Tall Tales from Kansas

sauteed in a puttanesca sauce topped with brazil nut parmesan

Yesterday while making our way through the streets of Kansas City we stumbled upon love central also known as The Gratitude Cafe. 

Behold the pesto pelenta over spaghetti squash and spinach sauteed in a puttanesca sauce topped with brazil nut parmesan.  If that isn't interesting enough, how about a CLT?  That's toasted chipotle maple coconut, romaine, tomato, and guacamole on a bun with a spicy cashew aioli.   Don't forget to top off your meal with a salted caramel macaroon and something hot to drink. 

Did I mention that this is a Vegan restaurant and almost everythis is gluten free?  

Hey Dottie, guess where we are going the next time you come to visit?  You are gonna LOVE it!

I just pass on what I see

The snow we got last night was not enough to prevent me from going to work today.   An unfortunate, but not disastrous turn of events.   I knew it was extremely unlikely to happen but sometimes I like to trick myself into thinking that improbable things COULD occur. 

As it turned out I had a completely delightful day.  Here is why.  After class, my friend Joan picked me up and we went  lamp shopping.   While we were out we noted not one, but two upcoming design trends you might want to take note of.

Design trend #1 - yellow, orange, and green are THE colors for Spring 2013.

Design trend #2 - turn all the books in your bookshelves around.

I am not sure either of these trends will catch on.  I don't judge.  I just pass on what I see.   In case you might find it helpful. 

3 colors I should put together

I am taking the "Fearless Fair Isle" class at the Studio Knitting Retreat this coming weekend.  Tonight I took out the basket of yarn to try and decide which 3 colors I should put together.

Oh dear.  I like a lot of them.

I don't know.  What do you think? 

It's supposed to snow tonight.  If it does, the class I am supposed to teach tomorrow will be canceled.  If that happens I will get to stay home and look at different color combinations all day long.  GUESS who is praying for snow like they haven't done since they were a kid?

I would never, ever, scoop up a field mice

If I was a big hawk I would sit up in trees like this all day long. When the right breeze came along I would swoop down and ride the currents.




But I would never, ever, scoop up a field mice or any kind of rodent for that matter. 
I would have to draw the line at that.   If I were a big hawk. 

sitting at a sturdy wooden table in the kitchen of a farmhouse

In the middle of January when you are surrounded by gray and craving just a bit of green...

...may I suggest California Pizza Kitchen's Pea and Barley Soup?  Yes, yes, I know many of you are thinking you would just as soon eat nothing at all as to eat pea soup.  But that would only be because you have not had this recipe.  

This recipe in which each of the ingredients stands alone and does NOT get liquified.  This soup has a nice consistency because of the barley and when you eat it you will feel like you are sitting at a sturdy wooden table in the kitchen of a farmhouse in the middle of Kansas in 1912. 

Throw some cornbread in the oven to go with it and call it good.   Winters were created so that we could make and enjoy hot and hearty soups.    No scientist will convince me otherwise. 

the place for experimentation on a small scale

Today I sat upstairs and added some dabs of paint here and some bits of paper there to my comic strip art journal.  The one I took to Palm Springs. 

I call it a comic strip art journal because it measures two and a half by nine inches.  Kind of like a strip of comics in the Sunday paper. 

I had the best time messing around in it.   Paint, ink, paper, pictures, glue, writing - anything goes in a comic strip journal.  It's the place for experimentation on a small scale.

I stole it from my sister's house a couple of years ago.  She made it out of paper scraps to practice a binding technique she was teaching.  I didn't think she needed it.  Besides, I wanted it.   I cut up the cover of an old book I have to make a cover for it. 

I'll show you what that looks like when the glue dries. 

If you have an art retreat planned anytime soon.  Take something like this with you.  It's a guaranteed good time. 

plucking them off the shelf based on how much they appeal to me

Whenever I go on a trip I like to take a bit of knitting with me.  The perfect plane knitting project involves something:
1)  small enough to fit in my carry-on
2)  that is complicated enough to keep my attention 
3)  AND not so difficult that I have to bring along a reference book 

This fits the bill perfectly.  It's another completed square for the Lizard Ridge Afghan.  I did half of this on the way to Palm Springs and the other half on the way back.   It had me concentrating enough that I could almost completely block out the 2 men sitting across the aisle from each other in front of me who were loudly discussing the next million dollar sports car they each planned to buy.... and how the latest shade of red on the new corvette was clearly superior to the orange undertone of last year's red. 

For the next square I am going to jump into a pool of muted gray/blue and yellow/brown.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this project is getting to see how each colorway of the yarn stripes.  I have not selected my colors based on an overall color scheme.  That would require too much thinking.  I am just plucking them off the shelf based on how much they appeal to me.  I will follow that same principle when I lay them all out and decide which square should go next to which in the assembly process.  Unless I decide at the last minute to pull out the color wheel and go with the split-complementary color scheme.  

so you can do this

Please go and get yourself one of these...

so you can do this...

You will not be sorry.

one small date banana shake please

Because I was told that a date shake was a quintessential part of the trip to Palm Springs, we stopped at Hadleys on the way back to LA so I could check it out. 

I was torn between a "date shake" and a "banana date shake".  The guy who ordered right in front of me strode up the counter without hesitation and placed his order.

Him:  One large date banana shake please.

Me:  I can't decide should I get the original or the date banana?

Him:  Well I get them all the time and I always get the date banana.

Me:  One small date banana shake please.

This is me, HAPPY with my choice, wishing I had a scarf to keep hair doo in place.   They had pictures inside of all the stars that are date shake fans.  I've already printed this out on glossy paper and sent it to them so they could hang it up.  

So they can be ready when I become a famous sketch artist. 

"art is life playing to other rhythms"

I don't remember where I read that quote for sure (maybe the Elegance of the Hedgehog?) but it sure sums up this past weekend nicely. 

As both Pam and my sister have fully described , we had the best time just playing around with no other obligations to block our creative impulses.    It was great fun to step out of the normal pace of life and into a sherbert-colored paint dreamscape. 

It was also a real treat to be able to see AND touch some incredibly creative journals. 

We are going to stay in touch with the energy of this time by engaging in a regular sketchbook challenge round robin. 

It's best to start slow and pace yourself in a challenge like this.  Probably by the time the next art retreat comes around I won't look quite so much like I am seriously in need of an appointment with an orthodontist.  But if I do - I won't care.  We laughed until we cried over our drawings.     

Thanks fellow art posse compadres, I can't remember when I have had a better time.   

sister is showing off her culinary prowess

On the way back from Palm Springs this am we stopped for breakfast at a diner that we are certain only comes to life every so many years when just the right people drive by. It had THE most delightful cast of characters. Quirky, friendly, not the sort you encounter on just any regular day. The perfect way for an art retreat to end.

Back at Moss cottage now. Sister is showing off her culinary prowess by making bolognese for supper. It smells divine.

I am just messing around in her studio until she rings the dinner bell. An appreciative eater is an essential role that I am only too happy to fill.

new tricks to show lewis

After a lovely walk around the neighborhood this morning, we bid a fond farewell to the art retreat house.


An art retreat in Palm Springs in the middle of winter is a fine idea. If you are going to do it, be sure and find a couple of art-charged dynamos to go with you. I will be getting my paints out the minute I get home. I have some new tricks to show Lewis.

the genius of last night

I love to get up after a night of staying up until 1:30am and examine what I thought before I went to bed was extremely creative work.

In the light of day the genius of last night is revealed.

Lemon tree very pretty

Palm Springs, Saturday, January 19th, 10:38 am, blue skies and sunshine.

Oh, and a pool, and journals to examine, and strawberries and white chocolate cherry walnut scones for breakfast.

The art retreat has begun.

this bathing costume will coordinate nicely

Tomorrow it's off to the Art Retreat in Palm Springs with my sister and Pam  Tonight as I was trying to add the last photo to my Norway Journal, I had a thought that trying to get an art journal finished before you go to an art retreat is a bit like cleaning the house before the housekeeper comes.  I can't tell you how it cleared my mind to think of it in that way.  This art retreat is with 2 very laid back artists.  I can finish up the journal with new techniques I learn from them. 

Thank goodness I can now just plan my wardrobe.  I think this bathing costume will coordinate nicely with the pantsuit things Mary Ann and Pam have picked out for themselves.  

photo:  Slim Aarons Leisure and Fashion Poolside Fashion show.

whatever blows your dress up

I bet you didn' t know this.

I had thought it but didn't really know anyone else thought it.  Much less that someone famous  would say it out loud.   Leave it to Garrison Keillor. 

The flavor of this soup was divine.  The consistency needs some work.  The next time I make it I will throw one more potato in the pot and I will not add the corn until I have put the immersion blender in and given everything a whirl.  I like my corn whole and crunchy.   You should feel free to do whatever blows your dress up.  And then tell me how it came out so I can copy. 

Corn Chowder
4 slices bacon chopped up, 2 T olive oil, 1 chopped onion, 2 bay leaves, 5 sprigs fresh thyme, salt and pepper to taste, 1 medium potatoe peeled and diced, 4 large garlic cloves chopped, 32 ounces vegetable broth, 3 1/2 cups frozen or fresh corn, 2 cups milk, Tabasco sauce to taste - I used 1 teaspoon of the chipotle kind, 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley.

Put the olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot along with the onion, bay leaves, thyme, S&P, and cook until the bacon is browned and the onions are beginning to color and soft.  Stir in potato, garlic, and broth.  Cover the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potato is tender.  Stir in the corn and the milk and tabasco.    Pull out the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.  Using an immersion blender - blend for a bit until you get the consistency you want.  I left about 1/3 of the corn and potato whole.  Heat it to a bubble and serve topped with parsley.  

the bane of my existance

All the stories I'm hearing about what everyone is doing in the new year have me feeling like a slacker.  You know what I'm talking about right?   All those good things people are endeavoring to accomplish because it's a new year.  Things like resolutions to be more physically fit, or read more books, or learn how to do the fox trot.   

I decided if I put my mind to it, I could do one teeny little good thing to make myself feel less slackerish.   I proposed to Chris we tackle the PANTRY since I had to find a place for the new Kitchen Aid anyway.   This little pantry had become a catchall mess within the first 3 years of moving into our house and needed attention. 

I wish I had taken a before photo so you could see how much better this is.  If it isn't totally obvious.  Which it is to me. 

Alas, you will have to take my word for it.  Chris will also testify to it... as will any houseguest I have asked to retrieve something from the pantry in the last 2 years.  

I felt so good when we were done I am now considering challenge #2.  

Messy drawers.  The bane of my existance.   I am going to try to tackle them before next January but it could be that one good purging a year is all I am capable of. 

what any right-thinking person would do

Saturday dawned overcast and 16 degrees.   Quite different from our high of 70 degrees on Friday.  Don't get me wrong.  I like the change of seasons as much as anyone.  It's just that I require more than 24 hours to adjust to fluctuations of this magnitude.  So this weekend I did what any right-thinking person would do...

I made bisquits and we ate them for breakfast.  Bisquits along with a poached egg, hash browns, and a bit of ham.  I am calling this the "cold morning special".  I reserve the right to change it's name should I desire it on a morning that is only slightly chilly. 

This is Alton Brown's Southern bisquits recipe.  I followed his directions except I used the food processor to work in the butter and shortening.  Overhandled dough = tough bisquits. 

the secret love neckwarmer

 Behold, a completed project.  The Secret Love Neckwarmer.   

Even though I made this for myself, it would be the perfect gift for your secret love.  I'm thinking of making my "not so secret love" one in black or dark gray. 

I wish I had connected the dots between the "Secret Love" name, the "XOXO" pattern,  and Valentines day so I could have gotten my act together and made this in time for Valenties day.  Not that YOU can't do that if you are a speedy knitter.

I love knitting cables.  They look so complicated but are deceptively simple.  I made this with Punta Yarns 100% Merino.  The pattern is from The Studio.  It is an original design by Alie Scholes. 

a sophisticated, tea-drinking, grown up

We have been seriously behind on our rainfall for the year.  The winter wheat in Kansas is suffering as a result.  So when we got a nice gentle rain Thursday it was much appreciated.  I loved the way it looked on the japanese maple. 

Rainy weather is also good for drinking tea.  Drinking tea and thinking.

I recieved this Apple Lemon Pomegranate Rooiboos Tea at our Quail Christmas gift exchange.  It is a new taste sensation for me.  And a very good one.  I thought it would be too many competing flavors.  I was so wrong. 

I don't know what it is about using a wire mesh tea ball infuser that makes me feel like a grown-up.  A sophisticated, tea-drinking, grown up.  Who knows what that could lead to. 

I kept expecting Moses to come down from the mountain

The sky tonight was MAJESTIC. 

Seriously, I thought I was at a movie and kept expecting Moses to come down from the mountain.

I called Chris and told him to do his thing because the light would be gone in 5 minutes and I was at least 57 minutes from the camera.

He was only too happy to comply.  

Photo credit:  Chris Mulvenon

the secret of life

My sister and I love to take public transportation in unfamiliar places.   When I read  yesterdays selection from the Writers Almanac it brought back lots of memories of our bus/tram/metro/train/ferry escapades over the years.  I include it below for your reading enjoyment.  

"Secret of Life" by Diana Der-Hovanessian

Once during the war
on a bus going to Portsmouth
a navy yard worker
told me the secret of life.

The secret of life, he said,
can never be passed down
one generation to the other.

The secret of life, he said,
is hunger.  It makes an open hand.

The secret of life is money.
But only the small coins.

The secret of life, he said,
is love.  You become what you lose.

The secret of life, he said,
is water.  The world will end
in a flood.

The secret of life, he said,
is circumstance.

If you catch the right bus
at the right time
you will sit next
to the secret teller

who will whisper it
in your ear.

happy birthday sister

I did not feel "old" when I turned 50.  I still don't feel old.  But when your little sister turns 50?  Now that.... can make you feel kind of old. 

That's her in the stroller looking a little irritated at my brother who is trying to make her smile for the camera.  We are celebrating her birthday by taking a little art retreat next week.    More on that later.  In the meantime.... happy birthday sister!

it's quite a mixed bag

Here is what has been occupying my literary world these days.  It's quite a mixed bag, believe me.

 My sister-in-law Cheryl told me I HAD to read "We Need to Talk about Kevin" because she had read it and NEEDED to talk to someone about it.  It is a novel about killings at a school and unfortunately I was reading it at the time of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  There are no answers in the book, only more questions and heartache.  I wouldn't read it now, and if you do read it - have someone at the ready to discuss it with.  You will need that to get it out of your head. 
 
I just finished "Quiet:  The Power of Introverts in a World that can't Stop Talking".  It has given me new insight into why I can't abide eating lunch in a room with a lot of other people who love to talk and carry on without a break in the action the entire time they are consuming their meal.  If you think you might me an introvert - you will enjoy it. 

On my nightstand right now is "I am a Cat", written in the early 1900's by Soseki Natsume a Japanese writer.   It is observations made by a stray cat about the humans around him.  A very pleasant way to end the day.  Thanks to Christine West for pointing it out to me. 

And lastly I am about to embark upon "Winter of the World", the second novel in the Century Trilogy by Ken Follett.  I am ready to pick up where I left off with the five families this book follows.   I love a big thick historically based novel with characters that make me want to learn more about a time period.  It's 31 hours and 30 minutes long.  Don't expect a review before the end of February. 

cake I say. I need some cake.

I have been craving some cake.  Not fancy cake.  Not cake with tons of frosting.  Just a tender, tasty, morsel of cake.  Not pie.  Not cookies.  Cake I say.  I need some cake.  This led me to pull out the cookbooks.

 

I got distracted when I saw this "death by lemon" and almost veered from the cake path but I resisted.  I thought about "mom's apple cake" from the new Smitten Kitchen cookbook, and I considered boston cream pie.  But I finally settled on "Stir Crazy Cake" when Chris suggested it. 

This is an old recipe from a cookbook that was my father in laws'.  Chas Mulvenon, who loved to make cinnamon rolls and rolled them out one Sunday morning on the newspaper much to the consternation of my mother in law Eleanor.  But that is another story for another time.  Suffice it to say that cinnamon roll dough has properties similar to silly putty. 

But back to the cake.  You put it together in the pan you bake it in.  You stir it with a fork (no mixers allowed), you have to bake it in a metal pan and when you pour in the liquid you are supposed to make 3 seperate wells as I have demonstrated above.   I followed the instructions to the letter.  Here is why.

The top has a little cinnamon/sugar crunch to it.  It is not a fudgy cake, but it is not dry, and in between the crispy top and the chocolately bottom there is that tender morsel quality that I was seeking.  If you put whipped cream on this, do it on the side so you don't dampen that sugary top. 

Craving satisfied.  Recipe below in case you want to try it. 

it's been keeping me up nights

Lewis made a bee line over to me this morning to tell me he needed to go outside ASAP!

This usually means there is someone out there who has his attention. 

Sure enough.  One of the Harvey boys was trying to get him to come out so they could stir up some trouble in the neighborhood.   Either that or one of the birds out back was teasing him. 

They have been plentiful this year.   They like the cone flowers and who knows what else up there on top of the rock wall.  Could one of you bird lovers out there please tell me how you leave water out for birds when it's this cold and your bird bath and fountains are all put up for the winter? 

It's been keeping me up nights.  I am sure there is a simple solution but I can't think what it is.  I feel certain one of you will be able to advise me. 

make this recipe and have your own moment of nirvana

This week on my day off I tinkered with a recipe and created a masterpiece for breakfast.  I was so impressed with what Chris did with the collard greens and black eyed peas for New Years that  I just had to try my hand at cooking some.  

To merely say it was good would not capture that smokey, salty, bacon goodness clinging to the greens that soaked into the cornbread that went with the egg perfectly.  I e-mailed Chris, all my siblings, my neice, and the local paper to tell them about this.  Something this good has to be shared.  If you want to make this recipe and have your own moment of nirvana here's what I did. 

1.  Stem the collard greens and chop them up.  I used most of a large bunch - they shrink a lot.
2.  Cut up 2 pieces of bacon and throw it in a pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook for about 5 minuts and then throw in about 1/4 cup of chopped onion and let it get nice and brown and the bacon crispy.  Add 1/2 cup chicken broth, cover the pan and let it go for about 15 minutes.  Watch it though!  That broth evaporates quick. 
3.  In the meantime cut up some left over cornbread into cubes and warm it up.  You could also use just plain bread or an english muffin. 
4.  Make yourself a fried egg.
5.  Spoon the greens over the cornbread, top with the cooked egg, grate some pecorino romano on top.
6.  Grab a cup of coffee, sit down, prepare to be amazed!

Collard greens:  Not just for supper anymore!

in case someone tries to sneak them out and drop them on the sidewalk

Somehow I got home the other day with only one of my very, very, very,  most favorite fingerless mitts.  I have been intending to make 2 more pairs of these because I love them so much.  But of course I haven't started yet.  And here I am needing them now.

Luckily I got some cashmere sweater sleeves that have been turned into mitts at an art show right before Christmas.  Extra lucky I bought them even though I didn't think I would need them since I was going to knit some myself.   Extra, extra lucky I know myself well enough to know I wouldn't get them done anytime soon.  

The cashmere is delightfully soft and cozy.  BUT... for those days when it is super cold (below 20 degrees) I pull out the big guns.  When I first made these I thought they were too long.  Silly me.  They are great for tucking up into the sleeves of your coat to keep that freezing wind out.  Here is a link to the pattern if you are interested.  Bella's Mittens

I made mine out of Big Baby Alpaca.  Super warm and not one bit itchy.  Mittens and itchy do not go together.  I know.  I have a pair of super itchy mittens.  I want to like them, but I can't. 

I'm thinking of attaching all my mittens to my coat sleeves in the future.  Just in case someone tries to sneak them out of my pocket and drop them on the sidewalk. 

Carol's theory about beauty

If you are someone who likes to make resolutions around the first of the year, go read this before you start.  I have been meaning to share it with you since my sister sent it to me, but I keep forgetting.  When I read it I thought to myself - "that girl can write!"  I wanted to call her up and arrange a meet so I could high-five her for giving voice to some of the sentiments that have wormed their way into the heads of many of us from time to time.   

Who among us has not been disappointed by some or another aspect of our physical presence over the years?  Attractiveness is such an elusive thing.  In the event that you have not heard my spiel about beauty, here it comes.  It is simple, plain, common sense.  I think you all will be able to see the validity of it when you read it.  I expect you to let me know if you do not agree.

Ready?  Here it is.  Carol's theory about beauty.

Every single human being on the face of the earth is given the same exact amount of beauty for our journey from conception to death.  The differences in how we appear on any given day is directly correlated to the rate at which we use up our supply.   Some individuals are born cute,  while others grow into their looks slowly.  There are some people who use all their beauty between the ages of 17 and 37.  There are those who have beautiful skin or hair or hands or eyes or whatever... you get the point.  We each spend it differently (though it goes without saying I will also mention here that inner beauty has to be paid for out of the same account).  Because I am planning to live a long and fruitful life, I have been on a budget - holding back a portion of my beauty account for my "later" years.  I used to intend to spend like there was no tomorrow once I reached 60 but now that doesn't seem that far off so I will likely hold out longer.   

Truth be told it just isn't that important anymore.  Don't get me wrong though.  It's still sort of important.  Thats why I am saving.  When I am 70 I do plan to be more attractive than all my friends who are using up their va-va-voom dollars now.   Stay tuned.   I will be posting a photo here on May 11, 2029 so you will be able to see for yourself. 

a bowl of pure new years day deliciousness

If you are a Moss, or live with a Moss, you know that New Years Day is not New Years Day without this.  Yep.  Black eyed peas, smoked ham hocks, and collard greens. 

I'll be honest.  We are not "greens" cooks.  We don't quite know how to get them to that state of melt in your mouth goodness.  But we keep working at it.  Chris took on the challenge this year and came up with a winner.    

With a side of corn bread this was some good eatin'.  He took those ham hocks and collards and black eyed peas and made a bowl of pure new years day delicousness.  He added a touch of sriracha to give it just that little bit of cajun kick. 

Yes sir.  I think Aunt Lois and Wilburn Ray and Aunt Ola and Aunt Bea would have all approved of our dinner last night. 

I could feel them sitting there with us nodding their approval and smiling... and wondering what took me so long to learn about the goodness of collard greens.   

feed a cold - starve a fever

True to my word, we started the new year with some waffles.

Not just any old waffles.  Hot off the waffle-iron, buttermilk waffles.  With that crisp buttery outside and a soft delicate interior.  Waffle perfection in other words. 

Some of us just like butter and syrup on our waffles.

Others of us forgo the butter in exchange for bananas and pecans.  I agreed to shovel the driveway and therefore was fueling my body for the exertion ahead.   Yes, I realize this portion would provide enough fuel to shovel all the driveways in the neighborhood.   But it's New Years.   And I have a cold.  You are supposed to feed a cold - starve a fever aren't you?  If it's the other way around please don't tell me. 

I bundled up some for Angie.  

I'm not telling her I'm bringing them because she will tell me she shouldn't have them.  But if she just gets waffles delivered to her doorstep at 7am she will eat them before she lets her mind get in the way.  

I think that's a good all around motto for 2013.  Let me write that down so I won't forget to tell my mind to butt out when it begins to encroach on my impulses.   Happy New Year!