Garden!

Witness my impenetrable garden of awesomeness!  It's a 4' x 8' raised bed, surrounded by 1/2" wire fence, covered with bird netting.  Nothing planted yet since it might snow again this week.  But soon there will be beans, peas, lettuce, herbs, and even tomatoes and cukes if we get enough sun!

Whew.  Time for a nap.

Easter Blessings

Today has been a remarkable day, and it's only 8:30 in the morning!

Tony and I went to the Easter Vigil at church last night, and so were not going to go to mass this morning.  However, I didn't want to just sleep in on Easter morning, so we had planned to hike up Quarry Hill and have our own little sunrise service.  The sunrise would occur at around 6:55 am, so we left the house by 6:30 and drove up there.  We were surprised along the way by how many cars seemed to be following us.  When we got to the parking lot, to our great surprise and amazement, there was a bagpiper, in full Scottish regalia, playing!  As we got out of the car, we realized that there must be some kind of organized service going on.  We joined some of the other folks who were gathering, and introduced ourselves.  They explained that they were from a Congregationalist church in Rochester, and that they do this every year.  Usually they hike up to the cemetery in the park, left from the state hospital days around the turn of the 20th century, but today, because of all the mud, ice, and snow, they decided it was too treacherous to attempt.  So we stayed in the parking lot.  Around 6:45 they handed out bulletins, and the simple service began.  There was the Gospel reading from John, several Easter hymns (some accompanied by bagpipe), and a prayer litany.  Tony and I felt that this was God surprising us with an Easter blessing that we could not have predicted or planned, and it was GOOD.  And very cold.

When we returned home, Tony took a hot shower to warm up while I made breakfast.  I had bought a tube of crescent rolls at Aldi the other day, and I decided to make cinnamon-sugar pastries out of them.  I unrolled the dough, spread each triangle with butter, then sprinkled on a cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Then I rolled each up into something that looked kind of like the Pope's hat, sprayed them with cooking spray, and sprinkled on some more sugar.  Into the oven at 350 for about 11 minutes, they were perfect.  The butter melted and sort of fried the bottoms, while the middles were buttery and just a little gooey and fluffy, while the tops were crusty with sugar.  I think they were even better than the Pillsbury Grands cinnamon rolls with frosting that my family eats at Christmas.  They were smaller, somewhat healthier without all that frosting, and much easier to eat.  I'm declaring them a win.

What's Up

I was recently asked why I don't blog anymore.  There's not really a good reason, except that I haven't felt like doing so.  I've been busy with two jobs, a fiance, and schoolwork, which is plenty for me.

Today a king-sized bed was delivered to and installed in my apartment, courtesy of Tony's grandparents and his aunt Stacy.  It is very large.  Fortunately, my bedroom has up until now been too big for me and my stuff, so now it all looks like it fits.  Photos to come, maybe.

Tonight, we are headed off to an "Engaged Encounter", a pre-marriage retreat designed to help prepare us for marriage and all that it entails.  The fact that we are attending it exactly one year after starting our official relationship is an irony that is not lost on us.

Last night, we started the process of registering for gifts, beginning with Bed Bath & Beyond.  (Tony kept asking where the Beyond section was.)  We managed to register for many kitchen-type items and towels, but we were too tired to deal with the bajillion kinds of sheets and bedding on offer, so we stuck to a few big quilts.  Did I mention we'll be starting our marriage with a king-sized bed?

We're also trying to figure out what "eating healthy" means for us, as we both love to cook and eat delicious food that is often not on any approved diet plan.  So we debate the merits of carbs vs. fats vs. yummyness, and try not to overdo it.  Sometimes (often) we fail.  Last night after registering, we came home to watch the last episode of White Collar Season 3 (alas, the last one currently available on Netflix!), during which I decided I wanted some molasses cookies.  So I made a dozen, and we ate them all.  Oops?  On the other hand, our dinner was delicious and relatively healthy: lemon-marinated cod with brown rice and Greek salad.

In summary, life is ticking along, with its usual ups and downs, although it seems we are in an up period at the moment.

A Modest Proposal

On September 2, 2012, Tony H. Miller asked me to marry him.  I said yes.  Here is our story.

Lime-Coconut Marinade

In an attempt to eat healthier lately, I invented this marinade/sauce.  I used it on chicken breasts, but I think it would also be delicious on pork or shrimp.

Lime-Coconut Marinade

Ingredients:
coconut water (you could also use coconut milk, but I couldn't find any that had no HFCS or other additives)
shredded coconut
juice and zest of one lime
soy sauce
cumin
cayenne pepper
salt
coconut oil (for cooking)

Combine about a cup each of coconut water and shredded coconut.  Add the lime juice and zest; feel free to add more if it's too sweet.  Add a tablespoon or so of soy sauce, and cumin, cayenne and salt to taste.  Pour into a bag with the chicken (or other meat) and allow to marinate at least a few hours, but preferably overnight.

When you're ready to cook, heat coconut oil in a skillet on the stove until drops of water sizzle, but don't spit, when added.  Reserving the marinade, place the chicken breasts in the pan.  Cook a few minutes on each side, until the chicken is done and the outside is brown.  Remove to a plate to rest.  Then reduce the heat and add the rest of the marinade to the pan.  Cook down until the sauce has thickened and turned brown.  The coconut bits should be toasted a little.  Add a slurry of cornstarch and cold water if it's not thickening enough.  Remove the sauce from the heat and press through a mesh strainer, to remove the shredded coconut.  (I didn't do this, and the shredded coconut made a weird texture in the finished sauce.)

Serve the chicken over rice, finishing with the sauce on top.

Door County, Part Two: The Happy Birthday Edition

This morning dawned bright, clear, and cool.  LR and I went for a three mile walk while SB made French toast and bacon, which LR had requested in honor of her birthday.  While we were walking, we saw

Flowers

Spiderwebs

Wet plants

 We returned to the suite and before we ate breakfast, we sang

Happy Birthday (number 1).

Door County, Part One: The Arrival

This weekend, to help celebrate LR's birthday, she, SB, and I went to Door County, WI.  I have never been here before, but they had, and my parents have, and my boyfriend has, and they all have said it is a beautiful place.  Having been here for about four hours, I can totally agree.

No, really, I'm alive.

Remember that time I was blogging a lot, and held a contest to see when my 100th post would be?  I had lots of interesting projects planned and I'm sure you're dying to know how they turned out.

Most of the projects didn't happen.  I didn't knit a sock, I haven't been running very much, and I haven't cooked anything spectacular lately.  I have, however, done the following:

1. acquired a fantastic, wonderful boyfriend named Tony.
2. got a part-time job shelving in a library near where Tony lives.
3. played tennis for the first time since gym class.  Tony is a tennis aficionado, and an excellent teacher.
4. started spring classes for my library degree: Reader's Advisory and Children's/YA Services.

So that's why I haven't been blogging.  I'll try to get back on the blogwagon (again), but no promises.  As for the "guess when the 100th post will happen" contest, let's say you're all winners!  Anyone who wants to write a guest post is welcome to submit content, and I'll put it on the blog!  Leave a comment here saying "I want to guest post!" and include your email address, and I'll get in touch with you.  Thanks!

Children Are People

"To be a "gifted" teacher is really just possessing the knowledge that children are people and then proceeding to treat them like people, loving them, and listening."

I have said things like this before; that the way teaching happens these days is not the way it should happen.  The best advice to teachers is to treat students like people.  This sounds like a "duh" kind of thing, but think back to your own school years.  How often were you treated like a cog in a machine, or a person of less value/standing/importance than the teacher, or simply one of the crowd of students?  I would bet that it happened, and still happens, more often than we like to admit.  Those stellar teachers who manage to break the mold end up being the most effective and the most loved.

The above quote is from Teacher Tom's blog, and I highly recommend reading more of his posts.  He teaches preschool in a play-based learning center.  I would love to explore how the ideals of play-based learning could apply to school-aged children and even higher education.  What do you think?  Leave your thoughts, ideas, and comments below.

[This is post #98.  We're getting close to 100!]

Running update

Lots of fun new things in this department.  My brother (barefoot running aficionado) gave me a gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods for Christmas.  Although Dick's doesn't stock Vibrams, they did have the Adidas version, called Adipure.  I went and tried a few pairs on to determine the correct fit, and decided to get them.

I'm still here!

Although it may have seemed that I invented anti-gravity shoes and subsequently fell off the earth, this is not the case.  The truth is much more mundane: it was a busy end-of-semester, then I was traveling, then I was home with my family.  None of those activities inspired me to write a blog post.  But never fear!  I am hopping back on the blogwagon (heh, heh) here in the new year.  Look for updates about running, knitting socks, cooking food, and other enticingly exciting topics.

Book review: The Maze Runner Trilogy

The Maze Runner
by James Dashner

In this first book of the trilogy, we meet Thomas as he wakes up with no specific memories of his past, on the way to what we learn is The Glade.  Thomas and some other boys are apparently being kept here, surrounded by an impenetrable maze filled with deadly monster-machines.  None of them have any memories.  Suddenly, the first girl ever arrives in The Glade, and triggers catastrophic events.

Seemingly the love-child of The Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies, this book is fast-paced and interesting, if not very deep.  It's mostly the desire to solve the multiple mysteries that keeps one reading.  Unfortunately, if that is your main motivation (as it was mine), you'll have to finish the series to really answer everything.

 The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner #2)
by James Dashner

A direct sequel to #1, picking up pretty much exactly where we left off.  Thomas and the gang have escaped the Maze, but find themselves thrust into yet another life-threatening experiment where many will die.  Thomas might even be one of them.

Somewhat satisfying in that as Thomas slowly gains back some memories, we can start to piece together what has happened.  Since we, the readers, are not faced with death (and near-constant exhaustion, as Thomas does), we have more leisure to go back and fit his sketchy memories together.  We won't have all the information, though, until book 3.

The Death Cure (Maze Runner #3)
by James Dashner

In the final installment, Thomas and his friends try to figure out how to deal with the organization that has stolen their memories, made them distrust everything and everyone, and killed their friends.

Questions are answered, mysteries solved, and the human race goes on.  Hooray!

Final verdict: a fun, quick read.  Much more cheerful ending than Hunger Games.  Gotta read the whole series to be happy, but don't really have to reread ever, in my opinion.

[This is post #95.  When do you think I will get to 100?  If you're right, you might win!]

African Violets

This is a photo of my African Violets back in June of this year:

 

And these are pictures of them now:

My question: why are the flowers so very white, with hardly any "violet" left on them at all?

[This is post #94.  When do you think I will get to 100?  If you're right, you might win!]

FLYING!!!

My good friend N got me a flying lesson for my birthday, back in September.  We couldn't get it scheduled until this past Sunday due to weather and conflicts, but we finally did it, and it was AMAZINGLY AWESOME.  N took some great photos, to which I will now subject you.

It was pretty cold outside on the ground.  Nice and warm in the plane, though.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Today, I used some Thanksgiving leftovers to make a casserole.

Ingredients:
Leftover cooked white-meat turkey
Leftover roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon & walnuts
Sliced mushrooms
1/2 an onion, diced
Egg noodles
Olive oil
Heavy cream
Flour and turkey gravy seasoning

Directions:
Heat the oil in a pan, and stir in the chopped onions.  Cook until translucent, then add the flour/gravy mixture.  Brown for a couple minutes, then add the heavy cream and some hot water.  Heat through, then add more flour or more water until you have the consistency of cream of mushroom soup.  Alternatively, use a can of cream of mushroom soup.  Add in the chopped turkey and heat through.  Add salt and/or pepper to taste.

At the same time, cook the egg noodles according to the package directions.  Heat some butter in a separate pan, add the mushrooms, and cook until browned.  Then add in the Brussels sprouts and heat through.

When everything is heated, mix it together in a casserole dish.  Sprinkle crushed cracker bits, dried cranberries, and Parmesan cheese on top.  Put it in a 350 degree oven until the top is slightly browned, about 10-15 minutes.

Sorry for the poor picture quality; one of these days I will get a real camera.

MEAT!

I just purchased 25 pounds of local beef from Rising Moon Farm.  I was a little worried that it wouldn't all fit in my freezer along with the three chickens I have left and all my frozen soups and stocks.  But it all fit perfectly.

That's 12 pounds of ground beef, a couple roasts, short ribs, and several different cuts of steak, all on the bottom shelf with my three chickens.  Everything up top is pre-cooked.

[This is post #91, by the way.  Leave a comment with the day and time you predict I will post my 100th post, and you will win a TBD prize!

Next Year's Garden (and a CONTEST!)

Last week I ordered some seeds from Seed Savers Exchange at 50% off.  From left to right, starting in the top row, I have beans (dry), beans (snap), beets, blue corn, pickling cucumbers, purple basil, Greek oregano, leeks, lettuce, peas, peppers, pumpkins, and tomatoes.  So I'm very excited to grow things next spring.

Also, this is my 90th post on this blog!  I am holding another contest: whoever most correctly predicts when I will post my 100th post will win a chance to guest post here at WWWW.  Or I will guest post on your blog.  Or I'll write you a limerick.  Basically, the prize is negotiable.  Start guessing the day and time I will post the 100th entry on this blog!  I don't even know myself (I don't have it planned out or anything), so we'll all be surprised.

Book review: Coop

Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting
by Michael Perry

What a fun book!  Perry has a great way of making his writing funny by using much more complicated vocabulary and sentence structure than is warranted by the situation.  He is also very skilled at bringing out the emotional complexities of starting a small farm: in his relationships with his family, his neighbors, his livestock, and in his ambivalent attitude about "work" that pays the bills versus "work" that feeds the family.

A quote for Susan:

"I wrote the word reverence into our vows in honor of the way my father has always treated my mother.  Dad taught me that reverence wasn't fawning, nor was it always delivered in hushed tones.  I saw it in the goofy way he doffed his fur-lined Boris Yeltsin hat when he opened the van door for her on Sunday mornings; the way he quietly abstained when we kids teased her for not getting our jokes; the way he never failed to leave the dinner table without thanking her.  And there was the reverence between them: lest we be deceived, on many occasions-- together and separately-- Mom and Dad made sure we understood that their marriage had rough patches and disagreements, but that they had long ago promised to work it out quietly behind closed doors.  It didn't hurt that they sometimes made sure to let us catch them kissing.  Nothing off-putting, just a hug and peck in the kitchen or in the sheep barn during lambing.  In this I believe they were extending their reverence to the children-- letting us know that when we went to sleep it was in a house headed by parents joined at hip and heart."

Wednesday Pizza

I made pizza yesterday.

First, I mixed up and kneaded the dough.  Then, while it was rising in the microwave (it was off, of course), I went for a walk/jog.  After I returned and took a shower, it was time to punch it down, preheat the oven and pizza stone, and start making the toppings.  Here's how it went down:

Abby, the Cat

This is Abby.

She does not technically belong to me, but to the owner of the house I live in, who has been away on vacation for the past month.  Thus, I have been her primary source of food, water, love, and non-autonomous grooming.

She likes to walk on me, knead me, and lie on my chest.

This sometimes makes it hard to breathe, as she is (and I say this with the love of Christ) something of a fat cat.

She also likes to bring me presents.  Last night, I woke up to the sound of crunching.  At first I thought, "Oh, that's Abby eating her crunchy food."  Then I thought, "Wait, I didn't give her crunchy food tonight..."  And then I realized that she was eating a mouse.

I figured I probably didn't want to witness that process, so I stayed in bed and tried to go back to sleep.  No dice.  After the crunching stopped, and Abby apparently left the room, I finally had to turn on the light, get out of bed (very carefully, so as not to step on the corpse), put on my glasses, and remove the head and tail and other remains of her midnight snack into the garbage.  (Be glad that I did not have the presence of mind to take a photo.)  Then I went downstairs to get the Resolve carpet cleaner (to clean up the blood).  Sprayed that on the carpet, waited the requisite five minutes, then blotted and wiped it clean.  I washed my hands, then firmly shut the door (to keep any further snacks out of my room) and went back to bed.