Saturday, June 27, 2009

The View From My Window


As an homage to Andrew Sullivan's posts I am posting a view from my window on my blog. You may have seen the photo posted on Sullivan's blog of the view from my window in Paris a few weeks ago.

If you would like me to post your pictures send them to me at frenchy (at) frenchyshouseparty (dot) com and I will post them right away. (Note: You'll forgive the goofy way of posting the e-mail address in the previous sentence. That is to keep the "spam-bots" at bay.) Please include the (general) location of the photo and the time of day.

XO

Frenchy

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Organic farm "pick-up" day

Today is the day we go to pick up our allotment of organic vegetables at the Cape Cod Organic Farm "CSA" (Community Supported Agriculture). This is week #2. Like I mentioned in the previous post about my tomato plants, the weather here has not been too cooperative with sunshine. We did get a couple of new items this week and some of the same from last week


This week: salad greens, fresh peas, strawberries and marigolds (as last week), plus a couple of green onions, some swiss chard, and some romanesco (Romanesco broccoli or Roman Cauliflower is an edible flower of the species Brassica oleracea and a variant form of cauliflower).

Each week... a little more.

Topsy-Turvy Tomato Update

It's week 3 of my Topsy-Turvy Tomato Planter experiment. Although we have had very little sun and way too much rain it does seem as though we are getting some action on the tomato front. The plants are definitely bigger and both are producing flowers on the vines. We are due for some warm weather in the next couple of days so I am hoping that things really start to grow on these babies. On Monday next comes the next "feeding" according to my plant food schedule. Stay tuned!


35,000 year-old flute is 1st instrument ever

Very cool from Gizmodo.com:

This flute is the first musical instrument in the history of humankind—one of the first examples of technology—which has surprised everyone demonstrating that music already existed 35,000 years ago. Stone Age Rock Band, here we go.

It was made from the bone of a giant vulture during the Upper Paleolithic. Found in Ach Valley, in the south of Germany, the 8.7-inch long, one-inch diameter instrument has five holes, with two V-shaped notches carved on one side of it. This was the part in which the musician put the lips to blow, according to University of Tubingen's professor Nicholas Conard, the lead author of the discovery. The other end is broken just on the fifth hole.

Also according to the study, it was capable of producing a note range similar to those of modern flutes. Conard also points that while music probably didn't have much to do in the success of the first modern humans, it could have given them an advantage against the Neanderthals:

And another thing

From Mike Rogers at blogactive.com:

I have four bits of information to report today...

1. The sun will set in the west.
2. In the USA, It will be darker outside at midnight than at noon.
3. Your local PBS station is on the verge of bankruptcy and you must call now.
4. A self-righteous, self-declared Jesus freak Republican politician is fucking someone outside of his marriage. And he's head of the RGA! Thank you, Goddess.

Raw Story:
South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford admitted to an extra-marital affair with an Argentinian woman Wednesday afternoon, at an eagerly-awaited press conference to explain his sudden disappearance last week.


Sanford also announced his resignation as chair of the Republican Governors’ Association.
I've been unfaithful to my wife," Sanford said in front of the cameras. "I developed a relationship with … a dear, dear friend from Argentina. It began very innocently, as I suspect these things do."
If you want to thank Governor Sanford for proving again what these judgmental politicians are, here is his contact page.


Another marriage destroyed by them gays...

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

****New Product Alert***

Not being able to sleep because my boobs are too big has not been a problem for me although I understand that if men smoke too much pot that they can develop gynecomastia, an enlargement of the breasts in men. Anyway I found this today while trawling on the Internets and I present for your inspection: The "Kush"




What will they think of next?

Cafe Chew Update

Bob & Tobin, the "forces mejors" behind such Sandwich (MA) spots as Sandwich Sandwiches, The Marshland, The Bee-Hive Tavern and The Bee-Hive General Store have turned their talents to a new place called Cafe Chew. In a story about "ethical eating" in today's Cape Cod Times we get this little taste of what's to come at Cafe Chew:

For Bob King, a restaurateur for 25 years, and his spouse, Tobin Wirt, chairman of the church's social action committee, ethical eating decisions are being made daily: The two are opening Cafe Chew in Merchants Square in Sandwich, with the intention of serving organic foods that are produced locally in a way that does not damage the land.

"If we change nothing about the way we produce and deliver food, how long is it going to last? I think it's our time in America to do something. It's all about being a locavore," says King, former owner of Marshland Restaurant and the Beehive Tavern.

King says Massachusetts is on the cusp of many changes to help the environment, such as the availability of corn-based paper cups that are biodegradable in 45 days — if, Wirt interjects, they are exposed to the air and allowed to decompose rather than being sealed in plastic trash bags. King points out that items such as hormone-free chicken are now more price-competitive so restaurateurs can make the better environmental choice. In planning Cafe Chew, he and Wirt visited a food distributor's kitchen in Norton where they were shown products that were locally produced and, primarily, chemical-free.

Last evening at a Sandwich Chamber of Commerce open house I was able to chat with Tobin about Chew and what's going on there. The cafe is still undergoing renovation but the boys made it available for the Chamber to have a little nosh and a "bevvy" or two.

We are all looking forward to Chew's opening scheduled to open in late July.

Bon chance mes amis!

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Why am I fat?

Could it be...

Spam Fries Spam that has passed through a french fry press and is deep fried. (submitted by chainsaw7161)

Spam Fries: Spam that has passed through a french fry press and is deep fried.


The Spanky Cristo A peanut butter, banana, honey and bacon sandwich on potato bread, dipped in egg batter then fried in bacon fat, topped with butter and blueberry syrup. (submitted by Uncle Spank)

The Spanky Cristo: A peanut butter, banana, honey and bacon sandwich on potato bread, dipped in egg batter then fried in bacon fat, topped with butter and blueberry syrup.


Baconoli Supreme Deep fried four cheese ravioli wrapped in bacon, breaded and smothered in cheese. (submitted by Jason Whiteside)

Baconoli Supreme: Deep fried four cheese ravioli wrapped in bacon, breaded and smothered in cheese.


Fat Ballz Deep fried beer battered Wisconsin cheese curds, served with Chipotle mayo dipping sauce.  (submitted by Jacinda)

Fat Ballz: Deep fried beer battered Wisconsin cheese curds, served with Chipotle mayo dipping sauce.


Dorm Food Casserole Bottom to top: stuffing, ramen, ground beef, shredded cheese, mac and cheese, ramen, shredded cheese, garlic mashed potatoes, shredded cheese, bread crumbs, all topped with sliced onions and pound of bacon. (submitted by Ian Sitko)

Dorm Food Casserole: Bottom to top: stuffing, ramen, ground beef, shredded cheese, mac and cheese, ramen, shredded cheese, garlic mashed potatoes, shredded cheese, bread crumbs, all topped with sliced onions and pound of bacon.


Churro Relleno Deep fried dough stuffed with cream and dipped in chocolate. (submitted by Caryn G)

Churro Relleno: Deep fried dough stuffed with cream and dipped in chocolate.


The Pizzurger   A double Whopper with a slice of pizza between each burger patty.  (submitted by Da Rizza)

The Pizzurger: A double Whopper with a slice of pizza between each burger patty.


Spam Musubi Rice, seaweed and Spam. (submitted by Mark Pieklo via ukumillion)

Spam Musubi: Rice, seaweed and Spam.


Chicken Finger Bacon Pizza A pizza consisting of Thousand Island dressing as the sauce, topped with a family size bag of chicken fingers, a container of bacon bits all smothered in sliced mozzarella cheese. (submitted by Bill Pattison)

Chicken Finger Bacon Pizza: A pizza consisting of Thousand Island dressing as the sauce, topped with a family size bag of chicken fingers, a container of bacon bits all smothered in sliced mozzarella cheese.

Thanks to thisiswhyyourefat.com

Monday, June 22, 2009

*****Hypocrisy Alert*****

Family Values Champion Brian Blair Arrested For Beating His Family

Yesterday, Father's Day, former pro wrestler and current Florida politician Brian Blair, who campaigned against the Day Of Silence, silenced his two children by beating and choking them.
Blair, 52, was arrested shortly after 5 a.m. after an altercation at his family's home in the Forest Hills area of Tampa, sheriff's Deputy Larry McKinnon said. Blair and his wife, Toni, have two sons, Brett and Bradley, according to his campaign Web site. Blair, a former professional wrestler who is 6 feet tall and weighs 235 pounds, pushed his older son Brett, 17, in the chest about 4 a.m., according to an arrest report. The teen tried to walk away, but Blair grabbed him and punched him in the face with a closed fist, leaving a red mark and swelling, the arrest report said. Blair then put the 17-year-old in a choke hold, causing him to have trouble breathing, according to the report. Deputies said Blair then let go of his older son and grabbed his younger son by the throat. He punched the boy, leaving a bump on his head, the arrest report said. In the report, a deputy gave the younger son's age as 12, though Blair's campaign Web site said he is 13. Both sons identified their father as the person who attacked them, deputies said.
In addition to promoting the bullying of gay students, Blair endorsed Florida's ban on same-sex marriage and voted to ban recognition of gay Pride events. Blair doesn't want homos to impose their "social and sexual agenda upon the rest of us and especially, on our children." But he's clearly OK with imposing his hands around the throats of his own kids.

Things to do with all of those tomatoes (I hope to get from my Topsy-Turvy planter)

Mr. B Bought me Lidia Bastianich's cookbook "Lidia's Italy" last week for a couple of reasons. First we are now getting a load of fresh organic produce every week and in late July and August we will (I hope) have loads of tomatoes to cook with. Lidia's books are terrific reads and the recipes most using fresh fruits and veggies are really outstanding.

While at the supermarket last week I picked up some "cherry tomatoes on the vine" and they were really tasty. I looked up recipes in the book and there was one for a cherry tomato and onion focaccia so I decided to make it. It is a very easy recipe and I now have the focaccia resting and rising before it goes in the oven.



Well, here is the finished product. Looks great, smells terrific and when it cools, I suspect that it will be delicious. No news is good news on that front. If you'd like the recipe let me know in the comments section of this blog post.


This Week In Holy Crimes

Thanks Joe!

Over the last seven days....

Texas: Pastor William Frank Brown charged with eight counts of child molestation and aggravated sexual assault.
Missouri: Pastor Aaron Rodgerson charged with failure to report child abuse, neglect, or death and practicing law without a license.
Florida: Pastor Jose Sos Santos charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of 12 year-old girl.
South Carolina: Pastor William Ralph Wilson III charged with three counts of a lewd act upon a child under 16 years of age.
Arkansas: Pastor Jason Wayne Floyd sentenced to four years in prison for statutory rape of 14 year-old girl.
New Jersey: Monsignor Patrick Brown takes "leave of absence" in FBI probe over missing parish funds.
Minnesota: Pastor Donald Budd sued by parishioner over inappropriate sexual conduct.
Pennsylvania: Father Joseph Macanga sentenced to 57 months in prison for possession of kiddie porn.
New York: Rabbi Leib Glanz resigns over charges that he arranged a jailhouse bar mitzah for the son of a wealthy imprisoned felon.

This week's winner:
New York: Rev. Paul "defender of marriage" Lewis arrested in Jamaica for for having sex with a 15 year-old girl while a 14 year-old girl watched. Lewis was on a "crusade" in Jamaica for his church and paid the girls $30-$60 each. In February Lewis was accused of raping a 19 year-old in a parking lot, but his accuser later recanted her statement. From Rev. Lewis' bio: "Only once in a lifetime does someone come along with such a gifting yet humble and caring spirit." You can buy an "annointed prosperity kit" including "miracle olive oil soap" on Lewis' site for a mere $24.95 + $9.95 shipping and handling.