Here Are Some Pictures of My Trash for You to Enjoy

Do you garden? Do you compost? I do both. Between the garden plants and the fruits and vegetables we eat around here, we have a lot of plant matter that would normally go into the trash. So last Spring, I finally went out and bought a counter top compost holder (seen above) and a big compost bin (where I can empty the counter top compost) for outside.

But in reality, I started composting last Fall. A la Rachel Ray, I had a large plastic bowl that I kept on the countertop. Whenever I cooked, I would throw any leftover plant materials in the bowl. Then, after dinner, I would go out, dig a hole in the garden, and bury it. Seriously. Kind of goofy, but I kid you not, when it came time to start working the soil in the garden this spring, the little compost holes had turned in to black patches of rich organic material. I will admit that some things didn’t breakdown very well using this method, mostly onion skins, corn cobs and corn husks. AND it was a little harder to bury things when the ground froze. AND we had some plants pop up in the garden of unknown origin (we called them “volunteers” most likely plants that sprung up from the seeds I discarded.) Still, I think it was worth it and a great way to generate less trash and benefit the garden.

Anyway, here’s a list of things that I compost now:
Ø Coffee grinds (and filters)
Ø Vegetable and fruit peels/seeds/stems
Ø Egg Shells
Ø Paper towels
Ø Newspaper sheets (on the occasion we end up with some)
Ø Leaves from the yard
Ø Garden clippings

Hmm, here's whats in my counter top composter right now. The lid has some kind of charcoal filter that makes it not stink while its sitting there on your counter.

No meat products or oily things ( I don’t want to attract any critters) and no garden plants that had suffered an untimely death (don’t want to infect the compost with disease or pests.)

Brown Sugar Mojito

As I am marinating some chicken in lime juice, rum, soy sauce, fresh parsley, chiles, garlic and brown sugar, I think "what would be a good cocktail with dinner?" The answer seemed to jump right out at me. Mojitos. With brown sugar instead of simple syrup. I think that I am inspired and have come up with the greatest idea on the planet. And then I google it. All right, there's nothing new under the sun. That doesn't take away from the fact that this was a downright delicious piece of cocktail.

Step 1 (above): Place mint leaves and half of a lime (cut into festive sections) in a glass.

Step 2 (below): Muddle.

Step 3: Add some brown sugar and rum (my friend in Miami suggested Mount Gay as a great baseline rum - and he was right - thanks Carl!) and stir.

Step 4: Add crushed ice. I crush mine by placing ice in a bag, covering it with a towel, and wacking it with a rolling pin. I'm high tech!

Step 5: Top with Club Soda. Garnish with a lime, some mint leaves, and a festive stir.

What I love most about this cocktail is that it reminds me of myself. Unrefined and sweet. (Hee hee.)

My Super Exact Recipe for Pesto

Well, my basil plants are not long for this world, so I am picking whats left and whipping up some pesto to freeze. Its pretty easy but this recipe calls for exact amounts and if you screw up the proportions surely you will be left with something that is disgusting and inedible.

In a pyrex measuring cup, place a handful of basil, a handful of pinenuts, a handful of parmigiano reggiano, several grinds of black pepper and some olive oil. Whirl it up with an immersion blender. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if necessary. Or a little lemon juice and garlic. Stir. Stick in a ziplock bag, press all the air out and freeze. Come the cold of winter, remove from freezer and enjoy its summery goodness on pasta (with grilled chicken) or slathered on some rustic bread.

(Green goodness. You know how children lick the beaters for cookie dough? After I bag up the pesto, I totally use my fingers to scrape the inside of the pyrex and lick it off my fingers. Gross, right? My love for pesto knows no shame.)

Because I Apparently LOVE to Do Laundry

The September issue of Body+Soul Magazine (a Martha Stewart Publication, natch) says that "If just one family of four switched to cloth napkins at each meal for one year, this green step would prevent 4,380 paper napkins from ending up in the trash."

Well, I do love Martha, so I did go out and buy some cloth napkins at Target about a month ago when I read that. And, I'm gonna say, as a person who has pretty much ALWAYS used paper napkins, I LOVE USING CLOTH NAPKINS. And it has nothing to do with the earth or nature or animals or our children. They just feel better than paper napkins. And they make everything I cook seem that much nicer. I don't know why this didn't occur to me before.

My Trip to Pikes Place Market

The Famous Pikes Place Market in Seattle. All the brochures say that at 102 years old, it is the longest continuously operating farmers market in the country. The people in Soulard might have something to say about that though...

Anyway, this market has a pretty cool history. Apparently between 1906 and 1907, the price of onions in Seattle skyrocketed. The citizens were angry about paying fees to middlemen who brokered the produce. A councilman at the time suggested a public street market where consumers could deal directly with the farmers. On August 17, 1907, the market opened to 10,000 customers and sold out before noon. Today, the market has 120 farmers and another 190 craftspeople.

This is where they throw the fish. Unfortunately, no fish were being flung as I snapped some photos on Wednesday.

Monster sized wild King Salmon.

Shrimp as big as your head.

And lobster tails.

The market had more than just fish though.

There were all kinds of locally produced honey and chocolates and preserves and salsas.

Where are the farmers? The sign says "farmers market" too!

Oh how I love chiles. I should have brought an empty suitcase with me.

It was "Organic Wednesday" so all of these blackberries, raspberries and grapes were organic. Heaven.

Some brightly colored veggies.

And flowers everywhere. Bouquet after bouquet of $5 arrangements. If I lived in Seattle, my home would have fresh flowers everyday.

Here's a vegetable that I have never seen in real life. Its romanesco, a type of broccoli. I was stunned when I saw it. Its like the unicorn of vegetables.

Pastries of Seattle aka Food Porn

Today, I shamelessly bring you a content free post. All I've got for you here are some pictures of some tasty little pastries I ate while I was in Seattle. I can guarantee that you will not enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed the treats!

Above is the Lemon Curd Tart with Toasted Marshmallow and Candied Grapefruit.

Here we have an Espresso Eclair. Yum...breakfast.

This was my favorite of all things tasty Seattle. A Coconut Cream Pie Bite. Yowza it was delicious.

And finally as promised earlier, a Buttermilk Lemon Thyme Cupcake with Huckleberry Buttercream. It was phenomenal. (Hopefully you can't see that the other side was smooshed. I ran into the bakery door with cupcake in hand and smooshed one side of it into my boob. Which was a nice little icing souvenir on my sweater all day.)

I am seriously going to miss being in a place with a bakery on every corner.

What’s the Perfect Snack to Eat on Top of Hurricane Ridge?

Olympic Mountain Dark Chocolate Trail Mix of course. That’s peanuts, fake dark chocolate m&m’s, almonds, and raisins that we picked up at the Safeway. It got me thinking. What would I put in my trail mix if I made it myself? Dried strawberries, candied walnuts, REAL peanut m&m’s….maybe dried cranberries or cherries or blueberries? Ah, who am I kidding, this entry is just an excuse to post a picture of me at the top of the ridge and some of the cute animals I saw along the way.

This is somewhere along the way on Hurricane Ridge at Olympic National Park in Washington. Incredible.

Look Sans! No hands!

This is me, some people I don't know, and Canada behind us all.

The Captain made some fast friends while he was snacking on some trail mix. (Seriously, they swarmed him while he ate trail mix and I took multiple self portraits on top of the ridge.)

I call them "mountain birds". They made the most soothing sound as they nibbled on whatever was in the grass.

This deer seemed to pose for me right outside the parking lot.

Oh this seems as good as a time as any to mention that Ken Burns' series on National Parks is currently running on PBS. All I can say is that you don't want to watch it at our house. :)