Pesto Magic

I'm back from my unplanned blogging break. Just couldn't swing it last week.

Mmmm, pesto magic! I am impressed by how so few ingredients can become such a flavorful dish! The basil and garlic are from our garden. The pine nuts are from Trader Joe's, the best source I've found.

Though I'm by-the-book, pesto is one of those amazingly flexible dishes. The DH, much more the experimenter, likes to change it up. We've had it made with other greens, other nuts, pumpkin seeds, a dash of hot sauce, etc. Here's my basic recipe, from the Big Red Betty Crocker cookbook.

2 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic

1. Place all ingredients in the blender or food processor. Cover and blend on medium speed about 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape sides, until smooth.
2. Use pesto immediately, or cover tightly and refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 1 month (color of pesto will darken as it ages).

Note: I freeze mine much longer than 1 month. I look forward to its fresh taste in the middle of winter!

Do you have a favorite pesto variation?

Back Soon...

I'm on a business trip and am not finding the time to blog, so I'll be back in a few days.
Until then...

Imperial Tea Court

I just got my Imperial Tea Court (ITC) newsletter and thought I'd sing the praises of this company. It's one of my favorites. I took this photo, which I love, many years ago in the original tearoom in San Francisco. I remember so much from this day! I had a long walk to get to the tearoom, through parts of Chinatown. It was a crisp, sunny autumn morning. San Francisco was subdued. Along the way, I stopped to take photos of unusual fruits and Asian-style dresses in vibrant reds, greens and yellows. I was learning to use my Mom's metal-bodied Pentax, a great camera. I was pleased that I had found the tearoom on my own, as it was in a quiet neighborhood with a subtle sign.

I had an amazing conversation at the tearoom, not with Roy, but with one of his head staff. She introduced me to pu-erh teas. This was long before pu-erhs had experienced their recent fame. I tasted several, at first surprised by the aroma and flavor but refraining from a hasty judgement to allow for finding the sweetness on my tongue in the aftertaste. I treasure that moment and memory. I was the only one in the tea room and had the pleasure of soaking in the slanted light, the clay teapots, the aroma and flavor of the pu-erhs, and the tutorial from the tea expert.

Alas, this tearoom has closed. But there are others in the San Fran/Berkeley area.

Roy Fong is one of our leading US experts in tea, especially Chinese teas. He's an interesting man - check out his bio.

A few years ago, Mom gave me a subscription to an ITC tea club. It was so much fun! I highly encourage it as a gift to your special tea lover. (It is pricey, tho there are options.) Here are additional resources for more info about the Imperial Tea Court:

• Online store
• Blog
• Facebook page - virtual teahouse Play the game, "What tea are you?" I'm an oolong.

I couldn't help but...

Create matching skirts for us! An aunt's privilege. This little one is almost two.

By the way, the fabric is from a reclaimed bed sheet!

What Does Your Food Taste Like?

I read an article recently about New York's law that requires restaurants to list the caloric count of the food. I thought this was a FANTASTIC idea! But what held my attention in the article is a focus in California on chain restaurants because they apparently are known for loading up their food with fat, salt and sugar so that it becomes more tasty to us. Wow. Makes me never want to eat at a chain again. Fortunately, there are many choices out there.

I began to think about my own food habits. I try to follow Michael Pollan's advice of, "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." And yet, I seldom eat a raw tomato without sprinkling salt on it. Is this really necessary, I wondered. What does a tomato taste like without salt? Or toast without butter? Or a peach with the fuzz on? So I've made a pledge, and I encourage you to do so, as well. Before doctoring up my food, I will taste it in its natural state. I will enjoy the sweetness of the tomato that gets masked by the salt. I will feel the textures of the toast and the peach. I will not ask, "Do I like this?" but rather "How would I describe this?" One warning: when one experiences "real food" - it's hard to go back to a chain.

My Weekend, in Doodles

Do you doodle? I do! I often doodle while I'm in meetings or otherwise engaged. As any good teacher knows, it doesn't mean I'm daydreaming. It simply means I'm activating another part of my brain. Perhaps, because of the doodling, I will retain even more. I wish all teachers understood this.

Zinnias

Zinnias take me back to my grandmother's gigantic garden. She had bush green beans and vines of squash, horseshoe-shaped cucumbers and giant tomatoes. And stuck in the middle, a very long row of zinnias.

Lucky 13, with my DH

That's us, celebrating 13 years today!
(DH = Dear Hubby)

Breathe, Make Fun of Myself, and Drink Tea

I'm in crunch time at work now. I'm landing a huge program on August 25th, and we're definitely in the thick of it. Late nights and early mornings, last minute changes, additions to the plan. Thankfully I am starting to see the tunnel's end.

One thing I know for sure - I can get a little grumpy when I'm under deadline pressure. I'm sure my teammates felt it yesterday! :-) So, to lighten the load, I like to first remember to breathe, then laugh at myself. I sent my team this picture yesterday. That's me, growling. I hope they print it and throw darts at it. I might, too!

To stay calm and relaxed, I try, Try, TRY to maintain a sense of humor, a sense of perspective, and force myself to make time for a tea break. (Those things usually get chucked, in that order. I go around and try to pick them up at the start of each day.) They're too precious to give up, and I do so too willingly. And I NEED my tea breaks! I need those few minutes of relaxation in the middle of my day.

How do you deal with deadline stress?

No Tea Cozies Without Irony

Love this image! It's from craftster.org. They have several fun ones - all vintage-looking with a twist. I'm amazed (and grateful) that the concept of crafting has reinvented itself into one that is hip and modern.

Delicious Things Sold Here...

This sign caught my attention on Saturday as I was walking along our new multi-purpose trail through downtown. (It's not the first time I've been caught by this sign.) This little French restaurant (one of my favorites in town) sits right on the trail and the owners have capitalized on the opportunity, opening a small to-go window. I had the panna cotta and I ate it so fast, I didn't even get a picture.

The photo below is one of the best I've taken, and it was an accident. You see the sign, which makes me smile every time I walk by. "Delicious things sold at this window." Indeed. And then you see me. And if you look closely, you see the graffiti in the background. Three layers. I couldn't have set it up any better. I think I might frame this one. It's just got so much depth - literally and metaphorically.

Do you know a special little eatery, one where you can walk by on a Saturday and get a little something? Tell me about it.

Long Gone

Long...

I loved my long hair, but I'd had it for several years and was tired of fighting with the tangles. As my hair stylist told me yesterday, "You have fine hair - but girl! You have a lot of it!" That means tangles, and lots of them. So, farewell tangles! I'm sure I'll miss the variety of styles with the long hair, but will enjoy the faster shower time!

Long gone...

This is the new cut. 14 inches off and a 12-inch braid to Locks of Love! This photo is a good example of what it actually will look like, not when I'm fluffed up for the camera. I had just walked in the door from the Farmer's Market. I'm sweaty and windblown. Real life - real hair. :-) I like the new cut. Never had it like this before.

A funny thing - in addition to the "no more tangles," I was going for the slightly more professional look. I have to make a trip to the work mothership in August and meet with some super powers. I thought I'd give myself the advantage. The funny thing is the DH thinks this cut actually makes me look younger. Just what I need! Once again, to be mistaken for the intern. LOL (laughing out loud)! What do you think?

Some Blog Browsing

Just sharing some blog sites that have captured my attention lately...

Sewing

• Roundup of skirt tutorials


• Wardrobe refashion
  

Crafting: Crafting a green world

Food: Orangette (I'm reading her great book, A Homemade Life)

Tea Filter for Travel

This cute little tea filter, in addition to being a great color, is very handy for travel. It's silicone. It comes with a saucer that also doubles as a lid so your tea stays hot.

And it compresses down nicely for storage and travel.

Mine came from New Mexico as a gift, but you can find one online here.

An Indy Getaway

View of the capital in downtown Indianapolis, from near our hotel

The DH and I spent a very fun weekend in downtown Indianapolis. Did you know that within the heart of downtown, Indy has both a state park and a canal district, connected and easily walkable? The White River State Park is home to several museums and the zoo and botanical gardens.

We started the morning at the zoo. It was cold and rainy. I was grateful for my jacket and umbrella, and even added a pair of leggings under my skirt! The zoo, though small, has done a nice job of allowing a view of the sea animals both above and below the waterline.

For lunch, we walked downtown to the Tea Cozy and enjoyed the Saturday brunch menu. I had a delicious chocolate chip pancake and some of the best-ever fried potatoes (clearly homemade - not the frozen kind). We then returned to the zoo via the canal walk and spent the afternoon in the botanical garden. This included a butterfly garden, conservatory and lovely outdoor gardens. It was a place where I could return to often.

Brilliant blue butterfly in the corner

Conservatory

Canal

View of the White River and downtown, from botanical garden

We caught a movie that evening (the Alps) at the IMAX in the Indiana State Museum, and finished off with a tasty dinner at the Creation Cafe, at the start of the canal near the Clarian health complex.

We spent Sunday morning going for a run through the streets of downtown, taking a good look at the Soldiers' & Sailors' monument. Then we hit Einstein Bagels and the Chocolate Cafe.

I highly recommend a weekend getaway to downtown Indianapolis! There is much to see and do. If you go, I suggest spending the extra cash to stay within walking distance of the White River and canal district. You wouldn't even need to pay for any other entertainment! Just enjoy the walk and views. We stayed at the Marriott Courtyard Capital and appreciated its location, just steps from the canal, a few blocks from the capital building, and about a 25-minute walk from the White River state park.

As Easy as Peaches-N-Cream

I bought a big box of peaches at the Farmer's Market last week. It hasn't taken long to gobble them up. A few as snacks, one cobbler, and a few in this recipe. OK, so my version of peaches-n-cream uses Greek yogurt. But it's good!

You need: peaches, raisins, rum*, walnuts (optional), honey or sugar

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Soak raisins in rum for at least 30 min.
• Cut peaches in half and remove pit.
• Place the peaches, cut side up, in a rimmed baking dish. Cover tops with honey (or sprinkle with sugar). Spoon raisins and walnuts on top.
• Roast until peach is soft, about 15 minutes.
• Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

*A note about the rum - it's not something I keep around, so I bought a few of those little shot-sized mini bottles (like you see on airplanes). One mini bottle held the perfect amount of rum for soaking raisins for two peaches.

What I'm Not Doing

Work has been really busy lately. I'm trying to launch a brand new ship for the company, one that flies in the virtual world instead of in real space. Lots of unknowns, lots to do. That's why I've not been blogging much. Fortunately, I like my job. Tonight I'm NOT working late and I'm trying really hard to NOT feel guilty about not blogging. So, to assuage my guilt, I'll simply give you a few pretty photos. These are some of my favorites from my recent writing retreat at St. Mary of the Woods, both a women's college and a community for the Sisters of Providence.

In the Shell Chapel, statue of St. Anne surrounded by shells from the Wabash River


Baby alpacas (cria) raised by staff from the White Violet Center for eco-justice



A sea of sisters

Vintage Tea Towels

Summertime, sunshine and towels fluttering on the line. Simple things like this make me happy.

These great tea towels came as a surprise to me from AZ Tea Lover. They are not only beautiful, but also lovely to touch. I love the feel of the linen cloth. Thank you!

Kale Chips

Kale - easy to grow, tolerant, long-living, strong flavored and good for us. I love it in salads, in quiche, in soup. And yet we have so much of it growing (and get it from the CSA), we can hardly eat it all. I've just discovered a way to gobble up every last leaf. Kale chips! This recipe for kale chips is so yummy, the first time I made it, I ate two sheets of it myself! (It bakes up to nearly nothing.) Try these soon, and make sure you have enough for two batches!

Before

After

Here's the recipe I used. I didn't have apple cider vinegar, so I used white vinegar and it worked out fine. I think balsamic would add interest, too. I'm also thinking of sprinkling the leaves with chili powder, curry or other spices. Also, the more you can keep the leaves to a single layer, the more evenly they will cook. Use a couple of baking sheets, if necessary.

Wouldn't these make a great fall party food? When they come out of the oven, they look like dried leaves.

I was inspired to try this when I saw it mentioned on someone's blog. I can't recall which one, so apologies if it was yours. Let me know!

Penny Farthings and Such

I spent last weekend in the company of 12 other women at a writing retreat. It was wonderful for my writing and for me personally, too. We shared the grounds of St. Mary of the Woods with the Wheelmen, a group that collects and rides vintage bicycles. Being a fan of cycling, this was a delight for me!

This was the earliest bike represented. It doesn't have pedals. You lean forward and push with your feet.

An ordinary as they were called in the day. The name penny farthing didn't come into use until after the height of this bike's popularity.

Getting on and off is a daring feat!

One of the first pneumatics - air in the tires.
I loved her outfit, tho I'd hate to have to wear it on a muggy July day (like it was!).

A very interesting tricycle

I ride a leather saddle, not too different from this one

Busy Day Cake

Here's a cake that goes really well with tea! It's a whole wheat/flax seed cake with blueberry topping. It's very delicious and so pretty! I don't have the recipe. The DH made alterations to a recipe for a "busy day" cake, but didn't write it down. Next time!

Isn't that a great name? Busy day cake - love it!

Enjoy a virtual slice.

Kiss the Flowers!

Have you ever kissed a flower? I highly recommend it, especially ones with soft petals. It's particularly nice when the dew is fresh. Some flowers, like the one above, are made to be kissed!

Summertime Pleasures

The pleasures of summer. Some things, like making blueberry jam from berries picked with friends, make me smile even when I don't feel like it.

Blueberry jam

A fragrant and cheery day lily

Rainbow chard