Fresh, Calm, Pretty

Scenes from a Sunday at home…

Today is my first day away from the lab in over three months.  I would say it’s my first day completely off from work, but I did some work this morning (shhh…).  How nice is it to work in pajamas, at home, relaxed and happy!  It’s very nice.  I wish I could work at home more often.

It’s been a really lovely, slow day.  I made vegetable and rice soup for lunch, listened to Iron & Wine and Gillian Welch on the CD player, and walked very slowly to the grocery store for some provisions.  I spent quality time with Nigel Slater, reading the chapter on pumpkins and winter squash in Tender and dreaming of the cooler days to come.  I swear, I want to cook everything in that chapter, from the pumpkin pangrattato with rosemary and orange to the sausages with pumpkin mash to the pumpkin laksa to the pumpkin scones.  Everything sounds delicious and hearty and filling—all my favorite qualities about food.

I also gave this blog its first makeover, and I’m really happy with the results!  The new look feels fresh, calm, and pretty to me—all things that I’d like to be, quite frankly, though usually I’m frazzled, anxious and sweaty.  But maybe the blog can inspire new levels of patience and serenity in me.  If you’re reading through Google Reader or a similar medium, I encourage you to click on over here and check out the new look.  Let me know what you think!

Right now I’ve got a roasted tomato soup resting its heels on the stovetop, and if it’s any good, I’ll tell you about it soon.  I know I promised you a recipe yesterday, but how about we compromise and I’ll post a recipe sooner rather than later?  I bet at least a few of you are like me—you read blogs as much for the beautiful writing and photography as for the recipes.  I also read blogs because I like to check in on my blog friends to see what they are doing.  On that note, I’ll end by saying hello, happy Sunday, and have a good week!  Next time, we can meet in the kitchen, with tomatoes, ready to cook.