Wasabi Honey Bee

Lemon Meringue Pie

2012-03-10T16:16:00.022-08:00

A friend of mine hired me to make her a lemon meringue pie.

She brought over flour and sugar, butter and lemons.

I love how she used the blue paper clips with the brown bags

and the red writing . . .

I used the Genevieve's Lemon Meringue Pie recipe from my mom's cookbook, although truth be told, it is my recipe. The pie was titled this because of a woman who greatly inspired my mom as a child and according to my mom, she made a fantastic lemon meringue pie.

I have a serious soft spot for rolling pins and dough, so sorry if there is often a similar image

floating through this blog . . .

And the pie came out looking golden and heavenly . . .

I'm going to have to make one of these for myself very soon here . . .

Lemon Meringue Pie

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Pre-bake pie crust for ten minutes.

In a large bowl combine and mix well:

7 egg yolks (save whites)

2 tablespoons corn starch or Kuzu

1/2 cup sugar (or more if your lemons are really sour)

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon lemon zest

3/4 cup lemon juice

Pour into a double boiler, or use a regular pot

and be very careful, stir constantly

over medium heat until thick, 10-12 minutes.

Remove from heat and add:

8 tablespoons butter cut in chunks

Stir then pour into pre-baked pie crust.

Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees.

Beat egg whites until stiff.

Add:

1/3 - 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Spread over pie then bake until golden, 10-15 minutes.

Cheers ~ Marica

In the Kitchen . . .

2012-03-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

One of my most favorite places, hands down, is in the kitchen.

I am always wishing I could capture the simple perfections . . .

The beauty . . .

The bits and pieces that make it all magic . . .

The process . . .

The chaos . . .

The smells . . .

And flavors . . .

That surround and inspire. . .

The everlasting satisfaction from start to finish . . .

Many Cheers ~ Marica

Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow ? ? With Delphinium and Nasturtium and Fox Glove all in a row . . .

2012-03-03T20:04:00.006-08:00

I've been catching the first buds . . .

And blooms . . .

On our nectarine tree . . .

Soaking roots to try to revive this not so happy Popcorn Cassia . . .

I've been planting more Fox Glove . . . Yes, lots more Fox Glove!!!!

And starting Delphinium indoors, cross my fingers . . .

I really hope they make it, they are so lovely, lovely. . .

I've been adding soil to the soon to be vegetable garden . . .

And soaking Nasturtium seeds before they head to the great outdoors . . .

I've been tending and watering, watching and loving all these growing beauties . . .

Hurray for March!!!

~ Marica

A lot of lately . . .

2012-02-26T11:47:00.000-08:00

So much lately . . . So much doing, so much done . . .

It is fun when a million projects are happening, but sometimes I find it hard to juggle them all . . .

And it has been so warm . . . Sprinkler playing, mud-puddle warm!!!

Our Magnolia tree has decided it is time to show its most outrages blooms . . .

Sometimes I can't believe Magnolia trees are real.

Doll making is getting closer to an end . . .

They are already discussing names . . .

My little one has been very excited to work in his "math book".
I love how kids at this age, at least all of mine, think all writing work
is math, even if it is practicing letters . . .

I made creme brulee . . .

With the fire crusted sugar top!!!

Oh lordy lord, I love fancy homemade decadence!!!

It feels like warm spring and my energy is pumping with ambition . . .

I hope to knock my own socks off with how much I can complete over the next short while.

Best Wishes ~ Marica

Colors of my mom's birthday . . .

2012-02-24T20:51:00.000-08:00

Today was my mothers birthday. A lovely short bit of time together and a simple gift.

I found these two beautiful fabrics that seemed like a glove-fit for her sofa . . .

She is a true pillow lover, so it was a fun quick project to stitch these up and seal

their fate as colors bound by thread.

My daughter made her this adorable card . . . My mother also loves frogs . . .

We took a quick trip to Santa Barbara for lunch . . . Just the two of us . . .

And found a bounty of beautiful color.

She even remarked on how the day felt so full of color . . . I agreed . . .

A perfect time together . . .

Happy Birthday to my Dear Mother ~

~ Marica

When it all makes sense . . .

2012-02-21T21:05:00.000-08:00

For some days I have been sitting with this post, hesitating to send it on its way into blog universe.

I haven't quite been able to figure out why, so here goes:

For starters, I don't believe in any one way of doing things. At least I try not to. Deep down I am open to all ideas; although I readily keep in mind that sometimes my head is far more filled with my own rattling notions than I would like to think. But when it comes to schooling I keep a wide-open page, constantly taking notes, ready to add information and waiting for the perfect solution. Sometimes I love what we do and other times I feel like a bit more traditional time might not be such a negative thing.

I was homeschooled as a kid, dabbled in school here and there, and don't feel it turned me too far for the worse (spelling and grammar aside). We have approached our own children's education with gentle fascination, trying to keep a medium that is not so far one way or the other. But sometimes there are moments that flag me down and remind me that just maybe, perhaps . . . perhaps, we might be heading in the right direction.

Last Wednesday I was surrounded by three cheery little faces entirely enthralled in a number project. We had cards with numbers written on them and were taking turns placing the next number in sequence. You could see the quiet pride when they realized they had the next number and yet they were equally thrilled to help one another . . .

It was such effortless absorption of information . . .

Learning is so individual, so unique and so, so delicate.

These moments free me from the tension of trying to make the right decision.

They make it simple, clear, and sensible.

Thanks ~ Marica

Such a yummy dinner . . .

2012-02-16T19:36:00.000-08:00

Last week I made the yummiest Indian dinner . . .

With simple white rice, lemon lentils and chicken Tikka . . .

I made naans and was quite amused when my little one announced he had turned

his dinner into a rice sandwich . . .

For dessert I concocted something I hope I can replicate again someday . . .

It hit the spot so entirely . . .

Basically I sautéed frozen mango pieces in butter, sugar, dried shredded coconut,

a pinch cardamom, salt and a dash of coconut milk. I want to eat it again right now!!!

Happy Cooking ~ Marica

Fun, fun and more fun . . .

2012-02-11T19:44:00.000-08:00

A mini hike to the meadow preserve . . .

Where we heard lots of birds and ducks . . .

Explored logs and stumps . . .

Balanced . . .

And balanced some more . . .

Built fairy houses . . .

And found this tree I would love to climb . . .

Had a quick bout of Valentine making . . .

Created alligator and lizard lands . . .

Picked bouquets of sour-grass . . .

So much sour-grass . . .

The brightness that seems so far from winter . . .

Crossing my fingers for rain . . .

~ Marica

In the kitchen . . . Food, food, food . . . And a simple bun recipe . . .

2012-02-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot happening in the kitchen over this last week:

The oven cranked to its highest temperature for traditional pizza . . .

As well as a multi-grain pizza crust . . .

Mild risotto . . . I always forget about risotto . . .

Homemade buns for garden burgers . . .

Bun Recipe

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a large bowl stir gently together and then let sit until

yeast foams to the top:

1+1/2 cups warm water

1 tablespoon honey

2+1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (one package)

Add and knead until elastic.

If the dough is too wet add more flour.

If the dough is sticky, oil your hands:

1 cup whole wheat flour

3 cups white flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 egg

Cover and let sit in a warm place for about an hour and a half.

Divide into six equal pieces and flatten into buns.

Make sure they are pretty flat because they will rise.

Arrange on an oiled cookie sheet and

bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until nicely golden.

Then there were peanut butter cookies . . .

Which I can't eat, but on occasion have a craving to bake . . .

And Mexican wedding cakes . . . Ooo I love Mexican wedding cakes . . .

I thank my oven everyday . . .

Cheers ~ Marica

Busy . . . Busy . . . Busy . . .

2012-02-04T22:44:00.001-08:00

There has been so much happening around here I don't have enough pictures to cover it all.

Lots of working, working and playing, playing . . .

Trying to balance fun and necessity . . .

There has been a fair amount of progress on our Waldorf doll project . . .

Tricky stitching that took four hands to complete . . .

And careful collaboration to make sure the arms stayed straight . . .

There was a doll's birthday . . .

With yummy granola-muffin cake . . .

All the recent doll play reminds me so much of being eight-years-old . . .

New bunnies to make friends with . . .

Staying up past midnight to satisfy my own private work time . . .

Taking the sewing outside to enjoy this incredible February sunshine . . .

What has been keeping all of you busy as of late?

~ Marica

Things around here that make me take a breath and smile . . .

2012-01-31T20:48:00.000-08:00

Making our own rain during this eighty-degree January spell . . .

Barefoot and leaping . . .

The mysterious flower I just found behind our house . . .

And the surprise violets that are blooming . . . So quietly elegant . . .

Fresh ingredients from the Sunday Market . . .

Multi grain bread that came out soooo good!!! I'll tell you more about that soon . . . Heavenly desserts . . .

My dear five-year-old listening with all his might . . .

And these boys getting so big I can only watch and try to assimilate . . .

Cheers ~ Marica

Releasing Ladybugs . . .

2012-01-26T21:02:00.000-08:00

We decided to add a few more ladybugs to our yard . . .

Fifteen hundred to be exact . . .

It was wonderful watching the kids so enthralled with the crawly little beasts . . .

They named their new friends . . .

Counted their spots . . .

And then bid them farewell on their many adventures . . .

A fun momentary acquaintance with such small living beings . . .

Cheers ~ Marica

Homemade Sushi . . . A couple of secrets . . .

2012-01-20T14:10:00.000-08:00

Sushi is one of my most favorite things. I have tried and tried again to replicate the exactly satisfying experience that makes going out to sushi an occasional necessity. Over the last year or so I have come to a few realizations and come up with a couple of tricks:

1. Pick vibrant flavors.

2. A little spread miso paste carries it a long way.

3. A squeeze of fresh ginger can put it over the edge.

This last batch I used different combinations of the following ingredients.

Radish sprouts, cucumber, cilantro, sesame seeds, pickled carrots,

avocado, sushi grade ahi, baked golden bass, meyer lemon and sriracha.

Some were with both fish, some were vegetarian.

Toasting the sesame seeds in a dry pan before using them adds flavor . . .

A small slice of meyer lemon with a dash of the sriracha adds spice and a little sour-sweet . . .

For the pickled carrots I soaked sliced carrots in a bath of salt, white balsamic vinegar and water.

I let them sit in the refrigerator for several hours, but the next day they were even better . . .

I'm not giving the full recipe, because unfortunately I threw it together too quickly and forgot to

measure. Good luck with your next sushi making endeavor . . .

~ Marica

Internet Censorship . . .

2012-01-17T18:35:00.000-08:00

I really try not to get political in this blog. I have strong feelings about many things, but this space is not where I wish to vent them. That said, I wanted to let all Internet readers know about a very serious censorship bill that must be stopped. I ask fellow readers and writers to please write congress and let them know that you are opposed to Internet censorship. The following link makes it very easy.

http://sopastrike.com/strike

Thank you all ~ Marica

Wabi-Sabi . . . Lately . . .

2012-01-15T21:44:00.000-08:00

It feels like forever since I have been able to sit down and etch out a quick post. As wabi-sabi is such a capturing catch-all of the beauty of everyday, I thought I'd post some pictures from the last couple of weeks . . . The simple yet so deeply here in my house moments . . .

On the bedroom wall . . .

Over my dresser . . .

So used, so loved . . .

In the kitchen . . .

Rolling dough . . .

Sliced and ready . . .

Almost real looking crossants . . .

A last minute birthday card . . .

And lastly . . . The dedication of sour-grass as it pokes its bright yellow flowers

up through the concret . . .

This is my wabi-sabi as of late, what is yours??

Hope everyone is well ~ Marica

Last night and the year to come . . .

2012-01-01T20:33:00.000-08:00

Last night we celebrated with lasagna, salad, and homemade cracker twists . . .

We made drinks with fresh squeezed lemon, sparkling water and bourbon.

We tossed in frozen strawberries as ice cubes . . .Today I think about the things I want to finish this year, or at least keep working on . . .

I have so many projects . . . I need to start stamping some as closed . . .

All done . . .

No more work needed . . .

Somethings take their own time . . . Like the bamboo I am growing along the fence . . .

But others need me to be the fire to get them completed.

Happy New Year and Best Wishes to Everyone ~ Marica

I made a bed . . .

2011-12-31T07:15:00.000-08:00

Just recently, and very much by chance, we got a new bed. It was way too nice to set on the floor like we had our old futon mattress . . . I didn't really like the idea of the puppies thinking it was as much theirs as it was ours. So I decided to build a bed frame to put this brand spanking new mattress on. To some this may sound easy, and even to me, I knew it wouldn't be too hard . . . But just like a kid is proud when they do a grownup's job, I feel proud every time I make something out of wood.

I designed it simply, using 2x12's and 2x6's. It was more work to carry the wood in than anything else.

And now finally, hurray, we have a wonderful bed . . .

Our bedroom may be a converted hallway, but our bed is a king's dream.

Cheers ~ Marica

Habanero Chocolate Truffles . . .

2011-12-29T19:57:00.000-08:00

Spicy? Yes . . .

Dark chocolate? Definitely . . .

Melted and infused . . .

Habanero chocolate truffles . . .

These are very easy to make. I came across a habanero chocolate bar a few weeks ago and was so blown away I decided to try making some for myself. Luckily the habaneros that my husband had planted this year still had fruit hanging on for dear life . . . I threw a few in a pan with a half pound of Trader Joe's eighty proof chocolate, a dash of heavy cream and a tad bit of butter. Mixing well and melting gently, the spice of the habaneros immersed themselves, and a sprinkling of cinnamon and tangerine rind was all it needed to send me over the edge. I am in love. Truly!!! To finish it all, just pick out the habaneros and pour the chocolate onto a piece of parchment paper. Let cool before slicing and devouring. I recommend refrigerating if there are left overs. Please do realize these are SPICY!!!

Best wishes to everyone in the new year ~ Marica

Christmas . . . And yes, poppy seed cake with brandy sauce . . .

2011-12-26T23:06:00.000-08:00

Well the whirlwind of Christmas just is sputtering to a close . . . I realized I think I might enjoy the lead up to Christmas more than the actual day, or days, themselves. Here a a few pictures of what happened over on this end of the world. I didn't record the hurried messes or grouchy voices, I caught a few glimpses of the pretty things . . . Like my eight-year-old's last minute made Christmas dress . . . She always reminds me the day before or so, and then I remember, "Oh yes, we need to do that too . . ." So we hurry to the fabric store and somehow, it always gets finished in the hours before it is worn, and threads just barely snipped, and then it looks as though we had planned it so well and she has had it hanging in her closet for weeks. Shhh, I like that part of the last minutes before it all begins . . .

And the deep yet bright colors of Christmas eve . . .

And the quiet light the of the morning . . . The day so many children dream about all year . . .

And then there are the chocolate Santa's that look so much better than they actually taste . . .

And lastly, poppy seed cake with brandy sauce and pecans . . .

Poppy Seed Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl mix:

2 cups butter soft

2 + ½ cups brown sugar

Add:

Tangerine rind

1 + ½ cups sour cream

8 eggs, one at a time then stir

½ cup milk

Mix in a bowl:

6 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Combine ingredients then pour into a buttered budnt pan.

If your pan is not very big, pour excess batter into a loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

For the brandy sauce I just pour brandy in a pan over medium heat,

added brown sugar and a couple tablespoons of butter.

I also threw in a cup or so of pecans.

Once everything is desolved turn off the heat.

When the cake is cooked and turned out onto a plate,

poke toothpick size holes all over the top of the cake.

Pour the brandy sauce with pecans over that and

if you want to make it extra fancy, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Hope everyones holidays were fabulous ~ Marica

Winter . . .

2011-12-22T15:19:00.000-08:00

In our house it is starting to show . . .

Holiday meals . . . Salad with pear, pecan, goat cheese and honey mustard dressing . . .

Brownies with swirled cream cheese and bits of candy-cane baked on top . . .

And our Christmas tree . . .

Finally . . . It took us forever to get one. We always buy potted live trees, but this year they were so expensive we almost gave in and got a cut one. But by the time we went to pick out one of those, all the Christmas-tree stands had sold out. So back to the plant nursery we went . . . And now everytime I look at the tree I feel so glad . . . It is so beautiful and someday will get to grow to be so tall.

Happy Holidays ~ Marica

Tid bits of lately . . . Christmas cookies, making ornaments and gingerbread men . . .

2011-12-17T10:02:00.000-08:00

Well it feels like forever since I've had time to sit down for a minute and post anything about anything. We have been so busy and done so much, but somehow things keep slipping past my camera without being captured.

We made ornaments with styrofoam balls, scraps of cloth and a whole lot of sticky glue . . .

I really like the way they came out, but the process wasn't as easy as I'd imagined in my head.

We made gingerbread cookies . . . And found out they date back to over a thousand years ago.

In the fourteen-hundreds Swedish nuns made them to ease indigestion . . .

We began reading Holly and Ivy, one of my most favorite books ever . . .

I highly recommend it, the artwork is so pleasant to look at that as a kid I would

spend hours pouring over the pictures.

And we made Christmas cookies . . . Yeay for a real working oven!!!!

Christmas Cookies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl combine:

3 cups flour

1 tablespoon guar gum

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Add and crumble with your fingers until evenly combined:

1 cup butter soft

Add and mix into a ball:

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 grapefruit squeezed (a lemon or orange is fine)

If the dough is too dry add a tiny bit of water until it is

the right consistency.

Roll out, cut into shapes and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes

or the cookies are slightly golden.

For the icing I didn't measure the powdered sugar so:

Mix:

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 tablespoon maple syrup or more citrus juice

and then add powdered sugar until it is thick and smooth

but still spreads.

Cheers ~ Marica

Things of late and Dark Chocolate Carob Fudge Brownies GF . . .

2011-12-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

December has begun . . . Cold nights and cozy almost winter days . . .

Lots of wool and decorating . . .

Board games . . .And toasty fires to warm our dinners outside . . .

Where we live it is cold enough to need the fire, but still warm enough to eat outside . . .

And then there were these . . .

Chocolate Carob Fudge Brownies . . .

Gluten and Dairy Free

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large bowl combine:

1 egg
1 + 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil melted
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a separate bowl combine:

1 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup carob powder
1 teaspoon guar gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt

Mix dry ingredients with wet.

Pour into an oiled loaf pan.

Bake at 300 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes
or until the middle is pretty steady.

Let cool before serving.

I love this time of year . . .

~Marica

Leftover Cranberries become cake . . . Gluten and dairy free . . .

2011-12-01T17:00:00.000-08:00

Well what do you do when you have a bowl brimming with leftover cranberries . . . Packed into a sadly overstuffed refrigerator . . . And not enough gumption to eat every very last bite of what otherwise could be called the prize delicacy of leftover thanksgiving. There are lots pf prize leftovers . . . So many that the chocolate mousse eventually soured and the almond shortbread was of a yesterday sort of thing. But the cranberries held their head high and just kept waiting to be eaten. I waited with them. I love cranberries, but only so many at one time. Cake was one of those far off solutions that eventually became a prominent necessity if I didn't want the cranberries to join the passé

mousse in the afterlife of decomposition and a sour bacteria ridden existence. So cake it was . . .

Leftover Cranberry Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix:

4 eggs

1 cup almond milk

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

In a separate bowl mix:

1 cup masa flour

1 cup sweet white rice flour

2 tablespoons tapioca flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup brown sugar

Combine the bowls and mix gently. Add:

1 + 1/2 cups leftover cranberries drained

Zest of 1 lemon

Pour into oiled bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden and the edges of the cake have moved away from the edge of the pan. This is a pretty moist cake, especially when it first comes out of the oven so the tooth pick test won't work very well.

~ Marica

Masa Cookies, gluten and dairy free . . .

2011-11-28T19:52:00.000-08:00

Simple, if you have the ingredients . . . Yummy, when you want something different . . .

Snackish, if it is morning . . . And almost winter, lets turn our ovens on . . .

These can be rolled, even iced if you want a healthy Christmas cookie . . .

The kids were thrilled to make "shape cookies" as they call them . . .

Golden so fast it wasn't hard to wait . . .

So here is the recipe . . .

Masa Cookies

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a large bowl mix:

3 cups masa flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon guar gum

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1 cup brown sugar

Add and rub with your fingers until forms crumbs:

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

Add:

2 eggs

1 cup almond or coconut milk

Roll out between sheets of parchment paper, oil if the dough sticks.

Cut into desired shapes and lay on oiled cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

~ Marica

Pear Heaven, Building Benches and good ol' Thanksgiving . . .

2011-11-25T15:49:00.000-08:00

Well lets start off with Happy Thanksgiving . . . Yesterday was a busy day of food making, house cleaning, bench building, and then of course feasting. We spent our morning building benches so we could eat outdoors at our big table . . .

The kids were very helpful, really truly, and so they went together pretty quickly . . .

They also gathered tons of persimmons which are weighting down the big tree out front

of our kitchen window. I've never lived with a persimmon tree before, the fruits sure are beautiful,

but it is going to take some inventiveness to come up with a way I actually will

enjoy eating them . . .

We did a few firsts yesterday:

Firsts biscuits baked in our oven . . . We finally have our oven hooked up . . .

First fire in our outdoor fireplace . . .

First Thanksgiving here . . . First Pear Heaven . . . Yes, you all must be told about the Pear Heaven . . .

It was something gnawing at me . . . needing to be made . . .

and almost included apples instead of pears,

which I have to say would have in no way been the same thing.

So to make Pear Heaven, first bake a batch of:

Almond Short Bread Cookies:
I do want to say, I am not entirely sure of the temperature,
but I think I baked them at 400 degrees.

In a large bowl mix by rubbing with your fingers until
all the butter is in crumbs :
2 cups unbleached white flour
12 tablespoons very soft butter

Add and mix:
1/2 cup almond meal
3/4 cups brown sugar
dash cinnamon
dash salt

Add and mix gently until combined:
Zest from 1 lemon
1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Roll out carefully into a rectangle on wax paper,
then chill in the freezer for about 20 minutes.

Slice into 1"x 4" rectangles, but leave it as one large block while it bakes.
Poke with a fork evenly to prevent buckling.
Leave on wax paper and place on a cookie sheet.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden at 400 degrees.
Let cool before removing them from the pan.

While they bake make a small pot of:

Brandy Sauce:
In a small pan heat and mix until sugar is desolved:
2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup brandy

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

zest from 1 orange

The Pears
Now, sauted in a large pan with 1 tablespoon of brandy sauce,
covering and letting them cook until just tender then turn off stove:
1 tablespoon butter
6 pears sliced, and cored
A dash of:
cinnamon
nutmeg
cardamon
cloves

Serve Pear Heaven in a small dish with pears on the bottom,
a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream, a bit of brandy sauce
over the top, and an almond shortbread cookie tucked in for good measure.

I decided this year I would do more delicate desserts,

figuring after such a huge meal it would be a more enjoyable concept . . .

But then, after we all ate, only the kids really had room for proper

dessert eating anyway.

How was your thanks giving? ~Marica

An excursion to the outdoor bookstore . . .

2011-11-23T22:33:00.000-08:00

I have always taken for granted that our small town has an outdoor bookstore. It wasn't until this year, when our very good friend who works there mentioned the rarity of such things, that my mind went click click and I realized you just couldn't maintain an outdoor bookshop in most climates. Where we live has its rains for sure, but most of the year the sun shines and the clouds stay at bay. Of course, those of us who grow up here yearn for more "weather" but there is a certain charm to the flexibility of indoor/outdoor living . . .

So last Monday we decided a mini fieldtrip to the outdoor book-haven was a perfect opportunity to enjoy one of our favorite places in this town, and take advantage of our

"Inside" connection . . .

It was fun seeing the kids walking through the endless corridors of bookshelves . . .

We were given the exclusive tour . . .

From Anthropology to Science Fiction . . .

They searched and weighed their options . . .

Finally to each pick out a book or two to take home . . .

It was a lovely bit of time in the world of sunshine and books . . .

~ Marica

Quilting Girls . . .

2011-11-21T07:12:00.000-08:00

Nine patch quilts are something that rings through my head when I think of eight-year-old Laura Ingalls, tucked in a make-shift cabin with her family, braving the trials of pioneering across the vast United States. So why not have our group of seven and eight-year olds make their first nine patch quilts. Of course we have a speedy sewing machine to aid us in the process, but there was still the careful measuring, and cutting, and chatter chatter chatter that went along way in making it feel just right.

They each carefully decorated their cardboard measuring square . . .

Chose out their fabric from our endless scraps . . .

Did lots of ironing . . .

Laid them out just right . . .

Used the sewing machine all by themselves . . .

Sometimes with a little help from a fellow quilter . . .

And tada . . . A mini nine patch quilt just right for a doll . . .

~ Marica

Pictures from the kitchen . . .

2011-11-19T22:07:00.000-08:00

Autumn food . . . The red red pomegranates our friends brought us . . .

Warm quinoa salad with chard from the garden, walnuts,

lemon juice and fresh crushed garlic . . .

Our sole strawberry . . .

Red, red, red . . .

Anaheim chilies . . .

For long over due tamale making . . .

I always forget about tamales and then am so happy when they cross my mind . . .

Dinner after dark, now that the time has changed and the days are getting shorter . . .

Happy Cooking ~ Marica

Quote of a five-year-old . . .

2011-11-11T19:40:00.000-08:00

After seeing his very strong muscles I state:

“You are so strong, if we ever have an elephant in our house that needs to be

moved, you can pick it up and bring it outside . . ."

Ridiculous I know, but sometimes this is the way conversations go.

Five-year-old answers:

“No . . . we would probably need to invite all of our friends over to help be able to pick

up an elephant . . . they probably way two thousand pounds!!!”

~ Marica

More clicks of the camera . . .

2011-11-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

Click click click, thank goddness for digital "film".

This is a post I found from a few weeks ago that somehow I never posted.

The kids were so charming I decided to post it anyway . . .

Very concentrated, tackling heavy corduroy . . .

Four kids tucked at one tiny toddler table . . .

Eating . . .

A rose picked . . .

One piece of fire wood cut to perfection . . .

Round table braiding . . .

A snack in the teepee . . .

Lovely autumn weather, not too hot, not too cold . . . Just right.

~ Marica

The winner of the Autumn Package is . . .

2011-11-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for your wonderful comments.

I am happy to post the winner of the

Autumn Package is:

anextrovertinthecountryside.blogspot.com

Best wishes to everyone ~ Marica

October 31st and Pumpkin Donuts . . . Gluten and Dairy Free . . .

2011-11-01T21:34:00.000-07:00

Do you remember being a kid and waiting for halloween? Do you remember the ideas and

plans and so much excitement that it spun from you head to your toes, back up to you head

and singed out through your hair?

Well as we all are overly aware, yesterday was that holy day of days where dressing up is

not only acceptable but also encouraged. Though in all honesty, it seems like most grown-ups

rev up for the extreme night and then sigh with relief once it has all passed . . .

What a hustle and bustle . . .

We started our evening with a light potluck dinner. . .This next picture is of my friend's sweet children readying them selves for the evening

by first eating carmel dunked apples . . .

The night finally wound to and end . . . Feeling very complete by the time we got home and everyone had dumped their sweets onto the counter, picked out their few to save and brushed their teeth with the strongest tooth paste in the house.

Hope all your Halloweens were truly wonderful . . . Cheers ~ Marica

P.S. Here is the Pumpkin Donut Recipe:

Pumpkin Donuts

Gluten and Dairy Free

In a lare bowl mix:

2 eggs

3/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree

1 + 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 + 1/2 cups sweet rice flour

3/4 cups almond meal

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1 teaspoon guar gum

In a large pan over medium heat pour 1 quart vegetable oil .

To test if oil is ready, drop a pinch of dough into the oil and if it rises to the top it is ready.

Shape into one inch balls and fry several minutes, until golden brown, turning as needed.

Drain cooked donuts on a paper towel.

P.P.S. Don't forget to enter the giveaway below . . .

It's been a year . . . pumpkins . . . creations . . . and a GIVEAWAY . . .

2011-10-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, it has been a year exactly!!! October 30th 2010 was my first post . . .

And here we are, full circle round the sun and many more posts to go . . . This has been fun thus far. I love having somewhere to put bits of my days, which after turning into a post feel like a completed, tied in project. I love having the faraway people I have gotten to know, even if it is only a glimpse into their worlds. I love writing often, and not just in scribbles on random bits of paper, tucked in my pocket or my bag, rarely to resurface. I take residence in this Wasabi Honey Bee domain, and I like it.

It is a space to keep track of the things I do, and to share them with people who have the same continues desire to make make make things . . .

I love when I receive comments, it is so satisfying and reassuring . . .

And I love taking pictures . . . Sometimes so many to just get that one perfect shot . . .

Other times hundreds not to get even one satisfactory square of moment captured . . .

I thank you to all the readers and friends who come by this space,

and I would like to offer a giveaway.

A completely autumn package including:

   Earrings, made by my dear dear friend . . . I will be telling you more about her soon.
   Decorative puppet, as you see above.
   Cookbook, written by my mother and illustrated by me. . .

   with so many wonderful holiday recipes

     Warm winter hat, you saw the beginnings of in a recent post.

~~To enter please leave a comment on this post. If you link about this giveaway I will enter you twice, and if you feel encouraged to~~ ~~follow~~ ~~this blog, I will even add you again.~~

~~Last chance to enter will be November 5th~~

~~I will be posting the winner here and on the most current post on November 6th 2011~~

The winner of the Autumn Package is:

anextrovertinthecountryside.blogspot.com/

For now, thank you and best wishes . . .

~ Marica

Down to the river bottom and back . . .

2011-10-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

Today we met up with some dear, dear friends to make the short hike to the river bottom. It had been a ridiculously long time since we had seen them and everybody had grown.

The little boys ran practically nonstop until we got there . . .

We passed the remnants of an old vineyard . . .

And after this picture, I officially name this giant rock Dragon Toe . . .

Or maybe it is already called that . . .

The kids were so happy . . .

And I caught this picture of one of my daughter's favorite dresses. This same dress that has been worn year after year. . . It used to be far below her knees . . .

And it has now been proven that pants make very good hats . . .

Really truly . . .

There was a bit of time to crochet . . .

But all too soon we had to pack up to go home . . .

Leaving in the late afternoon sun . . .

A perfect October walk.

~ Marica

Indulgence of simmering heaven . . . A recipe for dinner . . .

2011-10-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

I wish I could post smells . . . The smell of cayenne peppers, fresh chopped and sauteing in olive oil is something that whoever finally finds claim to its essence will be wealthy beyond measure. But hopefully that will never in actuality happen. I do however encourage everyone and anyone to a mid-autumn indulgence in late summer peppers, cooked in olive oil over low heat until their peek has been reached. Then, only then, poured over pasta Alfredo.

The delicate intensity of a fresh sprig of thyme gently added to that white sauce, making perfection an understatement . . . Please please please don't forget to smell while these miracles of the garden cook.

This is a pretty basic white sauce:

Saute over medium heat:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion yellow onion minced

2 carrots chopped finely

Once carrots are tender but definitely not soft, add,

mixing constantly until smooth and thickened:

1-2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup corn

1 cup peas

1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon unbleached white flour dissolved in

1 + 1/2 cups parmesan grated

Salt, black pepper and cayenne to taste

Place a bed of washed, chopped chard on each plate, then add a mound of cooked noodles.

I used lasagna noodles torn into manageable pieces. Pour the sauce over and garnish with black

salt cured olives and the pepper oil from above. And if you're like me and can't decide if you're addicted to spicy or there is just something in it you need, add pepper flakes too . . .

Please enjoy ~ Marica

Cloudy day stove top meatloaf . . .

2011-10-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

Well it wasn't actually a cloudy day. In fact it was a relatively warm evening.

But, the name fit so perfectly, and I kept thinking how I could be eating this in a pub in some

far off cold part of the world . . .

I accompanied my sandwich with one of my most favorite of beers ever . . .

Anderson Valley IPA. The beer is such a compliment, I suggest waiting to make these

sandwiches until you're in the mood to open a beer and set it aside your plate, making

this meal a complete experience . . .

Cloudy Day Stove Top Meat Loaf

Begin by sauteing until pretty tender:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 new potatoes chopped pretty finely

Add:

2 carrots chopped very finely

1/2 red onion minced

1/2 red onion chopped into big pieces

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 tablespoon stone ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt, or more if you tend to like salt

dash black pepper

Once potatoes are fully cooked and carrots are acceptable, add:

1 lb ground beef, pressed evenly across the pan.

Cover and simmer until desired doneness.

Serve on sandwich bun with plenty of mustard and mayonnaise.

P.S. I actually skipped mayonnaise for myself, I am not a big fan, but others

seem to like it.

~ Marica

Well he is a puppy . . .

2011-10-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

When you're a child, you think you might adopt every dog in the world when you're

all grown up. Maybe you'll have a farm and rescue every puppy and sad old dog who has

no home. But then you grow up. When you're a grown up, and your children look up at you with eyes as big a saucers, hopping hopping you might say yes they can take that sweet little ball of fuzziness home . . . You hear the word "No" slipping through your lips and you remember what it felt like, and you tell them you remember, but they don't really think you do. Well, that has happened many a time. But there are other times when there is that little ball of fuzz you, or shall I say I, can't live with out . . . And your grown up head is telling you "Say no, say no," But the words uttered from your lips this time are "Yes, we would love him." And the funniest part about this time . . . And the last time . . . and the time before that is . . . The kids weren't even the ones to ask. This time all on my own I said yes, without any children tugging, or voicing chiming, or eyes pleading. Nope, it was all me. All by myself wanting so hard to keep him that it didn't matter if we already had two dogs, and it didn't matter if he would need to be potty trained. This perfect sweet bundle, oh what a complete baby bundle, to cuddle and snuggle and squeeze.

~ Marica

Yesterday's simple foods . . .

2011-10-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made a couple of very simple thing and somehow they were entirely satisfying:

Lunch of sushi made with only chard, a squeeze of lemon and lemon rind.

I made the rice with:

2 cups sushi rice rinsed well

4 cups water

A little salt

Bring to a simmer then cook about 15 minutes or until water is absorbed.

Once it was cooked I added a dash of rice vinegar and a bit of agave.

And as an afternoon dessert, I made Frozen banana ice cream . . . The simplest yummiest thing. It is something a lot of raw foodists will make as a cold treat. Simply freeze bananas, then push them through a juicer.

It is so cold, and creamy and smooth . . .

~ Marica

Wabi-Sabi through my camera's lens . . .

2011-10-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

In a past post I brought up Wabi-Sabi . . . Wabi-sabi is a Japanese word and as wikipedia describes: "Wabi-sabi (侘寂^?) represents a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete".^[1] It is a concept derived from the Buddhist teaching of the three marks of existence (三法印 sanbōin^?), specifically impermanence (無常 mujō^?)

I have begun to realize that as I look through my camera's lens I am seeing wabi-sabi. It is the stopping moment, the appreciation of the everyday, the second of seeing without thinking forward. Yesterday I took picture after picture, and as always, felt immensely grateful I don't have to now develop a million photographs to catch that one picture that feels settling to my eyes. Wabi-sabi through the lens as follows . . .

The quaintness of pinto beans and dominoes . . .

Small hands . . .

Cloth mats. . .

Morning light . . .

A five-year-old's toes . . .

The awe that same five-year-old feels when a giant moth lands squarely on her arm . . .

The moth itself . . .

The bent sunflower filled with seeds . . .

The careful picking . . .

Seed after seed . . .

Together . . .

New seeds ready to eat, something I had never done before . . .

So perfectly packed it makes you have to wonder . . .

Wabi-sabi

~ Marica

Decadence in the form of chocolate . . .

2011-10-18T17:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I like when I run out of the usual ingredients and I end up putting something together that would have otherwise never been made. Today was such an afternoon. The kids were scrambling to have something sweet, "Anything mommy . . . " But alas, we had no ready made sweet things in the house. After a while of intermittent requesting . . . half begging . . . irritating whining . . . patient waiting . . . I was finished cleaning and actually had an idea. Ooo . . . it was a good idea, and it was relatively simple, and I thought it would take care of everybody’s sweet cravings. The following is the recipe. I recommend it and am sure I will make it again. My eleven year old requested I write it down so he can have it as his birthday cake next summer. We’ll see about that . . .

For now though, best mid-October wishes . . .

Chocolate Decadence

Mix thoroughly:

8 oz cream cheese room temperature

1 + 1/2 tablespoons butter melted

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 – 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Move 1 tablespoon of mixture to a new bowl for the “crust”,

then add and mix 2 tablespoons almond meal.

Roll “crust” batter onto wax paper thickly strewn with almond meal.

Roll by covering the top in wax paper as well and rolling until the crust is about a 5” x 6” rectangle.

Whip 3/4 of the rest of the batter until light and smooth,

then spread evenly over the crust.

With the last bit, add:

3/4 teaspoon finely ground coffee

Spread this last bit evenly over the top.

Shave unsweetened chocolate over the top.

Chill a bit before serving.

To serve, cut into 1” squares.

It helps to wet the knife between cuts to make it come out more clean.

Cheers ~ Marica

A gift for that tiny baby . . .

2011-10-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

Finally finished, and given to my brother for his sweet new baby . . .

I used this pattern: Down Under Diaper Cover Pattern. It is so simple and was

my favorite cover for my youngest son . . . more about that in this post.

As well as two hats . . . of extremely different sorts . . .

And one thick blanket to lay on the floor because babies need to be able to roll around a bit . . .

Packaged up an passed on . . .

Actually one of the things I miss most about having babies . . . Aside from snuggling them all day, and holding them all night, and carrying them month in and month out, and smelling their fuzzy heads, and looking at their tiny toes, and trying to remember them so I won't forget once they get so big . . . is making things for them.

~ Marica

October, and thinking of flowers . . .

2011-10-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

I have decided to move my tea garden. As much time as I have spent building and planting it, every time I look at it now, I feel like it is sitting in the wrong place.

When I first started to work on our yard, I remember feeling like I needed to know exactly what our plan was. It all seemed so permanent. After a bit I realized it may take a few start and backtracks to restart and be more clear about what we are doing.

Shrubs can be moved . . . so can stepping stones . . . And annual flowers put in their time with such vengeance . . .

only to be done, on their own accord, before too long.

I planted Hollyhock and sweet peas along a good portion of our back fence . . . I will be scattering poppy seeds out front where there is still so much vision needed . . .

We are discussing the home spot of one of my most favorite types of trees EVER . . . The Manzanita. My friend gave me this one for my birthday . . .

If I do everything right, someday, this will be a fifteen to twenty foot tall beauty . . .

With elongated curling branches, reaching for the sun, and hosting small snowy like

tear drop blossoms, that as a kid, we called snow.

~ Marica

The Art of Eating an Ice Cream Cone . . .

2011-10-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

From a cold rainy day, to hot fall weather, before we had time to blink . . .

Brought us to a late afternoon ice cream cone . . . To keep everything balanced . . .

On swings . . .

While the sun sank behind the mountain.

Because who's to say, there could possibly be anything more perfect.

~ Marica

Rainy day stuff . . .

2011-10-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

A day inside brings out inside projects. The last time we were at an art store we picked

up some scratch boards. I hadn't used one of these since high school. It was so fun, and

such a different way of drawing . . .

We played some good old fashion board games . . .

I also made the yummiest chai . . .

I usually like making it entirely from scratch, or I use a simple chai tea bag.

This time I was in a hurry, but I wanted the real deal, so I did this half-way version.

This is a rough guess as to what I did:

Chai

Bring to a simmer then simmer for several minutes:

2 cups water

2 black chai tea bags

1 black tea bag

3 ginger tea bags

a few whole allspice

a dash of ground cardamon

a dash of ground cinnamon

a pinch of ground nutmeg

a pinch ground black pepper

Pull out the tea bags and add:

3 cups almond milk

Honey or agave syrup to taste

Of course now it is sunny again . . . but there is still that

clean-ness to the air, and sparkle to the clouds.

~ Marica

And it rained . . .

2011-10-04T11:05:00.000-07:00

Most likely this is a post that only can be truly understood by those who must cherish their rain. Where I live, rain is rare enough that kids will run outside with light in their eyes exclaiming "It's raining it's raining . . ." Adults too . . . It will be common conversation . . . "Did you hear the rain last night?" Or we'll wake up in the middle of the night and ask "Is it raining?" It is not like we never get rain. During most winters we get our fair share. Every-so-often we will have what they call El Nino, which means we will have our share and a heavy bit more. I remember one El Nino year, when I was a kid, where we measured over eighty-inches. But on a whole, we have to wait months until the rainy season begins, and drought years test our memory of what wet weather feels like.

Last night, in the middle of the night, I heard rushing water. I immediately worried that one our our water-pipes had broken. It turned out to be our loud gutter, pouring water onto the ground at a rapid pace. Rain? Could it really be in since the last few days have pushed over eighty and perhaps even ninty degrees?

This morning I took my camera out and made my way around, inspecting the remains of moister

still on the plants . . .

The drops still on the leaves . . .

Clinging to the stems . . .

Dampening our decomposing clippings . . .

Entangled with cobwebs . . .

Amidst the curls of the passion fruit vine . . .

Holding on for dear life to the bottom of a tangerine . . .

Relaxing the parched Black Eyed Susan vine . . .

Preparing the Naked Lady Bulbs for their explosion . . .

Enrapturing the hibiscus blooms . . .

Reminding the laundry that it was once wet, and will be again . . .

I took in the dense smells of dampened manure, refreshed soil, cleansed air . . .

I felt revived by the stillness, and clicked picture after picture to savor each individual and every last drop.

~Marica

Apple Cake . . .

2011-10-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, the apple cake in written form. Note, this is a rough guess as to what I did,

when I was putting it together I made a few mis-judgments, worked them into purposeful decisions and trusted in the oven gods.

P.S. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it's not so bad and worth it.

Apple Cake

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Butter a glass 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Spread evenly:

6 cups apples sliced

Sprinkle with:

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup raw sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

In a large bowl combine:

1 cup milk

1 cup almond meal

1 cup raw sugar

2 + 1/2 sticks butter soft (20 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Add one at a time stirring:

4 eggs

In a bowl combine then mix with wet ingredients:

4 cups unbleached white flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon lemon rind save lemon for juicing

Add and mix:

3 cups sliced apples

Spread batter evenly over the apples in the pan.

In a separate bowl combine and crumble with your fingers, then

spread evenly over the top:

3/4 cups unbleached white flour

3/4 cups almond meal

1/2 cup raw sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cardamon

4 tablespoons butter soft

The lemon squeezed

1 + 1/2 cups pecans

Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Cheers ~ Marica

More with the kids . . .

2011-10-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

I recently started a second "side blog" titled very self explanatorily More with the Kids.

I didn't want to take up this entire space with our projects and work, but every-so-often,

I want to include a bit here . . .I have a weakness for stepping aside from a project to click a few pictures . . .

I question if it depletes my "in the moment" experience,

but I so entirely enjoy catching these glimpses and setting them into a rectangular memory . . .

We measured, drilled holes and tied eight-foot posts together to build a small teepee . . .

In some ways I actually prefer the way it looks at this stage, to after we added the siding.

It is the same with before I add a face to a doll. I always almost stop and want to leave it unfinished. There is something so beautiful and simple before a project is finished . . . Like an unfurnished house, or an empty notebook . . . There is so much possibility still bubbling,

ready to happen . . .

The siding was thin bamboo fencing that we stapled on . . .

Later they were busy children shoveling old goat manure for our vegetable bed . . .

Quite industriously I might add . . .

Then we mixed it with some sand and a few bags of compost . . .

We made postcards . . .

With extraordinarily careful writing to make the messages . . .

And pictures . . .

On a whole, I feel like the kids are as eyes-wide-open as they can be . . .

Then faster than a clam, they can turn off and head in a different direction . . .

Spontaneity without responsibility . . . a piece of being a child that doesn't get to last,

but let them fly with it while they can.

~ Marica

Morning of baking . . . and a recipe . . .

2011-10-01T22:53:00.000-07:00

I spent yesterday morning up in the mountains, at my parent's house, baking a slew of things sweet. My parents often host retreats, and they were in need of some things that make you understand why apples and butter and sugar were created in the first place. I think the apple trees are one of the things I miss most since we moved down out of the canyon. Of course there are tons of things, but the crisp bounty that betroths themselves to the trees each year, is something that can't be found anywhere else. It is not just an orchard . . . It is something that reigns magic as far as magic can be held in this world. In fact, in reference to a post I did a little while back, I think the orchard up there would be one of the biggest wabi-sabi experiences I have ever had.

I meant to take a few picture as we picked this pile of sun packed sweetness, but somehow it never happened. Just imagine wonderful fall apple picking and you'll be heading in the right direction.

I love baking in their kitchen . . . looking out the window, surrounded by nothing but
growing greenery and chaparral thick hills. I made a few things, mostly from my mom's cookbook . . .

The Blue Heron Ranch Cookbook

This apple cake is an mix-match of the book's pear-upside-down cake and an apple crisp.

I also made lemon pound cake and a flourless chocolate cake. For this post I am including the recipe for the book's Meyer Lemon Half Pound Cake. It is one of our favorite go to recipes for just about any occasion. Meyer lemons are a variety of lemon that is sweeter than regular lemons. My parents have trees laden with them and we use them for eveything, hence the name of this cake, but any lemon will do.

Meyer Lemon Half Pound Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl mix:

8 tablespoons butter soft

3/4 cups raw sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add one at a time, stirring as you go:

3 eggs

Add, and mix:

2 +1/4 cups unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch salt

Add:

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup yogurt

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon rind

Butter and dust with flour a bread loaf pan.

Fill with batter and bake at 350 degrees for 60-80 minutes

or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Happy fall baking ~ Marica

Knitting and things orange . . .

2011-09-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have an after-the-fact realization that, once you've seen it, you are surprised you never noticed it before? I had such a moment the other evening while buying, probably an unnecessary yet still needed, new round knitting needle. I tend to tuck my knitting needles into bags with a few spools of yarn, running off to the park, or the beach, or the who-knows-where I think they might prove handy to bide my otherwise lovely time, but fill in the edges of feeling useful. I think most of the people who tend to knit or crochet, love the yarn and the experience, but also love the feeling of having something to do when they are just sitting and waiting, or chatting, or watching a movie, or something where not too much visible forward productivity is happening. Anyway, with all that chatter finished, I was at the fabric store late in the evening and found the perfect yarn for a project I had high on my list for making. The yarn's package said it took size nine, American needles, so being that I often can't find which needles I am looking for at which exact moment, I decided a new pair would not hurt my projects likeliness of actually being executed . . . But nines looked so big, and as my eyes stretched across the sizing options, I decided sixes were my perfect match. Well, as I picked them up I also realized I always pick sixes, or perhaps sevens. They are the size needles that feel right in my fingers and look right to my eyes. Even thicker yarn tends to work best for me with this size needle.

I am a relatively loose knitter, so maybe this is why. Anyway, I have probably bought this same size needle eighty-percent of my needle-buying career. Does anyone else have a favorite knitting needle size? Maybe everyone loves size sixes . . .

I had a similar thing happen when I was a teenager. I always disliked orange, I never could understand how someone's eyes could view it as pretty. To me it was a road construction color, orange cones and orange vests . . . I still don't like that shade of it, it is so extreme and flat, but at the time I didn't even like winter squash orange. Then slowly, creeping-up-on-me-ish, when I was put to make a color choice, I'd pick orange. I don't know where it started. I think of a blanket I was given in particular where the orange-ness was so warm and complete, perhaps that had its influence.

I guess that it is called learning about yourself . . . hmm . . . ~ Marica

Into the Flowers . . .

2011-09-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

Why are flowers and flower gardens so magical?

I am never tired of looking at, smelling, or somehow involving myself with flowers . . .

Sometimes it rubs off on the kids . . . Especially when scissors are involved . . .

I love watching them carefully clip dead blooms as they chatter about this and that . . .

How they are being "so careful"

They are helping, and they are enjoying themselves . . .

What better a combination can be asked for ? ? ?

~ Marica

Dinner of Broccoli Soup, Vegan and Gluten-Free . . .

2011-09-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

Everyone has had a bit of a cold lately . . . The weather has been taking an Autumnish tone . . .

So in respect of sniffling noses and colder days, there has been a fair amount of

soup consumed around here . . .

The first soup was a fiery tortilla soup with fresh grown cayenne, and thai peppers . . .

Tonight's soup started with potatoes,

and as it grew into its full form

took on an Indian flavor . . .

Broccoli and Potato, vegan and gluten-free soup

In a pot with an inch or so of water, simmer until extremely soft:

3 new potatoes, sliced thinly

Add and simmer a bit longer:

1 cup cooked garbanzo beans

2 teaspoons yellow curry powder

4 cups water

Add:

8 cups fresh broccoli, chopped finely

Pinch nutmeg

Dash of dill

Salt and black pepper to taste

A generous squeeze of lemon

Optional: Cayenne, chili powder or pepper flakes.

Hope you all are staying well ~ Marica

Some of this last week . . .

2011-09-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot going on the this last week . . .

I thought I'd put a mostly photographic post of some of the fun stuff we did . . .

Pancakes for snack . . .

Twelve-times tables . . .

Exploring squash . . .

Drawing character cards . . .

Project finished . . .

Practicing letters . . .

Sand play . . .

Making bird's nests . . .

~ Marica

A tid bit of Santa Barbara . . .

2011-09-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

Every so often my mom and I go and spend some time together in Santa Barbara. It is only a short drive through the mountains to the coast where it sits comfortable at an almost always sixty to seventy degree temperature. It is one of the older cities in California. The architecture is lovely, and although it is quite touristy, it is still a nice place to spend an afternoon.

Many of the buildings are spanish influenced, due to the spanish settlers

from several hundred years ago . . .

Around here it is rare to see a building that is even much over a century old.

It was a wonderful experience when I visited France as a teenager

to see buildings that dated back a thousand years. Bricks are always a breath of fresh air to me,

we see them so seldom. I was trying to use the word seldomly only to find it doesn't exist:

("Seldomly is not a word. Seldom is already an adverb, so the adverbial -ly adds nothing.

This error will likely continue to appear as long as seldom remains a relatively seldom used word.")

There are the most amazing trees . . . I think the warm coastal climate

allows for delicate species to thrive . . .

But what we usually come for is lunch . . .

We have a favorite Indian Buffet we eat almost every time. . .

And we dissolve into unsweetened chai . . . My mom will down several cups . . .

Often we make our way through the remnants store.

The itchy inspiration in there alone always leaves me with spinning ideas . . .

Rolls and rolls of possibility . . .

Rightly useful information . . .

Bolts with the common thread of red . . . Ah, so satisfying . . .

Leaving the fabric behind, we passed giant stuffed beings . . .

Then a whole different kind of inspiration lured us in . . .

Trays and trays of beads . . .

Hanging strands of potential projects with colors that drip from the rainbow directly . . .

At our last fun stop I came across these amazing bird houses . . .

I am now so determined make one of my own . . .

~ Marica

Wabi-Sabi

2011-09-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

A while back we were given a picture book titled Wabi Sabi. The story is simple, with lovely illustrations, telling about a cat named Wabi Sabi. The book was nice, but it was the meaning of the word that has stuck with me for years. Wabi-sabi is a Japanese word and as wikipedia describes: "Wabi-sabi (侘寂^?) represents a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete".^[1] It is a concept derived from the Buddhist teaching of the three marks of existence (三法印 sanbōin^?), specifically impermanence (無常 mujō^?)

When I first read the meaning of wabi-sabi I felt relieved, like there was finally a word to fill an

over-looked gap in the english language. When I sit by the creek and feel that perfect calm, when my sleeping kids feet are poking themselves out of a curled blanket, the absolute beauty that passes without me noticing unless I look and see. This post is a compilation of the wabi-sabi happening around here . . .

The giant volunteer squash that hold an almost noble-air

as they lie like beached whales on our table . . .

The desert flowers that bloom everyday in so many colors,

than close up and are done once evening has made its mark.

My cup-rack full . . .

The spool of wool a sweet friend gave me . . . too lovely to use, but I have started to indulge . . .

And last but not least, the orange watering can that makes me so happy every time I see it . . .

Any wabi-sabi over in all your directions?? ~ Marica

This Thursday Morning . . .

2011-09-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

I'm usually not much of a donut fan. Round an pretty as they are, after a few bites I feel like an oil-rig must be lying in wait around the corner, thrilled to have found a new supply to tap. But on this lovely morning, while we all were out at our project table sculpting away with colorful clay. . .

Beast love?? . . . With all our different inspirations . . .

I found all I wanted to make was cakes and donuts.

Oddly the donuts truly called to me until at last I decided I really did want an

actual donut, not just a figurine of colorful modeling substance.

I've made donuts one time before, and I prefer them grandly to the hole in the wall bakery's version. Of course they are remarkably less frilly, but they are far more digestible.

No matter if I make these fifty more times, I don't think I'll ever get
used to the degree of oil needed to fry these sweet things.

But they surely did come out yummy . . .

I offer proof . . .

~Marica

Pie . . .

2011-09-13T10:30:00.000-07:00

Below is an essay I was going to submit to a contest where the entry is to write about a pie that

changed your life. Unfortunately, I was quick to set my fingers to the keys, I didn't check the

entry deadline first . . . September 3rd. Oh bother, well I guess that's what I get for being overly

enthusiastic about pie.

A Storybook Pie . . . When I think back to being a child, and all the luscious things that brought me to truly hold pie in my head as the crème de la crème of creations, it was the pie I read about in “Farmer Boy” from Laura Ingles Wilder’s Little House series. It wasn’t just one, it was a pantry full, a shelf lined with pies and doughnuts and cookies. It was the pies that the book describes, eaten for lunch, eaten with cream, taken on picnics. It was the pie that in my mind would someday be at my own picnic, by a lake, by a creek, or on a grassy field. The mastery was of the sort that only happens when you truly need pie. This is not a bakery that turns out a dozen perfectly colored specimens a day. It was a pie with hand crumbled flour and butter, rolled with a grandmothers rolling pin, placed in a wood stove oven, and eaten with the knowledge that these were the last of the peaches and blueberries until the Earth made round again and summer blessed the weary farmer.

I began making piecrust when I was about twelve-years-old. My mother was afraid, as great of a cook as she is, of the difficult delicacy in preparing a pie dough. My father, being a believer in truly healthy eating, shied away from white flour and butter alike. I remember my mother purchasing whole grain wheat flour that was of a whiter variety, hoping this would curb my desire to bake with the unholy whiteness that adorns our shelves in so many a nation. But refined white flour hosts its own beauty that cannot be matched or replicated. It is the consistency that holds a bar over alternative grains. At twelve my seriousness weighed in on the decisionary process, and I don’t quiet remember how, but we ended up with a jar of flour suitable for real pie-making. Such things are not forgotten easily. I rejoiced in my new freedom of experiment, and baked with the gusto of a young pony newly at pasture. I have since spent countless hours trying to create a perfect gluten-free option. And although I have come close to beautiful success, the truth be told, nothing beats the storybook pie with real white flour and in season fruit.

~ Marica

Painting ode to a few things I love . . .

2011-09-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

Painting hasn't been my top priority for a quite a while now. It is one of those things where I have in and out fazes. But lately I have pulled out my thick pad of bristol paper and messed around just a bit. I have to say I think my favorite time to listen to music is when I am doing a project or driving. The best part of listening to music when I draw or paint is the effect it has on the outcome. As a teenager David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Bob Dylan dripped from my pictures. Lou Reed's Rock and Roll Animal, darkened the lines and helped me to move into the paper.

I started this latest water-colour while watching a random documentary on sneakers. I guess Run D.M.C. was a huge part of making sneakers a popular fashion. Anyway, their music was interwoven through-out the film. As my ballet dancers formed on the page, so did the record player, and no longer was Tchaikovsky going to be the satisfactory assumption as to what they were dancing to. I roughly picked a few of my favorite artist's albums to be the records on the shelf . . .

I spent from the time I was eight until I was fifteen years-old, studying ballet. I always loved drawing the dancers because I could make their "turn-out perfect" something I had difficulty with, their arches lovely, mine were acceptable, and their ballet legs long "I ain't a tall lady".

Anyway, good September 12th to you all ~ Marica

A quick sketch of times past . . .

2011-09-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

The last couple days it has been a million degrees again. Even nighttime is not really a break from the hot air. Luckily I think we are on are way back down the thermometer, cross my fingers.

I thought I'd post this drawing I did last night. It started as a doodle, and ended up with this picture that reminded me of a while back when my now five-year-old baby was still an inhabitant of my belly.

Bellies are always my favorite to draw . . .

Cheers ~ Marica

A bit of strawberry jam . . .

2011-09-06T18:08:00.000-07:00

A quick trip to the framers market brought a bundle of strawberries home . . .

Cooked them down with a sprig of mint, a few whole allspice and a pinch cloves . . .

Producing a perfect jam . . .

Yum . . .

And a yum . . .

Happy September to everyone ~ Marica