pinot gris.
calendula soap.
this blog.
and this one.
tank tops.
herb water.
cameras.
sunshine.
cooling evening hours.
b
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
midsummer
um what? come again...
can you believe it? it's already midsummer, the longest day of the year, almost the end of june. it looks like it's going to be a beautiful one too.
summer this year has seemed a bit like some surreal fantasy or dream, but here i am wearing a skirt and tank top for the first time in for-ev-er. i guess we can't deny it anymore.
with summertime officially upon us, i've been thinking about how un-official summer feels this year; kind of accidental, kind of sneaky. partly it's the rainy weather. partly it's the lack of skirt-wearing and general adventure-having that i've had so far... but i think the major difference is that summer no longer means freedom: in fact, it means working more hours, struggling to get time off to get out of town, and wishing that i wasn't missing out on the days that are actually sunny because i'm at work. hmm. doesn't quite have the same ring as pool parties and hiking trips and watermelon seed spitting contests in the back yard, and three months without homework. hopefully my growing tomato plants, itchy chaco sunburn, and a weekend away will help it feel a little more summery around here.
that's right, erik and i are leaving mcminnville. for like four whole days. can you tell this is monumental? after so long working opposite schedules, and feeling too tired at the end of the day to do a whole lot more than a bike ride (well, mostly erik does that), a salad for dinner, and a beer, we have four whole days to ourselves! we're going to cook real meals! three times a day! we're going to scorn alarm clocks! i'm going to bring a couple new recipes to try, read a book for our book club, go kayaking, get another sunburn, maybe even write sitting out on the deck with a glass of wine. we might buy some illegal fireworks! ahhh vacation... why do you come so rarely?
hopefully you are all finding ways to celebrate the summery days. i'll see you after vacation.
b
can you believe it? it's already midsummer, the longest day of the year, almost the end of june. it looks like it's going to be a beautiful one too.
summer this year has seemed a bit like some surreal fantasy or dream, but here i am wearing a skirt and tank top for the first time in for-ev-er. i guess we can't deny it anymore.
with summertime officially upon us, i've been thinking about how un-official summer feels this year; kind of accidental, kind of sneaky. partly it's the rainy weather. partly it's the lack of skirt-wearing and general adventure-having that i've had so far... but i think the major difference is that summer no longer means freedom: in fact, it means working more hours, struggling to get time off to get out of town, and wishing that i wasn't missing out on the days that are actually sunny because i'm at work. hmm. doesn't quite have the same ring as pool parties and hiking trips and watermelon seed spitting contests in the back yard, and three months without homework. hopefully my growing tomato plants, itchy chaco sunburn, and a weekend away will help it feel a little more summery around here.
that's right, erik and i are leaving mcminnville. for like four whole days. can you tell this is monumental? after so long working opposite schedules, and feeling too tired at the end of the day to do a whole lot more than a bike ride (well, mostly erik does that), a salad for dinner, and a beer, we have four whole days to ourselves! we're going to cook real meals! three times a day! we're going to scorn alarm clocks! i'm going to bring a couple new recipes to try, read a book for our book club, go kayaking, get another sunburn, maybe even write sitting out on the deck with a glass of wine. we might buy some illegal fireworks! ahhh vacation... why do you come so rarely?
hopefully you are all finding ways to celebrate the summery days. i'll see you after vacation.
b
Friday, June 03, 2011
meals from the market
yesterday was the farmer's market, and today it's sunny. hooray!
last night i shared an amazing meal with friends inspired by goods we got at market. on the menu: green salad with green garlic dressing, german potato salad, hazelnut crusted salmon fillet, rhubarb muffins, and strawberry sandwiches. and strawberries. how do i always forget how delicious strawberries are??
happily this was a meal well-shared, if not well photographed. i hope i can get better about that now that summertime is in the near future.
last night's meal left me feeling inspired, but also a little anxious. i can't remember if i mentioned this before, but erik and i are going to be doing a 100 mile diet experiment this summer. for the month of august, we're going to eat only food sourced within one hundred miles of little mcminnville. as we get closer and closer to the start of our experiment, and i get deeper and deeper into planning for the SFYC 100 Mile Diet Challenge, i get more excited and slightly more frantic.
i'm excited for this because (1) it will force me to get back in the kitchen, which has been looking sadly neglected lately, (2) i will have to kick the coffee habit, something i've been wanting to try for more than a year but have never been motivated enough to do, and (3) i will get to learn so much about the foodshed here. i can't wait to find the best u-pick places, to freeze blueberries, eat hazelnuts and walnuts instead of almonds, figure out how to make pasta by hand, discover local distilleries, drink local milk from local cows, and shake up some butter in a jar. there'll be no excuse to not cook dinner because i can just boil some noodles and open a can (yes, we all do that). no excuse not to go to market, because that is where a huge chunk of our food is going to come from. and i'll have the excuse to go on fieldtrips! to the cheese factory!
at the same time, it's summer... and in a little while here i'm not going to want to spend time inside rolling out pasta or making yogurt, or... i don't even know: doing all those things that convenience foods keep me from doing. will i be able to fit it all in? will i be hungry all of the time? because i'm kind of that way as is... and if i can't reach for a clif bar or crackers i'm going to have to do some planning to make sure i don't bite off someone's head in a blood sugar low point.
in preparation for this endeavor, i've been re-reading plenty, a great book written by a couple in BC who did a 100 mile diet for a whole year. it's funny, carefree, and honest about the hardships and adjustments involved. they didn't drink coffee... but they did live in a region with a similar climate and food culture. this morning i read about their trials living without any wheat product. life without bread?? and pasta?? that's like seventy percent of my diet right there. oh boy. this is going to be interesting.
they also write at length about just how difficult and endeavor like this is. i mean, where do you draw the line? local cheese made from local milk... but are the seasonings in it local? what about the enzymes and cultures used to make it into cheese? what about rennet? where do you draw the line? i know that in my book coffee roasted locally won't be making the cut, but will olive oil that contains a blend of oregon and california fruit? or that delicious chipotle goat cheese at market that contains cumin? what am i going to do about salt? only use the stuff left in my cabinet at the start of august? boil some seawater on my next beach trip? go without? there are so many judgment calls to make!
good thing is, i'm already thinking about it. in a couple of months i should have a little list of farms and other resources in hand to help alleviate my worries. at least i hope i will. in the meantime, i'm going to enjoy meals from the market, and still use that european sea salt, cane sugar from the tropics, and pepper from who knows where (you really should try the strawberry sandwiches from last night--directions are at the end of this). maybe this will be my chance to learn about sweetening with honey... and hopefully i won't be hungry all month.
b
strawberry sandwiches.
yep. they're pretty much exactly what they sound like.
choose your bread and slice it thinly. butter with delicious sweet butter. layer with sliced strawberries. sprinkle over a little sugar (vanilla sugar if you have it!), and a crack of black pepper (don't skip this). let sit so the strawberries release their juices. eat. yum.
last night i shared an amazing meal with friends inspired by goods we got at market. on the menu: green salad with green garlic dressing, german potato salad, hazelnut crusted salmon fillet, rhubarb muffins, and strawberry sandwiches. and strawberries. how do i always forget how delicious strawberries are??
happily this was a meal well-shared, if not well photographed. i hope i can get better about that now that summertime is in the near future.
last night's meal left me feeling inspired, but also a little anxious. i can't remember if i mentioned this before, but erik and i are going to be doing a 100 mile diet experiment this summer. for the month of august, we're going to eat only food sourced within one hundred miles of little mcminnville. as we get closer and closer to the start of our experiment, and i get deeper and deeper into planning for the SFYC 100 Mile Diet Challenge, i get more excited and slightly more frantic.
i'm excited for this because (1) it will force me to get back in the kitchen, which has been looking sadly neglected lately, (2) i will have to kick the coffee habit, something i've been wanting to try for more than a year but have never been motivated enough to do, and (3) i will get to learn so much about the foodshed here. i can't wait to find the best u-pick places, to freeze blueberries, eat hazelnuts and walnuts instead of almonds, figure out how to make pasta by hand, discover local distilleries, drink local milk from local cows, and shake up some butter in a jar. there'll be no excuse to not cook dinner because i can just boil some noodles and open a can (yes, we all do that). no excuse not to go to market, because that is where a huge chunk of our food is going to come from. and i'll have the excuse to go on fieldtrips! to the cheese factory!
at the same time, it's summer... and in a little while here i'm not going to want to spend time inside rolling out pasta or making yogurt, or... i don't even know: doing all those things that convenience foods keep me from doing. will i be able to fit it all in? will i be hungry all of the time? because i'm kind of that way as is... and if i can't reach for a clif bar or crackers i'm going to have to do some planning to make sure i don't bite off someone's head in a blood sugar low point.
in preparation for this endeavor, i've been re-reading plenty, a great book written by a couple in BC who did a 100 mile diet for a whole year. it's funny, carefree, and honest about the hardships and adjustments involved. they didn't drink coffee... but they did live in a region with a similar climate and food culture. this morning i read about their trials living without any wheat product. life without bread?? and pasta?? that's like seventy percent of my diet right there. oh boy. this is going to be interesting.
they also write at length about just how difficult and endeavor like this is. i mean, where do you draw the line? local cheese made from local milk... but are the seasonings in it local? what about the enzymes and cultures used to make it into cheese? what about rennet? where do you draw the line? i know that in my book coffee roasted locally won't be making the cut, but will olive oil that contains a blend of oregon and california fruit? or that delicious chipotle goat cheese at market that contains cumin? what am i going to do about salt? only use the stuff left in my cabinet at the start of august? boil some seawater on my next beach trip? go without? there are so many judgment calls to make!
good thing is, i'm already thinking about it. in a couple of months i should have a little list of farms and other resources in hand to help alleviate my worries. at least i hope i will. in the meantime, i'm going to enjoy meals from the market, and still use that european sea salt, cane sugar from the tropics, and pepper from who knows where (you really should try the strawberry sandwiches from last night--directions are at the end of this). maybe this will be my chance to learn about sweetening with honey... and hopefully i won't be hungry all month.
b
strawberry sandwiches.
yep. they're pretty much exactly what they sound like.
choose your bread and slice it thinly. butter with delicious sweet butter. layer with sliced strawberries. sprinkle over a little sugar (vanilla sugar if you have it!), and a crack of black pepper (don't skip this). let sit so the strawberries release their juices. eat. yum.
Friday, May 27, 2011
reprieve
unexpectedly, no work today. ahhhh. i think my heart rate just slowed to a healthy level again. i was up and about extra early so i could get other things done before heading to work... and now i'm enough ahead of the game to take some beth time. maybe i'll watch a movie! or bake a rhubarb cake! or just take a nap.
before i do that though, i'll have a chance to catch up on important things.
like reviewing this book for slow food:
packed with awesome information about food raising, sourcing, and prepping, as well as gorgeous photos and thoughtful commentary on food and just how important it is. originally written for a british audience and now expanded for us americans, this is one of the best comprehensive cookbooks i've had the pleasure to read. highly recommended.
plus i have poetry waiting for me:
neruda, ryan, cummings, and more. not to mention working on some of my own.
i can't get this kay ryan poem out of my head...
Stations
As the
veldt dries,
the great cats
range farther
to drink,
their paths
looping past
this or that
ex-oasis.
However long
the water's
been gone,
no places
are missed:
despite thirst,
every once-
deep pool
is rehearsed.
It's strange
the way our
route can't be
straightened:
how some
cruel faith
keeps the
stations.
enjoy your weekend.
before i do that though, i'll have a chance to catch up on important things.
like reviewing this book for slow food:
packed with awesome information about food raising, sourcing, and prepping, as well as gorgeous photos and thoughtful commentary on food and just how important it is. originally written for a british audience and now expanded for us americans, this is one of the best comprehensive cookbooks i've had the pleasure to read. highly recommended.
plus i have poetry waiting for me:
neruda, ryan, cummings, and more. not to mention working on some of my own.
i can't get this kay ryan poem out of my head...
Stations
As the
veldt dries,
the great cats
range farther
to drink,
their paths
looping past
this or that
ex-oasis.
However long
the water's
been gone,
no places
are missed:
despite thirst,
every once-
deep pool
is rehearsed.
It's strange
the way our
route can't be
straightened:
how some
cruel faith
keeps the
stations.
enjoy your weekend.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
take a breath, beth
it feels like i'm always at work lately. i know that it isn't true, but it feels that way. and when i work weekends and erik works weeks, it means there are few adventures happening. not to mention that every evening, one of the two of us is exhausted and the other wants to get out and do something... it isn't the smoothest arrangement for sure.
i'm going to be increasing my role at the bookstore once again... a behind-the-scenes sort of job that i think will suit me, but still worries me. last summer i worked two jobs and NEVER, NEVER had any time for myself. i refuse to do that again. but if i'm going to have control over this work schedule, i need to be brave enough to stand up for myself. wish me luck.
today, during my second work day of the day, a couple came in to the shop up at red ridge. they were visiting from l.a. and when i asked them what brought them to the dundee hills, they said "we just needed to get away." i've been feeling that way lately too. it wouldn't take much. a day at the coast. a nice hike somewhere. time to hang out with erik without other things hanging over us.
soon. it'll happen soon. in the meantime, i'm enjoying pictures of other people's escapes.
b
i'm going to be increasing my role at the bookstore once again... a behind-the-scenes sort of job that i think will suit me, but still worries me. last summer i worked two jobs and NEVER, NEVER had any time for myself. i refuse to do that again. but if i'm going to have control over this work schedule, i need to be brave enough to stand up for myself. wish me luck.
today, during my second work day of the day, a couple came in to the shop up at red ridge. they were visiting from l.a. and when i asked them what brought them to the dundee hills, they said "we just needed to get away." i've been feeling that way lately too. it wouldn't take much. a day at the coast. a nice hike somewhere. time to hang out with erik without other things hanging over us.
soon. it'll happen soon. in the meantime, i'm enjoying pictures of other people's escapes.
b
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
overzealous? maybe. overbudget? definitely.
so... i don't know about you, but recently my "plant things!! !!!" urge has been running out of control. when this happens, it also tends to mean other things get out of control. this morning i logged on to my bank accounts and i saw exactly how out of control...
turns out all of that compost, potting soil, plant start, flowers, herbs, and seed, and "what to do with all of this" book buying has made a dent. my bank also has this great little thing online that tracks and categorizes your purchases and then makes terrifying bar graphs and pie charts to show you how you've been mis-spending your money. it even has budget recommendations and says in VERY large font size if you're living within your means or not. lovely. useful. yikes. it appears that i have already managed to go over my budget for the month. oops. i blame it on the plants.
how could i pass these sorts of things up though?
lovely dianthus
spitfire climbing nasturtiums
climbing black-eyed susans
not to mention the lovage, peppermint, hot pink geranium, parsley, arugula, and much more. mmm. my balcony will be pretty (and probably groaning under the weight of everything), but i can't spend any more money on planting things this month.
b
turns out all of that compost, potting soil, plant start, flowers, herbs, and seed, and "what to do with all of this" book buying has made a dent. my bank also has this great little thing online that tracks and categorizes your purchases and then makes terrifying bar graphs and pie charts to show you how you've been mis-spending your money. it even has budget recommendations and says in VERY large font size if you're living within your means or not. lovely. useful. yikes. it appears that i have already managed to go over my budget for the month. oops. i blame it on the plants.
how could i pass these sorts of things up though?
lovely dianthusspitfire climbing nasturtiumsclimbing black-eyed susansnot to mention the lovage, peppermint, hot pink geranium, parsley, arugula, and much more. mmm. my balcony will be pretty (and probably groaning under the weight of everything), but i can't spend any more money on planting things this month.
b
Friday, May 06, 2011
summertime plans
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