Here's something that looks like fun! a 60 mile bike ride around the Yakima valley wineries!
http://wineglasscellars.com/Local_Bike_Rides.htm
You can also do them by horseback, or in a horse-drawn cart! there's an article in the March issue of Sunset Magazine! I was going to include a link but it's not up at their website yet.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
five minute university
This is funny! I tried to do what Mama V does and put the video here, but I can't figure out how, so I just included the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO8x8eoU3L4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO8x8eoU3L4
Sunday, February 22, 2009
I had to post this poem - it made me think of Mamma V and Miss D and K-wiggles and M-moo making pasta!
Linguini
by Diane Lockward
It was always linguini between us.
Linguini with white sauce, or red sauce,
sauce with basil snatched from the garden, oregano rubbed between
our palms, a single bay leaf adrift amidst
plum tomatoes. Linguini with meatballs,
sausage, a side of brascioli. Like lovers
trying positions, we enjoyed it every way
we could-artichokes, mushrooms, littleneck clams, mussels, and calamari-linguini
twining and braiding us each to each.
Linguini knew of the kisses, the smooches, the molti baci.
It was never spaghetti
between us, not cappellini, nor farfalle, vermicelli, pappardelle, fettucini, perciatelli,
or even tagliarini. Linguini we stabbed, pitched, and twirled on forks, spun round and round
on silver spoons. Long, smooth, and always
al dente. In dark trattorias, we broke crusty panera,
toasted each other—La dolce vita!—and sipped
Amarone, wrapped ourselves in linguini, briskly boiled, lightly oiled, salted, and lavished
with sauce. Bellissimo, paradisio, belle gente!
Linguini witnessed our slurping, pulling, and sucking, our unraveling and raveling, chins
glistening, napkins tucked like bibs in collars, linguini stuck to lips, hips, and bellies, cheeks
flecked with formaggio—parmesan, romano,and shaved pecorino—strands of linguini flung
around our necks like two fine silk scarves.
"Linguini" by Diane Lockward, from What Feeds Us. © Wind Publications, 2006.
Linguini
by Diane Lockward
It was always linguini between us.
Linguini with white sauce, or red sauce,
sauce with basil snatched from the garden, oregano rubbed between
our palms, a single bay leaf adrift amidst
plum tomatoes. Linguini with meatballs,
sausage, a side of brascioli. Like lovers
trying positions, we enjoyed it every way
we could-artichokes, mushrooms, littleneck clams, mussels, and calamari-linguini
twining and braiding us each to each.
Linguini knew of the kisses, the smooches, the molti baci.
It was never spaghetti
between us, not cappellini, nor farfalle, vermicelli, pappardelle, fettucini, perciatelli,
or even tagliarini. Linguini we stabbed, pitched, and twirled on forks, spun round and round
on silver spoons. Long, smooth, and always
al dente. In dark trattorias, we broke crusty panera,
toasted each other—La dolce vita!—and sipped
Amarone, wrapped ourselves in linguini, briskly boiled, lightly oiled, salted, and lavished
with sauce. Bellissimo, paradisio, belle gente!
Linguini witnessed our slurping, pulling, and sucking, our unraveling and raveling, chins
glistening, napkins tucked like bibs in collars, linguini stuck to lips, hips, and bellies, cheeks
flecked with formaggio—parmesan, romano,and shaved pecorino—strands of linguini flung
around our necks like two fine silk scarves.
"Linguini" by Diane Lockward, from What Feeds Us. © Wind Publications, 2006.
Shrimp, mango and black beans
This is one of my favorite recipes, one that I modified from a vegetarian one - it's just the same, except I add shrimp. It's adapted from Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven recipe book, from the recipe Black Beans in Mango Sauce.
1 1/2 T olive oil
2 c. minced red onion
1 T minced garlic
1 3-in jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 1/2 T minced fresh ginger
1 /12 t. cumin seeds
1 1/2 t. salt
2 - 3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed 6 T fresh lime juice
2 large ripe mangoes, chopped
resh ground black pepper to taste
Minced fresh cilantro
Shrimp
(I make a half recipe and it works just fine. I serve it over rice)
Heat oil, add 1 3/4 c. onion, the garlic, chile, ginger, cumin seeds and salt. Saute at medium for 3 minutes.
Turn heat down, and add black beans and half the lime juice (I add uncooked shrimp at this point. if I use cooked shrimp I add it later). Saute 5 minutes until heated through. Remove from heat. Add remaining lime juice and half the chopped mango (last time I just added all the mango). Stir. Grind some black pepper, then cover and let stand for about 15 minutes to let sauce develop.
Serve warm, or at room temperature, or cold, topped with remaining red onion and mango, and cilantro. I serve warm over rice.
1 1/2 T olive oil
2 c. minced red onion
1 T minced garlic
1 3-in jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 1/2 T minced fresh ginger
1 /12 t. cumin seeds
1 1/2 t. salt
2 - 3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed 6 T fresh lime juice
2 large ripe mangoes, chopped
resh ground black pepper to taste
Minced fresh cilantro
Shrimp
(I make a half recipe and it works just fine. I serve it over rice)
Heat oil, add 1 3/4 c. onion, the garlic, chile, ginger, cumin seeds and salt. Saute at medium for 3 minutes.
Turn heat down, and add black beans and half the lime juice (I add uncooked shrimp at this point. if I use cooked shrimp I add it later). Saute 5 minutes until heated through. Remove from heat. Add remaining lime juice and half the chopped mango (last time I just added all the mango). Stir. Grind some black pepper, then cover and let stand for about 15 minutes to let sauce develop.
Serve warm, or at room temperature, or cold, topped with remaining red onion and mango, and cilantro. I serve warm over rice.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Polenta Pizza
This looks yummy, though I haven't tried it.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for pan
1/2 cup milk, preferably whole
Salt
1 cup coarse cornmeal
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) chopped pancetta
1 pound spinach, washed, trimmed and dried
1 to 1 1/2 cups Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled.
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees; brush a layer of olive oil on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine milk with 2 1/2 cups water and a large pinch of salt. Bring just about to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and add cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking all the while to prevent lumps from forming. Turn heat to low and simmer, whisking frequently, until thick, 10 or 15 minutes. If mixture becomes too thick, whisk in a bit more water; you want a consistency approaching thick oatmeal.
2. Stir 1 tablespoon oil into cooked cornmeal (polenta). Spoon it onto prepared pan, working quickly so polenta does not stiffen; spread it evenly to a thickness of about 1/2 inch all over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and put it in refrigerator until it is firm, an hour or more (you can refrigerate polenta overnight if you prefer).
3. Put polenta in oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it begins to brown and crisp on edges. Meanwhile, put two tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and pancetta is nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to take onion and pancetta out of pan; set aside. Add spinach to skillet and sauté until it releases its water and pan becomes dry; sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper.
4. Take polenta out of oven, sprinkle with Gorgonzola, then spread onion-pancetta mixture and spinach evenly on top of cheese; drizzle with another tablespoon olive oil. Put pizza back in oven for two minutes, or until cheese begins to melt and pancetta and vegetables are warmed through. Cut into slices and serve hot or at room temperature.
Yield: 4 servings.
Variation: Before you put polenta in oven, top it with thin slices of fresh mozzarella, two or three thinly sliced Roma tomatoes or a bit of tomato sauce, and a handful of fresh basil leaves.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for pan
1/2 cup milk, preferably whole
Salt
1 cup coarse cornmeal
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) chopped pancetta
1 pound spinach, washed, trimmed and dried
1 to 1 1/2 cups Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled.
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees; brush a layer of olive oil on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine milk with 2 1/2 cups water and a large pinch of salt. Bring just about to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and add cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking all the while to prevent lumps from forming. Turn heat to low and simmer, whisking frequently, until thick, 10 or 15 minutes. If mixture becomes too thick, whisk in a bit more water; you want a consistency approaching thick oatmeal.
2. Stir 1 tablespoon oil into cooked cornmeal (polenta). Spoon it onto prepared pan, working quickly so polenta does not stiffen; spread it evenly to a thickness of about 1/2 inch all over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and put it in refrigerator until it is firm, an hour or more (you can refrigerate polenta overnight if you prefer).
3. Put polenta in oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it begins to brown and crisp on edges. Meanwhile, put two tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and pancetta is nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to take onion and pancetta out of pan; set aside. Add spinach to skillet and sauté until it releases its water and pan becomes dry; sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper.
4. Take polenta out of oven, sprinkle with Gorgonzola, then spread onion-pancetta mixture and spinach evenly on top of cheese; drizzle with another tablespoon olive oil. Put pizza back in oven for two minutes, or until cheese begins to melt and pancetta and vegetables are warmed through. Cut into slices and serve hot or at room temperature.
Yield: 4 servings.
Variation: Before you put polenta in oven, top it with thin slices of fresh mozzarella, two or three thinly sliced Roma tomatoes or a bit of tomato sauce, and a handful of fresh basil leaves.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Wonderful day!
I slept better last night than I have in weeks. And this morning, I got up when I woke up, worked on grading back homework that had accumulated while I was preoccupied. After an early lunch, I got out my bike, inflated the tires, found my helmet and lock, and rode my bike over to the office. Boy did that feel good!
I had a couple of meetings this afternoon, entered all the grades that i had generated, went to a department meeting, and then rode my bike home!
I feel like a million bucks, and I think it's all because fo the exercise. Intellectually I know it's good for me, but I never seem to be able to find the time. So now I am reminded of how important it is.
This evening, I cooked my favorite meal - shrimp, mango and black beans over rice. Now, I am going to relax and watch a movie - The Changeling. I'll let you know how it is!
I had a couple of meetings this afternoon, entered all the grades that i had generated, went to a department meeting, and then rode my bike home!
I feel like a million bucks, and I think it's all because fo the exercise. Intellectually I know it's good for me, but I never seem to be able to find the time. So now I am reminded of how important it is.
This evening, I cooked my favorite meal - shrimp, mango and black beans over rice. Now, I am going to relax and watch a movie - The Changeling. I'll let you know how it is!
The grant is submitted!
What a week! I can't believe that I have actually survived it. Yesterday was about the worst day i have had for as long as I can remember, but i finally submitted the grant at about 3:30 p.m. I was just about done in.
Of course, there was not much respite, since all the homework I have assigned in the last couple of weeks has been accumulating. So I dove into it last night a graded for several hours.
Then to bed!
Here's a poem that captures my attempts at sleep for the past two weeks!
Tossing and Turningby John Updike
The spirit has infinite facets, but the body
confiningly few sides.
There is the left,
the right, the back, the belly, and tempting
in-betweens, northeasts and northwests,
that tip the heart and soon pinch circulation
in one or another arm.
Yet we turn each time
with fresh hope, believing that sleep
will visit us here, descending like an angel
down the angle our flesh's sextant sets,
tilted toward that unreachable star
hung in the night between our eyebrows, whence
dreams and good luck flow.
Uncross
your ankles. Unclench your philosophy.
This bed was invented by others;
know we goto sleep less to rest than to participate
in the twists of another world.
This churning is our journey. It ends,
can only end, around a corner
we do not know
we are turning.
"Tossing and Turning" by John Updike, from Collected Poems 1953-1993.
© Alfred A. Knopf, 1993.
Of course, there was not much respite, since all the homework I have assigned in the last couple of weeks has been accumulating. So I dove into it last night a graded for several hours.
Then to bed!
Here's a poem that captures my attempts at sleep for the past two weeks!
Tossing and Turningby John Updike
The spirit has infinite facets, but the body
confiningly few sides.
There is the left,
the right, the back, the belly, and tempting
in-betweens, northeasts and northwests,
that tip the heart and soon pinch circulation
in one or another arm.
Yet we turn each time
with fresh hope, believing that sleep
will visit us here, descending like an angel
down the angle our flesh's sextant sets,
tilted toward that unreachable star
hung in the night between our eyebrows, whence
dreams and good luck flow.
Uncross
your ankles. Unclench your philosophy.
This bed was invented by others;
know we goto sleep less to rest than to participate
in the twists of another world.
This churning is our journey. It ends,
can only end, around a corner
we do not know
we are turning.
"Tossing and Turning" by John Updike, from Collected Poems 1953-1993.
© Alfred A. Knopf, 1993.
Friday, February 13, 2009
I'm trying to think of something erudite to post about my day - but for the life of me I can't think what that might be!! I got up and got going and walked to work by 8am. I spent most of the morning on the phone with a school superintendent trying to help him get registered at the government website so taht we could include his school district in our big grant. It took most of the morning on the phone! Then a couple of my students came in to see me, and brought me fudge! It was really great to spend some time helping them with their math and then talking in general about their plans. They are both planning to become mathematics teachers. I look at these young men with such admiration wanting to follow such a vocation , knowing full well that they won't eve make tons of money doing it. It is not because of the money. This is why I do what I do.
I taught both my classes, posted several documents on the website for the grant, talked with the evaluation team for the grant about their budget and how we were going to make this all work. All the while, I had posted an ad on Criaglist for a house cleaner earlier this week and have been inundated with emails in response to that. What did we ever do without Craigslist? I took the bus home since I felt too tired to walk. I have sat and relaxed, read the mail and the paper, watched Jeopardy! and now it's time to eat.
So now I neeed to cook and eat some dinner. I have marinated some chicken breast and will probably stir fry it and eat, then fall into bed and sleep til morning. My life is so boring! Riley would agree - she is mad becuase she didn't get a walk today. I promised her I will walk her in the morning.
So that's my day!
I taught both my classes, posted several documents on the website for the grant, talked with the evaluation team for the grant about their budget and how we were going to make this all work. All the while, I had posted an ad on Criaglist for a house cleaner earlier this week and have been inundated with emails in response to that. What did we ever do without Craigslist? I took the bus home since I felt too tired to walk. I have sat and relaxed, read the mail and the paper, watched Jeopardy! and now it's time to eat.
So now I neeed to cook and eat some dinner. I have marinated some chicken breast and will probably stir fry it and eat, then fall into bed and sleep til morning. My life is so boring! Riley would agree - she is mad becuase she didn't get a walk today. I promised her I will walk her in the morning.
So that's my day!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
checking back in
I hope you haven't all gone away! I realize that if I don't blog every day then you don't check in every day. but here I am, back again.
I went to Orlando to a professional meeting last week. Busy, busy. But G'pa and I took half a day off to go to the Kennedy Space Center and take the tour around to see where they launched all the space missions. It was cold and windy, but lots of fun and very interesting to be there.
The last day in Orlando was warm and sunny and "poolside" weather. Mid 70's probably.
It's been "hit the ground running" since I got back. Just a blur of working, teaching, and working on writing grants. I am working on several right now and deadlines are looming.
I woke early this morning, thinking about what we'd left off the grant budget, walked the dog around the block - she has been needing a walk - G'pa left her leash and pinch collar in his car at the airport so I had to replace that - took me two days of calling around etc. to find somewhere that had them in the area that I could actually get to after work before they closed! I still am getting used to the fact that we are living in "not 24/7 land". Drove to Moscow yesterdya and made it to the stor 10 minutes before they closed at 6 p.m.
Didn't get home tonight until after 6 p.pm. I fell asleep on the bus on the way home from work (I was too tired to walk) and missed my stop and had to walk quite a long way anyhow! Since I got home I veg'd for about half an hour, fixed dinner, ate, fed dog and cat, read mail, looked for the newspaper that didn't come tonight for some reason, posted an ad on Criagslist for a house cleaner and now here I am blogging. But I have a briefcase full of homework assignments to grade - that 's what I get when I go out of town for two trips in the last two weeks - and have a meeting in Moscow at the University of Idaho at 8 in the morning. Have to pick up a colleague at 7:20am. So, life goes on!
I went to Orlando to a professional meeting last week. Busy, busy. But G'pa and I took half a day off to go to the Kennedy Space Center and take the tour around to see where they launched all the space missions. It was cold and windy, but lots of fun and very interesting to be there.
The last day in Orlando was warm and sunny and "poolside" weather. Mid 70's probably.
It's been "hit the ground running" since I got back. Just a blur of working, teaching, and working on writing grants. I am working on several right now and deadlines are looming.
I woke early this morning, thinking about what we'd left off the grant budget, walked the dog around the block - she has been needing a walk - G'pa left her leash and pinch collar in his car at the airport so I had to replace that - took me two days of calling around etc. to find somewhere that had them in the area that I could actually get to after work before they closed! I still am getting used to the fact that we are living in "not 24/7 land". Drove to Moscow yesterdya and made it to the stor 10 minutes before they closed at 6 p.m.
Didn't get home tonight until after 6 p.pm. I fell asleep on the bus on the way home from work (I was too tired to walk) and missed my stop and had to walk quite a long way anyhow! Since I got home I veg'd for about half an hour, fixed dinner, ate, fed dog and cat, read mail, looked for the newspaper that didn't come tonight for some reason, posted an ad on Criagslist for a house cleaner and now here I am blogging. But I have a briefcase full of homework assignments to grade - that 's what I get when I go out of town for two trips in the last two weeks - and have a meeting in Moscow at the University of Idaho at 8 in the morning. Have to pick up a colleague at 7:20am. So, life goes on!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Here's a bit of trivia about today, courtesy of The Writers Almanac.
February 2nd is a "cross-quarter" day in the solar calendar, which means that it falls exactly between a solstice and an equinox.
It's the ancient Celtic celebration of Imbolc, in honor of Brigit, the goddess of fire, poetry, healing, and childbirth. Brigit brings the healing power of the sun back to the world on Imbolc, a day that carries the first promise of spring. Imbolc comes from the Old Irish i mbolg, meaning "in the belly," because this is the time when ewes became pregnant to deliver spring lambs.
The Christians took over the Celtic celebration and made February 2nd into a Christian holiday, Candlemas Day. Candlemas Day celebrates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple exactly 40 days after Christmas.
There are many old sayings about today — about the emergence of animals from their winter dens and omens that predict the season ahead. One English saying goes:
If Candlemas day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight.
But if Candlemas day bring clouds and rain,
Winter is gone and won't come again.
There was a tradition in many European countries of watching animals — especially badgers — to see how they acted on this day. If they returned to their dens, it meant that there was still a long winter ahead.
German immigrants in Pennsylvania found that there weren't a lot of badgers in America, but there were a lot of groundhogs, so the holiday evolved into Groundhog Day. The first reference to Groundhog Day is from 1841, in the diary of a storekeeper in Morgantown, Pennsylvania. He wrote:
"Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks' nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."
February 2nd is a "cross-quarter" day in the solar calendar, which means that it falls exactly between a solstice and an equinox.
It's the ancient Celtic celebration of Imbolc, in honor of Brigit, the goddess of fire, poetry, healing, and childbirth. Brigit brings the healing power of the sun back to the world on Imbolc, a day that carries the first promise of spring. Imbolc comes from the Old Irish i mbolg, meaning "in the belly," because this is the time when ewes became pregnant to deliver spring lambs.
The Christians took over the Celtic celebration and made February 2nd into a Christian holiday, Candlemas Day. Candlemas Day celebrates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple exactly 40 days after Christmas.
There are many old sayings about today — about the emergence of animals from their winter dens and omens that predict the season ahead. One English saying goes:
If Candlemas day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight.
But if Candlemas day bring clouds and rain,
Winter is gone and won't come again.
There was a tradition in many European countries of watching animals — especially badgers — to see how they acted on this day. If they returned to their dens, it meant that there was still a long winter ahead.
German immigrants in Pennsylvania found that there weren't a lot of badgers in America, but there were a lot of groundhogs, so the holiday evolved into Groundhog Day. The first reference to Groundhog Day is from 1841, in the diary of a storekeeper in Morgantown, Pennsylvania. He wrote:
"Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks' nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."
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