Overrun by vines

The house next door to us has been a rental for about five years.  The former owners moved into a house two doors the other way.  They love to garden and left behind a mature landscape that had been lovingly tended.

Since becoming a rental, what remains of the garden has gotten out of control.  The various tenants mowed the lawn, and one even had a vegetable garden for a season, but the vines on the arbor along the property line really went wild. Last winter, the most recent batch tenants moved out very quickly.  It turns out that the landlord had been pocketing the rent rather than paying the mortgage.  While I wasn't particularly sad to see these tenants go, it does mean that we are next to a vacant house for now.

This was the view from our side.  Honeysuckle, grapes, climbing roses, and something else I don't know have completely overrun the arbor.  Gene and I figure that the vegetation weighs in the hundreds of pounds.  The grapes are a destructive menace, having reached across and pulled our gutters down on that side of the house during a particularly intense growing spell.  It's infuriating.

Here's the after picture.  I cut all this down by hand with hand pruners.  Seriously.  It was tedious and filthy work.

I've since cleaned up the raspberries and cut back the hydrangea and currant on the left.  I plan to remove the two shrubs in the middle on my side, and transplant raspberries along the fence.

This...

  

Became this:

The hummingbirds are NOT happy with me for having cut back the honeysuckle.  They'll return as the plant regrows but in the meantime I will miss them.

Since the house is vacant I went over and cut back the laurel hedges on the property line.  Those hedges, too, are very invasive and destructive to our side of the property line.  Less than an hour later I heard Gene talking to someone: potential buyers!  The wife looked at the laurel and asked when it had been cut back because it had all been there the previous morning.  Ummmm.... [whistling]

Finally, I salvaged my flower bed from the grass that had overtaken it last summer.

Wow.  I am starting to remember what it's like to have a yard that is attractive and purposeful, not overrun with weeds and regret.

The best part, though is having a spot for Kaelen to be.  We've been spending more time outside.  He's getting more comfortable with and interested in the chickens.  The girls are normally in their run but we sometimes let them out for some supervised time in the yard.  With a toddler who will step in and pick up poop, and a dog who treats it like her personal smorgasbord, it's best to leave the girls in their run most of the time.

But ya gotta admit that seeing a toddler with chickens is pretty dang cute.

This aligns with my 2013 goal of simplifying the yard.  I'm eliminating and reducing garden beds that have proven too hard to manage.  I wanted more space for Kaelen and for the dog, which is well on its way to being done.

Next up I'm going to reduce the size of a bed on the other side of the yard, give away several of the larger shrubs to a friend who just bought an acre, and then transplant some things from the front yard into the back.  My flower beds that are on the front slope of my yard are going to revert to grass for the sake of my sanity.  I know that we're supposed to plant gardens, not grass, but I just can't manage the yard in its current state.  At least I don't water grass in the summer, right?

Be a bag lady to save money

Unless your employer offers free lunches to employees, chances are that you have to bring or buy lunch for yourself every day.

I work downtown.  Depending upon how close to payday it is, a forgotten lunch could mean foraging in the office closets for expired granola bars.  Fresh food will cost at least $4.40 for a Subway cardboard sandwich.  A couple of times a year, when I'm feeling particularly self indulgent, I might splurge for sushi.  But at $14-15 for a bento box, I'm spending nearly as much on one lunch as I would on take-out at our favorite restaurant.

When Marius was living with us last year, he so often ate every morsel of dinner that I rarely had leftovers to take to work the next day.  I probably spent as much on lunches out as I did on our dinners.

More often than not, however, you'll see me with my lunch bag, a Goodwill find for around $2, and perhaps a coffee mug.  If it's hot I'll have a mason jar with cold coffee.

What did I have today?  For breakfast I had a mocha and fresh strawberries with homemade yogurt.  At noon I heated up leftover salmon frittata.  And when the 3:00 munchies hit, I ate the rest of the strawberries with angel food cake and whipped cream.

I'm glad we don't have any office lunch theft problems where I work.  Every night as we clear the kitchen I pack up my lunch for the next day.  I won't make something that doesn't have leftovers unless I already have a lunch planned for the following day.

Do you have a favorite brown-bag lunch item?  How are you managing your family budget with lunches?

Last supper

My energy lately has been going to keeping food, interesting and healthy food, on our table.  It's been a long haul.  I get paid twice monthly but because most of one paycheck goes toward our mortgage, it really only feels like I get paid once a month.  I feel like I've been a broken record lately with all my penny pinching.  In the past two weeks we've probably spent just $20, buying little other than some fresh produce and dairy. 

Tonight I was chopping, boiling, and dicing.  One more dinner.  I can do this.  I can make one more dinner with what's already in the house.  Fried rice will use up the leftover chicken, frozen peas, and the not-so-crisp carrots in the 'crisper.'  It'll be our "last supper," I thought wryly, imagining tomorrow's grocery shopping trip with its enticing promises of fresh lettuce, dishwasher detergent, and graham crackers.

During my meal preparation my mind cleared.  I had quiet time: Kaelen was asleep, Gene was working in the garage, the dog was no longer underfoot.  I was mulling over thoughts of a blog about this final meal before payday when my cell phone dinged the receipt of a text.

A girlfriend of mine who works for a fire department wrote to ask me to give Kaelen a hug for her.  Earlier in the day a little boy had fallen from the third floor window of an apartment building.  Amazingly, his injuries are not life-threatening but everyone was profoundly rattled. 

Suddenly, my melancholy self-talk about the "last supper," budgeting, and grousing about our lack of disposable income shifted to gratitude.  Gratitude for my son sleeping soundly and safely in his crib.  Gratitude for the responders who experience troubling personal trauma when they see events like this.  Gratitude for my dear friend for keeping Kaelen in her heart.  Gratitude that I have the knowledge and ability to create healthy and nourishing meals for my family.  Gratitude that I'm not being furloughed next week.

Gratitude that the family whose child fell did not unwittingly have a last supper yesterday.

Cooking up a storm

A family of three living on one person's salary is hard, especially when that one person works in higher education.

Angel food cake with orange zest

To manage our budget to the best of my abilities without compromising on quality, I cook.  I cook a lot.

I don't always stop to think about how much more I cook than other people but my friends assure me that my cooking exploits are far above & beyond what most people do.  It's totally normal for me to go home, play with Kaelen and Rosemary, catch up with Gene on the world's news, then start dinner.  After dinner is cleared, and Kaelen is down for the night, I'll relax for a bit then head into the kitchen to granola, yogurt, or to set up a casserole for the next day.

Here's our menu from last week:

• Monday - broccoli and sausage with preserved lemons* (similar to this recipe), ice cream*
• Tuesday - pizza* (toppings included leftover chicken skewers from work event, green onions, and a sliced leftover baked potato... surprisingly delicious)
• Wednesday- another pizza*: ham and bell peppers
• Thursday - there's a 1-pot spaghetti recipe making the rounds on facebook (like this one) so I made a modified version of it: canned tomatoes*, stock*, some have-to-eat-today fresh tomatoes, leftover marinara, pesto, garlic, seasonings, carrot slices, browned beef, and spaghetti in a pot, simmer 10 mins.  Toddler- and husband-approved.
• Friday - salad, then to a retirement party
• Saturday - spinach & sundried tomato* calzone, orange angel food cake* with local strawberries
• Sunday - spinach & salmon frittata*

* homemade or home-canned

In the past week I've also made blueberry muffins, hummus, scrambled eggs, ice cream, a veggie omelet, granola, cookies, yogurt, and various espresso drinks.

Kaelen must have a hollow leg, judging by how much he can eat right now.  This was his serving of the salmon & spinach frittata.  He is 18 months old and keeps us very busy.

I guess that kind of explains why I haven't been blogging much lately.

My life as a mommy now includes homemade cake, shears moved out of reach of the ever-growing toddler, squirt guns, and bubbles.

Sometimes I forget which way is up.  Or that the cupboard is not the fridge.

Lucky for me, I found this within an hour of having done it.

If you, like me, somehow find yourself with a bevvy of egg whites leftover from having made ice cream, use them up by making something delightfully summery.  Now, if only I had time to work out in my yard.

Alton Brown's Angel Food Cake

From foodnetwork.com

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cake flour, sifted
12 egg whites (the closer to room temperature the better)
1/3 cup warm water
Zest of 1 orange (or 1 teaspoon extract of your choice)

1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor spin sugar about 2 minutes until it is superfine. Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside.

In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, orange extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.

Carefully spoon mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).

In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, water, orange extract, and cream of tartar. After 2 minutes, switch to a hand mixer. Slowly sift the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula fold in gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.

Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least an hour before removing from pan.

Build a better barter

I'm on the steering committee... executive leadership... volunteer board... (or whatever you want to call us) for Fair Tradin', Tacoma's chapter of Backyard Barter.  Earlier this month we had a barter, in which I participated. 

Here's an oh-so-flattering picture of me at my table, watching as my husband arrives with our son.

I had a lot of stuff.  I made whole wheat banana bread, Irish Cream, tomato jam, blackberry jam, waxed cloth bags (still in their infancy... I need to develop the design a little better), a prized quart of tomato sauce, and a few knitted coffee cozies.

I went home with quite the haul:

• Blackberry wine
• Hard cider
• Hand salve
• Lavender-orange sugar scrub
• Cascarones (eggs filled with confetti – destined for K’s Easter basket)
• Tomato salsa
• Green salsa
• Granola
• ~2 lbs ground lamb
• Bay leaves
• Rhubarb-strawberry syrup
• Loaf of still-steaming whole wheat bread
• Chocolate-coconut ice cream
• Homemade chocolate

Also accompanying me on the trip home was nearly all of my bread (I gave a few pieces away, and Kaelen stole one), all of my tomato and blackberry jam, and my tomato sauce.  The Irish Cream was highly popular, as were the waxed cloth bags.  Of those two items, the Irish Cream was far easier to make, though the waxed bags were cheaper.

I had attempted to trade my precious tomato sauce - it contained over 5 lbs of cooked-down roma tomatoes! - for the blackberry wine.  She told me that because she makes her own tomato sauce, she didn't need it.  Thank goodness I had one final jar of Irish Cream.

Based on my recent experience, here's what I* (see caveat below) would be less inclined take to a future barter:

Canned and baked goods - So many of the people at the barter are also avid canners and bakers that the reduces the perceived value of the goods I took.  Why would they trade for my banana bread when they can make a batch at home?  Same goes for run-of-the-mill canned goods: anyone can make blackberry jam.  If you're going to take canned goods, make them unique and offer samples.
Eggs - Again, lots of the traders are also homesteading types who have chickens.  I wouldn't discourage others from taking eggs, but I won't take eggs.  As if I had any.  Darn slackers.
Labor-intensive items - My waxed cloth bags were popular but I had under-estimated how much work they were to make.  Each piece of cloth first had to be hemmed.  Then waxed.  Then have plastic snaps attached.  A single bag takes about 30 minutes of hands-on work, which is considerable.  I'll consider making more knitted coffee cozies or jar holders if my knitting queue ever clears.

*These items defintely have a place at barters. There are always people who don't can, who don't have chickens, who don't have plant starts or whatever. This is a list of things I'm not seeking at barters.

Here are some of my ideas for things I will take to barter event in the future:
Booze - My Irish Cream was very popular and I traded every bottle I had.  I noticed that the other people with alcohol did a brisk trading.  For the next swap I'm considering a Grand Marnier, which I'd better hurry up and get started.  I need a better container alternative to canning jars, however.
Homemade candy - I make a mean caramel.  It's easy to make a lot at once (though wrapping them takes time) and there were no other candies at the swap.
Labor-intensive items - Yeah, I know that this is in direct conflict to what I said above.  Next time I'll tuck them out of sight and use them for what I consider higher end barters, like the lamb.  My baby booties for a previous swap were hugely popular and even led to some one-off commissions.
Root beer & similar beverages - One of my coworkers makes homemade root beer and lemon-lime soda, which are all lightly fermented.  I've been dying to try it and think it would be coveted as a unique item.
Homemade mixes - Pudding, brownies, pancakes, muffins, spice packets, etc.
Dried herbs
Services - Knitting help, canning lessons, urban chicken consultation, resume writing and editing

As you're considering what to take to a swap, ask yourself:

• How will others perceive the value of the items I plan to take?  Take your cues from the gourmet items at the grocery store.
• What is unique about my offerings?  How likely is it that other people be trying to trade the same thing?
• Can I make a lot of it fairly easily and for a reasonable cost?
• What will I do with my leftovers?

Have you bartered goods or services?  What would you add to this?

Beeswax food wrap

Yesterday we bid Marius, the young German teen who has been living with us since September, a fond farewell.  He's become a member of our family and we will miss him dearly.  It's weird to be home without him and our house is so much quieter than it has been in, well, 5 months.

That said, my goal for 2013 is to simplify my life.  While we all miss Marius and his dorky sense of humor - "whoa, I'm so tall now," exclaimed gleefully while standing on his tippy toes in the living room - his departure allows us to re-establish ourselves as a family of three and to find our new normal.

One adjustment is that I will have more time on my hands now.  Kaelen goes to sleep so early that I generally get about 3 hours each evening to spend with Gene or to pursue my own interests.  Without a chatty, bored teen eager to be entertained I get to again spend time on my blog. 

YAY!

Last November I saw a post on some now long-lost blog on how to make your own waxed cloth.  A friend who makes her own soaps gave me some beeswax so that I could make her some, too.

Then I got sick.

Then Kaelen got croup.

Then Gene got sick.

Then my illness turned into bronchitis.

Then Gene's went into pneumonia.

Then Christmas... New Year's... school starting up again for Marius... thena mad dash to Do! All! The! Things! with Marius... then Kaelen had a weekend of, shall we just say "intestinal discomfort"... and then and then and then.

Whew.  Life is such a whirlwind.

My poor friend has been gently and patiently reminding me of the promised waxed cloths.

So here you go. 

MATERIALS
100% cotton cloth (mine was left over from when I recovered my cedar trunk years ago)
Beeswax - approximately 1 oz/square of cloth
Cookie sheet
Parchment paper or silpat
Pants hanger
Pinking shears
Pastry brush (not shown)

Preheat oven to 170F.

Sprinkle the cloth evenly with the beeswax.  Cook your cloth for 9-12 minutes.

At the end of the cooking time, you may need the pastry brush to even out the beeswax.

Quickly remove the cloth from the cookie sheet and hang it up.  It will dry and cool within a few minutes.

The cloth will darken after being waxed.  The top piece has been waxed, the bottom has not.

After they've cooled, use the pinking shears to trim the waxed cloth.

If you want to get all fancy with your finished wraps, look on etsy for ideas on making baggies and wraps for storing and protecting your food.  Otherwise use them with rubber bands to keep your food protected in the fridge.

Hand wash your food wrap with soap and cool-warm (not hot) water.  This website has lots of care tips for the use and cleaning of waxed products.

If you'd rather buy some waxed food wraps, try the ones over at Abeego.  I've never used them but the designs are very pretty and they come with clever attachments for closing them.

I can't wait to start using mine!

Coming up in 2013

2012 was a tough year for my family.  Our family lost several of its oldest members.  My household saw the deaths of three pets.  Gene became a stay-at-home dad and we have squeaked by on my educator's income .  Gene's electric motorcycle business, while generating some great exposure and interest in the electric vehicle and motorcycle enthusiast worlds, hasn't yet generated a corresponding income.  I broke down and got a Costco membership.  We spent all of December fighting illnesses that went from bad to worse and eventually required doctors' interventions.  We had to cancel Kaelen's first birthday.  To round things out, Kaelen fell down a flight of wooden stairs to the concrete floor of the basement at a friend's house after someone didn't shut a baby gate properly.  He suffered only minor bruises and a bloodied nose.  But those were some of the most frightening moments of my brief stint as a parent.

I was so fed-up with 2012 that I went to bed at 11:50 on New Year's Eve, my way of flipping it the metaphorical bird.  Playing the exhausted and cranky host, I refused to see 2012 to the door and make sure it got to its car safely before I turned off the porch light.

There were definitely bright spots in 2012.  It was sometimes hard to see them when the darkness loomed so large.  The best moments definitely came in watching Kaelen grow and become his own little person.  New teeth, new skills, outgrown clothes, developing personality - all amazing to see.  He signed "eat" for the first time independently on 12/29, then signed it with gusto upon seeing cupcakes at our friends' house on New Year's Eve.  Seeing Gene fall in love with our son and be a patient but strict parent has been wonderful.  Introducing Kaelen to my grandparents and family in New England last spring gave me untold joy.  Watching my brother grow into his role as uncle - gentle, loving, attentive, sometimes even awestruck - has been so touching.  Marius came into our lives and we've been learning the ups and downs of parenting a teen.  And hey, we survived the purported "Mayan Apocalypse"!

Gene and I both have high hopes for 2013.  Here are some of my personal goals:

1. I am working hard to get a new job.  I'm bored out of my skull at work.  I've been interviewing like mad and have my fingers crossed that 2013 usher me into a new professional role.
2. My yard will be easier to maintain.  While I really attacked the inside of the house in 2012, I sorely neglected the yard.  I plan to whip it back into shape starting this spring.  In the back yard I'm going to remove some shrubs to enlarge the open areas, plant grass, and limit the chickens' access.  I'm not crazy about grass but Kaelen and Rosemary need a safe, chicken poop-free back yard where they can play.  I'm going to reclaim the front yard's raised beds from the weeds.  If finances allow, I'd like to terrace the front slope with a rock wall of some kind and use the terraces for veggies and herbs.  Managing plants on a slope has proven too high maintenance for my lifestyle.  If a rock wall isn't in the works, I'll reduce the garden area and increase the grass area.  Before you freak about grass, know that I don't put any weed-n-feed on my lawn and I don't water it (it greens up after the first good fall rain, so why bother?).
3. I will manage my commitments better.  I've said "yes" to too many things.  For example, I'm thrilled to have hosted Marius and our lives have been enriched by having known him.  I've realized that parenting someone else's teenager stretches my time and attention too thin (also, I don't have the patience or energy to debate, discuss, and defend my every statement).  We've been asked to do it again and I declined.  On the other hand, I've just agreed to join the planning committee to help start a barter community in Tacoma and I've also rejoined a French conversation group. 
4. I will make time for myself amongst all those obligations.  As I often tell others, "You can't fill others' cups if your own is empty".
5. I will refocus my blog.  I started my blog out with great gusto.  Must write all the things!  My life has changed dramatically in the years since my first post.  It's a lot of work to maintain a blog, and I'm thankful to you for reading it.  I do this one for fun but sometimes it just feels like a burden and I get guilty for neglecting it.  My initial goal was to write about the trials and tribulations of living sustainably in a city.  I want to maintain and develop that general theme.  I am going to spend some time thinking about what I want this blog to be and would greatly appreciate your input on it. 

What are your goals for 2013?