happy valentine's day

i did a little bit of nail bling for today; nothing too big. it's 24kt gold flecks and a pink heart. i noticed that the 24kt thing was popular in the nail circuit, and remembered i had some flakes left over in a jar from when i was in college and focusing on illuminated manuscripts.

i've got a couple of things i'm messing around with right now, one being spinning on my tulipwood jay spindle. it's bombyx silk and camel. it drafts smoothly and spins with a subtle tawny stripe. the other thing is i traded my violin for a ukulele; just waiting on some better strings, then i'll start to learn how to play it.

for dinner tonight i made vegetarian pot pie filled with asparagus, mushrooms, peas, onion, carrots, and beans, topped with filo dough, and served with rose wine. for dessert i baked white chocolate and cherry scones with strawberry rose champagne tea. the theme was hearts and pink. i used things i found around the house that fit into those subjects. it's really enjoyable setting the table for a special event, i should do it more often.

change is good

what's even better on french toast than butter and confectioner's sugar? nutella. i'm moving away from my childhood affection to a more refined pairing. or, you know, whatever tastes good. my recipe for individual frenchtoast:

in a shallow bowl, mix:

1 egg yolk

pinch of vietnamese cinnamon

a hearty smattering of nutmeg

a dribble of madagascar vanilla

one good squirt of agave

enough almond milk for 4 slices bread

cut four 1/2 inch slices of italian bread, drown each side in mixture for the count of 5. lay onto well oiled grill for 3 minutes each side (i use coconut oil). if necessary add more milk to mixture if it becomes too depleted before you've dunked the fourth slice, mix well. warm plate under grill if possible. plate up the slices as they become ready (softly browned on each side). using butter knife, generously slather nutella onto each hot slice. pick up fork, eat, enjoy, and say yes to breakfast for dinner.