A Moment of Domesticity!

Well, really quite long moments strung together all day long!  I am pleased to have just finished canning 5 pints of applesauce and 4 pints of pears!!  Whoopee!!!  I will have fruit all winter long from my cupboards!  It really is exciting to me that I know how to do these things, even if I still call home to Mom for tips.   Thus far this harvest season, I have preserved: -an ice cube tray of basil pesto (makes it easy to freeze in quantities you'll use) -an ice cube tray of thai basil and cinnamon basil -an ice cube tray of cilantro -a pint of cilantro pesto (consumed already!) -24 oz of peach salsa (3 jars) -two quarts of peaches (frozen) -17 quarts of garlic dill pickles -5 pints of applesauce -4 pints of pears   What a prideful person I am!  I admit it, but in this not so lush environment, where the growing season is a bit short, it is important to extend the season however I can.  And while my garden of pots was not terribly plentiful, there are perks to working in the urban ag field.  For instance, 80 pounds of fruit at less than $2/lb - peaches, cherries, apricots, plums, apples, and pears!  Delightful!  And the basil all came from a friend's garden.  My broccoli is finally flowering, so I look forward to stir fry this week.  And my strawberries are still putting out half a dozen a week.  My lettuce is small, but tasty - ate most of last week, but I hope it will grow back.  And finally cilantro is coming up.  I think it is a terribly tricky herb to grow, so I think I will transfer it into the house to see if I can keep it alive.   Anywho...no reason to be thinking so much about food...I ate dinner...a few hours ago... Wishing you peace and blessings and the smell of cinnamon and apples and pears to speed your way to sweet dreams!  tori

I love to talk about food!

I am not apolitical, and both family and friends know I can get on a soapbox.  But I really do believe people need not to be told what to think or do; rather people need to be empowered to be critical thinkers.  I think it is only too often people choose apathy, choose the prime time line-up instead of using brain-power, and choose soundbites....but not my friends and families.    So in the spirit of a long a read before bedtime, I offer this link to Michael Pollan's article, or "memo" as he refers to it, addressing Mr. President-elect about something we all too often take for granted: food.  It is easy to assume that we can go to the store to get what we need.  Or for those who cannot, it is because they either do not have the money or don't have a near-by grocer.  The truth is, like clean air and clean water, food can become a scarce or costly resource.  The article is long, quite long really!  I think it is well-worth the read.  But read it critically or don't.  If you do read it, I would be delighted to discuss it.      http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html?em   ciao- tori

no pictures of this weekend...

So after arriving late on Wednesday, Friday night I dashed home from work, furiously harvesting at three gardens.  A freeze was expected, and who knew if the tomatoes would make it, or anything else!  I tossed an overnight bag together and ran out the door with garden treats and birthday cards and gifts.  We celebrated family dinner in Castle Rock for Oren's birthday.  It was a lot of fun, and Baby Ezra is so stinkin' cute!  So why didn't I pull camera out?  As the party ended, I said good-bye to the guests, pleased I would get to sleep over and not drive home.  The pleased feeling wore off early Saturday morning when Tom and I left Castle Rock at 6:15 am for a quick trip to Miami, New Mexico.  One more birthday to celebrate!  His goddaughter/niece Maya celebrated the seven on Friday, but we all celebrated with pizza and cake and a brief power outage on Saturday.  This Thursday she will get to celebrate with Chuckie Cheese in "the big city" after she visits the doctor to get her cast off, but we were happy to be the consolation party at home.  She got Pop n Hop, a game like Trouble.  I thought of Miss Maddie-moo, who I hear has come to love the game and asked for playdates with Grandma to try her luck.    Sunday mornning we were up early for church with his parents, and I had to laugh at the older woman in church who told me she couldn't remember where I live, as if we'd ever met before.  Just small town gossip, or is it church life?  Tom reminded me that everyone knew who he was when we went to church and had sixty people over at my parents' house looking at him knowingly.  Anywho, we had a quick visit with his grandma, who was impressed I knew Spanish.  Gratefully she didn't ask me to speak it, or her impression of me may have soured.  After visiting with all the other households, away we went...back to Denver!   So now I am here, at home.  I bough groceries and have a full fridge, somewhat of a novelty, as it hasn't been that way with all the coming and going.  Tom's family is coming here for Thanksgiving, so I don't know I have anywhere to go until Christmas.  I am sure I can come up with something if I get bored, but right now I am looking forward to getting to read the paper, cook some meals, and catch up with friends I haven't seen in eons...like Britta and Ryan, who I picked up from the airport tonight, and Marycate, who I ate dinner with afterwards.  Hooray...

A Trip to Phillie

After hosting everyone for Japanese-y family dinner, I emptied my refrigerator and packed my bags for Philadelphia.  The Community Food Security Coalition was holding their annual conference there on the topic of access to healthy foods - a theme of policy work for me at Denver Urban Gardens.  The trip was great, exhausting, and overwhelming with great works happening around the country.  I was especially pleased to arrive early enough to participate in a couple field trips to see some wonderful gardens and projects in Phillie.    I also snuck in a visit with Ron and Megan and their daughter Elena.  Ron and Megan were roommates of mine in Jersey City years and years ago.  They recently moved to Phillie to be closer to Megan's family.  I wasn't sure if we could meet up because I had one window of free time on Saturday afternoon.  There was lots to do, but it just so happened they were a dozen blocks from where I was staying on Satuday afternoon.  They came into town to see Bruce Springsteen and Amos Lee perform in front of the art museum in an Obama rally.  Lo and behold, Jessica, my coworker, and Zev, her cousin/my host, were planning to walk down there, too.  It was great to see the three of them, and we visited until they had to catch the train home.  What a treat!

Fall Colors

Having returned from Portland late on a Wednesday, I only had one week to hang out in Denver before leaving for a conference in Philadelphia.  That weekend, I begged Tom to take me to see the fall colors, I mean color.  Saturday I had a brunch date with Minerva and a movie date with Jennifer before church and a dinner date with Tom and his friends, so Sunday, I bundled up and got ready to ride!  Tom and I took the motorcycle up to Kenosha Pass for picture taking and my longest motor cycle ride yet.  It was potentially training for a trip to New Mexico, which would be about four times as long a ride.    The colors were magnificent.  My bum was a little sore, but not bad.  A slight sprinkle of rain made the ride up a little exciting.  We packed snacks in the saddle bags and hiked around briefly in the pass.  There were so many people, but I managed to snap some photos sans tourists.  I could snap pictures all day, but they don't do justice to the magic of being in the trees and seeing the blue sky and the evergreens in contrast.  Alas...   The ride back was "fast and furious" - not really any faster than the way up, but no stops for us because I needed to get home for the Community Garden Cook-off and Party.  Jake Nistler met me there, and we had a great "catch-up" as well as a conversation with the distiller at Stranahans.  What a great weekend!!

A Trip to Portland

Once again, time elapses, and posts do not make their way to this blog.  Ooops!  But really, when you hear all the things I have been up to...   So Tom joined me in Portland as a surprise to my dad, who turned 60 in September.  Tom and Marty took on my dad and Nick in some serious putt-putt misadventures.  All the while, my mom, sister, and I were working on wedding to-do's for Miki.  There was a large and loud and really enjoyable birthday party for my dad, which lasted many hours of prep, party, and more party.  I think we celebrated four or five days in a row.    After Tom headed home for work, I got to spend time with all my goddaughters, with my grandma, and with the fam.  Miki, Mom, and I went wedding dress shopping - lots of fun watching Miki change clothes so many times.  Sadly it took no effort on my part, which I could have used after a full breakfast with Miki and high school friend Dr. Maryanne.  Sophie, Ava, and I had our traditional lunch date during a school day.  Amy's three girls entertained me to no end...I was thrilled they were not shy of me!  And Grandma and I got to visit Grandpa with a few roses and dahlias.  What a full week!