Tuesday, November 10, 2009
when they are old and i'm older
i was trying to capture a baby-eats-lime moment, and ended up with a classic slice of life. we don't film our children very often ever since our video camera died years ago, and this made me remember how precious that footage can be. and while its not the most exciting footage ever, something like this will bring endless smiles and tears years down the road, when i can't believe that my babies were ever babies.
Monday, November 9, 2009
i'm a firestarter
last year, as summer was ending and the cool weather lay ahead, blake and i made a decision: we were going to challenge ourselves to NOT turn on our central heating system. our first year here, the heating bill was insanely high--not surprising since we have a very large home, with an above-average amount of windows, none of which are energy-efficient. one aspect of central heating that we've never liked is the even-ness of heat around the home--we were always battling over the "perfect temperture"--in our classic opposite natures, if one of us was hot (blake!) then the other was cold (me!) we alwasy felt "dried out" and anytime the heat would kick on blake would complain its was "blaring"....sigh.
we decided to experiment with heating main living area with wood, and use space heaters in the bedrooms. seemed like a simple switch but actually proved to require a fireplace remodel. our a-frame home is graced by a dramatic external cement-cast fireplace and 30 feet of piping shooting past the all-glass face of the our home, toward the sky. the fireplace opening is of course in the inside of the home, was originally set-up for gas but we planned on just burning wood. we decided to consult with an expert to see if our ridiculously tall chimney would need any maintainence before the first burn. this is how we met Buck. he owns Buck's Stove Palace on Foster Road and really deserves a blog post all his own: he's a kookie, amish-bearded, stove genius who charges one dollar for a housecall. he leaves messages that begin with "Hi, from Buck!" and then ends with "Well, 'bye' from Buck!"
when Buck came to see our fireplace he descibed it as "a rich man's dream"--architecturally stunning but completely inefficient. for starters the stove piping was single-walled, added to the fact that the unit itself was outside of the home it equaled massive heat-loss. he suggested installing a cast-iron fireplace and running new piping up through the old, turning the old place into a sort of hearth for the new unit. well, that wasn't in our budget--a new jotul wood stove, although beautiful and long-lasting, runs for thousdands of dollar--so we spent some time discouraged.
by october we'd done nothing for heat and dealt with extra layers and wool socks. but upon returning from our seattle vacation, we found a surprise in our living room--Buck had, with the help of breana and our extra house key, delivered a gorgeous chocolate brown cast iron stove to our living room with a note that explained that he'd just recieved this unit used (a rarity) and he'd like us to check it out--no obligation to buy--but that he would really like to help us and we could work something out. we were pretty stunned that he'd gone through all that trouble for us and we'd only given him a dollar so far! once i saw the fireplace in the living room, i was smitten with it--it grounded the sleek and modern existing fire area with a traditional and functional warmth (no pun intended.)
we ended up having it installed, piping and all, which was a massive undertaking requiring extensive scaffolding to feed the pipe down from the top, 30 feet in the air (remember, in an a-frame house there is no roof to stand on since the sides are so steep.) buck barely charged us for materials and the fireplace was a fraction of what it would have cost new--and he gave us a year to pay it off.
by november, the very night we had houseguests arrive for the thanksgiving holiday, it was ready for a fire. it was exciting to have our extended family with us for the first blaze and we huddled around it, mesmorized by its light. the area soon became the hub of activity, where our guest would come to warm up, since the back sections of the house remained cool, and we would set up the kiddie table and play games like mancala, or read or do a homeschool lesson near the "heat box".
we soon learned that heating a home by wood was a sort of lifestyle. everyday we'd gather wood from the wood pile and bring it in, hopefully enough to last the day. we'd split kindling daily. we were alwasy grabbing extra newspapers. the ash box had to be emptied every few days. we would look at the dead trees in the backyard and see them as next years cord of wood. blake took to cooking our morning eggs and potatoes in a frying pan on the top of the stove and we'd set our tea cups there to stay warm. we became wood stove people. we would only start a fire if we'd be around to tend it so some days we'd come home from a long day of errands and the house would be cold, but blake would start an evening blaze while i made dinner and by the kids' bedtime, we'd have something cozy to sit by. once a fire is lit, there is this potent energy in the home that has to be tended, mothered even, like one of my own children. and this became part of my routine, periodic checking, stirring the hot coals, adding a log, fanning a dying flame, putting on boots and jacket and walking to the wood pile for a few armloads...the fire needed to be kept healthy, kept alive! i fell in love with its presence in my home and the discipline it evoked from me.
i'd always had fireplaces in our homes growing up and remember watching my father build and stoke many a fire. i felt like if i had to start one myself i'd do fine--i understood the gist of fire-building. having one in our home now gave me the opportunity to really build this skill. keeping it alive once it got going was a quick learn for me, but starting one myself was not a consistant success. some would take off and others would fizzle leaving me frustrated that i'd lost time and starter materials. i was not exactly sure what i was doing wrong, so at first i just asked blake to always start one before he left. this was fine for a while but busy mornings happen to busy people and sometimes there just wasn't enough time--and it seemed that the way we were starting them took a lot of time and tending just to establish a decent layer of coals. i will never forget one cold day when there was no fire and blake was at work, my hands were full with the baby and two children--i wanted a fire quickly and didn't want to waste time with a failure. i decided to call the neighbors, and see if rich (breana's husband) could come over and start one for me, which thankfully he did. this time, i watched how he did it closely. i am perfectly at ease with traditional roles, and leaving certain work "to the men"--blake brings home the bacon and i tend the hearth--now quite literally--but what kind of hearth-tender would i be if i couldn't build a decent fire! i felt very grateful for rich's help, but i also decided that i didn't want to have to call him again--i needed to master fire-building.
i spent the next few months perfecting the initial fire-starter set-up, and also experimenting with the different types of wood we had. the first two cords of the season were a varied mix of hard and soft wood, but the final cord was all fir, which took a lot of time to adjust to. fire after fire my confidence grew. i am happy to report two things: first, we met our goals and we never did turn on our central heat, and second, this year i am the official fire-starter in our home, with no more failed attempts. i decided to take pictures of the process during 2nd or 3rd fire of this year, to cement my confidence that after taking off the summer months by fire-building skills had not waned, and also in case someone else out there lacking this skill wanted to be enlightened (ha, more puns!!) so here's how i start a fool-proof fire:
do you have any wood fire tips or memories to share??
we decided to experiment with heating main living area with wood, and use space heaters in the bedrooms. seemed like a simple switch but actually proved to require a fireplace remodel. our a-frame home is graced by a dramatic external cement-cast fireplace and 30 feet of piping shooting past the all-glass face of the our home, toward the sky. the fireplace opening is of course in the inside of the home, was originally set-up for gas but we planned on just burning wood. we decided to consult with an expert to see if our ridiculously tall chimney would need any maintainence before the first burn. this is how we met Buck. he owns Buck's Stove Palace on Foster Road and really deserves a blog post all his own: he's a kookie, amish-bearded, stove genius who charges one dollar for a housecall. he leaves messages that begin with "Hi, from Buck!" and then ends with "Well, 'bye' from Buck!"
when Buck came to see our fireplace he descibed it as "a rich man's dream"--architecturally stunning but completely inefficient. for starters the stove piping was single-walled, added to the fact that the unit itself was outside of the home it equaled massive heat-loss. he suggested installing a cast-iron fireplace and running new piping up through the old, turning the old place into a sort of hearth for the new unit. well, that wasn't in our budget--a new jotul wood stove, although beautiful and long-lasting, runs for thousdands of dollar--so we spent some time discouraged.
by october we'd done nothing for heat and dealt with extra layers and wool socks. but upon returning from our seattle vacation, we found a surprise in our living room--Buck had, with the help of breana and our extra house key, delivered a gorgeous chocolate brown cast iron stove to our living room with a note that explained that he'd just recieved this unit used (a rarity) and he'd like us to check it out--no obligation to buy--but that he would really like to help us and we could work something out. we were pretty stunned that he'd gone through all that trouble for us and we'd only given him a dollar so far! once i saw the fireplace in the living room, i was smitten with it--it grounded the sleek and modern existing fire area with a traditional and functional warmth (no pun intended.)
we ended up having it installed, piping and all, which was a massive undertaking requiring extensive scaffolding to feed the pipe down from the top, 30 feet in the air (remember, in an a-frame house there is no roof to stand on since the sides are so steep.) buck barely charged us for materials and the fireplace was a fraction of what it would have cost new--and he gave us a year to pay it off.
by november, the very night we had houseguests arrive for the thanksgiving holiday, it was ready for a fire. it was exciting to have our extended family with us for the first blaze and we huddled around it, mesmorized by its light. the area soon became the hub of activity, where our guest would come to warm up, since the back sections of the house remained cool, and we would set up the kiddie table and play games like mancala, or read or do a homeschool lesson near the "heat box".
we soon learned that heating a home by wood was a sort of lifestyle. everyday we'd gather wood from the wood pile and bring it in, hopefully enough to last the day. we'd split kindling daily. we were alwasy grabbing extra newspapers. the ash box had to be emptied every few days. we would look at the dead trees in the backyard and see them as next years cord of wood. blake took to cooking our morning eggs and potatoes in a frying pan on the top of the stove and we'd set our tea cups there to stay warm. we became wood stove people. we would only start a fire if we'd be around to tend it so some days we'd come home from a long day of errands and the house would be cold, but blake would start an evening blaze while i made dinner and by the kids' bedtime, we'd have something cozy to sit by. once a fire is lit, there is this potent energy in the home that has to be tended, mothered even, like one of my own children. and this became part of my routine, periodic checking, stirring the hot coals, adding a log, fanning a dying flame, putting on boots and jacket and walking to the wood pile for a few armloads...the fire needed to be kept healthy, kept alive! i fell in love with its presence in my home and the discipline it evoked from me.
i'd always had fireplaces in our homes growing up and remember watching my father build and stoke many a fire. i felt like if i had to start one myself i'd do fine--i understood the gist of fire-building. having one in our home now gave me the opportunity to really build this skill. keeping it alive once it got going was a quick learn for me, but starting one myself was not a consistant success. some would take off and others would fizzle leaving me frustrated that i'd lost time and starter materials. i was not exactly sure what i was doing wrong, so at first i just asked blake to always start one before he left. this was fine for a while but busy mornings happen to busy people and sometimes there just wasn't enough time--and it seemed that the way we were starting them took a lot of time and tending just to establish a decent layer of coals. i will never forget one cold day when there was no fire and blake was at work, my hands were full with the baby and two children--i wanted a fire quickly and didn't want to waste time with a failure. i decided to call the neighbors, and see if rich (breana's husband) could come over and start one for me, which thankfully he did. this time, i watched how he did it closely. i am perfectly at ease with traditional roles, and leaving certain work "to the men"--blake brings home the bacon and i tend the hearth--now quite literally--but what kind of hearth-tender would i be if i couldn't build a decent fire! i felt very grateful for rich's help, but i also decided that i didn't want to have to call him again--i needed to master fire-building.
i spent the next few months perfecting the initial fire-starter set-up, and also experimenting with the different types of wood we had. the first two cords of the season were a varied mix of hard and soft wood, but the final cord was all fir, which took a lot of time to adjust to. fire after fire my confidence grew. i am happy to report two things: first, we met our goals and we never did turn on our central heat, and second, this year i am the official fire-starter in our home, with no more failed attempts. i decided to take pictures of the process during 2nd or 3rd fire of this year, to cement my confidence that after taking off the summer months by fire-building skills had not waned, and also in case someone else out there lacking this skill wanted to be enlightened (ha, more puns!!) so here's how i start a fool-proof fire:
you've got to have your essential items: newpaper, dried twigs, pinecones, smaller-sized fir kindling, a few soft wood logs...oh and a lighter!
first layer: newspaper. i prefer a combo of the twisted-like-a-log and just a plain old crumple
second layer: sprinkle with some pinecones
third layer: a handful of dried twigs, layed out all willy-nilly in different directions
fourth and fifth layer: kindling sticks layed down in an "x" pattern, with the bigger logs on top, also crossed. you want air (and then flames) to be able to make its way through your pile to ignite more material. resting the larger logs on the little metal log holders can help to keep the "upside-down pyramid" balanced...
light 'em up. i prefer a long lighter like this, and also i like to light three points of the newspaper--left, front, and right.
now i close the doors, but crack the bottom vent causing an updraft of oxygen that feeds the flame, and really makes it blaze hot to catch all of that material on fire. this is actually the ash pan on my fire-place but the other vents on the sides don't do the job the way this does...
here we go--everything is catching
a quick peek a few minutes later reveals that, yes, the logs have caught fire and things are progressing nicely
at this point i had walked away for a while, and had not yet added any logs since that initial start-up. but no fear, a nice hot bed of coals is forming that will ignite any log you throw on top. i might take a poker and flip that red log before adding two more and closing it up.
so i did just that, and things are getting very hot. once i see all the logs are caught and there is that layer of hot coals, i can close the bottom and let things burn more slowly.
once things are fully established, this is what the inside looks like. as each log burns down and turns to glowing red coal, i just keep throwing on fresh, dry logs, adjusting the hardwood logs as needed (they are much denser and sometime need a flip)
do you have any wood fire tips or memories to share??
Sunday, November 8, 2009
meet prince and princess snottyface
saturday is isadore and george's day to keep each other entertained, and last saturday they both had to same snotty, sneezy cold. now that george is old enough to actively play with the girls (or at least be dressed up and forced to play) he finds himself in all sorts of roles. isadore convinced me to put this shirt on him, over the fleece jacket he was already wearing, so the result, all you seinfeld fans, looked much like the infamous "puffy shirt." aren't they a comical pair.....too bad you can't see the crusty snot smears on their faces, that was the cutest part.
officially over it, despite the princess' pleas
here, prince geo looks like he's relieving himself in the royal bushes:
officially over it, despite the princess' pleas
Saturday, November 7, 2009
a warm smile
this morning, i was battling a case of the "a.m. grumpies", dispite having been woken up to my honey delivering me a hot cup of tea in bed. while huffing around the kitchen, i got upset with blake for leaving something at work that i needed for today. he offered to run to nomad and get it and bring it back, and before he left he reminded me that my breakfast was being kept warm in the oven. a few mintues after he'd gone, i looked in the oven and saw this:
needless to say, i felt like a perfectly ungrateful poophead. but it immediately turned my attitude around. nothing like a warm smile to cheer you up, right?
needless to say, i felt like a perfectly ungrateful poophead. but it immediately turned my attitude around. nothing like a warm smile to cheer you up, right?
Friday, November 6, 2009
my fridays
day so long, computer so slow.
this will be my first (of many i'm sure) day of half-assed blogging. i want to get into pajamas and put the kids to bed and eat ice cream while watching an alfred hitchcock movie.
friday is the busiest day of the week. i try to cram all errands into this day so that i can stay home, and save gas and money monday through thursday. here was today's day, start to finish. maybe next time i'll take pictures....like a day in the life, part two: out-and-about!
6:30 george wakes up and i put him in his room with a snack and sippy cup. he plays and i go back to bed. this is what happens every morning. he's the best baby ever. blake comes and gets him when he's woken up but Geo usually plays happily for 1 to 2 hours without a peep. i know, best baby ever.
8:30 i hear blake getting george and looking for wipes. i tell him where they are. then ask for 30 more minutes.
9:30 i wake up for reals this time. put on my sheepskin house boots and make the bed. i like to start the day with a made bed.
9:40 finish the dishes in the sink, make breakfast (ham, freshly-layed egg, cheese on a sprouted bagel--a common morning-starter), and start a cup o' irish breakfast. mayan unloads the dish washer.
10:00 alternate between eating breakfast/drinking tea, feeding george some egg, and checking email and facebook, and solidifying grocery list.
10:20 sit in living room and finish cold bagel and cold tea while listening to the practice piano.
10:30 blake gives the "lets be gone in 30 minutes"announcement, so i head upstairs to get dressed while barking orders: gather piano books! gather library books! put ice packs in the cooler! shoes, shoes, shoes!! NO, not those ones! where are your sneakers?
10:55 dressed and loading car. run back in to grab iPod.
11:20 roll up to fred meyer for "red drink" (tropical recharge) and other fred meyer grocery items. (it is one of three or four grocery stores i shop at every friday) put perishable groceries in cooler in the back of car.
11:55 deliver blake to nomad just in time. he peirces a nose right away and use the phone to call danielle (see what she'd like for dinner) and then my friend halle (to make sure she's bought the tickets to the fashion show we are attending next week end.)
12:20 pop in a new audiobook for the kids and i--"the gooney bird books" by lois lowry. head to new seasons.
12:30 mayan wants to stay in the car to keep listening to the story so i take the baby into new seasons for groceries: part two. its the only place that has the bagels i can eat. also the 'enjoy life' chocolate chips for the kids. spendy items but essentials. also i like the ground pork. feed george rice puffs while we shop to keep him occupied.
1:00 return to car, get the what-did-i-miss-in-the-story update while unloading cart, give the kids some free samples i scored inside. count my cash, and return the cart, stopping to give the epileptic homeless woman on the corner two dollars. i don't do this very often, i'm always back and forth about whether its really helpful at all. but today, i can spare two bucks, so whatever.
1:17 next stop trader joe's. we all get out. get TP and essential gluten-free things unavailable at any other stores. find "appleface" the stuffed cat they hid in a different place everytime (kids get a treat if they find him.)
1:45 get back to car, rearrange back of suburban, feed everyone turkey sandwiches.
2:00 stop at woodstock library to return books and get a new pile. this week lots of easy read books for isadore, magic tree house books for mayan, an alfred hitchcock dvd and two randomly picked mucis cds for me and b, and our first edith nesbit book for all.
2:40 ha, the choice to hit the woodstock library was a stategic move on my part--the only taco cart in town that is soy-free is in the parking lot next door. i order two tacos and let the kids look through our new books in the car while i wait. clean out my purse. the fresh tortillas are to die for--so soft and fluffy!
3:00 arrive early to the girls' piano lessons. george has fallen alseep! perfect timing. eat my tacos. listen to the skippyjon jones cd that came with the library book.
3:15 escort issy to her lesson. come back to car and read mayan some nancy drew (the bungalow mystery)
3:45 isadore comes out and mayan goes in. read to issy. try the two new cds i got from the library--they both suck really bad. then listen to iPod--regina spektor, soviet kitsch.
4:20 mayan is back from her lesson and we head straight home.
4:35 girls and i unload groceries and put them away while i start to make burritos. george is up and grupmy--keep him out of trouble while the girls ride their bikes before it gets too dark.
5:30 finalize and assemble burritos and put half in the oven to warm. whip up a small batch of guacamole.
5:55 pack up four toastly burritos and guac to deliver to danielle. load up kids in car and make sure i turn off all the lights in the house before we go.
6:15 get to D's, leave kids in car whle i run her dinner to her and then stand in her doorway chatting for 10 minutes. have her call blake and tell him i'm on my way (and running late)
6:45 arrive at nomad. pick up b.
6:55 stop at freddies again b/c i forgot to buy beer.
7:15 get home and heat up burritos. have girls clear their library pile off the counter and then set the table. crack a negra modelo to go with my food.
7:35 finish dinner, have kids help clean up. opne a second beer, go to computer and discuss/mull over VW TDI wagons. then i start this blog post.
8:30 realize the kids are getting rowdy and blake is in shower. walk ways from the computer and start getitng them ready. they brush teeth. i wrap up geo and nurse him down in no time. lay him in his crib. head to the girls' room, go up in mayans bunk and read half of "the deliverers of their country" by edith nesbit. give lots of kisses and sweet dream wishes.
9:30 head back downstairs. start blogging again. get the how-long-will-you-be-clicking-look from blake. assure him i'm wrapping things up.
10:03 really wrap it up. try to remember where i left that beer.
all in all, this one wasn't so half-assed. what did you do today?
this will be my first (of many i'm sure) day of half-assed blogging. i want to get into pajamas and put the kids to bed and eat ice cream while watching an alfred hitchcock movie.
friday is the busiest day of the week. i try to cram all errands into this day so that i can stay home, and save gas and money monday through thursday. here was today's day, start to finish. maybe next time i'll take pictures....like a day in the life, part two: out-and-about!
6:30 george wakes up and i put him in his room with a snack and sippy cup. he plays and i go back to bed. this is what happens every morning. he's the best baby ever. blake comes and gets him when he's woken up but Geo usually plays happily for 1 to 2 hours without a peep. i know, best baby ever.
8:30 i hear blake getting george and looking for wipes. i tell him where they are. then ask for 30 more minutes.
9:30 i wake up for reals this time. put on my sheepskin house boots and make the bed. i like to start the day with a made bed.
9:40 finish the dishes in the sink, make breakfast (ham, freshly-layed egg, cheese on a sprouted bagel--a common morning-starter), and start a cup o' irish breakfast. mayan unloads the dish washer.
10:00 alternate between eating breakfast/drinking tea, feeding george some egg, and checking email and facebook, and solidifying grocery list.
10:20 sit in living room and finish cold bagel and cold tea while listening to the practice piano.
10:30 blake gives the "lets be gone in 30 minutes"announcement, so i head upstairs to get dressed while barking orders: gather piano books! gather library books! put ice packs in the cooler! shoes, shoes, shoes!! NO, not those ones! where are your sneakers?
10:55 dressed and loading car. run back in to grab iPod.
11:20 roll up to fred meyer for "red drink" (tropical recharge) and other fred meyer grocery items. (it is one of three or four grocery stores i shop at every friday) put perishable groceries in cooler in the back of car.
11:55 deliver blake to nomad just in time. he peirces a nose right away and use the phone to call danielle (see what she'd like for dinner) and then my friend halle (to make sure she's bought the tickets to the fashion show we are attending next week end.)
12:20 pop in a new audiobook for the kids and i--"the gooney bird books" by lois lowry. head to new seasons.
12:30 mayan wants to stay in the car to keep listening to the story so i take the baby into new seasons for groceries: part two. its the only place that has the bagels i can eat. also the 'enjoy life' chocolate chips for the kids. spendy items but essentials. also i like the ground pork. feed george rice puffs while we shop to keep him occupied.
1:00 return to car, get the what-did-i-miss-in-the-story update while unloading cart, give the kids some free samples i scored inside. count my cash, and return the cart, stopping to give the epileptic homeless woman on the corner two dollars. i don't do this very often, i'm always back and forth about whether its really helpful at all. but today, i can spare two bucks, so whatever.
1:17 next stop trader joe's. we all get out. get TP and essential gluten-free things unavailable at any other stores. find "appleface" the stuffed cat they hid in a different place everytime (kids get a treat if they find him.)
1:45 get back to car, rearrange back of suburban, feed everyone turkey sandwiches.
2:00 stop at woodstock library to return books and get a new pile. this week lots of easy read books for isadore, magic tree house books for mayan, an alfred hitchcock dvd and two randomly picked mucis cds for me and b, and our first edith nesbit book for all.
2:40 ha, the choice to hit the woodstock library was a stategic move on my part--the only taco cart in town that is soy-free is in the parking lot next door. i order two tacos and let the kids look through our new books in the car while i wait. clean out my purse. the fresh tortillas are to die for--so soft and fluffy!
3:00 arrive early to the girls' piano lessons. george has fallen alseep! perfect timing. eat my tacos. listen to the skippyjon jones cd that came with the library book.
3:15 escort issy to her lesson. come back to car and read mayan some nancy drew (the bungalow mystery)
3:45 isadore comes out and mayan goes in. read to issy. try the two new cds i got from the library--they both suck really bad. then listen to iPod--regina spektor, soviet kitsch.
4:20 mayan is back from her lesson and we head straight home.
4:35 girls and i unload groceries and put them away while i start to make burritos. george is up and grupmy--keep him out of trouble while the girls ride their bikes before it gets too dark.
5:30 finalize and assemble burritos and put half in the oven to warm. whip up a small batch of guacamole.
5:55 pack up four toastly burritos and guac to deliver to danielle. load up kids in car and make sure i turn off all the lights in the house before we go.
6:15 get to D's, leave kids in car whle i run her dinner to her and then stand in her doorway chatting for 10 minutes. have her call blake and tell him i'm on my way (and running late)
6:45 arrive at nomad. pick up b.
6:55 stop at freddies again b/c i forgot to buy beer.
7:15 get home and heat up burritos. have girls clear their library pile off the counter and then set the table. crack a negra modelo to go with my food.
7:35 finish dinner, have kids help clean up. opne a second beer, go to computer and discuss/mull over VW TDI wagons. then i start this blog post.
8:30 realize the kids are getting rowdy and blake is in shower. walk ways from the computer and start getitng them ready. they brush teeth. i wrap up geo and nurse him down in no time. lay him in his crib. head to the girls' room, go up in mayans bunk and read half of "the deliverers of their country" by edith nesbit. give lots of kisses and sweet dream wishes.
9:30 head back downstairs. start blogging again. get the how-long-will-you-be-clicking-look from blake. assure him i'm wrapping things up.
10:03 really wrap it up. try to remember where i left that beer.
all in all, this one wasn't so half-assed. what did you do today?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
lumpias!
.....are freaking delicious. ever had one? they are like lighter, crispier egg rolls packed usually with tender meat and tasty vegetables. these irresistible delights made their way into our family history at some point, and i did some asking around to find out exactly how by talking to my mom and sister.
i've always known that the mere word "lumpia" caused a sparkle in the eye or a lick of the chops whenever it was muttered by a family member. apparently, in ketchikan, the small island in southeast alaska, where my parents were raising their four children (me being the youngest), had a fair-sized filipino population. my mom's comparison was that the lumpia to filipinos are like what a taco is to hispanics. she was introduced to them by her brother kerry's wife, teresa, who was half-filipino. what my sister and i remember was that finding the lumpia wrappers, the ultra-thin crepe-like piece that holds all the filling, was a special treat because the wrappers were not available that we knew of on the island. so if someone in the family, like my dad or aunt, were going to visit seattle, they would try and bring back the wrappers, and then a lumpia feast would ensue. my mom and i wondered if either we didn't know about the "local lumpia wrapper source" or if the local filipino families were just making them from scratch. hard to believe because they are so incredibly thin and delicate to handle. my mom told me that when her brother passed away, and teresa remarried she was kind enough to invite our family to the wedding. there teresa's filipino relatives cooked all the food for the wedding, including piles and piles of lumpias which they fried right there in front of the hungry guests.
this was all just a mere memory for me though since i was five when we left alaska and six when we settled in bend--and remained for over 20 year. by the time i was grown, i was aware of what had become really "the legend of the lumpia" but had never made them myself, i assume since no markets in bend carried that rarity of the wrapper. i recall once, on a road trip in my late teens, stopping at a cafe on the coast for brunch, and seeing, amidst the normal omelette and benedict fare, a special sheet announcing the available lumpias! i excitedly explained to my traveling companion about the elusive fried treat. i can't remember actually eating them there, so either i ordered them and they were unremarkable or i stuck to my french toast and tight budget.
fast forward to last year, here in portland, where i decided i wanted to start a chinese new years feast tradition and have all of my favorite chinese-american dishes, which i am unable to eat now due to The Allergy. (my basic approach to cooking foods that normally contain soy is substitute it with a fraction of salt.) this led to an exploration of the vast array of asian food markets along S.E. Powell Boulevard. i found this to be an awesome cultural experience, if not somewhat dizzying due to the huge selection of products with unreadable labels. blake and i realized that (if you don't care about whether your food is organic) a $20 bag of groceries gets you days of delicious meals, our favorite being our homemade seafood ramen that we've been prefecting over the last year.
back to my original plan, the best market we found is called An Dong Market on S.E. Powell and 55th, and it has everything from two aisles of noodles, a clean and exotic (to us) meat department, and fresh produce popular to chinese cooking. while shopping for my chinese new year feast, i meandered past the freezer section, and lo and behold, what do my eyes land upon but a box of lumpia wrappers! i was tickled and for only three dollars a box, i snatched one up. since my mom and dad were the guest of honors to our first attempt at this new tradition, i was excited to show my mom what i'd found. she helped me through the process of the delicate wrapping and gave me tips about stacking them so they don't stick together, and even fried them up. they were just as good as everyone had remembered--it was very hard to stop eating them!!
three nights ago, when we were preparing to satisfy another ramen fix, i decided to grab another box, and whip up some lumpias to go along. this time, feeling more free about what should go into them. i have both the recipe my mother has passed on from teresa, and the recipe from the back of the box (including the sweet and sour sauce which is so good for dipping!). the recipe i have settled on is somewhat between the two, but this is one of those things that really, once you are comfortable, is a flexible, whatever-is-on-hand type of food, and doesn't require specific measurements.
*****
first i give you the original recipe that came through our family, from teresa:
*chicken breasts
-boil the breasts until done, then cool, and finely dice. set aside.
*vegetable oil for sauteing
*bean sprouts
*green cabbage, finely chopped or shredded
*carrots, grated
*green onion, chopped
-saute the vegetable in the oil. also add:
*dash of garlic salt
*soy sauce, to taste
-when soft, remove from heat, drain, add chicken to mixture, and let cool.
when the filling is cool, take your thawed wrappers, and one by one gently separate, fill with large spoonful of mixture, and wrap, wetting the last bit to seal. keep lumpias in single layers, using wax paper to add more layers, until you use up all the filling. deep fry in oil or fat on low controlled heat until golden brown.
teresa's sweet and sour sauce;
1 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
ginger root, julienned
3 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp soy sauce
--cook all ingredients in a pan until thick. serve warm with the lumpias!
********
and now my version, which is soy-free, and has the best part--a nice crunch inside provided by water chesnuts and also no pre-cooking required:
toss together in a large bowl the following:
*1 pound ground pork, sauted and drained
OR dark chicken meat, cooked and finely chopped
*1/2 cup carrots, grated
*1 cup mung bean sprouts AND/OR cabbage, shredded
*1/3 cup mushrooms, chopped
*1/3 cup yellow or white onion, finely chopped
*1/3 cup water chesnuts, chopped OR turnips, finely chopped
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
mix in a small bowl:
*2 large eggs
*3 tsp tapioca starch
add to meat-veggie mixture. season with:
*1/2 tsp pepper
*1 teaspoon salt
toss well! then begin rolling (my lumpia wrappers have a nice diagram on the back of the box to help you along) basically: fill, fold sides, and roll, wetting the last bit to seal it closed. place on a platter in layers, using wax paper bewteen each layer to prevent sticking. i fry them in canola oil, using about 1/2 inch of oil in the pan, so when submerged the lumpias are not quite covered and can be flipped, until both side are golden brown. set on paper towels briefly to absorb excess oil, and serve with sweet and sour sauce.
the sauce:
3 Tbsp vinegar (white wine or apple cider both work well)
1 tsp salt
6 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp tapioca starch
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 Tbsp oil
place in a small sauce pan and heat until thickened.
****
so tell me, readers, have you ever had a lumpia? got another recipe to share? also let me know if you try one of these and, of course, the result....
i've always known that the mere word "lumpia" caused a sparkle in the eye or a lick of the chops whenever it was muttered by a family member. apparently, in ketchikan, the small island in southeast alaska, where my parents were raising their four children (me being the youngest), had a fair-sized filipino population. my mom's comparison was that the lumpia to filipinos are like what a taco is to hispanics. she was introduced to them by her brother kerry's wife, teresa, who was half-filipino. what my sister and i remember was that finding the lumpia wrappers, the ultra-thin crepe-like piece that holds all the filling, was a special treat because the wrappers were not available that we knew of on the island. so if someone in the family, like my dad or aunt, were going to visit seattle, they would try and bring back the wrappers, and then a lumpia feast would ensue. my mom and i wondered if either we didn't know about the "local lumpia wrapper source" or if the local filipino families were just making them from scratch. hard to believe because they are so incredibly thin and delicate to handle. my mom told me that when her brother passed away, and teresa remarried she was kind enough to invite our family to the wedding. there teresa's filipino relatives cooked all the food for the wedding, including piles and piles of lumpias which they fried right there in front of the hungry guests.
this was all just a mere memory for me though since i was five when we left alaska and six when we settled in bend--and remained for over 20 year. by the time i was grown, i was aware of what had become really "the legend of the lumpia" but had never made them myself, i assume since no markets in bend carried that rarity of the wrapper. i recall once, on a road trip in my late teens, stopping at a cafe on the coast for brunch, and seeing, amidst the normal omelette and benedict fare, a special sheet announcing the available lumpias! i excitedly explained to my traveling companion about the elusive fried treat. i can't remember actually eating them there, so either i ordered them and they were unremarkable or i stuck to my french toast and tight budget.
fast forward to last year, here in portland, where i decided i wanted to start a chinese new years feast tradition and have all of my favorite chinese-american dishes, which i am unable to eat now due to The Allergy. (my basic approach to cooking foods that normally contain soy is substitute it with a fraction of salt.) this led to an exploration of the vast array of asian food markets along S.E. Powell Boulevard. i found this to be an awesome cultural experience, if not somewhat dizzying due to the huge selection of products with unreadable labels. blake and i realized that (if you don't care about whether your food is organic) a $20 bag of groceries gets you days of delicious meals, our favorite being our homemade seafood ramen that we've been prefecting over the last year.
back to my original plan, the best market we found is called An Dong Market on S.E. Powell and 55th, and it has everything from two aisles of noodles, a clean and exotic (to us) meat department, and fresh produce popular to chinese cooking. while shopping for my chinese new year feast, i meandered past the freezer section, and lo and behold, what do my eyes land upon but a box of lumpia wrappers! i was tickled and for only three dollars a box, i snatched one up. since my mom and dad were the guest of honors to our first attempt at this new tradition, i was excited to show my mom what i'd found. she helped me through the process of the delicate wrapping and gave me tips about stacking them so they don't stick together, and even fried them up. they were just as good as everyone had remembered--it was very hard to stop eating them!!
three nights ago, when we were preparing to satisfy another ramen fix, i decided to grab another box, and whip up some lumpias to go along. this time, feeling more free about what should go into them. i have both the recipe my mother has passed on from teresa, and the recipe from the back of the box (including the sweet and sour sauce which is so good for dipping!). the recipe i have settled on is somewhat between the two, but this is one of those things that really, once you are comfortable, is a flexible, whatever-is-on-hand type of food, and doesn't require specific measurements.
*****
first i give you the original recipe that came through our family, from teresa:
*chicken breasts
-boil the breasts until done, then cool, and finely dice. set aside.
*vegetable oil for sauteing
*bean sprouts
*green cabbage, finely chopped or shredded
*carrots, grated
*green onion, chopped
-saute the vegetable in the oil. also add:
*dash of garlic salt
*soy sauce, to taste
-when soft, remove from heat, drain, add chicken to mixture, and let cool.
when the filling is cool, take your thawed wrappers, and one by one gently separate, fill with large spoonful of mixture, and wrap, wetting the last bit to seal. keep lumpias in single layers, using wax paper to add more layers, until you use up all the filling. deep fry in oil or fat on low controlled heat until golden brown.
teresa's sweet and sour sauce;
1 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
ginger root, julienned
3 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp soy sauce
--cook all ingredients in a pan until thick. serve warm with the lumpias!
********
and now my version, which is soy-free, and has the best part--a nice crunch inside provided by water chesnuts and also no pre-cooking required:
toss together in a large bowl the following:
*1 pound ground pork, sauted and drained
OR dark chicken meat, cooked and finely chopped
*1/2 cup carrots, grated
*1 cup mung bean sprouts AND/OR cabbage, shredded
*1/3 cup mushrooms, chopped
*1/3 cup yellow or white onion, finely chopped
*1/3 cup water chesnuts, chopped OR turnips, finely chopped
*3 cloves garlic, minced
*1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
mix in a small bowl:
*2 large eggs
*3 tsp tapioca starch
add to meat-veggie mixture. season with:
*1/2 tsp pepper
*1 teaspoon salt
toss well! then begin rolling (my lumpia wrappers have a nice diagram on the back of the box to help you along) basically: fill, fold sides, and roll, wetting the last bit to seal it closed. place on a platter in layers, using wax paper bewteen each layer to prevent sticking. i fry them in canola oil, using about 1/2 inch of oil in the pan, so when submerged the lumpias are not quite covered and can be flipped, until both side are golden brown. set on paper towels briefly to absorb excess oil, and serve with sweet and sour sauce.
the sauce:
3 Tbsp vinegar (white wine or apple cider both work well)
1 tsp salt
6 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp tapioca starch
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 Tbsp oil
place in a small sauce pan and heat until thickened.
****
so tell me, readers, have you ever had a lumpia? got another recipe to share? also let me know if you try one of these and, of course, the result....
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
the perfect boot finale
part one and part two are here.
a new season! a renewed sense of hope of finding the perfect boot! in typical fashion, the world of fashion has caught up with me--every time, for as long as i can recall, if i've searched despearately for an item, there is always a plethera the following year. this is why i was studying fashion merchandising in college before i dropped out, to fulfill my own needs of having access to the clothing i wanted before it was easily available, and to use my knack of being one step ahead of the world of ready-to-wear, and get paid for it.
a sit-down on the zappos site and confirmed a large selection of tall leather boots, both functional, quality, and stylish. i quickly settled on two pairs and convinced blake to let me max out our credit card and order both, see which one is better, and send the loser back. you will recall last time my saga took place over january, so most of the boots my size and color choice were sold out. i was just a wee bit paranoid about that happening again. but here i was early in the season, with all these hot boots fresh for the picking!
last year, when i gave up the search, i ended up surviving the rest of the wet season with a fine pair of black rubber rain boots with laces up the front that i found for half-off online. they are great but don't live up to many of the criteria of that "perfect boot." the perfect boot, just for review, needs to be leather, an appealing shade of brown, have secure tread for slippery surfaces, and (the toughy) needs to have a large enough circumference in the calf (sadly, my calf is the same circumference as last year dispite my efforts to lose weight.) plus it has to be pretty.
pair #1:
the franco sarto telluride. mmmmmm.......this boot gives me the chills. its seeeeeexy, but would be even sexier broken-in, like a true leather boot. the buckle (which i'm usually opposed to) is just the right touch, not too tough, just there. the shade of brown--warm, reddish, yummy. the zipper was beefy and industrial and, the twist, on the outside of the shaft--oh, yeah.
the fit: a no-go. shit, shit, shitty-shit. not big enough around the calf, and stretching would have been a risk at that price. and in the foot area: ow. ow. ow. very narrow with stiff leather. one trip around the living room and i was wincing. with a sigh, i printed the label for their return.
besides all of that, its still my favorite looking boot i've seen all year. i guess it will remain "boot porn," and i can imagine wearing them in my dreams.
pair #2:
i gave another pair of timberlands a shot. these were $100 more than the timberlands of boot search part one, so i knew the quality would be better than those cheap-o's. i liked the color, too--very different. almost a grey or green hue to them in person. compared to the tellurides the style is....um, bland. but the beauty of these is that the style could go either way: a little country, a little rock and rock, a little boho...they are a whatever, wherever and don't make a huge statement. the tread: respectable. the fit: a clear, clear winner. they went on like butter, had a roomie, comfortable footbed and didn't squeeze. the calf was just enough with no room to spare, but a small hidden panel of elastic to make them work. phew! the relief!!
what i've discovered it that the best bet for a larger calf is a pull-on style boot--these are meant to, on a smaller-sized calf, have space between your leg and the boot top so it can be pulled on and off without the need for a zipper. no harm done if your calf fills up the extra room--especially nice if there is a small section of elastic at the top for comfort and ease.
the leather is soft and does slouch a bit now that they are worn-in, but not so much that it affects the tallness of the boot, or kills the shape of my leg--i still have an ankle, but also they are easy to wear, not stiff at all. i can run errands and crouch and carry kids, and my feet don't hurt at the end of the day. my look has been these with opaque black tights and a sweater dress almost everyday: my fall look is complete! and to think, i have all of the remainder of fall and winter to enjoy my perfect pair of boots...isn't that how it should be? only time will tell if they last more than one year, but until then, after all i've been through in my search, i am already getting my money's worth.
a new season! a renewed sense of hope of finding the perfect boot! in typical fashion, the world of fashion has caught up with me--every time, for as long as i can recall, if i've searched despearately for an item, there is always a plethera the following year. this is why i was studying fashion merchandising in college before i dropped out, to fulfill my own needs of having access to the clothing i wanted before it was easily available, and to use my knack of being one step ahead of the world of ready-to-wear, and get paid for it.
a sit-down on the zappos site and confirmed a large selection of tall leather boots, both functional, quality, and stylish. i quickly settled on two pairs and convinced blake to let me max out our credit card and order both, see which one is better, and send the loser back. you will recall last time my saga took place over january, so most of the boots my size and color choice were sold out. i was just a wee bit paranoid about that happening again. but here i was early in the season, with all these hot boots fresh for the picking!
last year, when i gave up the search, i ended up surviving the rest of the wet season with a fine pair of black rubber rain boots with laces up the front that i found for half-off online. they are great but don't live up to many of the criteria of that "perfect boot." the perfect boot, just for review, needs to be leather, an appealing shade of brown, have secure tread for slippery surfaces, and (the toughy) needs to have a large enough circumference in the calf (sadly, my calf is the same circumference as last year dispite my efforts to lose weight.) plus it has to be pretty.
pair #1:
the franco sarto telluride. mmmmmm.......this boot gives me the chills. its seeeeeexy, but would be even sexier broken-in, like a true leather boot. the buckle (which i'm usually opposed to) is just the right touch, not too tough, just there. the shade of brown--warm, reddish, yummy. the zipper was beefy and industrial and, the twist, on the outside of the shaft--oh, yeah.
the fit: a no-go. shit, shit, shitty-shit. not big enough around the calf, and stretching would have been a risk at that price. and in the foot area: ow. ow. ow. very narrow with stiff leather. one trip around the living room and i was wincing. with a sigh, i printed the label for their return.
besides all of that, its still my favorite looking boot i've seen all year. i guess it will remain "boot porn," and i can imagine wearing them in my dreams.
pair #2:
i gave another pair of timberlands a shot. these were $100 more than the timberlands of boot search part one, so i knew the quality would be better than those cheap-o's. i liked the color, too--very different. almost a grey or green hue to them in person. compared to the tellurides the style is....um, bland. but the beauty of these is that the style could go either way: a little country, a little rock and rock, a little boho...they are a whatever, wherever and don't make a huge statement. the tread: respectable. the fit: a clear, clear winner. they went on like butter, had a roomie, comfortable footbed and didn't squeeze. the calf was just enough with no room to spare, but a small hidden panel of elastic to make them work. phew! the relief!!what i've discovered it that the best bet for a larger calf is a pull-on style boot--these are meant to, on a smaller-sized calf, have space between your leg and the boot top so it can be pulled on and off without the need for a zipper. no harm done if your calf fills up the extra room--especially nice if there is a small section of elastic at the top for comfort and ease.
the leather is soft and does slouch a bit now that they are worn-in, but not so much that it affects the tallness of the boot, or kills the shape of my leg--i still have an ankle, but also they are easy to wear, not stiff at all. i can run errands and crouch and carry kids, and my feet don't hurt at the end of the day. my look has been these with opaque black tights and a sweater dress almost everyday: my fall look is complete! and to think, i have all of the remainder of fall and winter to enjoy my perfect pair of boots...isn't that how it should be? only time will tell if they last more than one year, but until then, after all i've been through in my search, i am already getting my money's worth.
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