BOOKS: Library Sale

Today's fabulous finds at the library's annual used book sale:

• "Larousse Gastronomique" [!!!!!!!] by Prosper Montagne, 1961 Edition
  
• Chambers Murray Latin-English Dictionary
  
• "The Poetry of Robert Frost: All eleven of his books-complete," Edited by Edward Connery Lathem
  
• "Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder," by Richard Louv
  
• "Between Jihad and Salaam: Profiles in Islam," by Joyce M. Davis
  
• "Illuminating the Path to Enlightenment," by the Dalai Lama
  
• "Reader's Digest Merry Christmas Songbook"
  
• "Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey," by Lillian Schlissel

Total=$22

BREAD: Project Sourdough Day 4~Garlic Oregano Breadsticks

The house smells like an Italian bakery today.

But I'm beginning to feel a little like Seymour Krelborn in "Little Shop of Horrors."

Every day I give the sourdough starter a little water to drink and a little flour to eat ...

... and it grows.  

Because I decided four days ago not to throw away the surplus every time I feed the starter, our kitchen is now being overrun by baked goods.

First eight large sandwich rolls.  Then two loaves of cinnamon bread.  Now a dozen 14-inch garlic oregano breadsticks.

Or is that Bread Schticks!

Tomorrow I'm forming the extra into a ball and putting it in a bowl in the refrigerator for 24 hours to rise very, very slowly.  I need a break!

I'm beginning to remember why I got stir crazy the last time I worked to wake the sleeping the sourdough starter.

Here's what I added to the basic sponge today:

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp instant yeast

1 tsp salt

1 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

2 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled and pressed

The  starter seems to be taking over the leavening process.  Tomorrow's loaves will be made without any added powdered yeast.

I have no energy for a detailed explanation of the process this time.

Just: mix it, knead it, put it in a greased bowl, let it rise, punch it down, let it rest, cut it into 12ths, roll these into logs then twist and stretch, place them on two baking sheets  sprinkled with cornmeal, let them rise, bake at 400F for about 15 minutes switching top and bottom sheets midway through, cool on a rack.  Eat!

This turned out really well.  As have the other improvised bread recipes.

Tomorrow I'll post about the book, "Ratio," that's provided the knowledge and therefore the courage to become an experimental baker.

BREAD: Project Sourdough Day 3~Cinnamon Loaves

I inhale deeply.  The house smells of cinnamon and bread.

Sourdough Cinnamon Loaves were today's use for the surplus flour/water/yeast mixture produced as I continue to reactivate my long-dormant Idaho sourdough starter.

This time I used the ingredients from a recipe for basic sweetbread dough, though in slightly different proportions.  I cut all of the additions by about half from the original recipe.  I don't like a cinnamon bread that's too sweet or too buttery because I can't eat as much of it at one sitting.

All this week I've got a schedule that looks like Swiss cheese.  I can't work on anything that requires focus for many hours at a stretch.  I can't get covered with dirt in my garden or clay in the pottery studio because I'd soon have to get cleaned up for some obligation where I have to be presentable.

Baking bread as a creative activity works well around such a schedule.  Hands on time comes in small increments of 15-20 minutes and rising time can be controlled somewhat by placing the dough in a comparatively warmer or cooler environment.

I know a busy mom from an Italian family who mixes up a ball of dough first thing in the morning each day, places it in the refrigerator to rise very slowly all day, takes it out when she gets home and makes it into pizzas, or plain Italian loaves, or bread sticks, or herbed rolls.  Quicker than a trip to the grocery store.

So here was the process for today.

After reserving a cup of starter for the next cycle, I added the following to the remainder with a whisk:

1 cup Milk

2 1/4 tsp Rapid Rise yeast

4 Tbs Melted Butter

1/2 c sugar

1 Egg

To this batter, I gradually mixed in approximately 5 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour.  I didn't realize that I'd have to add so much more flour than I had yesterday (only 3 1/2 cups) to compensate for the extra liquid from eggs and milk.

The first two cups of flour were mixed in by hand with a whisk, one cup at a time until no lumps remained, working air into the batter.  The next cup and a half was mixed in first with a wooden spoon, then kneading by hand in the bowl.  Transfered to a floured wooden board for kneading about 10 minutes, where addition flour was worked in.  The dough was very soft and sticky.

The ball of dough was placed in a large greased bowl, turning to coat, then allowed to rise until doubled.

I had a lot going on today, so I purposely left the dough to rise in a cool place to slow it down.  It went into the bowl at about 8:00  this morning and wasn't ready to punch down and form into loaves until about 2:00 this afternoon.  Even then it hadn't quite doubled.  In a warm (80-105F) place this would have taken probably 2 hours or less, instead of 6, though the low percentage of yeast to flour probably slowed things farther.

[If I'd really wanted to delay the rise, I could have put the bowl in the refrigerator, as I did when I had to go out on Sunday with the sandwich rolls formed and sitting on a baking sheet.  They went into the fridge covered with a damp dishcloth until I got home, then they were taken out to finish rising.]

At that point, I divided the dough into four equal portions, pressed each out by hand into 8x12 inch rectangles.  Laid two of these next to each other on the kneading board and sprinkled them generously with cinnamon-sugar mixture, then placed the other two on top of the first two, sprinkled again.   The two separate stacks were rolled up into 8 inch oval loaves and placed in 5x9 inch greased loaf pans.  Tops were sliced with a knife about 1/2 inch deep and more cinnamon-sugar sprinkled on top.  

I warmed the oven slightly then turned it off and placed the pans inside for a quicker rise before baking.  After doubling (about 2 hours later while I taught lessons), I baked the cinnamon bread for about 25 minutes at 400F, covering the tops loosely with foil part way through to prevent over browning.

Turned out onto a wire rack to cool.  Probably should have greased the pans more thoroughly.  The sugar in the loaves caused the to stick in places.

-----------------------------------------------

INSIGHTS about the sourdough starter:

• Tap water contains chlorine.
  
• Chlorine kills micro-organisms (including bacteria, fungi, single celled organisms, etc).
  
• Yeast is a kind of micro-organism (a fungi).
  
• Sourdough starter is a symbiotic relationship between yeast and bacteria
  
• Using tap water in my sourdough starter may kill off some of the yeast and bacteria, making it harder to activate.

SOLUTION: use filtered water or water that's been left out uncovered for several hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate.

BREAD: Project Sourdough Day 2~Sandwich Rolls

I began the process of reactivating my long-slumbering sourdough starter yesterday.

The instructions I have say to whisk 2 cups of water and 3 cups of flour into 1 cup of starter in a large bowl, then cover.  This is then left for at least 12 hours at room temperature or slightly warmer.

When the starter is fully active it will double in size, becoming bubbly, aromatic, and viscous.

If activity is minimal, one cup of the mixture is saved to undergo the same steps until in begins to double.  Sometimes this can take several days.  The instructions say to discard the extra flour/water mixture each time.

Discard?!  Perfectly good flour and water lightly tasting of sourdough?  That's just silly.

I decided to do some freestyle baking.  I called on my two years of bread baking experience to combine techniques, quantities, and various recipes so we could make good use of this surplus.

After reserving 1 cup of the restarting starter, to the remainder I added the following:

2 1/2 tsp Instant (aka Rapid Rise) Yeast Powder*

1 tsp Salt

2 Tbs Olive Oil

1 Tbs Sugar

Approx. 3 1/2 cups All Purpose Unbleached Flour

The additional yeast was necessary because the sourdough yeast was still in the process of re-colonizing the starter and wouldn't be able to provide enough leavening to make the dough rise.

*"Instant" Yeast is OK to add directly to liquid mixtures vs. "Active Dry" which has a coating that needs to be dissolved before combining and is slower acting.

The soft dough was kneaded for 8-10 minutes on a floured board, working in the last half cup of flour.  This was formed then into a ball, placed and turned over in a greased bowl to coat, covered with a damp towel and kept in a warm place to rise until doubled (about 2 hours).

After the dough had doubled, it was punched down the dough, turned onto the floured board and cut it into 8 equal pieces.  These were formed into balls and placed on a greased baking sheet.

I brushed the top of each roll with an egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 Tbs of water) and sprinkled variously with: sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion flakes and crumbled rosemary.  These were then allowed to rise again until doubled.

Baked until lightly browned at 375F for about 18 minutes, then cooled them on a wire rack.

All this was improvisation.  And they turned out just the way I'd hoped.  We shared a roll with rosemary and onion flakes right out of the oven.  The rest will be for sandwiches this week.

We'll be enjoying a lot of fresh baked bread this week as I continue to feed and reactivate the starter, and find new ways to use up the surplus.

ECO ACTION: WK3 Farm Share & Project Sourdough

Aren't they pretty?  Four kinds of lettuce, endive, colorful chard, and eggplant starts.  I opted for the eggplant plants in place of rhubarb this week when given the choice.

Six glorious eggs, voluminous Asian greens (tat soi, bak choi? ... now I'm all confused about which is which) mustard greens, and kale.

Used this past weeks supply in much the same way as the week before: stir fry; steamed greens; salads; eggs in tapioca pudding, baking and hard boiled.  Had some Asian greens left over at the end of the week that I'll process for freezing by blanching, if that's possible.   I think they'd be good in soups this fall and winter.

I'm looking forward to finding some new recipes for the Asian greens.  Found one recipe for a fresh salad with a homemade dressing, raspberries, pears (out of season right now so I'll probably substitute something else) and toasted walnuts that sounded really good.

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YARD SALING

My yard sale mojo wasn't as good this week, but that's OK.

I came home with a brand new set of 3 stainless steel springform cake pans in graduated sizes for only $3, still in their original packaging.  I think I have two of each size now so I can do layer cakes.  All hypothetical at this point.  I have yet to bake a cake from scratch.  That's one of my goals for this year, to begin to learn scratch cake baking.

___________________________________________

PROJECT SOURDOUGH

I restarted "Project Sourdough" this evening.  I took the jar of starter out of the fridge, poured it into a large glass bowl, fed it the designated flour and water mixture, covered the bowl with an inverted dinner plate (no plastic wrap), then placed the bowl in the oven (off) with the light on to keep it warm.

This sourdough starter was given to my uncle (my father's brother) and his wife by an old homesteader they lived with in Idaho back in the 1940s.  When my parents and brothers visited them back in the 1950s they brought some of the starter back to California with them so they could make the same wonderful sourdough pancakes they'd enjoyed there.

It's been propagated and passed along ever since.  I got this batch from my oldest brother, Paul.  Flew across the country from California to Connecticut in my suitcase, wrapped in multiple layers of Ziploc bags and bubble wrap, carefully labeled for the benefit of wary TSA inspectors.

It's been in hibernation in the refrigerator for a while.  Tonight's feeding will begin the process of reawakening the yeast.  With any luck they'll be some tasty bread baking ahead.

The idea is to take one more item off the grid by producing my own yeast for baking just like our great-grandparent probably did.  No impact from manufacturing, distribution and preserving like jar or cake yeast. For only the cost of water and flour.  Continually renewable and always available.

I'll probably still use regular yeast for some bread baking, but this will provide another low-impact option.

ECO ACTION: Lines in the Sand

Over at the No Impact Man Blog today, Colin Beavan asked: "Do you have any eco-living lines in the sand?"

Here's my reply.

LINES IN SAND: If something passes through my hands once or for a short period of time and is then thrown away, don't use it. Eat locally grown or make my own as much as possible. If we're not using it turn it off. Walk or bus if possible.

Changes I've made just in the past three months (on top of many others in the past) include:

• Got my first ever bus pass a few weeks ago ( I live in a suburban area)
  
• Using cloth handkerchiefs instead of tissues (found at a yard sale, lacy antique cotton, not noticeably used)
  
• Using cloth napkins for meals at home instead of paper (another yard sale purchase)
  
• Refusing plastic straws when eating out
  
• Trying to take food from home with me in reusable containers when I'm traveling, so I don't have to purchase fast food in disposables
  
• Joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) and started getting my half-share pick-ups of very fresh locally grown produce.
  
• Carrying a large purse with room for purchases in case I've forgotten my cloth bags
  
• Bought (dollar store) and started using reusable mesh bags for fruits, veggies and bagels from the grocery store, instead of plastic produce bags (though I reuse those, too, when I can)
  
• Making the switch to pre-owned cast-iron cookware (yard sale) to phase out my battered non-stick pans (non-stick coating lasts only a few years and may be dangerous, cast-iron is practically forever)
  
• Phasing out my use of my #7 plastic Nalgene water bottles, will keep them for occasional use, not throw them out. Instead, at home I'm using a drinking glass for water (duh!), and a pint canning jar with a lid for when I'm out and about.
  

This looks like a lot for just three months, but it really hasn't been a big deal. It's just happening naturally a little at a time.

ECO ACTION: Cast-Iron Skillet

Yesterday, I scored a sturdy 10-inch cast-iron skillet at a yard sale for only $2.

I'm planning to replace all my current non-stick pans (the coating is a kind of plastic) with well seasoned, previously own cast-iron ones.  Non-stick coatings have been shown end up in the food we cook, then stored in the body where they potentially can have undesirable health effects.  You can read more here and also here.

When I got the new-to-me skillet home yesterday, B commented that it still had a crusty layer of 20-year-old eggs cooked onto the bottom.  I think he's right.  Someone probably got frustrated with the necessity of hand washing the pan, gave up and put it away unwashed.

For a savings of $16 over the cost of a new cast-iron skillet, I could put the time into reclaiming this one.  So this morning I set about cleaning and re-seasoning it.

First, I used a forbidden Brillo pad and some scouring powder to remove the offending eggs and who knows what else.  Followed this with a paste of baking soda and dish soap allowed to sit for a while, then much rinsing, wiping, scraping, and rewashing.  Maybe 30 minutes total, hands on.  By the time I was done no trace of the original funky smells or sticky, greasy scum layer remained.

Once the pan is seasoned again I'll wash it much more gently, using only hot water to rinse and a towel to wipe, scraping if necessary, but no abrasives and no soap.

Next, I used the skillet to cooked some bacon.  Bacon grease is supposed to be the best for seasoning a cast-iron pan.  I rarely cook bacon, but when I do used a teflon coated, non-stick pan.  And I always burn the bacon.  This was the first time I'd cooked with cast-iron.  What a difference!  It heated very evenly.  The bacon turned out just like in the picture books.

I used the bacon drippings, as instructed, to rub over the surface of the skillet before placing it in a 300F oven (for 2 hours).  The goal is to form a naturally baked on non-stick black coating.

The skillet is in the oven now.

I think it's time to assemble some BLTs.

ECO ACTION: 2nd Farm Share & More Tag Saling

I'm a big fan of abundance on a shoestring.

Another armload of gorgeous vegetables today from Studio Farm.

I didn't make it to the farmers market to pick them up.  I thought the market was 10-1 today as it had been during the winter.  Spring and summer hours are actually 9-Noon.  Also, I'd stopped at every tag sale along the way between home and the market.  When I arrived the park was empty.

So, I arranged to go out to the Stonyledge Farm this afternoon to pick them up instead.  I was greeted by several happy free-range chickens as I got out of the car.  Belinda and Ed were very accommodating.

This week's CSA half-share included (photo above, clockwise from top left): a very large head of tatsoi, a generous helping of mustard greens, 2 heads of kale (I think), chard, 3 small heads of loose-leaf lettuce (red and green), spinach, a bunch of fragrant mint, chives, mixed greens with flowers, half-dozen very large eggs, and several long rhubarb stalks.

And the fate of last week's veggies was as follows:

• Tatsoi stir fry with garlic scapes, onions, sesame oil, brown basmati rice, scrambled egg, and 5 chinese seasoning.
• Eggs: used 2 in stir fry, 2 in tapioca pudding, and 2 hard boiled.  They turned the tapioca pudding a wonderful shade of yellow that just can't be matched by grocery store eggs.
• Spinach, kale (or was that mustard greens?), and broccoli rabe all steamed and eaten.
• Lettuce used for several salads, shredded for black bean burritos, and in sandwiches

All delicious!

As of this morning, I only had a little lettuce, a few garlic scapes, the 2 hard boiled eggs, and some rhubarb remaining.  Because it was so fresh when brought home last Saturday the lettuce is none the worse for a spending a week in the refrigerator.  Much, much better than store bought.  The remaining lettuce and eggs will become a salad for dinner this evening, with rhubarb crisp for dessert.

In spite of the doubts I expressed last Saturday we ate our way through the vegetables quite easily. If I hadn't gotten involved in a project, lost track of time, and ended up skipping lunch a couple of times this week we would have completely emptied the vegetable drawer in time for today's pick up.

One of the reasons I signed up for this CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm share was to learn.

I wanted to learn about new foods, new ways of cooking familiar foods, new insights for my own garden, and to experience the feeling of enjoying an abundance of fresh healthy food on a regular basis.

I wouldn't have chosen to put all these greens in my grocery cart if I'd been buying them at the super market, but I've learned that what looked like a lot of fresh spinach and kale turned out to be just enough to accompany several meals when steamed.

Just right, not too much.

Tatsoi stir fry was also a first for me and it turned out great.  I wouldn't have taken a chance on this at the grocery store, not knowing in advance what it would taste like or how to cook it.  At the farmer's market, though, Dot Wingate gave me simple verbal instructions for cooking it when I picked up my share.  It couldn't have been easier or tastier.

I figure that nature has a wisdom of its own.  The abundance of fresh greens available in spring is probably just what our bodies need to restore themselves at the end of winter and get ready for summer's active season.  These greens were loaded with flavor and probably lots of good healthy stuff never find on a food label.

I know that I can't remember ever feeling healthier.  Looking forward to more.

__________________________________________________

Here are this weekend's fabulous tag sale finds (photo above, clockwise from top left):

For a GRAND TOTAL of $27

• 3 variagated solomon's seal plants
• 7 antique hand-painted china dessert plates, signed by a (locally) well-known local artist
• 8 Books: "Lectures and Biographical Sketches" by Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The Complete Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier," "Little Songs of Long Ago", "Drawing with the Right Side of the Brain," "A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative" by Roger von Oech, "Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook" (to give), "The Food-Lover's Garden," "Neal's Yard Natural Remedies"
• A small, 1 page-per-day diary for writing down little daily happy things
• 2 pocket charts (teaching tools)
• Kitchen Stuff: a pastry knife, a blue-green resealable glass jar, a garlic press (actually I'll use this for extruding clay, not garlic), a cookie press, AND a sturdy 10 inch cast-iron skillet--I'd been looking for one for a long time (favorite find of the day).
• Misc: 1 new package of binder tabs, 2 new plastic pocket folders, an awl, a very basic digital camera with cable and software (tested and works on PC), two pair small sharp scissors (I keep losing my nail scissor, not good for one who plays piano and works with clay), an artist's paintbrush, a small hot plate, two colorful coin purses, a set of magnetic words (for songwriting play), and 9 new tennis balls (to turn into teaching toys).

Here's close-up of the hand-painted china plates.

Do I really need any of this?  Probably not.  Is it truly frugal to buy things I don't need?  Again, no.

On the other hand, these things will be used and enjoyed.  No additional resources were consumed to make them.  Each piece has a story and a connection to others.  I'm giving a good home to things that others no longer wanted, like bringing home abandoned puppies.

And I had a good time in the process.  I like the experiencing of happening upon things unexpectedly.  I like the feeling of discovery.

Now, I probably need to go through our house and liberate a few of my unused possessions so they can move on to homes where they'll be appreciated.

RECIPE: Apple Crisp

If you're worried about the health effects of butter and sugar, then this isn't the recipe for you.  Personally, I consider them to be essential parts of a well balanced diet.

The apples that provided the impetus to creating this recipe were the last of our locally grown apples from the farmers market, kept in storage in their basement since last fall.  Not great for fresh eating, but perfect for baking.

Another Kay's Kreative Kitchen original.*

FOR THE FILLING:

• 6 c apples**, cored and sliced with skin on (variety of your choosing)
• 1/2 c sugar (I used 1 cup per another recipe and it seemed a bit too sweet)
• 2 Tbs flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

Wisk together sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.  Toss with apples to coat and pour into a 2-quart glass baking dish. [I used my "new" 10-inch round pyrex pie plate ] Sprinkle lemon juice over apple mixture.

Optional: sprinkle mini-chocolate chips over the apples in the dish.

FOR THE TOPPING:

• 1 cup all purpose flour (I use unbleached)
• 3/4 c quick or old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 c packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 c (1 stick) cold butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

In the same large bowl used above, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon.  Mix with hands until coarse crumbs form.  Spread over apple filling in baking dish.

If you anticipate that the crisp may bubble over while baking, place the baking dish in the middle of a large cookie sheet before placing in the oven.  Bake about 40 minutes at 400F, rack in middle position, until filling bubbly and topping is golden brown.  Allow to cool slightly before eating.

*Ingredients and methods were re-combined from recipes found in: "The Lily Wallace New American Cook Book", 1943; "Better Homes and Gardens: New Cook Book", 1962; "Good Housekeeping: 100 Best Dessert Recipes", 2004.  The addition of chocolate chips and lemon juice were entirely my own idea.

(c)2009 Kay Pere ~ Effusive Muse Publishing

ECO ACTION: First CSA Share & Tag Sale Finds

I got to pick up my first ever CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share at the Stonington Farmers Market yesterday morning.  Garden Girl and Eco Action Girl (two of my secret super hero identities) have both been extremely happy with anticipation all week, looking forward to the prospect of bringing home an armload of fresh, locally grown, certified organic spring veggies.

In my first spring half-share from Studio Farm I received:

PHOTO ABOVE: (clockwise from top left) spinach, half-dozen eggs, kale, butter crunch lettuce, broccoli rabe, red oakleaf lettuce, and another butter crunch.

PHOTO BELOW: (left to right) tatsoi, garlic scapes, rhubarb

Aren't they gorgeous?!

Thank you, Belinda, for the care you put into growing them.  They will be savored.

As a point of reference for size, for these photos the produce was spread over two regular-size kitchen towels placed side-by-side.

It's certain that in the week ahead I'll be abiding by Michael Pollan's admonition--from his book, "In Defense of Food"--to:

"Eat food.* Not too much.  Mostly plants."

*[as opposed to manufactured foodlike substances]

Though I'm not so sure about the "not too much" part.  That's a lot of greens for two people to consume in one week, especially when  the other in this house would gladly choose frozen peas from the grocery store over all other vegetables.

If next week's share arrives before they've made their way to the table, the spinach and kale will  be blanched and frozen.   That's the plan.  I like the idea that a bit of spring greenery can be saved up in the freezer to combat next winter's doldrums.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not only is this the season for the first fresh locally grown veggies , it's also Tag Sale Season!

Here's this week's haul:
This week's treasures include: (counter clockwise from top left) a cranberry colored pyrex pie plate (for rhubarb crisp?), a 4-quart cast iron and enamel dutch oven, 3 blue stripped cotton dinner napkins, a glass citrus juicer, and a compact cassette player/recorder.

All were in new or nearly new condition.  Total for all: $25, which will go toward the community work of a local church.  

The price of the dutch oven was the majority of this total at $20, though it would have cost $70 or more even in a store like Target or Walmart.  I've been eyeing them for months now, but holding off for a special occasion.  Happy Birthday to me!

The cloth dinner napkins are part of my effort to reduce the use of disposables in our household.  I keep a stack handy near the kitchen table.  I've been air drying them after washing in cold water to minimize the energy consumed for keeping them clean.

The $1 cassette player/recorder is a gift for one of my student's who has no way to play back recordings of her voice lessons for practice at home.  It would have cost about $22 at Walmart, if you can still find them there.

I'm looking forward to next weekend already.  More fresh veggies and eggs, and Memorial Day weekend is always the biggest tag sale weekend of the entire year around here.  You never know what you'll find.

Looking forward to all the good cooking and eating in the week ahead.

RECIPE: Chicken Garam Masala Salad

I'm posting this recipe in response to a request from an old friend/extended family member.  Here it is, Mary Beth:

STIR TOGETHER:

(All quantities are approximate.  This was made up on-the-spot yesterday with the food on hand.)

• 2 cups cooked chicken breast meat*, chopped
• 1 cup crisp red apple with skin, 1/2 inch dice
• 1/4 cup pinenuts
• 1/4-1/2 tsp garam masala seasoning** (or curry powder)
• 1/4 cup Miracle Whip or mayo (I would have used plain yogurt if I'd had any)
• juice of one small keylime
  

Very tasty between pieces of fresh baked bread with sprouts instead of lettuce, but feel free to improvise.  I sure did!

This recipe is "Husband Approved" by one who prefers plain and simple, not exotic foods.  I was careful to prepare expectations by saying just before the first bite, "Think Disney World African Buffet," (aka Boma) which he had enjoyed on our recent vacation.  No sprouts on his sandwich, though.  And the "it was good" response was quickly  followed by a qualifier that the fresh-baked bread was the best part.  Still, not a scrap remained on the plate.

*Chicken leftovers cooked earlier in the week, marinated before cooking in:  balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic powder, lemon juice and zest, ground black pepper and who-knows-what else.

**Mine came from a bulk bin at our neighborhood health food store.

ECO ACTION: First Bus Pass

Eco-Action Girl got her first bus pass this week!

Went for a ride today on the new SEAT (Southeast Area Transit) Pawcatuck/Mystic Run #10 to gather info about stops and services.  I caught it just a short walk from our street and rode it round trip, chatting with the driver along the way.

This was the first time I'd used a public bus in about 20 years!  Only the third time in my life, I'm ashamed to say.  

My previous experiences had not been good ones.  This time was entirely different.
Here's the stop at Olde Mistick Village shopping center, located in the back parking lot near this landmark, right across from the Mystic Aquarium.

Around here, people have the perception that riding the bus is just for seniors, the disabled or those who can't afford to own a car.

Using public transportation is for anyone.  Especially those who want to live more simply and sustainably.  That's why it's called "public" transportation.  We are the public.

Until today, I had the notion that the bus would be noisy, dirty, crowded, time-consuming and uncomfortable.

It was anything but.

I got where I was going in about the same amount of time as if I'd driven, and I got to chat along the way with a very friendly and helpful driver in her brand-new bus (similar to the buses used as airport shuttles, except with all the seats facing forward).

The cost for a one way ticket ($1.25) was  comparable to what I would have spent on gas going the same distance.  And I got to sit back and relax.

I took notes on all the stops and picked up a pile of brochures to spread around.  Also got info on connecting routes so I can use them going to adjacent towns.

I want to get the word out about this new run.

Many people can benefit from its availability, but it's not widely known.  I just happened to stumble upon a brochure at the grocery store customer service counter or I wouldn't have been aware of its existence.

Ridership will need to go up if SEAT is to see that it's worthwhile to keep it going.  A similar run existed about 5 years ago, but was eliminated because of under-use.

This time, perhaps economic realities and environmental awareness will be just the nudge people need to stand up and take a SEAT.

GAIA LUNA: Garden Girl

I'm Garden Girl again today.  

Going out into the sunshine to get the soil ready for planting, dig up weeds that didn't get removed last fall (like goldenrod roots), and move around some perennials that are in the way.

Garden Girl's Superpowers:

• cultivating growth and sustainability
• transforming dirt and seeds into food and flowers
• turning yard waste and kitchen scraps into rich compost

Superpowers require sunshine, rain, and a variety of microscopic helpers in order to operate.

[NOTE:  I've been posting brief status updates on my Facebook profile nearly every day for the past several months, but not much here.  Decided this morning that I would use some of those as a jumping off point for this space.]

New Rule: The Ordinary Rules

Haven't posted here for a very long time.

Most of my useful computer time for the past month or so has been focused on getting my recording studio rearranged, up and functional again, then getting work done for a very patient client.

Or I've been distracting myself from the frustration of the studio rearrange by endlessly checking email or Facebook, or reading news online, or reading other peoples blogs, or indulging in random websurfing.

For some reason I'd gotten all self-conscious about always needing to say something here that would be super meaningful, which sort of misses the point of living the Quiet Little Life--that meaning is found in the ordinary.

So I'm back, to resume writing about the ordinary stuff of daily life.

And I resolve to post here even if it feels vacuous to do so.

I hereby give myself permission to be banal, insipid, stilted, awkward, or . . . whatever else it is I'm afraid of being.

I absolve myself of guilt if I write but don't include illustrating photographs.  Similarly, I intend to remain guilt free when photos appear without annotation.

Whose blog is this anyway?

Who made up all these rules about how it's supposed to be done?

Oops. I did.  Or at least I bought into them.

I'm an artist, darn it! I live the creative life, right?  Why can't I uncreate rules--especially the ones saying that things always have to be fancy-pants, intensely interesting or . . . (gasp) creative?

Today, I rip away the ratty old cardboard rule-box, step beyond its stale confines, and begin again.

New Rule: The Ordinary Rules.

GAIA LUNA: Early Spring Seedlings

These are my little plant friends, grown from seeds, planted over the past several weeks.

From left to right: red bell peppers, roma tomatoes, peas, leeks (right top), borage (right middle), onions (right bottom)

The trays and the plastic pots are all recycled or re-purposed.  They're sitting on blocks of styrofoam that come into our home as packaging to keep their soil temperature more even. On cold cloudy days I cover them with sheets of clear bubble wrap from packages we've received.

ECO ACTION: Frugal AND Organic

I wrote the following in response to a post today on the No Impact Man blog about production processes that improve the environment:

This morning on my Yahoo! homepage one of the lead stories was "7 Things You're Wasting Money On". 

#5 on their list was "Organic Produce"!

Of course, a person who needs to cut their expenses, but still wants to eat healthy, might choose buy regular produce instead of organic.  That's not what bothered me about this article.

What troubled me was the way this article reduced the decision to an argument that "Fruits and vegetables like kiwis, sweet corn and broccoli require very little pesticide to grow. Others -- like avocados, onions and pineapples -- have thick or peelable skins that reduce your exposure to harmful chemicals."

In other words, it's only a little poison and it's not going to hurt YOU anyway, so don't waste your money.

The premise that growing corn uses little pesticide is faulty. The premise that it doesn't matter what these chemicals do to the environment, as long as YOU don't ingest them, is faulty.

What rankled the most was their choice of the word "waste" to describe buying organic.

It's possible to be frugal and still buy organic.

I'm a long way from being the perfect organic maven, but even on a very limited budget I've found ways to do without certain things so I can increasingly make purchasing decisions based on how and where those things are produced.  Granted, I'm not in the position where I'm choosing between buying organic food and being about to afford rent or transportation. 

Still, I worry what will happen to the current resurgence in environmental awareness if the economy worsens and such arguments about "waste" continue.  Or when the economy recovers and people return to their old mindless spending habits.

SACRED SHARDS: Body Wisdom Displayed

My first ever torso sculpture, "Body Wisdom" above, was fired in the first load in my new kiln.

Last Saturday morning I put "Body Wisdom" into the Hygienic Art Gallery's thirtieth annual Salon des Independants Show.  This is a sort of art free-for-all whose motto is "No Judge, No Jury, No Fees, No Censorship."  What better place to break some rules and break new artistic ground for myself.

It was the first time I'd shown my work simply to make a statement, as opposed to displaying work with potential customers in mind.

I designed a display card using Photoshop to place with the sculpture.

The display card repeats the words encircling the top and bottom of the vessel.  Between these it adds words taken from my song "El Dia de los Muertos" for a reflection on the relationship between body and spirit.

Beneath the title the card reads:

STRENGTH       WISDOM      PATIENCE

Doctors diagnose

with speculum and stethoscope

take blood in vials

make patient files

Look within!

I'm more than these.

BALANCE      PASSION       HEALING         JOY

"El Dia de los Muertos" was written several years ago, but I feel the linking of its sentiments to an earthen vessel made by hand just a few months ago to be grounding, healing, hopeful.  The words in bold type stand guard between my own physical vessel of Self and the practiced guesswork of MDs.

Other elements of the display are equally emblematic.

The pink scarf is wrapped around the display box as an expression of solidarity with women engaged in the fight against breast cancer.  By extension, it is also symbolic of the power of a caring embrace to ease human physical suffering.

[Lest some worry about my health, let me say that I'm generally in good repair.]

The brown wooden box the sculpture rests upon represents the sturdy structure of medical knowledge, a structure left empty inside to reflect the medical community's traditional neglect of the things beyond the physical.

We are not simply body or spirit.  We are both.  We are an integrated whole.

Health and illness are equally mysterious.

I am more than these.

We each are.

Look within!

(c)2009 Kay Pere ~ Effusive Muse Publishing

INTENTION: Mid-Winter Stirrings

The snow is falling outside today.

Inside I've taking steps to plant the things I'd like to see begin to grow this Spring.  Nothing particularly exciting, really.  Like the first unseen stirrings of seeds and sap beneath the frozen earth, the actions I've taken are mundane though crucial to what I hope will follow.

Yesterday, I installed Adobe Photoshop 7.0 on my iMac--my primary computer now--and began doing graphics work there instead of on my old Mac laptop.  

The addition of a title image (header) at the top of this blog is one result.  The other is a similar new header on my Sound Krayons Music blog.  

[In the past, I've only had an early version of Photoshop installed on my old Mac laptop.  It was cumbersome to edit images there then move them over to the new Mac for use on the web and in documents.  This upgrade opens up new creative and business possibilities, things I've been hoping to do for a long time.  The old Mac is too old to connect easily with the internet.]

Then today, I successfully transferred a song file for the first time from MOTU Performer on my old Mac to Digital Performer (DP) on my iMac.

[Again, I'd done all my MIDI work in the past on the old Mac without the benefit of digital audio available in DP.  After some trial and error, I was able to move the files from the old Mac by doing a "Save As" MIDI to a flash drive first, then opening in DP on the iMac and doing a "Save As" a DP file to the desktop did the trick.]

Blah, blah, blah technical stuff...

Like the big bale of seed starting mix I bought yesterday and hauled from the car to barn this morning, now I'll need to move all my old graphics and Performer files from one computer to another before I can use them in this new environment.

This sort of thing--to my mind--is the dry, lifeless part of the creative process.

I get discouraged because this part of the process seems to come so slowly.  I thought to myself, yesterday, as I scooped buckets of compressed potting soil from the bale and dumped them into an empty trash can: 

Are this year's flower and vegetable seeds planted and growing yet?  No.  

Are the recycled pots from last year cleaned and ready to set in the sunny spot?  No.  

Do I have everything I need to get things going?  No.

But today I have made one very small dent in a very long process.

One small bucketful at a time.  Peat moss fibers flying in the air landing on my skin, smelling fresh earth for the first time since last fall.  These are the tangible promises of things to come.

No guarantee that weather or pests or health will cooperate in the months ahead, but on this one day for this short time I've done my part.

Similarly, there is no guarantee that I'll reach my distant creative goals, but on this one day for this short time I've done my part.

With these small, unglamorous efforts--work on my computers solving one small problem at a time, repetitive work to prepare for planting--the things I visualize creating and sharing will have some chance to flourish.

One small bucketful at a time.

(c)2009 Kay Pere ~ Effusive Muse Publishing

Groundhog Day (aka St. Bridget's Day or Imbolc)

In honor of Groundhog Day--the day midway between the first day of Winter and the first day of Spring--I visited the garden center and purchased a bale of seed starting mix (special potting soil) along with a bunch of peat pots.  

Then I went out to the barn, brought in all the plastic pots and aluminum trays I'd saved from past years, and took them down to the basement until they can be washed and sanitized for reuse.

I've already moved furniture to clear a sunny spot indoors for starting the seasons first seeds.

Winter cannot last forever.

Can spring be far behind?

There's snow on the ground and temperatures rarely rise above freezing, but yesterday I saw a lone robin rooting around in a barren flower bed and a newly hung sign in town announcing little league sign-ups.