Cheater

That would be me.  But, I have a reason.  Just listen.

I went to another community's farmer's market today.  And, I bought stuff.

I've been hearing about the farmer's market in the next big town over.  They show pretty pictures on their face book page.  I have a friend who is a regular there, and she brags about what she gets.

I discussed it with another foodie friend, and we decided that we'd drive over there today.

There weren't as many vendors selling food as in my farmer's market, but the offerings were more exotic.  It seemed more like the pickings of really enthusiastic gardeners.  (And lots of crafty types.)

My haul (and all are items not available at my market) bok choi, asparagus, honey sticks (they did have jarred honey and jams, but I can get good local jams and honey, so I didn't buy), carrots, and garlic/herb goat cheese.

I have beautiful new potatoes left over from last week, so we'll have potatoes and carrots for dinner tomorrow night (I'll figure out a protein), and then Monday night I'll make a veggie fried rice with the asparagus and bok choi.  I'm fairly sure I might have a squash or two left from last week as well.

I don't know if I'll make it back to that other farmer's market . . . but it's nice to know it exists.  It has been decades since I had asparagus from the garden.  The Old Woman use to love to taunt me during asparagus season, after I'd moved out on my own.

Quickie

Go buy one (or more) of these.  

I bought it, originally, for scooping out cookie dough.  It makes uniform sized cookies but also speeds up the whole cookie making process . . . because the cookie eating part of the process is the most important step.

But, I also use it for portioning out, neatly, muffin and cupcake batter.

And, tonight I used it for pancakes.  I cannot believe it took me this long to figure out to use it for pancakes.  It made perfect little pancakes and I could get 8 pancakes on the griddle at once.  I've never made pancakes for supper so quickly.

I guess you could use it for ice cream too . . . if you weren't going to eat straight from the carton.

Indulgence that is probably a waste.

Every year, I buy myself one serious THING and then usually one totally frivolous item.  This year, the THING was this:

The grill with side smoker box for the monkey serious about learning to tame the smoke.  Technically, it's Phenom's birthday gift . . . and the Phenom benefits from my experiments.  Oh, and brine is your friend .  .  . especially brine with beer.

My frivolous item was a subscription to BIRCHBOX .  Once I decided which sort of box would be more appropriate for a monkey . . . I set about ordering.  Once a month, you get a little box of samples.  They are totally random, although there is some attempt, supposedly, to match some of the samples to your preferences.

Beauty products for a monkey?!  I love samples, what can I say?  Plus, this is how I keep my travel bag stocked.  I don't know if the box I got today was really worth $10 . . . but there are several items I think will work beautifully while I travel this summer.  And, as the Old Woman would say . . . you don't know what your favorite thing is unless you try new things.

Surprise!

I feel like I'm in some pretty cool, Portland themed pay-it-forward.  Today, in the mail, I received a package from someone in New Jersey.  At first, I assumed it was one of the several travel books I've signed up for through various tourist sites.  But, the New Jersey address kinda threw me.  I mean, who would think that the Portland tourism board would outsource their mailings to New Jersey?

And, when I opened it, it was a copy of Portlandia, A Guide for Visitors.  I love the show.  I'm hoping that the show is based on actual people who can be found in and around Portland.  But, I have no idea who sent me the book.  Well, there is a return address label.  But it isn't anyone I can recall actually knowing off the top of my head.

So, my imagination is in high gear.  Is this a cult recruitment tool?  Will Portland proselytizers show up on my doorstep, soon, to discuss with me the benefits of accepting Portland into my life?  Is this someone who knows someone who heard I was going to Portland?  Or is there a branch of Anonymous who monitors folks who register for the tourist books and sends out Portlandia?

It's pretty cool.  Getting a treatsky in the mail, totally unexpected, is the kind of thing that makes you think the world isn't half bad . . . and maybe I should give Portland a chance, eh?

Anyway, THANKS Judy from New Jersey!

Why I love NOLA

Sad news in NOLA this morning.  The Hubig Pie Bakery burned down.  Total loss of the building.

Hubigs are little single serve fried pies.  They have several standard flavors, like chocolate and lemon but they also have a rotation of seasonal flavors like blueberry and sweet potato.  When they can, they use local sources for their fillings.  They don't have lots of crap in them, so the "eat by" date on the package (usually about a week to 10 days after baking) really is an EAT BY date.

Every time we go to NOLA, we garner laughs from the TSA screeners because my carry-on bag is filled with Zapps Potato Chips, Hubig Pies, and prailines. 

I'm sad the factory burned down.  Very sad.  I'm sad for the company that worked so hard to come back after Katrina put them out of business the first time.  I'm sad for the 40 employees who are out of work for the foreseeable future.  I'm sad for the farmers who supply produce to the company.  This fire is devastating. 

But, what I love is that less than six hours after the fire broke out, several local NOLA companies have already announced that they are working on a plan to help bring the company back.  THAT, my friends, is community.  And, it's why I love NOLA so much.  It may be a big town, but it is a community.

Berry Good

First off, a disclaimer . . . this is totally ripped off from Nigella Lawson.  Phenom has an unnatural attraction to her.  Well, her form.  She has British tastes, which aren't Phenom's food tastes.

BLACKBERRY VODKA!!!!

I made a batch last year and bottled it up and gave it to ESK as an early Christmas prezzie.  Apparently, it didn't last very long.

Here's what you do.  First, make friends with a farmer who grows blackberries.  This way, they will send you a facebook message to let you know they have blackberries for purchase.

Get a 2 quart jar that you can seal up so that it is air tight.  You'll not want any spillage and there will be vigorous shaking.  Wash out the jar.  Add in 1 quart of fresh blackberries, 1 cup sugar, and a fifth of good vodka.  Seal it up and shake the dickens out of it.  You want all the sugar to dissolve.  Which will take time and patience.

Then, stash in a cool, dark place.  Everyday for 2 weeks, give it a good shake.  Then, once a week for 4 weeks, give it a shake.

You can drink the vodka (or add it into your favorite fancy drinks) and eat the blackberries.  I like to fold a few berries into whipped cream and drizzle a spoonful of the vodka over the top for a fancy looking but easy dessert.

YOU ARE WELCOME.

Roughage

The Old Woman liked to pick kale very young and tender, and saute it in butter. I spent a good bit of my life being a vegetarian. Even now, meat isn't served that often in our household.

And, ya'll know my proclivities run towards the liberal. I understand the frustration expressed by the occupy movement. When I hear about the intermingled way politics/big business/and money are screwing over the average person, I get frustrated too.

So, naturally my self-righteous indignation was dusted up when I heard on NPR that Chick-fil-a corporation has sent a "stop it right now or we'll flex our big corporate muscles to squash you little man" letter to the guy behind the "Eat More Kale" t-shirts. Talk about corporate greed and screwing over the small business man.

Go to the web site, look at the shirts, read his story . . . and ask yourself, at any time did you confuse his "eat more kale" message with chick-fil-a's advertising scheme? I didn't think so.

Perhaps Santa needs to dump some kale on the doorstep of the chick-fil-a headquarters . . . then they'd know the difference between fried chicken and a leafy green.

I didn't forget

This year, as you may remember, my New Year's resolution was to explore some new music. I've not forgotten that pledge. I haven't yet found a group I could see myself following around and flinging knickers at, yet, but I've not given up.

The latest exploration is Robbers on High Street. I'll confess, I'd never heard of them before, until a friend started dating one of the guys in the band. Then, out of pure loyalty, I started listening. I'm thinking I'll make a purchase soon.

I like the sound . . . reminds me of 80s british pop/punk that I listened to in order to annoy the Old Folks. I'll need to download an album or two for my next road trip . . . I seem to catch lyrics better when I'm in my car.

If you listen to the Robbers on High Street station on Pandora, you can hear other groups that are similar . . . and totally fulfills the whole "new music" requirement in my life.

Little Touches

While vacationing, we discovered the lovely drink Pimm's Cup. It has quickly become our new favorite. It sits firmly into the catagory of "light, refreshing drinks designed to be sipped in this miserable heat" drinks. Much like mojitos.

Pimm's cup is roughly equal portions of Pimm's, lemonade (or collin's mix), and ginger ale (or soda).

And, I think I mentioned in the last post, I can't get Pimm's in this town. This culinary hell. Not only can I not get it, the fine folks who are usually more than willing to swap recipes and chat a spell with me at the liquor store looked at me as if I'd asked for bottled poo when I requested it. Sigh.

Last night might not have ended up being a drunken beer fest in the back yard if I'd found the Pimm's. We had friends visiting town on their way to the family 4th get-together. I thought that a pitcher of Pimm's cups and perhaps some steaks grilling might be a good evening.

But, it was not to be and we had salads and beer. But, they told me they'd called liquor stores in 5 counties during their drive looking for a bottle for us. Such great friends, no?

Easy

By Friday nights, I'm wiped out from the week. So, I've been pretty good over the years putting together quickie meals that take little effort but are comforting for Friday nights. This has been a great improvement over the years we settled for beer and microwave popcorn on Friday nights.

Lately, Friday night has meant kung pao broccoli and fried rice. For the broccoli, I blanch it when I get home from work, chill it, drain it, and stash it in the fridge. The rice, I cooked earlier in the week because fried rice calls for cold rice (kinda like the best hash browns come from cold, boiled potatoes).

To make fried rice, I heat the wok and put in a little veg oil and swirl it. Then, pour in two eggs I've lightly beaten and salted. When the eggs are set and the top just a little wet, I flip it for a second, and then slide the eggs on to a plate. Then, I add a bit more oil to the wok and grate in a large garlic clove. By the time I'm done grating, it's cooked and I can dump in the rice. I break up the rice with a wooden spoon, and sprinkle with soy sauce and several dashes of toasted sesame oil.

Then, I turn on the frying pan for the broccoli. Again, a little oil, the broccoli, a good toss and then season with Kung Pao Sauce, turn down and return to the rice. I push the rice up the sides of the wok to make a center well. I pour 1/2 - 1 cup of frozen peas in the well and stir them into the rice. Then, I chop up the egg. When the peas are warmed, I stir in the eggs, taste, adjust the soy sauce if needed, and VOILA! dinner.

I love the Annie Chun's products. I keep the noodle bowls in the office for quick lunches on the fly and the kung pao sauce has a nice kick. You could go all fancy and sprinkle some chopped salty peanuts over the broccoli if you wanted.

And, bonus . . . a great lenten, meatless Friday meal too.

I do love me an advice column

One of the rituals I like to subject ESK, and sometimes Phenom, is reading aloud and discussing responses to, and then evaluating the actual response in advice columns.

I have liked Dear Abby over the years. I even had my own response to one of her columns printed by her. Sadly, my local newspaper doesn't carry her column anymore. We have Dr. Joyce Brothers instead. I just haven't gotten into that one.

Currently my favorites include: Dan Savage, Dear Prudence, and the Ethicist.

Dan writes about sex. He is a gay man in a committed relationship and a parent. I've observed him become less tolerant of behavior that victimizes others. He also points out that many of the measures proposed/enacted to take rights away from gay people also takes rights away from straight people. His columns are the sort you shouldn't read at work. Sometimes the letters have a horrifyingly high squeamish factor. This week, he gives spot on advice about a person who acted out in a sexually aggressive manner to an unsuspecting and non-consentual person. It was gold.

Dear Prudence is more like what I use to get from Dear Abby, only I think with a better grasp of modern culture.

Most of the time, I like the responses from the Ethicist. Some of the questions posed in the column are thought provoking. I don't always agree, but I do like the discussions the column sparks.

I don't really do "reality tv" . . . I imagine my love of advice columns isn't too different from being drawn in to reality tv, only in really small doses and with a nice neat ending.

Bit by Bit

One sure fire way to put your stamp on your dude is to re-work his wardrobe. Nothing tells others to back off, he's taken like matching socks and a shirt/tie combo that doesn't clash.

Early in our relationship, I pulled some wardrobe magic on the Phenom. It was subtle and accomplished one piece at a time. It took me 7 years to completely change the wardrobe from the late 70s - early 80s era Phenom was sporting to something a little more dressy and non-psychedelic.

I've started again. Only this time, I'm picking out pieces from Phenom's favorite designer. It's expensive, and I can only afford to buy items for gifts. But, 7 years from now, Phenom should be one dapper poster child for this designer.

New Music

As you may recall, having rejected the Phenom's half-hearted suggestion for a kinder, gentler, less hatier Super Bongo in the new year, I've opted to seek out new music. Using Pandora, I've been trying out stuff outside my usual comfort zone of revolutionary, 70's era folk.

This won't be the end of my quest, but I'm happy to report, I've found a group I like and have actually purchased an album of theirs. Pink Martini. They are jazzy and international with songs in french, italian, english, and spanish. They try new twists on classics as well has have some wholly new stuff.

Since I really get the best sense of lyrics in my car, I plugged in my iPod while making client calls the other day . . . and was blown away by one particular song.

One of the reasons I like Cole Porter songs is the clever lyrics and scandalous themes. And, it's just one reason I like this song.

My latest crush

I tend to throw myself into situations whole-hog. When I was younger, I had a friend tell me that I was addicted to feeling. I like the highs and lows . . . and not in a bi-polar sort of way . . . just in a sensual way. The intensity can wear a person out. Perhaps this is why the Phenom and I work so well . . . we're pretty evenly matched in being intense.

I stumbled across the now viral video totally by accident. But, this is my latest girl crush. When I first saw the video, I was struck by the notion that in real life, I'd probably like this person because I think we can appreciate each other's quirks. But, I also think she may be on to something. I find my self thinking about her ideas a lot. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around her . . . and figure out, in a Quaker sort of way, what her ideas mean in my own life and how I approach others.

Doing good

So, in a desperate effort to beg out of a meeting today, I found myself frantically searching the inauguration web site for any sort of event I could claim to be participating in or viewing via the internet. After all, who is going to argue that you shouldn't be a patriot and attend some hellish meeting?

And, I see that the inauguration committee has set aside January 19 . . . a paid holiday for most folks . . . as this event: Renew America Together: A Call to Service. The Bidens and Obamas are planning on spending the day involved in service projects. Beyond the sappiness of it, I have to say I like it. I know, they didn't ask my opinion before hand . . . which we'll have to discuss later . . . but I like the idea of encouraging folks to use a paid vacation day to extend themselves within their communities.

So, in recognition of this call to service and in recognition that most folks are likely to intend to do something but end up sleeping late instead . . . I give you a list of web sites where you can do some good and stay in your jammies.

Kiva . . . you can loan people in developing parts of the world as little as $25 for their enterprises. They pay you back and you can take your money back or reinvest it. You can thumb through their ever changing list of projects and pick something that is close to your heart or just tugs at your heart.

If you want your shopping to have a more positive impact, you can check out the items on Ebay's World of Good site. Everything from recycled goods to jewelry.

For a longer term, even more passive approach, try making GoodSearch your home page. You can find a charity you like, or add one you like, and every time you search anything on the internet, the charity of your choosing will get a penny. The more people searching, the more money your charity earns. Their site says they have 73,000 charities listed, so you're sure to find one you like. Additionally, on the same site, there is GoodShop. If you access one of the many many(they say they have over 700) online retailers (from ebay to macys to nike to overstocks.com) through GoodSearch, the charity of your choice gets a percentage of your purchase . . . and it varies from retailer to retailer.

If you'd like to design your own project and solicit donations or sponsors, you might check out setting up a FirstGiving site. You can list a charity you already work with or you can find one that is near and dear to your heart. I've seen kids set up pledge sites for their own activities and charities set up sites for fundraisers.

These are just a few ways you can contribute to your community or the charity you love. There are lots of other things you could do . . . if you take a shower and change out of those jammies.

Sleeper Hit Xmas Gift

I'm a simple monkey. I have a pretty simple grooming routine. I don't try too much . . . I wouldn't want to call too much attention to myself. I like to smell good. I like to not snag my clothes with rough skin. I like to have white teeth. Pretty much anything else is icing on the cake.

So, when a friend gave me this for xmas. . . . I was just a little reluctant. It seemed like quite a luxury. And, it would add an extra step to my routine . . . rather than slapping on whatever lotion is nearest the shower . . . I would have to turn on this thing . . . and wait for the light to stop blinking.

OMG!!!!!! I want to know how these babies aren't standard issue in bathrooms?!? Warm Lotion!! How did I not think of this one before. You just wouldn't imagine how wonderful warmed lotion feels on a cold morning. I'm totally addicted.

New Phone!

I finally purchased a new cell phone. This one has a camera and speaker phone and gadgets galore. Maybe breaking my very very old phone was a good thing.

I've got programming to go do. WHEEEEEEEEEE

The Ultimate Public Loo

New Favorite

I have a new favorite web site that just might replace my addiction to podcasts.

It's Hulu.

On Hulu you can watch, for free, tv shows and movies. They have some recent shows like House and The Office . . . and classics like Alf and WKRP. I can also get my fix of Gordon Ramsay cursing bad chefs.

And, it totally reinforces in my mind that I should be able to see and find anything on the internet when I want it.

Snuggle Monkey

So, everyone on the planet is making money on the internet but me.  I'm not really ready to start making money online myself . . . but, I could be soon.  And, I blame the ESK (evil side kick).  ESK is very much into making stuff and is trying to sell it.  She has a good eye for color, design, what not.  And, I am totally a victim of peer pressure.  

A friend is setting up a table at a local craft fair next month and wanted stuff to sell.  ESK is making jewelry.  I have decided to give a hand at it.  I have spent the last several weeks making two items for sale.  What isn't sold at the craft fair may show up on ETSY.

My first item is a baby sling.  I tested it on a cat . . . but you could put human babies in them, I guess, if you were so inclined.

This is my friend who started this whole mess . . . but since she's going to handle the craft table, raking in huge amounts of cash for me while I'm drunk and on the floor of a bar of NOLA, who am I to complain.  No, that's not me in the sling.  She had a "toy" monkey in her office.  The slings can be one sided or reversable . . . with cotton or flannel.  I can make them to size the person who has the baby to sling around.

My second item is a "soothy sack" . . . which you can heat up in the microwave and put on your achy muscles . . . or chill in the freezer to relieve the puffyness of a hard night's drinking.

I'm calling my line
"Snuggle Monkey."  
If you want one for your very own . . . send me a comment with your email.  I'll not publish the comment, but I will email you and maybe we can work something out.  

I'm thinking the slings will go for $25 for single sided and $35 for reversable.  The sacks will depend upon the size . . . $5 for eye pillow sized up to $20 for drape across your shoulder sized.