Bessie Rides Again!

She's a stealthy slug bug! That's the thing about electric cars ... you just don't hear them!



We need to get a new top for Bessie. So, she only goes on on those lovely days. Fortunately we had a spot of good weather while Matt and Eamonn visited. Here go the boys.

Confession

Wow! So much to survive this month. Amira is officially six years old. We celebrated with a family party on her actual birthday. This was followed by a celebration at school. Then, of course, she had a small party with some friends at home. I think she feels officially celebrated!




Thankfully that birthday celebration at school was not a sugar overdose. I love that school! They made a bundt cake (from scratch) and served it with yogurt, fresh whipped cream and sliced fruit. And there was definitely a ritual that was so sweet. All the children in the class (and parents and teachers) gave each child a special wish and the teacher put together a book of drawings made by the class for each child. Of course there were fresh daffodils and snowdrops. It was really beautiful.

I, on the other hand, made the much sought after "treasure chest" cake. Oy!!!!


(I will upload pictures as soon as Michael comes back from his testosterone laden zombie shooting man fest in the woods. He's got the camera).





Well, I can't blame the kids for craving some sort of sweet. My home has become the "fermentation station". On the counter I have some home made sauerkraut, beet kvass and kefir fermenting. I also have a big crock pot full of beef stock going. Of course this stock is made from the parts of grass finished cows who presumably had a happy life in some grassy pasture until I took a hit out on one. In the fridge I have some home made yogurt cheese and tons of kombucha plus the finished kefir and naturally fermented pickles. I also have a big jar of way too much whey. These mad scientist jars are all crammed in there with the left over stir fry, mung bean sprouts, cabbage, apples and left over chicken soup. Now, I have to confess that the Kombucha is store bought. I aspire to find a scoby and make my own one of these days ... if I can find the counter space.



Michael says my fridge looks like a dare. He showed it to one of his friends today who took a picture of it with his cell phone and shuddered at the raw milk. He says he's going to show it to his kids so they can be thankful.



Why, you may ask, am I turning my poor kitchen into a giant science experiment? Well, for one, it's fun. And for another thing, I realize how expensive these probiotics are! My goal is to get as many naturally occurring probiotics into our diet as possible. Those little buggers and the natural digestive enzymes are very important to absorbing all the nutrients we are taking in. Lots of living food! None of that dead processed stuff. Well, okay, on a limited basis.

We finished off the last of our kale chips last weekend. My poor kids! They don't get to go to the grocery store like all the other kids. They go to the co-op and the CSA and farmers market. I'm hoping that my obsession with whole foods doesn't create crazy eating disorders later. "Go ahead kids! Pick out anything you want and eat it!! Carrots? Good choice! Parsley? Great! Squash? Okay, you talked me into it!"

I mean, they do get pizza and mac and cheese too. And today I made some home made raspberry rugalach. (I used some of my homemade cheese in the dough!)

I am dealing with some rebellion. Rex has chosen to log the effects of diet versus regular soda on himself and his friends for his fourth grade science experiment. This allows him to put a Sprite and a Diet Coke in the fridge -- along side all my experiments. Otherwise soda is anathema -- unless we're having a party or something. But even then I won't let Nutrasweet or High Fructose Corn Syrup across the threshold without feeling like I'm killing my family and guests.



I'm having a recollection of myself in high school. I came home to find that my my mom made a "tofu lasagna". I took one bite, swished it around my mouth and with much disdain shouted, "Where's the meat?!" When she told me it was a tofu lasagna, I sneered, "I'm going to the mall to get a corn dog!!!" Poor mom.

Somehow I sense karma on the horizon.

Valerie Practices Piano

Seriously, Valentine's Day?

What's to love about Valentine's Day? This sordid Hallmark holiday mocked me many a year while I was single. One of the wonderful things about Michael was that we could agree that this is such a contrived holiday that it deserved to not be celebrated.

We began dating in January 1996, so with February right around the corner, Michael wasn't sure how to treat the holiday. I believe he asked me what my Valentine expectations were. I informed him that I usually sat home, alone, rented a jaded movie and slogged down a bunch of pizza. So, that year we decided to do that together.



Last night we were off to see Roller Derby, not realizing that it is the Saturday night of Valentine's weekend. Doh!!! Just try and get in for dinner someplace. So, we dined in the bar of The Red Tavern. And we secretly laughed at all the dressed up people who reserved a fine dining experience in honor of the holiday. I wonder how empty it really felt to them? I wasn't even having a holiday and had a great date night with Michael. What's not to love about a pomegranate cosmo followed by watching people with names like Slappa Ho race around a track in tarted up uniforms and trip each other up. It was the Valentine's Day Massacre. Norcal totally won. It was fantastic and very un-valentiney.



Anyhow, back to Valentine's ... now that I have kids it is a whole different ball game. Now it's the holiday that mocks me in the craft store! I am not a crafty person. I have always admired people who are.

While Rex maintains the "sugar fest" celebrated at the standard public school, the Waldorf school is quite different. I was informed there was no party filled with sugary treats, but that the children could make their own version of a Valentine and exchange them at school. With the exception of having to come up with an idea and go down to the craft store, I quite liked this idea better than the pixie stick/cookie/chocolate/brightly colored candy feast.



I decided to get those cute little puff balls and glue googly eyes on them and place them on Popsicle (craft) sticks. Then the kids could write "from ..." Also, this year the kids were old enough to handle the glue without gluing the entire house!



Then because the kids still had some sort of expectation, I decided to make a really nice dinner and have some friends over. On tonight's menu:

Braised short ribs (from grass finished beef of course!) served over wilted chard and a reduced sauce over the top. On the side will be a green salad (from my garden) and garlic mashed potatoes. For dessert I have homemade meringues filled with strawberries and fresh whipped cream. I'm serving a Cabernet with dinner.

Naturally the kids won't feel impressed with tonight's dinner. But the fact that they are getting dessert ought to feel special! Of course, my friends just canceled. So, this totally sucks. Well, for the kids. I'm still going to have a nice dinner.

Come on March!

Kid Rules

If there is one thing my kids know and understand at this point, it's our rule, "One activity per kid per season." With this in mind Rex is holding on to Cub Scouts for dear life. It is one activity he truly enjoys. (Although he refuses to take part in the Pinewood Derby this year).

Valerie has sort of cheated the boundaries a bit. She is presently a Brownie Girl Scout and is also taking piano lessons. (But soccer season is over thank goodness!)


Amira is a Daisy Girl Scout and seems to enjoy it. She hasn't really hit me up for any other sctivities, aside piano. And the piano teacher won't take her until she's 7.


But yesterday Valerie came home and announced that she wanted to quit Girl Scouts and join the orchestra at her school.



I didn't even have to ask her which activity she was going to give up. She volunteered. I'm thinking it's all the door to door cookie sales combined with the Fall nut sales where we had to stand around in front of Safeway for hours. And I'm pretty sure my neighbors are going to start drawing the curtains each time they see us walking up the front steps ... always selling something!



Yes, the girls enjoy the hanging out with their old friends at their old school. They might even enjoy the fact that I sort of hang with them as co-leader. But orchestra sounds like more work for Valerie and less work for me. Call me selfish! But I've broken one too many needles sewing badges on uniforms and could do with one less meeting where I have to be involved.

On that note, i have to run off and pick up kids now and go to a meeting of the Library Committee for Valerie's school. Then I guess I should start prepping for the book club meeting Friday at Rex's school.

Darn! I'm as bad as those kids.

Vega$ Baby!

It's been 12 years for us! And as happens most anniversaries, Michael had to work. So, this time I tagged along. His job happened to be in Las Vegas and his room in the Palazzo. I have to say that Las Vegas is the least sustainable city I have ever seen. And everything is on such a huge scale. Once I took off my critical tree hugger goggles, I was able to totally enjoy my brief trip and live it up. Most of all, enjoying some uninterrupted time with Michael was the best. And it didn't hurt that when he had to go to work on Sunday I spent pretty much the entire day in the spa getting some reflexology, aromatherapy, massage, sauna, igloo, wave room, etc. treatment. That was a dream.

Upon driving home from the Sacramento airport on a rainy day (my sinuses were so thankful to be out of the desert/casino) I was treated to so much bird watching. Elegant egrets, regal hawks and giant heron all made appearances on the sides of the road as I drove north. My favorite part of the trip is seeing the plumage on the roosters and the other feral chickens in Yuba City. Those birds are amazing!

Of course today it was back to the grind of getting kids off to school, working, cooking, exercising.

I don't know if it's true what they say about "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas". I think those five extra pounds followed me home!

Some Soggy Hens

That storm just blew those chickens right up to the back door. Still not letting them in. After the last time they came inside, it was clear they could not be trusted!