Show Me Your Food

Having a smart phone has changed my life for the better.  I love that it's a computer and camera, all in a hand held device.  I was having cocktails with my friend Alli a few months ago, and after we went to Trader Joe's for a little shopping, and had some conversation about what each of us was going to make for supper.  When I dropped her off, the last thing she said was, "Send a picture of your food!"  The tradition began.  Three of us will send photos of our home cooked, or restaurant meals to each other.  Along with commentary, often funny, and recipe tips.  This is some quick Bolongese sauce, originally from Ina Garten, recommended by Alli.   It was so good.  I used grass fed ground meat procured from one of the local farmer's markets.  I've been cooking and eating more simple foods, with better ingredients.  I use eggs from the back yard, or from another source for pasture raised eggs.  When you think about how eggs travel from a factory farm to your grocery store, you're eating a pretty old egg.  A fresh egg has an almost orange yolk, and the white clings to the yolk.  The taste is much better!  I've also discovered that organic milk has a far superior taste to non-organic.  Tonight after dinner, I made a fantastic custard on the stove that will be breakfast for the next few mornings. 
A farmer has been coming to the knit shop on occasion and selling pasture raised chickens, eggs, and now other meats.  I made one chicken, and it was so much more flavorful than other chicken, even what I buy at Whole Foods.  I made a delicious broth from the carcass, and hand pulled the remaining meat from the bones.  Last night, I sauteed some frozen leeks, added the frozen chicken and broth, Amish hand made egg noodles, and some frozen Trader Joe's pot stickers.  I had a suddenly empty freezer and some of the best chicken soup I've ever made.  There's another chicken in the freezer, that may be roasted this next weekend, if it remains cool enough to turn the oven on.   I'm hoping I can buy a nice pork roast from the farmer that may get cooked in the crock pot.  I love that I hang out with people who know good food, and how to cook it.  I'm inspired to be a better cook.
The little Piccolo shrine remains up in the living room, with new flowers, which in another day will be old flowers, and replaced.  Some friends made a donation to the CARE shelter in Evanston in Piccolo's memory.  That makes me happy.  I'm starting to look for the little dog that I can shower with all the love that I have for Piccolo, enough to make me ache.