Charmed, I'm Sure

It's finally raining out here in bone dry California. Finally. We had such a downpour around lunchtime I had to don boots and coat and take a broom to the front porch. It was raining so hard and fast the garden looked like a lake. I thought Farmhouse was a goner. I thought for sure it would flood. But we made it o.k. We're all high and dry.For now at least.

So on this rainy Monday..my thoughts go to supper. Haven't been able to turn on the oven much. Just been too warm...but not anymore. So I got out one of my favorite cookbooks. "Fanny at Chez Panisse" by Alice Waters. It was first published in 1992. And the illustrations are adorable. The recipes are simple.It's about making good food easily with basic ingredients and simple techniques.And I wanted to make the gingersnaps for dessert tonight to serve with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream. My favorite gingersnap cookie recipe is in "Fanny". The book is just so charming I wanted to share it with you.

When we were little my mom would make Mark and I spareribs and potatoes in the oven on rainy days. She would just get out a big old baking pan, quarter the potatoes, pour a little olive oil over them, toss and sprinkle them with salt, throw them in the pan and place some seasoned spare ribs over the top. Bake at about 375 degrees for and hour or so and...supper. All you need is a salad. And on this stormy night, biscuits wouldn't be bad either.

Whiskey Sour has on his tweed sweater..the one with the leather buttons and is wearing his Christmas scarf. He has a nice spot in the red plaid chair here by "woodstove". And I made Dandelion a cozy bed in an old red wool blanket I brought back from Maine...she is on top of the farm dining table. Just don't tell anybody.She likes it there.