heartily lusting

for some of this fabric

It's our first year here on the little farm and I've been spending a lot of time outdoors creating garden beds, planting, weeding, and caring for the animals; I have'nt been spending as much time on the interior. I love to design interiors, so when I took a moment to look around I realized we needed to give things a lift. One of the major projects on my list is reupholstering a love-seat that I've been holding onto for a while because of its exquisite shape. Until I have the funds to purchase the fabric I really want, we'll continue to live with its shabby charm.

I'm looking to do something similar to this:

The designs above (which are out of my price range) are by Josef Frank, an Austrian-born architect, artist, and designer who later adopted Swedish citizenship. Together with Oskar Strnad, he created the Vienna School of Architecture, and its concept of Modern houses, housing and interiors.

Here are some quotes to give you a feel for his aesthetic:

"Every human needs a certain degree of sentimentality to feel free," Frank said... "Away with the universal styles, away with the equalization of industry and art."

“The living room, where one can live and think freely, is neither beautifully harmonious nor homogeneous. It has come about through coincidence, will never be complete and can within itself absorb whatever the residents’ varying needs may require.”

To get the full scoop on Josef Frank you might want to look here

deliciously naturalized

The wineberry plant is a bramble with red, bristly stems that grows up to 8 feet tall. The berry is bright red when ripe and I would describe it as a raspberry with a twist of cranberry - slightly tart. It can be found along roadsides and the edges of meadows.

The wineberry is an Asian species which was introduced to produce hybrid raspberries. The plant escaped from cultivation and became naturalized and in many cases invasive. Right now we're calling ours "deliciously naturalized" but as soon as we have to clear out the back field we'll be using the term invasive....and possibly some others.

Wineberries ripen about the same time as blackberries and raspberries; here they came in full force as the blackberries faded away. We can collect buckets full, so I'm trying them out in place of other berries in some classic recipes. Last night I made cobbler; here's a link to the recipe I used.

The kids and I experimented with juicing them and made wineberry spritzers

Since this idea is still in development, I'll spare you the recipe...let's just say it needs some tweaking.

Tomorrow I may try jelly if I feel brave.

"the fungus of charity" I finally give making kombucha a try

I love these Kombucha drinks

but at around $3.50 a pop they seem too much like a luxury. When you consider the health benefits of this ancient  “Immortal Health Elixir" it seems fitting that it be enjoyed on a more regular basis. One of kombucha’s health benefits is its ability to detox the body. It is rich in many of the enzymes and bacterial acids your body produces to detox. This cleansing reduces the pancreatic load and eases the burden on your liver. I also find it satisfies the appetite. I'm always looking for ways to take items that enhance healthy, happy living off the luxury list, so I've decided to make some myself...no, I wont get the pretty label, but I do get to send sparkly pro-biotic to my gut flora more often.


First I purchased a kombucha starter. You can get a whole kit, but I'm pretty sure you can scratch up what's needed around the house. If you ask around you might even find a friend who can give you a starter. I used Cultures for Health's starter. Take some time to peruse the site - they have lots of supplies for the real food enthusiast.


This is what the starter looks like

One of the good things about using the Cultures for Health starter is that it comes with very thorough instructions, trouble shooting, and suggested variations.

If you plan on giving it a try DO NOT use this outline as your only information re: making kombucha tea! These instruction will show you that it's not that difficult, or time consuming, but you should still make sure you understand the process thoroughly. I looked at a couple sources and talked to people who make their own before getting started. A plethora of beneficial bacteria makes its home inside your body and we're looking to add to their ranks. As we support the growth of beneficial bacteria we need to be careful not to introduce harmful bacteria. Anytime you use fermentation pay very close attention to cleanliness-wash your hands and sterilize everything!

Here are the basics:

To rehydrate the kombucha starter, take approximately 2.5-3 cups of water. The water should either be filtered or should already have been boiled for at least 5 minutes.

During the process do not use metal for anything.


After boiling pour in a sterile glass jar and add .25 cups of sugar and your tea, stir it until the sugar dissolves, then infuse for about 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, strain out the loose tea (if used) or remove tea bags.


Let the brew come to room temperature - if it's too hot you could kill your new culture very quickly.

Once cool, add  half a cup of vinegar.


Once at the right temperature, place the culture in the liquid. It may float or sink, it doesn't matter which.

During fermentation, cover the glass jar with a towel, or coffee filter - it should not have an air tight cover. Keep the jar in a warm spot (70-85F degrees) and out of direct sunlight for 10-28 days until a new culture forms.

As you near the end give it a taste (being careful not to contaminate) You are looking for a slightly sharp, not sweet taste. If it is not quite there yet then put the cover back on and leave it for another day before tasting again.

The length of brewing time can vary quite a bit, but it is normally between 10 days to 2 weeks. The time can be extended, especially if your room temperature is on the cool side.

You can choose to drink most of this batch or take the entire contents of this batch and the mother and baby culture to make two half gallon or gallon jars of kombucha. If you drink most of the batch remember to reserve half a cup for the next batch - you will use this starter tea instead of the vinegar that you needed the first time.

I'll follow-up with information on the baby culture and the second batch.

new year's day

As the new year approached I continued to untangle the tendrils of distraction and complication. Some I set gently aside and some I whacked through with a machete. At the same time I sheltered the new growth and marveled at its invisible compass - its unwavering tie to the light.


So here it is - new year's day. I'm just wandering around taking stock of things. No time for the studio yet (I'm getting antsy) just cleaning and winding down from the visits and the cooking and the play dates. I'm trying to find things I like about January. The grey stripes of grape vines across the hills looks kind of pretty this time of year...I guess. I like that the ground thawed a little over the past couple days; now I can smell the earth a little. I like losing my hands in the pony's winter coat and eating pop corn and cocoa with the littles.


Around here today:








A scent geranium is blooming in the kitchen






A tree is waiting to be undressed

Dogs are muddy

cat is content






The hens are keeping warm

The studio is still there

autumn in the air - wood stoves and papier mache

It's Friday and now that I'm back in town I'm making an attempt to stick to my schedule - that means a homekeeping post. My home projects have been guided by my attempt to clean my way through Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook. You can read more here and here.

The first cool nights and the faint glimmer of autumn light have inspired a wishful thinking post - I want a wood stove, but I haven't come across the deal that will make it happen yet. However, I do practice the art of building a good fire whenever we get away to the cabin in the fall and winter.

Today I explore the firewood chapter of the Homekeeping Handbook.

There are two major categories of firewood: Hardwoods which come from deciduous, broad-leafed trees and softwoods that come from needle-bearing coniferous trees. Hardwoods are the best burners; they are more dense and contain less resin. Softwood is great for kindling; it gets a fire started fast.

Any wood you use should be seasoned first. After being cut and split the wood needs to rest outdoors for six months to a year. Seasoning reduces the moisture content; to get good burn you're looking for it to drop by at least 25 percent. If you're having wood delivered take a look at the center of the log, seasoned wood should have cracks and a dull color. For stacking and storing firewood provide a supporting base at least three inches off the ground to protect from moisture and bugs and allow for air flow. Bark up, crisscrossing layers work well. Leaving air flow is important to assist with seasoning. The handbook passes on the advise found in The Old Farmer's Almanac: the space between each log should be, "large enough for a mouse to run through, but tight enough to keep a cat from chasing it." There is debate about covering outdoor wood piles during seasoning. A tarp keeps the rain off, but if you're not removing it frequently you're missing out on the benefits of sun and wind and trapping moisture. Your attention to the weather will make for better burning fires all winter.

Check out this link for some beautiful pictures of firewood and a chart ranking trees by their energy content per air dried full cord in 000's of BTUs. This is interesting information, but very few people who depend on wood for heat have access to the best hardwoods; mastering the seasoning is what's most important.

My dream stove.

Oh, one more thing about the beginning of fall - I begin to work in papier mache again. Sketches are ready and I can't wait to post the first pieces of the season!

so how long can I keep this around?

That's right, I missed my garden post yesterday. I didn't have time to collect all the images I need. The post will be a collection of surprising front yard vegetables around the city. Things have really changed in the past 4 years! There are sections of the community that are very traditional when it comes to their front yards. I'm pleasantly surprised at what I'm finding this summer and how people are working these beautiful vegetables into the landscape.

It's Friday and cleaning my way through Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook continues. This week I was entrenched in the kitchen chapter. Oh, there's so much to tackle in the kitchen! Food storage, essential pots and pans, tools and gadgets, how to stock your pantry...as you can imagine the list goes on and on. What I chose to focus on today was what to keep in the pantry and how long.

During the fall and winter I bake a lot; can I keep those half bags of flour, sugars and baking staples around safely for a few months, or a year? What can be frozen? Below is an abbreviated list of some of the pantry staples, their shelf life and how to store them according to Martha:

Flours

Unbleached all-purpose white, whole wheat, cake (not self-rising) and almond -store wheat flours in airtight containers at room temperature up to one whole year. Almond and nut flours can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Baking Staples

Pure vanilla extract will last several years; leavenings lose their potency after about a year, and should be discarded on their expiration date - don't go through the time and expense of a recipe just to have it flop because of spoiled ingredients. Cocoa powder, unflavored gelatin, dry yeast, and corn starch should all be stored in airtight containers away from heat and light sources.

Spices and seasonings

Most spices will lose their potency after about a year, but the flavor will deteriorate faster if stored improperly. Keep them in airtight, light proof containers away from heat. Choose an accessible drawer or cabinet or a wall-mounted rack (not above the cook top)

Vinegar

Aged balsamic, cider, white wine, red wine, rice wine, and sherry-keep all types of vinegar in their original bottles, and store them in a cool spot for up to one year.

Oils

Extra-virgin olive, vegetable, peanut, and corn; especially oils such as toasted sesame and white truffle-store vegetable oils in their original bottles, unrefrigerated, in a cool, dark place up to six months. Refrigerate nut oils (such as walnut), and use within three months.

Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook goes on to cover storage safety for meat, fish, eggs and dairy, canned goods and vegetables. Whether you brief yourself using this book, or another, the information is important for organizing your kitchen. Taking inventory and checking your dates will definitely spur you to start cleaning out the cabinets and refrigerator, or you might find that you were throwing away things that would have been perfectly good for a couple more months. I remember hearing famed chef, Patrick O'Connell say that Americans treat their refrigerator like a pantry, so afraid of spoilage that they stick everything in there. As you can see from the list above, many items are just fine for up to a year if kept dry and out of the light.

I love to cook and taking the time to organize my kitchen and arm myself with the right tools will make the experience even more pleasurable.

To see other home projects look here and here

Friday homekeeping post

I put this cleaning kit together about six months ago when I started the project of cleaning my way through Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook you can read a little more about it here. The chapter of the book titled, Cleaning products 101, goes over all you need to select the proper cleaning products and streamline what you keep under the sink. You will learn about the PH scale and the healthiest options for household use. It is suggested that your universal cleaning kit have the following:

• An all purpose cleaner, such as Mrs. Meyer's, or a solution of 2 tablespoons mild dish washing liquid, such as ivory, and 2 cups water in a spray bottle


• A mildly abrasive cleanser, such as Bon Ami - Bon Ami was always in our home when I was a child, I used to take the little chick sticker off the top and save them on the side of my dresser


• Glass cleaner, or a solution of 1 part white vinegar and 1 part water in a spray bottle


• Rubber gloves


• lint-free white cloths


• Medium-bristle scrub brush

My kit has been adapted slightly; in addition I keep the following:

• I keep a solution of Murphy's Oil Soap in an old dish detergent bottle for quick clean-up on the hard wood floors.


• I have a mason jar of baking soda - three parts warm water to 1 part baking soda makes a nice mild scrub


• Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap to fill up the hand soap dispensers around the house. Put a little in one of those lathering soap dispensers with water and it stretches like crazy!


• I do use Mrs. Meyer's - the fragrances are amazing. I would bath in the dish soap.


• I do keep paper towels in the caddy. I try to use my washable towels whenever I can, but in a house with three kids, two dogs, a cat, two turtles, and some chickens there are going to be times when a paper towel is needed.

This gets all the everyday cleaning done, of course there are special jobs that require something specific - I'll cover a couple of those as they pop up.

keeping house & the benefits of blogging

Maybe some of my friends remember, when inspired by Julie & Julia I decided to clean and organize my way through Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook(a gift from my dear friend, Meredith)I was going strong for a while, but then work got busy (yay) and it kind of sputtered out. I also didn't have a blog at the time, if I had committed to documenting the project I probably would have stuck with it.

Blogs are useful for many strictly personal reasons like this; they allow you to declare your intent, they keep you accountable, and they offer the opportunity to discuss the subject with others. Even if you aren't trying to hone your craft as a writer, or promote a business, they can still be valuable tools for exploring what you believe and setting goals.

Now that I have the blog I think I might revisit this project, maybe devote one day a week to it. I'm aware that my blog covers a great many subjects, but that was kind of the point, it's the universe of our home and family, even my work is centered here. Adding a little about what it takes to keep this place ship shape (or passable depending on the week) would open up for discussion the balancing act many of us share.

Here's one of the projects that I documented. I wish I had used the real camera instead of the phone, but you get the idea.

All of this came out of the closet before conversion...embarrassing, I know.

"Today, I have offices in all my homes, tucked into very compact spaces."

Well, now I do too Martha...all one of them.

The Paper People

What would we share if we didn't fear?

Which simple pleasures have become necessary luxuries?

The explorations of the paper people...

This is all I would originally write about the papier mache sculptures I have come to call the paper people, but people are always curious to know my intention with particular pieces; they want to know what was I thinking when I created them. I'm always a little reluctant to say... I like to wait and let them try to tell me...nobody is ever wrong.

Never has my work come so directly from my dreams. I wake up with the feeling I have been introduced to a paper person who needs to be formed. As I work (it's slow work) the stories of the the individual become clear to me. At times I've wondered about the image; I've wondered why I felt so strongly about certain details. In the end it's clear and images that seemed harsh or confrontational have a deep, simple truth to them.

Some days the paper people are an army of worry dolls that stand in plain sight, not tucked under a pillow. They ease fear and doubt with honesty - creating beauty. On some days they celebrate the things we forgot to.

They can be viewed at http://www.rosemarymarkowski.com/index.htm

Creativity is essential - our greatest natural resource. Lately we are hearing about its scarcity and the need for governments to develop "policy on creativity" Is it that dire? Maybe there are some simple answers to this problem in our homes and in our hearts.

Am I talking about support of the arts? Well, in part, but the bigger focus is about developing a life style that honors the creativity that will create universal prosperity and new ways of relating to one-another. This creative spark is nurtured by embracing the idea that there are many paths to fulfillment and endless definitions of success. When we call the explorers, rebels, we devalue their contributions.

So, let's imagine we throw it all away and we're left standing here with our families to forge a new trail. I'm willing to bet the richest days of our lives would be ahead of us and we would be in awe of our strength and creativity.