BLD in MT : Living a Simple Life in This Interconnected World

Matt's New Garden

2012-03-21T12:50:00.002-06:00

I am assistant gardener at our place. Matt is head gardener. That isn't really a disputable fact. Matt has a gardening obsession that I do not share to a quite equal degree. He is the one reading seed catalogs in December, for example. He is the one who always adds some weird new novel plant to the growing repertoire (this year we're trying out fennel). He is the one who reads Mother Earth News and Zone 4 and Home Hobby Gardener cover to cover.

Don't get me wrong. I absolutely LOVE gardening. I love digging into the cool earth with my hands. I love planting a wee seed and nurturing it into the miracle of a food-giving plant. Its astounding every single year. I love harvesting from the garden and putting the harvest into a pan for dinner within minutes. I love the food savings when you plant and save your own seeds, can and store your own food. I love the better taste of the produce that comes from the garden and the confidence of knowing it is grown without poisons that harm the web of life of which I am very much a part (that fact is harder to ignore in the garden, too). I love feeling connected to a simpler time and to the generations before me, back when just about everyone had a garden. I even love cracking the riddle of what is causing garden damage (rabbits, slugs, grasshoppers) and trying to figure out a way to deal with them (again, without poisoning the neighborhood). Its a brilliant puzzle. It is a lot of fun and a lot of work, but it is more than worthwhile. So, no question about it, I absolutely love gardening. But, Matt is a man obsessed. It is a whole different level of love and devotion.

And this year he has a whole new garden to work with that absolutely dwarfs our old garden space. He is just about beside himself. There is so much space! So much space! He can hardly wait to get at it.

We had another of those mornings yesterday where from the moment he was out of bed until the moment I left for work all he had to talk about was garden plans. He's so cute when he is so tremendously excited like that. He's just really dedicated to growing things. (Have I mentioned he is trying to grow a pineapple? He heard you could and so....why not?!)

This year the garden mania has gotten so bad that it made Matt late for work. I thought it was a pretty great story and so I'll share. He gets a break between shifts at work. The break varies in length depending on how much work they have to do for the day. Rather than drive the eight+ miles home and back on break he take a snack and something to read or work on. Yesterday he became so engrossed that he forgot to go back inside to work. He failed to notice all his co-workers filing past him and back into the warehouse. He was sitting in his car busily planning transplant dates and plotting things on his sketch-up of the garden space. He had no idea he was even late until he caught some motion in his peripheral vision and looked up to see his supervisor, Dominic, standing on the inside of the fence that separates the warehouse lot from the employee parking lot waving his arms at him, flagging him down as it were. Matt said he had to apologize and felt rather silly about the whole thing. I thought it was quite amusing. I mean he was late for work, but he'd actually been there the whole time! It wasn't like he ran home and got caught in traffic or something. The really amazing part is that Matt is a quite punctual person, especially when it comes to work and professional engagements. Dominic wasn't mad, but told Matt they had just grown concerned that something had happened to him when he didn't come back. I laughed and laughed when he told me. His transplant list was only part way done too. "Imagine how late I would have been if they hadn't come looking for me!?"

Well, Dominic was right in a way. Something has happened to Matt alright. Its that Gardening Madness again, an especially bad case. But, not to worry. Its a seasonal thing. Happens every year and he always manages to recover. : )

As I told a friend this week, at least he is obsessed with something that put food on the table. That makes it more than a-okay with me.

Beautiful Birds and A Beautiful Woman

2012-03-20T13:35:00.000-06:00

Matt and took a break from the unpacking and cleaning to take a little walk at Riverfront Park, one of our favorite places in town for a stroll.

There are small lakes and ponds which are always plentiful with waterfowl. Canada geese, mallards, a wood duck, strange hybrid ducks of various colors, great blue herons. There are paths through the trees and shrubbery where countless birds call and flit past. Black-capped chickadees, catbirds, yellow warblers, downy woodpeckers, yellow breasted chats.

We go bird watching there quite regularly. Its the sort of place we can go for just an hour or for a whole day. There are always wildlife to watch and beauty to behold.

On this particular trip we spotted beauty of a totally different sort that what we usually find out there. A young Native American woman in full garb.

She was standing by the lake shore performing sign language to Christian music which was loudly playing from a nearby vehicle. Another woman was videotaping her.

Perhaps it is overly romantic of me, but I've always found the natives' style of dress so lovely and appealing. The beads, the feathers, the detail, the bells, the feel. We stopped to watch her and listen for a bit.

Set to music, with graceful, sweeping arm motions, with the wind shifting the streamers from her sleeves, and the glory of the sunshine and nature all around her I couldn't think of anything else but "beautiful."

The beautiful birds are always there, for which I am ever grateful for my world would be so much the worse without them, but this young woman stole the show for the day. But, shhhhhhhh, don't tell my sweet avian friends.

Buds and Snow

2012-03-19T10:45:00.000-06:00

Just yesterday Matt was in the garden in shorts and a t-shirt spading up earth, pruning overgrown trees, removing debris left by the previous owner of our house.

We talked about how everything seemed to be budding out. I'd noticed it on my walk on Friday. The bushes that border our driveway were also covered in little buds of green. Tulips are poking through in our new flowerbeds.

Spring seems to be here, though we never really had a winter to speak of this year.

This morning I woke to water dripping sometime around 3am. I am not yet used to the noises of the new house and so I couldn't get past it-- fearing that a faucet was dripping or that something else might be leaking. So I got up to investigate. As I passed the window I realized the dripping was actually from rain. Cool. I'd much prefer rain to snow at this point in the year.

I woke to ready myself for work around 6am and lo and behold. It had snowed...and was still snowing.

The wee buds looked so much happier in the first two photos, don't you think?!

That's Montana for you, I suppose.

A Bit of Silliness

2012-03-15T13:38:00.000-06:00

Moving does have its fun moments. Like when you are given a humongous black box that more than one person suggests looks like a coffin. It was a really, really big box. Feeling a bit silly I said to Matt, "I bet I could fit in that."

And I did. I tried to get Matt to give it a try, but he declined saying he'd probably ruin the box.

In the end in made a fabulous box for moving clothes since it was the perfect width to accommodate hangers.

Moving Day

2012-03-15T13:04:00.001-06:00

Can you fit a queen sized mattress into the back of a Subaru? Yes, yes you can.

Moving day was last Saturday. Matt and I had moved many car-loads of boxes and smaller items prior to that, but we had to enlist help for the furniture and garden supplies. So, Matt's family to the rescue!!! His parents and older brother, Ryan, were just invaluable help. I really and truly don't know how we'd have done it without them. While I am certainly no weakling I am also certainly not the best candidate to say, help carry a washing machine out of the basement. And as the saying goes "many hands make light work." Even with all the help it still took longer than we expected. I think we had more outdoor stuff that we realized--especially when Matt was insistent we move the rather substantial pile of compost to the new house.

The rental had the coolest doorbell. That is one of the things I'll miss. It was actually a bell mounted on the back of the door with a little knob on the front side. When the knob was turned it spun the clapper around and made quite a racket. I always found it quaint. Ryan was always a regular user of the doorbell, and he humored me by letting me take a photo of him doing so.

An empty, old house. Looking through the living room into the empty bedroom.

Cupboard and shelves formerly packed to the brim with craft supplies and board games. At the new house I get a whole room for crafts and music. I am, as you might imagine, quite excited about that.

So, now the rental is empty and the new place is full of boxes. I am of the sort of mind that things out of place bother me. It is part of my daily routine to go through the house and tidy up all the things that have been left where they may. So in that regard moving is for me almost like an exercise in torture. NOTHING is in its place! Nothing! Nah, that's not true. The kitchen is pretty much up and running. It ends there though. Everything else is in chaos. Boxed and labeled, but chaos none the less.

Matt and Ryan unloading garden bricks from the back of the car.

Matt is so grateful for my good memory since I did all the packing. He asks "Where are the...?" And I mull it over for a minute and with one exception have recalled which box he should look for. Still, what a pain.

The muscle men carrying the same bricks out back to the garden space which you can see in the background.

I keep reminding myself (and Matt keeps reminding me too because he knows how I am) that it will all find its place in due time. No rush...other than my own eagerness. Don't get me wrong, I haven't been freaking out about it or anything, but I do already wish it was done and I could go back to my normal routine. I can't quite seem to find enough hours in the day to clean and organize the new house in addition to work and other obligations. I am hoping to get a lot accomplished this weekend though. And at least as of this morning the rental is officially clean and ready to be signed off on.

Did I mention the new house came with a hot tub? Time (and energy bills) will tell if we keep it or not, but boy oh boy! Is it pleasant! In fact, as the three of us were soaking we decided that every moving day should end with a soak in a hot tub. It is the perfect reward for sore muscles and weary bodies.

Happy to be done for the day. Happy to be home.

Its really no matter--my "stress" at getting things put away. Buying a house is far worth the bother of hunting through boxes for a bit and I hopefully shouldn't need to do it again for a nice long while. And even all a clutter with boxes and piles it still already feels like home.

Happy Birthday, Phil!

2012-03-15T12:03:00.003-06:00

Today is the 72nd birthday of my favorite living musician, Phil Lesh. Phil was the bass player for The Grateful Dead from the 1960's through the 1990's when the band finally stopped touring. While I wasn't old enough and was too far removed to be given the chance to see The Grateful Dead play live I have been blessed to see Phil numerous times over the years in various forms--The Dead, Phil Lesh and Friends, Furthur. He is an immense musician. He plays the bass as if it were a lead guitar, not a background instrument. He beams with joy while he plays and he seems to play with all he's got. I cannot believe my good fortune to be a part of this musical scene. The positive, creative, unforgettable community of Deadheads is still very much alive and well and I am very much a part of it.

It was entirely possible that I'd have never got the privilege to see Phil perform live. You see, Phil is a liver transplant survivor of almost 15 years. At every show he plays he makes an announcement of that fact and with incredible humility and gratitude he urges each of the thousands of us to tell our loved ones that if anything should happen to us we want to save the lives of others--to donate our organs--like Cody saved his. It is always a moving and beautiful speech which rarely fails to bring tears to my eyes. Frequently it brings tears to Phil's eyes too.

So here is to many, many more years of good health, happiness, and makin' music to Phil. Happy birthday!

And if you wanted to share in the birthday celebration I would just urge you to make sure that your friends and family know your wishes when it comes to organ donation. It is an incredible gift. Cody saved Phil's life and that of seven other people. That is amazing. That is what I want when my time is through. I'd ask you to consider the same if you haven't already.

Here is a link to a free recording of a Phil Lesh and Friend's concert I attended last month if you'd like to give it a listen: Phil Lesh and Friends Live at 1st Bank Center on 2012-02-17.
Enjoy.

A Simple Knit Washcloth

2012-03-14T15:49:00.000-06:00

Last year I started to knit. So far I've really only successfully made washcloths. But, quite a number of them at that. And this is only the beginning.

I find knitting so relaxing and enjoyable. I like to sit in a comfy chair, preferably by the window or outside, and just knit a while. I really enjoy it because it is such a practical, useable craft skill to have. It makes me feel a hint of connection with countless women before me. It is a wonderful way to fill a few spare moments with productivity. I also just find it amazingly fascinating--one piece of string, a little time, and skill, and you can make fabric. Crazy...who thought of that?!

Here is what I think is the easiest dishcloth pattern I've found. It is a traditional pattern, so I don't know who to thank for it.

Step # 1: Cast on 4 stitches.
Step #2: Knit one row.
Step # 3: Knit two, yarn over, and knit to the end of the row.
Repeat step #3 until you have your desired width on the diagonal of the dishcloth. This is the increase section of your washcloth. I usually stop increasing when I have 50 stitches on my needle, though I've experimented with a few different sizes. I like 50 the best.

Now you need to start the decrease section of the washcloth.

Step #4 Knit one, knit two together, yarn over, knit 2 together, knit to the end of the row.
Repeat step #4 until you only have four stitches left on your needle. Bind off, cut the yarn, and pull it through the last loop. Weave in ends.

Tada! It is so easy. You don't have to think too hard or check off lines on the pattern to avoid losing your place. It may not be fancy, but it IS a washcloth after all...not a piece of art. They clean up the dishes well and are soft enough to wash your face with as well. I have color coded mine with certain colors being for dishes and household cleaning and others being just for human body cleaning.

Short hand the pattern goes like this:
CO 4 st
Knit 1 row
K 2, YO, K to end
Repeat until desired width.
K 1, K2tog, YO, K2tog, K to end
Repeat until you have just 4 st left.
BO, cut the yarn, and pull it through the last loop.
Weave in ends.

My ultimate knitting dream is to make my own socks (Matt's too). Practice, practice, practice. I'll get there yet. In the meantime, I've got some really nice washcloths.

We are Homeowners!

2012-03-06T13:03:00.001-07:00

As of a couple of hours ago it is official: Matt and I are homeowners. Hip, hip, hooray!

And now I have to try to be a librarian for the next 8 hours....sitting in my office trying not to burst at the seams and start cartwheeling around the circulation desk. (Though, technically, the main level of the library is not the quiet study floor so maybe I could get away with it.....)

I've decided that there should be a Homebuyer's Holiday. The day you close on the house should be a holiday from work. I just want to plan and dream and get to work making our house into our home. I don't want to think about books, aside from where I want to put my bookshelves! Oh well, I shall just have to try.

We are both just supremely excited for this next phase in our lives together.

Also, for the next three months my blog will probably be all about the new house and the giant new gardening space....consider yourself warned!

Batter-fried Cauliflower Pakoras

2012-02-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

Batter-fried Cauliflower Pakoras

Cauliflower, about 2 cups, sliced into cross sections no more than ½ inch thick
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup water
oil, for frying

Combine flour, curry powder, salt, baking soda, and water to make a smooth,thick batter. It should not berunny. If it is too thick you can add1-2 more tablespoons of water, but don’t make it too thin or it won't coat the cauliflower well enough.

Mix well.

Warm ½ inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. The oil is ready for frying when a drop ofbatter quickly crisps.

Coat the cauliflower slices in batter and carefully place in the oil. Don’t crowd the pan.

Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

Transfer to newspaper or paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Serve!

Change

2012-02-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

You can train yourself to do just about anything. I am a firm, firm believer in that. It takes time and will, but you can do it. The human spirit is an amazing thing. We are capable of so much, but I think we toooften limit ourselves. “I can’t do it.” “I don’t like it and never will.” “It is toohard.” “Its not worth the effort.” “I’m too old to change now.” "It's too late."

I don't believe that. For the vast, vast, vast majority I think change is always possible. If we desire change enough we can make it happen.

A little story for illustration:
When I was growing up I had to be just about one of the pickiest eaters in the world. I always was so grateful that my parents accommodatedmy picky eating and never, say, forced me to sit at the table all night until Iate my spinach. They mostly just madegreen beans with cheese for me because they knew that was a vegetable I’d eat. And that was that. Iliked light tan and white stuff mostly—rice, bread, pasta, potatoes, chicken,cheese. I ate virtually no vegetablesonce I moved out of my parent’s house, not that I ate much aside from greenbeans while I was there. But, then Iwanted to become a vegetarian, but I didn’t eat vegetables or beans... which wasan issue. So, I had some work to do. Slowly and surely I made my diet take justabout a complete 180 degree turn. Now Ilove vegetables and beans with a passion that I could have never predicted ten yearsago.

Even within that story is a sub-story that further illustrates: I still hated certain vegetables, like thedreaded broccoli. I wanted to likeit. I really, really did. Matt likes it, we’ve grown it, and I hear it’sso good for you. I really wanted to like it. So, I kept trying and trying (steamed,roasted, stir-fried, etc.) and now I willingly eat broccoli. Is it my favorite vegetable? Certainly not, but it isn’t bad. I eat it and enjoy my meal still. Preference for taste is not set in stone at all, but I think a lot of people believe that it is.

Or how about this one:
I was convinced I hated to cook. For thefirst two or more years of our relationship Matt did, and I am probably not exaggerating,99% of the cooking. I had nointerest. I’ve since realized it was atwo-fold issue. One, I just didn’t havea clue what I was doing in the kitchen which intimidated me. Two, I had little motivation to make anything more complex than boxed conveniencedinners which aren’t a satisfying way to cook like cooking from scratch is—it doesn’tgive you a thrill to serve Hamburger Helper “lasagna” that way it does when youpull a lasagna made with your own two hands out of the oven.

However, when I started paying attention to where my foodcame from and the quality of the food I was eating I suddenly found themotivation to learn to cook. If I wantedto eat healthy, delicious, and affordable food I was going to have to learn tomake it myself. These days I’d say it’svery safe to say I adore cooking and baking. It makes me so happy inside when I am in the kitchen making up somethingdelicious. It is an amazingly practicalway to express creativity and I’ve found it brings joy to those who share mealswith you. I love sharing a meal withthose I care about. Talk about a simple,beautiful pleasure. Again, I’d havenever predicted this turn of events. Iexpected to eat frozen pizza and Campbell’s soup for the rest of my life. Now I wouldn’t dream of it.

Maybe I should offer some non-food related examples, just incase you are like I used to be and not really that into food.

How about walking? I used to thinkwalking was a from-the-house-to-the-car-to-class-to-the-car-to-the-house-againsort of activity. Or something donewhile camping. I can’t really explainthat attitude now as it seems so odd looking back on it. I just didn’t really walk places. If I needed to go to the store or a friend’shouse or something I got in my car. But,when Matt and I decided to consolidate to one car that meant both of us wouldbe doing a lot more walking than we used to. And to my surprise, I really, really, really enjoy it. Walking is now my preferred mode of transportation,barring long road trips of course. Ifirmly believe that walking pace is the perfect pace to approach theworld. It is so calming and seems tofoster appreciation for surroundings and reflection in thought. Aside from the coldest days of winter I lookforward to walking home from work. It ismy alone time. I enjoy walking home evenmore than riding my bicycle. It isslower to walk, but more pleasant to do. Matt and I go for walks in the evenings several times a week. Nowhere to go, nothing to see…just a fewblocks or many blocks as the weather permits…to stroll and enjoy the sky, thetrees, the houses, the neighbors, the clouds, the birds, the flowers, the cats,the icicles, the…whatever we come upon.

While visiting Denver we mapped out our destination from the hotel. It was just a little over two miles. I said something like “Two miles, oh that’snothing.”

Or quitting smoking—that was a huge efforttowards retraining myself. As I said inan earlier post, I fully expected to smoke for the rest of my life. I didn’t want to, but I didn’t see any otherway. But, try, try, try again (about 20times) and here I am…a very content non-smoker for more than five years. It’s easy. I don’t even think about it anymore.

Or even something as simple as learning to type without looking at your hands. I can remember taking keyboarding class in junior high and being convinced it was impossible. But, practice, practice, practice, and I learned it isn't. It's just a matter of training.

I am not sure this all came out with the impact I hoped, but let the messagenot be diluted by my rambling examples. You can train yourself to do nearly anything you want—be it to eat awider variety of foods, or to juggle, or make bread at home, or run a 5K,or learn to knit, or do a headstand, or whatever you desire. Justgo do it. You can do it if you put your willbehind it and just don’t quit. I canalmost promise you that after a while, and probably not as long as you’d think, itwill be easy and routine. It just takes practice.

Ojos: Instructions from the Master

2012-02-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

I learned how to make my ojos de dios from Jay Mohler's website a couple years back. He had text describing the steps and some photos and with a little practice I figured it all out. The instructions were good, don't get me wrong, but they weren't laid out in the most user-friendly way. I mean no offense to Mr. Mohler. He was giving away the instructions for free after all. In any case, I went back recently to show the website to a friend and noticed that Jay had kindly made a PDF of his instructions. So, if you feel like giving it a go you now have all the instructions wrapped up in one nice little file. The link is here. Have fun!

Audiobooks & A CyberVacation

2012-02-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

I can more or less describe my lack of online presence intwo simple sentences.
#1 I’ve been toobusy reading good books. #2 I’m buying ahouse.

Maybe I should have flipped those around numerically, but though the house-buying is much more important it is actuallyreading books over lunch break rather than blogging that is the source ofthe, shall we say, cyber vacation. Thereare so many good books out there. And then, even when I did have a moment where I managed to stop reading I was busy with house stuff.

We’ll be moving into the new house in March and I’m sure I’ll tell you all aboutthen.

But, back to books….or more specifically...to audiobooks. I have sort of fallen in love withaudiobooks, but not without a few misgivings about the technology. I received an ipod from my dad for mybirthday last summer. Months before I’d mentionedI might like to try an mp3 player. He’s good with remembering those sorts of things and so I got aipod for my birthday. But, I ended up not using it toomuch for a while—mostly on road trips. I'd thought I'd like it for bicycling, but discoveredI didn’t because it didn’t feelsafe to me.

But, then in the fall I discovered the free Montana Library2Go audiobookprogram at my public library (which is not the library where I work). It opened up a whole new world of books. I could listen to a book while I did thedishes or mowed the lawn (with the quite rotary mower). I could listen to books while I folded laundry and while I walked home from work. Suddenly I wasflying through the books, one after another, several at the same time. I was gettingso much more “reading” time in compared to when I exclusively used traditional print books. In fact, I just counted my little list thereon the right and I am at 29 books already this year (10 of which are audiobooks). It seems that I might be going to surpass the75 total books from last year. (The nearly compulsive drive to read which was brought on by the audiobooks also spurred me on to read loads of print books, too. I just want to read, read, read.)

But, my audiobook misgivings have to do with the experience of reading a traditionalpaper book versus an audiobook being read to you. I am not sure I retain the details quite asvividly. I think that maybe you lose alittle of the independent imagination of reading—like how someone sounds, thecadence or tone or volume of a voice, the accents—when someone else is reading it to youthey are the ones to decide that stuff. When you are reading to yourself you are in charge of creating those things. For example Matt and I had difference takes on the main character of A Dirty Job, which he read and which I listened to. Not huge differences, but differences none the less. I thought he was harried, but that was just how the reader made him sound.

I’ve found non-fiction far less enjoyable in audiobook format. I want to re-read statistics andfigures. I want to read endnotes as I goalong. I want to be able to flip back toa certain passage to discuss it with Matt. That is all easier in a traditional book format, if you ask me. Philosophy books are impossible for me to listen to. I need to stop and ponder and re-read too frequently for it to work.

I also have misgivings about going through the world with earbuds in for avariety of reasons. I feel I can’t sayhello to the folks I pass on the street and that is something I really enjoy--it is a simple act of community I don't want to miss out on. I also feel I am less safe being unable to hear approaching cars or pedestrians with earbuds in. I worry I’ll become one of “those people”—constantlyplugged in—those who demand constant technological stimulation and can’t justbe alone with quiet thoughts or the sights and sounds of the world they pass through. The first two I've sort of dealt with by only using one earbud at a time. The third is a little trickier....

In the end I think something that makes me an even more ravenous reader can't be that bad. Still, the coincidence of listening to You Are Not a Gadget or Feed on the little digital gadget plugged straight into my head was not lost on me.

Spicy, Spicy, Spicy

2012-01-25T12:36:00.001-07:00

There was a memorable meal that we created back in November, but that I never got around to posting about. The "unpleasantly spicy" soup experience last week brought it back to mind so I thought I'd share.

Here is the necessary back-story: We had more spicy peppers from our garden than we knew what to do with. Cayennes, jalapanos, and serranos. We'd been adding them here or there to stir-fry, curry, chili, etc trying to use them up, but we still had loads of them. Eventually I dried the remaining cayennes, and we ate up all the jalapanos, but we still had a dozen or more serranos on our hands.

So, Matt found this recipe for vegan take on Ethiopian food. The recipe called for a sauce where the primary ingredient was serranos. Perfect.

At dinnertime I took one bite and looked over at at Matt. "How are you possibly going to eat this?!" I asked him. "I mean, if I think it is spicy then Matt certainly doesn't stand a chance," I thought. He can have a rather tender-mouth when it comes to spicy food sometimes.

Well, he ate it. He used the crepes we'd made (What? You don't think crepes are part of authentic Ethiopian cuisine?!) to temper the spice just as he did with the dumplings in the spicy soup. He was glistening with sweat by the time both meals were over though. There was much water being drunk. In the end I'd say we both enjoyed it....just not in a eat-it-every-day sort of way. It took care of the last dozen serranos though so mission accomplished.

Ethiopian Seitan and Peppers
10 serrano peppers, partially seeded and coarsely chopped (Remove all seeds for less heat.)
1 T fresh ginger, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup vegetable stock
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 lbs seitan, cut into strips
2 bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place all ingredients except seitan and bell pepper into a blender and puree until mostly smooth.
Place the seitan strips and peppers in a 9x13 inch glass baking dish and smother with the puree.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove foil and flip seitan and peppers.
Bake for another 20 minutes.
Serve with flat bread, crepes, or rice.

Garden Results

2012-01-25T12:24:00.002-07:00

Matt got a nice kitchen scale from my father for Christmas. Prior to this we had a tiny scale that went up to 1 lb. That meant weighing things in small batches as we harvested the garden. It also meant we couldn't really weigh any of the squash or the few more-than-a-pound colossal potatoes until we cut them up to eat them. Now Matt has weighed all the remaining squash and thus I think our tabulation of garden yields is finally complete. If you click on the photo it should become large enough to read. Matt circled the total grown, but that doesn't include the "found" food like grapes, sour cherries, and apples. He also didn't note that our tomatoes ended up as 24 pints of sauce.

I can't be certain that the list is 100% accurate. I am sure we missed recording a thing or two, but it gives us a good general idea of how we did.

The Fun-Filled and Productive Weekend

2012-01-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

I had just the greatest weekend this past weekend. It was awesome. And much to my surprise I only managed two photos of it all. Oh well. Sometimes I am having too much fun to document...I just have to live it! But, that doesn't mean I can't or won't blog about it!

My grandparents came to town on their way out of the country for a couple of months. They are off to Australia and I wish they were taking me with them! It was really great to get to catch up with them, to hear good stories and laugh over our bowls of aunt Mary Ann's tomato soup. We talked travel and canning, gardening and family, weather and health. I am so glad they are able to get out and enjoy this awesome world together. They have always been really inspirational to me in that regard.   My grandpa was telling me about how so many of his friends have gotten old and sick because they stopped moving and grew sedentary. He is big promoter of walking. I told him that I had to agree. I think walking is like medicine.

After lunch with my grandparents Matt and I went sledding and had a total blast. We'd invited along several friends, but in the end everyone bailed and it was just Matt and I. No matter. We always have fun just the two of us. Both of us were completely exhausted from the countless trips up the hill (it is so fast and easy to go down!) by the end, but oh it was fun. Matt hadn't been sledding in more than a decade he thinks.    After last winter was so endless we decided to keep an eye out for sleds at the thrift shop and garage sales. Cheap entertainment right there. Exercise too.

Afterwards we went over to Matt's parents and cooked dinner for his family--bread, spaghetti with chunky vegetable marinara, and apple crisp. We also played round after round of Apples to Apples. I don't know what other game I've played that makes people laugh like that. It is just nonstop hilarity.   If you've not had the pleasure I would highly recommend it. I don't know how I lucked out to get such awesome in-laws...one hears such horror stories. Not me. I love them like my own family.

Sunday we were both feeling sort of battered from the sledding so we kicked back and took part in relaxing activities. We managed a nice walk around the neighborhood, but mostly it was a watching football and knitting sort of Sunday. We spread out all the seeds packets leftover from last year and started planning what we'd like to plant. However, as we got the garden fever too early last year we didn't let ourselves get too carried away yet with planning. We did determine that we shouldn't have to purchase any seeds this year, except seed potatoes. None the less we will be stopping at Fisher Seeds the next time we are in Belgrade, just to see. It is a cool family business, in its 74th year I believe. The owner collects, sorts, and counts the seeds by hand, just like her parents did. That is the sort of seed supplier we want to support so we may pick up a thing or two despite our stockpile.

Also on this lazy Sunday I had what I consider to be a pretty major knitting accomplishment. I taught myself to knit in the round! I was going to try it on circular needles, but for a variety of reasons I just went for it on my set of double pointed needles. It was way, way easier than I thought it would be! Hooray! I love it when that happens! You see, my motivation to learn to knit was sock-making. Now I am one step closer to achieving that dream.

I had to work Sunday evening (I work one Sunday evening a month) so I left Matt and headed off to the library. While I was gone Matt baked up some bread for the week. I have a barter deal with one of my neighbors for a ride up to the library on Monday mornings this winter so that Matt doesn't have to go out in the cold. Monday is the only day I have to go in early and open the library. She is already going that way so it isn't an inconvenience for her and I reward her for the ride with a loaf of freshly baked bread. It is a wonderful arrangement I think.

After work I went directly over to Johnnie's new house for a clothes swap party. Oh, and what a clothes swap it was! Wildly successful, I'd say. There was a great spread of food as well as a huge collection of clothes. I got a couple new cardigans (something I'd been wanting, but hadn't yet found at the thrift) and warm long sleeved shirts to wear during this the season of dressing in layers. I also took away a nice assortment of white things to tie-dye.

And when I got home Matt had dinner for me.

Ah, life is good.

A New Curtain

2012-01-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

I love natural light. It makes me a happier and more productive person. It can lighten my mood just to sit in the sunny backroom, looking out into the yard. Unfortunately, that is the only room of the house I consider "sunny."

There is a window in my front door. It used to be covered with a dark colored piece of tie-dyed cloth. Some time ago I'd decided to take the cloth down so as to let in more light. So, the window was bare.

While I liked that the uncovered window let additional light into my too-dark living room I disliked that it seemed to give away my privacy, too. The living room is the physical heart of my home. You must pass through it to go to the bedroom, get to the kitchen, or even go to the bathroom. From the front door you can see all the way through the house to the backdoor in the dining room. I didn't like that anyone at the door could see into the house right off the bat, whether I was ready for them or not! You know, for when I sneak through the room in my underpants. Or so that I can have a moment to tidy things before answering the doorbell if company comes while I've got things going all over the room. Things like that.

So, not too long ago Matt and I had a conversation that went something like this:

Me: I want to buy a curtain for the door. Something light colored so the sun can still come in.
Matt: Couldn't you just make a curtain?
Me: Hmmmmm.....I suppose I could! Cool. Okay, then all I need to buy is a curtain rod and we'll be set.
Matt: Couldn't we just make a curtain rod?
Me: Hmmmmm....I don't know.
Matt: Maybe out of a garden stake. It just has to go over those hooks right?
Me: Yeah. I guess we could probably come up with something. I don't think our stakes are long enough. What if we straightened a clothes hanger?
Matt: Yeah, I bet that would work.

So, Matt set about unbending the hanger and then fashioning little hooks on the end to attach it to the wall mounts. I set about fashioning a curtain, though I confess my end of the project was procrastinated quite a bit.

While it certainly won't win any award for style it works and I am quite happy with my 100% free and repurposed curtain and rod.

This is also a good example of why Matt is such a blessing to me and our lifestyle. He is keen to make do with what we have and not at all adverse to a little work to achieve our goals. I love him for that, and lots and lots of other reasons. Maybe someday I'll reach a point in my sewing where I'd never even consider buying something without pondering if I could make it, but in the meantime I have Matt to help remind me. (He seems to think I am a much more capable seamstress than I do!)

About the House Lately

2012-01-20T13:13:00.003-07:00

This was the collection of steel cans we'd built up in our recycling area. I was pretty pleasantly shocked. I am able to recall how when we first started recycling that particular bin used to overflow with bean cans and soup cans and all other sorts of cans. Since we've taken to dry beans, canning, organics, and have seriously reduced our ready-made, packaged food purchases I guess we just don't generate that many steel cans. It makes me happy.

One of my co-workers brought back fast food fries to the library, bringing along with them their intoxicating aroma which filled the place. Oh, how I wanted some fries after that! It is counter to my general food policy to patronize fast food joints, but I considered stopping some place on the way home. After work, when I told Matt about my craving he whipped some up for me! He even really fried them for me (as opposed to baked fries which are great, but let's face it, no where near as tasty as fried). Oh, baby.... Who needs McDonald's!?!

I managed a little apron sewing while enjoying a local beer in my evening quiet time while Matt was at work.

Matt and I rediscovered the game Stratego. It is SO awesome. I lose almost every time though! I like that it is akin to Risk, but doesn't require nearly the time commitment.

For a variety of reasons Apple Crisp is fast becoming my favorite dessert. This particular crisp was made with local honey, local apples, and local oats. Only the cinnamon came from outside Montana. That made me really happy. Plus it is so darn easy to make if you've got quarts of filling canned and ready to go! Fast, tasty, local, cheap = Beth's favorite dessert.

My Gretchen Bag

2012-01-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

Sometime ago (Early 2010 I think) I made a barter with one of my student workers, Gretchen. See, Gretchen is an infinitely crafty person and was always working on some sort of crafty project when I wasn't keeping her busy with library stuff. She, growing up on an island, is also quite an ecoconscious person which was reflected in many of her projects. I had seen her making plastic yarn (plarn) out of used plastic grocery bags which she then transformed into knit/crochet bags. I coveted her plastic-bag bags long enough that we struck up a trade--two tie-dye t-shirts for a bag. Looking at it now I think I inadvertently swindled her as there was so much more time involved in making the bag. I'll have to make that up to her some time....

So flash forward to December 2011 and the handle was starting to tear. We'd overfilled it probably more times than I could count. Prime example: At one music festival (where camping and parking were far apart) we loaded it up with easily 40 pounds of gear. It held. It held a lot! (Think about how strong one single plastic bag is and then imagine hundreds of them woven together. It is pretty strong stuff.) But, at last it seemed we'd abused the poor bag too far. Matt asked if I thought I could mend it and I said I would try....not feeling terribly hopeful I must admit.

In the end it came together so much easier and better than I could have hoped.

I made up a small ball of plarn, only a couple of bags. Using my fingers and a crochet hook I wove the new plarn through the exposed loops at the tear, weaving back and forth a couple times. The whole repair job took less than an hour, including making the plarn. And now my Gretchen Bag (as it is affectionately called) is back in working order. Hip, hip hooray!

I love fixing things. It is so much more satisfying that just replacing them. (And after fixing the Gretchen Bag I tackled my mending pile. It is like I went shopping! Like I'd gotten new clothes without spending a dime! Awesome.)

Corn Dumplings

2012-01-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

I had never made dumplings before. I remember my mom making them, but that they weren't my favorite. Matt can remember his mom making them and how much he loved them. So, for Matt's sake I thought I'd try to find a recipe and give it a whirl.

When they sank to the bottom of the pot when added to the soup I thought for sure I'd just ruined some tasty looking soup. That they were dissolving and I'd end up with a pot of vegetable mush. But, after several minutes they popped back up the the surface again and all was well.

Well, almost well. I put three cayenne peppers in the vegetable soup rendering it "unpleasantly spicy" to Matt's tongue. I thought it was perfect. The only thing that made it bearable for Matt was the dumplings, which tempered the spice.

Corn Dumplings

¾ cup flour
1 Tablespoon cornmeal
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon Earth Balance (margarine)
½ cup soymilk
1/3 cup frozen, whole corn

Combine dry ingredients and honey.
Cut in the Earth Balance with a fork until no large pieces remain.
Add milk and corn.
Stir until well mixed.
Bring your soup to a boil.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonsful into the soup broth, making 6-8 dumplings.
Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Itshould not be boiling.
Cook the dumplings for about 10 minutes.

Funny story: I must have been distracted while cooking (always a bad idea for me). I totally forgot the baking powder. They were surprisingly yummy without it, but I bet they are fluffy and incredible with a little leavening agent involved.... Since they were so good even when I messed up the recipe I figure that is a good sign. I'll be making them again...and paying closer attention when doing so.

Tuscan-Style Pasta with Chickpeas & Zucchini

2012-01-18T13:54:00.002-07:00

Tuscan-style Pasta with Chickpeas & Zucchini

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 small zucchini, sliced into half-moons
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 large tomatoes, chopped (I do mine in the food processor)
1 ½ cups chickpeas, cooked
¼ t red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb short pasta, like penne

Heat oil over medium heat.
Add zucchini and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.
Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds.
Stir in remaining ingredients, except pasta.
Cook for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta.
When both the sauce and the pasta are ready toss them together and serve.

We made this dish recently using some slow-cooked chickpeas. I don't know for sure if it was because I'd not eaten them in several months or if it was because of the slow-cooking, but I decided right there and then that chickpeas are my favorite bean. I'd always thought it was kidney beans, but the chickpeas were too good. Creamy, nutty, awesome.

Braised Broccoli di Raab

2012-01-18T13:44:00.001-07:00

We got a bunch of broccoli di raab in our bountiful basket last weekend. Neither Matt nor I had ever eaten this vegetable. I'd never even seen it. Matt was the one who recognized it.

For Christmas I got Matt an incredible cookbook called Vegetable Love. It is not a vegetarian cookbook, but rather a cookbook just for those who love vegetable (whether those veggies accompany beans or bacon). It is loaded with gobs of info on just about every vegetable that might find its way into your kitchen in addition to hundreds of recipes involving them. The book came in real handy for that raab since we knew next to nothing about how it could be prepared. After reading the suggested cooking methods and a few recipes we opted to just try the raab braised with garlic.

I didn't for one second allow myself to think that it would taste like regular broccoli, which you may recall is far from my favorite vegetable. And it didn't. Yea. Actually, I rather liked it, especially when combined with the pasta. I thought it was a very good combination.

BraisedBroccoli di Raab
Take one washed bunch of broccoli di raab and chop into about 2 inchpieces.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a deep pan with a lid.
Add 4 cloves of peeled and smashed garlic.
Cook until the garlic begins to color.
Add a generous pinch of red pepper flakes.
Add broccoli di raab.
Turn raab in oil until it is bright green and the leaves are wilted.
Pour in ½ cup vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low.
Cover and cook until the stems are tender, about 8 – 10 minutes.
Uncover and boil off remaining liquid if necessary.

A Sunny Sunday and A Bald Eagle

2012-01-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

On Sunday morning it was just too lovely to stay indoors. The sun was shining and the winds were still. Thus, even though it was only 40 degrees or less it still seemed like a quite lovely day to go exploring somewhere. I mean, this is Montana in the middle of winter we are talking about here. It was quite nice all things considered.

The Chickadees were, by all appearances, peeling the skin off the Russian olives and eating only the inside of the fruit. It was quite amusing and adorable to watch. I can't get enough of them holding things with their little feet like that!

So we headed for Two Moon Park to spend the morning. We'd not been there in some time, since early summer I think. It is a nice park with developed walking/bicycling trails, nestled between some sandstone rimrocks (a signature landscape feature in Billings) and the Yellowstone River. We walked and watched birds and other natural curiosities, rambling off the paths into the brush following the animal trails.

Matt, having never see the inside of a wasp's nest, tried to shake it out of the tree. When that didn't work he tried tossing sticks at it. In the end he just managed to get the sticks stuck up there right beside the nest. Oh well. That turned out to be a comical adventure in its own way.

I love getting out into the trees, any trees. Strolling along the river's edge. There is always something different and magical to behold. I never tire of it.

I managed to snap this robin mid-swallow of a Russian olive. Robins apparently do not mind the skin as the chickadees do.

For such a common bird they are sure striking. I admire their white eye ring in contrast to their dark jacket and hood.

The birds were out in full force on Sunday, especially the robins. There were flocks of robins that numbered in the hundreds and hundreds. It was nice and sunny so Matt and I sat on the dry, golden-colored grass near the river watching them. They flew from the tree tops in flurries of wings and feather to drink from the melting pools along the shore. We sat there long enough that they grew quite used to us and started flying very near where we sat.

Then, poof, they all took off. "Hmmmmm....I wonder what caused that?" I mused. "Yeah, where is the hawk?" And as if on cue a juvenile bald eagle soared past, wings flat and broad as boards, never flapping. It passed by probably 15-20 feet away--our closest wild encounter with one of these majestic beings--and landed in a tree not too far distant. We, naturally, followed for a more prolonged viewing. No matter how many I see in my lifetime I somehow doubt it will ever grow less exhilarating. In the bird guides they say the bald eagles are uncommon. What a blessing to live in a place where they are, if not common, at least not UNcommon. In Montana you can just see them off the side of the road quite frequently. We are so lucky.

This eagle is probably about 3 years old. It is starting to develop the signature white head feathers and yellow beak.

By the time we came home the sunshine had past. It was colder and greyer. Soon it was snowing. Looking out the front door in the evening Matt and I had to ask ourselves: "Was that really just this morning we sat in the grass watching robins?!"

Today it is in the negatives, and snow, snow, snow. I am so glad we took the chance for a warm, sunny walk while we could. It seems winter might finally be here now.

Roasting Garlic

2012-01-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

Matt picked up this little contraption for roasting garlic and I am just smitten with it!

Prior to this little clay pot we had always used aluminum foil for roasting our garlic. While that works just fine it makes the aluminum foil far too oily to save and reuse. So, we always had a ball of aluminum foil waste after each roasting. No more! The little clay pot works the same way, but without the waste!

Remove the very papery skins, but not so much that the cloves separate. Put the head of garlic in the clay dish. Pour some olive oil over it and rub it around until the whole head is nicely coated. Put the lid of the pot on and pop into an oven preheated to 400 degrees. Bake until the garlic can be easily pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes. You can adjust the time to your liking. If you are planning on using it as a spread you might want to cook longer. If it is for a pizza topping you might get by with shorter cooking time.

I just adore finding these simple, reusable options. Piece by piece I am working towards reducing my household waste. While a ball of aluminum foil might seem a trivial piece of waste in the grand scheme of things all these things add up.

"Soup" of Rice and White Beans

2012-01-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

I made an impulse selection at the public library on a recent visit. It was a cookbook called Fagioli. I had to use the restroom and was in a bit of a hurry anyways so I just grabbed it without really looking it over. I knew it had to do with beans and Italian cuisine, both of which I enjoy.

Oh, boy, what a neat cookbook! I might actually have to buy it someday (which, because I work in the library, I don't do real often so that is saying a lot).

It was particularly interesting to me because the book really promoted overnight soaking and slow cooking of beans. My bean cooking technique has always been the two minute boil, quick soak method and pressure cooking. It is faster for sure, but for some reason it never occurred to me that just because it is the fastest doesn't mean it is the tastiest. Usually the longer something takes the better it tastes so the author's bean cooking rational made sense to me. I will have to try it several more times before I give it a final verdict, but the slow cooked beans were awfully good both times we've tried them, better than normal. It is possible that it was just the recipe and not the method that made the tasty meal. We're talking about doing a side by side comparisons of slow cooked and pressure cooked beans to find out. Matt loves a good science project, especially in the kitchen.

Here is my minor adaptation of one recipe from the book which both Matt and I really enjoyed. It was called a soup, but unless I seriously mis-measured (which I don't think I did) it really wasn't very soup-like, really. Most of the liquid cooked off leaving no broth to speak of. But, it was a delicious bean, rice, and tomato dinner. If you wanted it to be a real soup instead of a "soup" you might just add a few extra cups of stock.

"Soup" of Rice and White Beans

2 cups dried cannellini beans
2 cloves garlic, peeled
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 cups tomatoes, chopped with juice

1/2 cup arborio rice

salt, to taste

Soak beans for 8+ hours. Drain. Rinse. Drain.
Combine beans, garlic, and 8 cups of water over medium heat.
When it begins to boil lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 1 hour, until the beans are tender.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add onion, herbs, celery, and crushed red pepper.
Stir frequently for about 10 minutes until the onions and celery are tender.
Add the tomatoes.
Continue cooking and stirring for another 15 - 20 minutes.
When the beans are tender add the tomato mixture to them.

Season with salt to taste.
Cook another 10 minutes.
Stir in rice and continue cooking 20 more minutes until the rice is tender, yet firm to the bite.
Serve!

Braided Pizza

2012-01-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

I don't think it is any secret that I am a pizza freak. I love it! Can't get enough of it! So many endless and delicious variations on an easy to make theme. Well, I have discovered a fun new variation: The Braided Pizza.

I don't recall when I first saw this idea, but the moment I did I knew it had to be added to my pizza-making repertoire.

I used my regular pizza crust recipe and regular pizza toppings. The major difference is that you pile all that yummy goodness on to the center third of the rolled out crust.

Then, using a pizza cutter, cut into the crust from the edge until you near the pile of toppings at the center. To get evenly spaced slices try this: cut the dough in half at the center, cut each of those sections in half, and then then each of those section in half again. You should end up with eight nice and even pieces of dough to braid over the top.

Starting on one end, alternate folding strips of dough over from each side making a braided top.

Pinch the ends.

I was worried the sauce would start seeping out and make a big mess in the oven, but it didn't...thank goodness. That would have made the meal a whole lot less satisfying.

Bake for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Slice and eat!

The cross section view.

The best part was we had enough toppings and pizza dough to make a slightly smaller version to pop in the freezer for a rainy, I'm-too-lazy-to-cook type day. Awesome.

The Last Of...

2012-01-10T19:53:00.001-07:00

It could be my imagination, but it seems we've entered the season of "The Last Of..." at our house. Last week we ate up The Last Of the purple potatoes. We also had The Last Of our garden tomatoes redden up in the basket on top of the fridge. A few days ago it was The Last Of the Yukon golds on my plate. This morning it was The Last Of Verna's maple syrup on my pancakes. Oh, what a sad and glorious breakfast all rolled together that was! We'd savored and rationed out that jar for as long as we could. I was rather sad to see it empty just as I was to find the purple potato bag empty.

But, that is part of the beauty of a more seasonal, eat from your garden food philosophy, I suppose. There is a time where good things come to an end (The Last Of...) which just makes you all the more eager and grateful for them when their season brings them back around again.

I took a bite of pancake and used it to sop up the last drops at the bottom of the maple syrup jar. Matt was highly amused and ran for the camera. "You have to send it to Verna," he said.

I can certainly say that was the most I ever enjoyed maple syrup in my life. I think that if you never take a break from something you don't ever experience it quite as fully as when you have. When you've gone without something (be it voluntarily, like me, or not) you really know what you've been missing.

Ditch the Dryer

2012-01-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

This post came to me while I was hanging clothes on the line one unseasonably warm day last week.

I realized that many of my steps toward simplicity and eco-friendliness have happened not necessarily because I wanted them to, per se. Things happened and Matt and I decided to just see how things would shake out. To test ourselves in a way. To see how much we needed and how much we just thought we needed. This was the case a few years ago when both of our old, beater cars died on the exact same day (really mine wouldn't turn off and Matt's wouldn't turn on, but on that same day they both failed to operate properly). After considering our options--and lamenting how much money we'd already put into those beaters-- we decided to purchase a single, good quality, fuel-efficient car for the both of us to share. It worked and so that is what we have going on now. It had surprisingly good side-effects as well. We both got more fit as we walked and bicycled more. It allows me a full 45 minutes of fresh air, listening to audiobooks, watching birds and sunsets, being alone with my thoughts, etc on my walks home from work. It completely changed my sense of a walkable distance. (As in, "Pffffftttt....three miles...that's nothing!") It made me more appreciative of agreeable weather and utterly grateful when I am offered a car ride in terrible weather. That is not to say there have never been hitches with this shared car arrangement, but not very many and certainly not enough to warrant the money that would be spent to acquire, maintain, and operate a second auto.

Likewise, when the dryer finally came to a screeching, squealing halt a year or two ago Matt and I gave it some good thought. We could see if the dryer could be repaired. We could replace it with a new one as ours was a hand-me-down, older model anyways. Or we could see if we really needed a dryer at all. The latter is what we decided to try, mostly because it was the easiest and cheapest. And again, it worked so that is the way it stayed. I later learned that dryers are one of the major sources of household energy costs so skipping the dryer was not only cheaper for me, but also better for the planet. Super. To me that is a huge win-win.

Again there were a lot of unexpected positive side effects, too. I discovered I actually enjoy doing laundry--the whole process. It is my favorite household task. It seems counter intuitive that I should discover I so greatly enjoy a task after opting to make "more work" for myself by going to the clothesline, but that's what happened. I love the smell of the clothes right off the line. I love how they are warm to the touch, infused with sunlight in the summer. I am so very appreciative of even the weakest of winter sunlight because I can hang the clothes outside to dry instead of in the laundry room. I enjoy my time pinning clothes and watching the birds at the feeder (which dangle off one end of the clothesline). We saved money. We prevent additional wear and tear on our clothes making them last longer. We have more storage space in the basement. Again, its not to say there aren't any negatives to the dryer-less arrangement or that it would work for every climate, but it works for us.

You never know when blessings in disguise might present themselves. I love that fact about this wacky world. And you never know what you are capable of until you push yourself outside of what you already know and just give it a try. It might be great. It might be terrible. But, at least you'll know for sure and you might be pleasantly surprised, as I certainly am.

Vico (Homemade Chololate Syrup)

2012-01-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

The Mennonite cookbook where I found the recipe called it "Vico." A more helpful, descriptive name would be "chocolate syrup," which is what I tend to call it. I learned, after a bit of reading, that Vico is actually a Canadian brand name for a chocolate syrup. Though it is no longer produced the term "vico" is apparently still used in the province of Saskatchewan to mean any chocolate milk.

Whatever you call it this stuff it is awesome. Organic chocolate syrup at the store is too expensive. The inexpensive chocolate syrups contain genetically modified and other wack ingredients that I don't care to buy or eat. So, I'd been a long time without chocolate syrup.

I should have know that the answer to my chocolate syrup "problem" would be to make it myself. Duh! That is almost always the answer!

Vico (a.k.a. Chocolate Syrup)

1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil.
Boil for about 5 minutes. (And watch it carefully because it will boil over in the 20 seconds you leave the room and you'll be forced to add Clean the Stove to the to-do list right after Make Chocolate Syrup.)

Cool, bottle, and refrigerate.
Mix 1 - 2 Tablespoons with a glass of milk or serve undiluted over ice cream.

A New Year

2012-01-06T14:07:00.001-07:00

To follow up on my rather belated Christmas post I shall now do a slightly less belated New Year's post.

Matt and I rarely celebrate too much for New Year's Eve. We prefer to stay home and have a few friends over to the loud and crazy New Year's parties and bars. This year we elected to listen to a live streaming Furthur concert on XM Radio. Matt signed up for a 7 day free trial of XM just for the occasion. (Which meant I got to groove along with the incredible 40's channel for a week too!) Derek came over to listen. We ate pomegranates and drank local beer. Matt got "dressed up" in a tie for the occasion. I worked on a piece of art which Matt had "commissioned." We played with magnets that Adam and Jen sent us for Christmas. We also played some cards when it seemed like I was going to fall asleep before the concert ended. (It WAS after midnight though, for the record.)

I rarely attempt to come up with or follow through on New Year's resolutions, but I surprised myself and came up with a few this year. Here they are:

#1 Write and mail at least one letter, card, or note to someone each month. (Everyone loves mail and I love to send it! Additionally, I have a weakness for things that seem like dying arts.)

#2 Try a new recipe every week. (I have a weakness for cookbooks, too, with the result that I have hundreds and hundreds of recipes to try. I shouldn't be allowed to read another cookbook until I've tried all the recipes I've clipped, copied, printed, and have in cookbooks of my own. But, I know that is too harsh of a resolution for me to follow, so a new recipe every week seems like a nice happy-medium.)

#3 Practice with a yoga video more often, ideally, once a week. (I stretch just about every day, but I rarely push myself to the sweating, red, muscle burning level that I reach with live classes and video recordings.)

#4 Stop reading the news--both print and online--unless it is a story about positivity. (No more getting sucked into celebrity gossip I really don't care about when I log in to my yahoo mail. No more news stories of violence, crime, and the wicked things we do to each other. Only news that highlight those making the world a more beautiful, better place to live.)

Nothing too major, but all the same I think they will do me good.

My Christmas Holiday

2012-01-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

So, I realize this is overdue, but this is the first chance I had to pull the photos from my camera. I am sorry the spacing between the photos is irregular. I tried to fix it, but blogger was being a jerk and I wasn't interested in bothering with it a single moment longer. It is what it is.

Going back home for the holidays is great. I get to see my awesome family and my awesome friends, like Alli,

And my dad and Keleigh.

I love my dad's cats. They are just a wonderful, entertaining time. It makes me miss having kitties of my own.

My step-mother, Dana, looking quite pleased with one of her gifts Christmas Eve.

The cats cannot--just cannot--resist a box.

A little jewelry box for Keleigh.

And a big jewelry box for Dana! The biggest one I've ever seen actually!

Dana had quilts made using t-shirts of her son, Jayde, who passed away some years ago. It was a powerful and bittersweet moment when her other son, Wes, opened his quilt. I think it is a wonderfully touching and quite practical memorial idea.

Keleigh (who you can just barely see peeping into frame) watching her Papa open the sun-catcher ornament she painted him

Boxes are frequently as much fun as the toys it seems....

Blueberry pie.

Cheesecake monster!

As I said, the cats cannot resist boxes. This particular box was even more irresistible because they could see out, even when inside of it because it was clear.

Sarah got some sort of strange gaming system which was set up in the basement. You move around and it "sees" you rather than you using a remote control to play it. My dad, Sarah, and Keleigh had a good time with it, but I don't know, it wasn't for me. Too weird.

Keleigh singing karoke on Sarah's new game.

My dad showed me he finally learned to juggle. Matt and I gave him a how-to book for his birthday I believe. Matt had been juggling at the house and my dad seemed to think it was pretty cool. So, we got him the book. I had no idea he was still practicing. I was super impressed I have to say. I still can't juggle at all!

Stick-on earrings. Keleigh made sure I was well accessorized each day.

Keleigh made sure everyone was well accessorized, actually, and my dad is such a sport as to oblige her.

My dad is so sweet with his kitties, too, holding her up so she could look out back. Awwwwww.....

When she is at my house Keleigh always wants to pretend she is a kitty and play with a ball of yarn. By that, I mean spread the ball all over my house. Which is fine with me. Well, I gave her the ball of yarn to play with the real, live kitties and it was even more fun! She laughed almost non-stop, which you can hear in the video below.

My family likes games. We played lots of cards and a few board games as well, such as Operation, which I hadn't played in years!

Shortly after Christmas that lucky duck Alli will left for travels through Egypt and the Meddeteranian. She modeled a few dresses for a small group of friend as she wasn't sure which dresses to take. Well, one thing led to another and somehow Ben ended up in a dress too. He was faux-disapponted though because he didn't look at all feminie, just like a boy in a dress.

The bouncing curls and headscarf helped, but alas....boy in a dress. A silly, silly boy in a dress!

There was a flock of a dozen bluejays in my dad's backyard. I was elated! I've never seen so many in one place. They were in their winter drab colors though so they wasn't as flashy as they usually are.


Matt and I had our own wee holiday when I got back from my Dad's. In addition to the super-duper kite he made me special food as gifts, which is one of his specialties. This year it was chocolate-peanut butter cups and cashew "goat" cheese.

He tried three different "goat cheese" recipes, all of which were tasty, but one of of which was superb! See, I have a deep love for goat cheese going back to my one brief visit to Belgium where I ate it daily. However, I havn't yet found one up to my admittedly high exceptions and requirements for humaneness, sustainability, local production, etc. since I turned into a vegan (and now a semi-vegan) and organic food nut. I'd been ogling the cheese (talking mycase at the co-op and researching the subject of local goat cheese lately so Matt knew I'd been hankering for it. I was surprised at how amazingly similar the taste and mouth-feel was to how I recall goat cheese to be. Creamy, rich, tangy, and awesome. Made with cashews! Go figure. I love Matt to pieces!

I hope your holiday was just as much fun for you and your friends and family!

Rainbow Clouds

2012-01-03T14:20:00.004-07:00

And while I was out kite flying yesterday, on a crazy gorgeous January day, I saw something truly incredible.

Josh pointed off into the distance and said something like "Check that out." When I looked out toward the horizon I was stunned. "Is that cloud... rainbow colored?!?!"

Josh had been watching it a while, thinking perhaps he was seeing things, but nope, they were really there...rainbow clouds. All the other clouds in the sky were behaving normally...but not this one.

We stopped kite flying and watched as the rainbow cloud swirled, changed hue, and slowly faded away leaving just an ordinary cloud where the rainbow one had been.

Photos, of course, cannot due it justice, but they turned out pretty well. I think the second one is the best.

A Super-Duper New Kite

2012-01-03T13:48:00.000-07:00

I love kites. I don't know why exactly. There is something I find exhilarating in being connected to an object soaring on the breeze so high above. It fills me with a child-like glee. I probably own more kites than a single person needs, but I like to have options and I like my friends to be able to join me.

Well, everything I thought I knew about kites before is over. I have reached a whole new playing field. The parafoil kite. (Which Matt got me for Christmas.) (and soon I will have to get him one of his own so that I don't have to share!)

Matt really wanted a photo of the moon and the kite, and then a plane flew by so we got all three.

Oh. My. Goodness. Can you say awesome?! It is a two line kite so you can actually steer it and swoop it and make it do tricks. I was willing to brave nearly freezing temperatures (with the wind and all) in order to fly it. I couldn't possibly wait for warmer weather! Thankfully the weather has cooperated and has been unseasonably warm (relatively speaking of course). Thus I've already gotten three good opportunities for flying in the middle of winter. Including, as a lovely surprise, yesterday afternoon when my boss decided we could close the library early and Matt happened to have the day off. Yesterday was glorious. I kept having to take my poofy winter coat off.

Phipps Park is great for flying. It is just about always windy there. And beautiful too.

I'd gotten the chance to fly a parafoil kite at the Love Your Mother Earth Festival this summer. I was to shy to go ask the woman if she'd let me fly it, but Matt knows me well (and knew that I really did want to try it, despite what I said) and so he just moseyed up to her and started chatting. She offered it to us without our even asking. From the moment I took the handles I felt a bond. A force. A connection. This kite is an experience. It isn't just holding the end of the string. It is steering the air currents. Riding the wind.

After LYMEF I looked them up online to see about getting myself one, but I am just no good at spending money on "unnecessary" stuff like that so I didn't get one. And I sort of forgot about all about it. But, Matt didn't. (Hooray!)

Oh. My. Goodness. I am giddy when flying it. My teeth hurt from smiling into the cold wind.

Matt watches me fly it and is so impressed at how long I can go in a flight, how I can swoop down to touch the ground and come back up again. Matt crashes every couple minutes (though he is getting better). I tell him that I can't explain it, but these kites and I have a special connection, a kindred spirit. (Which probably sounds silly, so maybe I should say the wind and I have a special connection that I can now tap in to more easily, which sounds better, I think.) It just feel so natural, like the kite and I are moving as one (wow, that sounds silly, too).

Today it is windy and I am kicking myself for not bringing it along to fly at lunch, oh well, blogging will just have to do! : )

Free Compost Bucket Liner

2012-01-02T12:28:00.002-07:00

I know that they sell biodegradable bags for compost buckets. I could just never wrap my mind around buying them. I mean, why spend money on a bag....just rinse out the bucket when you're done. Its free that way. And that is what we've been doing for years. But, I may have changed my tune.

Well, as it turns out, while I certainly don't need a liner I do quite enjoy having one for my compost bucket--mainly because I don't have to snap twigs off the lilac bush to use when trying to coax some slimy bit off the bottom of the can anymore. But, even better, I didn't have to spend any extra money to get that little convenience... which is the only way such a convenience would happen at my house.

Here is how:

I got the idea from the Root Simple folks. As I recall Mr. Root Simple had a revelation about using his old newspaper for lining the bottom of his compost bucket instead of just recycling it. I thought that it was a pretty clever idea, but since I don't have a newspaper at my house that part wouldn't work for me. But, I did have a growing collection of small brown paper sacks with handles under my sink that might just do the trick!

See, one of our local health food stores bags up potatoes, onions, etc that are getting a little past their prime into these papers sacks to be sold at discount. Matt and I frequently hit them up as usually the food looks a-okay and it is much cheaper. But, the bags aren't really a very useful size once I get them home. They are pretty small. Just perfect for sitting inside my compost bucket it turns out!

Books Read in 2011

2012-01-02T12:05:00.005-07:00

Since I work in a library I know all too well that there are justtoo many awesome books in the world to possibly read them all. I havereally enjoyed keeping track of what I did manage to read this yearthough and will be keeping up the practice. Since I had to clearout to 2011 list to make way for 2012 I thought I'd copy it down here, youknow, for historical record. Or so that I don't end up reading the samebook twice until developing a strong sense of deja vu half way through. (That has happened to me.)

My favorite book read in 2011 was...a tie....either No-Impact Man (ColinBeavan) or In Defense of Food (Michael Pollan). The"Best" is a hard distinction to make though, hence the tie! Inthe end I chose these two titles out of the list of many, many contenders forthe top because they were both very, very humorous as well as tremendouslyeducational and out-of-this-world inspiring.

My least favorite book was also a tie with either Harvesting the Heart(Jodi Picoult) because I had a strong dislike for all thecharacters. They were all jerks. Either that or MindGrenades (John Plunkett) because I don't think I "got" it. But, it was put out by the people at Wired and I'm not all that techy so Idon't really know what I was thinking picking it up in the first place.

Dirty Job (Christopher Moore)*
Island of the Sequined Love Nun (Christopher Moore)*
Harvesting the Heart (Jodi Picoult)*
Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence (Nick Bantock)
Possum Magic (Mem Fox & Julie Vivas)
Hidden Cuba: A Photojournalist's Unauthorized Journey to Cuba to Capture Daily Life - 50 Years After Castro's Revolution (Jack Watson)
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary (David Sedaris)*
It's Thanksgiving (Jack Prelutsky)
New York in the Thirties (Berenice Abbott & Elizabeth McCausland)
The Tao of Pooh (Benjamin Hoff)
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman (Kathleen Krull)
Dust to Eat: Drought and Depression in the 1930s (Michael Cooper)
A Bride Goes West (Nannie T. Alderson & Helena H. Smith)
Out of the Dust (Karen Hesse)
The Hundred Dresses (Eleanor Estes)
Lush ( Natasha Friend)
Clara's Kitchen: Wisdom, Memories, and Recipes from the Great Depression (Clara and Christopher Cannucciari)
Stitches: A Memoir (David Small)
Infidel (Tim Hetherington)
Curly Tails & Cloven Hooves (Lisa Kemmerer)
American Indian Games (Jay Miller)
Silent Music: A Story of Bagdad (James Rumford)
The Librarian of Basra: A True Story From Iraq (Jeanette Winter)
Second Nature: A Gardener's Education (Michael Pollan)
Hello, Laura! (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
Glasses: Who Need 'Em? (Lane Smith)
A Voice Crying In The Wilderness (Vox Clamantis in Deserto): Notes From A Secret Journal (Edward Abbey)
In Celebration of Simplicity: The Joy of Living Lightly (Penelope Wilcock)
A Child's Book of Blessings (Sabrina Dearborn)
Kokopelli and The Butterfly (Michael Sterns)
Aesop's Fables: For Modern Readers
The Year Of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible (A.J. Jacobs)
Blueberries for Sal (Robert McCloskey)
Mind Grenades: Manifestos from the Future (John Plunkett)
The Sweet Smell of Christmas (Patricia Scarry)
Trashy Town (Andrea Zimmerman & David Clemesha)
Slaughterhouse Five or The Children's Crusade (Kurt Vonnegut)
Harvey (Herve' Bouchard & Janice Nadeau)
Switch Bitch (Roald Dahl)
Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography (Sid Jacobson & Ernie Colon)
Slapstick (Kurt Vonnegut)
The Ranch Woman's Manual (Gwen Petersen)
Children's Prayers From Other Lands (Dorothy Spicer)
Meet Josefina, an American Girl (Valerie Tripp)
Plain Truth (Jodi Picoult)
The Essential Calvin and Hobbs (Bill Watterson)
With You All the Way (Max Lucado)
The Little Red Hen (Violet Findley)
Bag in the Wind (Ted Kooser)
If the World Were a Village (David Smith)
It's a Book (Lane Smith)
The Pop-up Book of M.C. Escher
My Hutterite Life (Lisa Marie Stahl)
Fearless John: The Legend of John Beargrease (Kelly Rauzi)
One Kitten for Kim (Adelaide Holl)
No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process (Colin Beavan)
Montana: Where My Treasure Is (Carol Myers)
Symbols of Montana (Rex Myers & Norma Ashby)
Ox Cart Man (Donald Hall)
The Fairy Alphabet (Fanny Y. Cory)
Owl Moon (Jane Yolen)
Grandfather's Journey (Allen Say)
Yamsi, The Story of A Man's Love for A Ranch in the Oregon Wilderness (Dayton O. Hyde)
Growing Up Amish (Richard Ammon)
Plain and Simple: A Woman's Journey to the Amish (Sue Bender)
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (Michael Pollan)
The Long Brown Stocking and Other Tales of Bygone Days (Betty Booth Stewart)
Welcome to the Moneky House (Kurt Vonnegut)
God Bless You Mr. Rosewater (Kurt Vonnegut)
Cat's Cradle (Kurt Vonnegut)
Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea (Guy Delisle)
Mother Night (Kurt Vonnegut)
Sirens of Titan (Kurt Vonnegut)
A Lifetime of Secrets: A PostSecret Book (Frank Warren)
Player Piano (Kurt Vonnegut)
* indicated audiobooks

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

Christmas treats!

Today is my last day at work for the year. Hip, hip, hooray! I am also heading home to visit my father for several days, leaving Matt at home because he still has to work. He works for Fedex and it is a very busy time for them so no extended holiday vacations for him. Also, with the exception of Adam his family lives in Billings so he likes to stay here and be with them. I actually am going to miss being a part of their holiday traditions, like driving down the street lit with luminaries with the light turned off or singing by candle light at church. But, it is more than lovely that we can both still return home to be with our families. My sister and niece arrive tonight and are allowing me to hitch a ride to my dad's with them.

Consequently, I may or may not get back on here until next year and just wanted to be sure to wish each and every one of you a very merry holiday season and a happy new year! May you have lots of cheer and joy, time with friends and family, yummy foods for your belly, warm, cozy homes, and everything else that makes this such a special time of year!

The Anonymous String Association

2011-12-22T13:04:00.002-07:00

Here are the photos from the Anonymous String Association show last Saturday. I love bluegrass. Maybe I've gone on about it before...I can't really remember. I like pretty much all bluegrass from the uber-traditional Appalachian style to the modern with a drummer dancegrass style. I like spiritual, traditional bluegrass and gritty, contemporary bluegrass. The warmth of the strings and the way it makes me need to jump and bounce about is just too much for me. It makes me oh so happy. It makes me even happier when the makes-me-want-to-dance-awesome-tunes are being plucked out by my friends.

Carrot Fritters

2011-12-21T12:51:00.000-07:00

I like corn fritters and I like apple fritters so when I saw this recipe for carrot fritters I had to copy it down. We made these to accompany our special December kabob barbeque. They were tasty, not as much as corn fritters, but still tasty.

Carrot Fritters
2 Tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
2 "eggs" (I used Ener-G)
3 carrots, grated
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 of a small onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
oil, for frying

Combine flour, cumin, garlic, oregano, and onion.
Add eggs.
Mix well.
Squeeze out any excess water/juice from the grated carrots.
Add to other ingredients.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Drop by large spoonfuls into a pan of heated oil.
Fry until golden, about 3-5 minutes on each side.

Totally Random Photos

2011-12-20T15:22:00.002-07:00

Cherry pickin' by bicycle in May.

A double blossom on my office hibiscus plant.

Me and the tallest cowboy I ever saw back in June at the Wild West Soiree.

Dewy summer leaves. At the center, at the bottom, you can see a single droplet about to fall. I really like that for some reason.

A Montana-made pysanka egg that I got Matt for his birthday. Pysanky is so incredibly amazing if you ask me.

Kitty slippers.

I learned about this song and then shortly after stumbled upon this frame at the thrift shop. I sing this song to myself while I work a lot. I don't know why because it is, as I understand it, technically a dancing song not a work song, but it seems to fit and it makes me cheerful.

Matt checking out his brother's garden near the end of the summer.

I found this growing inside a green bell pepper. I thought it looked like a goose so I let it live on the windowsill with my crystal until it withered and had to be composted.

When we went out looking at Christmas lights this year we found a street that is themed on the classic claymation Rudolph movie. I learned that the Abominable Snowman is Matt's favorite character from that film. He made a cute lawn decoration, too.

I loved the way the lights were casting colored rings on the front of this house. I don't know why...maybe they were special bulbs, but I didn't see any other lights causing this effect. I thought it was pretty cool. The colored circles danced on the house and the breeze jiggled the dangling lights.

The sunrise this morning.

A summer bicycle ride (no sleeves!). Matt gets a kick out of it when my hair does this because of the straps on my helmet. He calls them my wings.

Jonnie's Birthday Cake

2011-12-20T13:43:00.004-07:00

I really enjoy this series of cake photos from Jonnie's "surprise" birthday party. She is so cute and it was such a fun time.

A Perfect Weekend

2011-12-20T13:26:00.002-07:00

I had just the most perfect weekend. First off it was simply glorious outside. Whilst I love the magical visual effect of snow, and desire a snowy Christmas, I am certainly enjoying the warmer December weather while it lasts. It was 45-50 degrees F this weekend. And it's the middle of December...in Montana! Hip, hip, hooray!

Since it was so nice we figured we could sneak in one more outdoor grilling event this year. I don't quite understand how the "grilled" taste can make foods I like even better! But, it does.

We also had a very special concert to attend on Saturday evening. Our friend, Sean, was in a bluegrass band called The Anonymous String Association, which sadly took a break over a year ago primarily because one band member moved to Hawaii. Well, Jess came back to visit and so a reunion show was most certainly in order. They sounded so, SO good too. You'd have never known they took a year off and had only a couple practices with the whole band before this show. It was one of those shows where afterwards all anyone could think of to say was how tremendous a performance it had been. It was incredible, but also a little bittersweet because we don't know when it will happen again. Still, it was a blessing to our little community of bluegrass lovers who boogied like there was no tomorrow. I hadn't danced barefoot for far too long it seems. I have photos, but blogger isn't cooperating with them so I will just have to post them later.

On Sunday my girlfriends threw a surprise birthday party for another friend, Jonnie. While it ended up not being a surprise (Jonnie was told the night before by an intoxicated friend after the bluegrass show) it was still a highly successful gathering. Cake, bruschetta, tie-dye, hula hoop making, music, pinata, pomegranates, punch, and of course, a whole lot of laughing (like when Jen nearly hit the TV instead of the pinata or when Genoa got squirted quite well with pomegranate juice). It was great.

The birthday girl, Jonnie.

Josh taught us a new way to eat pomegranates. He squeezed it until it was squishy, punctured it, and we drank the fresh juice.

I led some folks in tie-dying.

Genoa brought her hoop making supplies.

Jen made her now-famous Newman-o's birthday cake.

The pinata ended up being the only thing that got broken...no wait....one strand of decorative beads and bells was taken down in the process.

The ladies!

This is Jonnie's birthday hoop. Everyone decorated a small section of it for her. Jen took it for a test drive after it was finished.

Then, after all the birthday fun, I topped the evening off with hot tubing and stimulating conversation at a hotel with a friend visiting from out of town. It was the most superb way to end the totally awesome weekend!

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon-Garlic

2011-12-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

So, I've posted about roasting broccoli before. It is still the only way I find that particular vegetable at all palatable. I'd pretty much have to be starving before I'd eat steamed broccoli, I think. I've also posted about how I think just about everything is delicious when roasted. It is possibly my favorite cooking method.

Matt found a new roast broccoli recipe the other day. It really didn't sound all that different than the other recipe we'd been using. Broccoli, garlic, lemon, oil. But, this recipe did have one new twist. It called for roasting the broccoli stems, not just the florets!

Prior to reading this recipe I just thought that you didn't eat the thick, tough stems of broccoli plants. I tossed them into the compost bin, trying my best to remember to chop them into smaller, more readily compostable bits as requested by Matt, compost pile tender. Well, those days are over! Broccoli is so, SO much more thrifty if you use the whole thing. I mean, really, the stock is a huge part of its weight. Why didn't I learn this sooner?! Actually, I know the answer to that. Until this year I considered broccoli as more of a poison than a vegetable and I wasn't really looking for thrifty ways to eat more of it.

Matt liked the florets better as he thought the stems were a tad too lemony. I thought they were great. I think they were more lemony because they don't have as strong of a broccoli taste to overcome as the florets do. That was probably why I like the stems better. Less broccoli taste! : )

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon-Garlic
1 pound of broccoli
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 Cup lemon juice
2-4 Tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
Chop all the florets off as you usually would, leaving them in bite sized piece.
Strip the whole length of the remaining stem with vegetable peeler. I'm told you want to peel it well or else it might get a little "woody."
Cut the stem into bite sized rings.

Arrange pieces of broccoli stem and florets in a large baking pan. It is okay if they are close together.

Using a small bowl and the back of a spoon (or a mortar with a pestle if you have one) smash the garlic with the salt and pepper until it is a fairly smooth paste.
Put the lemon juice and oil in a small bowl.
Whisk in the garlic paste.
Pour the mixture evenly over the broccoli and turn broccoli until they are all coated.

Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the florets are starting to brown and the stems are tender when poked with a knife.

The Household Dictionary

2011-12-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

I am a firm believer in the fact that every household should have a dictionary. Ideally, a real paper dictionary too, not just the ability to access one via computer. A dictionary is a very valuable, and underrated, household tool. Beyond just the definition of words you may not know there are historical places and figures. There is science, art, architecture, and philosophy. You'd probably be surprised at what sort of questions can be answered by just a dictionary.

I use mine nearly daily.

Like yesterday, when Matt and I were trying to decide what exactly made a pot of chili a chili and not just another soup. Basically, I was not understanding the concept of a white chili. "Without the tomatoes, isn't that just soup?" I asked him. He said he thought as long as it had chili powder in it it was chili. I disagreed because I've used chili powder in other soups before and never thought of them as chili.

So, time to break out the dictionary.

I suppose in most American households it would be time to break out Google, but we don't really have the internet at our home. So, dictionary to the rescue. (And it works almost every time and is often just as fast or faster than when my guests try to look it up on the web using their phones, for the record.)

It turns out on the subject of chili Matt was pretty much right, though to be technical it seems "chili" is any dish seasoned with chili peppers, not necessarily powder made from said pepper, but that is probably splitting hairs.

While I was looking up chili I found quite the oddity, too. "Chil'e pine', n. MONKEY PUZZLE."

What on earth does that mean? I turned to Matt and told him, "Now the dictionary is making me ask questions, not just answering them!" I haven't yet bothered to try to actually figure out what it means. It just made me laugh.

I suppose it is because of my library occupation, but whenever I visit someone's home I am drawn to their bookshelf. I enjoy looking over the shelves--seeing what others read. And I always notice when there is a dictionary.

The Strangest Soup

2011-12-14T14:26:00.002-07:00

I made the strangest soup for dinner last night, well, at least the strangest I'd ever made. But, for all its strangeness it was really quite yummy. It also allowed us to start whittling away at our stock pile of squashes and use up some pears that were nearing a little too ripe.

The soup was loosely based on a recipe, and I mean loosely, that I found in cookbook called Candle 79 at the public library. In the end it was too fancy of a cookbook for me, but that makes sense as it is a cookbook based on the menu of an upscale sustainable restaurant. It called for too many expensive and/or oddball ingredients. The meals were those strange little towers of food in the middle of the plate that you get at restaurants (look at the cover photo if you don't know what I mean) and that is just really, really not our style. In my kitchen I just want simple, wholesome food on my plate--not an artfully constructed tower of exotic fare. I don't mind if that is your thing (and I think I have a sister who would say it is hers). That is fine. I may not get it, but I don't mind if you do. But I would never cook and serve food that way in a million years. I also would never pay outrageous restaurant prices for it in a million years either. (So, if someone wants to pay to take me to Candle 79 the next time I mosey over to New York that'd be great, but otherwise you won't find me there.)

That said, I did copy down two or three recipes worth trying...in my own Beth style....without the expensive and/or oddball ingredients. This soup is the result of that.

It was difficult to capture this soup photographically because the only real texture and color contrast is in the pears which promptly sunk to the bottom of the bowl.

Butternut Squash Soup with Caramelized Pears
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 dried cayenne peppers, crumbled up with your fingers
2-4 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 of a large onion, chopped
2-3 lbs of butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and diced
8 Cups water
2 Tablespoons honey
salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium.
Saute the onion for about 10 minutes, until softened.
Add all the other ingredients except honey.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30-45 minutes until the squash is so tender it just about falls apart.

While that last step is in process start on caramelizing the pears!

Pears, mid-caramelizing.

Caramelized Pears
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and diced
1 Tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the oil over high heat.
Add the pears and saute for about 5 minutes.
Decrease heat to medium and add remaining ingredients.
Cook for another 10-15 minutes until the pears are soft and the liquid has become syrupy and starts to coat the pears.

Jump back to the soup part now.

To finish the soup add the honey and salt to taste.
Use an immersion blender to process the soup until smooth.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with caramelized pears.

It isn't a combination of ingredients and spices that I'd have come up with on my own, but sometimes, in the kitchen and life in general, it is good to step outside of your known realm and say, "Well, let's just see what happens."

A Family Dinner

2011-12-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

We had a little pre-Christmas family reunion of sorts, on Matt's side of the family. Matt's little brother, Adam, and his girlfriend, Jen, came back to Montana to visit family for a week. Even though our time together was short (we had to share them with other family and friends in Bozeman, after all) it was sure awesome. It was a really, really swell early Christmas present! Playing board games, tie-dying, eating dinner, telling stories, laughing until I cried, watching old home videos of the boys, long hugs, catching up. Great, just great. I think it is safe to say we all had a very good time.

Playing Monopoly Deal and having tea with my sisters-in-law, Jen and Bek.

Sharon made these fancy sparkling wine drink with a whole hibiscus flower in the bottom, and sweet hibiscus flavored syrup. They were delish! When the drink was gone I ate the flower. It tasted like fruit leather. Yum.

Not to mention quite pretty. Can you see that perfect blossom in there? It sort of opened up in the glass as it sat there. I thought it was quite lovely.

So, we drank pretty drinks while Sharon made fried bread for Oofta Tacos. This was my first family dinner without Matt. I guess I am really part of the family myself now! Matt had to work and so joined us much later.

Apples to Apples is just about a guarantee for uproarious laughter. That is part of what makes it arguably the best group game ever.

Something tells me that Ryan isn't buying whatever Bek is selling. : ) That is another fabulous aspect of Apples to Apples. Lobbying and table-talk are encouraged. It can make it quite lively!

Celebrate Wonder

2011-12-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

I love the simple, infectious joy of children.

My Seattle-raised niece, Kenya, in the midst of a rare snow bliss, Thanksgiving 2010.

A dog with his bone, Thanksgiving 2009.

Everything seems so wonderfully mysterious and magical to them.

Drawing a monster.

A monster with bad eyes.

The possibilities for fun are endless.

My nephew, Tree, after snorkeling in Fort Peck in 2009, not the place that comes to mind perhaps when you think snorkeling, but hey, no matter....

Feeding the ducks and running about, Thanksgiving 2010.

The smallest of things can become a grand adventure.

Photo by Terry Davenport. Or I think that's the case, but since Terry is in the photo I am a tad confused.

She seems to always end up with a feather in her hair when she plays at my house. But, she broke my heart and told me she doesn't like birds. Oh well, she'll grow out of it I am sure. Also, I believe this is how the creepy glasses met their end. That balloon had a fat head.

Take a flashlight, turn off the lights, and go spelunking in the dark corners of the house.

Explorer Eli in 2009.

Clamor to help dry dishes with a smile, as long as you "get me a stool" to stand on.

Transform a balloon into a vollyball into a big, round, belly into a human face, into a monster face, until the balloon bursts at which point it is time to learn how to pop things...like old ziplock bags, and bubble wrap quite literally pulled from the trash.

Beg to do "The Underdog" stretching (yoga), as if it were a just a game and not exercise.

Thanksgiving 2009.

Turn a card table and bedding into a private fort.

Photo by Lisa George, 2010.

Make music without a care whether it is "good" or not.

Thanksgiving 2010.

March 2010.

Paint a house, again as if it were a game, and not work at all.

August 2009.

Play in the snow until your nose is frozen and feet soaking wet and not caring too much because of the pure joy of it all.

Thanksgiving 2010.

It is a shame to me that so many grown-ups have seemingly lost this sense of wonder and delight in the small pleasures that can be found everywhere. Children sure know how to stop and smell the roses. I like that. They remind me to do the same. Life is too short to not celebrate the wonder.

A Good Laugh

2011-12-12T16:35:00.007-07:00

The angle is wrong so my eyeballs are far less...dramatic.

Now, tell me you were able to make it through all those without at least cracking a smile.

When Keleigh was visiting we had way too much fun with these creepy glasses I'd had stashed away in my suitcase-of-toys. Actually, we had so much fun that the glasses ended up getting broken. Oh well, they had their time to shine. We were all laughing so hard were were just about crying. So hard that it actually got a little creepy. I mean, Keleigh was maniacally howling with laughter. We were starting to think perhaps she'd become possessed because it went on for so long and seemed so completely uncontrollable. But, no, it wasn't demon possession. : ) Creepy Eye Glasses are just THAT funny. We even got everyone to try them on, to the delight of all present, especially the cackling monster child. Oh, the laughter! It was a blast.

I have a hard time deciding which is the funniest. I think its a tie between the first one, with Keleigh, and Sarah's utterly uninterested creepy eye look in the photo after yours truly.

I don't know how such silly glasses could be the start of so much fun.

Easy, Wonderful Gnocchi

2011-12-12T15:03:00.002-07:00

We are still happily eating away at the last of our homegrown potatoes. However, when we received 5lbs of potatoes in one of our Bountiful Baskets the potato bags were overflowing and the cupboard didn't want to close. This seemed like a sign that it was time to transform those spuds into some fabulous gnocchi!

Gnocchi is the most fabulous little potato pasta ever! If you've never made it you should! Easy to make, easy to freeze, easy to cook. They are one of my favorite foods.

And after you've made gnocchi you must also make baked potato skins! I mean, you'll have skins leftover so I don't see how there is any other option! We went pretty simple on ours--a dab of olive oil, salt, and nooch. Mmmmmmmm...good! As if the yummy gnocchi wasn't good enough!

Potato skins, baked tofu, and roast vegetables.

Spread the uncooked gnocchi on baking sheets and freeze. They can then be transferred to a jar. Then, next time you want something awesome for dinner, but are lacking in motivation to cook, that jar will be there and oh, won't you be happy?!? I know I am!

Gnocchi
2 lbs russet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Poke potatoes all over with a fork.
Bake the potatoes for about 45 minutes, until very tender.
Let them cool completely before peeling them.
Mash potatoes with the salt and olive oil. You want to mash them well, but not puree them. That makes the gnocchi sticky. A few lumps are okay.
Begin to add flour.
When you've added about half the flour you should be able to turn the dough out on a floured surface to knead.
Knead in the rest of the flour, until it's smooth and not sticky, but not dry and crumbly.
Divide the dough into thirds.
Roll the dough out to ropes about 1/2 inches thick.
Cut the ropes into pieces about 3/4 inch long using a pizza wheel or knife.
If you feel fancy about it lightly roll each piece down the tines of a fork to create the classic gnocchi look. I don't do that though because I like smooth gnocchi just fine.
To cook just boil in salted water for 2-3 minutes. They should start to float to the top when finished.
Remove with a slotted spoon and serve!

Atari Time

2011-12-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a REAL blast from the past. I played Atari for the first time.

Matt was in disbelief that I'd never played one so he brought it up from the basement (where he also has the original Nintendo and Super NES as well, all from their childhood) so that he could show it to me. He even had to rewire a paddle to get the Atari to work (and impressed me with his handiness, I must say.) I still only got to play "Breakaway IV" as the joystick was beyond Matt's ability to fix apparently which limited our options.

Breakaway was pretty fun though. We laughed and had a good time with it for an hour or so.

The Atari experience reminded me of a conversation I had with a teen recently. The teen was basically saying that they "needed" a humongous television because video games were just so awesome that a more modest television didn't cut it. It made me wonder what they'd have to say about a gaming system that has a mode for both a color television and a black-and-white one. It made me laugh a little.

Everything is so relative. At one point Atari was cutting edge. So was DDT. And so many other things. It is interesting to think about how thing change...and rather quickly, too.

A Christmas Sort of Ramble

2011-12-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

I am feeling particularly moved by the holiday spirit this year--more so than in previous years. I found myself cleaning house last week while singing The Little Drummer Boy. I put up the Christmas tree even before December had started (I was fetching my Christmas card wreath after receiving my second card and figured while I was down there in the Decorations Box I might as well just decorate!). My calender is dotted with potlucks, parties, and gift exchanges which I look forward to. Our bunco group had our holiday party last week to kick the season off right. It was so fun. The gathering with loved ones, in the best of spirits, in a cozy house filled with a laughter and yummy smells, has to be one of the very best parts of the holiday for me.

Christmas is right around the corner and I feel a real sense of calm and joy about it for a change. I am so very much enjoying the vibrant magenta of the blooming Christmas cacti at the library. It snowed again --just in time for the arrival of Matt's brother from California--dusting everything with a delightful, bright, glimmering blanket and I was thrilled. There is talk of sledding soon, but we still need a little more snow. Matt's mother took me to listen to Christmas carols at St. Patrick's last night. I love traditional holiday carols. They make me happy, and sometimes inexplicably choked up. I learned that Silent Night does that to Sharon every time, too. Matt made the two batches of white chocolate. White chocolate screams Christmas to me. It is the only time of year that I eat it making it a very, very special treat. Several of our neighbors have strung lights from the trees and along the rooftops and Matt and I have had conversations about which lights are our favorites, the pros and cons of the old fashioned large bulbs compared to the new, tiny LED ones, the baffling popularity of those enormous inflatable contraptions that are all over the place. We took a short detour to look at lights on the way home from work the night it snowed. Matt wanted to look at the house covered in blue lights as they reflected off the new, sparkly snow. Afterwards, when we arrived home, a mouse had caught itself in the garbage can. Even that seemed like a sign of the quickly approaching Christmas time. It wouldn't be December without mice invading the house despite our best efforts to keep them out. At least this one had the courtesy to fall into the empty kitchen trash can, which since it was empty, proved impossible to escape from. Hmmmm....maybe that last bit wasn't specifically Christmasy....well, unless you live at my house and then you'd realize it really is a part of the season.

Yesterday I finished wrapping all my gifts, except one, which I still have to figure out. Last week I'd opened my stash box of gifts I'd been collecting all year--things I'd picked up at thrift stores and the craft shows we participate in. I spread the gifts out on the sofa making a list of who each one went to. I was immensely surprised with myself. That one gift aside I am finished with Christmas gifts this year already. Usually I am just starting to think about it at this time with the result that I purchase several gifts impulsively, first-hand, at the last minute, out of obligation, feeling guilty about the whole thing and uncertain that people will like/need what I got them or that the post office will get it there on time. That feeling made me dread Christmas gifts. It is silly, I now realize. Lacking the deep spiritual foundation of the holiday (which I had cast off myself as a teen, but am reclaiming as an adult) I was only participating in the commercial side of it which I hated and was not me. This year feels different. A lot different. Last year was pretty good in regards to those things, but this year.... even better. I feel as if I've finally found my Christmas. I've found a way to celebrate that moves with my spirit as well as the traditional spirit of the season and the joy of giving and being with others. I think I've finally found traditions that make me happy. But next year I do think I'll try to add an Advent wreath to the mix. I always loved that as a girl and I think the candle flame would add to the wonder, and gratitude of the season.

Whew....that last paragraph came out of no where. It wasn't really what I'd intended to write in this post.

What I'd meant to write was that I was pleased with each of the gifts I'd selected over the year as I looked them over. I'd picked each of these gifts because I knew that so-and-so would love it....not because it was December 15th and I needed to get so-and-so a present. Each gift was special and unique, many handmade. None were from a big box store, mass produced in China, purchased out of duty. They were gifts I was proud to be giving and that I really feel will be appreciated by those that receive them. It was a magical feeling to realize this.

It made me so happy. It made me so thankful. And if it is possible, which is apparently is, it made me all that much more filled with Christmas cheer.

Matt made two batches of white chocolate. The one in the back is made with vanilla bean, the one in the front made with vanilla extract. The vanilla bean was definitely better, but its white chocolate after all so they were both pretty darn super.

(That said I don't want to come across too judgmental sounding so I'll add this: I am sure some people are great at finding the perfect, most thoughtful, beloved gift at box stores too, but I wasn't and I didn't like it. But, that is just me.)

On My Mind....

2011-12-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

On my mind is a music project I'd hoped to have completed long ago. It was something I planned to do in 2011. Well, there are only 23 days left so I better finish it and quick! (How did this happen? Where did the year go?)

If...I mean WHEN I get it finished I will share a little more about it.

The On My Mind concept come from Rhonda on her Down to Earth blog. Won't you join in on the fun?!

A Satisified Mind

2011-12-07T15:58:00.000-07:00

So, to keep on the same theme as the poem I posted yesterday I have something else to share--A Satisfied Mind.

I really, really adore this song. I love to play it on my guitar and have Matt sing along. I frequently find myself humming it (along with Simple Gifts) while I am working around the house. For a long time I thought it was written by The Byrds because that was the first place I'd heard it. Then I thought it was Bob Dylan because I heard him sing it too and The Byrds covered quite a number of his songs. Then, two days ago, I learned that it is a Porter Wagoner song first recorded in 1951. But, that wasn't totally accurate either. From what I can tell it is a song written by Red Hayes and Jack Rhodes, but first recorded by Wagoner.

The origin really isn't the important part though with a song this swell. Everyone just wants to sing it from Ella Fitgerald to Johnny Cash and everywhere in between....myself included.

I hope that you have a satisfied mind. As long as you've got that you are set. I've found that as I simplify and slow down in life it is just that much easier to be satisfied with life. When you are thrilled with the simple things it is easy to be happy.

A Satisfied Mind

How many times have you heard someone say,
If I had his money I'd do things my way.
But little they know,
That it's so hard to find,
One rich man in ten with a satisfied mind.

Once I was wading in fortune and fame.
Everything that I dreamed of to get a start in life's game.
But suddenly it happened,
I lost every dime.
But I'm richer by far with a satisfied mind.

When life has ended and my time has run out,
My friends and my loved ones,
I'll leave there's no doubt.
But one thing for certain,
When it comes my time,
I'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind.

Finally Having More

2011-12-06T19:35:00.002-07:00

I found this poem glued into a journal yesterday. I don't know where I found it originally, but I quite like it and wanted to share it far and wide. It speaks to me strongly. It seems to reflect back at me what I feel inside about the quiet life I am building with Matt. That last stanza is so powerful and true. The first worded just perfectly. I hope you enjoy as well.

Suburbia Revised by Ruth Wrenn

Finally free
from the grasping gasping needingness
of the constant wanting nothingness
of the endless hunting shoppingness
of suburban modern emptiness

My time
is finally mine to give away
Never more to waste away
on the the endless quest for more to pay
to bring home more to throw away

Wanting less and
Needing less and
Finally having more.

Barefoot Life

2011-12-06T19:11:00.001-07:00

I prefer a barefoot existence. It is what feels best to me. It isn't always practical where I live, but it is my preference. I put on shoes to walk to the co-op this morning because of the cold, but kicked them off--along with the socks--the second I was back in the door.

It all started with my sister, Lisa, and this book she insisted that I read. Despite my hesitation to pick up a copy the book ended up being every bit as life-changingly awesome as she'd said. And thus began my love affair with my feet.

They really are a marvel you know--your feet--if you stop to think about it. The tiny bones, the subtle flex of muscles and tendons that creates balance and movement, the countless sensitive nerves that can tell you so much about this world if they aren't penned up in shoes. Even my Fivefingers--barefoot shoes--are still just shoes. After a summer of bare freedom they make my feet feel closed in, clammy, sweaty, dark--just like a shoe. I wear them still, but only as a second choice to the real thing used for situations that are dangerous for the truly bare feet...broken glass, cactus fields, fiery hot blacktop.

Once my feet were freed, as it were, from shoes I became fascinated with observing the changes in them. They grew tough enough to withstand the world surprisingly quick. They became tan and smooth. Thick, almost like shoes in a way. My toes felt stronger and longer. My balance better. Callouses sprung up on the pad of my foot, near my toes. A slim crescent of a callous formed high on the outside of each heel and I was surprised that that part of my foot should even touch the ground enough to form a callous. I'd have figured it would have formed more squarely on my heel, but, I was learning all sort of things through my feet. They felt like new feet. Or rather, having spent a lifetime paying little attention to my feet at all, I was blown away by all the awesome information I received once I actually started to pay attention to what they were up to all day.

Over this past summer my feet grew hard until I could walk on gravel with a nearly normal gait. I can remember an older woman's shocked comment when she passed me on a gravel path at the Headwaters State Park. At Chokecherry Festival I bought a few homemade dish scrubbies from Kathy Walter who, looking down, told me I should also use buy one to use on my dirty heels as well as my dishes, that they did that on the colony all the time for stained summer feet. Matt, with his tender feet, was horrified that I should try to stand on a garden shovel to push it further into the earth and demanded I at least get sandals on. I did, but the shovel edge hadn't hurt.

Even when my feet are cold as ice, and Matt touches them in bed with his own warm feet and asks why on earth I have not put socks on I don't care to do so. "Oh, I suppose they ARE cold. Hmmm.... I hadn't noticed." Certainly, I will wear socks at a point, but despite the cold, or for that matter the heat, or roughness of surface I just like how just about everything feels better bare. The damp of the grass on a spring morning. The silky, cool dirt of the garden in summer. The crunch of dry leaves on a walk home in the autumn. The smooth, cold, cement basement floor when I am hanging up laundry inside due to the snow outside in the winter. I want to feel it all with my toes. I can't really explain it. It just feels good. It feels right. Like this was how I was meant to move about on this planet...how I was supposed to know it.

Dried Garden Herbs

2011-12-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

We finally decided to try growing and drying some herbs this year. We'd grown herbs once before, possibly our first year gardening, but I am not even sure we used them! I don't think we grew them very well this year, but they did grow. Well, not the rosemary. I swear it was the exact same size when we harvested it as when we planted it. The herb bed was on the west side of the house and between the overhanging trees and the house itself the bed really didn't get much sun. So, I am just glad we got anything at all. Like every year in the garden I certainly learned a thing or two to do differently next time. That is gardening for ya!

As I was separating the dried leaves from the stems I told Matt that I thought that herbs were worth growing just for that heady experience alone. The whole room was filled with such delicate yet overwhelming scents. My hands reeked (in the best possibly way) for hours afterwards. It was delightful.

So, in addition to snips here and there while they were still alive and growing in the flowerbed I ended up with:
1/2 oz. each dried English Thyme, Mint, French Tarragon, and Oregano
1/4 oz dried Rosemary

Obviously this is not a huge haul, but it is a start!

Roasted Garlic Focaccia Bread

2011-12-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

After I posted the photo of the roasted garlic focaccia bread I promised TLC I would to post this recipe soon... back on November 14th. Well, better late than never. And here it is!

Roasted Garlic Focaccia Bread
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water
    3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cups flour
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 head roasted garlic, each clove cut in half or quarters
   olive oil for brushing
coarse salt for garnish

Place yeast in a bowl with the warm water and stir until dissolved.
Add oil and flour and mix well until a soft dough starts to form. If it is too sticky add a bit more flour, a tablespoon at a time.
Add garlic pieces.
Turn the dough out on a floured surface and knead about five minutes, until the dough is smooth and the garlic evenly distributed throughout.
Pour a little olive oil in the original bowl and add the kneaded dough, turning a few times to get it coated with oil.
Cover bowl and let rise for an hour.
Punch down the dough and return to floured surface to knead a few times.
Using a floured rolling pin roll the dough into a large circle about 1 ½ inches thick.
Place dough on a baking stone, or lightly greased baking sheet.
Make indentations with fingers in the top of dough.
Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt.
Let rise again for another 20 minutes.
While the dough is rising the second time preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until the bread is lightly browned and firm.
Allow to cool before slicing.

Caribbean Sweet Potato Au Gratin

2011-12-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my friend Kris at a potluck some years ago. It isn't made very often at our house, but oh when it is it is a reason enough for celebration. Don't be scared off by the length of the recipe. It is totally worth it and really not as labor-intensive as it might seem at first glance.

Caribbean Sweet Potato Au Gratin

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lime peel

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 1/2 cups coconut milk (1 1/2 cans)

4 cups peeled and thinly sliced sweet potatoes (1 1/2 lbs)

1 cup cooked rice

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans

1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, rinsed, stemmed,and chopped

Topping:

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 Tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Lightly oil 9x13 inch pan.

Combine garlic, lime peel and juice, cilantro, thyme, salt, pepper, and coconut milk in measuring cup.

Pour 1/3 of mixture into prepared baking pan.
Layer half of sweet potatoes in bottom, topped by half of rice, half of black beans, and half spinach.
Pour on another third of coconut milk mix and repeat layers of sweet potatoes, rice, beans, and spinach.
Top with a thin layer of sweet potatoes.
Pour remaining coconut milk mix over the whole thing.

In small bowl, combine all of topping ingredients and sprinkle over top.

Bake, uncovered, 60 minutes, turning pan in oven after 30 minutes.

When potatoes are tender and topping is crisp and golden brown, remove from oven and let sit for 2-3 minutes until potatoes absorb any remaining liquid.

Fingerlings

2011-12-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

Until this summer I didn't have much experience with fingerling potatoes. However, they were the most prolific in our potato patch so we ended up getting quite a fingerling education. And, by that, I mean an education as to how incredible, utterly amazing, and fantastic these little potatoes are!

They are perfect just about every way you might want to make them, as opposed to say russets which I think make great fried potatoes, but not so great mashed. Until we started growing potatoes I sort of naively thought that a potato is a potato is a potato. But, oh no! Just like when I discovered the garlic guy at the farmer's market I quickly learned that each has its only little special differences to be enjoyed.

While I certainly enjoy all of the broad variety of potatoes I've ever had the chance to try I can easily say that fingerlings get my pick for favorite potato.

Roast they turned so creamy it was like magic. That way my favorite way to eat them, but then again I love just about everything roasted.

Sadly, we are the last of them for breakfast this morning. Oh, it had to happen sooner of later...

Matt is reading over seed catalogs. I told him we MUST grow several kinds of fingerlings next year! And lots more!

Libster Blog Award

2011-12-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

Jamie from the NGO Family Farm has bestowed upon me a kind little blog award. Thanks Jamie, I am honored. So, now it is my opportunity to spotlight the blogs I enjoy and learn so much from. When I started my blog I honestly never expected to find such an amazing and genuine connection with people around the world. It has been so much fun getting to know you all!

The word liebster comes from the German words for love, friend, or dearest, and the goal of this award is to spotlight up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 followers.

This is how it works:
1. Copy and paste the award on your blog
2. Thank the giver by linking back to them
3. Reveal your 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog
4. Hope that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers

So here are my 5 blog picks, just in case you hadn't found them yet and might want to stop by and say hello.

Going off Da Grid, Janice
Manual for Metamorphosis
Home[in]stead
Farm Suite
The Gardener of Eden

I have learned so much from these folks on so many varied topics. They continue to be a source of inspiration for me.

Makin' Stock

2011-11-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

Making stock is something that I've thought about doing for far too long. But, at long last, we finally did it! I must say I don't know what took me so long....it really was very simple.

And it tastes super. And is so inexpensive it is nearly absurd! As an added plus there are no worries about all the potentially scary stuff found in oh-so-many store-bought stock and bullion.

The first step is to save up a bunch of vegetable scraps in the freezer. The only thing to steer clear of is strongly flavored items (like broccoli). My bag was full of carrot and potato peels, garlic and onion skins, bell pepper cores, carrot tops, squash guts and skin, etc. Stuff that I usually send to the compost pile.

Once you have a bunch of scraps you can make stock! I used my pressure cooker, but you could certainly do it in a regular pot it would just probably take longer.

Vegetable Stock
Add a couple tablespoons of olive oil, a few pepper corns, and two bay leaves to the pressure cooker.
Put the pressure cooker on the stove over high heat.
We added several sliced up several mushrooms too as my bag of scraps didn't contain any mushrooms and from what I've read they really add to the flavor. We also added a few stocks of celery we had as well.
Saute the mushrooms and celery for a few minutes.

Add the vegetable scraps and begin to saute them. Be sure to rotate the veg every couple of minutes so that the stuff at the bottom gets brought to the top and vice versa. Everything needs some time at the bottom of the pot. Tongs would probably be perfect for this task, but we don't own any so we just used a big spoon.

The pot starts out full nearly to the brim, but after 15 minutes or so it has shrunk considerably and by 25 minutes the pot should be only about half full. Also, brown bits (called fond) should be starting to form at the bottom of the pot.
Add a cup of water and try to loosen the fond, scraping as much as possible off the bottom.
Add nine more cups of water, but be sure you aren't overfilling your pressure cooker. It shouldn't be filled more than 3/4 of the way full.
Secure the lid and bring the pot to pressure (our pressure cooker does 15 psi).
Cook for 45-60 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow the pressure to fall on its own accord.
Press everything through a funnel hand press (chinois) and tada! Stock!

And then, after all that, the scraps still end up in the compost pile.

We ended up with about two quarts of stock. I froze a few cups of it in an ice cube tray as an experiment. The rest was just gobbled up fresh in soup, chili, stuffing, risotto, etc.

It so nice when new ventures work out so well.

Whoooo's that with my Recipe Card?

2011-11-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

When I was over at Matt's parent's house for Thanksgiving I noticed a little hand-painted, wooden pig with a clothes pin attached to the back sitting on the counter. I was looking the painting over, admiring the delicate brush work, noticing the faint wisps of paint that spelled out the name Violet--Matt's grandmother. Sharon explained to me that it was a recipe card holder.

For some reason the idea of a recipe card holder really struck me as awesome. Later, I thought, "I should make myself one!" I looked around the house for the perfect object to turn into a holder and soon found it living in the collection of owls on top of the book shelf.

A clothes pin, a bit of coloring, and a dab of super glue later I had my very own little owl kitchen helper. Matt had the brilliant suggestion to color the clothes pin with a marker so that it matched the owl.

I am so pleased. It makes me happy to see it perched on the windowsill, being all useful and cute.

Saturday at Phipps

2011-11-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

It has been unseasonably warm the last week and so over the weekend I found it all just too glorious to stay indoors. It was a day that demanded the out of doors.

Saturday we called up Josh saying we wanted to go on some sort of outdoors adventure. Without more detail he agreed. I love that about him. We picked him up and headed out of town to Phipps Park to hike and play folf.

In all the open space we still managed to run into a couple we knew out hiking with a visiting relative. Scott, you may remember as Green Man, has a beard you can spot from a mile away. It made me wonder if people recognize Matt and I from a distance because of his beard.

It is so ruggedly beautiful out there. High, windswept, open. Mountains off on the horizon.

This is the hole 18. You throw your disc from the top of the cliff way down to a basket near that big pine tree in the center. It is crazy, but fun. That sort of sums up the folf course at Phipps in general--crazy, but fun.

Since is has a tendency towards windiness out at Phipps Park I also brought the kites along. It is one of my favorite kite flying spots. Josh had the best kite flying, but really any Saturday in November kite flying is a pretty darn great day for me. We had to quit when Josh and Matt's hands got chilled. Silly boys, that is why you bring gloves!

I know the warm weather can't hold out much longer, but I am sure enjoying every minute of it.

BLD in MT : Living a Simple Life in This Interconnected World

Matt's New Garden

Beautiful Birds and A Beautiful Woman

Buds and Snow

A Bit of Silliness

Moving Day

Happy Birthday, Phil!

A Simple Knit Washcloth

We are Homeowners!

Batter-fried Cauliflower Pakoras

Change

Ojos: Instructions from the Master

Audiobooks & A CyberVacation

Spicy, Spicy, Spicy

Garden Results

The Fun-Filled and Productive Weekend

A New Curtain

About the House Lately

My Gretchen Bag

Corn Dumplings

Tuscan-Style Pasta with Chickpeas & Zucchini

Braised Broccoli di Raab

A Sunny Sunday and A Bald Eagle

Roasting Garlic

"Soup" of Rice and White Beans

Braided Pizza

The Last Of...

Ditch the Dryer

Vico (Homemade Chololate Syrup)

A New Year

My Christmas Holiday

Rainbow Clouds

A Super-Duper New Kite

Free Compost Bucket Liner

Books Read in 2011

Happy Holidays!

The Anonymous String Association

Carrot Fritters

Totally Random Photos

Jonnie's Birthday Cake

A Perfect Weekend

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon-Garlic

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon-Garlic1 pound of broccoli2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushedground black pepper, to taste1 teaspoon coarse salt1/4 Cup lemon juice2-4 Tablespoons olive oil

The Household Dictionary

The Strangest Soup

A Family Dinner

Celebrate Wonder

A Good Laugh

Easy, Wonderful Gnocchi

Atari Time

A Christmas Sort of Ramble

On My Mind....

A Satisified Mind

Finally Having More

Barefoot Life

Dried Garden Herbs

Roasted Garlic Focaccia Bread

Caribbean Sweet Potato Au Gratin

Fingerlings

Libster Blog Award

Makin' Stock

Whoooo's that with my Recipe Card?

Saturday at Phipps

Roasted Broccoli with Lemon-Garlic
1 pound of broccoli
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 Cup lemon juice
2-4 Tablespoons olive oil