A NEW START

So I'm starting a new job next week, one with a lot of international travel.  One friend commented that she would have to start reading my blog again, to which I replied, "I'm going to have to start WRITING my blog again."  And in reality I do want to document my travels, and see no reason not to share that with you.

So first, the Job.  A headhunter called a couple of months ago... now I get calls from headhunters every few months or so.  Generally the job isn't right, the time isn't right, or they want me to move, etc.  This one came at the right time.  Frankly, Mike and I had a very rough year, and we were considering splitting up.  I knew I would need more money to survive on my own, so I listened.  The recruiter said 50% international travel.  Humm, I was very intrigued.  Having traveled a lot as a kid,  I missed it.  I always wondered if my career choice was poor because I never had an employer that offered international travel before.

Then he said 50% from home... the magic word, I would not have to move.  He also said it was a job with IBM, which without saying means great benefits, great salary, and long term security.  This kept looking better.

The second interview my interviewer was someone I knew, although I didn't realize it until he called.  He said, "Phyllis, I was so excited to see your resume come across my desk, how long has it been anyway".... "Umm... gee... ah, well I haven't been to an IBM conference for about 3-4 years, I guess it's been that long".  He said "Yes, I guess so."  Big breath of relief.  The interview went smashingly, he didn't keep me as long as he was supposed to because he "already knew my work"!  Cool!

The third interview went well, and in closing she said I would have a fourth interview, face to face, and they would fly me out (somewhere) in the next 2 weeks.  This posed a small problem because I was getting ready to drive across country with my Mom.  We were leaving 4 days later and would be gone 3 weeks.  But, I decided I would just have to get to the nearest airport and make it work.  When the email came asking me to fly to Herndon VA, (just outside of Washington DC) on June 19th for the interview, I pulled out my itinerary, and guess where I was going to be driving within 8 miles of on June 19th... Herndon, VA.  I told them I didn't need a flight because I'd be driving to the interview.  If they could just put me up in a hotel that would be nice!  They said "Wait, driving? We thought you lived in Colorado!"  Too funny.  The interview went well.

So, because of all the above, I think this job and I were meant to be together!  I start on August 3rd and my first day will be back in Herndon for onboarding.  Not sure when and what will follow, but I plan to write about each trip.

A major focus this last year, skiing!  Mike hit 42 days (I only made 38 )!
For both of us it was more than we have skied any season in our life. 

In the meantime, a few amazing things have been happening in my life, not the least of which is that Mike has done a lot of work on himself this year (as have I), and when I returned from the travels with my Mom, he announced that he would really like to commit back to the relationship.  This is HUGE.  There had been many years where he had been undecided, but the reality is we have too many good things going for us to break up over "the small stuff".  We both now agree on this point and while it doesn't mean there will not be further trials (what couple avoids those) we both feel a renewed life to our relationship and are no longer living in doubt.  A new start for us also.   Ahh!!   Life is good, the stars have aligned, and I'm looking forward to the future and plan to share that with you.
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Postscript : I forgot to mention that the headhunter found me through Linked in.  I thought that was pretty cool.  Again a lot of people find me through Linked in, but he picked me out because I had been at the International School of Geneva, Switzerland for 6 months when I was 11.  Recently I have been looking for any classmates I may have known and thus listed it on my Linked in page.  The recruiter saw that and knew that I had international travel experience, and thought I could handle the travel in the job...... Wow, you just never know!  Social media comes through again in a big way.

Fairplay, Colorado

We rented a house this week in Fairplay, Colorado where we will move to and live for the next year.  But let me back up.

Click on photo for more information on Fairplay

As you all know we sold the last of our alpacas in December 2011.  Since then we have done a lot of soul searching and decided that we really did not need the 36 acre property anymore, nor the 4 barns, nor most importantly the big mortgage.  We are pretty simple folks, give us a small house in a somewhat remote, and beautiful location, with good internet and good water, and we can be happy.

We tried for the next couple years to sell the house, on our own, and with multiple realtors.  In this economy we were having difficulty getting any showings even at the break even price for us.  It's a long story but in the end the best option for us was to give the house back to the bank.  Two weeks ago, the call finally came.  The bank offered us a great deal, we sign the deed back to them in lieu of foreclosure.  Nothing hits our credit rating, they will even offer some cash compensation, and in return we agree to move out and turn the house back to them within 30 days.

Originally we had planned to move to Montana, still our ultimate goal.  But this part of the story started back in March when we had a fabulous 3 day vacation with a couple of Mike's kids/spouses/Spouses siblings, and our granddaughter skiing in Durango.

We had such a good time, that I looked at Mike and asked why, when we live in Colorado, are we not skiing a LOT more than we do.  We both enjoy it.  It's good exercise.  He and I are very compatible skiers... Seems like something we should take advantage of while we are here.  He agreed.  And so, although the ski season for us started this year on March 17 with two days at Durango, we have since had one day at Crested Butte and two days at Breckenridge.  We ended up with seasons passes next year for Breck.... which we bought 4 days before we got the notice that we needed to move.

So our initiative became to try to stay no further from Breckenridge than we now are, which is 90 miles.  This is actually easier than moving to Montana within 30 days, and will give us a year to scope out Bozeman, while renting for a year near by to here, and of course skiing at Breckenridge.

We first looked at Salida and Buena Vista, two towns we had previously considered moving permanently to. But it seems rentals there, as reportedly everywhere, are pretty tough to come by.  Magnified by the fact that rafting season is shortly upon us, so the summer influx of seasonal people are snatching up anything available in quick time.  We became concerned that we would find an appropriate house for us in the time frame.

But alas, things always seem to work out, and this

week we signed a lease on a cute house in Fairplay, CO.  Fairplay is a TINY town about an hour north of us, and 1/2 hour south of Breckenridge (679 residents).  At 47 feet below 10,000 feet it is the fifth highest town in Colorado.  We are almost to the tree line and have gorgeous views in every direction.

The house is small at 1200sf, but has 3 bedrooms, a two car garage (also rare in rentals in the area) and aside from the initial shock of having to resize from our 3000 sf with 4 barns, we should actually be quite comfortable there.  We have huge relief to have a place to go, and great excitement at having a new neighborhood to get familiar with, being that close to the ski area next year, and still not too far from Canon City, Colorado Springs, Albuquerque, Denver International airport, Monica's house, etc.  Costco will still be about an hour to 1.5 hours away.  They are opening a Whole Foods in Frisco (about 45 minute) on May 1.  We will move sometime between May 1 and May 20 (I guess that really depends on when the T-1 line moves).

Mike this coming season : Fishing near Fairplay

We do not have mail service at the house, so we will have to get a PO Box.  I'll let you all know when we have that available.  In the meantime... I'm going to be in Albuquerque for a week long visit with the kids and parents.  Life is an adventure, that is for sure.  But life is also sure good to us, perhaps better than we deserve!

10,000 Steps to Health

So for a few years now on our health journey, we have come across many who have suggested that we might give up wheat.  Neither Mike nor I found the idea very interesting, on the consideration of giving up burgers and pizza alone!  But last fall, while coming home from our trip to Salt Lake, we visited a friend who recently moved to western Colorado (a little community called Cedar Edge, now one of our top 3 for consideration to moving there).  These friends have a son who works at Natural Grocer (aka Vitamin Cottage) in Grand Junction and used to be a personal trainer, and whom Mike worked with on our friends (whom I shall begin to call Gloria and Gary) barn for a summer in Jackson.... So we know, like, and trust him.  Through encouragement of the son, Gloria and Gary, have taken on a healthier lifestyle.  They love living in Cedar Edge, primarily for the great produce in the area.  We were justly inspired.  Gloria cooked many wonderful things that were gluten free, whole food based during our visit, and we were encouraged.  She was looking and feeling great.... (Gary too).

Gloria also mentioned that Natural Grocers everywhere have free nutritional training that is sorely underused.  I decided the next chance I got I would go get some "training".  It is, in fact, a GREAT resource.  Although come to think of it, I haven't gone back, perhaps I should.  Anyhow the gem I got from the trainer was that most people don't go gluten free (wheat free) forever, they do it for 6 months or so, until their body has had a chance to heal itself from the effects of eating wheat (which is in most every processed food, along with sugar).  Then you add back wheat, on a limited basis, and see how it makes you feel.  If it doesn't feel bad, then you can eat it.. If it does, then you won't WANT to eat it.  I was very inspired.  I thought I could really do this for a year.  So November 1, I went Gluten free.  Survived the holidays with no wheat, barley, or rye.  I actually was fairly surprised how easy it was.  2013 was the first year ever that I didn't even THINK about baking Christmas cookies, and I didn't miss it.. I didn't even realize that until the holiday was almost over.

Next I read Wheat Belly.  I had a friend give me that book probably 2 years earlier, and I finally picked it up.  Oh my goodness!  It is a very interesting read and has some very compelling arguments against eating wheat.  Wheat destroys the lining of your gut and causes (amongst many other things) deterioration of the intestinal lining and results in Leaky Gut Syndrome, which Mike has been diagnosed with, and is suspected to be blamed for many of his food allergies... which, by the way, is why we started this journey anyway, to heal Mike's allergies.  He agreed he ought to try it too.  He was already not eating non-natural Pork or any processed meats, peanuts, bananas, any dairy of any kind.... Before he thought he didn't want to give up wheat, because what would he have left... Now he thinks if he can give up wheat for a year, perhaps the other allergies would get better... And besides that, even with as restricted as his diet was, he would get much better for a while, and then start to develop a new allergy.... all symptoms of Leaky Gut.

We have a friend that is a acupuncturist that has gone Paleo, and encourages us to try it every chance she gets.  Over November when I'd mention to any friends that we had gone Gluten Free, shockingly many of them announced that they had gone Paleo, and were feeling great.  Mike and I decided that would only be one more step on our journey, to go Paleo.  A bigger step for me, however, because I was eating dairy, unlike Mike, and I LOVE sugar... and have a harder time with sugar than Mike.  Paleo, if you don't know, is eating like humans ate forever, until the fairly recent development of agriculture... SO to eat Paleo you are avoiding all grains, all legumes, and all dairy, instead you eat lots of grass fed meats, and vegetables, seeds and nuts.  That's it in a nutshell.

SO with all that in mind, we decided to clear out our pantry of all of those foods before New Years and try to be very strict Paleo in 2014, then see where that take us.  We signed up for a 2 week detox through our Chiropractor, which started January 27.  I was chomping at the bit to get going, so I gave up dairy January 1, but alas didn't give up sugar until January 27.... So the good news was that I was able to break myself in easy, over the 3 month period.  The better news, is that this is going GREAT!  I am shocked at my lack of cravings for anything, I am not hungry, I am satisfied with less food, and I'm beginning to feel like I want to get more active... All supposedly side effects of the Paleo diet.  I gave Mike a Paleo cookbook for Christmas and he has been very creative coming up with all sorts of fabulous dishes.  It's a big change for him, but his culinary skills are really growing.

To shift gears a little, a couple of girlfriends (two of which had gone Paleo themselves) came for movie night to my house in early January.  Somehow we happened upon my vision board from 2013.  I have intended to do a vision board each year, but realistically I have done them every 2 years for the last while.  So I really wasn't on a path to do a vision board this year, but the girls talked me into it, and wanted me to organized a "spa" day with massages, hot tubbing, warm fuzzies, atmosphere to create your dreams and we would all create visions boards.  So we did that... had a great relaxing fun day, got a massage, and produced this.

The week before this weekend there was a "New Year, New You" seminar that Mike and I listened to on line.  One of the speakers hit home with the idea of a treadmill desk.  I had never heard of that before, but I googled it and found the one below (which is on my vision board) and found out that while expensive, many people kluge together their own.  I do have a treadmill, the wheels started turning.  The concept is not that you walk hard and try to get your heart rate up, but that you walk for a few hours a day at a leisurely 1-2 mph so that you can work, but still move.  Currently when I work, I tend to hunker down in my comfy IKEA chairs in my living room, cozy up with a blanket, put a computer on my lap and hibernate for HOURS.... Not good either.  Some changes needed to happen.

Oh also that lecture I heard touted the virtues of wearing a pedometer and walking 10,000 steps a day, a goal which I have embraced a number of times over the last few years, but not so much lately.  I immediately pulled out the pedometer, got a new battery, and was dismayed by the fact that my regular routine was only producing about 2000 steps a day.  I NEED a treadmill desk.  I mentioned earlier that I am feeling more like moving a bit, so all is aligned.

I had also heard a few years ago that it is healthier to have a standing height desk, that people live longer, merely by being encouraged to stand most of the day. humm, that ties into the treadmill desk.  My brother has had a standing height desk in his office for the past few years, and I happened to see him the first of February so I could discuss his successes.

I also had on my New Year resolution goals to work on having a paper-free desk.  IN other words to abandon my habit of piling paper onto my desk with the intent to read it someday.... Really!  Who am I kidding!  Never gets read.  Just piles up, really no reason to keep it there, cluttering my space... and therefore my mind.

All this in mind, and the vision board to remind me daily, last weekend I swapped desks with Mike, for a table that adjusts to standing height.  I cleaned up all the paper off of my desk, and moved my trading computer up there.  I left the other desk low for now, so that I can have options and don't have to work at the high desk all day, but it would be easy enough to put that desk on blocks if I want them both high.

I found a board and some clamps in the garage, sanded the board and clamped it only my treadmill and Voila!! it works great... (I am typing on it now).  My made over office gives me a reason to want to be in that room.... so I've abandoned the IKEA chairs in the living room for evening relaxing activity.  Which in itself will be healthier for me.  I'm pretty excited for all the changes we are implementing fairly rapidly.

In the three days since I have put this together I have walked 90 minutes a day and got off merely because I don't want to overdo.  And, BTW I walked over 13,000 steps each of the days since I put it in.... Yeah!

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday.  We started with 15 at the table for Thanksgiving.  I think Thanksgiving is our favorite day of the year and we love to invite anyone looking for a group to share Thanksgiving with.  This year we thought we had 20, so I made the table 18 feet long, then with 5 cancellations we ended up the same size as last year with a 14' table... SO we had a little extra room.... No harm done.  We killed and ate two turkeys raise by one of our Co-op members.  My first time to de-feather and gut a turkey.  That was interesting.  The turkey turned out great and supported our philosophy to get our food as fresh and clean as possible.  Turns out those lovely big breasts are not natural, so we had a little less white meat than we might like, but thinking of the alternative (eating the hormones that make the turkey breasts grow) I am happy with our choice.

Tunnel Drive in Canon City

Mom and Dad came up for Thanksgiving and we walked Tunnel Drive here in Canon City and went up the Cog Railway up Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs, and of course had to stop at the Olive Oil and Vinegar tasting room.... My favorite place in Manitou Springs.

The river and Royal gorge train
from Tunnel Drive

On the Cog Railway

On Top of Colorado

 December was a whirlwind as usual.  I had a lot of database work and we had a couple Christmas parties etc... the usual.  The weekend before Christmas we headed down to Albuquerque, and spent the weekend celebrating with Kelsey and Sara.  My parents, of course, got in on the fun as they are back from Japan. Josh (Mike's eldest) and Carla just happened to be in Albuquerque that weekend too so we got to go have a visit with Carla's Mom and Step-dad at their spectacular house in the foothills of the Sandias!  If I can find some photos I'll share.

Since Monday Josh and Carla were flying back to Phoenix, and we were driving down the same day, we stole the baby Kaylee for the drive.  They were worried that she would be ornery in the car for that long, but I guess it's true, children act differently for their parents than for other people... She didn't squirm once and was perfect the whole way... And I had to take a moment to thank whoever invented those baby foods that you just squirt into the baby's mouth, no spoon, nothing.... Wonderful especially when you are in the car.

We spent Christmas week in Phoenix.  Carla (a blood tech at the hospital) works nights and had to work both Christmas eve and Christmas day night, so since it was all us adults and a 1 year old we decided it would harm anything to move Christmas Eve and Day to Thursday/Friday rather than have Carla be struggling to enjoy the holiday.  So Christmas Day after Carla slept and got up (1pm or so) we decided to take the boat out for a bit.  Gorgeous Day, half an hour from their house, about 2 other boats on the lake.  Carla even decided to don the wetsuit and go for a ski.. How many times can you say you went water skiing on Christmas Day!  Unfortunately after a long shift and little sleep her strength didn't allow her up and shortly she became nauseous.... Still proud of her for being the only one to give it a try!

Our Christmas Day (Friday) found Mike and Josh tackling a broken waterline problem in the yard.  Turned out it was the neighbors line, just leaking on Josh's property.. Oh well, we keep saying when the Mosers get together we should have a project.  I was amused as the weekend before when my Mom invited us over for breakfast, I snagged this photo!

Unfortunately, we had hoped to do some hunting or even shooting on the weekend, but Josh got a headache and so we stuck around close to home.  Still a great visit for us!  Late Sunday, we headed back to Albuquerque for the night and Monday Convoyed to our ranch with my parents, and Monica (my sister) and David drove down from Northern Colorado to spend New Years together.  We played games starting Monday night and didn't stop until Monica left late New Years Day.  Aside from Monica coming down with a stomach flu on New Years Day, that was a fun visit too.  After my parents left on the 2nd, and I had to get back to work.... that was a hard transition.  I still wanted to play.

But now 2014 has started and we have BIG plans.  We have been converting our kitchen to gluten free for the past few months, and that has gone well so we have decided to go all out Paleo.  For those who don't know, Paleo eating is eating like a neanderthal man.  The theory is that many things we are eating today are not native to humans and our bodies really are not well suited and have not evolved to eating them.  In a nutshell if you are eating Paleo you are not eating gluten, or any grains, no dairy, no legumes, no white potatoes, and no sugar.  What you do eat is meat and vegetables, fruit (esp berries), seeds and nuts, including eggs and quality fats.  We are starting with a 2 week cleanse and ready to go.  We want to be strict for at least 9 months or a year and allow our guts to heal.  Then most people relax a little and you just listen to your body to see what you can add back.  So that is one big effort for our focus.

Our second big effort currently is that we are starting a new stock trading class with Revolutionary Trading.  I've loved their style for the past couple of years since we have discovered them.  We decided to be part of their elite trading class for the first quarter of 2014.  After we decided that the time was right for us now, they announced that this will be his last year, and perhaps his last quarter teaching, so I'l doubly excited.  This starts at the end of the month and I am trying not to commit to anything, so we can stay dedicated to these to ventures... Yep, pretty difficult for me.

So all told if we can focus on Trading classes, eating Paleo and keeping up with my work, that is enough for the next few months!  Hope you all are having as much fun!

I'm Back!

I continue to be surprised at the number of people who tell me they love (and miss) my blog.  I must admit I miss it somewhat too.  I thought Facebook was a replacement for the blog, but I don't tend to give any detail on Facebook nor post regularly.  Also I tend to miss lots of other peoples posts on Facebook, so I understand the frustrations of trying to keep up.  So lately I've been thinking I should start to blog again.  The Universe seems to agree... Tonight's story is too long for a Facebook post.

Last week on our way home from Salt Lake, we stopped for the night to visit friends in Cedaredge, a small town in western Colorado, in an area famous for it's produce.  So we left there with a box of tomatoes, a box of peaches, and a box of Pears.  Mikes parents had sent a half a box of tomatoes home with us and our Cedaredge friend Gloria had given us a large butternut squash.  SO... started out the week with a lot of plans for my spare time.

Monday morning I started in and dried a batch of tomatoes, Tuesday I dried peaches and froze some, and ate some.... (we finished up the peaches).  The pears were not quite as ripe, but by Thursday it was time to dry pears.  I also wanted to make a pie of the squash, and can some tomato sauce.

Anyhow, I had a class this morning and returned home about 3pm... Looking at the squash sitting on the counter (for the last week) I decided it was time to cook that for dinner, and make a pie of the remaining squash.  I also had enough squash to put one pie worth in the freezer... yea!  So just as I got started on that Mike came in and pointed out to me that the tomatoes were pretty ripe.  I said "Ok, I'll make tomato sauce tomorrow."  He said "I'm not sure you understand... I don't think they are going to make it to tomorrow."   Humm.  Guess I'd better get started on that sauce.

I was hoping to find a pie crust for my pie in the freezer, but did not.. so alas pulled out the cookbook to make some pie crust.  When I noticed a recipe for pear pie on the same page as my normal pie crust.  Fact is, I still have a half a box of pears to use up... If I'm going to make pie, I might as well make enough crust for both.  Unfortunately, the pear was a double crust, (my recipe for pie crust makes two) so I make two recipes, leaving one crust for the freezer... nice, since I had enough squash for one more pie for the freezer.

I continued through dinner on my little cooking spree, digging out the canning jar and cleaning them up, cutting up pears, making tomato sauce, etc.  Mike was patiently waiting a piece of Butternut Squash pie (Oh did I mention this was my first time to make butternut pie, and my first time to make pear pie, and my first time to can tomato sauce.... Humm, think I may have had a little too much going on?)

Anyhow.. the squash pie was supposed to be coming out of the oven, but it wasn't setting up at all.  I kept cooking it, and cooking it, and cooking it to no avail... The top seemed to be burning, the crust was over crispy, and the insides were as runny as milk.  Mike gave up and went to bed... It was about 20 minutes later it dawned on me that I hadn't put the eggs in the pie.  Aargh.  Took the pie out, put the pear pie in, finished canning the sauce.  I decided to scrape the filling out of the pie, add the eggs and try again.. But not sure how this would work, and not sure the crust wouldn't spontaneously combust.. AND being that this is the first time I made this new pie... I decided I better use my extra crust and my extra squash and make one brand new pie, as well as redo the old pie.

Well 23 minutes left on the timer.  My feet are screaming at me... I hope they let me go take the pie out of the oven... guess I'll have to let you know tomorrow how the pie is.  Or with all this pie around here, maybe you want to stop by and share a piece!

I do like to blog... maybe I'll start that up regularly again... Oh and guess I have to change my title again, as the Weston Price cookbook thing was a complete bust.

Sourdough Starter (p 489) - Sourdough Bread (p 490)

Late-March Mom came up to town for a Send Out Cards Treat-em-Right seminar in Denver (tech-center).  Monica and Dave came down for breakfast before the seminar.

Chatting with them, and on the topic of making bread (Monica has started bread making recently) we started talking about making Sourdough.  I've been making my own for about a year.  The starter I got (from a Weston Price Demonstration I went to) is about 150 years old.  Perfect!  Monica was planning on coming down in a couple of weeks for her birthday weekend.  I said "I know, lets make bread when you are down, and I'll give you some starter for your birthday present."  So that is what we did.

Now the sourdough I usually make, you get the starter out at 8am on Saturday, refresh it with flour and water, sit 3 hours, refresh again, sit three hours, if you want to give some starter away (like to your sister for her birthday) refresh again and let it sit three hours.  Then take off the starter to save, make the bread dough, and rise all night in the refrigerator.  In the morning warm it up, knead it, let it rise again (usually for a few hours) then cook.  The refresh is 236 grams of water (110 degrees) and 150 grams of flour.  I never use whole wheat in my starter, although most of my friends do.  The starter to save is 250grams (each).

You all may know that I have made all the bread we eat for the past 3-4 years.  The only bread we buy is Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns, and tortillas.  The recipe I use is : 2-2/3 cup water (110 degrees), 3 teaspoons yeast, 2 teaspoons salt, 3 Tablespoons Honey, 3 Tablespoons olive oil, and roughly 6 cup of flour (until it doesn't cling to the bowl).  (Recipe thanks to my Cousin, Heidi)

I have modified the sourdough recipe based on the above regular recipe to 1-2/3 cup water,  2 teaspoons salt, 1 Tablespoon Honey, 3 Tablespoons olive Oil, roughly 6 cups of flour, or until it doesn't cling to the bowl.  The regular bread recipe makes 2 loaves, the sourdough makes 3.

Because of this project I also wanted to try the bread from the Nourishing Traditions.  In this case I started with the starter 7 days before Monica came.  The Starter is 2 cups of rye flour, 2 cups water.  Cover with cheesecloth, set out in a warm spot.  Daily stir, add another cup of flour and some more water to make it soupy.   After 7 days it should be ready to go..  Mine was just a mess, and never amounted to much. 

My warm spot was inside my oven with the oven light on.  On day two the starter bubbled up over the top of the bowl, and ran all over the inside of my oven.  And then never showed signs of life again.  The book says this will happen, but whatever, it didn't make good bread either.

Monica and I followed the recipe on page 490. Sourdough starter, 13 cups spelt flour, 2-1/2 teaspoons salt, 1-1/2 cups of water.  The bread never rose, was hard and not tasty.  Really didn't cook through, you know the kind... I think I'll stick with my regular recipe for bread.

That weekend we also finish Dave's 16th century garb for his Choir performance in the Society for Creative Anachronisms... That was probably more interesting than the bread.

#2,3,4/773 : Basic Ingredients : Yogurt, Whey, Creme Fraiche, Water Kefir (p 84 - 87)

Many of the recipes in the cookbook use basics that you have to make, not found in a store.  So I thought I'd better get up a good supply of some of those to use in other recipes.

Yogurt (p85)

Fresh Yogurt w/ Blueberries

So, OK, you can find this in a store.  I have been eating a lot of Greek yogurt, (Fage 0% - Costco).  My favorite breakfast is frozen strawberries, frozen cherries, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of Pumpkin Flax Granola Cereal (also Costco).  It fits into my weight watchers program well.. Anyhow.  Not completely sure why people would make yogurt, especially since I cannot buy raw milk.  The Fage product is good quality and has no fillers.  I don't think I can make it cheaper either, so I probably will not continue to make that, except if I need some Whey.

But anyhow, It is 1 quart of organic whole milk, heated to 180 degrees, (do not boil) cooled to 110 degrees, then stir in some yogurt as a starter and put in a warm place for 6-12-24 hours (I'm sure you shouldn't leave it too long, but I the time I perhaps should have checked it fell at inconvenient times, and so I'm sure I left it longer than I should, but it still turned out fine). 

Nourishing Traditions say 1/2 cup of starter.  Wild Fermentation says 1 Tablespoon.  In that book he says if you put too much it will be sour and runny... I found that was true.  The flavor was nowhere near as good with more starter.

I don't have any sort of incubator so I took an insulated zipper "ice chest" that we have, put our heating pad in the bottom of it, and with the warmed mixture in a glass container I packed towels around it.  It worked great, except that the heating pad we have turns off after about 10 minutes.. SO I had to turn it back on every time I walked by.  Nice how our government take care of us, eh?  I hope I can find and buy a heating pad without this "safety feature".

Whey (p 87)

Whey

Immediately when the Yogurt was done I put it in a strainer (some "yogurt cheese maker" that I have used for years, but any strainer with small holes will do).  This strains off the whey, which in the past I have thrown away (or a whey), but turns out has wonderful nutritional value.  So I started collecting that in another container.  What is left behind is sweet creamy Greek yogurt.  Was very good, put as I said may not do it all the time.





Creme Fraiche (p 84)

Creme Fraiche is a product used a lot in Europe in cream sauces etc.  It is about half way between a heavy cream and a sour cream.  It is not as sour as sour cream and therefore could be put on fresh fruit and is delicious, without the added sugar we put in our whipped cream.  This is made that same way as yogurt, using whipping cream and existing cream fraiche as a starter.  This was the hardest part, finding the starter, but I did find it in the health-food store, and incredibly easy to make and quite delicious.  This would be worth it to make, since it is so hard to find in the store.

I wanted to make Piima Cream and Milk Kefir too, but will have to order Piima cream starter online, and haven't done that.  Regarding the Milk Kefir, also I'd have to order online.  I am more interested in Water Kefir, as it could be another option to drink, since we don't drink soda or anything like that.. And it is nutritious to get the fermented water in our diet.  So I did buy Water Kefir grains and have been making that. 

Water Kefir (not in NT)

1 quart of water
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of hydrated grains


The grains eat up the sugar and multiply.  The water ferments with good bacterias (pro-biotic).  You can drink it straight, or mix with fruit juice.  The last batch I grated a little ginger into and let it sit for the night.. It was plenty powerful!  and reasonably good.  Think that might be a way to keep it going in the future.  Anyway my Kefir grains are growing so fast I am giving them away!  And have Kefir Water coming out my ears.  Not sure what to do about that.  Not sure how to slow them down.

#1/773 : Red Cabbage, Dutch style (p 377)

So shortly after deciding to do this project I started thumbing through the cookbook to decide what I might make first, when I realized that there are a lot of strange things in here..  Perhaps I should have asked Mike if he wanted to EAT all the things in this cookbook, so I did.  His reply was "Well, yes, we are trying to change what we eat... but within reason, right?".  I laughed.  Then later that afternoon continuing my thumbing I was talking to Kelsey on the phone and related the story.  When I found Root beer.. "Like, ya know, I could make Root Beer sometime."  "Yum", she says.  "Or", turning the page "Pottrnger's Liver Cocktail (p612)", which is a mixture of Liver (1 small Chunk), tomato juice, Tabasco, squeeze of lime, and Whey.... Humm, decided I better start with the more palatable first!

So I started with Red Cabbage.  This recipe was surprisingly simple and yet delicious.  First recipe down and already I've added a recipe to our regular repertoire!

Red Cabbage, Dutch style (p 377)
1 med Red Cabbage Shredded
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup water
2 apple pealed and sliced
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon wine vinegar

Rinse cabbage place in heavy pan.  In a small pan mix bay leaf, cloves, salt, honey, with cinnamon and water, bring to a boil.  Pour over the cabbage and cook gently for about 20 minutes.  Move to serving dish.  Toss with vinegar and butter.

The first time I made half a recipe.  It was so good I made it for movie night the next week.  I made a whole recipe to serve the 5 of us... It made a Whole lot!  I'd recommend 1/2 a recipe.

Shifting Gears....

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

I've been giving a lot of thought to this bogging business lately.  I have to admit I have been struggling a lot with the idea of blogging lately.  But a comment from a reader (you know who you are) really made me think about it this week..  It has been coming for about 2 years, it has to do with the one sided-ness of a blog.  I am open and willing to share every detail of my life with others.... probably more than anyone really wants!  But I find myself losing connectedness with my friends because while they know everything about me, I know relatively little about what is going on with them.  This is something that has bothered me about blogging ever since I started, but lately I have been trying to focus on building stronger relationships through Send Out Cards, and I am surprised, and disappointed, at how weak some of these connections are.  I do really owe an update to everyone, and I do know how many people read and enjoy my updates, but haven't been able to make myself sit down and do it... one of those things that when you delay, it only becomes harder.

My lack of updating has not been for lack of topic to tell you about.  Mike's family came to visit shortly after my last post.  Such a momentous occasion, complete with photos, deserved a post.  We were so tickled to have his 3 sisters, two brother-in-laws and parents all visiting for the weekend.  What a special treat for us.

After that of course we enjoyed the holidays, Thanksgiving here at the ranch again and Christmas at home followed by a two-week trip away from the ranch, to Albuquerque, visiting all of my family, New Years in Phoenix, hunting quail with all of Mike's boys, followed by a visit to Mike's parents in Salt Lake, and a Send Out Cards meeting.  It had been so long since we were gone for so long, without worrying about animals at home!

BECAUSE, most significantly, we delivered our last alpacas to their new home in Wyoming in December, they took the dogs too, and coincidentally the trailer as well.  Since then we have been finishing projects around the ranch, and selling equipment/supplies and are on the verge of putting the ranch on the market. (Not really needing 35 acres, 4 outbuildings and especially a couple thousand dollar mortgage.)  (If you know someone looking for a ranch in Colorado, send them to http://www.alpacaranchforsale.blogspot.com/)

Where we will end up... no one knows.  We keep kicking around options, but we don't want to make any decisions yet.  As long as we end up someplace with good water, and good high speed internet, we will be fine.  We got rid of the chickens because they were not laying well this year, and costing more than buying free-range organic eggs at the store.  So aside from a few feral cats that are around here, we have no animals to care for.  We enjoyed the animals, but now are still getting used to freedom again.  We even joke about not keeping sourdough starter because we don't want that kind of responsibility! 

I noticed last week, riding up the chairlift, that A) we were skiing for the first time in three years, B) I had recently hit a bucket of balls at the golf coarse for the first time in 6 years, C) square danced for the first time in 25 years, D) Went Geo-caching for the first time in 4 years... I asked Mike why we stopped going out and "doing fun stuff" he said "Alpacas" (As in time and money sucking).  Wow, food for thought.

(Click to enlarge)

***and Shifting Gears Now!***
AND NOW...   I love that you all read the blog.  I do apologize for not writing more often... in the meantime I have decided to shift gears, especially since I can't write about alpacas anymore.  You know that we have been on this journey to improve our health through better food choices and holistic philosophy.  Lately I have even considered becoming a food advocate.  Somewhere on the path we joined an organization called the Weston Price Foundation.  This organization is based in principles for eating discovered by .. no other than Weston Price, a dentist in the early 20th century who discovered improved health in indigenous peoples of the earth with certain diets.  We believe that many of the illnesses we see plaguing our society today are an unintended consequent of modern convenience food that the American diet embraces.  While trying to answer the needs of a growing population, we have all but destroyed our food sources and that may just destroy us.. but I digress.  Weston Price Foundation promotes a cookbook called Nourishing Traditions (by Sally Fallon).  I've run across it in many kitchens, although haven't found many people cooking much from it.  Some of the principle of Weston Price way of eating are very different from what I am used to.  Recently we got our own copy of the cookbook, and rather than let it sit unused on my shelf, I want to try everything in the cookbook, and blog about my findings here. (Yes, ala Julie/Julia).

In the process of starting this project I found another site doing exactly the same thing, (http://thenourishingcook.com/), but as someone pointed out to me, there are a billion blogs talking about the cute things their kids say, and yet that doesn't stop the next person from doing the same thing... No doubt mine will be different, and besides that it who cares if it's not.  The goal here is to try to incorporate some of the principles of the diet into our regular diet.

I'd like to say I'd keep my comments to that topic alone, but I know that is a lie.  So I'm shifting gears, but still driving the same car.. Want to come along?

One last Alpaca Roadtrip

As I write this we are on our last leg of our final 4000+ mile road trip to deliver 14 alpacas to the east.  We started our 9 days ago and spent the first two days driving across Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and into Kentucky where we made our first Alpaca delivery before heading onto Columbus, Ohio, where we delivered 9 rabbits for our neighbor. The next day poured rain on us all day while we drove to Martinsburg, West Virginia (spitting distance from DC) for the next alpaca delivery.  Those folks entertained us and put us up for the evening, and the next day headed on toward our delivery in Georgia, in the Smokey Mountains (about 5 miles from the North Carolina border).

This day we had planned to slow down a bit and hoped to drive the full length of the Blue Ridge Parkway, but within about 5 miles we recognized that was a very impractical idea.  For one thing the fog was so thick that we could not see 15 feet in front of the truck.. So we stopped at the first visitor center, and picked up literature then headed back to the main highway.  I suppose this was best because as it was we didn't make it to that Georgia delivery point until 7pm.

With plans to get back to Asheville that evening, our day was just too long and we stayed the night in Franklin, NC, in the Smokies.  But we were still in Asheville, to my Uncle Charlie, and Aunt Cordie's house, by breakfast.   Nice because A) we got to arrive refreshed, and B) we got to drive up the steep hill to my uncle's house and park the truck and trailer in the daylight.

We spent 2-1/2 very relaxing days in Asheville; visiting waterfalls and other local sights, getting in a few hands of Mah-jongg, and eating wonderful meals!  We thoroughly enjoyed the pampering that always is showered on us at Charlie and Cordie's, and yet after contemplating the 2-16 hours days of driving ahead, we decided that it might be nicer to meander and see a few sights along the road on the way home with our empty trailer (ie. no animals to take care of), and we chose to leave 1/2 a day ahead of our original schedule.

So leaving at noon, heading toward Tennessee,  our first top of interest was to be the botanical gardens and model train exhibit in Nashville.  But then we realized we would be getting there at 5:20 pm, and they close at 5pm.  So while Mike drove I kept seeking out sights of interest along our route using the GPS and internet on my smart phone.  I hit on a stop that fit the bill perfectly.  A treehouse that some crazy guy built and built and built.  It was free, 5 miles off the highway and would be good to stretch our legs and imaginations.  I looked up the exit and announced my plans just as we passed the exit.  With the next exit 9 miles away we decided to save that for the next trip...  (http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/ministers-house-the-worlds-biggest-treehouse.html)

We did get off the highway in Nashville and drove by a few sights.  The most noteworthy was the Parthenon, an art museum that is a full scale replica of the parthenon in Greece.  But at rush hour, driving around in downtown Nashville traffic was not too fun and so we went on.  We stopped at a hotel about an hour later in time for Mike to catch his online class.

Day 2 of the return trip we drove across Kentucky and Illinois.  We got to Saint Louis around noon and planned to stop at Union Station, an old train station in downtown renovated to house shops and restaurants.  Thought that would be an interesting place for lunch and stretch the legs a bit.  But there was no where that we could park the truck and trailer in or around the spot...   So we went on.  We did stop for lunch a few miles later (at a Steak n Shake) and took a walk around the strip mall before continuing down the road, and somewhere along the way we stopped for a restroom stop at a Harley Davidson dealership.  That's always fun!

The one spot that we noticed on our way east, but didn't stop because we had a trailer full of alpacas, and may in fact be the reason we decided to take the slow road home, was a marble factory (yes, small round glass things) outside of Kansas City.  So when all else failed we plugged that into the GPS and it said that we were going to got there at... you guessed it... 5:20, when it closed at 5:00.  AND it didn't open until 10am, so we wouldn't be waiting for that.  We did pull off the road and drive by to make sure it should stay on our list for "next time" also, and indeed it will.

After another nights good rest we started out on our final day and mid-morning stopped at the "Cathedral on the Plains" a beautiful Catholic Cathedral in the middle of Kansas.  That turned out to be a wonderful stop, and we took a few photos below.

All in all the trip went smoothly.  Our only snafu was that the people picking up the rabbits from us in Ohio had a car breakdown and we ended up driving an extra 4 hours to deliver the rabbits.  After trying the Blue Ridge with no success we decided that we would have to return in the next year or two and drive the full length by motorcycle, maybe camping along the way.  That sounds like more fun anyway, and will give us an excuse to get back to the neighborhood!  Love it!