Food


I've been practicing my self-sufficiency muscles today. Since I've read The Omnivore's Dilemma, Real Food, and Taste, I have been interested in eating a "traditional" diet: basically nothing that couldn't have been produced before the industrial revolution. It also includes eating grass-fed beef and pastured hens and local, organic produce. Naturally, I don't find it the easiest thing in the world to always follow these principles, but I'm trying and I'll share the ways I've found that make it easier to follow a traditional diet.

I think the easiest way to procure local, organic produce is to grow it myself. I'm a little limited, though, because we rent. Nevertheless, Paul and I have just finished planting strawberries, herbs, and lettuce--all in containers. Thanks to Sheherazade Goldsmith's A Slice of Organic Life, I found out that strawberries can grow in a hanging basket (below) and the book also walked me through planting lettuce in a window box. We'll see how it goes!
In other realms of self-sufficiency, I also made chicken stock. It's really easy and makes stock that is soooo much better than the broth that comes in a box from the grocery store. It's also very close to free to make.


1. Save chicken scraps/bones in a gallon-size bag in the freezer. When it's full, you're ready to make stock. Be sure to save the gallon-size bag, though. You'll need it when you're done.

2. Peel a carrot and chop it in 3 or 4 large pieces.

3. Clean a celery stalk and cut off the leaves. Chop stalk into 3 or 4 pieces.

4. Peel a medium-sized white or yellow onion.

5. Get out your largest stock pot and put in the chicken pieces, carrot, celery, and onion. Fill with water to cover by approximately 2 inches.

6. Throw in a handful of peppercorns, a sprinkling of dried thyme or a couple stalks of fresh, and a couple of bay leaves.

7. Bring the stock almost up to a boil and then back the heat off to a slow simmer for 4 hours. All you have to do now is stir every once in a while and check on the heat.

8. Strain the stock into a mixing bowl (throw the solid parts of the stock into the gallon-size bag and discard). Cover and cool overnight. In the morning, you can skim off the fat (which will now have solidified) and store the stock in the refrigerator. There is generally between 4 and 6 cups of stock after it has been skimmed. I use quart-sized Mason jars for storage.

If you've never used your chicken scraps to make stock before, it's really worth it just for the taste. It's really not as daunting as it seems, I promise!

Knitting




This is the work I've done on the sweater I mentioned last post. This will eventually be the back of the sweater. The bottom portion is a 1x1 rib and now I'm working on the stitch pattern for the top part of the sweater. It's just a stockinette variation that gives a neat tweed-like effect that I think is pretty cool. It's going to be a while before I finish, but I'll keep you updated. I wish I could knit faster! There are so many projects I want to start!

Works in Progress

Since my post yesterday was rather long-winded (a habit of mine, admittedly), I'll keep this one short.

I read a lot of paperback books (mostly borrowed or from the used-books store) and I hate how they get all beat-up and grubby. I found a pattern for a paperback book cover in a Japanese embroidery book my mom bought, so I decided to make one that will fit my cheap paperbacks, especially my old Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries (I'm reading Clouds of Witness right now). This cute owl (not yet finished) will go on the front and I've found a nice green floral/stripe for the interior fabric. I embroidered the leaves last night while Paul and I watched Star Trek: The Next Generation on one of the few cable channels we have. Yes, my aerospace engineer husband watches Star Trek. Definitely "White and Nerdy." If you haven't seen the music video, click here and you'll understand.
I hope I know what I'm doing when it comes to assembling the book cover. The instructions in the embroidery book are in Japanese...

A couple of weeks ago, I ordered a Yarn Store in a Box from Halcyon Yarns. It came with catalogs and sample cards for all the yarns they carry. I have been looking for good yarn that I can afford for quite a while because most of my patterns call for Rowan yarn which is ridiculously expensive and I also buy a lot of old patterns that call for yarn that doesn't exist anymore. I just ordered the yarn below (color 35, click to enlarge) to make the sweater pictured (from Knitting Fashions of the 1940s by Jane Waller). The yarn comes in 1-pound cones for only $39.95 and this sweater calls for just 250 grams (8.8 oz.) so I'll be able to make something else, as well.

I'm looking forward to being able to share the work I'll be doing on both projects. Until next time!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

How much laundry can two people create? Evidently a lot! Today was one of those days when every section of my laundry sorter was full. I'm about halfway through all of it now, so we don't have to go around in dirty clothes. I don't mind laundry, though. It's easy and it's not washing dishes!

In other news, we had ice yesterday and snow today so I'm missing my dance classes today. I'm disappointed, but after my wreck last month, I'm not willing to go out in the inclement weather. So, instead, I'm hanging out in my pajamas and trying to stay warm. It's 15 degrees right now, so it's even cold in the house. I may have to fill up the hot-water bottle. I think I'll also have to do some ballet this afternoon to make up for missing class. That'll help keep me warm.

Tea also helps keep my blood from freezing in my veins. I actually do get cold, contrary to popular belief. Paul actually said I must be the witch from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe because of my tendencies to turn down the thermostat. Isn't he mean? Anyway, I like to drink tea and read books and I like chartreuse.

The chair I've photographed before and the cup and saucer are from A Legacy Antiques on Douglas in Wichita. The books are David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (my serious reading), The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (my fun reading) and Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (my guilty reading). I'm still reading David Copperfield, but I've passed the Agatha Chrisite on to Paul (I love her books) and I finished Living Dead in Dallas, so that has to go back to my mother and I can move on to the next Southern Vampire novel: Club Dead. I can't wait until the TV series (True Blood) comes out on DVD. Since we don't have HBO, we have to wait until May to watch the first season. This week, I've started reading Jane Eyre, Clouds of Witness by Dorothy L. Sayers, and Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita. Did I ever mention that I like to read?

I also like to cook (most of the time). I just don't like cleaning up afterward. This first photo is Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches (using a baguette instead of hoagie rolls, which is the way the Vietnamese sandwich places in OKC do it) and Chili-Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges.

Next, we have comfort food at its best: breakfast for dinner! I had to buy a 10-pound ham so I could have the bones and other inedibles for split-pea soup ("Potage Saint-Germain" probably sounds more appetizing), thus we have a lot of ham steaks. I fried up the ham and made toast and my Special Occasion Scrambled Eggs (1 teaspoon of cream per egg, bacon fat and butter for scrambling, and a sprinkling of green onion). This meal goes really well with tea and a movie.
Hope you're staying warm out there! Don't drive unless you have to!

P.S. Here's a little Bach, which always makes me feel better (I just love chamber orchestras):

First Day of Christmas Break

I am all finished with finals, so today was my first day of Christmas vacation. I couldn't be happier to have some downtime. Plus, I'll only be a part-time student next semester, so I hope I won't be so stressed out! I'm looking forward to getting more reading done, as well. Recently I finished The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan and The Black Dudley Murder by Margery Allingham. I recommend The Omnivore's Dilemma to absolutely everyone. It is fascinating and it will make you see the need for change in the way we produce food. The Black Dudley Murder was my fun reading (1930s, British, right up my alley).

I've also been watching The First Churchills (from Masterpiece Theatre) from Netflix. One of the reviewers on Netflix called it "creaky" (it was taped, not filmed, in 1969) and said they must have spent the majority of the budget on wigs. I have to admit it's true, but I had a good time anyway. You'd probably have to have a prior interest in the period (the courts of Charles II, James II, William & Mary, and Anne) to sit through all twelve episodes, though. I watched all of them (are you surprised?). I also did a little internet research and found out that John Churchill's post of Master of the Rolls was previously held by your old friend and mine, Sir Harbottle Grimston. Also interesting to note, the actor who played John Churchill, John Neville, had a small part in The Fifth Element (which Paul and I watched last night) and the actor who played Charles II (James Villiers) was Baron de Batz in The Scarlet Pimpernel (which I watch very often!).

John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough and Sarah Duchess of Marlborough with Their Children

Also on the Restoration front, I listened to In Our Time this afternoon while cleaning the living room (my life is so glamorous). The topic was The Great Fire of London and the link to listen is here.

Let's remain in the realm of the costume drama for a moment longer while I discuss another film I've seen recently, Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon. I'm still trying to figure out what I think about it. I can, without any hesitation, say that it is one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen. The cinematography is amazing, it's all filmed on location (at places like Castle Howard and Sanssouci, no less), the costumes are awesome, and I loved the score. However, some of the acting is sub-par and the film is three hours long. I'll leave you to decide for yourselves. Here's the trailer:


I lack a cute transition, so here's the bit about cooking. I spent much of Sunday making three quiches from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I made two Quiche aux lardons (Quiche lorraine in the book but I don't parboil the bacon because I love its smoky taste) and one Quiche aux champignons (Mushroom quiche). I subsequently wrapped up all the slices and froze them so I have lunch or dinner available for a looong time (18 slices of quiche!).
Also in the easy-to-freeze department:

Blueberry Muffin-Scones (taste mostly like a scone baked in a muffin tin)

(I adapted this from James Beard's Blueberry Muffins in The Fireside Cookbook)

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder (preferably without aluminum)
3 tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup blueberries (if using frozen, don't defrost)
Sanding sugar, for a finishing touch

Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Put small saucepan over medium-low heat and put butter in to melt (be careful not to burn it). In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Aerate with a wisk. In a small bowl, beat the egg then mix the milk into it; mix with dry ingredients (a wooden spoon works best). Add melted butter to mixture and combine. Mixture will resemble cookie batter. Then, fold in blueberries. Use the wrapper from the butter to grease the 12-muffin tin and use an ice cream scoop to fill the tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (22 in my oven). When muffin-scones come out of the oven, sprinkle them with the sanding sugar and let cool. Enjoy!

Yield: 12 muffins

Print

Note: I usually double this recipe, wrap the muffins in tin foil (it's reusable!), place them in a freezer bag (also reusable!) and put them into the freezer. I get out muffins for breakfast the night before to defrost on the counter. This works really well.

Here are a couple photos of The Fireside Cookbook, which I bought the last time we were at Watermark Books. We actually ate dinner there tonight, as well. Yummy! And then when we got home, Paul knocked a bottle of port onto the kitchen tile. I was really glad I wasn't the one who did it this time! I think we're going to have to wear shoes in the kitchen for a while... Oh, and don't feel bad about the port. It was crappy port anyway.




Finally, we are coming to the end of this long-winded blog post. Here's the only decent photo (Tyrone is not a very good photographer but we love him anyway) from our courthouse nuptials that some of you (you know who you are) have been asking for. Paul and I promise we will get professional photos taken. Sometime.

Style and Substance

Style
I doubt it's a surprise to you, dear reader, that I enjoy the work of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. This piece was on Radio Kansas last week: Cello Concerto in B-Flat WQ 171. Besides being a cello concerto, it also has some nice harpsichord passages. I've wanted a harpsichord for a long time (as well as an organ, but Paul bought me one of those), but they are very very expensive and don't show up very often at estate sales like organs do. I really like this one from Robertson Harpsichords:

It should also be no surprise that I have a certain fondness for china and a tendency toward Anglophilia. Prince Charles just turned 60, so naturally I want this commemorative plate from Caverswall China. There is a video on their website which you will like if you (a) loved the Mr. Rogers factory visits and (b) are a total snob. Needless to say, I was riveted.


Substance
Sustenance, rather, I should say. Below is a photo of yummy Pork Chops with Horseradish Apples from the November issue of Gourmet. The recipe is available here. I served them with roasted sweet potatoes (60-70 minutes in 350-degree oven). I love sweet potatoes, but I am not a fan of marshmallows unless they are in Rice Krispie Treats, so I'll be picking the marshmallows off at Thanksgiving.

I've also made bread for the first time ever and I have to say I'm rather proud of myself. It turned out really well! I even enjoyed the kneading though I'm too short for my kitchen counter and had to stand en demi-pointe. Next time, I'll just channel June Cleaver and wear high heels. I have to admit, though, that many of my endeavors end in mess and chaos so I should probably revise it to say I will be channeling Lucy Ricardo. The bread recipe is online here.
Occasionally, I eat healthfully at lunch and it gives me a chance to show off my baking and yogurt-making skills.

Until next time, Happy Thanksgiving!

Blog Smorgasbord

I had ballet class this morning (which means I actually wanted to get out of bed this morning because I didn't have to go to the worst class I've ever taken in my entire life, which I skipped all this week) and we're working on our recital piece. I haven't been in a dance recital in over a decade, but I am so ridiculously excited about it because I am a line-leader, which is great because I am such a show-off. Right now, I am avoiding working on an English paper about the changes in public morality as evidenced in George Etheredge's Man of Mode and Sheridan's School for Scandal. First, it was "I'll eat lunch and then I'll work on it," then "I'll take a shower first," then "I'll make some tea first," and now I'm to updating my blog first. Someone will have to restrain me before I start cleaning. Unfortunately for him, the task of making me do my homework has fallen to Paul recently. I am really really really looking forward to next semester when I'll only be taking two classes: Ballet 2 and Jazz 1 and cooking, cleaning, reading, knitting, luncheoning, volunteering and not feeling guilty about doing what makes me happy.

To accompany on my journey to housewifery, I will employ Barbara Cartland novels. I've never read one, but these were only $1 each in a nasty little used bookstore on South Oliver. I say that lovingly.
Another thing housewives do (or maybe not, considering we live in a world of processed, industrial foods made of God-knows-what) is make yogurt. No I have not joined a hippie commune and it is not pointless. Do you have any idea what is in commercial yogurt? Plus, I really like the cute glass jars and the lid even has a dial to set the expiration date.

Moving from bacterial culture to human culture...

I was pleased to find Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes (1938) in its entirety on YouTube. It's another train movie and is pretty fun. I love the clothes!

Below are some selections of music I've heard recently on Radio Kansas. You're probably discovering from this and other posts that I like concertos and trumpets.

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A


Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor (3rd movement: Rondo)


Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in c Op 68


Tartini: Trumpet Concerto in D


I leave you with a photo Paul took when we were in OKC a couple weekends ago:

Rather poetic for graffiti, isn't it?