tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36080174212869139672024-03-05T12:09:16.521-08:00Agristadaa blog about life, food, and friendsSefarditahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11602303275214258178noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608017421286913967.post-68998044443792283132009-01-19T14:14:00.001-08:002009-01-19T14:20:26.171-08:00New African Violet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUi7FJGspJJ9ECQRcYNfLcSwwJGs-tktvoRLwcfBAjYo22u0baZCtt868rp3aKhMjVuftHxkSyla67oCsmBhpDJPFykyu3GamGb78tJFEs_SOlwTDIUQ-v12PUzsTmgvUO6qIMff08TUZw/s1600-h/HPIM2045.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUi7FJGspJJ9ECQRcYNfLcSwwJGs-tktvoRLwcfBAjYo22u0baZCtt868rp3aKhMjVuftHxkSyla67oCsmBhpDJPFykyu3GamGb78tJFEs_SOlwTDIUQ-v12PUzsTmgvUO6qIMff08TUZw/s320/HPIM2045.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293132107964898434" /></a>I have had this little green self watering planter for several months now and I finally bought a plant for it. I love my new African Violet. I carefully planted it and added a bit of <a href="http://www.schultz.com/ProductCategories/GardenFertilizer/AfricanVioletLiquid/">Shultz Liquid Fertilizer</a> to the basin. I have been looking for more unique African Violets, but am not having termendous luck with the local nurseries. I think I'd like a dwarf or minature one next...Sefarditahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11602303275214258178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608017421286913967.post-45728595900030707822008-09-07T20:50:00.000-07:002008-09-22T08:07:42.857-07:00Homemade Pizza Stone<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmUnZgqr4Ln1Z5-ggcb3lnl-D8LTOX_1Q26EmX9Pt_w4XWT8OpOZfe-rrq8GOE5fIlp4c-6dr-xXpXYzpbTRUPMNhXqe-YkUAjtc03-4W0QkOsAZsLL9ePAnvd-gfug7AkxK-GM6Nd7fQ/s1600-h/HPIM1538.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; clear: both; float: left;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmUnZgqr4Ln1Z5-ggcb3lnl-D8LTOX_1Q26EmX9Pt_w4XWT8OpOZfe-rrq8GOE5fIlp4c-6dr-xXpXYzpbTRUPMNhXqe-YkUAjtc03-4W0QkOsAZsLL9ePAnvd-gfug7AkxK-GM6Nd7fQ/s320/HPIM1538.JPG" border="0" /></a>I had been wanting to get a pizza/baking stone for our oven and was comparing tiles vs. commerical stones. I found a tile place near my work that sold 12"x12" tiles that were 1" thick...much thicker than any commercial pizza stone I have seen.<br /><br />I bought the clay walking tiles by <a href="http://gladdingmcbean.paccoast.com/default.jsp?InstRegionProdLineID=12">Gladding McBean</a>. Apparently they are lead/toxin free and the seller at <a href="http://www.fireclaytile.com/">Fireclay Tile</a>, said they had customers purchase these for pizza stones before. Yay, I took them home and had a friend cut them to 10 X 12 so they could fit side by side in the oven (with an air space around them).<br /><br />They are really amazing, I can't believe how well then hold heat. Before when we'd open the oven you would feel a rush of warm air. Now, the heat a steady and unwavering...it's as close as we can get to a firebrick oven in our kitchen. For this old electric stove (yes, sadly we don't have natural gas as you have likely noted from the picture above)...it maintains the temperature very, very well.<br /><br />We have fresh tomatoes and basil in our garden and have been experimenting with Margherita pizzas. I keep forgetting to buy corn meal to use on the bottom (to prevent the pizza from sticking to the stone) so we've been using parchment paper instead. No soggy crust here. I can't wait to use it again.<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://picasa.google.com/blogger/" target="ext"><br /></a></div>Sefarditahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11602303275214258178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608017421286913967.post-56500896123934262532008-08-27T10:34:00.000-07:002008-08-27T11:11:28.256-07:00Community Supported Agriculture<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLh30LqPuyNttwro3TE-1BYFvHU1rdgk5vUUNg_6T8sOd0STuvLmY0hVRzoAXTXi9wA81vBi63S094kR_e_v_9RSddyH_TJ6vRjdISdFz0ViapNl8VUmuaW_8WRxCc8xQ62Wbsgp0MwK-/s1600-h/produce-263x189.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLh30LqPuyNttwro3TE-1BYFvHU1rdgk5vUUNg_6T8sOd0STuvLmY0hVRzoAXTXi9wA81vBi63S094kR_e_v_9RSddyH_TJ6vRjdISdFz0ViapNl8VUmuaW_8WRxCc8xQ62Wbsgp0MwK-/s320/produce-263x189.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239254907948400562" border="0" /></a><br />Well I've always enjoyed the farmer's market because the produce is typically better and I can usually meet who grew my food. and rather than have it waste tons of gas and sit on a truck for a few days, I can rest comfortably knowing that outside of picking the food myself, I am getting the foods into my kitchen relatively quickly. My partner and I have just finished our first month with a new <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/csa/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">CSA</span> </a>that delivers to a home nearby.<br /><br />I must say, we have been consistent pleased with the quality of the food. The unique thing about this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">CSA</span>, <a href="http://www.eatwiththeseasons.com/">Eating With the Seasons</a>, is that we can pick which produce we would like to include in our share.<br /><br />The fact that we can select what goes into our order is big help particularly since we have a full veggie garden right now. We are currently sticking with a <span style="font-style: italic;">small bag</span> of produce, which seems to work out well for the two of us. Though, I can see times where we might like to add onto our order, if we had guests and/or prepared a few bigger dinners. The other great thing about <a href="http://www.eatwiththeseasons.com/">Eating With the Seasons</a>, unlike many other <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">CSA's</span>, is the fact that because these are several local farms working together cooperatively, they operate the service <span style="font-style: italic;">year round</span>.<br /><br />some of our summer favorites:<br /><br />nectarines<br />corn<br />strawberries<br />cantaloupe<br />garlic<br />potatoes<br />spinach<br /><br />Our initial intention was to try to avoid produce we can buy organically at a better price, like certain herbs or salad greens, but some weeks the pay off of not having to make a special trip to the store is worth the cost. And lately we've been plenty busy. We have found we use all the produce more efficiently and creatively, and that so far our participation in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">CSA</span> has actually saved us money as opposed spending more one a few extra shopping trips a week...when things we really don't need find their way into our cart...Sefarditahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11602303275214258178noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608017421286913967.post-29519892207258523162008-07-29T10:54:00.000-07:002008-08-04T16:21:27.291-07:00Garden GoodiesSummer is in our midst. Our garden is in full bloom and now we just await the fruits of our labor.<br /><br />Things we are growing:<br /><br />heirloom tomatoes (15 plants..mostly new and a handful of volunteers from last year)<br />persion cucumber<br />lemon cucumber<br />soy bean<br />watermelon<br />mixed greens<br />bell peppers (purple and orange)<br />cilantro (yuck.. this is for my beloved partner, who can't get enough of the stuff)<br />jalapeno pepper<br /><br />Will post pictures laterSefarditahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11602303275214258178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608017421286913967.post-60319113418462543642008-07-09T15:08:00.000-07:002009-01-19T15:21:21.315-08:00Tumbling Composter<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293146619545219186" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWf1AScXAKppXLO7uSWti3lnzcB6DxbRSe62Ar82LghTVndhVsMUlne3CCaiw24rZkCM8sUmLjTvPFUjoq7l2DZO-tAX31qwcIOepPxadIU_99Y76gydKU2njAaBWk1wItfHG4peXN2R7d/s320/HPIM1278.JPG" border="0" />Weekend Project #461:<br /><br />Create a tumbling composter.<br /><br />For this project, I found a seller on Craigslist that had old food drums available. This was going to be perfect for the composter. The only thing I purchased was the piping material.<br /><br />The central tube is lined with air holes and is open along at the bottom to allow for proper aeration of the composting matter. the tube stays in place with a cross beam (also covered in pvc tubing).<br /><br />We've been using it for a while now...must remember to make compostables a bit smaller so they decompose more quickly...as this can become difficult to rotate if it's too full.Sefarditahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11602303275214258178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608017421286913967.post-76306063003902805302008-01-24T18:59:00.001-08:002009-01-19T14:11:42.431-08:00The Devil's Throat<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://storage1.morguefile.com/images/storage/f/fedegrafo/lowrez/fedegrafo_100_0168.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://storage1.morguefile.com/images/storage/f/fedegrafo/lowrez/fedegrafo_100_0168.jpg" border="0" /></a>It can be challengin to not always be the one driving...diversions and potholes will inevitably be on our paths I hope we can navigate them alright. <br /><br />I recall losing my dad just over 3 years ago, which was unfortunately followed by an onslaught of repeated death in our family. We had almost had to laugh a bit because it was getting so ridiculous.<br /><br />When he passed, after only three weeks notice he had cancer, we had three appliances go bad the day of the funeral, had two dogs die in a months time, and we were gifted with what would have been his first grandson. Shortly thereafter our other beloved relatives and holders of tradition started leaving, to the tune of 6; almost 1 every 6 months, sometimes closer together, and other times, more spread out. And this doesn't even include my husbands family. Only recently had I finished reeling from it all....or so I thought. When I was in the midst of it, I thought I was handling it ok and three years later, I realized I was hit so hard that I continued mourning, sometimes subtly, sometimes not so...<br /><br />I'd like to say I have a cavalier existential attitude about death and human existence, but something in me struggles against this concept and leans on the interconnectedness of the universe and all things part.<br /><br />This seems a hopeful glimmer of spirit in such times of desperation, with laughter added of course, that makes these moments bearable.<br /><br />I'm Still Standing<br /><br />...a bit about the pic I chose for this...La Garganta del Diablo, Iguazu (The Devil's Throat), some waterfalls I've been to in Argentina. Now I don't really believe in a devil, but I will say: I am familiar with having reverence for something that can be a terrifying- even a beautiful natural wonder.Sefarditahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11602303275214258178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608017421286913967.post-35141767740262719692008-01-15T11:12:00.001-08:002008-08-04T16:01:07.597-07:00life is shortGot some crazy life changing news to remind me that life is too short to be burdened by the trivial.<br /><br />more on this later...Sefarditahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11602303275214258178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608017421286913967.post-63018724829825513252008-01-08T15:50:00.000-08:002008-08-04T16:22:51.904-07:00Prepping the Garden<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://storage1.morguefile.com/images/storage/m/missyredboots/lowrez/missyredboots139.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="http://storage1.morguefile.com/images/storage/m/missyredboots/lowrez/missyredboots139.jpg" border="0" /></a>It's still rainy and cold out, but I am dreaming of my garden. I am ready to begin my starter plants inside under lights, after all it is January. :)<br /><br /><br />I keep an <a href="http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/organic/2002083353003940.html">organic garden</a>, at least as natural as I can manage. But since, we haven't been at this location for several years, I can't be sure of what the folks before me did to the soil. So, I brought new clean soil into the garden plots I made and begin each season with all organic plants or seeds.<br /><br />Last year I grew amazing heirloom tomatoes, I bought some seedlings from a local grower, <a href="http://www.bountiful-garden.org/">Bountiful Garden</a>, a non-profit that supports sustainable agriculture, often provides food to local homeless, and raises funding for relief programs. I know it' just a little early to think of these hot weather fruits, but I just can't wait.<br /><br />I will be planting some seeds soon and will report on my picks...Sefarditahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11602303275214258178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608017421286913967.post-89386700119444367672008-01-06T15:24:00.000-08:002008-01-06T22:06:26.167-08:00Procrastination Station<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://storage1.morguefile.com/images/storage/s/sideshowmom/lowrez/Dscn7260.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://storage1.morguefile.com/images/storage/s/sideshowmom/lowrez/Dscn7260.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I don't know what it is about working under pressure that suits me. I'll say, I don't really procrastinate with every project, but every once in a while I totally wait until the 11th hour. I will say, however, that the work produced is by no means shoddy...I can almost assuredly admit that the beads of sweat and increased heartbeat propel me somehow...thankfully in a forward direction, to finish my task at hand. As many writing tasks, like meeting a project deadline...the prep work is not at all started in the last minute...that would certainly be a no-go because it can really take a lot of planning, but the finishing, polishing, and closing work can take me a while to dredge through.<br /><br />I drag my feet and tarry for a while...although I 'feel' late,...the work is not actually turned in behind schedule.<br /><br />I have heard completely stopping a task and working on something entirely different is helpful....let's hope so! Perhaps even writing about the task is not ideal.<br /><br />I will think of everything else I can do, like writing this post, rather than buckle down and get the project done. errgg. I've tried to change and no matter how much prep work I do....there is almost always a period of rest between the preparation/lining the eggs up and the finished polished product...I suppose I am not alone. And although I meet deadlines, during the lag time I feel like a bit of a slacker. I like to be ahead ...by weeks if I can.Sefarditahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11602303275214258178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3608017421286913967.post-67204192212272798832008-01-03T20:21:00.000-08:002008-01-03T21:00:54.779-08:00Boiled Mayonnaise<span style="font-family:georgia;">Agristada-one of my favorite <a href="http://www.orthohelp.com/geneal/seph_wh2.htm#conversos">Sephardic</a> foods, is made with an egg and lemon sauce, which is delicately tempered to avoid curdling. My family likes the sauce served over long grain rice and homemade meatballs (as opposed to fish)-we refer to the entire meal as Agristada.<br /><br />During my deliberations over the name of this blog, I looked up Agristada. Oddly enough, one of the meanings I found was "boiled mayonnaise." </span>Initially, I thought this was unusual, grossly comical, and maybe even catchy...well at least potentially.<br /><br />I was in terrible disagreement with the term as it was defined and while I found it oddly attractive, the longer I sat with it, I grew more and more nauseated at the thought. I thought any reader might well be intrigued at first, but then just repulsed.<br /><br />Save the repulsion... I had to change the everyday name and solely use, "boiled mayonnaise" for an entry...my first.<br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span>Sefarditahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11602303275214258178noreply@blogger.com0