I Scream You Scream for Homemade Ice Cream!

Oh. My. God.

You have not lived until you've made your own vanilla bean ice cream (and then eaten it). Oh, sure, you've been to Paris, you've driven on the Autobahn, you've trekked in Nepal, touched the tip of Patagonia, partied with Madonna...but never had your own vanilla bean ice cream? My dear, you simply MUST!

Here is the recipe. It is, of course, "just a custard base" as our friend Annie says. But having never done it myself, I had to read and research and compare a zillion recipes. I am very pleased with how this came out.

Vanilla Ice Cream
(fills a 2-quart maker 2/3 full)

2 cups milk
2 vanilla pods, sliced down the middle (you can probably get away with just one)
8 egg yolks (save the whites for a Pavlova - more on this tomorrow!)
8 oz granulated sugar (weigh it!)
2 cups double/heavy cream

1. Pour the milk into a large saucepan and bring the pan slowly up to boiling point.
2. Place the vanilla pod into it and leave to infuse for about 20 minutes.
3. In a bowl, beat and mix together the egg yolks and sugar until thick.
4. Carefully remove the vanilla pod from the pan of milk and scrape out the seeds into the milk.
5. Pour the milk into the mixture of egg yolks and sugar while stirring.
6. Pour the mixture back into the pan and heat gently, stirring until the custard thickens - DO NOT BRING TO THE BOIL OR IT WILL PROBABLY CURDLE.
7. When you can see a film form over the back of your spoon it's time to remove the saucepan from the heat.
8. Leave to cool. (I got impatient, and so put the bowl in an ice bath - a larger bowl filled with ice cubes and water)
9. When the custard base is cold stir in the cream.
10. Transfer the whole mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

I used two bags of ice cubes and 2 cups of rock salt.

We served this with Berry Apple Crisp. Absolutely divine. I look forward to the day when the Mercantile is finished and we have our own ice maker. That way all power to make the ice will come from the sun and wind, and the water will be rainwater. Delish!

And another thing: birds have been so happy in the Mercantile. Three robins fledged from a nest in the "kitchen" earlier this spring, and right now we have two house wren nests way up in the eaves. Yesterday Tom, Thomas and Kurt pointed out a swallow building a fabulous mud and grass nest on top of one of the electrical boxes in the dining room. Fortunately we have lots of time before Kurt needs to wire that box - the babies should be hatched and fledged by then!






Kurt kept saying "zoom in, zoom in!" but I wanted to show some sort of context. What was REALLY cool was how the pair would fly in (the building is still open on all sides) and make a couple of circuits of the room. They have the most beautiful coloring!

Blueberries

When you woke up this morning, desperately curious to know what 10-lbs of blueberries actually looks like, did you ever think you would find the answer to your dreams right here? Sigh. Life is pretty darned grand, eh?

So check this out:

The box measures about 12" x 10". On today's menu:

For breakfast Homemade Granola with fresh blueberries

and

Blueberry Crisp with Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Tomorrow: Blueberry Lime Jam and Blueberries in Gin Syrup. Recipes posted early next week.

Following My Nose

Reading lots of blogs, today I popped into Keri Smith's Wish Jar. She talked about being invited to Foo Camp, and of course I got curious and followed links. This led to a speech on the value of hackers given by Tim O'Reilly. I didn't get very far into the speech because he began it with this poem by Rilke. It is mesmerizing. I have to read it a lot more. But I wanted to park it here so I could find it again. "What we choose to fight is so tiny..."


The Man Watching
by Rainer Maria Rilke

I can tell by the way the trees beat, after
so many dull days, on my worried windowpanes
that a storm is coming,
and I hear the far-off fields say things
I can't bear without a friend,
I can't love without a sister

The storm, the shifter of shapes, drives on
across the woods and across time,
and the world looks as if it had no age:
the landscape like a line in the psalm book,
is seriousness and weight and eternity.

What we choose to fight is so tiny!
What fights us is so great!
If only we would let ourselves be dominated
as things do by some immense storm,
we would become strong too, and not need names.

When we win it's with small things,
and the triumph itself makes us small.
What is extraordinary and eternal
does not want to be bent by us.
I mean the Angel who appeared
to the wrestlers of the Old Testament:
when the wrestler's sinews
grew long like metal strings,
he felt them under his fingers
like chords of deep music.

Whoever was beaten by this Angel
(who often simply declined the fight)
went away proud and strengthened
and great from that harsh hand,
that kneaded him as if to change his shape.
Winning does not tempt that man.
This is how he grows:
by being defeated, decisively,
by constantly greater beings.

Birthday redux

Well, I managed to extend my birthday for two weeks, which is quite a lovely idea. Amy baked the most beautiful and incredibly delicious coconut cake (with not one but 2 cans of coconut milk)

Amy and the oh-so-divine cocolicious birthday cake

and then we had a 70's dance party. During the real 70's I hated disco, since it was SO not cool (all that polyester) but it is so much fun to dance to. Kurt spent all day downloading my long list of songs which ran from Car Wash to Super Freak to everyone's favorite singalong, I Will Survive. No BeeGees, though, and no Abba. A girl has to maintain her standards.

Tom Cowan, ready to get down and boogie

It is also bittersweet. Songs like It's Raining Men remind me of all my friends who are gone, an entire generation of gay men wiped out. Sigh.

Here are a few pix from the bash at the still-to-be-named New Pond (or "Bay of Ralph") on July 4th:

(L-R) Tereza, fashion maven Tamar, & Alyson snapping pix

Toby, Kurt, Meadow & the Bagwan Shri Nathan

"I'll give you a buck if you throw this thing..."

And here are a couple from dinner at Jason's, overlooking Red Earth Farms land...

Jason, Noah & Sonya

I'm writing this after coming home from Papa Bear's Karaoke Birthday party. It was so fun, and funny. My throat is sore but it was so worth it! Night!

Flying our Flag to Remember that Peace is Patriotic

Happy Independence Day!

Annie and I continue working on the webstore. We (very) quietly launched it Thursday at 11:30 p.m. We are very excited.

We are finessessing the copy, adding DIY and resource links, adding cross-selling items, and having a great time.

We have some of the most marvelous product, from some amazing vendors. I hope to write about some of each soon.

Our store debut at SoTish in LaGrange, IL last Thursday was fantastic. The crowd was supportive, interested and very fun. It is always a treat talking with other business-women. We're all having a blast, and trying very hard not to go out of our minds. A very fine balance.

In a couple of hours we're going up the hill to Jason's. He's hosting a July 4th Food Fest. We heard a rumor that pulled pork is on the menu. I drool just thinking about it. We have a lot of great food around here, but sometimes the bone-gnawing carnivore inside me is screaming for a little meat. (Sorry vegan friends. Please don't be offended.)

We have about 20 visitors here. They are enthusiastic and happy to be here. Some of them I really like a lot. Unfortunately they are the ones who are (mostly) not interested in relocating to Dancing Rabbit, at least not right away. Sigh. However, we can have fun while they are here, make the connection and stay in touch. It is always a comfort to know there are such folks in the world.

But back to the group. Some are a really good fit, others not so much so. Some are amazingly self-aware, and some are amazingly obtuse. Child-rearing styles are always interesting to watch, and the contrast between kids who get thoughtful attention and clear boundaries and the kids with parents who "encourage little Biffie to act on his feelings" is stunning. Biffie's feelings often tend toward screaming loud enough to peel paint and smashing his brother in the face. On the other hand, there is also a lovely five-year old here who was only allowed to interact with Baloo after being "introduced." What a nice change of pace to encounter someone teaching her kids to be respectful of animals, even very kid-tolerant golden retreivers.

That's got to be it for now. Gotta finish baking cookies for the bash. More soon!

Birthday, Postponed

Birthday to be observed June 30th

Kurt was at his mom's in Minnesota this weekend, and didn't return until this evening. Plus, I'm working my (not so little) fanny to the bone in order to be ready to do the EcoFaire in LaGrange, IL on Thursday (stop by!) and to launch the Mercantile webstore on July 1st.

My sustainable business isn't feeling so sustainable right now. ACK! So there was simply no time for a birthday today.

There were a few under the radar good wishes though - Jason brought by a delicious honey cake, and Tom came with a beautiful slice of cherry pie that he and Tereza made, Sparky offered to let me do her laundry if it would make me happy, Meadow and her mom came by with an "antique" Dr. Pepper trinket they found in a shop in Memphis, Amy came by and we talked faster than the speed of light about her weekend, Annie input a gazillion entries in the webstore, and a few beloved folks sent email wishes.

Kurt brought home an MP3 player of my very own (wrapped in a big fat Sunday Mpls paper), since I've been coveting his. And now he's going through his music on his computer, playing the first four seconds of each song. I get to yell out:

"NO thank you"

or

"YES"

or

"ooohhhhhhh! I LOVE that song!"

It is very fun.

I didn't get to swim today, but as Kurt was going through the songs he came to Crowded House, who I still adore. And when the chorus to Take the Weather With You came on, it rolled over me in big happy waves. It always brings me back to the concert at the Greek Theatre when the entire crowd stood and sang and sang and sang... the weather was perfect, Neil was perfect, Paul was perfect singing Italian Plastic with his snare drum, the sun was was warm...a little slice of heaven.

Walking round the room singing Stormy Weather

At 57 Mount Pleasant Street

Now its the same room but everythings different

You can fight the sleep but not the dream

Things ain't cooking in my kitchen

Strange affliction wash over me

Julius caesar and the roman empire

Couldnt conquer the blue sky

Theres a small boat made of china

Going nowhere on the mantlepiece

Do I lie like a loungeroom lizard

Or do I sing like a bird released

Chorus

Everywhere you go you always take the weather with you

Wow. Now he's on John Gorka, and a song we used to play when he was in Minneapolis and I was in Berkeley came on:

I didn't know where to look for you last night

I didn't know where to find you

I didn't know how I could touch that light

That's always gathering behind you

I didn't know that I would find a way

To find you in the morning

But love can pull you out of yesterday

As it takes you without warning

I want to be a long time friend to you

I want to be a long time known

Not one of your memory's used-to-bes

A summer's fading song

Chorus:

It's from me, it's to you

For your eyes

It's a weight, a wonder that is wise

I am here, you are there

Love is our cross to bear

I know I'll think of us upon that hill

With the golden moon arising

And the stars will fall around us still

While the love is realizing

And so it is until we meet again

And I throw my arms around you

You can count the gray hairs in my head

I'll still be thankful that I found you

(Chorus)

More tomorrow. Thanks for a great day.

Living with Radar O'Reilly

A miracle came into our lives last year, disguised as our pal Sparky.

In exchange for her living expenses here at Dancing Rabbit she helps us with just about everything. She paints our house (she's a professional), walks our dog (she's Baloo's au pair), brushes the cat (seriously), and tidies up the place. Which believe me, it needs. I have the housekeeping skills of Joan Crawford's abandoned children, and have even been known to use wire hangers.

Sparky topped herself today though. When I came downstairs to fix lunch, the oven was already preheating. When I asked why, she said "I figured you'd want to warm up lunch." Yep. I'd made pizza (from scratch, totally yummy) the night before, and she knew that Kurt likes his crust crunchy. BUT I HADN'T EVEN SAID ANYTHING!

And then, when I asked her if she knew when anyone was going into town, she replied, with just a little glimmer in her eye "oh, yeah. I already asked Annie to pick up some more Dr. Pepper for you when she goes to the fair today."

Who needs Fairy Godmothers? The Milkweeds have Sparky! (Thanks again for all you do!)