#Moosewood2022, part 2 - January and February

I'm not certain if I'll end up posting all of the Moosewood Recipes I make this year here, but I am posting them on Twitter as I make them.

January:

Recipe #2: Puffy Green Onion-Quinoa Cakes (new)

These were delicious topped with Sweet&Hot Relish from our friends at Hilltop Berry Farm (New Milford, PA) and a side salad of raw veggies.

If I make this again, I would like to add more salt, pepper, and other spices to make it more savory.... perhaps Garam Masala, or something else to give it more "warmth."

Recipe #3: Swiss Green Beans (new)

Cleaning Green Beans always reminds me of sitting on my Grandmother's front porch, after helping Grandpa pick them in their giant garden.

This recipe requires a bit of marinade time, but the beans were quite delicious next to a Hubba-smoked Turkey Sandwich topped with his Mother's Cranberry Relish recipe.  

I should remember these beans for the summer.  Since they are served cold, they would be refreshing on a hot day.

February:

I found my copy of Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook (the inspiration for this 2022 Challenge) and formally liberated it from it's moving box.

It was difficult to decide what to make next... and narrowing it to only recipes I had the ingredients for didn't help much.  lol.

Recipe #4: Spicy Tomato Soup (new), page 4

I had been trying to use up the tomatoes I purchased when Hubba wanted them for the above Turkey Sandwiches.... but he decided that "Life is too short to eat winter tomatoes" and I do not disagree.  :-)  Enter this Tomato Soup recipe...

I don't know if there is much better than a good Tomato Soup with a Grilled Cheese or Quesadilla.

This version is with canned crushed tomatoes, tomato paste to increase depth of flavor, and a few "fresh" winter tomatoes.

I paired it with a grown-up Grilled Cheese Sandwich.... "grown-up" because it has Caramelized Onions and Roasted Green Chile.

I definitely need to remember this recipe for the summer glut of home-grown tomatoes and plan to use a stick blender to smooth it a bit next time.... but still, this recipe is extremely delicious and easy to make.

Recipe #5: Lentil Soup (new), page 25

Several people participating in the Challenge have been talking about the Lentil Soup, so I decided to make some for us.

This version was augmented with a box of commercial chicken broth, fresh herbs, and a small amount of left-over Country Ham.

It is quite hearty and satisfying, and the splash of (balsamic) vinegar makes it special.  Definitely recommended, especially since it's even better on the second day.

Recipe #6: Arabian Squash Casserole (new), page 140

I love (LOVE!) Winter Squash... and making pumpkin things from whole pumpkins is absolutely worth the (very little) effort.  So whenever I see pie pumpkins at the store, I buy a couple.

I've made two batches of pumpkin muffins already this season.  So I was wanting to do something more savory...

Like most of the recipes I've tried in this challenge so far, the ingredients are things that I typically have in stock.... you have to love hearty, delicious, foods that don't require a special trip to the store (although in this case, we did need to pick up a little Feta).   :-)

Stats:

• 0 + 5 = 5 (new) = new-to-me recipe...  ie, one I have not made before
• 1 + 0 = 1 (standard) = recipes I have made frequently over the years, because we love it so much
• 0 + 0 = 0 (repeat) = previously made in the #Moosewood2022 challenge

As of this posting, we are at the end of Week #8 and I have made six Moosewood/Mollie Katzen recipes.  All but one are new-to-me recipes.

Since I am continually trying to increase the variety of foods we eat and my goal was 1-2 recipes per month, I think I'm doing pretty well so far.  ;-)

What are you making for dinner these days?

Fiber Arts Friday: Estes Park Wool Market 2022, part 1 (aka 2020, part 5)

I received emails last week asking if I wanted to continue to hold my place in the Estes Park Wool Market classes I registered for in 2020, before things were cancelled due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

My answer has continued to be yes... and this morning, they opened registration for the class schedule in June.

I briefly went thru the class descriptions which appear to be unchanged from 2020, but I need to confirm that the prep work I did two years ago is still appropriate.

I know that counties and states have begun to relax their masking recommendations..... including my own state and county, in which Estes Park is located.  So while I am excited, I am trying to temper it.... and regardless, I will continue to wear masks and keep my distance.

Stay safe everyone and Happy Fiber Arts Friday!!

Things That Work: Cleats

Years ago, when I was an Adaptive Ski Instructor in Santa Fe, NM, I remember strongly considering purchasing a pair of YakTrax cleats.

I didn't buy them then because I didn't have a frequent need for walking on ice, and I haven't felt a need in quite a while.... but now... at our new place... I'm on ice a lot(!).

It's hard to tell from this photo.... but that is a sidewalk with a hill leading up to it under very thick, very slippery, ice.  There is no gutter along the majority of roof-line.  The melting/re-freezing snow ends up on the walkway.

There is a short, damaged gutter on the left side of the building that essentially just pours water onto the sidewalk, on this side of the gate.  This will be a project to remedy over the summer, but in the meantime, I need to be able to walk here, safely.

While my snow boots are warm and water-proof, they are not meant for any surface beyond flat and soft.  So I set out to find a pair of YakTrax or other easily-removable cleats.

I ultimately chose the light-duty YakTrax Walk, model.

And can now handle the dogs and alpacas without having to focus on staying upright, which means it's safer for everyone.

These are, without a doubt, the best $20 I've spent in a long time.

YakTrax definitely work!

Things That Don't Work - "Smart" Thermostat

Back when I worked for a large Digital Memory Device Company, the Executive Management Team (especially Marketing) was bullish on the Internet of Things (IOT).  At the time, IOT was not a widely known idea and his enthusiasm was unsettling for me.

I didn't get it then, and I don't get it now.

I mean, I did get that it was about selling consumers stuff... But I did not get how it was supposed to benefit the consumer.

If done well, companies can improve products, add value for customers, and protect their privacy, all at the same time.  But companies generally don't invest enough effort into capturing and delivering Use Cases adequately.

So what's the purpose of a Things That DON'T Work post, rather than my typical, Things That (DO) Work?

Because, I feel people generally don't understand what's actually going on.

A few days ago, I saw this notification on the "smart" thermostat in our new-to-us home that the prior owners installed.

It is February.

Which means it is winter in Colorado.

While the winter had been mild thus far, the outside temperature was below 0F.  

I can feel that the air is less humid.

There is no humidifier installed.

It is well understood that humidity drops with temperature.

So what is the point of this notification?  AND Why must I manually acknowledge it?

The purpose is this: increase revenue.

Here's how it works:

If this device was connected to our WiFi Network (it's not), I would have already received an email or would be receiving a snail mail of Targeted Marketing designed to sell a humidifier.  Most likely these marketing messages would be coming from a "partner" organization and not the manufacturer or installer of the "smart" device.

The default is that they are collecting and sharing your data.  You typically need to ask them not to, and they typically do it anyway, via a loophole in the fine print.

Manually acknowledging the notification means that I "acknowledge a need" for (in this case) more humidity.  Even though 19% in a Rocky Mountain Winter is not particularly low.

My acknowledgement means they are more likely to be successful selling the thing they want to sell me.  Car dealers and other commission-based sales people use this tactic frequently.

When they are successful at selling me the thing they want to sell me, they then achieve their purpose of increasing revenue.

Please note that none if this is because I need or want the thing they are trying to sell me and none of this is about improving the quality of my experience.

As someone who:

• has designed and implemented useful and efficient processes AND
• is an engineer trained to solve problems from the customer's point of view, AND
• had personal information handed over to an unknown entity by the above mentioned company, AND
• then had said company try to sell me a service they owned for "protecting private information," AND
• has worked on a variety of classified and confidential projects, AND
• hates(!) begin sold to,

I am sensitive to eavesdropping and this stuff completely aggravates me.

I implore you to understand what is happening with these IOT devices and to be extra careful if you choose to use these or other well-known Listening Devices.

Privacy is extremely important.  Once it's gone, it's extremely difficult to get it back.

I am looking forward to replacing this device.

Fiber Arts Friday: Save Our Sheep Sweater, part 2

After deciding to join the Livestock Conservancy Save Our Sheep Sweater Challenge and selecting a Sweater Pattern last time, I took inventory of my SE2SE handspun yarns and compared that to some notes about suitability for purpose.

I took that list and added up the yardage for my suitable SE2SE handspun yarns.  With the initial review indicating that I likely have enough yarn for an appropriate-sized sweater for myself.

With that knowledge, I pulled the finished yarn out, organized by wpi, and selected the two middle groups which are 12 and 14 wpi (wraps per inch).

About a week later, I finished a long-running WIP and recovered my collection of US4 circular needles.  I then wound my selected yarns and organized by hand (perceived softness).

From R-L, they are coarse, medium, soft, and button band:

The Button Band will be Leicester Longwool since this yarn has a luster that is very different from the other wools.

I've started a swatch using the Jacob-American, since it is the heaviest yarn of the bunch.

I typically cast on 20 stitches and knit a few rows, but with both having two Q&A Sessions dedicated to swatches and a plea written in the pattern, I decided to make a complete swatch, which is 24 rows.... so far I am at about half-way into the swatch.  It appears to be wider than the prescribed gauge, but stitches per inch is about right.

This will require a little more thought once the swatch is finished, then I can finalize my plan.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Garden 2022, part 2

I did not spend much time watching the sun exposure at the new place over last summer.  The photo I shared last time shows the beds being quite shaded by Pine Trees.... though, I do remember it getting hot out there.

I finished compiling my Planting Wish List a few days ago and found my inventory and starting tools.

I organized the existing seeds into one container by planting date, and ordered the remaining varietals, which should arrive in a few weeks.

Personally, I want to be able to put up a lot of vegetables; especially beans, peas, corn, and tomatoes.  But I need to be cognizant of my available time, along with the other projects we expect to be doing this year.  So I will attempt to grow enough tomatoes for canning.... because Hubba says, "Life is too short to eat winter tomatoes,"  and the remainder will be primarily for our own consumption upon picking.

We have a "sun room" on the new house that I was planning to use for starting seeds.  It hasn't been as warm as I expected and it leaks water (the floor is wet from snow melting in January).   So adding that to the fact that it blocks the view of the back yard, it will be going away at some point... in favor of a proper green house and letting more light into the house.

In the meantime, I hope it will warm up as the days get longer, If so, I will start late-season seeds in here around the end of March.  If not, I will look locally for plants that have already been started.

Of the things the former owners did have planted, there were far too many Sunflowers, two extremely large Rhubarb plants and two Black Raspberries.

The Sunflowers will be pulled and given to the chickens if they find their way into any of the walk ways.

Rhubarb, while I enjoy it, is toxic to goats and chickens.  Both of which have access in the current location, so these will either be moved or removed over the summer.

The Black Raspberries were a special treat last summer... so I've been researching how/when to prune them because we definitely want these to continue.

I found a few good resources; Colorado State University Extension, Iowa State University Extension and The Coloradoan.  So it seems like February should be the best time for pruning... keeping 5-ish viable canes per plant at about 18-inches tall.

There is also an ornamental Pear Tree (in the background) and a prolific Crabapple Tree... so while I'm quite disappointed that this is not a fruit-bearing Pear, I will have to try out a few Crabapple recipes next fall.

To the extent that each growing season is a bit of an experiment, this year is absolutely that.

Happy Planning for Planting!

(...and we're happy to finally be having some winter!!)