paperless.

i would classify myself as an environmentalist.  a. prefers captain planet or tree hugger, but either way, i'm a lover of the earth and a fighter of her world.  but i'm also a bit of a hypocrite because i love (and i mean love) all the niceties of this life...i love taking my car on long road trips and flying in airplanes.  i love buying new books & beautiful paper.  i prefer to write to-do lists rather than type them.  & i love my gas fireplace and thermostat in the winter.  but i do try to reduce my impact on mother earth and the landfills as often as possible.  


two things that i've learned to heavily rely on are: paper towels & lysol wipes (obviously these don't reduce my impact).  these are two of the most convenient and easy to use products out there (along with ziplock bags).  but they are so wasteful & so easy to eliminate from my day to day life.  through some reading and a bit of inspiration from the no impact man, i have decided to take a stand against paper products in my kitchen.  for two reasons.  one, it's expensive.  paper towels, ziplock bags and lysol wipes are not cheap.  i remember when i was young, my mom would get mad at us for using paper towels to wipe our hands or to dry the countertops.  also, we re-used ziplock bags...mostly because of their expense.  second, there are alternatives.  lots & lots of alternatives.  there are dish towels and washcloths to replace paper towels, tupperware (preferably glass) to hold left-over food, and a natural cleaning solution can take over for the lysol wipes. 


the ease of these paper & plastic products make them so hard to give up.  but if i change a few things abut our kitchen, i'm sure after some time, they won't be missed.  so i decided, for one month, i'm going to go paper-free (in the kitchen).  some days this is going to be really tough & i'm going to have to do a little extra planning to make sure i can keep up this commitment.  but if the no impact man can do it, then so can i!  i feel as though i've moved somewhat in the right direction over the past few months as i try to buy what i can in bulk, cook meals as much as possible, and compost.  but this will take it to the next level.  it'll be the "greenest" kitchen on the block.


& i'm up for the challenge.  so as of today, paper & plastic products are no longer allowed in our kitchen.    no matter what.  for one whole month.  who's with me?

squash soup.

soup weather is offically here!  not that i ever need a reason to eat soup (yes, i’m the crazy person who’ll eat soup on a 90 degree day), but when the air chills and you hold a warm cup of soup in your hands, it’s hard not to feel happy.  i happened to have a few squashes left over from my csa that i was looking to use & decided to try a “butternut” squash recipe.  most of the squashes i had on hand were not butternut squash, so i picked some up just to add a bit of the butternut flavor (because it’s so distinct).  after a bit of searching, i landed on this recipe.  i modified it a bit to fit my needs (and what i had on hand) but not by much.  let me just say this…it’s ah-mazing!  enjoy!

squash soup

yields 4 servings

6-8 cups of squash, seeded and cut into chunks (any fall or winter squash should work wonderfully)

olive oil for brushing

1 tablespoon of kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more for seasoning

4-5 cups of vegetable stock (more if you prefer a watery consistency)

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1 cup of half and half

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

directions

1. preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. brush flesh of squash with olive oil and season with 1 tbs of salt and 1 tsp of pepper.  roast until flesh is soft, about 30 - 35 minutes.

3. scoop flesh from skin and add into pot with vegetable stock and ginger.  bring to a simmer and puree with a hand-held blender.  add cream and nutmeg and return to a simmer.  season with salt and pepper.

a lofty list.

i started a twenty-seven while 27 list a while back.  well after i was 27 but with enough time ahead of me to know i could accomplish this list.  then, as a. started to pack his bags, i started yet another list.  a list of things i would accomplish while a. is away.  doing this helped me get excited about the year to come & the things i would be able to do (and brag about not only to myself, but a.- and now you).  so here is my list.  some of which i've done, but want to do again and other things i've always wanted to learn & do.

learn to play one song on the guitar
go cross-country skiing
scuba dive
volunteer for an organization
find a church
learn to roll a kayak
bake bread (and no, banana bread doesn't count)
partake in three triathlons (different distances preferred)
learn to use a sewing machine & make stuff
get a library card & use frequently
join a biking club
do a polar bear plunge
reduce my reliance on paper towels
decorate our bedroom
learn photoshop elements
start/join a book club
backpack
learn to snowboard...well
take a letter press class
go rock climbing (indoor & out)
plant a garden
learn to can
learn to use my camera


so there it is.  my lofty list for the year.  and the best part is, that doesn't include my goals for each month.  i'll be sure to share those sometime as well, but i might get overwhelmed if i do it now.  now i just need to prep myself for the fun & learning ahead of me and the glorious feeling of drawing a line through that accomplished task.  it's fun to have something to look forward to.

ah november

i always find november so appealing.  it humbly arrives after a wild and rambunctious holiday.  it graciously brings warm feelings of the holidays, chilly weather, festive gatherings & warm hearty food.  about this time i often find myself dreaming of decorations for the table, hot cider, warm fires, christmas wrapping ideas, holiday plans & all the yummy cookies i’m bound to enjoy this season.  snow is starting to fall, so this year, it already feels real.

(in my opinion) i have a busy month ahead of me.  i’m starting my workout regime so between that and my day job, my days are already really full…and let’s be honest, exhausting.  i’m also working on a project for a.(i started it over the weekend and am so excited to hear what he thinks) & i will post it once he gets it.  i also started (today is day dos) a 2-week mini book class with elise. while this isn't a huge time commitment, i want to make sure i’m getting the most out of it.  also, my official "list of things to do while a. is away" begins today as well (actually yesterday, but you know what i mean).  i'll be sure to share that montrosity so you can cheer me on!  whew.  there's a lot on my plate. 

 but none the less, welcome november!  i’m just relieved october is over.  time for something new.

a holiday weekend.

i love a fun-filled holiday weekend.  while i spent plenty of time playing catch-up, i also spent some much needed time with friends and working on projects. 


saturday got off to a rough start with a 4am wake-up call from atticus (one of our two dogs).  poor things decided he absolutely couldn't hold it anymore.  it's times like those i wish i had a doggy door.  i decided to make cookies for a get together i was attending later that evening.  since i hate to bake, this was a huge feat.  i found what appeared to be a yummy pumpkin chocolate chip recipe and started to bake.

how yummy do those look?  well, with six cookies cooling in the pan, and the rest on the baking racks i went about my day.  sometime while i was getting ready, atticus decided to help himself to a treat.  and this is what i was left with...

so, the trick was on me.  you win some and lose some i guess.  i made it to the fiesta with six cookies and a great story. 

the rest of the weekend was full of typical holiday activities...eating, crafting and spending time with friends.  look at this amazing pumpkin my friend carved- isn't it lovely?

now with the holiday season in full swing, i'll have to give the cookies another shot.  only after the dogs are outside.