It's June, and I should be over the moon

Good grief, it's been ages since I hung out with myself. I have so neglected my little alter-ego. Why?  Well I got sucked into the Facebook dramas, the unicorns, sunlight shinning out of one's arse looking for tomorrow. GMO, war, destruction, murder and mayhem. Combine that with Pinterest gluttony is a recipe for time sucking voids.

I threw it in on the longest day of the year, along with a personal melt down and a resolve that things must change.

I shall inhabit my life with gusto, I shall no longer ignore or ask more than once for quiet harmony in my life. I shall inhabit myself because I must to endure happiness (sounds like a horribly lovely thing, endure happiness).

Early Sunday afternoon I trolled through recipes books for canning inspiration, and came upon the neatest little recipe from a book called Small Batch Canning. I did not have many plums this year in fact, the ones I had were badly scarred from hail, well let's just say you'd not find my plums in any grocery store. They were in fact perfect. I made Asian Plum Sauce slightly modified for my gluten free lifestyle.

But before this my neighbours Kim and Mike finally relieved my art studio of my mother in law's things, like dining room table and chairs, china hutch, a chest of drawers from the 50's, and an odd assortment of other things that just jangled my nerves every time I walked into my art/creative space. Terrible how all this stuff was deposited in my creative domain. Most have gone, though I have seen some smaller items lurking. Mike is making me the most wonderful art table from aged wood we got a few years ago, and he is putting wheels on the bottom so that I can roll this beast around in my new found space. Photos will arrive soon along with his phone number if you wish to have your own awesome table.

The sink is in, not I need to thin out some more things, and I shall be set for the cooler weather in my Tin Roof bolt hole.

Three Negronis Later

And I am writing, I should have written before drinking, but I'm sure it matters not one whit. Now or later it's going to feel the same.

Our little doggie BeBe is quite ill, we finally took her to the emergency clinic in Chico today. Two nights and days of being poopy and sick. Pancreatitis is back and apparently what miniature schnauzers get quite often via DNA about 30% of them get ill.

BeBe and Natalie

What is a wake up call for me is I miss her so much today, she lays in her bed near my computer and art table, she snores, she doesn't care that I am creating or making money on the stock market. She grounds me.

She, I bought a few months after my Father's passing, I needed someone, something that I could cuddle, hug, talk to without judgement of any sort, very selfish. But this is what my Father gave me throughout my life. Never judge me, never imposed his ideals or thoughts on me, and expected me to live his type of life, and we were so different.

He was the most loving man for his wife, his family, and yes most importantly to me. William Blackwood Lawther, you won't read about him in history books or anywhere. But he was important. He would be gone for months down to Bletchley, England. He was stationed in Sierra Leone during WWII (I always wondered why Africa?) He was the last man left on the outer islands in Scotland after WWII and thought they (government) had forgotten about him. He was special in more ways than one. He kept secrets, he held those important to him close, he cared in what was a simple way, but complicated.

So back to why I am writing this note, BeBe was bought because I needed her to help me with the passing of my Father. Today she is in the hospital, and very ill. I am back to 2004 when I didn't deal with my Father's passing, I need to deal with life in a different way I need to hold memories dear and not fall apart.

I've dealt with death before, the passing of my Daughter Kimberlie at a very tender and young age (but I was immature in age and mind, I didn't grasp fully the loss) I dealt with my Mother's passing but I had my Dad to lean on. I leant on BeBe I now need to lean on myself, and grow emotionally.

Or else!!

It's cold, I mean really cold

Fire Pit is chilly

Managed to survive the norovirus and live, and managed to catch it again. Had to take my husband to the hospital for some out patient surgery last Friday and lo and behold, I have succumbed to the stuff again. Be gone virus!!!

Seems as though loads of folk are getting queasy, so I'm not alone although this is the first time I have had a stomach virus.

I broke ice on the pond this morning so that the birds could get to some water, and I also chopped veggies, apples and other miscellaneous titbits for them. The ground is extremely hard and I am sure the birds are not used to this weather any more than I am. A killing frost!!

Frozen cloche

Several weeks ago I managed to paint a painting that became a gift to Jeff Forsdick, my sister's lovely partner in crime and life. Jeff lives around the 8000' level in the middle of no where, well I suppose that's relative, it's quite isolated. Any way, we stayed with Jeff and Agnes in October along with another visitor. Jeff's place is wonderful, in fact pygmy bunnies live around his home, they are quite endangered, and was also another inspiration for a painting of bunnies and snow. So I finished the moose and the pygmy, and then thought about England, and my Dad which of course means Bluebells and his passing in May.  Which could have made me really low but then my sister at Christmas time went snow shoeing with Jeff looking for fox under the full moon at the Green River, and I thought I'd do a fox in bluebells.

All of this of course is making staying indoors less boring, which is good, but I must admit I can hardly wait for it to warm up to around 50 degrees so that I can go outside again and keep my blood flowing and my fingers don't turn white from the cold.

There's a wee moose loose in the hoose

Incognito

Bluebells & Fox

Gluten Free Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Lavender & Honey Glaze

1 tablespoon butter

1 package GF Betty Crocker Yellow Sponge Cake Mix
2 tablespoons of GF flour

4 eggs

1/2 cup coconut sugar

Zest of one whole lemon

1/2 cup local extra virgin olive oil

⅔ cup lactose free milk

1 tablespoon lemon extract or liqueur

¾ cup honey

3 sprigs lavender

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease an 11-cup bundt pan with butter and dust with 2 tablespoons GF flour. Set prepared pan aside. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat eggs and sugar together until pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 3 cups flour, lemon zest, oil, milk, and extract and stir with a wooden spoon or electric mixer (that's what I used) until well combined. Spoon batter into bundt pan, and smooth out top with the back of the spoon.

Bake until cake is deep golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes (I live at 2000' so additional time is needed to bake, adjust for elevation). Transfer cake to a wire rack to let cool completely in its pan.

Meanwhile heat the honey and lavender sprigs in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for about 7 minutes. Remove from heat, remove lavender sprigs, and once the cake is cool, remove from pan and drizzle the honey over the top of the cake.

Golden Brown cooling down

Honey and Lavender glaze

This cake was delicious, even my husband gobble this down, didn't taste like a gluten free cake at all. I kept covered out on the kitchen counter top and it held well for three days, all gone after that.


0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=0=
Original recipe from Edible Shasta & Butte County, California
Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Lavender & Honey Glaze

1 tablespoon butter

3 cups plus

2 tablespoons flour

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

Zest of one whole lemon

¾ cup local extra virgin olive oil

⅔ cup milk

1 tablespoon lemon extract or liqueur

1 tablespoon baking powder

¾ cup local honey

3 sprigs lavender

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease an 11-cup bundt pan with butter
and dust with 2 tablespoons flour. Set prepared pan aside.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat eggs and sugar together until pale yellow,
about 1 minute. Add remaining 3 cups flour, lemon zest, oil, milk, and extract and stir with a
wooden spoon until well combined. Add baking powder and stir until thoroughly combined.
Spoon batter into bundt pan, and smooth out top with the back of the spoon.
Bake until cake is deep golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean,
about 40 minutes. Transfer cake to a wire rack to let cool completely in its pan.
Meanwhile heat the honey and lavender sprigs in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for
about 7 minutes.
Remove from heat, remove lavender sprigs, and once the cake is cool, remove from pan and drizzle the
honey over the top of the cake.

A post never posted, well I guess I did do MIA

found rocks into wire column

Just read this lovely article from The New York Times, now I think this is mellow, and I think I travelled too much this summer, and if that wasn't enough bought an iPad, so back to roots and weeds. Quite ironic that only the evening before I wrote to some dear friends and said I was going to be offline for a while.Then I read the article this morning, I think I'm on the right track. The article, is quite lengthy, but I found quite inspiring and interesting.

"So I am going to be MIA for a while, I've been OTT with some opinions and thoughts lately. Of course all my suggestions|thoughts were reasonable, well not actually. That's okay. But going to be mellow and lay low for a while, nothing is wrong just me putting me on a time out."

Herb and Roses

Yesterday was fun, I was weeding and turned to Gary who was helping with something else (fencing to keep the varmits out) and I said, I think we should eat weeds we have so many of them, and they are green. I might experiment soon.

The weed I was mulling over yesterday apparently is a woodsorrel and can be eaten in moderation, like some in a salad, I will have to leave some to sample in the gravel paths next to the raised vegetable beds. Ted our lovely neighbour, dropped off Snow Peas that are about 6 inches big, so they are the first winter crop. Drizzly weather today, perfect for gardening, and it's going to get rather warm again tomorrow and the coming week.

Old gate reused

new raised beds, peas

We will have to keep our eyes and ears peeled this evening, apparently the bear is back. It  absconded with one of the neighbour's bins. Also apparently shimmed up a tree, and sent the cats flying under the neighbour's bed. 

So all of this was written two months ago, we got pummelled with wind, rain and snow. The peas got ripped out of the ground along with the trellis. I had covered all the beds in plastic and they blew all over the place, clothespins do not hold the plastic in place, lesson learned.

Snow at 8:00 AM

A Merry Christmas with the Family

December 21st the morning we left for San Francisco, we got our pre Christmas snow fall, oh joy, but it was gone by the time we returned a few days later, but the weather was downright wet, I mean very wet and windy. I might have to rethink about any vegetable harvest until early Spring planting. There's always next year thank goodness.



 Mascarpone & Goat Cheese Tart w/ Crispy Hash Brown Crust

Ingredients:
cooking spray
3 ozs baby arugula or spinach
2 tbsp butter, softened, plus more for pan
1 lb package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
8 large eggs
sea salt and ground pepper
½ cup light sour cream
½ cup marscapone
1 cup half and half
sea salt
6 ozs grated Fontina cheese
2 ozs goat cheese, crumbled (goat cheese crumbles easily if you freeze for about 30 minutes beforehand)
6 scallions/green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Steam arugula, gently and chop into pieces.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. Spray a 9-by-2 1/2-inch spring form pan with cooking spray, then brush with butter. Line the sides of the pan with strips of parchment paper (the same height as pan); brush paper with butter - this part is essential - it will give you the lovely golden crust and keep the crust from sticking to your pan.

4. Place hash browns on 3-4 thicknesses of paper towels and fold paper towels over potatoes. Hold over sink and squeeze excess moisture from hash browns.

5. Remove hash browns from paper towel packet and place in a bowl with butter, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pat into bottom and up sides of prepared pan, using your hands. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until set, 15 to 20 minutes.

6. Place cooled arugula on 3-4 thicknesses of paper towels and using technique in step 4, squeeze out excess liquid.

7. In a large bowl, whisk 7 remaining eggs, sour cream, marscapone, half and half cheddar cheese, arugula, 1 teaspoons sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well combined.. Pour into crust, and sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese. Bake until set, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove outer ring of spring form pan, and gently peel off parchment paper.

Here it comes

Skeleton shadow on umbrella top

The change in the seasons from Summer to Autumn, I've been feeling it for the last couple of days, in fact I threw a small cotton quilt on the bed a couple of nights ago because around the wee early hours of the morning there is a distinct chill in the air, and I still have the windows wide open to catch the fresh air. Very welcome I must say from waking up to 80+ degrees I much prefer 60+.

I was out looking at my new vegetable beds that my husband is constructing and they do look magnificent, only two more to go as in filled with soil, then the timed irrigation/drip system. Will also put arches over the beds so that in winter I can place clear plastic over them and in the long hot summer shade cloth. Helps ensure that we get the maximum growing season out of the raised beds. I have my seeds lined up.

In fact, last week I got a spurt of organisation going and finally found a great use for the vintage bottle crate my daughter gave me several years ago. I am going to use it for my seed packages, looks very pretty. I have one more place I need to order some seeds from which just happens to be the oldest seed nursery in the USA. The seed company is Japanese owned and is located in Oakland, California. Be sure to read about their history, and is called Kitazawa Seed Company. In fact this year I shall be ordering some special things as holiday gifts from them. 

The raised beds are made from cedar and we had to wait weeks for a delivery to come down from Oregon, which means that my Autumn planting was delayed. But four are now done and only two more to fill with dirt and stuff. I'll still have to wait until the water system is in otherwise the seeds will burn up in the sun, it is still rather warm and sometimes downright hot at this time of the year.

Zadie's candy (Sungold)

I still have a good crop of small cherry type tomatoes, black cherry, sungold and green doctors. The sungold I am called Zadie's garden candy. She makes a beeline to this tomato plant steadies her feet and reaches up with pudgy little fingers and pops tomatoes into her mouth, seeds sometimes spurt out and you have to duck so that you don't get seed spurted on.

Black Cherry

Green Doctors

I still have quite a few vegetables that are producing rather well, Curly Kale, a volunteer Tomatillo that has taken over the pathway and I didn't have the heart to dig up when I should have. Several Peppers, Eggplants, and of course the lovely Okra. I have a new crop of Kumquats forming and this year I am prepared for frost, I've strung tiny globe lights over three sets of arches, hooked them to a timer so at night the heat will be just enough from the bulbs to keep the citrus from freezing, well that's my plan.

Yesterday was very productive in the kitchen, I made several batches of unsweetened applesauce, packaged them then popped them into the freezer. Also dried loads of apple slices, now they are stored for winter (I'm feeling like a squirrel all of a sudden). And drumroll made a batch of Tomatillo and Apple Salsa, all canned and labelled. Picked up all the apples that were on the ground, bagged them and gave them to Ted for Karen's chickens (her chickens lay wonderful eggs). All in all I am feeling rather chuffed with myself. I know it's awful to feel smug, but I do. Thank you world!!

Crazy Tomatillo

White Eggplant

Okra pods

Light hearted reading | Online shopping reviews

I do buy online, in fact I do buy quite a bit from Amazon, especially books and some other miscellaneous things. Having said that I also read the reviews of the products. Most are straightforward to the point, don't mess around and give the facts. Like Joe Friday.

So reviews, usually are bland. However once in a while you just spend oddles of time reading and laughing at the creative side of folk with hidden talents. Personally I think all our hidden talents would make such a better world than is presently at hand. Now where in the heck is Esther going with this well someone posted a link on Facebook this morning pointing to the Amazon reviews on of all things 'Bic' pens. Not any old Bic pen you must understand, but 'Bic for Her Fashion Retractable Ball Pen'

The low star comment read as follows:

THEY NEED TO PUT A WARNING ON THE PACKAGE, August 21, 2012

By 

Rachel

This review is from: BIC For Her Fashion Retractable Ball Pen, Medium Point, 1.0 mm, Assorted-Fashion Ink, 2 Count (FHAP21-ASST) (Office Product)

I know it says "for her" on the package but I, like many, assumed it was just a marketing ploy seeking to profit off of archaic gender constructs and the "war of the sexes". Little did I realize that these pens really are for girls, and ONLY girls. Non-girls risk SERIOUS side effects should they use this product. I lent one to my 13-year-old brother, not thinking anything of it, and woke up the next morning to the sound of whinnying coming from the room across the hall. I got out of bed and went to his room to find that my worst fears had been realized :

MY LITTLE BROTHER IS NOW A UNICORN and it's all my fault. Sure, you'd think that having a unicorn for a little brother would be great but my parents are FURIOUS - I've been grounded for a MONTH!!! They made an appointment for him with our family practitioner, but I'm not sure it'll do any good, and they told me that if it couldn't be fixed I'd have to get a job to help pay for his feed and lodging D:

I repeat, boys, DO NOT USE THIS PEN. Unless you want to be a unicorn, and even then be careful because there's no telling that you'll suffer the same side effects.

SERIOUSLY BIC IT'S REALLY REALLY IRRESPONSIBLE FOR YOU TO PUT OUT THIS PRODUCT WITHOUT A CLEAR WARNING OF THE RISK IT POSES TO NON-GIRLS. Just saying it's "For Her" is not enough!!!!

(I'm giving it two stars because even though they got me grounded, the pens still write really nice and bring out my eyes)

The high star comment read (man's opinion)

Well suited to make markings, August 27, 2012

By 

Won't Get Fooled Again

This review is from: BIC For Her Fashion Retractable Ball Pen, Medium Point, 1.0 mm, Assorted-Fashion Ink, 2 Count (FHAP21-ASST) (Office Product)

"Wife", I said, "If you could have one new fashion accessory to go with your Snooki's Sultry Hobo Handbag what would it be?" Finally, her dreams can be realized. I'll have to teach her how to use a pen safely but it will be worth the effort once she starts earning big bucks addressing envelopes at home.

The product itself came two to a package as advertised and both of them contained ink so you don't have to worry about making your own. They really retract although the ejector plunger may wear as the wife practices pushing the ram. Also, the roller ball on the one I broke open was 1.2 mm (which rounds down to 1.0 mm) so it may be a little too heavy gauged for a female beginner penslinger. I think the balls are made out of tungsten carbide although the lab results won't be ready for several weeks. The ink pH, viscosity check, and appearance fell in line with manlier inks although the pink ink was a nice "for her" customization.

Overall, these pens are well suited to make markings on paper and other materials! A felt tipped pen would probably have been a better choice for beginners as there is less chance of eye damage. Of course no pen is truly eye safe. You can get around this by purchasing a good set of safety goggles for her before letting her hold the pen.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Runner ups are many, and all delightful for the most part, no bland reviews here:

193 of 196 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman..., August 27, 2012

By 

C. Caras "Student of Life" (Peoria, IL, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: BIC For Her Fashion Retractable Ball Pen, Medium Point, 1.0 mm, Assorted-Fashion Ink, 2 Count (FHAP21-ASST) (Office Product)

After having gifted this precious item to my love and seeing her properly drawing unicorns and fairies for the first time (previously you see, it was as if the other pens--my pens--would take over and draw muscular mutated beasts with great big fangs and saddles loaded with projectiles and an assortment of cutlery not suitable for any kitchen work!), I thought to myself, maybe she's born with it? maybe it's BIC! I couldn't wait for her to show off in front of her friends--and indeed she did, inflicting them with such jealousy leaving them no choice but to beg their husbands for enough spare change to purchase some of their own.

But that's when it hit me. Deep down inside, I was desiring a bit--or I dare say--a lot of what they had experienced among themselves. So I did the unthinkable. I bought a set for myself. My love asked me what on earth I was doing with another set of "for her" pens and I immediately snapped back, "they're for our daughter!" But she reminded me, we don't have a daughter. Alas, I was caught in my own web of lies, and holding the pens, I broke down crying like a little girl--the little girl we didn't have, except in my own heart. I wept with my dearest until I felt closure from it all and finally came out! I gently grabbed the flower-templated paper I purchased with the pens and began writing in big smooth curvy letters--not the crooked hasty one's I was used to all my life with those blasted man pens; and drawing horses and poodles--not the tall one's mind you, but rather the cute little ones--and then heart shapes and innocent love letters (not the raunchy hair-raising instant-blush & faint one's I naturally spun out of a man-pen) and my poetry was filled with a noticeable feminine charm. I loved it. It felt so natural. Yet so guilty. Guilty, for having taking it from whatever poor woman came to the store that day to find the shelf depleted, and for my own self, for having given in to the temptation of experimenting with a different orientation. I had to confide in my best friend. He took me by surprise by confessing to me first that he was swept up by it too! The pen it was, so sleek and fragile, we fell in love with its delicate charm. And we knew we couldn't go back to those so-called "man pens" anymore, except of course, in the presence of those yet still unenlightened. So we decided to educate the society around us one at a time, bit by bit, until it becomes acceptable for a man to write both ways. My friend Butch took his pen out shopping, making note to sign his name with the new pen wherever he could, shoving it into the cashier's face, to read, to weep, and to give in to it also. "You should have seen him!" Butch cried happily, "When I retracted the pen tip in front of one of the cashiers, he became weak at the knees and whipped out his pen as well, shouting with glee that he was not alone, no more." A round of pens for our friends! And I here tell the tale of the love of two men, seized by a stranger as it were, much closer to the bosom than that which we had been raised to believe was only proper for a man. So my final words to all women, let your man experiment with them too, and don't feel ashamed or guilty if you see him do so, but give him the privacy he needs until he is strong enough to wave his pen out in public without any fear and without any shame. I've gotten too choked up to go on!

UPDATE: Butch's wife filed for a divorce, citing that he keeps taking all her pens as if that's irrational behavior. Thus, I had to knock the pen down from five to four stars, not out of any weakness in of its own delicate nature, but due to its seductive charm, too potent to resist. My marriage is still intact, but I suspect my wife has gone back to another pen, a man's pen--the other day she said I've been thinking through my pen too much and she needed the assurance and security of a stronger pen that can write boldly in times when she needs that testost--I mean ink, whilst I have forgotten how to weld my own!

If you wish to read more laughter on the 'Bic for Her' just click and scroll down to the reviews. Happy writing.