How to Avoid a Deadline

Let me count the ways.....

One would think that I, the editor of The Essential Herbal magazine, would be the first to have my writing finished, long before the deadline. One would be wrong. Oh, that is not to say that many times I haven't been way ahead of the clock! This time is just different. Maybe it is the changing weather. Maybe it is the many different projects I'm working on... but it IS something.

Take today for instance. A pathetic exercise in passive avoidance.

It started out innocently enough with the usual Saturday morning market. That often leads to a short nap, but no big deal, right? Well, the air was very cold, with early rain and continuing strong winds. The nap never really gelled.

At some point, while looking out the window, I realized it was a perfect Autumn day. The air had that certain clarity, the sky that special blue, and there was a fresh, alive feeling going on out there. Hmmmm... it needed to be experienced. So, camera in hand (and a rumbling in my tummy), off I went to find Fall.

First to the mailbox, where I noticed the deep gray clouds lazing across the brilliant blue sky on top of the dry corn husks across the street. There was some of that fall!

On the way back towards the house, the lemon verbena and rosemary were calling. The still isn't put away from the other night yet. Maybe I should just harvest them and distill them before frost hits. OH! And while I'm stripping the plants, maybe I should make a rosemary wand to keep and a lemon verbena for Sarah "I love lemon everything" Liberta. They needed to be stripped and readied for the still and for the wand-making... can't let them dry out before getting them all shaped up, can I?

I was getting pretty hungry, so I continued out towards the garden to see if there was anything to eat out there. On the way, looking through the trees, the silos from the next farm were gleaming in the sun. Those colorful gray clouds were gliding overhead.

There were a couple of nice eggplants, and some lima beans, so they came back into the kitchen with me.

I don't think I posted this recipe before, but if so, it bears repeating. If so, I apologize. It came from Zoe on the list.

Baked Eggplant

Cut eggplant into 1/2" to 3/4" slices. Lightly coat both sides with real mayonaisse (not low fat, sorry). Press both sides into a mixture of 1 part Italian bread crumbs, and 1 part grated Parmesan cheese. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12 minutes.

Remove cookie sheet from oven and turn slices over. Top with a little Mozzarella cheese and return to the oven for another 10-12 minutes. Serve hot.

Well, by then it was time to start thinking about what to have for the hungry kids when they got home, and to make space in the kitchen from all of the day's procrastination.

Then I had to blog it! I still have an hour and 15 minutes. It seems like there's something else, though....