Week 40

Kousa Dogwood

"Man corrupt everything, say Shug. He on your box of grits, in your head, and all over the radio. He try to make you think he everywhere. Soon as you think he everywhere, you think he God. But he ain't. Whenever you trying to pray, and man plop himself on the other end of it, tell him to git lost, say Shug. Conjure up flowers, wind, water, a big rock.

But this is hard work, let me tell you. He been there so long, he don't want to budge. He threaten lightening, floods and earthquakes. Us fight. I hardly pray at all. Every time I conjure up a rock, I throw it."

I read The Color Purple  this week, and this passage felt all too poignant in the midst of this week's news. I have to keep believing that things are changing, we the people are changing, even if we don't see it reflected in who represents us. I am channeling my frustration right now into donations to causes that promote peace and justice.

It was good to get out and witness the beautiful spectacle that was Terrain 11 (we went to the preview night, which felt just as packed as the free Friday night event). I look forward to this every year, and this was the first year I took home a couple pieces of art.

Art at Terrain 11

Dramatic evening light on the bluff

Moroccan semolina cookies, pre-oven

Post oven

New walkway through campus

Art at Terrain 11

Tell me more

Double-ginger molasses cookies

In a refreshing turn of events, I made two different kinds of cookies this week, so perhaps Cookie of the Week is back. The first, pictured earlier (Moroccan semolina), was a subtle lemony cookie made with both semolina and almond flours (plus some regular all-purpose). It tastes both hearty, from the semolina, and light, from the lemon. They're also kinda pretty, aren't they? The cookies above were a necessary try-out for a moody fall day, and they look like pucks because you press and bake them in muffin tins. But they are chewy and gingery and chocolatey because oh yes, there's chocolate chips along with the crystalized ginger and warm spices. Holy moly are they good. Both are from Dorie's Cookies.

Speaking of baking, I finished the latest available season of the Great British Bake Off and I still don't know how I get so emotional watching the finale. Even Paul Hollywood got teary. We also watched the Netflix documentary on Quincy Jones this week. How one man could do so much with his 80 years - and so much that has been part of all our pop cultural lives - is totally remarkable.

And thus I've been listening to some stuff from Quincy's early days, such as the amazingly titled "I Dig Dancers" album.

In the crafting realm, last weekend I pulled out all my yarn stash and started a freeform infinity scarf with a few different chunky yarns. I have no idea if it will look good when it's finished, but it's keeping me from spending more money on yarn.

Recipe wise, it's been all the hearty stuff: roasted chicken, pasta, black bean soup. Some of the remaining dough from last week's batch of olive oil dough, which was used for focaccia, got turned into Friday night pizza. I love this time of year.