Musing with Max: Decisions decisions

I'm a Libra which means my middle name should be indecisive. Well maybe not indecisive per se because I'm really not it just takes me awhile sometimes, not always mind you. I can pretty much decide what to wear fairly quickly (from 1 minute to 1/2 hour depending on where I'm going), on the other hand what to pack could take weeks or a couple of days, again depending on where I'm going and for how long. Menus can be daunting but other times if they don't have much to offer I can zero in pretty quickly. I'm good with food shopping, unless it's casual food shopping which usually means I wind up buying nothing because I'm overwhelmed by the selection or buying everything and then getting home and thinking how I have to cook it all in the next two days and what was I thinking? Clothes and shoe shopping usually works like this; either I hate everything and wind up empty handed or like too many things which brings me to the dilemma of indecision and I again wind up empty handed. I will say though that I don't over shop on that end because I've matured enough to not buy everything just because I like it at that particular millisecond. I have been known to walk into an antiques store though and see something I love and immediately say "how much, I'll take it" with barely a blink. And that goes even faster if we're talking about dishes or china. So I guess the indecision comes along when things aren't that clear which makes me mull things over...and over and over and over. Once I've decided though I'm convinced that it's the way to go and there's no going back. So I'm happy to report that after ~~two~~ three years of mulling it over a plan has begun in the much maligned shared side flowerbed.

First we dug out the forsythia. Yay! ALL OF IT. And put up a hitching post fence. (no horse jokes, please).

and planted three climbing hydrangeas which I was happy to find out grow in the shade

which once they get going (soon I'm told) will hide the view

and since this is a somewhat shaded area I've decided that in front of these we will plant hostas, hopefully blue, and astilbes. And then we can sit at our patio table

and happily look in that direction; even though it will take a little while.

I can always decide on what I want to cook though.

Neapolitan Easter Fricassee of Lamb adapted from The New York Times

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 pounds boned lamb shoulder or leg, in about 2-inch pieces, rinsed and well dried
4 medium onions, halved and very thinly sliced
1 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
3 large eggs
1 cup grated caciocavallo, Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup coarsely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon slices or quarters, for garnish.

1. Place deep, wide casserole over medium-high heat, and add oil. Brown lamb in batches, transferring to shallow bowl when done. Stir onions into pan, adding juices from bowl. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until onions almost melt, turning golden but not brown, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Add a little water if onions begin to brown.

2. Add lamb and 1/2 cup of wine. Cook uncovered over very low heat until wine is nearly evaporated, about 45 minutes. Add remaining wine, peas, and 1/2 cup of water. Continue cooking uncovered over low heat until peas are very tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer lamb, onions and peas to a warm serving platter, and set aside in a warm place.
3. Place casserole over very low heat so juices barely simmer. Whisk eggs in a bowl and add cheese. Whisk ladles of hot pan juices into eggs until mixture is quite warm, then pour into casserole, whisking continually. Whisk over very low heat until thick enough to coat a spoon. Do not boil or eggs will curdle; if sauce nears a boil, remove from heat and whisk to cool as rapidly as possible.

4. Remove sauce from heat and whisk in parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over lamb and peas, garnish with lemon slices, and serve immediately.