6/16/19

Hangtown Fry



Oh, hi. I've been having a hard time lately, and concurrently, making life difficult for those around me. Friday night, Matt said something like, "I know Bon Appétempt has run its course, but it would be nice if you had some kind of outlet, like a Sut Nam Bonsai." (Hi, Kara!)

I didn't think too much of it in the moment, but then the next morning, after stumbling upon someone else's horrific tragedy online, I was jolted into gratefulness. A little later in the day, I thought to myself: YEAH. IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF OUTLET. This thought was followed by: Why not post on Bon Appétempt?

I'd been wanting to make this ridiculous "gold-rush era" recipe called Hangtown Fry, which I discovered via that egg book I like so much. The ingredients are eggs, freshly-shucked oysters, bacon, butter, and scallions. Basically, you fry the bacon with butter (which felt like overkill). Then, you add the shucked oysters, quickly followed by the eggs and green onions.



It was delicious, although I could barely taste the oysters, which felt wrong.

I think that one of the reasons I stopped wanting to post here is because the beautiful photos of my own life began to feel saccharine or maybe just no longer representative of the truth. I DON'T KNOW. I do know that right now I could use this kind of filter. Like, I know that my life is beautiful, but for reasons I don't want to get into right now, it's been difficult to see it. Having Matt take these photos and curating them here is helping me. 

That being said, I also think it might help me to show you some of the other shite (Scottish accent), good and bad, going on in my life right now.

1. [GOOD] We're overhauling our parkway, which was previously just an area where grass was slowly dying.

It's not done yet. We're getting two tons of crushed granite (plus a boulder or two!) delivered on Thursday, but I'm very excited about this development. Admittedly, Matt's done the bulk of the work, but I HAVE DONE SOME OF IT TOO.

2. [GOOD] We got some worms and started a worm bin. I love it so much. They've been eating all of our vegetable scraps and soon we'll have enough of their poop to use as compost in our garden.
3. [GOOD AND BAD?] I had to get a fucking biopsy on my thyroid. I hated the entire process of it, BUT AM BEYOND GRATEFUL TO REPORT THAT I DON'T HAVE CANCER.
No one asked me about my fears and anxieties.
4. [BAD] Teddy fell off the headboard of our bed (which he shouldn't have been standing on) and landed face-first on the corner of the bedside table. 
5. [BAD] I broke my goddamn finger at gymnastics.
6. IT'S OK. I'm super lucky.

17 comments:

Neal said...

We should all be forced to do a post like this every so often, on paper or in our heads. Loved it.

Heather said...

Happy to see you here. xo

LD1 said...

nice to have you back.

Marisa said...

Hooray for not having cancer! And it's so easy to get into the space where we think that these websites of ours have rules about what can and can't go on them (this happens to me on the regular). But once you realize it's your site to do with what you want, it feels amazingly freeing and joyful again. So post whatever you want. We'll always be here to read it.

Unknown said...

I worked on this book and it makes me so happy to see that people are still making the recipes!! Especially when it's my favorite blog :) It's good to have an outlet.

Stacy Marie said...

MAN, that is some LIFE right there in that list. I hear you on the maddening, confusing, challenging, what-does-this-mean-exactly nature of the good/bad of life. The fact that it is real does not make it easier to hold. So glad you don't have cancer. Your boys are beautiful. Loved this post. xoxo

Heather Struck said...

I had that dang thyroid needle biopsy too, multiple times. It is NOT fun.

Kira said...

Brenda's up in SF has the hangtown fry on their menu and it's great! Good to see you back in this space.

Julie said...

Your posts NEVER feel saccharine to me. I've always loved your presence, and what you've done here. Best wishes to you....

Natalie said...

Love your posts and recipes (which I still make so many of...esp cabbage and toast!), happy to read this here today!

Mary Anne said...

Mare still here. HI! xoxo

Dani Elis said...

Welcome back!! x

ginger m said...

OMG it's like you're inside my head saying all my words out loud. I know my life is beautiful and I am legitimately grateful but I just don't really see it or feel it. Many reasons for this but the last two years have been extremely hard and it's taken its toll. I feel ya sista...hang in...it's all we can do and oh, try to do little things for yourself to create little sprigs of beauty like flowers in the bathroom or something like that. All the best!

M Nielsen said...

Thanks for keeping it real, not that you weren't in the past. I enjoy your voice and perspective. Life can be rough, some moments are full of spectacular beauty, others times are a real slog through the shiite. Peaks and valleys as my mother in law used to say. Best to you and your family.

Hallebose said...

Matt is supportive. That's so good.

Anonymous said...

I live in "old hangtown", now called Placerville! Too funny. Thanks for being honest.

Lulu said...

I still prefer blogs to any other social media!! Thanks for posting again !