bellevett

weekending x 2

 

 

 

so the past few weekends have been just the sort of weekends i have needed most.

both were made up of relaxation and productivity.

truth be told, i have been a bit preoccupied with a project here in my little land.  and that project is a new quilt for my boy for his first birthday.  which is coming up next week. on valentines day.  also known as my baby boys first birthday.  so, i deemed it fit to begin sewing him a quilt 2 weeks before, cause that's just what i do.  so, the knitting has been put down and all other interests have been put on hold until this quilt is finished.

except.........

we did find our way out doors 2 weekends ago when the weather got to a point where it should have been considered a sin to stay indoors.  it was still a bit cold, but the sun.  oh the sun.  it was quite nice.  seeing as though this winter has been unseasonably weird and totally unpredictable, seeing sun after months of overcast and rain and 50 degrees with no snowflake to be found, the sun was a welcomed player.

i dug up my beets and one lone carrot, just to see how it was doing.  i planted some arugula and some french breakfast radishes, just for kicks.  who knows, we may not get below 40 degrees at all this winter.  i am proceeding forward with my plans.  after all, the farmers almanac does seem to back up the claim that we will most likely not have any substantial winter here in the valley. 

i pulled up some spinach and re-mulched the kale. 

i turned all of our cover crops on our other two beds.

crosby took the whole garden bed terminology to heart and took up residence laying and rolling in the bed like it was his personal space. 

sourdough bread was made.  and....... meeeh. it needs some work i tell you.  i wont give up yet..

last night i made a giant salad and i used some pickled beets that i canned last summer.  they were by far one of the tastiest things i have canned ever.  and i now remember why i always plant so many beets.  also, the miniature beet eater in the family had some fresh beets last night roasted in the oven with salt, pepper and olive oil.  yes. they were Tasty.  capital t.

the truth is, i have begun my new pinboard on pinterest for my future farm. and i am seriously craving some fresh foods right now.

but, before i get into all that, i have a few days left to finish a quilt that i spent all last night seem ripping out the border after i saw a mistake that i just couldn't ignore.  so, the farm talk will have to wait for a few more days. 

happy tuesday.

the past and the present.

 

about a month ago, cody and were out alone, enjoying some sushi that was i think made from perfection, and then some beers made from awesomeness.

something about being out alone without crosby made us think of a few of our favorite memories, prechild.

this visit from the past was surely because we were at a place that we most likely wouldnt bring crosby, and this place was a place where would go in the years pre marriage, and prebaby, and prehomeownership, and pre real jobs.  read: during college.

we remembered all of the decisions, mistakes, and awesome times.  we thought about how weird it was to not know responsibility at all, and how free you are from any actual obligation, aside from the table waiting job and the classes.  we laughed and thought about those times, and how fast they went by.  they were like a brief flash. 

not one of the mistakes we thought about or the money we spent on something that we would never do now brought up any feelings of regret.  because that time was then in that moment. and we lived it. and we saw it, and breathed it in completely.  and then we moved on.

our conversation moved on to the present, and crosby, and our funny memories we have made in the past few months.  and then of course onto random topics of what we have recently heard on the radio or read on the internet. and then our conversation trailed off into future plans and goals and then the beers were done, and we went home to our warm house to be in our present.  with the snuggly baby.

i know that in a few short years, we will be looking back to this moment with our like minded friends, and our kids and babies will be teenagers and adults.  and we will look back at these times and know that we lived them fully..... breathing in the babies, laughing at the millions of pounds of poop we cleaned off cloth diapers, and the glasses of wine or beer we would sip preciously while watching portlandia after an especially hard and exausting day of wood splitting, diaper washing, fussy teething whining, and constant, necessary and often exhausting baby wearing.

as one of my friends on facebook recently quoted:

"time keeps on slipping slipping slipping, into the future." 

 

the spice of life.

a light snow fell last night.

i went to sleep hoping i was going to wake to a winter wonderland, but alas, just an inch.

i had big plans for us take a cold and snowy hike this morning, but by the time we ate breakfast and were ready to get out the door (that takes a while you know) most of the snow had melted. 

after some brief errands, i settled back in with my new favorite beverage: a frothy hot milk with vanilla bean paste mixed in.  surely the most heavenly drink on the planet.... and got a wild hair to start some a sourdough starter. 

i took some inspiration and knowledge from the river cottage bread book and set to beginning my journey of master sourdough bread making and i am not going to lie, i did envision my rye sourdough starter becoming so flavorful and delicious that i would keep that same starter for 20+ years, and people would request a small dip of my special starter for christmas and birthday presents. 

meanwhile, while i was knee deep in a very fruitful daydream, crosby was knee deep in the spice cabinet.  the spice cabinet and the dishwasher are his current favorite hangouts, and i pretty much encourage any and all shenanigans that occur in the kitchen. this was an especially shenanigan-full day as crosby was concocting his own little mixture of deliciousness.

baking soda is never to be forgotten amongst the list of delicious items to eat and flavor dishes with. 

toothpicks top the list as best rattle.

if the dishwasher gets opened when you have just about gotten the curry powder opened and you can get a fork to help with the rest of the way, you have really hit the jackpot.

after a bit more exploring and tasting, we headed out of doors for a little fresh (cold) air.

at the end of the day, my spice cabinet is newly organized and clean.

our woodstove is maxing out.

my camera is full of images of life: snow. stick eating. spice cabinet ridiculousness. my new sourdough starter. cats hogging the heat.

 

ps. before you tell me i am crazy, neglectful, insane, unfit to be a mother: as a former montessori teacher, i seem to always allow Crosby to explore his environment (which i have semi childproofed) and i pretty much consider any destruction or craziness a practical life experience.  and i like it that way. 

oh, and i'll let you know how the starter goes. and my future sourdough starter business.

bottling it up.

has anyone found a way to bottle up feelings yet?

this week has so far been so pleasant. i am in the process of figuring out just how to bottle up the feeling of such pleasant, relaxing, and happy times.

the slow pace of enjoying the company of others, still buzzing from the christmas/solstice holidays and getting ready to celebrate the reviving/clensing feelings of bringing on a new year, has been good for the soul.

 

if you figure it out, let me know.  hope you are enjoying your days.

 

ps. above.  mixture of hot earl grey tea and hot egg nog from a local dairy.  literally my breakfast lunch and dinner at this point. 

 

bark

 

first and formost: peppermint bark.

the most addictive most rediculous item in the land.

here is how i make mine:

6 oz. semi sweet chocolate

6 oz. milk chocolate (i mix the two together.)

12 oz. real white chocolate (callebaut if you can find it. but if not, just anyone that has cocoa butter as the main ingredient.)

1/8 teaspoon peppermint OIL (this is important.  if you buy peppermint extract, you are going to need about a teaspoon or a little more.  the peppermint oil is an extreme concentration.  i use loranns.)

1 box of crushed up candy canes.  i put mine in the food processor, because i am not into the chunks.

*************

melt your semi sweet and milk chocolate in a double boiler, stirring.

line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

after chocolate is melted, spread it in a thin layer on the parchment paper.  this works best with an actual spoon.  offset spatula for me was a bust.

put this in the freezer.

melt your white chocolate in a double boiler. 

when melted add your peppermint oil.  taste it and see if it is pepperminty enough for you.  add a bit more if necessary.

take chocolate tray out of freezer, add the white chocolate on top, quickly.  then add your crushed candy canes on top.

put in fridge until solid.

break into pieces and eat massive amounts for breakfast lunch and dinner  package in nice jars and give to all the people you love the very most.

 

 

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

so, the whole candied grapefruit dipped in white chocolate was rather.... meeehh.

so, i went another route. 

as i had seen a recipe in ina garten's book back to basics, or maybe barefoot contessa at home... not sure.... with a nut and fruit bark, so i gave it my best shot with the candied grapefruit.

(truth be told, i really like candied orange peels better, but the selection of oranges at my co-op has not come into a good season just yet.  january will be epic.  blood oranges galore, i just know it.)

 

to make you need:

12 oz mixture of good chocolate, i like to mix semi sweet and milk.

1/2 cup of raisins

1/2 cup of salted cashews

1/4 cup of candied grapefruit peels, crystalized ginger, or really any dried fruits you can find.  really.

coconut would be good.

ok, so melt chocolate in a double boiler.

when melted, spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

add cashews.

add raisins. 

put in fridge and chill.  break into pieces and give to your best buds.

 

hooray for holiday foods!!!

on december 7th.

yesterday it did this:

i began to believe my dreams were finally coming true of an early december snow.

but, alas, it stopped.

inside i was finishing up this:

now i am officially casting on for a few confidential christmas gifts.

also, i finished letting these dry:

 

they are all packed up in a tin, waiting to be dipped into some white chocolate.  which will happen this weekend. if they last that long.

 

december 5

 

i do want to find ways to bring some heart and soul back into the holidays.

(although it could just be my recent visit to the mall that has been tempting me lose faith in what the season should be about and the way our nation celebrates.... ahem.)

so, yesterday on st. nicholas day's eve, i made some delicious and treatlike buttery parmesan thyme crackers that we can have today. 

the recipe is out of the back to basics cookbook by Ina Garden. 

i own all of her cookbooks, and they are used weekly at the least.

we didnt put any shoes out last night for special treats to be delivered in.

but, we will be celebrating to the fullest today complete with white chocolate covered candied grapefruit peels and some sort of dinner containing cranberries for good measure.

Parmesan Thyme Crackers

original recipe from Ina Garden 

1 stick room temperature butter

1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese, grated on a microplane

2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 1/4 c flour

about 1 tablespoon cold water

 

cream butter with your electric mixer

add freshly grated parmesan cheese, thyme, salt, and pepper

cream together

slowly add flour

it will get very crumbly at this point and dry

add cold water very slowly, mixing with a fork, so as not to add too much water

when your dough gets nice and soft, that you can knead it into a ball, you are ready

make into a log, wrap in plastic wrap, and put in fridge

pull out of fridge after about 20 minutes

oil a baking sheet lightly with olive oil

preheat oven to 350

cut into thin slices about 1/4 inch or less

place on baking sheet and place baking sheet in freezer for 10 minutes

pop into oven for 20 minutes, checking after 10 and rotating pan

let cool on metal baking rack, store in airtight container

 

and yes, i do believe i can bring some heart and soul back into our holiday traditions via food.

december 2

last night we spent some time elfing....

in the form of bottling some homebrewed beers. 

 

as the bottlecapper, i spent some of my time knitting, while beers were being filled. which seems like a way that i would like to spend all of my days: knitting until a full beer comes my way in need of a cap.  i could really spend all day in the kitchen with cody, endlessly making, and brewing, and cooking up new and more awesome consumable goods that bring us even further into the land of self sustainability. 

yes. that sounds like a good plan.

although here is the truth, it is that i was tired, and crosby was finally asleep, and my mind was telling me to finish a few projects around the house and curl up in the bed with a few more things checked off my christmas to do list.   BUT that list is gone my friends, for december is for living.  and i am glad for it.

 

which brings me to my last post, and my resolution "list". 

like i need another list really.

most of it was blank.  i went through and wrote down a few things that were my most memorable holiday traditions and things that i sometimes dont seem to make time for and then i spent a few days thinking.

and living.

and i realized that what i really wanted and what i was really trying to verbalize was that my true resolution was to live in the moment for the last few days of 2011. 

to snuggle and nap.

to read.

to knit.

to slow down.

to enjoy time with family.

to make cookies with my friends.

to stop thinking of things that need to be done.

to bottle beer at night with my husband.

 

and in one week, i will sit and drink one of those bottled beers. 

modeled after the terrapin brewery's wake and bake.

and i will be happy that i bottled these beers with cody late into the night.

 

so, the moral of this story is that i have a blank sheet of paper numbered 1-31. 

and i am filling it in as i go along.

and that feels right.

 

ps. i am so inspired by Heather.  this post and this post were truly heart opening.

 

thankful five- day 3: indulgent foods

 

 

 

 

top to bottom:

homemade mozzarella.  a truly (incredibly easy and extra cheap) indulgent food item.  now that crosby eats dairy, i make this weekly.  and it never ceases to amaze me how good it is. 

ramps.  the first sign of spring. gathered locally.

pickles.  anything pickled.  most especially zucchini and beets.

chocolate covered candied orange peels.  cant wait to make those this season. best holiday indulgence.

****************************

yes, i am thankful for treats.

 

Thankful five- day 2: fresh foods.

 

 

when we bought this house 5 years ago, we had big gardening plans.

each year, our garden plots have expanded, adding new ones, enlarging old ones.

each year, we plant more and different and we hope and plan and tend as much as we can.

we have lots of failures.

we have lots of successes.

i am so grateful for the fresh quality food we have been able to grow each year.

 

"inch by inch, row by row, were going to make this garden grow."

 

 

five days of thankfulness links:

day 1