HERE WE GO AGAIN

 As the header says, Begin.

Begin another year though it's becoming more and more difficult. 

But yesterday was a pretty good day.

We made only our second trip to a restaurant in over a year, this time to the Red Lobster for, of course, a lobster gorging.

Well, that's what I did, on the orders of my wife and, you know, I don't call her She Who Must Be Obeyed for nothing.

She, on the other hand, had Coconut Shrimp, an old favorite of hers there, and it was such an ample serving that she brought half of it home for dining today.

Along with two take-out bowls of Lobster Bisque.

I think after today we will have had our seafood fix for awhile.

Of course, there's always . . .

. . my favorite birthday treat, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and SPRINKLES!

I put that photo out one more time just for the Beautiful Rich Daughter who on her recent birthday was gifted with a box of 15 designer chocolates from one of Prescott's finest chocolatiers.

So was she grateful?

Hah!

She has whined that my Number One Chef made a cake for her partner a month ago, she made one for me, but did SHE get a Mommy Made Cake?

Darling daughter, we'll save you a slice.

And to those who sent greetings yesterday, thenkyew, thenkyew, thenkyew.

ONE MORE YEAR

 And another trip around the sun.

And to answer the oft-asked question, I'm 81 today.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 TGIF!

Thank God It's Franklin!

Oh, you don't get it?

See, while I'm known on here as Catalyst or Bruce or HWMOH (He Who Must Obey Her) . . my real first name is Franklin.

Not named after Benjamin or Delano Roosevelt but after my dad.

Who knows where he got his first name from?

But you didn't come here to read my family history, did you?

You came for these!

Yeah, I've had that stare glare turned on me from time to time too.

Well that does it for this week, folks, and I'm exhausted.

So let me remind you that tomorrow is my birthday.

No gifts, please, just send cash.

In spite of that, have yourselves a wonderful weekend and don't forget this one: always keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(now where did she go ? ? ? ?)

EARTH DAY

 

My generation hasn't done a very good job.

Let's hope the young and the future generations do better with this poor old battered Earth.

YAH, SURE, YOU BETCHA

 When the urge hits to try a new recipe in the Taylor Family Kitchens I often wonder what prompted that urge.

Such was the situation yesterday when I decided to conquer the Swedish Almond Cake.

Loaded with sugar, as it is, one might have attributed it to yesterday's date and what that might have stirred up in the cerebrum.

But it's been roughly two decades since I last indulged in what Baseball Steve referred to as The Devil's Lettuce in a text yesterday evening.

So going another way it could be my 75 percent Scandinavian ancestry that pushed the recipe forth.

But that ancestry is Norwegian and this is, reputedly, a Swedish recipe.

Never mind that it came from Dorie Greenspan, not exactly a Swedish name.

So let's chalk it up to just plain whimsy and have at it.

It turned out pretty darned good, by the way, and according to the praise from SWMBO.

Take a look.

If I make the recipe again, I'll make some alterations because of our elevation.

We're at around 5,000 feet and Dorie probably wrote her recipe and baked her cake at around sea level.

I keep being reminded that some things behave differently in the oven at higher elevations and this one did bake slower than the recipe stated.

Nevertheless, it's nearly half gone now and probably will be finished off by tomorrow.

Hint: it's extra good with a slosh of whipped topping or probably some vanilla ice cream would add to the flavor bump too.

And for you people who always ask me for the recipe, just Google Swedish Almond Cake.

Enjoy!

4-20

 You know what that means.  Don't you?

ASPARAGUS

 Once the seasons begin to change, so does the produce.

And now it's asparagus season.

Now you may not love asparagus.

But you might not love baseball either.

In both cases you'd be wrong.

I'd forgive you but you'd still be wrong.

Win or lose, baseball is still a great game.

And with asparagus, you can't lose.

Only win.

So here is what I made today.

An asparagus, goat cheese, chive tart.

It's a slight adaption of a recipe by My Favorite Redhead, Melissa Clark, in the New York Times.

Her recipe is for an Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Tarragon tart.

But I didn't have any tarragon so I substituted chives from our back patio herb garden.

And I didn't have the called for crème fraiche so I substituted sour cream.

Both allowed for.

All I can say is that it was delicious.

The highest compliment came from my Number One in-house Chef, She Who Must Be Obeyed.

She said, "We will have this again!"

OMEN

 The other day there were some strange clouds in the sky.

SWMBO said they used to be called "mare's tails" when she was a girl.

I'm wondering if they were an omen . . .

. . . of what to expect today.

I turned the furnace back on today for the first time in several weeks.

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

Amidst all the fury and furor, you should feel fantastically filled with felicitousness for you have a frivolous, foolish friend who brings you each week these Friday Funnies.

How's that for a sentence full of the F words that you don't have to cringe about?

And with that (and my header) let us begin.

Now, having brought you to your knees with knee-slapping humor once again, let me wish for you all a very pleasing weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

BRUNCH

 The Room.

The Menu.

Hendrick's Martini.

Gazpacho.

Caprese Salad.

Crab Cakes.

Crème Brûlée.

Followed by a nap.

(Disclosure: The Mystery Diner was not me.)

RHIANNON GIDDENS

Rhiannon Giddens is amazing.

She plays fiddle and banjo and is the lead singer with the Carolina Chocolate Drops.

She performs in multiple genres, she is an actress, and a recipient of a MacArthur "Genius Grant".

You can read more about her in Wikipedia.

But for now just listen.

WARY

 Just stopped by for a drink.

And a bath, maybe.

FLORALS

 SWMBO and I celebrated our Golden Wedding Anniversary recently and I did gift her with some flowers for our quiet marking of the day.

But my spring bouquet with her favorite carnations was outdone by a surprise delivery of another bouquet from her daughter, the BRD.

They weren't blooming upon delivery but since then two huge, beautiful lilies have burst forth and there appear to be a couple more on the way.

The beauty of some flowers just seems to defy the laws of nature, don't you think?

GROWTH

 The chives we planted in a pot last year died out over the winter.

At least we thought they did.

But with very little encouragement from us they have returned and are growing like crazy.

Watch this space for more updates from the Taylor Family Gardens.

CIRCULAR

And now, a brief musical interlude.