the beach up to Old Jaffa. In Old Jaffa, we enjoyed a traditional middle eastern dinner, complete with all the fixing. Then we walked back to our hotel once again, late in the evening, enjoying the warm breeze and the warm lights of the city. Here are a few photos from that evening (notice the cat, they’re prominent in the city).
Tel Aviv is a lovely city, perfect for walking and soaking it all in. Many of our friends were nervous that we were going, but, having grown up in a country with lots of violence, I wasn’t too concerned. The city felt very safe, in fact much more so than some American cities I’ve visited. It’s like any other place, you just have to be careful where you go and when. Israel has never been on my must visit list, but it was well worth the long flight. No doubt we will be returning for work, maybe even this coming fall.
Do you have any trips planned for the future? Any places you’d love to go?
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Garden Art
One of the things I’ve been thinking I need to start adding to my garden is a bit of art. Last summer, I discovered some old rusty barrel rings buried by the chicken coop. They reminded me of a garden I visited a few years ago on a local garden tour.
I could definitely make the art shown above, it’s most likely made from old barrel rings as well. This particular garden had lots of lovely little art pieces tucked around the garden. Some made from scrap object, some purchased and collected. Here are a few of the things I saw.
I definitely like the idea of adding a few pieces of art, I just need to find things that will look good in my garden. There are a few things I’d like to make this summer, specifically cement spheres to put under the old apple tree out front.
Do you have art pieces in your garden?
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Friday Favorite: Poirot
I’ve been reading Poirot books for years, most recently with my score of the entire Agatha Christie set, I’ve been reading through them in order. We discovered the Miss Marple Series on Amazon and really enjoyed watching through it (after I finished up all the books of course). Then we moved on to the Poirot series and we are enjoying it as well.
I’m especially fond of entertainment that isn’t too high energy or stress, I’m not a huge fan of watching suspenseful shows that increase my anxiety. I watch shows to relax and laugh, not to feel more stressed out. This series is especially entertaining and relaxing, we’re thoroughly enjoying it. If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie and the Poirot character, give it a watch. You’ll have to get a BritBox Subscription, but at only $6.99/month it’s worth it for sure. We also really enjoyed the Maigret series on there recently and naturally, we watch Gardener’s World when it’s on, which I’d pay much more to watch each week!
Any great entertainment recommendations to share with us?
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Next Day Popcorn
We all have a few weird things we like, things other people think we’re crazy for preferring. One of my weird like is next day popcorn. We always make a bit extra so I can eat it the next day for lunch or a snack.
I’m not sure exactly what I like about it, perhaps it’s the slight staleness. Oddly enough, I have another friend who also prefers next day popcorn to freshly made, I guess I’m not that weird after all.
Do you have any likes/preferences other people see as a bit odd?
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Lemon Vanilla Sugar
In my efforts to clean out the freezer, last week I made a strawberry rhubarb cobbler (recipe from Sweet & Tart), it was delicious. Not only did the recipe have lots of lemon juice and zest, instead of regular sugar I used up my stock of lemon vanilla sugar. Whenever I need lemon juice but not the zest, I either freeze the zest or mix in with sugar (or salt) to preserve it for future use. When I use a vanilla bean, I rinse it off and add it to the container as well. That way, I have a delicious lemon vanilla sugar to use when making scones, pies, or other sweet treats.
All you have to do it mix the zest in with sugar (or salt if you’d like lemon salt for chicken/fish), stir, and let sit. I add vanilla beans as well, as I use them.
It’s the perfect way to make the most of the ingredients I’m buying and it makes things taste better. A hint of lemon, with a bit of bitterness from the peel, always enhances the flavor of whatever you add it to. I’ve used up my supply of sugar now, which is perfect timing because citrus is coming into season and I’ll be ordering a box of lemons soon.
What great tips do you have for making the most of the ingredients you buy?
