The LeFort Urban Homestead...

Still Life

2013-05-11T16:36:00.002-05:00

My favorite seasonal still life.

Life is good. I really have nothing serious to complain about. But again today my husband and I were discussing how much of a time suck the "life maintenance" items on our lists can be. Of course there's laundry to do, groceries to buy, gardens to tend, housecleaning to do, dinners to cook. I'm not talking about that life maintenance (because I truly enjoy doing ALL of those things), but it's the scheduling and bill paying and organizing and trying to keep up with world events and social media, etc. etc. etc. I'm reading Zero Waste Home right now which I referenced in a post a couple of years ago. It's good to have a refresher course. We have a long way to go to achieve "zero waste" at home despite how other school moms tease me on the playground at pick-up about my lack of garbage. But what I find interesting in Bea Johnson's story is how once her family began pairing down their belongings and waste, they eventually found more time for enjoying the beauty of life and each other. We're striving for that.

In the meantime I have kiddos to thank for helping me slow down now and then. V is good at reminding me that sometimes I need to take time out to dance or watch the grass grow. This past week she had a friend over after school. I always welcome playmates not only because it's good for her as an only child to practice sharing her space and toys, but also because it usually means they can keep each other occupied while I get some things done around the house. Well, on Tuesday they just couldn't seem to get along on our home turf so I had no choice but to take them off premises to the playground at the lakefront. Just walking a couple of blocks on a beautiful day seemed to calm them a bit. After playing on the jungle gym they decided they wanted to throw rocks into the water at the beach. While they were doing so I had no choice but to sit quietly, observe, and help them find some cool rocks to take home. Part of me felt antsy and anxious because I knew I had a big to-do list at home, but part of me realized that THAT was all I really needed to be doing right then. It was all that mattered. My husband would forgive me if I didn't get dinner started on time, my garden would forgive me if I didn't get a seed in the ground that moment, and my fridge would forgive me if I didn't replenish its supply of homemade condiments.

Finding skipping stones, fossilized rocks, sedimentary,
"volcanic," writing rocks.

We even found a fresh water crab claw

So much work to do writing in the sand, washing/painting
rocks, skipping stones.

I'm hoping this summer V and I strike a balance between scheduled and unscheduled time. I'm excited about sitting in the yard reading a book while she has fun styling my hair with a million clips, watching her jump through the sprinkler while I enjoy a glass of water, taking our artist kits to the park and painting under a shady tree, and sitting outside in the evenings on weekends with my husband just talking and listening to music. Let us do more of those simple things this summer (and NOW) and just be.

Stop and smell the cherry blossoms.

Clearing the Larder

2013-05-02T14:47:00.000-05:00

After one long winter, we're finally getting some spring weather though it's been in small doses. I suppose it's best to eeeease back into it. Although we do have some rows of visible veggies popping up in the garden--salad mix, arugula, radishes--the delayed onset of warm weather has given me one last chance to empty my larder from the past season. The last jar of dilly beans was consumed on Monday, canned tomatoes are long gone (though I still have one gallon freezer bag of our garden toms), onions and potatoes are sprouting on the cellar rack, and dried tomatoes and herbs are dwindling. Had it not been for the batch of freezer jam I made a few weeks ago from some frozen local berries, we would have been way out of sweet preserves as well.

This time of the year is always challenging for eating locally and I certainly can't say that the majority of our diet is from nearby right now, but we are still managing to find our fair share of local veggies--either properly stored winter crops like onions and squash from our CSA farmer or hoop house grown greens like lettuce and spinach that they've grown this spring. It's been a slower week around here so I've had more time to cook beyond my handful of go-to recipes.

Sunday night found us with a couple pounds of regional grass-fed organic ground beef so along with some stuffed Greek Burgers I prepared Greek Potato Salad with a rainbow of potatoes I had in the larder from our CSA farmers.

Rainbow Greek Potato Salad
Serves 6-8

I added sweet potatoes for color and bulk, but one could use just regular potatoes.

2 c. scrubbed and cubed salad potatoes in a variety of color--purple, pink, yellow, white--1-inch pieces
1 c. peeled, cubed sweet potatoes, 1-inch pieces
Kosher salt
1/2 c. lightly packed fresh parsley leaves
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese, divided
1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives
1 c. diced celery
1/2 c. sliced scallions (white and green parts)
1/2 t. salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook cubed potatoes in highly salted water 15-20 min. or until tender; drain and spread on sheet tray; cool to room temp. Place parsley, oil, vinegar, and half the feta into food processor. Cover and process until finely chopped. In large bowl, combine potatoes, olives, celery, scallions, salt and parsley-feta mixture. Grind pepper on top, toss until combined. Chill or eat immediately.

Colorful, steamy potatoes alongside an onion, dill pesto, spinach, and feta mixture I stuffed into the burgers.

And last night I finely had the time and patience to try a slightly more tedious recipe I'd had in my "Recipes To Try [Soon]" folder for quite a while. The beautiful winter spinach was from Springdale Farm and the roasted red peppers were the last of our non-sharp batch from last season.

Spinach Roulade with Red Peppers and Ricotta
Serves 4

The last of our sweet roasted red peppers from 2012

Adapted from The Adaptable Feast. Despite how this roulade looks as you're rolling and baking it, once you slice into it, there's a great chance it will look beautiful. If using frozen spinach, thaw completely and drain before using. Fresh basil is an unseasonal indulgence here. One could substitute 1/2 the amount of dried, but the flavor of fresh basil really brightens the dish.

1 T. grapeseed oil
2 t. minced garlic
10 oz. chopped spinach (or Swiss Chard), fresh or frozen
4 eggs, separated
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. salt, plus additional
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1 heaping cup (about 10 oz.) full-fat ricotta cheese
2 T. minced fresh basil
2 T. minced Italian parsley
1/2 t. lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. roasted red peppers, or jarred, cut into thin strips
4 c. warm marinara sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F. Line 9-by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat, spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Heat oil over medium heat in large saute pan. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spinach and cook until wilted (if fresh) or all liquid has evaporated (if frozen), about 3 min. Drain spinach in fine-mesh sieve and squeeze to remove excess moisture. Combine spinach, egg yolks, 1/2 c. Parmesan, 1/2 t. salt, and nutmeg in food processor and pulse until combined. Put back in sieve and place over large mixing bowl to drain additionally while working with egg whites.

In medium bowl, whip egg whites with pinch of salt until soft peaks form (this can also be done with electric beaters or mixer.) Pour off any additional liquid from spinach mixture and place mixture in bowl. Gently fold a quarter of egg whites into spinach mixture, then fold in remaining egg whites. Spoon mixture gently onto prepared baking sheet and smooth with rubber spatula. Bake until roulade base feels firm when touched, 12-15 min. Invert onto a parchment lined cutting board, remove pan and allow the roulade to cool for 30 min.

Pour off any excess liquid from ricotta and discard or save for another use. Combine ricotta, basil, parsley, lemon zest, and remaining 1/4 c. Parmesan in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spreading the filling

Reduce oven temp. to 350F. Carefully peel top layer of parchment paper/silicone baking mat from roulade. Spread cheese mixture evenly over roulade, leaving 1/2-inch border on sides. Blot peppers dry with paper towels and distribute evenly over cheese mixture. With long end facing you, use bottom piece of parchment as guide to tightly roll up roulade as you would a jelly roll. Carefully place roulade seam side down on baking sheet. (Unbaked roulade can be stored in fridge, wrapped tightly in parchment paper, for up to 1 day. Unwrap and allow to sit at room temp. for 40 min. before baking.

Bake roulade until heated through, about 25 min. Slice into 1/2-inch-thick slices with sharp serrated knife, and serve with warm marinara, if desired.

Didn't turn out too bad

In other homestead news this week, Ben found time to complete and install the passive solar awning for our upstairs. Our hemp awning finally disintegrated so he wanted to match the lower awning our contractor installed a few years ago. I'm not sure we'll plant anything to reach the top awning this year, but the bottom awning will hopefully finally serve it's purpose with our choice of prolific, vining morning glories in the window boxes.

B hard at work

Backyard hens are still on the horizon for us, but we got some practice this week as we brought V's classroom chicks home for a day. It was a slight circus trying to wheel them home via the bike trailer, especially across a busy street, but we made it and they fared well. They are pretty darn cute even though they poop A LOT!

Carmel, Carmel, Blackie, and Sun.

The yard is really starting to pop this week with buds on the cherry trees, sorrel, chives, leafed out berry bushes, rhubarb. I do believe spring is finally here!

On Top of It

2013-04-17T14:13:00.000-05:00

3 cubic yds. of mulch is always more than I think when
I order it. But we were able to put a nice 2-3 inch layer
down to help retain moisture during another
potentially hot, dry summer.

By now I'm doing my best to look at the bright side of all this rain and gloominess over the last two weeks (with more to come next week, apparently.) The upside is that I've been forced to wait to plant vegetable seeds. The ground's been too wet and I don't particularly want to crawl around in the rain to do so. We've taken this opportunity to work on the careful choreography that is preparing the garden for the season. Normally, when we have the first rush of warmth in March and the ground thaws, I'm in a tizzy to get radishes, peas, arugula, and other leafy greens seeded. That burst of excitement is always temporarily tabled as I realize I must first spread last year's compost onto the garden then scrub out the tumbler before filling it with the winter basement compost. Then I must procure any additional organic topsoil I need to either top off the raised beds or cover up any spread compost that's not completely broken down.

The work is done for today.

We also took advantage of the one potentially sunny day last weekend to have our biennial 3 cubic yards of bulk mulch delivered (it wasn't as sunny as originally predicted and on April 12 I was pitching mulch in 3 layers of clothing with little snowflakes falling.) But now s eeds are started indoors and Ben even rigged up the grow lights in the garage inside of the odd bay window with a blind that's there. We still aren't quite sure why the original owner installed this window, but the bay between the awning and the window makes a perfect spot for seedlings. With the light on a timer, it's a pretty low-maintenance set-up thus far.

The glow from the garage reminds me of early parts from the movie "E.T."

Ben's building a new passive solar upper awning for the front of our house and our replacement recycled soda bottle outdoor rug arrived this week (the last one had a good 7-year run although with the way it was disintegrating, B would have rather gotten rid of it at least 2-3 seasons ago.) So we're pretty much ready to roll.

It feels good to have all of that base work under our belts. I did plant some greens yesterday in the partially shaded end of our original raised bed. As I defined the nine rows for green stuff I tried to strike a balance between the excitement I feel at this point in the season--really craving lots of greens--and the anticipated overwhelmed sensation we'll feel in a couple of months as we deal with a bottleneck of baby lettuce, frisee, mesclun mix, and Asian greens. I would rather err on the side of bottleneck and just plan to do a helluva lot of green juicing this spring and summer and give the surplus to friends and neighbors.

Indoor projects include sewing, a new knitting project, spring cleaning, and making homemade gummy vitamins. V has been religiously taking her "Yummi Bears" every morning, but I recently learned that I could make my own. I found this goofy Jell-O bean mold at a thrift store last year and after making one batch of Jell-O beans for Easter I realized why someone had discarded it (Oh yearh, P.S. I, admittedly, forgot to lightly spray the mold as indicated.) It makes the perfect portion size for gummy vitamins. I added Vitamin C powder--which I buy in bulk at the natural foods co-op and sometimes use as an anti-browning agent (if not plain lemon juice) when preparing canned peaches in the summer and for keeping avocado mayo and herbal oils (like basil oil) from turning drab green. I also added probiotics and local honey. With an unsweetened, basic juice (or homemade juice if you can) these gummy vitamins might now only be just as tasty as the store-bought kind, but probably much cheaper. I have yet to do the math. V likes them so that's all that matters.

At least this goofy mold is good for something.

Homemade Gummy Vitamins--no packaging waste either

Kid-tested, Mother-approved.

Rain Rain Go Away

2013-04-12T17:13:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking this week how I wish we had a cistern on our property to collect all of this rainwater to use during what will likely be a drier than average summer once again. Fortunately my husband got our rain barrels up last Sunday when we found a few hours to start getting the yard cleaned up for spring. But the barrels quickly filled up and are already in overflow mode.

On a positive note, some of my brassicas have germinated and I hope to start more seeds this weekend. I planted peas, arugula, and radishes on Monday just before the rain. Don't know if they'll rot before they germinate, but we'll see. We were hoping for that one sunny day this weekend to spread compost and shovel mulch, but I am feeling slightly pessimistic that the weather will cooperate.

On another positive note, the video from a recent student project at Milwaukee Area Technical College has finally been posted. I was thrilled to be featured in "Home Sweet Homesteading" along with my colleague Gretchen from Milwaukee's Victory Garden Initiative. Enjoy...and keep smiling if you can. The rain can't last forever (I don't think.)

Introducing Spring...

2013-04-04T06:34:00.000-05:00

Louise Erdrich's beautiful bookstore where I found a book that's rocking
my local food world.

It's supposed to be 55 degrees F here today and I'm just giddy. There's laundry in the machine right now that I'm planning to hang completely outside today. We hang a lot of laundry in our basement all winter so it's really the thrill of the peaceful calm of hanging wash on the line in the morning that excites me today. It's my therapy.

My daughter's on spring break this week and yesterday we finally started some seeds--mostly brassicas. She played in the composted potting soil, planted a crayon garden, and helped me make labels for my seed starting containers while I prepped the egg cartons I use to start seeds. I realized I'm not as far behind as I thought I would be. Whew!

Upon returning from an awesome 4-day getaway to Minneapolis with my husband, where we ate and walked until we dropped, I was really looking forward to a home-cooked meal so I've jumped right back into cooking this week. If you've been following this blog for any length of time you know that this time of year that I get a little squirmy because I'm trying to use what local food we have left in the pantry and cellar rack. I've certainly bought plenty of food at the grocery store this winter, but when it comes to what we can buy locally my farmers are still providing winter squash, onions, carrots, beets, rutabaga and the like since ours have run out. Last night I pulled a butternut squash out of the cellar and came up with this recipe. I'm trying to run with my urges lately--I knew I wanted to make something with the squash, but I also wanted to incorporate some oats and other supplementals for a nutrient-packed crust.

Winter Squash Crumble (Gluten-Free)

As you can see I made some jam yesterday too. We finally ran out so I
grabbed some frozen berries and made a batch of freezer jam to get us into
strawberry/rhubarb season soon.

Serves 6-8

I served this as a side dish. It's not too sweet, but something about it tells me that I could also throw a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top and have it for dessert. It's one of those dishes that will get kiddos to eat squash--in case that's ever been a problem for you.

2 lbs. winter squash like butternut, acorn, kabocha, peeled and seeds removed
Salt and black pepper to taste, just a little
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
4 T. unsalted butter
1 T. olive oil
1/4 c. pure maple syrup

Crumble Topping:

2 T. jaggery powder (a little more info here and see note below), brown sugar could be substituted
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. salt
4 T. all-purpose gluten free flour
4 T. gluten-free rolled oats
2 T. chia seeds,
2 T. hemp seeds
2 T. flax seeds
6 T. cold butter, cubed

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 9x9 glass baking pan. To cut the squash, either slice thinly (1/4" thick) or cube evenly (1/2" cubes). I sliced mine quickly via the food processor. The slices were more irregular, but it doesn't matter when it's all put together. Toss the squash with salt, pepper, and cinnamon and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the butter, oil, and syrup. When it's melted, toss with the squash and pour into the prepared baking dish.

Don't bother with layering the slices like a gratin.

Combine all topping ingredients except the butter. Mix well. Cut in the butter either by hand or with a pastry blender. Sprinkle on top of squash and place in oven. Bake about 35-40 min. Test with a knife for doneness. If you can pull the knife out easily, the squash is cooked.

Generous topping packed with nutrients.

It was good.

Note: jaggery can be found in solid or loose form. I purchase it at an Indian market, but it can also be found in solid form as piloncillo at Hispanic markets.)

Speaking of cooking by urges, I found this lovely book, The Flavor Thesaurus at Louise Erdrich's Birchbark Books on our trip. It

's going to change my world this summer as I cook from the garden and farmers' market. I often stand there with a couple of random veggies/flavors in hand wondering what I can make. This book offers a lot of leads to being more creative with flavor combinations.

Late Arrivals

2013-03-26T18:22:00.003-05:00

Around here we're all wondering if spring will ever come. We certainly don't have the 5-8 inches of snow that was just dropped near my hometown in east central Illinois so I shouldn't complain. We're used to wearing layers and overcoats and--in my case--scarves and hats indoors--well into April, but everyone just seems to want spring so much more badly this year. Give us one winter like last year and we quickly forget how it should really be in these parts during the colder months.

Tart Cherry Tree, pre-haircut

I'm remaining optimistic, trying to look at the bright side. When I pruned our cherry trees last week I was able to use the remaining huge piles of snow to reach higher branches without a ladder. Snow during tree trimming doesn't usually occur. While manicuring the tree this year for maximum fruit production--an annual task for which I was finally released by our neighborhood tree-pruning expert/bonsai enthusiast/my dentist/all-around meticulous man; he feels I have the hang of it now and I can go about offering my advice and services to others--I made a few observations:

1) Being a cheerleader for six years helped me to have the balance and courage to confidently get up high.

2) I used to list mountain biking in the woods of the glaciated areas of southeastern Wisconsin as my extreme sport, but now I would have to say that it's tree-pruning.

I genuinely enjoy carefully choosing each branch and limb that I'll remove then very delicately and deliberately clipping each all while balancing near the top of a tall step ladder. (Pure danger!) The final product is rewarding and the tree always looks much happier afterwards.

We're running away sans child this weekend for the first extended getaway since her birth. With Grammy at the helm we have no worries. I'm already behind in starting vegetable seeds, but because of this jaunt I decided to wait even longer to get them going indoors--I don't want to add any more tasks to my mom's already full plate while she's here. (And really, it's probably a little bit about procrastinating too.) This short vacation seems like the perfect way to cap off "winter" and/or kick off spring. When we return I'm sure I'll be rarin' to go with sunshine, warm weather, and gardening. Now I just need the Earth to cooperate.

It's been a long winter. My latest project to stay entertained was to FINALLY--I mean, some of these prints were sitting framed in our basement for months, even years--hang some artwork. Remodeling our kitchen created an actual hallway/gallery space and Grammy's upcoming visit gave us the motivation to finally get these pieces hung. We're not pros and could have possibly put more thought into it, but you know me--I don't like to overthink things. Going with my gut is often the best.

The newest "gallery space" L to R: Two local artists' bird prints and a
random big circle I thrifted. A revolving art frame for V, a quad of
seasonal prints I clipped from Taproot magazine.

Local art--the lower piece was actually done by a "girl"
I went to parochial school with back in the day.

Know Your Farmer

2013-03-14T14:21:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday I went to a reunion. Not for the class of '96 or '00, but a reunion of farmers and friends in our region. It was the Local Farmer Open House, a chance for community members to meet farmers and learn about Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and local food. I lead two sessions of a workshop called "Cooking From Your CSA Box" in an attempt to sway those thinking about joining a CSA and encourage current subscribers that they'll, indeed, be able to successfully cook with everything in their weekly boxes and get their money's worth, not to mention make important connections with growers and producers. I also did an impromptu interview for this clip:

At this event I reunited with farmer friends I hadn't seen since last spring, fellow food enthusiasts with whom I haven't spent enough time, the farmers who raise the certified organic Thanksgiving turkeys we purchase year after year, and my own CSA farmers (who I'm having dinner with next week.) I saw my close friend who manages that branch of Urban Ecology Center and whom I would spend time with later that evening, worker share friends I've joined in the summers getting our hands dirty in the field, alumni from my food preservation classes who were eager to tell me how the preservation season ended for them last year and share a new recipe or idea. And I met so many new people--potential CSA subscribers and class attendees, new farmers--both urban and rural, community organizers, and others who are simply curious about local food. It was such a heartwarming day; I feel incredibly lucky to be connected to such an honest, wholesome, energetic, healthy, diverse group of people. It got me excited for all that this season holds--warmth, bounty, community, and more. Knowing your farmer and the heart and soul they've put into the food you eat is my wish for all. It was an amazing reunion, but I hope it isn't the only time this season that I see so many of these talented folks.

Room for a Big Girl

2013-03-07T21:13:00.002-06:00

Today is our daughter's 4th birthday. It was a foggy, near-spring Saturday with spring beauties trying to pop out of the ground when I labored peacefully in our bedroom surrounded by strong, beautiful women like our doula and midwife and my strong, supportive husband who massaged my lower back for several hours to ease my labor pain. At 10 AM on the dot, little V entered our world and we were changed forever.

Happy Birthday to our little goofball

I joined her class this morning to celebrate her "four trips around the sun," which is the ritual in her classroom along with the birthday child giving a gift to the group. We chose a metal tray to hold some of the Montessori work as well as small vase for the children's flower arranging work. She was delighted to show her classmates what she'd brought and I was overjoyed to share small bits of each year of her life thus far as she circled "the sun," a bright candle on a small rug in the middle of the circle of children.

We've spent the day doing fun things, letting V choose. We went out to lunch, to the museum and library and tonight we'll see a class play at school then settle in for a spaghetti and meatball dinner, dessert, some gift opening, and read birth stories and look at photos. It's been a very special day.

A vintage I tasted last week at a wine tasting.
Perfect for the adults to enjoy for her big day.

We've considered V a "big girl" ever since she hit the big milestones like a toddler bed, no diapers, dry at night, getting herself dressed, etc. etc. But we recently made it even more official by redecorating her room. We now also have a guest room again as we put a trundle under our bed. When friends come they can take over her room and she will still have a comfortable place to sleep. And one of the best things is how many special pieces, heirlooms, and memories make up this room.

Vintage lamp I've had since my downtown apt.

eBay score hanging lamp for this little cozy corner

Vintage Lawnware lamp. Yes!

Giraffe sand painting from Gram-E and Gramps'
trip to Africa

Wall hung shelf makes the perfect bedside table
with a cozy place for books and storage
room underneath

Some of the classics

Always thought this crazy quilt was my
great-grandmother's, but recently found out my
Gramma lifted it from a neighbor's estate.

I had this crazy quilt on my bed at my
downtown apt. Glad to bring it back to life.

It's a bit fragile after over 100 years of life!

Fresh supplies for V's new art desk, which was a
repurposed table from her room's last
configuration.

Art desk--plenty of drawing supplies and a drawer
full of paper galore!

Who doesn't love fresh art supplies? Found this chicken feeder at the
ReStore and thought it would make the perfect caddy.

My old double bed, which belonged to my dad before that. There's a
handwritten indication on the frame that it was from the late 60s.

The new loft fits well

Origami mobile from this year's Chinese New Year
celebration

The stain glass window a neighbor designed and created. We had it
installed where an old window unit A/C was.

Not currently using the ladder, top bunk's off
limits unless guests are here, but the ladder fits
perfectly when it's down.

Trinkets and souvenirs from family journeys
including the music box from my first trip to
Switzerland in 1992.

Vintage satin quilt and duvet from the antique store.

My old vanity from downtown--my mom
refinished it after finding it at the rummage of
one of my former teachers. V's Chinese New Year
animal (the ox) framed above.

A special place for her comb and brush.

Trinket from a friend's birthday party.

Bear my mom made out of my old baby blanket
and a stuffed puppet I used to love at a kid.

My dad's old bed frame.

Her play kitchen hides away nicely in the knee wall closets.

Hiding some of the toys.

A batik hides the back of the mirror from the bed.

Love these painted green floors.

Corduroy Kitty from Great Aunt Jini.

The art desk fits snuggly behind the bi-fold door.

Vintage suitcases make great dress-up trunks.

Her fave activity at the art desk thus far is sharpening all the colored pencils.

Enjoying Winter, Planning for Spring

2013-02-19T13:38:00.000-06:00

Packets of energy waiting to be cared for and turned into vegetables.

It sure has been a weird winter here again. Last year we adapted to having very little snow and cold, but this year we've had a little bit of everything: rain, snow, warmth, sunshine, deep cold, deep snow. I guess that's what they call a "wintry mix." We've managed to get outside a good bit (though it's never enough for me) this season, which keeps the cabin fever at bay and by my theory is what's kept us so healthy (Ah! that fresh air does wonders!) But I am getting excited for spring and our 2013 vegetable garden. My attitude towards gardening has improved greatly from last year when we had just finished our kitchen (so were thoroughly exhausted from both mentally and financially) so I really kept the garden spending to a minimum. It was also a test for myself to see if I'd miss the extra work and subsequent poundage of veggies. I did and I didn't, but regardless I'm ready to jump back in full force this year.

I don't know if it's just the cold, dark days or the fact that I'm still enjoying the benefits of green juicing, but when I went through the seed catalogs this year all I wanted was greens, greens, and more green stuff. I hope my attitude is the same in May and June when we're buried in salad mix, collards, and Asian greens. (I see a bartering opportunity or two or three!) As I mentioned in a previous post I'm also trying to capitalize on V's current obsession with pink and purple; she's excited to grow a pink and purple garden: pink radishes, beets, tomatoes, and pole beans; purple string beans, broccoli, tomatoes, basil, lettuce, and tomatoes. Let's hope she enjoys eating those colors as much as she enjoys wearing and coloring with them.

Not a ton to report on the recipe front as I feel like I'm just beginning to crawl out of a winter rut--a cycle of [homemade] quesadillas, soup, pizzas, pasta on a loop for too long. Lately I've been pumping up our homemade regular pizza dough (not gluten-gree for my husband/daughter) with lots of supplemental goodies. I knew these extra ingredients wouldn't so much affect the outcome of the dough so I added ground arame (seaweed), ground flaxseed, chia seed, daylily powder, hemp seed. You could also throw in some beet green powder, ground shiitake mushrooms, nutritional yeast. Go nuts!

Super Pizza Dough!

They will seriously never know it's good for them.

Rolled out and ready to pre-bake

I finally had an opportunity to get back to a project I began last February--making gluten-free flatbread. My attempt back then turned out a rigid though tasty bread. More recent attempts gave me a pliable bread for which there are endless possibilities.

Grain-Free Flatbread (for Gluten-Free Wraps)

Many homemade gluten-free, grain-free flatbreads I've found use psyllium husk for pliability. This recipe contains very few ingredients compared to some of the complex formulas out there. That makes it easy enough to produce weekly (and freeze after baking if you'd like.) (Note: If you haven't been eating a lot of fiber lately, don't eat the whole pan at once. Psyllium is very high in fiber, which should be added to the diet gradually with lots of additional water daily.)

½ c. coconut flour

2 T. psyllium fiber powder

¼ c. coconut oil

1 c. boiling water

Optional:

1/8 t. sea salt

1/8 t. granulated garlic

½ t. Italian seasoning herb blend (or Herbamare seasoning)

Whisk coconut flour and psyllium together in bowl along with salt and herbs, if using. Add coconut oil. Add hot water a little at a time, stirring as you add (will melt coconut oil). Mid well making sure all dry bits are incorporated.

Roll (w/ rolling pin) or pat (w/ moistened spatula) bread out on silicone baking mat or parchment paper-lined jelly roll pan until thin and even. The dough is forgiving, so feel free to move pieces around and repair patches as you go. Bake at 375F for 15-20 min. depending on your oven and how thinly you've rolled the bread. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool to room temp. before slicing/eating. (Note: It's better to err on the side of baking less as overdoing it will make a crispy, fall apart wrap.)

Before you know it I'll be starting all my garden seeds so stay tuned for those adventures.

Happy Valentine's Day

2013-02-14T10:14:00.001-06:00

Sweets for you or your Sweets.

Taking a moment to wish you all a day filled with love and friendship. Here's a yummy (and healthy!) gluten-free, grain-free brownie recipe for your sweeties. Enjoy the day and I'll be back next week.

Quieting Down

2013-02-04T10:35:00.000-06:00

I'm finally getting a chance to settle into the winter quiet. Our remodeling project wrapped up a couple of weeks ago and we're just about finished with some other rearranging and remodeling from the weekend. (Will share more space-saving ideas in a later post.)

The new wall paint in V's room, which
I did NOT intend to be pink, but it goes
well with the woodwork and these
"wabi-sabi" floors I love.

We donated our old couch, which had an amazing 10-year
run. So many stories this old couch has heard.

Managed to get my garden seeds ordered today--my focus for the season is color, texture, unique varieties not found at the farmers' market, and LOTS of greens while Vera's going to grow an all purple and pink vegetable garden (I thought we might as well capitalize on her current obsession with these two colors.)

I've also tied up some loose ends on a few mending projects that were sitting around for a while. It's a slow time, but I'm relishing the quiet and hoping to dig into a good book soon.

Found this basic denim vest at a rummage sale last year and removed the
train patch on the upper L.

I new I wanted to make my own patch so I started freestyling with some
of the knit T-shirt scraps I have stashed.

It turned into a sort of "sun" with a vintage bird button I found at the
antique flea market a couple seasons ago.

As they say in Portlandia, "put a bird on it."

Creating New Spaces

2013-01-27T19:56:00.000-06:00

The new "library" in our entryway by day

And by night

Wintertime often brings house projects (i.e. the kitchen remodel last year). This past week we had a new built-in completed by our contractor who has now worked with us to execute several of my interior designs. This was another step to maximize the space in our small, fairly energy-efficient home so we can stay here forever. I've started calling it "Operation Stay Small." Though our house is considered a "Bay View Bungalow," it's not a typical bungalow. We have a fairly spacious living room compared to most as well as a good size entryway just beyond our vestibule. For a couple of years now I've been challenged with how to best utilize the space in the entryway. Previously we had my grandparents' hall tree (which has now been moved to the vestibule) and a long bench, which served as a plant stand, but really not the seating area I'd originally envisioned. After looking at the space long enough I figured out that we could put in bookcases and an armoire--to make a front hall closet, which many bungalows don't have. After completion I realized this space acts as a whole new room--especially b/c we don't use our front door all that much so it's not too often a traffic path. Basically, we love it and I'm now calling it "the library."

Before (I had a bench on this wall prior to remodel)

Wiring is done, new outlets are in place, and the old bathroom access
(no longer in use) is sealed over (on the R)

Installation complete

"Armoire" with slide in doors

Bottom "hatch" for shoes

Repurposed chevron drawer pulls I found for
25-cents each at the ReStore.

Decorated

View from the front vestibule as the door is opened

My latest thrift store find. A vintage Jasper Chair Company
armchair for $20, in beautiful condition.

Many of our former decorations fit well

A vintage wall mirror I also thrifted, $7. Didn't
know if I liked it at first, but now I'm in love with it.

A vintage folding camp stool I've had for over a decade
makes a perfect occasional foot rest.

And it stows perfectly underneath so it's not in the way
when I'm vacuuming

This will be my new winter reading haven.

View from the living room

I chose the north wall so the built-in would frame this beautiful original
stained glass window. The green candle holders were thrifted for a couple
of bucks.

Bits of nature on top of the built-in

I'm not much into knicknacks, but some of these
pieces have been with us for ages. This is Ben's
little bronze Scottie Dog.

Ben's bronze shoe full of Chilean
coins from his life abroad

We have at least one known aviator geek in the
house. I found this wooden airplane at the
antique flea market years ago and had to get it
for him.

Metal leaves I've had since high school.

Drawers and other bookcases were glad to be relieved of all the books I've
hoarded from various used book sales around the area.

V's egg carton caterpillar

There are also some labyrinth lovers in
the family.

Musical wooden frog, which turns out to be
a great Montessori toy.

Some of our "science" and "poetry" books
including my favorite "The Gas We Pass," which
is a cherished b-day gift from a college friend.

Gardening and more Science

Astronomy and large poetry books

Finally a comfy place for all my vintage
field guides--I love the illustrations.

Gardening books alongside many of the
Heinemann Library books Ben edited when he

worked in Chicago.

Eating Well on a Budget

2013-01-17T20:22:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite wall hangings in our kitchen.
This pretty much sums it up.

I could think of a million different titles for this post: Committing to Health in 2013, Eating Organic For Less, Quality Food vs. Quantity, Discovering the Hidden Costs of Food...I could perhaps even write a series of posts around such topics. Regardless, I have a hometown friend and blog follower to thank for prompting me to put this into words. She contacted me with some of these goals in mind: "My family and I are wanting to move in the direction of clean eating...cutting out processed foods, refined sugars, add[ing] in more fruits and veggies, lower[ing our] quantity of meat." But she said once they hit the natural foods co-op the sticker shock made her wonder how to do this affordably. Excellent questions.

I'll never claim to be an expert on this topic though I do feel I've gathered lots of resources over the last decade that I'd love to share. We are so fortunate--perhaps spoiled--here in Milwaukee and statewide to have many amazing small farmers, growers, and food co-ops close by. This friend of mine is up against much more limited resources in east central Illinois which is still mostly corn and bean country. So here goes. I'm sure I'm leaving some ideas out and I'm sure others have elaborated on this previously.

My Advice for Eating More Healthfully on a Budget:

Thoughts As You Get Started:

A major step towards healthier eating is realizing the average American diet could be making you sick. There are countless sources out there discussing why organic may be better, why genetically modified foods could be dangerous, and why we should consider the whole picture including animal welfare, environmental impact, and labor rights not to mention nutrition when we choose what to eat. Remember: every time you make a food purchase--whether at a store, restaurant or farmers' market--you are VOTING WITH YOUR DOLLAR. Essentially you are telling that producer, retailer, or restaurateur "we like this, we want more of this." So if you continue to consume and support that which you truly don't think is good for your body, your children, your community, or your world then perhaps you should reconsider before opening your pocketbook.
Next step would be a baby step. Especially if this way of eating is completely new to you and your family, the most sustainable way to approach it is little by little. If you go from 3-4 times per week drive-thru meals, microwave dinners, or highly processed staple items, you're likely to be quickly overwhelmed with an immediate switch to raw fruits and veggies, whole grains, minimally processed meats and cheeses--especially when the new numbers run through your monthly budget. As much as I'd love for everyone to clear the shelves of all processed foods, sugary, artificially-flavored, high-sodium products and wake up to a raw smoothie with kale and chia seeds followed by a homemade flatbread wrap with beans, sprouts, and kimchi then dinner of quinoa salad with homemade dressing made with coconut kefir and seaweed (Nutrition Geek Alert: these are truly things I love to eat regularly), it's NOT going to happen overnight in any way shape or form. It didn't happen that way with me so I wouldn't expect it with others.

At the Grocery Store, Farmers' Market:

Think of food as medicine. If you choose clean, healthy, nutrient-dense foods opting for variety, color, local, fresh it can take the edge off initial price shock to think of it as an investment in your health. Would you rather pay more now for good food or pay loads more later for pharmaceuticals and medical care when your body decides it's had enough? And it's not just about the return on investment down the line. I believe that eating better today will contribute to overall happiness and healthiness that may keep you and your family from missing a lot of work and school. And that can certainly make a huge financial difference financially for some people.
Don't believe the hype. There are certainly lots of wonderful "health foods" out there, but also a lot of gimmicks. Just because something's labeled "Certified Organic" doesn't mean it's automatically good for you (better than the alternative maybe, but not necessarily "good"). Paul Newman, rest his soul, put his name on organic Oreo-like cookies. Does that mean you should buy them? No. There is such a thing as organic junk food--just because sugar is grown without the use of pesticides doesn't mean it won't still upset your system. Also be careful with terms like "natural." You may be paying for something you're not really getting.
Know what foods are most important to purchase organically. Carry a list of the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen when you go to the store. If your funds are limited, refer to these lists and buy the best you can afford. Remember, even if it's conventionally-grown but one of the Clean Fifteen and you're not ingesting the worst part of it, there can still be significant baggage in terms of environmental impact and exploited labor (think bananas.)
Know that "organic" is not the end all be all at the farmers' market. Of course organic certification is something to celebrate as it often takes small farmers loads of time money to achieve this status, but for those who aren't able to jump through hoops or can't afford the certification they may opt out of the process while still upholding organic growing standards. In fact, some local producers might be using "beyond organic" methods as certified organic still allows certain organic sprays that harm beneficial insects. And corn-fed organic beef is still corn-fed, which has raised questions about the effects on the stomach pH of cattle. I'd rather look into eating clean grass-fed beef even if it's not certified. I always tell people to know your farmer. Go to the farmers' market or visit the farm to check out their operations, ask questions, and develop a relationship. They'll likely give you a thorough explanation of their practices and philosophy.
Buy local. Whenever possible purchase food directly from your local farmer or grower or at a retailer that sells local foods. One culprit of a high price tag on organic produce is trucking it thousands of miles from the green fields of California. Certainly look for certified organic local produce, but otherwise "sustainably grown" local would trump cross-country organic in my book. We're fortunate to have numerous farmers' markets in our city--in the summer one could go to a different market practically every day--and the largest producer only farmers' market in the country right over in Madison. When you buy local more of your money stays in your community and feeds the local/regional economy. I consider this yet another investment in health. A great way to get local fruits and vegetables (and sometimes meat, honey, and other value-added products) for affordably is to join a CSA farm. You're essentially subscribing to 20+ weeks (depending where you live) of fresh, beautiful, clean produce. Many farms offer various sizes of weekly shares that will feed two or four or more people as well as recipes and stories from the farm. When you break down the annual cost of a share it can often be as little as $20/week for enough fresh, organic produce to feed four people. Try doing that at the grocery store. To offset this expense even more, find out if your CSA farm offers worker shares where you essentially "work for food" each week. I've been a worker share with our CSA farm for several years. I began as a field worker/packer where I greatly expanded my gardening knowledge to boot. A few years ago I switched to an alternative worker share writing recipes for the farm's newsletter and being the personal canner for my busy farmer friends.
Look for other money saving avenues. Whether you're linked into an organic couponing site for your pantry staples, you follow the weekly circulars from your natural foods store, buy in bulk, or take part in a buying club there are other ways to purchase healthier foods on a budget. Sometimes it takes a combination of these. If you're in an area that doesn't have a natural foods store or co-op or even a conventional grocery store with organic offerings there are online sources that can also save big money. I don't advocate taking away from your local independent food retailer, but if saving money on supplements or certain perishable items online allows you to spend more money at the co-op then give it a try. And don't discount good old bartering--I have paid certain friends with preserves or our garden surplus in exchange for acupuncture, babysitting, and home repair; a reverse trade could surely work as well.
If you eat meat, eat less. We are able to afford clean meat because we have cut way back on the frequency at which we consume it. At home we usually only have meat 1-2 times per week. There are plenty of other options like beans, whole grains, and fish from which we get enough protein.

Cut back on processed foods. They're expensive, they're often full of preservatives (even "organic preservatives,") and they aren't always the most nutrient dense. The graphic below puts it into perspective a little more. In general, whether food is organic or not, I opt for a product with the shortest ingredient list.

(From the book sources below)

In the Kitchen:

Cook from scratch as much as possible. It may sound like a daunting task for those with busy schedules, but if you can find a basic knife skills class in your area and invest in a basic cooking class or two, you may learn a handful of really valuable skills that'll save money in the long run.
Use all of it. If you're going to spend the money on organic, not only should you make sure all those fresh fruits and veggies don't rot before they're eaten, but it's also good to know how to use every last bit. It's staggering how much food Americans waste annually. It's saddening when we think of people in third world countries (or even our own country, for that matter) who have access to little or no food daily. But it's also sickening to think about the money that's basically being thrown out. So very rarely does any food go into the garbage at our house. I have learned to maximize every ounce of food--whether that means saving the scraps for soup stock, boiling and pureeing stalks and leaves for "pesto," or juicing odds and ends of fruits and vegetables. Then after that, it goes into the compost, which allows us to meet our own compost needs for the vegetable garden thereby keeping our garden and yard budget in check (but that's another point.) A book that greatly inspired me to cook more economically is by Tamar Adler. I highly recommend it if for nothing else her talent in weaving recipes into prose a la M.F.K. Fisher. We also shop regularly at an employee-owned supermarket where they have "Reduced Produce" on deep discount. This may be a bag of organic bananas that's quickly turning or a bag of pesticide-free eggplants that have minor nicks. I'm not suggesting we dumpster dive like the Freegans (though I commend them for their efforts) but take a second look at perfectly good food that may have a slight imperfection. If you're able to take it home to cook that evening, there's no reason not to grab it.
Learn food preservation techniques. Whether you take a local class, learn from a friend or relative, or teach yourself via a library book this is a tremendously valuable skill. You don't have to hot water bath or pressure can your foods to preserve them--drying and freezing are also options. You can capture the flavors of the season and take advantage of the season's best prices when local veggies are at their peak and abundance at local markets and farms. There are also health benefits in eating less food out of plastic containers or BPA-lined cans when you preserve them in reusable glass jars. On that note, there are also environmental benefits...I could go on for days about the advantages of food preservation.

In the Garden and at Home:

Try gardening. Even if you simply grow your own herbs, organic tomatoes, or salad mix at home or on a community garden plot it's a healthy start for both body and pocketbook. Look for basic gardening classes in your area and when purchasing seeds or seedlings, consider how much you can afford to lose if nothing grows at all. My first gardening season I wagered $20 on my container garden. I ended up saving hundreds of dollars without really knowing what I was doing. After that you can only improve. You might be pleasantly surprised at how green your thumb actually is and you'll know exactly what's going into/onto your food (if anything.) You may also gain a better appreciation for professional growers and perhaps further understand the higher, true prices of food. And you'll get some great exercise and therapy...so go ahead and cancel that expensive monthly gym membership.
Prioritize. Choosing to eat better, cleaner, healthier, more wholesome food has to be part of a bigger picture. We have made food a huge priority in our lives. I'll spend as little as possible on what I put ON my body (though still in a sustainable way), but I try not to cut corners on what I put INTO my mouth. We've chosen NOT to have fancy cell phones, cable TV, live in a big house, take annual extravagant vacations, drive gas-guzzling cars, eat out regularly more than 2-3 times per month, wear fancy clothes and jewelry, maintain luxurious grooming schedules, etc. in order to afford the best food we can. One day someone will point out the irony that Vera is wearing handed down hand-me-downs but bringing organic pastured chicken salad with homemade mayonnaise in her lunchbox. If a healthy lifestyle is what you want on a tight budget, you've got to make certain sacrifices when it comes to material things.
I would also like to point out a few things I think you NEVER have to buy again: salad dressing (shake equal parts oil and acid in a jar with salt and pepper, maybe some herbs), roasted nuts (5 min. at 350F and they're delicious), baby carrots (I'm guilty of this myself, but really, how hard is it to peel and cut up some regular carrots...that's really all that baby carrots are anyway.) Invest in a food processor and never again will you purchase mayonnaise, shredded cheese, slaw mix, pesto, pureed garlic. The list goes on.
There are books out there that tackle the topic of organic on a budget: Wildly Affordable Organic, Good Meat, and Organic Food: Eating Organic on a Budget (available on Kindle). And documentaries galore including Food Inc., Forks Over Knives, Hungry For Change as well as Genetic Roulette that may give you some insight into factory farming and the conventional food industry.

The only thing I may not have directly addressed above is my friend's question about cutting out refined sugar. To that I would repeat "baby steps." Try to substitute honey, maple syrup, sorghum, or stevia when possible, or start weaning yourself altogether. Hopefully you'll be so busy eating naturally sweet fruits and filling your belly with nutritious foods that keep your sugar cravings in check that you won't want an artificially-sweetened treat afterwards. Truth be told, sweets will always be my vice, but I try to make healthier choices.

I'm sure this is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many more sources and ideas. There's always more for me to learn and the bar keeps being set higher. For now we all do the best we can.

The Homestead in Winter

2013-01-09T15:05:00.004-06:00

Someone is making plans to eventually get urban hens.

The holidays are mostly over so I want to get my blog back on track to include more about what many of you originally came here to learn--cooking, preserving, gardening, etc. An FAQ about the urban homestead is "what do you do all winter?" Before I learned about the ins and outs of the daily lives of farmer friends I always guessed that winter was a time for them to kick back and relax. I couldn't have been more wrong. I would never compare our modest gardening operations in the city to the scale or effort of my rural farming friends, but there are similar patterns during the "off-season" and simply sitting on one's behind is hardly in the plan.

Winter does mean a kind of "hibernation"--especially after the whirlwind that can be the holidays--and I have found myself wishing to crawl into a cave and sleep for months and months. But while I don't exactly go completely down for the count until spring, I do experience my own torpor. In winter I find more time to read, knit, sew, bake, plan--gardens, menus, things to preserve, class schedules, travel agendas--and catch up with friends over coffee. As on a farm, winter's also the time to clean and repair my equipment. In fact, I just picked up my sewing machine this morning; it's all ready for another 1000 miles. Winter is also the time to assure that gardening tools and canning equipment are in good working condition.

Homestead-wise, winter also finds me managing our basement vermicompost bin, sketching out my dream garden for the spring, and making arrangements to get advice in pruning our fruit trees, as well as getting out to enjoy the Wisconsin winters--ice skating, sledding, and hopefully even some skiing or snowshoeing this year.

One thing I'm most excited about is garden planning and seed starting for 2013. Having some morning solitude while V is at school will give me a little space and time to plan more logically then act as early as the ground can be worked again in spring. The second thing exciting me most is the travel plans we're making--a few jaunts both near and far for spring and summer, which we hope to execute in the most sustainable ways currently available to us. We've found pleasure in making camping reservations and saving dates and spaces for a few of our annual warm-weather weekends. There's so much hope and excitement this time of year though it's also important for us to meditate on the quiet(er) we'll have until spring.

This winter will be the first downtime I'll truly have had since my daughter started school. First semester I was getting into a new groove, then there were the holidays, and now I've finally caught my breath and know where I want to go mentally and physically. My favorite day of the week is Wednesday when I often find time to read, blog, craft, thrift shop, or just sit quietly and drink coffee all morning (that last one is still a dreamworld to me...I mean really, can anyone see me sitting in one place for an extended period of time? Sounds like the making of a New Year's resolution.)

As I mentioned in a previous post, we are still celebrating some winter holidays. Last weekend we explored Twelfth Night and Three Kings Day. We made a King Cake (or in this case a Rosca de Reyes) and took down the decorations. Though I wished I'd had time to pour some surplus wassail on the roots of our apple trees I did not, in fact, make time for the drunken revelry of Tudor England when they used to douse the orchard with alcohol, leave wassail-soaked toast in the branches for the birds, and shoot off their guns to ward off evil spirits. I would however like to try playing snapdragon some year. Sounds like a wild and crazy way to begin the carnival season when everyone lives a little excessively all the way through Mardi Gras.

Dough after the first rise

Rolling up the filling--Brandy-soaked Dried Cranberries with Almonds

Cut, shaped and ready for the second rise before baking

Studded with halved homemade preserved cherries and baked till golden

Along with some Shakespeare it'll make the perfect adieu to the holidays

To get the winter cooking ball rolling again I'm sharing a favorite gratin recipe that I just tweaked this week using beets and turnips instead of the potatoes, parsnips, and turnips for which the original recipe calls.

Beet and Turnip Gratin (Gluten-free)

Peeled Beets and Turnips ready to slice

Makes about 8 servings

Once baked and creamy, the turnips and beets will be indistinguishable in both flavor and color, but you won't be disappointed. I use a hand-held slicer with a ceramic blade. Such a tool is invaluable and can be purchased inexpensively at an Asian grocery.

Oil or butter to grease the baking dish

1 T. butter

2 T. gluten-free flour (or AP flour)

1/2 c. vegetable broth (or chicken stock for a richer dish)

1 1/2 c. milk or cream

Salt and pepper

1/4 t. grated nutmeg

1 lb. turnips, peeled and thinly sliced

2 medium leeks or 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced

1 lb. beets (I used red, but golden beets would also be beautiful, but note that they begin to discolor if not used immediately)

Grated cheddar, parmesan or your favorite melty cheese (optional)

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese or other hard cheese

1/2 c. ground gluten-free crackers, cornflakes, or breadcrumbs (or regular breadcrumbs if you prefer)

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease gratin dish (or any deep casserole dish with butter or oil); set aside. Heat butter in saucepan until foam subsides. Add flour and whisk a few minutes. Add broth/stock and stir vigorously until well incorporated. Add milk/cream and whisk until mixture returns to boil. Simmer a few min. It should have the consistency of a thin white sauce (a little thicker if you use cream vs. milk). Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Arrange a layer of turnips in the bottom of the gratin dish. Sprinkle with some of the leeks/onions and a little salt and pepper and additional optional shredded cheese, if desired. Add a layer of beet slices and more onions. Seasoning in between all layers and proceed with the remaining ingredients. Pour sauce over, cover, and bake 30 min. Mix cheese, bread crumbs, and parsley. Sprinkle on top and bake 30 min. more uncovered.

Let the layering begin. Don't forget to season w/ s&p between each layer.

And layering.

Cheesy, bubbly goodness in the end.

Ready for the New Year

2013-01-04T15:52:00.000-06:00

Happy 2013!

Happy New Year! We rounded out 2013 with a couple more cultural holidays before capping it off with a New Year's celebration with close friends. There are a handful more of cultural holidays dangling into January and February that we are excited to explore as well. But most of all we're thankful for a fresh start and are excited about planning some travels and family outings this year.

Our Kwanzaa centerpiece (w/ a few makeshift items as we used the
resources we had available at home): Kinara (candleholder) with
mishumaa (candles), mkeka ("straw" mat--ours was made out of
construction paper), mazao (fruit--V contributed some from her toy
kitchen), vibunzi (ear of corn for ea. child in the household), kikombe
cha umoja (unity cup--using Daddy's mate cup), and zawadi (modest
gift--we chose V's beaded bracelet.)

Our karamu (Kwanzaa feast) with Squash, Lentil, and Chickpea Stew w/
Peanuts and Cilantro; North African Spiced Carrots; Southern Kale; and
Fresh Fruit Salad with Whipped Cream

Boxing Day Feast of Ham, Smashed Garlic Peas, and
Parsnip and Potato Hash Browns.

Helping prepare a Breakfast Casserole for our NYE
overnight guests. V cut the chicken sausages and
learned how to crack eggs

Cardamom Pistachio Rice Pudding for NYE dessert--whoever found the
whole almond in their cup will have luck all year.

Cooking down a pot of Southern Style Collards for
our auspicious NYE menu.

Lots of lucky foods on our table: Hoppin' John,
Collards, Lentil Soup, Pork, Fish (Herring), and
other offerings to round of the evening with good friends

And we welcomed 2013 with our neighbors grilling
weinies and sipping champagne in the park at noon on
New Year's Day.

Season's Greetings, Best Wishes for 2013!

2012-12-28T16:09:00.002-06:00

Helping paint placemats for our Winter Solstice meal

Our multi-cultural interfaith exploration of the holidays continues as we celebrated the Winter Solstice last Friday evening with my in-laws. I'd been wanting to have a big Solstice celebration for years and with the way our family schedules worked this year, 2012 was finally the time to do it. V helped me choose natural as well as a few artificial pieces of greenery and other herbs and berries to adorn our solstice table--each bit symbolizing a different blessing on our household. According to Druid's Herbal, plants are brought into the house at the time of the Winter Solstice to assure the woodland spirits can find refuge during this period of darkness and cold. Our centerpiece, with farolito borrowed from the Las Posadas exploration, included:

Cedar (arborvitae) for cleansing and purity
Bay Laurel to bring the light of the sun into the house and ward off illness
Chamomile for its ability to soothe and cleanse, for love and purification
Frankincense (by way of incense sticks), an antiseptic herb used symbolically to bring purification and protection
Holly for protection and to symbolize the coexistence of human and plant spirit and life
Juniper for love and protection
Mistletoe for healing, peace, and beautiful dreams
Oak for healing, strength and wisdom
Pine for prosperity, peace, healing and joy
Willow to invoke the goddess to achieve desires

Our Solstice table

All the bits and pieces of greenery to bring good spirits
into our home this winter

We enjoyed some traditional wassail, a baked potato bar for dinner (potatoes being a traditional food served at Winter Solstice celebrations), took a starlit walk with the walking sticks V and I had collected weeks before, told stories and opened gifts by candlelight, and sang a few yuletide carols after finishing our Bûche de Noël made by my talented former co-worker at Eat Cake! I definitely want this tradition to go on. It was a very special, peaceful evening.

Roasted Apples and clove-studded orange for our wassail.

Gluten-free no less. So beautiful and yummy!

Is that the North Star on our Solstice walk?

We sat by candlelight and a few string lights for the remainder
of our Solstice evening

These jelly jars come in handy for lots of things.

A little extra sparkle for our Winter Solstice celebration

After presenting V with her Christmas gift--a trip to see The Nutcracker followed by a carriage ride around downtown--we rested then set out early the next day to spend Christmas with my folks in west central Indiana. It was the first trip to see them since they'd moved out of my childhood home. I was a bit ambivalent about the visit. Since it was the holidays I didn't know if I would feel like I was "home." But by way of their hospitality and the familiar decorations from Wegner Christmases past, I felt just fine.

The Nutcracker at the Milwaukee Ballet

Your carriage awaits...

Just days before Winter Storm Euclid dropped a few
inches on my parents' place V was trying to find any
bit of snow to make an angel.

My dad's become quite the baker in recent years--taking
after his mother no doubt. Gramma Lucille would be
extremely proud.

Back home in MKE now, but missed out on the Boxing Day feast I'd planned. Moved right into exploring Kwanzaa and had V help me collect the items for our centerpiece.

Making our vibunzi for the Kwanzaa centerpiece

Exploring Kwanzaa this week. Couldn't find a black candle for our
center unity (umoja) candle. Trying to use the materials I have.

Today found me receiving an amazing box of uber-fresh starfruit from a friend/neighbor whose family in Florida has a big carambola tree. I never knew starfruit could taste so amazing. Just shows that the stuff we find in stores that travels miles and miles isn't worth the price when it tastes like cardboard. Can't wait to see how I'll use this fruit. Preserves, dehydrate, juice, salad. Don't know, but it's reminding me that one other thing I love about the holidays is receiving these special gifts from friends and family from other regions. My sister-in-law from Alabama has been known to gift us pickled okra from the south as well as fresh kumquats from her grandparents' house in Florida. It all reminds me of the days when one couldn't get these treats any old time, but perhaps got his or her hands on them around the holidays. Like oranges in a stocking. I still think winter citrus is worth waiting for.

Unbelievable flavor!

Looking forward to a low-key New Year's Eve with friends and preparing a meal of auspicious offerings to bring us luck in 2013! Till then. Peace to you all.

Taking Time to Pause

2012-12-18T15:04:00.000-06:00

Lights of hope

When I work at my part-time pastry job baking and preparing goodies that I've made so many times it's become second nature, I often find plenty of space to let my mind wander and process the events of the week, conversations I've had, things I've written or read. Sometimes I've mentally outlined a blog post or occasionally come up with something I think is clever enough to post on Facebook. But after the tragedy in Newtown, CT on Friday morning everything I thought I had planned to say didn't seem to matter. It didn't seem appropriate to be in a joyful mood, tell funny stories, or get excited about the upcoming weekend. All that seemed to matter was pausing to think about the lives lost at that school and in that community.

Many people are still reeling from the news, and rightfully so. I was at quite a loss for words until this morning's work session when I had more time to process. At this point, though many are still grieving and trying to absorb this awful scene, I am finding that some people are seeking distraction or at least something to give them a momentary laugh or peek at hope. I wasn't feeling it would be appropriate to post anything joyful here for a few days, but now I'm realizing that if one has purposefully visited my blog that maybe he or she is looking for a distraction, inspiration, or sense of community.

Here are my thoughts from this morning:

In light of recent tragedies I've been reminded just how precious and short life is. We should live EVERY day to the fullest because it could be our last. We shouldn't need a Mayan calendar to tell us so. Remember to take every opportunity to be kind; offer a smile; hug your friends, family, kids; right your wrongs; speak the truth; give more; listen more; sing and dance; enjoy the silence; put more value on relationsh

ips (with neighbors, nature, family, and friends) instead of materials; do what you love; eat more bacon, or whatever living life to the fullest means to you. Don't wait till New Year's Day to make a fresh start.

I love Mary Oliver's poem "Summer Day" and this quote adapted from it--"This is the day, this is the one wild and precious life we are given. Let us all find a way to rejoice and be glad in it," (adapted by our UU minister the Reverend Drew Kennedy).

I have certainly not experienced anything close to the grief and devastation as the families and community in CT so I won't pretend to know what it's like. But I will say that I don't believe in living in fear. Of course this same tragedy could happen to any of us anywhere whether it's in a school or other public place, whether it's a "place of God" or not. None of us are immune. With the reminder that life is so short and precious, the only thing I can think to do is keep moving forward and celebrating it to the fullest. As soon as we start living in fear, we begin to defeat that purpose.

On that note, we move forward with our celebration of the holidays. The extra time I've spent with my daughter lately has been particularly valuable in the last few days. As we light our candles, we send an extra wish of hope for peace, kindness, and love out into the universe. This light has been the common thread between so many of the interfaith holidays we've explored this month. We made a pseudo-lighted head wreath for our St. Lucia celebration last Thursday (Dec. 13), lit the third candle of our Advent wreath for JOY, lit the candles on our menorah for the final evening of Hanukkah on Saturday, and moved on to lighting our farolito for Las Posadas this week. Ever since an evening vigil for a friend who passed tragically in college, I've always been amazed by how a candle flame can grow and be passed along. It's been sort of symbolic to pass this light from holiday celebration to holiday celebration, culture to culture, faith to faith as we've gone through the weeks of December and soon into January. Let us find a place to pass this light into the world after our holiday exploration is finished. (Ironically, shortly after I posted this I read this entry from a fellow Wisconsin blogger who also mentions spreading this light into the world. I love her sentiments.)

Preparing the dough for our St. Lucia saffron buns.

Saffron buns shaped and ready for the second rise.

Baked golden brown, a yeasted dough success.

Swedish Glogg. Interesting how so many cultures have
spiced, sweetened, warm beverages for the holidays.
We've learned that we're definitely not used to these
sweet drinks.

Our St. Lucia. I finished this off-white outfit just in time.

She can't wait to dig in. With butter please.

And some GF pepperkakor.

Glogg and Gingersnaps, a perfect Swedish snack.

Lighting our farolito and V's
hand-print poinsettia for
Las Posadas

Buñuelos for Las Posadas

Simple Sopa de Albóndigas for our first Las Posadas meal of the week

Finally using some of the piloncillo I've had in my
pantry. Perfect for our Ponche Navideño

Ponche Navideño--dried fruits, nuts, and tejocotes, sugar cane, guava.
Now to add the rum or brandy. We'll sip on it all week.

Enjoying [All] the Holidays

2012-12-12T09:50:00.000-06:00

Miller Holiday Lites display

Our multi-cultural interfaith exploration of the holidays is well underway and we're having a blast experiencing bits and pieces of so many different celebrations. Since last week we've talked about Chalica, St. Nicholas, Bodhi Day, and Hanukkah. And there will be more fun tomorrow with the Swedish Saint Lucia Day. The best part for me so far--aside from finding my holiday identity--has been the baking. Not only have V and I been able to spend quality time together but these efforts have doubled to produce the cookies I volunteered to make for bus drivers and crossing guards at school as well as for our Holistic Moms Network Alternative Cookie Exchange and subsequent donation of surplus cookies to local seniors. Though this diverse holiday celebration required a lot of planning, I honestly feel this year that I am more calm, more collected, taking more personal time, and finding so much more meaning in the entire season. V and I have had a ton of fun bouncing around town to various events, Ben and V will be having some quality daddy-daughter time this weekend, and I'm even finding time to do things by myself--tonight I'm going to hear Handel's Messiah at a local church.

Our chalice for Chalica.

We left a coloring page, Bag of Promises and plate of pfefferneuse for
St. Nicholas who in turn left fruit, nuts, and a small box of wooden puzzles.

Our laughing Buddha incense holder for Bodhi Day

Our Bodhi Day setup--Dec. 8 is the day that Siddartha
Gautauma experienced enlightenment under the ficus tree.
We decorated our ficus with multi-colored lights to
symbolize the many paths to enlightenment (The
Eightfold Path), added our Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma,
and Sangha), and burned some "peace" scented incense
in our Buddha dish.

Visited the Shambala Meditation Center on MKE's
eastside for a more authentic Bodhi Day experience.
They were incredibly warm and welcoming.

Lighting the first candle of our makeshift menorah and trying to be as
authentic as we can. I don't have a windowsill on which to put our
menorah so I'm reflecting it outward via a mirror (a little Feng Shui
if you will)

Our Hanukkah gelt. It's not totally authentic as it's
made in Ghana though it IS fair trade so that's a plus.
V is not judging.

Playing a game of dreidel after dinner on the first night of Hanukkah.
Guess who had beginner's luck?

Huge menorah at the Community Hanukkah Celebration in the northshore.

Basilica of St. Josaphat's--an incredible MKE landmark.

Bel Canto Chorus and Bel Canto Boys Choir
performing "Christmas at the Basilica."

We've added a few more homemade decorations since last weekend when the tree went up. In my pantry I've been squirreling away the parchment rounds that separate the gluten-free brown rice tortillas I love to buy (I figure it I'm going to indulge in them that I'm at least going to be responsible for upcycling the waste.) When I bake a layer cake at home I like to put a piece of parchment at the bottom of the greased pan. Makes removing the cake a little cleaner. So I saw this part of the packaging as a prime candidate for that purpose. Little did I know they'd also make the perfect base for hand-cut snowflakes. The round shape make them easy to fold into six and cut, but because they're sort of "waxed" they won't tear as easily so we can hopefully press them into a book and use them for years to come. I also realized that cutting out snowflakes is incredibly therapeutic. You don't know where you're going when you start, you just trust the scissors and your imagination and it'll most likely turn into something beautiful.

Let it Snow...

Let it Snow.

I've also managed to find a good amount of time to sew. Finished a holiday dress for V last week that she calls her "sea serpent dress" as one calico has "scales" and another looks like water. Plus we recently read this delightful book so it was fresh in her mind. Yesterday I finished an off-white two-piece knit outfit (turtleneck and skirt). Both of these projects had been cut out and on my project pile since summer. I saw them as holiday outfits so that motivated me to get them done. The off-white outfit will make a perfect Saint Lucia Day outfit for tomorrow.

V's "Sea Serpent Dress" with a great "spinning rating" as all our
dresses apparently must have the days

Planning to wear it Friday night for a date w/ Daddy

Contrasting thread

Using what I have--I thought the turquoise zipper would
be a nice contrast like the "water" patterned fabric

Two of my holiday goals are well underway--giving the gift of time (as I mentioned above, baking with V) and spending more time outdoors. In fact, I've managed to put those two together as I determined yesterday that if/when V says she wants me to play with her in the afternoons then we have to go outside. It will make her more robust for our [hopefully] cold, snowy Wisconsin winters and will improve her sleep too.

Making traditional pfefferneuse to leave for St. Nicholas

Pfefferneuse baked and ready to glaze

I juiced some spinach to make green coarse sugar for our Bodhi cookies

Sprinkling the Bodhi cookies--upside down hearts
are "leaf" shaped like the leaves of the Bodhi tree

Gluten-free, grain-free, vegan Bodhi cookies. They don't taste as "healthy"
as they may sound

"Latkes, Latkes, good too eat. Cook me up a
Hanukkah treat."

After a night of traditional latkes we went with something
a little different--Celeriac and Fennel Latkes with Fennel-Pear Relish

Still focusing on the light this season brings via the many candles we've lit for all these cultural celebrations. As the Winter Solstice nears we'll celebrate the darkness as well and the hope for longer days ahead. I'm also enjoying the memories that this season holds. Today I indulged in a couple of CDs from the library--holiday albums that were part of my mom's cassette tape collection when we were kids. I'd play, sing, and rewind these albums over and over until I memorized them. This morning I'm listening to them as I wait for the dough to rise for my Hanukkah sufganiyot, which I'll put together with a Jewish friend this afternoon. I'm reminiscing about Christmases past in the house where I grew up, but realizing that this year will be very different because my parents are in a new house. Not only will our holiday visit be the first celebration since they moved out of my childhood home, but it's the first time I'll be down in their neck of the woods, period, since last Christmas when I videotaped our house all decorated for the holidays, knowing that the move was imminent. I imagine it will be a bit similar to the shift we experienced after my grandparents passed and we no longer spent holidays at their house, but at least the same people will be present in this case. My folks are very healthy and we still have lots of time to make new memories. Can't wait.

Celebrating the December and Winter Holidays

2012-12-04T13:25:00.002-06:00

Holiday memories

After many hours spent planning, researching, and drawing up a curriculum (for lack of the better word), I've come up with a plan for our multi-cultural interfaith (MCIF) exploration of the December and winter holidays. Through conversations with Ben and input from our daughter we've also agreed on--at least temporarily--how we'll approach "Santa." I am in no way trying to convert anyone to celebrate a certain holiday, ritual, tradition, etc. but am merely attempting to give V--and all of us, for that matter--a broader view of what others might be celebrating this time of year. I encounter so many people who have expressed to me that Christmas is the ONLY thing this time of year and that by wishing someone a more inclusive "Happy Holidays" that I'm offending folks. Being a UU I don't feel like I fit into the mainstream, period, let alone this time of year so I'm taking my guy and girl along with me on this adventure of learning about other celebrations whether they're other cultural traditions around Christmas or completely non-Christian or even non-religious. And, most importantly, I'm getting some interfaith involvement from friends and the community Admittedly, it's taken a lot of time to prepare this. Time that others might have chosen to spend at the mall, baking cookies, or decorating the house--all things that I'm not doing this year (or not doing excessively anyway.) But I can already say that I've learned more about Christmas as well as the other holidays than I ever knew growing up. And through this exploration I'm feeling like I'm finding my holiday identity.

We began this weekend hearing the Florentine Opera Studio Artists sing some gorgeous carols at a local coffee shop on Saturday. Then we attempted to check out the Brady Street Festivus celebration, which we had to miss because I showed up 12 hours too early.

The Florentine Opera Studio Artists at
Alterra at the Lake

Historic Brady Street Festivus celebration. I thought it started at 9:30 AM.
I showed up way too early to "air my grievances."

We kicked off the journey at our house on Sunday as we lit the first candle on our homemade, very compact and easily storable Advent wreath and discussed the season's history. Then yesterday we began observing Chalica, a new-ish weeklong holiday that relates to our own "faith." What I'm most excited about with this journey--besides learning so many new tidbits--is the cooking and baking I have planned with V, which will hopefully satisfy at least part of my goal to "give the gift of time" this season. Tomorrow we'll be making pfefferneuse to leave for St. Nick who will in turn leave a small gift (probably an orange or grapefruit) in our stockings during the night.

Our first Advent candle of HOPE (I learned that it was acceptable to sub
a blue candle for the traditional purple.)

I'm hoping this will all become part of our family tradition for the holidays. (Once I've gotten all the plans laid out this year, future seasons will be much simpler.) When asked what my favorite holiday tradition has been thus far I say that it's hanging the antique glass ornaments from my great-grandmother, Anna (my namesake.)

One of my favorite antique ornaments has stood the test of time.

I still have the little artificial tree I've had since the first holiday season spent in Milwaukee. I do see myself being a fresh tree person in the future, but for now this little tree, which holds so many memories--happy and sad--suits us. Especially because putting the tree up on a table (in fact, Ben's grandma's antique table...see, the family memories run so deep) keeps these fragile ornaments up and [sort of] away from our curious 3-year-old.

Helping put some of the finishing touches on the tree.

The stockings were hung by the window with care...

The sparkling entryway with Grammy and Grampa's antique coat tree

adorned in lights

And a vintage poinsettia tablecloth from my Gram on the table under
the glitter around the window (with V's hand wreath from last year.)

And a few more string lights to give the glass cabinet
an extra glow

Ben's simple creche from his time spent in Chile

And my toothpick, clothespin, and popsicle stick creche
from second grade

Our family's focus for the holiday is "light." We've been excited about celebrating the Winter Solstice in the past so took the idea of minimal light and expanded on it by adding a little extra sparkle to our place. Interestingly--as I've learned on this MCIF journey--so many of these winter holidays are centered around exactly that. Makes sense. If ever I wanted greater meaning for the holidays, this year is sure to provide.

Happy Thanksgiving

2012-11-22T12:41:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Enjoy this time off of work (hopefully), with your family and friends. We'll be thinking today, and every day, about those who don't have a meal for their tables or can't be with friends and loved ones. Peace!

And in case you're looking for ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers.

But First, Thanksgiving

2012-11-18T20:55:00.002-06:00

Every year for Thanksgiving I think I'm going to plan weeks ahead to give you all kinds of recipes for the feast. The big meal is upon us and here I am behind again. In keeping with the theme of simplicity for the late fall and winter holidays I've decided just to give you one recipe. If there's any dish that keeps popping up every year it's this one. I'm trying a couple of new sides and desserts this year, but I won't share those until I know they're good ones. But this salad is one I tweaked to taste like something my Aunt Mitzi would make for either Thanksgiving or Easter. It's a bit decadent what with the bacon, sour cream, and sugar but I've indicated substitutions when possible.

Mitzi's Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad
Serves 6-8

I love the sweet, salty, crunchy, creamy, and chewy components of this salad. Unfortunately it's best the day it's made so make just enough for Thanksgiving day. I intend to hit the farmers' market early this week to pick up my brassicas for this dish.

1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
1 small head broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and diced
1 medium sweet (or yellow) onion, chopped
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. sour cream (or plain whole milk yogurt)
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sugar (you can try honey or granulated xylitol or simply cut back on the white sugar)
1/3 c. shredded/grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. raisins

Toss together cauliflower, broccoli, bacon, onion, and celery. Combine sour cream/yogurt, mayonnaise, and sugar. Add to vegetables and toss gently. Add Parmesan and raisins and toss gently. Serve chilled or at room temp.

Aside from mentally and physically preparing for Thursday's company and feast, trying to get my head around the December holidays, and otherwise holding things together around the house, I've found small pockets of time to finish some sewing and knitting projects. I always think I need to have huge blocks of time to move along with my craft projects, but even in fifteen or twenty minutes I can put in a zipper, turn up a hem, set in some sleeves, or decrease and cast-off for a winter cap.

With the cold weather teasing us I thought I'd better get working on the balaclava I planned for V. I knew that if we wanted to keep walking the few blocks to school all winter that I needed to find a way for V to keep her nose, mouth and head warm all at once. Of course, a scarf tied around her hood would work, but I thought a balaclava would be easier for her to put on and take off by herself as she likes to do these days. If I made this again I would tweak the chin part of the front to be a little more snug, but the two or three times she's worn it already it's worked just fine.

I also found a few moments last weekend to finish a pair of pants for V that I'd started months and months ago. It was one of the few patterns I've tried making from a book--tracing the pattern pieces onto tissue paper. Fortunately V's only objection to this new garment was that it's not purple enough. Oy!

Just not purple enough

Back in the summer I was on quite a roll cutting out all kinds of dresses for V, but only finding time to follow through on a couple of them. Finishing the aforementioned pants got me rolling again and I decided to set a deadline for myself to finish one of the dresses. Thanksgiving! Why not have a new dress to wear for the holiday? My mom gave me this darling woodlands corduroy over the summer so having her here for the holiday was another reason for me to finish soon so she could see it. The pattern was one I bought on super deep discount a couple of years ago at the fabric store and the buttons were from a stash I've had for several years. I absolutely love the fuchsia color of the corduroy.

Woodland Thanksgiving dress

Contrasting buttons

A little poof in the sleeve

Hoping to have a low-stress week to prepare for our company and meal on Thursday. We're trying to keep the colds away in the process. Elderberry, echinacea, and other various natural preventive remedies are in full effect.

Holiday Plans

2012-11-12T14:11:00.002-06:00

Many thanks to those who noticed my absence last week. It's always great to feel appreciated. The weeks have been a tad busier than expected and I decided not to stress if I couldn't post. But I'm glad to be back.

Among other projects, I've been spending time considering our holiday plans. We'll welcome my folks to Milwaukee for Thanksgiving, though I haven't thought a bit about my menu yet (though I have officially acquired an organic turkey for the occasion.) The December holidays are also right around the corner. As our beliefs have evolved over the years, we've been trying to figure out how to present Christmas and other winter holidays to our child. Last year in the eleventh hour I realized I wanted to give her a sampling--or at least begin with a story--of various religious/cultural holidays that happen around this time of year. I've started much earlier this year thinking about how we'll celebrate, if/how much we'll decorate and spend, what we'll cook, if/how we will give gifts. Yesterday I attended a very timely meeting of a new parenting group I recently joined at our congregation. We had an in-depth dialogue about what holiday traditions we observed growing up, how we choose to celebrate now, and our concerns for how we and our children will handle our celebrations outside of the "mainstream" beliefs. It certainly won't be easy and I'm sure it will continue to evolve over the years, but I feel that because of the time I've already spent pondering, the celebration will be much more meaningful. I'm hoping to spend time this week putting together a list of ideas for how to get the most out of the season of celebration while keeping it very simple especially from a consumerism standpoint. Experiential giving and receiving seem to be the informal "theme" thus far.

Which brings me to the idea of giving my child, my husband, and my family the gift of time now (if not more in the new year altogether.) I stumbled upon a pre-21st century book (i.e. pre- explosion of the internet, cell phones, and other electronic devices which have all changed our culture so) by environmentalist Bill McKibben, Hundred Dollar Holiday: A Case for a More Joyful Christmas. It's been interesting to read his work prior to the extensive writing he's since published on the impact of global climate change (though this 1998 view of one of the nation's biggest holidays could be loosely linked to all the consumption and waste that do, in fact, relate to the "greenhouse effect.") His point in this piece is to greatly reduce all the money we spend on this national holiday. I feel that we've already majorly reduced holiday consumption in our household, but I was interested in what he says about finding meaning in the holiday (whether you celebrate "Christmas" as a religious holiday or otherwise.) It gave me great insight into why so many Americans celebrate in the current ways they do: huge fussy feasts, mass consumption, packed schedules, expensive decorations, endless parties, etc. One of my favorite passages from his book:

"...time is in many ways our most valued commodity. If we could buy more of it from the store, the line outside its door would stretch to the horizon.

Our strategy with Christmas, then, has gone slightly awry. We've gotten used to spending more money to make it special. But if money's no longer as valuable as time, we're offering each other a devalued currency...If Christmas is going to be special, then make sure to spend time in special ways--make it relaxed time with the people who count in your life."

He discusses enjoying this feeling of less stress year-round and voluntary simplicity (a lifestyle choice and social movement focused on reducing one's rate and scale of consumption and living with fewer possessions; in balance with the social and natural environment.) There are so many more fantastic ideas in this very quick read, which makes a great handbook.

Aside from exploring other religious/cultural holiday celebrations, I'm planning to keep the meals and event planning simple. I'm not making any homemade gifts this year (aside from one for a friend that's part of an on-going barter system). We're focusing on spending time together; enjoying the stillness, light (or lack thereof), and warmth of the season. In fact, I've made a short list of personal goals for myself this holiday:

Give the gift of time to family, friends, and my child
Spend more time outdoors (even in the darkness)
Visit those who don't have anyone (possibly after the holidays when people may be more lonely)

It's just a start, but if I can make time for those three simple things, I think the holidays will have much deeper meaning for me. It's amazing how much less stressed I already feel as the season approaches.

Happy Halloween

2012-10-31T09:39:00.001-05:00

Our Jack-o-Lanterns

Happy Halloween to everyone! It's been a fantastic season of celebrating. We read so many Halloween library books, dug up information on Halloween lore and traditions, carved pumpkins, drank cider, ate a little chocolate, and wore out V's costume. (Definitely got our $3 worth.)

Preparing to carve pumpkins in the basement craft area

I decided to be different with a yellow carving pumpkin

Power tools.

Ben carves away

Pooped after trick-or-treating!

Though we had a Happy Halloween weekend of trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving I've been thinking more about our friends and family on the east coast who've hopefully braved the storm of Hurricane Sandy. Still hoping to hear from a few people, but it sounds like most of them are safe. Something I realized this week as everyone was posting online about his or her weather-related safety status was how many bloggers I follow that I never knew their locations. Apparently many of them live on the east coast, especially near NYC. Makes me realize how this virtual world we spend so much time in can still leave us so unaware and slightly disconnected.

We've had some stellar waves at the lakefront here and lots of wind, of course, but no real grounds for complaints. We did manage to get outside for a hike on Sunday. I can't believe that in the last decade plus that I've lived in Milwaukee that I never experienced the beauty of Grant Park in South Milwaukee. There are some gorgeous trails that suddenly lead one to a peaceful beach at Lake Michigan (which seems like it'd be much cleaner than our main beach near downtown.) We agreed that the park would be a great place to return for seasonal hikes; certainly good for viewing spring ephemerals in a few more months (or several more months as it may be.)

Reflections of the sky in the stream through
Grant Park's Seven Bridges Trail

I can't believe it took me this long to find
this beautiful place!

A little color amidst the drab brown

One of the beautiful bridges in Grant Park

Nothing much to report here other than getting excited about the indoor winter farmers' markets (Milwaukee County and St. Ann's Center) starting in our area this weekend. Be sure to check them out if you're available as well as the West Allis Farmers Market which runs through the week of Thanksgiving.

Cooking up the remains of our garden and still enjoying lots of flavorful salad greens from our raised beds. Green tomatoes are being cellared until they turn.

Tomatoes gradually ripening on the cellar rack.

Cleaning and Gleaning

2012-10-24T08:49:00.000-05:00

With my husband's motivation, we successfully tackled the majority of our fall yard cleanup last weekend. The weather was gorgeous--warmer than I thought as we peeled layers with each passing hour of vigorous outdoor activity. While B took care of the raking and sweeping, I attacked the vegetable garden and gleaned what I could from the tomato plants and greens that are still thriving. I have yet to weigh the tomatoes, but I collected a 5-gallon bucket (and then some) full of green ones that I plan to cook down into my favorite sauce.

Green Tomato Sauce

Makes 4 servings

Since I always make this at the end of the growing season when I'm in "use it or lose it" mode, the recipe is subject to being greatly expanded. It's versatile enough to be a pasta or pizza sauce as well as a soup (see below.)

1 lb. green tomatoes

½ c. extra virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

¼ t. hot red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a stockpot and cook down until the tomatoes are soft. Transfer to a blender and blender until smooth. This will be a very smooth, silky sauce that is good over pasta, in lasagna, or turned into a soup. It freezes well.

Curried Green Tomato Soup

Makes 4-6 servings

2 T. grapeseed oil or other high-heat cooking oil

2 large carrots, peeled and medium diced

½ yellow onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 qt. green tomato sauce (see recipe above)

1-2 c. vegetable stock, depending on desired thickness

1 T. red curry paste, diluted in 1 T. water

salt and pepper to taste

Whole milk yogurt for garnish

Heat oil in a small hot stockpot. Sauté carrots, onions, and celery until slightly soft, about 5 min. Add green tomato sauce and vegetable stock and cook until vegetables are completely soft, about 10 min. Puree in a blender or food processor. Add additional stock if desired. Add the curry paste and additional seasoning as needed. Serve with yogurt garnish.

I also pulled all of my large (read: spicy) arugula (for pesto), more baby hakurei turnips (for pickling), and even my brocoli stalks and remaining leaves. I used the latter a la Tamar Adler and cooked them in a large pot of highly salted water. Since some of the stalks were truly woody, I then did my best to scoop/cut out the softened core and compost the remains. With these broccoli bits, of which there were a lot, I made a pesto from a loose recipe I created.

Broccoli Pesto

Broccoli leaves and stems, cooked until tender

Lemon zest or preserved lemons

Garlic cloves

Toasted almonds or pinenuts

Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a a food processor and pulse until well chopped. Drizzle olive oil down the feed tube and process until combined. Enjoy immediately, refrigerate with an additional layer of olive on top, or freeze is small portions to eat throughout the winter.

I used this pesto as a spread for some quesadillas along with mashed pinto beans, sauteed ancho peppers from our garden, frozen local corn, and Muenster cheese (or whatever cheese you like). With gluten-free brown rice tortillas they were darn good.

I've gotten more guts lately for D.I.Y. projects including a recent haircut for our daughter. Since school started she's wanted nothing to do with any clips, pigtails, headbands, or anything else we've tried to keep the scraggly hair out of her face. I've always loved this page boy/wedge/pixie cut, but didn't dare cut her locks until now when I took the aforementioned as a sign. When I was in junior high, my mom and I had a short-lived though successful dog grooming business. I crowdsourced a bit to see how many people thought that qualified me to chop off my kid's hair. Although the clippers and a buzz to poochie's back are probably much less detailed than this sculpted cut, I think I did okay (though we do have an appointment tomorrow for my hairdresser to "clean up" the back a tiny bit.) The main thing is that V loves it. And so do mom and dad!

Before

The perfect chair for the occasion

After

Not bad, though this photo does a little justice
to the choppity chopped parts on the bottom

We're ramping up for Halloween of course so we took V to the Pumpkin Pavilion at one of our neighborhood parks on Friday night. The beauty of these masses of glowing pumpkins never ceases to amaze me.

Community efforts

Creative folks we have in this neighborhood

Just do it!

Otherwise, things are quieting down on the homestead. We are feeling a definite shift into the colder months. I've spent a good amount of time in the last few days quietly pondering, listening, and discussing certain life issues. Heading out this morning for coffee with a friend with whom I haven't spent enough time lately. Hoping to continue the dialogue and work through my thoughts of how to make this world a better place, even if it starts with small, quiet steps.

Green Your Halloween

2012-10-17T09:06:00.000-05:00

A gorgeous autumn day at the pumpkin patch just after the storm.

With this haunting holiday just around the corner, I'm always most frightened by the various forms of excess it brings. We've ventured to the pumpkin farm to make our selections (because we missed the last farmers' market) and now my plans to make the holiday somewhat healthy, happy, and low impact will soon be realized. Way back in late August or early September--on a thrift store jaunt for some actual things on our list--we realized they'd already begun to display Halloween costumes. Thought I might make something for V this year, but once she eyed a ladybug costume that was only a couple bucks, I couldn't turn it down. It was reused, inexpensive, practical, and something she might play with well after the holiday until we pass it along to the next person. I'm also saving myself some sweat and tears by going with pre-made. (Perhaps one day I'll follow in my mom's footsteps and make homemade costumes year after year.)

Feeding the goats at the pumpkin farm

One thing I'm not afraid of is admitting I'm concerned about the excess intake of sugar; artificial colors, dyes, and sweeteners that can often be too much for anyone to stomach let alone the growing body of our little one. I realize people have varying opinions on this once-a-year chance to "be a kid," and I respect that, but I do not wish to contribute to it.

Last year was the first time we actually went trick-or-treating. Our block has gained a reputation as the "Gold Coast" for candy and because our neighborhood's t-o-t is on a separate night than the citywide extravaganza, we see tons of people who drive in from all corners of the metro area. This year a neighbor requested to block off a 7/10 mile stretch of our street. They're calling it the "Miracle Mile." Whew, that's a lot of candy. In the past when we've stayed home to hand out treats we've run out in the first hour (of three) even with one piece per kid and four or five econo bags from the big box store (cue Ben pulling out a bulk bag of local organic carrots in a purely desperate attempt to keep the ghouls at bay...apparently a dark porch no longer means "we're not participating" or simply "we're out of candy.") Last year V lasted about half of the allotted t-o-t time and when we returned she had a blast handing her collected goodies back out to the other kids (after we once again ran out way before we planned.) Because of the shear volume of treats that go out our door we've realized we can't afford to hand out the organic hard candy or fair-trade chocolates we bought the first year in our 'hood (BIG lesson learned.)

Field corn at the pumpkin patch

This year, along with many likeminded friends and moms, I'm handing out alternatives. I ordered about 500 super funky, gender-neutral, fun-for-all-ages adhesive bandages from Smile Makers (the website from which you'd order stickers and other goo-gaa if you ran a doctor's or dentist's office catering to children.) I also found a new bag of ghoulish rubber finger puppets at the thrift store, which I may hand out to any familiar neighbor kids who show up on our stoop. Other friends are choosing to hand out pencils, stickers, spider rings, and other fun seasonal goodies. I'm excited that our treats will be functional as well as low-sugar. If (big IF) we have any leftovers, we won't have to worry about them staring at us all week saying "eat me." Instead we'll have our first-aid kit stocked for the season. (P.S. If all that's not enough of a selling point, our stash cost me probably 1/3 of what others have spent to accommodate the candy needs of the masses of costumed visitors.)

Pumpkins pumpkins everywhere

Another alternative if you can't resist trick-or-treating is that after the kiddos have reserved a few treats for themselves, find a local dentist who will participates in the Halloween Candy Buy Back program. Kids get coupons for cool stuff and their candy gets sent to our troops overseas making their days brighter knowing someone's thinking of them. This is also an opportunity for kids to practice "giving back."

Heading out to the pumpkin patch

For other Green Halloween tips this is just one of many websites I'm sure one can find these days on the topic. It doesn't have to be all sugar-coated and wasteful, which to me is more SCARY than anything. Regardless of what you choose, remember to be safe and have fun!

Making a very careful selection