Wowzers.. What was I thinking! I know, the same thing you are…YES YES YES!!! Gluten free what now.. My lovely sister is on that ban wagon. She has been having”issues” lately(so many, it’s hard to pin point) and says she is feeling better without the gluten. Me being the lovely person that I am want to feed my poor sister, make her happy with food. I HAD to prepare that lady a dinner and it had to be pizza cause I know how much she likes her pizza. So I brain storm. What would be a good gluten-free pizza crust? I could do the obvious and get gluten-free flour, but to be honest, that’s some expensive stuff and I really didn’t feel like going to the store. I wanted to work with what I had in the house….and ah ha, there it is, cornmeal.. With a little bit of water I can turn that into some polenta and a super gluten-free pizza crust.
So in walks polenta(if polenta could walk) What goes good with polenta? Caramelized onions, mushrooms and yes, my last delicate squash.(I am too nice) A nice base of marinara sauce and a bit of parmesan cheese mixed into the crust and sprinkled on top…..a complete work of genius that I was proud to serve to the gluten free lady.
Note. I have to make this clear, just because this pizza is gluten-free doesn’t mean that a person that is not gluten-free cannot eat this. Anyone and Everyone should eat this pizza.
There really isn’t a whole lot of ingredients to this pizza… Cornmeal for the polenta. Marinara sauce….I used jarred marinara because it was a little easier and we don’t always need to make things from scratch…Lots of onions(2 finely sliced), handful of sliced mushrooms, thinly sliced squash and parmesan cheese. Most of the prep takes place at the same time, but that’s good, we can multi task, just have everything pre chopped and ready to go. First thing first, start the polenta
There are so many different ratios and directions on how to prepare polenta, so if you feel like your way is better, I trust you. What I did for this crust was 1 cup cornmeal to about 2 1/4 cups water. The main thing is the finished product. You want a pasty paste that is spreadable but not overly watery.
Bring the water to a boil and constantly whisk while gradually pouring in the cornmeal. After a minute to two, it should be pretty well incorporated and there shouldn’t be to many lumps. Turn the heat down to simmer and stir a lot until the polenta starts to pull away for the sides of the pot. Really scrap the bottom of the pot so it doesn’t burn. Once its done, add in a 1/4 cup of parmesan( if you want to keep it vegan, just don’t add it) and salt and pepper.
On a well oiled baking sheet or pizza sheet..spread the polenta into the shape of your desire. I went with a somewhat circular shape, but now that I think of it, I wish I had been more creative, like maybe a triangle or even the shape of a bus….Yeah, a bus shaped pizza would have been cool.
This crust needs to be pre baked so stick it in the oven.It should take about 20ish minutes.
You can do this pre crust or at the same time, but roast your sliced squash. Place single layers squash on an oiled pan, salt and pepper, then into the oven. It should take 10 minutes on each side.
You got the crust in, the squash in, now we need to caramelize the onions. You may be thinking that 2 onions is a lot, and it kind of is, but you want a lot. A tiny bit of oil into a skillet and all the onions. medium low heat with a lid, string on occasion. When the onions start to caramelize, add the mushrooms and cook until onions are nice and soft and the mushrooms are no longer raw. By the time you done with this task…everything should be ready….time to assemble!
First marinara…then the roasted squash.
I Sprinkle a layer of parmesan cheese and pile on those onions and mushrooms,. Sprinkle with a little more cheese. ( use vegan cheese or no cheese if you want it vegan) Back into the oven for another 15 minutes to give everything some time to crisp and melt. Remove from oven and appreciate…That is one good looking pizza. I took a long spatial and run under the crust just to make sure if wasn’t stuck. I also found that if you let it cool for a few minutes before serving, the polenta gets a little stiffer and easier to handle, but not necessary.
Its time to eat! And I know that it was a success. This is my gauge for how good it was…I stopped by the next day to drop a xmas tree stand off to her(again, look at how nice I am) and she was eating lunch…the left over pizza. That might not seem like anything to you but to me… She doesn’t eat leftovers. Sure, she will stick them in the fridge, but that’s where they stay until she tosses into the garbage. The pizza was leftover good….That is good!
Ingredients
1 cup polenta (Cornmeal)
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the pan
2 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup grated Parmesan(omit if making vegan)
1/2 of Marinara sauce
1 small delicata squash
2 medium onions
8-10 mushrooms
2 gloves garlic
Directions
Pre heat oven to 425
In a medium saucepan, bring 2¼ cups water to a boil. Whisking constantly, slowly add the cornmeal while constantly whisking. Once full incorporated, turn to low and stir for a few minutes until the polenta starts to thicken and pull away from the sides. Stir in 1/4 cup of parmesan (if using). Salt and pepper to taste. Genously oil a pizza sheet to a cookie sheet and spread the polenta mixture about a 1/2 thick. Place into oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust is a nice golden brown.
While the crust is cooking, place thinly sliced squash on an oiled baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven at the same time as crust, flipping squash after 10 minutes. Cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes.
While the crust and squash is baking, caramelize the onions. In a large skillet with a bit of oil. toss in onions and a little salt. Cook on medium low heat with a lid, giving them a good stir every now and then. Once onions are nicely cooked down, toss in the mushrooms. Continue to cook unit mushrooms are no longer raw.
Remove crust and squash from oven and let cool for a minute. Now just pile stuff on. Spread marinara sauce evenly around crust. Add squash and top with cheese. Dump the onions and mushroom on top and sprinkle with a bit more cheese.(Again, use vegan or no cheese to keep it vegan) Place back into oven for another 20 minutes.
Remove and let cool for a few minutes………..and then eat eat eat!!!
A good side dish for this pizza…a nice light arugula salad. Hey, you could even just toss some greens right on top of this pie, that would be fantastic too!
I don’t know what got into my head today, but I was hell bent on making blondes. I was already committed to make cupcakes with the help of a little little, but, not going to lie, the cake was coming from a box. It wasn’t going to satisfy my baking itch. You see, it’s the misters birthday this week and tonight was the family B-day dinner. My family consists of a whole lot of people, and half of them are 13 and under. So instead of busting my butt baking an amazing 4 tiered strawberry chocolate cream cheese cake for kids who won’t even try it(that was last week, the cake came out fantastic and everyone but the birthday girl ate it. But maybe a 2 year old doesn’t need to like strawberry cake) I decided that I was going boxed and low and behold, they loved Hey, sometimes you gots to make the people happy. But I really wanted to do something else, something a little more special, something for the more mature pallet……..banana brown butter blondes…..Oh yea, I did and I did.
Not a heck of a lot of ingredients. Flour, sugar, banana, butter, egg and vanilla. I always forget something in my ingredient line up pics. Today it was the cinnamon, but thats ok, its optional anyway.
Start with browning the butter… lots of lovely little bits. Smells super nutty.. You want to do it first so it can cool a little before using.Cooled butter mixed with the brown sugar.(I might have jumped the gun a bit and hit was still slightly warm) Make sure when you add the butter you add all the little flavor bits. Mix or beat it up. then add the vanilla and egg.Now mash up and mix in the nanaers. Swirl it in, just like that. Now is a good time to add a little cinnamon… but don’t add it if your don’t want too. I don’t know how I ended up using like five different mixing instruments for this little batch of brownies, but I did, and I definitely trashed the kitchen. First off, I was at my sisters and I don’t know where she puts all of stuff.(She doesn’t either) Secondly, I was also making cupcakes and garlic bread, pasta, and salad at the same time…so maybe that all made me a little more messy than usual…..Whatever. its ok, I cleaned it up. Anyway, above you see me using an electrical beater to mix in flour. I used the beater for the cupcakes and then started used it in the brownies..It was fine, I used low speed for just a sec but I would recommend to just stir in the flour..Try not to overwork the batter.
Ready for the pan…..Its a bit thick, which is good. Your going to have to scoop it more than pout it. Make sure to spread it evenly in pan and not just plop it in and stick it into the oven. Aaaahhh, so darn pretty.And cut into little squares..I love the casserole dish in this picture.… my sister might not ever get it back. To add a little something something, I went and added a small smear of Nutella on half the batch……I think it was a good idea.
Banana Brown Butter Blondies
1/2 cup (1 stick)unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon(optional)
1 medium mashed banana
Preheat oven to 350
Place butter in a small pot or pan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the butter is completely melted and starting to foam. It will start to smell nutty and turn brown within a few minutes…when its a medium brown, take of heat and let cool.( I stick my in the freezer in a shallow pan to help cool faster.)
Once butter has cooled a bit, cream together with the brown sugar. In a small bowl, mash banana. Add egg, vanilla and banana. mix together, then mix in flour until just incorporated. Scoop batter into a grease 8×8 pan and spread evenly. Place in oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown..It should be cooked all the way through but still a little gooey, moist and brownie like
Let cool and remove from pan….cut and do what you need to do! For a little more decadence..add a drizzle of chocolate or a bit of peanut butter. or do what I did, a smear of Nutella…and serve with the recommendation of a cold glass of milk.
I know your all curious about the cupcake so I’ll show you…I actually made cupcake and a two layered 4 inch cake for the birthday boy. I know, I know…. and the bright pink frosting. It’s actually pretty amazing. That kind of color doesn’t excises in nature.
Happy Hanukkah!!! Today is the first day of the festival of lights and I wanted to send a little love towards those who celebrate it.
I am not going to lie, I don’t know much about Hanukkah but I do know that its customary to eat fried foods during the holiday. The oil represents the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days ands.nights when it should have lasted for only one night. That’s a cool reason to celebrate.. So a lot of food eaten during the holiday is fried, therefore I must fry, and what better than potato latkes.
I don’t usually fry anything. But again, I don’t think I used as much oil with these as I could have..just enough to cook and not stick. Hey, it’s the holidays and this oil had meaning so it’s completely a ok to eat a little fried, just make sure to eat lots of good healthy stuff too!
I didn’t actually use all the potatoes in the picture, but I wish I did. There was the perfect amount for dinner for two people, but I wanted to make a few extra for left overs….there were none. Oh well. I did a matchstick dice for the apples.. I didn’t want the apples to be to chunky and I didn’t want them to turn into sauce so the match stick worked well. After I diced the apples, I squeezed a little lemon over the top to keep the apple from turning brown.
I start grating the potatoes and onion, and whoa! Imagine my surprise when one of the potatoes was purple… I got pretty excited.The color is so beautiful. and made the latkes look so nice…It was meant to be.Super squeeze the juices out of the grated potato and onion. If you don’t get most of the liquid out, the potato won’t crisp up and will fall apart and be and it will be gross. So SQUEEZE! Add in the egg, cornstarch, salt and pepper and mix it on up. Did I mention that I was making these for the mister and the GF sister..No flour, just cornstarch. I think they might have come out even better without the flour…so yeah, these babies are gluten-free.
Your mixture is going to start to get a little watery again. Its cool, just squeeze it out with your hands and smash into patties.Enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan on medium heat. Test the oil to make sure its hot enough before sticking the latke n the pan. To test, sprinkle water in pan, if it sizzles, its ready.Working in batches, fry each latke on each side for around 5 minutes..you don’t want to cook to fast or the inside of the latkes will be raw. I always do a tester and feed it to nick. He’s my guinea pig….He said they were awesome.. With every batch made, stick on a wire rack and keep in the oven to stay warm. The rack keeps the bottom from getting soggy on the pan… so use it. Roasted apples are the BOMB!!! Its like eating apple sauce sticks or little bites of heaven(A bit dramatic, but these are so good) I roasted mine for 20 minutes, until they were nice and soft but not completely failing apart. If you are into it, add a touch of cinnamon…I did’t this time, but you bet I am going to be making myself a big ol bowl of roasted apples this week, and yes, I will top with cinnamon. A bowl of apple slaw, sour cream and lemon wedges….I put the latkes on a nice little pile of greens. A very good idea. A dinner worth celebrating! I also served the latkes with roasted chickpeas and cailflower…for more of a meal…( Mini recipe… Cauilfower and chick peas drizzled in olive oil, tossed in salt pepper and garlic, roasted 30 minutes and topped with lemon) A little added veggie and protein….I am looking out for you people.
There we have it…my variation on a traditional food. Enjoy your fried pancakes of potato and onion, they are a food worth a celebration.
HAPPY HANUKKAH!
Ingredients
3 medium potatoes
half of a small onion
2 eggs
2 tablespoons corn starch
vegetable oil
salt and pepper
2 medium apples
sour cream(optional)
Wash and cut apples into match sticks… Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and stick in oven. Let roast for 15-20 minutes or until the apple is nice and soft. Remove and set aside.
In a large bowl, grate the potatoes and the onion. Transfer the mixture into a clean towel and squeeze the crap out of it to remove as much liquid as possible. Return to bowl and add the two eggs, corn starch and salt and pepper. In a large skillet on medium heat, drizzle enough oil to completely cover the bottom..Work in batches and after each batch, add a bit more oil to cover the pan. Once the oil is hot place squashed latkes into oil. Fry each side until crispy and brown, about 3-5 minutes. When fully cooked, place on a wire rack in the oven to stay warm and crisp. When ready to serve, top with roasted apples and a dollop of sour cream. You can serve the latkes on top a bed of greens..Its a good way to make the pancakes more meal like.
HORRAY, its Saturday!!! I don’t care that I have a bunch of laundry and house work to do, bills to pay, a mangy dog to groom… I get to do it all at home with the music blasting,(maybe some holiday tunes) a lot of coffee, in my comfy sweats and the oven on. Weekends are always a mixed bag of crazy for me but I can usually count on being at home for a chunk of the morning or afternoons and that’s when I jump at the chance to make me some yeasted bread. Give me a couple of hours, my list of chores and watch me go.. I can mix and knead,, set aside to rise and hit up cleaning that toilet. Go back and knead, divided and rise again, then go fold all the laundry. Stick the bread in the oven and watch out, I am mopping the floors. I am nothing if not a fantastic multitasked, much like these rolls. You can serve them as a side for dinner , use them as a sandwich roll, or eat them as the star with a dab of butter and a drizzle of honey. The possibilities are endless. This particular recipe is fantastic for may reasons…. Its pretty simple, not to many ingredients and is made with whole wheat flour. If you don’t want 16 rolls, you can make the dough, bake half and freeze the rest. You could even bake into loaves of bread instead.Yeah, sounds good right? Go ahead, you know you want to. Just do it!I always gather the ingredients.. I have learned over the years that if I have all my stuff out and measured in front of me, I will almost never forget something and that I make less of a mess. It also helps that I find it pretty. So, flours and salt are whisked together. The yeast and honey in a bowl waiting to be proofed. The butter in need of more melting and an egg.. Pretty. Honey and yeast mixed with a cup of warm water. BE CAREFUL with the temperature of the water.. If its to hot, the yeast will kill the yeast and you will have to start over again, but I trust you won’t do that.Now that the yeast is active, mix in melted butter and egg. (Make sure the butter is not hot, warm is ok) Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix.
I have a super awesome dough mixer , it helps to mix and not completely stick like it does to a wooden spoon. Dont have one? Use a wooden spoon, it works the same with a little more stickiness..You have a stand mixer? Well fancy you. No I am not jealous,(maybe a little). I like using my hands when making bread, but you? Go ahead, use your mixer, its cool with me. So mix you dough, you want the dough wet and sticky but still able to roll into a ball. If you need to, add a pinch more of flour, just enough to help form a ball. When ball is formed, drizzle oil and rub all over and place in bowl with a damp towel. Let sit somplace warm to rise for about an 45 minutes or unit dough has doubled in size. A good warm spot..Try the top of the fridge, thats my rising spot.
Once it has doubled, roll out onto a nicely floured surface and..my favorite part, punch it down and knead for a few minutes…. This dough doesn’t need a lot of kneading, just enough to reform ball and get some air out. Now divide and place into well buttered pans. I used two 9 inch cake pans, but a 13 X 9 pan or baking dish would work or loaf pans if you want loaves. Just make sure to really butter the pans.
Little ball of dough turned into big balls of dough. (Yeast is so cool!).Into the oven they go. Right before I baked them I gave the tops a little milk wash, just for color. Do it if you want, you could even do an egg wash, but it’s really not necessary. Oh boy… Fresh from the oven…Take a bit of butter and melt over the top….So lovely! Who wouldn’t want to just tear these beauties apart?
Now eat.. Eat with jam, eat with cheese, eat with peanut butter or with a bit of honey. Or, eat as is…..Just eat it and enjoy you labor of love and the satisfaction that you just made those delicious rolls that you are eating.
Honey Wheat Pull-apart Rolls.
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 white whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons melted butter
teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 egg
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons butter(to rub over baked rolls)
Makes 16 good-sized rolls
In a large bowl whisk together both flours and salt.
In a smaller bowl add warm water, yeast and honey. Stir and let sit for 5 – 10 minutes or until the yeast has grown and is foamy. Meanwhile, melt butter and let sit for 5 minutes. When the yeast has proofed, whisk together with butter and egg. Add to dry ingredients.
With a dough spoon , wooden spoon, stand mixer or your fist, mix (or knead) until the dough comes together and begins to form into a ball. You want the dough to be wet and sticky but add a pinch or two of flour if its to wet and not forming a ball.
Coat dough with a little oil and place back into large bowl. Cover with a towel and place in a warm place(The top of the fridge is great) Let rise for 45 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
When dough has doubled, dump dough onto a well floured surface, flour up you hand and punch down the dough and knead for a few minutes. Divided dough 16 even balls. Now is a good time to preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place in greased pans ( 8 in each) and cove with plastic and let rise for another 20-30 minutes or until dough has doubled and filling out the pans. When the second rise is done, place in oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a nice light brown. If you want a darker crust, right before baking, lightly brush the tops of rolls with butter. As soon as the rolls are removed from the oven take the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter( one tablespoon for each pan) and melt over top of rolls
Note..If you want to freeze any rolls, place in a pan after fist rise and stick in freezer until frozen Transfer to a airtight bag. When you want to use, simply pop out of freezer and let sit for about and hour. Bake as directed above.
Winter squash season is in full swing. I have already started to hoard them in all the nooks and crannies around the house. There are sugar pumpkins on the stairs, buttercups on the floor and delicatas all over the counter. Ever meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner needs to have some squash. House rule.
This hear spaghetti squash has been sitting on a stool for about a week, looming in it’s size and just waiting for me to bake it off. The spaghetti squash at farm share have been bigger then a small child so I have been a little hesitant to bake it until the mr was down with eating it with me too.
What I love about this dish is that it is really simple and easy to make.We have been working later these past few days so when we get home, we really just want to eat and go to bed (not really….kinda really) The initial baking of the squash takes a little time, but its zero hands on and can be done ahead of time. And the rest, take like 8 minutes tops. Also a lot of time people forget that you can eat a spaghetti squash with things other then tomato sauce. (although that’s good too) But really, the sky is the limit. Squash goes with everything.
So dinner. I had the squash and went with what I had in the fridge. Beans are great, fresh pico is amazing, all atop a big pile of some warm spaghetti squash. Well that is just what we call a winner. A winner dinner!!!
The stuff. A spaghetti squash (maybe go for a smaller sized one if you don’t want a lot of left overs) precooked or canned black beans, a red pepper, and some red onion. Also need garlic, cumin (crushed or seeds) salt and pepper, olive oil, and fresh cilantro. And lastly some home made or store bought pico de gallo or any of your favorite salsa.
You don’t see it here, but the squash went into the oven about an hour ago to cook. I did nothing to it besides stab it once andjust stuck the entire thing right on in and cranked up the heat. Simple, easy.
Ok, so when the squash has been baking for a while, start getting the rest of thestuff ready. Small dice up the red pepper and the onion and toss it into a lightly oiled hot skillet to sweat down a bit.
Once the pepper and onion are nice and soft, toss in the cumin and minced garlic. Cook a little longer until the seeds and garlic are fragrant and cooked.
Add in the beans and mix it all around. Taste, add a little salt and pepper if it needs it, and set aside.
Spaghetti-ing the squash. I took it out of the oven when it was fork tender, sliced it in half on a baking sheet and let it cool off for just a minute. Scooped the seed out then scraped the cooked squash with a fork. Fun times, just watch you your hands, the squash is hot.
And your ready for food. Squash in a bowl, topped with some black bean mixture and a hearty amount of fresh pico. Serve it with lots (or none if you don’t like it) cilantro and a wedge of lemon(or lime)
This is some good stuff friends, some really good stuff.
Alright, now I have to get ready. We are taking a handful of the little pumpkin picking….A few more pumpkins to add to the stash.
-C
Serves 2-3
1 medium spaghetti squash
2-3 cups cooked black beans (or a can)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or crushed cumin)
a red pepper
a small red onion
2-3 cloves garlic
olive oil
1 cup fresh Pico de gallo or any of your fav salsa.
salt and pepper
a lemon or lime
fresh cilantro (optional)
To cook the squash. Preheat oven to 400. Grab squash a stab a small hole in it so when its baking it does bot explode (this has happened to me a few times) then stick the whole squash into the oven. Let bake for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on size) It is done when it is soft and fork tender. Once done, pull squash from oven, cut in half and let cool for a minutes. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the seeds then start scraping the flesh with a fork to create spaghetti like strands.
For the beans. Small chop up the red pepper ans onion and toss into a hot skillet with a little splash of olive oil. Sweat the pepper and onion on medium heat and when they are close to done, mince up the garlic and toss that in along with the cumin seeds and a pinch of salt ans pepper (if needed) Keep cooking until the garlic is cooked and the cumin if fragrant.
To assemble. Grab a bowl and fill with a good amount of the cooked squash, top it with a big scoop of the black bean mixture and you desired amount of fresh pico or salsa. Add lots of extra cilantro and serve with a lemon or lime wedge to squeeze on top.
Now eat it.
Note….Any left overs make a fantastic cold salad or wrapped in a tortilla.
It is super chilly and dark out and the smell of jelly donuts is wafting in from open windows (it’s coming from the donut factory down the street) and I am thinking about grabbing the wool blanket from the packed away winter stuff and crawling back into bed, just for a little while longer until the coffee is done brewing. (4am wake up this morning and I am feeling like a nap is in order soon, even if it is 6am) This is the stuff of the best fall morning. Now if this could be my all day.#lifegosls
The week was a week, but a good week at that. Started getting squash with the farm share which lead to a discussion between me and the mr about what our absolute #1 food we could live off of forever (him, pizza.Me, super roasted kombucha squash covered in nut butter) I made a sheet birthday cake that also contained about an entire package of oreo cookies for a newly 15 year old Jackson that is making me feel old. There was a dinner here and a dinner there and just a lot of people and family. We haven’t spent much time at home or by ourselves this week so I am definitely ready for a quite day all to my lonesome. My brain is on overload.
We ordered the downstairs flooring!!! Come this Wednesday, the mr and I will be unloading 40 or so bundles of some pretty white “utility grade” oak. We also found some floor tile for the bathroom for dirt cheap at the resourse store( tiny white squares.. nothing fancy but looks sharp) Flooring is for real you guys. Once we lay this stuff it’s over. We are good and yeah. (until 2 hours later when we realize we have a million other things to accomplish) But all is good. We have flooring.
So today is going to be a fun one. The mr, my brother and I are going to attempt to move the 10 million pound radiators from the back yard to the upstairs….. Going to be oh so much fun (no, not it is no) Once we move them, I am going to finish painting them and the mr will install them. Whoa hoo! Plumbers are coming soon to hook up the new boiler so we have to get all this shit ready. WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK!
How about you? Got any fun activities planned for this here fantastic fall weekend? Find something enjoyable, preferably outside, and try to stay away from reading all about the politics. We all need a break from that.
Internet stuff that kept me interested.
– Do yourself a favor and go outside. This Is Your Brain on Nature
– Almost finished this book and about to start this one.
– I like honey crisps all right, but I am a mac girl for always. (and they are usually one of the cheaper varieties) Why Are Honeycrisps So Much More Expensive Than Other Apples?
-Breadfruit came from testicles and other weird myths. THE WORLD’S BEST FOOD-BASED CREATION MYTHS
-How can trees not have secret lives. A Web Of Trees And Their ‘Hidden’ Lives
– And this. Today in Terrifying Bird News, Pigeons Know How to Read
-This would be my bliss (with an added coffee bar) Secluded Library In The Woods
-I got my information from Meryl Strep in The Devil Wears Prada (love the movie) How Trends Trickle Down. The circuitous path of ideas in food and fashion.
-Breaking Taboo, Swedish Scientist Seeks To Edit DNA Of Healthy Human Embryos. I am officially scared.
-I think this might be my next knitting project. Purl Soho Pullover
Some pics from the past week.
Hello to a long summer weekend full of all things sparkly and red white and blue. Hard to believe that it’s already July 4th weekend. We are already deep into summer and I need to get on and do some serious summering.
We put in our time this week for sure, 8-12 hour days, some days at the house until 8pm. We had a deadline and had to bust some crazy ass to get what we needed to get done done before the insulators came. Phew.. we did it, and now all I can say is that the mr and I are pretty bad ass. As for the house, it’s just smooth sailing from here. (haha, yeah right)
Another big thing this week. Jeff Dad moved back, well not back to VT, but back east, close to where he grew up in PA. This is of much excitement for myself and the rest of my siblings. Now instead of being 14 (more like 20) hours away, he is only be 5 hours away. That is just enough away that we can see him whenever we want, but far enough that we don’t have to see him when we don’t. Plus he is only about an hour outside of NYC..so you know, party party in the city.
Today is a weird Sunday, cause it feels like a Saturday, which makes me feel like I need to put on my work pants and get to it. Lucky for me, the mr has plans for a fishing adventure and if he going on an adventure, then I am too! I am going to pack some food, my watercolors and a book try to just relax today. Maybe we will bring the new tent (we finally bought a new tent that is not our tiny backpacking tent with a hole in it) and just come home sometime tomorrow. You are not suppose to work on a holiday, right? Hum, sounds like a good plan to me.
Fun and informative internet from the week.
-I feel like I might know a few people that need to read this. HOW TO SAFELY PLAY WITH FIREWORKS WITHOUT BLOWING AN ARM OFF
So much summer fruit means it’s pie time. A Professional Baker’s Tips for Baking Pies Smarter, Not Harder
-Any or all of your favorite blogs (mine or not, whatever.. but mine) NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE FOOD BLOGS FOR THE 2016 SAVEUR BLOG AWARDS
-My aunt was growing ancient wheats before all the the cool kids,because she is so cool. Nothing Says ‘Hip’ Like Ancient Wheat
-Pretty freaking crazy. A Miniature Landscape of Elephants Carved From the Tip of a Pencil
-I was curious so I looked it up, and now I know. How Cinnamon is Harvested in Indonesia
-Diggin this house, especially the kitchen counters (we are 99% sure we are pouring kitchen concrete counters!!?!)
-Totally in love with these landscape oil paintings.
–This album has been on repeat all week. It’s is one of my favorites and also the first cassette (remember those?) that I ever bought.
-Finally, no more sneaky sneaky. G.M.O.s in Food? Vermonters Will Know.
And a few snaps from the week.
Let’s just hit the weather for a minute here. Snow one week and 90 freaking degrees the next. Oh Vt, you can be so cray cray, but do me a favor and stop being 90..I can’t sleep, I am constantly sweating….I think I am pretty much melting, not to mention slightly bitchy. Just be 80 with a nice cool breeze. I would like that a lot. Thanks.
The past week has been one full of the fullness that comes with owning apartment buildings. . A handful of the apartments are turning over so we have been running around dealing with repairs, cleaning, and over all property maintenance. There has been lots of weeding, mowing, and tree cutting, you know, all sorts of fun stuff. The buildings are looking good but you should see our little fenced in yard right now. It kind of looks like a junk yard from all the shit we have been piling up for lack of time or space to deal with it all. That and we are also in the processes of getting a new work car. (the process being craigslist) , so until we do, moving stuff is on hold. Why is it so hard to find a working truck that doesn’t cost a million dollars and will get us from point a to point b without falling apart and being fancy.? We pretty much just need something to haul trash and lawn mowers and the occasional toilet. Is that to much to ask? Apparently it is. (we will find something, I am just being a whine ass)
Anyway, we have managed to get to the new house this week and get the rest of the metal roofing on, a temporary gate up so now Washer can roam free, and lots and lots of nails removed from the floors.Things are still moving along. I even spent some time with the plants while the mr mowed the front lawn (We do it mullet style. Short in the front yard,long in the back) And hopefully today we will have a little time to get over there as well. I really want to harvest some rhubarb and get a few more plants into the ground before it’s to late.
And hopefully you are having yourself a long and enjoyable weekend. It’s pretty much summer now so it’s time to do all the summer stuff that needs to be done.
Some internet stuff to keep you occupied if in need.
-I wonder what my rock collection would look like (I have a shit ton of rocks) A Kinetic Artwork that Sorts Thousands of Random River Stones by Age
–The Highly Anxious Herbivore’s Guide to Moral Vegetable Consumption.. hahaha.
-Fake banana flavor could actually be really banana flavor? The History of Banana Flavoring
-Let it roam..How to Make the Most of a Scattered Attention Span
–It’s about time we know exactly whats in the food. An ‘Added Sugar’ Label Is On The Way For Packaged Food
-I always kind of thought smoothies were more a dessert then a meal. Ask Well: The Downside of Smoothies
–This California House Has a Vertical, Living Succulent Wall and I love it. I would be all about something like this except I live in Vt. All the plants would die.
–Scientists Are Trying to Solve the Mystery of Awe… I think it will forever be a mystery, that’s why it’s awe.
–These mountain are like whoa.
-I have moments where I want to whitewash the entire house. This place is inspiring (and the stairs.. love love love)
Pictures from the week.
WHAT WHAT..It’s. Sunday already? That happened.
I guess starting off last Monday pretty much a sleepless zombie didn’t help, plus for some reason, the world became super hot again and that sent me over the edge. Once I get the taste for cool crisp weather, anything warm and hot makes me crazy. I felt almost ill all week from the heat. But I think (it really must be) the end of that weather. Next week is all about the low 70’s with cold nights! Oh man, it’s going to fantastic!
Yup, last week was a busy one, but we did manage to get in some fun. Wild apple picking (HARD CIDER), a little hike, and we did spend a fare amount of time at the garden. (which is on it’s was out). We are trying to go every day cause we are still picking tomatoes, zucchinis, peppers and a few other things. The flowers are still growing and the kale and chard are doing great, but you can just tell that this time next week, the tomatoes will be no more. The last zucchini is going to be picked, and as for the kale and chard. I am just goojg to harvest it all and eat it all to my face cause we are being kicked out of the garen plot by the end of the month. This makes me sad, but at least I have all of my house plants to surround my self with. And honestly, not going to the garden all the time, I’ll have more time to sit on my butt and read and knit. (I am already falling behind on my knitting projects)
Anyway, today is definitely going to be a me day. Tomorrow is the kick off for family birthday party season, which means I will be spending my weekends making lot s of cakes and going to a bunch of littles birthday parties. Fun times, but crazy. One a week for the next 6 months……I am already tired.
Coffee. That’s all I need to get me through. Lots and lots of coffee.
Interent stuff to check out.
-This is a fantastic movable kitchen
-I have a thing forold door knobs(thereare all over my house)
-Lovely green things
-The Great Grain Debate. Is soaking really worth it?
-New Mythical Cut Paper Collages by Artist Morgana Wallace
–Uh no shit. It’s Time To Get Serious About Reducing Food Waste, Feds Say
– Until I get the cookbook. IN THE KITCHEN WITH: MIYOKO SCHINNER’S VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE, BROWNIES AND BUTTER-LESS BUTTER.
Yawn, stretch, throw on some pants and back to it.
But it’s taking a whole lot of will power to get up and go. It’s just too perfect out to do much of anything. Is it weird that I love this cold and rainy weather? These are the days that I can spend all day in a ball of blankets on the couch next to a window looking out with hot beverages and good books.. I will get there soon, but not today. We started tiling the bathroom wall yesterday and need to finish it, along with he rest of the house.
This week flew by fast. It included a very quick foliage drive(stopped by a river so the mr could fly fish), Barbara turning 17 while watching her field hockey game, a tiny little baby that fell in love with me and wants me to be it’s new mommy, and the scraping and painting of so much everything. I think the highlight was when the 17 year old Barb stopped by the house to bring us coffee, hung out with us, and lent me her sweater that I love but probably won’t ever get a chance to wear cause all I wear are grubby, paint stained clothes. But none the less, it was great and maybe I’ll just wear the sweater to bed. And the colors. Every time I walk out of the house and see all the trees, all the colors…it just blows my mind. So good.
Other then that, not much else. I am giving myself a political detox for a few days before i barf, eating lots of roasted celeriac and missing my kitchen. I can’t freaking wait to spend all day cooking in baking in my kitchen. I can’t freakin wait!
And now I got to find those pants.
Internet for the looking.
–Everyone Should Make Time for Daydreaming. I do me a lot of it.
-The Difference Between Pepitas and the Seeds from Your Halloween Pumpkin
–6 Things You Need To Know About Cycling On The Sidewalk. I sometimes bike the sidewalk, but only when I have to and very slowly.
– Maybe this is the reason I hate wearing shoes. ABSORB EARTH’S FREE FLOWING ELECTRONS THROUGH THE SOLES OF YOUR FEET(EARTHING)
-Read this book this week. One of my new favorite books. It changed the way I look at the world, especially trees.
-Forget Tomayto/Tomahto: The Real Debate Is, Should It Be Refrigerated? II never do unless it’s 100% necessary
-feel like this is a close representation of my knitting basket. A Mass of Tangled Red Yarn Unravels from a Loom to Overtake a Brazilian Chapel
-What Tree Is that has been a frequent question. Trees With Leaves – A Deciduous Tree Leaf Key
-Speaking of trees, I would live in this tree house.The tree alone is pretty amazing.
– A little preemptive in looking, but I told myself I that I get to buy knew sheets and duvet cover when we move into the house (I am a linens slut) This bed set is looking good, although can’t go wrong with these either.
And pictures.
Hey hey hey.
Crazy freaking past month. I still feel like half of my person is gone and am still trudging through each day feeling the loss of Washer, but things are getting better, just still really sad and miss my pup like crazy. Trick is to stay super busy and that is what I have been doing. For one, we started back at the house again and have thrown ourselves into work. We are determined to get this freaking house done before the end of fall so we have been busting away all the days long. Things are getting done and now all the sheet rock is all up and the mr just finished the tape coat of mud…. Its all roses from here.
For another thing, there is so much family stuff lately and to be soon. A new baby just came , little miss Kayla (I keep calling her Keba), We had a family reunion, minus a few family member last week. I have lots of littles wanting attention before school starts again and oh, my little brother is getting shipped of to military school this week, (an actual military college that he actually wants to go too). Add another baby due in a month and the fact that fall is coming on fast and that means only one thing .. Family birthday season has arrived. Well that and apples. But no joke, pretty much a birthday a week for the next 9 months. I already have about 7 cake requests. It’s about to get real around here.
As for cooking, well when Washer died, I pretty much stopped living for a week, but then when I started cooking again, I went through a week of making breads for the mr. (bread is very soothing to make, I think it’s all the kneading) And then it got so super duper hella hot out that we have pretty much given up on preparing food and are just eating straight up cucumbers, zucchinis, and tomatoes, sometimes dipped inn mustard and hummus, by the bucketful. I think I am averaging about 3 cucumbers and 5 tomatoes a day. And now I am starting to get a bit of acid reflux. Hopefully this week won’t be quite as crazy or quite as hot and I will have a little bit more time do some actual cooking, maybe some canning ( so many tomatoes!) and maybe share a recipe or 2.Lots of maybes here… we shall see.
Anyway, it is Sunday Sunday. The mr and I are leaving the house early and going for a little car, coffee, and maybe river adventure and are picking up a cast iron claw foot tub for the bathroom on the way. Wish us luck!
Internet stuff from the past week that might be of some interest to you.
-I am feeling the itch pretty hard. THIS COUPLE QUIT THEIR JOBS AND DROVE A VW VAN TO ARGENTINA…So this could be us soon?!
-If we decide to make hard cider again, a cider press is a must cause blending and squeezing 100 lbs of apple through cheesecloth last year was freaking ridiculous. How to Build a Cider Press
-It was mother F*CKING hot hot hot this week but we survived, and without ac. Too Much Time in Air-Conditioning Is Warping Your Ability to Handle Heat
-I used to get so sick when reading in the car (and sometime still do) Reading Makes You Carsick Because Your Brain Thinks It’s Being Poisoned
-No a watermelon won’t grow in you stomach if you eat the seeds (it would be cool it did) Is It OK to Eat Watermelon Seeds?
-Love love love this house
-The Mystery Of Why Sunflowers Turn To Follow The Sun
-Blow your mind. There’s No Such Thing As a ‘Superfood’
-So doing this when we finish the house….WOVEN MACRAMÉ CHAIR TUTORIAL.
-Lovely. New Ocean Reefs Comprised of Rolled Paper
And some pictures.
I have been having some crazy dreams lately, especially the past few nights (spring time and the full moon will do that to me) But waking up this morning I realized that I need to know someone that has or is willing to get a weiner dog and name it Hamburger. That person will be my best friend.
Anyway, besides from the lingering illness that made me feel like complete shit and took my voice away for about a week, things have been rolling right along. I got a good clip of work done this week (making phone calls without a voice was a challenge) and the house is still standing strong. And let’s just give mother nature a high five here cause the weather has been aces, well besides the snow on Monday. Warm, but not to hot. A little rain here and there. There is green stuff every where! The lilacs are all bloomed and smelling up the world in the best way possible, my strawberry plants are starting to make their strawberries and my rhubarb patch is out of control. So much, so good. This is definitely my favorite time of the year.
And it’s Sunday, my favorite day(usually) cause it’s our day to relax, or at least pretend to, and drink all the coffee in the world. Today though, I think I am going to be productive in my free time and do a bit of yard work and some gardening. I got some veggies starts in need of dirt and am going to planting a few more things (some zinnas, sunflowers and lots of kale). I am even thinking that this is the day I give the dog a bath (he smells nasty) or maybe give the mr a hair cut. (I say he either needs to cut it or go all out and do a man bun) At least one of them has to go down today…..
Things I saw on the internet.
– Food not lawns…. Make so much sense. An All-Volunteer Squad Of Farmers Is Turning Florida Lawns Into Food
-Making one in my very near future. Everything You Need to Know About Hotdish
-The use of nails. These are all sorts of fantastic.
-I have known some craaaazy picky eaters (one of my sisters didn’t eat anything beside peanut butter sandwiches our entire childhood. She has sense grown up a bit and has included pizza and beer) Breaking Down The Science Of Picky Eating
-Something I would love to see in person. China’s Apricot Blossom
-Some serious house love. A Chic Fixer-Upper on Fire Island, Budget Edition
-Check out these tiles, they are freaking awesome. The mr and I are much inspired and thinking of doing out own screen printed tiles for the kitchen floor.
-There really is a reason why old books smell so good.
-I need good light for so many reasons. The Best Light Bulbs For Maximum Visibility in Your Kitchen
-Street art at it’s finest. Site-Specific Elephant Murals on the Streets of South Africa by Falko One
Pictures from the week.
Now have yourself a fantastic day!
-C
t’s go time! Today is just the first of the few Thanksgiving dinners that I will be attending. (This one is my family with all the siblings and the littles.. big fun!) I made a pie (I’ll post it soon) and maybe if I get to it, I’ll make some bread. (but probably not)
So big news… Tomorrow the mr and I are closing on a house.. WHAT!!! And not just another rental property. This is a bona-fide single family, little brick bungalow…. with a yard!
It’s crazy. We have never lived without tentants, let alone a single family.It’s going to be magical! And walls! Living in a 200 square foot room for the past year ash a half has really made me appreciate the merits of a good quality door. But I need to hold my horses cause we are not moving in right away. There is a bit (maybe a bit more then a bit) of work that needs to be done to the place (few walls moved, maybe the roof jacked up.. new kithen and bathrooms..etc) All fun stuff, but stuff that needs to be done. So yeah,. Crazy crazy, busy busy.
But other then that news, I gots the holidays on my mind and am already thinking of where to stick the Christams tree. I am also contemplating weather I shoud even bother sticking the snow tires on the car this year (still no snow here in vt… it’s unreal) and decided that if we don’t get snow before christmas that we will have to sell the new house and just move to Alaska.
Anyways. Are you ready for this week? Are you preplanning, pre baking, pre everything. Or are you a, do it all the day of, kinda person? Whatever your plans, just make sure not to stress to much and to carve (pun intended) out some time for yourself, to do you things.
Internet stuff from the week.
-I mean, wouldn’t you. Woman Knits Tiny Sweaters For Rescued Chickens To Keep Them Warm
–Something passive amidst all the terrible new this week Kids in Canada are doing the most heartwarming thing to help the homeless prep for winter
-Got to try this. How to Make Your Caramel 100x More Exciting: Replace Cream with Fruit
-Some of the most amazing origami I have ever see.
-And I am in love with these paintings
-I need this bear sleeping bag like now.
–Maybe soon we won’t have to wonder. What Does “Natural” Mean—and What Should It Mean?
-Yeah Coffee!! Drink To Your Health: Study Links Daily Coffee Habit To Longevity
-This wood stove…. so good.
And a few picture.
Another week gone by and another week without snow, except for yesterday morning. I got to enjoy a brief ½ walk with the pup in the wee hours of the morning to see the tiny dusting that developed over night. But even that was gone by mid morning. I am bumming here. I Want SNOW!
And I know that it isn’t for another 11 day, but Thanksgiving. It’s it 11 DAYS! That’s 10 more day to contemplate pies and sides and all the things that could be made into existence. (I spend way too much time thinking about different pie variations, it actually causes me headaches.)
So what about you? Are you feeling the slight buzz of the holiday crazy yet? Are you a planner or a procrastinator, or are you just a guest and hanging pretty with nothing to worry about? Me. I am a planner but usually deviate from said plan and do something completely on the fly. What can I say; I have an overactive mind and am a bit indecisive about things. But the little bit of buzz…. that’s part of the fun. Just as long as a little crazy doesn’t turn into a lot of crazy, then I am good.
And as for my Sunday plans, I think the mr, the pup, and I are going to pack up and head for higher ground to get us some snow, although I should be doing so many things around here. Hum.. Chores or snow, we shall see!
Hope you are where you are having a relaxing fun day!
Some internet stuff from the week if you are feeling it.
-Definitely gong to go seer his exhibit . This Art Exhibit Makes You ‘Wonder’ — And That’s The Whole Point.
–You cat doesn’t really want to kill you….. But I am pretty sure mine does.
-Before and after photos of an amazing farm to home renovation.
-10 Easy Pieces: Problem-Solving Electrical Outlets/Covers Some of these are pretty fantastic.
-Farmers Have Been Enjoying The Fruits Of Bee Labor For 9,000 Years
-Cool little prefab homes
-I love looking at all the pretty colors ans patterns
-What to Simmer for a Fresh, Seasonal-Smelling Home.. Who doesn’t wasn’t a tasty smelling home?
-The largest art festival in the world.. And it looks amazing! Another bucket list thing for me to do!
–I love these button lunch bags.. Thinking of making for gifts.
-So When I am being sarcastic.. I am just being smart. According to science, here’s how sarcastic people are different from everyone else
nd some pictures from the week (note the gigantic bear… Out of control!)
Hey there people! How’s it going? Good right.. cause it’s SUNDAY!
Ok, so I know that some people don’t like sundays, but me, it’s my day. The one day of the week that I try to do as little crap as possible and relax, It also means the house is spotless, the fridge is stocked, (so so so stocked..a farm share and garden explosion!) and the sheets have been changed on the bed…. I LOVE clean sheets!
This past week was for sure one of those dragging, nagging, just want it to be over type of weeks. Why? I am not exactly sure. We have had us some good time; a back to school dinner, banana ice cream cake, garden time and a few playground trips. But I think I am just feeling the pull towards fall and am just clicking the days away until we have the crisp cold days full of apple, pumpkins, cozy sweaters, and colorful leaves. Call me crazy, but I can’t wait for the warm weather to GO AWAY!
Anyway, today I am going to relax a bit. Maybe I’ll finish my book, restart my knitting (I have knitted about 3 hats and keep pulling them apart because I don’t end up liking them.. I have pattern commitment issues) or do a little more painting. (on canvas, not walls). I hope to take the mr and the pup for a little hike and of course, drink a much coffee as my heart can handle.
How about you? Got any plans for the day?
Note about picture above…. Saw the stuffed bear on a walk with the pup.. He went BATSHIT when he saw it. I don’t know how I even managed to take a picture cause he was barking like an ass at the thing…. Thats my dog.
Here is internet stuff from the week
-No more squares on Instagram. I am not going to lie, haven’t noticed
-Uh, no shit.Turns Out Sarcastic People Really Are Better at Everything
-Can You Use That In A Sentence? Dictionary Adds New Words…Awesomsauce!
-Plants all around!!!
– This house and this house
-Why isn’t this happening everywhere?Streamlined Berlin Grocery Store Creates No Packaging Waste
–If only I had a library.. These are tops!
-The Complete Guide to Gluten Free Baking. Thanks King Arthur Flour!
-Human Face Coffee Lids.. hahaha
-Indiana Brewery Is Now Making a Beer for Dogs. I know my pup would like one.
And a few pictures from the week (All taken with my I phone 4.. I kept forgetting my camera)
I am getting excited about this snow storm we are suppose to have tonight and am hoping we get dumped on. It had been too long sense we have had a good snow. I really want to build a snow fort in the backyard because that’s why we have a yard.
Earlier this week I had myself a little dance party (what usually happens when I am home alone) and while dancing around, I tweaked my neck. Happens right? Well this really screwed me up. I spent almost an entire day laying on the couch with ice and a hot water bottle thinking I must have broken my neck. Not the best way to spend a day but at least I was able to binge watch a bit of Parks ans Rec (Leslie Knope is my hero) So all week I have taking it kinda easy and doing more paperwork and tax crap (aahhhh!!) than anything else. I am still sore and a little weary about moving my head, but feeling a lot better. Already back to dance parties.
So I guess today I am being dragged to a far off town to pick up a washer and dryer for one of the apartments. Not really what I want to do and I am a little worried about the weather, but it will be ok, we are leaving early. Plus I have trained myself to read in the car without barfing and there is always big cups of coffee on road trips so I will be distracted. And when I get home, I can go back to Parks and Recs, bread making, spoon carving, and watching the snow fall. Good stuff.
Stuff on the internet.
-This is just so good. Harvesting Carrots
-Pretty sweet way to get in a workout. Raise Your (He)art Rate With A Workout At The Met.
-I have heard a lot about this burger and I am still not sure how I feel about it. I don’t think I want to eat something that tastes like meat. Would you? Saving The Planet, One Burger At A Time: This Juicy Patty Is Meat-Free
–NPR’S ARI SHAPIRO ON WHAT A REPORTER LEARNS EATING ON THE ROAD. Always listening to Ari.
-Do you temper chocolate? I usually just stick it in the microwave. Thinking I might give it a go. A BASIC GUIDE TO TEMPERING CHOCOLATE
– How Much Do You Hate the Sound of People Chewing? Sometime I could care less, but sometimes a lot.
–These photos are amazing.
-Melissa McCarthy As Sean Spicer Is The Best Thing On SNL In Years. i have watched it like 3 times….So fucking funny.
-Sex, Drugs, and Rock n’ Roll. Music Tickles the Same Brain System As Sex and Drugs. For real.
Some pictures.
February…FEBRUARY! Jeez the past month just flew on by. I am making it my mission in this hear month to make it last as long as I can. How I am doing that, well still haven’t figured it quite out yet and we are already 5 days in. If you got any ideas, let me know.
Past week was same old same old, blah blah blah. I did get a phone call from my local plant lady (yes I have a plant lady) about a sweet ass rubber plant that came into the store. I ran there in a quick hurry and bought myself that plant as my belated birthday plant. It is big and green and all sorts of pretty. And the pantry, it is now100% done, or until I decide I want more shelves again. I give you a tour once I restock and clean it up a bit. Big exciting things. Ha
So are you watching the Super Bowl today? I are not. Not that I have a problem with people who do, heck, I think it’s awesome that people can get so jazzed about a game, but for me, I just don’t care. Never like sports on tv. Don’t care for commercials, and I don’t eat buffalo wings. What I am going to do is grab a book, a soft blanket, and a bowl of popcorn covered in peanut butter and snuggle on the couch. That sounds super to me.
Internet I looked at this week.
–Weird and Fascinating Ways Animals Use Poop.
-This is amazing. If you know me, I have a weird thing about stickers of any kind )and candy wrappers). The make me gag. Stickers are gross. Sticky, Gooey Produce Stickers Are on Their Way Out
-Kids Say They Like Their Pets More Than They Like Their Siblings. Makes sense.
-I get enough sleep but still want to go camping. Any takers? Not Getting Enough Sleep? Camping In February Might Help
–“Painting” A Portrait With 20,000 Seeds. Whoa.
-I hate talking on the phone, I always have (even before texting), and avoid it at all costs.It seems weird not talking to a person face to face (I text now, but not very much). Psychologists Explain Your Phone Anxiety (and How to Get Over It)
–TIPS FOR CONTACTING YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS because they need to hear from us.
-I made a big jug of this Hot sauce this week. We have been eating it on everything.
A few pictures from the week
Sweet, sweet Vermont. Things around these parts he been oh so nice. Warm days (not hot) and cool nights. The colors are starting to show on the trees. People are starting to wear clothes again and eating apple things and drinking those darn pumpkin spice lattes. I still haven’t gone apple picking yet (I’ve been waiting for at least a good week of cool temps so the apples get nice and sweet) but I did eat a pumpkin this week. And the sky, the sky has been nothing but pretty. I have been loving it all.
Straight up a crazy, full week. Lots of family dinners, bunk bed building, and mathematical problems solving in order to lay the tubes for heat in the floor. We went to a wedding (congrats Alex and Allison!) were we saw an eagle and I ate all the fresh figs from the cheese platter.(sorry, not sorry) Over at the house the mr and I made the decision to rip out all the old flooring on the first floor down to the sub floor so the radiant heat can go under the new floor instead of coming up from the basement. I know, I know, we need to stop ripping shit out and just finish putting it all back together. We are getting there. Lucky me I didn’t have to do to much of the floor ripping, more just the pulling of all the stupid nails left. Not the funniest job, but I have gotten pretty good at de-nailig floors. I could market my new de-nailing skills and make millions. Yeah, sounds about right.
On a sad note, I killed another freaking immersion blender so now I have to pull out the big blender every time I want some smooth soup. Me being me, I almost burned my face off when I went to blend some boiling hot soupand the lid was not on tight and hot soup splashed my face. (I am fine, minor burn left on my ear) Lesson learned. Now I wait for soup to not be so hot and check the mother f-ing lid. Oh, and my bike tire finally fell off completely which really sent my life through a loop. I know I have been saying all summer that I was going to get a new tire but the duck tape was working oh so well (no, not really) And because I waited until the tire fell off and I wanted to save 20 bucks by ordering a new tire online, I had to ride around town all week on the mr’s bike which really sucked a big one. Thank UPS man for delivering me my new tire. All is well now(besides needing a new brake pad and handle bar tape, but that will happen in time) and I can go back to my own bike. I have missed it so much.
Today the mr and I are going to plug away some more with tube laying on the floor. He is starting to worry about getting a source of heat in the house soon. I say as long as we have some type heat by November, we are all set. And if the weather is decent and not pouring rain later, I am going to break in my new bike tire with a heavy trip to the library. My stack of returns is getting pretty ridiculous. (8 books high)
What I saw on the internet this week.
– Tricky tricky sons of bitches.. 50 Years Ago, Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists To Point Blame At Fat
-These are some crazy photos. Winners of the 2016 British Wildlife Photography Awards
-Sad truths. Three Foods That Might Not Survive Modern Diseases
-I don’t know if I would do this but it’s pretty cool. Body Marbling Is A New Festival Trend That Turns Your Skin Into Art
-This is not a joke (I thought it was) Self-Driving Shopping Carts May Be the Way of the Future. I don’t think I like this, not one bit.
-We have our cat Only. We do nit snuggle him cause he is evil and likes to dig his claws in, so I am ok with this. Doctors Rudely Warn Public Not to Snuggle Kittens
-It has happened to me and it freaked me the f out. Ever wake up to a numb, dead arm? Here’s what’s happening.
-As a seltzer water drinker myself, this was all the right. A Millennial’s Guide to Seltzer
-Researching siding for the addition. Think we are going with the Shou Sugi Ban method. We get to set stuff on fire!!!
–5 Ways to Tell If Your Knife Needs Sharpening. I try to keep mine sharpened not only because cutting food withsharp knife make sense but the danger is for real. The duller the knife, the more likely I am to cut my dang finger off.
Some pictures of the happenings.
Another week gone by so fast and now it’s the first week of June. Wow, I don’t even know how hat happened. I need to up my summer game and get some summer stuff done!
It’s been a super busy week, what with a bunch of our old tenants moving out and new ones moving in. Apartment turn over is always such a bear especially June ones. There is always a bunch of things that need fixing or painting and it all needs to be done within a matter of a few days, if not a few hours. Then there is the overwhelming amount of garbage people seem to accumulate and then dump when they move. Needless to say, we (the mr even more) have been super duper busy. But its coming to an end and so far so good, our new tenants all seem great and things are starting to calm down so we can get back to the serious of finishing our house. And guess what,we have officially move the location of the downstairs toilet to it’s new bathroom home at the new house. Yay for toilet!
Today I am planning on spending a little time over at the house, transplanting kale to the little 4×4 raised bed that I have permitted myself for the year (I want to spend all my time outside, but it’s the inside that needs to be done first). Then probably going to harvest a shit ton more rhubarb before it starts to rain, come home and make a pie and jam and then sit on my butt and read for the rest of the day. I am so looking forward to an afternoon of reading, drinking coffee and maybe even taking nap.(I am already ready for a nap). I am definitely in need of a little rest today.
Things from the world wide web that caught my attention.
-Your Dog Has an IQ..Huh, I wonder what Washers would be (no genius, that’s for sure)
-I have been toying with the idea of adding some black to the kitchen.
-Really into the look of these tattoos
-All the pretty house plants and the many reasons to have them
-Check out this, totally not needed, but totally awesome 16 person tent
-I love all of these wallpapers.
-The Lasting Benefits of Growing Up Around Books..So many benefits.
-An answer to a question I didn’t know I wanted to know until now. WHY THE HELL DID WOMEN START POPPING OUT OF CAKES, ANYWAY?
-A little info about your store bought tomatoes and why they taste just mah. The Search For Tastier Supermarket Tomatoes
-You could get paid to poop…for science. Sounds gross, but is really cool.
A few pictures fro the week.
I love me a good home. And lucky for me, my home is really good.
This week has been nothing but a little weird. We pretty much went from travel mode to real life mode within a day and we still have not completely shaken the post travel, kinda weird heady feelings. (I am still waking up at weird times in the night for a second wondering where I am.) I think part of it is that I have been feeling kind of sick ever since we got back and also all the crap we have to deal with is making real life feel a little stressful. (TAXES AAAAHHHHH!!!) But at the same time, everything about being home is fantastic. Lots of family time, lots of puppy and kitty time, and lots of just being home with a somewhat normal routine. I love to travel and see new places, but one of the best part of leaving is the coming back.
And my kitchen. Oh how I have missed it.
So today is a planed chill out and catch up on not catching up day. We must try not to achieve to much other then watching some tv, (I should finish the watching the first season of the fresh prince) reading, drinking more then to much coffee and just taken the day easy. And I might even bake something! We have all next week to be crazy busy.
And I hope the same goes for you too because you know you need it.
Here are some of the things that the internet has shown me this week.
-I NEED to go to this park. Maybe my next trip?
-Vegan Ben and Jerry’s has arrived!
-Love this loft and all of the plants.
-Someday I will have one of these rugs and life will be awesome
-Very much into a white washed workspace
-This House Costs Just $20,000—But It’s Nicer Than Yours
-Watch the rainbow bagels be made. So pretty
-Finally, I have been waiting for this. Two Scientists Have Attempted to Study Resting Bitchface
-Love me some plants
-Is ‘Vegetable-Forward’ Dining Really the Way We Want to Eat?
and pictures this week were few, so I will leave you with this one (a pre-trip angry kitty on the move)
I know it’s early an I know it’s Sunday, but other than that I am having a hard time concentrating on much of anything. All I can think about is paint color, well that and the kitchen stove. (I am getting closer to making that decision. I am secretly hoping Bluestar will just gift me one.) Oh, and how I want to hang some lights on the house because what is the point of having a house without hanging the holiday lights. So I guess I am thinking, just not very clearly.
How was your week? Good I hope. Ours was kind of quite. We spent most of our time at the house working and feeling sick. I might have convinced myself at the beginning of the week that I had listeria due to the fact that I ate a shit ton of some hummus that was recalled due to contamination. But I am alive so I think I am ok. We did get to see lots of family, spend a little time in some woods, and even got to take a afternoon nap .(mostly because I was sick) And it snowed!!!! There is no more snow now, but there was and it was so white and fluffy and great. I am looking forward to having an actual winter this year with some actual snow.
The mr and I are working our butts off, trying to maybe move in soon, like as soon as possible. Yesterday at the house, the mr was downstairs patching up the pantry walls and I was upstairs, painting. The plan was to touch up all the paint and to paint the closet doors. Sounds simple right? Well it wasn’t. Long story short, I spent the entire day painting, hating, remixing, then repainting the closet doors in the bedroom. I didn’t get to anything else. I almost tore my eyes out of my head. I seriously repainted those freaking doors5 times, each time thinking that I likes the color. Then an hour later, after painting front ans back of both doors (they are louved so they take longer) then I would hate the color and start all over again. I was going a little crazy. I blame it on the fumes.
Today I am going to bring over a scented candle (to mask he smell of urethane), put on some Christmas tunes, touch up all the paint in the bedrooms and bathroom upstairs and paint those stupid closet doors one last time, color be damned. We are getting there. It’s going to be great
There might even be some time to bust out the Xmas lights!
Internet for the looking.
-My hometown. America’s First All-Renewable-Energy City
–Your Brain Can Barely Handle Conversation and Eye Contact at the Same Time.
–Cool Ass Lamps. The peacock is the best.
-My siblings.. Best friends, worst enemies. Love them all to pieces even when I want to punch them in the face. Give Thanks For Siblings: They Can Make Us Healthier And Happier
-I could spend forever in one of these (Cornell is my favorite). THE 15 MOST BEAUTIFUL COLLEGE LIBRARIES IN AMERICA
-Maybe someday I will sit around and make bird houses, but they have to be this cool. These Modernist Houses Are Literally For the Birds
-Can’t wait to go crazy and cover my life with all the green, it makes me happy. Green and Peaceful
-So I for sure talk to myself, sometimes just saying lists out loud, but sometimes….The mr always thinks I am talking to him. I have to tell him to stop budding in on my conversation. The Running Conversation in Your Head
-The mr always get me purple carrots in my stocking and my birthday. WTF ARE PURPLE CARROTS AND WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?
And photos from the week.
Yawn, stretch, throw on some pants and back to it.
But it’s taking a whole lot of will power to get up and go. It’s just too perfect out to do much of anything. Is it weird that I love this cold and rainy weather? These are the days that I can spend all day in a ball of blankets on the couch next to a window looking out with hot beverages and good books.. I will get there soon, but not today. We started tiling the bathroom wall yesterday and need to finish it, along with he rest of the house.
This week flew by fast. It included a very quick foliage drive(stopped by a river so the mr could fly fish), Barbara turning 17 while watching her field hockey game, a tiny little baby that fell in love with me and wants me to be it’s new mommy, and the scraping and painting of so much everything. I think the highlight was when the 17 year old Barb stopped by the house to bring us coffee, hung out with us, and lent me her sweater that I love but probably won’t ever get a chance to wear cause all I wear are grubby, paint stained clothes. But none the less, it was great and maybe I’ll just wear the sweater to bed. And the colors. Every time I walk out of the house and see all the trees, all the colors…it just blows my mind. So good.
Other then that, not much else. I am giving myself a political detox for a few days before i barf, eating lots of roasted celeriac and missing my kitchen. I can’t freaking wait to spend all day cooking in baking in my kitchen. I can’t freakin wait!
And now I got to find those pants.
Internet for the looking.
–Everyone Should Make Time for Daydreaming. I do me a lot of it.
-The Difference Between Pepitas and the Seeds from Your Halloween Pumpkin
–6 Things You Need To Know About Cycling On The Sidewalk. I sometimes bike the sidewalk, but only when I have to and very slowly.
– Maybe this is the reason I hate wearing shoes. ABSORB EARTH’S FREE FLOWING ELECTRONS THROUGH THE SOLES OF YOUR FEET(EARTHING)
-Read this book this week. One of my new favorite books. It changed the way I look at the world, especially trees.
-Forget Tomayto/Tomahto: The Real Debate Is, Should It Be Refrigerated? II never do unless it’s 100% necessary
-feel like this is a close representation of my knitting basket. A Mass of Tangled Red Yarn Unravels from a Loom to Overtake a Brazilian Chapel
-What Tree Is that has been a frequent question. Trees With Leaves – A Deciduous Tree Leaf Key
-Speaking of trees, I would live in this tree house.The tree alone is pretty amazing.
– A little preemptive in looking, but I told myself I that I get to buy knew sheets and duvet cover when we move into the house (I am a linens slut) This bed set is looking good, although can’t go wrong with these either.
And pictures.
That’s right, it’s October. Another month, another season. Jeeze time, slow the f down!
The week was another jammed packed crazy fest. We picked up 800sqft of flooring(that sucked moving) and bought more paint (pure freaking white). We finished laying all the tubing for the radiant floor heating, the radiators are painted, in place, and plumbed. The plumbers are coming tomorrow to give us a new boilers o we can use all these new heating devices. There were two birthday parties,(happy birthday Miley Lu and Alex) a day at the pumpkin patch and drawing flowers, and the constant running back a forth between hardware stores. I had the birthday boy over for breakfast and asked him what he wanted me to make him. Anything, and he chose eggs bacon and toast. I made the eggs and toast but was not willing to cook the bacon. Bad aunt maybe, but I wasn’t about to stink up my house with that. Just no. So I gave him chocolate chips and sprinkles instead. He was happy. Oh and my little (by giant) brother came home for the first time for the weekend from the military college dressed in military garb and looking all beefy and smart. Crazy what a month away from home will do to a person. I think he is much cooler now.(but don’t tell him that)
Maybe one of the best parts of the week…..Found my vintage yellow fridge! Oh how I love the craigslist. The mr and I went and picked it up yesterday. Had to load the heavy as hell fridge on top of the Volvo and drive 20 miles. It was terrifying . I thought the fridge was going to go barreling off onto the hood of the car or tip over and roll away. But we made it and now we are proud owners of a vintage yellow frigidaire fridge. It’s all sorts of fantastic.
So yeah, I am really tired today and feeling a little lousy this morning. I think I need to take it easy today, I can feel this turning into full on sick if I don’t catch it now. The mr and I need to clean up at the house and get ready for the plumbers, but other then that. Me and the couch are going to be friends today. Coffee, book, sleep. Sounds like a plan.
My internet finds from the week.
-Something I think about way too much. Now — And The Physics Of Time
–HOW A PERUVIAN FARMER IS GROWING 180 KINDS OF POTATOES
–The FDA Is Finally Going to Update the Term ‘Healthy...Finally
-WE should all know this because we should The top 7 ways a trip to Mars could kill you, illustrated
–The Sweet Emotional Life of Bees.This is true of most people too.
-I reek of garlic All. The. Time. Finally, Here’s Some Good News About Garlic Breath
-Ever wonder about take out containers? Chinese Food Delivery Containers, Explained
–Our Robot Overlords Are Now Delivering Pizza, And Cooking It On The Go. Or just make your own at home, but this is still kinda cool.
-The 11 Varieties of Winter Squash You Need to Know Cause its squash season
-The night comes sooner now so I can get outside to see the stars before my bedtime. A Meteor Shower and 8 More Can’t-Miss Sky Events in October
And the weeks pictures.
Short of the long… I am trashed. We just got back from a 6 1/2 hour drive from the Poconos where I now have a sweet ass new summertime home in the woods (actually not mine, but my dad just bought a house and moved there so it’s pretty much mine..haha) Summer fun time all the time long. A short few days for an initial, get to know the place and see the new house, go hiking, biking, more hiking, and basically run around and play with the dogs and the neighborhood deer, visit. It was an all out exhausting, amazing time. (I would tell you more about it, but right now my mind is mush I I am surprised Ian even type right now) So now we are back home to maybe get a few hours of sleep and then back to the house for few hours of work. Got to get ready for the boom truck of a million pieces of sheet rock that are coming in the morning!
Now I am really, really freaking tired and need to like, for real, sleep for a bit before I keel over. Oh thanks the world for coffee cause today is going to be a couple pot of coffee kind of day. Wish me luck.
Some stuff the from the early week internet browsing.
-Not sure if I would want to stick my head in a one after all the other people have. Levitating Clouds Provide a Dreamlike Resting Place During the Festival des Architectures Vives
-I think we could be best friends. Meet a Woman Who Keeps 500 Plants in Her Brooklyn Apartment
–How to Keep Berries Fresh for Longer
-So into these Origami Bird Lights.
-I have got to try and make this mozzarella aquafaba cheese
-It’s that time of year again. Canning here we come! Making Fruit Jelly Using Apples for Pectin
Well that blizzard happened. And so did a bunch of other crazy shit.
We got slammed here in the northwest parts of Vermont. 30 inches or so all in a days time. It was lovely and exciting and a little daunting. I shoveled and shoveled and shoveled some more. My boots got filled with snow, my mittens soaked, and my arms a bit sore, but all in all I came out unscathed and actually quite happy for the massive amount of the white stuff. If it’s gonna snow, might as well make it a massive snowstorm. And now thanks to all the snow drifting and city workers blowing the sidewalk snow into the front yard, I now have my very own snow tunnel system. Miley and Judah being the architects and the mr and I the labor. Nothing beats a warm sunny day playing in the snow.
And then there was the furnace that shit the bed. The mr has been dealing with this heater at one of our buildings for a few weeks now and finally during the storm, after a few visits with the plumbers, the old hunk of metal decided it was time. On it’s last leg, barely lasting the week, the mr has been obsessively running back and forth to relight the thing just to milk as much heat as possible from it until the plumbers come Monday morning with a all new heating system. (There goes our vacation to the Bahamas. Ok, there was never a vacation planned, but now there won’t be one)
To top off a strange week, one nephew (Jackson) broken an ankle and another (Alex) is in the hospital after his appendix almost exploded. Then we attended an elementary school play where Miley played a bum and a knight and Judah dance like a rat. A day with Sophia throwing snow at the mr and leaving a trail of glitter all over house and car…..What a week. What a week indeed.
I feel like today is kind of a make up day for all the shit that I didn’t get a chance to do the past few days. A little paperwork, a bit of cleaning, grocery shopping. But if I am good and get it all done early enough I hope to escape to the trees and spend part of the day outside being calm and quite. I think I can make it happen. I need to make it happen.
Things on the internet that I found on the internet.
-This is 100% accurate to my life. Everything Always Takes Longer Than You Think
–California Deserts In ‘Super Bloom’ Thanks To A Wet Winter. Wish I could get out there and see it.
– I don’t want to be soft. I want to be human that can handle physical labor. How Does A Nepalese Porter Carry So Much Weight?
–This LEGO Tape Lets You Turn Anything Into Lego-Compatible Surface. The things I would lego tape.
-I am not one for commercials but this one was really sweet. This French Grocery Store Commercial Will Make You Cry
–Honey Nut Cheerios Pulled Its Bee Mascot Because Bees Are Disappearing. #Savethebees.
-I find that when the littles see me eating a vegetable, they want to then eat that vegetable too, sometimes even stealing the food right off my plate. It’s ok, I can share. Save Hide And Seek For The Playground: Why Kids Should See Their Veggies
–Boaty McBoatface Prepares For First Antarctic Mission. Boaty McBoatface. Hahahaha
-Not going to lie, but I don’t play Monopoly. I am more or a hungry hungry hippos or Sorry kind of girl. But I bet some people will be excited. Or pissed. Meet the New Monopoly Tokens: A Rubber Ducky, a T-rex and a Penguin
–How Candy Stretches Around the World. I have the hook, now I have to get stretching my own.
Pictures from the past week.
I am getting excited about this snow storm we are suppose to have tonight and am hoping we get dumped on. It had been too long sense we have had a good snow. I really want to build a snow fort in the backyard because that’s why we have a yard.
Earlier this week I had myself a little dance party (what usually happens when I am home alone) and while dancing around, I tweaked my neck. Happens right? Well this really screwed me up. I spent almost an entire day laying on the couch with ice and a hot water bottle thinking I must have broken my neck. Not the best way to spend a day but at least I was able to binge watch a bit of Parks ans Rec (Leslie Knope is my hero) So all week I have taking it kinda easy and doing more paperwork and tax crap (aahhhh!!) than anything else. I am still sore and a little weary about moving my head, but feeling a lot better. Already back to dance parties.
So I guess today I am being dragged to a far off town to pick up a washer and dryer for one of the apartments. Not really what I want to do and I am a little worried about the weather, but it will be ok, we are leaving early. Plus I have trained myself to read in the car without barfing and there is always big cups of coffee on road trips so I will be distracted. And when I get home, I can go back to Parks and Recs, bread making, spoon carving, and watching the snow fall. Good stuff.
Stuff on the internet.
-This is just so good. Harvesting Carrots
-Pretty sweet way to get in a workout. Raise Your (He)art Rate With A Workout At The Met.
-I have heard a lot about this burger and I am still not sure how I feel about it. I don’t think I want to eat something that tastes like meat. Would you? Saving The Planet, One Burger At A Time: This Juicy Patty Is Meat-Free
–NPR’S ARI SHAPIRO ON WHAT A REPORTER LEARNS EATING ON THE ROAD. Always listening to Ari.
-Do you temper chocolate? I usually just stick it in the microwave. Thinking I might give it a go. A BASIC GUIDE TO TEMPERING CHOCOLATE
– How Much Do You Hate the Sound of People Chewing? Sometime I could care less, but sometimes a lot.
–These photos are amazing.
-Melissa McCarthy As Sean Spicer Is The Best Thing On SNL In Years. i have watched it like 3 times….So fucking funny.
-Sex, Drugs, and Rock n’ Roll. Music Tickles the Same Brain System As Sex and Drugs. For real.
Some pictures.
February…FEBRUARY! Jeez the past month just flew on by. I am making it my mission in this hear month to make it last as long as I can. How I am doing that, well still haven’t figured it quite out yet and we are already 5 days in. If you got any ideas, let me know.
Past week was same old same old, blah blah blah. I did get a phone call from my local plant lady (yes I have a plant lady) about a sweet ass rubber plant that came into the store. I ran there in a quick hurry and bought myself that plant as my belated birthday plant. It is big and green and all sorts of pretty. And the pantry, it is now100% done, or until I decide I want more shelves again. I give you a tour once I restock and clean it up a bit. Big exciting things. Ha
So are you watching the Super Bowl today? I are not. Not that I have a problem with people who do, heck, I think it’s awesome that people can get so jazzed about a game, but for me, I just don’t care. Never like sports on tv. Don’t care for commercials, and I don’t eat buffalo wings. What I am going to do is grab a book, a soft blanket, and a bowl of popcorn covered in peanut butter and snuggle on the couch. That sounds super to me.
Internet I looked at this week.
–Weird and Fascinating Ways Animals Use Poop.
-This is amazing. If you know me, I have a weird thing about stickers of any kind )and candy wrappers). The make me gag. Stickers are gross. Sticky, Gooey Produce Stickers Are on Their Way Out
-Kids Say They Like Their Pets More Than They Like Their Siblings. Makes sense.
-I get enough sleep but still want to go camping. Any takers? Not Getting Enough Sleep? Camping In February Might Help
–“Painting” A Portrait With 20,000 Seeds. Whoa.
-I hate talking on the phone, I always have (even before texting), and avoid it at all costs.It seems weird not talking to a person face to face (I text now, but not very much). Psychologists Explain Your Phone Anxiety (and How to Get Over It)
–TIPS FOR CONTACTING YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS because they need to hear from us.
-I made a big jug of this Hot sauce this week. We have been eating it on everything.
A few pictures from the week
Big. Ass. Yawn. Because we need it, or at least I do.
The week started off with nice, calm sister time, the lake, and happy little littles. Then shit got crazy. From dealing with appliances (still haven’t settled on a stove yet) to having to wear a stupid respirator all day everyday because I cannot deal with the off gases that come from polyurethane and now have dry skin blotches on my face, to running around painting prepping, sanding stairs… We are just plan pooped out. Now we just need to plow through the house to get it done and moved in. It’s getting so close I can almost imagine it. And then we can get a little bit of our life back. That will be great. We did manage to attend the two weeks early double birthday party for So and Justin because get this, it’s really sad, they are going to be in Disney Land for their actual birthdays, and so we party now for them. What kinda bummed me out was that I didn’t get to make the birthday cake.(I always make So’s birthday cakes..the best birthday cakes) My sister being so nice, didn’t want to ask to make it me because we are so busy so she ended up buying a cake from costco. It was crazy and huge and no one could eat a whole slice. All I had to say was maybe next year don’t go to Disney Land and I will make the cake.
And now it’s the week of Thanksgiving. Are you guys ready for the holidays? I wish I could say that I was but I am not, really really not. Plus it’s looking more and more like we have no idea what we are doing. Food? There isn’t much in the house. (I am running dangerously low on dried beans and I already ate through most of my farm share and there isn’t another pick up for a week and a half) I have not a single thing planned or pre-made, and we are not even sure where we are going yet. But hey, we got a couple days to figure it out right? As for food, well I just have to suck it up and do that major grocery shop that needs being done and get to some of the good stuff before all of it is picked through by the early prepared holiday shoppers. I will buy lots of beans and all the carrots.
As for today, well we gots a few weather sensitive things to do, like picking up all the piles of wood out in front of the house so it doesn’t look like a dump and piling scrap metal into the work car before it get covered in snow .( I am so excited about snow!!) Also need to give the cat a stern talking to about hanging out in the road because apparently after 11 years of being an outdoor cat, he now decided that is where all the cool cats hang. And my favorite thing on my to do list today is….dig all the slivers out of my hands. Oh so much fun. At least I will be drinking all the coffee that I could possibly want and eating beans and carrots. Maybe I will bake a pie too. (hahaha, but maybe)
Some of what the Internet has had this week.
-Duh. An Overlooked Weapon Against the Flu Is Also the Most Effective One
–Cool shadow art.
-I freeze my veggies in the summer and fall (my freezer is stuffed with tomatoes and peppers) anduse them all winter long. Are Frozen Fruits and Vegetables as Nutritious as Fresh?
–Grapefruit and Salt. Yum.
-I have been feeling this so bad. To Relieve Post-Election Stress, Bake And Bake Again
–The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Cure
-I guess they are all sold out, but maybe will get more in stock later. I wanted to get the mr the country clubber set. So f-ing awesome.
-I really love this, like a lot. A Collaborative Duo Pokes Fun at Plein Air Painting Through Photographic Series
-Not gonna lie, the super chipper all the time people, well they tire me out. If You’re Annoyed by Overly Cheerful People, You’ll Like This Study
Pictures from the weeks happenings.
Yawn, stretch, throw on some pants and back to it.
But it’s taking a whole lot of will power to get up and go. It’s just too perfect out to do much of anything. Is it weird that I love this cold and rainy weather? These are the days that I can spend all day in a ball of blankets on the couch next to a window looking out with hot beverages and good books.. I will get there soon, but not today. We started tiling the bathroom wall yesterday and need to finish it, along with he rest of the house.
This week flew by fast. It included a very quick foliage drive(stopped by a river so the mr could fly fish), Barbara turning 17 while watching her field hockey game, a tiny little baby that fell in love with me and wants me to be it’s new mommy, and the scraping and painting of so much everything. I think the highlight was when the 17 year old Barb stopped by the house to bring us coffee, hung out with us, and lent me her sweater that I love but probably won’t ever get a chance to wear cause all I wear are grubby, paint stained clothes. But none the less, it was great and maybe I’ll just wear the sweater to bed. And the colors. Every time I walk out of the house and see all the trees, all the colors…it just blows my mind. So good.
Other then that, not much else. I am giving myself a political detox for a few days before i barf, eating lots of roasted celeriac and missing my kitchen. I can’t freaking wait to spend all day cooking in baking in my kitchen. I can’t freakin wait!
And now I got to find those pants.
Internet for the looking.
–Everyone Should Make Time for Daydreaming. I do me a lot of it.
-The Difference Between Pepitas and the Seeds from Your Halloween Pumpkin
–6 Things You Need To Know About Cycling On The Sidewalk. I sometimes bike the sidewalk, but only when I have to and very slowly.
– Maybe this is the reason I hate wearing shoes. ABSORB EARTH’S FREE FLOWING ELECTRONS THROUGH THE SOLES OF YOUR FEET(EARTHING)
-Read this book this week. One of my new favorite books. It changed the way I look at the world, especially trees.
-Forget Tomayto/Tomahto: The Real Debate Is, Should It Be Refrigerated? II never do unless it’s 100% necessary
-feel like this is a close representation of my knitting basket. A Mass of Tangled Red Yarn Unravels from a Loom to Overtake a Brazilian Chapel
-What Tree Is that has been a frequent question. Trees With Leaves – A Deciduous Tree Leaf Key
-Speaking of trees, I would live in this tree house.The tree alone is pretty amazing.
– A little preemptive in looking, but I told myself I that I get to buy knew sheets and duvet cover when we move into the house (I am a linens slut) This bed set is looking good, although can’t go wrong with these either.
And pictures.
The trees are on fire, the sky has been lighting up like a masterpiece and the temperatures have been on the cooler, crisper side. I am one lucky lady to be living in such a beautiful place. If you don’t know the awesomeness of fall in Vermont, you should put it on your life list cause it’s amazing and will bring you so many good feelings.
Another super productive week for the books. We finished laying all the hardwood downstairs then went straight to tiling the bathroom which was awesome cause it was my first real tiling project and now that floor is down too. But man did it do a number on me. The one thing the mr always bitches about are his knees, and now I now why. Kneeling on anything, especially cement board, for 5 hours pretty much will kill your shit. I might be a little whinny, but crap on a shoe do my knees hurt. (now I am done complaining) What else……..Oh yeah, a large quantities of construction waste was brought to the dump that has bee accumulating in large piles in the back yard..(that was fun) I invented a new sport, storage unit parkor (I am really good at climbing and jumping around packed storage units), and got to see the new little monster baby while doing it. Then my little brother came over for a while to help carry the cast iron bathtub from the backyard to the upstairs. (thanks Paul!) I even made a point during the week to stay home for just enough time to made donuts with sprinkles while I sat in front of the oven knitting cause I was freezing my ass off. And I ate 2 roasted pumpkins, an acorn squash, and a sweet potato this week. Feeling pretty good about life.
So I don’t know about today. We might or might not work. We may or may not run away to the woods.(I need to be with the trees for a while) Most likely both. But one thing is for sure, I will be icing my knees. And drinking a butt load of coffee. And eating the butternut squash I picked it yesterday. I am a winter squash addict.
The things I clicked on and reading doing the internet this week.
-Have you noticed the crazy moon lately? How to See the Hunter’s Supermoon This Weekend
– How We Got ‘Bark’ for Dogs, ‘Quack’ for Ducks, and Other Words for Animal Sounds
-A classic pencil is so underrated. Trace The Remarkable History Of The Humble Pencil
– Incredible Origami Animals.. Like super incredible
-Lots of sweetbread, muffins, and all sorts of baking things in my future. The Best Way to Store Quick Breads and Muffins
-This guy tasted a shit load of butter for his Fancy Butter Taste Test
–Photo Of An Elephant Snuggling An Ostrich because it made me smile and is really freaking cute
– Check out this This Triangular House.. Its pretty crazy cool
–Can We Trust the Cooking Methods on the Back of the Bag? Question everything!
–Bob Dylan Wins Nobel Prize, Redefining Boundaries of Literature.His words are beautiful.
The week in some picture
New baby, lots and lots of littles, and laying the flooring. Never a dull moment over here.
Erin finally popped and pushed out a humongous adorable little human (Emersion Reed Scott… I call him murder) so while she has been doing that and hanging out in the hospital, her littles have been my littles. Needless to say, my house got trashed, my fridge is empty, and all the printer paper is gone. We ate all the beans and apples in the house. Spent after schooldays drawing and making weird shaped out of scrap wood and nails while the mr and I worked. Not to take away from my sister pushing out a gigantic human from her body, but hell, my body/mind are fried. Taking the littles is easy (feed them, let them loose on Nick, homework, watch Malcom in the middle, brush teeth, bed) but laying floor is hard. Lots and lots of tiny pieces of floor that need to be hammered and bent and fanagled. So many nails, nailing for hours and having all the pressure of not nailing into the radiant heat tubing. My body has contoured into a semi permanent bent shape and red tubes are floating over my closed eyelids. The mr on his hands and knees for hours with so many slivers… It’s fucking painful. But we love it (the floor) and the bit of pain is worth it. As for the littles, the are so awesome. They can stay with us forever. Oh yeah, and my Dad has made his way back tot he state where he left all of his children for a visit so we have been doing all that family stuff too. If only I could figure out how to get paid for being with my family.(we could do a reality tv show but I don’t think America could handle that)
I am cooking food, I just haven’t had a lot of time to like clean dishes, make things pretty, and catch good enough light to take pictures but I am hoping to get a little time to make an epic cake this coming week. I want to bake plus I want to start a project and see it finished within a few hours. I miss posting recipes and and I think everyone around me needs some cake. So look for that (thinking some kind of pumpkin chocolate situation)
And as for today, the littles are back home with their mother so the mr and I are going to floor some more until our bodies give out then drive into the mountains for a well earned visual spectacular of color. And coffee. So much coffee.
Just for a laugh… Judah says to us the first time we went up to the hospital to see his mom and new baby bro .”holy haha. Look guys look. He is eating moms nipples.” He couldn’t stop laughing. That kid, oh boy is he awesome. He also said that the baby makes sounds like a big fart. I agree.
Internet stuff I found during my late night browsing sessions.
-Dude, I might just have to move to Japan. Japan Wants to Reward You for Safe Driving—with Coffee
–HOW VANILLA BECAME THE WORLD’S FAVORITE FLAVOR..is it yours?
-Into all of these hammocks. 5 Hammock Hybrids for Extreme Relaxation
-To the insurance company that doesn’t want to renew our house insurance policy because of our garden looks like we lack “pride of ownership” (for real what they said) Eight Reasons NOT to Clean Up in the Garden
-Ah, love this house.
–Do You Wish Time Would Slow Down? Yes, yes I do
-We are keeping the downstairs all white and light and bright. Inspirations
– “Extreme bees, extreme people.” Six Scientists, 1,000 Miles, One Prize: The Arctic Bumblebee
-This is fantastic. To bad I didn’t know this hack in art school. Ingenious Hack for Sketching with Two Point Perspective Using an Elastic String
-I have blown up a few carrots in the microwave in my day. Snap, Crackle, Kale: The Science Of Why Veggies Spark In The Microwave
I don’t know what got into my head today, but I was hell bent on making blondes. I was already committed to make cupcakes with the help of a little little, but, not going to lie, the cake was coming from a box. It wasn’t going to satisfy my baking itch. You see, it’s the misters birthday this week and tonight was the family B-day dinner. My family consists of a whole lot of people, and half of them are 13 and under. So instead of busting my butt baking an amazing 4 tiered strawberry chocolate cream cheese cake for kids who won’t even try it(that was last week, the cake came out fantastic and everyone but the birthday girl ate it. But maybe a 2 year old doesn’t need to like strawberry cake) I decided that I was going boxed and low and behold, they loved Hey, sometimes you gots to make the people happy. But I really wanted to do something else, something a little more special, something for the more mature pallet……..banana brown butter blondes…..Oh yea, I did and I did.
Not a heck of a lot of ingredients. Flour, sugar, banana, butter, egg and vanilla. I always forget something in my ingredient line up pics. Today it was the cinnamon, but thats ok, its optional anyway.
Start with browning the butter… lots of lovely little bits. Smells super nutty.. You want to do it first so it can cool a little before using.
Cooled butter mixed with the brown sugar.(I might have jumped the gun a bit and hit was still slightly warm) Make sure when you add the butter you add all the little flavor bits. Mix or beat it up. then add the vanilla and egg.
Now mash up and mix in the nanaers. Swirl it in, just like that. Now is a good time to add a little cinnamon… but don’t add it if your don’t want too. 
I don’t know how I ended up using like five different mixing instruments for this little batch of brownies, but I did, and I definitely trashed the kitchen. First off, I was at my sisters and I don’t know where she puts all of stuff.(She doesn’t either) Secondly, I was also making cupcakes and garlic bread, pasta, and salad at the same time…so maybe that all made me a little more messy than usual…..Whatever. its ok, I cleaned it up. Anyway, above you see me using an electrical beater to mix in flour. I used the beater for the cupcakes and then started used it in the brownies..It was fine, I used low speed for just a sec but I would recommend to just stir in the flour..Try not to overwork the batter.
Ready for the pan…..Its a bit thick, which is good. Your going to have to scoop it more than pout it. Make sure to spread it evenly in pan and not just plop it in and stick it into the oven. 
Aaaahhh, so darn pretty.
And cut into little squares..I love the casserole dish in this picture.… my sister might not ever get it back. 
To add a little something something, I went and added a small smear of Nutella on half the batch……I think it was a good idea.
Happy Hanukkah!!! Today is the first day of the festival of lights and I wanted to send a little love towards those who celebrate it.
I didn’t actually use all the potatoes in the picture, but I wish I did. There was the perfect amount for dinner for two people, but I wanted to make a few extra for left overs….there were none. Oh well.
I did a matchstick dice for the apples.. I didn’t want the apples to be to chunky and I didn’t want them to turn into sauce so the match stick worked well. After I diced the apples, I squeezed a little lemon over the top to keep the apple from turning brown.
I start grating the potatoes and onion, and whoa! Imagine my surprise when one of the potatoes was purple… I got pretty excited.The color is so beautiful. and made the latkes look so nice…It was meant to be.
Super squeeze the juices out of the grated potato and onion. If you don’t get most of the liquid out, the potato won’t crisp up and will fall apart and be and it will be gross. So SQUEEZE!
Add in the egg, cornstarch, salt and pepper and mix it on up. Did I mention that I was making these for the mister and the GF sister..No flour, just cornstarch. I think they might have come out even better without the flour…so yeah, these babies are gluten-free.
Your mixture is going to start to get a little watery again. Its cool, just squeeze it out with your hands and smash into patties.
Enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan on medium heat. Test the oil to make sure its hot enough before sticking the latke n the pan. To test, sprinkle water in pan, if it sizzles, its ready.Working in batches, fry each latke on each side for around 5 minutes..you don’t want to cook to fast or the inside of the latkes will be raw. I always do a tester and feed it to nick. He’s my guinea pig….He said they were awesome..
With every batch made, stick on a wire rack and keep in the oven to stay warm. The rack keeps the bottom from getting soggy on the pan… so use it. 
Roasted apples are the BOMB!!! Its like eating apple sauce sticks or little bites of heaven(A bit dramatic, but these are so good) I roasted mine for 20 minutes, until they were nice and soft but not completely failing apart. If you are into it, add a touch of cinnamon…I did’t this time, but you bet I am going to be making myself a big ol bowl of roasted apples this week, and yes, I will top with cinnamon. 
A bowl of apple slaw, sour cream and lemon wedges….I put the latkes on a nice little pile of greens. A very good idea. A dinner worth celebrating! 
I also served the latkes with roasted chickpeas and cailflower…for more of a meal…( Mini recipe… Cauilfower and chick peas drizzled in olive oil, tossed in salt pepper and garlic, roasted 30 minutes and topped with lemon) A little added veggie and protein….I am looking out for you people.
There we have it…my variation on a traditional food. Enjoy your fried pancakes of potato and onion, they are a food worth a celebration.
HORRAY, its Saturday!!! I don’t care that I have a bunch of laundry and house work to do, bills to pay, a mangy dog to groom… I get to do it all at home with the music blasting,(maybe some holiday tunes) a lot of coffee, in my comfy sweats and the oven on. Weekends are always a mixed bag of crazy for me but I can usually count on being at home for a chunk of the morning or afternoons and that’s when I jump at the chance to make me some yeasted bread. Give me a couple of hours, my list of chores and watch me go.. I can mix and knead,, set aside to rise and hit up cleaning that toilet. Go back and knead, divided and rise again, then go fold all the laundry. Stick the bread in the oven and watch out, I am mopping the floors. I am nothing if not a fantastic multitasked, much like these rolls. You can serve them as a side for dinner , use them as a sandwich roll, or eat them as the star with a dab of butter and a drizzle of honey. The possibilities are endless. This particular recipe is fantastic for may reasons…. Its pretty simple, not to many ingredients and is made with whole wheat flour. If you don’t want 16 rolls, you can make the dough, bake half and freeze the rest. You could even bake into loaves of bread instead.Yeah, sounds good right? Go ahead, you know you want to. Just do it!
I always gather the ingredients.. I have learned over the years that if I have all my stuff out and measured in front of me, I will almost never forget something and that I make less of a mess. It also helps that I find it pretty. So, flours and salt are whisked together. The yeast and honey in a bowl waiting to be proofed. The butter in need of more melting and an egg.. Pretty.
Honey and yeast mixed with a cup of warm water. BE CAREFUL with the temperature of the water.. If its to hot, the yeast will kill the yeast and you will have to start over again, but I trust you won’t do that.
Now that the yeast is active, mix in melted butter and egg. (Make sure the butter is not hot, warm is ok) Add wet ingredients to the dry and mix.
Little ball of dough turned into big balls of dough. (Yeast is so cool!).Into the oven they go. Right before I baked them I gave the tops a little milk wash, just for color. Do it if you want, you could even do an egg wash, but it’s really not necessary.
So lovely! Who wouldn’t want to just tear these beauties apart?
Polenta Delicata Caramelized Onions and Mushroom Pizza — The Lovely Crazy
December 12, 2017 by maximios • Blog
So in walks polenta(if polenta could walk) What goes good with polenta? Caramelized onions, mushrooms and yes, my last delicate squash.(I am too nice) A nice base of marinara sauce and a bit of parmesan cheese mixed into the crust and sprinkled on top…..a complete work of genius that I was proud to serve to the gluten free lady.
Note. I have to make this clear, just because this pizza is gluten-free doesn’t mean that a person that is not gluten-free cannot eat this. Anyone and Everyone should eat this pizza.
There are so many different ratios and directions on how to prepare polenta, so if you feel like your way is better, I trust you. What I did for this crust was 1 cup cornmeal to about 2 1/4 cups water. The main thing is the finished product. You want a pasty paste that is spreadable but not overly watery.
Bring the water to a boil and constantly whisk while gradually pouring in the cornmeal. After a minute to two, it should be pretty well incorporated and there shouldn’t be to many lumps. Turn the heat down to simmer and stir a lot until the polenta starts to pull away for the sides of the pot. Really scrap the bottom of the pot so it doesn’t burn. Once its done, add in a 1/4 cup of parmesan( if you want to keep it vegan, just don’t add it) and salt and pepper.
This crust needs to be pre baked so stick it in the oven.It should take about 20ish minutes.
You got the crust in, the squash in, now we need to caramelize the onions. You may be thinking that 2 onions is a lot, and it kind of is, but you want a lot. A tiny bit of oil into a skillet and all the onions. medium low heat with a lid, string on occasion. When the onions start to caramelize, add the mushrooms and cook until onions are nice and soft and the mushrooms are no longer raw. By the time you done with this task…everything should be ready….time to assemble!
First marinara…then the roasted squash.
Its time to eat! And I know that it was a success. This is my gauge for how good it was…I stopped by the next day to drop a xmas tree stand off to her(again, look at how nice I am) and she was eating lunch…the left over pizza. That might not seem like anything to you but to me… She doesn’t eat leftovers. Sure, she will stick them in the fridge, but that’s where they stay until she tosses into the garbage. The pizza was leftover good….That is good!
Ingredients
Directions
Pre heat oven to 425
In a medium saucepan, bring 2¼ cups water to a boil. Whisking constantly, slowly add the cornmeal while constantly whisking. Once full incorporated, turn to low and stir for a few minutes until the polenta starts to thicken and pull away from the sides. Stir in 1/4 cup of parmesan (if using). Salt and pepper to taste. Genously oil a pizza sheet to a cookie sheet and spread the polenta mixture about a 1/2 thick. Place into oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust is a nice golden brown.
While the crust is cooking, place thinly sliced squash on an oiled baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven at the same time as crust, flipping squash after 10 minutes. Cook until fork tender, about 20 minutes.
While the crust and squash is baking, caramelize the onions. In a large skillet with a bit of oil. toss in onions and a little salt. Cook on medium low heat with a lid, giving them a good stir every now and then. Once onions are nicely cooked down, toss in the mushrooms. Continue to cook unit mushrooms are no longer raw.
Remove crust and squash from oven and let cool for a minute. Now just pile stuff on. Spread marinara sauce evenly around crust. Add squash and top with cheese. Dump the onions and mushroom on top and sprinkle with a bit more cheese.(Again, use vegan or no cheese to keep it vegan) Place back into oven for another 20 minutes.
Remove and let cool for a few minutes………..and then eat eat eat!!!
A good side dish for this pizza…a nice light arugula salad. Hey, you could even just toss some greens right on top of this pie, that would be fantastic too!
Enjoy and be awesome!