Comfort Food with a Kick

Last week I made a reduced Balsamic Glaze to use in cooking. http://www.mountainmamacooks.com/2011/07/how-to-make-reduced-balsamic-glaze/

Today I will put it to use for Balsamic-Glazed Root Vegetables. http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/2013/02/the-roots-balsamic-roasted-root-vegetables/  I made only a half the recipe because this is a test run to see if we "really, really" like it.

Fresh from the oven.

Snapshot by Me

We plan to serve it with crispy, fried talapia. Seems that they will be complimentary.

We are pretty much eating out of our pantry this month as we prepare for the big move. I'm getting anxious. I want to plant the garlic for next spring and get the winter veg into the ground! Soon, I know.
Everything happens in it's own time for a reason and ,generally, waiting makes the result much sweeter. So I'm learning about patience, again. One of the hardest lessons and one I seem to revisit frequently.

As we come into the dark time of the year our body seems to crave the foods that store the energy of the sun and the warmth of summer soil. What is your favorite fall vegetable recipe?

Knitting: Kinder, Gentler Lingerie

I learned to knit when I was 5 years old. My father's cousins wife taught me because I was unhappy that I was "too young" to start school with the rest of the children in our small ranching community. After many years absence, partly due to a 4H leader who didn't understand left handed knitters, I returned to the pleasure of knitting. Socks, scarves, hats, all the regular things. Then I discovered a series of wonderful free patterns - the internet is an amazing source - and embarked on...lingerie knitting.
The Bra and  Tap Panty Ensemble available at http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer04/PATT1930.html are designed by Karen Stockton .

This summer I found two cones of all cotton yarn at a thrift shop. Super soft and pearly looking they are perfect for this kind of project.



The other completed project was a free pattern when I found it but it is now included in a book of patterns which are at a very reasonable price.  The French Lace Camisole pattern was easy to follow and a very satisfying "first try" at lace trim. You can find it with other all cotton projects at http://tahkistacycharles.com/t/pattern_books_single?products_id=169&pattern_id=174#pattern

It's amazing what can  be done with two sticks and a big piece of string!

Knitting can be creative, satisfying and it's a great survival skill. We won't be cold as long as we can get our hands on fiber and as to that we have further plans involving a Turkish drop spindle and the three weaving looms that some how have come to our home. Oh, and plans for a couple of Angora bunnies once we are settled in the new house.

What are you knitting today?

As you can tell I've been away from the blog for quite awhile. Life happens and sometimes changes get in the way as we learn to adjust. Now, I'm back!

After spending 5 years in our rented duplex in the historic Hudson Bay neighborhood we will be moving to our own house in about 3 weeks. I've never enjoyed moving but the end result will be worth it. As we prepare we are canning from the current garden, teaching classes in food preservation, playing music and keeping our open mics going along with our "day jobs".

The "new" (to us) house is a sturdy concrete block in an older neighborhood 2 miles north of where we are now. Part of the immediate challenge will be getting the large plants and trees into the ground as quickly as we can and getting the fall/winter garden going. This house actually has a garage so we will have our freezer with us rather than 3 miles away.

Good things are happening and the adventure begins.

Cool, damp Monday After And Epic Weekend

It's cloudy, cool and damp Monday in the NW. Saturday was sunny and bright. Like the final day of summer. We started early. Out the door at 8:30 AM and into Portland to the historic Veterans Memorial Colesium where I sang the national anthem to kick off day two of the Bridgetown Brawl-the west coast semi final for Women's Roller Derby. For decades the Colesium was the only venue for big shows. Everyone played there from the Beatles to the Royal Lipizzan Stallions. Walking the halls, hearing the crowd, background music and announcements was exciting. The Rose City Rollers really know how to host and manage a big event. Every thing worked smoothly and it was a blast to walk to the apex of the track and sing our national anthem. A great experience!
Then we hustled south and east to the Fun On Foster Street Fair. Again gorgeous early fall sunshine, a great sound man/host (Joe Reed) and appreciative audience.
It's now early afternoon and back to Vancouver USA where I have voice and piano students ready for their Saturday work out as Eric loads for his evening gig. By 8 PM we are at the River Road House in Milwaukie, OR where Eric played bass with Mean Satisfaction. Live music, dancing and fun until 1 AM and we head North for the last time (or first time since it is Sunday now). A great day of music, fans, and being really happy that we have an economical vehicle. We're ready to do it all over again.

This week in the 'couve

Here we are in the middle of May 2011 and the weather says "April" loud and clear. Lilacs are blooming, thunder storms are predicted and it is the coldest spring on record with only 5 or 6 days above 50 degrees F.

We are so lucky and blessed to have a greenhouse. It is full of 12 kinds of tomatoes, seedlings including scarlet runner beans, popcorn, anahiem peppers, banana peppers and bell peppers, watermelon, pumpkin, blueberries and a variety of pollinator attracting flowers.

The grape vine, filbert and apple trees are breaking bud.

Chives, raspberries and strawberries are blooming. Blueberries are setting on fruit. Lettuce, spinach, onions, scallots and garlic are growing well.

We intend to set out the bean starts this weekend so soil prep is under way. Will add coffee grounds, rabbit manure and compost after picking out at least one bucket of river rock. Sigh. Lots of rock for lots of projects.

Check out my book review at http://www.examiner.com/organic-gardening-in-vancouver/seeds-of-change-the-living-treasure-review

What are you doing in your garden this week?

The new TwoRivers Music Podcast will be available later today at http://tworiversmusicpodcast.blogspot.com/    Drop by and listen!

All images are by Eric Donaldson Tworivers. You can view his work at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/eric-tworivers.html

Happy first week of May!

We are still working our way through the coldest, dampest April in many years but the garden is growing.
Spinach, lettuces, onions, shallots, garlic,strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are doing well.

We assembled our new greenhouse over the weekend. What a job! Removed sod, chipped mortar from bricks (thank you craigslist) and got it together. 3 ft x 6ft of warmer growing area and the plants are loving it!

Experienced gardeners in our area look to the eastern hills to know when to plant out. If there is snow on the ridge top we wait. So... we are waiting. The greenhouse is stuffed with tomatoes, scarlet runner beans, popcorn starts and flats of seeds waiting to germinate.

The music business is perking along with additional gigs and improving statistics. You can check that out at www.reverbnation.com/tworivers music.

The new Podcast addition is available for listening at http://tworiversmusicpodcast.blogspot.com/

Last week we suffered a huge set back when all the gear from my husband's day job was stolen. He is a professional photographer and this theft put him out of work. We are struggling to move beyond that.
So you can imagine that this past week has been a mixed bag. The photos on this addition, including the cd cover shot, are by Eric Tworivers. You can view his work at http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/eric-tworivers.html

Our cd is available for download at Amazon.com!  


Thanks for taking the time to read!

How we meet the challenging economy

By doing it ourselves and being creative. Growing as much of our food as we can. Learning about slow/real food and how to produce it for taste and good health. Working creatively.
As musicians we are greatly effected by the "slow" economy. As TwoRivers Music we teach, perform, compose, arrange and work hard to build a "job" of our own. One method is to host Open Mics in our area.
This last 2 weeks we have begun a new open mic with a twist. We showcase a featured player and, as a value added item, podcast the event. In a world of heavy competition you have to break out of the box. We know from experience that the featured performer format works but are new to the podcast . It has been challenging and exciting. You can listen in at the link below.
 http://tworiversmusicpodcast.blogspot.com/