Roasted Beets & Other Random Thoughts

Beets.  After meeting with our new estate planning lawyer in Portland, we stopped in at Whole Foods (which is like a trip to Disneyland for me) and I purchased 5 pounds of big (really big) beets.  I think there are 6 beets.  They are now roasting in the oven.  There is hardly anything else in the veg world that I enjoy eating as much as chilled roasted beets with olive oil and vinegar.  I wrap the beets in foil and roast on a sheet tray until the beets are easily pierced with a sharp knife point.  Small beets-usually about an hour.  These really big beets just started their second hour.

We also purchased three expensive (heavy with shiny skin) red grapefruits.  Citrus, I find, is best when heavy for it's size and has a smooth, shiny skin.  The Clementines for sale right now are not heavy and not shiny.  So probably dry.  I haven't had any clementines since the ones I bought in November.  I'll be eating the peeled, segmented grapefruit with yogurt.

I also found dark chocolate covered cashews. (unbelievable) and a cherry pie.  I tried a sample of the cherry pie years ago.  The taste of it stayed with me over all these years and this was the very first time I actually saw a pie for sale since then.   So, we will be enjoying the cherry pie for as many days as it lasts.  G and I were both sad to see the last piece of boozy cake eaten.

I think the best part of The Holidays is dessert.  And twinkly lights.  And visiting friends.

I also found  a grain free cashew granola (in the self serve bins by the pound) which is very very good.  I will be pouring some out of the quart jar ($10) and figuring out whats in it.  Easy enough to make my own.  It has a maple syrup taste to it.  Is that Paleo??

Then we drove around the block to Trader Joes for olive oil, marinara sauce and Charlie Bear low fat treats for Riley.

Today is Epiphany so the tree will be coming down. The last day for twinkly lights to brighten the drabness that is Winter in the house.  IF it was left to me--the tree would brighten my days until Valentine's Day.  A become a real fire hazard.

I am reading The Second Girl by David Swinson.  It is not something I would usually read. I am not sympathetic to the lead in the story (a drug addict). But the blurbs on the back cover are all from authors I do enjoy reading.  So, I am giving the book a chance. It's not the first set of books I have read with the "hero" being a drug addict--Jo Nesbo comes to mind. The authors I enjoy?  Ron Rash, Tana French, Michael Robotham.  The book has just gotten to the place in the story (one fourth of the way into the book) where we discover there is a Second Girl so I expect things to get more interesting.

We'll be leaving soon to visit the library.  G has finished reading all the books in the Clan Of The Cave Bear series.  He'd read most of them years and years ago but had forgotten everything about the books.  So it was a "new to him" experience.  As I age will I be able to re-read my favorite books and not even know I have read them before?  If that is true--I will be making a list for my caregivers.