Randomness JOY

T'was a nice day today.  Caught JOY all over the place!  I'm ending my JOYful day with an icy gimlet in hand, writing (finally) a new blog post.  So if it gets a little random...KIDDING!  This is just an eclectic post, so strap in!

I'm in the midst of making up the 25 + classes I had to cancel since Hurricane Sandy back in November (or was it October?  I can't even remember...)  Anyway - it's a long 9 + weeks.  My regular strength and SPIN classes meet in 6 week blocks with a week or 2 in between for me to gas up, renew, re-motivate, clean the gym, get my sparkle back - so 9 weeks is killer.  I can't even count right anymore.  "Ok ladies, drop and give me 20 - 1, 2, 3, 17" -- SEVENTEEN?  Since when does 17 come after 3???  Where did I drift off to?  Yea - that's how it's gone this week.  Momma needs a vacation!!!

Anyway - I DID have a nice day today.  A little Staycation perhaps?  Taught an 8am class, did some working out myself and then headed out with my "friend" Linda, for awesome Fish Tacos in Mexico - I mean - in a Mexican place in Middletown.  They were so YUM!  And it was a beautiful, sunny Spring day to boot.  Speaking of boots...Still not ready to slip into the sexy open toed shoes that my "friend" Linda was sportin' but soon...soon!

On the way home, I impulse shopped.  My "friend" Linda lives a way into the sticks and as I drove down her street I see a sign for "The Plant Your Children Killed Last Year" Bleeding Hearts.  I screeched on the brakes and swung in for a Bleeding Heart.  Lush and lovely!!!

Right???

But of course, I couldn't just buy 1 plant.   Nooooo - I had to come home with 3.  Trust me - this is just the beginning.

So guess what?  I have an "anomoly" vacationing in my yard.  Check him (her?) out!!!  (I'm going with "him".)

How cool is he???  A White Headed Robin!!!!

My "friend" Linda took this shot from the gym last Saturday and googled it.  Here's what she found.

The white head is apparently the result of a condition called leucism, a genetic mutation that prevents feathers from taking their normal color, and fairly rare.

Leucism is a condition that occurs in many different species of animals and differs from albinism. With this condition, the eyes are not pink, although the affected animal can be all white, white in spots or just be paler than its normal coloring.

And he's in MY yard!!!!!  I love him!  His name is Snowdrop.  Here's another view!

Ain't he handsome?!!

So it's quite exciting.

So, my "friend" Linda - she's in this post alot, isn't she?  My "friend" Linda came to a strength class the other day and left some goodies behind.  Killing me.  Here I am avoiding sugar and she leaves a homemade eclair AND a serving of the yummiest Lemon Mousse EVER!!!  I, of course, need this recipe.  

My "friend" Linda sent it to me and I vowed to make it today.  But before I did that, I wanted to check out the number of grams of sugar in the dish.  Ummmm - 225.  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...snifffffff

But wait a minute.  Ok - I can have 10 grams of sugar a day.  If the recipe makes 22 servings (10 grams/serving), I'm GOOD!!!!  Linda assures me it makes at least 22 GOOD sized servings.  (That's very important - good sized!).

So, I'm all excited.  I print the recipe.  I squeeze the lemon juice.  I grate the zest.  I separate the eggs.  I pull out the unflavored gelatin - SCREECHHHHHHHHHH.  WAITTTTTTTTTTTT!  Unflavored gelatin???  G-damnit.  Who the hell has THAT in their pantry?  Are ya kidding me??????

Quick!  Text the neighbor!  She's a chef!!!!

  

I'm good.  She oughta be pulling in soon!  Here's the recipe:

YUMMY LEMON MOUSSE

• Time -
• Serves 8

Ingredients

---

• 5 eggs separated
• 1-1/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups whipping cream
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 cups fresh berries

How to make it

• Beat together egg yolks and sugar.
• Grate rinds of lemons and squeeze 
• out juice measuring 2/3 cup lemon juice.
• Add rind to egg yolks then gradually add lemon juice beating all the while.
• Soften gelatin in 1/2 cup of hot water and beat until it is dissolved.
• Allow to cool slightly.
• Whip cream lightly and stir into lemon mixture then stir in gelatin.
• Continue stirring until mixture begins to thicken.
• Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff but not dry then fold into lemon mixture.
• Spoon soufflé into dish and chill in refrigerator until completely set about two hours.
• Serve with berries if desired.

enJOY my friends.  enJOY!!!!!!

PS - there is an "inside" joke in this post that only my "friend" Linda will get.  So don't think you missed something.  Just sayin'...