Ummmm - has it really been 4 years?? 4 years since I blogged? Ok - 3 years and 10ish+ months. A lot has happened in 3 years and 10ish months. For starters? Like - COLLEGE? Not 1 - but TWO kids?! Sit with THAT!
So, I was lying awake last night. That is a rare thing with me since I discovered CBD oil (more on THAT later!) but it happens. You should know that I consider myself semi-retired as I cut certain strength and conditioning classes out of my schedule a year ago. Specifically, I cut out all evening classes. What a feeling of freedom to finish up the morning schedule of coaching and know I am DONE for the day. It's heaven. Don't get me wrong. I love coaching. But having to "go back to work" every evening often felt heavy and now I am light!
You may recall I run a small all women's gym out of my house. In fact, I celebrated my FIFTEENTH anniversary in business on August 1st! In March - due to Covid - I was forced to shut down. And then Zoom happened. Need I say more? I'm fairly certain, I will not open in person again. Seriously, my girls LOVE Zoom! I see no more snow days in my future!
At any rate - as I lay awake last night, a thought came to me. I should start blogging again. I have the time! I can't be sure I will get back into blogging regularly, but here I am today!
So yea - in 3 years and 10ish+ months, my children grew up. They are 21, 19 & 18. When did THAT happen?? Ummmm - 3 years and 10ish+ months! Next Monday there will only be 3 of us living in this house. I am looking forward to cool fall days as this has been the hottest summer I can remember. I am looking forward to hoeing out my house after 5 adults lived here since March. I am looking forward to productive days that include hiking with Daisy Mae, coffee on the front porch wrapped in a blanket, fires at 3pm (more on THAT later), reading (oh wait, that never stopped), cooking healthier, doing some painting and oh, so much more!
Ain't semi-retirement GREAT!?
Ok - so today I dipped my toe back into the Catch Joy As It Flies By water and we will see how this goes. In the meantime? You MUST read One For the Blackbird, One for the Crow by Olivia Hawker.
And you MUST make this recipe. It's divine.
Lucia's Melanzana in Padedda (no clue who Lucia is!)
3 pounds medium eggplants
About 2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/2-3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more if eggplant is not salted
Lucia’s Tomato Sauce, recipe below
About 1½ tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Handful of basil leaves, washed and spun dry
To salt eggplant, with a vegetable peeler, peel eggplants and slice crosswise into rounds 1/4-1/2 vinch thick. Arrange a layer in a large colander and sprinkle lightly with salt; repeat layering and salting until all rounds are salted. Weight them with a plate or inverted pot lid and set aside for 1 hour. Then rinse slices and, taking a few slices in your hand at a time, squeeze out the excess liquid like a sponge, repeating until all slices are dry. (I NEVER DO THIS SALTING PART!!!!)
To fry eggplant, heat 1 or 2 large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillets over moderate-high heat. Add about 1½ tablespoons of oil to each and swirl to coat. When oil is hot and shimmering, but not smoking, arrange a single layer of eggplant slices in each pan. Cover and cook until the underside is golden, 3-5 minutes; turn slices with a spatula, drizzle in additional oil as necessary, and continue cooking, shifting slices around occasionally until golden and tender, 3-4 minutes longer. Remove slices as they are done onto a large platter and set aside to cool. Repeat until all eggplant has been fried.
To assemble, spoon about ½ cup of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 11- or 12-inch flameproof casserole or skillet. Arrange a layer of eggplant slices over the sauce and spread these with about ¼ cup tomato sauce. Sprinkle lightly with Parmigiano and scatter torn basil leaves on top (roughly 2 inches apart). Repeat, building up 4 or 5 layers until all the eggplant is used. Spread top with ½ cup tomato sauce, a final sprinkling of Parmigiano and basil leaves. (The casserole can be assembled at this point up to a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate, letting come to room temperature 3 hours before the final cooking.)
Cover and cook casserole over low heat, pressing eggplant down occasionally with a spatula, for about 15-20 minutes, until oil begins to bubble up along the sides. Do not be tempted to rush the process by turning up the heat. Uncover and continue cooking about 10 minutes longer. The casserole should be tender and melting, with spots of oil bubbling on the top. Serve hot or at room temperature. Serves 6.
Lucia LoPresti’s marinara sauce makes a perfect sauce for pasta and a fine base for many dishes, from stuffed peppers to stews.
LUCIA’S TOMATO SAUCE
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped, about ¾ cup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8-1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes, optional
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes or drained whole peeled plum tomatoes
1/4-1/2 teaspoon sugar
Pour olive oil into a large skillet and stir in onion. Over medium-low heat, saute onion until golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute until it just starts to color. Add pepper flakes, if desired (they will add just a hint of appetizing heat), stirring them into the oil to release their flavor. Add tomatoes. (If using whole tomatoes, break them up with the edge of a kitchen spoon.)
Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn flame down to medium; simmer until oil rises to the top and separates from the sauce, 15-20 minutes. Stir in sugar to taste, to balance flavors. Makes about 2½ cups with crushed tomatoes, 1¾-2 cups with whole peeled plum tomatoes.
So there you have it. First post in 3 years and 10ish+ months. Kinda catching a wisp of joy being back here! Let's see where this part of my journey goes.
