Clean it out!

I think we can pretty much agree that it is the law of washing your car that it rains the next day. Yesterday I not only washed but also waxed my car which meant that today it was cold, overcast, rainy, and windy. "What to do, what to do?" I thought as I drove back to my place after staying the weekend with the family. I was thinking not so much about the rain as about dinner. As far as I knew, my fridge was very bare. Mentally, I took stock. The best I could come up with was some kidney beans I had cooked and frozen months ago. They should probably be used before they started to taste too much like freezer. And knew there was a rather large stock of tomatoes sitting in my pantry, leftover from some garden fresh tomato soup I'd made the weekend before. Those needed to be used, too, before they rotted where they lay. "Chili," I thought. "Chili would be perfect." And so was born the Clean it Out Chili:

Clean it Out Chili
serves 4

1 T olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 carrot, quartered and sliced
1 zucchini, quartered and sliced
3 c (or 2 15-oz cans, rinsed and drained) kidney beans
1/2 bottle Labatt's Blue beer (or other light, non-bitter beer)
9 small to medium tomatoes, peeled and seeded and coarsely chopped
8 T tomato paste
2 t unsweetened cocoa powder
1 T chili powder
1/2 t chipotle chili powder
1/2 t cumin
salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel and seed and coarsely chop tomatoes. I do this by dunking them for a minute in a pot of boiling water. Core them and score a cross on the bottom first. You know they are ready to come out of the pot when the skin starts to split on its own. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions. Saute until starting to brown. Add carrots. Saute a few minutes more. Add garlic, jalapeno, and zucchini. Saute a minute or two, until you can smell the garlic but it isn't browned. Add the beer, tomatoes, and spices. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

3. Simmer at least 20 minutes for the flavors to meld. Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, or fresh tortillas on the side

Note: Because this was a thrown together meal, I used what I had. This means I used fresh tomatoes and homemade tomato paste. If you don't have these ingredients, a 28-oz can of diced tomatoes (with the juice) could be used with similar results. If you are using store bought tomato paste, you may need to use less. If you have fresh or frozen corn, it would be very good here.

I had it with tortillas (also out of the freezer. Go freezer!) and the last of last year's homemade applesauce on the side. Yum!

It would seem that I've suddenly transitioned this knitting blog to a cooking blog. Knitting content to return very shortly, I promise!

On the up side...

It's not all doom and introspection around here. There's other stuff too. Like jam. Lots of jam. My friend Danielle is a raspberry fiend. In fact, she harbors a not-so-secret desire to own and run her own u-pick berry farm. I like raspberries a lot. All berries, really. But if I'm completely honest, I'm more into strawberries and blueberries than raspberries. Raspberries, though delicious, have seeds that get stuck in your teeth and won't come out not matter how much you pick at them. This little annoyance keeps me from loving them as much as I might. It doesn't keep me from picking them, aparently. Eight more quarts came home with me last weekend. Getting up early to pick raspberries and chat with your friend is a great way to spend a weekend morning. There are all kinds of things you can dream while standing in a quiet field, supplementing your breakfast, that you can't dream anywhere else.

And what to do with all those berries? Well, I already mentioned the jam. It's official. Everyone is getting jam for Christmas, because there is NO WAY I can eat all that jam before next year. I mentioned the Raspberry Custard Kuchen last time, and this time I can highly recommend the Chocolate Raspberry Blondie Bars from Vegan with a Vengance. I had a few friends over this weekend and I think they each ate 4. I tell you what, skinny girls put away more food than anyone I've ever seen, except possibly a teenaged boy.

Can I also suggest Raspberry Jalapeno Jam? It's something I've been wanting to make ever since I had my first San Diego Bagel from Collegetown Bagels in Ithaca. It's a bagel with cream cheese and raspberry jalapeno jam. Delish! So I found a recipe, and I made some.

Mine isn't as spicy as I'd like it to be. It's not spicy at all, actually. I probably should have left the seeds of at least one of jalapenos in the jam.

Raspberry Jalapeno Jam

5 cups crushed raspberries
6 cups sugar
½ cup cider vinegar
1 pouch (3 oz.) liquid pectin
½ of a red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
½ teaspoon butter (optional, to reduce foaming)

Makes approximately 8 8-oz jars

1. Prepare canning equipment. (See below.)
2. Place berries, vinegar, pectin, butter, and peppers in a large stock pot. Bring to a rolling boil over high head, stirring constantly.
3. Add sugar. Return to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil for exactly one minute. Remove from heat. Let cool for 5 or 10 minutes, skimming off any foam and stirring occasionally.
4. Ladle into jars. Carefully wipe the rims and threads of the jars before putting on the tops.
5. Process 10 minutes.
6. Enjoy the sound of the tops popping and the deep, deep red jars.

To prepare canning equipment:
1. Wash and sterilize the jars, tops, and rings. I do this by hand washing them, then putting my jars on a jelly roll pan and placing the pan in a cold oven. I heat the oven to “warm” and I TURN IT OFF.
2. Place the tops in a heat-proof container and pour boiling water over them. The tops must be unused. The boiling water prepares the adhesive. Let them sit until needed.
3. Fill your canning pot half or three-quarters filled with water and bring to a boil.
4. Measure out your sugar into a separate bowl and have at the ready.
5. Have lots of towels and pot holders within arms’ reach.

Things to know about canning:
1. You must follow the recipe exactly. This is science, not art. Not following the recipe can result in as little as runny jam or as much as botulism. Don’t mess around.
2. You must use new jar tops every time. The rings you can reuse (and in fact, you can take them off the jars once they are canned.).
3. When you tighten the rings on the jars, only tighten them until the point that you would screw the lid on any other jar in your fridge. This is called “fingertip tight.” Do not tighten the lids further after you have taken them out of the water bath. This could interfere with the canning process.
4. After you have processed the jars, you will hear them pop. Let them cool a few hours and then press gently on the tops. Any tops that spring back have not sealed properly and must either be re-canned with a new lid or refrigerated.

Ideas for use from Holly:
1. Warm some brie, spoon the jam on top, sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds, and serve with crostini
2. Spread a little on a slice of flourless chocolate cake (or unfrosted brownies), serve with a dollop of whipped cream
3. Mix a 1/3 cup of the jam with 2 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar and use as a glaze on chicken or pork
4. Mix it with some minced garlic, a little salt, pepper, thin slightly with some cider vinegar and toss with chicken wings (you will want to roast the wings to near doneness--then apply this glaze toward the tail end so as to avoid too much crunchy blackening)
5. Make a grilled cheese with some wholegrain bread and sharp white cheddar and add a little layer of the jam
6. Make a sandwich with turkey, arugula, Jarlsberg cheese, and spread a little jam on the baguette
7. Spoon it over cheesecake
8. Serve with panko crusted shrimp
9. And the easiest, dump it on a block of cream cheese and serve with some whole grain crackers

I can pers0nally vouch for the various combinations with cheese, and I can't wait to try some others!

On Life and Earl Grey

The best word to describe my life right now is "odd." Not in school, not employed. Lacking in a lot of the things that I'm used to having in my schedule like lessons and rehearsals. I'm feeling both more and less balanced than I'm used to. I've been spending a lot of time thinking and inventing things for myself to do. These things mostly have to do with organizing and cleaning, which is all good in my opinion. I didn't realize how many things I had put off doing, or which hadn't seemed important at the time but are now rather critical.

I have applied to be a substitute teacher, and I have been doing all the training and form-getting which is needed for that. My orientation is on Thursday, and I'm really hoping that it comes through for me. Not being one to put all my eggs in one basket, I'm also looking at other jobs, putting together resumes and cover letters, taking assessments on my strengths and weaknesses. It's been illuminating, but incredibly scary.

I talk a good talk about letting my life open up and exploring the options available to me, about seeing where my path leads. The truth is, I'm really afraid.

I have two auditions scheduled between now and Thanksgiving, which gives me something to practice for. The reality of being a musician is that it is hard to make yourself work if there is not a reason to be working like an audition or a lesson or a concert. I'm running the Dino Dash again this year on October 4th, and I'm in the beginning stages of planning a weekend backpacking trip a few weeks later. All these things are giving my life some structure, but I sure wish I had a job so I could feel productive.

This morning I woke up feeling down and out of sorts. We all have our little ritual which help us to center and focus and let go of the weight in our mind. For me, the scent and taste of Earl Grey tea makes me feel like everything is ok in the world. When I smell it, I can't think of anything else. My cup of tea was badly needed today.

Smug

I'm feeling pretty smug. You see, in the event that I am snowed in for weeks on end this winter (they are apparently predicting a very snowy winter) I will have packed away provisions. Mostly in the form of jam.

Elderberry jam made using this recipe, only quartered, because that was all the berries I had. It made just one jar of jam, which I didn't even bother to can. Elderberries (at least in this form, which is the only way I've had them) have a very dark flavor. I bought them on a whim from the farmer's market this week, never having had them before and set about finding out what to do with them. It turns out, people pretty much make only three things: pie, jam, and wine. So, jam it was.

And then yesterday I went raspberry picking with a friend. It was a cool, foggy morning, and we pretty much had the place to ourselves. The berries practically fell off the bushes into our jugs. Seven quarts later (seven! quarts!) I had a little raspberry processing factory going in my place last night. Two and a half quarts made 8 jars of jam, one quart is in the fridge for snacking, two and a half more are frozen, and the last quart made Raspberry Custard Kuchen. So good. I made it with skim milk instead of cream, and it worked just fine.

Smug, smug, smug. I think I feel Christmas presents coming on, because I don't think I can stop jamming and canning!

Did I forget to mention?

I did a little knitting while away this summer. I'm calling this the Box Office Shawl, because it was knit almost in its entirety while answering phones in the Box Office. I needed a little something to do while waiting for the phones to ring, and not having the ability to go full-on sweater (the lack of needle choice, for one thing) I knit my first ever shawl, since sizing isn't really an issue.

Pattern: Matilda by Kate Blackburn
Yarn: Plymouth Baby Alpaca Lace in #2020, 1 skein
Needles: US 5
Mods: I think I did only about 8 repeats of the diamond pattern, and I only did about half of the edging chart. As a result, my shawl is smaller than the pattern, and the edging points are less pointy. I did this because I wanted to use as much of one skein of yarn as possible, and I just made it.
When I first started this shawl, I wasn't in love with how open the fabric was. If I'd had a full selection of needles, I probably would have gone down to a US3 and used 2 skeins. After blocking, it's a very airy shawl, and will probably be nice for the transition seasons. Since it's alpaca, it is still warm.

I wasn't sure I was going to keep this shawl for me. This is very much my mom's color, and to be honest, I'm not sure how much use I have for a shawl, but I after taking these pictures, I'm going to keep it for a little while anyway. It would be a nice date-night kind of thing, if I ever got asked on a date. I'm holding out hope.

Two mini celebrations: I got my hair cut, and I bought a tripod (finally!) I love the cut. It really suits my hair and my lifestyle. It's quite a bit shorter all over than I've had it recently, not just from top to bottom. I have a very stubby ponytail, but I love it too much to care. And the tripod! What took me so long? These pics were the first with the tripod, and I'm not saying that things are initially easier, but they sure are more fun! And I no longer have to worry about my camera shifting or falling when I make a 10 second timer dash.

Not pictured: the swarm of moquitos who descended upon me as soon as I set foot outside. There aren't many mosquitos in Colorado. Just sayin'.

Epic Hike

The last Monday of the festival, Krista and I went on an epic hike. We’d been planning for it and working up to it all summer, gradually ramping up our hikes so we could be prepared to be at 12,500 feet, so we could handle and elevation gain of roughly 3000 ft. and a duration of 7 hours. We’d been planning for it for a few weeks, and by 5AM on the prescribed day, we’d nearly talked ourselves out of it. We knew it was going to be hard, sometimes painful, work. It was 5AM on our day off. Staying in bed sounded like a really good idea.

We got up anyway and headed to the Maroon Bells Wilderness Area to do the hike to Buckskin Pass. You’ve probably seen Maroon Bells, even if you’ve never been there. It is one of the most photographed scenic views in the US, and let me tell you, those photographers don’t even have to work for an amazing picture. It’s all right there. All you have to do is point and shoot. (Don’t ask me why they’re called “Bells.” I have no idea.)

We took a little break at Crater Lake for some water, snacks, and photos before heading off the beaten path towards the Pass. It’s quite cold in the mountains in the mornings and evenings. The sun in the source of most of the warmth, and without it, things cool off in a big hurry. It was in the upper 30s (farenheit) when we left, and at Crater Lake, most of the greenery was frosted over.

We passed Minnehaha Gulch, where we saw a mama and baby mule deer.

We stopped for a bit in the alpine meadow, where we dreamed of putting up a little cabin and never coming down.

We finally sighted the Pass (the snow covered bit on the left), and a marmot – a funny kind of cross between a woodchuck and a dog.

The thing about hiking so early is that your sense of time get so skewed. By the time we’d made it to the summit, it was only 10AM, and though we were sweaty and our legs were a little wobbly, it didn’t feel like we’d been hiking for 4 hours. One of the difficult things for us was hiking in the altitude. Though we were fully acclimated to 8000 ft, climbing steep switchbacks at 12,000 proved to be a bigger challenge on our lungs than our legs. We had to stop every couple hundred yards to catch our breath before continuing up. This was fine. We weren’t in a hurry. We just wanted to get there.

And, oh, there we were!

We were sitting down to some “lunch,” comfortably couched on some obliging rocks when Krista yelled, “Mountain goats! Mountain goats!” They were coming down the mountain right towards us. They got very close – Krista was actually quite scared at this point, and hunkered behind some rocks. I didn’t even have to zoom on this shot! I was a bit uncertain too. I had never encountered a mountain goat, and I had no idea what to expect from them – they really were very close! – and I didn’t know how to make them go away. Our talking didn’t seem to faze them, and neither did our singing. (To the tune of “A Spoon Full of Sugar:” A spoon full of mountain goat makes the hike a little scary, hike a little scary, hike a little scary….)

We did finally end up cutting the trail to avoid two goats who were getting a bit aggressive with each other right on the trail and we headed back down.

The thing about hiking in the mountains is that going up is hard work, but hiking downhill for hours is painful on the joints. The terrain is very rocky above the tree line and gravelly below it. Not such a problem going up, but on the way down makes for slippery and uncertain footing. Coming down got really old. It was hot and crowded by the time we made it back to Crater Lake, and we really wanted to no longer be vertical.

The other epic thing about our epic hike? An epic shower afterwards.