Tag Archives for NaBloPoMo

Fresh fruit and fish

As I said on my public account last night, I had an evening all about cooking and eating. I met up with Lauren and saw @cookingforgeeks at the Waffle Shop (thanks to Meg from Table & Spoon for putting that together). I also ran into Emily at the event, which was a lovely bonus of work + life colliding over food. Grocery shopped afterwards and got home in time to make homemade granola bars for Avi to take as a snack to school this week, and finally – at around 10:30pm – started dinner.

We have a lot of pears from our CSA. More than we can probably eat as, you know, plain pears. I was going to make a cobbler or a crisp, but I’m a little over that right now. Seemed like I should be able to come up with a more creative use for the fruits and vegetables we had in the fridge.

Flash back to Chicago for a minute. We went to Old Town Oil Company during our visit, and while I initially scoffed at the specialty oils and vinegars available for tasting and purchase, I ended up eating my words (and some delicious samples) and buying this:

It smells delightful and tastes even better, but it’s been sitting on the counter waiting for the right application. (Spoiler alert: prominently featured in last night’s dinner.)

Into the wok went roughly chopped pears, onions, fennel and bell peppers.

I drained it several times because of all the moisture in the peppers and pears especially. Pinch of kosher salt and then the peach balsamic vinegar at the end.

I set the fruit and vegetables aside and heated up the wok again without wiping it out first. The vinegar had reduced to a yummy glaze, so I added a little more before introducing some ahi tuna.

It’s definitely much harder to sear in a wok than in my cast iron skillet, so I opted for rare-ish.

Sweet and fresh without being syrupy. I was particularly pleased with the vegetable combination. As is often the case when I cook late at night, I skipped the substrate (read: the starch – usually rice, quinoa, couscous, etc.) and just had the fish and fruit/vegetables. I think a hearty brown rice would work nicely in addition, though.

It sure is nice to be back in the kitchen.

Oops. I was all ready to post the nutritional information, but I realized I actually don’t know the numbers on the vinegar. If I can figure that out, I’ll update.

Renegade Banana Bread

Yesterday, in between whining about the state of politics in this country and taking care of a very, very sick little boy, I took an informal inventory of schtuff in the kitchen. Still no cinnamon, but hey, here are some pecans in the freezer that should probably be used. About a cup of oats. What good is that? Really ripe bananas. Dislike. Agave nectar but no sugar.

Now, quick breads and I have reached an understanding: I acknowledge the necessary ratios of wet and dry ingredients for a successful texture, but then I get to experiment with the spices and mix-ins. It’s like the baking equivalent of Oh Yeah! Ice Cream in Shadyside, although significantly more random and less dessert-y delicious.*

So given what I had on hand, I decided to push the envelope a little more. I considered a two-fruit bread, but that’s always dicey because of the moisture. I opted instead for an unconventional mix of spices. Unconventional even for me.

Renegade Banana Bread

2 cups flour (I used all-purpose because that’s all I had.)
1 cup oats
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of kosher salt
About a tsp each of cloves, ginger and allspice
About 2 tsps of red chili powder

4 mashed bananas
2 eggs
1 cup agave nectar (I used light amber.)

1 cup crushed pecans

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another. Combine but don’t overmix. Stir in pecans. Pour into a lightly oiled bread pan.

Bake for an hour at 350 degrees. I was astounded how long it took.

Cool in the pan for ten minutes or so before transferring to a wire rack.

The resulting bread has a hearty texture due to the pecans and oats, but stays pleasantly moist because of all the bananas.  It is particularly delicious for breakfast. The chili gives it a unique kick, working admirably well with the other spices and the banana. I will likely tweak this further, experimenting with egg whites instead of full eggs and switching to whole wheat flour.

And tomorrow morning, I will try it toasted.

Nutritional information for one slice of bread (1/20th recipe), approximate: 181 calories, 4.8 grams fat, 21.5 grams cholesterol, 93.9mg sodium, 32.4 grams carbohydrates. 1.9 grams fiber, 16 grams sugar, 3.7 grams protein.

*We were supposed to go there last night after soccer practice and meet friends, but because Avi was very sick we postponed the trip. Then a huge storm came and canceled soccer anyway, but I am clearly still pining for an Oh Yeah! visit.

Torn

I never write about politics. I’m not qualified to do so, and few things frustrate me more than talking heads (or in this case, writing fingers) prattling on about an issue without all the facts or context. But (and you knew that was coming, right?) I am so overwhelmed and depressed and disappointed and shocked by the political goings on these days. No matter how much I want to shove my fingers in my ears and hum loudly to myself, I can’t ignore what I read. And I can’t stop reading it, either.

It surprises me how ill-equipped I am to deal with all the hate in the world. When did I become so naive? I used to be able to debate with the best of them, confident that I could make you see my perspective if not change your mind. Goodness knows my mind wasn’t going to change, of course. I thought I was a bleeding heart liberal long before I really understood what that meant.

But I’ve mellowed. Not necessarily in belief, but absolutely in my need to share it with you. And what seems to have replaced the furvor folly of my youth is resignation, exhaustion and deep, deep sadness.

My friend Laura says, “Be Kind. No Exceptions.” It’s a simple mantra that has garnered a lot of attention lately. I’m just not convinced that the right people are getting the message. Every time I read the news it’s another example of hateful vitriol and inexcusable behavior coming from individuals in prominent leadership positions at all levels. There’s no such thing as “agree to disagree” anymore;  just “you’re wrong, and I hate you for it.”

It’s unbearable. And disrespectful. If our leaders can’t treat one another with common decency, how can we believe they have any respect for their constituents?

So I’m considering enforcing a personal moratorium on news updates until after the mid-term elections. I’ll do my research now so I can be an informed voter, but then I’ll stop reading. I’ll go straight to the dream real estate section of the New York Times. I’ll skip the political articles in The New Yorker. I’ll avoid Wait, Wait like the plague. I’ll remove all other news sources from my various feeds.

Maybe. Or maybe I’ll just keep reading and hoping someone up there gets the message. Soon.

Annotated survival

And now we are three again.

Avi and I made it through our first ever full week entirely on our own without any deleterious effects. And aren’t I a spoiled brat for going 5+ years before ever flying solo for seven days in a row. Of course, since he went to school and I went to work every day, one could argue that it was hardly a significant feat. In fact, one could argue that dedicating an entire paragraph to patting myself on the back for a week of single parenthood with a single child is downright laughable, if not actually offensive to the honest to goodness single parents out there. But I assure you, it was not without its challenges (the #peanutbutterincident notwithstanding).

Tomorrow is the start of yet another new routine, although this one will be around for awhile. And we’re still learning the other ones, including everything that needs to happen before and after school. My favorite quote from this past week, where Avi and I were solely in charge of the great list-of-what-must-be-done-each-day, was this gem which I already shared elsewhere, and which I’ve annotated below:

“Mommy, there were two mistakes(1) today – not that made me cry(2), just that we should try not to do again. First, you either forgot to put cheese crackers in my bag or we’re out of cheese crackers.(3) So I had to have pretzels. Which was fine.(4) And second, something must have happened to the lollipop(5) because when I went to get it out of my bag at aftercare, zero lollipops.(6)” (7)

1. I love so much that he prefaces this entire speech with the idea that the issues were in fact equal-opportunity mistakes that could have happened to anyone.

2. Because we all know that Avi cries rather easily, whether in solidarity for all the great injustice in the world or because he doesn’t always get his way, I appreciate that he let me know early on that the no-fault “mistakes” did not ruin his entire school day.

3. I forgot. True story.

4. Of course it was fine! He loves pretzels, even more than cheese crackers. He was probably thrilled that I forgot to put his afternoon snack into his bag.

5. Let the record state that I neither knew of this lollipop’s existence, nor did I grant permission for it to go to school.

6. I’m going to start saying “zero lollipops” when my search for anything (except lollipops) turns up unsuccessful.

7. When he said the words “zero lollipops” he made little zero shapes with his hands, shaking them from side to side. I would also like to incorporate this into my own daily routine, but I haven’t quite figured out where.

So with this week in the books, it looks like we’re on our way to making it through this crazy September after all. And with smiles on our faces. Mostly. These last two weeks are killer, though, and seem to have infected the first two weeks of October. I’m starting to feel the buildup of anxiety that comes before a Big Work Thing (or in this case, A Lot Of Big Work Things).

But for tonight, I’m just another mom making sure her kid has his school snack packed.

Zero lollipops.

Not hockey.

Admittedly, it’s also a sport that most kids start long before hockey since it’s not so high maintenance. But while we’re figuring out if/when Avi is playing developmental hockey this fall (since he’s “graduated” from the Little Penguins* program), we thought this might be the perfect time to try out another favorite team sport.

“Team” is of course a very generous term for a group of five year olds running around a grassy field, occasionally kicking at the ball with intention but more often relying on instinct. It’s hilarious, but I promise I’m laughing with them, not at them. Except for this past Wednesday, when Avi was having social hour with two of the girls on his team while everyone else played soccer around them. For like, ten minutes. In that case, I had to laugh at him.

And, yeah, okay. I had to laugh at them here, too:

Because really, how can you not giggle at Danielle‘s son’s expression in the back row? It is my favorite picture so far of the Forest Green team. Quite formidable, aren’t they?

*If you scroll through the pictures on the Little Penguins site, Avi’s grinning mug comes up eventually. I may have screen captured it for posterity. Ahem.

#bigpour4

So that happened. Wanna hear read about it?

As I mentioned before, I was asked to design a kegerator for the Steel City Big Pour at Construction Junction. I had some difficulty finding a place to paint since I needed to spray multiple layers, but ultimately the good folks at Construction Junction set me up right there. Big thanks to Bonnie and Derrick (sp?) for making that possible.

I documented every step of the three (nonconsecutive) day process. The complete set is on Flickr here, in all its grainy 3GS iPhone glory.

This was at the end of day one. Deep blue, green, yellow and black only.

I used mineral spirits and a one inch brush for the line work.

By the end of day two, I had added aqua, dark green and a more cerulean-y blue.

A closer look, you ask? Sure.

The final step was stripes of red – which were very easy to add in the original Photoshop rendering, but a huge pain in the ass to do in real life. Part of the problem came from the fact that I was also using spray paint, despite the need for a clean line. I had to mask everything off, a feat complicated by the fact that it was so hot my masking tape didn’t stick.

But in the end, I got pretty close to what I wanted.

Yup. That was as fun as it looks. They fit it with all the kegerator hardware, put a nice little handle in the middle of the front door, and raffled it off at the event.

In exchange for my blood, sweat and tears we got complimentary tickets to #bigpour4. We had a most excellent time, drinking much delicious beer and consuming many fine foods. (Three words: Sharp Edge waffles. Three more words: Bocktown She-crab soup. Rinse, repeat.) I was particularly impressed with the folks from Three Rivers Alliance of Serious Homebrewers (T.R.A.S.H.) and their continually rotating selection. I sampled a sour wheat, a vanilla stout and a pumpkin ale from their booth, and all three were spectacular.

We ran into at least a million people we know, some of whom I knew would be there (Doug and Brad from SIDT, good friends Dana and Shelley, Chris, Amanda, Adam), some of whom I thought would be there (Mindy, Hart, Michael) and some of whom I never in a million years expected to see (Lee!) for an evening of social butterflyness far beyond my usual comfort zone. (Did I forget anyone?)

The only bad part came at the end of the night. I got a tshirt to commemorate the event and was looking forward to wearing it on Sunday afternoon. I must have dropped it (it’s possible I was a little tipsy) somewhere in between purchasing and exiting, because I’ve looked everywhere and it’s no where to be found. I keep meaning to call Construction Junction and see if they have leftover tshirts for sale, because that bummed me out. Oh well.

But for that, a fabulous event all around. And now I’m in the mood for some more pumpkin ale.

Leftovers

Most of you know I’m flying solo this week. (That’s part of the reason I’ll be missing PodCamp Pittsburgh 5. [but you should still go! Seriously!]) Luckily, work has been ridiculously supportive and accommodating so I can take Avi to school in the mornings. That’s been an interesting challenge in and of itself, since this is the first full week of kindergarten. He never had a chance to establish a routine before we changed it. I was also able to leave early today to take Avi to soccer practice, so by my calculations we’ve made it through the two most difficult days, schedule-wise (Monday and today), and now have just three full days left.

I haven’t done much in the way of cooking since it’s only the two of us, but I did put together a rather masterful semi-homemade (ugh) sorta-French bread pizza this evening. I had one leftover hoagie-type roll that I split in half lengthwise and topped with leftover marinara sauce from a week-ago takeout order, the last of the shredded sharp cheddar cheese and some fresh goat cheese from our CSA box. I sliced some CSA cherry tomatoes that weren’t cherry in color (they were beautiful yellows and oranges and greens and reds), CSA peppers and a tiny bit of leftover CSA onion. Into the toaster oven they went while I sliced up leftover CSA plums. (I’m making the distinction between CSA and leftover CSA by virtue of when I picked the boxes up. Since we forgot our box last week [!!] the leftover CSA stuff is actually two weeks old. Not bad!)

All in all, a perfectly respectable and super fast post-soccer meal. Not, however, warranting a picture apparently. Nor do I have nutritional information since I didn’t bake the bread or buy/make the sauce.

And yes, tomorrow we are going to the grocery store.

In which I admit defeat

Clearly, NaBloPoMo isn’t really going to happen this month. That is fine. I’ll pick up where I left off and do the best I can. I know none of you were really holding me to it, anyway. I just like to be ambitious. At the worst possible time.

PodCamp Pittsburgh5 isn’t going happen for me this month, either. That’s less fine, but I’ll get over it. We gifted away my VIP attendance last night (@n3yne was the lucky winner), so now it is officially official that I won’t be there. I’ll miss you guys.

Work is a lot. Home is a lot. Neither are bad, just a lot. Maybe even ALOT (which is better than us at everything).

Hrm. This sounds down-er than I am. I’m really fine, just adjusting to, well, a lot. And maybe admitting to myself that I can’t actually do *everything* anymore.

I guess that’s not defeat, that’s reality.

Dollhouse

Confession: sometimes I don’t like to play with Avi because he has too many rules. Case in point, his dollhouse. There are certain places only certain dolls can go, I am never allowed to play with the king and he thinks the dungeon is the throne room.

Tonight the cat stole the princess (seriously) and the knights had to rescue her, so that was cool. But most of the time we play Calvin-x, where x is anything he wants to play and Calvin is a reference to Calvin and Hobbes. He doesn’t get it; I think it’s hysterical.

Story of my life with a five year old.