Books that Made a Difference: How I got to Dancing Rabbit

Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.  

~P.J. O'Rourke

When I was 9 years old I asked my parents if I could learn Braille. Kind of an odd request for a kid with perfect vision. When they asked me for clarification, I explained that the little orange light of the electric blanket control simply wasn’t bright enough to read by. I figured that since I wasn’t allowed to have the overhead light on at night, if I could read Braille then I could read in the dark! What a great idea!

They didn’t go for it.

This did not dissuade me from my passion for books.

When I was 17 or so I invited a friend over for dinner and he said, somewhat venomously, “No. I’m not coming to your house unless you promise not to make me leave with an armload of books. You and your mom are book pushers.” Like that’s a bad thing?

Needless to say books have been a major influence on my life.

Below are a few books, in no particular order, that have shaped the direction of my life path, caused me to veer one way or another, or simply sparked one of those "a-ha!" moments leading to a better understanding of who I am and what the heck I'm doing here. The list answers the question "what books influenced you in your decision to move to Dancing Rabbit?" It also answers questions like "what do you do with your time - you obviously don't clean your house?" and "why are we having cereal for dinner again?"


A Reasonable Life: Toward a Simpler, Secure, More Humane Existence by Ferenc Mate
This book, more than any other, got me out of my 40-hour-a-week job, over-priced loft apartment and into a life that was more within my values here on the prairie at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. Here's a snippet: "This book started five years ago as a book about our ailing environment and how we could cure it by lifting a finger here, tinkering a bit there. But each time I began to write about packaging, recycling or precycling some piece of junk, the nagging question would erupt as to why we have so much damned junk in the first place? How much does it all really contribute to our lives? And, most important of all, how much does it really cost us, not just in environmental devastation but in our being Human? For the sake of our possessions, how much do we sacrifice of the most precious things of all: our family, friends, our time, even our love and joy?"

Your Money or Your Life by Robin and Dominguez. The best book to get you out of debt and understand your money, once and for all. This book was crucial (for me and Kurt) in getting our brains around a change in how we viewed our money. We learned how to use it for what we really wanted, to make our dreams come true.

Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk
It took me two years to actually pick up this book after having it recommended to me. I thought it was too “woo woo” for me. Thank goodness I got over my dorky self and read it. It’s an amazing vision of what might/could be. I especially love that it takes place in California, and that it reinforces all of my Northern-California biases - the North is peaceful, matriarchal and environmentally aware. Southern California is warlike, dry, and waging war for water. This makes me laugh with self-righteous embarrassment every time I think about it.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamont 
Sisters are doing it for themselves. This book is a must-read. I viewed menstruation and women and even myself differently after finishing it. Go get it right now if you haven’t already read it.

The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey 
Ah, Ed Abbey. Was he a poet, a misogynist, or just a cranky old desert rat who threw beer cans out of the car window?  The son of Abbey’s not-so-fictional character Seldom Seen Smith introduced me to The Monkey Wrench Gang – our first date was a week-long river trip. "Seldom Seen" drove us from Moab to the put-in point on the Green River. As the daughter of an Operating Engineer, I was aghast at the thought of "monkey wrenching," i.e. putting sand in the gas tanks of heavy equipment. On the other hand, I was enraptured with the idea of environmental activism. Dave Forman was apparently also inspired and started Earth First!. As a budding environmentalist, this book sparked a lot of thinking, which got me on my own, albeit less volatile, activist path.

Into the Forest by Jean Hegland
I love this book, and I push it whenever I get the chance. Hauntingly plausible, bleak & disturbing, it takes place in the north San Francisco Bay Area. In it, the catastrophes mount slowly and innocuously, just as they do in real life. How the two protagonists deal with the changes in their lives is absorbing and deeply affecting.

 Refuge:An Unnatural History of Family and Place by Terry Tempest Williams
Utah is a strange and magical place. I went to Brigham Young University in Provo for two years, and spent three years living and working in Salt Lake City. I was torn by my ambivalence towards the Mormon faith in which I had been raised and the beauty of the natural world around me. Terry Tempest Williams, a naturalist, contrasts the flooding of the Great Salt Lake with her mother's breast cancer. She is also a wordsmith who touches my heart and my heritage with this book. It took my breath away.


The Wishing Year: A House, A Man, My Soul  by Noelle Oxenhandler
I read somewhere that this book should be subtitled The Art of Wishing Brazenly – it is both delightful and inspirational. This book brightened my week, and gave me a lot to think about. And even better, I'm finding that it seems to be true - what one fills one's mind with often becomes the reality. Ignore that last sentence - it is clumsy and goofy. But read The Wishing Year - you'll be enchanted.



 


 Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter
Chickens and pigs in West Oakland – who knew? I really enjoyed this behind-the-scenes peek at a lesser-known side of the Bay Area. I laughed out loud several times, and her take on the Bay Area food scene is spot on. Check it out:

"I looked around the party. There they were, my friends, standing next to the grill, dishing up salads, drinking beer. I had the sinking realization that the social activities all revolve around sharing food. The act of setting up my 100-yard diet had turned me into an alien visiting from planet Weird in the solar system Healthy.

But then again, everyone at the party was on some kind of Bay Area diet kick anyway. The gluten-intolerant munched on ears of corn in the corner. The vegans had their own grill set up with toasting tofu. The raw-food vegans were sipping on freshly macheted green coconuts. The pescatarians were shoving ceviche into their faces. Defining ourselves by what we eat – that’s what we do for fun around here."

One of the most influential books here at Dancing Rabbit is A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander and five colleagues at the Center for Environmental Structure At the core of this book is the simple but profound idea that people should design their own houses, streets, and communities. A Pattern Language looks at 250 "patterns" on how our lives are physically and therefore emotionally structured, from our houses (windows facing the street, cooking layout, and child "caves") to entire communities (looped local roads, clustered housing, an accessible green, public outdoor rooms, and bike paths). Over 1,100 pages long with black and white photographs and line drawings, A Pattern Language is best perused slowly, allowing lots of time to let your creativity and imagination flow. It's a bit pricey- our old copy was $49.95- so this may be best purchased used. Worth every penny!

Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway
Permaculture's central message: working with Nature, not against her, results in more beautiful, abundant, and forgiving gardens. After reading this book it was all I could do to keep myself from running out to the backyard, digging everything up, and re-planting in a more thoughtful way. Get this book, change your life. It's that simple.

 

Nonviolent Communication: The Language of Compassion by Marshall Rosenberg

Taking responsibility for my own "stuff" is really  hard work. Nonviolent communication (NVC) is an invaluable tool. This is the book. I have found it incredibly helpful.

The New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook
When I arrived at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage 12 ½ years ago I became part of a kitchen cooperative. It was a whole new concept for me – 8 or so of us sharing meals and cooking responsibilities. The best part was that each of us only had to cook once a week – the rest of the time we just had to show up and eat a delicious meal. The terrifying part was that I had absolutely no idea how to cook a vegan meal. Fortunately every hippie commune, um, I mean intentional community, has a copy of the Farm Cookbook. Ignore the absolutely hilarious 1970's era photographs and embrace the no-fail vegetarian/vegan recipes. 

Oh, whoops. It's hard to stop when you're a book pusher. Three great websites for readers:
The Writer’s Almanac A poem a day, plus fabulous info on authors and books. What more could a girl ask for? 
Book Mooch Mooch books from other book lovers for the price of shipping. Gotta love it!

Good Reads Like Facebook for readers - compare notes, and keep track of what you've read.

Happy reading. And drop me a line and share what books have made a difference in your life!

Choosing our Beer: The Milkweed Mercantile at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage

Today I'm taking a break from heavy topics - like the politics of red states and renewable energy - and focusing on one of the more enjoyable aspects of having a cafe. (Tomorrow I'm happily picking up the subject of feminism and men who want to refuse women the right to choose...) Until then, lets talk BEER!

At any given time we carry around 30 varieties of beer at the Milkweed Mercantile. While our first choice would be to sell beer that is brewed here at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, none of the brewers here have yet obtained a microbrewer’s license. This means that it is not legal for us to sell any homebrews here. In the meantime, we wait impatiently.

In addition to carrying local micro-brews, we looking foreward to having beer on draft. With our wind turbine up and running we now have a consistent power supply. We’re hoping to switch from bottles to taps by fall 2012. Cross your fingers!

But back to the topic at hand. Like everything at the Milkweed Mercantile, we pay close attention to the brands we carry. The criteria we use for beers served at the Mercantile are:

1. Must be local, organic, and/or somehow eco-groovy - solar or wind powered, community minded, socially responsible, or something worth supporting
2. Must taste good, at least to some of our customers
3. Must be available from one of our distributors (this is the trickiest one!)

Below is a list of (most of) the beers we currently serve, and why:

New Belgium Brewery, located in Colorado, is an impressive organization. Their web info on sustainability goes on for pages – they really get it. Plus they are big supporters of bicycling, which is near and dear to the hearts of all Dancing Rabbits, whether they drink or not. Even better, folks here love New Belgium’s brews.
We carry New Belgium Fat Tire, Abbey, Ranger, 1554, Trippel, Organic Mothership Wit, plus seasonal varieties.

Bell’s Beer is located in Kalamazoo, MI, which to us is considered local. If this seems like a stretch to you, come visit DR. Your view of "local" might expand a bit. Bell’s doesn’t seem to be particulary sustainability minded, but they are a Midwestern brewery, and they are independently owned. Two checks in the “Good” column as far as we’re concerned. We carry Two-hearted Ale, Best Brown Ale and Oberon (the world’s prettiest beer label and cap!).
 

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. started in the late 70’s in Chico, CA and is still independently owned. In December 2008, they completed what is now one of the largest privately owned solar installations in the country. They also have a bio-gas recovery program. Not only do we love their beer, we love their attitude. I wish all companies were this conscientious. We carry Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Sierra Nevada Stout.

Schlafly is located in St. Louis, MO, which for us is REALLY local. Their sustainability efforts aren’t (yet) stellar, but at least Schlafly is thinking about this stuff, which is a step in the right direction. We serve Schlafly Summer Lager, Octoberfest, Winter ESB, and No. 15.

OK. We admit it. Samuel Smith’s Organic Cider is imported from the UK. But it is organic, and it tastes GREAT!

North American Breweries, makers of Honey Brown Ale, is headquartered in Rochester, New York was formed in 2009 by KPS Capital Partners, LP, a private equity fund. The company owns and operates five U.S. breweries and six retail locations in New York, Vermont, California, Oregon and Washington.

So that's the current list. We're always on the lookout for something more local, more organic, better tasting. And remember - we're keeping it all cold for your next visit!


Love,
Alline

Living in a Land of the Truly Clueless - Senator Roy Blunt, Republican, MO

Two days ago I sent this Sierra Club email message to my congresspeople. Essentially, all it asked for was to make investing in clean, renewable energy like wind and solar the energy priority for our country.

Today I received this reply from Senator Roy Blunt:

This man is not my friend. Yet.

 Dear Alline:

Thank you for contacting me on renewable energy.

While I agree we should expand our use of renewable energy sources, we can't hamper our nation's access to cost-efficient and reliable energy to get there.  Renewable energy requires costly subsidies to be viable.  While the wind and sun are free, what it takes to turn them into electricity is not.  That's why now is not the time for Congress to enact legislation mandating a nationwide renewable electricity standard, the result of which would saddle consumers with higher electricity costs.

I believe we must look at all types of energy sources, and increase the production of domestic energy in an environmentally-sound manner.   Americans would be better served pursuing all forms of clean energy development rather than implementing burdensome mandates.  Clean energy, such as nuclear, clean-coal, wind, solar, and biomass, will play an important part in our energy future.

Again, thank you for contacting me.  I look forward to continuing our conversation on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/SenatorBlunt ) and Twitter ( www.twitter.com/RoyBlunt ) about the important issues facing Missouri and the country.  I also encourage you to visit my website ( blunt.senate.gov ) to learn more about where I stand on the issues and sign-up for my e-newsletter.

Sincere regards,
Roy Blunt

To which I can only reply:

Dear Roy,

Thank you for your short-sighted and stunningly arrogant reply. Wow. I could hardly believe what I was reading. Really? Clean coal? Safe nuclear energy? When you say "we can't hamper our nation's access to cost-efficient and reliable energy" would that cost-efficient energy be located in, say, Alberta in the Keystone XL tar sands?  Is it better to "saddle" consumers with an unsustainable energy plan based on almost-depleted petroleum and volatile radiation instead of encouraging conservation and renewable energy? On what planet are you living, Mr. Blunt? Perhaps Planet-Cover-Your-Ass-To-Get-Re-elected?

Well, guess what, Roy. Next election I'm working for your opponent, whomever that may turn out to be. An opponent who probably won't believe that global warming is a myth., and who will have an inkling of what happened at Chernoybl and Fukushima.

Should you ever want to experience first hand just how un-burdensome life with renewable energy can be, please consider this an open invitation to visit us here at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. We feel that Americans would be better served pursuing lives of thoughtful conservation, renewable energy and community development instead of your "solutions" listed above.

Sincere regards,
Alline

Updated True Confessions – My Life at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, 12 Years Later

My husband Kurt Kessner and I moved to Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage 12 ½ years ago. We were (and actually, still are) starry-eyed and idealistic. I don’t know about Kurt, but before my arrival I felt sure that by moving to an ecovillage I would become wise and that all things green would become clear. Ha! What I found instead: lots and lots of compromises. Rather than learning all the answers, I found more questions. I now realize that there is more gray than black & white in the world of “green” living.

The Milkweed Mercantile proprietors, in front of a natural plaster and mosaic wall. Our friends Jeffrey & Ha, who had a wedding reception at the Mercantile, had a photo booth set up. Much hammy-ness ensued.

In order to build a life here, I had to find my own way. I did (and continue to do) lots of reading and investigating. Every single day I learn something new. And at some point I had to draw my own line in the sand, i.e.: this is how I feel it is best for me to live right now.

It has taken almost thirteen years for many of our beloved friends to become comfortable with the fact that Kurt and I live in an ecovillage. This is not, we hope, a reflection on our attitudes, but rather their own. We find that we (unintentionally) inspire a lot of guilt and eco-shame where ever we go. Once we utter the words "eco-village" we become unwilling confessors to many perceived eco-sins. I don't need to know how many miles you drive a day, alone, in your SUV, or how many disposable Starbuck's cups you go through. Really. I'm living my life the best way I know how, and trust you are doing the same. I do not claim to have ANY of the answers - I'm just working on my own stuff here.

OK. I'm not going to tell you to carry a re-useable coffee cup. But maybe it would be a good idea, dontcha think?

Many of the choices that Kurt and I have made are different from the choices that others here at Dancing Rabbit, while others are the same. We are by no means representative of everyone who lives in our village. Uniting all Rabbits is an agreement to live by six ecological covenants. We trust each other to make decisions based upon his/her own criteria and comfort. What I'm writing here is just the way Kurt and I live our lives; it is not necessarily the norm at DR. One of the most important things we've learned while living here is that green is a wide continuum - we're just one spot on the spectrum. In the spirit of full disclosure and knowing how far I still have to go to reduce my footprint on this planet, I am presenting an updated peek into my life at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage.

Below are a few details about some of the choices Kurt and I have made. I am including mostly physical (building) details. Food and social dynamics, both hot-button topics, will be covered in a future post.

Renewable Energy 

Kurt on the day the tower for the turbine was delivered. Even in the freezing cold he's having a great time!

Kurt and I have solar panels and two wind turbines with which we power our house and our Bed and Breakfast Inn. We currently store the electricity in what we acknowledge to be a less than ideal system: deep cycle batteries.

  It takes a village (and a lot of creativity and often laughter) to get a wind turbine up. Pictured: Robby, Dave, Thomas, Tom and Kurt.

While we like the cachet of being (most likely) the world’s only off-grid, solar & wind-powered B& B, we have recently connected the Mercantile up to BEDR (Better Energy for Dancing Rabbit**) for emergency back up in times of no sun or wind for a more dependable power supply. Kurt and I are perfectly content to live with the natural ebb and flow of power provided seasonally, including the dark windless winter days when power runs low, but it has been challenging to run a public-oriented business this way. Guests really like to have lights (go figure), we need to wash zillions of sheets and towels, and we’d like to be presenting the abundance of renewable energy instead of the lack thereof.

July 29th, the day our wind turbine collapsed. Another lesson learned.

Even more exciting, we have finally repaired our 3,000-watt wind turbine. We had been without it since July 29th when it fell over in a windstorm (whoops).  We have been delighted to find that our wind turbine keeps our batteries full (100%!) and so have not yet needed to use grid power.

Heating and cooling
We keep our buildings warm in winter and cool in summer with three components:

1. 18” thick strawbale walls
2.  Thermal curtains on all windows (more below)
3. Poured concrete floor for the downstairs of both buildings (more below)

In the 20-something buildings here at Dancing Rabbit there are many other flooring options demonstrated, from natural earthen floors to wood; there is no one “right” way. We have chosen to have poured concrete floors for two reasons: 

1. Ground Contact – Having the floor in direct contact with the earth (there is gravel under the concrete) provides a constant temperature of approximately 54 degrees. This helps keep both buildings cool in the summer and warm in the winter. 
2. Durability – We wanted the Milkweed Mercantile to feel welcoming from the first moment guest step in the door, as guests are often already out of their comfort zone when they first come to DR. With poured concrete we found an option that would not require them to remove their shoes, be especially careful with luggage, or have to think twice before scooting a chair, etc. The upstairs floors in both our home and in the Mercantile are made of reclaimed wood and honey locust harvested from across the road. It feels great under foot!  
   

 Kurt putting the finishing touches on the bay window, while the concrete floor shines from the last layer of sealant.

Additionally, in the winter we heat with wood. Our wood stoves (one in each building) are also very efficient, and produce very low emissions. The wood burned is locally harvested or procured from a local pallet mill and a furniture-making company. These “scraps” are a fantastic deal  - they’re super cheap, kiln-dried oak and chunks of wood perfectly sized for wood stoves –  plus, without our intervention, the scraps, which are considered waste, would be burned simply to get rid of it.

 
 The Mercantile fireplace - hot air goes upstairs through the vents above the wood storage areas.

Cooking
We try to use as little petroleum as possible. It is certainly a challenge – everything from plastic wrap to toothbrushes to calculators to cameras and chain saws use some form of petroleum. Here at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage we have all agreed to disallow propane for anything except cooking (i.e. no propane refrigerators). Because of this we have grandfathered in propane (for cooking only) until we can find a better solution. Additionally, for much of the year many of us use solar ovens http://solarovens.org/ – both commercial and home made. This is an especially exciting solution for hot summer days – with a little planning one can cook an entire meal this way. Elsewhere at DR, there are many wood cookstoves, rocket stoves, and hay boxes.*

Major Appliances

Refrigerators
Our refrigerators and freezer are chest styles from Sundanzer. They are DC, and run directly off of our batteries which are charged by our solar panels (without having to go through the AC inverter – I don’t want to get too technical here, as all of the electric stuff seems like voodoo to me and someone else could do  a far better job of explaining it!). They are really efficient, well-insulated and use less power than conventional models. We use one fridge for food, the other for beverages. At last count we carried 32 kinds of beer – we want to make your trip here worth the effort.

Big Hobart mixer
Used for weekly for bread & pizza dough, and monthly for making butter (we get raw cream five gallons at a time – heaven!).

Freezer
We use a conventional (i.e. hand-me-down) small chest freezer. It’s the first thing to get unplugged when power is low.

Clothes Washer
We have a front loader, which we really like. We didn’t do much research, but instead bought the brand that our local (Memphis, MO) dealer carries. We lucked out – it extracts tons of water (the clothes come out feeling practically dry already) and, at the risk of sounding like a 50’s housewife, really gets our clothes clean.

Clothes Dryer
It’s called a clothes line. Everything smells amazingly fresh and clean,  no dryer sheets necessary. It works just fine, thank you very much, even in the winter. Fortunately I am easily entertained – to me there are few things funnier than frozen underwear hanging on the line (ah, yes – life without television!).



Something else we don’t have: A commercial (electric) washer. They use a LOT of electricity. We wash all dishes by hand. Let us pause here for a moment of gratitude for interns and friends who pitch in to scrub.

The Brothers Washalotsov take a break from their dish-washing labors

Water
Our water, used for drinking, bathing and cleaning, is collected rainwater stored in a 7,000 gallon cistern under the porch of the Milkweed Mercantile. It is pumped with an electric pump throughout the building. The water is filtered with a 5 micron filter and passes through an ultraviolet light. Our water consistently passes all tests by the health department.

Hot Water
The hot water in our house comes from a solar water heater, and in the Inn we use a wood- fired boiler from Heatmor. We love it. In addition to providing hot water for the showers and sinks, we have plumbed a radiator into the downstairs Inn bedroom for extra warmth in the winter, and will eventually plumb a hot tub and the water in our house to this same system. It is located outside so that in the summer we are not heating the building while heating our water.

The Heatmor boiler being installed.

 Phone
Our phone is a land line (it's a princess phone!). Cell phones still get only marginal coverage here, which I kind of like. Do I really want to be available all the time? No way. I got sucked into technology lust and now have an I-phone, but am appalled at how much time it spends being charged. Thinking about that power usage multiplied exponentially across the world boggles my brain. And it hurts a little. So I’m rethinking this bit of technology…

Toilets
In our home we use the Joe Jenkins Humanure system, but in the Mercantile we have chosen to go with a Phoenix Composting toilet from Advanced Composting Systems . It is user-friendly and is a great demonstration to the public about how pretty much everything can be composted. For more about composting toilets, see my this blog post Don't be Afraid! Composting Toilets at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage.

 The not-so-scary composting toilet.

 

Window Shades
On the windows we have Roman Shades made with insulated fabric called Warm Windows. Made of five layers, including a moisture barrier, batting and an outside layer of ivory-colored cotton duck, it is a breeze to use. I cut it to size, cover the side facing the room with my own fabric, attach rings and draw cord, and screw it into the window frame. There is a way that you can install magnetic strips so that the shade seals the window completely, keeping cold air out in the winter and hot sun out in the summer.

The five layers of Warm Windows fabric, which we use in all of the Mercantile windows.

Wrap Up
There are folks here who do not have electricity or refrigeration in their homes, and who do not cook with propane. Others have homes with no electricity but use the power in the Community Building. Some cook on rocket stoves or belong to an eating cooperative that uses a propane stove. Green living is a spectrum, and there are many appropriate choices.

I’m still waiting for my “simple country life” to manifest, but have come to realize that as long as I continue to say “yes” to opportunities I won’t have much “spare” time. It is all about choice, and I still want to do everything. Sigh.

Regardless of frustrations, there is great satisfaction in knowing that we are living in a way that feels true to our values. We don’t claim to have all of the answers, but are happily seeking better solutions. We spend a lot more time than the average American doing things like growing and cooking our food, but we spend a lot less time working at jobs we don’t like, commuting or driving anywhere. We get to know our neighbors, spend plentiful time outside, see the stars at night and learn to recognize the songs of birds. There are lots of great trade offs for the things we are “missing.”

Another thing I’ve learned is that life is not a contest, and everything is subjective. It’s all about attitude. One man’s eco is another man’s disaster – none of us benefits from comparing ourselves to one another. So do your best, be happy, breathe deeply, and drop me a line if you have any questions.

Thanks for reading!


Love,
Alline

Last Hurrah - Three Great Dessert Recipes

Before the holiday season is over, before you despair over the weight gained over the past month, before all excuses for cookies have disappeared, I wanted to share these with you. As you may know I have devoted my life to a search for the best of the best recipes, with a laser-beam like focus on dessert. Perhaps next year I'll be inspired by chard, but for now it's all butter, all the time.

Below is the most amazing recipe for Apple Crisp I have ever had. The boiled cider, Pomona's Ambrosia we use is from our friends at Blue Heron Orchard in Canton, Mo.

Additionally I'm including two cookie recipes which have been known to make grown men cry. We're serving them with mulled cider tonight at the Milkweed Mercantile. 

Have a lovely, peaceful, guilt-free holiday. 

Love,

Alline

 photo credit: Tecfan on Flickr

Apple Crumble

Adapted from King Arthur’s Flour Baker’s Companion

Filling
5 pounds apples
1/4 cup cider
2 Tb butter, melted
2 Tb boiled cider (Pomona's Ambrosia)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3 Tb tapioca flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup thick old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. baking powder
8 Tb butter (1 stick, 4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9” x 9” cake pan or a ceramic pan of similar capacity and surface area.

To Make the Filling

Peel, core and slice the apples into 1/4" thick pieces. Place them in a bowl with the remainder of the filling ingredients and stir vigorously to combine. In the process of apple pieces will break into smaller bits. This is fine. Spoon the apple mixture into the pan.

To Make the Topping
In a medium size mixing bowl stir together flour, oats, salt, brown sugar and baking powder. Add the butter, cutting it in with a mixer, your fingers or a pastry blender as you would when making pie crust. Mix until crumbly. If you work it too much the mixture will clump together so use a light touch but be thorough. Sprinkle the topping over the filling.

Bake the crumble for 1 hour or until it is bubbly and a deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven; let it cool half an hour before serving.  

Dream Bars

About 2 dozen 2 ¼” bars

King Arthur Baker’s Companion

These bars are absolutely ugly - they will never win a prize for pretty. However, take these words of wisdom from the cook book:  “...but just take that first bite and you’ll for get the visual impression. Coconut, nuts, and sugar combine to form a gooey, rich topping on a buttery cookie base. Sprinkle these with a shower of snowy confectioner’s sugar and you’ve got bars whose looks begin to live up to their taste.”

Cookie Layer

1 stick (8 Tb) butter

½ cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. salt

Topping

2 cups dark brown sugar

1 Tb unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 tsp. baking powder

2 large eggs, well beaten

1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened

1 cup diced nuts: walnuts or pecans

Preheat the oven to 300. Lightly grease a 9”x13” pan

To make the cookie layer:

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the flour and salt; the mixture will be crumbly. Pat the crumbs into a. Bake the cookie layer for 10 minutes, while you prepare the topping. Turn the oven up to 325.

To make the topping:

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, and baking powder. Stir in the eggs, mixing until smooth, then add the coconut and nuts, again mixing until well combined. Dollop the topping onto the crust in the pan, spreading it out; wet your fingers  and spread it around as evenly as possible.

Bake the bars for 25 minutes, until they’re golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, if desired, and cut them when they’re completely cool.

Yuletide Toffee Squares

96 small pieces

King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion

“...meltingly buttery yet crisp base, slathered with a just-thick-enough layer of chocolate and dusted with finely chopped nuts…”

Crust

4 ½ c. rolled oats

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 ½ sticks (12 Tb.) butter, melted

¾ cut light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp salt

Topping

2 cups (12 oz) semi sweet chocolate chips

2 Tb. Vegetable shortening

2/3 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 450. Lightly grease a 15x10-inch pan

Combine the oats, sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt and mix well. Press the mixture into the pan, using lightly greased hands to help the process along.

Bake the squares for 12-15 minutes, or until they’re a light golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. (NOTE: they will still look a little mushy in the middle – this is ok.)

In a medium saucepan set over very low heat, melt the chocolate and shortening together, stirring constantly until smooth. Spread the mixture evenly over the oat base and sprinkle on the chopped nuts. (I did this while the crust was still warm and everything worked out…)

Cover very loosely and chill the squares in the pan until the chocolate is firm. Remove from the fridge and cut into squares. The easiest way to do this is to use a chef’s knife to cut the bars into long strips while they’re still in the pan, and then transfer each long strip to a cutting board to cut into bite-sized pieces. They will be hard to cut, but easy to eat.

Party on, dude!

A World of Abundance - Sharing the Good Stuff

Photo Credit: imashleyhello on Flickr

 So there I was, wandering around the house and the Mercantile, trying to work up some good juice for a blog post about the holidays, and giving, and how none of us needs any more stuff…I was getting nowhere, fast. Partly because I kept tripping over piles of stuff in my house, and partly because I was feeling short on inspiration.

Then, I opened my email . There I found an email from Kurt’s semi-nephew X (who wishes to remain anonymous). X and his brother are nephews of the second Mrs. Kessner, but Kurt received shared family visits in the divorce, for which we are truly grateful, and so as the fourth – and last – Mrs. Kessner, I benefit, too.  X is not only funny, he is very, very thoughtful, and kind. It said:

  

Dear All,

Merry Christmas!!!!  

Because I'm only working part time this year and hate spending (my wife's) money, I was going to buy a single goat or a llama or a water buffalo from Heifer International and let you all know that your gift was a fractional share of same which, as we all know, goes to help out a worthy impoverished family somewhere on the other side of the globe.

However a lot of people here in the USA are also food insecure, especially lately, and I remembered reading a couple years back about this guy who had created sustainable urban farms right here in the good old Midwest.  Naturally, when I thought of giving something on behalf of you all I thought, "Why buy the cow when you can buy the whole farm!" 

So anyway that's what I did and I thought since you aren't getting a pretty card like you get from Heifer, that the least I could do was provide interesting details about what your gift is supporting, so here are a few links you can follow about this organization (see below):  

Best Wishes for a safe, wonderful, and happy holiday.  Let us all take a minute and thank our lucky stars that we have enough to eat as apparently, according to info on Heifer's website, 1 in 5 children in this country do not.  

 -X

p.s.  Thank you in advance for any and all gifts you sent this year (which we will open Jan 7).  You are wonderful, thoughtful, loving, family and if no power on earth will stop you from buying us stuff then I gratefully accept your generosity.  That said, we do have a lot of stuff already and a lot of people the world over don't.  Just sayin if you donate to something that matters to you on our behalf next year, that would equally wonderful....

 

 Christmas Trees Before Being Cut Down

Photo Credit: xdex on Flickr

The beneficiary of my part of a cow is Will Allen’s GrowingPower, Inc.

Read more about Will Allen in this article from the New York Times,  and watch this short video:


Will Allen: The Urban Farmer from Spark Project on Vimeo.

So that's it. Just that. Maybe we don't really need all of those brightly wrapped packages. A home-grown head of lettuce, some real tomatoes, and the inspiration of people who are doing good things in the world might just be enough this holiday season. I know it is for me.

love,
Alline

Thanksgiving Recipes, Redux

I love Thanksgiving. Food, friends, family squabbles - what's not to love?

Since moving to Dancing Rabbit Thanksgivings have gotten much easier - we have a potluck dinner with everyone from DR, Sandhill and Red Earth Farms who has not already gone away for the holiday. We all bring a dish or two; there are some very good cooks here.

The only snag is that more than Thanksgiving Day I love the day after, when we can make sandwiches with turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce, all between two slices of bread (or perhaps a brioche bun) slathered with mayo. So I often make a mini Thanksgiving for me and Kurt, and we nibble the leftovers for the rest of the weekend.

I always bring cranberry sauce to the potluck. It is super easy, and the sweet/tangy cranberry with a bit of orange zest seems to make every bite of mashed potatoes, yams, turkey and gravy taste just that much better. I was horrified, and then amused, to find that not everyone shares my opinion. Thanksgiving seems to bring out our most base, almost reptilian connections to food. For example, our friend Tereza insists that her cranberry sauce must come out of a can (and have those little dents in the side). It is not about the flavor; it is about the memories. For those folks, I bring a can of congealed cranberry sauce, complete with little indentations from the can.
RECIPE # 1: Cranberry Sauce
Makes 2 1/4 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 4 cups (1 12-oz package) fresh or frozen cranberries
• Optional Pecans, orange peel, raisins, currants, blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice.

Directions

1. Wash and pick over cranberries.
2. In a saucepan bring to a boil water and sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar.
3. Add cranberries, return to a boil.
4. Reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes or until cranberries burst.
5. At this point you can add all number of optional ingredients. I prefer about a half a cup of roughly chopped pecans with or without some orange zest. (The recipes all say that you can add a cup of raisins or currants, or up to a pint of fresh or frozen blueberries for added sweetness. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice can be added too.)
6. Remove from heat.
7. Pour into serving dish, and cool completely at room temperature. When it is cool, chill in refrigerator. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

Photo Credit: Michele Hume on Flickr

Memories are also behind Kurt's seemingly innocent request for Green Bean Casserole - you know, the kind with Cream of Mushroom Soup in it. Which created a dilemma of sorts. You see, when it comes to food (and just about everything else), Kurt is the ultimate good sport, an incredibly amiable, agreeable guy. I, on the other hand, seem to be a bit of a, um, snob. The Cream of Mushroom Soup request really threw me for a loop - how to make Kurt happy and not make myself crazy?

You can imagine my delight when I found Robert St. John's cookbook, which comes with the lengthy subtitle "...how to survive in a southern kitchen without a can of cream of mushroom soup." Within its pages is the most divine recipe for Green Bean Casserole, bar none. The end result has the same just-like-mom-made comfort as the original (for Kurt) and yet contains nary a drop of cream of mushroom soup - it uses Béchamel Sauce instead - which satisfies my snooty inner gourmand. Besides that, it is relatively EASY, plus you get to throw around terms like "Béchamel." This year, I am adding Robert St. John to the list of people for whom I am thankful.


RECIPE #2: Ultimate Green Bean Casserole
4-6 servings
Inspired by Robert St. John's Deep South Staples. Changes made to original recipe by me (Alline) and are not indicative of Mr. St. John’s culinary talents.

Ingredients

• 1 quart chicken broth
• 4 cans green beans, drained (14.5 ounce cans)
• ¼ cup bacon, sliced
• 1 cup onion, medium dice
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups Béchamel Sauce (recipe follows)
• 1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
• 1 6-ounce can French’s French Fried Onions

Directions

1. Make Simplified Béchamel Sauce (below)
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a large sauce pot, bring chicken broth to a boil.
4. Place drained green beans in the broth and simmer 10 minutes, Drain the green beans.
5. Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, render bacon until it just becomes crisp.
6. Drain excess bacon grease from the skillet and add the diced onions. Cook over medium heat for five minutes.
7. Stir in salt, pepper and Béchamel sauce.
8. Remove mixture from heat and fold in green beans, cheese, and ½ of the canned, fried onions.
9. Place mixture in a 3-quart baking dish and bake 30 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining fried onions over the top of the casserole and return to the oven for an additional 12-14 minutes.
11. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Simplified Béchamel Sauce (modified from Joy of Cooking)

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt:
3 Tablespoons butter

Stir in:
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally with a wood spoon or spatula, over medium-low heat until the roux is just fragrant but not darkened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Slowly whisk in:
2 cups whole milk

and return the saucepan to the heat.

Bring the sauce slowly to a simmer, whisking to prevent lumps, and cook, stirring often and skimming any skin that forms on the surface, over low heat, without boiling, until it reaches the consistency of thick cream soup, 8 to 10 minutes.

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, if desired. Season with salt and ground pepper to taste.

Hmmm....why does this dark brown chocolate nut tart look RED? Probably because I haven't yet learned to mess with photos that were not taken by me...sheesh. For the real thing, check out the Vegetarian Times website!

RECIPE #3: Triple Nut Chocolate Tart
Vegetarian Times November 1, 2008
Serves 12 (we served 16, easily)

No one will guess this rich, elegant tart is vegan.
Crust

• 1 cup pastry flour
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 2 Tbs. sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ cup vegan margarine (1 stick)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Filling

• 3 cups mixed walnuts, pecans, and almonds (1 cup each), coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup vegan margarine (½ stick)
• 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped or in chips
• 2 Tbs. pastry flour
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions
To make Crust:

1. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt in bowl.
2. Rub margarine into flour mixture with fingers until mixture is crumbly.
3. Sprinkle in vanilla, and stir.
4. Add 1 to 2 Tbs. cold water until dough clumps together loosely.
5. Press dough into pie dish or tart pan until sides and bottom are covered.
6. Chill in freezer 30 minutes.

To make Filling:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Spread nuts on baking sheet, and bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned.
3. Melt margarine and chocolate in saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Sprinkle in flour and salt, and stir until smooth.
4. Stir in maple syrup and vanilla.
5. Stir in nuts.
6. Spread nut mixture in piecrust.
7. Bake 25 minutes, or until crust is golden and filling is firm.
8. Cool on wire rack at least 20 minutes before serving.

Have a wonderful holiday!