Refreshingly Mint

Feedback and comments would be appreciated! Thanks!

A reminiscent look at how to use the flourishing green plague in your backyard.

For me, mint stirs up fantastic childhood memories. I can remember summers spent at my grandparent's row home in Baltimore City. The brash smog from the traffic off of Loch Raven Boulevard and Northern Parkway dulled my senses, but the patch of mint growing on the rim of the rectangular garden allowed me to breathe in a sigh of relief.

One might not imagine the sweltering hot Baltimore City summer conjuring up fond memories of mint. Some might picture lounging in a hammock on a cool summer late afternoon, sipping freshly made iced tea. I too sipped on freshly made iced tea infused with rich deep green mint leaves, newly hand picked from against the red rust colored wood fence separating Mrs. Westimyer and my grandmother's backyards. A scrumptious treat of mint chocolate chip ice cream was always a favorite with the neighborhood kids after an exhausting game of freeze tag in the alley. The anticipation of an after dinner adventure to the snowball stand for a hefty-sized spearmint with marshmallow was worth the agonizing torment of eating grandpa's Wednesday night meatloaf surprise.

As adults, we now find the massive green leafy plague growing against our backyard fence or in that disfigured plant container our mother-in-law gave us absolutely revolting. Mint spreads through the soil like a wildfire in Southern California if not self-contained and the shade doesn't hinder this flourishing beast, it thrives under its cover. As mint transforms from a welcoming childhood memory to a pointless weekend landscaping project, remember the positive aspects of mint. Keep in mind the flavorful aroma mint produces, which can captivate your psyche from only yards away. The fresh cool aftertaste it leaves stinging in your mouth will force your husband to make-out with you even after you've had cabbage and garlic soup for dinner. You might prefer to relish in your childhood memories with a mint julep as opposed to mint jelly, but the main ingredient remains refreshingly the same.

Project One - Layout

I was debating on whether on change the photo to more of a food item. I put a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream in there, but it did not give me the effect I wanted like this one does. Thoughts? Feedback? Thanks!

Show and Tell: Party for One

I chose an article in the October 2009 issue of The Oprah Magazine for this past week's show and tell. The article was written by Judith Jones who discovered Julia Child. She wrote a cookbook, The Pleasures of Cooking for One, and includes an excerpt from that book.

I was first drawn to the article because of the photography. I thought it had excellent food photography and I wanted to read more about it. Plus, the fish in the top right corner caught my eye too. I wanted to know why anyone would cook that in the first place and eat it alone. Judith Jones talks about how when her husband died, she was not sure if she could ever enjoy making a meal by herself and eating it alone. She felt that supermarkets sell the idea that it is a waste of time for women to cook when instead they can buy ready-made products.

I found the article and the excerpt quite witty. She says in the article, "Leftovers are boring, who wants to eat cold pork all week?" Her excerpt from her cookbook explains ways to prepare meals different ways using the same ingredient; i.e. pork. She also explains why you should cook for yourself. One of my favorite lines is, "If a sauce curdles, you'll eat it anyway."


I felt the article was personal and it informed you of something new. The photography complimented the article (except for maybe that fish in the pan), and I felt it caught your attention.

Here is the link if you want to read it online: http://www.oprah.com/article/food/cookingadvice/200910-omag-cooking-for-one