Monday Happy

The days are short, it’s been cold and we got a good little dump of snow that has stuck around a bit. This is when I thrive in life. Seriously though, the morning it snowed I felt the happiest, most grounded in life that I have felt in a while. I was so excited that I ran a few extra miles on my run just to be out in the snow. It was super fantastic and I don’t want to hear anyone bitching about winter right now, mainly cause I don’t want to hear anyone bitch about anything period. HA!

So it’s Monday and not Sunday but we are ok here, just kinda super busy. Sure I have spent more time in the studio then not and I am wildly stressed but really it is all good and I actually love it. (Not that I am not looking forward to a few weeks off once all the markets are over). Besides that we had the family Thanksgiving over the weekend so 25ish people packed into the house. It was everyone eating food all over, talking to my face while I was maneuvering hot dishes, small children running around, everyone asking all the question about the dikon radishes, and talk about Christmas… Whoa was that great but all a bit much. I love my family and love that we do the holidays here at my house but man are those butt holes messy! I spent half of my day yesterday wiping, vacuuming, moping and re-vacuuming every surface in the house. It was nasty, especially the bathroom. I think sometimes people forget that pee goes INTO the toilet and not all over it.

Yup, that is about it. And it is Monday which means that I have less then a week to get all my pots finished, packed, and ready to go to market this weekend. I am gonna be wild and have already informed the mr to just let me be and maybe not get to close or else I might bite.

He can]t say I didn’t warn him.

A few links.

-People here live in complete darkness for 2.5 months. Here's how they do it. Could you do it? I so could.

-Snacking Is the Best Part of Thanksgiving. I agree, mostly because I only really get to snack during family Thanksgiving because I am in the kitchen making, serving, and cleaning all the food while everyone else is eating.

-Shannon was late to family Thanksgiving because she was getting her Christmas tree… Is it to early? Maybe. For me the tree is the best part of Christmas but I still wait until afterThanksgiving to get one but hey, you do you. Is It Too Early to Put Up Your Christmas Tree?

-So cool. Flickering fireflies pulse to a beat that mathematicians have long been seeking

And a few pictures.

Sunday Happy

Did you have an hour taken from you in the middle of the night? Oh oh ohhhhh, I did and I am already feeling al sorts off. I think because I am so regimented, that I wake up exactly the same time every morning and go for a run at almost the exact time every day, that it takes me a hot minute to adjust. But I guess that what naps are for.😁

The week. Weather wise it has mostly been super spring like and I have been hit with all the feelings of spring and basically want to tear my house apart, repaint all the walls was ceilings, get rid of everything, and then rum away. But really, the feelings are strong and I wake up from crazy dreams (anyone else have crazy dreams in the spring?) in the middle of the night about crazy things that need to be done. On the note I have convinced myself I HAVE to paint my kitchen ceiling mint green. My dream self knows.

Other then that, just the usual bumping around, doing he stuff, playing with clay and hitting the calculator to adding up numbers. Nothing overly exciting, well if you don’t count watching my amaryllis flower grow and start to open. It happens so fast and really is super cool to check how much its grown everyday. But yeah, just saw a few of my peoples, deep cleaned the fridge, went to the neighborhood seed swap and got me some seeds. Ended the week with a little snow storm so I got to spend some time shoveling some heavy ass snow. A try to lead a simple life.

Today the plan is low-key and go with the flow.. The mr has some work he needs to this afternoon and I have a bunch of pots that need to be trimmed so we figured we would take this morning to go hang with the littles for a bit, try to get them to leave their house and enjoy the last bits of winter, maybe build.a snow person!?? It’s getting harder and harder convince those little shits to do things. They have their little heads stuck in video games and cell phone crap and I am just not that cool anymore(shocker right?) but I am determined and might just end up dragging their limp little bodies from their caves and throwing them I a snowbank. I’ll do it. I really will. Haha!!

Internet from the week.

-Why This Start-Up Thinks Storing Containers In Space Is The Future. So what the actual fuck. I am pretty freaking sure that this is just a really bad idea. It actually pisses me off when I think about it.

-I am going to be fancy now. HA! This Is How They Do Those Swan Towels At Fancy Hotels

-45 Mandela Effect Examples That Will Blow Your Mind. Weird how the mind remembers the wrong things.

-I don’t want to drive anywhere. Gas is so EXPRENSIVE! How to Save Money on Gasoline

-Why uncommon baby names are surging. When I was a kid I used to think I would end up with twins and I was going to name them Outlet and Radio. Still holds up.

-I love pansies, they are so sweet. Pansies: More Than Just A Cheerful, Spring Beauty

-I like mt veggies raw or burnt so I am all for this. The Case for Cooking Vegetables Way Past the Point of Just Tender

-Can someone tell me why matches and not just a lighter? 16 Match Holders That'll Look Insanely Good Next to Your Candles

-Love it.  Designer Charles de Lisle Transforms a Crumbling Cabin Into a Seductive Country Retreat

Pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

I have this weird anticipation for the day. It is suppose to reach near 60 degrees and then get a little cooler tomorrow, but not really cold. It’s like after today it is going to be spring and then summer and I am over here all like “what is going on? Am I excited? Bummed? I don’t quite know. I just know that today is that weather turning point and I am here for it..I think?

Another not really interesting week. We went snow shoeing which was A+ but then the rest of the week was whatever.. I spent a lot of time with the calculator doing tax stuff which sucked ass It is still hovering over my being, and will, until they are done which hopefully will be soon.. And then the usual stuff with clay, with people, with the food. But yeah, I got nothing to exciting to tell ya. I was boring as all hell.

Today, as I said already, is suppose to be a warm one, albeit a rainy one as well so the mr and I didn’t make any real plans. No wait, that is not true, we are going seed shopping!!! I hate shopping, especially when other people are around but I love seeds so you know, it will be interesting. As for playing outside, that’s probably not going to happen. Warm and rainy means ice and I have fallen on my ass enough this year, thank you very much.

Internet from the week

-If You're Overwhelmed and Exhausted Right Now, It Could Be Worry Burnout. Yup, this be me. And really, who isn’t right now.

-Um why haven’t I been doing this? It’s Zucchini Season! How You’ve Been Growing Them All Wrong.

-Hotel Staffers Tell Us the Weirdest Things They Have Seen Rich People Do. Why? Like really, why?

-What science still doesn’t know about the five senses Interesting.

-This makes me sad! I listen to “Its Been a Minute” every Saturday. Sam Sanders signs off from NPR’s ‘It’s Been a Minute’ I love Sam!

-Street Photography by Juri Nesterov Documents Ukrainian Life Across Decades♥️♥️♥️

-I got parks on the mind. Everything You Need to Know About National Park Entrance Fees

-The oven preheat is important. How Long Does It Really Take to Preheat an Oven?.

-Missing an ingredient from your recipe? Food substitutions are your friend. Food subs are part everyday life. Recipes are not GOD.

-Have you used sumac? It is delicious although it is hard to find. Even her in VT with all the coops, I have only been able to get it from one place. But I guess the internet con hook you up.. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sumac

Pictures from the week.

Sunday Happy

The world. I could talk about it but I don’t even know what to say. There are all sorts of feelings that come and go but what I feel most is sad for all the people. It is all very overwhelming and yeah. I don’t know, the world is a fucked up place and there are some seriously fucked up people in it. That is where I am at.

Other then the week having a shadow of doom and gloom, it had some good stuff. The mr and I went for an icy walk with So and Megan. It was actually more like a ice skate due to the trails being completely covered in ice which was fine by us cause we just bush whacked our way around. Then it go hot, like close to 60 degrees and all the snow melted (not all the ice though). It was crazy because you get so used to the cold and that first day of warm weather feels so luscious. Don’t get me wrong, I love me all the snow and cold, but it was super nice to have the front door open for the morning and to go for a run without having to cover my face and hands. But then it snowed again, a nice hefty snow and we went right back to winter. The upland downs of Vermont weather. Got to love it. Besides all that I also spent some time with clay, went through paperwork, did some other not fun stuff, and made bagels. Then we had Megan, So, Judah and Coco come over for said bagels and an afternoon of sledding and outdoor shenanigans . It was all sorts of fantastic

Sunday again. (It never ceases to amaze me how fast week can fly by). Today the mr and I have snowshoe in the woods plans for a few hours this morning then after tuckering myself out I have library plans followed by sitting on my ass and reading plans while drinking many cups of hot coffee and or tea for the rest of the day. Just about a perfect day if I do say so myself.

Some of the lighter internet that I looked at from the week.

-Real estate and all the jazz about moving is all sorts of nuts right now. What happens when Americans stay in the same house forever?

-And then there is this. Americans are fleeing to places where political views match their own. AReyou seeing this happening where you live? Living in VT this has been happening for quite a while.

-I have thought about how to fly with camping stuff a lot. An experienced backpacker’s guide for flying with camping gear

-Nordic by Design: 16 Ideas to Steal from Iceland (and Icelandic Turf Houses). I mean how freaking adorable are these!

-Give me all the dark black coffee but also sometimes a little spice too. You Should Add Spices to Your Coffee Grounds

-BEST OF: SPRINGTIME GREEN.Yes. And there a few couches in these pictures that I am obsessed with.

-In Praise of Crayons at Restaurants — for Adults. I don’t understand why people associate crayon with children. Crayons are for EVERYONE! If I went to resurnats (I haven’t eaten out Lin like 10 years) I would want crayons.

-Have you heard about the giant bear in California that is hanging out n Tahoe? Well they got the wrong guy. Hank the Tank Is Innocent!

-Growing up all I wanted to be was a cartoonist. Very Funny Ladies' sketches out the history of women cartoonists at 'The New Yorker'

Pictures form the week.

Black Bean Soup with Cornbread Dumplings

Black beans soup is eaten on the regular around here. Not always the same way but pretty much. Why screw with a good thing you know?

Now soup with dumplings. This is not (yet) a regular thing but I was making the usual blacken soup and planing on making corn bread to go with (in a pan) , when I had a moment of clarity and realized that I should just make the corn bread into dumplings and not have to deal with baking and another pan to clean. Duh. Why don’t I do this more often?

And that is it. A black bean soup, nice and thick, with light fluffy cornbread dumplings cooked in one pot. Quick, easy and all sorts of delicious. Can’t complain about that.

Now let’s get to the soup and dumplings!

The stuff. For the soup there are bLackbeans, and onion, spices, a carrot, garlic, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar. For dumplings we have flour, baking powder, salt, oil, and plant milk. Salt and pepper too.

Start by dicing up the carrot and onion and mincing the garlic.

Dump all that you diced into a big pot, along with the spices, some salt and pepper, and about 1/2 cup of water. Place on stove and cook down on medium heat until the onion is becoming translucent and the whole pot is starting to smell fragrant.

Now add in beans and tomato paste and about 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil then turn down to medium an cook for about 20-30 minutes.

Soup. Cooked and all taste but one more little step.

Remove a third of the soup and blend until smooth and then add it back it.

Dumplings. Mix dry together then add in oil and milk. Mix together unit incorporated.

While soup is still on medium heat, scoop the dumping mixture right into the soup.

Place a loose side on top of pot ans let the dumplings cook util list and fluffy which will take about 15-20 minutes.

Cornbread dumplings looking all nice in the soup.

Then you eat it. Add some avocado on top of you want. Avocado is always a good idea.

-C

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Black Bean Soup with Cornbread Dumplings

feeds 3-4

• 3 cups cooked black beans (or 2 16 oz cans)

• 1 large onion

• 1 good sized carrot

• 3-4 cloves garlic

• 1 teaspoon chill powder

• 1 tablespoon cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or none if you don’t like the spice)

• 1 tablespoon maple cider vineger

• 1/3 cup tomato paste

• 5 cups water

• salt and pepper

  Dumplings

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour

• 1/4 cup corn meal

• 3/4 cup plant milk

• 2 tablespoon neutral oil

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Start by dicing up the carrot and onion into small pieces. Mince the garlic and then place the garlic, onion, and carrot into a large pot with the cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes, a good pinch of salt and pepper, and about 1/2 a cup of water. Place pot on stove on a medium low heat and sweat the mixture for about 10-15 minutes or until fragrant and the onions are slightly translucent.

Add in the tomato paste, beans , and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat and let cook for about1/2 hour. Once soup has cooked down a bit and tastes delicious, remove form heat and carefully transfer 1/3 of the soup to a blender or jar (if using a hand blander) and blend until smooth. Add the blend soup back to the pot and turn the heat back on to medium low. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Now make dumpling mixture. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl then add in the oil and milk and mix until incorporated. Scoops the dumping mixture into the soup while the soup then place a lid loosely on the pot. Cook for another 15-20 minutes or unit the dumplings are nice a n fluffy.

And when they are done, remove lid, tun the heat off, and paddle soup and dumplings into bowl. Eat. Add sliced avocado for a little more yum.