A happy, indulgent spring

So many happy, cheerful things to enjoy this spring. Good friends, way too much delicious food, bright little bunches of flowers, perfect weather(a little too summery for my taste, but I can't complain).

Here are a few of those fun things.

My pretty little tulips. 

Using my jelly jar lemonade sipper as a vase with a frog to hold the daffodils in place. It worked fairly well and was just such a darling presentation. The lid on my sipper is actually designed to hold a straw in place but it works equally well on skinny little flower stems. 

Matthew and I have been eating so little meat of late. This roasted pork belly from urban solace was divine, but it was almost overwhelming in it meaty richness. 

This was urban solace's version of key lime pie. When the waiter warned me that their version is a little different than a normal key lime pie, I assured him that my first attempt at key lime pie produced a pie that was very different than a normal one and I doubted their's would disappoint, since My first key lime pie was basically a soup, after all. But it was when I promised him not to burst not tears at having to eat it with a spoon that he chuckled and must have really thought I was a tad bit kooky. Anyway, I did think about bursting into tears of happiness because this was so delicious, but instead I just enjoyed each creamy bite.

Well, my lighting for this photo wasn't very good, but I just had to post the best photo I could get of my poached pears with toffee sauce and clotted cream. This was so very tasty and I wanted to include a basic recipe in this post.

Poached pear with toffee sauce and clotted cream

4 pears, partially peeled

4 cups water or 3 cups water and 1 cup white wine

1 vanilla bean, split

1-1 1/2 cups sugar

Cinnamon stick

Piece of fresh, frozen or crystallized ginger

Combine all ingredients. Simmer pears till soft. I had to remove some that were done and continue simmering the others until they were all done. Serve immediately or store in fridge overnight and serve the next day at room temperature with warmed toffee sauce and clotted cream.

Toffee sauce

1/4 cup each of butter, heavy cream, brown sugar

Pinch of salt

Heat on low till melted together. Boil until thickened, approx 4-5 minutes. Can be made ahead and refrigerated, but must be heated and reincorporated before serving. 

Clotted cream

Buy a jar of clotted cream.

If you don't like to buy such ridiculous and expensive things, then simply serve this dish with unsweetened whipped cream. 

A picture post: happy spring

 Okay, so this post will just be a quick blast of photographs. All the fun and adorable things that have been keeping me so very busy in these recent months. So busy, but so happy!! =)

Tulips (c/o Jessica) to welcome spring

Such perfect bud vases, I need to make a serious effort to find some of my own (if for no other reason, then that I stop coveting Jessica's).

Valentine's day mushroom bouquet- What could be more romantic? Is it any wonder that Matthew loves me when I offer him such fabulous gifts :)

But really, why doesn't every card come packaged with such a perfect bow?

Carrot Cake Cupcakes- in anticipation of Easter. Somehow, I don't think there will be any left to offer the Easter bunny when he hops by on Sunday.

Sadly, for the sake of cuteness (but happily for the sake of my sanity), I did not use these tiny baby carrots in the cupcakes. These are so sweet and tender that I couldn't bear to do too much with them, just sauteed them in loads of butter and a sprinkling of fresh mint for the simplest and tastiest preparation.

And, last picture, because it's a little ugly compared to all the pretty little things in the photos above: this is my very first little baby lettuce shoot of the spring. I was so delighted to see it just a couple days after planting the seeds. Now the planter is full of baby lettuces. I really should take another photo to post. I love the freshness of seeing green lettuces growing right outside my front door.

A San Diego Spring

A few weeks ago, my mother sent me a beautiful mini essay on the beauty of spring in Oregon. It made me miss being back home for the arrival of spring, but it also caused me to look around my own little neighborhood to discover that San Diego has it's own "arrival of spring." It might not be as dramatic a change from winter to spring here in this city with it's pleasant-all-year-round reputation but it's enough to mollify my wish for the usual fresh and vibrant signs of spring.

 A beautiful jumble of daffodils and violas. They are so charming!

 

Beautiful red flowers in a little circle flower bed.