tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89455342200503543532024-03-13T11:38:03.091-04:00Inside StoreyIn our office, in our gardens, and in our homes — real-life adventures from the Berkshires and beyond.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1481125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-35443950787854449762016-02-10T17:48:00.000-05:002016-02-10T17:48:15.718-05:00Around the Color Wheel: An Excerpt from Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom<h3>
When it comes to weaving, applying a bit of color theory can be the ticket to eye-catching results.</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by John Polak, excerpted from <i>Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom</i></td></tr>
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One of the first things you notice about a textile is its color. A garment can be beautifully woven and masterfully tailored, but if it’s the wrong color, it can be hard to look at. Picking the right color or set of colors is important.<br />
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This is the point where some weavers get stuck. Color is so subjective and such a large factor in a textile’s success that they freeze up and become afraid to combine colors for fear of weaving something that clashes. Adding to the danger is the way color works in weaving, combining like pixels in a pointillist painting to create new colors, some of them wonderful, others dreadful.<br />
<h3>
Color Combinations</h3>
Color is often represented as a wheel of pure hues, but if you look at the world, you’ll notice most colors aren’t on the wheel. Really, color is more like a sphere with the color wheel at the equator and light colors at one pole, dark colors at the other. The interior of the color sphere is filled with innumerable color mixes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by John Polak, excerpted from <i>Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom</i></td></tr>
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<b>Primary Colors</b><br />
Primary colors that are used to mix paint, dye, or ink are red, yellow, and blue. All the other colors on the color wheel can be generated from these starting points.<br />
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<b>Secondary Colors</b><br />
Secondary colors are created by mixing together two of the primary colors. The secondary colors are purple, orange, and green.<br />
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<b>Tertiary colors</b><br />
Tertiary colors are created by mixing a primary and a secondary color: red-purple, red-orange, blue-green, yellow-green, yellow-orange, and blue-purple.<br />
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<b>Triad</b><br />
Three colors that are evenly spread around the color wheel form a triadic color scheme. Purple, orange, and green form a triadic color scheme. This creates a vivid color palette. One way to tone down a triadic color scheme is to adjust the proportions of colors so that one dominates and the other two are used as accent colors.<br />
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<b>Analogous</b><br />
Colors that are next to each other on the color wheel form an analogous color scheme. Blue-green, green, and yellow-green form one analogous color scheme. This combination is harmonious and rarely clashes. The downside to analogous color combinations is that their lack of visual tension can make them subdued and low energy.<br />
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<b>Complementary </b><br />
Colors on opposite sides of the color wheel, such as red and green, are the complement of each other. This combination creates a lot of visual tension, especially when the colors are used in the pure hue form.<br />
<h3>
Getting Color Proportions Right</h3>
There are many ways to put colors together. The simplest is to use equal amounts of each color in a scheme. Sometimes, however, this can cause too much visual contrast and/or create a too-predictable pattern. To break things up, you can change the proportions, or let one color lead and the others play subordinate roles as accents.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dark and light. Photo by John Polak, excerpted from <i>Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom</i></td></tr>
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Many factors affect the visual strength of colors; bright colors come forward, dark colors recede. (This is because the reflective nature of the shiny threads makes them visually lighter than matte threads.) Thick threads come forward, thin threads recede. You can use these properties to create a color landscape that pleases you.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thick and thin. Photo by John Polak, excerpted from <i>Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom</i></td></tr>
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You know how some colors only work in small doses? Bright yellow, for example, is hard to take in large amounts. Yellow napkins on a table work, whereas a yellow tablecloth can be overwhelming. The property of colors was studied by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who developed a system by which he assigned a numerical value to colors to represent their relative strength. You can use his values as a way to balance the colors in a project. For example, if yellow (9) is three times as visually powerful as violet (3), you can use one-third as much yellow to violet in a fabric to make it more visually balanced.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cdar3p8Ubi0/VruzgFQ4cxI/AAAAAAAAFkA/pViD-WdDxto/s1600/114_cJohnPolak_CompColors_InventiveWeaving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cdar3p8Ubi0/VruzgFQ4cxI/AAAAAAAAFkA/pViD-WdDxto/s640/114_cJohnPolak_CompColors_InventiveWeaving.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Complementary colors. Photo by John Polak, excerpted from <i>Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom</i></td></tr>
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<div class="endnote">
Text excerpted from <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781603429726&cat=Crafts&p=0" target="_blank">Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom</a></i> © 2015 by Syne Mitchell. All rights reserved.</div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-41009897767634954482016-02-05T11:43:00.000-05:002016-02-05T11:43:05.388-05:00Salted Chocolate Caramels<h3>
Rich chocolate and delicate sea salt dress up this classic confection.</h3>
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Powerless to resist the siren call of a buttery caramel? We are, too. But if you’ve been burned by past attempts at cooking it yourself, fear not! In his book <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612126425&cat=Storey%20BasicsFood%20&%20Drink&p=0" target="_blank">Making & Using Caramel</a>,</i> author and chef Bill Collins outlines the process in a few simple steps so that it’s easy (maybe <i>too</i> easy) to create decadent treats like Salted Chocolate Caramels in your own kitchen.<br />
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You don’t need much in the way of special equipment here — though we do insist on a candy thermometer, as a matter of a few degrees can make a big difference in candy consistency. And of course, you’ll want to heed these key pieces of wisdom from Chef Bill:<br />
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<b>Premeasure all your ingredients so they are ready to be added.</b> This is solid advice, especially with the Salted Chocolate Caramel recipe, since you have two major components (chocolate and cream, plus sugar) to contend with.<br />
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<b>Be careful when adding cream near the end of cooking. </b>It’s important to follow Collins’s recommendation to use a large pot here. This recipe yields a big batch of caramels, and by the time you combine the cooked sugar with the chocolate and cream, you not only have a lot of molten candy, but adding cream causes the sugar to bubble up to nearly double its size. It’s not a bad idea to have an extra pair of hands to help control the speed of your pour (plus it leaves one person free to whisk).<br />
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<b>Stay alert while you’re cooking, and don’t leave the kitchen.</b> While it might seem like the initial stages of heating the sugar take forever, as the temperature rises a matter of seconds can mean the difference between golden brown and burned. (We’d even suggest that, if you have a pot with a white interior that’s large enough to accommodate your caramel, use that one; you can judge the color of your cooking sugar much more effectively.)<br />
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And of course, most importantly, <b>don’t dip a spoon, or worse, a finger, into the cooked caramel to sneak a taste.</b> This is not a simmering pot of chicken soup. This is a screaming-hot pot of scorching caramel.<br />
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It takes a while for the candies to cool completely but we pronounce them well worth the wait, and they’re sure to impress any sweetie lucky enough to be on your gift list.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="color: #660000;">Salted Chocolate Caramels</span></h3>
<i>Chocolate, milk or dark, has a way of elevating a simple, rich caramel. This is a bit of a fancier presentation than the basic chewy caramels. Rather than wrapping these caramels in waxed paper, you can cut them into squares and present them, if you’d like, in a gift box. This candy will be very popular with your friends and family, both for the great look of the gift and for the fabulous flavor of the chocolate caramels.</i><br />
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Yield: About 60 pieces<br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
4 cups heavy cream<br />
1 pound dark or milk chocolate, chopped into chip-sized pieces<br />
4 cups sugar<br />
2 cups corn syrup<br />
¼ cup water<br />
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces<br />
2 teaspoons sea salt<br />
Flaky sea salt, for decoration, optional<br />
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<u>Directions:</u><br />
<ol>
<li>Spray a 10- by 15-inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, making sure that it extends by at least 2 inches over two opposite sides of the pan. Spray the parchment paper and then set the pan aside.</li>
<li>Combine the cream and chocolate in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until the chocolate melts. Turn off the heat but leave the pan on the burner.</li>
<li>Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a large, heavy-duty saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the mixture begins to boil, brush the insides of the pan with a damp pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Then reduce the heat to medium to keep the sugar mixture at a steady boil until it reaches 250°F. You can swirl the mixture around the pan, but do not stir.</li>
<li>Remove the pan from the heat and slowly whisk in the cream and chocolate mixture. The contents of the pan will bubble up quickly; continue whisking until the bubbling stops.</li>
<li>Return the pan to the stovetop. Continue cooking over medium-high heat, without stirring, until the temperature returns to 250°F.</li>
<li>Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter and salt.</li>
<li>Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. For a bigger salt flavor, if desired, sprinkle flaky sea salt onto the surface of the caramel as it’s starting to cool. It must still be warm, but not extremely hot. After you sprinkle on the salt, gently press it into the surface of the caramel so it will stick to it when the caramel has completely cooled.</li>
<li>Let the caramel cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Use a knot to make light marks on the surface of the caramel to identify your squares of candy. Do this across both sides, every 1½ inches (or whatever size you’d like the candies to be). Then let the caramels finish cooling, up to 8 hours.</li>
<li>Once it’s cooled, remove the entire block of caramel from the pan and set it on a cutting board. Following your guide marks, cut the caramels into pieces. Store in an airtight container until you’re ready to serve them or package them as a gift.</li>
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Recipe excerpted from <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612126425&cat=Storey%20BasicsFood%20&%20Drink&p=0" target="_blank">Making & Using Caramel</a></i> © 2016 by William Collins. All rights reserved.</div>
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-21306744974070326782016-02-02T08:48:00.001-05:002016-02-02T08:48:38.454-05:00A Q&A with Caroline Burch, Winner of the 2015 Pamela B. Art Humanitarian Award<h3>
The award, given annually, honors a Storey employee who enriches her or his community through charitable work.</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caroline Burch, with her award. Photo by Mars Vilaubi</td></tr>
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<i>Caroline Burch is a busy woman. At any given moment, she might be helping to plan a future Storey title, or traveling to a press to oversee the printing process, or inspecting the first official copies of a book to make sure everything is as it should be. </i><br />
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<i>A self-proclaimed “dot-connector,” Caroline’s job as production director takes her across borders and oceans, from Canada to China, where she gets to know the people behind the presses. But the work of forging connections doesn’t stop when she’s on her home turf. </i><br />
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<i>Over the years, she has visited inmates at a New York State correctional facility, coached T-ball, read for the blind, tutored for the Northern Berkshire literacy program, volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, and directed a <a href="http://sweetadelines.com/" target="_blank">Sweet Adelines Barbershop Chorus</a>, performing all over Western Massachusetts and Southern Vermont. These days, she serves as Chairman of the Library Trustees for Stamford Community Library in Vermont and volunteers at the <a href="http://www.berkshirefoodproject.org/" target="_blank">Berkshire Food Project</a>, where she can be found serving meals every other Friday. </i><br />
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<i>In the office, whether we’re seeking information on a hard-to-find book, the phone number of a good mechanic, a personalized song for a colleague’s retirement party, or a late-afternoon snack (in the form of the bottomless supply of peanuts she keeps by her desk), we count on Caroline. </i><i>Her warmth, humor, and spirit are deeply woven into the fabric of Storey, and we’re thrilled that she was named the winner of 2015 Pamela B. Art Humanitarian Award. Congratulations, Caroline!</i><br />
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<b>When you accepted your award in December, you told a great story about your father. Would you mind sharing it with readers?</b><br />
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My late father was a college botany professor who was used to speaking in lecture-length blocks of time. One Sunday, back when I was in high school, he stood up during the silent period in our Quaker Meeting and said, “Someone once said ‘I’d rather be right than president.’ I’d rather be helpful than right.” After I got over my shock at his having expressed himself in so few words, I realized that he had just succinctly described the atmosphere in which I was raised.<br />
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My brother, sister, and I were fortunate to have parents who lived by genuine example every day. If someone needed an emergency ride to the airport, we drove them, no questions asked. If a foreign exchange student was having difficulty in the home where they were placed, we took them in. If a college student couldn’t get home for a holiday, we gladly welcomed them at our table.<br />
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We learned to have a wider view outside ourselves, accept others without judgment, be compassionate to those in need, and we developed a sense of wanderlust that has led to wonderful experiences and lifelong friendships with people all over the world. How lucky were we?<br />
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I am incredibly fortunate to have had wonderful role models in my life at Storey, as well — from my award predecessors, <a href="http://blog.storey.com/2013/12/a-q-with-deb-burns-winner-of-pamela-b.html" target="_blank">Deb Burns</a> and <a href="http://blog.storey.com/2015/01/a-q-with-maribeth-casey-winner-of-2014.html" target="_blank">Maribeth Casey</a>, to [Storey Publishing founders] John and Martha Storey, Pam Art [former Storey president], and Dan Reynolds [Workman Publishing CEO], who have given us all the opportunity to be the best we could be.<br />
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<b>You seem like someone who has both an ability to see “the big picture” and an amazing grasp of detail. How do you think that quality informs your commitment to working in your community?</b><br />
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I come from a family that’s big on belt-and-suspender approaches to things and I am generally a dirt-under-the-fingernails, list-making person, so I comfortably spend much of my time in the details. But, after 29 years at Storey under the influence of classically trained Big Picture thinkers, I developed the ability to be a more expansive thinker.<br />
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When you live in a small town and serve on any boards, you have to be able to handle both traits. Our library trustees must plan for the future while remembering to pick up the cider for that evening’s program. You have to get on board or get out of the way.<br />
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<b>What are the causes that are especially important to you for the year ahead?</b><br />
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As it happens, my interests align perfectly with those outlined by Storey as a company: literacy, healthy food/food security, and community. Advocating for literacy has always been important to me. Today, though, literacy is much more than being able to read, and people take in information in many other ways. Perhaps just as important is making sure people are interacting with one another and seeing that their lives hold greater possibilities.<br />
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One organization I want to commit to is the <a href="http://www.hoosicriverrevival.org/" target="_blank">Hoosic River Revival</a>, spearheaded by former Storeyite Judy Grinnell. Ultimately, access to more natural, open spaces and expanded recreational opportunities helps improve the overall health and well-being of any community.<br />
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<b>What advice do you have for people who would like to be more involved in their communities but haven’t yet found that thing they want to do, or don’t have a sense of what they could offer?</b><br />
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I’m no expert, but if you are trying to decide where to devote your time, I would consider the following:<br />
<ol>
<li><b>What are you most passionate about? </b>What brings you the most satisfaction? What would get you to go back out on a cold, dark winter night?</li>
<li><b>Ask your friends </b>what they are involved in or if they know anyone at an organization you are interested in. Getting anecdotal advice and networking makes it easier to narrow down your options, and participating with a friend is a great way to get a toe in the door. </li>
<li><b>Start out conservatively.</b> Consider volunteering for a short-term task (designing a poster, answering fund drive phones) that doesn’t require a long-term commitment. See how it feels. It’s good to contribute in areas that play to your strengths. Eventually you may find it’s fun to step outside your comfort zone and expand your capabilities.</li>
<li><b>Do something. </b>Just take the plunge. If what you choose isn’t fulfilling, do something else. You can always support several causes in different ways.</li>
</ol>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-3400752168642424702016-01-27T08:53:00.000-05:002016-01-27T08:53:02.188-05:00Kirsten K. Shockey: Fermented Carrots, Three Ways<h3>
Make three easy carrot ferments — no crock (or cabbage) required.</h3>
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Carrots are wonderful vegetables to work with when it comes to lacto-fermentation. For one thing, they are just plain beautiful, and who doesn’t like jars of good-looking food on your refrigerator shelves? There’s more to fermented carrots than just their vibrant color, though. They are also delicious and versatile.<br />
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The greatest distinguishing factor in each of following three recipes — Carrot Kraut, Spicy Carrot Salad, and Fermented Carrot Sticks — is how you cut your carrots. Pickled carrot sticks are a whole pickle, with little surface area exposed to the brine. Kraut, on the other end of the spectrum, uses grated carrots. The more heavily chopped your carrots are, the more cell structure you break down and expose to the fermentation process.<br />
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Texture and flavor will differ as well. The brine of the carrot kraut will be thicker and the texture of the ferment a little heavier than the slices in the carrot salad. The shreds in kraut will lend a stronger fermented flavor (which some people like to call <i>funk</i>) than the carrot sticks, which are just slightly soured. All three of these recipes are delicious, and even though they’re all essentially fermented carrots, you will find that you use each very differently on your plate. I invite you to try them all and explore how unique the resulting ferments can be.<br />
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<b>General note:
</b><br />
I tend to scrub my carrots and use them with the peel on. However, when carrot skin is dark and rough, it can also be bitter. If this is the case, peel your carrots first.<br />
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The following fermentation method works for both the Carrot Kraut and the Spicy Carrot Salad.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Carrot Kraut</span></h3>
<i>For fermenting in a pint jar</i><br />
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<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
¾ pound carrots, grated<br />
½ tart apple, grated<br />
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger<br />
1 teaspoon unrefined salt<br />
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<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Spicy Carrot Salad</span></h3>
<i>For fermenting in a pint jar</i><br />
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<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
1 pound carrots, sliced as thinly as possible with a grater or mandoline<br />
1–2 fresh hot peppers, sliced (jalapeños, serranos, cherry bombs, or habaneros)<br />
Juice of one lime (zest is optional)<br />
1-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced<br />
1 teaspoon unrefined salt<br />
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<u>Directions:</u><br />
<ol>
<li>Prepare carrots and other vegetables according to the recipe. Sprinkle in the salt and massage the ingredients. (Note: You might want to wear gloves when working with chiles to avoid skin irritation.) As you work, the cell walls of the ingredients are broken down, and the mixture will become moist.</li>
<li>Press the mixture into a pint jar, releasing any air pockets. Press a ziplock bag against the surface of the mixture and fill the bag with water to act as a weight. Zip the bag closed. Alternately, screw a lid tightly on the jar.</li>
<li>Put the jar in a corner of the kitchen to cure. Watch for air pockets forming in the ferment. If you see them, remove the bag or open the lid and press the ferment back down below the liquid. If you see your jar lid bulging slightly, simply open the lid for a moment to release CO<sub>2</sub> and “burp” the ferment. Be sure to replace the bag or retighten the lid after pressing or burping your ferment.</li>
<li>Allow the mixture to ferment for 5 to 7 days. You will know it is ready when there is a pleasing acidic smell to the ferment. It will taste pickle-y and may also have a bit of an effervescent zing. If you prefer a stronger sour flavor, allow your ferment to sit longer.</li>
<li>When it is ready, tighten the lid and store in the refrigerator. The ferment will keep, refrigerated, for 6 to 12 months.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Fermented Carrot Sticks</span></h3>
<i>For fermenting in a pint jar or a crock</i><br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
1 tablespoon unrefined sea salt<br />
1 pint unchlorinated water<br />
About 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into sticks<br />
A few sprigs of rosemary (optional)<br />
<br />
<u>Directions:</u><br />
<ol>
<li>To make the brine, add the salt to the water, and stir to combine. </li>
<li>Arrange the carrots in a jar, wedging them under the shoulder of the jar (or, if you are using a crock, leave 4 inches of headspace). Pour in the brine to cover the carrots completely. Reserve any leftover brine in the refrigerator. (The brine will keep for 1 week; discard thereafter and make a new batch, if needed.)</li>
<li>Tighten the lid of the jar completely. Set aside to ferment in a cool spot and out of direct sunlight for 7 to 14 days. Every day, or whenever you see a slight bulging of your jar lid, loosen the lid slightly so CO<sub>2</sub> can escape; then retighten the lid. If brine bubbles out when you “burp” the jar, top it off with the reserved brine, if needed, to keep the carrots covered. </li>
<li>As the carrots ferment, the brine will get cloudy; this is when you can start to test your pickles. They’re ready when they’re pleasingly sour and pickle-y tasting, without the strong acidity of vinegar. If they’re not sour enough for your palate, continue to ferment longer.</li>
<li>Store in the refrigerator (in the same jar, lid tight). These will keep, refrigerated, for 12 months.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<br />
<div class="endnote">
Carrot Kraut and Fermented Carrot Sticks recipes adapted from <a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612124254&cat=Food%20&%20Drink&p=0" target="_blank"><i>Fermented Vegetables</i> </a>© 2014 by Kirsten K. Shockey and Christoper Shockey. All rights reserved.</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-27854441796511010592016-01-26T16:13:00.001-05:002016-01-26T16:13:08.952-05:00Michal Lumsden: New Year, New Tricks<h3>
Storey’s copywriter finds the perfect book for days when winter keeps everyone, including the dog, indoors.</h3>
This is my dog, Sage.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pSAs4LTWhSY/VqfYxY-2trI/AAAAAAAAFiA/0-flRCPHEeM/s1600/Sage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pSAs4LTWhSY/VqfYxY-2trI/AAAAAAAAFiA/0-flRCPHEeM/s640/Sage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
She’s an English Shepherd, bursting with both affection and smarts.<br />
<br />
Because she was bred to herd and we don’t have sheep, she works diligently to herd the humans in her life. We, in turn, work hard to tire her out. Often that takes the shape of long walks in the woods, scampering over rocks, up hills, and across streams, or throwing a ball down the steep hill behind our house. Again and again.<br />
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And while aerobic activity is important, it isn’t always crucial. She gets a mental workout just lying in the grass while I garden, keeping track of everything I do, every bird that flutters past, and every neighbor that ambles by. At the end of long gardening days, she’s exhausted.<br />
<br />
We both get a little stir crazy in the winter. Sure, we go snowshoeing and hiking and still do outdoor chores. But when bitter winds are whipping about and everything is covered in ice, there are fewer obvious ways to get her the stimulation she needs.<br />
<br />
Enter <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781603420839&cat=Pets&p=0" target="_blank">Canine Sports & Games</a></i>.<br />
<br />
As a new year’s resolution, I decided to work through this book with her. The mental concentration would be a fantastic energy release for her, and writing about our experiences would keep me engaged, too. We started with “shake,” the first trick introduced in the aptly titled “Before the Games Begin” chapter.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-snpuCko5PPA/VqfZAxhc-RI/AAAAAAAAFiI/tqk08c3ssdo/s1600/72_cKathrynRathke_ShakeHands_CanineSportsGames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="587" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-snpuCko5PPA/VqfZAxhc-RI/AAAAAAAAFiI/tqk08c3ssdo/s640/72_cKathrynRathke_ShakeHands_CanineSportsGames.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration © Kathryn Rathke, excerpted from <i>Canine Sports & Games</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I’d half-heartedly tried teaching her to shake a few times before. Each time I picked up her paw, she’d lie down, so I quickly abandoned my efforts.<br />
<br />
This time I was determined. The book offers optimistic assurance that the dog will learn to shake after 10 to 20 times, so I figured this would be an easy undertaking.<br />
<br />
Our first session lasted about five minutes and included well over 20 tries. Sage did not master shake. But she did make progress: by the end of the session she no longer lay down when I lifted her paw. I decided the book meant 10 to 20 training sessions, not 10 to 20 attempted shakes.<br />
<br />
When I got home from work the next day, the outside temperature was 6˚F, with a wind chill of -8˚F, so it seemed like the best place to tire Sage out was right in front of our wood stove. She ate nearly half her dinner in treats that night. And by the time we all went to sleep, she successfully had shaken hands — er, paws — with everyone in the house.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kTX8ZMuIDi4/VqfaQ2H_uHI/AAAAAAAAFiU/Zdqz1Re5Ggc/s1600/SageShaking1%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="486" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kTX8ZMuIDi4/VqfaQ2H_uHI/AAAAAAAAFiU/Zdqz1Re5Ggc/s640/SageShaking1%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michal and Sage demonstrate a successful shake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I lost count of how many times she just stared at me before answering my command by lifting her paw. It was at least 75. No big deal. My goal was met: I taught Sage a new trick and her brain got a good workout.<br />
<br />
It’s going to be a good year.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-62225063174081175952016-01-21T10:27:00.000-05:002016-01-21T10:27:12.879-05:00Brooke Dojny: Maine Potatoes — The Ultimate Comfort Food<h3>
The humble potato is a staple of the Maine economy and the star of a satisfying one-dish dinner.</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AChildren_gathering_potatoes_on_a_large_farm_1a33844v.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Jack Delano [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Children gathering potatoes on a large farm 1a33844v" height="436" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Children_gathering_potatoes_on_a_large_farm_1a33844v.jpg/512px-Children_gathering_potatoes_on_a_large_farm_1a33844v.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Children gathering potatoes on a large farm, vicinity of Caribou, Aroostook County, Maine, circa 1940. Photo by Jack Delano [Public domain], <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AChildren_gathering_potatoes_on_a_large_farm_1a33844v.jpg" target="_blank">via Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
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In Maine’s Aroostook County, often affectionately called simply “the county,” mineral-rich soil and a cool climate combine to create ideal potato-growing conditions. “The county” is huge, occupying more land than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. In the mid-nineteenth century, when rail lines extended north into Aroostook, Maine became the nation’s biggest potato grower, though much of the crop went into laundry starch, rather than to the table.<br />
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Though Maine now ranks behind several other states in total production, it continues to count potatoes as its number one agricultural crop, with most still grown in Aroostook. These days, the production is mostly in “round whites,” a medium-sized, moderately starchy, all-purpose potato, the kind often sold in five-pound bags in the supermarket.<br />
<br />
Fort Fairfield, Maine, holds a week-long Potato Blossom Festival each summer to celebrate the Maine spud. The festival is capped by the crowning of Miss Potato Queen and the awarding of ribbons in a potato recipe contest. This savory skillet supper dish is my adaptation of a recent prize-winner. It’s perfect for supper on a cold winter evening.<br />
<br />
<div class="recipe">
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">Aroostook County Potato and Sausage Skillet Dinner</span></h3>
Serves 4<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
2 tablespoons olive oil<br />
8 ounces kielbasa or similar garlicky smoked sausage, cut in ¼-inch slices<br />
1 large onion, sliced<br />
2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and sliced (5 to 6 cups)<br />
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried<br />
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />
2 cups chicken broth, preferably reduced-sodium<br />
1 cup apple juice or apple cider<br />
½ cup dry white wine<br />
1 bay leaf, broken in half<br />
<br />
<u>Directions:</u><br />
<ol>
<li>In a very large (11- or 12-inch), preferably nonstick, skillet with sides at least 2 inches high, heat the oil. Add the sausage and onion and sauté over medium heat, stirring, until the onion softens and the sausage begins to brown, about 6 minutes. </li>
<li>Add the sliced potatoes to the skillet, sprinkle with the flour, thyme, and pepper, and toss gently but thoroughly to combine well. Pour the broth, apple juice, and wine over the potato mixture and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and cook, covered, until the potatoes are tender, 35 to 40 minutes. </li>
<li>Remove the bay leaf before serving directly from the skillet.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<br />
<div class="endnote">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D4PgsRCrVxo/UuA77eIoBGI/AAAAAAAABEU/TptMorzK3IQ/s1600/brooke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D4PgsRCrVxo/UuA77eIoBGI/AAAAAAAABEU/TptMorzK3IQ/s1600/brooke.jpg" /></a></div>
Brooke Dojny is the author or co-author of more than a dozen cookbooks, including <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781603420266&cat=Food%20&%20Drink&p=0" target="_blank">The New England Clam Shack Cookbook</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781580178419&cat=Food%20&%20Drink&p=0" target="_blank">Dishing Up® Maine</a></i>, <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781603429627&cat=Food%20&%20Drink&p=0" target="_blank">Lobster!</a></i>, and <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612123752&cat=Food%20&%20Drink&p=0" target="_blank">Chowderland</a></i>. She won the James Beard Award in 1997 for <i>The AMA Family Cookbook</i>, co-authored with Melanie Barnard. Brooke started her culinary career in the 1980s when she worked as a catering directress for Martha Stewart. From 1990 to 2004, Brooke co-authored (with Melanie Barnard) <i>Bon Appetit</i>’s monthly “Every-Night Cooking” column and has written for most of the other major culinary magazines. She lives on the coast of Maine, where she can be found hanging out at clam shacks and farmers’ markets.</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-67442737738521855472016-01-19T15:44:00.000-05:002016-01-19T15:48:30.395-05:00Colin McCrate and Brad Halm: How Much Garden?<div style="text-align: left;">
<h3>
When it comes to getting the most from your garden, size does matter, so plan before you plant.</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ABagatelle_potager02.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="By Spedona (Spedona) (Cliché personnel - own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Bagatelle potager02" height="425" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Bagatelle_potager02.jpg/512px-Bagatelle_potager02.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Spedona (Spedona) (Cliché personnel - own work) <a href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html" target="_blank">GFDL</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/" target="_blank">CC-BY-SA-3.0</a> or <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5" target="_blank">CC BY-SA 2.5</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ABagatelle_potager02.jpg" target="_blank">via Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
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</div>
Annual beds can be created to fit whatever space you have available. As the garden increases in size, you’ll have more opportunities to diversify your crop selection, extend your harvest season, and increase the overall volume of food grown on site. Even the most intensively managed garden space has limits to how much food it can produce, so adding square footage will always add productivity. At the same time, adding space means that you’ll need to invest additional time and materials to create and manage your garden.<br />
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Following are some general guidelines on the needs and potential productivity of different garden sizes. These are only rough estimates: everyone uses a garden differently. Not everyone grows food for the same number of people, and those people will vary in age and dietary preferences. The time needed to manage your space also depends on how tidy and weed-free you like to keep it.<br />
<br />
Spend some time considering the number of other time commitments you typically have throughout the year. An honest assessment will really help you determine which garden size may work best for you. The good news is that it’s relatively easy to expand or shrink a garden from year to year; you can adjust as needed after a season or two of experience.<br />
<br />
<b>100–200 Square Feet</b><br />
This is an appropriate size for a beginning gardener who wants to try a few different crops and eat consistently from the yard during the peak harvest seasons. Half an hour to an hour a week will be enough to keep up with all garden tasks.<br />
<br />
<b>200–400 Square Feet</b><br />
This is a good size garden for the intermediate gardener with a hectic schedule. It will yield adequate fresh produce for one to four people throughout spring, summer, and fall, with some produce left for putting up. An hour or two of work a week will be sufficient.<br />
<br />
<b>400–800 Square Feet</b><br />
A group of two to six people can expect to eat fresh from the garden during the main growing season and also harvest quite a bit for late fall and winter storage. A space this size will require at least two to three dedicated hours per week for upkeep, harvesting, and processing of crops.<br />
<br />
<b>800–1,500 Square Feet</b><br />
This size garden can feed four to eight people through the growing season and produce enough storage vegetables to supplement your diet through much of the winter. Plan to spend at least four to six hours a week managing the space for maximum production and appearance.<br />
<br />
<b>1,500–2,000 Square Feet</b><br />
This is a large-enough garden to feed 6 to 10 people during the season and still distribute small quantities of especially productive crops. With proper planning, it is possible to grow substantial storage crops and cold-season greens. Expect to spend six to eight hours a week keeping up with the garden.<br />
<br />
<b>2,000–4,000 Square Feet</b><br />
This is entering into the realm of a serious undertaking, with a garden that will supply 8 to 15 people with fresh produce through much of the season. Keeping up with this much space will require at least 8 to 12 hours a week. During peak harvest season, you may need to spend several nights a week processing and storing your crops.<br />
<br />
<b>4,000–8,000 Square Feet</b><br />
A very substantial home vegetable garden, this much space will feed up to 20 people and may also provide a few crops for wider distribution. Plan to spend 12 to 15 hours a week, plus extra time for processing and distribution, as needed.<br />
<br />
<b>8,000–15,000 Square Feet</b><br />
The largest home garden we have seen falls in this range. You will have the opportunity to produce great quantities of food year-round for up to 25 people. Plan to spend 15 to 20 hours a week managing your space.<br />
<br />
<b>15,000–22,000 Square Feet</b><br />
Managing this much space will be a part-time job. Expect to spend at least 20 hours per week or more. A garden this size can feed up to 30 people and can provide many opportunities for storage, processing, and selling of produce.<br />
<br />
<b>22,000–44,000 Square Feet</b><br />
This is an endeavor large enough to require a full-time manager. This range is approximately half an acre to one acre (43,560 square feet is one acre). A garden this size is a serious endeavor and will likely require additional equipment and supplies.<br />
<br />
<div class="endnote">
Text excerpted from <i>High-Yield Vegetable Gardening</i> © 2015 by Colin McCrate and Brad Halm. All rights reserved.</div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-34962164467835406582016-01-14T08:56:00.000-05:002016-01-14T08:56:16.788-05:00DIY Recipes for Microbead-Free Skin Scrubs and Toothpaste<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you haven’t already scrubbed your hygiene routine of microbeads, the federal ban on the plastic particles in soaps and toothpastes means it’s time to start.</h3>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-azb5glAFwDs/VpbG2uvOH6I/AAAAAAAAFhU/HAB-9QtbsOk/s1600/Scrubs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-azb5glAFwDs/VpbG2uvOH6I/AAAAAAAAFhU/HAB-9QtbsOk/s640/Scrubs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The first time I thought about microbeads — I mean <i>really</i> thought about them — was nearly ten years ago while reading Alan Weisman’s <i><a href="http://www.worldwithoutus.com/index2.html" target="_blank">The World Without Us</a></i>. Since then, parts of his book about what the world might look like if humans disappeared continue to haunt me, but none as much as the section on plastics. Though I stopped using products with microbeads the very day I read that chapter, I’ve been unable to rid my mind of the image of tiny, (truly) age-defying plastic particles streaming from sink and shower drains into the sea.<br />
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The new <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/microbeads-soon-will-be-banned-from-toothpaste-soaps-shampoos/2016/01/07/254166a8-b4c1-11e5-a842-0feb51d1d124_story.html" target="_blank">federal ban of microbeads in skin scrubs and toothpastes </a>offers some small bit of relief from those lingering visions (though it doesn’t do much for the countless beads <a href="http://www.npr.org/2014/05/21/313157701/why-those-tiny-microbeads-in-soap-may-pose-problem-for-great-lakes" target="_blank">already lurking</a> in our waterways, nor does it include a similar ban on plastics in lotions, make-up, and other products we don’t rinse off right away).<br />
<br />
If you want a greener clean but are’t sure how to part with your favorite exfoliant or trusted toothpaste, or you’re daunted by the idea of making your own body care products, look no further than these manageable recipes from author Stephanie Tourles’s book <i>Organic Body Care Recipes</i>. Here, natural ingredients like oats, sea salt, sugar, and cornmeal — things that likely already live in your kitchen cabinets — do the heavy lifting, and you can rest a little easier knowing they won’t be here years after we’re gone. — <i>Emily Spiegelman, Digital Features Editor</i><br />
<br />
<div class="recipe">
<h3>
Gentle Facial Exfoliant</h3>
<i>This scrub doubles as a facial mask: Simply apply and let dry for 20 minutes, then rinse.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Recommended for:</b> all skin types, especially dry (except those listed in Contraindications; see below). If you omit the cornmeal, then any skin type can use it.<br />
<b>Use:</b> daily or as needed<br />
<b>Follow with:</b> moisturizer<br />
<b>Prep time:</b> approximately 5 minutes (if oatmeal is ground ahead of time)<br />
<b>Blending tools:</b> small bowl and spoon or whisk or plastic bag; bowl and spoon or whisk to mix scrub for use<br />
<b>Store in:</b> zip-seal bag, plastic or glass jar, or tin (dry ingredients only)<br />
<b>Yield:</b> approximately ¾ cup dry ingredients<br />
<b>Contraindications:</b> Generally, scrubs can be used on all skin types except those with acne or acne rosacea; broken capillaries or thread veins; sensitive and irritated skin; thin, mature, or elderly skin; or sunburned or windburned skin.<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
½ cup ground oatmeal<br />
¼ cup powdered milk, whole or nonfat<br />
1 teaspoon cornmeal<br />
Purified water<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
In a small bowl, thoroughly blend all dry ingredients using a spoon or small whisk, or shake them in a sealed plastic bag.<br />
<br />
Pour the mixture into a storage container.<br />
<br />
No refrigeration is required for dry ingredients, but for maximum freshness and potency, please use within 6 months.<br />
<br />
<b>To mix the scrub for use:</b> In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon of scrub mixture with enough water to form a spreadable paste. Allow the mixture to thicken for 1 minute.<br />
<br />
<b>Application tips:</b> Using your fingers, massage scrub onto the face and throat. Rinse.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Coconut and Vanilla Brown Sugar Body Buff</h3>
<i>The aroma of this scrub is so richly tropical! It’s a delightful skin polishing formula to use year-round, but especially when you wish you were in the balmy, breezy, warm tropics.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Recommended for:</b> all skin types except acneic (use with care on sensitive and environmentally damaged skin)<br />
<b>Use:</b> 1 to 2 times per week<br />
<b>Follow with:</b> moisturizer if necessary<br />
<b>Prep time:</b> approximately 10 minutes<br />
<b>Blending tools:</b> medium-sized bowl and small whisk<br />
<b>Store in: </b>wide mouthed plastic or glass jar<br />
<b>Yield:</b> approximately 1¼ cups<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
1¼ cups brown or raw sugar<br />
6–8 tablespoons coconut base oil (extra-virgin; unrefined)<br />
15–20 drops vanilla essential oil (or substitute vanilla fragrance or flavoring oil. Follow package directions for proper measurements.)<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
In a medium-sized bowl, combine sugar and coconut base oil. If the temperature of your house is below 76°F and the coconut oil is solid, warm it over very low heat until it’s just melted, then blend with the sugar using a small whisk, making sure to break up any lumps of sugar. Add the essential oil drop by drop, blending after each addition.<br />
<br />
Spoon into a storage container with a tight-fitting lid.<br />
<br />
<b>Note:</b> At temperatures below 76°F, this scrub will harden because of its coconut base oil content, but it can still be scooped out of the container with a spoon and applied to skin. Coconut oil will melt upon contact with body temperature.<br />
<br />
No refrigeration is required, but for maximum freshness and fragrance, please use within 6 months.<br />
<br />
<b>Application tips:</b> Massage approximately ¼ to ½ cup of scrub onto premoistened skin using circular motions. Rinse.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Soda and Salt Toothpaste</h3>
<i>This is a simple, inexpensive, odor-eliminating, tooth-whitening, and highly effective formula. It leaves your mouth feeling super-clean. </i>Note:<i> Cinnamon and clove essential oils may irritate sensitive gums and tongue.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Recommended for:</b> everyone<br />
<b>Use:</b> daily<br />
<b>Follow with:</b> water rinse or mouthwash<br />
<b>Prep time:</b> approximately 2 minutes<br />
<b>Blending tools:</b> small bowl, toothbrush, or small spoon<br />
<b>Store in:</b> do not store; mix as needed<br />
<b>Yield:</b> 1 treatment<br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients:</b><br />
½ teaspoon baking soda<br />
½ teaspoon sea salt, finely ground<br />
1 drop peppermint, spearmint, sweet orange, clove, or cinnamon bark essential oil<br />
A few drops tap water<br />
<br />
<b>Directions:</b><br />
Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix them thoroughly with a toothbrush, your finger, or a small spoon until a smooth, thick paste forms. The paste shouldn’t be too runny; it has to stay on your toothbrush.<br />
<br />
<b>Application tips:</b> Dip your toothbrush into the paste and use as you would regular commercial toothpaste.</div>
<br />
<div class="endnote">
Recipes excerpted from <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781580176767&cat=Well-Being&p=0" target="_blank">Organic Body Care Recipes</a></i> © 2007 by Stephanie Tourles. All rights reserved.<br />
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-45201600065225725412016-01-11T17:33:00.000-05:002016-01-11T17:33:08.377-05:00Andrea Chesman: Starting the Year Farm-to-Table<h3>
An author greets the new year with a full freezer.</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-84D-OjDi3ic/VpPQIIkZh4I/AAAAAAAAFgs/LmWTgpQ9-wI/s1600/pigs-in-pasture.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-84D-OjDi3ic/VpPQIIkZh4I/AAAAAAAAFgs/LmWTgpQ9-wI/s640/pigs-in-pasture.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pigs grazing at Understory Farm. Photo by Jessie Witscher</td></tr>
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The year 2015, according to the Chinese zodiac, was the year of the sheep, and I did buy one — well, actually a whole lamb for the freezer. The new Chinese year, which begins on February 8, will be the year of the monkey, and well...yechhh. As I have just stowed away seventy-five pounds of succulent pork from <a href="http://www.understoryfarmvermont.com/" target="_blank">Understory Farm</a> in Sudbury, Vermont, for me and my family, this year will be the year of the pig.<br />
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After talking to a few different farmers at the Middlebury Farmers’ Market last August, I decided in late December to buy from Greg and Jessie Witscher, who by then could only offer me a half-pig share. While I doubt there is a local farm I wouldn’t want to buy from, I especially like the story behind my pig, a Tamworth (75%)-Berkshire (25%) cross. Berkshires are known for their excellent mothering skills and pleasant dispositions. Greg told me, though, that after many years he is leaning more and more toward Tamworths, which are known for their enthusiastic foraging skills, their ability to thrive in inclement weather, and their long skeletons.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dU0Es6mMhaM/VpPQOzfKrXI/AAAAAAAAFg0/68A_pt1DdFE/s1600/Gregory-Witscher.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dU0Es6mMhaM/VpPQOzfKrXI/AAAAAAAAFg0/68A_pt1DdFE/s640/Gregory-Witscher.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gregory Witscher. Photo by Jessie Witscher</td></tr>
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I liked the idea that my pig was raised on pasture and woodland forage and fed non-GMO grain and high-quality milk. The milk was brought in twice a week from Animal Farm in a Vermont town called Orwell (I’ll pause here; get the joke?) where Diane St. Clair makes butter that is sold at the French Laundry and Per Se, two famous restaurants run by Thomas Keller. I’m name-dropping here but, in fact, St. Clair doesn’t use the milk her Jersey cows produce, only the cream. So the pigs make quick work of the milk, and I’ll make use of the pork.<br />
<br />
When you buy a whole or half animal from a farmer, you are usually given a price per pound that reflects the hanging weight (the carcass minus blood, guts, skin). What you actually receive is about 75 percent of that, depending on whether you take the “nasty bits” or offal (liver, heart, head, trotters) and lard. My one hundred-pound half-pig yielded me seventy-five pounds of porky goodness; and the $6 per pound I paid for the hanging weight ended up costing me $8 a pound for meat. Yes, that’s a lot more money than you might pay at the supermarket — but I know that I am getting antibiotic-free, “clean” meat that is richer in vitamins D and E and omega-3 fatty acids. I also know that this pork, being locally sourced and raised responsibly on local foods and forage, had a small carbon footprint and thus a small environmental impact on the land.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ertIjyWcGX4/VpPQZHIxTNI/AAAAAAAAFg8/uLncUr67hE8/s1600/75-pounds-of-meat2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ertIjyWcGX4/VpPQZHIxTNI/AAAAAAAAFg8/uLncUr67hE8/s640/75-pounds-of-meat2.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">75 pounds of pork. Photo by Andrea Chesman</td></tr>
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It’s hard to envision what seventy-five pounds of meat means, but it mostly fits on two freezer shelves. I got seventeen pork chops, all cut at least one inch thick (any thinner and they’re easily overcooked, which renders the meat dry and tough), four pounds of ground pork, four shoulder roasts (the cut you want for barbecue), and one small tenderloin. I had the ham split and smoked to yield two hams, each weighing between four and five pounds. There are two very small racks of ribs, four large country-style ribs, and eight one-pound slabs of fresh pork belly, some of which I will braise and some of which I will cure to make bacon. There are also neck bones for a stew, smoked ham hocks, trotters (both will flavor beans), half a head, three pounds of leaf lard, and two pounds of back fat.<br />
<br />
The meat arrived frozen, but I couldn’t wait to test out the flavor of a chop. I made a rookie mistake and didn’t make sure it was fully defrosted before it hit the hot pan — that’s why you don’t see a good sear on the middle. But the flavor? Juicy pork goodness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jTOxqBxo7Ao/VpPQgRAElNI/AAAAAAAAFhE/umpnNfjtwok/s1600/pan-seared-pork-chop_rsz.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jTOxqBxo7Ao/VpPQgRAElNI/AAAAAAAAFhE/umpnNfjtwok/s640/pan-seared-pork-chop_rsz.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pan seared pork chop with sauteed greens. Photo by Andrea Chesman</td></tr>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-60137324855613989302016-01-08T11:06:00.001-05:002016-01-08T11:06:56.153-05:00Winter Wonder: Five Ways to Connect with the Natural World from The Curious Nature Guide<h3>
Winter is a great time to get curious, no resolutions required.</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VH4xCUjkkVI/Vo_TlLIRnNI/AAAAAAAAFgc/kqZOa1dulhs/s1600/newsunset.600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VH4xCUjkkVI/Vo_TlLIRnNI/AAAAAAAAFgc/kqZOa1dulhs/s640/newsunset.600.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor © Clare Walker Leslie, excerpted from <i>The Curious Nature Guide</i></td></tr>
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Let’s face it: January is tough. Winter tightens its grip; the holidays are over. Snow and ice make the landscape a hard, glazed surface; trees live in skeleton form. This starkness can be hard on the soul, and though the idea of resolutions is nice, I’ve learned from personal experience that the start of the new year is the worst time of year to try to be a new me.<br />
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But I’ve also learned that the stripped-bare, pared-down quality of winter reveals what’s obscured in kinder months. Lifting my chin to wrap my scarf against the cold, I happen to see a steady stream of crows, thirty or forty or more coming from all corners of the sky and<i> </i>flying so soundlessly to their mysterious <a href="https://www.audubon.org/news/where-crows-go-night" target="_blank">nighttime gathering place</a> that I might easily have missed them. At home, I find delicate tracks criss-crossing my yard, bird feet alongside fox, rabbit, and squirrel, a record of the day’s traffic perfectly preserved in snow. These are winter encounters that don’t happen or can’t be seen in splendid summer. They feel like secrets, evidence of a rhythm that’s greater than my own comings and goings, and a daily treat that I find myself looking for, and looking forward to. <a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/22/how-nature-changes-the-brain/" target="_blank">The benefits</a> that come with them are just the cherry on the sundae.<br />
<br />
In the spirit of open eyes and unexpected discovery, here are five indoor and outdoor prompts from Clare Walker Leslie’s<a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612125091&cat=Nature%20&%20Outdoors&p=0" target="_blank"> <i>The Curious Nature Guide</i></a> that lend themselves beautifully to the quiet of winter. <i>— Emily Spiegelman, Digital Features Editor</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Try this</b><br />
Note the colors of the sky at sunrise or sunset over the course of a few days or weeks. Use colored pencils, crayons, or descriptive words to record the colors, dates, and times in a notebook.<br />
<br />
<b>Try this</b><br />
Go on a winter tree-bud walk. Packed in those small, protective casings are next spring’s flowers, leaves, and new twig growth. The magic of trees is they know just when to open those buds (except when Mother Nature brings a late surprise storm!). See if you can notice the day when your favorite tree unlocks its little bud package.<br />
<br />
<b>Try this</b><br />
Take a walk with eyes and ears open. Can you find any of these signs?<br />
<ul>
<li>Tracks in the snow or mud</li>
<li>Nibbled shoots of small plants</li>
<li>Nesting sites, lodges, or dens</li>
<li>Scat (droppings)</li>
<li>Fur</li>
<li>Discarded antlers</li>
<li>Bones</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Try this</b><br />
Make a date with yourself to visit an art museum. Note the paintings, the pottery, fabrics and weavings, and sculptures that express some connection with nature. Do any of them make you want to see the places or things they depict? Are you inspired to create your own art from nature?<br />
<br />
<b>Try this</b><br />
E-mails and photos are great, but how long has it been since you wrote a real letter? Pick up a pen or pencil and write to a distant relative or friend. Describe where you live and the little things you have seen and noticed in the natural world around you. Put a stamp on it and send it off. You can also do this on a trip or vacation.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w4QSO8JCyhs/Vo2FluSrEXI/AAAAAAAAFgM/jadxM03y1Xc/s1600/curiousnaturecover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w4QSO8JCyhs/Vo2FluSrEXI/AAAAAAAAFgM/jadxM03y1Xc/s320/curiousnaturecover.png" width="246" /></a></div>
<div class="endnote">
Text excerpted from <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612125091&cat=Nature%20&%20Outdoors&p=0" target="_blank">The Curious Nature Guide</a></i> © 2015 by Clare Walker Leslie. All rights reserved.</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-55869467971430438682015-12-30T08:41:00.000-05:002015-12-30T08:41:01.951-05:00Garlic for Chicken Health: An Excerpt from The Chicken Health Handbook<h3>
Garlic fights cold and flu in humans, and it can give backyard chickens an immune system boost, too.</h3>
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“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” does not entirely apply to garlic, which has so many beneficial properties that researchers haven’t yet discovered them all. On a basic level garlic contains oligosaccharides — prebiotics that stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in the large intestine, thus stimulating immunity. Small amounts of crushed raw garlic fed to baby chicks twice a week not only help their immune systems develop but also get them used to the flavor so they will be more likely to accept it later in life.<br />
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Raw garlic may be used to boost the immune system of a droopy mature chicken by serving as an appetite stimulant. Add crushed garlic to the drinking water at the rate of four cloves per gallon, providing fresh garlic water daily.<br />
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Chickens that have been conditioned from a young age to accept the flavor of garlic should have no trouble drinking the water. For chickens that are unfamiliar with garlic, reduce the initial amount until they will drink, then gradually increase the amount up to four cloves per gallon. Meanwhile, should a chicken’s condition require antibiotic treatment, garlic will work synergistically with the drug.<br />
<br />
Garlic powder, added to chicken feed at the rate of 1.5 pounds per 50 pounds (0.6 kg per 20 kg) of ration, has been found to neutralize the odor of manure, but apparently it does not affect the flavor of eggs. Taste testers, in fact, preferred eggs from hens fed garlic, claiming they tasted milder. Researchers speculate that garlic somehow reduces the eggs’ sulfur content.<br />
<br />
Exactly how garlic works all these miracles, and more, is still pretty much a mystery, largely because of its highly complex chemistry. However, it’s fairly clear that allicin and allicin-derived compounds metabolize rather rapidly, working alone or synergistically to exert a variety of beneficial effects on different body systems.<br />
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<div class="recipe">
<h3>
<span style="color: #38761d;">Garlic Juice Spray</span></h3>
<i>Garlic juice spray may be used to control northern fowl mites.</i><br />
<br />
To make garlic juice spray, peel cloves from one head of garlic and crush them in a garlic press or whirl them in a food processor. Drain out the juice by pressing the pulp into a mesh strainer over a bowl. To remove small bits of pulp that get through the strainer and might clog your sprayer, strain the juice through a piece of cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter. One head of garlic should yield about ¼ cup of juice. Combine ¼ cup (about 55 mL) of garlic juice with 2¼ cups (500 mL) of water to make a 10 percent garlic juice spray.<br />
<br />
To control northern fowl mites, apply the spray to the affected chicken’s vent weekly for 3 weeks, and thereafter as needed to maintain control. If fresh spray irritates the skin around a chicken’s vent, age the spray a couple of days before using it.</div>
<br />
<div class="endnote">
Text excerpted from <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612120133&cat=Animals%20&%20Farming&p=0" target="_blank">The Chicken Health Handbook, 2nd Edition</a></i> ©1994, 2015 by Gail Damerow. All rights reserved.</div>
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<a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612120133&cat=Animals%20&%20Farming&p=0" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2cv7EKwhHQ0/VnrfXwyWCHI/AAAAAAAAFfs/2sqd6uiR6Wc/s400/chickenhealthcover.png" width="301" /></a></div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-75898843854985569722015-12-28T08:25:00.000-05:002015-12-28T08:25:54.175-05:0011 Books We Used the Most in 2015<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Are any of your Storey favorites on this list?</h3>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9IBEhSL1psY/VnQn0tW4JcI/AAAAAAAAFfM/eD84AwDrFVg/s1600/MostUsedStoreyBooks2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9IBEhSL1psY/VnQn0tW4JcI/AAAAAAAAFfM/eD84AwDrFVg/s640/MostUsedStoreyBooks2015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
With all the “best of” book lists that come out at year’s end, it’s hard not to think about Storey’s own catalog and how our favorite titles rank in comparison to all others. But because Storey books are designed to teach and inspire (and be used for many years to come), “best” feels less descriptive than “most frequently used” — and of course, many of us use the books we publish.<br />
<br />
Here are the Storey books (new and old) we consulted the most in 2015.<br />
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1. <a href="http://storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612122298&cat=Nature" target="_blank">Into the Nest</a>, by Laura Erickson and Marie Read</h3>
<i>“The photos in </i>Into the Nest<i> are a major draw, but mostly I kept going back for the stories of the different species’ nesting habits, and the reference section at the end.”</i> — Deb Burns, Acquisitions Editor<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>“It’s beautiful and informational, and I </i>love<i> watching birds and learning about each one.” </i>— Debbie Surdam, Production Manager<br />
<br />
<h3>
2. <a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781603421522&cat=Food%20&%20Drink&p=0" target="_blank">250 Treasured Country Desserts</a>, by Andrea Chesman and Fran Raboff</h3>
<i>“I use </i>250 Treasured Country Desserts<i> all the time. Whenever I’m craving a dessert, I know I can find a recipe in that book that I can make with the ingredients I already have on hand.”</i> — Alee Moncy, Associate Director of Publicity<br />
<br />
<h3>
3. <a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781580175944&cat=Food%20&%20Drink&p=0" target="_blank">Pumpkin</a>, by DeeDee Stovel</h3>
<i>“But this is hard . . . there are so many good books! The cookbooks are my favorite, and one that I really like is </i>Pumpkin<i>. I’ve used a few of the recipes from this book the most.”</i> — Tricia Denault, Sales Coordinator<br />
<br />
<h3>
4. <a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781603427241&cat=Crafts&p=0" target="_blank">Cast On, Bind Off</a>, by Leslie Ann Bestor and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2872749-weekend" target="_blank">Weekend</a> by Edith Stovel and Pamela Wakefield</h3>
<i>“It has to be a tie between </i>Cast On, Bind Off<i> and </i>Weekend<i>!”</i> — Gwen Steege, Senior Acquisitions Editor<br />
<br />
<h3>
5. <a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612122045&cat=Food%20&%20DrinkHouse%20&%20Home&p=0" target="_blank">The Backyard Homestead Book of Kitchen Know-How</a>, by Andrea Chesman</h3>
<i>“This book is filled with great uses for my newly inherited sourdough starter.” </i>— Ash Austin, Marketing Designer<br />
<br />
<h3>
6. <a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781580176767&cat=Well-Being&p=0" target="_blank">Organic Body Care Recipes</a>, by Stephanie Tourles</h3>
<i>“I used </i>Organic Body Care Recipes <i>to make scented shower scrubs for my daughter’s bridal shower and for holiday hostess gifts.” </i>— Lisa Hiley, Project Editor<br />
<br />
<h3>
7. <a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612124254&cat=Food%20&%20Drink&p=0" target="_blank">Fermented Vegetables</a>, by Kirsten K. and Christopher Shockey</h3>
<i>“I can’t live without a few jars of curtido in the fridge these days, and I expanded my repertoire with kimchi, too.”</i> — Deborah Balmuth, Publisher<br />
<br />
<h3>
8. <a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781603425452&cat=Food%20&%20Drink&p=0" target="_blank">Recipes from the Root Cellar</a>, by Andrea Chesman</h3>
<i>“</i>Recipes from the Root Cellar<i> is my go-to for winter vegetables; the maple-candied sweet potatoes (with bourbon!) have become a staple in my house.”</i> — Michal Lumsden, Copywriter & Assistant to the Publisher<br />
<br />
<i>“I made several dishes from </i>Recipes from the Root Cellar<i> for Thanksgiving.” </i>— Ilona Sherratt, Illustration Coordinator<br />
<br />
<h3>
9. <a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612124124&cat=Well-Being&p=0" target="_blank">Herbal Goddess</a>, by Amy Jirsa</h3>
<i>“It has herbs for beginners, and it includes everything — body care, medicinals, and FOOD!”</i> — Sarah Armour, Associate Director of Marketing<br />
<br />
<h3>
10. <a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781580176637&cat=Food%20&%20Drink&p=0" target="_blank">Serving Up the Harvest</a>, by Andrea Chesman</h3>
<i>“I’m constantly using </i>Serving Up the Harvest <i>to look up roasting times for vegetables.” </i>— Sarah Guare, Project Editor<br />
<br />
<h3>
11. <a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612123332&cat=Crafts&p=0" target="_blank">Knit the Sky</a>, by Lea Redmond</h3>
<i><i>“</i>I’ve always been a strict by-the-pattern knitter, so it must say something about the power of Lea Redmond’s imaginative book that this is the one I’ve turned to the most. (For the record, I’m still working on my <a href="http://blog.storey.com/2015/09/mood-ring-cowl-project-from-knit-sky.html" target="_blank">Mood Ring Cowl</a>.)</i><i><i>”</i> </i>— Emily Spiegelman, Digital Features Editor<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>“It’s so dang pretty.” </i>— Zoe Spring, Web DesignerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-5898542011798990452015-12-22T10:09:00.000-05:002015-12-22T10:09:33.125-05:00Maple-Bacon Strata<h3>
Hello, breakfast bliss.</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aMr0208DKxk/VnhzeJzoUaI/AAAAAAAAFfc/USadCUN9hdM/s1600/blog_37_cMichaelPiazzaPhotography_MapleBaconStrata_MapleSyrupCookbook.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aMr0208DKxk/VnhzeJzoUaI/AAAAAAAAFfc/USadCUN9hdM/s640/blog_37_cMichaelPiazzaPhotography_MapleBaconStrata_MapleSyrupCookbook.png" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo © Michael Piazza Photography, excerpted from <i>Maple Syrup Cookbook</i>. All rights reserved.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Maple and bacon are a classic pairing and this recipe doesn’t skimp on either. Because the strata needs to chill overnight before baking, it’s a perfect make-ahead breakfast dish for Christmas morning. Just pop it in the oven while everyone’s opening their presents and it’ll be ready to serve once ribbons and wrapping have been tossed aside.<br />
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<div class="recipe">
<h3>
<span style="color: #783f04;">Maple-Bacon Strata</span></h3>
Yield: 8 servings<br />
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<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
½ pound bacon, chopped into ¼-inch pieces<br />
1¼ cups heavy cream<br />
1 cup milk<br />
½ cup pure maple syrup<br />
5 eggs<br />
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard<br />
1 teaspoon crumbled dried sage<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
8 slices (each 1 inch thick) sweet Portuguese bread or challah, lightly toasted and cut into thirds<br />
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese<br />
⅔ cup chopped pistachio nuts<br />
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<u>Directions:</u><br />
<ol>
<li>Grease a 2-quart casserole dish and set aside.</li>
<li>Cook the bacon pieces in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until they are crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.</li>
<li>Whisk together the cream, milk, maple syrup, eggs, mustard, sage, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.</li>
<li>Lay half of the bread in the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle it with half of the bacon, half of the cheese, and half of the nuts. Continue layering with the remaining ingredients.</li>
<li>Pour the egg mixture over the layers, cover, and refrigerate overnight.</li>
<li>Remove the casserole from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Uncover the dish and bake for about 40 minutes, or until bubbly and golden.</li>
<li>Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.</li>
</ol>
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Recipe excerpted from <i><a href="http://storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612126647&cat=Food" target="_blank">Maple Syrup Cookbook, 3rd Edition</a></i> ©1989, 2001, 2015 by Ken Haedrich. Photo © Michael Piazza Photography. All rights reserved.<br />
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-20604462338793913932015-12-17T17:53:00.000-05:002015-12-17T17:53:46.334-05:00Brooke Dojny: French Grated Carrot and Celery Root Salad<h3>
No one likes a sad salad.</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ACoustellet_carottes_nouvelles.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="By havankevin [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Coustellet carottes nouvelles" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ea/Coustellet_carottes_nouvelles.jpg/512px-Coustellet_carottes_nouvelles.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0%22%3ECC%20BY%202.0%3C/a%3E],%20%3Ca%20href=%22https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ACoustellet_carottes_nouvelles.jpg" target="_blank">By havankevin via Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
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For many years, we threw a huge party in December, with a guest list of fifty people or more.<br />
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Sometimes it happened before Christmas, sometimes as a New Year’s Day open house, but the buffet menu was always extensive: baked ham (I like spiral cut hams, even though I know it’s sort of cheating), small biscuits, and mustard sauce; roast turkey breast, tiny rolls, and cranberry sauce; large shrimp on ice and the usual red cocktail sauce; Moroccan eggplant in little pitas with yogurt and sprouts; a wheel of brie or Brillat Savarin; roast pork tenderloin on baguette slices spread with rosemary butter; crudités with blue cheese dip or salt cod spread; antipasto (roasted peppers, mushrooms, cured meats, cheeses); spiced almonds and cranberries; and finger-food desserts such as toffee bars, orange shortbread, and powdered sugar-dusted pecan crescents. Oh, and mulled cider, wine, beer, and mixed drinks. And music. And the house and tree decorated to the hilt. I worked on the event for weeks.<br />
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People loved it — and I did, too, for a while, but eventually we found ourselves enjoying it (and all the work it required) less and less.<br />
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Last year, we switched things up, scaling back to a twenty-person dinner party, and we’ll do the same this holiday season. I make the main course — this year, a New England version of cassoulet — and we provide the wine, a special holiday cocktail, and the decorated house. The guests bring hors d’oeuvres, salads, and finger-food desserts. It works splendidly. In fact, the party is tonight and since I have so little to do compared to years past, I found time to write this blog!<br />
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A couple of guests are bringing salads, but, being a bit of a controlling sort, I’ve made one, too. It’s a delicious French bistro specialty that goes well with my French main course, and has the advantage of being sturdy enough to sit on a buffet table without wilting.<br />
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<div class="recipe">
<h3>
<span style="color: #b45f06;">French Grated Carrot and Celery Root Salad</span></h3>
<i>The French don’t eat many vegetables in their raw state, but grated salads made with carrots, celery root (also called celeriac), or a combination of the two, are standard fare in bistros all over the country. Celery root is a gnarly, mottled, tan orb that needs quite a bit of peeling to get down to the sweet white flesh. If you can’t find it, this salad is also great made with all carrots.</i><br />
<br />
Yield: About 8 buffet servings<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
7 large carrots<br />
1 small, or half a large celery root<br />
Half a small bunch of flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped<br />
5 tablespoons lemon juice<br />
5 tablespoons light olive oil<br />
1 small shallot, finely chopped<br />
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard<br />
2 teaspoons sugar<br />
¾ teaspoon salt<br />
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper<br />
<br />
<u>Directions:</u><br />
Peel carrots and celery root and shred in a food processor or by hand on a box grater (or on a mandoline, if you have one). Transfer to a bowl and toss with the parsley. The vegetables can be prepared a few hours ahead and refrigerated.<br />
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Whisk the lemon juice, oil, shallot, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. When ready to serve (or up to 2 hours ahead), toss vegetables with dressing. Serve cold.</div>
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<div class="endnote">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5FV0VvxlZzs/UwVQ_VatzvI/AAAAAAAABT0/hZNCaOllS6k/s1600/brooke.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5FV0VvxlZzs/UwVQ_VatzvI/AAAAAAAABT0/hZNCaOllS6k/s1600/brooke.jpeg" /></a>
Brooke Dojny is the author or co-author of more than a dozen cookbooks, including <i>The New England Clam Shack Cookbook</i>, <i>Dishing Up® Maine</i>, and <i>Lobster!</i> (all Storey Publishing). She won the James Beard Award in 1997 for <i>The AMA Family Cookbook</i>, co-authored with Melanie Barnard. Brooke started her culinary career in the 1980s when she worked as a catering directress for Martha Stewart. From 1990 to 2004, Brooke co-authored (with Melanie Barnard) <i>Bon Appetit</i>’s monthly “Every-Night Cooking” column and has written for most of the other major culinary magazines. She lives on the coast of Maine, where she can be found hanging out at clam shacks and farmers’ markets. Her newest book with Storey, <i>Chowderland</i>, is available wherever books are sold.</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-78611496657890906762015-12-15T16:15:00.000-05:002015-12-15T16:15:18.155-05:00Michal Lumsden: Cover Goats<h3>
Meet the newest addition to the Storey staff.</h3>
<i>We’re thrilled to introduce readers to Michal Lumsden, our new copywriter and assistant to the publisher! When Michal’s not in the office, she’s busy leading the Storey life as an expert knitter, a gardener, animal lover, and the keeper of some goats with Storey ties of their own.</i><br />
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Even before I worked at Storey, I owned a lot of Storey books; I wouldn’t be the knitter, gardener, or cook I am today without them. As I prepared my application for a job at Storey, I looked around the company website to get a feel for everything they publish. Clicking and scrolling, I stumbled upon this:
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Worlds collided.<br />
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I used to know those goats! What’s more, my own goats are related to them!<br />
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For many years I helped out at Rawson Brook Farm, in Monterey, MA. I had an office job elsewhere, but spent my days off hanging and packaging cheese or mucking out the barn. The farm’s owner, Susan Sellew, is a delightful soul, brimming with both laughter and business savvy. One day she came into the cheese room more animated than usual and announced that later in the week a photographer was coming to take pictures for a new edition of <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781603425803&cat=Animals%20&%20Farming&p=0" target="_blank">Storey’s Guide to Raising Dairy Goats</a></i>.<br />
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Eventually I left the southern Berkshires, so I had to give up my weekend shifts at Rawson Brook. Later, when my husband and I moved to an idyllic vale on the eastern edge of the Berkshires, I knew I wanted to raise goats. I called Susan and we negotiated a barter: Some of our beef and maple syrup for two of her kids.<br />
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That was nearly four years ago, and now Audrey and Ingrid are all grown up. I’ve turned to <i>Storey’s Guide to Raising Dairy Goats</i> many times over the years, but I have an older edition, with a different cover photo, so I’d forgotten that my girls are related to famous goats.<br />
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Just a few days before starting my new job at Storey last month, I captured them enjoying this fall’s apple bounty. I hope you enjoy it, too!<br />
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-47653022996093735122015-12-09T10:47:00.000-05:002015-12-09T10:47:16.016-05:00Gwen Steege: Days in a Row — Making a Knit the Sky Baby Blanket<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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Storey’s fiber arts editor knits a record of the days leading up to her grandson’s arrival.</h3>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--0a8kZN_DKs/VmW_vaLM1JI/AAAAAAAAFec/VGFLjCbo8Nc/s1600/GSteege-151025-1518_sm%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--0a8kZN_DKs/VmW_vaLM1JI/AAAAAAAAFec/VGFLjCbo8Nc/s640/GSteege-151025-1518_sm%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Gwen Steege</td></tr>
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The sky is such a constant in our lives that we can easily ignore its impact on us. Where I live in New England, it’s not only constant, it’s also constantly changing. I’d never been so conscious of this as when I was captivated by the concept of knitting the sky (which inspired the <a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612123332&cat=Crafts&p=0" target="_blank">title of Lea Redmond’s new book</a>), choosing yarns that matched whatever color the sky was on a given day. Last spring, when I discovered that our son and his wife were expecting a baby in the fall, I had the perfect excuse to take on the challenge of a <i>Knit the Sky</i> baby blanket — and I loved every minute of it.
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The logistics were simple, all outlined in Lea’s book in a section called “A Bundle of Joy.” I gathered a basketful of lightweight yarns in the colors I thought I’d need to knit the sky in all of its variability where I live: several shades of blue, grays, and even whites. I often held two strands of different-colored laceweight yarns together as I knit, to create even more shades.<br />
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Lea leaves the choice of stitch up to the individual knitter and, though I could have just knit garter stitch, I knew I’d get bored doing that. Instead, I decided to knit my way through Barbara Walker’s <i>A Treasury of Knitting Patterns</i>, working a 3-inch square every day. So that I wouldn’t have to stitch dozens of squares together when the blanket was finished, I knit 13 strips of 15 squares each, and blocked and attached each strip as soon as I completed it. The result is a somewhat funky, patchwork quilt sampler with completely random colors: sometimes I’d have 4 or 5 gray days in a row, and in other columns, there are long stretches of blue. I especially loved the days when bright white, puffy cumulus clouds in a deep blue sky inspired me to work 2-color stitch patterns, or throw in a square with a little intarsia-knit whale or sheep.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1zFNroGcmu0/VmXJOkJ0FxI/AAAAAAAAFes/06Gy6PN8Ya0/s1600/MVilaubi-151028-7991%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1zFNroGcmu0/VmXJOkJ0FxI/AAAAAAAAFes/06Gy6PN8Ya0/s640/MVilaubi-151028-7991%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A section of Gwen’s finished blanket. Photo by Mars Vilaubi</td></tr>
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As the weeks went by, I found myself absentmindedly looking at the sky several times a day, planning what color I’d knit with that evening. Now, my grandson Julian is 2 weeks old, and I still check out the sky color each day, but with the new thrill of knowing he shares that constant, yet variable, sky with all of us.<br />
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<div class="endnote">
Gwen W. Steege edits books on knitting and other fiber crafts for Storey Publishing. She lives in western Massachusetts.</div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-86744851524431029722015-12-08T09:30:00.001-05:002015-12-08T09:30:24.211-05:00Tzivia Gover: Getting over Overwhelm<h3>
When you don’t know what to do next, do what comes naturally: breathe.</h3>
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When you need to get out from under a tidal wave of deadlines, the first step is to tame your breath. Calming your breath allows you to think clearly and access creative solutions. Try this 4–7–8 breathing technique, which is an effective antidote to anxiety:
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<li>Exhale completely through your mouth.</li>
<li>Close your mouth, and inhale deeply through your nose to the count of 4.</li>
<li>Gently hold your breath to the count of 7.</li>
<li>Exhale through your open mouth for the count of 8.</li>
<li>Repeat steps 2 through 4 for about four cycles twice a day as needed. Keep your counting rhythm consistent, and most of all, be gentle with yourself. Return to normal breathing anytime the exercise feels too difficult, or if you begin to feel lightheaded.</li>
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<a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612125114&cat=Well-Being&p=0" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W7urByHA2Xw/VlTUwvwPJoI/AAAAAAAAFc8/XdAgnH6yrqQ/s320/joy-in-every-moment-cover.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
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Text excerpted from <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612125114&cat=Well-Being&p=0" target="_blank">Joy in Every Moment</a></i> © 2015 by Tzivia Gover. All rights reserved.
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<div class="endnote">
Tzivia Gover, author of <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612125114&cat=Well-Being&p=0" target="_blank">Joy in Every Moment</a></i>, is an author and educator who facilitates self-growth and awareness through her workshops and retreats on writing, dreamwork, and mindfulness. In addition to holding an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University, she is a certified dream therapist; a certified proprioceptive writing instructor; a Reiki master; and a creative, curious, and dedicated dreamer. She is an active member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams and the founder of 350 Dreamers, an international network of people who dream together for global healing. Visit her website <a href="http://www.tziviagover.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-78936901598936977462015-12-04T05:55:00.001-05:002015-12-04T06:06:10.830-05:00Rosemary Gladstar: Cinnamon Spice Chai Recipe<h3>
Invigorating herbs and spices make this tea a whole-body treat.</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qFqpXjLDakc/VmBqp3saGDI/AAAAAAAAFdc/d-VYoaVZ8sk/s1600/CinnamonSpiceChai_Blog_V1%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qFqpXjLDakc/VmBqp3saGDI/AAAAAAAAFdc/d-VYoaVZ8sk/s640/CinnamonSpiceChai_Blog_V1%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration by Ash Austin</td></tr>
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A delicious tea blend that originated in India, chai has as many recipes as drinkers. Here’s one of my favorite chai recipes. Use it as a warming, energizing tea in the morning, or ice it for a cool afternoon pick-me-up.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="color: #990000;">Cinnamon Spice Chai</span></h3>
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
1 part chopped cinnamon bark<br />
½ part coriander seed<br />
½ part chopped gingerroot<br />
¼ part coarsely ground black peppercorns<br />
¼ part cracked cardamom seeds (put in herb mill and grind quickly)<br />
⅛ part whole cloves<br />
Darjeeling tea (or your own favorite black or green tea)<br />
Honey (to taste)<br />
<br />
<u>To make the chai:</u> Combine the cinnamon, coriander, ginger, peppercorns, cardamom, and cloves and mix well. Using 1 teaspoon of the herb mixture per cup of water, simmer the spices for 15 to 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, add an appropriate amount of Darjeeling (depending on how many servings you’ve brewed), cover, and let steep 5 minutes. Strain, then sweeten to taste with honey.<br />
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<u>To use:</u> Drink! I love this tea with frothed milk. It rivals the best latte and offers so much more in health-giving properties.
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Recipe excerpted from <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612120058&cat=GardeningWell-Being&p=0" target="_blank">Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide </a></i>© 2012 by Rosemary Gladstar. All rights reserved.</div>
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<b>Win a copy of <i>Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide</i> and other Storey books for happiness and well-being!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><a href="http://storey.com/freshpicks/" target="_blank">Enter our Naturally Happy Holiday Giveaway</a></span></h3>
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Full details available when you enter.</div>
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Giveaway ends December 18.</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-65039993575641889942015-12-02T15:57:00.001-05:002015-12-02T15:57:59.252-05:00Kathy Harrison: A Readiness Review<h3>
Does your old preparedness plan still pass muster?</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AHurricane_Sandy_New_York_Blackout_2012.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="By David Shankbone (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Hurricane Sandy New York Blackout 2012" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Hurricane_Sandy_New_York_Blackout_2012.JPG/512px-Hurricane_Sandy_New_York_Blackout_2012.JPG" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0%22%3ECC%20BY%203.0" target="_blank">David Shankbone (Own work)</a>, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AHurricane_Sandy_New_York_Blackout_2012.JPG" target="_blank">via Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
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It’s been a tough few weeks. Terrorism is dominating the news and prime time TV is going along with the theme. A <a href="http://www.csoonline.com/article/3004819/business-continuity/ted-koppel-apocalypse-likely.html" target="_blank">book about the threat cyber warfare poses to our power grid</a> is a best-seller, politics is nasty, and a feeling of unease comes with each new economic downturn. It seems the world has gone mad.<br />
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At the risk of sounding like a broken record, don’t be scared. Be prepared. The world will likely not stop turning any time soon but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take steps to ensure our families’ comfort and safety in the event of a not-so-unexpected event.<br />
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It’s best to take things in manageable chunks. Pull out that preparedness notebook you created years back. Are you still in good shape? Has your life changed such that there are parts of your plan you need to update, or even eliminate? For instance, I no longer need to plan for diapers. Yippee!!! Here’s a list of questions to ask yourself for each of the major systems you’ll want to consider.<br />
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<b>Let’s start with your car.</b> It’s imperative that you commit to a couple of things. If the power goes out you will not be able to purchase gas so you always need a tank that is — at minimum — half full; if you commute long distances, three-quarters full is better. In the event that you get stuck, you need a bag with sturdy footwear (you really don’t want to be walking in those 3-inch heels, do you?), appropriate outerwear, a bottle or two of water, and some non-perishable food (dried fruit, nuts, and crackers will stave off hunger pangs). Keep that cell phone fully charged and check the batteries in your flashlight. You have a flashlight, right? I also keep a paperback book on hand in case I get stuck in traffic, as well as a blanket, an emergency flare, and my contact list. Be sure you have enough supplies for all members of your family.<br />
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<b>Now look over your home.</b> How will you manage for water? It’s cheap insurance to fill up gallon jugs with water and a drop or two of bleach. Date them and rotate out the older jugs. You will always have a supply to get you through a few days. An easy next step is to check out local sources for water and learn how to filter and disinfect it. Let your kids help and they can earn a scouting badge for their effort.<br />
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<b>What about lights?</b> Flashlights, light sticks, hurricane lamps, and hand crank lanterns are all good choices. Candles are not optimal. They can be dangerous and the quality of light is poor. Make sure you have matches, lamp oil, and batteries on hand.<br />
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<b>What about food?</b> It is pretty easy to toss in a couple of cans or boxes of one-dish meals in your cart when you’re buying groceries. Dried fruits, hard cheeses, eggs, and powdered milk do not require refrigeration and will add a lot to mealtimes. Oatmeal, pasta and sauces, canned meat, and spices are necessary. How will you cook? Do you have a camp stove or other emergency stove?<br />
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<b>How will you keep warm?</b> A wood stove is great but you can keep pretty warm dressed in layers, as long as you stay dry. Make sure you know how to drain your pipes to keep them from freezing and bursting.<br />
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<b>How will you keep busy?</b> Books, art supplies, crafts, games, and puzzles will take the place of tablets and TV and may become new family favorites.<br />
<br />
Of course, real preparedness is both a family and neighborhood affair. Be sure to check on those in your community who might need assistance. Perhaps you have a civic organization that might sponsor a preparedness seminar.<br />
<br />
Being prepared does not require a bunker. It’s just the opposite. The time to buy an umbrella is before it rains.<br />
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<div class="endnote">
Kathy Harrison is the author <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781603420358&cat=House%20&%20Home&p=0" target="_blank">Just In Case</a></i>. A national spokesperson for both foster parenting and family preparedness, she has appeared on The Today Show, on Oprah, and in NPR interviews. She lives with her family in western Massachusetts.</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-36540961342329958632015-11-30T10:45:00.000-05:002015-11-30T10:45:57.206-05:00Carleen Madigan: Cider, Three Ways<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Storey colleagues share their cidermaking tips.</h3>
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Each year on the first weekend in November, a small pack of us from Storey attend <a href="http://www.ciderdays.org/" target="_blank">CiderDays</a> in Franklin County, Massachusetts. It’s a celebration of all things apple — there are apple tastings at orchards, apple-based menus at local restaurants, and all kinds of talks and workshops. Hartley (Storey’s prepress specialist), Mars (our photo and video editor), and I are usually just focused cidermaking.<br />
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For CiderDays, <a href="http://www.pinehillorchards.com/" target="_blank">Pine Hill Orchards</a> in Colrain, Massachusetts, offers unpasteurized cider mixtures that are specifically blended with the right mix of apples for making hard cider. We’ve met people at CiderDays who have driven from as far away as New Jersey to fill up 50-gallon barrels with the mixture for their local homebrew club. By 9:00 a.m., there’s usually a line, so we arrive early and hope the “good stuff” doesn’t run out before it’s our turn to fill up our buckets.<br />
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Over the years, each of us has developed a different way of going about the cidermaking process. Sometimes I tease Mars for being so fastidious and Hartley for being so “freestyle,” but in the end everyone’s cider tastes great (and distinct!). This year, we’re once again taking our own paths. Here’s a peek at what we did with our individual batches-in-progress.<br />
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<b>Hartley: Flavoring Last Year’s Batch</b><br />
“I have a bit of a love/hate thing with seasonal flavored drinks, so I thought I’d try to make one I actually like. I liked a previous batch I’d made with honey and wanted to get something with about that level of dryness, but with more flavor. I have tasted this one and it is very pie-like — not as dry as previous batches but still on the dry side.”<br />
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<u>Fermenting Notes:</u> Hartley used campden tablets to kill existing yeasts 24 hours before adding Nottingham ale yeast. He keg-carbonated it with a tablespoon of cinnamon, a cup of brown sugar, and a can of apple juice concentrate (for a 5-gallon batch).<br />
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<b>Mars: Making Cyser</b><br />
“This year, I got three 5-gallon buckets and one 2-gallon bucket of cider from Pine Hill. I turned one of them into a cyser [a kind of mead made from honey and cider]. I didn’t add campden tablets this time before pitching the yeast; I read in Claude Jolicoeur’s book, <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17871267-the-new-cider-maker-s-handbook" target="_blank">The New Cider Maker’s Handbook</a></i>, that they can dull some of the apple flavor. He only uses them when he has a cider that has a really low pH and is at risk for spoilage. He said that if your apple pressing is done properly and you pitch the yeast quickly enough, you don’t really need campden. He did say there is some risk of contamination, but with modern yeast strains and good sanitation practices, it’s not too high.<br />
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“I didn’t make a starter so I could pitch the yeast sooner, and it seems to have worked. I also started degassing the cider to get rid of CO2. The CO2 is toxic to the yeast, and you can get rid of it with a cheap hook tool you connect to a cordless drill.”<br />
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<u>Fermentation Notes:</u> Apple mixture included 36% Redfield, 18% Fuji, 18% Jonathan, 16% Blue Pairmain, 12% Golden Delicious. To 5.5 gallons of cider he added 7.5 pounds of wildflower honey. Mars didn’t use campden tablets and simply rehydrated Lalvin ICV-D47 white wine yeast with nutrients for 15 minutes before pitching it. He also oxygenated the juice for 1 minute with pure oxygen before pitching the yeast.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carleen collecting apples for this year’s cider</td></tr>
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<b>Carleen: Inoculating Juice with Active Cider</b><br />
I couldn’t make it to CiderDays this year, so I decided to work with what I had at hand. For the first batch, I used juice that was pressed at our local homesteading festival from an assortment of donated apples. For the second batch, the juice came from apples around our neighborhood, a few leftovers from the festival, and some crab apples given to me by Storey editor Gwen Steege. I realized too late that I didn’t have any yeast in the fridge (whoops!), so I experimented with inoculating the second batch of juice with active cider from the first batch. It seems to have worked!<br />
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<u>Fermenting Notes:</u> For the first batch, I added campden tablets with 3 cups of maple syrup 24 hours before pitching wine yeast (KV1-1116) mixed with 3 cups of pasteurized cider. For the second batch, I added about a pint of actively bubbling cider from the first batch.<br />
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Stay tuned — we’ll check back next spring, when all the cider is ready to taste, to let you know how it turned out!<br />
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<div class="endnote">
Before becoming an editor at Storey Publishing, Carleen Madigan was managing editor of <i>Horticulture</i> magazine and lived on an organic farm outside Boston, Massachusetts, where she learned the homesteading skills contained in <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781603421386&cat=House%20&%20Home&p=0" target="_blank">The Backyard Homestead</a></i>. She enjoys gardening, hiking, foraging, baking, spinning wool, and knitting. She now keeps a home in the Adirondacks.</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-56243459077483345572015-11-19T14:41:00.000-05:002015-11-19T14:41:36.751-05:00Brooke Dojny: Bittersweet Chocolate-Pecan Tart<h3>
Because there’s always room on the table for one more dessert.</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo © Keller + Keller Photography, excerpted from <i>Chowderland</i>. All rights reserved.</td></tr>
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I find it fascinating that Thanksgiving traditions differ just a bit from one household to another. In our family, with its mostly English roots, the fare is pretty straight-forward. For starters, we have a rather austere relish tray, spiced nuts, and some years, raw oysters on the half shell — the operating theory being that building up a powerful hunger makes the dinner taste even better. Sneaking snacks of crisp turkey skin in the kitchen is the hard-working cook’s prerogative.<br />
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The sit-down dinner consists of roast turkey, cornbread-sage stuffing, two gravies (giblet and not giblet), cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potato something, green peas, creamed onions for Uncle Charlie, and buttered rutabagas. Color, you say? Freshness? Crunch? Not in the English tradition. We have managed to add a kale gratin for a pleasantly bitter hit, and frisée and grapefruit salad, which provides crispness and a citrus tang. Since the rule is that you can add dishes but never subtract, the groaning board increases in size every year. (We did lose the rolls somewhere along the way, but there’s still some whining because they make such excellent little turkey sandwiches the next day.)<br />
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Someone always bakes pies, both pumpkin and apple, and if the crowd is large, we add a chocolate cream (popular with the kids) and a pecan or walnut pie. Mince pie has finally been dropped, thank goodness. For an entire decade, no one ate a single slice.<br />
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If a chocolate-and-nut combination appeals to you (and I can’t imagine it wouldn’t), you might like to add this beautiful-looking and scrumptious tart to your dessert buffet. Coffee whipped cream provides the final fillip.<br />
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<div class="recipe">
<h3>
<span style="color: #660000;">Bittersweet Chocolate-Pecan Tart</span></h3>
6–8 servings<br />
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<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
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<b>Pastry</b><br />
1¼ cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon granulated sugar<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces<br />
4 tablespoons ice water<br />
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<b>Filling</b><br />
2 eggs<br />
½ cup light corn syrup<br />
¼ cup granulated sugar<br />
¼ teaspoon salt<br />
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans<br />
3 ounces (½ cup) bittersweet chocolate chips<br />
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<b>Coffee Cream</b><br />
½ cup heavy cream<br />
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar<br />
2 teaspoons coffee-flavored liqueur<br />
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<u>Directions:</u><br />
<ol>
<li>For the pastry, combine the flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse to blend. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is about the size of peas. Sprinkle with the ice water and pulse, stopping when the dough begins to clump together. Turn out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, gather into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator 10 minutes before rolling out.</li>
<li>Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to an 11-inch circle. Ease into a 9-inch tart pan, trim the dough about ½ inch beyond the pan edges, turn the edges under, and press against the sides with your fingertips. Freeze the tart shell for at least 30 minutes. (Can be made up to 2 weeks ahead.)</li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C.</li>
<li>Bake the tart shell, directly from the freezer, until lightly colored, 13 to 15 minutes. If the pastry starts to puff up, press the bottom gently with a large spatula or oven-mitted hand to flatten. Cool the shell while preparing the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F/180°C.</li>
<li>For the filling, whisk together the eggs, corn syrup, granulated sugar, and salt in a large bowl until blended. Whisk in the butter and vanilla. Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips. Pour into the cooled tart shell, distributing the nuts and chocolate chips more or less evenly.</li>
<li>Bake the tart in the preheated oven until the edges of the filling are firm when tested with the point of a small knife but the center is not completely set, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a rack. (Can be held at cool room temperature for up to 8 hours or refrigerated for up to a day or frozen for up to 3 weeks. Reheat in the oven at 350°F/180°C for about 15 minutes before serving.)</li>
<li>For the topping, whip the cream with the confectioners’ sugar using an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Stir in the liqueur. (Can be made up to about 3 hours ahead and refrigerated.)</li>
<li>Serve the tart topped with dollops of the coffee cream.</li>
</ol>
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Recipe excerpted from <i><a href="http://storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612123752&cat=Food" target="_blank">Chowderland</a></i> © 2015 by Brooke Dojny. All rights reserved.</div>
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-23287258570863117872015-11-18T13:10:00.001-05:002015-11-18T13:10:56.897-05:00Regina Velázquez: You Can Do This: Five Easy Ways to Make a Difference<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In times of struggle, it’s easy to feel helpless. Fortunately, it’s also easy to make a positive change.</h3>
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After a bleak weekend of hearing the news from Paris, I helped my seven-year-old son pack his bag for school on Monday morning. His class was taking a field trip to a local food pantry, where they would present some money from a fundraising event they’d conducted, donate a few groceries they had in tow, and help sort food. What a simple and wonderful thing he would be doing that day.<br />
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Later that night, he told us all about the trip. He seemed upset when he related how few boxes of cereal he had counted at the food pantry. I promised him we could go to the store and buy some to donate. Relief washed over him. “Yeah,” he said, “that’s easy. Let’s do that.”<br />
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It is easy. And we will.<br />
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In Paris, a small group of people made a huge difference — one that caused chaos, destruction, and grief. If they had the power to change the course of events so radically, surely any of us has the power to change things in a positive way. We have opportunities on top of opportunities to help people, whether it’s growing a row of food for the hungry or helping children learn to read or giving away our clothing as we declutter. Even our smallest efforts will be like a solid rock in the fortress we can build together, and kindness and goodwill will continue into the future for as long as we make the choice to change the world.<br />
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Here are five easy things you can do to make a positive difference in your food community now, or any time, adapted from <i><a href="http://storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612121802&cat=Food" target="_blank">The Food Activist Handbook</a></i> by Ali Berlow:<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Donate.</b> Find out which foods your local food bank or pantry needs most and add them to your regular shopping list. Can’t give food? Give your time. Many food pantries need helping sorting and repacking donations.</li>
<li><b>Hunger comes in many languages.</b> If you speak more than one language, volunteer as an interpreter at a food-based organization.</li>
<li><b>Pick it yourself. </b>Volunteer for a gleaning network and get unharvested food from local farms to those in need.</li>
<li><b>Put your canning skills to work.</b> Join a food recovery program (or start one!) and help preserve food from local farms for distribution to underserved communities.</li>
<li><b>Pass it on. </b>Teach a whole food cooking class or canning and preserving workshop at your local food pantry or community center. </li>
</ol>
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<div class="endnote">
Regina Velázquez is the editorial production manager at Storey. A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, she has lived in New England for the last 16 years and still doesn’t really mind the winters. As the quality control person who sees all of Storey’s beautiful books before they go to press, she is developing new hobbies and interests on an almost daily basis. Her two young children make sure she never has time to obsess about any of them.</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-30302317234499752992015-10-29T13:47:00.000-04:002015-10-29T13:47:25.552-04:00Deb Burns: From the Cutting-Room Floor — The Skills That Got Away<h3>
<b>We love curated lists, but one Storey editor weighs what we lose when we stop counting.</b></h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustrations © Brian Cronin, excerpted from <i>100 Skills You’ll Need for the End of the World (as We Know It)</i>. All rights reserved.</td></tr>
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Authors and editors often like to plan a book around a numbered list. <i>The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.</i> <i>30 Things to Know by 30</i>. <i>101 Things You Didn’t Know About Jane Austen</i>. <i>The 1001 Dumbest Things Ever Said</i>. But what about that 8th habit, the 102nd Austen fact, the 1,002nd dumbest thing … or in our case, the 101st survival skill?<br />
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Our recent book, <i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612124568&cat=&p=0" target="_blank">100 Skills You’ll Need for the End of the World (as We Know It)</a></i> by <a href="http://www.storey.com/author.php?ID=503271" target="_blank">Ana Maria Spagna</a>, could easily have listed 101 skills, or 104, or more. What might we have included if we weren’t limited by our cultural preference for round numbers like 100? Here are a few that came in too late, or that somehow escaped the final proof.<br />
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<div class="recipe">
<b>#101. Recordkeeping</b><br />
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Surviving in a world where the infrastructure is down and the rules have changed requires inventiveness, guts, risk-taking, and persistence. Thriving in that world means you’ve tracked your experiments, learned from your mistakes, built on your successes, and created a database of new knowledge — even if via pencil and pad (see Sharpening).<br />
<br />
Which plants are poisonous, which palatable and nutritious? Sketch them, adding when and where foraged. When was a favorite ewe bred, to what ram, and how do the lambs turn out? Make a chart. When is the first frost in fall, and how does it compare to subsequent years? Create a calendar. Keep your records somewhere you’ll always find them, year after year.<br />
<br />
Broaden your database to carry and store the history of your community. When did members arrive, depart, get born, die? How does your infrastructure develop? What great events sweep through?<br />
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A history gains in weight and usefulness with every entry. Keep yours safe so you can grab it and take it along if you have to leave a place quickly.<br />
<br />
One more plus of recordkeeping: the more you can learn from the past, the fewer surprises you’ll encounter in the future.<br />
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<b>#102. Creating Your Own Sunblock</b><br />
<br />
During a time of global climate change, average temperatures climb higher, warm seasons last longer, light seems brighter. Falling asleep on a deck chair in the fierce sun of high noon is no longer an option.<br />
<br />
Two useful facts: the best sunblock consists of protective headgear and clothing; and some sun exposure is necessary to provide adequate Vitamin D, presuming one is careful to avoid burning. Understanding that, here are some natural ingredients that can be combined to help protect the skin during limited sun exposure: coconut oil, beeswax, shea butter, olive oil (to help mix more smoothly), and zinc oxide. Gently heat the first four ingredients till they melt together, then add the zinc oxide and stir well as the concoction cools. It can keep in a jar for six months — or perhaps for one long hot summer.<br />
<br />
<b>#103. Traveling Smart and Safe</b><br />
<br />
At the end of the world as we know it, how might you plan and carry out a multi-day journey? Without the ubiquitous pit-stop infrastructure, you’ll need to navigate, carry or find sustenance and shelter, protect yourself, and take care of your mode of transport.<br />
<br />
Plenty of knowledge has already been gained — and lost again — by our restless, roaming species. You can forage for lessons and tips in the logbooks of sea voyages, diaries of transcontinental wagon-train odysseys, and equipment lists of Everest climbs and NASA flights. Carry protein that travels well (see Making Cheese). Take jerky and a tray of seeds to sprout and snack on as you go. Get familiar with plants and animals along your route, both for sustenance and for self-protection. Consider the terrain and plan some good stopping places.<br />
<br />
If you expect to halt overnight or in adverse weather, practice setting up an encampment for your party. In addition to shelter, this would include private latrines, a perimeter fence, and a food cache. If you are using draft animals, they will need a grazing area and protection from predators.<br />
<br />
Two make-or-break items are water, whether carried or found (a gallon per person per day should do it), and feet, whether belonging to you or your draft animals. Make sure all feet and hooves are sturdily and appropriately shod, keep them clean, and check them every day.<br />
<br />
<b>#104. Prospecting</b><br />
<br />
Beyond foraging for foodstuffs, prospecting is the art of spotting potential in a landscape, a community, the earth beneath your feet.<br />
<br />
Different people’s brains and eyes focus on different things during a walk in the woods. Some look inward, wrestling with problems and developing solutions. Some glance about, spotting life and movement where others might perceive only stillness. Some gaze downward, contemplating how the very materials of the ground might solve crushing problems.<br />
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Over eons, along with every other species, we have explored and sampled our environment with eyes, ears, noses, fingers, and tongues. But only humans prospect for minerals to make into tools or energy sources, which requires imagining a change to a completely new form and purpose. It’s alchemy, chemistry, politics. Not everyone can envision transformation, but every community benefits from those who can.</div>
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Consider your own toolbox of talents. What skills would you deem most essential for surviving and thriving in an unimaginable future? We welcome your comments. And if you figure out the 31st thing to know by age 30, do send that one along, too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-58359386346657103672015-10-26T09:16:00.000-04:002015-10-26T11:22:29.578-04:00Jillian Moreno: Spinzilla Tips from Two Captains<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WTIox_npNBk/VipBOGqLHbI/AAAAAAAAFZw/MlOUB6DaxJc/s1600/moreno-spin-big.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WTIox_npNBk/VipBOGqLHbI/AAAAAAAAFZw/MlOUB6DaxJc/s640/moreno-spin-big.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spinzilla co-captain Jillian Moreno’s work from a week of spinning. Photo courtesy of the author</td></tr>
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Each year, The National NeedleArts Association’s Spinning and Weaving Group challenges spinners around the world to spin as much yarn as they can during a single week in October. Teams compete for the highest totals, all for a <a href="http://www.needleartsmentoring.org/" target="_blank">good cause</a>, and everyone who participates has a different strategy for making the most of this “monster” week of spinning known as <a href="http://www.spinzilla.org/" target="_blank">Spinzilla</a>.<br />
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I know spinners who cook their family’s meals ahead and freeze them and spinners who take the whole week off just to spin. Outcomes differ widely, too. This year, several people who participated in Spinzilla spun more than 30,000 yards in a week!<br />
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Author <a href="http://www.storey.com/author.php?ID=502501" target="_blank">Beth Smith</a> and I co-captained the Storey Publishing team this year, and she and I spun vastly different amounts of yarn. Beth spun an awe-inspiring 10,380 yards and I, a modest 1,521 yards. Beth sat focused at her wheel and spun and spun; I got waylaid by travel, a sick kiddo, and a migraine. Obstacles aside, I still spun every single day and loved it. It’s fantastic to focus on spinning, and it’s still magic to me how much I can get done if I sit at my wheel every day.<br />
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In the end, the 25 members of Team Storey came in 25th out of 64 teams, with 68,343 total yards spun!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our team logo, designed by Storey’s marketing art director David Morrison</td></tr>
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Energized by the event, Beth and I put together three tips each for getting a lot of spinning done in a short time. You can use them now to spin a sweater’s worth of yarn this winter, or save them to spin for Spinzilla next year.<br />
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<u>Beth’s tips:</u><br />
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<li>Don’t cook, clean, or pay attention to your kids. Get carry-out for dinner, and convince your spouse to drive the kids to school and to all of their activities.</li>
<li>Use the fastest wheel you have and the one you are most comfortable with; this isn’t the time to break in a new wheel.</li>
<li>Spin a finer yarn to avoid changing bobbins and winding off too often.</li>
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<u>Jillian’s tips:</u><br />
<ol>
<li>Prepare your fiber before you start. Make sure you have more fiber than you think you’ll spin, and prepare it or predraft it all ahead of time. Being able to just reach for fiber and spin makes the yarn fly on your bobbin.</li>
<li>Leave your spinning station set up. I leave my wheel and its nest of fiber and tools set up all the time when I’m working on a big project, so if I have a spare 10 minutes I can jump on and spin a few yards. It really adds up.</li>
<li>Audiobooks are the way to spinning nirvana. I can focus on spinning the best when I listen to audiobooks. Commercials on TV, even those I can skip through, break my flow when I’m spinning. Spinning to a Netflix binge can’t hold a candle to the yardage I can get when I listen to an audiobook. </li>
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Happy spinning!<br />
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<div class="endnote">
Jillian Moreno has been involved in craft publishing for more than 20 years. She has coauthored two books, <i>Big Girl Knits</i> and <i>More Big Girl Knits</i>. For the past 11 years she has been at <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEdf15/index.php" target="_blank">knitty.com</a>, where she is the Knittyspin editor, the advertising manager, and head of the KnittyBlog. She recently helped launch <i>PLY Magazine</i> and sits on their editorial board. Her forthcoming book, <i>Yarnitecture</i> (Storey 2016), arrives next summer.</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8945534220050354353.post-62026925184646994742015-10-26T09:09:00.000-04:002015-10-26T09:09:12.380-04:00Meet the Designers: Andrea Wong — One-Skein Wonders® for Babies<i>To celebrate the arrival of </i><a href="http://www.storey.com/book_detail.php?isbn=9781612124803&cat=Crafts&p=0" target="_blank">One-Skein Wonders® for Babies</a><i>, edited by Judith Durant, we’re talking to some of the talented people who helped make this book a rich library of patterns for babies, new moms, and the knitters who love them. Today, meet designer Andrea Wong. </i>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy Hat, designed by Andrea Wong. Photo © Geneve Hoffman Photography, excerpted from <i>One-Skein Wonders® for Babies</i>. All rights reserved.</td></tr>
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<b>Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you live? How long have you been a knitter and designer?</b><br />
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I live in Powell, Ohio, with my husband, two children, and my mother. I have been knitting since age seven and designing since the same age, without knowing I was doing it. I used patterns that were in my family for several generations, modified and customized them to fit the recipient, and there there you have it — a different design!<br />
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<b>How did you learn to knit?</b><br />
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I learned from my mother, who learned from our Portuguese neighbor. Knitters in this country are familiar with the English and German (Continental) styles of hand knitting. But what makes Portuguese knitting different from the these styles is that it relies on tensioning the yarn around the neck or around a knitting pin on your shoulder. As knitting is a two-handed activity, this method also uses both hands at the same time, so it is good for both right- and left-handed crafters. For those knitters that avoid the purl stitch, Portuguese Style makes purling a breeze!<br />
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I decided to call this technique “Portuguese” even though knitters in many countries (Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Egypt, and Peru to name a few) use this style. (Interestingly enough, none of these cultures use the knitting pin. They wrap the yarn around the neck.) Also all these countries, including Portugal, use knitting needles with hooks at the end, which brings the advantage of combining crochet and knitting in the same fabric as you work.<br />
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<b>Is there anything you especially love about knitting or designing for babies?</b><br />
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Baby designs are my favorite! The idea of having a little one blessing a family is my inspiration. It doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl, all babies are special and what they wear should be, too! Designing for babies uses little yarn, and babies look cute in just about anything. They are a great blank canvas for trying new stitches, new necklines, and comfortable clothes.<br />
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<b>Apart from knitting, what keeps you busy and fulfilled these days?</b><br />
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I take care of my family and my house (my friends say I keep it like a “model home”). I cook most meals from scratch, work full time on my own business, travel, and teach knitting. I am also going back to college to earn a second degree. Besides that, I volunteer at my church and local hospital.<br />
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<b>There are so many gorgeous fibers available to knitters these days. What are your favorite yarns in your stash?</b><br />
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My favorite yarns are made of camel, cashmere, merino, and angora, either blended or pure.<br />
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<b>Find more from Andrea on her <a href="http://www.andreawongknits.com/" target="_blank">website</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AndreaWongKnits" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/info_awk" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/designers/andrea-wong" target="_blank">Ravelry</a>, and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/people/AndreaWong" target="_blank">Etsy</a>!</b><br />
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