Kitchen adventures: garden leftovers sauce

The rapidly falling temperatures stunted the growth of my eggplants and peppers, the poor dears. I gathered them up with some tomatoes and chives, who seem perfectly impervious to cold weather. I sauteed slices of eggplant, and put everything in the food processor with an onion, mushrooms, garlic, and a splash of soy sauce. My big freezer is nearly half-full of frozen sauces!

***

Tip/trick/lesson of the day: free Starbucks coffee and 15% off coupon at Barnes & Nobles.

Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is an amazing place. If you have never been, you must. When one came to my area years ago, I assumed it was yet another over-priced gourmet store. Produce is pricey there, but the rest is a bargain compared to other grocery stores around me. It is *heaven* for people who just want, say, unsweetened unsulfured apricots. Favorite items there include the tubs of lavendar salt scrub, freeze-dried strawberries, tamari roasted almonds, chili-lime cashews, dried chicken bits with no preservatives for the dogs, Lara bars (raw, vegan bars made of nuts, fruits, and spices), and frozen fruit. Most of my weekday eating is done in the car or out of a briefcase, so protein-packed non-perishables are a must.

The service, too, is great: every single clerk will reel off recipes and give opinions if asked, and they all seem genuinely happy to be there and get patrons interested in new and different foods. Ask nicely, and they will phone you when they get a new shipment of gazpacho. My favorite TJ treat is a pina colada smoothie: frozen chunks of sweet pineapple, soy milk, and a spoonful of coconut sorbet. Addicting. And the $4 "Two Buck Chuck" rivals libations that retail for five times the cost.

My only criticism is that the place encourages hoarding: it seems the best stuff is only stocked for a year or so. I've searched high and low for chunks of dried rhubarb sweetened with strawberry juice for about six years now.

Can you tell I am excited about my Friday grocery trip?

Charity, Cheaply: Part I

Ever since I was a Poor Starving Student, I've sent away for free samples. Toiletries, food, drink, dog treats, cleaning supplies - everything. Whether it is a free box of cereal, free tea, or free toilet paper, it is like opening a weekly birthday present. The travel-sized items are perfect for the gym, emergency travel, or similar. Most of these items come with *great* coupons, too. If you can't use them, give to a friend who can. Or, use them for items you don't use and then donate. Iams gave me a coupon for a free bag of dog food - my dogs don't eat Iams, so I picked it up and gave to a local dog shelter. General Mills gave me a whole book of buy-one-get-one items with which I purchased a whole cart of cereal already on sale for a local food pantry. I think I got $50 worth of cereal for under $10. I stuck that receipt on the fridge :)

Lately, most of these free goodies go to my soldier. I have "adopted" a soldier in Iraq and send him a care package every month. These individually wrapped cookies and granola bars can be stashed in a pocket and dispensed to children. Until a few months ago, I had never encountered a single person connected to the military. I now know how much something as small as a hand wipes, deodorant, and candy can mean to someone aching for his family, friends, and...Little Debbie Snack Cakes. Regardless of whether you think American soldiers should be where they are, consider making someone's life just a bit happier for a moment. I spend under $20 every month: a flat-rate package sent to an APO is $8, regardless of weight, and there are lots of places to buy inexpensive toiletries and snacks. And, if you take 5 minutes to sign up for coupons and free offers, you can save even more!

This month's care package had a definite Halloween theme: non-chocolate candy (it melts in the heat), Halloween-themed hand towels, watercolor paints and a paper pad, and snacks. I gave up looking for Halloween-theme toiletries; soap and toothpaste do not come in orange. Sigh.

I am sure there are plenty of troop care package sites out there. I obtained my soldier's name from Troopcarepackage.com. (Warning: I specifically requested a female soldier, reasoning it would be easier to simply send over two of whatever personal products I purchased for myself, and the site noted that it honored requests based on home town and military branch. I was confused when I was given a male name, but now know that it was intentional due to the number of men who wish to start a romantic pen-pal relationship with a female soldier. Don't request female.)

My freebie routine and rules:
1. I only request samples of items I know I can use. Free is great, waste is not.

2. I spend 5-10 minutes 1 day a week filling out the forms. There are *tons* of free sites out there, but I stick to Shop4Freebies, Arlana's, and Wal-Mart. In my experience, the Wal-Mart samples always come, and come within a few days. Most of these sites update the offers at least once a day, but I don't have the time for that.

3. If I try the item and don't care for it, any accompanying coupons are offered to someone else.

4. I only request truly free samples. Take care not to become involved in an automatic billing program, and ignore "free" samples that require either a subsequent purchase or a survey. (These surveys usually end with a purchase requirement *after* you just filled out a page of opinions!)

October Flowers

Evidently, the phrase "October flowers" is not an oxymoron.


These are soft, fuzzy grasses. They remind me of Charleston's palmetto trees. Or Sideshow Bob.

A single cosmo in a milk glass vase. Cosmos and morning glories were actually the first flowers I grew. I transplanted them to a small corner and use them for cutting. Cosmos look like spiky weeds - but just when you get ready to dig them up, pink blooms explode on top. Loveliness.


Fragrant sunny mums. These are from the grocery store. I accidentally lopped off a few branches with the car door. They join rich red mums on the front steps.


Grasses, ferns, and what I suspect are weeds. I know ferns are common fillers, but I think they are beautiful on their own. These ferns are shabby and small, but at the height of their glory they were massive green fans.

***

I made approximately forty more gallons of tomato sauce tonight. I can't even recall the last time I ate pasta - but something tells me I will be eating plenty of it soon!

Water, water everywhere

I *love* water on its own, but have been experimenting ways to make it tastier by spiking it with slices of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs in a pitcher. These are some of my recent creations:

1. Cucumber - quite cooling.
2. Cucumber lemon - my current favorite.
3. Lemon mint.
4. Orange mint.
5. Lime mint.
6. Cherry lemon - use firm cherries, slice very thin, and do not allow to remain in water for too long.
8. Cherry lime.
9. Grapefruit mint.
10. Strawberry lemon - again, use very firm strawberries and drink soon after making.

And a must-try: Tazo's "Passion" tea, cooled, and topped with a splash of Sprite or 7-Up. It is like drinking a flower with a slice of lemon.

Fairydust

I have finally stemmed the deluge of catalogs from the house.

Except.

The latest Gardener's Supply arrived this weekend. A few months ago it would have gone straight to the recycling bin. But, now being a Gardner who could use some Supplies, I leafed through it.

I passed up the Life-Sized Labrador Retriever Topiary Frame as one, 130lb lab is more than I can handle. I passed on the Goji berry plant, too, since Trader Joe's already does does an admirable job with Goji berries.

But.


These are Fairydust Balls. They can be staked in the dirt to peek out from shrubs, or hung from a porch. They give off a sweet, pale lime-tinted glow at dusk. And I thought that maybe just three or four could be a nice, whimsical, faintly eerie addition to the garden. They are *so far* from pink plastic flamingos. (Right?)

Roommate said No. Something about the police and raves in the backyard.

Sigh.

An Autumn Nature Walk

I have recently discovered a delightful nature walk just outside the city in Cherry Hill, NJ. The shaded trail winds through the woods, curving around a river and marsh area. The baddogs love to sniff all the wonderful nature smells. I love seeing the long-legged herons and egrets, and the anticipation of just *maybe* seeing a big buck nibble on leaves until he realizes he isn't alone in the woods, too.








The pictures are not the best, as it is tough to hold two leashes and a camera while keeping as quiet as possible, lest the birds get spooked and fly away. On the other hand, a big blue heron in flight is an incredible sight.

Now, even if Philadelphia's trees cannot compare to the rich splendor the red and gold tapestry God weaves every fall in New England, it was *so nice* to be able to gaze at a bright burst of of color. I am having a particularly difficult time adjusting to fall this year. I'm dreading the early darkness in a way that I've never dreaded before. But I still love the way nature gives one final brilliant burst before sleep.

I Love Halloween

I do love Halloween...a day exclusively dedicated to fun, costumes, apple cider, candy corn, and scaring one's self silly.


Coco Does Not Like her costume. Jack is too big and too manly for them.

(We are in costume early for a dog charity event.)

As I write this, I am painfully aware that I have become one of those people who dresses her dogs in Halloween costumes.

Flowers

I suspect there might be something amiss with the weather patterns when I am still picking cosmos (and enjoying tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, morning glories, raspberries, peppers, dill, and basil) in October.


I've been picking lots of these white flowers, too.


I don't know if they are weeds or flowers. What are they?

Kitchen Adventures: Creamy Spinach Soup

I adjusted the ingredients of a basic "cream of" spinach soup tonight. Roommate and I both adore garlic, and this reflects that:

1 large bag spinach
3 potatoes
2 large onions
1 bulb garlic, each clove halved
1 bulb garlic, raw and pressed
1 cup milk (I used real milk - will try with soy next time.)
2-3 cups water (or more milk)
Pepper to taste
Greek or plain yogurt, olive oil, shredded Parmesan

Makes a lot!

Cut up onions, 1 bulb garlic, and potatoes. Simmer and then run through food processor. Cook spinach, milk, and pepper and run through food processor. Simmer everything together with the raw garlic. Cook until creamy and delicious. Top with tiny bits of raw spinach and a swirl of Greek yogurt.

Wonderful on its own. Even better with a drizzle of olive oil or Greek yogurt and shredded Parmesan. I enjoyed the leftovers cold this afternoon.


*This is quite heavy on both raw and cooked garlic. Garlic is wonderful antioxidant, but can be tough on the belly. Feel free to cut down on the amount of garlic. You could also add olive oil, more milk, or even butter to make it creamier. Worried about bad breath? Chew on some fresh parsley, and you'll be fine.*

A food processor is not a must-have, but it is nice. I won mine last year- an inexpensive, six-cup model - and don't know how I lived without it. A blender or even a decent potato masher will probably be fine.

Kitchen Adventures: Tomato Sauce

There are only so many tomatoes two girls can eat and gift to neighbors. I briefly looked into canning, but reasoned that if botulism did not kill me, accidentally cutting myself with broken glass and/or burning myself with scalding water could. Alas, grace and coordination are not my strengths. (I actually found yoga classes a tad stressful - eight weeks into it, I was still the *only* one tripping over myself and falling into others. Shame and serenity do not mix.)

Sauce, then, could be ladled into individual servings, frozen into individual freezer bags, and boiled when needed. Roommate and I invested in a large chest freezer - we have a 1930s GE fridge that looks incredibly cool, but has two square inches of freezer space - so I set about filling it up with tastiness.


I pulled out my one enormous pot. Until today, it had never been used for food. For nearly two months, and in the dead of winter, construction issues deprived Roommate and me of hot water. The thrill at being forced to reap the alleged benefits of a bracingly cold shower every morning did not last. Roommate and I have very little in the way of kitchen supplies. Roommate and I started living together while I was still in law school. Roommate was recently divorced, and her spouse had taken off one day with virtually everything in the house, including what I am told are some dangerously good knives and beautiful cast-iron pans. I was a Poor Starving Student who had lots of books, a massive, beat-up desk that I refuse to relinquish to Philadelphia's trash collection, and two sun-yellow plates. But there it was - a shiny steel vat - and there we were, cold and bitter. One massive pot of boiling water to a bathtub of cold water made a wonderful bath. Those days are happily over, and the pot, now sterilized and empty, was waiting.

I researched a few recipes to get a basic idea, but was feeling terribly creative and no recipe came close to sating my ravenous addiction to olive oil and garlic. Dozens of tomatoes went into the food processor with several onions, tons of garlic bulbs, and about twenty jalapeno peppers I grew on the porch. Home Depot was selling jalapeno plants for only $1.99, and I immediately envisioned raising baby jalapenos that would one day be stuffed with sharp cheddar. One can only eat so many jalapeno poppers, after all, and I had a large bowl of them, well-ripened. Into this mix went lots of black pepper and herbs from a container marked "French herbs." I also tossed in a dozen bay leaves until I remembered that the "b" ingredient was basil, not bay leaves, and fished them out. No harm done. I used the entire tomato for the sauce, and had to let it simmer for hours to remove the extra water. The baddogs and I had a lovely time listening to good music and smelling good smells.

The results were quite hot, very spicy, and delicious. And I felt a bit like a squirrel, storing rations for the winter.

Lessons:
1. Insulate tomato plants with *red* plastic, but only if you are prepared to pick forty (yes, forty) tomatoes a day for three months.


2. Remember that jalapenos have a hotness than belies their irresistible cuteness.
3. It is "basil," not "bay leaves."

Missing South Carolina

I grew up in New England where we avoid eye contact and pleasantries unless absolutely necessary. We are also scared to venture south of New York. As we shiver and wrap our cold hands around Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, we imagine hordes of proper Southern ladies in fancy flowery hats plying us with sweetened tea and sugary pies who mispronounce “merlot” as “devil juice.” I felt nearly reckless choosing a college that broke the New York rule. My mother would call during a blizzard to inquire about the weather “down south." When she tagged along with me to a grocery store recently and witnessed me respond “very well, thanks. How are you?” to a cashier, she remarked, with a wry tone, “how chatty we are today.”

In August, Roommate and I both found ourselves in the enviable position of having almost an entire month off work. Roommate chose Charleston largely because Roommates’s sister recently moved there with her husband. Because her husband’s employment with the Coast Guard required him to be at sea for several months at a time, and because she was lonely, and because she was more than happy to offer up free lodging, Charleston it was.

On our first night, I needed to make a late-night toiletries run. I walked into a Walgreens and was *greeted* by a lovely teenager who graciously inquired into my well-being in a *genuine* tone. I was floored; after all, I didn’t think that Walgreens clerks worked on commission. I had been warned about Southern hospitality before, but remained suspicious. I made a quick check that her sweet friendliness hadn’t, say, been a ruse to divert my attention from my wallet. Still there. The strange sweetness continued at dinner. A young man *held the door* for the three of us. “What a bizarre thing, “ I thought. You see, we don’t have chivalry in Boston, but I had encountered it in my English studies to know it when I see it. Strange when a trip intended for nothing but pure Relaxation turns into an anthropological expedition…

The three of us spent weeks exploring old plantations and swamp lands. Mostly, I was me urging the other two on, and demanding they Appreciate assorted views, architecture, plants, and animals.

I fell in love within mere hours. Even now, I am half-considering a move there in the next few years. I moped around for a few days upon our return to the city, ruefully noting that I could never have a palmetto tree here. It was downright challenging to feel stressed in South Carolina (stress is a miserable by-product of being a trial lawyer), and I fantasized about strolling along the Battery at as a work break, watching the pelicans swoop and dive. I miss the palmettos, I miss the not-so-rush-hour traffic, I miss the fact that *everything* was half the price of what I'm used to, if not more.

I also miss the alligators.

Yes, I could live here.

***

The baddogs and I had a lovely autumn weekend. On Saturday Jack slipped and fell while "dominating" a chocolate lab and split his nail. After thirty minutes at a vet Emergency Room, we were clean and bandaged. Jack *adored* having all the triage nurses fawn all over him, and I similarly adored the $20(!!!!) bill. (Jack, of course, would have you believe that the split nail is a "battle scar" endured while gallantly protecting Coco'nut from...something.)

We spent Sunday afternoon at what I maintain is the best dog park, ever. It's huge, hilly, and has a creek. The hills are fantastic for wearing the kids out, and the creek cleans off any muddy pawprints. Jack took a particular liking to a beautiful Great Dane - since his new sister will be a Great Dane, I was especially happy to see two romp around :)

The Baddogs

I am the (sometimes) proud owner of two baddogs, and in the process of adopting a Great Dane.

Jack is a big, super-alpha white lab who is far too smart for his own good. Jack will stop, expectantly, and wait for affection and attention when he hears such phrases on the street as "look at that handsome dog!" Jack is extremely photogenic and adores having his picture taken; he comes running when he hears the “beep” of the camera turn on, and truly poses for each picture. Jack has been kicked out of puppy kindergarten several times, and written off by more than one private trainer as “bad.” I think he is *finally* starting to calm down, but at nine Jack remains quite “energetic.” He especially loves children, particularly the ones covered in that delicious paste of apple juice and cracker crumbs. He is also quite fond of manly men, water, and paper towels. He embarrasses me approximately five times a day.




Coco'nut was adopted from an abusive home, and so named because she looked like one when taken Home. She is missing a tail and improperly healed broken ribs did nothing for her figure, but she doesn't mind when people comment on how funny she looks. She is a feisty, spirited little min pin who spends her days protecting the house from any interlopers, squirrels, and rustling leaves.



The enormous eyes and ears, of course, help with the watchdog duties.



Living with them has been an extraordinary life Lesson and Blessing. I know that God brought them into my life for so many reasons, especially (1) learning that it-is-not-all-about-me and other valuable teachings on unselffishness and (2) joy.

Dogs rule.