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Thursday Morning
Jun. 25th, 2009 07:50 amWe are enjoying the fig harvest - may it continue for a while. (mangoes came from the store....) :-)
Marcel gets as excited about the figs as I do. We harvested early yesterday evening, and this morning - before he left to go back south - he visited the fig tree to see if any had ripened while we slept (they had). He popped them in his mouth as he walked around the tree picking ripe ones.
We were made for each other.
Wednesday Eats
Jan. 14th, 2009 08:12 pmUnfortunately the pasta turned out looking and feeling like cooked worms - this is not me because I know how to cook pasta....
Scratch the pasta - it was a mess. Luckily I always have a tub of cooked brown rice in the fridge!
I went out into the garden and gathered me some garnish
(this is Siberian Kale which is not really the type you use for garnish - but it does in a pinch)
Kale, Rice, and Chickpeas/Veggies = Dinner! (and Sierra liked it too which is the true test of greatness.....haha)
Today in Pictures
Jan. 7th, 2009 07:13 pmI rented Bangkok Dangerous and was laying on the floor of my bedroom watching it when a whole flock of neighborhood birds began fighting over the window feeder like a bunch of kids.
Cyber was also very interested in the birds.
She went from her perch on an end table -
then closer on the bed -
then finally right at the window.
Later I made Red Beans & Rice w/ Hush Puppies
Life is good........
(no subject)
Sep. 22nd, 2008 07:14 am* I didn't get the garden planted, and I'm frustrated with myself about it. I did get the old stripped - this time including the plastic weed guard as well. I bought a new roll of 6mil plastic sheeting to lay down. This is a big project, so it's thrown off my schedule. I vow to get it completed this coming weekend. I have collards and brussel sprouts waiting to be let into the garden.
* I came up with a "new" lunch: Frittata Panchilada (or Pancake style Enchilada with Frittata inside). I was going to take pictures at every step, but couldn't find my camera until I was done. You make 6" Frittatas (I made mine with spinach and carmelized onions). Then heat corn tortillas in an ungreased plan (better yet the flame if you have a gas stove). To assemble put spoon of green sauce on the plate and a corn tortilla on it. Add the Frittata - and another spoon of sauce - then next corn tortilla - and a spoon of sauce on that. I also added stewed tomatoes/chiles. Really elementry, but it is easy to make ahead - and I'm in the process of learning if it freezes well.
Me - Live & Unedited
Aug. 16th, 2008 03:59 pm
On a more interesting note........
Here is the grinder I bought, and a picture of soybeans whole - then grounded on the coarsest setting (perfect split for tempeh - yay)
Day off (sort of)
Jul. 23rd, 2008 10:52 pmInstead I ended up driving to North Austin to pick up an antique sewing machine my mother agreed to buy on Austin Craigslist (my mom lives in Hawaii..... I'm not sure why she cruises the Austin Craigslist). I'm too tired to take a picture of it, I'll put it in another post. It's a Singer from the 1940's built into a table. Very nice - in great shape with all the original attachments and the manual. I'm sure it's worth over $80, but my mom wants it for sentimental reasons.
All was not lost as I stopped at a couple of my favorite places on the way there and back
First Stop Fiesta grocery store off I35 in Austin. Shopping here is like going on a food safari. There's random food from just about everywhere - including Africa. It's very un-hip, so you don't see the yuppies here; however, it's as fun as shopping in Whole Foods.
The produce department is awesome
I also went to Hong Kong Super Market off Research Blvd. I love that they have every asian ingredient you could possibly want (and several I can't believe anyone would want). The only negative thing about this place is the smell. Kind of like old fish blood. I find it nauseating. Also, they don't price a lot of the stuff - which I find annoyjng. They have Lychee Jelly cups though which is a huge plus. If you go, just rub some vicks inside your nostrils before entering.
Here is an aisle with all noodles and wrappers - on both sides!
Then, on the way home I stopped by Cabelas. Believe it or not - this is a tourist destination. It's really for hunters and fishermen. I go to Cabelas for the hiking and camping gear. I stopped in to price backpacking equipment - including a good internal frame backpack for long hikes. They didn't have much of a selection sadly. Their online store is better. A scary Deliverance-looking guy talked me up in the shoe department - I think it was my camouflage print tank top that got his attention.....
I did pick up a "survival in a can" kit which is about the size of a tin of sardines and has a bunch of random essentials like waterproof matches, hook & line, razor blade, etc. It's for the glove compartment of my truck. I also got a emergency whistle/compass/thermometer all on with a hook to go on my keychain
Bye Bye Birdies
Mar. 31st, 2008 11:06 am* Sunday night I was feeling weirdly depressed. I'm sure it was all about being 18 chickens short. I prepared the cure - edible Prozac...
Random Stuff from the last 2 days
Mar. 26th, 2008 11:08 am* Chickens are now scaring me with their flight abilities :-)
I found homes for the "extras" by the way. A friend of one of the members of the Petchicken forums here on Livejournal and a member of the Yahoo groups pet chicken forum. Yay!
* Idol last night was very awesome. Everyone did well. Standouts for me was Brooke who sand "Every Breath You Take" and David Cook who did a rock version of "Billie Jean" which you had to see to fully appreciate. He's my new favorite.
* I'm sorry - but the new "I'll stop the world and melt with you"..... Taco Bell commercial totally grosses me out. It reminds me of snot every time I see it.
* I've temporarily replaced my Frunches with Fockets (Frozen Pockets) :-) I can't stop making them.
Tokyo Mart - San Antonio
Feb. 21st, 2008 11:20 amI was at the dentist getting my teeth cleaned, and my hygenist and I were talking about asian food and places in the area where you can buy ingredients etc. I mentioned how much I loved shopping at Tokyo Mart, and she said she lived just behind it as a kid. So anyway, I left there and was making my way to Green Restaurant as a treat and got lost. Ended up on Hildebrand - - which is where Tokyo Mart is located! hahaha So, I had to follow the obvious lead (I read The Celestine Prophesy don't you know) and stopped in.
Tokyo Mart - 825 W Hildebrand Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212 (210) 736-2111
Bread's Gone To My Head
Nov. 14th, 2007 11:12 amA couple of weeks ago I ordered two books (Flour Power and one I can't remember the exact title of off the top of my head) justifying my purchase as "it will be my birthday present". Wouldn't you know they showed up on my birthday (yesterday)! Weird huh?
I'm going to buy a grain mill (pretty sure it will be the Grainmaker Grinder). it's going to cost about $300 with shipping for the one I want, so I'll need to set aside money until I can get it. With this grinder I can grind everything including soybeans and corn.
I made a Sourdough Rye with one of the starters I'm working on. Bread rise and texture good - tastes good too, but not "sour" enough yet. Maybe another week and I will try using the starter again.
Naegelin's Bakery - New Braunfels
Nov. 7th, 2007 11:14 amNaegelin's Bakery is supposed to be the oldest bakery in Texas. It's on Seguin Avenue right smack in the center of town.
When I first visited it I was a little disappointed. It seems to be advertised as a tourist spot, but that is where the marketing ends. There are no tourist trappings inside. It's quite run down (in a not-so-quaint way) and there are no souvenirs or nick-nacks for sale.
They also have no merchandising skills whatsoever. Menu signage consists of a dry erase board, no logo or branding of bags/boxes, and they do things like put a sheet pan (straight out of the oven) of brownies in the display case and cut portions as needed from it (leaving crumbs and broken chunks right there in customer's view)
I go back regularly though because - they are damn good bakers! Bread, cookies, brownies, pastries - it's all good. Homestyle kind of good..... you know, the kind of stuff that came out of your grandmother's oven. The only thing I've eaten from there I didn't care for was the sweet pretzels (which - ironically is really the only "touristy" thing they make).
If I was to ever get back into the food industry, it would be the bakery business. I am reminded I still have the "bug" every time I step into Naegelin's and feel the overwhelming urge to put in track lighting, offer free samples, and stamp their logo on every bag/box they send out.
Central Market Trip
Oct. 10th, 2007 11:02 am* I liked learning to find another place.
* They had too much wine - I thought I was in a liquor store for a minute there.
* They sold cigarettes at near the checkout - gag.
* Produce dept rocked, but it was pricey (even for non-organic stuff).
* Bulk section was very good - but, again - pricey.
* Vitamin / Personal care section was huge - lots of fun. (they were out of Bach Wild Oat remedy and a couple more though)
* There were many things I can't find other places - most notably rice bran in the bulk section; however, they didn't have rice grits which I'd seen at an HEB somewhere else.
I bought about 6 different kinds of flour (spelt, rice, buckwheat, and more), I got rice bran to make Japanese fermented pickles, Bach Mimulus remedy (gonna to a post on this at a later date), a couple of bottles of asian seasoning, organic honeysweet apples, a container of Gensoy protein powder that was on sale, and a pkg of multi-grain tortillas they made on site.
Oh yeah, I also got a pistachio cannoli and an espresso brownie - they were delicious.
I will return, but not very often. This type of grocery store isn't for someone on my budget sadly.
Latino Junk Food
Oct. 5th, 2007 03:22 pmMy diet has gone to hell in a handbasket these past days. I guess I'm eating myself into feeling better, but I know I'm going to pay later. At least I'm still literally dragging myself onto the step to get some exercise every day. I went to Walmart grocery looking for some junk food.
It's hard to find junk food that isn't sweet AND doesn't have meat in it. Leave it to me though.......
The Yuca Bites rocked - the plantains were too greasy (maybe if I'd baked them instead of deep fried them....) The Pupusas were not worth the calories. They were kind of like runny bean burrito filling inside a biscuit.
I ate all this at once - though I didn't actually finish it all..... I threw out the extra (I wouldn't subject my worms or my compost bin to all that cholesterol).
I want to make a posting later with the complete process in a lesson form.
I don't know anyone else who makes tempeh at home (then again I don't know many people). I learned it from an indonesian lady when I lived in Japan. I think mine is better than anything that can be purchased in a store (but I'm biased).
Packing the inoculated bean mixture into bags for fermenting.
Final product ready for steaming (to stop the mold from growing)
Long Weekend Wrap-Up
Sep. 5th, 2007 08:04 amI did one task on Sierra's gown at least, but most of my time was spent on the quilt.
Monday Bea and I went shopping at the Forum. World Market had soda from Waialua - I didn't even know Waialua had a soda company.....
I found the Spotted Dick, and like a couple of immature 12 year olds Bea and I couldn't stop laughing. This is her with the can (I deleted the one of her licking her lips...). I even forgot to put in in my cart (I was going to try it since it was something I'd never had before..... haha, jeez! - I'm still laughing about it - how sad that I'm so immature.
I dropped Bea off and stopped by Walmart to pick up a couple of grocery things (didn't check for Spotted Dick). I did find some awesome organic Champagne grapes though - Yum. They are so tiny - almost like they came from liliputtin. Can't afford it, but I bought a package anyway.
Also......
* One tree trimmer came to give estimate for the two trees in question: $900 plus tax.
* I watched Hot Fuzz (not so hot)
* Neighbor pretty much fixed my mower, and was able to mow the back area before the rains came.
Giant Watermelon
Aug. 19th, 2007 01:34 pm
