In spite of the forecast, the sun came out this afternoon. First time we've really seen daylight in what seems like a week, and with another storm system coming in tonight, may be the last time in another week.

Gary and I went on a shopping trip this afternoon, mostly for groceries but he needed printer paper and some other supplies. We had lunch at Chili's, which was OK but I can't help feeling it isn't quite as good as it was a few years ago. At least they've lowered the volume of the music so you can hear each other talking without having to shout.

I made real chili for supper, with black and pinto beans, tomatoes, lots of hot stuff, and kernel corn added. I generally use ground turkey in it, and we like it that way. The chili powder, cumin, and hot peppers overpower any meat that is used in any case.

We also had home made cornbread, and a salad that included ripe pears from our tree. I was a bit surprised this year, since we have only one pear tree left. This is the third year it has bloomed, and I was aware of three pears. Gary found six last week when he went looking after the hard freeze. It's a Beurre Bosc, those brown colored pears with a long conical top and sandpapery skin. They seemed pretty hard, so I left them sitting in a basket. Today I noticed that a couple of them were getting soft and oozing sticky juice from the stems, so I sliced them up for salad. Sprinkled with crumbles of gorgonzola cheese, and mixed greens added, they were delicious but incredibly sweet. I like pears, but there's some limit to my tolerance of sugar. ;p

I expected Tess to be grumpy after being stuck in the arena pen for so many days, but she was in a pretty good mood. I guess she likes the new hay. Other than that, I was spinning today, yarn from our own sheep. I have a lot of wool stored up and decided I need to do something with it.

Tomorrow the big loom gets a warp again. That means I have to put away a bunch of bits and pieces from fursuit construction that are in the way of using it. About time I did that anyway.

Tags: cooking, food, gardening, horses, spinning, weather, weaving
Current Location: Soggy oak grove
Mood: busy

Somehow it doesn't feel like much, but it's still sort of giggly like having had too much champagne. I became an official "author" today, according to Amazon.

Here it is, complete with photo.

Yes, that's the real me hiding behind the bearded collie (whose name was Sarge, and he was father to my Simon.) Obviously, it's a few years old as the only gray is in my beard, and now the snow is accumulating on my head too. ;p

Thanks to Alex at Bad Dog Books for triggering this appearance, as it were. It's both amusing and kinda surprising to be named as one whose work was purchased along with that of Kyell Gold. Not that I think it means much other than that we both happen to write furry stuff, and there's not a lot of that on Amazon.

Today was a beautiful day, sunny and breezy. Tess went out in the morning and came in when the flies got bad. We went to Woodstock and had lunch on the square, then did a little shopping, but Gary still has a bad cold and grew tired quickly. I baked the promised apple pie, which we haven't yet cut into but we will. We went up River Road to Cody's Farm Stand, ostensibly to inquire about hay, but the hay man was out cutting. So we bought sweet corn, a canteloupe, and some zucchini instead. The corn was good, we had some for dinner along with steak(!) on the grill and baked potatoes to celebrate the spiritual end of summer. An inexpensive Australian shiraz went with the steak. (No, I don't often eat steak, but maybe a couple of times a year it's a celebration of some sort.)

And tomorrow? Back to work. At least it's now a short week.

Tags: books, cooking, food, horses, pets, weather, writing
Current Location: Home in the oak grove
Mood: cheerful

That's a term used to describe the abrupt decay to unusable of a digital signal at a certain distance from the transmitter. The point at which this occurs depends on the height of the transmitting and receiving antennas, the terrain between them, the frequency of the signal, and various other factors. I got around this evening to looking at coverage maps for the new digital signals of the broadcast television stations we used to receive here. As I expected, we are in the dark blue (probably not usable) zone on all of them. Only violet or no signal at all would be worse.

Terrain and distance to the transmitters are the factors in play. The nearest transmitters are in Chicago, Rockford, and Milwaukee. Even with analog, our Milwaukee reception was very poor. So I looked at WREX (formerly channel 13 in Rockford, ABC affiliate,) WTTW (formerly channel 11 in Chicago, PBS affiliate,) and WGN (formerly channel 9 in Chicago, independent.) None of them look to be worth the bother of even redeeming the "coupons" for a converter box. The problem is that we are in the Kishwaukee River Valley, a shallow depression between two long glacial moraines that separate the Fox River and the Rock River. Rockford is on the Rock River, so there's a pile of gravel and iron 50 to 100 feet high between us and them. Chicago is on the shore of Lake Michigan, about 150 feet lower than we are but divided from us by the other moraine which rises 50 to 80 feet above our level. Not that we watched much broadcast television anyway. News and weather occasionally was about it. The last time we actually watched any significant amount was probably during the 9/11 attacks. Still, it's irritating that the government and the broadcast industry have written us off as "irrelevant" along with all the other people living in similar areas. The only remaining alternative here would be a satellite dish, requiring special installation at a distance from the house, which is quite costly. (There is no cable TV here at all.)

Today was a zoo at work. Summer Reading always generates a lot of requests for new library cards. But there was also a Spanish class in the library this morning, which seemed to bring a flood of people with little or no English who wanted cards. Then in mid-afternoon a group of Red Hat Club ladies arrived for a tour. They kept my boss busy for nearly an hour. Many of their questions were surprisingly detailed. It was amusing to hear her trying to explain ebooks and ebook readers (the Kindle was named in the question) to a group who were not even computer users and had difficulty grasping the concept. It didn't help that we had no actual reader on hand to show them.

Today is also Gary's birthday. Took him to dinner at Donley's, a Western themed steakhouse south of Union. They are a bit pricey but not too bad. The food is high quality and the servings are huge. We always bring home leftovers. The decor is fun, consisting of lots of real antiques from the gold rush era and the western states, mixed with western film posters and pulp magazine covers from the heyday of the western story. There are also Civil War relics and some old hunting trophies: moose, elk, buffalo. It was not busy or noisy, which is a plus from our point of view but probably not good news for the restaurant.

Farrier pronounced Tess better, and even trimmed more off her feet. No blood, no limp, so that's good news.

Oh, and it's raining again.

Tags: food, geekery, horses, weather, work
Current Location: Rainy oak grove
Mood: busy

Got a warp beamed onto the workshop loom today, and 96 of 240 ends threaded before the light started to fail. I don't like threading by artificial light, though weaving under it doesn't bother me. I'll get the rest threaded tomorrow and the weaving started. This will make cotton towels for the towel exchange my guild is having. The pattern I'm doing is called "Wall of Troy" and is a winding twill that looks like an overhead view of battlements or something. I'm using brightly dyed mercerized flake yarns, since this year's judge is a color specialist. The warp is a saffron gold color and the wefts will be dark teal and cranberry red. I'm curious about the dye used on the warp yarn, because it smells like daffodil flowers to me. The other cottons have no smell in particular, but this is quite noticeable.

Gary made an Indian dinner that was quite tasty, with the help of some boxed "kits", you know, the "just add chicken" or whatever kind of thing. There was a very spicy eggplant dish, an interesting vegetarian stew made of soft cheese curds and vegetables, and a Moroccan (I know, that's not Indian) version of snow peas with sesame, as well as basmati rice and chicken korma (flavored with cocoanut milk and cilantro I think.) He also baked pita bread, which tasted just as good as it smelled, and sourdough potato bread which we haven't cut into yet. The pita was served with home made hummus.

Something has apparently been trying to build a nest in a large hole in one of our oak trees. It's about twelve feet above the ground, in a spot where a large branch broke off or was cut off long ago. The opening is about 6 x 12 inches, which is generally too large for any birds around here. But there are big heavy twigs sticking out of the opening, and they didn't just get in there by accident. I believe squirrels build nests from leaves, so this doesn't seem like squirrel activity. We have several woodpecker species, but they all excavate their own nest holes and none are large enough to want to use this one. I can only guess that it's an owl or else a wood duck. So far we haven't seen anything going in or out.

Off to spin some cotton now, since I have to help teach a session on cotton spinning a week from today.

Tags: food, weaving
Mood: satisfied

We now return you to the post that was intended for last night but was interrupted by the absurdity of the "furry bead code"...

( Recipe under cut )

That was last night's supper. Mmmm. We really like this one, and it's quite vegetarian. You can make it vegan by omitting the cheese and adding some tofu or other vegan protein source. You can please the persistent carnivore by adding just a little crumbled bacon or diced ham, though it isn't necessary. This is simple peasant fare at its very best, and is quite satisfying.

And... We still have half of the pie left for tomorrow night as leftovers.

In other news, it's been snowing again, and the temperature is back in the normal range for January, hovering just below freezing in the day and dropping down at night. At least the days are noticeably longer. I left work at 5 pm and the sky was still light though it was obviously dusk. In two or three more weeks, the sun will just be setting at that time.

Tags: cooking, food, weather
Mood: full

One of my favorite dishes ever. The traditional way to do it is very much loaded with fat though, and even though a large part of the fat is olive oil, that's more calories than I want too. So...

Here's how I do it in a microwave and come up with a much reduced fat version.

Rinse off one medium purple eggplant, and remove stem and blossom ends. No need to peel or salt it, just slice it in crosswise slices about a quarter inch thick. Dip each slice in a mixture of one large egg whisked with a couple of tablespoons of milk, then in a mixture of breadcrumbs and Italian or pizza seasonings. Arrange the slices like fish scales, just slightly overlapping, in a glass microwavable dish that has been oiled or sprayed with cooking spray. Drizzle with just a trickle of olive oil on each slice and microwave uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, turning once, until they are softened but still holding together and slightly crispy around the edges.

Drop about a tablespoonful of prepared pasta sauce, your choice (I like the chunky garden vegetable combo types, or else the extra mushroom type,) onto each eggplant slice. Then spread finely grated mozarella over all (I use an 8 oz. package, reduced fat is OK.) Sprinkle with an Italian herb blend if desired. Some sesame or fennel seeds are good too, or if you are adventurous, some diced up fennel that has been steamed or sauted to soften it a bit. Add freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste and return to microwave for 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese are melted and bubbling. Transfer to 300°F oven, uncovered, while serving the salad or soup course.

Boil your choice of pasta during the salad. We like whole wheat spaghetti or linguini. When it is done al dente, drain it and toss with a tiny bit of olive oil. Serve the hot pasta with the eggplant.

We find that one medium eggplant prepared this way serves two people twice. So it really isn't THAT much cheese, only two ounces per serving. Note that there is no meat in this dish, so the cheese is the main source of fat, with the "healthy" olive oil second. Pass the garlic bread if you like.

Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for up to several days, rewarming in the microwave when you're ready. Deeelicious.

Tags: food
Current Location: Home in the oak grove
Mood: replete

Here is a really excellent essay on the golden calf that is nutritionism. (Link provided by herefox.) Yes, it's long. If you're the type who can't maintain an attention span for more than a few sentences, I still urge you to get through the first page.

Click here to read, from the New York Times Magazine.

This is a strong and reasoned indictment of the American "scientific" approach to eating that reduces food to nutrients and thus denies that there is any difference between highly processed foods and whole foods. The problem, as the author so aptly points out, is that science can only make recommendations for nutrients that it knows and understands (or thinks it understands.) Thus each new wave of urgent recommendations (the latest being the omega-3 fatty acids) is bound to be rebuked by the next "discovery." In the meantime, the mega-giants of the food industry just change their labels and stuff more artificial ingredients into their products.

The ultimate advice, to recognize nothing as "food" that your grandmother wouldn't have recognized, is probably sound. As herefox summed it up: eat less overall, and eat a lot more plants (though it really seems to be the leaves and stems, and the flesh of the fruits, that are the important parts.) Eating seeds and roots doesn't count.

This advice is bound to be rejected by most Americans, I'm afraid. It requires a different approach to eating, a different approach to food shopping, and a great reduction in the consumption of takeout and fast foods prepared by chain restaurants. To be more healthy, America must learn again how to cook, how to grow a garden, how to buy fresh produce. In my opinion, this can only be good, but to most people I'm afraid it is now anathema.

Tags: food
Current Location: Rainy oak grove
Mood: thoughtful

It was sunny with little puffy clouds, a very light breeze, and a temperature just above 80°F.

Our friends Doug and Leon came for a more or less middle eastern dinner that Gary wanted to make. He did three kinds of flat bread (I liked the Moroccan one best, it had anise seeds inside and sesame seeds outside, and the crust was brushed with olive oil before baking) and three kinds of hummus, all of which were delightful. Then we had shishkebab made with chicken, sweet peppers, sweet Vidalia onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Couscous, pickled watermelon rind, potato salad, and red wine rounded it out. Doug brought brownies for dessert.

I took Tess out to the grass for almost an hour. She's getting used to the idea that she will get to go out and doesn't need to fuss or rush, and she's always good coming back, even though she obviously would prefer to stay out. This time it was threatening rain, and we did actually get a sprinkle while finishing up evening chores. I guess more may be on the way. Doug enjoyed a little conversation with her in which she gave him lots of kisses on his hands and arms. He remarked on how nice she is, which is usually true. She's a sweetheart as long as she knows she can't take over and play alpha mare. Put her with other horses, though, and all bets are off. She's out to claim the top spot.

The sheep are over the trauma of being sheared, and were probably quite happy not to have that load of wool when it got so warm today. I think it must be the first time this year that the temperature was still above 70 at 8 pm.

Tags: food, pets, weather
Current Location: Home in the oak grove
Mood: satisfied

Thought I was finally getting over the cold and then had some sort of relapse today. I'm tired of feeling under the weather or whatever, really tired.

Gary likes corned beef and of course it's on sale this week so I got one. Did something a little different with it by putting it into the crockpot with potatoes and carrots, and dumping a bottle of beer over it. Added some water to get enough liquid to partly cover the meat, and simmered on low for ten hours. It was extremely tender and the potatoes were tasty. (I can't always make him eat vegetarian when it's my turn to cook. This was really easy, though.) The book I consulted suggested an applesauce mustard sauce, which sounded intriguing. Normally I just serve horseradish sauce with corned beef, but I followed the directions, mixing a quarter cup of applesauce with two tablespoons of dijon. Wow, that was really tasty and went perfectly.

Off to bed, hoping to feel better tomorrow.

Tags: cooking, food
Current Location: Frozen oak grove

So yesterday around sunset they cancelled the winter weather advisory and told us we wouldn't be getting an ice storm after all. Before going to bed we turned on the outside lights and looked. Yup, Freezing rain, with about an eighth of an inch of ice accumulation. That's enough already to make driving pretty hazardous, and especially with the speed demon idiots who are on the roads around here.

This morning at dawn it was snowing on top of the ice. Great, that will keep it from melting even if the temperature gets above freezing. I just now checked the NOAA web site. They say today's high will be 28° F. They also say the current temperature is 32° F. I swear the feds have fired everyone with any brains from the weather service and hired inexperienced newbies in order to save money.

Assuming that we decide it's safe to drive by afternoon (Gary did go to church this morning but that is a degree of insanity to which I do not aspire) then some friends are giving a musical performance in Crystal Lake at 3pm. If we go to that, we'll get back after 5 and therefore after dark, and still have chores to do and animals to feed, so I have just set supper to cook in the crock pot. Partly from a cookbook, partly from imagination. It may be good, or it may be awful. "Southwest Chicken" has beans, corn, and salsa cooked with it, and is served sprinkled with shredded cheese along with rice and salad. I added some chili powder and will probably add a sliced up jalapeño near the end because it looks pretty bland for "Southwest," at least to me.

Tags: food, weather
Current Location: Frozen oak grove
Mood: awake