Email me at sinclair@naturewithme.com
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Our existence on the skin of this earth is a fragile one; give it strength through the work of your hands.
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This week ... for the entire week ... don't use plastic wrap or foil. No plastic wrap to cover food while microwaving, no foil to line a pan, and neither to cover leftover food. No plastic wrap or foil ... none ... for one week.
Or ...
If you never use plastic wrap or foil, identify one area of your life that could be a little more Eco-friendly. Tell us, in the comments section, what that one thing is and commit to "greening it up".
First, I blanched the tomatoes in boiling water for 1.5 minutes (until their skin split). Next, I plunged them into a bowl of ice and water, then removed the skins. I squeezed the juice and seeds into a bowl and put the meat of the tomato into another bowl (cut into small pieces or quarters).
I strained the juice with a small strainer to remove all seeds.
I measured 6 cups of tomatoes 1.5 cups of juice and put into a stock pot to boil down to a mushy consistency.
saute some onions in another pan, and place in with the cooking tomatoes
Cool enough to put into blender or food processor. Blend or process until desired texture (liquefy). Strain to remove any further unwanted lumps.
(I skipped the final strain step because I was already happy with the consistency.) Place the blended, strained soup back into the stock pot.
Add 3 cups of milk (4 cups if you want...it further smoothes and thins the soup) Add 1/4 tsp salt Add 1/4 tsp baking soda Simmer, stirring frequently, about 20-25 minutes.
There was an actual recipe at which I looked to determine the basics, then we just winged it and used our own measurements, and came up with this method.
Serve. Season to taste if desired with salt/pepper. Add a dollop of sour cream and a few chives (I didn't this time, but I will next time).
Well, the photo-embellished posts have ended for now. Yesterday, I had a very difficult time getting the camera to cooperate enough to load the grape photos onto my computer, and today, I am unable to load to computer at all. I get an error message that says my device is not recognized, and that the device has malfunctioned. So I cannot share with you what was supposed to be the focus of my post today: my very happy progress on my first cable knitting project. Later, I suppose.
So, goodbye Nikon Coolpix L10. Even though you were the bottom of the barrel, you were a happy item for me to own because you let me shoot to my heart's content, and then load and share all my favorite life events and musings. As I am not in any position to replace you at this time, I will hope I win the Casio Elixim camera giveaway, or that some other little birdie will drop a camera on my doorstep.
I must continue to document the Sharing Our Gifts Across America donations as they come in, and so I say FLY, BIRDIE, with speedy wings!
After 8 hours in the kitchen this afternoon, here is what we have to show for ourselves:
3.5 pounds more tomatoes in freezer for the winter 2 quarts tomato soup from scratch (about 3 cups left now that we ate it up for dinner) 3 trays sweet potatoes dehydrating 1 tray sungold tomatoes dehydrating 1 tray zucchini dehydrating 4 pounds grapes harvested and cleaned for eating (the very last off the vines)
I took a couple of 10 minute breaks, and worked on my current cabled hat project also. Going back to the hat now, in fact.
I had never in my life before today had tomato soup from scratch, and let me tell you, I am hooked! Blanching and peeling all those tomatoes first is a chore, but the FLAVOR - it's like drinking the sunrise - in a meadow of buttercups by a babbling brook. I highly recommend it, and the recipe is so simple, it would make you cry. You would be crying at all those missed years...those soupless, hapless years.
We should ALL make tomato soup, and share it all around!
For those of you who know the view from the front of Deer Palace to look like this photo above (even with the bit of cloud cover there, we have a good view of the ridge across the way),
you will be able to see what is wrong with this photo. Smoke from several fires has invaded the area and has been causing our eyes to burn and water when we are outside. The haze blanketing the ridge has a dirty, smoggy color. If you further know that we value our outdoor time above many pleasures, you will know why we are feeling a little downhearted this day.
There have been several fires in the past week. Some have been relatively close. One was about 15 miles away, and it burned over 600 acres and rained ash down upon us. Another was about 25 miles away and burned almost 200 acres, also raining ash in its wake. The current smoke is from fires to the north that may not be contained until after tomorrow. So far, of those with a determined cause, they have proven to be of human origin. Why, oh why, do people intentionally set fires that will pollute the air and damage lives, homes, animals, and other property? I will forever be baffled.
On another front, we have received word that a very dear friend (close enough to be thought of as a family member) of ours has been diagnosed with cerebral thrombosis (blood clot in the brain). They say there is at least one, and maybe more. Further testing is being done, but this condition can easily cause stroke and/or sudden death. We do not know yet if a stroke has already occurred, but hope to find out more soon. A looming sadness in all of this for us is that our friend resides in the country of Denmark, and we are unable to just pop over for a home or hospital visit. We must find out all updates from a time lag of 9 hours, and if all does not go well, we may not see our friend again at all.
Our thoughts and prayers are there, and we are sending love across the pond on the wind...
I have knitted my very first ever SOCK! I chose to make a mini sock as my pilot project so I could achieve success faster...and so it would be easier to rip out if I made mistakes. My confidence is bolstered, so now I can make wearable socks, for me.Isn't is cute?? I used Cascade Yarns Fixation in color #2625. It is 98.3% cotton and 1.7% elastic. It is soft and stretchy and easy to work with. I think I have a right-side, wrong-side issue to work out, but it didn't much matter on this little project.
I am a miserable failure this week at ridding my house of paper towels. I normally don't buy them, but there are already several rolls in the house, and I DID try to cut back...but I caught myself grabbing for one and using it before I even realized I had done so. I am going to have to continue to work on this one. When this supply is gone, I am going to try to go without paper towels.
This week's challenge:
****** This week we're all about kids ... after all, they will take the "green torch" and become environmental "Olympians". So this week, your challenge is to do an environmentally friendly activity with your kids (or grand kids or neighbor kids or nieces/nephews, cousins, etc). Get them involved. Need some ideas? Here you go:
Once you've done the activity, we want to know about it ... so come back here and leave a comment (either with the activity or a link to a post) ... or if they did something fun during the summer like an Eco-Camp, tell us about that. We'd also be interested in little Eco-Stars ... kids who have taken it upon themselves to come up with green living ideas.
Or ...
If you don't have any accessible kids to have "green" fun with, then write an article about ways that we can get kids involved in an Eco-friendly lifestyle. ****
Good luck, and start your engines eco-friendly inspirational power sources...
Today is the first day of fall, and with the change of season, we have received a little gift called Under The Weather here at Deer Palace. Lacking the energy to write a sparkling new post today, I went looking in my archive for one from last year at this time. Turns out, I made a new one from it anyway...
My post last year was about having given up coffee, soda, and all other forms of caffeine. I had switched to decaf, and I think I was still sneaking having an occasional soda. I have been back to regular coffee for some time now, and have COMPLETELY been free of any soda/cola drinking since that post. And I just used the wonderful French Press again the other day, and it still yields a stellar cup of coffee!
Especially at the time of year when the mornings are more and more frigid, and it is nice to wrap my hands around a warm cup of goodness, I love coffee. I love the deep aroma and watching the steamy dark depths of java swirling with a beautiful ribbon of organic cream. I love the hint of sweet, raw honey that smoothes the bitter tang. I would drink it in a box, and I would drink it with a fox.
I want it fresh and HOT, and will never re-heat or suffer lukewarm or pale coffee. It should never resemble tea! Nothing beats a French Press for fresh, HOT, strong-flavored, full-bodied coffee. Second to that is my carafe coffee pot that brews quickly and keeps it warm for several hours.
Goodbye decaf...hello HAPPY cup of steaming choice Arabica! I wish you all happy and rewarding coffee consumption...
And I am thankful for more blessings received. This weekend was an annual fireman's benefit yard sale. It was also a weekend that we had been invited to a local church to see the Booher Brothers and participate in a chili cook-off. The two collide when we go looking for western wear at the yard sale.
I really did not think we would find cowboy boots at this sale, but in fact, there were about 7 pair. I picked up this pair for myself for 50 cents:They cleaned up rather well, don't you agree?. Then, I saw our neighbor who pointed me to a pair of man's boots I had already passed over. Mr. Nature does not usually wear cowboy boots (nor do I, for that matter) and wasn't even necessarily planning to play dress up for the shindig. But I checked the boots that were pointed out, and they were the right size.
My neighbor said they had belonged to her friend, and had cost $1,200.00 when purchased new. So I plucked them up and put them in my tote. And paid the perfectly reasonable sum of $1.00. Woohoo! They also cleaned up very nicely and fit Mr. Nature like they were custom made for him. He likes them so much that he might now even wear cowboy boots on occasion. Today, I looked them up online because the maker and number are on the inside. They are made by Lucchese, and they are of ostrich. The black one in the above photo is the exact color and style of our boots. They are black on black cherry, and if you click the photo, you will be taken to where a new pair can currently be purchased. For $1,050.00. (I will save my thoughts on purchasing items made from exotic animal skins, other than to say I would never have purchased these new.)
So, we had a wonderful time at the western round-up and chili cook-off, and Mr. Nature has some quality new boots. We did not win the cook-off, but ours was the only vegetarian/vegan chili to be had, so at least we had something to eat there. Along with our jalapeno cornbread. To date, this is the best bargain I have ever had the opportunity to find.
I have mentioned that I have always been a bit of a Gypsy at heart, and though that is still true somewhat, I have found contentment at Deer Palace. When I used to go on trips, I never wanted to go home. I always imagined how it would be to just stay. To put down roots in whatever place, and never look back.
Now, I find for the first time in my life that I am restless to get home. I want to see my view of the mountain from my front deck. I want to sit in my porch swing and knit and feel the breeze. I want to smell the crisp morning air. I want to watch the deer and wild turkeys foraging on the bottom acre. I want to collect eggs and tend my garden.
Home is finally Sweet Home. Even if it is not forever, it is a good feeling.
I have to admit that my planting aspirations did not come to fruition this past week, as I have had other pressing engagements, but I will complete the task before the end of this week. I am planting my tulip bulbs, crocuses, garlic, and lettuces. I will also be taking up my pepper and tomato plants soon from the garden and putting them into pots.
The tomatoes will hang upside down in the garage in containers, and will continue to ripen the fruits already begun, and the pepper plants will winter over in the kitchen window box.
Just wanted to share with you the finished donation sock monkey for the Craft Hope Project #4. He is complete and went out in the mail yesterday to his destination. Amilia fell in love with him and gave him a very warm goodbye. We sent him off with loving thoughts and a note to his new human.
Hop on over to Craft Hope and see the photos of the 101 monkeys they have already received...
I located the camera, but most of the photos are so bad that I will have to re-take some to really show you the result. Above is the fabric when it was in with the blackberries. I soaked the fabric in hot water with vinegar prior to placing in the dye pot. It began as WHITE linen.
Now for the photos that are terrible and will be replaced as soon as I am able to take some more:Unfortunately, these were taken at dusk, and while you can tell the contrast in color, you cannot really see how nicely the dye variation came out on the fabric. And, they are blurry. I will replace these photos as soon as I am able. I am still mostly unavailable for online updates for a few more days...
I have photos of blackberry dye and my craft hope monkey to show you...but I have temporarily misplaced my camera. So you will have to rely on theatre of the mind to explain to you the subtle gray/purple/blue of the once white linen I dyed in blackberry juice.
And the hot pink/black striped monkey that I have created for the craft hope project.
As the old saying goes, thank goodness my head is attached!
I will be unavailable to post for a few days, but I wish you all well.
I am happy to report that I came into contact with NO styrofoam last week. I have in the past taken food home from a restaurant in it, but not so this week. I also do not purchase meat, so did not have to encounter it in the grocery cart, and use my own fabric coffee sleeve or my own thermos, so no styrofoam coffee cuffs were sent to a landfill.
This week is right up my alley! The challege this week is to PLANT SOMETHING.
Fall is a wonderful time to plant things ... trees, bushes, flower bulbs ... even cool weather vegetables. And, of course, there are always house plants. So this week, plant something.
Or ...
If you feel you'd like a little more of a challenge, then ... in addition to part one, write a post about fall planting. Include information on why it's a "good thing", which plants/crops grow best in cool weather, where to get them and how to plant them.
I am not planting a full fall garden, but I have beets already percolating under the earth, and am about to plant some herbs for my winter kitchen window box and lettuces on the west deck. So glad I now have extra incentive to get it done today.
This is a cross-over post because I wanted to share with you the wonderful places on which my project has been featured today. We are growing each day, and getting the word out there. Today, we are featured in TWO places!
1. DinnerTime Chimes has featured us on the Etsy Team blog NCTriangle. Even though our project is not specifically Etsy, this team blog has opened its arms to our project, and I am so thankful for the mention. Check out the blog and all the wonderful Etsy sellers there as well.
2. Kae at Kae1Crafts has joined our project drive and has featured us in her blog post today as well. Kae has two Etsy shops: one for her crafts and one for supplies (shops currently on vacation mode). She also has her own ongoing charity project, donating knitted wool helmet liners to military troops. Specifics on her project and how you can help are found on her Squidoo page.
Visit and Stumble It! Even if you cannot personally engage in either of these projects, please Stumble this post and visit each of the links and Stumble those as well. Then, if you Twitter, tweet the projects for us. For Sharing Our Gifts, please add the hashtag #sharingourgifts to your tweets. (you can just hit the Tweet This button at the bottom of this post if you like, and use the Share This button above the post.)
Perhaps you have been reading a while and know that one of my favorite books is Complete Vegetarian by Nicola Graimes. I have a new favorite from this book that I made on Saturday evening. These recipes are copyrighted and I could not post the exact recipe from the book here on my blog without permission.
However, I have again made some modifications from the recipe given in the book, so I will tell you how I made it. If you want the true Spiced recipe, you will have to consult the book, and I'm sure you could find it on Amazon (or at Amazon, the very expensive hardback version) or at your local library. I omitted the spice element because I have a 5 year old eating my creations.2 tbsp sunflower oil 1 red onion, chopped 3 small garlic cloves, minced (garlic I grew this year!) 1-inch piece of lemongrass, outer leaves removed and inside finely sliced 1 cup of red lentils 1 tsp ground coriander (this was exciting because I used coriander that I grew in my herb garden this year, ground with a mortar and pestle) 1 tsp paprika (organic, that I purchased in bulk) 1 2/3 cups coconut milk juice of 1 lime 3 scallions, chopped 1 cup of cilantro, finely chopped 1/4 tsp. salt fresh ground black pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a deep stainless steel frying pan. Add onions, garlic, and lemongrass. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring as needed, until the onions are soft and have a clear look.
Add the lentils and spices. Pour in 3 3/4 cups water and stir. Pour in the coconut milk and stir. Add 1/4 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, stir, then reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes or until lentils are soft an mushy. (I cooked without a lid and stirred about every 5 minutes to keep from sticking or scorching.)
Once the lentils are fully cooked (after about 40 minutes) reduce heat all the way to the lowest setting, just enough to keep it warm for serving. Pour in the lime juice and add (most of) the scallions and cilantro, reserving just a few for garnish. Season as desired with salt/pepper and garnish with cilantro and scallions.
I used all organic ingredients. I served with a mixed green salad and crusty Pugliese bread. I'm sure that Cabernet Sauvignon was not the best wine paring, but it was what I had available.
Busy busy busy with weekend goings on and keeping up with the harvest, but I thought I would share with you Striper's latest catch...We saved him and put him back in hiding. Striper immediately went and caught a lizard. We took that away as well. Then, Striper began chasing Seuss around and running in a very huffy manner all around the yard. He was very displeased that we did not allow him to eat his catch!
Olive (above) may not lay the largest eggs, but she has turned out to be the largest of our girls, and the family favorite. Coincidentally, she appears to be at the bottom of the pecking order. Mary, above with dried mud on her face, was the biggest from hatching until very recently. She was the first to get a comb (which is why we thought she might be Marty or Big Daddy) and she has always been the most forward and aggressive. She is not completely mean, but she makes it clear that Daisy is her gal pal and Olive is often a loner.
Daisy, not pictured, was the skittish one and the favorite of Amilia. Until she started getting more aggressive and picking on Olive, that is. And, until she started pecking Amilia's shoes with Amilia still in them. Yesterday, I saw Olive defer to Daisy by giving up the nest box when Daisy entered the coop. There are three boxes and three chickens, so there should never be a need for anybody to vacate, but they all seem to prefer just one of the boxes.So, Miss Olive is the farm fave, and Mr. Nature keep saying he is going to teach her how to jump to the top of the pecking order. That would be a feat to witness! But for now, all is well in the chicken world. With only three of them, we really don't see too much squabbling.
Three eggs a day has been wonderful to experience, and I hope I never have to go without chickens again! Who knew?
