KRAUT!

There is a lady at the Wychwood market who makes the BEST perogies, sauerkraut and pork sausages.  She has them there in the winter and serves them hot in a cabbage leaf with sour cream.  In the summer she is strictly down to the veggies and seedlings business so I have been waiting patiently for fall to arrive when she will have this Eastern European treat once more. Here is a link to her blog in case you are interested in keeping up with her market dates and locations.  It also offers some insight into the workings of a modern day, organic farm. 

http://sosnickiorganicproduce.blogspot.com/ 

 

In the meantime!  I had heard that it is ridiculously easy to make sauerkraut and that you don't even need a recipe.  It's only salt and cabbage!  I am the queen of not following recipes (I attempted to do some recipe testing for Jae Steeles' new book and realized I could not help her since we were not allowed to do substitutions or tweaking.)   I added garlic and onion to my mix and according to the site where I got the directions, anything reasonable can be added.  My mom said that my great grandma and grandpa used to make buckets of kraut on the farm.  I wonder if they turned out as yummy as mine?  I tasted it for the first time tonight and it is tangy like kimchee but without the spice.  The flavor will change and mature as the cabbage slowly ferments.  I am looking forward to tasting this first batch at different stages and being able to determine the perfect amount of time before it's "doneness."  

Check out this site for the directions.  

 

Green Roofs and the Urban Heat Island Effect

An article that J wrote for a magazine.  

Photograph Selections

I had a really bad day today. It's possible that I was in a bad mood right from the start since it was my first day back from vacation. My boss told me I seemed "sullen." I wasn't trying to be that way.

Even after work I just couldn't shake my downer mood. Sometimes I just get so sad and haunted feeling. I don't always know why. I am working on it though.

I was uploading all my pictures from the office computer to the laptop and as they were flashing by I couldn't help but cheer up. There were some funny ones and some sweet ones and they all brought back memories.

I grabbed a selection of some of my favorites. They are in no particular order and included for no particular reason expect that I like them.

Enjoy!

Drunken street dancing.

Community Garden work evening. Watering the guerilla area.

One of my neighbors has weird flowers.

Montreal

Loove yoou.

Magik Markers. Girl crush.

I always liked myself below the calf.

Snuggles.

Fall fair.

Red hair.

Drummer man.

Beach dog.

Cottage Amy.

Corey at the space.

Coyote on Peyote at Sneaky Dees

In an alley.

Found book.

The beaches.

Friend-Pal.

A little bit of home.

Death is all around me!  Mosquito death!  I am attempting to catch a little signal from the lodge on the deck of the cabin and I have murdered at least 15 mosquitos!  I am covered in bites from fishing a few nights ago and I can't stand to take anymore nibbles.  Our vacation has been nice so far but it could be a lot warmer.  We are heading back to my parents house tomorrow around noon.  Hopefully, I will get in a bit more swimming before then.  Jordan has gone for a bike ride and hike and when he gets back we will go out on the lake with my dad.  Tomorrow we are going to a barn party and Thursday we will fish for big bass on Rainy Lake.  I think we might head to Minnesota on Friday or do some blueberry picking.  I've been thinking about all my city pals and hoping that it is staying hot and dry for them!  Thinking about my garden and hoping it's been raining a wee-bit.  Thinking about the kitties and hoping Corey is feeding them daily.

Paddle boating.

Underwater cousin.

Izzy and me at my parents.

Biking into Caliper Lake with Jordan and Auntie Ang.

At Rushing River.

A shirtless Jordan on Big Pine Lake. 

Manny and Brookie.