Not Spring Yet

I'm not feeling very turtle-ish yet. Let me explain: years ago Dennis and I caught a comedy routine that contained the line "Hope springs in turtles." We still occasionally use that line. I had to go look it up in order to give credit to the comedian. His name is John Bowman, and the bit came from his In Stink routine. I will caution you that his language wasn't devoid of "bad words." The bit had to do with a stoner explaining that even though turtles are "slow and pokey" since they're carrying their whole home on their backs, they still cross roads. And when a truck is coming hope springs in turtles. If it can spring in them, it can spring in us. I guess I don't hear that truck called spring coming yet.

It's still mostly grey and gloomy outside. It's not inspiring much hope. We did "spring ahead" with the whole time-change garbage foisted on us twice a year. I vote we just call it good and leave the clocks alone forever more. All this does is mess up everyone's circadian clocks (is that still a thing?) and makes us tired and cranky for at least a week. Just having the weather we're having makes me cranky enough. Let's not add to that, please!

I do have another amaryllis bulb shooting up a flower stalk. It's grown a good 6" since Dennis noted it a couple days ago. I'll keep turning the pot it's in so the stalk grows straight and the eventual blooms aren't rubbing up against the window. The exciting thing is waiting to see what color the flowers will be.

No seeds have been ordered. I'm thinking I'm going to procrastinate (as usual) and buy my seeds locally once my inner turtle starts hoping. I'm not starting any seeds as yet, either, but I did push a few lemon seeds into the dirt of a pot that had extra space. (That means what was in that pot was giving up.)

None of my rooted starters have been planted, either. They're happy with only water, so why mess with that? It's way too early for setting anything outside anyway. I don't need to be messing with potting soil inside. Do I sound too cranky or depressed? I'll be fine.

So...back to cooking, that never-ending story. We had marinated shrimp the other night. I served them with microwave-zapped spuds. My spud was slathered with home-made guacamole. (Guac is easy to make: mash the avocado with a splash of lime juice. You could call that good, or add more: a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, minced onion, chopped tomato, capers, olives... store any that might be leftover airtight under plastic wrap pressed on top, in your fridge. Try to use within a couple days. It's great atop a salad or on toast.)

Shrimp Marinade

1 Tbl EVOO

2 tsp lime juice

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin

Salt to taste

2 tsp finely minced garlic

Combine in a Ziploc. Add 24 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and rinsed. Let marinate at least 15 minutes. Sauté in skillet, about 2 minutes per side.

Our shrimp hadn't been fully peeled, so they were finger food, and a bit messy. I'd also first cut a few strips of bacon into small chunks, and browned that first. I did drain off the grease before sautéing the shrimp with the bacon.

If you don't want guac-covered zapped spuds, you could try this easy pasta salad recipe. I obtained this recipe from my step-sister Jan Goncher from Missouri. It's good for summer picnics, too.

Pasta Salad

11 oz angel hair pasta

1 (14.5 oz) can tomatoes, cut up

1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth

Greek seasoning to taste

Cook, drain, and chill pasta. Toss with the rest of the ingredients. Serves 8. (138 calories/serving, 1.25 grams fat, 228 mg sodium - varies according to broth)

If you haven't purchased (or can't find Greek seasoning), it's easy to make your own blend.

Greek Seasoning

1 1/2 Tbl oregano

1 1/2 Tbl garlic powder

1 Tbl kosher salt

1 Tbl onion flakes

1 Tbl basil

1 1/2 tsp dill

1 1/2 tsp parsley

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp marjoram

3/4 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix together, store airtight away from sunlight.