tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77971401746054009442024-03-04T23:57:19.212-05:00Homesteading in a CondoTwo humans, two rabbits, 40,000 worms, and a really big deck.ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-14315424658070073122009-12-30T15:15:00.001-05:002010-01-04T22:02:20.315-05:00Best You Tube video I've seen all year<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This video has nothing to do with canning or adorable conures sleeping in my hand, but it does combine my all-time favorite movie and my barely-contained fury over the last decade. Thanks, Reagan, and all you doofus Chicago School economists, for ushering in the era of laissez faire on crack.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But I love this idea. We might be able to take it back, one little bank account at a time. Think it would work? Or are the megacorporations destined to dominate from here on out?</span><br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Icqrx0OimSs&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Icqrx0OimSs&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-36736570068092952912009-11-23T10:47:00.000-05:002009-11-23T10:47:28.378-05:00Cecilia's All Hopped Up (for a minute)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYhNosNmPUXAWCVqjij7VClHR0II4rFVCOpH28LJfFxK_cdKtYdJSUioXDOO-yDXfV_VYfQc4XduXFeT05EXhV80pd1YdZQdeXcqUAb3EJo6tldoNh7nYU-0xmgQROH2FEk7zezHvra4/s1600/ceciliamag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYhNosNmPUXAWCVqjij7VClHR0II4rFVCOpH28LJfFxK_cdKtYdJSUioXDOO-yDXfV_VYfQc4XduXFeT05EXhV80pd1YdZQdeXcqUAb3EJo6tldoNh7nYU-0xmgQROH2FEk7zezHvra4/s320/ceciliamag.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Whenever the sun is out this time of year (rare for Detroit) Cecilia gets a little wacky in the morning- she jumps on all the furniture, chews on anything new, such as this Esquire. But it's over in a flash and soon enough she returns to her regularly scheduled all-day nap.</span>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-59776249187966124022009-11-22T18:06:00.002-05:002009-11-22T19:02:02.804-05:00ServSafe study day<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvDtKHefblXExVaTlGE9Jkbht7xM_c77fF4n4wUgE9-axUNpPUtFngCxLZEQleeB97mXyVpO3YcgB8zYhEIMxvMJ_PEJRcwjbOQsenUw5F7pK74UvMWmlvOA5-0XZ1BxftMCBOV6trFk/s1600/alimentariesfull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvDtKHefblXExVaTlGE9Jkbht7xM_c77fF4n4wUgE9-axUNpPUtFngCxLZEQleeB97mXyVpO3YcgB8zYhEIMxvMJ_PEJRcwjbOQsenUw5F7pK74UvMWmlvOA5-0XZ1BxftMCBOV6trFk/s320/alimentariesfull.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.giantmicrobes.com/">(Cutest bacteria ever??)</a></span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">---</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">ServSafe is a national certification for food handlers. I have to pass the test before I can even register for pre-requisite culinary classes- my test day is December 8. I began studying for the test today- chapter 2 on pathogens is a toughie- but a lot of the stuff is common sense and/or interesting enough to remember.<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm going chapter by chapter, making outlines, taking end-of-chapter tests, and doing pretty well so far. But the deeper I get, one thing keeps occurring to me: In the little local, seasonal cafe of my dreams,<i> everything I want to do is illegal. </i><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Real food, by federal SafeServ standards, is considered pathogenic. Here's the list of road-bumps so far.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-Real milk and cheese? Check. Real milk illegal in Michigan, but real cheese can be served after 60-days' aging. Unclear if I can make it in-house, though.<br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-Local, backyard/ community garden suppliers? May have to jump through crazy hoops for certification- especially with the new hyper-restrictive, over-legislated Food Bills (</span><a href="http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/userletter/?letter_id=4249842746" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm looking at you, SB510</a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">) coming through. Check.</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-Garden or greenhouse out back? Probably- if it's not an "approved supplier"- Check. (I smell zoning troubles, too.)<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-Worms to recycle kitchen waste? Likely considered vermin. Check.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-Making or handling "unusual" foods- you know, freaky stuff like lacto-fermented foods or on-site smoked meats- will require Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) procedures and will be a Giant Pain in the Butt.<br />
</div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, blah.<br />
</span>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-31945842696422944082009-11-19T18:15:00.004-05:002009-11-19T21:14:52.445-05:00The 10th Annual Weston A Price Foundation Conference-- my .02<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHT9h7WgQt3f8kE-KoH-HSZ0EuHmkAUbMrasoQK-OGRzG9UVdIZ4gyQp11xpaMDXBw9FsLIiuOzQTyNc-5NYZ4ZKsfQE28Kb1-iN2SvQC9PLXKYZSh08LKTCFXm-Wn57Ur5Z7fUBYB-Xg/s1600/wapfteeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHT9h7WgQt3f8kE-KoH-HSZ0EuHmkAUbMrasoQK-OGRzG9UVdIZ4gyQp11xpaMDXBw9FsLIiuOzQTyNc-5NYZ4ZKsfQE28Kb1-iN2SvQC9PLXKYZSh08LKTCFXm-Wn57Ur5Z7fUBYB-Xg/s320/wapfteeth.jpg" /></a> <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I sum up the WAPF in a single short sentence (to someone who's eyes are already glazing over), I usually say they promote pre-industrial foods and food systems.<br />
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For those who want more info about what the Foundation does, here a link to the WAPF <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/splash_2.htm">home page</a>. <br />
<br />
Last weekend's conference was my first. It was truly fabulous to walk into a room full of real-food foodies-- attendance was about 1100. It was great to not get the blank stare (or alternatively, the look of terror) when waxing rhapsodic about fermentation and raw milk. And the meals were divine.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So- best parts of the conference were the food and my fellow attendees.<br />
</div><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I doubt I'll attend again- but I'm glad I went at least once. It is really nice to know I'm not alone.</span>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-62238446500257894252009-11-11T11:22:00.005-05:002009-11-18T10:32:55.869-05:00The Magical Stuff that Makes Blue Cheese Blue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ45AUDgOUNbzfECN5If6bRVtbF7r5HRLciKysD4g5jJkRH5DQGiGy3_7zxTsRkgt7FFn-7tJYKBOMSa2p9hCfOVQQAzbr-bdd0Go6nmclIKvM64f5K8sYSb_8ERmp8cPblVsj011SiP8/s1600-h/roqueforti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ45AUDgOUNbzfECN5If6bRVtbF7r5HRLciKysD4g5jJkRH5DQGiGy3_7zxTsRkgt7FFn-7tJYKBOMSa2p9hCfOVQQAzbr-bdd0Go6nmclIKvM64f5K8sYSb_8ERmp8cPblVsj011SiP8/s320/roqueforti.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(B</span>est fungus ever)</span> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">This is the stuff, baby- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penicillium_roqueforti">Penicillium roqueforti</a>. It came in the mail yesterday from <a href="http://www.leeners.com/index.html">Leener's</a> and I'm thrilled to my toes. </span><br />
</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">When I get back from this weekend's 10th annual <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/conferences/2009/index.html">Weston A. Price convention</a> (this year in Chicago!), I'm taking the plunge and making Roquefort. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.</span><br />
</div>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-53345335383426649132009-11-11T10:55:00.003-05:002009-11-11T13:19:56.910-05:00Rajiv Shaw Named Head of USAID<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1x7lQSKgl3FMkRZ5ZNpoRjRemG4Pwo8Zes_G2Xt1gFNZdOVIgbgIJqDPj1Lz-QG2Xq5sTbua11C8zIYNolzjO7vJOe49V6kPYNwrZYdrKzE60kEDz3AxPNrQ-GQ7UzRr7tXzZSQAjTc/s1600-h/rajivshaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1x7lQSKgl3FMkRZ5ZNpoRjRemG4Pwo8Zes_G2Xt1gFNZdOVIgbgIJqDPj1Lz-QG2Xq5sTbua11C8zIYNolzjO7vJOe49V6kPYNwrZYdrKzE60kEDz3AxPNrQ-GQ7UzRr7tXzZSQAjTc/s320/rajivshaw.jpg" /></a> <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rajiv Shaw </span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">USAID stands for the US Agency for International Development. That's the agency that oversees economic development, agricultural assistance, and famine relief in developing nations. The USAID states the three pillars of their mission are economic growth, agriculture, and trade. They are under the umbrella of the State Department, so Hillary Clinton is the big boss.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shaw, who is only 36, had most recently been undersecretary and Chief Scientist at the Department of Agriculture under Tom Vilsack; he worked on food safety, climate, and energy. Before that he was an executive at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He was also the health care policy advisor to Al Gore during his presidential bid. His education is in medicine and health economics. By all accounts, he's brilliant.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, the recent Big Ag-friendly, band-aid policies coming out of the US Dept of Agriculture certainly give me pause. And it can't go without mentioning: The Gates Foundation has close ties to Monsanto. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Certainly, filling this post is a good thing. It's been empty since the beginning of Obama's tenure, and the agency has apparently suffered for it. The Obama administration has stated that they are keen to make development a central tenet of foreign policy. The agency was formed in 1961, and word is, it's still run like a 1960's bureaucracy. <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But I'm still concerned. US relief policies have far more to do with WTO-style economics than with actual, well, relief. It will be interesting to see if Shaw continues to carry the water of the WTO. I wonder if he has any choice in the matter, or if he even sees it as a choice to make.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shaw is American, but his parents emigrated from India to the US when he was a child. I'd love to know his views on India's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_revolution">Green Revolution</a>; specifically, if he thinks the long-term failures were worth the short-term gains. I think it would be very telling of the direction he plans to take the agency.</span>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-34168680027601568822009-11-08T12:13:00.011-05:002009-11-11T09:16:32.913-05:00Sauerkraut, IllustratedI<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> make sauerkraut about once a month, in cabbage season (about July through December). Traditionally, kraut is only made in the cooler months- but since I ferment at room temperature, I'm not constrained by weather.</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I put up 15 pounds for fermenting yesterday; here's the blow-by-blow:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jb3jszTTYQIwdu5mZOqN1Ab7f5TjDXdpY3DqN3XfMnUBagOCkst9TxagxYOu7NiszlX76Rppn_BZMBwuJ6-z9oWqGAnuV6YiSSIJGAKvO94DR2vM7IuXO4ELpLDzIilsqmaZhWzqf4o/s1600-h/cabbagequarters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4jb3jszTTYQIwdu5mZOqN1Ab7f5TjDXdpY3DqN3XfMnUBagOCkst9TxagxYOu7NiszlX76Rppn_BZMBwuJ6-z9oWqGAnuV6YiSSIJGAKvO94DR2vM7IuXO4ELpLDzIilsqmaZhWzqf4o/s320/cabbagequarters.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">First, I quarter and core the cabbages. I like to quarter first because it makes coring easier.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQHkGCGps63BQ39jzOv4dYwdgh-j_zMSxagrirYzmVz64QKVXzCUDJyxLjWE0Ni18DGzxSj5q5NWwrjuPU7yZ5CYGpDbiR8ydHI5w_LMAe-3Gi7VOvd3JehFWAlCce5iUa8uUxErwvB4/s1600-h/cabbagescale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQHkGCGps63BQ39jzOv4dYwdgh-j_zMSxagrirYzmVz64QKVXzCUDJyxLjWE0Ni18DGzxSj5q5NWwrjuPU7yZ5CYGpDbiR8ydHI5w_LMAe-3Gi7VOvd3JehFWAlCce5iUa8uUxErwvB4/s320/cabbagescale.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Next, I weigh the quarters. Typical kraut-to-salt ratio is 5 pounds of cabbage to 3 tablespoons salt. Be sure to use canning salt, not table salt. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6w4r9oG7f2G6X_sAFxvdPHtTN_QldzghIG_mB_elTNNaLF61JC4A2DgFgMlLwnUDfd5_QD05Newb6gSsEha9VAmB8QPsmS27MaftGE3AqlZs3wI6q5F6Y7oj_u6JIq22lyxEiBKYdq8/s1600-h/shredding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6w4r9oG7f2G6X_sAFxvdPHtTN_QldzghIG_mB_elTNNaLF61JC4A2DgFgMlLwnUDfd5_QD05Newb6gSsEha9VAmB8QPsmS27MaftGE3AqlZs3wI6q5F6Y7oj_u6JIq22lyxEiBKYdq8/s320/shredding.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Shredding is next. Yes, it takes a long time, but this shredder works great.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDQy_5RCCW6WRVnep9yxb84CBmduBBkG_xSmaDXmJPIdtF8ohtPiuuAWk_4sefkCXNcZn5fqMvB5tzU1NgG30kmn95FF60ox_iMve9SfKO931eq2LTi3Jx-rYod1e5FL80FBi4s2XY5M/s1600-h/benriner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDQy_5RCCW6WRVnep9yxb84CBmduBBkG_xSmaDXmJPIdtF8ohtPiuuAWk_4sefkCXNcZn5fqMvB5tzU1NgG30kmn95FF60ox_iMve9SfKO931eq2LTi3Jx-rYod1e5FL80FBi4s2XY5M/s320/benriner.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">It's a Japanese "Super-Benriner" shredder- fabulous artwork on the box.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdxubYx3M85LqO8CvT6OKTjupQwTtCUsvxryf4GFEr2yPBenmB_bQYj-6OCDJUiL5bK6f5tXhyphenhyphenmWnOqoSN3qUQ2gC0bgdoc-lgXJg2EG0sFZFX5nWf8jGV9d1ZVlqdCs_Oi7gkAn1T1c/s1600-h/krautshredded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdxubYx3M85LqO8CvT6OKTjupQwTtCUsvxryf4GFEr2yPBenmB_bQYj-6OCDJUiL5bK6f5tXhyphenhyphenmWnOqoSN3qUQ2gC0bgdoc-lgXJg2EG0sFZFX5nWf8jGV9d1ZVlqdCs_Oi7gkAn1T1c/s320/krautshredded.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Here's the first 5 pounds shredded in the crock. It goes nearly to the top. I shred 5 pounds at a time, add the 3 tablespoons of salt, then stomp away.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTrHhskH2NZ4U4v2toPyqICyVvDHNvX8heowjuFfy0Oaz95EcSOtdmxY7xC9F0HCrRdfJdeiCbJuuOGSpEIOpNeup8KVzUDnOJX8xPlF-1IoWvSzPYhGkV9sM8nUazLIaQJtfkFfBX_k/s1600-h/krautstomping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTrHhskH2NZ4U4v2toPyqICyVvDHNvX8heowjuFfy0Oaz95EcSOtdmxY7xC9F0HCrRdfJdeiCbJuuOGSpEIOpNeup8KVzUDnOJX8xPlF-1IoWvSzPYhGkV9sM8nUazLIaQJtfkFfBX_k/s320/krautstomping.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Here's my kraut stomper. It's about the size of a baseball bat, but flat on the business end. I found this stomper in an antique store last year, but you can get them new <a href="http://www.lehmans.com/store/Home_Goods___Barrels__Kegs_and_Crocks___Wooden_Sauerkraut_Stomper___421221?Args=">from Lehman's</a>.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Stomping is absolutely the most important step of making kraut. If you don't stomp it, you'll just have salty shredded cabbage. I stomp for at least 20 minutes per 5-pound batch. I stomp until it sounds really squishy and looks translucent.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtz3J-JkTvXPMf-Rf7_WITX30W8T8y1IK5JFtph0tWmwVl_f2PAobISObQk_7wlNLnJ1p7C6kH7mVj8vn3wFlNPvOIbden0K5yIck71BmOFjJDnBRw_WSSDq0fyANkc2KbW_0XdE6eYGY/s1600-h/krautstomped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtz3J-JkTvXPMf-Rf7_WITX30W8T8y1IK5JFtph0tWmwVl_f2PAobISObQk_7wlNLnJ1p7C6kH7mVj8vn3wFlNPvOIbden0K5yIck71BmOFjJDnBRw_WSSDq0fyANkc2KbW_0XdE6eYGY/s320/krautstomped.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Here it is after it's been stomped. See how much the volume is reduced?<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0uBszwb9TbTFQjVwEwefLLheLV8aZVo0BzZ7M_ld9rZb3-7_ZZsC_c6QzV8xIijLA8jZljn5k04g-TQ25BZJJddQ9wfi6M8hyphenhyphenMPwzRmf_3DhhAtyvM5j_FHBNsKS8Eigp8NQ4kblYBU/s1600-h/krautcrock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0uBszwb9TbTFQjVwEwefLLheLV8aZVo0BzZ7M_ld9rZb3-7_ZZsC_c6QzV8xIijLA8jZljn5k04g-TQ25BZJJddQ9wfi6M8hyphenhyphenMPwzRmf_3DhhAtyvM5j_FHBNsKS8Eigp8NQ4kblYBU/s320/krautcrock.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">After all the cabbage is processed, "plate it and weight it" just as you would any lacto-ferment. While cabbage (especially freshly picked cabbage) does release a lot of it's own juice, it's rarely enough for the one or two inches of liquid you need above the plate. I usually add about two quarts of filtered water with 3 tablespoons of canning salt per quart- same ratio of salt you'd use in any fermenting vat. FYI, this vat is a 4-gallon vat. Some people don't spice their kraut, but I use garlic and juniper berries. <br />
<br />
Be sure to cover the vat to keep out the critters and dust. I use a piece of clean muslin (it needs to breathe) and a rubber band to secure it. Store the vat in dim light or in the dark.<br />
<br />
(After a couple of days mold will form on top of the liquid- and the mold re-forms every day or so thereafter. You must skim off the mold and add more brine as necessary. At room temperature, the vat is typically ready to eat in about two weeks. It will take longer if the room is cooler.)<br />
<br />
I don't add any vinegar. Once you add vinegar (and heat if you're canning), the beneficial bacteria die. Instead, I store it in quart-sized canning jars in the fridge. If I had a root cellar, I'd store it there. But we eat it quickly, so storing is not a huge issue. <br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2Pl0ydXare3l_OSgNcam3g1M7iUzNfxtBUB-XV6wFCHNwWrKbjxZLaoyYewwOXWR2d6CXJFuo0yW6ISKNNuQceR2SrryOyy8E1JYsYLNz1_6VvBjO0AIWUfzUTAw8o_MyjuU1tf7gYw/s1600-h/cabbagesoup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2Pl0ydXare3l_OSgNcam3g1M7iUzNfxtBUB-XV6wFCHNwWrKbjxZLaoyYewwOXWR2d6CXJFuo0yW6ISKNNuQceR2SrryOyy8E1JYsYLNz1_6VvBjO0AIWUfzUTAw8o_MyjuU1tf7gYw/s320/cabbagesoup.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Now, there's always some cabbage left over- the finger guard that's supposed to let you get down to the nub of the vegetables doesn't really work for me. So I make cabbage soup. Typical Russian recipe, but instead of dill and marjoram, I use fresh sage and smoked paprika. Those two are such a great combo with cabbage and potatoes.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That's all there is to sauerkraut. It's a time investment- usually takes all afternoon- but it's so totally worth it.<br />
</div>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-34032339071951340302009-11-06T11:03:00.002-05:002009-11-18T10:33:25.546-05:00Waxing My Cheese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYMZRi_T6TmaXecmYHiC1kStwaAichJWfMc0BM-yorWXCZlWCrL1jExNT6TSW-G4MZKo_NzjiMClEvTd0CMr1WWBg9EyGIqnv5aE6lCN2A8pdZlG5bRf_ibgTWyddQff84iwIz3-0oMM/s1600-h/readytowax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYMZRi_T6TmaXecmYHiC1kStwaAichJWfMc0BM-yorWXCZlWCrL1jExNT6TSW-G4MZKo_NzjiMClEvTd0CMr1WWBg9EyGIqnv5aE6lCN2A8pdZlG5bRf_ibgTWyddQff84iwIz3-0oMM/s320/readytowax.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">This is how the cheese looks when it's ready to wax.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitR4NtwntWF3oCTvrQ2feUMJKmv9difvpdlbMvL3FS22EL9CesXvQtx3GvvV6yrK25mPwZKf1E6wrurZ6nXKFHnDHQx_UApPzfmQE8oGv_yPyyjQTm7U45IOMsg5YVbduNwIK6QDDUXZo/s1600-h/waxpot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitR4NtwntWF3oCTvrQ2feUMJKmv9difvpdlbMvL3FS22EL9CesXvQtx3GvvV6yrK25mPwZKf1E6wrurZ6nXKFHnDHQx_UApPzfmQE8oGv_yPyyjQTm7U45IOMsg5YVbduNwIK6QDDUXZo/s320/waxpot.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">This is my pathetic little waxpot- an old cappuccino frother. I need to get a bigger pot, because dipping cheese in wax rather than painting it on is much preferable. I'm using beeswax, which most cheese makers don't use because it's so expensive, but I love the scent of it. I get the wax fairly cheap from the honey man at our farmer's market. The drawback- beeswax is basically the same color as cheese, so I have to inspect the coverage very carefully.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-mFOjzcImiU62ffc3KFFUTHT003YxImJV_WJDHKV60MKdoHyX0ilD1oAY6gkbYX1EihanpVCAHlr6Pfk47H89NLDFlSbeWUZ5nvXSNEbJYv9oMT_eQMcsnc8e1IrvJmHQQLnacmp7to/s1600-h/waxed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5l7NV5WFv6fKU_-_KunMc-CO5QeNiEPotoB2bEPaeDZ15dUc9Cn4txA9jPwYNDS5ska3GEOXIs40e2_hOc172VaT93Qi4FHma7d2a5U8WuJLB7sWcW6c85MMG7-a-Xvv2P7mPfuPFIUE/s1600-h/waxed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5l7NV5WFv6fKU_-_KunMc-CO5QeNiEPotoB2bEPaeDZ15dUc9Cn4txA9jPwYNDS5ska3GEOXIs40e2_hOc172VaT93Qi4FHma7d2a5U8WuJLB7sWcW6c85MMG7-a-Xvv2P7mPfuPFIUE/s320/waxed.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">Here it is- the waxed cheese. Isn't it cute? It's a cheese wheel made from one gallon of milk. I date it on the day I wax it. Now into the cheese cave it goes.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I should have waxed this cheese about 2 days earlier- cheddar should be waxed as soon it's dry to the touch... but it sort of got away from me. It will be ready to eat in about 2 months, or longer if I can wait that long. There are 3 other cheddars ahead of it, so I think I can wait.</span><br />
</div>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-32230414201112493632009-11-04T09:37:00.001-05:002009-11-04T11:40:57.725-05:00Sam Kass Might Have the Best Job Ever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqF8Yr38tQAKXEyGoZhOBvN_WbfGQ20J1nZBkCilYWoPywIu8nMp5ORU_vjR_e1E2vaGEnJmgpOV1rtMr9-O5nncxgC9kzbFjwaG0p8boEVfvkxlX2P2hFv6T7amDLQgkklxQST6bXv-M/s1600-h/samkgarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqF8Yr38tQAKXEyGoZhOBvN_WbfGQ20J1nZBkCilYWoPywIu8nMp5ORU_vjR_e1E2vaGEnJmgpOV1rtMr9-O5nncxgC9kzbFjwaG0p8boEVfvkxlX2P2hFv6T7amDLQgkklxQST6bXv-M/s320/samkgarden.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">White House chef. Wonk. Locavore. Gardener. Anti-Big Ag. Sits in on policy meetings. Has the ear of Michelle. Cute as a bug. *sigh* </span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Read the article in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/dining/04kass.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th&emc=th">today's New York Times.</a><br />
</div>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-43485949808053015702009-11-02T09:02:00.008-05:002009-11-18T10:34:38.847-05:00Stirred-Curd Cheddar, and a Whey Ricotta<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I made a cheddar on Sunday from my gallon of raw milk- my fourth cheddar, and second stirred-curd cheddar. I also made a whey ricotta from the leftover whey- it yielded about a cup of a dry-textured, incredibly delicious ricotta. I'm using <a href="http://www.cheesemaking.com/HomeCheeseMakingbook.html">Ricki Carroll's recipes</a> here.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stirred-curd cheddar is not a true cheddar. To cook these curds, they are stirred for a half-hour over low heat (100 F). Traditional cheddars require the curds being sliced into strips and air-dried, and I haven't figured out the set-up yet. I'm working my way up to it.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ34mcT9hCkO80sAKPKClXCn_PwFAHTjocY615ucN8BgHvijX2rYOEuHHKQS_rqjXax0vFIaCoQZhhrlfUI012rEIY8c5tVwglIrRHgBhOBZb8gQP7VFFM2LmXWwd_VvtL32Q7eYYcnSU/s1600-h/secondpressing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ34mcT9hCkO80sAKPKClXCn_PwFAHTjocY615ucN8BgHvijX2rYOEuHHKQS_rqjXax0vFIaCoQZhhrlfUI012rEIY8c5tVwglIrRHgBhOBZb8gQP7VFFM2LmXWwd_VvtL32Q7eYYcnSU/s320/secondpressing.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Sunday's cheddar in its second pressing)</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm keeping a cheese journal- very important for reproducibility, and to figure out what I did right or wrong when after the cheese is ready to eat, which is usually a couple of months from the make date. <br />
<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's the blow-by-blow of Sunday's cheese:<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stirred-Curd Cheddar, 11/01/09 <br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">11:30- Direct-set mesophilic starter added @ 96F, not 90F as in recipe. Pot removed from double boiler and covered.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">12:15- Rennet added @ 94F; stirred in up-and-down motion for 4 minutes.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">12:50- Curds cut. Pot covered, placed back on DB.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1:05- Heat turned on to lowest setting. Curds allowed to rest with lid on; temp slowly raised to 100F.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1:40- Began 30-minute stirring of curds- water in DB is 110F.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2:10- Stop stirring- curds considerably smaller.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2:25- Curds drained, whey retained for ricotta. 1 tbsp kosher salt added to curds. Pot covered on DB, with heat on low to keep curds at 100F. Stirred with hands every 5 minutes. Heat turned on and off with every third stir.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3:25- Curds resemble a very large curd cottage cheese sans cream. They are pebbly and a little grainy.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3:30- Curds spooned into cheesecloth-lined mold and put under press with 10 lbs.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4:05- Cheese removed from mold, turned over and re-wrapped, returned to mold. 20 lbs. Cheese was turned about a half-hour later than recipe instructions.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">9:15- Cheese removed from mold, re-wrapped and turned a final time, returned to mold. 30 lbs.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After the last pressing, the cheese is removed from the mold in 24 hours, then air-dried for a few days at room temperature. Then, it gets waxed- in my case, with beeswax.<br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">---<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6r9HGjhZkEMn-k0MYlGfIRtk14nlLJRFoQOho9Vm0hYVf1KzJSXMpcBKVHtr92Ll2K9fuVKvPRrbWxP_aS6cCjRAeNHvsmMgkCp-xf8lyYFDB5HiyIzHXTkDqUTm-0wKXrfPgM0VdL0/s1600-h/wheyricotta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6r9HGjhZkEMn-k0MYlGfIRtk14nlLJRFoQOho9Vm0hYVf1KzJSXMpcBKVHtr92Ll2K9fuVKvPRrbWxP_aS6cCjRAeNHvsmMgkCp-xf8lyYFDB5HiyIzHXTkDqUTm-0wKXrfPgM0VdL0/s320/wheyricotta.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Whey Ricotta) <br />
</span><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Whey Ricotta, from a little more than 1/2 gallon of leftover whey-<br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Brought whey to a near-boil. Added two glugs of cider vinegar; whey precipitated immediately. Added a little salt after draining and cooling. Dry, crumbly texture.<br />
</span>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-12471586535674006302009-11-01T10:19:00.001-05:002009-11-11T10:57:27.459-05:00S.O.S pads- the original and best<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHmRhl6e_EFLMvpUJQ_p5p86-rSIuiBTRjsr5_seZq44RbsFbhlkJHpJbl9So_SrgrFPZvudkk5OmdSu59YxaKRGt5MQcHytgyKfv7Z2wSnG6uerUuHfBzxMP7vYeUELrZgGXbdcEitw/s1600-h/1959sos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHmRhl6e_EFLMvpUJQ_p5p86-rSIuiBTRjsr5_seZq44RbsFbhlkJHpJbl9So_SrgrFPZvudkk5OmdSu59YxaKRGt5MQcHytgyKfv7Z2wSnG6uerUuHfBzxMP7vYeUELrZgGXbdcEitw/s320/1959sos.jpg" /></a><br />
</div><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Brace yourself, I'm endorsing a product.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now, I don't buy much stuff new. If I can't get it used, I probably don't need it-- well, with the exception of underwear and personal care products. I buy even less brand-name stuff. There is some stuff, though, that has no peer. S.O.S pads are such stuff.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ever try the off-brand scrubbing pads? Complete junk. They start bleeding rusty liquid after one use, fall apart after two uses. If you want a steel wool scrubber, you gotta go with the real deal. S.O.S pads are the definition of real deal.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now that I'm working with dairy, the pots get scummy. A substance called milkstone (deposits of mineral salts in milk) build up on the pots, and it's hard to get it off. S.O.S pads are the solution. And it's not just mineral salts- I'm here to tell you, they can scrub off ANYTHING. My pots have never looked better, inside and out. Yes, they cost more, but they are so totally worth it.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, that's my irony-free paean to S.O.S. Thanks, S.O.S!</span>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-56757181175673991582009-10-30T12:36:00.015-04:002009-11-18T10:33:47.667-05:00Playing With Cheese<div style="font-family: arial; text-align: left;">Cheese making. Yes, my friends- cheese making.<br />
</div><br />
<div style="font-family: arial; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBg9A_1xYx3_0nmHw0i9Mt79ynKnjMyrYp4ZvPigFP8evd5YysB0qY3oJuA_tYZr_INW9nhQRLuQiB1dO_mptOTN7FlHOHmjzMuepKNlU2kSd5FvlP6BNS3jfxFjLS4aYEIXsE_vcDNg/s1600-h/ricotta+salata.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398434107969431922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBg9A_1xYx3_0nmHw0i9Mt79ynKnjMyrYp4ZvPigFP8evd5YysB0qY3oJuA_tYZr_INW9nhQRLuQiB1dO_mptOTN7FlHOHmjzMuepKNlU2kSd5FvlP6BNS3jfxFjLS4aYEIXsE_vcDNg/s320/ricotta+salata.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifny5q69q7CAxuuLte9_P5wo_yx3Xy5QSSXCg_4Fcp-753la7N0OPMjWXf08NGVRYz64DWCqWmAKGyDdbspVblARhGD_XeHPD13KYER8hQr0R0RXR1Gj6WLAacLmDdd-HH4AIFmYg24lY/s1600-h/3cheeses.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398434221472228930" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifny5q69q7CAxuuLte9_P5wo_yx3Xy5QSSXCg_4Fcp-753la7N0OPMjWXf08NGVRYz64DWCqWmAKGyDdbspVblARhGD_XeHPD13KYER8hQr0R0RXR1Gj6WLAacLmDdd-HH4AIFmYg24lY/s320/3cheeses.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a>(Ricotta salata above, 3 cheddars below)<br />
---<span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I know, I know- I fell into a hole. It was the 'unemployment sucks' hole; the 'crap, I'm turning 40' hole; the 'what am I gonna do with the rest of my life' hole. After I realized that dietetics was decidedly not going to work (higher math, hello) I couldn't see past it. Took months. I was miserable. Summer was awful. I read and I knit, but mostly, I sulked. </span><br />
</div></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
To add insult to injury, gardening in Michigan just completely blew this year. Few tomatoes, terrible for hot crops in general. No heat at night makes for miserable little plants.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
<br />
But then I had a revelation. I made my first raw-milk cheddar.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
<br />
Now, I've been fiddling around with soft cheeses for a while-- paneer, various spread-type cheeses. And of course, butter and yogurt. But the pressed cheeses felt distant. Then one day, I just did it. Took 7 hours. Pressed cheeses are definitely an all-day event.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
<br />
But, let me tell you- cheese is magic. I labored for 7 hours and gave birth to a cheddar.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
<br />
In fact, that first cheese (a little more than a month ago) changed my life. I realized almost immediately that, holy crap, </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-style: italic;">I belong in culinary school</span><span style="font-family: arial;">, and I am now enrolled in Schoolcraft College in Livonia, MI-- about a half-hour drive from here. I start in January.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
<br />
So that's where I've been. Off with my cheese.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
<br />
Haven't cut into the cheddars yet- I have some doubts about the first one; I suspect the curds were too undercooked and it will be bitter because of the high moisture content. But that's the cheese learning curve for you- it's sort of a long haul. Jerry-rigging home equipment on a stupid glass-top stove has proven to be the toughest challenge, but I'm finding ways around it.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
<br />
I'm going to start posting "A Cheese A week"- I'll go into more detail with individual posts.</span>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-57938743989569566992009-10-14T07:41:00.010-04:002009-10-14T08:02:25.536-04:00Strange, new worlds<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomM0JxrYfjcTwqFsXpnG9xwXC_UcMvuYrxntCvqiKDGJUu4xrT6xiZY_9jzMpGW6dMHtrqURjzx74l-QLBtEnE6NlCezkuO76RQZPouCPHK_jgKprN1EEBDKq7camJAQGG0FClot4AMc/s1600-h/forcefieldofsomekind.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgomM0JxrYfjcTwqFsXpnG9xwXC_UcMvuYrxntCvqiKDGJUu4xrT6xiZY_9jzMpGW6dMHtrqURjzx74l-QLBtEnE6NlCezkuO76RQZPouCPHK_jgKprN1EEBDKq7camJAQGG0FClot4AMc/s400/forcefieldofsomekind.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392419672448614770" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;">The energy barrier from Star Trek's second pilot pays us a visit. </span><br /></div>jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577136631923169994noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-26168859898923582552009-09-22T06:37:00.004-04:002009-09-22T06:46:32.077-04:00Only in Detroit - Fresh Squeezed Kool-Aid<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0r4djHeUVYO3SOXwdjct3LXZ_Rc58_Ntr8_zjsiXHtYz3sJ_0hEHrYxDLW84AAD8MK7I8zRchVtbKUP8XxKLycr1ENq4N2CEQ4gYIvZkcdtpSNZlxLffdcKPaN_CDI2bBv91YGktCX8w/s1600-h/koolaid.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0r4djHeUVYO3SOXwdjct3LXZ_Rc58_Ntr8_zjsiXHtYz3sJ_0hEHrYxDLW84AAD8MK7I8zRchVtbKUP8XxKLycr1ENq4N2CEQ4gYIvZkcdtpSNZlxLffdcKPaN_CDI2bBv91YGktCX8w/s320/koolaid.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384239329339378082" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">We should hire the Kool-Aid man to knock down our abandoned buildings.<br />"OH YEAH!"<br /></span></span></div>jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577136631923169994noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-74863924433856308842009-09-13T19:18:00.010-04:002009-09-13T20:49:03.311-04:00"Do you mind if I smoke?"<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1Znrqfg0Uv5XXnA16mH8ZTdKsaKh3RdK17hMSNoSDQTr_x7O_89dvbBIup8Eo-WuJ49mRvfaLeKV5u6WGT46BWaG7m_ffxjCwSAYGZa4EJFiZ1MJ4Pz2rtDsg_9xtudj-iXYIIm66QI/s1600-h/IMG_5045.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1Znrqfg0Uv5XXnA16mH8ZTdKsaKh3RdK17hMSNoSDQTr_x7O_89dvbBIup8Eo-WuJ49mRvfaLeKV5u6WGT46BWaG7m_ffxjCwSAYGZa4EJFiZ1MJ4Pz2rtDsg_9xtudj-iXYIIm66QI/s320/IMG_5045.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381095955952687858" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Our glorious eggplant<br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIT5oCXh6U_gVIC19cELhzUMm9_-vxw5iKJ4U9lZYu4hvuSjc3qxpJ9V1JI6ZdLFlwz8ay1LW-fTmW7eMPiz6wPsKUowi8p6Qn91rpoM-SuK0ykfEqR6JoCfklLPMbz4qJkWSlFl6ETk/s1600-h/IMG_5047.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfIT5oCXh6U_gVIC19cELhzUMm9_-vxw5iKJ4U9lZYu4hvuSjc3qxpJ9V1JI6ZdLFlwz8ay1LW-fTmW7eMPiz6wPsKUowi8p6Qn91rpoM-SuK0ykfEqR6JoCfklLPMbz4qJkWSlFl6ETk/s320/IMG_5047.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5381096210764439170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Cue Blade Runner theme<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Holly is making her famous eggplant lasagna. On this occasion, while flash-frying the eggplant on the stove, our condo takes on a dramatic, sci-fi noir appearance. The shafts of light beaming through our windows are thankfully not ruined by the screech of the smoke detector :)</span><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size:78%;"></span></div>jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577136631923169994noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-68730247365227305422009-08-24T07:11:00.003-04:002009-08-24T07:25:51.399-04:00Bunday Munday - bedroom invasion<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfs6DsiP84r2qvTss1o1M3r7aKwpKcM73_H64WX2tokiwBytJyXa6ioMAxoiMP29I57ToPOBaT6n85sBReLowb8_WxuqVG2LL9I3wOnV1Fdqqx-DnVjXM7uiA_thLAAZrHFPUQTtmhzgM/s1600-h/IMG_4868.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfs6DsiP84r2qvTss1o1M3r7aKwpKcM73_H64WX2tokiwBytJyXa6ioMAxoiMP29I57ToPOBaT6n85sBReLowb8_WxuqVG2LL9I3wOnV1Fdqqx-DnVjXM7uiA_thLAAZrHFPUQTtmhzgM/s320/IMG_4868.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373486620001686834" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >"One-Adam-12, One-Adam-12, we have a 602 in progress. Over."</span><br /></div>jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577136631923169994noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-7885054714264666142009-08-02T08:08:00.008-04:002009-08-02T08:20:36.576-04:00Mamma mia! What a trombetta!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjFzpm-3HiuQCot8ZXT-lOl0ICx8csuG5nJzLEaY9Kb6GglrLUaGGWDd1bO3rpwB_lYJmpxhljG0UA6RKkA9mp0UCi_85WxJ_TSchapXSK0YKg3Am_ttZ7lOusR7WBNMorVqtAk88Hj8/s1600-h/IMG_4487.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjFzpm-3HiuQCot8ZXT-lOl0ICx8csuG5nJzLEaY9Kb6GglrLUaGGWDd1bO3rpwB_lYJmpxhljG0UA6RKkA9mp0UCi_85WxJ_TSchapXSK0YKg3Am_ttZ7lOusR7WBNMorVqtAk88Hj8/s320/IMG_4487.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365337305552921282" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Someone call Guiness or Ripley's. Holly just picked this ginormous Trombetta squash! It will soon be in a yummy casserole -- or three.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />The seeds are from Renee's Garden, FYI.<br /></span></div>jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577136631923169994noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-14766622856964298102009-07-22T06:20:00.004-04:002009-07-22T06:27:32.466-04:00Red Sky At Morning<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-qa48kWTWabv0uN71MeruU5un1HwAtj70Pu25on6cX9ACAa8zBogSitCpDTggFQKOsIf0akzqCaZ9zvKIZLVmkieENa1ITDIUCHn5YrIHNyx3_psCB7By3d_dATjWUz3Rq_V1iDVKVw/s1600-h/red+sky.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-qa48kWTWabv0uN71MeruU5un1HwAtj70Pu25on6cX9ACAa8zBogSitCpDTggFQKOsIf0akzqCaZ9zvKIZLVmkieENa1ITDIUCHn5YrIHNyx3_psCB7By3d_dATjWUz3Rq_V1iDVKVw/s400/red+sky.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361229132735966610" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Thunderstorms are in the forecast...</span><br /></div>jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577136631923169994noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-89185683578971171882009-07-15T06:23:00.002-04:002009-07-15T06:28:11.044-04:00The Thin Orange Line<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfYXzl-mXwZbVrwC2cY89GpQNfYAnPcGO9obNUYQZBWh4q3yDUNYRQHs2Pk2_7HCpszn-Vo3cQYvJo_OgMxRhJKNZv4aDfUhi4gs7p2CGje5crR67AzVHwQOoWVLvBRL_n3SkrdhxLw0/s1600-h/orange+line.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBfYXzl-mXwZbVrwC2cY89GpQNfYAnPcGO9obNUYQZBWh4q3yDUNYRQHs2Pk2_7HCpszn-Vo3cQYvJo_OgMxRhJKNZv4aDfUhi4gs7p2CGje5crR67AzVHwQOoWVLvBRL_n3SkrdhxLw0/s400/orange+line.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358630887358918546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">It's a new day in Detroit.</span><br /></div>jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577136631923169994noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-24205523638612977022009-07-13T06:26:00.003-04:002009-07-13T06:37:37.549-04:00Bunday Munday- Morning Yoga<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKmxv1Pm1rOjQ3j0duOzeIFCSmg4iGqMgUw1zeWDitA5DvrTRfP8aqYJPNV3RyZIVr2g21vx6tWU5t0WQkogM8PKpPYlyvD07q3srSxlRL3cHwNK0N1Tc664zJbWJbZXDXFBitSsOgEVQ/s1600-h/maxierug.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKmxv1Pm1rOjQ3j0duOzeIFCSmg4iGqMgUw1zeWDitA5DvrTRfP8aqYJPNV3RyZIVr2g21vx6tWU5t0WQkogM8PKpPYlyvD07q3srSxlRL3cHwNK0N1Tc664zJbWJbZXDXFBitSsOgEVQ/s320/maxierug.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357889642391630898" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Here, Maxie demonstrates the bunny version of balasana (child pose).</span>jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577136631923169994noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-53524929022919967122009-07-12T14:05:00.025-04:002009-11-07T13:35:41.080-05:002009 tomato cages - new and improved!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXYbmE79W8Q_p3jZUG4VW0E1PdcVORzqAjEkmiXoDWjtJDmf6lP7PRS90_13NS1NfJhgCpDhZlMQQ3SGNpYMM6LFfQqHkpwCTK4dY8iG3XdECwA71MblslREtWNFEffEfb6IEDhDMt9U/s1600-h/comparo_aa.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357650488669143650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXYbmE79W8Q_p3jZUG4VW0E1PdcVORzqAjEkmiXoDWjtJDmf6lP7PRS90_13NS1NfJhgCpDhZlMQQ3SGNpYMM6LFfQqHkpwCTK4dY8iG3XdECwA71MblslREtWNFEffEfb6IEDhDMt9U/s400/comparo_aa.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 296px;" /></a><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">I'd like to talk to you for a moment about mechanical grip -- as it relates to tomato cages.<br />
<br />
Last summer, Holly and I came up an impromptu design for tomato cages: bamboo bound with zip ties; anchored at the base by bricks. My wife liked the renewable nature of the bamboo, and I liked the vague Gilligan's Island feel it gave our terrace. The green plastic coils hung from the top and supported the plants well. However, this design proved to have one fatal flaw: the cross member at the top of the cage.<br />
<br />
As strong as the zip ties were, they just didn't have much purchase on the round, smooth bamboo -- especially at the top, where five pieces came together. We came home several times to cages leaning dramatically to one side -- thanks to violent downpours and the occasional wind gust. Attempts to reinforce the cages with additional cross members proved unsuccessful. We considered scrapping the design for 2009, but thankfully, Holly came up with a great solution...<br />
<br />
She purchased four 1x2 pieces of cedar and cut triangular notches on each side. These cedar pieces replaced the bamboo cross members, and so far, they have offered far more mechanical grip. The cages still need bricks to anchor the bottom, but we're quite confident they'll make it through the summer in one piece. </span><knocks on="" wood=""><knocks><span style="font-family: arial;">[knocks on wood]</span><knocks><br />
</knocks></knocks></knocks>jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08577136631923169994noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-79715352993798309742009-07-12T13:27:00.003-04:002009-07-12T13:52:30.836-04:00This blog is now a co-blog...<span style="font-family: arial;">Summer is totally my busiest season. Just yesterday after going to the farmer's market, I--</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">-put up a 3-gallon fermenting crock of the season's first green beans,</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />-put up 2 quarts of sauerkraut to ferment,<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">-made 2 quarts of gooseberry jam,<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">-made paneer.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Anyway, I'm whupped. It was 9 hours of cutting the stem and blossom ends off a gallon teeny-tiny berries and 8 pounds of beans, shredding cabbage, straining curds- pretty much any given Saturday all summer long. Not that I'm complaining. But my brain is tapioca and my neck hurts. OK- technically, I guess that's complaining. But how love homemade jam and a good vegetable ferment *sigh*.<br /><br />So my husband is going to join in the blogging fun. He's funnier and cuter than me; also a better writer. His name is Jason. He's an expert eater, design professional, and my favorite person. Hope you guys like him.</span>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-42099700263120383282009-06-29T17:10:00.005-04:002009-06-29T17:47:27.387-04:00Bunday Munday- Napping and Grooming<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxr9wsPqWSrOhLjUkpGWY8F9P2vYBCYrW-4Hq1CEar1ifAXshg2xBpD7FY7vLTHCeK0TvE23IVuYNAiYhHcwOCuUmwUI66yl6acgSZ4nZN1TP0k3JItlNSI-4pHrBSLg1k9vNQY5moAK0/s1600-h/maxienap.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxr9wsPqWSrOhLjUkpGWY8F9P2vYBCYrW-4Hq1CEar1ifAXshg2xBpD7FY7vLTHCeK0TvE23IVuYNAiYhHcwOCuUmwUI66yl6acgSZ4nZN1TP0k3JItlNSI-4pHrBSLg1k9vNQY5moAK0/s320/maxienap.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352868143226527170" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Now that the afternoons are warmer, </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Maxie likes to lay down on this concrete base for one of the I-beams that holds up the condo ceiling. It stays cool to the touch even if he's been laying on it for a while. He tucks his rear into the I-beam; his back half fits into it perfectly. The summer doesn't seem to bother Cecilia as much- she still saves her lay-down naps for the cage floor, or under the sofa.</span>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-71448490638141812009-06-16T19:32:00.005-04:002009-06-16T19:42:54.220-04:00Future Pickles<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-J-ASgVn3WavhyphenhyphenvMVw0BSGJ_Z2OXFMFCvO7XcTCtARgtDcxTR1pOzdXd6xWLFnL4N43kaqlHVL21hqvRumWxbtVaGBY7_-cTijs3bQ7F6xeh9A0bnVvC0e_Tda9t37T9TaIpC3z0gE8/s1600-h/futurepickles.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-J-ASgVn3WavhyphenhyphenvMVw0BSGJ_Z2OXFMFCvO7XcTCtARgtDcxTR1pOzdXd6xWLFnL4N43kaqlHVL21hqvRumWxbtVaGBY7_-cTijs3bQ7F6xeh9A0bnVvC0e_Tda9t37T9TaIpC3z0gE8/s320/futurepickles.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348073697688870754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;">Aren't these little babies freaking adorable? The plant is suddenly just exploding with teeny, weeny cukes. I expect dozens of blossoms by the weekend, judging from all the little nubs.<br /><br />These are a pickling variety called </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.seedsavers.org/Details.aspx?itemNo=617%28OG%29">Double Yield</a><span style="font-family: arial;">; c</span><span style="font-family: arial;">an't wait to try them. </span><span style="font-family: arial;">The seeds came from my favorite seed company, </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.seedsavers.org/">Seed Saver's Exchange</a><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7797140174605400944.post-38456158881525595342009-06-15T12:18:00.003-04:002009-06-15T13:26:02.021-04:00Changing course for school<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ehpjn1ZE1EUD4RF8v48L0k4OjoFtN8D7R7ASLaHtYsuao0xWq0BLlZF6XDyA_MwZS_BDJneaBUOtkN3ULIY3RGSCwkTXTdwYN2fNT7FPP8QJWvV2FqRjwHThulQ0pBzLdNBwTXUcVFg/s1600-h/sweetpeabouquet.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ehpjn1ZE1EUD4RF8v48L0k4OjoFtN8D7R7ASLaHtYsuao0xWq0BLlZF6XDyA_MwZS_BDJneaBUOtkN3ULIY3RGSCwkTXTdwYN2fNT7FPP8QJWvV2FqRjwHThulQ0pBzLdNBwTXUcVFg/s320/sweetpeabouquet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347574201246989026" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">(First sweet pea bouquet of the season, on my desk now- what a scent)<br />---</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;">My whole life, this is my pattern- I dive in, but do not hesitate to back out immediately if it's not working for me. And community college is definitely not working for me. I clearly dove in too quickly. I need to quit school- not forever, just for now. I'm not feeling this right now.<br /><br />Algebra is kicking my can more than ever. For that matter, so is anthropology, especially genetics. They did not teach genetics in school 25 years ago, only Mendel.<br /><br />It has dawned on me that just wanting a thing doesn't automatically make it mine, or even make it possible. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">And that thing would be the dietitian path. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">So I'm attending an introductory seminar next Monday to see about getting my K-12 certification to become an art teacher.<br /><br />I already know art. I already know how to teach. I love teaching. But the memorization of an entirely different field after 20 years of art, design, and antidepressants (SSRIs are known to inhibit memory-- and believe me when I tell you, I can't remember anything) is not in the cards.<br /></span>ilexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772649648781578752noreply@blogger.com18