Happy of 4th of July

For my NaBloPoMo | BlogHer participation I’d planned on making Fridays – Foodie Friday as that’s the day I have traditionally decided what I would eat for the entire weekend so I didn’t have to bother with cooking and could concentrate on writing and/or painting.  I’d put on a crockpot of something deliciously fun: white chili, roast, whole chicken.  I’d prepare a triple recipe of tuna salad for lunch and save the rest for later, or a large frittata (quiche w/o the crust) for breakfast and save the rest for the weekend.  You get the idea.

 

This practice began when I worked in that concrete jungle I designated as Dilbertville.  I’ve since retired from that jungle to write and paint and collect my ‘entitlement’, but still find it helpful to prepare food I love and can eat for days for the weekend and longer without thought or preparation other than putting it on the plate. 

 

Ah, but this is the 4^th of July, and I will shortly be off to John and Karyn Stalcup’s wonderfully restored Southside house for their annual 4^th of July party, so I will prepare my ‘covered dish (aka Ziploc container) to contribute to the feast. 

 

I’ve decided on an orzo pasta salad.  I cooked the orzo pasta al dente in salt and a pinch of savory; scalded and shocked a bag of Publix pre-cut bagged stir fry vegetables adding a few of my own (I did chop them into smaller pieces); into the pasta and veggies I mixed in a  simple vinaigrette I whipped up (white balsamic and malt vinegars, 1 tsp, of honey, extra virgin olive oil, spicy mustard, dash of salt, pepper, cayenne.  It’s chilling in the fridge as I sip wine and finish reading a book I started on Thursday. 

 

I’ll be walking the 7-8 blocks to the party.  I never un-park my car on the 4^th of July for a number of reasons.

1. I’ll be drinking there and here and there along the way back home.
2. I have many friends in the ‘hood, and there are lot of places to stop and visit and sip along the walk back home.
3. People come in from all over the city to visit and to watch the ‘Thunder on the Mountain’ fireworks show atop Vulcan’s Red Mountain that go off around 9pm tonight, so traffic is the proverbial ‘bitch’.
4. Walking home is faster and more entertaining that the gridlock of driving with all the suburbanites trying to get back out of town.
5. Many of the drivers on the road have imbibed far too much to be driving and I’ve no desire to run into them nor have them run into me. 
   Plus:
   
6. I like to walk and enjoy every bit of this unique neighborhood on this my favorite holiday.

Happy 4^th of July y’all.