Food & Drink

Blame It On The Lemon Curd: Musing On The Interconnectedness Of Then & Now

/ Ally Bean / 267 Comments

Streetlight on Snowy Day [image created using Waterlogue App]

The Then Part

I DECIDED TO RETURN to writing this personal blog last week while I was making Lemon Curd on a cold snowy day.

No joke

I was using a double boiler, stirring the sugar, egg, butter, and lemon juice that join forces, over heat, to become Lemon Curd. It’s a slow process, that requires nothing more than patience and the ability to keep stirring the ingredients to combine in such a way as to “coat the back of the spoon.”

Standing there at the stove my mind wandered and I remembered who taught me how to make Lemon Curd.

Liz, an acquaintance who’d grown up in Australia, clued me in about how easy and economical it is to make. I met her decades ago when we were citizen volunteers working on a committee to put together a yearlong celebration of our town’s bicentennial.

• 🍋 •

SHE AND I HAD the honor of finding out how much the local country club &/or restaurants would charge for hosting a fundraising that was to be an afternoon tea. We ended up with this assignment because were the only two people on the committee who had been to an afternoon tea in England.

Uh huh

Well, in the process of talking with various establishments we learned that most people in this small town didn’t know what Lemon Curd was. This was something we felt should be at an afternoon tea: me because while studying at the University of Exeter for a term I’d had it at afternoon teas, Liz because it was a normal part of her Australian childhood afternoon teas.

Thus we found ourselves explaining, multiple times, that Lemon Curd isn’t cottage cheese embedded in lemon Jell-O, instead it’s a creamy lemony spread for toast or scones eaten in lieu of raspberry jam or apple butter or grape jelly.

In the end the head chef at the local country club allowed Liz and I into his kitchen so that she could teach him how to make Lemon Curd— which she did. And because of his willingness to learn how to make it the event was held at the country club to rave reviews.

Huzzah!

But most importantly from my point of view, I learned how easy it is to make Lemon Curd. The recipe for which is at the bottom of this post, should you be interested.

The Now Part

YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING, how did this memory prompt me to get back to writing this personal blog?

You see, while stirring the lemon curd, in an unexpected introspective minute, I realized a few things about myself and how this personal blog fits into my current life:

  1. I am grateful and amazed by how lives intertwine and how positive influences can guide you forever.
  2. I am at my best when I’m looking for and acknowledging how interconnected we are, in real life + online.
  3. I am happy and contented when I have a place, like this blog, to share stories + research + insights from my life.
  4. I am peaceful when I let easy things be easy, like writing a blog post about whatever interests me in the moment.

And with that, I’m back to blogging here for a while longer. I’m ready to connect [interconnect?] with gentle readers + kind lurkers and shall do so in this moment by sincerely asking the most obvious question ever asked:

WHAT’S NEW WITH YOU?

• 🍋 •

LEMON CURD

1/2 Cup lemon juice

1/2 Cup sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In a blender, combine juice and sugar blending on high for about 15 seconds. Then add eggs and blend for another 15 seconds. With the blades running, slowly pour in the melted butter and blend for 30 seconds.

Pour the mixture into a double boiler saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium heat. This may take several minutes. Stir frequently.

As soon as the mixture reaches a boil, lower the heat to just above low and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes until the mixture resembles a shiny pudding. It should coat the back of your spoon. 

Pour into ramekins or a bowl. Let cool a little before serving.

Keeps in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Freezes well.

It’s Not A Mystery Why I’m Answering 10 Unique Questions

/ Ally Bean / 165 Comments

Life can sometimes be a mystery.

While it’s true that I enjoy writing stories that entertain and doing research that informs, the reality is that sometimes I don’t have anything going on in my real life that is blogworthy.

And you do realize, my little moonbeams, that I give you only the best, right?

Welp today is one of those times when my life is rolling along smoothly but I can’t think of anything to talk about. So instead of fretting about my lack of blog fodder, I decided to do the following.

See what you think.

I read THIS INTERVIEW with Kelly Hoppen in The Guardian’s Saturday The Q&A column. In this weekly column asks celebrities fun questions.

I perked up when I saw that Kelly Hoppen was an interviewee. About 10 years ago when I was first learning about interior design principles, Hoppen’s books explained many of the concepts to me.

Her words + photos made sense. Not that I’m as enamored of neutrals like she is, but I enjoyed her approach about how to create a cohesive style for your home. That’s what I needed to learn.

Anyhow as I read the interview I thought to myself, I like these questions and will take the juiciest ones to create a snazzy little blog post that is cheery and authentic.

Obviously it’s no mystery why bloggers like questions, they’re an easy way to craft a blog post by replying to someone else’s queries. In fact, should you be in search of something to write about, feel free to answer these questions on your own blog [if you have one] or pick a few to discuss in the comments below.

10 Unique Questions

1 – What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I’m a wimp about making phone calls.

2 – What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Cruelty, whether it be physical or emotional

3 – Describe yourself in three words
I am light-hearted, truthful, and creative. [Also, because describing yourself in five words is better than doing so in three, I am organized and empathetic.]

4 – What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I have rosacea so my face looks red all the time.

5 – What is your most unappealing habit?
Involuntarily rolling my eyes at empty-headed people, especially those talking inflammatory gibberish or wearing face paint in support of a sports team

6 – If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
The passenger pigeon, a species that went extinct in 1913 at the Cincinnati Zoo when Martha, the last one, died

7 – Who is your celebrity crush?
Natasha Lyonne [especially in Poker Face and that’s no bull shit]

8 – Which book are you ashamed not to have read?
While I’ve read Olive Kitteridge, I’ve not read any other books by Elizabeth Strout and I know that many bookish friends are crazy about her writing.

9 – What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?
“I’m sorry we don’t sell alcohol on Sundays in this grocery store. This is a dry county, but if you want to buy some beer you can drive 20 minutes from here into the next county over where they sell alcohol on Sunday.”

10 – What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Kindness happens, often when you least expect it, so stay open to the possibility and don’t close your heart to its existence.

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In Which I Become An Active Amateur Nutritionist: A Story, A List, A Few Questions

/ Ally Bean / 219 Comments

Is this not so‽

DESPERATELY [SORT OF] SEEKING CALCIUM FOR STRONG BONES

You’re not a very good freezer spelunker.

Z-D said this to me when I couldn’t find a bag of frozen edamame, a bag that he found almost instantly after digging further down into the disorganized mess that is our freezer.

He was right about me. Our freezer is on the bottom of the refrigerator and looking down into it with my bespectacled eyes is the equivalent of 52 card pick-up. It’s a jumble of blurry stuff.

The thing is that prior to March 2020 in the Before Times we had an organized freezer. I had a place for everything and could quickly easily find what I was looking for.

However after March 2020 when Mr. Man began working from home all the time and we began making all our meals at home all the time I lost control of the contents in the freezer because, say what you will about Z-D, he knows food and likes to have lots of it on hand.

Nonetheless, getting to a point here, you may be asking yourself why was I searching for edamame?

Thanks for asking. Please allow me to explain.

• • •

Edamame, also called soy beans, are a good source of calcium which, as you probably know, is good for your bones.

If I am to believe the results of a recent DEXA scan that measured my bone density, I need more calcium so that my bones get stronger or at least remain as strong as they are now. I’m not into a full-on osteoporosis situation with brittle fragile bones, just a pre-osteoporosis situation that is called osteopenia.

There’s always some dodgy name for medical conditions.

And further if I am to believe my Primary Care Physician’s advice I need to eat more calcium in addition to taking a weekly little prescription pill called Alendronate.

My insurance company [inexplicably] covers the full cost of this annoying little pill. You take the pill on an empty stomach then without laying down you wait at least 30 minutes before eating or drinking anything. I’m a person whose digestive track is easily upset, so naturally the pill doesn’t play nice with my intestines.

There are issues.

Plus the ridiculous dosage regime means that after dragging myself out of bed to face the day there’s no coffee for me for a half hour. I resent this intrusion into my morning routine. Obviously this is not a good way to start my day and I’d like to get to a point where I don’t take this little pill even if it is weekly.

• • •

Admittedly I’m not thrilled with dairy products, a well-known source of calcium. I eat a few but to get the recommended amount of daily calcium [1200 mg] I have to think about taking dietary supplements &/or eating more calcium-rich foods.

Because I want to avoid the dietary supplement angle of calcium intake I’ve chosen to become the Queen of Non-Dairy Calcium Information. As an active amateur nutritionist I’ve researched the topic online, going so far as to put together the following list of sources of calcium-rich non-dairy foods that I would will eat.

I share it here because maybe you, too, are trying to eat more calcium because you, too, don’t like taking prescription medicine or dietary supplements. Thus without further ado I present for your edification this *at least it’s a place to start* list.

[Please note: the order of the foods means nothing more than how I wrote them down during my research.]

A NON-EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF SOURCES OF NON-DAIRY CALCIUM

SOY FOODS

  • Edamame
  • Tofu
  • Roasted soybeans
  • Soy milk [calcium fortified]

NUTS & SEEDS

  • Almonds 
  • Brazil nuts
  • Pistachios
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Almond milk [calcium fortified]

VEGETABLES

  • Spinach [low absorption]
  • Black-eyed peas
  • Broccoli
  • Acorn squash
  • Butternut squash
  • Cabbage
  • Celery
  • Green beans
  • Radishes
  • Sweet potato
  • Tomatoes 
  • Zucchini

GRAINS 

  • Oats
  • Corn tortillas

FRUIT & JUICE

  • Rhubarb [low absorption]
  • Pumpkin
  • Dried apricots
  • Orange juice [calcium fortified]

BEANS

  • Great northern beans 
  • Lima beans
  • Pinto beans
  • White beans
  • Hummus

SWEETENERS

  • Maple syrup 
  • Molasses [blackstrap best]

FISH & EGGS

  • Shrimp
  • Canned sardines 
  • Salmon 
  • Egg yolks

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

Is your freezer in a jumble or is it organized? If organized how do you keep it that way?

What is your thinking when it comes to taking prescription meds? Or taking dietary supplements?

What is your opinion of dairy products in general? Do you like butter?

Do you love Steve from in_otternews like I do? Do his absurd thoughts, like the one at the top of this post, make you laugh out loud?

• • • • •

You Gotta Laugh: An Unexpected Email From A Former Boss Asking Me A Question

/ Ally Bean / 244 Comments

And then the absurd happened.

I received an email from a former boss, someone I hadn’t heard from in years.

Call me prescient but when I saw her name on the email I instantly flashed back to working for this woman who, while sweet enough, was a flake. She could not, would not, get to a point directly, instead dithering around about what she wanted to say.

Come to find out she has not changed.

• • •

In the first part of her email former boss talked about how she and her husband had retired. They’d moved to another state, built a house on 10+ acres, and were raising farm animals, mostly as pets.

Groovy.

She continued by explaining that she’d thought of me when trying to remember some events that happened decades ago in a bar we’d gone to after work. She wanted to know if I remembered the names of any of the bar shots we drank, specifically the ones made with Baileys Irish Cream.

And of course true to her personality, she didn’t tell me why she wanted to know about these drinks, just that she’d thought of me.

• • •

Now kids I’m sure I won’t shock you when I admit that there have been many alcoholic beverages in my life and while I like to think of myself as a helpful person, on this particular subject I was hampered by time and my indifference to Baileys Irish Cream.

Don’t love it, don’t hate it.

I could only remember two drinks.

One was a NUTTY IRISHMAN [recipe here] made with Baileys + Frangelico. The other was a B-52 [recipe here] made with Baileys + Grand Marnier + Kahlua. So I replied to former boss’s email telling her what I remembered.

• • •

Without any context in her email I’d assumed former boss was having a party and was looking for a signature drink for her event. But that couldn’t have been farther from the truth, something I learned when she emailed back thanking me for my help and further explaining herself.

You see, and let me clue you in that you’ll be surprised to learn, the reason former boss wanted to know about these bar shots is that one of her alpacas, named Bailey, had given birth.

Former boss thought it’d be clever to name the newborn, a girl, after one of those Baileys Irish Cream bar shots we’d enjoyed years ago.

Because of course she did.

• • •

Unforeseen as this email exchange was, there was logic involved, something former boss was not known for when I worked for her. And much to my continued amazement former boss did get back to me saying she liked the name Bea, as in reference to the B-52 bar shots, so she was going with that name.

She also promised to send a photo of Bea as soon as she got around to taking one, which considering this is former boss I figure said picture will arrive many years hence when former boss thinks of me again.

‘Ya know? 

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

Have you ever had a boss from way back when get in touch with you? If so, why? Were you flattered to be remembered? 

Do you like Baileys Irish Cream? If so, do you like any particular drink made with it?

If you were living on a farm raising animals as pets which animals would you raise?

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