Renaissance Woman?

*Written earlier this evening 

I'm rocking out to Robert Plant and Allison Krauss's Raising Sand in the car right now with my Mom. We are heading back home to Alabama after spending the weekend with my Grandma in Tennessee. Good time to write a blog entry, because I know I'll probably have a million things I want to do when i get home tonight and won't write it then. I have been MIA lately, due to the fact that I'm trying to do too many things. What on earth am I going to do when I get a job? I spent last weekend and some days before sprucing up the landing to our basement- painting the stairs and walls, staining and finishing a shelf and some picture frames. doing some decorating and overall making it look a lot nicer. I also helped my dad do a ton of home improvement projects.

In 2000, my dad began a huge project- as a previous contractor, builder, craftsman, and pretty much jack of all trades- he decided to build our Timberframe house.  He and my Grandfather built my Grandfather's last two houses so I guess it was his turn. When you have a regular job and a life, and decide to build your own house and literally do EVERYTHING yourself, it takes awhile. So there are still a few non-crucial things that need to be done here and there. But my dad still does a lot- he does it all- and lately I've been helping. Working in our shop brought back memories of being in school. Being dirty and tired. The smell of cut wood. Taking measurements and such. It was fun, and good quality time with my dad. I don't need a building techniques or shop class, I've got my house. Here are a few pictures of our house. 

I just put this together for my site. I made it in July for my niece, and I think it's the cutest thing. I even want one. I think I'm too old to have stuffed animals, even though everyone I've been meeting lately thinks I'm 16. Ugh. I don't like that. Anywho, about the bunny, the pattern and directions are in the Alabama Stitch Book. It is made out of my old t-shirts. Without work, I've become pretty thrifty. Anyone want me to hand craft one for you? I could arrange that. I am doing freelance design anything right now. My new business card even says so. 

I've always wanted my own website not some .whatever. So with my brother's help I have decided to officially buy a domain name. I do like my blog, but I'm being very ambitious and hope to combine my own work, findings, and thoughts all in one site. I've been working the website, learning the basics of CSS and HTML enough to edit my page templates and make them exactly how I want. I haven't constantly been on my computer this much since I was working last year. Computer eye strain has come back. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so picky. 

Is being a Renaissance Man always looked at as a good attribute? Could I be a Renaissance Woman?

To end, as I was watering our shrubs the other morning, I found this guy lounging on our abelias. It looks like he is posing for the camera. 

Ramblings

It was a beautiful day today, as was yesterday. It almost feels like fall, definitely not like August in Alabama. A nice breeze blowing, partly cloudy sky, and low humidity. Perfect weather. I took advantage of this lovely weather yesterday and sat outside to do work on my computer. I also ate dinner on the deck with my mom. The only bad thing is that I believe there is a dead animal in the wooded lot next to ours, and the breeze keeps blowing the odor over my way.

Strangely, I'm looking forward to fall. Shh, don't tell anyone. I love summer, all the activities that go along with summer, the sun, and being warm. I didn't partake in usual summer activities this year. We are somewhat land-locked up here in North Alabama. So no ocean or beach to visit for the day. :( The only body of water I experienced was the Elk River. We went fishing on its banks with my dad for Father's Day. It was a good time. And the pool in my brother's neighborhood, but sadly only once. There's something about fall. The change of seasons always makes me nostalgic and longing for days past. It's back to school time, and I was a nerd, so it was a very exciting time of year. New wardrobe, school supplies, new friends and classes. New beginnings. This fall I hope to find a warming new energy that accompanies the cool air.

I had a nice weekend. My dad made linguini with mussels. I lovvveee mussels, and haven't had them in probably a year. We went to a family reunion and met some very distant relatives. Then took a nice scenic drive home along a portion of the Natchez Trace Parkway. I think a revisit in the fall would be nice to see the trees change colors. I took some pictures of the Tennessee countryside, and my dad and I went on a mini-hike to a waterfall.

Strawberry Lemonade Chiffon Layer Cake

I view my culinary endeavors as an artistic and creative act, and of course they taste good too! Combine ingredients, different flavors, textures, and tastes and wah-lah, you have a (most of the time) delicious, finished product. I really really enjoy baking, probably because I have a sweet tooth. When I was a little girl, I won the 4-H Baking Competition for my Banana Nut Bread and my Oatmeal Cookies. In high school, I remember making a decadent three layer chocolate cake for one of my teachers as her Christmas present. While living in New York, I usually helped head the Thanksgiving dinners that I would have with friends. I can make a mean Red Velvet Cake. Due to my work schedule, the limitless types of food available in the city, and Delivery.com, I didn't cook as much as I would have liked. Chris and I would make dinner occasionally, but it was usually on the simple side. Since I've been home I've had plenty of time to cook and bake. The fully furnished and spacious kitchen to work in has been nice too, not to mention actually having countertops rather than an ironing board to prepare dinner on.

A friend told me about a dessert combination of cookie and a cupcake, where the cookie is the crust of the cupcake. So I thought I'd give it a try, going into the actual process a little blindly. Big disaster. We don't have a normal size cupcake pan, and the two recipes had different cooking times so the peanut butter exploded out of the cake. It didn't taste terrible, just not my best attempt. To make myself feel better about failure in the kitchen, and because I told a friend I'd share the recipe, I am going to post the cake I made for my Grandpa's birthday instead. I got the original recipe from Baking Bites. This cake is probably the best thing ever! I give you-

Strawberry Lemonade Chiffon Layer Cake

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
6 tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
6 large egg yolks8 large egg whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
*Note: I didn't have cake flour, and used this substitution with corn starch. 

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, sift together cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and egg yolks until smooth.
Add to flour mixture and whisk until just combined. In another large bowl, beat egg whites at medium speed until foamy.
Beat in cream of tartar, then turn the mixer up to high speed and beat to soft peaks.
Fold into lemon mixture, working in 3 or 4 batches. Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 24-28 minutes, until the cake springs back when lightly pressed.
Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.


Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:
 2 pkg. reduced fat cream cheese
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp agave nectar
1/2 cup or so powdered sugar to taste
1/2 cup pureed strawberries

Puree strawberries in blender. Soften cream cheese and butter at room temperature. Combine in medium bowl and mix at low speed. Add vanilla, agave, then sugar and pureed strawberries. Increase speed to high for a few minutes until everything is incorporated.

You will need about 2 cartons of fresh strawberries for the filling and frosting. Thinly slice strawberries (about 1/2 a carton) for the top and bottom layers. You can macerate them if you'd like, but as I said, I was trying to use less sugar. For the filling and frosting I wanted a naturally sweet taste that wasn't too sugary to complement the wonderful lemon flavor of the cake. I added sugar to the icing until it was the amount of sweetness I wanted. I did have some extra icing, but that's ok because it was good enough to eat by itself.


Assembly
To assemble, slice cooled cakes in half horizontally. Place one layer of cake on a serving platter. Top, covering entire layer with thinly sliced strawberries, then place another cake layer on top of that. Top second cake layer with the strawberry cream cheese frosting. Place another cake layer on top and top that with sliced strawberries. Place final cake layer on top.
Frost the whole cake evenly with a layer of frosting. Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes to allow frosting to set. Decorate top with remaining strawberries. 

I was so happy with the cake. Perfect for summer, and there are still a few weeks left!! Enjoy!

Thunderstorms

I've always had a fascination with thunderstorms and tornadoes. In 4th grade, my best friend and I wanted to be storm chasers. We watched Twister over and over on VHS. Following the April 27th tornadoes and seeing firsthand what they are capable of, I could probably just settle on thunderstorms- no more tornadoes please. I find an intrigue in capabilities of mother nature, and a romantic quality to it. There's always a peaceful still in the air once the volatility in the sky moves past. Last summer in New York, I remember standing on my rooftop with Chris watching a thunderstorm in the distance. The darkness slowly moved in and settled over the city, creating an eerie feeling and a charged energy in the air.  That was one of the few times I saw a thunderstorm like that in New York. It reminded me of the summers growing up when two or three storm fronts move through on any given day. Standing outside as the wind picks up and the trees begin to sway and swoosh around, leaves floating in the air, seeing the wall cloud approach- many times a distinct barrier between the dark and light of the sky, the quick passing of the storm followed by the sun and stillness. That's the passage of a storm, and that's exactly what is happening here this week. It's one of my associations with the Southern life- the crazy summer storms that move over the open expanse of fields and farmlands.

Sunday evening, as we traveled home from Tennessee, we could see the dark sky many miles south. Once we arrived near Elkmont, the storm had already passed through, creating a beautiful sunset on the horizon. In the spirit of the moment, my dad drove to a high spot near town, and I took some beautiful pictures of the sky. We were able to see some exhilarating lightning in the distance, as the spidery bolts traveled from cloud to cloud. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about photographing lightning. But I did manage to get one ok shot and we took some video.

 Sailor's sky

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Last evening, I was sitting outside on our patio, and spotted an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail flying around our yard. I see these butterflies fluttering about from time to time. They are common in the Eastern United States, and actually the state butterfly of Alabama. I watched it flap its wings and coast in the air for awhile before it found our its place on our Butterfly bushes. I got some good shots of it with my camera. When I looked at it closer, I could see that its wing was torn. Poor guy. 

The first known drawing of a North America butterfly was an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail in 1587. The drawing was labeled "Mamankanois" which is the Native American word for "butterfly".

Couscous topped with Chickpeas, Spinach and Tomatoes

Tonight's dinner was inspired by this bag of not-so-good-looking spinach.

The spinach I buy for my salads was starting to reach its expiration date, so I decided to use it with a can of chick peas that my mom bought the other week. I originally had intentions of making hummus. I found this recipe on the NY Times website, and modified it to what I had at home. It was pretty simple to make, and turned out delicious.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 cup tomatoes, chopped

1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock, or water

Ground red pepper to taste

1 6-oz. bag baby spinach

1/2 box couscous

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, tomato paste, tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring for one to two minutes, until fragrant and the tomato paste has turned a darker color. Add the chickpeas, the stock or water, and the red pepper, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, stirring until each addition of spinach wilts. Add salt to taste and simmer uncovered, stirring often, for five minutes. Add lots of freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt.

3. Cook 1/2 box of plain couscous as directed. Place chickpea-spinach sauce on top of couscous. Serve. 

Cultural Identity

Saturday I went to Chattanooga with my Grandpa, Dad, and Mom to visit my Grandma's gravesite. My Grandpa grew up in Chattanooga and met my Grandma there 62 years ago. It is the city where they were married and is also my father's birthplace. While we were visiting with my dad's cousin, I learned that one of my descendants fought in the Revolutionary War! I've always had an interest in my family's genealogy. I know a little about it from older family members who have taken a lot of time to research and document our family's past. I wouldn't call myself a history buff, just interested in where I come from.

This is the pension claim given to my Great, great, great, great, great Grandfather after his service in the war. Making me the 7th generation decedent, I believe.

While living in New York, many people I met would ask me if I am Russian, Polish, or Czech. I suppose I have certain physical features typical to that of someone who is Eastern European. The blonde hair didn't help. Greenpoint, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, has a very large Polish community. When I worked there, I was stopped on the street often by old Polish women asking me questions in a language I do not know. My decent is Irish and English mostly. When asked where I was from, I would say I'm American. I'm from Alabama, and then elaborate. I realize that the United States is a very young country. My family's been here for a while. A lot of people I knew in New York were from other countries or 1st or 2nd generation to be born here in the United States. I think about their strong cultural ties and the many things I learned from them regarding where their family was from and their customs. I saw the expressions of that in [their] daily life. Sometimes subtle, sometimes not. What about me? What were my daily nuances? I've posed this question to myself since I have been back in Alabama. Trying to understand 'this place' and the context of myself within it, and thinking back to my behaviors, representative of my cultural self, when I lived away from it.
I found this quote, and appreciated what is means to me to be back home especially during this miserably hot summer we are having!

"In the South, perhaps more than any other region, we go back to our home in dreams and memories, hoping it remains what it was on a lazy, still summer's day twenty years ago"
- Willie Morris