The Eye of SlyGly

Catching Up

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:21:00 +0000

I haven't been blogging much because I have too much to say. I can't limit my thoughts to single blog topics. But I have to start somewhere, and so I will begin with stray photos.

I became addicted to winter squash, especially the kombucha-style kind shown above. I purchased this huge thing for $1 and got 4 meals out of it.
I made these cookies for a party. Chocolate dough, rolled in toasted walnuts, filled with vanilla caramel, and drizzled with chocolate ganache.
A closer look at those cookies.
Butternut squash soup, spicy and sweet and creamy, topped with crunchy and salty bacon.
Marinated kale salad. I have made this recipe three times in one month. Served alongside the butternut squash soup, with crusty rosemary-olive oil bread.

Done

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:05:00 +0000

Neglect Acknowledged

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:37:00 +0000

I have spent the entirety of November immersed in NaNoWriMo. In order to preserve my reading and exercising and cooking schedules and sanity, I quit blogging and Facebook for the month.

So, hopefully I'll be back soon with a real post, but currently I am at a word count of 46,065, and I must make it to 50,000 by tomorrow at midnight.

Houseguest Evicted

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:46:00 +0000

I put off doing laundry for a long time. I bought more socks and wore scorned shirts from the back of the closet. I really wanted to know if the basement poison had been effective, but I didn't want to know badly enough to open that door.

But I did, yesterday. I flung the door silently and suddenly open, turned on all the lights, and remained alert for any signs of movement. Nothing. I stared at the pieces of dryer lint that had fallen from the wastebasket. Just lint. Then I saw the tiny lump lying near the water softener. The dead houseguest.

I didn't stay to look at it closely. I went back upstairs to wring my hands and pace. I was sort of happy that my problem might be taken care of and considered for a while just leaving the evidence there and hoping that it would evaporate. I settled upon this idea for long enough to go back down and put in a load of laundry, but the room just felt so creepy and I could not stop staring at the corner where the body lay. I was worried that it might move.

So I gave myself a pep talk. I reminded myself that I have extensive babysitting experience and I have handled stuff that smells and looks bad. Hands can be washed. I can hold my breath.

I found two pieces of cardboard and put on cleaning gloves that reached my elbows and sturdy shoes. I held my breath, tried not to look at what I was doing, and used one piece of cardboard to nudge the body onto the other piece of cardboard.

What happened was unexpected and I do not like the unexpected. I had thought that I would be moving something that was heavy and meaty. It wasn't. The body was light and dry. Wispy. Fragile. An empty shell. The faint memory of a mouse. A ghost. The tail was horrifying but I could not take my eyes from it.

My hands were shaking but I was OK while opening the front door. When I turned the door knob, the body fell off the cardboard, close to my feet, and I screamed loud enough for the neighbors to hear. Nobody came to save me, and I am disturbed by that. So then, the body was at my feet and I had to calm myself and do the cardboard process again. I dropped it outside, several feet from the house and out of sight.

I'm still shivery while in the laundry room. I can hear noises there.

The Stolen Child

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:02:00 +0000

From The Stolen Child by Keith Donohue:

I crept back into the house, and pretended to be reading the sports page when he came in. My father stared at me hunched over the newspaper, my long fingers wrapped around a coffee cup. The wet belt of his robe dragged along the floor like a chain. Soaked, disheveled, and unshaven, he seemed much older, but maybe I had not noticed before how he was aging. His hands trembled as if palsied, and he took a Camel from his pocket. The cigarette was too wet to light despite his repeated attempts, so he crumpled the whole pack and tossed it in the trash can. I set a cup of coffee in front of him, and he stared at the steam as if I had handed him poison.

"Dad, are you all right? You look a mess."

"You." He pointed his finger at me like a gun, but that's all he said. The word hung in the air all morning, and I do not think I ever heard him call me "Henry" again.

The Stolen Child chronicles the lives of Henry Day. The original Henry Day ran away from home as a child and concealed himself in a hollow tree. He was taken by a band of changelings and replaced by one of their number, a double, the new Henry Day. The first Henry became a changeling himself and was renamed Aniday. The chapters are in alternating points of view between Henry, who is working hard to dispel the Day family suspicions, and Aniday, who is struggling with his new identity in the shadowy edges of the forest.

I really did enjoy this one, especially the first couple of chapters, in which the structure of changeling abilities and motivations were explained. But after that things got bogged down. Henry and Aniday lived their separate lives, rarely intersecting as much as I hoped they would. Henry had some initial hurdles to overcome, but otherwise was a mostly dull human. Aniday had his own troubles but was mainly just wandering in the woods. I didn't feel much sympathy of either one of them, and I think that I was supposed to. I hoped for an explosive confrontation of an ending, and it came, but it felt somewhat flat and dry.

But overall I am still intrigued and haunted by this one. I love the concept of impostors. I love secret identities. I love the concept that you can never really know someone, even if you have lived with that person for decades.

The Soup Season

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:21:00 +0000

Actually, it has always been soup season for me. But now is the really serious soup season. I make at least one huge pot per week, sometimes two, from October until May.

Yesterday, I made this irresistable Sweet Potato, Corn, and Jalapeno Bisque. It was velvety, colorful, and comforting, while being strikingly low in fat, sparse on ingredients, quick to make, and cheap. I had everything on hand except the molasses, and I really regret not making a special trip out to buy it. I used some wildflower honey in its place, but there really is no substitute for molasses. I topped the bisque with shredded monterey jack cheese, which was just the thing to make up for no molasses. I think that next time I make it, I may add bacon or black beans to make it heartier, or serve it alongside some roasted shrimp. Or for a lazier version, substitute canned pumpkin puree for the sweet potatoes.

My freezer is now completely emptied of corn. Kind of shameful, so I won't discuss how much corn was in there a couple of weeks ago. I really want to make this recipe for roasted corn pudding in acorn squash, but it hurts me to think that I would need to buy corn to do it.

Items I received in the CSA last week were:

1. Sweet potatoes. I used half for the bisque, and will make oven fries with the rest.

2. Hot peppers: lots of them. Very timely for the above recipe.

3. Celeriac: I have often yearned to try celeriac, but have been sort of afraid that the grocery clerks will ask for a price check on a rock. I have some recipes for mashed celeriac, but I think that it may end up in a stew instead.

4. Yellow-skinned, yellow-fleshed potatoes that are not Yukon golds, but look like them.

5. Red-skinned, white-fleshed potatoes

6. Kohlrabi. I got one bulb, and then found another that some unadventurous person had abandoned in the choice box. Probably the same sad person that tossed a fennel bulb in there months ago, which I also took. Kohlrabi puree is on my mind.

7. Garlic

8. Winter squash: One heirloom acorn and one delicato. Trixie is so thrilled!

9. Red crispy lettuce head

10. Carrots: a GIANT bag of GIANT carrots.

That was the second-to-last delivery. This week is the last. I am already cautiously leafing through cookbooks and wondering what to do when the CSA veggies are gone. Can I really just pick any old recipe and make it?

Housemate Update

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:46:00 +0000

I have spent some time thinking about my mouse fears and about rodent psychology.

What am I really afraid of? I am afraid about how fast mice can run. I am afraid that they will race up my legs, up my torso, and into my hair.

I slept on that thought, and then woke up realizing that the fear is far-fetched. The mouse is afraid of me. There is no reason for me to be timid. I am tall and powerful.

The encounter in the laundry room was a problem of poor communication. I did not announce my presence clearly enough. Turning a sweater inside-out is a nearly silent process. If the mouse had known that I was there, then it would not have intruded.

The solution is to state my intentions clearly. I should say, HERE I AM. I WILL SORT THE LAUNDRY NOW. WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES. The mouse will think, Ah yes. Superior species here. Will stay hidden. I should repeat this every 30 seconds or so, and some foot stomping now and then should help to maintain my solitude. Problem solved.

Then Terminix came today. (On a Saturday morning!) The outdoor utility hook-ups look fine, so sign of entry. But there is a small gap in the garage door. The guy suggested that the mouse came in the garage through that gap, waited until I showed up and opened the door from the garage to the house, and then followed in after me.

I was disturbed by the explanation. I stated that I did not believe it. I make sounds when I walk, I said. My feet stomp around. He laughed. He said that mice are not very afraid of people, and footsteps are not that frightening.

So, the theory is gone. I feel horrified that something may have have scurried after me through the door without me noticing, while my thoughts were occupied with greeting Trixie and post-work snacking and juggling mail and purse and lunch bag. How could I be so oblivious? How could I not feel that presence around my feet? What else am I unaware of? Is there a wild turkey in the guest room closet as well? The pangs of ankle vulnerability have returned.

I need to get the garage door fixed and buy some taller socks.

Shepherd's Pie

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 23:15:00 +0000

Last night I pulled a piece of salmon from the freezer to defrost in the fridge. I tentatively planned on having it along with roasted broccoli and a crunchy green salad for dinner.

Then I went outside today and was pounded by icy winds and snow flurries and realized that there was only one reasonable option for weekend eating.

So I made shepherd's pie. Beneath the top "crust" of mashed potatoes (crispy on top and creamy elsewhere), lies a rich beefy filling that is brimming with herbs and vegetables: carrot, onion, garlic, green beans, and red bell pepper. There is no comfort food more filling and humble than this pastoral pie. I ate an embarrassing amount.

Bear with me while I gloat: all of it was made from scratch (including the mashed potatoes and gravy, though I did not make my own beef stock) and took me one hour to complete (including peeling, boiling, and mashing potatoes).

***
In other food-related news, here is the CSA update. I haven't mentioned it in a while, mostly because I have been overwhelmed with the quantities lately. It seems like I spend more time rearranging the fridge than cooking.

One of my good friends gave me an excellent recipe to use up some red bell peppers. I thought that I had two of them, but upon exploring the fridge, I found five. No big deal, I thought. Use three, leave two. I could make chili or stuffed peppers later. But then I got another CSA delivery. And I received SIX MORE red bell peppers. So yeah, I may need to make those stuffed peppers soon and freeze them for later eating.

I also received a sign-up form for next year's share in the CSA. I don't have to sign up now, but I get a small discount if I do. I am slightly indecisive. The quantity of food is enormous, and I often wish that I could shop at the farmers market instead. But the CSA has really stretched my creativity. I doubt that I would have become a kohlrabi fan on my own. I imagine that I will probably sign up again. I begged for beet greens, arugula, cauliflower, and rhubarb in the CSA survey, so I guess I should renew, in case my dreams are granted.

Here is a list of the items that I have received in the last two deliveries:
-Lettuce head, red and crispy
-Onions
-Broccoli
-Winter squash: Finally! One acorn (a huge heirloom kind that looks like butternut) and one round colorful one called carnival.
-Beets, red and white striped ones!
-Red bell peppers, lots and lots
-Jalapeno peppers
-Bok choy
-Celery
-Garlic
-Potatoes: fingerling, white, and red-skinned ones. I now have EIGHT bags of potatoes in storage, many of them still completely full.
-Spinach
-Kale
-Cabbage
-Carrots: I now have THREE giant bags of carrots in the fridge. Time to make carrot-dill soup and carrot cake again.
-Salad mix
-Ruby heart radishes: these are so spicy that they bring tears to my eyes!
-Leeks: two more beautiful giants.

I made home-made chicken stock this week, which helped to decrease the quantities of some of the above.

Cashews contain Cashew

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:16:00 +0000

Bag, side 1:

Bag, side 2:

Again

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:24:00 +0000

Tonight I hefted the laundry basket downstairs, full of self-righteousness about having unpacked my suitcase only four days after arriving from out of town. A tidy person, me. I set the washer to fill and picked the first sweater from the basket, lifting it to turn inside-out.

I caught a glimpse of movement from the side of the dryer.

The light was behind me, so of course it might have been the shadow of my arm.

I studied the room. I pulled one sweater arm free, then the other.

A teeny face peeped at me from the side of the dryer. I dropped the sweater.

I screamed, then boldly stated, GO LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE, which got Trixie upset from her perch upstairs, and I bolted away with the laundry basket (didn't want the sweaters to become a cozy bed). I had to leave. My ankles felt so vulnerable. I left the washer running, empty, which is sad, but I'm not going down there again. Then I called Terminix.

The Ongoing CSA Project

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:13:00 +0000

About the potatoes. I have lots. The more I eat them, the more I crave sweets. Last week my stomach demanded that I make these flourless brownies. I replaced half of the sugar with Splenda, but they still weren't exactly healthy, considering all the butter. I like to think of them as sort of balanced with the high-protein, high-fiber secret ingredient, which becomes undetectable after baking. They did hit the spot. I would like to say that the brownies had a fudgy texture, but fudge brings to mind a cloying feeling. The brownies were rich and creamy and only mildly sweet, reminiscent of a chocolate custard.

This week's CSA delivery:

-Potatoes: pounds and pounds of them. Red-skinned, white flesh ones and Yukon golds. Tonight I am making a giant quantity of mashed potatoes. I like to fry leftover mashed potatoes in small patties until they are crispy and golden brown on the outside but remain creamy on the inside.

-Patty pan squashes: huge ones. I have big plans for stuffing these. The stuffing will consist of tomato, onion, mushroom, panko bread crumbs, cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil.

-Tomato: to be used as above.

-Kohlrabi: It's back! I'm glad, because I was moaning about lost opportunities to try this kohlrabi puree recipe.

-Carrots: another huge bag. Carrot muffins this week.

-Green beans: this may be the last of them for the season. They may have to be frozen because I'm just overloaded with food at the moment.

-Garlic: half gone already.

-Broccoli: broccoli cheddar soup has already been made.

-Red bell peppers: Somehow, I always become stumped with what to do with these. I would stuff them, but I've got the squash this week.

-Leek: I got the most beautiful leek ever. Leeks at the grocery store are mostly composed of green tops, which are not edible. The leek I've got is almost entirely of the good white part. I love leek soup with bacon and potatoes, but I may end up sauteeing it since I've already got the broccoli cheddar soup. See photo below. My hand is there to demonstrate perspective.

-Celery: I have nothing against celery, but I'm not one to get excited about it, usually. The CSA celery is something completely different. It actually tastes like celery! It is so strong that it might overpower the flavor of a soup! It is so crunchy that I feel conspicuous bringing it to eat at work! But I did anyway. I have been eating it with peanut butter and upon salads.

-Salad mix: It had returned! To be eaten for lunch.

The last delivery is October 22. I am starting to get a little anxious, because despite all this abundance, I haven't received any winter squash yet.

I Am Outraged

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:06:00 +0000

That somebody is altering the flavors and colors of Neccos. Even the chocolate ones. I mean, there are only about five people in the world who like Neccos. Shouldn't we have been consulted?

Three Items

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:58:00 +0000

1. Mouse update: The situation isn't fully resolved, but I am much more emotionally stable than before. Last night, I even sat on the floor for a few minutes while watching a movie. Terminix came and went, not much was definitively accomplished, but there is something reassuring about telling a story to a rational, uniformed person. I have come to the conclusion that the mouse is a loner type. No family.

I think that the mouse is gone now, but I haven't discovered a body yet. That bothers me. I might forget, and then the body might turn up unexpectedly one day.

2. I finished Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, the sequel to Hunger Games. I loved it, but I have some mixed feelings. The first 1/3 of the book was headed in a certain direction, which was kind of rambly and wishy-washy, but I didn't care because I was so grateful to be with the characters again. Then I was abruptly thrown into another plot direction, with apparent abandonment of the first. I tried to be annoyed, but this plot was too exciting to think too much about anything. On the last couple of pages, a plot twist happened that managed to tie the two pieces together and leave my mouth hanging open. I was thrilled, but also irritated with myself for not working it out earlier.

There is to be a third book in the series. Maybe more. A series is not good for my health. Too much yearning and mouth-watering and hand-wringing. What am I supposed to do with my free time now? I cannot read any books that are similar to Catching Fire right now. I cannot read any books that are not similar to Catching Fire right now. I'm headed to the library soon; maybe something with grab my attention.

3. CSA delivery was last night. I had to do some creative refrigerator rearranging.

-Potatoes: The farm is having an outstanding potato crop, and everyone is receiving a double-share of them from now on. I got a large bag of blue-skinned, blue-fleshed ones and a large bag of what I think are Yukon golds. I am going to make a huge batch of pesto this weekend, some for freezing and some for topping potatoes.

-Green beans: will be roasted.

- Carrots: purple ones again!

-Tomato: one large green heirloom variety.

-Red sweet peppers: hmm. Plans are underway.

-Summer squash: one yellow and one large patty pan. More bread?

-Broccoli: I have tons now, because I still have the broccoli from last week. I am thinking about another batch of broccoli cheddar soup.

-Collard greens: may be blanched and frozen for a wintry soup.

-Ruby heart radishes: These are huge and look like turnips at first, white with red centers. to be eaten raw.

-Corn: Six giant ears. I have pickled, frozen, and consumed literally gallons of corn this season.

Remember early spring, when the CSA only sent six items per week, and I would have it all eaten by Monday night?

The Last Care-Free Moment

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:14:00 +0000

This morning, while taking Trixie for a walk, I thought about these six things:

1. I should do laundry soon.
2. (Upon seeing a house for sale on my street) I'm so glad that I have neither the want nor the need to sell my house right now.
3. It's too bad that I have to work this evening. Looks like a nice day.
4. Which leftover should I have for lunch and which one should I pack for dinner?
5. (Upon seeing someone spraying herbicide onto a lawn) I should cancel my Terminix account. They spray my yard for ants, but I've never seen an ant attempt to enter my house. Why do I have to be so antagonistic?
6. The squirrels and chipmunks are particularly active today.

While I opened the door and freed Trixie from her harness, I thought about these six things:

1. I am never doing laundry again.
2. How soon can I sell my home?
3. I shall go to work early and stay late.
4. I'll skip lunch. The hospital cafeteria probably has something nice for dinner.
5. I must call Terminix immediately.
6. What is this? The rodent revolution?

While I was walking in, I saw a flurry of motion in my periphery and felt a chill of horror slide down my back. A mouse. Racing to the safety of the laundry room. I rushed upstairs, called Terminix, made an appointment, and paced with worry.

Sensibility returned. I felt a beige comfort sink squarely onto my shoulders. I wasn't quite sure what I had actually seen. A large bug, maybe. A fluttering brown moth. My eyes had been dazzled by sunlight and I may not have seen anything at all.

I peeked down the bannister to the half-basement. No mistake. I saw it right at the foot of the stairs, contemplating the climb. Mouse.

I had a mouse three years ago, when my relationship, or codependency, with Terminix began. It had gotten in through the dryer hookup. I looked outside and yes, there does seem to be a chunk of insulation missing. I had bought extra blocks of poison at that time for extra security, and I've still got some in the garage. I got them out (shouted and stomped for the mouse to scurry away first) and scattered them around where the mouse had been. There is no expiration date on the box. I hope there's still poison left after three years.

So, now, I am making myself as small as possible on the couch. Terminix is coming early tomorrow morning. I am hoping that I will be so busy at work that I will be too tired tonight for terror. I am hoping to come home to a dead mouse, really.

Even though I loathe my house and its woodsy surroundings right now, I am suddenly grateful for its odd layout. The main entrance is in the half-basement, which is just about as inviting as you think it is. There is a laundry/utility room down there, a closet, and a stairway to the living room. But this means that I can be on the second floor and feel relatively safe. I know that nothing is really a barrier for a rodent. But my theory is that even if it did make it from the basement to the first floor, it would find enough to entertain itself there and would have no need to explore the second floor.

I wonder what to do with Trixie tonight. She would dislike being stuck upstairs. She would be absolutely no help as a hunter. But does the mouse know this?

Beet Experiments

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:39:00 +0000

This week I had the following at hand from the CSA: beets, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and cabbage. So, there was really only one option to bring them all together--make borscht. I am renaming my version as Triple Purple Soup, because my potatoes and carrots were purple to start with. It's too bad that the cabbage was green. It turned out well! I pre-roasted the beets, added fresh thyme sprigs from the garden, and flavored with beef stock, Worchestershire sauce, and red wine vinegar. It paired nicely with crusty whole-grain bread and sharp white cheddar cheese. I just tried to ignore that it was so....unnaturally purple.

CSA delivery from this week:

Watermelon: The greedy part of me was thrilled that the watermelon in my box looked bigger than most of the other ones. But then the lazy part of me was disappointed that I had to carry it out to my car, along with pounds and pounds of other stuff. Now I'm back to being thrilled. I never buy watermelons. I haven't cut into it yet. This one is supposed to have orange flesh.

Potatoes: This kind has purple skin and purple insides. They stay purple after cooking!

Green beans: I had previously found these kind of dull, but that was before I tried roasting them with garlic, onion, and olive oil.

Beets: Lots. Half of them went into the borscht, and the other half are going to be Jewel-Roasted Vegetables. I bought some brussels sprouts at the farmers market for the recipe--I just can't resist the tiny early fall ones.

Summer squash: I am going to make another ratatouille tart.

Tomatoes: One red and one yellow. Both to go in the above tart.

Onions: gone already!

Broccoli: It turns out that broccoli pesto is the perfect topping for potatoes.

Lettuce: my favorite dark-green oak leafy kind.

Chinese cabbage: gone already!

Panic

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:58:00 +0000

Corn Relish

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:34:00 +0000

Canning Project #2, done.

Unrelated items:

1) The 5K run yesterday went well and was more fun than I thought it would be. My time was 38:41, which is faster than I have finished a 5K distance before.

2) The double broccoli quinoa (mentioned previously) came together beautifully. I thought that the broccoli pesto by itself tasted kind of bland. But when combined with everything, something magical happened. The pesto and quinoa were both slightly chewy, the feta and avocado were creamy, the garlic spiced it up, the toasted almonds provided crunch, and the lemon freshened it all. I added some leftover salmon to the top. I was too lazy to make the hot pepper oil, but I think that it would have been a nice addition.
Finally, the freezer and crisper are empty of CSA broccoli.

Apple Frangipane Tart

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:01:00 +0000

I don't fully buy into the idea of carb-loading before a race, but I figured that the night prior to a 5K run is an excellent excuse to make an apple frangipane tart.

Quoting from my Cooking Light cookbook, frangipane is "an almond-flavored filling made from eggs, butter, sugar, and ground almonds. When baked, the frangipane puffs up and sets around the apples."

I used the filling recipe from Cooking Light, which replaced the butter with low-fat cream cheese. (If you want the recipe, I see that someone has copied it here.) But I made my own crust, a shortbread kind, rather than the phyllo crust that the recipe called for. I find phyllo to be a hassle to work with, and I would probably end up wasting the phyllo sheets that were left over.

The tart turned out beautifully! The frangipane looked skimpy to start with, but puffed up high just as it should. The apples are tender but still tart. The almond and vanilla flavors are ultra-concentrated. The ground almonds add a rich texture and pair well with the shortbread crust. Next time I make this, I will try using pears.

Running Mix

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:44:00 +0000

Here is my iPod playlist for the 5K that I am running tomorrow. I had to set aside my preferred variety of "sad bastard" music and scrounge for peppy items. Regretfully, Don't Stop Believin' didn't make the cut, although at one time I was determined to make it the finish-line anthem.

1. Life in Technicolor II- Coldplay
2. Dashboard- Modest Mouse
3. Too Little Too Late- BNL
4. E-Pro- Beck
5. Falling For the First Time- BNL
6. Radio Nowhere- Bruce Springsteen
7. Viva la Vida- Coldplay
8. Somebody Told Me- The Killers
9. Gone Daddy Gone- Gnarls Barkley
10. Invisible Touch- Genesis *
11. Amsterdam- Guster
12. Mr. Brightside- The Killers
13. Girl- Beck
14. Don't You Evah- Spoon
15. Heavy Metal Drummer- Wilco
16. Just Like Heaven- The Cure

It's more music than I need, but I couldn't bear to part with some of these. Maybe I should run longer distances.

*There should be no need to explain or apologize for music, but I'd like to state for the record that this is the ONLY Phil Collins song that I like.

Low-Carbery On Hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:45:00 +0000

It is hard to maintain a low-carb philosophy when the house is always full of potatoes, carrots, and corn. But I am trying my best to reserve white flour and white sugar for special occasions. Maybe this winter I will reform.

Today's CSA delivery:

Corn: Seven ears! I am thinking more seriously about canning some corn relish. I have gone so far as to draft a shopping list for the project.

Carrots: a giant bag.

Green beans: a small bag. I may try roasting them.

Summer squash: One yellow squash and one huge patty pan--cream-colored with neatly scalloped edges. More muffins, I think. Or maybe a ribbon salad.

Onions

Garlic

Potatoes: not russets, but similar in appearance.

Edamame in their fuzzy pods: I was so pleased! I like to make 3-bean salad with these. If I can't finish them this week, I will blanch and freeze them.

Tomato: One giant heirloom variety.

Sweet red pepper: will go into the corn relish.

Broccoli: I haven't forgotten that I had previously declared a plan for making broccoli pesto. I got some prompting from this recipe for double broccoli quinoa, conveniently appearing in my Google Reader this week. I already know that it will be fabulous, because it will be topped with avocado and feta cheese.

The Book Thief

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:19:00 +0000

I have just finished reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

I chose it because it had been recommended to me many, many times, by people whose opinions are generally trustworthy.
At several points during the reading of The Book Thief I thought to myself, why does everyone love this book? I do not love it. I tried to put it down a few times. But I always came back.
I did not love it until around the last 100 pages. Then everything fell into place and I embraced the current section and all the words that came before it.
The thing that kept me coming back to it was not the plot. It wasn't the wondering about what's going to happen. It wasn't the predicting of the final secrets. For the most part, there were no secrets. I knew what was going to happen, but I was intensely interested in the steps by which the characters got there. I wanted to hang on to these people as long as I could.
The setting is World War II. I wince a little to note that, because I am not a fan of war stories in general and WWII in particular, even though I've made my way through a stack of them over the years. But it's a different side of the story than most, and the narrator is certainly unique.
I had so much dread within me that my jaw ached from clenching it while reading.
The Book Thief reinforced my gratefulness to be living in the time and place that I do.
The Book Thief forced me to visit a local farmers market (the Wednesday Hilldale one) on an emergency mission to buy apples.

CSA Project, Continued

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:34:00 +0000

This week's delivery and my tentative plans:

Summer squash: I received one zucchini, one yellow squash, and one patty pan. Tonight I made chocolate zucchini bread. I altered the recipe by replacing half of the white flour with whole wheat flour and adding toasted pecans and nutmeg. I think that this is the fifth or sixth zucchini bread I have made this summer. I have it for breakfast every morning. I'm not sure what I will do with the other two squashes--they might find themselves baked into bread as well.

Collard greens! I was surprised! Somehow, collard greens seem to be a wintry thing. I am going to saute them with garlic, which necessitates having pulled chicken barbeque on the side, to complete the southern picture.

Purple carrots! Just when my white kitchen had begun to recover from the beets last week, I come home with these. The sink is purple again. They don't really taste much different than orange carrots. But I'm sure that whatever compound that makes it purple is very nutritious. And it will provide my inquisitive lunchtime coworkers with something to remark upon.

Green beans- a large bag. I like them raw on salads the best. Update on the dilly beans: the room temperature jars appear to be botulism-free. I set aside one jar in the fridge, just in case. I have tried them already and they are very tasty! A little more sour than I would have preferred, but they have retained their crunch, which is something of major importance.

Garlic- will disappear quickly.

Lettuce head- I got a variety that I have had before and is one of my favorites. It is called Cocarde, and has dark green oak-like leaves. Very sturdy and strongly flavored and will pair well with the salmon that I bought today.

Corn- Just four ears this time. The weather has been chilly as of late, and so I am making corn chowder with bacon this weekend.

Tomatoes- five of them, including a yellow one.

Hot peppers: one jalapeno and one Hungarian yellow wax. These must be potent ones, because even sniffing the outer skins makes my eyes water. The time has come to make pints and pints of salsa and test my canning skills again.

Cucumber: A small one. It will probably be incorporated into lunchtime salads.

The Hunger Games

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:39:00 +0000

I haven't eaten very much for the last couple of days. Partly, that was because I was unable to put down this book. Also, I felt guilty whenever I did tear myself away to eat. Why should I cram my mouth with beef, while these people are desperately trying to catch squirrels and chew on tree bark? I would feel much better about myself if I could just go out and gather some roots and berries for dinner.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was thrilling and satisfying from the first word to the last. I love this one so much that I may buy extra copies and hand them out on a street corner. I knew, vaguely, when I started this that there was a sequel. I assumed it was out already, but now I know that it's being released Sept 1. I don't know how I will manage to fill the time between now and that date.

I will try to outline the plot here, but I think that you are better off just skipping the rest and getting the book right away. The thing is, I was put off from reading this one for a long time because of numerous plot synopses just like this. The Hunger Games does not sound like my usual book. I generally do not care for action-packed stories with bold protagonists that are set in the future. I usually prefer wimpy and angsty leads that moan about love. But anyway, here I go: The nation of Panem is set in the ruins of former North America, where one shining Capitol rules with an iron fist over twelve downtrodden districts. The districts are reminded each year of their former rebellion by the institution of the Hunger Games. Each district is mandated to provide one boy and one girl to participate in the games, a nationally televised fight to the death. Sixteen-year old Katniss is chosen from District Twelve, along with a fellow tribute with whom she has crossed paths once or twice in the past. Katniss finds some talents that were previously unrealized, but exercising them may require compromising her own humanity.

Anyway, forget all that plotty stuff and give the book a try. I found the people in it to be the most compelling element, anyway. My heart pounded away audibly for the entire time that I was reading, and so I believe that the book qualifies as both a diet and an exercise plan.

Tender Morsels

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:46:00 +0000

I haven't done any book reviews in a while. I have been reading ravenously and have found plenty of excellent ones lately, but not many that I must share.

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan is one of those that I must discuss. I chose it for its cover; isn't it striking? The gist of it is this: Liga has escaped a world of cruelty to live in her own personal heaven with her two daughters, Branza and Urdda. But the real world begins to intrude, chewing at the boundaries to admit magical men, wild bears, and other troubling things. It is a dark story about two worlds and the frayed fabric that separates them. The overall question seems to be, is it really better to be safe than sorry?

Tender Morsels isn't for everyone. It is overwhelmingly grim and violent in parts and tough to get through for those reasons, although I found that the aching beauty of the lighter parts more than made up for the darker. I had a strong feeling of dread for most of the characters throughout, but I felt that putting down the book would be another hurtful abandonment for them. Lanagan is also a poet, and it is evident that every line of prose is lovingly crafted with imagery.

I enjoyed the shifting points of view in the book. Sometimes first-person narration, sometimes third, and with many people taking over. When you are receiving story from a person who is "I" and is speaking in past tense, you might assume that this person will be alive and well in the end. Therefore, I was unsettled and disturbed when one of these "I"s disappeared. It kept me on my toes for the rest of the book. And it is a good thing that I was alert for surprises, because the ending was deliciously shocking.

CSA Abundance

noreply@blogger.com (SlyGly) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:40:00 +0000

This week's delivery:

Corn: six ears
Yukon gold baby potatoes
Cucumber
Beets
Zucchini
Tomatoes: five!
Lettuce head
Eggplant

I will keep this brief because I am planning two other posts today. This afternoon I am making roasted eggplant marinara sauce. I already have a pot roast in the crock pot with onions, carrots, and potatoes. One chilly night and I am already in a pot-roasty winter-squashy mood.