No words this week, just pictures.

It's been a good week. I enjoyed some of the moments I had alone. I had breakfast alone at a diner. Hiked Hogsback by myself. Got a gym membership and went to yoga with a room full of strangers. I also enjoyed one of my guilty pleasures this morning and browsed through a flea market that I happened upon. I saw a lot of junk, but came away with one treasure: an old magazine featuring Katherine Hepburn. I have a special place in my heart for her. My mom adored her, so I grew up hearing of her, watching her films, and sitting on the couch looking through this giant book we had that was full of pictures from her life. I still have the book, it's torn pages now full of pressed flowers. My favorite image was Katherine in her later years,  running out of the freezing February water towards her snow covered house. She was wearing her bathing suit and waiving behind her a red and white beach towel. 

She'd say,

"Not everyone is lucky enough to understand how delicious it is to suffer."

She was so admirable. I need to have more of that kind of zest in my life.

And of course, a Sunday post isn't anything without an image of my charming dog. Here she is, in her wet "just bathed" glory enjoying one of her homemade treats. :)

So on a walk with the dog this week I discovered this chair. It was sitting by the curb. I walked past it, thinking on my way home if it was still there I'd pick it up. I'm sure I looked nothing short of ridiculous walking home 6 blocks with it on my back, but I didn't really care. There's nothing special about it. I just like old furniture. Mismatched furniture. I plan on painting it a cute color and maybe even making a cushion to match.

I also decided to share with you one of my favorite recipes I made this week. I made it the first time this past winter on a cool day back in Oklahoma. Now, I'm hooked. When I was a kid, the only way I'd eat a sweet potato was if my mom baked it smothered in brown sugar, butter, and marshmallows. It was kind of like that Calvin and Hobbes comic where Calvin stuffs a mug with marshmallows, fills the cracks with hot chocolate, and finishes it off with a fork. By the time I ate the sweet potatoes, I might as well of been eating just the brown sugar, butter, and marshmallows. These days, I love sweet potatoes. My favorite way to eat them is sliced super thin with olive oil, salt, pepper, and Parmesan and then baked to a slight crisp. I also like it simply baked and then topped with just salt, pepper, and butter. I've come a long way.

These biscuits are amazing. My favorite part is the carmely-browned bottom caused by the sugar in the sweet potato. And for some reason they are even better as cold seconds later in the afternoon. mmm...

Sweet Potato Biscuits

(adapted from Country Living Magazine)

 1/2 C cold unsalted butter (1 stick)

1 sweet potato (10 ounces) peeled and cubed

1 cup plus 2 tbsp cold buttermilk

3 cups flour (I used 2 cups whole wheat and 1 all purpose)

1 1/2 tbsp baking powder

1 1/2 teas salt

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 teas cayenne pepper (trust me it's good.)

Cut the butter into small cubes and chill. Poke the sweet potato with a knife or fork and wrap loosly in plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 6-8 minutes until very soft. Mash, and refrigerate to cool. stir in the buttermilk. Stir the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender, fork, or your hands until it resembles a course meal. Stir in the sweet potato-buttermilk mixture until dough begins to form. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 3 or 4 turns. Pat the dough out to about a 7" to 10" rectangle and cut using your favorite shape biscuit or cookie cutter. (gather all the scraps and repeat until all the dough has been used.) Place 2" apart on a baking sheet on the top shelf and bake at 475 degrees for about 20 minutes. 

YUM.

And speaking of Calvin and Hobbes...

 Happy Sunday!