Monday Monday...part two...

Bacon and rosemary Chicken

After such an amazing breakfast I had the energy to run around and take care of errands, clean my room, do a little vintage store browsing...
Sunday night after our woodland adventure, we stopped by New Seasons and picked up a chicken that I had mighty plans to roast the next day. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. But in the spirit of my cleanse, my guidelines are


Only Meat and Veggies. Butter. Olive Oil. Vinegars, Eggs. Fruit, but only if it's local. Herbs.


It seems like a difficult thing to do. Not have any grains. No bread. No Cheese. No Sugar. ALSO: no corn, potatoes, caffeine, alcohol, nuts, seeds, chips....

It stresses me out to think of all the things I CAN'T eat. But honestly the list above of the amazing things I CAN eat is pretty vast. And I am happily exploring it.

The Menu for our magic Monday Meal...

Artichokes with handmade aioli
Roast Chicken with bacon, rosemary, evoo, salt and pepper
Wild Chanterelle gravy with pan drippings, bacon grease, shallots, and arrowroot powder
Roasted root vegetables: parsnips, carrots, baby turnips, kolrabi, garlic
Baked apples with blueberries and cider reduction

I let myself in the garage door of my beau's house. It was empty and quiet. I put a Fela Kuti record on the stereo, let the meowing cat in the front door, and pulled the chicken out of the fridge.

the well salted chicken. I had ever put bacon on one before, but it seemed like a good idea, and helped keep it incredibly moist.

Below is the meal that I prepared and we thoroughly enjoyed.  It took 2 hours from start to finish, and I had enough time to work at my leisure, clean as I went, feed the cat some chicken liver, sweep the floor, and set the table...

The apple on the left was the tastiest one I have ever tried. And so pretty! pink inside!

And even though I am not supposed to have any alcohol, I did cheat a tiny bit with a few gulps of red wine, with which I will toast to many many more delicious everyday feasts that are healthy for my body and lifting of my spirits...

it was my first time making aioli, and I added too much oil too quickly, but it still made a tasty dip for the artichokes!

I cut open the apples, cored some of their insides to make little bowls for the blueberries, a dash of cardamon, apple cider, and a little red wine...baked at 400 for 45 mins.

lebanese dinner and new friends

This summer dropped many new things into my little lap. The best of them many new experiences and so many new and absolutely beautiful friends. A love interest brought me into this group of 10 women, all working in their own way on following their dreams, hearts, and bellies.

the love interest now a bit out of the picture, i was happily surprised when one of the ladies invited me to a summer soiree on their balcony in se Portland.
the day was beautifully lazy. sunbathing at the river, reading Pablo Neruda out loud on the beach, and then rushing back to town to change into a dress, have a quick cocktail with a friend, and then off to the party.
I was a litte nervous at first. the boy I liked, well, his ex girlfriend was going to be there. but when i walked into the cozy kitchen, everyone drinking Pastis, and smiling, i felt immediately comfortable.



The Dinner was happening because the ladies of the house were hosting a fantastic nomad artist couple. the husband is Lebanese, and the wife from the Czech Republic.
we feasted on homemade Labneh, flat bread with Zatar, and drank wine until we were all silly and they all asked me to play my autoharp.

you can hear me here:
www.myspace.com/lovemenubyemilykatz

We lounged on the balcony until 1am, in the still 100 degree heat of summer. I felt taken care of by the world, surrounded by new friends, stuffed!! full of amazing food, a little drunk, and completely where I wanted to be.