Windborne Farms

 I hope Windborne Farms from Yreka comes back
 to the Medford Farmers Market this season.
Best tortillas ever.

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How to be Obnoxious in 25 Easy Lessons

I laugh every time I tell someone I wrote a book when I was 9 years old entitled How to be Obnoxious in 25 Easy Lessons.

I had no writer’s aspirations at 9. Not really. I was more interested in my little shoe box full of paper dolls and the Littlest Angel Doll that came with a trunk full of tiny clothes.

On this day, in my brother Mark’s words, I was “pestering” him and my mother while they stripped paint off furniture meant for my French Provincial bedroom. I am not sure what “pestering” actually meant. I do not remember myself as the pestering type. Perhaps I asked too many questions. Or wanted to help. But, this is what I looked like. Would you trust me with paint stripper? (although I have just carved out a pumpkin here and am still holding a sharp knife.)

The one of a kind book is long gone, but my recollection goes something like this:

1. Stand close enough to your brother to breathe down his neck while he slathers paint stripper on a piece of furniture.

2. Put a frog in his bed.

3. Blame him for everything.

And so on…

But this story is not so much about being obnoxious as it is about books in general.

Luckily, my childrens’ book collection survived several moves and throwing out of things: Little Golden Books like Mary Poppins and The Poky Little Puppy and my first ever chapter book, Elmer and the Dragon, who flies Elmer everywhere and eats skunk cabbages when he can find them.

My parents read to us every night, and soon I knew The Little Red Hen by heart. When my father was in Korea, he sent home a 45 recording of himself reading The Little Red Hen, so we wouldn’t forget him or the sound of his voice. He paused after saying, “Who will help me plant the wheat?” etc., to give us time to chime in with, “Not I,” said the pig, the duck, the cow…

Our house was filled with books: art, music, novels, biographies. Our father was our Google, our Wiki, our arbiter of grammar and the Chicago Manual of Style. If he didn’t know the answer, he could usually find it in his impressive library full of now out of print reference books and encyclopedias. The big dictionary on the oak swivel stand was one of the few items we three siblings seriously discussed at the time of his death.   

“Who gets the dictionary?”

GB

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Afghan Stitch Sampler

A book called Pick Your Stitch, Build a Blanket by Doreen L.Marquart inspired me to make this lap robe above. The photo on the left is of the 36 squares stacked and ready to be sewn. The book has 80 different stitch patterns designed to make the same size squares. Very handy. Excellent instructions.

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A Simple Scarf Project

This scarf is a great project for a beginner. It is done with a garter stitch all the way (knit, knit, knit forever) except for a little bit of checkerboard (knit four, purl four) until the right length. Just add on whatever colors you like. I used Merino Extra Superfine washable wool with size 7 needles. I  cast on thirty stitches and made it just long enough to lay comfortably across the chest, by request. It’s a soft, cozy beauty.

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GB's Love Notes

Writing notes is an art lost to the generations after boomers. It's quicker to send an email, or even a text. Or, perhaps a wave and a "Thanks!" on the way out the door is enough.

My mother was a perfectly imperfect human in many ways, and I have forgiven her, in absentia of course, for all the weird things she did, like make me wear tunics to school in the 7th grade to cover up my well developed you know whats.

But she was a class act. I say it that way because it was one of her pet peeves. She thought that if you had to mention it, you weren't. But, she was.

She drilled mega doses of manners and niceties into me that I cannot ever discard or let go. I thank her for things I take for granted:

knowing how to set a table
chewing with my mouth closed
opening doors for others
honoring elders
leaving a place better than when I found it
and
the art of the thank you note.

I supppose I have to thank the Dominican Nuns

for teaching me cursive writing, even if they did try to make me right handed.

I'll thank my father, while we're at it, for teaching me the art of inquisitiveness and a love of words.

In an earlier post, I mention the Studio in a Shoe Box of my childhood, filled with paper dolls, valentines and tiny plastic scissors. The box is bigger today, but the idea is the same: be prepared.

 These envelopes were made from a 4x6 template from old books, magazine and songbooks.

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The Whole 30 Update

The hardest part of the Whole 30 is breakfast. Now that I have added another 30 days without eggs, harder than ever.

The first thing I do is think of all the folks who didn’t get breakfast this morning. OK, this is not hard.

Then, I think of what I might order for breakfast when I go out. Air.

Then, I concoct some unusual thing. Today, Kitchen sink veggie hash with carrots, sweet potato, celery and asparagus, sautéed in ghee. A little salt and pepper. Mmmmm.

Yesterday: Whole 30 compliant chicken sausage and cooked apples.

New idea: when I come home from the market with bags of veggies, prep them for use right away. Then, no excuses. It’s still fridge full of ingredients, but, particularly at breakfast time, I need all the help I can get.

Today’s Added Value:

Oven Roasted Sugar Free Tomato Ketchup

4 cups fresh chopped Oven Roasted Roma Tomatoes*
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon finely minced white onion
1 clove garlic, finely minced (or juiced)
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
1/8 teaspoon hot mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 whole clove

Chop cooled tomatoes anyplace in a three quart saucepan.
Add vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt,
celery salt, mustard powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper,
and whole clove; whisk to combine.

Cook on low, uncovered, until mixture is reduced by half
and very thick, about an hour.

Smooth the texture of the ketchup using an immersion
Blender for about 20 seconds. Ladle the ketchup into a fine
strainer and press the mixture with the back of a ladle to strain
out any skins and seeds. Transfer the strained ketchup to a
bowl. Cool completely before tasting to adjust salt, black
pepper, or cayenne pepper. Refrigerate.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

30 firm but ripe Roma tomatoes
Olive oil
About a teaspoon each of thyme,
rosemary & oregano
Kosher Salt

Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise. Place cut side up on 2
Parchment-covered sheet pans. Drizzle liberally with olive
oil. Sprinkle with salt and herbs. Place in 200! oven for 5-8
hours, depending upon the degree of dryness desired. The
idea is to simply dry out the juices. If you go too far, the
tomatoes get leathery. The perfect dried tomato will have a
consistency much like sun-dried tomatoes.

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Veggie Stock

Clear Vegetable Stock

Makes 4 quarts

2 carrots, cut in large chunks
3 celery stalks, cut in large chunks
2 large white onions, quartered, skins on
1 head of garlic, halved
1 each rutabaga, parsnip, turnip, halved
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
4 quarts water

Brush and clean the vegetables and place in a large
stockpot over medium heat. Add about 4 quarts water. Toss
in the bay leaves and salt and allow it to slowly come to a
simmer. Lower the heat to medium-low and gently simmer
for 3 hours, partially covered.

Carefully strain the stock through a fine sieve into
another pot to remove the vegetable solids. Use the stock
immediately or if you plan to store it, place the pot in a
sink full of ice water and stir to cool down the stock. Cover
and refrigerate for up to one week or freeze in containers.

Dark Vegetable Stock

Makes four quarts

Use this stock when a deep color and strong, smoky
flavors will enhance the recipe, like a vegetarian version
of French Onion Soup. It can be kept for up to 5 days in the
refrigerator, or frozen for up to 2 months.

2 yellow onions, unpeeled, quartered
6 shallots
8 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 carrot, washed,
brushed and cut in half
six stalks celery, cut in half
2 each parsnips, turnips, rutabagas,
washed, brushed and cut in half
5-6 quarts water
salt and pepper
lemongrass stalk

Preheat an oven to 400!

Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet. Toss lightly with
olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast,
turning the vegetables at least once during cooking, until
the vegetables are well darkened on some surfaces, about
55 minutes, using parchment preserves the pan.

Transfer the vegetables to a large stock pot and fill with
water. Bring barely to a boil, then reduce the heat to low
and simmer uncovered without allowing the water to

bubble, for about 3 hours. Don’t ever boil any stock—the
protein particles will start to separate and fall apart, making
the stock cloudy. The stock should be deeply colored and
very aromatic. Add more water if necessary. Strain through
a fine-mesh sieve into containers. Let cool. Cap tightly,
and refrigerate or freeze.

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