One New Leaf at a Time

fall crafty!

2009-09-19T09:20:00.002-04:00

For some reason I lose all interest in yarncrafts in the summer: too hot to think about scarves and hats? too hot to tote around yarn? too busy fanning myself to even think about clicking the needles? Yes, yes, and yes.

Although its still running about 80 degrees here on an average day, I've picked up the yarn again and made a couple of projects this week! (There, that's my excuse for ignoring my new blog: yardwork and knitting, well, that and a few days out of town.)

The first project I worked on was a set of handwarmers, which are basically fingerless mitts. I like these because they keep my hands warm while still allowing me to do tedious things like write, knit, and, uh, type on my iPhone. Can't do that if your fingers are covered! The pattern was found somewhere online, but it is basically a flat cast on of 34 stitches, then a rib stitch, then stockinette, then a smaller rib at the top, seamed up the side with a hole for the thumb. I used scrap yarn and kind of experimented with changing colors and trying to achieve different patterns, with mixed results. I'm not crazy about this pair, but they are cute and will make someone happy.

My next project I was able to complete in a couple of days: the Skully dishcloth! I found the pattern for free on and despite screwing up one row of stitches when they fell off my needle, I think it turned out pretty cute!

I try to make something every year around the holidays for the people in my office (about 30 folks), last year I crocheted little mini stockings and filled them with candy and gave those out, but this year various dishcloths may be the answer, maybe rolled up and with a little bottle of hand lotion.

What are your favorite fall and winter crafts? Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, do you participate in handmade holiday gifting? Are people in your circle of friends/family usually happy and receptive to handmade gifts or do they act annoyed and give you the idea that they think you're cheap?

I can't tell her now, but I'm really grateful that my mom taught me how to crochet, how to sew, how to embroider, how to cook well and clean. I think these back-to-basics skills have really served me well in life and have made me more independent, honestly! I feel sorry for people who can't look into a pantry and see possibilities, who throw out clothes that lose a button or snap, or who don't know how to dress well for their shape because they don't really pay attention to how their clothes are made, or they can't do simple alterations. It feels good, sometimes, to create something out of what other people see as nothing at all. :)

with open arms

2009-09-01T14:55:00.002-04:00

I welcome the return of...

* the attic fan winning out over the AC.
* soups and stews on the stovetop
* Pumpkin-spicy fall beers
* long-sleeved T-shirts
* the rustle of crispy leaves
* making coffee drinks to have by the fire
* football season in a college town (except for the not caring about the actual game of football, well, that and hating the traffic. and the amount of trash they leave behind. I'm talking about the *energy* of it, people.)

yeah! Autumn is in the air, and its a great thing indeed.

A million different measures of health, the greatest wealth.

2009-08-24T10:17:00.002-04:00

I've started about 10 different blog posts since my last one but always end up sidetracked or get lost researching different information (urban gardening, composting, What Cat's Making for Dinner Tonight and then failing to take pictures...you know).

So instead, today I'm going to philosophize a little about health related stuff since I just got back from my first actual physical in 2 years, and since I can claim to Actually Know A Little Bit About Health Related Stuff, being a nurse and all. But it doesn't mean I'm a better patient or a better person, (in fact probably a WAY WORSE one than I would be if I Didn't Know Better By Now).

I was really in fear of this visit: diabetes and heart disease run in both sides of the family and I admit to avoiding thinking about these things most of the time. I admit to having difficulty with dietary control and I also admit to spending most of my early adulthood completely and totally neglecting my health including avoiding acknowledgment of depression that at times was crippling. However, the changes I've made in the past 2 years have paid off! My labs were GREAT compared to what I expected, only my cholesterol was slightly into the borderline range, when 2 years ago it was officially high, and everything including my fasting blood sugar was NORMAL. I almost couldn't believe it. And since the reason for my visit was to see where I was at and where I need to focus changes, I feel really good about going ahead and getting it done before it reached a crisis, which is what most people usually do. The Past Me included.

And yet, health is a confusing and emotionally charged subject, especially lately. Politics aside, every practitioner advises from their own experiences, recommends different techniques, chemicals, changes, meds. And every person has their own philosophies, their own experiences, their own chemistries, their own fears. It can be really frustrating for someone not in the medical field, navigating the information and more often the MISinformation that comes our way in bits and pieces every day. I think most of health promotion can be boiled down to one word: moderation, and the rest is just details that pertain to each individual. I see so many patients and families get bogged down in the details to the complete and total disregard of the big picture, which leads to a sense of failure. And that feeling of failure can snowball into a whole world of feeling like your efforts don't matter, when that couldn't be further from the truth.

Its what we do every day, our habits, that make the most difference. I wish people could see that clearly. There's no magic pill, no superfood, no combination of movements that will guarantee Perfect Health. All those changes in my labwork, that 20 lbs I removed (forcibly), it was 99% exercise: from sedentary to active in 2 years. Slow and steady, I'm so glad I got that in check when I did. Just changing one thing can make such an impact! There are more ways to measure health than the numbers: on a scale, where you fall in the range on a test, the amount of meds you're on, your BP. Details. I'm a scientist, I LOVE DETAILS, but details aren't that important for most people. Also, as a realist, I'm fully convinced we are all part of the same species and therefore the basic rules apply to us all the same: eat less to weigh less, do some activity to raise your heart rate every day, don't smoke, for example. I hear so many excuses people make for their health status and most of it seems to be "I can't (do exercise, eat vegetables, quit smoking etc.) because I (am "special", am a freak of nature, or more commonly and not verbalized: afraid).

If you keep doing what you've always done, you will continue to get what you've always had, the only thing you have to fear is fear itself, and on and on. Sounds easy, but we do all know its harder than it seems on the surface.

So I'm tightening up the food stuff and starting on some fish oil supplements, and going to try to take my exercise to the next level. And even with a good knowledge base, its still hard to make the best choices and not get bogged down in the details (eat more protein! but more ecologically produced protein! and not soy protein exclusively!, same with sugar/corn syrup: yeah, I know to avoid excess, but I also refuse to use sugar substitutes, so damned if you do and if you don't.) Moderation.

In that way we *are* all unique and special. Because its all about setting goals, finding the right tools, and finding balance in what works for you to make your life the best it can be. However you get there is better than not ever getting there at all.

Peach-Blueberry Crisp

2009-08-12T17:17:00.003-04:00

Peaches were overflowing the bins at the store, and blueberries on sale, so one of my favorite recipes was made upon my return home. You can be kind of lazy about measuring the ingredients, so basically any recipe you find for it can be altered to fit what you have on hand.

I used this basic recipe:

Peach-Blueberry Crisp

5 ripe peaches, peeled, cut into slices
2 c blueberries
couple of splashes of lemon juice

Stir these together in a large bowl.

Combine 1/3 c packed brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour, and 2 Tsp. cinnamon. Stir this into the peach/blueberry mixture and pour mixture into a large casserole dish.

For the topping: 1 c quick cooking oats, 1 Tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 c packed brown sugar, and 3 Tbsp. butter. Stir together the oats, sugar, and cinnamon, and then blend in the butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until well mixed and crumbly, sprinkle on top of the fruit mixture.

Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until blueberries are bubbling in the middle of the dish. So good!

Chaste Tree

2009-08-12T09:20:00.002-04:00

Recently I had the homeowner's ultimate pleasure of Tree Removal From On Top of My House experience, which was like a 1 on a 1 to 10 scale of "How Bad It Could Have Been": a bent gutter vs. roof destruction is fine with me. I was sad to lose my pretty corkscrew willow tree, but I knew it was not a strong tree to begin with, and had no choice but to let it go.

Really, it just left me with a new dilemma: WHAT TO PLANT NEXT?!

I received a lot of suggestions, but I did not want to plant another maple tree (I love them, but I have 4 of them and wanted something different), or a crape myrtle (everyone here has one or 10, I'm not a huge fan). There were some lovely trees outside the building where I work, but nobody I asked knew what they were! Then a friend sent me a link: chaste tree! To me it looks like a cross between a crape myrtle and a butterfly bush, and I'm always looking for a way to include more blue in the landscape.

Some years in the future, this little guy:

will look like this little guy: 10-15 feet tall. :)

I've lived here 6 years now, the longest I've ever lived anywhere other than my parents' house, and its fun to watch the landscape evolve over time and with the earth's natural processes and know that someday I'll leave it behind for new people to appreciate.

new birdfeeder!

2009-08-10T22:48:00.003-04:00

My wonderful partner's dad is a woodworker, and he gifted us with this beautiful birdhouse that he made! We placed it in the backyard, in our window view.

Here is the more artsy photograph: what the 1st generation iPhone lacks in many aspects it makes up for by capturing really great sunbeams. :)

Have you made your own bird blend? or one for squirrels and other wildlife? I hung some dried corn over in the other part of the yard away from the feeder, the squirrels appreciated that.

true love and homegrown tomatoes

2009-08-10T22:15:00.003-04:00

In addition to longing for autumn weather in August, I've also been wanting to make some soup. This is one of my favorite soups I've ever made. It is so *easy*, and it uses ingredients that are easily kept on hand. The benefit to making this soup in the summertime is all the cooking is done in the oven, keeping your kitchen cool.

(To make this with garden tomatoes, I figure you can just drop them in boiling water to get the skins off then proceed. Maybe 10-12 tomatoes equal 2 large cans? I must confess to not having the chance to try this with my own fresh tomatoes, they don't last long enough for me to have enough for a whole recipe!)

Creamy Tomato-Balsamic Soup

1 cup less-sodium beef broth, divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
5 garlic cloves
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, drained
Cooking spray
3/4 cup half-and-half
Cracked black pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 500°.

Combine 1/2 cup of broth, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Place onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Pour broth mixture over tomato mixture. Bake at 500° for 50 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned.

Place tomato mixture in a blender. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and half-and-half, and process until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Garnish with cracked black pepper, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)
CALORIES 120 (35% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 3g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.1g); IRON 1.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 23mg; CALCIUM 120mg; CARBOHYDRATE 14.9g; SODIUM 452mg; PROTEIN 3.8g; FIBER 1.7g
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2005
Pic courtesy www.christonium.com

Slug Removal--Let them drink beer!

2009-08-09T09:51:00.004-04:00

(pic courtesy mnn.com)

This year we had a real problem with slugs eating our squash and pepper plants. I had never had this trouble before, so I tried the beer trap solution, and it worked beautifully! Simply take a shallow dish (a saucer, top of a pint container of ice cream, lid, all of these work well) and place it near where the "offenders" hang out, and pour some beer in there (the cheap stuff is obviously best, I've found the slugs aren't nearly as snobby about their brew as I am). Its especially good if you have some homebrew with a little sediment left in the bottom that you weren't going to consume anyway...just pour it in the trap.

(pic courtesy listverse.com)

In the morning, you'll probably be surprised how many drunk slugs found their way to the trap! (Its the most humane way to go, don't you think?) Pour them out, refill with beer, and continue to enjoy your slug-free garden!

The Fall Garden

2009-08-08T21:48:00.001-04:00

While I was recently up in West Virginia visiting my family the weather that week reminded me so much of the beginning of autumn, with the long shadows and amber light, the smell of burning leaves, a cooler than usual breeze. Since I've returned home to Georgian humidity and beating sunlight, I am longing for fall weather, the sound of crisp leaves under my feet, planting perennials, mulching and removing of late-season weeds, and especially the planning of our first fall garden together!

We have enjoyed our spring/summer garden so much: our tomatoes have produced beautifully, our pepper plants are bearing gorgeous jewels of spicy goodness, the okra is tender, and the cucumbers have been delicious. Next year we'll try something different for our squash, corn, and green beans, which didn't do so well. This is my partner's first actual garden: he's been a road musician for years and often had a nomadic bachelor existence without a lot of time and patience to garden. But we built this 700 sq ft plot together, and we're prepping it for fall veggies and fruits!

My friend who works with a soil-amendments company left this on my doorstep the other day, what a nice guy! (Look, I know I might be the only person you know excited to get a gift of poop, but stay with me here...) I'm looking forward to incorporating these into the soil. I'm looking at lettuces, collards, and probably some apple trees to go in this year. What are your favorite fall gardening tasks or crops? Have you planted cover crops before? What was successful in your garden this year?