So I recently got back from my trip to Hawaii to shoot an episode of
Hawaii Five-0.
Had a nice surprise when Terry showed up on my last day of shooting (he’s working on the episode after mine).
To be in that studio with these guys again gave me a rush of joy.
I had a great timer shooting and working with a familiar crew.
I hope to return to do it again soon.
As you know my show “The Ordained” did not get picked up for series. 
But I did want to share with you my first day of work.
So last Saturday I came home and saw this.
And then lifting the blanket…
This was a gift that Beth had commissioned from Allison Hoffman at Crafty is Cool and it had finally arrived.
Really cute.
And she did awesome with the detail of the hair.
I was touched.
Thanks Babe.
Take that title as a warning because you might not enjoy my sick sense of humor.
But lately I’ve been doing a lot of Smoothie breakfasts. It’s usually ice, a banana, some Vega Powder, a fistful of leafy greens and a dollop of the nut butter of my fancy with occasional bonus ingredients (other fruits, ginger, spices, sea weed and algae).
A lot of it is based on my whims that day. So when I narrate my pretend cooking show- as I’m sure you often do- I end up coming up with disgusting titles for individual smoothies based on the color they turn out to have.
Some highlights have been:
Swamp Water.
Baby Diaper.
And Blood in the Saddle. (With the bonus ingredient beet.)
A note about beets, I’ve always said whenever you eat beats be sure to make a note of it in your diary. Because the next time you see them you’ll have a brief moment where you think you need to go to the doctor. According to Beth, Red Velvet cake can also have the same effect.
And on a final note can I just say how much I love my Vita Mix. I used to think a few ice cubes at the bottom of a smoothie was unavoidable. But since using this machine everything gets blended together to a velvety smooth texture. Also I love the sense of danger it give me when I use. The pitcher really just rests on the base, there is no locking mechanism and it’s super easy to do this:
What sold me on the machine originally was a review from a friend. She told me that she had lost the rubber top to a spatula in the bender and when she stopped it to dig it out, it had disappeared completely.
I am sucker for homemade jams. In fact if I am anywhere and someone is selling their homemade jar of preserves, I will buy it. This results in a lot of jars traveling inside my packed tennis shoes whenever I return from vacation.
This year I wanted to do something special with the kumquats that have been growing on my tree.
So I went online to find a good marmalade recipe.
This is hands down the most labor intensive cooking I’ve ever done. Even more than the “Rat Dropping Bread.”
See kumquats are little but they have seeds that are same size as a regular orange.
And no one wants seeds in their marmalade so you have to remove them all.
And… did I mention they are little?
The recipe I went with uses honey and mirin for sweetness and moisture. The recipe Beth was hoping I’d go with was one that used Maker’s Mark. (That recipe also said not to bother seeding the kumquats so maybe next year.)
I ended up with two jars worth of marmalade.
Which I jarred myself (first time ever).
I had a little extra which went straight to the fridge.
If you’re interested you can find the recipe here. Now that I look at this I realized it called for Shochu. Oh well I used mirin instead.
And the use of honey for for sweetness really does give it a lighter floral quality. It’s pretty great. And since it was literally the “fruit of my labor” it’s all the sweeter.
Hey folks I apologize for my inconsistency in keeping up this blog. The way my life has been moving lately I’ve spent less and less time in front of my computer. But I’m aiming toward a new goal of at least sharing something here once a week.
So…
Thought I’d share my garden junk for this year.
First off I went a little nuts with tomato plants. 
I bought seven. And I’m already getting a few fruits. 
I also turned my fountain into a planting box again.
The main reason was that as a fountain it was just a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
I planted a bunch of herbs and leafy greens keeping the top tier as a birdbath.
But because I mixed compost with my dirt some unexpected invaders have been popping up. 
I’m pretty sure a lot of these guys are more tomatoes sprung from seeds in my compost. I took a few out and planted them in the front yard. 
Figure I have nothing to lose if they produce or not.
Which brings me to my Frankenstein plant.
I’ve had a struggling citrus tree in the yard for a while.
So when it came time to add another tree this guy got booted to make space for an avocado. I had him moved to a large pot to see if I gave him a controlled environment of nutrient-rich soil maybe he’d make something of himself. Well the compost took off and all kinds of plants started sprouting.
And it appears the odds on favorite is the squash.
I’ll keep you posted when I harvest.
Further Dispatches 