Second Chances

Everyday is full of second chances.  Not always are they noticed.  Some are tiny little opportunities to start afresh, or just to look at the same old thing in a new way.  It might be as ordinary as the reorganizing the contents in a drawer.  Not always are second chance opportunities the grand “new lease on life” type, but sometimes they can be. These “chances” can materialize from the most random of circumstances seemingly to plop out of nowhere, often unexpected.

The news that my 82-year-old father would have to face open-heart surgery spurred a series of emotions I was somewhat unprepared for.  Facing many fears of the outcome, I just reacted differently to, well - everything!  I bought a shiny new bicycle, something I had contemplated doing, but now there was an urgency to not wait. 

Something about the sound of the wind in my ears as I rode around the neighborhood totally took me back in time.  I was a young girl again - and a bicycle was my taste of freedom!  It may have been an act of denial that my parents will be here forever, or because this was my own chance to get/stay in shape. Maybe I felt my own mortality slapping me in the face – whatever… it just felt right to pedal around, all out of breath!

I was present for the first surgeon’s consult. Clearly, I had heard what the Surgeon was saying; even some of what others in the room apparently did not take in.  I understood the different consequences that our family might be faced with.  However, there was no other choice than to go forward… and forward my Dad did!  His example was inspiring; he took his fate in stride and forged ahead.  He went through the motions with such bravery…

The surgery was delayed for many anxious hours and his waking took longer than we thought….

My Father finally opened his eyes, still hooked up to life support but was immediately responsive.  He recognized my Sister who had stayed the night so that she could be there when he awoke.  Our best hopes were taking shape but he became agitated and wanted to communicate so the nurse brought him paper and pen.  His aortic valve had just been replaced with that of a cow, he wrote “ M-O-O”.  

From that point on my Dad was the favorite patient and the Cardiac Ward “poster boy”.  Sense of humor intact he faced the challenges of recovery a step at a time with steady motivation and a shear will to live, showing us all that it is never too late!

Thanksgiving is here and I am ever so thankful… I am thankful to God; there are some “gifts” that I will never take for granted.  And thank you to my whole family and the medical staff; you were all wonderful – really!  Thank you Dad, I love riding my bike and my new outlook on Life… In addition, thank you to a special cow… who gave my Dad a second chance.

Processing Pumpkins

Happy October the Season of Pumpkins!  I am amazed at how many people buy pumpkins to carve for Jack-o-lanterns and then throw them away!  Raised on the practice of an annual pumpkin processing day for the Thanksgiving pies, it is a custom that I continue to this day.  I do not mind treats made from canned pumpkin, it is just a different taste.  Once you learn to cook and bake with fresh pumpkin, you will see just how easy it is – and how much better it tastes!

I tried something different this year; researching Latte recipes inspired me to make my own Pumpkin Spiced Simple Syrup.  This syrup, used for the famous Pumpkin Lattes is also very yummy on ice-cream, waffles and even in my oatmeal.  My motive for this recipe? - to use the freshest ingredients.

The cutting of the first pumpkin of the season deserves some ceremony.  It marks the beginning of a new season.  The shift in weather invites the steamy boiling and baking and the accompanied wonderful smells drifting through out the house from the kitchen.  I like to set aside a Saturday morning to start this project.

First, I open the pumpkin, cutting it in half.  Then a large spoon is useful for scooping out the insides.  The seeds I plop into a colander for rinsing and cleaning off the “guts” of the pumpkin.  Thin slices of about one third of this pumpkin are set aside for my syrup, the rest I will cut into thick slices for baking – the pulp later used for other recipes.

Gathering spices for my recipe, I thinly slice fresh ginger root into about four slices and shave off small pieces of a whole nutmeg.  Six whole cloves and four large cinnamon sticks complete the spice choices while adding a couple of pieces of whole vanilla bean to the assortment of ingredients.

I assemble 3 cups of sugar (stored in a mason jar with whole vanilla beans for one month), 21/2 cups of water, the pumpkin slices and the spices into a big heavy saucepan and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes.

While the syrup is boiling, I rinse the pumpkin seeds and I add about 2 cups of water and 1/3 cup of sea-salt in a small saucepan to the clean seeds.  This mixture needs to boil and then simmer for about 20 – 25 minutes.  The larger pumpkin pieces I place side down in a shallow Pyrex baking pan to bake for about an hour at 325 degrees.  This pumpkin I will scoop out of the shell when cooled and loosely pack into mason jars for freezing.

 

The syrup bubbles through the simmer time and it takes a long time for it to cool before straining the liquid into bottles.  Once cooled, I remove the slices of pumpkin and ginger and place them on a shallow baking pan.  The syrup will keep about 1 month in the refrigerator.  The sugary slices dry in an oven at 175 degrees for about 3 to 4 hours and the result will be "candied" pumpkin and ginger slices to use as garnish or just to eat as a sweet treat.

The pumpkin seeds are done simmering and I drain the saltwater off and pour the seeds into a shallow baking pan, scattering them into a single layer.  They will slow roast in a 200-degree oven for about 21/2 hours.

At the end of my day, I have processed my pumpkins 4 ways.  I am ready for Fall!

Making Pickles

The dog days of August… the days are shorter now with the intense afternoon heat cooling slightly earlier in the evening.  The smell of rotting fruit drifts through the air in Rural Town America as the last of the peaches are trucked away.  The backyard herb garden is ready for another harvesting and the drying the fragrant leaves takes place before winter’s approach.  There are cucumbers, zucchini and tomatoes everywhere with neighbors sharing their abundant garden produce and Farmer’s Markets lowering their prices.

I have never made pickles!  I am in my 50s now and it is time to overcome my canning fears and learn this seasonal skill.  I’ve got all the right stuff, cucumbers and bell peppers from my friends garden, canning jars, very big pots, special spices, onions,  and oh…. this is important, my friend, Muriel to teach me the method (and share her very yummy recipe).

First, we sliced the cucumbers, onions and peppers.  We then placed the sliced cucs in a large bowl and tossed them with salt letting them just sit and hang out for about 10 minutes.

Before rinsing the salt from the cucumber slices, we used this time to prepare the pickling sauce:

Muriel’s awesome recipe for “Bread & Butter Pickles”

2 cups Water

2 cups white distilled Vinegar

2 cups Sugar

2 Cinnamon sticks (broken, we used a meat hammer)

2t. Celery seed

2t. Dry Mustard

2t. Turmeric

1T. Salt

We doubled this recipe and it made a perfect 9 quarts of pickles!

We got the sauce cooking in a big pot while our Mason Jars were going through the dishwasher to sterilize. 

Once the sauce came to a boil we rinsed the salt off the cucumber slices and added them and the evenly sliced onions and peppers to the sauce, stirring and turning to get them processed evenly.  They cooked for about 5 minutes just until they looked glossy.

The huge pot that fit the quart size mason jars was boiling at this point, just in time for the next part of the process, the canning.

We spooned the pickles and the sauce from the cooking pot into the sterile jars.  The jars got hot so we had to use dishtowels and potholders. It is very important to keep the rims of the jars from any matter getting on them so the lids will seal properly.  We had to use a paper towel to wipe some of the rims after spooning in the pickles.

Once the jars were closed, we lowered them into the big pot of boiling water and poured more water from a teakettle to make sure the water came over the tops of the jars.  Once there was a full boil with all of the jars completely submerged, we put the lid on and set the timer for 10 full minutes.

Lifting the jars out of the boiling water once the time was up required a special toll like big tongs with big handles.  We set the jars on a wicker tray to cool – sure enough, one by one the lids showed the indentation that shows that they sealed properly.  Muriel reminded me to date the jars before putting them into the pantry.

Finally, I know how to can!  I am going to make some Apple-Pear Sauce this Fall!

Mission Control - Plastiki

July blue skies dominated the sky as the fog bank emerged, hugging the coastline before showing the silhouette of skyscrapers that make up my very favorite city, San Francisco. My husband at the wheel, we made our way over the Bay Bridge, escaping the intense Central Valley heat. Our destination; Pier 45, Mission Control – Plastiki!

The story of the Plastiki and the mission of it’s voyage scheduled for 2009, was a story I had been following since early March. The idea of a vessel built out of recycled plastic, that would sail through the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” to bring awareness to our planet’s plastic waste problems got my attention.

The large warehouse type window adjacent to the small front door entrance was fully covered from the inside with 2-liter plastic bottles. The bottle “curtain” did an interesting job of diffusing the July midday sunlight. Kevin Williams and Martin (Marty) Metz were sitting behind the desk when we arrived. As I looked around the room that appeared strangely spacious and somewhat empty, I noticed that the many HP flat screens stationed around the room contrasted with the rugged displays on old wooden tables. Posters mounted about the room declared the inspiration for this mission of the Plastiki, a voyage on a vessel made from plastic 2-liter bottles.

Kevin answered some of my questions about the voyage tentatively planned for October. He explained that the “sea trials” are currently targeted for September and a lot depends on how the Plasitiki performs during those exercises. He showed me on one of the several flat-screens mounted throughout the room how the new 3-D website was partially functional and they are hoping to have full capacity on that website by July 15. http://adventureecology.com/

I had read that the 6 member crew intends to grow some of their food during the 4 month voyage so I asked about what types would be grown and Kevin replied “kale and possibly other types of vegetables”.

He explained that fruit would be restocked during the island stops that are scheduled before voyaging through the “Great Pacific Gyre”, also known as “Garbage Patch.” The final destination will be Sydney, Australia.

I wondered about the time of the actual voyage and how long it will take the six-member crew to sail through the “plastic soup” areas… Kevin answered that a few days estimation for the actual sampling of the waters in the region. Reports declare that this “Pacific Garbage Patch” is twice the state of Texas and full documentation will be a concentrated effort during this leg of the journey.

Land control in San Francisco will consist of probably about 3 people, Kevin being one of them. A possible second land control in Sydney, Australia (Plastiki’s final destination) is still to be organized. He explained that the site where the actual construction on the Plastiki takes place is not open for tours. I walked around the room taking in the displays. Mission Control is in the process of opening their doors to school field trips. “David de Rothschild is very much about education,” stated Kevin as he explained that school districts have been contacted by AdventureEcology.com.

Intrigued by the bulletin board and table with crayons and construction paper, it was interesting to read sentiments of past visitors. Mission Control opened its doors only one week ago so there are sure to be more “messages” to our Earth posted for viewing in the days to come.

Some call it a “message in a bottle.”

Prioritizing the Day

The Central Valley is finally heating up after and unusually long Spring of cool breezes and occasional rains. The usual scorching heat-waves of past are sure to make their way into these summer months but I am hoping that the "waves" only last a day or two at a time and that we will skate by without the typical weeks of 100+ degree temps.

Windows open and freedom to glide in and out of the house without the bother of planning each activity around *the heat of the day* is a luxury and after 22 years in this climate I will take whatever relief comes my way! The mountains and coastline are only 2 hours away, so a planned escape will be in order if our summer days start to sizzle once again.

Meantime, got to get ready for spending every minute that I can outdoors. It is the secret to a long life. And if not a long life, then I will take quality over quantity! 6AM orchard walks are now in order and the inside work is saved for the 1 to 6 o’clock time of day that may not be as pleasant as the sun belts out its greatest intensity. Water "early and late" keeps the garden from drying up, a lot of folks forget that California really is a desert!... And schedule in time to relax and enjoy the long days and watch the birds in the trees…

Now this is living!

Glass vs plastic | MNN - Mother Nature Network

Glass vs plastic | MNN - Mother Nature Network

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Plastiki from Glenn McElhose on Vimeo.