Put the Lime in the Coconut

Song - Put The Lime In The Coconut by Harry Nilsson

 Or better yet put the lemon and vodka in the fettuccine!!!

On New Year's Eve Mr. B cooked me a yummy dinner as we had decided to stay home and have a low key evening together.  We had a recipe for Meyer Lemon and Vodka Linguine from our friend John  and I had another recipe for Fettuccine and Asparagus with Lemon Vodka Sauce.

Mr. B has a hard time sticking exactly to any recipe and decided to blend the two and add a touch of his own magic. 

Goodbye 2018 Lemon and Vodka Fettuccine with Asparagus


3 large Meyer lemons, the zest of one and juice of 3
1 pt. half & half
3/4 c. vodka
2 T salt
1 lb. fettuccine
1 T butter or olive oil
1 bunch of asparagus, cut into pieces and blanched until al dente
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
4 T fresh dill
1 sm. onion or leek diced
1 T garlic diced
6 oz Parmesan cheese - freshly grated

Grate the zest from 1 lemon, squeeze out the juice of all three. Soften onion and garlic in olive oil or butter.  Add 3/4 c. Vodka & reduce by 2/3rds. Add the cream and simmer for 5 minutes until it thickens. Meanwhile, bring water to a boil, add salt and cook your fettuccine until al dente.  Add asparagus.

Add the cooked asparagus, lemon juice and zest to the vodka sauce and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Drain the pasta (reserving some of the water), add to the sauce and toss.  Season with pepper, dill and Parmesan, stir. If the pasta is dry, add some of the reserved pasta water.

Top with Nutmeg if desired.

Serve extra Parmesan on the side.


Serves 4-6
1 hour prep and cooking time
Pre-cut and measure as much as possible ahead of time as it all comes together fast.



Eaten while watching The Thin Man series......Happy New Year!

"Waiter, will you serve the nuts? 

I mean, will you serve the guests the nuts?"

--Nora Charles from The Thin Man

Frequent Flyer

Song - Fly Like an Eagle by the Steve Miller Band

New Year's morning we woke to the shrill of hawks calling to each other.  Some were far away in the valley and some were in our own backyard.  I looked out from the deck and saw this guy in a dead tree down our creek.  His tail looked like a raccoons.

He let me get quite close but kept and eye on what I was doing.  After about 40 photos, my bare feet were beginning to freeze to the ground but one second later another hawk flew into a nearby tree. They are Red-shouldered Hawks and smaller than a Red-tailed Hawk.

She was a bit smaller than the first hawk so I am assuming this one is female and the first is a male.

He watched her as she called to him and then they both flew away together.......how romantic to start 2019 off with a whirlwind romance!



"If you want to make God laugh, tell her your plans." 
--Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

A Wild New Years Eve

Song - Celtic New Year by Van Morrison

On New Year's Eve Day Mr. B got us some great yummy sandwiches from our neighborhood deli Morucci's and I packed a picnic basket with Prosecco, linen napkins, crystal goblets, chips and cookies.  We picked up my mom & her sweet dog Buddy and headed to Danville.

Past the town of Danville and out towards Mt. Diablo where there is still farm land, cows, wild turkeys, deer and sheep.

Did I mention that the sky was a brilliant blue but it was cold and oh so windy?  Brrr......it truly felt like winter! 

Our destination was the Tassajara One Room Schoolhouse on Finley Road because I knew it had picnic tables and some history that my mom probably did not know about. But it was oh so cold!

Mom spotted a little wooden table inside the "garage" so that we were protected from the wind but could stand in the sunshine and eat our lunch.

Narcissus bulbs surround the property and are about to burst out.  Buddy sniffed and explored but even he was chilled. We popped the bubbly and toasted to the New Year then.....

...... we took a quick little photo shoot while the wind whipped our hair and we hurried to the warmth of the car.

And enjoyed the Oaks and hills with the heater on!

....and the variety of animals nearby......(one is a lama and the rest are goats or sheep).

"Can you remember who you were, 

before the world told you who you should be?" 

--Danielle Laporte