THE LOVELY CRAZY
The beginning of the week started off with cabin time with family and friends. All the sisters went up with their kids and we ate food, made bracelets, walked to the river, and just hung out for the afternoon. Seeing the family is (almost) always a good time. Then the mr and I ventured our way to our secret camping spot, went for a little hike, then ate our dinner in a park where I watched the mr open a can of beans for me by rubbing it against a rock. It was like magic, especially because I was starving and was smashing the end of the can like a rabid beast against, well everything. I forgot to bring the can opener for my can of beans which could have been the end of me. Luck for me the mr is so good and I never will need a can opener again. Anyway we ended up not camping out for the night. Our main reason for camping was to see the meteor shower, but the sky was all clouded so we couldn’t see squat. Plus the mr was tired and feeling sore, I was little tired, so we just headed back home. When we got home we sat under the slightly less cloudy sky in the backyard for a bit until the mr sprayed bug spray that turned into bug bomb and that not only kept all the bugs away, kept me away too. He had to take shower to ge the stink off and still he smelled. The smell lingered for days.. And to think it was just essential oils. Then we slept in our bed which was way more comfortable then usual because we were really suppose to be sleeping on the ground.
The rest of the week went as usual. Had little bursts of rain, although never quite enough to help the heat, only enough to up the humidity. Qui came over for dinner where he drank out a a mug with his face all over it and tried to talk the mr into getting his own scooter. I told the mr if he wants one, well then he should go for it. But I don’t think its happening any time soon. Barb and So came over for lunch and spent time harvesting all the goodies out of the garden. So picked a watermelon that turned out to be not quite ripe (so sad) and Barb picked all the kale that she could stand picking. Other then that, there was farm share, lots of running around, a chocolate zucchini cake, and the realization that I have Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder. (yes, it is a thing) A well rounded, semi productive, way to hot, week.
And then there was yesterday. It was amazing. Sure I was at work inside most of the day glazing hundreds of pots that little kids made, but when I got out, the sky was covered in big grey clouds with a slight rainy drizzle. The temperature was like 68 degrees, and there was a cool breeze. I might have even gotten a slight chill. It was everything that I have needed all Summer long. Seriously, to much warmth and sunshine is not good for me. I need cool rainy(dare I say snowy) days to help keep that balance, so yesterday really hit the spot. I was even able to wear a long sleeve shirt for like the first time in months. And when I went to bed, I was able to sleep under the blanket. So nice. So nice.
And we made it to today. The mr and I were talking last night about going comping today so we might do that. Or we might not and just veg out for the day here at home, maybe stop in to see the littles that are home from sleep away camp. I am leaning towards camping. We skipped out last week and if the nights are going to be anything like last tonight, ( nice and cool), a fire will be ever so lovely and welcome. And I am sure the mr would love to do some fishing and I of course can be happy reading and drinking coffee just about anywhere.
Stuff I read on the Internet this week.
– Amazing music, amazing person. She will be missed. Aretha Franklin: In Memoriam Playlist.
–The exhilarating history of roller coaster photography. And to have your picture taken at a “Oh Shit Point”… Makes for some good pictures.
-This is a place I would love to stay (or build An A-Frame Cabin Celebrates the Zero-Emission Lifestyle in Finland
–We Discovered Helium 150 Years Ago. Are We Running Out? I never thought about helium as being anything that we could run out of. Huh.
-Seriously, what the fuck dudes. Traces of Weed Killer Found in Cheerios and Quaker Oats Oatmeal-
–Genius Hidden Messages People Didn’t Expect To Find On Everyday Products. Sometimes it about the little extra attention to detail, and a little humor that keeps people coming back for more.
–12 Signs You Suffer From Summer Depression. See, its for real. and I have it.. number 2 and 6.
-Because in VT, we will pee on on your tomatoes. Haha. ‘Pee-Cycling:’ Vermont Researchers Look at Value in Human Urine
-What’s the Difference Between White and Yellow and Popcorn 101: Butterflies, Snowflakes & Mushrooms (oh my!)
-The colors and patterns really caught my eyes. New Synchronized Photographs of Swimmers by Mária Švarbová
Pictures from the week.
I think that my favorite thing abut summer is probably the food. Yeah, no, definitely all the food. If it weren’t for all the delicious amazing things that grow during these summer months, I would probably hate summer. Well, I mean, not hate it because summer is nice when it it nice, but lately it has not been so nice and so I am trying to make myself feel better by finding all the good things that I like about summer. Summer trees, summer flowers, the smell of fresh cut grass, river rocks, summer sandals, summer… well that’s what I got right now. But summer produce, that is the best and what keeps me happy when I am extremely over heated and over sunned and just want a blast of cold air accompanied by some dark clouds, a sweater and the smell of decomposing leaves. Obviously I am being a little crank butt, and I actually do usually like me some summertime, I am just over this summer. To hot, to humid, to dry. I am ready to move on.
But back to the good parts of summer that I am not over. The food. The corn is flowing steadily (I am getting on average 10 pieces of corn a week from the farm. That is a lot of corn for 2 people, one of which says he doesn’t like corn), the kale is growing in super abundance in the garden, and it’s is for sure blueberry season. When we have those three things and we toss in a avocado, as little onion, and lots of lime juice , BAM, another super fantastic summertime eating time, reason that summer can be a ok. Makes all the heat a little worth it.
I am telling you, this is my new favorite food combination. Blueberries are magical (I think so anyway) and really add the perfect little sweetness, tartness, and texture to this salad. Crisping up the kale and corn elevates the deliciousness, and avocado always is welcome is any salad situation. This is one of those salads that you will make for yourself and then immediately want to make for someone you like because it is so good you want to share. OR you just want to make it for yourself again because you could share or you could just eat more of it yourself. It’s ok either way, you do you.
The stuff. A cob of fresh corn. some fresh blueberries, a bunch of dinosaur kale, a lime, an avocado, a piece of a sweet onion, sea salt, pepper, and a little oil.
First off preheat the oven then cut the corn off the cob.
Then deal with the kale. Each leaf needs just the slightest bit of oil. The easiest way to do this is to dump a little oil into your hands and grab each piece of kale and rub your oily hands all over the kale.
After the kale is oiled, chop it into chunks. First place the corn on a baking sheet then add the kale on top. Placet it into the oven to get all crispy… The kale will might get crispy before the corn, which is fine because you can remove the kale then pop the corn back into the oven for a few more minutes to keep cooking if you want. Or you might just want to call it cooked, it’s your call.
I popped the corn back into the oven to get a little more color. I like a real crispy corn.
Cut up some onion and avocado into chunks.
And time to compile. Kale, onions, corn, avocado, blueberries, and lime juice. And don’t or get a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper.
Toss it all around and be delighted.
Just look at that salad. Who wouldn’t want to eat that?
Heres to summer salads….The reason I can barely stand the heat!
-C
makes one salad
- 10 or so large Lacinato (Dinosaur) Kale leaves
- 1 fresh cob of corn
- 1/2 of an avocado
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/4 of a sweet onion (about 1/4 cup diced)
- 1 lime
- teaspoon olive oil
- sea salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350
Cut the corn off the con and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Take a little oil and rub into hands then grab the kale leaves ans rub oil all over them. Once oiled, rough chop into medium sized pieces (don’t chop small, it will shrink a lot in the oven). Place chopped kale on top of corn and stick into hot oven. Bake until the kale is crispy, about 12-15 minutes.. What closely after 10 minutes to prevent burning.
Remove the kale from the baking sheet and place in a large bowl. The corn will be cooked, but if you want to make it a little crispier , just toss it back into the oven for a few minutes. Once corn is to your liking, remove from pan and toss into two with the kale.
Small dice up some onion and dice up half of the avocado. Toss into the bowl with the kale and corn. And the blueberries, add those in. Sprinkle the whole shebang with a little sea salt and pepper and squeeze the juice of at least half of a lime all over (use the whole lie if you want) Give it all one last toss and that is it.
Eat your new favorite salad. Think about making it for all your favorite friends and family and how impressed they will be because this is one of those impressive salads. T
Every year the same thing happens. Cherry season hits, I indulge and buy a few pounds of those cherries with great intentions of making something great, something to share, but then I always end up eating them all myself. What can I say, I love me some cherries.
But this year I realized my mistake. If I really did want to make something with cherries other then eating them all, I needed to buy a shit ton of cherries so I would have enough for my belly and some to share. So I bought like 6 pounds at once so I would have to bake something before they went bad. (Honestly I could have eaten them all but I was able to control myself.)
I was going to make a straight up cherry pie, put then that would take me making pie dough, which I really like to do in most cases, but was just not feeling it this week. Plus that would have require a hell of a lot more cherry pitting which again, wouldn’t have been that bad, but I was just hot really feeling it. But upside down cake, that I was feeling. I always like the visual aspect of an upside- down cake so cake it was, cake it be. Upside side down cake with a little lemony lemoness and lots of gooey cherry goodness. Simple and stunning and better then cherry pie because it is baked upside-down and you can’t bake a pie upside-down.
I did good. (Here I pat myself on the back, give myself a high five, and finish off with a double thumbs up)
The stuff. Flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in the bowl. A bowl of fresh cherries. White sugar, canola oil, soy milk, a lemon, a little apple cider vinegar, some vanilla extract, melted earth balance, and a bit of brown sugar.
This is the most labor intensive part, pitting cherries. What I do is cut the cherries in half and then with my thumb, dislodge the pit. Pile the un-pitted halves to the side and once done pitting, double check you got all the pits out. No one will like you, including yourself, if they bit down and crack a tooth on a cherry pit.
Cherries are pitted so now take the melted earth balance and brown sugar and mix together in the bottom of your greased cake pan. I lined my with parchment which I think was a good idea so you might want to do that too. Mix the mixture around to evenly coat the bottom then place the cherries in, singled layered and not overlapping, but get as many in as you can. (You can do them all facing hte same way like me or not, I don’t know if it would really make much of a difference.)
Time for cake batter. Mix the sugar and zest of the lemon into the bowl of flour, baking soda and powder, and salt.
In goes oil. milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla. Give it all a good whisk
Stop when it is all mixed and incorporated. Don’t want to over mix or the cake with get tough.
Batter gets poured right onto cherries in pan and the whole sha-bang gets popped into the oven for about 50 minutes to turn into golden brown, upside-down cherry greatness.
Now for the best part, you must wait at least a few minutes, if not ten, to pop the cake right side up? Or os it now upside down? And be careful cause it’s hot. Tip . Before inverting cake, run a knife around the edge of the pan to make sure cake is loose. Once cake is upside down on cooling rack (use a cooling rack, not a plate so the bottom dset getting soggy), give the pan a good tap tap with a wooden spoon until the cake pops out. If a cherry or two got stuck, its ok, just stick it back to the cake.. no one will know.
And loooooook at that. Upside down cakes are always like magic.
As you can see, it didn’t stand a chance. A piece cut within minutes because how can you not.
I finally did it, I shared my cherry stash, and I feel good about it because all the people looooved the cake so it was worth it. And I still have cherries left for me!!
Now go upside-down a cake.
-C
makes a 10 inch upside-down cake.
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil (I used canola)
- 2 tablespoons earth balance or vegan butter substitute
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups sliced in half and pitted cherries
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350.
Start by rinsing and pitting cherries. Remove all stems, cut cherries in half, and remove pits. I use my thumb and just kind of pop them out, but do it anyway you feel like. If using a fancy de-pitter, you are going to want to cut the cherries in half. After you have removed all pits, DOUBLE CHECK that there are no pits.. Pits will crack a tooth for reals.
Grease and line a 10 inch cake pan with parchment. Dump the melted earth balance and brown sugar in bottom and mix together. Spread mixture all around then grab sliced cherries and place them, single layered, into mixture. Get as many as you can in there without overlapping.
In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and soda, the salt, the white sugar, and the zest of the lemon. Once fully combined add in the soy milk, apple cider vinegar, the oil, and the vanilla. Mix that all up until just combined. Pour batter all over the cherries in the pan. Level out batter and pop into the oven (middle rack) for 45-55 minutes, or until the cake is a nice deep golden brown and a tester stuck in the middle comes out clean.
Once the cake is bake, let it sit on counter for about 10 minutes. Once slightly cooled, grab knife and run it along the edge of the cake. Take a cooling rack and place on top of cake then flip upside down. Tap around he pan with a spoon then gently lift pan away.
Tada. You should have yourself something fantastic and great. And no worries if a cherry or two got stuck to pan, just pop it back on to the cake.
And now all you need to do is eat the cake. So do that.
I finally looked at all the pictures from the family get together last weekend. Got a few good shots, but man oh boy do I need to get a new camera. It’s on my list of shit to do this coming week. (Blah, I hate buying stuff)
So here they are, the pics of the fam in Belivdere Vt. The cabin in the mountains with no internet or cell signal, no TV, no news, no other people. Just hanging out with all the goobs, swimming and hiking, finding salamanders and fossil, and spent some good time with the old man before he headed back to PA. And so what if a little almost got swept down the river or if our tents were washed away in a flash flood. Nothing we can’t handle. It was quite and beautiful and a hell of a lot cooler then back in the city. It’s a little magical kingdom. No better place to be.
-C
Whatever you do, do not turn on your oven this weekend! But I guess if you have air conditioning and don’t mind cranking it… well then go for it. And can I come stay with you?
But for the rest of us doing this weekend without the old A.C., we need to feed ourselves, feed ourselves without any fire because 100 degrees is no joke and any added heat from anything will likey tip us over the edge. I am already so close to that edge and it’s a long way down..(Just ask the mr, he could tell you a thing or two about heat and me.. not good)
Enter hummus and veggies.
You can’t really go wrong with a good hummus and veggies meal situation and sometimes it’s all that can be right. I for one could eat bowls and bowls of hummus, and sometime do, so this is not a stretch for me. Especially this hummus. I knew I would like it, but man, was (was because I ate it all) it freaking delicious. The sunflower seeds really did it for me, gave it a little something extra, like a freshness that is still creamy and earthy, but is not quite, I don’t know, dark as tahini? It’s kind of hard to explain without having you taste it (so make it and you tell me) Don’t get me wrong, I love tahini, but sometimes you just got to mix it up. (Plus sunflowers seeds are dirt cheap. Tahini is not nearly as cheap so bonus there too.) Maybe its because the sunflower seeds bring the sunshine to your mouth. A sun filled mouth of pureed seeds and beans. Yup, that’s what it is.
So here ya go, a no heat meal (or snack or spread). We got this.
The stuff. Cooked chickpeas (no need to cook your own, canned is a okay), sunflower seeds, a lemon, a few cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, a little water, and some herby green like parsley or cilantro.
Hummus is pretty basic, it’s just stuff blended up, but because we are starting with raw sunflower seeds, we need to really bend the shit out of them until they turn into a paste, so do that, which is going to a take about 8-10 minutes. Then once its pasty, add in the garlic and the juice of the lemon and blend until its all smooth.
Could almost stop here at this point. Sunflower seed goodness all emulsified. Taste it, it is so good.
Now add in the chickpeas and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Blended until smooth with a little drizzle of water to give just the right consistency. And that’s it.
Pile a bowl full enough that you can call it dinner them top with a good amount of fresh herbs. Serve with chopped up fresh veggies or whatever you like and we are good to go.
Creamy, dreamy sunflower hummus, no heat required!
Stay not melted!
-C
Makes about 2 3/4 cups
- 2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or one can) drained
- 3/4 cup raw (can use toasted)unshelled sunflower seeds
- l juicy lemon
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1-2 tablespoons ice water
- salt and pepper
- handful fresh herbs like parsley,cilantro and or dill (optional)
Place the sunflower seeds in food processor and turn on until seeds turn into a paste, which will take about 8-10 minutes. After every few minutes, scrap the sides down to make sure it all gets blended. Once the seeds reach paste consistency, add in the juice of the lemon and the garlic. Blend until smooth. Last off, add in the chickpeas and a pinch or salt and pepper and blend until smooth, adding in a tablespoon or two of water to get the hummus to the consistency of your liking. Once blended taste and check for seasoning (add more salt and or pepper if needed)
When the hummus is done, scrape into bowl(s), and top with lots of fresh herbs and a sprinkle more of sunflower seeds. Now eat it. Eat with veggies, with bread, with pretzels, or with a spoon (or finger). Do what you need to do.
Any left over, if there is any, can be store in the fridge for 2-3 days.
How wonderful has the weather been for you? Around here, it couldn’t have been any better. Warm, not to hot, lots of sun with some good rainy spell, even a really cool thunder storm. Everything is growing and blooming and it is just so fantastic. A good spring week. We deserved it for sure.
The week was full of all sorts of things. We finally got out taxes done after having to file an extension (well, there are still few more things were need to do, but the accountant has the pile of papers so I don’t have to look a them anymore), Now I can finally stop thinking about them and focus on anything but, because taxes suck, like literally sucked the life out of me.(lets never speak of taxes again..until next year) There were stairs rebuilt, shelves moved around, mirrors hung, so so much yard work, my first bike ride, sunburns (the mr, not me) and best yet, we found and installed a new (to us) bathroom faucet. Hooray!! It’s pretty cool, one we have never seen and looks really good with the green sink. We found it at the salvage yard attached to a sink that we did not need so we removed it, brought it home, dragged our heavy ass sink out to the backyard, and the mr installed it. Then we brought the sink back to the bathroom and stuck it back in place. Now we can stop brushing our teeth and washing our hands in the bathtub. Things are going good.
I feel like I have been rolling in the green all week (green as in plants and stuff). The mr bought me the coolest plant called the escargot begniioa (see picture below) and that’s the plant that made me realized that I am now obsessed and need to start the worlds greatest begonia collection. I also got a few more house plants because I just can’t stop/won’t stop. (Our house is basically made up of chairs, books, and plants. Not a bad house if I do say so my self.) So now the inside could be mistaken for the outside. Outside we planted a bunch of raspberry bushes our neighbor gave us which I am so super excited about and I have a ton more seeds in the garden, Or I hope I do. I kept getting seed/plant robbed by the birds and squriells. All the greens that I had started inside and planted in the soil were eaten and a good chunk of the seeds I directly planted were also dug up. Little fuckers, but I think the chicken wire I placed over everything really helped. And it is still kind of early so I just planted and started more seeds because thats what we do. I basically spent all all my time this week thinking about plants and I am ok with that.
And it’s Sunday. Today I am going to spend more time then I would like digging splinters out of my hands because for some reason I just don’t think about putting on gloves when doing any yard work. I know of one really big one in my thumb from a tree root that won’t come out, but all the twigs and sticks I picked up gave me quite a few little pesky ones. Other then that, as long as it is not super rainy, I ‘ll probably spend a good chunk of the day outside again, doing more yard stuff, probably without gloves on, because why would I do that? And I will try to throw in a bike ride too. If I am lucky, once I get tired, it will start raining this afternoon so I can not have to water and I can spend the rest of the day reading on the back porch with all my new plant friends.
Internet I looked at that you can look at too.
-I am a plant lady in all the ways. My new obsession. Begonias. BEAUTIFUL BEGONIAS: TYPES & CARE.
-Yes, yes they do. Drake’s Lyrics Make The Best Cake Quotes Ever
–This house is pretty cool, but the pineapple light fixture. Amazing.
-I think I might be a sensitive person. Everything to Know About the Highly Sensitive Person
–Now You Can Drink—Yes, Drink—Hummus. Yeah, I don’t know. I think I would really like a chick pea tahini shake. But is it really hummus? Hum.
–Vermont Wetland Types. Became I wanted to know and you might too.
-Should I make one for the mr to push me around in? Haha, but this is pretty cool,, like for the littles. WOODEN RIDE-ON CAR DIY!
-I feel like I could really get down with the contra. Square, Contra and Henry Ford: The History And Lasting Appeal Of Country Dancing
–TALKING BREAD AND EVOLUTION WITH JEFFREY HAMELMAN Who doesn’t want to t talk about bread, especially a master baker from VT?
-This seems kind of crazy and a little gross. Old cake for hundreds of dollars. How about you throw me the money and I make you a fresh cake? Slice Of History: Pieces Of British Royal Wedding Cakes Up For Auction.
Pictures from the week.
I made this salad about a week ago right before the mr and I left town for the weekend. I had just gotten 2 very large canary watermelons from the farm, and had a million cucumbers and a trillion tomatoes from the garden. If a trillion tomatoes seems like a lot it is. But that is how many I had, and still do (this years garden just won’t quit) And with counters of all the fruit and veggies that I could possible want at one given time, we needed to eat some up before we left. But I really wanted watermelon and felt guilty about cutting into one when I would be fine left for a while and there were a million ripe and ready tomatoes to eat that would not last the weekend fresh. But guess what, went for it anyway and cut up a watermelon because damn it, I really wanted watermelon.
So a bazillion tomatoes (notice how the number keeps getting bigger, that’s because it’s truth) a million cucumbers, and now a watermelon that needs to be eaten. Salad it will be. (I had the littles over to eat the rest of the watermelon, they will always help a lady out)
A big ass fruity, citrus-y, crispy, tangy salad. A party of all these fresh fantastic flavors all up in your mouth. The first time I made this, I thought there was a chance the mr might not like it, but as it turns out he like it very very much, enough to eat the whole entire big ass bowl of it. (I got a few measly little bits) I have since made this salad two other times and know well enough to save myself a bowl of my own. The mr forgets to share.
The stuff. Watermelon (I used a canary but a red watermelon works too) onion, cucumber and tomatoes. A jalapeno for a little heat, fresh basil and mint, a lemon and salt and pepper.
First the watermelon. You probably don’t want to eat the rind so remove that and chop up the fruit into mouth sized pieces. IF you have a really seedy melon, just remove what you can see and save them for roasting later (yes roast the seeds.. they are fantastic)
Now the cucumber, onion and jalapeno get their turn to be chopped up. Cucumber into smallish pieces. Onion thin and small pieces and jalapeno into very tiny little pieces. After those go into bowl, it’s tomato time. Just cut up into into mouth sided pieces and into the bowl too.
Red, yellow, and green tomatoes. The colors are so PRETTY!
Mint and bail minces up nice .
Topped with all the fresh herbs, salt and pepper, and lemon juice.
A thing of beauty and tastes better then it looks. A salad worth making over and over and lots of it too.
Make sure to save yourself a bowl if sharing, you might not get any otherwise.
Have a great weekend
-C
serves between 2-4 people
- 1/4 of a canary watermelon (around 3 cups cubed)
- 1 cucumber
- 2-3 tomatoes of any variety
- 1/2 of an onion (red or sweet white)
- handful of fresh basil and mint
- 1 small jalapeno
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper
Take watermelon and remove rind then cut the melon into mouth sized chunks. If you melon has seeds, remove what you can (save for later to roast) and place into a large bowl. Grab cucumbers and cut into mouth sized chunks. Thinly slice onion into long thin ribbons then into smaller pieces and then cut up jalapeno. To cut the jalapeno, remove stem, cut in half length wise, then scrap the seeds and ribs from the inside out. Dice the pepper into very small pieces and toss everything you just cut up into the bowl with the melon. Tomatoes now get cut into chunks and those go into the bowl too. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper and the juice of the lemon. Cut or chop fresh basil and mint up and add on in. Mix it all up and that’s that.
This summer I have gotten like 5 lbs of blackberries, a humongo bowl of raspberries, so so so many pears, and lots of random veggies, all from my neighbors and their gardens We live in a very giving and generous neighborhood. And it helps that they can’t possible eat all that they grow and that I am always willing to take it off their hands (and put it into my mouth) In return we have given out rhubarb and jars of honey and overall charm and smiles. (the charm and smiles are on the mr to give out)
The other day on a walk, the mr and I saw this sign outside of a neighbors house. Plums, please take some! Well pull my arm, I guess I will have too, because the sign said please right? Anyway, these little plums, not sure what kind they are, but they are so good. Sweet and bite sized and pretty. I ate a few then decided that I needed to share my shared plums and went about making a cake to stick those said share plums into.
I made the cake, invited my mom and a couple of sibs over. Mom didn’t come but Barb and Paul did so they got the cake, Well they got half the cake, the mr ate the rest. I was told that this cake is one of the best. I bet it is when you used share plums because sharing is caring and sharing cake is all that good stuff.
The stuff. A bowl with flour, baking soda baking powder, and slat. Then you have brown sugar, coconut oil. vanilla extract, soy milk, and a little apple cider vinegar. And plums of course.
Once you have started preheating the oven, cut your plums in half and remove the pit.The best way to do this is to run the knife along the pit all the way around the plum and then twist to break in half. Pop the pit out with you finger.
Set plums aside while mixing cake
Warmed coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla all get mixed together into a smooth consistency then dumped into the bowl of dry stuff.
Soy milk and vinegar get added and mixed in.
Batter gets poured into a very well greased cake pan and the plums get placed, cut side down,right on top. A sprinkle of sugar to top it off is not a bad idea.
Into the oven it goes to turn to cake!
Pulled from the oven looking so nice. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before taking it out. Hot cake is hard to handle!
And as soon as you get it out of the pan you can start eating.
Enjoy the last bits of summer. Share if you can!
-C
Makes a 12 inch cake
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking sods
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup coconut oil (warmed so it’s liquid)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 12-14 small plums (the plums I used where golf ball sized so you might need less for larger plums)
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
Preheat oven to 350
Start by slicing the plums in half and removing the pits. Set them aside. Hint. for slicing, the best way to do this is to run the knife along the pit all the way around the plum and then twist the plum in half. Pop the pit out with you finger or spoon.
In a large bowl, whisk together the salt baking soda and powder, and salt . In a smaller bowl mix together the coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the wet into the dry and add in half the milk, mix together, then the rest of the milk and apple cider vinegar. Mix until all incorporated and smooth.
Pour batter into a well greased 12 inch round cake pan. (If you don’t have that a 9×9 square pan will work) Smooth out the top then grab your sliced plums and stick them, cut side down, on top. Give each plum a little push into the batter so it half submerged. Sprinkle the top with white sugar and pop into the oven
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a fork or toothpick stuck int he middle comes out clean.
Remove and let cool completely in cake pan, it’s easier to remove the cake when it is not hot.
And once it’s cool, remove cake gently and ta-da. Cake time
It’s Mother’s Day weekend which means that you and I and everyone out there should feel the slightest bit obligated to at least do a little something nice for your mom for the mere fact that you were borned. And really what better way to celebrate mom than with food… It really is the least that you can do. (I think mom’s also like flowers and cards and handmade pasta necklaces) My mom is defiantly about the food. (she has had her fair share or pasta necklaces) A many years back on Mother’s day, this sweet little girl (me) made her mother a special breakfast treat…blueberry scones. And ever since that day, for every freaking holiday, birthday, whatever day, my mother requests (demands) a batch of those scones. She is always saying that these are her favorite treat and that no one has ever made them as good as I do. (I guess that just reiterates that I am her number 1 child)
The stuff. Flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. A bit of sugar, vanilla, buttermilk, and butter (use vegan butter and nut milk if you want to make them vegan) And of course we need the blueberries which can be fresh or frozen. I usually use fresh, but the store I stopped at only had really big containers of fresh that were like $1000 dollars a piece and the organic frozen happen to be on super sale. So you know, the cheap in me won that battle. 
So into the bowl goes all the dry stuff; flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and the sugar. Give it a good whisk.
Now dump the blueberries into the flour mixture. Toss them around to give them a coat of flour. Add in the buttermilk and vanilla and give a little mix until liquid is absorbed. We are trying to handle the dough as little as possible.
Turn mixture onto counter. It’s very loose, but thats what it should look like. 
Very gently and with as little handling as possible, gather dough up, knead a few times till everything just comes together. Press dough into a disk that is roughly an inch thick…. and it doesn’t need to be perfect. 
Cut the disk into even sized pieces. Do 6 big, 8 normal, maybe even 10 smaller. Whatever size you like. (I did 8) Place the scones onto a baking sheet, using a spatula to transfer, and sprinkle the tops with a little bit of sugar. Into a preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
And when the scones look all nice and browned and a tester comes out clean. remove and either serve right away warm, preferably with huge cup of coffee or tea, or stick on a rack to cool before storing in air tight container.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
May 20, 2019 by maximios • Blog
Ok, I think I hit that wall. The wall that all of a sudden I am over it. I am ready for spring, like hella ready. I think what broke was the day I didn’t need my coat outside or to wear socks in the house. I just realized how sick of wearing a coat every time I leave the house. And the day I was walking around the house barefoot without socks. Let me tell you, my feet couldn%u2019t have been any happier. And then it got cold again and I am now, well, now I am done. Bring on Spring! (summer can wait, still not ready for that)
As for the week, it was up and down. It started off all good and well. Had a sister dinner at my moms house, we%u2019re getting ready to leave for the week to go see my Dad and Grandmother, but before we got a chance to go, Grammy passed away. Sucky sucky suck. We knew it was going to happen, the old broad was 98 for pets sake, but still. We just thought we were going to be able to get down there and see her before it did. So yeah it%u2019s been kind of a sad week. And because she passed we are waiting til next week to leave now because of funeral and all the jazz.
The rest of the went kind of unscripted and strange. We were all feeling sad and bummed. Also we didn%u2019t have a lot planned because we thought we were leaving, but we also had (have) a lot to do so we tried to get some stuff done. We did take some time to go see green stuff at the garden center, walk in some woods, and hang with the littles. But towards the weekend, we both started to feel like garbage. The mr especially. He was ok and then he was not. The littles slept over Friday night and after we got rid of them Saturday, he crashed and spent the rest of the day pretty much immobile and I still felt like trash. So basically I cleaned house, he slept on the couch, we ate some dinner, we walked around the block before the sun went down, came home and crawled into bed. We watched Waynes World because sheyeah, right, and fell right to sleep. Nothing but boring old us to make your life seem exciting right? Haha.
Today so far I am feeling ok. As for the mr, he hasn%u2019t woken as of yet (I am sure that he has since awaken while some of you are reading this) so I am not sure about him. I am hoping for a full recovery on his part and we can spend some of today doing that shit that we needed to do yesterday, like the chores, but maybe even a little hike or a little walk down by the lake. I need outdoors to wash the yesterday off me.
Links to stuff from the internet that don%u2019t suck.
–Recipe Introductions Matter. Here’s%u00a0Why. If you don%u2019t want to read what I write, well then don%u2019t.
-History and study about the neighborhood where I grew up. ONE NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECT
-You know what pisses me off? Going to the store and seeing that they are out of celery because it is now what everyone wants to drink. I just wanted to eat it. Is that allowed abymore> Actually, You Can Just Drink Some Water
-This is a thing and it is awesome. A New Book Explores the Wide Range of Charming Homemade Cat Ladders in Switzerland
-I love this TREE HOUSE
-30, no 60 (one for me, one for the mr) outfits that I need to make. AMAZING! HAHA 30 Laughable His-And-Hers Fashions From The 1970s You Wouldn%u2019t Wear In Public Today
-The mr and I were just talking about making artificial coffee for when the world goes to hell and we can not longer grow the bean. Someone also had the somewhat same idea. Atomo: We hacked the coffee bean – invented molecular coffee
–You Can Now Book a%u00a0Golden Girls Cruise, Complete with Cheesecake, Bingo and More!. A cruise I would take, just as long as I could still go to bed at 7pm. HA
-Poptarts? I guess so. In London, The American Food Aisle Is Filled With Nostalgia And Preservatives
-The dream. Sometimes. I bought a house%u2014and then moved into a van
And some pictures of the week.
I finally got rid of the last of the Christmas tree needles just in time to replace them with glitter for the next few months.. It is my own fault. I didn%u2019t HAVE TO use glitter on a giant ass heart that I made for the mr, but I sure as heck wanted too. (I redact my statement%u2026 I HAD TO) It%u2019s ok though because glitter happens and you just gotta deal with it.
The week was the week. Nothing out of the normal. Nothing overly exciting. Valentines day was nice. The mr covered all the windows with little heart and besides the giant heart I made, I also made the mr a heart cake and heart bread and all his food for the day was basically in the shape of a heart. And we went snow shoeing where we might have almost stole a dog. Maggie was her name and she showed up out of nowhere on the trail which was out in the middle of nowhere. Hiked with us for a while, took off, and showed back up on our way out of the woods. Obviously she lived someplace close by and she did have a collar on (that is how we knew her name) but gosh, she was so sweet. She even walked us to our car and got in like she was ready to go home. Ugh, it hurts my soul a little. I miss having a dog. Who I really miss is Washer. Oh boy, here I am feeling all sad and shit%u2026..But the snow shoeing was amazing! Haha
Anyway, a mellow week. And now it%u2019s the second half of February so it basically going to be spring soon and mellow won%u2019t be staying mellow for long so I am going appreciate it for now, although I am getting little antsy for when I can finally pull out my sandals and open all the windows in the house and dirt. I am getting ahead of myself here. That is still a month or 3 away. But it is on my mind.
The mr and I don%u2019 t have any big plans for the day other then dropping in on the littles and maybe going out for coffee with Barb. We have a few chores that need done so we will probably do those%u2026%u2026 Whoo hoooo!
As usual, some links to read if you feel like perusing the Internet.
-Not going to lie, I completely see his point. Why Thomas Keller Thinks Farm-to-Table Is Absurd. I want the carrots from the farmer that is in love with his carrots too.
-Totally my type of home. . Life in This Verdant Home in Vietnam Is a Walk in the Park
–Here’s why ultra-processed foods are so bad for your health. So so bad.
-Baking fantastical things is not as easy at it might seem on the T.V. The Only Way I Got Through a %u2018Great British Baking Show%u2019 Challenge Was By Cheating
–I must make a fantastic pie soon. Dazzling Gradients and Geometric Designs Baked into New Pies and Tarts
-Got questions, here are some answers. Your Questions About Plastic Waste, Answered
-Genius. And the best feature is that it craps every last bit out of the jar.. This New Pump Will Help You Put Peanut Butter on Everything Without a Knife
–These Surreal Guesthouses with Impossible Staircases Have Alice in Wonderland Vibes. I think more like the movie Labyrinth and then I think of David Bowie in tight tights%u2026%u2026
–Please Don’t Let Your Tiny Dog Blow Away in the Wind. Real life problems.
-He climbs without any rops or harnesses. The guy is crazy. And amazing. A documentary I will watch. Free Solo.
And pictures from the wee
I am good. You good? Hopefully not super crazy and feeling stressed about holiday stuff? Don%u2019t let it get you. It is suppose to be fun and happy so take a few minutes and just do you. No stress.
Monday was the mr%u2019s actual birthday and we celebrated by taking a day trip out to the North East Kingdom to explore and see some nature. Got lunch, checked out a cool hardware store, blasted the heat in the car, and drank a lot of coffee. Came home and made lasagna and went to bed kind of early. I was a nice end to his birthday week. Until next time.
The rest of the week was up and down. We were suppose to go the PA to visit Dad this weekend with Meg but the plans got canceled when someone (Justin) got the flu. We ran around trying to get a bunch of stuff done, stressing out, but then once we knew we weren’t going, well we still have been running around trying to get a bunch of stuff done. Or better yet, running around yes, but also a couple of those day we spent siting around for hours (HOURS!!!!!) on hold trying to figure out our heath insurances. That was the worst. I don%u2019t know how many times I almost threw my phone against the wall (many). All part of being an adult right? Blah. The waiting time did give me a chance to tackle the Christmas cards I have been working on for a few weeks now so that was good.
What else.. I woke up the other night to pee, tried to get out of bed but got caught in the blankets and fell, almost smashing my head against the radiator. The mr freaked, turned on the light and found me just lying there. It was a rough fall and I am still feeling it all over. On a different note, I finally got a new broom which might just be the highlight of my week. It was actually a 2 pack with a dustpan and sweeps like a champ. The old broom was so bad that I stopped using it because I swear sweeping with it just left a streak of more dirt. Yeah for new broom!
Yesterday was a blast. The first annual cookie house contraction day (now a annual tradition). I would say gingerbread house, but I used sugar cookies instead because I know the littles and it was the right thing to do. I woke up early, baked off all the pieces, gathered a ton of candy and had people bring some too, and off we went. Miley, Judah, So, Alex, Coco, and Barb, plus me, the mr, and Megan. Enough to build a village. Got everyone well fed before construction (Mac and cheese and pb and J) and got to work. Construction might not have gone as smoothly as I hopped (canned frosting doesn%u2019t work as well as the sugar glue I made) but we figured it out. And once the houses were up, it was one big plume of sugar. Frosting and candy everywhere. There was so much sugar that I swear I was getting contact sugar high from all the littles. But the houses, they were coming out so awesome. I was truly impressed. Most of the houses stayed upright, but there were a couple the might have had a little too much candy (definitely Miley%u2019s) and had the roof collapse. All good though because she just starting to eat it and well, yeah. After the doses of sugar the littles ran circles around the house, and then left. I stayed and spent the rest of the day scraping sugar off of every surface in the house wishing that I had bought a steam mop with that broom. (I used to have one and it broke but it was amazing and that is all I want for Christmas now)
Today the mr and I are commuted to finishing all the Christmas cards, getting them addressed, and sending them out TOMORROW. I plan on going to the gym and grocery store this morning but then hunkering down for the rest of the day, listening to Christmas music and getting them done. They need to be done. We are way late on sending them out this year. Oops.
Internet from the week.
–Santa Is Nothing but Stress for Families Who Don%u2019t Believe in Him. I remember when I stopped believing in Santa.. sad day. And now with all the littles, some believe and some don%u2019t. it is hard to keep their little mouths shut.
–Not everything needs to come in pill form. See the diverse ingredients in traditional Chinese apothecaries
-How freaking badass. Horse-Riding Librarians Were the Great Depression%u2019s Bookmobiles
-Why People Wait 10 Days to Do Something That Takes 10 Minutes. I never ever procrastinate cleaning. It%u2019s just not worth it. And I am crazy.
–How best to harness the power of garlic in your everyday cooking. So many ways to use one simple ingredient and it can turn any dish from one thing to another.
-Never!!!! I Bought My Live Christmas Tree on Amazon %u2014 Here’s How It Went.
–Google’s 10 Most Searched Foods in%u00a02018. Keto is a big deal huh? Me, I for sure googled romaine a few times.
–Why is the night sky dark? It%u2019s all about the stars.
-If I have kids, wooden blocks are all I will have for toys, well those and a basket of river rocks and lots and lots of art supplies. But no plastic and NOTHING that needs to be plugged into anything or needs batteries. How Melissa & Doug captured the toy market, one wooden block at a time
–It%u2019s Time to Stop Calling Foods %u2018Crack. Agreed
Pictures from the week
The beginning of the week started off with cabin time with family and friends. All the sisters went up with their kids and we ate food, made bracelets, walked to the river, and just hung out for the afternoon. Seeing the family is (almost) always a good time. Then the mr and I ventured our way to our secret camping spot,%u00a0went for a little hike, then ate our dinner in a park where I watched the mr open a can of beans for me by rubbing it against a rock. It was like magic, especially because I was starving and was smashing the end of the can like a rabid beast against, well everything. I forgot to bring the can opener for my can of beans which could have been the end of me. Luck for me the mr is so good and I never will need a can opener again. Anyway we ended up not camping out for the night. Our main reason for camping was to see the meteor shower, but the sky was all clouded so we couldn’t see squat. Plus the mr was tired and feeling sore, I was little tired, so we just headed back home. When we got home we sat under the %u00a0slightly less cloudy sky in the backyard for a bit until the mr sprayed %u00a0bug spray that turned into bug bomb and %u00a0that not only kept all the bugs away, kept me away too. He had to take shower to ge the stink off and still he smelled. The smell lingered for days.. And to think it was just essential oils. %u00a0Then we slept in our bed which was way more comfortable then usual because we were really suppose to be sleeping on the ground.%u00a0
The rest of the week went as usual. %u00a0Had little bursts of rain, although never quite enough to help the heat, only enough to up the humidity. Qui came over for dinner where he drank out a a mug with his face all over it and tried to talk the mr into getting his own scooter. I told the mr if he wants one, well then he should go for it. But I don’t think its happening any time soon.%u00a0%u00a0Barb and So came over for %u00a0lunch and spent time harvesting all the goodies out of the garden. So picked a watermelon that turned out to be not quite ripe (so sad) and Barb picked all the kale that she could stand picking. Other then that, there was farm share, lots of running around, a chocolate zucchini cake, and the realization that I have Summer Seasonal Affective Disorder. (yes, it is a thing) %u00a0A well rounded, semi productive, way to hot,%u00a0week.%u00a0
And then there was yesterday.%u00a0It was amazing.%u00a0Sure I was at work inside most of the day glazing hundreds of pots that little kids made, but when I got out, the sky was covered in big grey clouds with a slight rainy drizzle. The temperature was like 68 degrees, and there was a cool breeze. I might have even gotten a slight chill. It was everything that I have needed all Summer long. Seriously, to much warmth and sunshine is not good for me. I need cool rainy(dare I say snowy) days to help keep that balance, so yesterday really hit the spot. I was even able to wear a long sleeve shirt for like the first time in months. %u00a0And when I went to bed, I was able to sleep under the blanket. So nice. So nice.
And we made it to today.%u00a0The mr and I were talking last night about going comping today so we might do that. Or we might not and just veg out for the day here at home, maybe stop in to see the littles that are home from sleep away camp.%u00a0I am leaning towards camping.%u00a0We skipped out last week and if the nights are going to be anything like last tonight, (%u00a0nice and cool), a fire will be ever so lovely and welcome. %u00a0And I am sure the mr would love to do some fishing and I of course can be happy reading and drinking coffee just about anywhere. %u00a0
Stuff I read on the Internet this week.
-%u00a0Amazing music, amazing person. She will be missed. Aretha Franklin: In Memoriam Playlist.
–The exhilarating history of roller coaster photography. And to have your picture taken at a “Oh Shit Point”… Makes for some good pictures.%u00a0
-This is a place I would love to stay (or build An A-Frame Cabin Celebrates the Zero-Emission Lifestyle in Finland
–We Discovered Helium 150 Years Ago. Are We Running Out?%u00a0I never thought about helium as being anything that we could run out of. Huh.
-Seriously, what the fuck dudes.%u00a0Traces of Weed Killer Found in Cheerios and Quaker Oats Oatmeal-
–Genius Hidden Messages People Didn%u2019t Expect To Find On Everyday Products.%u00a0Sometimes it about the little extra attention to detail, and a little humor that keeps people coming back for more.%u00a0
–12 Signs You Suffer From Summer Depression. See, its for real. and I have it.. number 2 and 6.%u00a0
-Because in VT, we will pee on on your tomatoes. Haha.%u00a0%u2018Pee-Cycling:%u2019 Vermont Researchers Look at Value in Human Urine
-What’s the Difference Between White and Yellow %u00a0and%u00a0%u00a0Popcorn 101: Butterflies, Snowflakes & Mushrooms (oh my!)%u00a0
-The colors and patterns really caught my eyes.%u00a0New Synchronized Photographs of Swimmers by M%u00e1ria %u0160varbov%u00e1
Pictures from the week.
My brain is pretty much a puddle so excuse the mess I am about to make with my words.
The week started off with %u00a0Barb. We took her out for her graduation breakfast present.%u00a0And not going to lie, I was shocked. We ate at this place the mr and I used to go to, at least once a week, when I was in high school (the place I would skip class and go eat). It’s been a while sense we have been there and %u00a0the prices have doubled, if not tripled.%u00a0Whoa dude, 14 bucks for some eggs, that shit was crazy. But besides shocking prices, we had a good time. And then the rest of the week was some work, the mr in the tree house and %u00a0him bringing me homa me a lilac purple cast iron sink he found at the dump because he knows me so well. The sink is beautiful and will go into our not yet to own, farmhouse.%u00a0
I ended up missed farm share pick up because, um I actually, I don’t remember why. But there was a reason and that I can’t think of. And really, I don’t care to try to remember if there was much of anything else worth mentioning from the week.. Oh wait, I think we saw Megan and Sophia and had dinner with Jeff. And that’s why I missed farm share. And we also had dinner with Shannon and got to check out he garden. She would be mad if I failed to mention her and her garden and how great they both are looking these days. Ha.%u00a0
Then there was Friday. The mr and I spent an entire afternoon driving to pick up more lumber for a job and a little extra for the tree house.. It was a very VERY hot. very long drive (4 hours back and forth). The mr was in truck, me %u00a0in the car which has great air conintioning, but because the mr had none in the truck, I decided I was going to suffer too. Might not have the best idea because when we got home I was so miserable. I might have said some very mean things, but it wasn’t my fault. This is what happens, I am like a gremlin, except it’s not water or food that turns me into beast, it is humid hotness. Watch the fuck out!
Saturday started off good. Went to the gym, loaded a glaze kiln at the studio, cleaned the house, backed up the camping stuff, then off we went to the family cabin in Belvedere. %u00a0Things were good, spent a good amount of time with the old man, the sisters and all the little, ate some food, set up the tent, had a a fire. As for the temperature, the weren’t so bad. We were good and we were ready for their first night of camping.%u00a0The mr, me , Miley, and Judah, all in one tent. Erin and Coco in another. We were killing it, thick foam to lay on, a fan, headlamps and books. Tired and ready for bed, we all piled in, and then the lighting started. At first it was a just the normal heat lighting, a little bit here and there, but then it started to thunder, and sprinkle…. And after about an hour of slightly scared littles, they finally fell asleep. Me, not so much because of the lightning. It was lighting up the sky every few minutes, plus the sprinkles turned a steady rain. SO I lay awake, feeling the drip drip drip, hoping that it was just a small passing storm. It wasn’t. The sky was lighting up like a strobe, I have never in my life seen such a lighting storm, and it was constant. %u00a0The thunder shook the sky, Miley woke and and freaked, the wind picked up, and the rain. Oh the rain. Flash flood in the field, tent filling with water. We had to wake up Judah because he of course was sleeping through it all, and prepare ourselves. The mr was going to go rescue Erin and Coco %u00a0and get them to her car and I was going to get the kids to our %u00a0car and drive and all drive %u00a0back to the cabin%u00a0 So we got prepared, kids screw shitless, reminding them to run, but watch out for the tent lines, and get to the car as fast as they could. We were ready, I had my phone light, the car key in hand, unzipped and were instantly drenched . The littles ran, careful of the tent lines, but me, I tripped, fell face first, dropped my phone and keys in the now lake. Yup, I was the one to trip. But I recovered, lucky to see the key, grab my drenched phone, and we all made it to the car. The mr, he got the baby and Erin to her car. Long story short, our car got kind of stuck in the field, Erin had to drive her car to ours so we could toss the kids in and they drove over to the cabin. The mr and I, we walked it, wet to the soul, just hoping the lighting would not strike us dead. %u00a0We made it alive, 2 am in the morning, wet and awake. Not a bad first time camping for the littles.%u00a0
I did not sleep. The littles and Erin ended up sleeping in the middle of the kitchen floor, the mr on the couch, and I just sat there, watching the most magical, freaky storm I have ever seen. Then once everyone started to wake up, I pounded a few cups of coffee and had a decent morning. Breakfast, a fun trip the the river, hung out with the old man, had some lunch.%u00a0Left the cabin a little while ago and now I am home, barely functional and so fucking hot. I am only keeping my brain from melting out of my ears by sitting in the doorway of the basement with the fan on me and drinking my 8th cup of coffee for the day. All in all, a pretty good weekend. The stuff of great memories. Now I need to go catch the cat and force him to drink some water so he doesn’t die and then go check on the mr. Even though it is 100 degrees, he is working in the tree house so I get the fan by the basement all to myself.%u00a0
Some internet to look at while melting away.%u00a0
–Coldest Place on Earth Found%u2014Here’s How. Take me there!
-%u00a0How to Save A Dish That’s Too Spicy (or Sweet, or Salty, or Rich)%u00a0Good to know when if you need to know
–Pot Glossary: Cannabis Terms For Vermonters because you know.%u00a0
-These pictures are calling my name..Frozen Bubble Formations and Shards of Snow Captured in Alaska%u2019s Swamps and Ponds by Ryota Kajita
-Have you eaten meat lately and then gotten sick? Don’t worry, I got you, pretty much all the recipes on the site are vegan.%u00a0%u00a0Red Meat Allergies Caused By Tick Bites Are On The Rise
–How To Find The Summer Constellations%u00a0Summer stars are the best
-We need to stop with the fucking plastic already.%u00a0China Has Refused To Recycle The West’s Plastics. What Now?
–What Are the Best Canisters for Keeping Coffee Extra Fresh? I keep my beans in a glass, rubber sealed canister with little ducks with blue ribbons around their necks on it… It makes me happy%u00a0
–Excessive Daydreaming Might Be a Form of Mental Illness. Uh oh.%u00a0
-First off, these two are so cute, and secondly, I only new half of these words. I feel old.%u00a0Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons Teach You Millennial Slang
Pictures from the week. I have a ton of pictures from the cabin, but I don’t feel like looking at all of them right now so I’ll probably just post some in a day or two. %u00a0Also, I think I want to start a photo series of barb eating. I mean, right?
These guys know how to pose for the camera, no? Haha. Goobers.
Definitely a hell of a week. Good fo us here in our little home bubble, but crazy as shit elsewhere. I want to run screaming and crying when I think about what has been happening around the country, to those kids to those families, and %u00a0just that overall state of things. Not good, not good at all.%u00a0. AAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!!%u00a0I think we humans just need to be better, some more then others, some way way way more then others.%u00a0%u00a0I just need to say that.%u00a0
We kicked our week off with super humid and hot weather which of course was right when I needed to turn the oven on to make cookies for the party,%u00a0Barbs graduation party. I hesitated for a moment, thinking it wasn’t with it.%u00a0%u00a0but I made them and they were the best cookie ever, and Barb ate them all and way happy. Good deed done. After all the sweat, we got the cookies to the party, right after the mr took Judah to get his hair cut and after they got caught in the rain, and managed to have ourselves a good time (there was AC)%u00a0Yeah sure it was a BBQ and it was raining, but that didn’t stop everyone from showing up, eating a shit ton of crap, and playing with fire, or more like sparklers, %u00a0butand they were not used as directed.
After a hot Monday party day, the rest of the week just seems quick and easy. We did some work as usual, but also were able to get in some good stuff.%u00a0%u00a0In between cutting hole in attics ceilings %u00a0and crawling on roofs, the mr has been working hard on the tree house.%u00a0%u00a0Spending his nights out in the tree, sawing and hammering away 20 feet high in the tree. (he says it is not 20 feet high, I beg to differ.)%u00a0As for me, I am currently in the middle of like 10 different projects right now and it’s getting to the point where I can’t fall asleep because my mind is full of pulling handles, carving wood, and mixing paint colors. And on top of all the projects I am in the middle of, the garden is getting to that point where it is flourishing and growing and I am needed out there to weed, harvest, and replant. I am eating my weight in lettuces from the garden. Then as soon as I am stuffed as much as possible,%u00a0I go to pick up farm share and get even more greens. Honestly, it just makes me happy. I think I might be a rabbit.%u00a0%u00a0
And then it was officially Summer!. The mr and I decided to take the first day of summer and do a few summer things. We tossed the kayaks into the truck and spend the morning on the clear, crisp water where we saw a bold eagle rip a fish from the water and I kept running into a blue heron. After %u00a0that we came home and popped our heads into the bee hive and gave them more room to grow. Then Meg and So stopped by to eat their lunch and help me plant some lettuce, and we spent the rest of the day outside doing outside things. If summer days were always like that, I would never complain.%u00a0
Friday night the littles came back over for dinner and scooter riding. I bouched a batch of pizza dough (I forgot to make dough until last minute so I tried to get it to rise in the microwave (I saw it on GBBO). I forgot to turn the level down and ended up with a thick brick of dough), but was lucky enough to have just enough sourdough left into fridge to feed the masses. %u00a0Crisis adverted. %u00a0The littles ate all my %u00a0the rest of my food (all the cucumber, beans, andpeas at the very least, they stayed away from my lettuce)%u00a0and all the popsicle and left me with demands of cupcake making and sleep overs. Those littles know what they want. And we are suckers because %u00a0we usually do whatever they want.%u00a0
Yesterday I spent half the day working at the studio, washing clay off of the walls and mixing %u00a0glazes . After that I came home,%u00a0cleaned the crap out of my house, and kind of passed out. I think all the everything from the week kind of caught up with me.%u00a0
That leaves me with today. It is suppose to rain later so I guess it is an early bike ride to the gym then its all about the book I am reading, and the hunk of wood and hulk of clay that are calling my name. I wish I could read and do other things at the same time. Maybe it’s time to get down with audio books? Or podcasts. I should have the mr show me how to do that.
Some of the lighter things that I checked out on the internet this week. I’ll spare you any of the heartbreaking articles… I just can’t.
-I gave Emersion the nickname Koko because he looks and acts like a little gorilla.%u00a0Koko the Gorilla%u2019s Most Iconic Moments%u00a0RIP Koko the gorilla.
–Suck Less. This can apply to many things, but the article is about straws.. And yes, we should suck a lot less.%u00a0
-Plants are amazing, ans can be dangerous. (I think they are getting sick of humans)%u00a0Just What We Need %u2014 a Pretty New Plant Trying to Blind Us and especially is you live in Vt.%u00a0Beware The Poison Parsnip: Health Officials Warn Of Common Roadside Plant. It might look pretty, but don’t touch it, it will leave you with something nasty.
–Stop Putting Bananas in Your Fruit. Just stop doing it because seriously, it gets fucking gross.
-Super fucked.%u00a0Some Rivers Are So Drug-Polluted, Their Eels Get High on Cocaine
-These are pretty badass.%u00a0Vibrant Paper Fruits and Vegetables by Ann Wood Look Good Enough to Eat
–Here%u2019s the Truth %u2014 Once and for All %u2014 About Those Misting Systems at the Grocery Store. I hate the misters but understand them%u00a0
–How Pots and Pans Turned Us Into Creative Cooks. Imagine not having a pot of pan to cook in. That would suck.
–This house in Maine. Swoon.
And pictures from the week.
Is it crazy that I am just so stinking excited about spring? Because I am. I am very very excited. The list of seeds has been started, gardens have been mapped out, and I even looked (but no unpacked) my box of spring/summer clothes this week. I know, I know, it’s Vermont and this is a temporary weather thing, but 50’s this week.. I’ll take it. Then I’ll take another snow storm because that’s what we do. But the spring sunshine.. It’s freaking magical.%u00a0
As weeks go, this one passed with nothing to crazy happening (in my little world bubble anyway, %u00a0the world is another story). I might have broken my arm (not really, but it feels like it) and I might be growing a squirrels nest in my hair, so I can call myself accomplished? %u00a0But really what I have been really into is cleaning. With all this warm weather I find myself taking to the light fixtures and windows. Spring cleansing is happening and I am determined to tackle something everyday that is not in my usual cleaning routine, like cleaning the insides and outsides all the light fixtures. or taking the bathroom fans down and cleaning those out (you should do that too). When the urge strikes, embrace it.%u00a0It might be some to of the most gratifying cleaning ever.%u00a0
Valentines Day happened and was really nice. The mr and I took the day and drove out of town to Montpelier and saw all the hearts. Then we hit the woods for a while, drank lots of coffee,bouht ourselves some daffodils,%u00a0 then went home and just relaxed. Then we ended the night with early dinner and watched To Wong Fu, Thanks For Everything%u00a0because Patrick Swayze in drag just might be everything.%u00a0
And the rest of the weeks just flew on by with olympics (every morning when I go to the gym, one of the tv’s is on the Canadian Olympic channel. I have been keeping up with the louge, the skeleton, the curling, and speed skating with those guys.Canada is pretty good),%u00a0spoon carving, sister chatting, library time, and lot of long walks. The mr had been doing side work and trying to glue the very first coffee mug I ever made like 15 years ago back together after he dropped it on the side walk. I have spent a lot of time making and baking in the kitchen .Fresh bread everyday, tinctures and tonics,%u00a0hot sauce, and soup, soup, soup. %u00a0We are trying to embrace this quite time now before things get crazy again, and we know that they will, oh they will too soon.%u00a0
Oh, and I have been slowly painting all the stars in the kids room slowing cave. We had the littles came over the other night for play practice, pizza, and star paining.I let each kid paint their astronomical sign and then make up their own constellation. It is coming out so great and I can’t wait to finish it and deck it all out with new pillows in the shape of stars and planet and make fake camp fire and set up a little tent…. Man I am a pretty awesome aunt.%u00a0%u00a0
I think today I am going to make large quantities of coffee and make some of those pillows I was taking about and maybe try and finish %u00a0painting the stars. I am excited about the room and want to keep the momentum going. Plus I really just want sleep in there myself. So I will do that and then I am going to brush my hair today because really, it is starting to dread and I don’t know if I am ready for that again.%u00a0
The stuff I looked at on the internet.%u00a0
–Official Portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald. These are amazing and I want them too.
-I love him and this tiny desk only makes me love him more. Nick Hakim Tiny Desk Concert
–Take a trip down South Korea’s Coffee Street. A street of coffee might be the best or worst thing ever. Probably the best tho.%u00a0
-At $600 bucks a pound.. no shit it’s gold.%u00a0California-Grown Coffee Is Becoming The State’s Next Gold Mine
-My babysitter growing up had a waterbed and it was amazing and slightly frightening.%u00a0The Weird True Story of the Rise and Fall of the Waterbed
–Photo of a Single Atom.%u00a0 A. Single.%u00a0Atom. I can’t wrap my mind around it.%u00a0
-I think I should live in this cabin fo reals.%u00a0A Wishfully Minimalist, Hopelessly Maximalist” Catskills Cabin
–Better Open a Window If You Plan on Eating These Gas-Inducing Veggies.%u00a0
-A ha. I knew it. By temp is like 97.5 so when I feel feverish at 99, well suck it dudes, I fever.%u00a0Do I Have a Fever? My Temperature Is 98.6 but I Feel Feverish
–Constellations: The Zodiac Constellation Names. Because we need to know for the star cave.%u00a0
Pictures from the week.
Lets just start by saying that the world is a crazy crazy ass place. This past week, this past month, damn this past year has been trying to say the least. Natural disaster and human disasters alike, there had been a lot of anger and pain. It’s leaving me and my brain feeling a little drained and overwhelmed. The world right now, it’s feeling like a strange place and I am trying to figure out how to deal with it all. Feeling all the feelings.%u00a0
So you know how I said last week %u00a0I was going to get a new computer, well I still am, but haven’t yet.%u00a0I had to borrow Barbs computer again like a big ass. (Thanks Barb, you be the best!!) And I tell you what, typing on a computer is so so so much more fantastic then trying to do a damn thing on a little Ipad mini. I can’t even access my blog on it, let alone do anything productive (like bills)%u00a0on it. So number one priority this coming week is .. GET A GOD DAMN COMPUTER!%u00a0
The past week, well, it happened. Alex turned 12 for party number one and Emerson turned 1 for party number two,%u00a0and I basically went crazy and got kinda sick. An over abundance of tomatoes and now I am having some pretty funky acid reflux topped with some allergies and sprinkles with exhaustion.(not sleeping because reflux) So I am off tomatoes, taking a step back from coffee (want to bang my head against a wall) and sleeping sitting up. It’s been so much fun….Haha, no, no it has not been, but that goes life.%u00a0%u00a0I might feel like crap and that nothing that I needed to get done was actually done but we all have those weeks right?%u00a0
And the mr, while I was feeling all crappy he was out and about putting up fencing like a boss, running around for the tenants, digging holes and running cords for other people then coming home and ripping the siding off the camper. (we need to name this thing) And plunging away at the bathroom, kinda. We are slightly stuck because we can’t decide on floor tile because everything looks weird so we have spent even more time this week looking for tile and not finishing the bathroom. But hey, I made a super awesome gorilla stuffed animal for Coco (Emerson) and lots of cakes this week so there is that. And now the camper is ripped wide open so the bathroom is not the only project that needs to be done asap.. (the mr was suppose to wait until the bathroom is done and at least the winter to start doing anything to it)%u00a0That boy…%u2764%ufe0f%u2764%ufe0f%u2764%ufe0f
Last night we had a packed house for party number three. David and Lori and the gang came up from Rhode Island so we had them and the sisters plus littles over for dinner.(%u00a0I am really digging this seeing my extended family a lot more, I really like them)%u00a0I made chili, bread, rice, and veggies. Then I made a apple cake, set out the honey pot, and let people go to town. Feed the littles then yourself is the way to go, no formal sit at the table. Especially when it’s family because they know they can just do what ever they want and I am not going to care. Plus the table is to dang small so that wouldn’t have worked anyway.%u00a0
And we are back to Sunday, which already feels weird.%u00a0The week had been so weird and off and I my time frame is off, plus %u00a0no more Car Talk on Saturdays so how am I suppose to know the day anymore? . All I know is %u00a0that I have a house to clean, a computer for shop for, and a skeleton to make to hang on the front door. And I am going to drink one cup of coffee today… I need it so so bad.%u00a0
I still managed to look at stuff on the internet and here is some of it.%u00a0
-Glass is the way to go.%u00a0Which Items In Our Kitchens Contain BPA?
-I want a greenhouse just like this (and one that is actually used as a green house)
–Joyless Feds Order Bakery to Stop Pretending %u2018Love%u2019 Is a Real Granola Ingredient. What the hell dudes, not cool.
–Incredibly Lifelike Insects Crafted out of Bamboo. These are awesome and not real which makes them even cooler.%u00a0
-This is the new reality.%u00a0How to Survive a Natural Disaster. Know everything.%u00a0
–WILL WE EVER RETURN TO NORMAL AFTER TRUMP? I hope to fuck so
-Oh Tom Petty your music was loved.%u00a0RIP.%u00a0Tom Petty’s final interview
–Brooklyn Gets its First All-Vegetarian School. Wish I had the option when I was %u00a0in school. All I ever eat were pb and j’s or deep fried french fries. The choices were slim and mostly gross. Falafel would have been nice.
–How Your Body Keeps Time. Our circadian rhythm is pretty amazing. And I can 100 percent account for itchy skin at night.
–Louvre Pulls Sculpture, Saying It Was Sexually Explicit.…Hahaha.
Pictures from the week, mostly from birthday parties.