Under a Blue Moon

Sensory overload

My niece and I checked out the new Whole Foods market that opened near us. Imagine, if you will, two balls let loose in a pinball machine – that was us – bouncing from one department to the next with lights flashing and bells ringing in our heads.

To be perfectly honest I’m a little conflicted about Whole Foods – I think it started out with its heart in the right place – a grocery store with organic options, great local produce, out of this world deli department but I think that they may be manipulating me – like they figured out what my demographic wants in a grocery store and they are calculating in the delivery of that product. Or maybe they just honestly want to bring me fresh, wholesome food and if they happen to make a bazillion dollars in the process so be it.

Is that an entire display of Vosges chocolates?

We didn’t really have time to do the place justice and it truly was overwhelming, all the sights and smells but I did manage to buy a few things. A couple of Asian pears, some hummus, some whole grain crackers and a Vosges Red Fire Bar.

Dark chocolate with ancho and chipotle chilies and Ceylon cinnamon. There is a method to eating a Vosges chocolate bar. You can’t just be popping it into your mouth willy nilly (ahem…). No – first you need to take three deep breaths in order to fully engage your senses ("Three breaths??" my Dad says – "I’ve been breathing all day – what do I need to take three more breaths for?"). Then you take a good look at your chocolate bar. Appreciate the red flecks of the chilies, the glossy sheen. Then rub your thumb over your chocolate bar to warm it slightly and to release the scent (by now certain members of the family have finished off their first piece and are fishing around for another bite "Wow. Was there something spicy in there? I could have sworn it tasted a little bit spicy."). Snap off a piece. Then take a bite and break it into small pieces that spread across your tongue. Press it into the roof of your mouth. Breathe (again with the breathing). According the fine people at Vosges you should detect subtle nuances in the flavor; leather, dairy, vegetables, flowers, toasted tobacco, caramel….

Okay I’m mocking it a little but it is fabulous chocolate. And there is something irresistable about chocolate and chilies as far as I’m concerned.

This Whole Foods has a Gelato bar. Hand made soaps that you buy by the slice – it looks like cheese or some kind of nougutty confection. And a frozen dog food section. Hmmm – their target group must be more of a dog loving kind than cat owners…. I didn’t even get a chance to look at their fresh meats and seafoods.

I’m going to have to go back when I have more time to browse. The guy at the checkout said that you can taste anything you want so I definitely need to go back and give the Gelato bar a bit more attention.

WIP

I was going to get working on last year’s knitting project but realized that my knitting needles are 165 miles apart (one being at home and the rest of the project at my dad’s) so I hit up one of the local yarn purveyors for some fresh supplies.

First of all I had to get these luscious rosewood knitting needles. Can’t you just see that anything made with these needles will end up being lovely? And the yarn – mmmm – the shop had a shawl done up with this and it looked like a web of rosebuds.

I’m planning on doing a scarf (surprised?) and since the needles are size 17 this project should go pretty quickly. I’ve already got about a foot done. While I was there I inquired about beginning crocheting classes and was told the owner of the shop does private lessons for $35 an hour. Or I could do a group lesson. I’m thinking the private lesson is the way to go though. Those of you that both knit and crochet – is one faster than the other? Easier learning curve?

I just saw the strangest thing. I was out of Diet Coke (an emergency in my book) so I ran out to get some. I was at a stoplight and this man is walking down the sidewalk towards me. Very normal looking. Nicely dressed, good shoes, neatly groomed, looked to be in his early 30’s. Then he started spinning in circles (like a top) as fast as he could as he was walking down the sidewalk. I was at the stoplight for about three minutes and he kept it up the entire time. Then he stopped and kept walking. Didn’t appear dizzy or anything.

He looked totally normal. Well, except for the spinning.

When I got back I instant messaged one of my coworkers and relayed the story. There was a pause then he types back "I don’t even know how to respond to that."

That’s exactly how I felt.

This and that

My latest obsession. Pillowcases with crocheting and embroidery. My grandmother used to create pillowcases with crocheted edges on them. We didn’t have a lot of them so it was always a treat when one ended up on our bed. We were never sure of the Laundry Fairy’s system on who got what bed linens.

I’m still determined to learn how to crochet. I don’t think I can teach myself so I’m going to hit up the local yarn shops and see if there are any beginner classes available.

I picked this one up (one of a pair) from a woman in Maine that scours estate sales for vintage linens. The embroidery is so sweet. She had another pair from the same sale that had little bluebirds on them. Someone beat me to it and snapped it up before I had the chance. Embroidery I can do though – so I may try my own hand at embroidering.

Change of subject ~ Last night my sister and I were in charge of Sunday night dinner and we each did a crockpot meal (we have a huge crowd to feed so one crockpot wouldn’t have been enough). I wanted to do a spicy chicken meal so I looked at a few recipes to get ideas and came up with a pretty decent dish. Crockpot meals never photograph well so I don’t have a picture but here is the recipe:

1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken (I used chicken tenders but whole breasts or thighs would work too – I would cut the breasts into smaller pieces)
1 lb. andouille sausage, cut into 1/4" slices
2 or 3 bell peppers, sliced (I used red, yellow and green for color)
2 15 oz. cans of Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 15 oz. can of chicken broth
1 Tbsp. Zatarain’s creole seasoning
Salt & Pepper to taste

Dump it all in the crockpot and cook on high for about four hours, until the chicken is cooked through (your crockpot times may vary, depending on how hot it actually gets). Shred the chicken a bit, into bite-sized pieces. Turn crock pot to low until ready to eat. Serve over white rice. The andouille sausage gives it a nice kick (as does the creole seasoning).

Now I need to find a good chicken and dumpling recipe. My dumplings always end up looking like a science experiment that has gone horribly, terribly wrong.

The Grounds

(as always ~ click on pics for a larger view)

This looks pretty innocuous. But……

In a few more weeks all of this is going to come down.

I took a late afternoon stroll on the property today. The light is particularly pretty this time of day. Long shadows and bits of of sunlight peaking through the branches. We have a creek that runs through the property. There is so much life that it brings. The constant sound of running water and the wild life it supports. We’ve seen beaver, bobcats, rabbits, skunks, turkeys, coyotes, racoons. Eagles, bats, otter, turtles, snakes. More lizards and little tree frogs than I can count.

The man who built our house also built a number of bridges on the property. The covered bridge (which I somehow managed to get out of roofing this weekend…), a regular foot bridge and two suspension bridges. The suspension bridges are always a huge hit with guests. It sways, it bounces, it threatens to heave its crossers right into the creek below. Get a couple of glasses of wine in someone and they feel the need to conquer the bridges.

We’ve managed to tame the grounds closest to the house. Pretty flower beds surround the house and we have rolling lawns. But beyond that nature just flat out wins.

There are memories of secret staircases

Stone benches that are slowly disappearing.

And the creek itself. It looks pretty serene in this picture. But on Dec 31st of last year it was 100 feet wide and nearly took out the bridges. That was really something. I woke up after a night of constant rain. There was a bit of a lull and I was looking out the window and something just didn’t look right. The field at the bottom of the lawn appeared to be moving at at a pretty fair clip. I put on my glasses and called Rick to come look. The creek had risen and had flooded the field and was lapping at the very bench you see above. It was truly amazing.

Especially since the Summer before I had planned to clear the field and plant a cutting garden. Put up a pretty picket fence and have a proper rose garden. The rose garden would be three miles downstream if I had gone through with my plans.

I’ll stick to gardening in higher grounds.

Pumpkin Extravaganza!

I was in a pumpkin cooking mood today. First I made pumpkin muffins. Using my beloved Susan B. Komen KitchenAid mixer being that it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and all. I love this mixer. Well anyone that has a KitchenAid loves it but this one is PINK. Utter, lovely pinkness. Rick gave it to me "not for Christmas!!" – he knew I really wanted one but didn’t want to be pegged as that guy that gives his wife appliances for gifts so even though he gave it to me on Dec. 25th – it wasn’t a Christmas present. Okay – got it.

My grandmother was a breast cancer survivor. I say was because she has since passed away. Of old age. She was 93 when she died. She was also diagnosed in her 80’s. It’s never too late to get checked. It’s never too late to get treatment. It’s never too late to get past it. You know the drill ladies, Get Checked.

I wish I could say the muffins turned out fabulously but they were rather bland and not as pumpkin-y or spicy as I was hoping.

Because I only used a small amount out of the large can of pumpkin puree I decided to make my favorite pumpkin soup with the rest. I used the recipe out of the Susan Branch Vineyard Seasons cookbook. I can make this soup in my sleep. You are really supposed to cook a fresh pumpkin but in a hurry you can use canned puree. Works for me anyway. I sure wish Susan Branch would come out with a new cookbook. I have all of her books and love her drawings and handwritten recipes. And that she is so unabashedly not low cal or low fat.

So soup was lovely. Muffins not so much.

Shopping

I just spent a frustrating lunch hour. In the city of Roseville, near where I live, there is an older downtown area. It could be really charming. It probably was, during its hey days. The houses were all built in the 20’s and there is the old Tower Theater which looks straight out of the 30’s. The city is trying to revitalize the area but there is a new shopping center nearby with a Nordstrom, a Macy’s, mega bookstores and food court and it I fear it is drawing people away from the historic part of town. What once was the heart of the city is turning into a ghost town.

My son used to take guitar lessons off of the main street and while I was waiting for him I would often stroll down the street and poke in the shops that were there. This was about three years ago. Even back then most stores were empty. But there was a booming antique trade with a number of large stores along a three block area. So today I decide to head down there (mainly to see if I could find any interesting bedside tables). And they are gone. There are a couple of 2nd hand clothing stores (not really my thing) and one antique store featuring military collectibles (also not my thing). The rest – gone.

I love finding unique stores that don’t carry the same exact thing every other store carries. I love that feeling you get when you find something that you didn’t know you needed until you laid eyes on it. I have a few stores that never fail me. These aren’t chains and they don’t have online shopping for the most part – but if you happen to live near one or are planning a visit make sure to pop in. You never know what you might find.

Last November a few of us took a trip to Disneyland and our last day there we stopped at Roger’s Gardens in Corona Del Mar, CA. If I had known what I was in for I would have saved an entire day to go through the place. It is absolutely amazing. They have an incredible holiday shop each year and I spent the rest of my vacation money on Christmas ornaments. My youngest was with us and he refused to set foot in the place. Every now and then I would get a call from him from the parking lot "Mom! An entire BUSLOAD of old people just arrived, you should get out of there." When we left (after just an hour) there was a woman getting out of a limousine. The shops are what interested me the most but I would like to go back in the Springtime and really take a look at the gardens. They have the original bandstand from Disneyland there.

Another garden/shops combination I like is Wisteria Antiques and Aptos Gardens in Soquel, CA. This is actually two businesses sharing the same space. There are several buildings on the acre property, including an old house where antique furniture and accessories can be found. It’s always fun to look but rather pricy. My favorite part is the gardens. For inspiration and the occasional little treasure like my sleeping cherub. Beautiful plants, outdoor structures and furniture. The last time I was there they had several miniature gardens that were so incredibly detailed. Teeny pergolas and picket fences surrounding miniature bonsai’d plants (is that redundant? Miniature bonsai?) – all in containers that are about 18" across. A perfect, little garden.

For sheer fun there is I Love Funky’s in Fort Atkinson, WI – with both antiques and new treasures. That is where I picked up the mosiac bowl. I also bought a small silver tray that I keep on my vanity. There is a nice restaurant downstairs too. With an actual brig from an old ship. How on earth do you suppose they got their hands on that? The last time I was at Funky’s they had a antique french hanging wire chair. I have never fallen in love with a piece of garden furniture like that but it was amazing. Of course it wouldn’t fit in my suitcase and even though I probably could have justified the $695 price tag (a bargain!) I couldn’t afford to ship it home. Alas.

Well no shopping for me this weekend. I think my weekend is going to involve roofing. Rick was telling me something alarming about tying a rope around my waist in case I slip off the covered bridge.

I wanted to be on lemonade detail, not actually UP THERE in danger or anything.

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