Eggplant Parmisan

I found this beautiful eggplant in the grocery store a few days ago and just had to have it.  I have not had eggplant parmesan in years and thought i would give it a shot.  Pulled out my old go-to cookbook for classic home cooking and started to prep the eggplant.  It ended up being a lot more steps than i planned but all the hard work should be well rewarded at dinnertime. 

There is one twist to this story because our oven is currently on the fritz so i decided to use the slow cooker instead.  It should turn out fine, it will just take a little longer. 

Here was the recipe (roughly):
1. Slice eggplant, place in colander and sprinkle salt on them, leave sit for 30 minutes, rinse and pat dry.
2. chop one onion place in pan and brown, add garlic cloves (i used three small cloves).  Add tomato paste and tomato sauce, i also added oregano and basil powder and a splash of balsamic vinegar.  Cook together on low, turn off heat if it starts to boil or stick to pan.
3. dip eggplant into egg then into flour (i added parmesan cheese to the flour).  Place into preheated pan which has oil in it.  cook 3-4 minutes until brown.

Once this was all complete, i put a little sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker then started my layering.  Layer of sauce, layer of eggplant, layer of mozzerella and parmesan cheeses and another layer of sauce, keep going until out of eggplant and sauce.
Turn slow cooker on and let her rip!  I suspect dinner will be around 6:00 or so.  Dan will make some of his famous garlic bread and we will be very adult and even have salad. ;)

Buon apetit!

~CM

The sensational soybella machine!

So the coconut and almond milks ended up being a little too gloopy with the guar gum in it.  I need to learn more about that ingredient.  It was still good, but i really do not prefer to chew my coffee in the morning.

Today I decided to try something new.  I made a coconut/almond milk combo.  I did not add any guar gum, only a little bit of sugar.  It came out great so far, i am letting it cool from it's hotter than the sun temperature before i try to sample any.  I can happily say there were no injuries incurred with the making of this milk!

For tonight we are trying a new recipe from the book with some minor changes.  The base recipe is a curried mushroom soup.  I decided to augment this dish to make it more of a filling meal with curried turkey meatballs, made by yours truly.

Here is the basic recipe, which if you have a hand blender or even a regular blender this can be made and enjoyed!

1 (8oz) cup cashews

2 cups mushrooms, chopped (this is the soybella special cup measurement)  in real life it is about 1 (8oz cup)

.8L water (can be more if not using the soybella)

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp. poultry spice blend (i used old bay seasoning)

1 tsp. sea salt

pinch or more of curry powder, we happen to like this spice, so i used more

pat of fresh butter (i omitted this, it sounded stupid to me.......)

fresh parsley for garnish (omitted, but would do it for company)

These ingredients get either blended together with your hand blender or tossed into the soybella to become soup puree.

Turkey curry meatballs

1lb lean ground turkey

1 egg

small shallot chopped well

clove of garlic, minced

1 tsp red curry powder

1/4 C +/- breadcrumbs

Mix all together and roll into small (think wedding soup) meatballs.  I baked them in the oven first then threw them into a pot to which i added the mushroom soup so they could all sit and share flavors.

Right now we are waiting, will be eating dinner in about an hour.......again with the waiting.....

prep time, i used shitake mushrooms and unsalted cashews

the finished product, color wise seemed bland but taste wise was exceptional

So we ate our delicious soup, needless to say it will be a staple in our repertoire.  The spice was just right, the mushrooms and cashews broke down beautifully and the little meatballs were the perfect touch.  YUMMY!


~CM

PS - we tried the coconut/almond milk, it has a perfect thickness, flavor and taste!  YAY!

On this blustery Thursday

I just wanted to wish everybody a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!

Eat, drink and be merry!

~CM

The Magical Soybella Machine

I finally got a chance to play with a new toy of mine.  As a wedding gift we got a Soybella machine which I was super excited about.  I got it because I wanted to be able to make my own almond and coconut milks at home, they are rather pricey in the store.  When I was flipping through the instruction manual I learned that this machine it truly multi purpose.  It can make soy and nut milks, but it can also make soups, broths, purees, chunky soups, rice paste (whatever that is) and grind things like coffee, nuts etc.  Well now I am ecstatic about this little device.  It is smallish and light weight, surprising for all the tasks it can perform. 

I made three items today.  1. Coconut milk, 2. almond milk and 3. potato leek soup (c'mon, an Irish girl just cannot resist!)  A brand of coconut milk I particularly like is "SoDelicious"  It is very thick and creamy which I love in my coffee, I looked up what makes it thick and found that the magic ingredient is guar gum, a natural food thickener. 

I followed the instructions to make coconut milk and then after 15 minutes heard a glorious little BEEP and knew I may have made by first batch of "milk."  I transferred the liquid to another container and added the guar gum, cane sugar and vanilla flavoring.  I then put the lid on and proceeded to try to shake this lava hot concoction up......BIG, BIG, HUGE MISTAKE!  The lid popped off and I got burnt, I think I will survive but if you have never had to rip a scalding hot shirt off your body be thankful and just take my advice to not shake hot liquids.  After my quick recovery and generous application of aloe vera gel I decided to whisk my mixture because the guar gum kind of became a guar ball instead, mixing it helped but I recommend putting it in a little at a time and whisking.  But hey, guess what?  It worked and tastes pretty good too!

Well now I am on a roll, I cleaned my new toy up and started my almond milk recipe, I followed the same steps then transferred the liquid to a container DID NOT SHAKE IT and slowly added the guar gum as I mixed, it worked much better.  I also added almond flavoring and maple syrup, it's pretty good but I think the coconut milk is the winner for me.

Ok so for my last item of the evening the potato leek soup, this device makes it so simple it's just scary, literally I had to cut up some potatoes, onions, garlic and add some spices......then press "paste"......I am sitting here impatiently waiting for my new favorite sound....BEEP!!!!

While I wait I will share my recipes since, as always I make changes to fit my needs.

Coconut milk
1 cup* shredded unsweetened coconut  (there is a special measuring cup included)
fill vessel to .8 L (there are markings on the inside of the container)
press the "mill" button  I don't think I needed this step since the coconut was already shredded and will skip it next time
next press the "milk" button and the machine takes it from there
15 minutes later BEEP and there was a milk like liquid in the container
transfer to another container and add:
1 tsp of guar gum slowly as you whisk - this is my first time using guar gum, next time i will try 1/2 tsp.
1 tsp of vanilla (i think i may skip this altogether to see what it tastes like without)
3 TBSP cane sugar (i will cut this down as it was a little too sweet for me)

All in all I like it very much and will continue to tweak the recipe to see what flavors I can coax out of this mixture.

Almond Milk
1 cup almonds
fill vessel up to .8L
"mill"  i pressed this about 5 times, the book said the more times pressed the thicker the mixture
"milk"
this mixture had a sort of thin, watery smell to it
1 tsp guar gum
1 tsp almond flavoring
3 tbsp real maple syrup

mix and enjoy.  It thickened up nice and tasted pretty good, like i said, though, i do like the coconut milk a little better.

Potato Leek Soup
2 smallish potatoes diced
1 shallot, diced (i confess i don't have any leeks in the house)
3 garlic cloves chopped
pepper
sea salt
dash of cayenne pepper

place all into the machine, put lid on and press "paste" 

It beeped a few minutes ago and I opened 'er up.  While it does not look as thick as some cream based soups would, the potatoes should thicken the mixture up nicely, I did add more salt and think that I put just a tad too much cayenne pepper in it to begin with, hopefully that will dissipate a bit.  All in all it tastes great, I really cannot complain, I just made a fabulous soup in 20 minutes total! 

Well ta-ta for now!  If anyone has any recipes that they would like to share please feel free to post or email me.

~CM

9/11 - Nine years later

This old tree was completely uprooted and died, an artist created a sculpture to commemorate it's long life in NYC.

As I sit here in my Brooklyn kitchen on September 10th, I am reminded that tomorrow is 9/11 and the anniversary of when the towers fell. 

Now I could sit here like many other bloggers and people who like to "yell into an empty room" about the conspiracies and Bin Laden but I would rather discuss what is really on my mind and ask a few questions which no one can seem to answer, not really.

First by living in New York I learned to view 9/11 in a different way.  In a more personal way.  Every single person that was here when those planes crashed into the towers has a story to tell, they remember exactly what they were doing at the moment they either HEARD the noises or SAW the smoke and BREATHED in the debris.  I know that everyone in our country can remember what they were doing also but to actually hear or see a plane crash into a building, it's not something you can ever un-hear or un-see. 

A former co-worker of mine who lives in Brooklyn but was in class in the city got stuck and could not get home, she had to WALK from 68th street up to Harlem where her boyfriend lived, she could not get in touch with her mother and could not get home for 2 days!  During this time a lot of people really did not know what was going on and if there would be more attacks, it was very unsettling for her, basically life stopped and there was nothing she could do about it. 

In an excerpt from a book called "Subwayland" by: Randy Kennedy.  I read a story about the train conductor on the No. 1 line, that was one of the train lines that went right under the towers.
The excerpt is entitled "Last Train" and excuse the pun but it really drives the point home.

"When Carlos Johnson woke at his usual hour- 3:30a.m.- on Tuesday, September 11th, he did not know that hundreds of miles away, a 190-ton jet sat on the runway in Boston, bound for the very place he was bound that day.

He did not know, as he parked his No. 1 subway train at its terminal in the Bronx, as he took his morning break, going downstairs for a bowl of oatmeal and a slice of toast, that the jet was closing its doors, about to pull away from the gate.


And he did not know that when he rolled out of the terminal for his second trip that day-his train designated Van Courtlandt 748, for 7:48a.m.-that it would be the last time he would travel to the end of the 83-year-old subway tunnels that have been his office and his occupation for the past nine years.".......

..........."Like hundreds of thousands of people in the city Mr. Johnson remembers events that morning with powerful clarity.  He remembers that when he pulled into the Chambers Street station, one stop north of the World Trade Center, the digital clock at south end of the station clicked 8:45 as he watched.

The doors closed and he sped south.  He pulled into the Cortlandt Street stop and brought the train to a halt at exactly 8:48, just as the first jet slammed into the north tower.  But he still had no idea of the role he was playing in that day's events, taking one of the last trains through that would later be known as ground zero."

Johnson said, "People who had gotten out of the train started running back down the stairs,"......."And there were other people still trying to get up the stairs.  I saw people get knocked down........and I heard someone say: 'They're shooting upstairs!  They're shooting!  Someone has a gun!' "

.......he envisioned the gunfight spilling down the steps and onto his train, he didn't feel the building or tracks shake and the lights never even flickered.  He and his partner decided to close the doors and get the train out of the danger of said gunfight.  When Mr. Johnson got his train downtown he got in touch with a supervisor who told him it was not a gunfight but some sort of explosion.  It was all very confusing but he had to get back to work and take the no. 1 train back up town....

"The strangest thing he remembers now is that he headed north again, taking his train back toward the burning tower just as another plane was minutes away from hitting the other tower, he saw no pandemonium.  In fact, he picked up only a few people beneath the World Trade Center, and no one on the platform seemed panicked anymore.

Johnson said, "I guess it's kind of like the eye of the storm.......it was almost peaceful."  Johnson finished his run and five minutes after he pulled into the terminal he ran to find out what happened, he watched on television as the first tower collapsed.  Then he heard word on the radio that the tunnels had also collapsed.

"That's when it hit me," he said.  "That's when it finally dawned on me that I was right in the middle of it.  And right then and there, I said a prayer for all those people I saw going up the stairs that day at Cortlandt Street.  I hope every one of them made it out."

As transplant residents in Brooklyn we have been touched by these and many other people's stories and appreciative that they shared them with us.  On our first year that we were here for 9/11 we went straight to the core of the matter, we went to ground zero.  There is a small museum near the site which has remnants of that day along with photos and videos.  It was really hard to go through seeing the items left behind, a child's teddy bear for example among many other personal belongings.  Not one person left there with dry eyes.  We left there and walked around a bit, I heard bagpipes and we decided to follow the sound, it led us to this tiny back street about a block from the site, there was a little Irish pub and it was absolutely FILLED with cops, firemen, etc from all over the country, they all were in uniform and were singing and dancing and really just there to show their support for their fellow officers.  It was awesome to see and be a part of, I will never forget that day.

Last year we went back downtown on 9/11 but this time it was to take part in something much bigger than ourselves.  We went down to sign a steel girder which will be used as part of the construction of the new towers.  It was a very powerful moment knowing that a piece of us will forever be in New York. 

My name on the girder.

We later walked around and looked at a memorial that had the names of all the victims on different flags, it was a sea of flags, it was very quiet there and felt really sad too. 

This is the memorial, the ball was a piece of art which was damaged in the crash, it was re-erected in battery park along with the eternal flame which is in memory of the firemen who lost their lives trying to save others.

This year I am not sure what we will do in memory of this day.  I like to be near the site, there is a lot of energy down there, people are united in New York and for this one day everything else is just forgotten, there are no race issues, no class separation, nothing, just a  bunch of Americans standing side by side, sharing in joy, pain and sadness but also sharing knowledge that we survived, as a nation we were able to pull together in a time of tragedy and uncertainty and help those in need and were happy to be able to do so, some of our brave rescuers lost their lives but it will never be in vain, they will never be forgotten, they are our heroes.  It is times like this that I am proud to call myself an American and to truly understand what that means.

Some day we will see the new towers in New York's skyline, they are not to replace what was originally there and erase what happened but they will be there as a confirmation that we were able to recover and move forward.  They will show the world that we cannot be held down for long.

~CM

Market Day!

One of our favorite days here in Brooklyn.  We woke up to discover that it was absolutely beautiful out, no rain, no humidity, just sunny with fluffy clouds.  We decided to take a trip to the farmers market located in the park near our house.  What a great idea that turned out to be! 

The market was absolutely hopping, the fruits looked beautiful, we got some great meats and even placed an order for a whole rabbit which should be ready next weekend.  There was a live blue grass band there which was pretty good.  We chatted with some of our farmer friends and got some really great, fresh yummies.  Our cheese maker friends had some fresh goat cheese which is just divine, I see that working its way into a tapas plate sometime this weekend.  We also scored some great looking duck legs which will make it into our tummies this evening along with the potatoes and perhaps the peaches will be featured in the sauce, who knows, the possibilities are endless!  Oh I also got some crème fraichè which of course we will eat a little bit, but I was feeling crazy and thought I would put some into a soap recipe, it will make a rich creamy lather, I promised the girl at the table a bar to try if I did this.

To finish off our trip I got a bunch of gorgeous, bright flowers, they are sitting on the table and I am enjoying their bold colors as I write this.  They are a good reminder that fall is actually coming and the weather will just be getting better and better.

Well I am off, enjoy your labor day weekend - and YAY to fall!

~CM

Zinc Oxide the miracle cream?

I have been having some skin problems around my nose area, it's been dry and flaky and frankly pretty painful.  I have been trying different things to heal the area and finally broke down and asked my teacher, I am in school for skin care so who better to ask right?

She's a great instructor and very knowledgeable about just about everything skin related especially products.  I don't mean the designer overpriced ones, I mean the core ingredients that are really the reason the designer products work at all.  She quickly reminded me that my skin is very sensitive and that getting facials all the time (the students practice on each other daily) is very hard on the delicate skin on my face.

As usual she wowed me by recommending that I try zinc oxide.  That's it, pure and simple. Easier said than done as I found it somewhat challenging to find pure zinc oxide.  Well today I had success and am sitting here happy as a fat cat with my little zinc tube.  I just put it on and am happy to report there is no scent and no tingling or burning on my damaged skin.  I will update on the final result in a day or so.

Zinc Oxide by definition is a mineral.  It is a common ingredient in sunscreen products and according to my cosmetic ingredient book is is somewhat astringent, antiseptic, and antibacterial.  In sunscreens it provides both UVA and UVB protection it can also increase the SPF (sun protection factor) in sunscreens.  It is also used in products when an opaque white color is desired.  This mineral is also relatively nonallergnic.

This is all great news, I like what I have read and of course wanted to know more so I zipped on to the highway of mis-information......um....I mean the Internet to see what people say about it there.......
I found a pretty funny you tube clip on zinc oxide which you can view by clicking on the post title.  One of my favorite mis-information web sites is currently down maybe the jig is finally up for them, who knows.  If their site comes back up I will check it out and share.  They are a real fun bunch, basically everything will kill you unless it's an ingredient used in one of their funder's products, but that is for a whole other post.

Well this is my story for today, I amazingly did not find a lot of controversial information on zinc oxide, if I do I will add it as an edit at the bottom.  After using it I will also report results.

TaTa for now
~CM

UPDATE!  9-4-10
Yes I know, it's been less than 24 hours.  I put a generous helping of the zinc oxide on my damaged skin last night before bed.  Guess what?  I woke up to no redness or soreness and the dry skin is going away!  YAY!  So in conclusion I have to say yes it IS a miracle cream.  This can also be used on baby bottoms I read.  Happy zinc-ing!

The Safe Cosmetic Act of 2010

This absurd, obnoxious bill was placed before congress this week.  It is unrealistic, un-American and another of the many ploys to put small businesses out of business.  In some instances it is a direct violation of our rights as Americans touching on freedom of the press and I am sure some others. 

"But it will make consumers safer" you say?  I am sorry but this is an illusion, it may be called the safe cosmetics act but it should really be called the tyrannical rules and regulations of big government goons who have no idea what they are talking about.  There is actually a part of the bill which would require us to list ALL trace elements in ALL ingredients, including things like water, think about it, even bottled water companies do not have to do this and WE DRINK THAT WATER! 

It's ridiculous and that name of the bill will make the average consumer believe that this is in their own best interest.  This bill will sink the small companies and leave only the large corporations, it will limit your choices and cost more for you in the end as the price for cosmetics will rise in order for everyone from the vendors to the manufacturers to comply with this pile of crap (aka "the bill").

Why am I touting and spouting about this?  I am a small business owner, this affects me, my family and my wonderful and loyal customers.  I know many soap makers, lotion makers and cosmetic manufacturers.  The people that make these products, make them by hand, with the utmost care and consideration, they are overly cautious because they know their customers, they speak with and interact with them regularly, their customers are their neighbors, friends and family.  These small time manufacturers ARE NOT the ones to worry about.  These are the people who already list everything on their labels, they do extra research on products, vendors and methods to ensure that they are always making the best possible item for their customers, their friends.  We do not have some fancy legal team in our back room that will tell us how to skirt around an issue so we are just honest and straightforward. 

We got into this business because I was tired of not being able to pronounce some ingredients on labels, I was tired of wasting my money on the newest miracle cream only to find that it was just a lot of fluff.  I was tired of the largest organ on my body (our skin) taking the brunt of misinformation.  So I read, and I read, and I read some more and I scoured the internet and I found forums and read their threads, and I would sit and think and make notes until one day I just did it, I made my first batch of soap.  It was the ugliest looking thing I have ever created but it was also the best thing, it was bubbly, moisturizing and made my skin feel like a rockstar!  I took that experience and ran with it and hence the birth of Serendipity Soapsmiths. 

We have a wonderful company, we have great customers who interact with us regularly and challenge us with questions which I love, they make it so that I want to and need to continue to learn so that our products are better for them.  There is no large corporation who does this.

Please read the petition and review the bill, please help us to stop this, I don't want to have to run off and join the circus to make a living.

Thanks

~CM

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/oppose-hr-5786-safe-cosmetics-act-of-2010/671435043/taf

To ban or not to ban......that is the question

Just stumbling all around the web today and came across a really interesting article on a seemingly dangerous chemical that made my hair stand up.  Luckily for us there are coalitions out there trying to get this substance banned.

Read below:

Dihydrogen monoxide:

• is called "hydroxyl acid", the substance is the major component of acid rain.
• contributes to the "greenhouse effect".
• may cause severe burns.
• is fatal if inhaled.
• contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
• accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
• may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
• has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:

• as an industrial solvent and coolant.
• in nuclear power plants.
• in the production of Styrofoam.
• as a fire retardant.
• in many forms of cruel animal research.
• in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
• as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.

And some more information:

What is Dihydrogen Monoxide?

Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) is a colorless and odorless chemical compound, also referred to by some as Dihydrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Hydroxide, Hydronium Hydroxide, or simply Hydric acid. Its basis is the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, a species shown to mutate DNA, denature proteins, disrupt cell membranes, and chemically alter critical neurotransmitters. The atomic components of DHMO are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds such as Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol.

Are you freaked out yet?

Here's a tad more:

Should I be concerned about Dihydrogen Monoxide?

Yes, you should be concerned about DHMO! Although the U.S. Government and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) do not classify Dihydrogen Monoxide as a toxic or carcinogenic substance (as it does with better known chemicals such as hydrochloric acid and benzene), DHMO is a constituent of many known toxic substances, diseases and disease-causing agents, environmental hazards and can even be lethal to humans in quantities as small as a thimbleful.

Research conducted by award-winning U.S. scientist Nathan Zohner concluded that roughly 86 percent of the population supports a ban on dihydrogen monoxide. Although his results are preliminary, Zohner believes people need to pay closer attention to the information presented to them regarding Dihydrogen Monoxide. He adds that if more people knew the truth about DHMO then studies like the one he conducted would not be necessary.

A similar study conducted by U.S. researchers Patrick K. McCluskey and Matthew Kulick also found that nearly 90 percent of the citizens participating in their study were willing to sign a petition to support an outright ban on the use of Dihydrogen Monoxide in the United States.


So how did something like this get swept under the rug for so long?  The truth - the truth is that this was a high school science experiment and became very famous due to the results it produced.  Every element on earth (and perhaps in space) has a chemical name and Dihydrogen Monoxide is the chemical name for water!  I was tricked the first time I read about this awful chemical too, I stopped just short of starting a campaign myself to get this guy off the streets.

So why is this on my blog?  Simple, it was a good lesson to teach ME to do my homework before jumping to any conclusions because there are a lot of people out there who will take advantage of the fact that we are not chemists and long complex chemical names instantly make us uncomfortable even if they are only talking about water.

I no longer believe everything I read, almost to a fault, but at least I sleep well at night knowing I did all I could to not be tricked by someone with an agenda.

Now go on you!  Pour yourself a nice cool glass of dihydrogen monoxide!

Ta
~CM

PS- I almost forgot, this hoax has such hype that there is a whole web site built just for it!  Can you believe that?!?

http://www.dhmo.org/

Shout Out To An Awesome Blog

Hi again,
I know it's been awhile but not because I have not wanted to write.  Life has been a bit of a whirlwind and I am a little behind.  Anyway I was cruising around on the net today and came across some lovely ladies who have their own awesome blog.  Since I love to connect with great people I wanted to pass this forward for your reading pleasure as well.

Now, just because I shared this link doesn't mean you can permanently abandon me!   The site I found today is all about the truth - since I dig and search for the truth like a hound doggie looking for a fox I found them to be right up my alley.  The web site I called Personal Care Truth and it is run by a group of professionals in the health and beauty industry.  It has great articles about what is going on in the industry from anything like legislation to speaking out on ingredient scares (which is becoming more and more common) and is truly frustrating.

Of course most of you know that I take this very personally because it misleads people into thinking some products are dangerous to use when really there are no conclusive studies and someone created the "scare" to help their own bottom line. 

As with all things in life I want to be able to make an educated decision based on research that has not been adulterated.  This site seems to be of the same mindset which is going to be a great resource for me.

Here is the link:  http://personalcaretruth.com/

Happy hunting!


~CM

How Does Our Garden Grow Part II

How INDEED!  We have had some not so agreeable weather lately which kind of prohibited us from venturing out back, fortunately for the plants, it was mostly rain (and one VERY awful wind storm) and that made them very happy.  Our garden is lush and green, very very green.  We have accumulated a (ahem) few weeds which will be appropriately "whacked" but our other plants are seemingly thriving.  We even have a rose growing on a rose bush that we were not sure was going to make it.  Also, our snail population has been revived!  I still cannot figure out where they get their shells from, very curious.  The tomatoes are looking good, they are about 1 foot tall and our peppers and celery are also doing great!  Also my mint is thriving but sadly our basil "bush" went onto the big green garden in the sky.

 The garden.....just a tad overgrown.

 

Our beautiful rose, hopefully with more to come.

The darling pansies.

The mint is just going wild!

The other basil and chives are doing just fine.

The front plants are peppers, doing quite well and the pot on the left, 

also peppers, the pot on the right is celery, 

looks like i will have to transplant it to the ground soon!

Last but not least the tomato plant, 

I cannot wait to taste what these 

plants will yield later in the summer.

Well Ta for now, hopefully We will be getting more good weather so that we can continue to enjoy our garden amidst the urban jungle.

~CM

How Does Our Garden Grow????

SO we did it!  We pestered our landlords enough and they finally gave in and let us use the backyard!  As you can guess we are like two kids in a candy store, we have eaten dinner outside every evening so far and today we planted veggies and flowers, it was a GREAT day!!!  Also, strangely enough, we caught enough snails to make any frenchman jealous.......what we will do with them remains to be seen but i am pretty convinced that there is a fairly large "snail-gasm" going on in the mason jars we created a little habitat in for them.  Interesting fact about snails, 1. they are hermaphrodites and 2. their sex organs are the little pointy things that stick out of the sides of their heads.  Should that ever come up in trivia - you'll be ready. (pictured right)

But I digress - we had a massive amount of clean up to do and how rewarding it was when we cleared away old branches and crap that has just been sitting there to find these tiny violet sprouts poking their heads up out of the ground along with what I believe is a rose bush, i pruned it a bit, we will see if it flowers or not.  We also were able to salvage a table and 4 chairs that with a little scrubbing were declared usable.  There are two large trees in the back yard, one in each back corner which provides the perfect amount of shade and breeze.  Today we planted some of our herbs that we have been growing hydroponically (yes the basil bush has moved outdoors) so has some mint and some cilantro and thyme which may not make it, we shall see.  We also bought a couple of tomato plants, some jalapeno pepper plants, celery plants and a half flat of pansies too, oh, also ivy (we have an ugly fence and very little privacy and some sort of flowering bush that seems like it will look nice.

My good friend is a gardner in NJ and has been taking pics of her garden an posting them, i like the idea, it's kind of an online journal and will help me remember what i did next year and what worked and what failed.  Below are the pics i took today, enjoy :)

our little pansies (see the ugly fence???)
Planted 4-11-10

Three Beefsteak Tomatoes (mmmmm)
Planted 4-11-10

Our Jalapeno Pepper plants
Planted 4-11-10

Celery
Planted 4-11-10

More Jalapenos
Planted 4-11-10

The left is the basil "tree" and the right is my Cilantro, Thyme and Mint (left to right)
Moved outdoors 4-11-10

Close up of the pansies, they are so cute!
Planted 4-11-10














I guess i should mention one last tidbit.  The neighborhood we live in, Greenpoint, was the sight of the largest oil spill that ever happened in the U.S. (yes, bigger than exxon valdez).  Although I feel that our soil is most likely fine we are going to send it in to a lab to be tested mostly out of curiosity but I suppose it would be the better to know than not know.  Once we have the results I will be posting them here :)

ok i have to run

~City Mouse.........or should I say......COUNTRY MOUSE??????

;)

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

Yes, the basil tree is still alive and well.  Yesterday I had to remove it from my hydroponic garden and put it into dirt.  I did not have a pot big enough so he ended up in a delivery container and even that is probably not big enough.  The root system on this plant is phenomenal it is probably 1" in diameter and as deep as the pot itself.  We have other plants who are doing great as well, the basil was blocking them and i did not even know that they were alive.  Yesterday I transplanted cilantro, mint, thyme, chives and a second basil plant.  I was unaware of the existence of the cilantro or mint so that was fun to find.  


What shall we do with all of these herbs???  I really do not know, with the warm weather coming we are hoping to get back to basics and focus on our old eating habits which were much healthier than what we are currently doing.  Regardless, they make the kitchen smell wonderful and I love having plants in the house, the next things we are working on growing is salad greens, it would be so much fun to just pick my salad greens from the "salad bar."  we shall see how that goes perhaps I should try for tomatoes too.....


Well here's to the salad bar I suppose.


~CM

How to spot a craigslist scam

At least how to spot a craigslist real estate ad scam.  In New York as many people know there are more rental properties than single family homes so brokers here specialize in rental's generally as their income source.  Now I cannot fault the broker's entirely though through personal and professional experience they are very creative in their ad making and how they attract customers.  We are thinking of moving here in NY and I was doing a little searching and I just keep coming across the absolute worst scams.  The newest one that i have run into most often is one where the person will respond to me questions telling me that i need to run my credit before we go any further......um.....excuse me?  NO!  Sorry bud, that's not how it works bad economic times or not (by they way the recession has ended, maybe i should have mentioned that.....)


Here are a few hints that an ad is probably a scam:
1. Incorrect spelling or grammar (obviously)
2. All caps (this is just a personal observation, either it's a scam or the person on the other end is too stupid to know how to work the caps lock button)
3. Only exterior photos of the house/condo/apartment are shown (because they don't have access to the inside - duh!) this one took me awhile, but it's a consistent pattern.
4. not leaving a real email address but using the craigslist created one also seems to point me in the direction of a scam.


So what can we do about this nonsense?  Flag them - every friggin one of them, let's take craigslist back to its original purpose which was for people to find and exchange goods and services for monetary or barter trade.  

Here is an example of my most recent finding:

$1500 / 2br - Lovely Waterfront Condo For Rent (Long Beach)

---

Date: 2010-02-18, 4:33PM EST
Reply to: hous-fd44k-1607044124@craigslist.org ^{[Errors when replying to ads?]}

---

LOVELY WATERFRONT CONDO IN LONG BEACH IS CONVENIENT LOCATION NEAR BEACH.
THE UNIT FEATURES 2BR, 1FULL BATH, FDR, KITCHEN, CAC AND PARKING SPOTS.
NO FEE REQUIRED. PETS ARE WELCOME. LEASE TERMS ARE FLEXIBLE. CONTACT TODAY..

• cats are OK - purrr
• dogs are OK - wooof
• Location: Long Beach
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
• Fee Disclosure: credit check
• Listed By:

PostingID: 1607044124
....well this one did have an interior photo but the rest was pretty consistent, so was the response (below)


Hello,

Thanks for contacting us regarding the apartment rental.  We know you must have many questions about the apartment rental.
But before answering any questions, we need to know if you are currently up-to-date with your credit report to save you and I time.

Here is a link to a free, safe and recommended credit report checker : https://secure.keycreditreport.com/?ai=10421

Also, this application will only take two minutes!
The particular reason for this credit check is because, with the declining economy, there has been a large number of defaulting tenants --
we don't have any reason to believe you aren't a good tenant, but we just need to protect ourselves in this economic environment.

Don't forget to email me back after completing the application so we can set up an appointment for you to view the apartment.

Thank you.


........*sigh* so the search continues......


Ta
~CM

Craigslist Post of the day

No joke, i was cruising through craigslist the other day looking for something and stumbled across the below ad.......i am dying to know if anyone replied to this! 


Nude Housekeeper Wanted (E. New York,Brownsville)
Date: 2010-02-17, 7:43PM EST
Reply To This Post

Looking for mature females 21-35 to do nude housekeeping and run errands must know how to cook meals and clean if interested contact email address or leave a message. Room and board available serious inquires interviews will be conducted leave description of yourself and a pic. Good luck on your search.

Soap Smithing

Greetings from Brooklyn, 

Well I have started to make my valentine's day soaps for the masses......well, maybe for family and friends and someday the masses ;) Who cares it's fun and keeps me out of trouble. I do have good news, I had my first online purchase of products! It was exhilarating and terrifying, what if she hated them? And me? Oh geez, what do I do? Mr. Mouse helped out, he said, "ship the order!" And so I did......I want to call her and see how she's doing, how's work and the family and oh yeah how are those soaps? I have resisted the urge thus far, I am aiming to not become a soap stalker of sorts. 

Anyway onto my newest concoctions, I have been sticking to the feminine scents but today I branched out and made something with a more masculine scent which I am just loving. My sister gave me some feedback on scents that she likes and I tried to incorporate some of that into one set, I also had some other thoughts for what valentine's day may smell like to one and have made a soap with that incorporated into it. My vague descriptions must be killing you! 

Alright so my masculine scented soap is sandalwood scented with a hemp base for the guys. I have two other molds setting up and two more in line to be poured. The one I have setting up is lilac scented yum! Oh and it's a pretty neat looking one too. The third that is setting is a cinnamon sugar scented soap (smells like a delicious cookie!) As I said I have more soaps to make but limited molds so they have to be made in cycles, currently I am sitting in my office, microwave in front of me, I know, it's a strange piece of equipment for an office, but hey- the printer is in the kitchen! I am up to my eyeballs in the little hearts and stars I have made to incorporate into my big molds and inhaling the sweet scents of cinnamon, lilac and sandalwood which is surprisingly not a bad combination. After all of this soaping I must have the cleanest hands on the planet, also all my utensils are deliciously clean, I can't complain though, I tried candle making ONCE, it was awful, clean-up was a nightmare, I melted two spatulas and ruined a pot, never again!

Well I hope you enjoyed the pics, wish you could smell the delightfulness. 

Bye for now

~CM

Pesto II

I made pesto back in September and wrote about it. BUT I did not make it from basil that we grew for the past few months. We finally trimmed our basil tree (yes, it became a tree) this morning and I pulled out the old food processor to make some pesto. The basil was great the kitchen smelled intoxicating as I was pruning the"tree".  I think I am so partial to this batch because it has been a labor of love from our little kitchen garden.  I mean the thing got so bit some leaves got burned by the grow lights and our other plants are all midgets because they have been starved for light!  I used almost the same recipe as last time but substituted pecorino romano cheese instead as I like the sharp bite and saltiness it brings to the table.

The pesto turned out GREAT, it was bright green in the processor once mixed, in my opinion good pesto, like a good piece of beef or fine wine needs to rest and the ingredients need to blossom prior to being completely enjoyed. I let it sit for a bit about 30 minutes at room temperature and tasted it again later and there was more complexity to it, as if the cheese and pine nuts and olive oil all did their dance and merged together.  Of course basil is the star of this dish and always will be, the other ingredients are only to compliment and punch up with deliciousness of that ingredient which they totally did.

We will make a couple great dishes with this pesto, then I will take the remaining and freeze it into an ice cube tray. Why such small portions you ask? Well pesto, unlike marinara or alfredo sauces can be enjoyed in much smaller amounts - about the size of an ice cube is actually a service size for someone, that is unless you are of the biggie size generation, much like myself, an ice cube sounds so minuscule. I agree it does, but just try it, you will be pleasantly surprised and then your creation will be able to go much further and make appearances in many more dishes than you could have dreamed of!

Just to save you from searching again, the recipe is:
12 Cloves of garlic (although I thought 8 was better, 12 scared all the vampires, close friends, family and colleagues away)
4 C fresh basil
1/3 C pine nuts
1/2 C grated parmesan (i used the romano instead)
1/2 C olive oil (more if you prefer a different texture)
salt/pepper to taste (i didn't need any, the romano is very salty to me)

I got this awesome but simple recipe from Bruce Brennan, who is the author of Hippy Gourmet and has many cool videos on youtube (look him up!)

The final product >>>>>>>
Oh, I have so many delicious plans for this pretty!








Buon Appetite from the Mouse!

2010 New Years Day Good Luck Dinner

We just finished the most delectable good luck dinner to kick off our new year.  When we sat down to eat my fiance asked what made this a good luck meal.  Well for as long as I can remember this was a traditional meal that my mother made as well as her mother, I really did not know what made it so lucky.  I did a little searching around the web and found a few bits of information that I can share.  The traditional meal we made for tonight was pork and sauerkraut with mashed potatoes and green beans.  Apparently there are different meal traditions all over the world, it seems that this meal choice is more of a German descent than Irish (which is what I am).

These little cuties were made by Mr. Mouse and were absolutely delicious.  They were mini-rubens........yum!

This was another Mr. Mouse creation, it is a cheesy crab dip in a bread bowl.








The below was found at: 
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/newyearsday/luckyfoods
check it out for the full article.


Cooked Greens

Cooked greens, including cabbage, collards, kale, and chard, are consumed at New Year's in different countries for a simple reason — their green leaves look like folded money, and are thus symbolic of economic fortune. The Danish eat stewed kale sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, the Germans consume sauerkraut (cabbage) while in the southern United States, collards are the green of choice. It's widely believed that the more greens one eats the larger one's fortune next year.

Legumes

Legumes including beans, peas, and lentils are also symbolic of money. Their small, seedlike appearance resembles coins that swell when cooked so they are consumed with financial rewards in mind. In Italy, it's customary to eat cotechino con lenticchie or sausages and green lentils, just after midnight—a particularly propitious meal because pork has it's own lucky associations. Germans also partner legumes and pork, usually lentil or split pea soup with sausage. In Brazil, the first meal of the New Year is usually lentil soup or lentils and rice, and in Japan, the osechi-ryori, a group of symbolic dishes eaten during the first three days of the new year, includes sweet black beans called kuro-mame.

In the Southern United States, it's traditional to eat black-eyed peas or cowpeas in a dish called hoppin' john. There are even those who believe in eating one pea for every day in the new year. This all traces back to the legend that during the Civil War, the town of Vicksburg, Virginia, ran out of food while under attack. The residents fortunately discovered black-eyed peas and the legume was thereafter considered lucky.

Pork

The custom of eating pork on New Year's is based on the idea that pigs symbolize progress. The animal pushes forward, rooting itself in the ground before moving. Roast suckling pig is served for New Year's in Cuba, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, and Austria—Austrians are also known to decorate the table with miniature pigs made of marzipan. Different pork dishes such as pig's feet are enjoyed in Sweden while Germans feast on roast pork and sausages. Pork is also consumed in Italy and the United States, where thanks to its rich fat content, it signifies wealth and prosperity.

What NOT to eat

In addition to the aforementioned lucky foods, there are also a few to avoid. Lobster, for instance, is a bad idea because they move backwards and could therefore lead to setbacks. Chicken is also discouraged because the bird scratches backwards, which could cause regret or dwelling on the past. Another theory warns against eating any winged fowl because good luck could fly away.

Now that you know what to eat, there's one more superstition—that is, guideline—to keep in mind. In Germany, it's customary to leave a little bit of each food on your plate past midnight to guarantee a stocked pantry in the New Year. Likewise in the Philippines, it's important to have food on the table at midnight. The conclusion? Eat as much lucky food as you can, just don't get too greedy—or the first place you'll be going in the new year is the gym.

After reading this I did a search to see what some Irish traditions may be, while I did not find anything specific to food, I did find a bunch of superstitions, some were kind of neat, other's just plain crazy.

http://www.irishfireside.com/enewsletter/1206/1206holidaytrad.htm  is the site to check out different holidays and their traditions.

New Year’s Eve

Like elsewhere, the Irish celebrate New Year’s Eve with gusto. Greeting cards are exchanged between friends. Homes are made clean and spotless. Fresh linens are laid and cellars stocked with coal and provisions with hope that the upcoming year will be blessed and plentiful. Tables are spread with delicacies and children are allowed to stay up until midnight. An old Irish custom is to open and close the front door at the last stroke of midnight allowing the “old” year out and the “new” year in.

New Year superstitions are many. If you truly want to avoid bad luck in the coming year, do as the Irish do and avoid any of the following on New Year’s Day:

• Don’t wear shoes with a hole in them - or financial problems will remain with you the entire year
• Don’t wear new clothes on this day
• Don’t sweep the floor – or you’ll sweep a good friend away
• Don’t do laundry - throwing out water on this day is considered to be unlucky
• Don’t remove the ashes from the fire
• Don’t let the fire in the hearth go out
• Don't make deals - money made on New Years Day will bring bad luck
• Don’t carry debts over into the New Year
• Don’t pay bills on the first Monday of the New Year

With such a lengthy list of things not allowed on this day, it might be wise for one to stay in bed! But only AFTER you clean the chimney – for doing so will bring good luck, as will having the first visitor of the year (preferably a dark-haired man) bring a lump of coal to your home. However, beware a red-haired woman or someone whose eyebrows grow together as your first visitor – an omen that bad fortune will visit during the coming year.

Regardless of how you all chose to celebrate we wish you a happy healthy (luck filled) New Year!!!

Good Night 

~CM