MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC

A very busy season, but I found time to knit this sweet vest and matching hat and five finger puppets for Adam and Annie and Alma.

Haloween is upon us, and I took out my 'apple witches', and Iris and Elsa and I made new ones for the season.  They are fun to watch as the apple transforms over a two week hanging period.  The teeth are rice and the eyes are beans. 

Pretty scary if you ask me!

Andy is once again undergoing three intensive days of chemo therapy, so I am spending much time with the girls.  As Andy and Jonel have to leave early in the morning, I go there about 6:30 and the girls are generally already up.  This day they had a surprise for me, originally to be presented at 10:30 but they just could not wait. 

Iris has been playing the violin for quite some time now, and Elsa actually gave it a try, but she was convinced the instrument she wanted to play was the cello.  A Suzuki cello teacher was finally located, a tiny cello finally optained, and lessons began.

The surprise

an early morning concert.  Above is the playbill which they pinned to the 'curtain'.  The music for this event was original, composed and written by Iris.  Now Iris cannot read music yet, but she does know the names of the strings.  So she made up her own notation, taught it to Elsa,

and they were set.  Above is Iris' music sheet

and this, more simplistic notation....string D, long, long, long, long stroke, is Elsa's.  Some of Elsa's were noted with short lines, and some with both.

Iris tuning her violin.

Elsa getting ready to perform.

Iris beginning....as she said, "With a one and a two and a three", and Elsa chimed in with words and cello, too.

It was magnificent, really!!  They even composed some songs that depicted each of their cats, and honestly, I could tell which cat was each song. 

These girls truly love music.  I have a CD of Idzak Perlman that plays Klezmer music, it is one of their favorites, as they sing along with the Yiddish, and create scenes for the instrumentals.  Yesterday during a fast paced instrumental they envisioned and narrated...a rabbit running scared, he finds a bush, there, he hides inside it, now he is peeking out, oh, no, here comes the hunter again"  and on and on and on. 

You can imagine how much fun this is for me!!

IMPORTANT THINGS IN MY RECENT LIFE

Nonnie Day last week brought a magnificent production from two very talented performers.  These two girls must have spent hours putting together the music, the dance, the costumes, and all else that comprised the 45 minute (I kid you not) production.

The Play Bill posted alongside the bright red curtain.

The MC of the production...announcing the forthcoming Balinese Dance, performed mostly by dancer Elsa Mae, joined in on the last two songs by Iris.

Without a doubt this dancer had the moves down, spot on.  It amazed me that she did this for 45 minutes ( with a few announced two minute breaks) done mostly with arm, hand and head movements, and an occasional hip movement as well.

Both girls ending the performance (Iris had noted that the 'real' dancers used pronounced eye movements as well.)

It truly was lovely, in spite of being performed to what seemed, to my ear, decidedly like African music.  They put in much work for this flawless performance.  

Nonnie Day yesterday brought much activity.  First off the girls had been collecting and saving various and sundry boxes, cardboard, tiny things, etc., to create a living space for tiny things.

They cut, glued, colored, taped, and fluffed for a couple of hours to create entirely on their own, (well I did play the gofer quite often) this unique and amazing display.

I do believe this will bring many hours of play in the future. 

On another note, Friday, October 2nd was the annual Friends of the  Kickapoo Reserve Pasta Supper, the evening before the Dam Challenge.  I, once again, made Sicilian pasta sauce for about 200, filling 16 ice cream buckets with this meat sauce.  I also made two ice cream buckets of roasted meatless sauce, and one large bowl of fresh, uncooked sauce.

The serving area...one roaster with pasta, one with meat sauce (shredded beef, pork, cut up meatballs and Italian Sausage), crock pot of meatless sauce, roaster with garlic bread (I made 30 loaves of bread), two bowls for salad, one plain and one with homemade Italian dressing, and one bowl, in the middle, with fresh, uncooked sauce.  Shredded basil and grated Romano cheese as well. 

Prior to serving these ladies made lovely arrangements,

to decorate the tables.

Our numbers were down this year, but it really was a great success.  

As usual, I wished my father's presence, he who would make a meal for any number, even 100's with great love and focus.  It is from him that my love of cooking, food, and serving comes.  I am so grateful for my Sicilian upbringing and for my chef of a father.




 

Nonnie day last week brought with it a great production, one the girls had been creating, rehersing and prepping for, for hours.  Above you see the Play Bill which they had taped to the side of the red curtain...suspended across the wide door way on a shower pole.

FUNGI



LACTARIUS INDIGO

A beautiful array of these growing beneath our pine stand...
the blue color is really beautiful



and can be seen here on the stem

not far from the blue fungi are several bright yellow ones nestled on the pine floor...

and below, my zinnias have been spectacular this year, and this is one of several that I found that appear to have died and then grown a new, smaller flower in the dead center.  This seems perfectly amazing to me, and quite lovely.

This spring/summer has in some respects flown by, and in others it has plodded along accompanied by countless prayers and strong good thoughts for Andy's recovery.  Despite the worry and concern, nature's abundance and beauty have sustained me and given me strength.  The garden's bounty is lessening, but continues to yeild greens, flowers, radishes, and even tomatoes.  (Suspected 35 degrees tonight, which at our location will surely be lower, may put an end to that.  I will cover basil, some flowes, swiss chard and some other items, however.)

On another note, the annual Kickapoo Valley Reserve's Pasta Supper is this coming Friday night.  I made 16 ice cream buckets of meat sauce (meatballs, pork, sausage and beef, all shredded in sauce) two buckets of fresh roasted tomato meatless sauce, and 30 loaves of bread.  This is a huge event, it is fun, and as always I wish my father, the ultimate cook, could be here to work alongside of me.

May this autumn be as beautiful for all of you as it is here in Wisconsin.

BIG TROUBLE

I am having some considerable trouble with my computer and am unable to access my Blog in any normal way. I am working on this for any of you who may be interested in reading it. I am posting this note simply to see if it actually posts. I surely do not need more stress in my life!!! I am so computer unsavvy it is unbelievable.

THE BOUNTY

Despite the stressful issues in our lives at this time, the garden never fails to bring beauty, joy and darn good eating.  This kind of nourishment is not only good, no great for the body, but it feeds the soul.  A day sweating in the garden under the hot sun renews the body and the sagging spirit as well.  May the Earth and the Sun and all of Nature, may the Great Spirit bring the healing for which we all pray.

I never cease to be astonished at the variety, depth of color, and brilliance of zinnias, my favorite flower.  They are in profuse bloom right now, and our house abounds with their beauty.

Two years ago I started planting San Marzano tomatoes, the first choice of tomatoes in Italy.  I have not been sorry.

The plants are loaded and have been ripening now for a couple of weeks.

These tomatoes are excellent for canning, for fresh salsa, for fresh, uncooked sauce over pasta, and of course for pizza, my favorite food ever, and if this is not too vain, my pizza is my favorite pizza ever!!

I roast  and can or freeze my own pizza sauce, and it really is delicious, and the aroma in the kitchen when it is roasting is wonderful.

I just roasted my first batch of pizza sauce....plenty of good olive oil in the bottom of a pan, cut up cleaned but not skinned tomatoes, onions, garlic, lots of fresh basil, (all directly from the garden) some dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste and a touch of sugar.  Roast until it reaches the desired thickness.  

And this very fresh sauce was used for our Sunday evening pizza...

...homemade dough, spread with the sauce, covered with thin pepperoni slices,

Organic Valley's Raw Milk Jack cheese shredded over, and topped with freshly grated Romano cheese...do not let rise, place on adobe tiles or pizza stone with only parchment paper beneath, in a preheated 450-500 degree oven.  It will be done in 10-12 minutes...

just out of the oven,

served with a salad of which all ingredients came from the garden as well.

I can honestly say this was the best pizza I had ever made, and the best pizza I had ever eaten...I am inclined to believe due to the fresh roasted sauce!!!

Dessert was a raspberry (few black berries) crisp

served with vanilla ice cream.

We do eat like royalty here on Jug Creek, and I am thankful for the ability to work my garden and bring the freshest of foods to our table. 

BOUNTIFUL

There is much on my mind these days dampening my spirits, and sometimes I find it difficult to do pursue the creative aspects of my life.  However going up to the garden, getting my hands down deep in the dirt, pulling weeds and reaping the bounty is a balm.  So too, is getting on my bike and riding my usual route, which having recently tracked the mileage, I now know is 18.3 miles.  I try to ride it at least 4 times per week, more if possible.  Also working up a real sweat in my Zumba class twice per week, is good for my soul.  

The garden is spilling forth with goods now, broccoli, dill, cucumbers, Swiss Chard, beans, especially beans aplenty, and then some.

One of my favorite broccoli dishes is this raw broccoli salad, which quite honestly I could eat and eat and eat.

Raw broccoli cut up, and I use the thick stems, peeled, as well.  An onion from the garden cut into pieces, a bunch of sun flower seeds, a handful of craisens, crisp, crumbled bacon, mayo, a bit of cider vinegar and a touch of sugar.  Unbelievable good.

This bean salad is a staple of my childhood, and is made about two hours before dinner and left at room temperature.  Blanch beans until desired tenderness and cut up.  Slice onions, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers (which are coming a couple a day), snipped fresh dill, olive oil, wine vinegar, salt/pepper and dried oregano.  Toss and let sit.

This dish, adapted from a favorite risotto recipe is dynamite.  Mild Italian sausage sauteed with onions, when onions soft, add a cup of Marsala wine, reduce heat and cook for about 25 minutes until liquid reduced by about half.  In the mean time cook your risotto (this recipe usually has sliced potatoes in it, and it would still be good, but I left them out for this version).  Many people do not do risotto because they think it is too  time consuming, adding broth a little at a time until absorbed, which can in fact take up to 25 minutes.  But it is really worth it.  While doing the risotto, steam or saute fresh from the garden Swiss chard until cooked to your liking.  When all is done place risotto in a large bowl, cover with the sauteed Swiss Chard, cut the sausages into slices, and put that along with the onions and the Marsala reduction sauce over all.  Oh, this is mighty good!!

An Amish friend has a warehouse where he gets fruit throughout the season, and he has both peaches and blueberries in at this time. 

I bought a lug of each, and here is our first peach pie....

 

It did not last long.

So, thanks to my friend Nora, who said she missed reading my blog, I posted again!!