Winter's getting to me.

We are all alone, born alone, die alone, and -- in spite of True Romance magazines -- we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way. I do not say lonely -- at least, not all the time -- but essentially, and finally, alone.

— Hunter S. Thompson (The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967)

Ahhh...summer

So, its summer. The days are long, the electric bill is high, and in spite of running a window unit AC in every single room in the house, I am still so sweaty that I have to eat my lunch in skivies, just to get some relief from the hot hot HOT afternoon blaze. I will surely be complaining just as much this winter, but DAMN I frigging hate the heat.

That said, summer is one of the most wonderful times of the year, too. The time when all of the fragile, needy, worrisome green vines that have overtaken much of the yard on my rented house now take hold and start to bear the fruit they have been promising since they first peeped their little heads out of the soil nearly 7 months ago.

Behold! The front of the house!

And the side!!



I somehow neglected to get a good picture of the back, where the real monsters are. We have not pruned out tomato plants at all, and the ones in the front have grown so tall that they are now cascading back over the top of the half wall onto the porch. It's pretty serious.

Here is one suprising little gem. Its called the Green Zebra. It stays green, even after it has ripened, turning just slightly yellow, with pronounced dark green stripes. It is tangy and delicious, absolutely beautiful in a tomato salad.








One of our first varietiest of large tomatoes to ripen was the crnkovic tomato, an heirloom from Yugoslavia. It tastes just about like a typical slicing tomato, nice and juicy, slightly sweet. Perfect for a sandwich, or salad.



Then, of course we have our "bumper crop of tiny little cherry and currant tomatoes. The little yellow ones are called White Currants and they are the sweetest, most delicious tomatoes that I have ever had. james has been joking that I should add them to a pie...he's not too far off. The larger red are called Tommy Toe. They taste just about like a typical roma or cherry tomato, but I like them because they are much larger than a standard cherry, but still smaller and sweeter than a roma. these will be perfect to "put up" at the end of the season. The smaller red ones are calle Isis Candy, and they certainly are sweet and delicious. The brown ones are called chocolate cherry tomatoes...these were our big find last year. they are so sweet and rich, with only a little acidity. They are absolutely delicious. It is nearly impossible to pick which ones that I like the best, they are all so good in their own way.

And beyond being delicious on their own, they are absolutely breathtaking when paired with some fresh orange segments and herbs.

And, of course we have more in our garden than just tomatoes! but, really the tomatoes have stoled the show. I have a watermelon vine that looks as if it will be producing one single fruit for me. And to make matters worse, I have no idea how to tell when it is ripe. It think it has stopped growing, but it's impossible to tell. And what if it's about to hit a growth spirt?? No way to know.

We have also had a lot of luck with the greens this year. We have Rainbow Chard and some kind of purple Kale. Both have been delicious. James makes the awesome potato and kale soup with sausage and when he made it with our kale, it was the best soup I have ever had. He has been instructed to make it again this week.

And finally, we have our peppers! We have these lovely jalapenos, some serranos that have turned out to be quite nice, and some habaneros that have just now started to fruit. I'm hoping that somewhere along the line, those tomatoes and those peppers might meet up with an avacado in a bowl next to some tortilla chips. YUM!

So, yeah, we have an awesome garden, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping! I love summer!

I GOT THE JOB!!

I GOT THE JOB! I GOT THE JOOO-OOB! Ok, if you are reading this, then you know by now that I received a job offer yesterday. I have been looking for a change for quite a while, and I am happy to say that I may well have found the perfect job...it is at least a step up, on every level.

Here is the original job description:

Coordinates functions involved with the administration of the IUB Human Subjects Committee (HSC) daily activities and all operational procedures involved with processing research using human subjects on the IUB campus. Ensures that the integrity of research protocol review conforms to federal audit policies and regulations covered by the IU Assurance Office with the federal Office for Human Research Protection. Manages ongoing success of all research at IUB. Advises regional campus compliance coordinators. Participates in educational activities for IUB researchers and departments. Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree and two years of progressive responsibility and experience with human subjects regulations required. A combination of related education and experience may be considered. Must have high level of proficiency in computer-based and electronic office technology and excellent organizational skills with the ability to work independently and accurately and manage multiple priorities. The ability to work well with a wide range of people in a high-traffic area essential. Five years experience preferred. Note: Include a reference section in your resume with contact information for three professional references.

And as if THAT is not enough, get a load of the title: Assistant Director of Reasearch Compliance-Human Subjects

WHOA! That is actually what drew me to the position in the first place. When I originally read the description, I had no idea what the position actuall was, but I loved the title and the fact that it is a professional level position at IU. On a whim, I wrote up a quick cover letter and adjusted my resume a little bit and submitted it without a second though. A few weeks later, I got a phone call inviting me for a telephone interview! Woo-hoo. This led to an interview with three Human Subjects Services Directors and ultimately to my job offer.

I have to tell you, I spent more time preparing for this interview than I ever have for any interview that I have ever had. I learned all about the company, spent hours carefully crafting the perfect answers to anticipated interview questions, and trying to come up with a "theme" that I would try to stick to if I got caught off guard. It totally worked.

So, let me now tell you what I know about the job. Despite the fancy title, this position does not have quite as much cloute as one might expect with a title like "Assitant Director." There are two other people in the same position, and they call us "screeners." The primary responsibility is to review applications for research involving the use of human subjects. This involvement could include surveys, simple behavioral observation, medical tests and other clinical trials...anything that involves gathering any kind of information and using it for research with the intention to publish.

I will be responsible for reviewing these applications for completeness and to make sure that all studies comply with human subjects research laws and regulations.

I guess that's really all I know about the work. Lots of reading and writing, which is what I am looking forward to most. My office will be in the Carmichael Center in downtown Bloomington...very close to a lot fo great restaurants...so maybe not so good for my diet. BUT I can walk or bike to work in the same amount of time that it currently takes to drive, so hopefully the added opportunity for exercise will offset the added temptation to run to dunkin donuts for an iced latte.

And most important of all, the salary. It is classified as a professional position throguh IU, so you get excellent benefits...more PTO, better retirement contributions, and more money! I'm not going to be so gouche as to reveal the exact salary, but I will say that I will be getting a 28% raise in addition to an increase in benefits. Not too shabby!!

Summer

The first day of summer is officially June 21st, but to me, summer began right after I tasted my first fresh raspberry of the season.


I bought a half pint yesterday and I finished them in less than 12 hours. They are on sale at Bloomingfoods this week! What's next?? Raspberry pie? White chocolate raspberry cheesecake? Raspberry tart with mascarpone custard?? Probably none of the above because we are on spending lock-down, but I will be indulging in a few more containers before the summer's over, that's for sure.

It's ALIVE!!!!!

No, that's no zombie. That's my lovely, dirty hands showing off all of the hard work they have just done-mixing together potting soil, potting mix, bat poop, worm poop, and mushroom compost-to create the perfect environment for this year's garden. James and I started our container garden from seeds this year and it has been an educational and sometimes tenuous process. We had some initial frustration with the dampening off of several of our first little seedlings, disagreement over the use of hydrogen peroxide, and the struggle to get up early enough to bottom-water two flats every morning, but now, as we see our little guys thriving, we know that our hard work is about to pay off big time.

A couple of weeks ago, we potted some of our heartier plants and herbs that looked like they really needed to get outside. As you can see, our front porch is lines with small pots and filled with gardening paraphernalia of all sorts. Had I turned around and taken a picture of our neighbor's side of the porch, you would see a neat little sitting area with a couple of nice chairs and a table...hmm...it is a symbiotic relationship.
As you can probably tell from the broader photo above, one plant has really taken off. Our Parisian Pickling cucumbers are growing fast and making little cucumbers faster than I can count them. We have three more little seedlings that are just about ready to be planted...the only problem is where to put them! I planted two separate vines in this pot and they seem to be thriving together, but it could be a little cumbersome to have to build two more trellises just for these guys. I am toying with the idea of putting most of the rest of our climbing plants in a raised flower bed on the side of the house and just building one very large trellis for all of them, but it's still up in the air. That area gets a lot of late day sun, so it might not be the best environment for tender little cukes.
We actually got three kinds of cucumbers this year...the afore mentioned Parisians, dome standard K-mart pickling cucumbers, and another interesting variety called the Mexican Sour Gherkin. Allegedly, these cucumbers have a lightly acidic sourish flavor that makes them taste as if they have already been pickled. We have about three more of these in the works, too.

Another plant that I am particularly interested in is my Blacktail Mountain Watermelon. I really wanted to try to grow a watermelon this year, but my decision is meeting up with mixed reviews. Some people say that it is easy to grow watermelons in a pot, some say that it is nearly impossible...or at least impossible to grow one that produces an edible melon. And everyone agrees: It is impossible to tell for sure when they are pie. I guess we'll see about that. I am a little nervous about how big these guys will get. Now that it's getting hotter, this one has more than doubled in size in about a week. This picture doesn't really show of his full majesty..he is starting to grow tendrils and looking for things to climb and even sprouting some little flower buds. He need a bigger pot ASAP. The watermelons are the primary reason for considering the huge trellis...I am so excited about them that I want to make sure that they have every opportunity to be delicious. I want to make watermelon iced cream and pickled rinds...not to eat at the same time, of course! That's just one of my dreams for these guys.

I also decided to buy a couple of little strawberry plants this year. I have a ground cherry plant, too, but it's still inside and didn't feel like having it's picture taken today. The strawberry pants are small and I don't know much about how big they will get or how much fruit they will produce, but it makes me happy to have them there. I planted them in a little decorative area out in the parking lot. I had to dig up all of the dirt and fill it in with nice potting soil, but I think it looks nice there. It will also be easier to keep out the weeds because it's in an isolated location and I also like it because it looks like something was meant to be planted there...and my little strawberry plants fit the bill! I had considered buying another set of three so that I could be sure to have enough to bake a pie this summer, but changed my mind when I realized how many plants we already have that need attention. Maybe a strawberry and ground cherry pie..that sounds delicious....

Of course, the pride and joy of this year's garden is going to be our tomato plants. We have 8 varieties of heirloom tomatoes from the Seed Saver's Exchange online catalogue and some from a local grower and we have been completely pleased with them. Once we got the seed starting process down, the seeds have shot up and have been hearty and healthy even in their current cramped quarters in the windowsill. Over the weekend, James and I build this simple raised bed that is going to be perfect for our our little guys and we put one of each variety in the box. We now have about 30 more individual tomato plants looking for homes...hmmm....I hope to plant at least 2 more of each variety, but we are just not sure about the spacing issues...I mean, 24 tomato plants are gonna take up some space. Last year we had 5! In reality, we may have to settle for one more of each with maybe 2 more of the ones we are especially interested in. But, man...i cannot wait to have those delicious tomatoes straight from our garden. We were not wanting for any tomatoes last year, but we did have to scrounge them up on occasion and not eat any to make sure that we had enough for salads and this year, I want to be able to eat them without a second thought. I. Can't. Wait.

Finally, we have our biggest experiment so far this year...potatoes. Holy crap. Purple Peruvian Potatoes and some variety of red, I think. We are growing them in trash cans, and allegedly they can also be grown inside old tires...or planted in rows in a garden, of course. They are really growing fast, too. They say that you put dirt over them every couple of weeks and once the plants start to flower, you could begin to harvest them, then once the flowers fall off, you can harvest all of them. A lady we met at our seed starting class said that she bought one vine at the farmer's market last year and it produced nearly 40 lbs of potatoes. Woot! I'm really excited to see how these guys turn out. I have a feeling that we are going to end up with a lot more potatoes than we can possibly eat, but I bet that my family will be happy to have our left overs.

Yes, our little above-ground garden is thriving and each warm day makes me even more excited to indulge in the sumptuous bounty that awaits us. I almost can't believe that a couple of short months ago all we had were a bunch of envelopes full of seeds and now, we are bursting at the seams with more plants than we know what to do with. We have put a lot of work into our garden this year and it is going to be really great once we finally get to enjoy the fruits of our labor...so to speak.

A Wild Hair Revisited

I did it! I did it! I finally went for it and got myself a whole new style. I went in with my booklet of Asian girl hair-dos and I told the stylist that my husband likes the rocker-mullet look, but I was afraid to end up looking like some kind of NASCAR mom, and I ended up with a great haircut that I can actually pull off. I really wanted something a little edgy, but not too edgy...something kinda rocker, but not too rocker...after all, I don't wear make-up and I don't wear awesome clothes, so I really need something that makes a statement, but doesn't scream "hard-core." Before I reveal the final product, I will include a few icons to which my hair may be a reflection...Ms. Jett over to our right has a nice look.

When I got home, one of the first things I said was, "I love it! I look like Heart!" And I do think that is still one of the best celebrity comparisons I've made for my hair so far. I have been wearing my bangs straight down, but my hair really does look a lot like the blonder lady in that photo.

As for The Runaways, I totally could have been in that band, rocking my shaggy mullet out with the rest of those troubled teens. And of course, what crazy rocker mullet photo journal would be complete without the kind of the underworld: David Bowie from Labyrinth!

I might not mind having a hair-do like that, actually. It has a nice shape to it. I'm sure that it would be very flattering.

So, what I like best about this new do is that it completely changed the way that I look and how I feel about my appearance. My hair has a good shape (no more triangle-head), the bangs frame my face really nicely, and it makes me look and feel more confident. I have been trying a little harder to put together outfits and I have even started wearing a little eyeliner and mascara. Not that make-up is so essential, but it's just a general feeling of wanting to get noticed, I suppose, instead of wishing I was invisible. It's a nice change, all the way around. And now for the big reveal!





Blogger won't let me put my pics in a row.
Oh well!

A wild hair

So, getting a haircut is always a pretty big deal for me. I schedule my appointment a couple of weeks in advance and spend hours scouring the internet for pictures of hairstyles that I might want to try. Short hair cuts, long ones, bobs, shags, long layered cuts, short spiky cuts...anything that I feel could suit me. I've had hair of every length, from shaved bare down to my rear, so nothing is completely out of the question.
Let me take a moment to say that my current hair cut is fine. It suits me, it suits my lifestyle, and it looks just as good when I get it done as it does 6 to 8 months later when I finally get around to getting it done again. It starts out a little shorter than shoulder length...sort of a layered bob that is a little longer in front than in the back. Long enough to put in a pony tail, short and layered enough to air dry by about 10am. Oh yeah, and boring. And in pictures, my head looks like a triangle. It's fine. I look fine. But my hair used to have some personality, that in my maturing years is just completely absent.
Hence the new-do fantasy. And so far, it is little more than a fantasy. I spend all of this time weighing my options and carefully developing a master plan, and what do I do when I get into the stylist's chair? Chicken out, that's what. I tell her to do it just like the last time, but maybe with a little more layering, or a little longer or just a little shorter, but basically the same. I am tired of having a head like a triangle!! It is time for a change!!
I am confident about this next hair cut actually resulting in a somewhat different style. I found some good pics right away and was able to choose some possible looks quickly. I am definitely getting bangs this time, that's for sure. Even if I walk away with basically the same haircut, I will also walk away with bangs. No exception!!
Next you will find some great pics of my likely possibilities along with an explanation of what I like about them and what concerns me about them.
Here is a cute medium-short style that I really like. James keeps talking about how he likes the rocker mullet hair style, but here is the problem-I have the build and temperament of a religious zealot. I can't wear denim skirts because I look like a pentecostal, even with my shorter hair. So, anything that could go either hip and kitschy or white trash, usually ends up looking a little more white trash. I just don't have the confidence or personal presence to pull off that kinda thing. Enter the next two haircuts! They are a good compromise between what I imagine James is talking about an an appropriate hairstyle for someone like me. I might end up looking a little country or a little 70's, but it shouldn't look white-trashy. Here is a front and side view of the first hair-cut on my list. I like the thicker bangs and all the layers. I have very thick hair and I think that this style would really lighten it up a lot and give it some movement. I also feel like this cut is a good shape for my face. There is some nice layering from the ears all the way down to the shoulders and it kind of gives the illusion of having a short haircut, even though it is actually shoulder-length. What concerns me about this cut is the size of my own head. I have a big head, and I might be concerned that all of the layering around the face might make my head look even bigger.

Which is why I have this next cut on the list. It also embodies some of the rocker-mullet idea...more, even, at least in the back. And it is lovely and feminine from the front. I also like the bangs for this one a lot. Big, thick bangs that angle back into the hair, framing the eyes...lovely. I also like this one because the model's hair seems to be a little more like mine. It is thicker and wavier and the style seems like it might work better for my hair type and for my head, since the layering is a little more concentrated in the back and in the sides below the chin. I am having a really hard time deciding which of these two cuts I like the best. I will probably end up seeking the advice of the stylist to see what she thinks would work best with my hair type.
Of course, it is not lost on me that these two models are Asian. I found an awesome hair-style website and it just happens to be an Asian site, so I realize that there is a likelihood that these haircuts won't suite me at all because they are for Asian hair. But I don't think so. I can't remember seeing a white person with either of these do's but that doesn't mean it is impossible! I think it is totally doable.
But, just in case it isn't doable, I have a back up plan, featuring white models. This is Traylor Howard (AKA Natalie Treeger from Monk) and she has a great hair-do. I like the bangs, I like the shape, and I like the layering. My hair is a lot thicker than hers, but I think I could pull off something similar. I will admit that this particular hair cut is fairly similar to the style I have now, it really has a lot more to it...and definitely is NOT triangular. I know I already said that I like the bangs, but they seriously are just the kind of side-swept bangs that I have been thinking about getting.
And finally, we have old Mandy Moore. I almost always seem to pick one of her hair cuts as a viable style option. I am totally not saying that I look anything like Mandy Moore, but we do have a similar look about us...blondish, thick hair, baby-face qualities that make me think her do's would also suit me. In this picture, her hair really looks a lot like mine. Not like my current cut, but the hair is behaving the way mine does-straight around the top of the head, and curling out at the ends. This one is most similar to my current cut, I know it would look just fine, and for these reasons, it is my safety net. If I get in there and get a bad reaction to the others, I will still feel good about leaving with a hair cut like this.

Workin for the Weekend

HALLELUJAH!! It's almost the weekend I cannot friggin wait. I had two days off this week, so I got most of my business taken care of and I am ready to relax and have some fun. I should only have to do AT MOST 2 loads of laundry this week, which is amazing. So what am I going to do with all of this free time?? You know I hate not having a plan, so here is a list of things I hope to do this fin de semana.

Saturday-

• Go thrift store shopping-all of my t-shirts are too big. I have bought a couple in recent weeks that do fit, but they are too nice to wear to places like the dog park, or for a sweaty afternoon walk. I need some medium-quality t-shirts to fart around in and that is this weekends thrift store objective. And as always, maybe a pair of jeans.
• Go to the sweat pit-I have been doing a good job of making sure that I get some exercise in 6 days a week, but I have been a little lax about going to the gym all 6 of those days. The sunny weather of late has been inspiring me to walk with the dogs instead. I have a path that's about 4.5 miles and that is about all that the dogs can take. I need to go to the actual sweat pit Saturday, though, cuz I need to pump some iron. My goal is to be able to do a chin-up by the time I turn 30.

Sunday

• Take my 4.5 mile walk with the dogs-this is also good for the dogs because they get some great exercise and they get a chance to interact with strangers. Nana and Rupert are a little anti-social, so having an opportunity to just be around lots of people without the pressure of having to be petted is good.
• Plant the Kale-we have two kinds of Kale that we really need to get in the ground. I hope to do that Sunday
• Bake some banana muffins-I have been letting these two bananas ripen for about two weeks. They are ready to go! Past ready to go, maybe. I must make the banana bread muffins this weekend.

OK, so I thought I had some big plans for the weekend, looks like it's actually pretty low-key. Either way, I am looking forward to yet another 2 days away from the office!

A bad lunch

So, it's Friday, I have almost two hours left, and nothing really blog about. The highlight-slash-lowlight of my day so far was my trip to Bloomingfoods for a celebratory end of the week lunch.

The hot bar didn't look too promising, though they did have one of my favorites: Tom's Turkey Meatballs. They also had some roasted root vegetables, but they looked like they had been made "sweet style," which is not to my liking. I gave a brief thought to a small salad topped with a giant meatball, but headed, instead, to the cold deli sandwiches.

I was really hoping to find a "Don't Mess with Texas." I can't remember what was on it, but it is some kind of turkey club wrap with bacon and avocado and some kind of spicy relish or salsa or something. No suck luck. They DID, however, have an Asian Pork wrap, and they sold them by the 1/2. Done. It was smallish and mostly veg, so I got a little vegan sushi to go along with it. And of course a delicious fresh brewed iced tea.

It was, unfortunately, a bit of a disappointment. The pork on the sandwich was really greasy, which was a terrible mix for the very tart oil and vinegar dressing that was on the wrap. It tasted almost like straight rice wine vinegar, but I new it also had some oil in it because I could feel it on my hands. I feel like sesame oil would have been a much better choice.

As for the sushi, it was fine. I got the most boring of all possible selections, because it was the cheapest. A dozen little seaweed wrapped nuggets of brown rice with cucumber, carrots or avocado in the center, served with the typical wasabi and pickled ginger. It's my favorite to buy from the grocery...kind of like Hoosier-Asian comfort food to me. The only bad part about it was when I squirted soy sauce on my passenger seat. Hopefully James's butt will soak it up when I pick him up from work tonight. :)

An apple a day...or two

I love fruit. Crisp, sweet, juicy, delicious fresh fruit is one of the highlights of the summer season, and my local co-op grocery store, Bloomingfoods, is never short on interesting varieties of fresh organic fruit. Summer is the time when each new day promises an exciting and succulent taste to be discovered with my morning piece of fruit. Ripe, juicy peaches; fragrant, exotic plums; oranges ranging in color from almost yellow to a deep crimson; and so many more all just waiting to be plucked from the stack and enjoyed. And the pies, My God, the pies. Ahh. It is a magical time.

So what about fall and winter? Sure, Bloomingfoods still has a pretty good selection of fruit even in the cold winter months, but it's just not the same. So what is a fruit loving girl like me to do? Enjoy the bountiful harvest of local apples, that's what! This year, I have become a bit of a connoisseur of local apples and here I will highlight a few of my favorites.

Most Surprising Apple: Gold Rush

This apple looks like a rusty Golden Delicious. I don't care for Golden Delicious apples(or Red Delicious, either). I find them to be a bit soft and mealy for my taste, not to mention bland. The Gold Rush Apple, however, is no Golden Delicious. The skin is not shiny like most grocery store apples and it actually has the feel of a Bartlet pear. It is just slightly rough to the touch in spots, but smooth in others. Quite interesting. Once you bite into it it, you will never go back to the bland, mealy commonplace of the Golden Delicious ever again. This sweet apple has a smooth, bright, and full flavor. To me, the aftertaste is almost like honey with a hint of butter. The flesh is firm and dense, but crisp. It is a perfect apple to eat plain (for breakfast, of course) and it also goes well in a three-apple pie. It is by far my favorite non-red apple.

Best Pie Apple: Pink Lady
Apparently, the Pink Lady Apple is trendy this year. Whatever. I have been enjoying the pink lady apple for years now. It is tart, sweet, crisp, and beautiful to look at. And this year, I discovered that it is the PERFECT apple for a single variety apple pie. When a good cook goes to make an apple pie, he or she usually chooses three kinds of apples. One for tartness and acidity, one for sweetness and texture and then something in the middle to balance the two. For a three apple pie, I like Granny Smith, Gold Rush, and Turley Winesap. But why bother?? The Pink Lady apple is perfect all by itself! The only problem with them is that they are usually small, so you often have to peel one or two extra, but it is worth it. The pie I made this year was amazing. James said it was the best apple pie that he had ever tasted and that I should be careful about making it for a party because once people tried it, I would never be allowed to make anything else other than apple pie. For that particular pie, I pureed about 1/4 of the apples, added 1 tbs of Slivovitz, and used half cornstarch and half flour for the thickening agent. Next time I plan to use Applejack instead of the Slivovitz, but that's just an excuse to try a new liquor. I hear it was a favorite of George Washington!

Best Apple for Out of Hand Eating: Melrose
All of this apple-eating is getting out of hand! Thank you, Alton Brown, for providing me with the correct term for eating a piece of fruit in it's unadorned and unaltered, natural state. The Melrose apple is a beautiful specimen and the perfect apple to eat just as it is. When I picture an apple in my mind, this is the one. The appealing red and green-to-yellow skin makes it an approachable every-apple and the taste does not disappoint. It is crisp and light, with just a hint of tartness to compliment it's sweet juicy flesh. It's a very juicy variety of apple and I always make sure I have a napkin handy when I am about to enjoy one of these bad boys. It has characteristics reminiscent of so many other apple varieties, but it also has a nice slightly floral aftertaste that is very unique. Another bonus is that they are usually pretty big, so I can have one for my mid-morning breakfast or afternoon snack and it will usually hold me over to lunch or dinner.

So there they are! The top 3 apple varieties of fall/winter 2008. I have already begun to see the first sneak peeks of what is to come this summer, and the apples are just now starting to get the taste of a fruit that's not in season, but for now, for at least the next few weeks, I will relish these delicious local gems.

Life is just a bowl of cherry tomatoes...

Spring is right around the corner, and so begins a great time of year...garden preparation season! Last year, James and I has a very successful container garden, largely purchased through spur of the moment discoveries of seedlings at the Bloomington Farmer's Market. This year, we have spent several weeks planning out what we will have next year, purchasing seeds from a catalogue, and deciding which places inside and outside of our apartment will be the best places too start some seeds and grow some plants. We have chosen several varieties of tomatoes, some chard, watermelon, and peppers and we hope to find some seedlings for raspberries, mint and a few others at the market. The seeds I am most looking forward to are the ground cherries, which turned out to be a variety of husk tomato that reportedly tastes like a cross between a strawberry and pineapple, with the consistency of a tomato. I cannot WAIT to use them to make a delicious pie.

I will take this opportunity to stroll down memory lane and reminisce about last years bountiful harvest with some long-stored pictures of our beautiful above ground garden.
By far, our most successful crop of the season were the tomatoes. We had five varieties as I recall...100 cherry tomatoes, juliettes, and two typical slicing size tomato plants, but the crown jewel of our collection were the black chocolate cherry tomatoes.
They took forever to mature and ripen, but they were so delicious when they finally did. They were sweet and rich with very light acidity and had a great rusty-brown color that looked like a milk chocolate covered cherry-hence the name, of course. This particular plant has a harrowing back story. When we realized that we would need to re-pot it into a bigger vessel, the stalk broke, nearly right in half above the root. I was sure that the little guy was a goner, but we set it back up, put a splint on it and plants it as deep into the new put as possible. After about four excruciating days of waiting and googling, the leathery green leaves finally began to perk up and after about a week and a half, he was as good as new. This particular plant was also the longest-lived of all of our tomatoes, producing a few delicious little fruits even after the first frost.
All of our plants last year produced some fruit, but none of them were nearly as healthy, productive, and easily cared for as our tomatoes. That is why we have chosen to focus on tomatoes this year, and purchase most of our other fresh seasonal produce from the farmer's market.
The eggplant plant was probably our second best vegetable. It only made three eggplants, but they were each beautiful and delicious. It was hard to tell when the eggplants were ripe for picking, so we ended up leaving them on for a long time. If we had picked them right away, I think we would have gotten more fruits.
One slight disappointment was our squash plant. We got one green and one yellow crook neck. Each was slow to produce any fruit and each only produced a couple. The green zucchini plant was especially poor. The fruits were lovely and delicious, but I would have liked more. I think they may have just needed more room to grow and spread. We did indulge in some squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese. These little delicacies were almost good enough to be worth the effort to grow the whole entire plant, but not quite.

We had a great year for basil, too. We had two basil plants, one of which I grew from a seed, the other purchased as a seedling. I love fresh basil and James and I enjoyed two nice batches of fresh pesto in addition to having the fresh leaves on hand for pizza, pasta, and anything else we wanted to add it to. A summer garden without fresh basil is a disgrace! It is so delicious and so easy to grow, there really is no reason not to have some all year long. You just have to be sure to prune the flowers when they start to sprout so that your plant doesn't go to seed. Keep it pruned, and it will grow into a hearty bush by the end of the summer!

We also came across some beautiful purple Thai basil at the ol' farmers market. We are suckers for fresh herbs. It was lovely and grew very well, even after having been blown off the porch during a storm. The only trouble with something that unique is that it is hard to find an opportunity to use it all. We made a few Asian dishes, like lettuce wraps, to pair it with, but we always seemed to forget to bring some along whenever we went to have Pho. It would have been perfect shredded into a steaming hot bowl of delicious Vietnamese beef soup. Maybe this year we will try it, if we find some more of that basil!
And finally, we have our little jalapeno pepper plant. The poor thing had a sorry showing all through the blazing hot peak of summer. It stayed green and seemed to have perpetually budding and dying blossoms and only produced a few small peppers from time to time. We had actually given up on it, but we continued to water it and care anyway. Then, finally in late august after we moved, the thing completely came to life. Each little branch lit up with blossoms and by the time fall arrived, we had more jalapenos than we knew what to deal with. It was an especially welcome harvest in light of the big pepper contamination issue that occurred late last summer. We were the only place in town with fresh jalapenos for a couple of weeks! Luckily, no one ever found out and we were able to keep out peppers all for ourselves.

It was a fun an exciting summer. I really loved tending the plants and enjoying their tasty bounty. I'm not sure if it is the small scale production of a home garden or what, but vegetables from your own garden (or someone else's garden for that matter) are just some much more flavorful, sweet, and delicious. With any luck, we'll start our seeds this weekend and have our seedlings out basking in the sun next month. I can't wait!

Why I Love Customer Service

Customer: I want to make a deposit to my Campus Access.

Me: Ok, will this be cash or check?

Customer: Credit Card.

Me: No, we only take cash and checks here.

Customer: Why can't I use my debit card? It comes from my checking account.

Me: Its the format. We only accept Campus Access deposits made with a check or cash here at the desk. If you want to use a credit or debit card, you will need to go on our website.

Customer: Whatever. I'll just write a check. Do I make it out to IU?

Me: Please make the check out to Indiana University.

Customer: Can't I just put IU?

Me: They prefer to have it made out to Indiana University...with the full name.

Customer: I'm just putting IU.

Out with the Old, In with the New!

A lot of people whose blogs I read have been posting about things they enjoyed and will miss from 2008 and things they will be looking forward to in 2009. Since my New Year's resolution is to speak and think about myself and my life in a more positive way, I'm going to make my own list.

Thinks I liked about 2008:

1.) Finally fitting into a sz 16 pants. This is not my final goal, of course, but it really made me realize how well I've been doing with my exercise routine and watching what I eat. I've been really hard on myself for not losing weight fast enough, but finally making it to a size that I consider to be "normal" makes me feel a lot better about how I look.

2.) Our weekend trip to Louisville. In October of 2008, James and I took the dogs with us to Louisville on vacation for the weekend and it was sooooo much fun. The dogs had a great time, we had a great time and it wasn't very expensive at all.

3.) Moving to our new apartment. I know, who likes moving?? I didn't like the moving part, but I LOVE our new place. It's an apartment in an old house that's divided up into 3 apartments, but one of them is vacant and we have the whole top floor. The girl who lives downstairs is really nice, loves animals, and is hardly ever home. A perfect combination! Our new neighborhood is really pleasant, it's a lot quieter than I expected, and the place just feels better. It has really high ceilings and a nice lay-out with a huge kitchen.

4.) Pies! Half way through the year, I finally discovered something I can cook. Pies! I made a bunch of really delicious and adventurous pies this year and I can't wait to make some new ones for the 2009 holiday season!

Things I am looking forward to in 2009:

1.) Going to some of my husband's office parties. I have long refused to set foot in his office because I didn't want his co-workers knowing how big I was. I had a goal to be under a certain weight before I could intentionally meet any of his co-workers and I have now reached that goal. I went to his office to watch the inauguration, and it was really fun. People there are very nice. I always make desserts for his office parties, so I am looking forward to soaking up all the compliments that I will hopefully get for the next round. :)

2.) Reaching a reasonable weight loss goal. I seriously am "big-boned" and I will always be soft. I have come to terms with this fact. I really want to be able to comfortably wear a sz 14 pants. I think I would only need to lose about 20-30 more lbs to do that, so I feel like that is a reasonable goal. I would really like to be able to fit into my wedding dress by our anniversary.

3.) A vacation? I really want to take another dog vacation. My cousin is having his bar mitzvah in April and we may go to that. It is in Albuquerque, where they have like 10 free dog parks. If we don't go there, I would really like to go back to Louisville, maybe for one extra day.

4.) Canning! After Christmas, I bought a water-bath canner and made my first preserved marmalade. I am really looking forward to canning some more fruits and veggies this summer. I would love to make some sour kraut and pickles. I was also thinking that it would be great to can some peaches for pies in the winter. I'm really excited to see what kinds of delicious goodies the summer holds!

Well, that's my list. I hope 2009 is as much fun as 2008 was.

Why Do New Years and My Birthday Have to Happen SO Close to Each Other?

The coming of the new year is a time to look back on the excitement and accomplishments of the past year and reflect upon what you'd like to see and do in the future. Unfortunately, so is one's birthday. And my birthday just happens to be January 6th, a whole friggin 5 days after New Years Day. So, every year, I spend about 4 days or so thinking about how little I have accomplished in the past year, only to spend the next several days thinking about how much less time I have left to do the things I wanted now that I am another year older.

So, what did I accomplish this year? I can think of two things. I finally got the sweet, devoted little dress-me-up pup that I always wanted, which has been wonderful. And I lost some weight...kind of a lot, actually, but it is a serious mixed bag. I am WAY more self conscious when I am trying to lose weight. None of my clothes fit and I can't really afford to buy new ones. AND it's depressing and discouraging that a year and a half ago I set my goal (which was to be completed in a year) and still have 30-40 lbs to go. And that's it. I got a dog and I lost some weight. I didn't really try to do anything else, so I guess I can't really complain (oh, I can always complain...).

But then we get to the issue of my birthday...

I have never been one of those "Oh, no, it's my birthday, I'm getting so old" kind of people and I never thought that I would be. I have always thought that was stupid. I don't wear make-up, I don't try to look younger, and I am proud of my grey hair...though I did change my part to hide it. I am turning 29 this year and for some reason, I really feel extremely depressed about it. A couple of months ago, I was having lunch with my sister and dad and Jenna popped off with this little gem: "You're almost 30, and what have you done with your life?"

I can't remember why she said it. We weren't arguing, I can't imagine what would make her say that...and she tried to pass it off as a joke or something after she said it....but her reasons aren't really the point here....the point is: I am almost 30...and what HAVE I done with my life? Ever since then, it has been like a stream of secret you're-getting-old messages from every corner of my perception. Like you get a new pair of shoes and suddenly every other person on the street is wearing the same ones...Last night we were watching Mad Men and one of the characters was talking about the attractiveness of younger woman and said something like "What happens to them when they turn 30? It's like, someone turns off a light or something."

Ugh. Now I am one of those people. What does happen to us when we turn 30? I guess I'll find out next year.