PicnicBasketCrafts

Food, Blog Action Day, and "The Green Thing" That Divides Us

2011-10-16T09:44:00.002-06:00

Today is Blog Action Day, and this year's theme is food. Specifically, how are we going to feed the earth's 7 billion people? I'm joining thousands of bloggers who are participating in this global conversation about
sustainable eating.

I could tell you about becoming a vegetarian in the past year, about working my way through the pantry to eat our stockpiles so they don't become food waste, shopping at the farmer's market, buying local produce at the grocery store, choosing food with less plastic packaging, bringing my own bags and jars to fill at the bulk bins, adding new items to my diet, packing my kids' vegetarian lunches, enjoying eggs from my students' front-yard chickens...

But what's on my mind today is an email that my husband read to me yesterday morning. You might have seen this one floating around. Jim Knowles ranting about how there was no "Green Thing" when they were young, and growing up green by necessity, listing all of the green things they used to do. A little Google search turned it up here.

Here's what bothers me about it.

1. It is just one more example of the politicization of environmental issues we all have to deal with.
2. It manufactures conflict between generations.
3. It assumes everyone who is into the "Green Thing" blames their parents and grandparents for everything, and hollers at old ladies in the supermarket for not bringing their own bags.
4. It assumes that the "new" green we are looking for is different from the "old" green.

Bottom line. I love everything in this article. Take away the angry tone, and it sounds just like a "Green Thing" wish list.

return bottles for refilling
walk up the stairs instead of using the escalator
walk to the store instead of driving
cloth diapers instead of disposables
dry laundry on the line
hand-me-downs instead of new clothes
one (or fewer) TVs in the house
more handmade, homecooked, locally sourced, healthy foods
ship packages in reclaimed materials instead of styrofoam and bubble wrap
fewer lawnmowers (neighborhood share), push-type lawnmowers, and less lawn to mow in the first place (hello front yard gardening!)
exercise outdoors
drink from the fountain when you are thirsty
refillable pens, razors, etc.
Take public transportation

And I'd add a few more things I admire about your generation...

houses were smaller
closets were smaller
garages were smaller
no one had a storage unit
neighborhoods were friendlier
parents expected their children to behave, learn at school, and respect their elders
kids did extra jobs for spending money
the rag man came around for old cloth to be turned into paper
people made their own just about everything
almost nothing was made of, or packaged in, plastic

I could go on... Point is, I respect that you lived much greener back then. Let's get back there, okay? And how about we work together?

Teach me how you did it, help me figure out how to grow some vegetables in my back yard, let me watch and help out the next time you're canning tomatoes, tell me how to build a root cellar and tend a flock of hens, how to repair my sewing machine. Because I want to learn! And if we are going to figure out how to feed and clothe 7 billion people, we are going to have to all work to sacrifice some of our wasteful and unsustainable habits. All of us. Let's do it together.

Best Colorado Fall Colors Ever, and Living a Life That is More Than Ordinary

2011-10-09T20:59:00.000-06:00

Some of my friends, family, and favorite customers might already know I've taken a bit of a personal hiatus this past month. What I've learned is that during difficult times, there's nothing more soothing and healing than spending some time outdoors. Last week we did some yurt camping, and I had a bit of an internal battle over whether to feel guilty or not over skipping school (for me and for my kids) so we could spend some much-needed time together as a family. My epiphany: There is nothing. NOTHING. more important than this.

Camping in the fall is a whole different experience than camping in-season. I much prefer the quiet, solitary, cold and quiet, over the clamor, hubbub and heat of the typical camping season. It helps me make the most of my time with the Earth, as none of my energy is spent on traffic, bugs, heat, or other summertime camping hassles. And it doesn't hurt that this year has been spectacular for fall colors in Colorado.

And, in case you wondered, as many of my coworkers have been asking lately... Why are some years' colors more spectacular than others?

Leaves have at least three kinds of chlorophyll - green, yellow and orange. Some plants have others. When the trees cut off the water supply to the leaves, the green is the quickest to degrade, revealing the other colors of chlorophyll hidden below the dominant green.

Most years in Colorado, we don't get much past the yellow stage, because as soon as the weather starts turning, it turns drastically. If there is a heavy frost, or snow, the leaves will immediately fall after yellowing, and we won't see the orange or reds most of the rest of the country enjoys. This year, we have had bright sun in the day and cool, but not freezing, nights. That means that the leaves have stayed on the trees longer, and have had more time to develop their full fall colors.

But what is more important than understanding chlorophyll academically, is to take your kids outside, and collect a baseball hat full of the most beautiful leaves, spend some time away from the noise and chaos of your every day life, feel the cold and wet and fresh air, and even skip some school if you have to.

For me, this epiphany is a lot about living a life that is not ordinary. We live such brief and fleeting moments in time... In a world of quickly-fading yellows, which of us can live a life so full of fire, that our influence can't go without notice? I want to live the kind of life that will be remembered as being spectacular. I want my kids to remember their childhoods as something truly special.

Trying to be different today, and every day. Because life is SO. DAMN. SHORT. Carpe Diem.

5 Years After "The Tragedy"... Can I Talk About This Now?

2011-09-27T19:51:00.001-06:00

*Deep breath*...

I'm ready. I think. Here we go.

September 27, 2006.

It was flower dissection day. I was 4 months pregnant. It was sunny, with just some wisps of clouds. A perfect fall day. It was Mo's birthday and she brought in red velvet cupcakes. I honestly can't say if they ever got eaten. I imagine them being among the half-rotten uneaten lunch debris found in the Canyon Room four days later, like what would be left behind after the Rapture. A moment frozen in time, never, ever to be reclaimed. The moment before our lives were changed forever.

I was on lunch duty. After finishing eating, I took the kids out to recess. About 10 minutes before it was time to go inside, the nurse came running out across the blacktop, saying get the kids in. She wasn't particularly hysterical, just matter of fact. We must get the kids in. NOW.

We blew the whistle, called for the kids to come in. A few of them, confused, started walking towards the building. Most of them didn't stop playing. They looked at me like I was nuts. The nurse got more insistent. Get them in RIGHT. NOW. I had no idea what was going on.

I ran all over the playground, yelling at kids to get inside. They knew it wasn't time to go in. Many of the kids would later recall this was the moment they realized I was pregnant. Running around the enormous playground, holding my bouncing bump, yelling for everyone to go inside.

We finally got all the kids inside (or so I hoped, I never knew how many I had out there...). We crammed all of the 6th and 7th graders into the two classrooms closest to the playground end of the building. It was tight. Really, really tight. We had no information about what was going on, or what to do really, so we just hunkered the kids down on the floor in the dark and tried to keep them quiet. There was yelling and banging in the halls once in a while, but mostly it was just eerily quiet. We closed the blinds, so even though we knew something was going on out there, we really didn't see anything.

We sat there for a really long time. It might have been 10 minutes, or an hour. I can't tell you, but it was interminable. Things started falling apart and we couldn't keep the kids quiet. Somehow (??) a rumor started that there was a gun in the school. I don't know how. Maybe someone had a cell phone. Maybe the teacher checked her email. Maybe someone picked out meaning from the far away mumbled shouting we heard outside. There were like 50 or 60 kids in the room, and mumblings turned to pushing and joking around and being goofy middle schoolers. I told them over and over again to be quiet, and they just couldn't. None of us knew what was going on, and it seemed to the kids to be some kind of weird drill. We could only hold them silent for so long. Two kids were bickering, and one told the other to shut the fuck up. In a moment of panic, I said to one, "shut the fuck up before I kick your ass myself." Yes. I said that. And I'd do it again. I'm sorry.

That seemed to hold them for what felt like another 10 minutes/2 hours? Eventually someone came to the door and said we were going to be evacuated and that we were to move absolutely silently, with our hands above our heads. They opened the door and, ignoring the guns pointed vaguely in our direction, we stumbled our way out the door, across the expanse of blacktop, and into the woods. We had no idea where to go from there, but knew we needed to be out of sight from the school. We were all still shocked and dazed, and honestly I don't think it had really sunken in that it still wasn't just some weird drill or misunderstanding.

We trudged over the barbed wire and through the bushes (as well as we could... I remember looking over and seeing the copy repair man, the art teacher, and the PE teacher hiding the kids in wheelchairs in the bushes in the ditch. There was no way they could push those chairs up the hill through the woods...), and finally settled in a field out of sight of the school. We tried to keep the kids sitting down, but they were uncomfortable in the grass and stickers and dirt. Some kids were crying, others were acting like they were still on recess. They were all thirsty, and hungry, and confused. They needed to pee. The 8th grade science teacher, who happened to also be my 7th grade math teacher, pulled together a study group, and had most of the 8th grade class under control reviewing chemistry. The 6th and 7th graders were all over the place. We couldn't stop the rumors. A few adults had radios, and were clearly in communication with ... whoever they were communicating with. They tried to keep out of earshot, but some kids must have overheard. Or received cell calls... I don't know what was going on. It felt like chaos about to erupt. Someone said, "my sister is in 10th grade!" Everyone suddenly needed to make a phone call. I continued to push an attitude of, no one knows what's going on right now, these are all rumors, you are safe here, let's just hold tight until we are told what to do. No one uses a cell phone or they are dead meat. No one plays in the rumor mill or I'm rolling some heads. We need to stay calm and focus on what we can control...

I had sort of begun feeling like things were getting under control... At least the kids had finally gotten bored of panicking and started just chit-chatting instead. That's when the helicopters arrived. A whole swarm of them. Police helicopters, news helicopters... Suddenly I was certain that we were on live TV, and that was when it was searingly clear that we were in deep shit. I needed a phone and a toilet in the worst possible way. Luckily the mom whose property we were bunkered down on came down to see if we needed water or anything else, and she took me up to her house to use the bathroom. I saw a flash on the TV as we were coming in the house. Helicopter-view of our little gulley full of ducks in a pond. Or fish in a barrel... I couldn't get back to them fast enough. I called my mom real quick - I knew she'd have the news on TV. I don't know what I said to her. I think I told her I was okay. Weird that I can't remember that conversation...

We scoured the kids for paper and writing utensils. Since all of them were either at lunch or recess, and had to leave the school with hands in the air, almost no one had anything on them. We found napkins and love notes or something to write on and a few stubs of pencil. We knew we were to be evacuated by school bus, and we had to be responsible for each and every one of our kids. We got the kids in groups, made our lists, checked them over and over again. Waited and waited and waited.

Finally the buses came. We had our hands full keeping the kids from sprinting out of control. We made them walk in lines and then had to count and recount them as they got on the buses. We were told we would be taking them to the elementary school, where their parents would pick them up. We were, under NO CIRCUMSTANCES, to release any child in our custody to anyone but their parents or guardians. We rehearsed what we would do when we got to the elementary. How to get the kids off the buses, where we would take them, how to get the parents to sign them out in an orderly fashion. I had a job. I knew what to do.

The buses took us down the dump road, a detour that bypassed the school and the town of Bailey. As we passed by the football field on the way up the detour road, we saw someone on a stretcher being carried to a helicopter. My stomach lurched. I focused on my responsibility.

When we turned down the road towards the elementary school, we met a mob we could not have possibly anticipated. The road was positively bogged with cars and trucks. They had given up any hope of driving to the school, and had abandoned their cars where they stood. There was no room for a single car to drive through, not to mention a line of school buses. The parents were rushing the buses, pounding on the windows, screaming and crying, pushing and clamoring over each other, and yelling into cell phones. My dear friend Judy documents the parents' experience here. The buses honked, the parents pounded, the kids tried to open windows, some threatened to climb out. I had a job I needed to do, and did my best to make them sit down and stop screaming.

Finally we arrived at the elementary school, the same mob of parents following us the entire way. I took my post at the front of the bus to address the parents and let them know my plan for releasing them in an orderly way to the proper guardians, and explaining my need to keep track of who was accounted for, etc.

Just as I was beginning to release some of the children, a police officer came to my bus and told all of the kids to get off and find their parents. I tried arguing that I couldn't let them just rush out of the bus and run away, that I had to keep track of them, and help them find their parents. He told them to get off, and in the shouting match that ensued between the two of us, parents started pushing me aside so they could grab their kids off the bus. The kids were screaming to get out. They could see their parents, and wanted out. I looked that police officer in the eye and told him that he was now responsible for the safety of each and every one of those kids now that he had taken my job away from me. I crumpled in a corner of the kindergarten classroom and cried for I don't know how long. I would fixate on this for nothing short of 2 years... That police officer stripping me of my responsibility to keep order and return those kids to their parents safely.

We were eventually told the important events that had occurred. I threw up a few times. They wouldn't let us go back to the school to get our cars. We were stuck in Bailey. Eventually I got a ride with a handful of other teachers who live in town, in a car that had been parked at the elementary school. My mom had picked up Dylan, and met me at the Fort. I was in utter shock. Thank god for my mom... She took me to the lake at clement park and I think we walked around it 4 times before I had finally come down enough to acknowledge my 4 year old son's need for dinner. We went somewhere. My stepdad met us there. They ate. I don't know what I did. I think I cried, and scared the waitress. And my poor kid.

The next 4 days were like peeling an onion of agony. I mourned as a teacher, as a parent, as a former student, as a member of the human race. I felt sorry for Emily, I felt sorry for her twin brother, I felt sorry for the kids who ended up at the hospital waiting for the news that she was gone, I felt sorry for Emily's parents, for all of the parents, I felt sorry for the other kids in that classroom, I felt sorry for the teacher (who I had as an English teacher in my own highschool years), I felt sorry for the sheriff (who was my driver's ed teacher), I felt sorry for the kids who were locked in lockdown in the library right below the room where all the shit went down, I felt sorry for the kids who made up stories on national TV, placing themselves closer to the danger than they really were, I felt sorry for the principal and the superintendent, who would some day have to answer for their own decisions, I felt sorry for every kid who would ever graduate from Platte Canyon High School, I felt sorry for my own children, who would grow up in a world where a bad man could come into a school and kill a little girl, I felt sorry for the Pikes Peak mental health professionals who were there to offer us help none of us wanted (or at least knew how to accept). I felt sorry for the Columbine teachers who came to help us through our pain, while reliving their own. I felt sorry for the kids who didn't get to go to school for 4 days, waiting for normalcy to return, while their teachers figured out how to put themselves together enough to teach in that building again. I felt sorry for all of us. I felt a lot sorry for me. I felt sorry for feeling sorry for myself.

Then there was the memorial motorcycle ride that was would have been healing, had we not all been feeling so sorry for ourselves. I have spent the past 5 years being ass-hurt by the memorial organization spending so much time honoring the "first responders", that they forgot to honor the real "first responders." I am not proud to say that I've felt sorry for myself and the rest of us for a hell of a long time.

I am done feeling sorry for myself. Today I am honoring my community and Emily Keyes by loving the kids I have right now as hard as I can. I am proud to call myself a Bailey native, and I am working to make Bailey proud of me too.

I love you guys.

Distractions, Geeky Wonderful Distractions

2011-07-29T14:10:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I REALLY dig my kid. This is what happens when he comes into my workshop to show me his riflery target sheet from summer camp. This kid's brain is made of science. I LOVE IT!

Thoughts on Crested Butte - A Suggestion For Artists

2011-07-21T21:59:00.000-06:00


The camera simply cannot do it justice. Sadly, it's the only tool I know how to use.

So last week when we were in Crested Butte it was their official wildflower festival, not that I saw much festival happening, but those "in the know" know that the peak of wildflower season in the wildflower capital of Colorado is the 2nd or 3rd week of July. It was truly spectacular, fully deserving of the title. The following week is the painters' festival, so there are also a charming crop of streetside artists, painting away on their little easels. We like to drive by nice and slow to see what their renditions look like. I'm sure they love it when we gawp at them out our windows. (-:

I love a riot of beauty in nature. What bothers me about nature though, is she just doesn't photograph well (for me, at least). I spend a week surrounded with spectacular beauty, snapping left and right at every Amsel Adams worthy view I see, only to come home to find a hundred disappointing photos that fall short of the mark.

So here's what I'm thinking. If you are pulled over in Crested Butte, or wherever your local spot of riotous beauty may be, working on your artistic renditions, why not put a website decal on your car so I can jot it down real quick and buy something from you when I get home? Or, better yet, open up the hatch to show your work and hang a price. Do you know how awesome it would be to bring home a painting for a souvenir? What a great conversation piece, and a fun way to support the work of artists, face to face. And you know, if you just wanted a way to make a few bucks as an artist, here's an easy scam I would be all to willing to fall right into. Get really good at painting one spot (when you get tired of that spot, pick a new one). Paint 15 or whatever of the same scene, and then set up your easel on the side of the road, putting on the finishing touches. Hang your sign advertising your art is for sale. When I pull up to admire your work and ask to buy, you can say this, "Well, the paint isn't quite dry, but if you give me your email address, I can send you a paypal invoice when it's finished, and ship it to your home address." Truly, I wouldn't even care if you had 30 of the exact same painting in your workshop at home.

What do you think? Is this a crazy idea? I guess the other artists across the road might think you were a sell out. Is that it? Still, a website would be subtle enough, I would think.

Anyone got a painting of some idyllic scene in Crested Butte they want to sell me? (-:

Research Week In My Workshop!

2011-07-17T16:01:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone! I have just returned from a nice 5 day camping trip with Hubby and G, while D was at summer camp, and I came back with a head-ful of ideas!

You know what that means!

1) I'll be drafting a pattern for an ultralight tent soon (last camping trip yielded a little kids' ultralight backpacking pack)

2) It's Research Week in my workshop. Please check out my facebook page for a look at all the questions I'm asking my fans. I've got new ideas for camping stuff, baby stuff, outdoor stuff. Powders, dry shampoos, deodorant, bug repellant, all kinds of stuff.

Building Healthy Self Esteem in Exceptional Children, Part 1

2011-07-02T22:03:00.000-06:00

A facebook friend of mine liked this article from the Huffington Post. This article reminds us not to greet a little girl with praise for her physical appearance ("My what a pretty dress that is!" and "What lovely curls you have!" and so forth). Rather, we should try something like, "Hello, Maya. What books are you reading lately?" It really got me thinking about the internal clockwork though which our children filter our interactions with them, and internalize them as empirical truths about their character and worth in this world. We cannot know the influence we have on who our children believe they are. This is true for all children, and not only girls. So I've been thinking lately about my own kids, and what I want them to internalize about their character and worth in this world. I am no parenting expert, and don't mean to toot my own horn AT ALL. But I have learned a couple of things about being a mom to exceptional kids, and if it is helpful to anyone, I am happy to share my experience. Without further ado...

Child #1.

I'm getting real here today. I don't talk about it too much (partly not to brag, partly not to whine and cry because I don't have a clue how to deal with him half the time), but this kid is, well. BRILLIANT. I mean. The kind of brilliant that you can't help but notice, if you talk to him for more than three minutes. I will not embarrass myself by sharing his last spelling list of the third grade year, as I am certain I will misspell at least half of it.

As soon as he started talking, at the ripe age of 9 months old, people started remarking on how smart he was. "Did that baby REALLY just say that??" was a frequent exclamation at the grocery store. By the age of 3, he had established himself as the pet patron of his favorite public librarian, Phyllis, and to this day, will not receive assistance from any other adult when it comes to choosing and finding books. There is even an urban legend among the local librarians starring a precocious three year old who mistook the tadpoles on the the icky pizza book for sperm, the inspiration of which not-so-tall-tale is none other than he. Before we enrolled him in a full-time gifted program, he was so used to being grouped with kids older than himself, he actually truly believed he was better than everyone his own age and threw a fit if he had to be a part of any age-appropriate learning in a group of age-peers.

Come to mention it, there have been a lot of fits. A LOT. The word fit does not even scratch the surface. In fact, the social/adaptive side of his personality is every ounce as "exceptional" as his IQ. I am in no mood to get into details after a day like today, but suffice it to say, he asked me today why I am reading a book called, "The Explosive Child."

In short, there is no way this kid can possibly grow up with a healthy self image unless his dad and I actively work to balance the input he has to filter and internalize.

Here is what I've learned so far. First, I have to really, really make a point of finding positive things to recognize him for, and I try to put them in writing as often as possible. He tends to forget that he has many nice qualities besides being smart, and that we love him even though he is a bear at times. Here is a little something I wrote him for his 8th birthday: A Birthday Ode to My Little Enigma Also, I have learned to try NOT to praise him for his inherent intelligence. It is like praising a child for having hairless knuckles or being able to roll your tongue up like a burrito. That is luck of the genetic draw. So what? I am very clear with him that he will not be earning praise and accolades for traits beyond his control. I do not prance him before my friends and family and make him do smart-kid-tricks. What is important is not what you have been given (which is simply a credit to your ancestors). It's what you do with it which is a credit to yourself. In our family, we honor hard work, honesty, compassion, kindness, sharing, empathy, determination, integrity, humor, and creativity.

Here's how it plays out. During Dylan's last week of school, I asked him on Monday for his spelling list. He informed me that he wasn't doing his spelling this week.
"Why not?" I asked.

"The words are too hard. I don't even know what they mean."

"Well, let's go over them together. I'll help you learn them."

"No. I don't need them. They are big stupid words that I will never use."

Looking at the list... "I don't know, honey. I think you might have use for some of these... psychology for sure. Hopefully acquiesce sooner than arraignment... Let's do it."

"No. It's a waste of time. I will get an 80% without studying and it's the end of the 7th grade book anyway. Isn't it good enough that I am spelling 4 years above grade level and passing my tests without studying?"

Thinking REALLY fast here... Yes! I mean... No! Luckily I have already laid the groundwork for this one. "Listen kid. The fact that you are a good speller is a credit to your parents and grandparents. The fact that your teacher has you working in a 7th grade spelling book is a credit to her. It doesn't matter if you are working in a 3rd grade book or an 8th grade book. You haven't done a credit to yourself until you apply yourself. These words are at your level, and you can learn them. What are you going to do?"

Well, guess what he did. He earned 100% on that test, and got all the bonus words too. Now THAT is spectacular. And his teacher recognized him for being a hard worker. Not for being an amazing speller (so what), but for challenging himself to do something really hard, and succeeding. And that is something he can really feel good about!

July Sales Goal Giveaway Announcement

2011-07-02T10:43:00.001-06:00

My June Sales Goal Giveaway was a fantastic success - thank you to everyone who helped me get to my goal! So, let's do it again! This time I'll give away some of my favorite items to help you and your family LOVE kicking the disposable paper habit!

My goal is to make at least $2000 per month in sales. Someday I'd like to be able to afford to quit my day job, and be here for my kids and husband, so I really need to crank things up in my etsy shop! Here's how July's incentives will work...

1. Every order placed in the month of July will receive free samples of other products to try out.
2. The order that pushes me over the $2000 mark will receive a free full size cleaning product of their choice included in their order.
3. Every order placed in the month of July will earn an entry into a drawing for my big giveaway when the $2000 goal is reached. This month's prize package includes a whopping set of unpaper products to green up your home! Details below.
4. You don't have to place an order to enter the contest! Any of the following will count as an extra entry - just leave me a comment for each action you complete, and I'll add you to my list.

Facebook, twitter or other social network broadcast. Leave a comment each time you do it. Up to once per day.
Blog about this giveaway
Like my shop on facebook
Follow this blog
Add my etsy shop to your circle

Here's the prize package:

6 organic cotton flannel full size unpaper towels

6 organic cotton flannel mini unpaper towels

6 organic bamboo and cotton mini facial tissues

6 washable facial rounds, made of organic bamboo/cotton fleece

Updated 8/1/2011: Random.org drew #7 - Quietcricket1 Congratulations, and thanks to everyone who helped me reach my goal!

June Giveaway Winner

2011-07-01T07:34:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Joanakatana for winning my June Sales Goal Giveway! A BIG thank you to everyone who helped get me to my goal. I was very proud of reaching it, because I even had to close the shop for 5 days when we went out of town. So this is wonderful! Thank you all!

I made a list of all sales in June and assigned each one a number. Random.org did the rest:

Vegetarian Breakfast Chalupas

2011-06-26T21:47:00.000-06:00

Yummmmmers! These were so great, I just have to share another recipe with you. There's a really lovely lady at our local farmer's market who makes the most amazing pupusas, quesadillas, and ice cold cucumber lime water. I had avoided her stand since becoming a vegetarian because I was sure that such delicious, authentic Mexican food must be made with lard. Dylan and I broke down and finally asked if she uses animal fat for her tortillas, and she said never! Yea! So we picked up 3 different sizes of fresh made tortillas (and three cucumber coolers!), and talked all the way home about the wonderful plans we had for them. I still don't know what to do with the teeny ones, but the medium ones were used in this morning's breakfast experiment. One of the best things about summer break is cooking with my kids. We start every day with a new breakfast experiment! So, without further ado...

Veggie Breakfast Chalupas

Combine the following ingredients in a large bowl:

Dice 1/4 of a red bell pepper
Slice 2 green onions
Soften half a container of cream cheese or neufchatel
1/2 package of frozen spinach
8 eggs
1/2 cup of salsa
1 1/2 cups grated colby jack cheese
Salt, pepper, other seasonings if desired. I always sprinkle in some of the hubby's spice mix.

Mix it all up well, and cook in a large nonstick skillet, in two batches, over medium heat. It cooks a lot slower and wetter than an omelet. Don't try to keep cooking until it gets firm. It's just a floppy kind of filling for the chalupas.

Heat a large griddle over medium heat, brush with butter. Lay down 4 chalupa sized tortillas (they are smaller, and also a good deal thicker than a regular tortilla). Spoon some filling over 1/2 of each one. Let brown a bit, and then fold the chalupa over the top of the filling and flip to finish browning.

This recipe makes about 12 chalupas. The tortillas are wonderfully crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Oh boy are they great! Cool the extras on a cookie cooling rack, and wrap in foil to save for another day. I hope you give this recipe a try, and let me know what you think!

This Is Not a Music Blog, But...

2011-06-24T22:50:00.000-06:00

If this ain't Quaker, I don't know what is. Man I love Old Crow. LOVE.

Oops, Pizza Becomes Cinnamon Rolls - Another Veg/Vegan Recipe!

2011-06-23T21:22:00.002-06:00

I did not intend to have this blog become a foodie catalog of recipes for the recovering carnivore. But if you've been with me for any length of time, you know that I get on these kicks, and I can't stop until my brainstorm has run its course.

Alright then!

Today the kids and I ran all over creation finding the proper equipment, shoes, and accessories to send the elder son to summer camp, and then went to the creek and park and played out in the sun for so long we had time for a nap, and plenty of time to work up a ridiculous appetite. We were halfway through our meal at some kind of pizza joint when I remembered I had pizza dough thawing on the counter at home. Doh! Huk huk.

So when we arrived home to a perfectly proofed ball of whole wheat pizza dough, there was only one obvious next step. I think you see where we are going here. This is so easy, it's crazy. I think you could do it for breakfast (makes sense, cinnamon rolls and all), but I've never in my life had it together well enough to think about tomorrow's breakfast tonight. Oh well, it's dessert I guess, and maybe we won't eat all 12 of them, so we have some breakfast too!

Easy Cinnamon Rolls From Pizza Dough

One pound of frozen whole wheat pizza dough - thawing all day in an oiled bowl, punched down and allowed to rise another hour or something.

Some chopped pecans, mixed with cinnamon (a LOT - like a tablespoon or so), brown sugar (2 tablespoons, or less, depending on how sweet you like them), 1/4 of a grated nutmeg seed thingie, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom pods.

Melted butter.

Roll the dough out on a floured board, to a rectangle of about 9 by 13. Brush liberally with butter or vegan alternative. Sprinkle with the mixture of nuts and spices, then roll up into a log. Slice into 12 pieces. Place into a buttered 9 by 13 stoneware baker, and brush the tops with a bit more butter. Let those sit for as long as you can bear. A half hour would be grand, but we all know you can't wait that long. Especially if it's going on 9:30... Bake on 350 or just a tad lower, for a half hour or so. Try to save some for Dad. One or two for breakfast would be nice too. But we'll all understand if you and the kids eat the entire pan in one sitting.

PS I had to edit because I felt like a cheat not telling you... Honey butter on top is a dream. I make mine with a few drops of lemon essential oil. You are welcome.

Breakfast Cakes - Vegetarian/Vegan Pancakes or Muffins

2011-06-20T10:47:00.000-06:00

I invented another pancake recipe today! I couldn't figure out what to call this one, or what to serve on top of it. It's like a pancake, but you could eat it with salsa or ketchup as easily as with maple syrup. Better to just tell you what's in it!

1 pound of morningstar breakfast sausage, chopped or crumbled
1/2 onion, chopped
1/3 red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and minced (optional)
1 clove of garlic, minced

Saute these together over medium heat. Meanwhile, combine:

2 cups of whole grain pancake mix
1 cup of corn meal or other ground grain meal. I like the Red Mill multigrain porridge stuff.
1 3/4 cups milk (or substitute rice/soy/etc)
3 eggs or vegan egg substitute (I don't know how applesauce would work in this case! Maybe yogurt?)
2 cups of grated cheese (sharp cheddar, gouda, soy are all good)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix sausage and veggies into the pancake batter.

I have a new griddle and a broken oven, so I made sliver dollar pancakes with this batter. Cook over medium heat or lower, since the batter is so thick. Mine turned out great! But you can also do mini muffins instead. I like the way cheese batter muffins get all golden and crispy on the top, but pancakes fit in the toaster better! But whether you make muffins or mini pancakes, they are great to keep in the freezer and grab a handful for breakfast on your way out the door. I think I'll bring some next time we go camping!

Hope you love them!

Hearty Banana and Oatmeal Pancakes - Game Day Breakfast Recipe (With Vegan Options)

2011-06-18T08:43:00.001-06:00

Today's a double header at the soccer field, so I wanted to make something that will really stick to my little guy's ribs. Also I indulged myself with a fancy shmancy new double burner griddle, so of course I had to break it out right away. Still no camera though, so this is another recipe without photos. But y'all know how to mix batter and turn flapjacks right? So let's get on with it!

2 cups of oats (these pancakes definitely had a bit of chewy bite to them. If you want them softer, pre-soak the oats in the milk for an hour or even overnight)
2 cups of whole grain pancake mix (I like the bulk bin stuff from the natural grocery store. Most mixes are vegan, by the way.)
2 cups of plain yogurt (feel free to substitute vegan yogurt, or allow some soy milk to curdle with a bit of vinegar to make a vegan buttermilk)
2/3 cup of milk (or soy/almond/rice, etc)
1 large mashed banana
2 home grown eggs (or 1/3 cup of apple sauce, or vegan egg substitute... heck, even silken tofu would probably work)
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 t. grated nutmeg
1 T. ground flaxseed
1 cup of nuts (optional) - walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumkin seeds, or a blend

This is going to make a much thicker batter than you are probably used to, so you're going to want to make them small, and cook over medium heat (or lower). A great big griddle like mine (!) makes a million silver dollars in short order, plenty to stock up the freezer for a quick breakfast on the go. I serve my boys a tottering tower of teeny pancakes, with a little ramekin of dip (warmed peanut butter, nutella or maple syrup).

Yum!!!

June Sales Goal - A Giveaway for All Customers in June!

2011-06-15T21:28:00.001-06:00

I was totally inspired by my "friend" (okay, hook-up for the world's greatest caramel) Beth, of Have It Sweet Confections, who runs a kind of sales-goal giveaway each month. It is a brilliant model, ~~even if~~ because it did ~~force~~ inspire me to spend $100 on delicious wonderfulness, just so I could get another $60 in "free" wonderful deliciousness. I am, at this moment, sifting through my mountain of delectable caramelly sin, like a dragon revelling in her hoard.

I digress...

My goal for the year 2011 is to have $2000 in sales every month. Each month that this goal is reached, I will include a full size bonus item in the order that gets me to the $2000 mark. Also, I will have a random drawing from among all purchases to find a winner for a prize-of-the month. Each item purchased counts as an entry, so the more you buy, the greater your chances of winning. This month, the prize will be a full set of facial care items from my shop - great big samples of a full regimen of facial care products I offer in my shop, including:
Facial moisturizer and makeup remover
Cucumber Rose Facial toner
Night Time Eye Serum
Cucumber and Calendula Eye Creme
Spot Treatment Serum
Walnut and Tea Tree Facial Cleanser
Therapeutic Facial Scrub
Rejuvenating Facial Serum With Evening Primrose

A bonus entry will be given for blogging, tweeting, or facebook-ing (?) this giveaway. Please leave a comment and link below so I can count your entry.

Good luck!

Teachers Don't Get Paid to Sit Around On Their Butts All Summer - A Guest Rant by Dede Pazour

2011-06-15T20:01:00.000-06:00

Dede is a gifted teacher with whom I was honored to teach in my first two years in education. She taught 6th grade Language Arts with a passionate fury that never tired. I will never forget the way she held her students captivated at the edges of their seats for 47 minutes straight every day, radiating her love for the written word and genuinely warm affection for each child. She now works as a Teacher-Librarian and has been known to pack a crowded house at lunch time as students flock to the library for book club. When Dede was told by a neighbor that teachers have it easy, she had this to say...

Let me clarify something…

Teachers do NOT get paid to sit around on their butts all summer as my neighbor just so charmingly insinuated. We do not actually get paid for the summer months at all. We do get paid IN the summer months. This is how it works. Teachers are generally contracted to work anywhere from 175-250 days of the year, depending on the district and the instructional program. Our salary scales move in two directions: vertically (years of experience teaching) and horizontally (hours of education or completion of degree programs beyond the bachelor’s degree required to be a public school teacher, i.e. masters and doctorates). We can only go so far vertically before we reach the ceiling of what we can earn, so the only way to receive raises is to continuously take classes and/or complete educational programs to learn how to better support and teach children. This results in a LOT of student loans. It makes sense that educators are life-long learners. We model what we teach.

So, back to the paycheck in the summer… Simple. They take our total salary and divide into 12 increments so we don’t have to budget for the months that school is not in session. This means that we have more time to attend those classes we need to take so we can be better teachers AND try to make enough money to pay our mortgages and (in an O. Henry-like twist) our student loans. For the past two summers, I took a total of 20 graduate credits and effectively didn’t see the light of day. I didn’t get to “sit around doing nothing” because I was too busy trying to decide which gargantuan research paper I was going to stay up writing each night.

Teachers are highly educated professionals who are not given the respect or compensation of similarly qualified people in other lines of work. A teacher is required to have a bachelor’s degree and must complete a number of college credits every five years to renew the teaching license. The average salary of a teacher in Colorado is $48,621.80 (Colorado Department of Education http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdereval/download/PDF/2010Staff/1AverageTeacherSalaries2010.pdf Retrieved 6/14/2011.) “Simply Hired, which projects average pay based upon information in hiring announcements, places the average garbage collector pay at $43,000 as of Nov. 19, 2010.” (The Average Garbage Man Salary | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_7736611_average-garbage-man-salary.html#ixzz1PJ38LQXC Retrieved 6/14/2011.) Thank heavens for the people who remove our garbage! It’s strenuous, noxious work, but it does NOT require an expensive college degree, many hours of continuing education, piles of paperwork, and the constant scrutiny by and accountability to parents, administrators, and the community at large (nor discarder/refuse engineer conferences, for which I’m sure they don’t realize how lucky they are!).

While I’m often told, to my face, “Teachers don’t get paid nearly enough! I could NEVER do what you do,” voters in many school districts consistently say otherwise when they vote against mill levies, which are ballot measures that would improve teacher compensation. People argue that teachers “only work from 8:00am-3:00pm and have summers off, so what are they complaining about?” If teachers only worked the hours they were contracted to work, papers would rarely be graded, lessons and units would be haphazard affairs pulled off of the internet during 25-42 minute plan periods, and class periods would be glorified babysitting hours. I’m here to tell you that is NOT what is happening in your public school classrooms.

Teachers are staying at school until 6:00, 7:00, 8:00pm, are coming in to their school buildings over the weekends, are grading papers during dinner, are meeting with each other during their “unpaid, non-contracted lunch hour” (20 minutes), and are putting on dog and pony shows to keep kids passionate about learning. We’re talking about kids who are often so spoiled by the instant gratification of TV and the Internet that they have the attention spans of Jack Russell terriers who’ve gotten into the coffee grounds OR they come from homes with no educational support and are operating with such a deficit that it’s all we can do to find a way to scaffold learning to bring them up to speed. They want color splashes, sound bites, videos, computers, technology, graphics, and events so current that they haven’t even happened yet. If we can’t keep them entertained, they check out. Meanwhile, we have to address state mandated standards of learning, which, honestly, are well-intentioned, but it’s a LOT to do in a few short hours each day.

THEN we test this dynamic style of learning by Supergluing them to their seats, in complete silence, three hours a day, for two solid weeks, in front of a test booklet with questions like, “If you were to select one person to commemorate by placing them [sic] on a postage stamp, who would it be, and why?” REALLY? And no, we’re not allowed to explain what a postage stamp is, though, in the age of email and Facebook, it’s about as current and relevant to them as a monocle or pair of spats. The kids fret so much about not understanding the question that they can’t even begin to answer it. Scores come back and it turns out the schools with middle-class and wealthy kids from homes with educated parents do quite well on the tests, and children from impoverished homes, or with uneducated parents, do poorly. Yes, there are exceptions, but let’s not nickel and dime my rant, okay? We could save hundreds of teachers’ jobs from the chopping block by eliminating the many millions of dollars that we spend on standardized testing and just assign students a score based on their parents’ income tax returns and diplomas/degrees or lack thereof. Having more teachers means there would be fewer students in each class and THAT has consistently proven to be the ONE thing that improves learning for students of ALL backgrounds. Incidentally, the neighbor who insulted me and started this rant was one of the people who helped to design the multi-million dollar CSAP. ‘Nuff said.

Teachers work their butts off, so if they occasionally choose to sit on them for a few moments to rest, give them a break. God knows, they’ve earned it!

Fruity Cool Quinoa Salad With Lemon Basil Dressing And Grilled Asparagus

2011-06-11T21:22:00.001-06:00

This is an easy recipe for a delicious kid-approved vegan dinner that is so awesome, no one will miss the meat or dairy!

No photos this time, as the kids broke my camera while we were on vacation in Glenwood Springs. )-: But this one is yummy and pretty, and someday maybe I'll come back and add a pic. In the mean time, I didn't want you to have to go without making some of your own!

This recipe was inspired by a Blueberry Mango Quinoa recipe I found at Veggie Belly. My salad is pretty different, as I didn't have some of the stuff the recipe called for, so I kind of winged it (no mango, so I subbed strawberries). And then I remembered, when I was a teenager and cooked for a catering company, we used to make a lovely asparagus and strawberry pasta salad. So I'm adding grilled asparagus over the top of the quinoa salad. I LOVED the results! The best part is you can probably fiddle away with this recipe, and every batch will turn out even more amazing than the one before.

For the quinoa:

1 cup of quinoa plus 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Cook on med-high until boiling then reduce to med-low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile...

For the additions:

1 cup of blueberries
1 cup of strawberries, cubed
1 cup of cucumber, cubed
1/3 cup unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
2 T. dried cranberries

For the dressing:

3 T. extra virgin olive oil
zest and juice of one lemon
sea salt to taste
ground pepper to taste

To be added at the end:

10 leaves of basil, chiffonade
10 mint leaves, chopped

For the asparagus:

One bunch of asparagus (fresh from the farmer's market this morning!), trimmed (just break the stems where they will, and the tough ends will just snap off)
Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper

Assembly:

As the quinoa is cooling, chop the fruits/veggies/nuts and prepare the dressing. Grill the asparagus over a hot grill (preferably in a grill pan, so you don't lose your tiny tasty shoots). I love my asparagus slightly charred and crispy. YUM! As good as the quinoa is, the asparagus is really the star of the show!

When the quinoa is room temperature, and the asparagus is done, toss the veggies and dressing in with the quinoa. Serve a mound of quinoa on each plate, topped with grilled asparagus.

Enjoy!

10 Things I Learned Today (On Vacation in Snowmass)

2011-06-11T17:05:00.000-06:00

My morning lessons were much more fun than my afternoon lessons!

On the positive side...

1. Cargo that pays its own way is SO much fun to tow!

2. My kids are the most awesome of superheroes.

And less fortunately...

3. When following a morning of mountain biking with an afternoon of solo trail running, it is best not to eat Mexican food for lunch.

4. It is also a good idea to reapply sunscreen.

5. And carry a cell phone.

6. And listen to that little voice that says, "I should turn around now," instead of trying to make a full loop.

7. Counterintuitively, many roads that point downhill in a ski town in fact dead-end.

8. Retracing your steps at a dead end means more running uphill.

9. Too much downhill is worse than too much uphill.

10. In some families, you have to be gone on a run a lot longer than two hours for it to become cause for concern...

But hey. Most of my mind and body agree that a rough day on vacation still beats an easy day at work. Just don't ask my knees.

Vegetarian Recipes I Must Try

2011-06-03T19:33:00.000-06:00

This is a collection of findings I have come across in recent web-wanderings. Next time I am bored of my same old stuff, I will have to try some of these! If you try any of them, please come back and leave a comment so I know which ones are best!

Red Curry Delicata Squash and Tofu - looks awesome to me, but John hates curry. Is that a deal breaker?

Mujadera (Rice, Lentils and Caramelized Onions) - while I can't think of Lentils without imagining the even-more-eccentric-than-the-other-Young-Ones, Neil, I think this sounds worth a shot!

Kimchi Fried Rice - a soft-yolk egg on top of fried rice? I am sold!

Asparagus with Nori Butter - the title deceives. At first I checked it out only because I was slightly appalled. It should be called Asparagus with Lemony Miso Sauce and Sesame Seeds. Oh yeah.

Grilled Flatbread With Peppers and Zucchini Blossoms - Just because I anticipate having a preponderance of zucchini blossoms at some point this summer, and I think it might be part of my parental duties to teach my children that you can actually eat flowers. It's not gross. No worse than flesh of sentient beings. Just saying.

Quinoa With Tahini Sauce, Tofu and Green Beans - Something else to do with quinoa when I finally get sick of quinoa with black beans. Might never happen, but you know, just in case.

Delicata Squash Stuffed With Orzo in a Sage Brown Butter Sauce - because I think I have to plan ahead for how to deal with Thanksgiving.

Vegetarian Potstickers - Nancy says they're the awesomest, so I guess I better try them out!

Mexican Bean Salad - I didn't know so many different kinds of beans could be found in a can!

Cappelini With Tomatoes and Basil - Farmer's markets starting soon!!!

Indian Spiced Potato Sticks - Baked, Not Fried - Must try these with sweet potatoes!

Do you have great finds? Please leave a comment - I need a new arsenal!

We Pretend to Be a Homeschooling Family - An Afternoon at the Firehouse

2011-06-01T16:29:00.001-06:00

One of my great pleasures of the summer is pretending to be a stay at home mom. I always finish school a week earlier than Dylan does, and I love helping at the school and going on field trips, and helping the teacher clean out the classroom. I actually get a little thrill of maternal love when Dylan calls me at home to ask me to bring him his allergy meds. I'll be right there!

I love pretending to be a stay at home mom! Someday I hope to make this my full time job, but for now, we just enjoy the heck out of our summers.

Today we went to the Fire Station for a little field trip (first day of summer for the kids - might as well jump right into summer-homeschool!). I wanted to share with you the "lesson" I made out of this, for my kids, 9 and 4.

Did you know that you can walk right up to the door at your local firehouse, ring the bell, and say hi? Oh yes you can! And making the introductions himself is a great way for your older kiddo to practice his oral communication skills. We prepped before hand. What will you say when someone opens the door? Should you introduce yourself? Tell the purpose of your visit? Ask if it is a convenient time to receive a tour of the station? Shake hands and introduce your brother too?

Both kids had prepared (mentally) a list of things they would like to ask a firefighter, and I took a mental list of the teachable moments the tour offered, and follow up activities to do at home:

For both kids -

Write thank you notes to the firefighters for sharing their time with us, recalling their favorite parts of the tour, and each creating a piece of art to send to the station.

What tools do firefighters need to do their jobs?

What different purposes do each of the three fire trucks serve?

Why is it important to keep the fire house so clean and organized?

Learn about how different materials burn. (Mom will) take tiny samples of different kinds of materials (wood, cotton, wool, silk, polyester, fabric of unknown fiber content, etc) and burn them (outdoors, with a fire pan, and extinguisher nearby). Use a chart to see if you can identify what kind of fiber you have burned. Which fiber is the most fire-resistant?

Take a hike through a previously-burned forest. What clues can you find? What are the first things to grow back after a wildland fire? (I pass by a great example on my way to work every day - a ground fire spread for 24 hours or so, just a few weeks ago, near an open space park, and it is incredible to see the green lush new growth popping up through the cinders. The other side of the highway is brown dried grass...)

For Graham (age 4) -

We learned that there are 7 people at the station at a time. Each person has their own bedroom. Draw a picture of 7 bedroom doors. Write the numbers over the doors. Cut the doors out and glue over a second sheet of paper. Behind each door, draw a bed. Draw girl and boy firefighters standing next to their beds.

Take pictures of big machines around town that have hydraulic robot arms. Make a collage.

What are some things we can do to help prevent fires?

Play with toy firetrucks to role play the job of a firefighter.

Cut out and color firefighter hats.

For Dylan (age 9) -

We learned that each shift of 7 firefighters works 48 hours and then has 4 days off. How long is a work "week"?

How many shifts of firefighters are needed to keep the house staffed with 7 firefighters at a time?

If Jeff works this week on Monday and Tuesday, how many weeks will it take before he works Monday and Tuesday again?

Draw up a schedule to show the days on duty, and the days off, for each shift, for 7 weeks.

A fire truck can pump 2000 gallons of water per minute. How many bathtubs is 2000 gallons? What can hold 2000 gallons?

What is the purpose of having hose connections of different diameters on the fire truck? What is the relationship between the diameter of the hose and water pressure? The diameter and distance the water can travel? The diameter and the rate of water delivery?

Write a diary entry imagining the daily happenings of a firefighter on shift.

Research to find out more about how hydraulic machines work. Build a model or draw a diagram.

Take pictures of hydraulic mechanisms around town. What does each one do?

Make a digital presentation telling about your trip to the firehouse.

I think we can make a whole week out of this one! There's a firehouse museum in Denver I think we might ride the light rail to. Maybe visit another neighborhood fire station to compare and contrast... Do you have any great ideas?

Sewing Before Pants

2011-05-31T19:28:00.000-06:00

Oh, don't even try to tell me you can't relate. This is the kind of creative passion that can't wait for pants.

Grilled Asparagus and Balsamic Butter Pasta

2011-05-28T19:29:00.002-06:00

As amazing as the balsamic butter pasta is, the grilled asparagus really takes center stage!

Another very easy and amazing recipe. The best part is the fresh asparagus in season early at my farmer's market. Nothing in the world is easier than grilling asparagus to a tender charred perfection. Just snap in half (the woody end will naturally break off where it gives way to tender shoot) drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and grill over high heat until nicely charred. MMM!

Olive Oil, Sea Salt and Pepper - Oh My!

I served the asparagus on top of pasta served with a drizzle of butter, sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, and a balsamic vinegar reduction. It sounds so much fancier than it really is. Honestly, you just pour 1/3 cup or so of vinegar in a sauce pan, and cook it down at a simmer until only half of it remains, then add a spoonful of brown sugar or honey. The acidic bite of the vinegar is cooked off, but the lovely smoky essence of the balsamic is retained. Blended with butter, it is very nice! Add salt and pepper to taste, and add to buttered pasta. Add shredded Parmesan. By the way, in case you are counting, Parmesan cheese is not a vegetarian food. The enzymes used to produce it come from the stomach lining of freshly slaughtered calf. Hard cheese doesn't have to be made that way, but to call itself Parmesan, it has to follow the rules. If it matters to you (and I hope it does!), look for vegetarian alternatives to Parmesan.

Hope you like it!

Added - oops! Full disclosure omission! The inspiration for this recipe is here!

Indian-Inspired Rice Pudding With Cardamom, Pistachios and Apricots, Oh My!

2011-05-26T20:40:00.001-06:00

Let's go somewhere awesome with these ingredients!

I think I probably use the word "awesome" too often around here. I'm like that kid who says awkward so much he has no idea what it means.

Really though. This was awesome.

I've made rice pudding before. It was good. Not awesome. But a nice way to use up left over rice. I think I used to just use honey and milk and cinnamon. Then I saw this Alton Brown recipe I just had to try. Indian Rice Pudding. Basically you substitute coconut milk for some of the milk, and cardamom for cinnamon, add pistachios and white raisins. Sounded killer! So I did a little modification of his recipe and this is what I came up with. I think it qualifies as a well-balanced meal, if you eat it after munching on grilled asparagus spears. What do you think?

1 1/2 cups left over rice. We had brown rice from Chinese indulgences Marissa and I enjoyed on Sunday.

1 1/4 cup of 2% organic milk.

Put these together in a sauce pan. Let it sit there for 10 minutes or so before you put it on the heat. Set the heat to medium and cook until boiling.

Add a tiny can of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream. I totally would have subbed milk for the cream, except I actually found some in the back of the fridge. Yes! Also add 4 T. of evaporated cane juice (or regular sugar) and 1/2 t. of cardamom, freshly ground. Never buy ground cardamom. The magic happens when you smash it up yourself in a mortar and pestle. I picked up this cheap wooden one from the bottom shelf of a dusty Asian market in Boulder. I love it!

Cook these together until it starts to thicken, then remove from heat, add 1/3 cup unsalted pistachios, chopped, and 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped. Cover and cool until dessert time. Serve warm or at room temp.

We had a bunch left over, and will serve for breakfast. It will probably be a firm little lump of stuff after being in the fridge all night. I will serve it warmed up with a drizzle of warm milk. MMM!!!

Dream Journal - this is a disturbing one

2011-05-25T21:42:00.000-06:00

I sometimes have horribly vivid dreams. I wish I understood what they meant so I could deal with my demons head-on. Today I want to write about this dream I've been thinking about all week. Since it seems hardly anyone reads my blog anyway, I feel okay posting this. But if, by chance, someone does read this and has some insight into interpreting dreams, you are welcome to comment on this post. Mostly I just need to get it all out...

I am with a group of students. I have just learned that a huge electromagnetic storm is on its way. I don't remember in the dream that it's called an electromagnetic storm. I explain that it is like a huge bolt of lightning that strikes with the force of a meteor. I am terrified. And responsible. I've been playing this game in the space exhibit at the museum. The one where you manipulate the size and speed of the meteor and make it smash into the earth. And I know instantly that, just like Ender, I have been playing a game that is a set up. I made this happen. The impact is coming, and somehow I am responsible for it. I know we will never make it. I start calculating. I am running through the K-T and Permian extinctions in my mind... How many species survived? 5%? 10%? I can't remember, and it seems desperately important at this moment to know what the number was. I am trying to remember Bill Bryson. I imagine the earth with 90% of its species obliterated. How do the surviving ones make it? We owe our existence to the scarred and hobbling survivors of events such as this. How do they make it? I need to know how many of us need to make it to keep the human race going. I think of Fibonacci. But the children are not rabbits! Suddenly I remember the turtles. In the water! Yes - the water will absorb the shock and dissipate the heat. Dive into the water! Suddenly the impact strikes and pushes me down down down into the water. I cannot believe how fast it is pushing me. Deeper and deeper. I cannot hold my breath much longer. Where are the children? Will they make it? Are they strong enough? My lungs ache with the need to inhale but I hold it and hold it, until finally I can resist the urge no longer. I wake up choking and gasping for air.

I lay awake in bed shuddering with convulsive breaths until sleep takes me again. This time I am in the highschool end of the building. The impact is coming, and everyone knows it. There is no avoiding it this time. It will happen before the end of the day. There's no time to go home, say goodbyes, prepare... How would you prepare anyway? I ask another teacher, "What will it feel like?" He is very matter-of-fact. He says there will be a flash of beautiful colors as the electromagnetic disturbance enters the atmosphere, but we will scarcely be able to enjoy it before we are fried to a crisp. I imagine the National Geographic photograph of the skeletal remains of a woman desperately clutching her two children in their last tender moment and wish my children were here. I immediately feel revulsion at myself for thinking such a thought.

The students are wild. Running around, joking, wrestling in the halls. They do not believe it is real. I am reminded of when these same children were 7th graders, and our school went on lock-down for what felt like forever. It was just a drill to them. They were bored and restless and I could not get them to settle down. They could not have known there was a real intruder in the building who would soon take his own life, and the life of one of the other children. I want to remind them how terrible they felt when they realized how very real and tragic the situation was. I want them to stop joking around. I want them to... what? I can't decide. I watch them spend their last few moments blowing spit wads and body slamming each other in the hallways, imagining what future generations would make of our instantly frozen-in-place poses. And would there be future generations? Who would survive? How would they live long enough to produce offspring and repopulate the world?

The danger has passed. NASA has dissipated the storm by firing delayed-detonating missiles at the cloud. The missiles are full of liquid soap, of all things. Everyone rejoices. Later the rains come. The soap has reacted to form some kind of sulfuric acid toxic rain that is falling from the sky. It burns everything it touches. The fumes are smoky and acrid, the sky thick with it. It is a perpetual dusk, and no break for sunlight for days. I am nauseated, but grateful to be alive. I keep my children with me at all times. I want to clutch them constantly. I am obsessed with the need to be ready to strike the right pose when we are reduced to a shadow of ash on the sidewalk, like the victims of Hiroshima. Where will we go? Is there anywhere safe? We retreat indoors and try to stay dry. The floor is warm. Too warm. There is a fire below the floor. I try to beat it out with a blanket, but I soon realize it is much larger, down below the house. I run outside with the fire extinguisher and try to put the fire out. The rain burns through my clothes. The fire is burning a tree in the yard. The tree is full of small animals. I realize it is hopeless to try to stop the fire. I run back into the house to evacuate my family, and save what valuables can be gathered. I must save the pictures. They are all on the computer. I grab the laptop and feel ridiculous. I need to explain to someone why I have chosen the computer as my most valuable posession, but no one is there to see me or explain it to.

Suddenly I am awoken by my alarm. I am shaking and gasping again. In those few moments between sleep and wakefulness, I know I must have a bag packed and ready to go, in case we ever need to evacuate. I run through my mind -- toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, G's kiki, batteries, snacks, hat, mittens, toilet paper. Nothing is too ridiculous. I will pack tonight when I get home. Yes. I will keep the bag by the door. No, I will pack right now and go in to work a few minutes late. I must bring my children with me to school so I can keep them close. I am convinced the end is coming. Soon.

The second alarm goes off. I try to shake off this horrible feeling and stand in the shower until I feel normal again. I am brought back to my senses when the water is so cold I am shivering.

Fajita Frittata - a Morning-After Vegetarian Brunch

2011-05-25T17:30:00.000-06:00

Click the image and zoom in if you need a better view!

We enjoyed a nice long weekend with one of my little sisters. She wanted to make fajitas, so we prepared a mountain of lime and cilantro marinated grilled veggies, and served it up with her own guacamole, black beans, salsa and tortillas. Yummers!

I have a terrible confession to make though. I don't eat leftover vegetables. I don't know why. It doesn't matter how incredibly awesome it was the night before, I am simply not going to find that cold bowl of mushy veg appetizing. But we had a LOT left over, and I hate to have it go to waste, so I made up a fajita frittata, and it was almost as good as the night before! Here's how I did it (pictures go roughly in order, clockwise from the top left corner):

Chop up a cup and a half of the left over veggies. Our mix included peppers, onions, portabella, squash and zucchini. In hindsight, the fajita frittata might be better without the squash and zucchini, or at least to chop them up finer...

Saute over medium high heat in a large pan with a bit of salsa and some left over beans.

Add 6 scrambled homegrown eggs, mixed with a half cup or so of milk, 1/3 cup shredded cheese (we used the colby/jack leftover, and added a half cup or so of crumbled herbed goat cheese), salt and pepper. Fold the eggs and veggies together with a spatula.

Cover with a lid and reduce to medium, cooking until the eggs in the middle no longer jiggle when you shake the pan. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to broil.

Uncover the pan and move to the oven, setting the rack close to the broiler. Broil until the cheese on top starts to brown and sizzle.

Serve with a bit of left over salsa and guacamole. Yummy!