Green Kitchen: Craft Blog, etc.

It's in his blood

2009-11-27T17:19:00.000-08:00

A certain someone turned seven this week.

He had a ranch-themed party for eighty! I think over sixty showed up. There were at least twenty five cars -- and some horses, of course. Here he is on maybe his fourth horse ride of his life.

It's in his blood.

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Some of our old family photos of folk with horses.

Stuff I'm Up To

2009-11-06T16:32:00.000-08:00

Mushroom hunting
Sigh. I don't get enough days out in the woods, but did manage to score all these within a ten minute local jaunt. Today brought us no mushrooms, but we did meet some beekeepers who also love the funghi -- a promising contact for bee questions. I'm hoping to start some hives this spring.

Canning
Did some real canning this year, a hobby that has been on hold while having small children. I always shoot for as many quarts of tomatoes as possible. I think I got somewhere around 17, not nearly enough. Varietal chile salsas were a first for me. I worked without a recipe and they turned out great. I fire roasted red jalapenos, as well as a red Padrons, added some vinegar and garlic -- heavenly, or maybe it's hellish. Since my husband likes the hot stuff, I also made a fermented chile pickle with ground mustard seed, cayenne, and ginger from this Madhur Jaffrey's book. This pickle inspires me to want to make more fermented foods.

Thinking about sheep
My friends over at Mariquita Farm are downsizing their livestock and we may be the proud new owners of seven ewes and a ram soon, like this week!

Photo Essaying
over at Mariquita during my two hours a week of kid-free time. It's close to preschool and Julia and I like to cook, talk, and get some farm chores done together. We did pumpkins into puree and roasted peppers over an outdoor fire.

Reading
Omnivore's Dilemma. It puts all my feelings about food and agriculture into words. I know I'm late reading it, but for all the other stragglers out there, Go Forth and Read!

My First Mohawk

2009-10-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween y'all. My first mohawk (lice-inspired, at age 41 — woot!) reminds me of this funny thing from The Onion. We did his and her mohawks for the grownups. And because the kids got buzzes I made this for the little guy. I think of you guys a lot. XO, Michelle

Princess: The Dog

2009-09-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

Named before we got her. Found in a desert with a horse. A perfect fit for the ranch.

Did I tell you we are living without internet?

2009-08-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

So in my few minutes online at my mom's house I'm just putting up some pics.

Cleaning tack.

Tightrope walking after reading Mirette on the High Wire.

Learning basic horse care and braiding with grandma.

Cowboy Barbie princess with push broom.

Wrestling during an after dinner walk with the uncle.

There are good days and there are bad ones — they're all beautiful.

Thank you for all the comments on my last post. It's strange being so removed from my old, online life.

You Know You've Moved to the Ranch...

2009-08-03T14:22:00.001-07:00

when your drive home passes by huge agribusiness, a power plant, and a junk yard, as well as a marine refuge, a working harbor, and a slough.

when your first attempt at ridding the house of flies nets you forty dead in a matter of minutes.

when your average for killing Black Widows is about one a day, including the two you found in the kitchen.

when amplified Mexican Polka is de rigeur.

when you find three gopher snake sheddings in the front yard.

when you unearth someone's rock collection under the olive trees and it's full of fossils and obsidian and lava rock and lots more to be learned about.

when there is at least one or two owl pellets on, or near, the front walkway daily.

when you go to the local market and the checker and bagger laugh at the guy before you, after he leaves, because he bought soy creamer.

when the nearest natural food store is 23 miles away.

when you no longer wear your cute, homemade skirts because of the foxtails.

when you buy your knew wardrobe at the hardware store (20% off all Dickies).

when you dig a hole in the front yard just to entertain the kids.

when your six-year-old starts to teach himself to groom the horses by standing on the fence and reaching over.

when your kid can make a bike track that goes around and around the house.

when you have so many things needing fixing, so many weeds to manage and fences and water leaks to mend, so much housework and fly killing to do; while at the same time your children are undoing things done, and your six-year-old has skipped childhood and moved onto sassy teenager, and the kids hit each other and you contemplate hitting them; and you read Charlotte's Web out loud, barely making it through the end because you're crying too much; and your oldest tells you that the new house has more yelling; and the weeds grow and the buildings deteriorate faster than you can keep up — that you wonder if you like your life.

when right after you wonder about liking your life, you have your own George Bailey moment.

when your kid doesn't come running like he's supposed to after you blow the conch shell (and he always comes running)

when your littlest is wishing for magic to find his brother.

when you call your husband to say you can't find your kid.

when you've searched all the buildings and have only the driveway that leads down to the speedy road left to look at.

when you spy some knees sticking out above the weeds that belong to your child who has fallen asleep while waiting for the dinner guests to arrive — bike helmet and all.

That is when you know you've moved to the Ranch.

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Photo by the talented jo ann manolis. Thanks, J.

Still Here

2009-07-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

Just busy doing ranch stuff.

I have yet to take one photo. Luckily my sister takes some.

Stash-a-Go-Go and Other Things

2009-06-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

My aunt and uncle came to help us move. Along with demolition, engine repair, and stove cleaning, they also got the very important task of stash transfer.

Their VW has the very cool Suburu conversion.

Getting bigger everyday. Father's Day scramble all by himself.

Full princess mode continues.

Before I grew children I grew plants. 2001 was the last year I saved seeds. Let's see if there's a spark of life in any of them.

Moving

2009-06-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

Lifting boxes,

raising my spirits

by driving through here

and listening to this.

Nothing like fire to get you all excited

2009-06-18T13:57:00.000-07:00

We had a little excitement down at the ranch yesterday — a fire, one property away.

The California Department of Forestry planes were there within minutes to drop flame retardant. B took this picture from the ground with a point and shoot. They were so close. It was awesome.

A helicopter dropped huge buckets of water.

This shows some flames and gives a sense of how low these huge planes were flying. Ghost, the stallion, stands by — the only one of four horses to even notice there was danger near. We were truly lucky that the fire was downwind. It made quick work of a barn and 10-15 acres. Had the wind been blowing the other way, the fire would probably have made it to our property.

We are ill-prepared for horse evacuation, so this was a great wake-up call. After twenty some odd years of no horse contact, I quickly reacquainted myself with halters and lead ropes; have learned that putting Vick's Vapor Rub in a stallion's nose will make him not able to smell the mares, thus easier to manage in an emergency situation; and know that we need to quickly to remedy the shortage of horse trailers on the property.

My friends really came through in the emergency with childcare. One friend took C away from the ranch, so I could stay until my mother-in-law came. We board the horses for my MIL.

Check out this little video clip of one of the planes. Thanks, B, for thinking of taking the pics.

Wow! That was scary. I heart firefighters.

I call it Rancho Fake-o

2009-06-08T21:17:00.000-07:00

because of the house's 70s Spanish style "architecture," which includes an arched facade that serves no functional purpose that I can determine. I hear it used to sport serious shag carpet and a wrought iron room divider, too. Luckily, the land is campo — not fake-o at all — and totally awesome for all sorts of animal and vegetable adventures. I've collected about 70 owl pellets, seen Hooded Orioles mating, and identified a dead weasel. Good times.

This is the view from the side yard, taken by my sister. Click here if you want to embiggen.

Speaking Yardage Wise

2009-06-05T10:15:00.001-07:00

We interrupt the seemingly endless — and not-so-great-smelling — job of scraping off 30 years of kitchen grease for a sun-kissed, vintage fabric interlude. Take a breath of this:

French Babar from 1968, pink flowers on Swiss Dot, blue flowers on Seersucker, five yards of Border Print, and other tasty goodies. Thanks to my mother-in-law and an awesome rummage sale. It was a welcome respite to this moving business.

Add it to the pile of things to do.

2009-05-28T23:50:00.000-07:00

Maker Faire this weekend.

For my friends named George:

2009-05-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

and for the ones who don't know Shel Silverstein, yet:

God, the interwebs are cool.

Craft (book) Stash

2009-05-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for the move.

The Everything Post: Sewing, Moving, Wonder Twin Powers & Fabric Porn

2009-05-18T08:47:00.001-07:00

Since I can't seem to write a proper post these days I'm just going to put down some random bits. I have been slightly more active over at Twitter if you want to follow me there, too.

Everything Tote
I sewed the Everything Tote from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing and I love it! I pack it full of clothes, food, sunscreen, and take everything everywhere. The Joel Dewberry, decor-weight exterior is holding up well, as is the cute, Japanese Bambi twill lining. At Quilt Market Melanie Falick told me that it really helps book sales if people review books at different times, not just when they are released. I'll keep posting as I sew all the cute stuff Heather designed. I did just break my fabric buying freeze to get some of her Far, Far Away before it's all gone. I follow WhipStitch Fabrics on Twitter and couldn't pass up a 15% off code (I think she's out of FFA). Am currently wondering if a 41-year-old woman can pull off a purple unicorn tunic. And from the shameless self-promotion department, did you know my blog is mentioned in the inspirations section of Weekend Sewing? Guess I need to get to work! Wonder Twin powers activate! Shape of an inspiring craft blog!

Without a dressform
Frustrated with always having to do major adjustments to store-bought patterns — and wanting to copy a specific and deceptively simple-looking child's dress from Mini Boden, but not having a proper dressform — I decided to do a self-draping. It took three labor-intensive drafts (wrapping myself in fabric, pinning, basting, taking apart, making adjustments, and drafting paper patterns) but I'm very happy with the result. It's so fitted and comfortable in the bust that I can imagine making my own non-stretch bras like in the olden days (I've been having boob trouble from underwires). The hardest part of the pattern making process was having to rip out the sewing on the last, well-fitted version, so that I could make the final pattern. Here's a funny, jazz hands picture with me wearing the final dress for Lorimarsha's visit.

Do you own, rent, or live with your parents?
Seven years and two babies later, we're finally moving out of my mom's house (the house I grew up in) and down (30 miles south) to the ranch that used to belong to my husband's grandparents. If you can pull it off, I highly recommend trying the multi-generational household. Imagine the foundation of love, when every day you have your mom, dad, grandma, and auntie available for hugs, as well as help.

Our plans have always been to move to our cabin in the woods when it finally gets a bathroom and a kitchen (still not done). During the ten years we've been remodeling, our family has outgrown the 600 square feet before we ever got to live in it. We'll be looking for a very special person or two to rent it, someone who will love it as much as we do.

While it will be sad to leave the auntie and grandma, we are looking forward to exploring the ranch's ten acres of coastal scrub, having adventures with horses, cleaning out the greenhouse, learning about animal care, native plants, and bees, and generally having the physical space to match the endless energy of two active boys. I see bike tracks, forts, archery, and lots of general digging and hacking in our future.

We'll be near this awesome place.

Like I need more fabric.
Next weekend, Susie Bright — famed writer of sexual politics, erotica, feminism, and popular culture, who also just happens to be a fellow craft blogger, dressmaker, and neighbor — is de-stashing! Makes me all hot and bothered just thinking about it.

Me be a princess, Mama?

2009-05-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Fabric store purchase = $70*

Staying up till 2:30 a.m. wrestling with FOE and nylon/spandex fabric = $ At least 30 new gray hairs — perhaps years off my life

Fulfilling birthday boy's only wish (a pink dress) = Priceless

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*Don't worry, I purchased more than just the dress fabric.

Photography and model = My sister

The Chicken's FOE tutorial, which I should have read first.

Me & Johnny

2009-04-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

This:
Plus this:
Equals this:

An insomnia-induced, Johnny Depp makeover — it's what happens to me after taking late night facebook quizzes. Next time a less smiley pic, per Wax & Wool's suggestion.

The Patchwork of My (Future) Life

2009-04-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

I sew in the kitchen. The iron cord really does frequent the butter dish. I hang my works in progress on the curtain rods or tack them to the cupboards. From the counter you can see that we like: toast, preferably from vintage toaster; juice from the Champion (beet and carrot, mostly); two different ways to make coffee. Things you can't really see are: the yellow salt cellar filled with sea salt (I like to add it in pinches) and the "coffee grinder," which actually has ground dried chipotles in it — it's like fairy dust for food. Yum!

I showed a sneak peek at this wip here. It was going to be a full circle skirt, but after holding it up I knew I'd never wear it — it's definitely not flattering to my body type.

After a short-lived idea that it might serve as a heavily-varnished floor mat, my mom's suggestion as a table cloth seemed like, duh, of course it's a table cloth.

While sewing I was thinking about our new, possible/probable home down at The Ranch. It's a long story, hopefully to be told in an interesting way, here, in the future. For now, look closely at the patchwork and you'll be able to get clues about it: the palm tree, the car racing, the fruits and veggies, the animals!

I've got about a half circle done. I find it so satisfying looking through the scraps — some vintage, some contemporary; each tells a story. The finished project is definitely more than the sum of its parts. The serger and rotary cutter made it so easy! The kitchen and meals did suffer during construction, though.

Here's a preview of how it will look as a table covering.

Easter Window

2009-04-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

Ran across some vellum in the paper stack and loved the results. I couldn't master my camera to capture how much the vellum glows. Regular construction paper, too. Same window, different holiday.

Smile Maker

2009-04-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

RT from @campcreek

It was a three skirt weekend.

2009-04-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

I made three skirts this weekend, one for me and two for my sister (see above). She ended up with three skirts for her birthday, though, because I also wrapped up the ruffle skirt (seen previously here). This is the ruffle skirt's debut as a finished piece. One of the skirts I made for her this weekend isn't shown yet because she hasn't taken a pic — it's the same Amy Butler fabric as the one I made for myself. I also made a grey linen tunic for me out of fabric given to me by Sonya. Whew! It was a rockin' sewing binge. Gosh, I love those.

Someday, more interesting prose. For now, this is all I've got.

Blue, Indigo, Violet

2009-04-06T13:59:00.000-07:00

And so finishes the Rainbow project. I expedited the ending because I'm ready to move forward. Thanks to all the gals who played with. It did help me get through the last of the winter doldrums. Onward Spring!

Luckily my little guy is still blissfully unaware of cultural biases about who should or shouldn't wear dresses. It's my first attempt at a knit dress and fold over elastic.

Now With More Internet Exploder!

2009-04-01T01:47:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, all you Internet Explorer users will now be able to access the Green Kitchen blog. Stats were down about fifty percent over the last week, but I just figured everyone was using Google Reader or out and about for Spring Break. The weather here has been absolutely wonderful.

The vague technical difficulties stuff:

Apparently I was having script issues, but not noticing because I use Firefox, which doesn't seem as sensitive to not-so-perfect scripts. I recently made several little changes to my blog template: added my tweets, as well as a widget that suggests other posts you might enjoy (I love seeing the photos from the old posts). But it turns out that the problem was my over enthusiastic tweaking of my email subscription code. It took me a couple hours to figure that one out. This article helped. I still need to fix the email subscription thingy and the RSS feed thingy and the tweets. Phew!

So, if your blog starts to load in IE and then a window pops up that says, "Internet Exporer cannot open the Internet site: Operation Aborted" you'll sort of know what it might be — script related. If you are a blog reader and not the blogger, you can always download an alternate browser, like Firefox, as a workaround. I know this is a bit vague? I'm running on the fumes of Springtime insomnia. Hopefully you can just ignore this post and move onto the rainbows and fabric and such.

Thanks to Kristin at Sew, Mama, Sew! for the heads up, and Rose for her sweet note.

Things You Shouldn't Do in the Blogosphere

2009-03-29T03:04:00.000-07:00

1) Do *not* take content from someone else's blog — like mine for example — and post it on your blog without asking, or linking back, or giving any sort of recognition of the author/photographer's work. It's extremely rude, as well as infringing on copyright ownership.

2) Say you feel like stealing content anyway. Do *not* steal bandwidth, too, by directly linking to the the server hosting your victim's images. Not only is this bad form, but it also makes it really easy for the owner of the images — me, for example — to add watermarks, URLs, and copyright lingo. I've heard of people doing worse things in this situation, like replacing the hijacked images with offensive ones. But, I wouldn't do that, because I'm nice and polite and kind enough to share my work. All I ask for is the same in return.

3) Then, after being asked to take stolen content off of your site, please *do.* Adding a couple unhyperlinked URLs that stagnantly refer to where the stolen content came from is not an acceptable solution. WTF?

4) Stop the scraping. Get some real content.

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This, of course, is small potatoes compared to what Rosa is dealing with, but I'm still bugged. I like to be generous. I like to write up and photograph crafty tutorials to share. But I really don't like it when people steal my stuff — it makes me bitchy and ungenerous.

*Note* I've removed the link back to the offending scraper. She apologized and removed my content.