Central Asian Carrot Salad

It's funny how a carrot dish could start with turnips, but sometimes things work out strangely.

Late winter is hardly the high season for farmers markets but when The Spouse and I found ourselves unexpectedly free on a recent sunny afternoon we decided to include the lone east side winter market in our walk. As expected, greens featured heavily along with some lovely baked goods and some downright weird sauerkraut crackers.

Off to the side of the main action was the Hayat Farm stand whose offerings consisted of one lone table heavily laden with nothing but turnips. Normally I'm not a turnip fan but I really wanted to support this particular farmer whose family is one of the Meskhetian Turk refugee families who have recently moved to Portland and whose teens have studied in my classroom.

If you've read my not-food blog you'll have come across stories of these kids, some of whom have been among my most memorable students. They've not had had easy lives and I'm happy to support their communiy by buying their produce, even if that happens to be turnips.

Hayat Farm hands out recipes for much of their produce, but we couldn't get any suggestions about how to use the turnips as Farmer Idrisov's English is pretty minimal and my Russian isn't much better. But I did end up using their recipe for a carrot salad that was just delicious.

I don't think a person can have too many carrot salad recipes. Carrots are super nutritious, always tasty, and they keep well so they're always on hand at my house. This dish is flavored with deeply browned onions and their oil along with a liberal amount of ground coriander which give the dish an exotic twist. The recipe can be found here, at the end of a great article about Mr Idrisov and his family.

As for those turnips? They became a lovely curry courtesy of Mahanandi and they were pretty darned good. For turnips.

Oybama

So I've mostly stopped paying attention to election news. Neither Obama or Clinton does much for me. And Ralph, couldn't you just sit this one out?

I have lots of people trying to assure me that I can vote for Obama and feel good about it but I'm not convinced. The video that was supposed to make me all teary with inspiration actually ticked me off in a big way. I get the Spanish--Hispanics are a huge voting bloc. Si, se puede--OK. But why not, I don't know, use Vietnamese, Russian, Korean or Chinese too ? Why the Hebrew (which I imagine the majority of American Jews wouldn't even catch) ? What was up with that? The whole thing was way too cheesy for me and caused my opinion of him to drop even further.

But I guess it worked for some Jews.

These were not an option when I was ordering yarmulkes for MonkeyBoy's bar mitzvah.
Thanks to DailyKos for the photo.

And yes, I realize neither of these come from the official Obama campaign. But still.

I'm Back

My computer was out of commission for a few days while a very nice man took it apart and cleaned it, eliminating the overheated shut-downs which were happening more and more frequently. Apparently the problem could be traced to a rather large clump of cat hair which had accumulated inside. Luckily the cats aren't completely useless.

Meanwhile, the sun has been out all week and it feels an awful lot like spring. I'm starting to get that itch to trim and plant. I know how it works in Portland--there's always a late winter "spring" followed by weeks of dreary, cold rain so I won't run off to the nursery for seeds and starts just yet. But it sure is heavenly for now.

When the hellebores are blooming...

..can spring be far behind?

Best Food Book Ever

I know, that's a pretty subjective statement so let's just say that Eating India: An Odyssey into the Food and Culture of the Land of Spices is easily the best food writing I've read in a very, very long time. I thought I was going to read this one cover to cover in no time, but I forced myself to savor it like good chocolate. I rationed it out, a chapter at a time, going back for seconds and thirds as often as I pleased.

My knowledge of Indian cooking is so much greater after reading Eating India. Sure, we all know about the Mughal influenced North Indian specialties, but this book takes the reader on a comprehensive tour of numerous Indian communities starting in the author's own Calcutta and wandering all over the subcontinent. No recipes, but lots of interesting tidbits to chew on.

You Haven't Lived...

...until you've spent five very long minutes in almost total darkness, on the floor, locked down with a bunch of jacked-up adolescent ESL students.

After a lengthy first language warning, we had our active shooter drill last night. The kids were totally nuts with anticipation beforehand so the first hour of class was a near-total bust. When the drill began, we turned off lights, shut the blinds, and both locked and barricaded the doors as directed. In the event of a real emergency, however, I would likely be a sitting duck given that our classroom doors only lock with a key and from the outside.

We'd be dead anyway given that my students could not shut up. They were giggling madly and taking full advantage of the darkness during the drill. Needless to say, the remaining class time before break was also a bit of a bust since getting them to settle down and focus on descriptive adjectives was nearly impossible.

I just hope we never have to run through this scenario in real life.....

Valentine's Day

Last year I wrote a lengthy Valentine's Day post. This year I'm keeping it short and sweet. I thought I'd toss up a shot of The Spouse and me. There aren't a lot of pictures of the two of together since I usually have the camera. I think The Dark Lord took this last August at the beach which is as good as it gets for us. We've been together for 20 years now--it looks like it might work out, don't you think? I'm about the luckiest person in the world to have this man at my side.

Chocolate Truffles

It's an annual thing around here: chocolate truffles for Valentine's Day. It wasn't quite as fun to make them on our own (we usually have the company of good friends) but The Princess and I had quite a lovely time making them on our own and tucking them into shiny paper wrappers.

Truffles don't take long to make. You still have time to make a lovely Valentine's Day gift if you hurry. The recipe is here. Make sure to use a chocolate that you really love. The coatings are up to you. I used ground toasted hazlenuts, finely ground coffee mixed with cocoa and sugar, and toasted coconut shreds. Give them a try and bring a smile to your valentine's face.

I Could Not Make This Up

In the wake of the horrors last year at Virginia Tech, my college has responded (10 months later) with an "active shooter" protocol. We have our first drill next week and you can imagine how fun that's going to be to explain to beginning level ESL students. The memo that came in today's email was titled

Active Shooter Alert Drill

A Learning Experience

Mosaic Monday

Do you think I might be itching for spring just a little bit?

Kvelling

While I really wasn't excited about The Dark Lord heading off to school it's finally starting to look like a positive thing. The new semester just started and he's able to take a couple of new electives (advanced animation and piano) and has joined a new after school club focusing on drawing comics. He's getting to spend some more time with kids who share his interests and beginning to have some fun. He's learned to get up at an ungodly hour, and manage his homework schedule. He's had to struggle with keeping track of things and getting enough sleep. And despite a rather stressful end of the term, my boy has managed a 3.5 GPA in his first ever semester of school which I think is pretty wonderful and I am very proud of my boy!

Chocolate Orange Cake

Don't you just have to love a cookbook with an entire chapter dedicated to chocolate cakes? Nigella Lawson's Feast has just such a chapter and it's filed with all kinds of delightful looking possibilities. Since my Fridays have just gotten considerably less complicated, I was able to sit a and plan and then cook a proper Shabbat dinner for the first time in a very long time. We even invited guests, which hasn't happened in I can't tell you how long. Clearly a cake was in order.

I'd long wanted to try the chocolate orange cake in Feast. I can't think of a better combination of flavors and I loved that this recipe included and entire orange, skin and all. The orange is boiled first to soften it then mixed with ground almonds, eggs, cocoa powder, and sugar. I topped it with some strips of candied orange peel and it was quite lovely. Not being super sweet or dripping with icing, the cake wasn't a huge hit with the kids but that's why I was able to enjoy the final piece as my breakfast.

It has a wonderful, slightly nubbly texture and a bright orange flavor above the chocolate. I hope you'll give it a try. Folks from my tribe might even want to keep it in mind for Passover as the recipe can be made kosher-for-Pesach. In that case I would omit the baking powder and soda, separate the eggs, and beat the egg whites until stiff before adding to the batter. That should work in terms of leavening. The recipe is here--Enjoy!

In Which my Day is Made

I've never been clear on the finer points of blog etiquette so when Leslie left a kind note in the comments for this post I was flattered but, well, I just didn't get it. Tammy mentioned me today as well and now I realize that I'm supposed to do something in response, something other than just sit here being flattered. Like make a short list of my favorite blogs. Right. I'm up to 98 subscriptions in Google Reader so a short list isn't an easy task for me.

There are so many great blogs out there run by fine writers, talented photographers, brilliant crafters, excellent cooks, and astute observers of everything from politics to Hindi movies and I try to visit as many as I can whenever I log on. Many of these folks are super-prolific and I can't always keep up. But it's true that I there are a few blogs whose new posts I always read, even when pressed for time as I so often am. I've left out any number of superstar megablogs but you probably knew about them anyway. And my personal friends should know that of course I read everything you post right away. While I can't possibly include all the blogs I love, I hope my too-short short list will send new readers to some of the blogs that regularly make my day. My thanks to all of those in the blog world who take the time to write and share.

In no particular order:

BikeLoveJones--I love Beth's way of looking at the world.
Filmi Geek--You mean I'm not the only non-Indian crazy about these movies?
Tikkun Knits-- the intersection craft and Judaism

MOMcrats--These folks give me hope that I'm not alone and I'm not a freak.

Posie Gets Cozy--Great crafts--and no one else could make me look at dog pictures.
The Red Molly Picayune-Democrat-- honest and funny--what else do you need?
Is That My Bureka? -- interesting, unusual recipes...and 100% kosher, even
Ragamuffin Studies--thoughtful observations on homeschooling, Judaism, and life in general
Poppalina-- beautiful, mindful, and sharp in all good ways

My First Lockdown

Actually I wasn't even involved, except to notice a rather startling number of police cars in our neighborhood this morning. I didn't really give it another thought until I received the email message from The Dark Lord's high school in which I learned that the school had been under lockdown today while the Portland's Finest chased a criminal suspect through our neighborhood. The principal was pleased that all teachers and students followed the emergency plan as directed. I was pleased that no one was hurt.

When I informed MonkeyBoy of the drama he began laughing about the possibility of his brother going into "Ninja Superhero Mode" which would not have been part of the emergency plan at all.

When I questioned The Dark Lord about the incident this afternoon his response was "ummm...what?" which really is a pretty detailed answer given his adolescent tendency toward grunting in response to my questions. There will be sentences again someday, won't there?

Update from Room 207

For those of you following the saga, New Man is officially out as of today. His teacher put up with him for 4 weeks. She talked to him about his behavior as did I and our department head to no avail. It stinks because he's a bright boy and he wants to learn English. I think if he could behave appropriately in a classroom, he would. But it just doesn't seem possible and I don't know how to help him with that.

On a lighter note, on e of my Chinese students walked in with a great T-shirt tonight which said "Pank Rock Lundon in the UK". I want that shirt.

Mamanxiety, Part Two

Once again, wondering if I'm ruining my kids for life......

You know how each child has an area in which they shine? The Dark Lord is a fantastic writer and MonkeyBoy is a spectacular artist. With The Princess it's always been music. She's always reacted differently to music than her brothers did and I was delighted that when she was under 2 years old she was able to start music classes. It was a schlep to get to the school but it seemed worth it as the teacher was a friend of ours and The Princess so clearly loved her class.

She ended up taking quite a few classes there on Friday mornings over the years with a small, consistent group of kids. Music class was the highlight of her week until this fall when her beloved Miss Liz was mysteriously replaced. The new class had a completely different tone and the teacher, while clearly very talented, maybe was better with older kids. Too much talking and not enough music in my opinion. Plus things just got harder and began moving faster and The Princess began to struggle. She started to complain that she "couldn't do it" any more--everything was confusing and too hard. There was pretty rigid program without a lot of review and I feared my darling poppet was getting lost.

I've never really studied music but I began to wonder if a group setting was the best environment for a young learner when things are beginning to get complex: reading music, using two hands, figuring out the rhythm--there's an awful lot going on now. I talked with The Princess about the idea of maybe trying out private lessons where she could have her own teacher. She thought that sounded great--along with her group class, but two different simultaneous music programs just isn't feasible for many reasons. I really began to feel that going with private lessons was the way to go and began to get her used to the idea.

Last Friday was her last class at the old school. The recital was bittersweet and we were both sad to be leaving friends. But I was convinced she'd be happy and learn more in her new situation. Her first lesson was today and she prepared by dressing carefully, with numerous special accessories, stick-on earrings, and a name tag made just for the occasion to help the teacher learn her name. She bounced out of the car and ran up the steps eager to get started. She was happy to show the new teacher what she'd been playing and was delighted to play on a lovely Yamaha grand piano.

I sat with her for this first lesson and something clearly wasn't right. She became nervous and unsure of herself while trying to equate new terminology with concepts she already knew. Again, there was too much talking from the teacher, so much focus on the notes for a kid who can't even read yet! I could tell she was hugely disappointed even though she put on a brave face as we were leaving and told me she "kind of liked it" but I knew she was telling me what she thought I wanted to hear. While practicing tonight she was full of resentment with me for taking her away from her old class. I know that most of this is about the change and not the teacher, but I am feeling like such an ogre even though I was really trying to find the best place for her music to grow. It's like the struggle with her brother--I just wish I could have a few moments where I felt certain I knew what was right.

Mamanxiety, Part One

Sometimes all I wish for is a day or two, even an hour, of knowing I'm making the right choices for my kids. My mamanxiety is pretty high these days and I keep having that nagging feeling that I'm messing up my kids for life. When you homeschool your kids, there's no one else to blame, right?

MonkeyBoy is a pretty intense and challenging kid. This is hard to accept for those who see him under ideal circumstances because most people only see his charm, his quick wit, his thoughtfulness, and his brilliant smile. All of these are completely genuine, but when it's time to buckle down and work, most of these attributes disappear and he becomes easily frustrated, ill-tempered, and not my favorite companion.

I think at some level I understand his frustration. Academic work doesn't come easily to him. He's an incredibly talented artist but words and numbers won't behave for him and even at 12 it's torture for him to sit still for long. For years I've tried to adopt the relatively easygoing attitude that so many homeschooling parents seem to have mastered: there's no rush, he'll get it when he's ready and so on. And then I realize that he's more than a little bit behind--he's still struggling with concepts that much younger kids have mastered. But it isn't just that I realize it, he's more and more aware of it himself. Our semester in the awful virtual charter school had him convinced that he was just plain stupid compared to other kids his age. That realization was what prompted me to pull him out and give the kid a break. A really long break.

I don't believe this kid would thrive in public school especially in our small district which lacks all the groovy special interest programs found in the large neighboring school district. I think he'd be so overstimulated in the average classroom that he wouldn't learn much at all. I felt this when he was 5 and my opinion really hasn't changed much. But you'd think that after all these years I'd be a confident homeschooling pro and I am as full of worry as ever.

Unschooling sounds so wonderful and I wish I could be that kind of homeschooling parent, but I'm not. I love the idea of child-led learning and I have met a few self-identified unschooled kids that seem to have blossomed with such an approach (and I've met a few that scare the pants off me, to be fair). But left to their own devices my boys would do nothing but play computer games, read crappy fantasy books and squabble with each other and I just can't feel OK with that.

On the other hand we are way too disorganized and spontaneous for a rigorous scheduled curriculum. Because MonkeyBoy takes hours to do a few minutes' work, the idea of 8-10 hours a day at the kitchen table (because he still can't get much done without my constant supervision) to cover the state standards fills me with no end of horror. That was the nightmare that was the virtual charter school and I can't see doing that again.

On the other hand (how many hands do I have now?) my mercurial little sprite needs to learn some buckling down skills as well as how to write a decent one-page essay without excessive drama. So we're at it again, nose to the grindstone. Am I teaching him much needed discipline or am I crushing his spirit? I still don't know but I can't help but feel that I really ought to have this all figured out by now.

Mazel Tov...

...to all the gay and lesbian couples who will benefit from Oregon's new domestic partnership law. I know it's not perfect (and who am I to comment anyway?) but it sure seems like a step in the right direction. It's about time!

I just don't get it.....

I guess there just aren't enough of us angry populists, or at least not enough of us with money anyway. I've never donated as much to a presidential candidate as I have to John Edwards and I only wish I'd had more to give. But the news today says he's stepping down. And I am so very disappointed.

I loved that instead of vague messages of hope and change, Mr. Edwards had good, solid plans. Plans to get out of Iraq, plans to provide every American with affordable health care and a high-quality education. And I was honored to be able to take my boys to hear him speak last spring. But he's been massively outspent and largely ignored by the media who can't get past the Black and Female labels. I don't care what they look like or whether they have boy parts or girl parts--I just want a smart, substantial progressive Democratic candidate. I'm disappointed that so many Democrats seem swayed by the rock star candidates who look to me to be more of the same in new packaging. Someone might be able to talk me in to voting for Obama (any takers? I'll see you in the comments!) but I can't see holding my nose tightly enough to vote for Hillary Clinton.

Mosaic Monday

For days we've been hearing of impending snow and we've had high hopes of finally seeing the white stuff. Again, nothing. A cold, damp, distinctly not-snowy morning. Disappointing, but not a bad morning for looking at photos. The Mosaic Maker was cranky today and refused to include a couple of the photos I really liked but the collection isn't bad at all.

Dosas at Home

I think about dosas a lot. I love nearly every Indian dish I've ever tasted but I've actually dreamed about dosas which says something either about dosas or about me. I've been reading about them for weeks, gearing myself up to try making them at home. Most recipes have you soak rice and lentils, grind them together, and ferment them over a few days. Not necessarily difficult but planning is required. Planning isn't one of my strengths, sorry to say. I'd pretty well convinced myself that my homemade dosas wouldn't be worth eating anyway.

I was looking up a recipe on Bureka Boy's blog today, a yeasted roll with exotic flavors to serve with coffee (and I'll write about those soon, I promise) when I came across an old recipe of his for No Wait Dosas--just the kick I needed to finally try making my own.

No long-soaked lentils here--these are replaced by wheat flour. And rice flour takes the place of the soaked rice, making these a snap to whip up in the blender. I omitted BB's mustard seeds as I wanted those to flavor the filling. Grated coconut added a lovely nuttiness to the batter.

These don't have the lovely sourdough tang of a classic dosa, and mine didn't have quite the crunchy/chewy texture of the professional varieties I've tasted. But nonetheless, they were very tasty. I made an approximation of potato fillings I've eaten before, bright yellow with turmeric and speckled with green cilantro and black mustard seeds. The crepes take a bit of skill on the griddle, but you'll get the hang of them quickly enough. These came together in under an hour and that's with a pot of chana dal to serve alongside. Bureka Boy's recipe for quick dosa batter is here and my potato filling is here. I hope when you give these a try you'll get hooked, too.

A Little Something for the January Blahs

I am not at my best these days. My luxurious 3 week winter break is just a fond memory, all the kids' activities are back in full swing, and there's been a great deal of extra stuff needing my attention of late. As one might imagine, nutritious home cooked meals have been few and far between. I should be posting here more often but I can't imagine anyone needing to get the details on the burritos, pasta, and tuna melts that have kept everyone fed around here. Sadly, that's so often what it comes down to. My efforts to uplift my family's meals haven't come to much lately as we've just gone for the old standbys, food without fuss, just enough, really to keep going. Not what I envisioned for my family years ago when the introduction to Laurel's Kitchen regularly got me all fired up. Well, what is parenting all about if not dispelling illusions right and left?

Another oft-used cookbook back in the days when my kids were too young to complain was The Savory Way by Deborah Madison. Among the many treasured recipes this book contains is Smoked Chile Salsa, something I need to make a few times every winter. In her introduction to the recipe Madison writes:

This sauce is based on a Mexican sauce I like very much but that is almost impossible to find. Búfalo is illustrated with a picture of the charging body if a red buffalo, which is just about how it feels in your mouth.

The book was written way back in 1990 before Búfalo became easy enough to find in any town with a Latino population but I find this homemade sauce to be infinitely better even without the stylish little glass bottle. This isn't a tomato-y chip and dip kind of salsa but rather a rich, flavorful, slightly smoky, slightly tangy hot sauce to be served in small dollops. It's plenty picante but also delightfully full of flavor, and just the thing to add some zing to the boring, inoffensive kid food we've been living on. Burritos with tasteless canned refritos? This sauce will help. Stodgy home fries? You'll want this sauce. Another pan of macaroni and cheese? It won't make the boxed stuff edible, but this sauce will definitely do something worthwhile to cheesy pasta. My very favorite way to use it involves sautéing chunks of sweet potato in a bit of broth until tender and tucking them into a warmed tortilla with cheese, and home-cooked pinto beans. A nice drizzle of this smoky, tangy sauce sets off the sweet potatoes beautifully. Too bad my kids won't touch my sweet potato burritos with a ten foot pole.

The recipe is here. I hope it helps to liven up these cold, dull mid-winter days.

Everything New is Old Again

First off, can I just say that I am tired. That's Tired with a capital T. Even though it was a short work week I am completely wrung out after 10 hours of "teacher class". That's how I explained it to my students when I arrived 20 minutes late after I raced across town at the conclusion of Day One. I am not a person who can sit for 5 hours straight, even if it the Next Big Research-Based Results-Oriented Thing in Education. Luckily the workshop leader didn't seem to mind my knitting. There was a lot of serious multicolor doodling going on as well. I'm a hard sell when it comes to people telling me they have The Answer, especially when I can't get a lot of feedback on customizing for my particular students in my unique program. And I don't trust anyone selling education, especially now in the fearful climate created by NCLB. But I got lots of good ideas and perhaps more importantly am now up to speed with the approach my fellow teachers decided to adopt last year so at least I know what they are talking about. Still. Ten hours over two days? Too much. I'm a wreck.

Meanwhile I have bad news. I know a few readers were rooting for New Man. So was I. But he's up to his usual nonsense in his new class. Worse, actually. His teacher gave him a final warning tonight but doesn't have high hopes that he'll suddenly pull himself together. I am really disappointed by this. I wanted to see New Man succeed in our program, I really, really did.

Bar Mitzvah Post #1

I started this blog shortly after The Dark Lord's bar mitzvah which was, of course, a lovely occasion, but one preceded by months (OK, years) of planning, stewing, worrying, and so on. That bar mitzvah was the first one in our family since the 1930's so, you know, no pressure at all.

It all went so swimmingly that I've been coasting along in serious denial about that fact that we needed to throw another of these things only a year and a half later. Lately invitations have been trickling in from MonkeyBoy's classmates. I've been sending in the RSVP's, offering to bake cookies, and writing dates on the calendar. But have I actually done anything whatsoever about my own son's bar mitzvah? Not a thing. Oh, he's been going to his weekly lessons with the world's greatest Hebrew tutor and working hard and studying diligently. He's learning quickly and will soon be able to chant his Hebrew smoothly.

His brother and I also have Torah readings to learn. Not a huge deal. But there is so much more than that and as Mother of the Bar Mitzvah Boy it pretty much all lands in my lap. There are invitations to design, address, and mail and the corresponding RSVPs which must be tracked, the lunch (for 80 or so) to be organized, a kid party to follow the ceremony, and a thousand little details (clothes, haircuts, embossed kippot, flowers.....). Our congregation is not one of those known for ice sculptures, limos, and other bar mitzvah excesses but it is an important milestone in a child's life and deserves to be celebrated fully and joyously. Which means a big production--not my forte.

Even so, I realize that all this is superfluous to the the process itself, the journey of becoming a bar mitzvah rather than simply having a bar mitzvah. Bar mitzvah (or bat mitzvah for girls) recognizes a young person's growth toward maturity and marks the beginning of Jewish adulthood. One of the key elements of this maturity, I believe, is learning to think of others and moving away from the inherent selfishness of childhood. This is one of the reasons Jewish congregations encourage (or even require) kids in this process to have some sort of mitzvah or tzedakah project, something which helps out a good cause, raises awareness about an issue, or in some way benefits the community.MonkeyBoy, like any normal kid in between childhood and adulthood, can be shockingly self-absorbed on occasion. But he is also capable of stunning empathy and generosity with others. I have seen him empty his wallet more than once for a total stranger, and do so with a smile on his face. He's a great kid that way and he makes me so proud. That's why I was so happy when he began exploring ideas for his tzedakah project. I knew he could really dig in to if he found the right project. I suggested that he might see if there are some needs at Kateri Park he might be able to help with. This is the housing complex where we've been teaching knitting to low income, predominantly refugee women and kids once a week for the past year. MonkeyBoy has come along with me and gotten to know lots of people there. Unsurprisingly he's a huge hit with the kids.

He spoke with the manager today and came away with lots of ideas about how he might move forward, both educating our synagogue community about refugee issues and collecting donations for the folks at Kateri Park. The needs are many, ranging from pencils to a new computer to literacy tutors. I was thrilled to listen to him talk excitedly about all the possibilities today. He has a lot of work ahead of him, but I love that this is a place where he's spent time and gotten to know people and learned to open his heart even further.

I think it's going to be a great bar mitzvah.

Weird

I left for work rattled by the news of cancer (not me--someone at work). The Big C strikes fear in me every time it appears near and my thoughts were dark and gloomy as I made the familiar drive. At one point I noticed a huge black plume of smoke near the MAX station--no idea why and no one else looked concerned but it seemed quite odd. I had an uneventful class (hooray!) and when I left it became clear that there had been a huge power outage. Street lights, traffic lights, and businesses were all dark which made the normally busy street oddly eerie. A few blocks to the east, all was normal.

During a quick phone call home The Spouse suggested I might want to stop for some food as his dinner had been a complete disaster. Not even the cats would eat the rejected chicken. The fine dining options are slim in east Portland after 9pm so Subway seemed like my best option. (I know, I know, bad in so many ways). So I walked in to the brightly lit shop to find a group of young people, lots of tattoos, piercings, and so on. A blue haired girl picked up a violin and started playing klezmer music, a classic tune I've heard hundreds of time but still, live klezmer violin at Subway in SE Portland? Very weird. As I ate my veggie sandwich I listened to her play along flawlessly with every song on the radio from crappy contemporary pop to "Here Comes the Sun" to (my favorite)"Tainted Love. Wow. The girl had talent.

On the way home some one came at me head on on a 4-lane one way street.

I was glad to get home.

(Maybe) Getting my Groove Back

I might be getting my knitting groove back. Last week I made a quick pair of cabled fingerless gloves for a friend's birthday with no disasters to speak of. This is a quick, easy pattern that I've made numerous times. I always enjoy the making of these and they seem to be popular with their recipients. I finished a pair of Jaywalker socks started way back in June. I don't love the fit but, again, no disasters on my part although the skein of yarn came up short and I improvised with a solid green toe on one sock (and, yeah, it is hard to photograph socks on one's own feet). The too-small Andean style hat started for The Dark Lord will go to a much smaller child for her upcoming birthday. I love how it came out--the crochet trim and braided ties are quite jaunty and it won't be at all too small for her, so a happy ending there.
All this relative success gave me the strength to cast on yet again for The Green Cabled Monster which I will now make considerably larger with the understanding that the gauge specified in the pattern and the stated finished sizes have little connection to reality. It's so hard to know when to trust a pattern and when to rely one's instincts. And a tiny bit frustrating, too, after having to rip out many weeks worth of knitting.

Also, for those following the saga: an update on New Man--after listening to him blurt out every answer to every question for two days I realized that although he hadn't passed my final exam way back in June he'd clearly continued to study English and had learned a great deal in the intervening months. I gave him my basic level final on Wednesday night and he passed with 86% meaning New Man is now someone else's problem student. He's been moved up a level with full warning to his new teacher who is willing to try him out. I sincerely hope the additional challenge will keep him focused.

A break from winter

The sun came out today and it was gorgeous! I don't think of myself as particularly weather sensitive but for the first time in weeks I hopped out of bed eager for a much needed walk. After my thyroid condition allowed me to shed 30 pounds with very little effort I've gotten rather blase about my weight but the fact is my thyroid has settled down considerably so I need to be a bit more proactive about both my weight and my health. But slogging through the rain just doesn't hold any appeal to me so today's brilliant sunshine was a joy. I did my usual route, a bit over 2 miles, and felt strong enough to run off and on for a few blocks.
Later we strolled through Laurelhurst Park along with lots of other eager sun-lovers. The colors were dazzling! Even with my slightly achy hips, something about the sunlight and the warmth made me feel very grateful for my creaky old body that's still going strong.

Say It Ain't So!

Many years ago, my sweetie and I spent a number of months living in Mexico. This was my first trip outside the US and it was full of exciting discoveries. One of the biggest thrills for me was all the delicious fresh produce. I enjoyed trying exotic new fruits like mangoes (which I still adore), papayas (not so much), and deliciously sweet fresh pineapple. But what I never expected to delight me as it did was the taste of Mexican bananas which were fresher, sweeter, and more flavorful than anything I'd eaten at home. I was a banana fiend in Mexico. I ate piles of them fresh and made a top nearly every morning to have some blended with fresh pineapple at the licuado stand in the central plaza of Cuernavaca. I still remember the first banana I ate after returning home, in a Safeway in California. It was woody, dry, and tasteless and I was, quite frankly, bereft.

I am still a voracious eater of bananas. I buy quite a few pounds each week, organic whenever possible. I know, I know -- the localvores would string me up for my love of this high-traveling exotic. So sue me. I love my bananas. They even have numerous health benefits.

All of this preface is to set the scene for the deep funk in which I find myself this afternoon after listening to the latest episode of Good Food. After the regular market report, host Evan Kleinman spoke with Dan Koeppel, the author of the recently published Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World. According to banana experts around the world, my beloved fruit is on its way to extinction due to the combination of a devastating fungus and a lack of genetic diversity. Needless to say, I'm finding news of the pending banana apocalypse very upsetting, but for those people whose diets are heavily banana-dependent this could be a real tragedy.

I'm waiting to get my library's copy of the book, but found Koeppel's Popular Science article to be fascinating reading in the mean time. And I think I might just run out and stock up on my favorite fruit while I try to wrap my head around the idea of a world without bananas.

New Man

Winter Term began tonight and it's the smallest class I've had in years so all the anti-immigrant folks should be pleased as punch. Call me a sucker but the boy who made my life a living hell spring term is back in my class. He came by three different times last term, with the sad puppy look going, begging me to let him come back. "I am new man" he told me repeatedly. I made it clear that I would kick him out in a heartbeat if he caused any trouble whatsoever and he swore he would be quiet and work hard. He showed up tonight in a fancy embroidered white shirt--a Turkish atonement garment, perhaps--and did his very best to sit quietly and pay attention. It was almost comical to watch him struggle to control his ever-running mouth. I had to remind him to settle down on a couple of occasions but overall I was pleased with his self control. I like "New Man" just fine. Hopefully he'll make it for eleven weeks.

Bad Knitting Juju

Everything I've touched since the completion of my Noro Shawl has been a disaster. When I got back to work on The Green Cabled Monster I knitted furiously. I got enough of it off the needles to try it on my very lucky husband only to find that the two sides didn't meet across his belly by a full 8 inches. Now I could take the easy way out and blame him for growing but the fact is that, for perhaps the first time in my knitting life, my gauge was absolutely 100% perfect. I can honestly blame the pattern but that doesn't change the fact that some 70+ rows of beautiful cables had to be tearfully pulled out. Not sure when I'll have the guts to cast on The Monster again.

Thinking a smaller project would cheer me up, I started on an Andean style earflap hat for The Dark Lord who, miracle of miracles, actually requested that I knit him something. All was going well until I spotted a mistake in the colorwork. No problem , I needed to to rip back one row but when I pulled it off the needles and held up the beginnings of the hat (earflaps plus a few inches around) it was so large that it looked like a giant's panties. Oy. I started over with fewer stitches, worked merrily along and almost finished. Due to my total incompetence with stranded colorwork it's now way too tight!

I'm beginning to feel cursed, like I used up all my good knitting juju on my lovely shawl and everything else is doomed. I decided I needed a Knitting Year in Review to remind myself what I'm capable of. Just waiting to get my groove back.......

new year

I've been trying to think of some sort of wise, optimistic new year post but not much has come to me. Things have been quiet in a very good way around here. Lots of visiting with friends, good meals, movies, and making things. In the last 10 days I've taught 5 people to knit!

The kids and I got to go see Do Jump's holiday show and what a treat that was. My grandmother buys the kids theater tickets every year for their Chanukah gift and this was this year's selection. I can't describe what they do accurately--acrobatics, theater, dance all rolled into one, accompanied by a fine klezmer band. The first half of the show was a number of unrelated short pieces and the second half was a longer piece about Marc Chagall. I had no idea what to expect but left feeling like Chagall had been truly honored by Do Jump's performance. The brilliantly colored backdrops featuring his paintings were perfectly enhanced by the trapeze and gymnastic work. Hard to describe but so worth watching.

I took MonkeyBoy to shul on a very dreary Saturday morning. During the silent Amidah I was struck by the sound of the rain hammering on the roof and the gentle whisper of the pages of the prayer books being turned.We spent a whole Thursday day with good friends eating, knitting, and watching snow fall. None of it stuck around, much to the kids' dismay, but it was lovely to watch it fall especially gathered around a cozy fire with friends. Three days later, there was thunder, lightning, and a short, heavy shower of icy snow. After the first thunderclap The Spouse and I looked at each other, both remembering our first date a million years ago. The evening began with thunder and lightning and ended with snow. How perfectly fitting that we had a night to ourselves that same day. The children spent the night with their cousins and we enjoyed a classic dinner and movie evening, followed by a leisurely morning. I am not going to handle going back to the regular schedule next week very happily at all.

All this visiting and hanging out has left my hands free to knit like crazy. Last night, as 2007 was ending and 2008 just beginning, I finished knitting the last row of my --can I say this?--absolutely gorgeous Noro shawl. This took exactly 17 days and eight skeins of yarn. It's hard to see just how big it is until it's off the needles but I keep looking at it and thinking that's a lot of knitting! I love how it feels over my shoulders. It sits nicely without slipping and it isn't too warm. Now that I have my lovely knitted treat it's time to get back to The Green Cabled Monster I promised my husband. As I sit here, wrapped in my very own lovely shawl, I can't help but marvel at its rich colors and simple but elegant pattern. So there's my new year wish, for all of us: a year of color and warmth and simple pleasures.

Bright Spots

I'm sniffling all over again. Didn't I just get over a cold? Anyway, neither sniffles nor snow could keep us from the Indian holiday buffet. We were treated to masses of puffy white flakes as we headed over the Sylvan hills to our delicious lunch. I loved that on Christmas day the restaurant was filled with Hindus, Muslims, a Chinese family, and us. And the snow was all too brief, allowing us a safe drive home whereupon I took a luxurious nap with my fluffiest cat tucked in beside me under the down comforter.

Today, despite the sniffles, I went to my Wednesday morning volunteer knitting class as usual. Since it's winter break, we were joined by a bunch of Somali kids eager to knit. I'd worked with the high school student once before--he just needed a jump start to get back on track. The younger kids (10? 12?) picked it up right away and were off and running in mere minutes. They were so fun to work with and I left with a smile on my face.

Meanwhile...more snow is predicted for tomorrow. I'll believe it when I see it!

A Perfect Little Cookie

Many years ago, while setting up my first post-college apartment with the man who later became my husband, I began to get serious about learning to cook. I took a job with a catering company and began to absorb mountains of information about preparing food. I bought some of my first cookbooks and started to very slowly build my cookware collection. And I began asking anyone and everyone for recipes.

My grandmother was a source of recipes (some from her mother) for many delicious baked goods including sublime lemon cookies, a spectacular fruit tart, and a cheesecake that I simply cannot duplicate. But one of the first recipes she gave me is the simplest of all: brown sugar shortbread. The name says it all, and doesn't it sound lovely? It is: intensely buttery with a deep, rich flavor from the brown sugar. And it's easier to handle than traditional shortbread.
My grandmother made these simple cookies and embellished them with a terra cotta cookie stamp made by this company, leaving a raised design on the buttery cookies. I flattened mine with a fork until my grandmother gave me a cookie stamp of my own as a Chanukah gift many years ago. You can still purchase them in numerous designs on their website if you're interested.
A couple of weeks ago I went to make a batch of these to give as gifts and couldn't find the cookie stamp anywhere. The dough was made up so I decided to try rollling and cutting them in star shapes which worked quite well. But I was delighted to locate the stamp the other day while engaged in an extensive search for something else (MonkeyBoy like to make my life interesting when he unloads the dishwasher).

Clearly another batch of brown sugar shortbread was in order. I highly recommend these cookies which you can make with or without a terra cotta cookie stamp though I do think it adds a certain something. The recipe is here. Enjoy!

Mosaic Monday

Lots of Making

Ahh...the joys of vacation. I've been bustling about with all kinds of projects. While we don't celebrate Christmas, many of my family members do and I confess that I really love the Christmas gathering which was moved to today this year to make it easier on those who really do celebrate the holiday (and freeing us up to head out to the holiday buffet at our favorite Indian restaurant on Christmas Day).
I have the prefect excuse to stay out of the holiday retail madness--it's not my holiday. But I love giving gifts as much as anyone. I've come to a point where I really want to give handmade as much as possible, whether food, knitting, or fabric. The kids seem to concur so we've all been busy getting ready for today's "Fake Christmas" family gathering. I printed up and framed a couple of my favorite photos (here and here). There was chipotle hot sauce, fetching little knitted gloves, and lots of drawstring bags which I just learned to make using this tutorial. (I so love that there are so many generous folks out there willing to share what they know in so many areas--thank you!) My boys made up a bunch of wonderful freezer-paper stenciled T-shirts for their cousins and grandparents from their own designs which, sadly, got away un-photographed. And The Princess has been cranking out cards and drawings and complicated assemblage projects like nobody's business. We've all been busy making things and it feels good.

Also, as if I didn't have enough projects to work on, I've started up with a new interest. I've long wanted to begin exploring collage but have been hesitant to dive in. After teaching myself to knit, sew, cook, take photos and more, I'm not sure what I found intimidating but somehow it's seemed like I just couldn't get started. I wonder if it has to do with not having the slightest idea where something will end up. I've muddled through all kinds of knitting projects and flown by the seat of my pants in the kitchen countless times. But starting with a blank page is something new for me, especially when it could go in any direction.

My wonderful husband kept making suggestions to get me moving and I resisted for quite a while but now I find that I am working on exactly what he suggested: an altered book project where I can explore lots of new techniques in a sort of visual journal. Now I find myself thinking about composition and color and am bursting with ideas for new pages. My pockets quickly fill with all kinds of junk (oops, I think the official term is ephemera) which I can paste into small collages. I am playing with paint (phthalo blue! yellow ochre!), learning how to layer colors and give texture and depth to surfaces. I am having such fun, blasting the Bollywood dance tunes in my basement hideaway while I layer, cut, paste, and paint.
Thank goodness for vacation! I so love having the freedom of long stretches of time and a light schedule so I can explore and play.

Still Here...

I've been on break for a few days and I'm suffering a bit from the lack of schedule. I tend to jump from one thing to the next in a completely unfocused way but I have managed a few movies, many hours of knitting, some baking, a lot of reading and way too much time here, exploring all the goodies available. Because, you know, I really need old flashcards, watch parts, vintage game pieces, and Italian telephone book pages. They don't call me Magpie for nothing, after all.
I just finished this hat for MonkeyBoy. Why yes, he did choose the Ronald McDonald ketchup-and-mustard sock yarn himself. This was made on size 0 (that's right, zero) needles and I figure there must be, I don't know, a few million stitches in the darned thing. Hideous, isn't it? But when my boy actually requests knitted items from me, you know he gets what he asks for. I finished it in time for him to wear it to a Lego Robotics competition last weekend. When asked, in front of the crowd of kids, coaches, and mentors what his favorite part of the day was, my boy, bless his heart, said "my hat!". Also on the needles (and soon to be off)-a lace shawl made from odd balls of Noro Kureyon and Silk Garden obtained in last summer's yarn bonanza. This is turning out to be one of the loveliest things I've ever made and it's actually for me, to ward off the chill in the basement where I'm spending so much time lately. The pattern is here if anyone is interested in details. Like the two shawls I made earlier this year, this is a quick knit and a wonderful project for combining odd balls.

So even though I feel like I'm spinning my wheels, there's actually a lot getting done, but in a very relaxed way.

Perfection?

Here's what I just realized--I already wrote about this dish, back in March. I wrote out this whole post and went to type out the recipe when I saw that I'd already done so. Oy. So if you want to read the first post, it's here. Feel free to read on for my more current thoughts on the topic of macaroni and cheese. I'm sure this type of thing never happens with the fancy, professional food blogger types.

I don't know if perfection is a goal I should be aiming for giving that sometimes it's a major accomplishment just getting everyone around here to eat. But some things you shouldn't have to settle for. Sometimes you just want to find that one, perfect recipe--the one that will allow you to end your search.

That's how this recipe for macaroni and cheese came into my home. I love a good macaroni and cheese but for years wasn't able to get to what I wanted: cheesy, of course, and nicely chewy without the sludge of a heavy, milky sauce. I tried any number of recipes, most of which were OK though one stands out as being inedible (John Thorne, what were you thinking with the evaporated milk?) but nothing really came close to what I wanted until I found Jack Bishop's recipe in A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen.

This is the simplest and tastiest version of macaroni cheese I know and can be varied endlessly with different cheeses from plain old Tillamook medium cheddar to a liberal amount of crumbled Cougar Gold. The bread crumbs make a slightly crunchy topping and you can control the texture depending on how you cook it. A large shallow baking dish will give you chewy macaroni with lots of topping and a deeper vessel makes for a creamier dish. Either way is great as far as I'm concerned. The recipe is here. I hope it goes over well in your home.

Happy Blogiversary to Me!

I started this blog a year ago today --that's 169 posts, 12 full months of kvetching and rambling. I don't think I've ever stuck to a journal this regularly before, but this has really become a significant part of my life. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to read and extra thanks to those who leave comments. It's nice knowing you're out there!

The End is Near!

The end of the term, that is. I'm sitting here grading exams and getting a bit giddy at the thought of three weeks of vacation beginning at the end of the week.

It's been a week fraught with money worries as the bills from my hospital interlude roll in. Why I'm messing around teaching English when I could be charging $300/hour for brilliant doctorly advice like "take Advil for the chest pain" is beyond me. Happily I managed to convince the hospital to take some pity on my and they shaved a cool two thousand dollars off my total bill, getting the total below what I paid for my last vehicle. Whew.

Speaking of vehicles, The Spouse's Honda started acting odd in perfect conjunction with the arrival of our kicker check. It's happened to us before: tax refund= car malfunction. So he took the car down to our local import auto shop whose website says "In love of Jesus, In Love of Cars". Huh? I didn't get the connection. Before we got the car back, the mechanic managed to go some $200 beyond what The Spouse had authorized in repairs, taking care of our kicker and then some and prompting me to wonder What Would Jesus Charge?

And now we have a cat who's acting punky and smells like he's rotting. Doctor, hospital, mechanic, vet--sorry folks, there's only so much to go around!

While I know I can kvetch like a champ, there have been some lovely moments in the last week. MonkeyBoy earned his first stripe at last Saturday's taekwondo promotion. He went through his paces smoothly and with confidence.

Since his class is during my working hours this was my first exposure to taekwondo culture which involves a great deal of formality and displays of respect. We were expected to sing not only The Star-Spangled Banner but the Korean national anthem as well, which was a bit of a shocker. I kept wanting to refer to the Great Grandmaster as Grandmaster Flash but The Spouse thoughtfully kept me in check. It's a whole 'nuther world, for sure but my boy seems a bit taller since his promotion and I can see real, tangible changes in his behavior as he works on mastering his emotions. No small thing, that. He'll be back in class come January, for sure.

Chanukah has been enjoyable and full of small pleasures. I always say I don't like it when the holiday falls before the end of my term but it does keep things from getting too crazy. We had family over Sunday night for dessert and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves although The Dark Lord did manage to fall asleep on the couch in the middle of everything. We had friends from our homeschool co-op over today and an astounding number of doughnuts were consumed.

It was a little bit melancholy as we lit the final candles tonight. I know The Princess doesn't want the holiday to end. But I am looking forward to some down time. I'd like to finish The Great Cabled Monster that is The Spouse's belated Chanukah gift. I got The Happy Hooker out of library in hopes of learning to crochet. We have plans for leisurely dinners with friends and lots of quiet time by the fire. There's a rumor we might even get some snow.

Best Chanukah Card Ever

Too Much

Am I not as green as any Oregonian? I compost. I purchase Blue Sky renewable power. I recycle everything I can. I try to buy organic as much as possible. I donate to environmental charities. I capture my rain water in rain barrels. I try to support small local businesses. I haven't traveled by air in the last ten years. True, I have yet to give up my car (or earn enough to afford a hybrid) but I group my trips and try not to drive more than necessary.

But what I am not willing to do is give up lighting Chanukah candles. Honestly. When I look around me at all the hoo ha over The Big December Holiday, the gift boxes, the inflatable Santas, the electric lights all over everything, the millions of trees cut down each year, the traffic jams at retail locations, the tossed away wrappings, the unsolicited mail order catalogs, the piles and piles and piles of cheap plastic holiday junk shipped from China....and these folks are worried about my Chanukah candles? Maybe I don't have to light every single menorah we own (at least 8, maybe more) every single night but I simply cannot see giving up a tradition that has a good deal more history and spiritual depth behind it than glowing inflatable yard decorations.

Day One

The Princess, though worn out, seems to be holding her food and things are looking up. We marked the first night of Chanukah last night lighting the first candle and eating apple latkes. Given schedules, health, and finances this year's holiday feels notably less festive than it's been in the past but I can't say that the light isn't welcome.

Apple Latkes

It's that time of year again....

Chanukah always falls during the darkest part of the year when daylight is scarce and everyone is chilled. The lights, of course, are a welcome part of the 8 day festival but so too are the traditional foods. You've just got to love a holiday that requires us to eat fried foods. Potato latkes are perhaps the best known Chanukah food in the Ashkenazic world. Sufganiot (doughnuts) are another classic and I will try to share my recipes for both this week.

But when the first night of Chanukah falls on a work night that's been preceded by a day of juvenile illness, a big holiday dinner just isn't an option. Instead I came home from work and made apple latkes to enoy by the light of the first candle. Most Jews light the candles at sundown but given the requirement that no work is to be done while the candles burn, I make everyone wait until I get home from teaching my night class.And so it was that I arrived home, donned an apron, and got busy. The Spouse had brought home some beautiful Braeburn apples which turned out to be perfect in this recipe--just tart enough. An apple latke is really just a pancake, but a very special apple pancake indeed. Sweet-tart and dusted with powdered sugar, they make a delicious Chanukah treat. I suppose you could just as well have them for breakfast though we never do. I like having some recipes set aside just for holidays. If you'd like to give these a try, the recipe is here. Enjoy!

Chappy Chanukah!

I meant to write something in celebration of the first night of our Festival of Light. But I was up all night with a Very Sick Princess. When I wasn't soothing I was cleaning up and doing laundry and wondering when the next round was starting so I am extremely tired today and not at all able to focus on any sort of thoughtful writing. Instead I will send you elsewhere for your holiday inspiration.

Chanukah is admittedly more fun when it falls during my three week Winter Break, allowing us many evenings of socializing and oily treats. Unfortunately Chanukah will be over before my break begins this year so it just has to be fit in around my evening class schedule. Some would say Chanukah is early this year but of course Jewish holidays are never "early" or "late" except in relation to other calendars. For a good explanation of just why this is, take a look at this post at the wonderful Ragamuffin Studies blog.

Is there an intersection between Judaism and knitting? You know I'd find it if there were, right? Well, go see what Tikkun Knits has to say, be inspired, and maybe even knit your own Chanukah menorah.

And then there's the question of how this tiny minority of Jews fits our little winter celebration into the larger hoo-ha of The Big Winter Holiday. Some of us get a little grumpy after the seventy-fifth round of Jingle Bells (and it's only the first week of December for crying out loud). Those of you who tend to just hunker down at home for the month will surely enjoy the sentiment expressed here by my dear friend Beth.

Chag Sameach!