Keeping At It

From left to right: Min, the empty box, the trash bag, a small bag for DI, the paper recycling bucket. and on the table all that remains.  Half of what remains needs to be shredded.  I came across a packet of pictures that I could toss with no regrets, only recognized three local people but most of the box was filled with paper stuff.

It was a box, 18x18x16, filled with stuff from 2008-2009.  Supporting the theory that you must look through every box before tossing it, I did find a packet of unused checks from my current account.  That's timely as I have been debating whether to order some.  They are so seldom needed and yet when you need a check you need it right then.

Most exciting was something I have been looking for, the paperwork for the Honda scooter! Can't donate it without the title, so hooray for that.

Mixed throughout but mostly at the bottom of the box:

I'm trying not to think about why. There was no empty bag.

I did find a dime at the bottom too.

(You're welcome A&T.)

Minimalism

First, we listened to our man Doug interview The Minimalists, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus about their memoir Everything That Remains.  You can listen to that here.  Then we read the book. Now we have discovered Miss Minimalist too and are waiting on the library reserve lists to read her book as well.

Sherise, her sister, and her mother have jumped in and now I feel like I need to participate as well.  You start with the easy stuff first and so I was like the Energizer Bunny out in the garage on Wednesday morning running back and forth to the garbage and recycling bins waiting at the curb for pick-up. Both were less than a quarter full and that's just foolish.  I did manage to fill both to the top before the trucks came.  (Another time when I wondered if there was anyone surreptitiously filming.)

The prize

I have been trying to clean up the old wood scraps, tossing some into the bottom of the garbage can each week.  I was chided for not finding someone who could use them for fireplace or campfire burning.

Well ha!  MNCarol and her family camp so when I found this box of crafting wood waaaaaay in the back of the garage, I asked her if they could use it and she said yes!

Yay!  Probably 20 pounds of pine pieces all the same length, trimmed ends that came from someone's (not mine) building project.  Notice the "G" for garage on the top of the box?  That wood was moved from Illinois in 1990.  It's certainly dry enough to burn.

It's a start and it would be very nice if I could store the outside furniture in the garage over winter.

July 24th Holiday

Happy...

                                                                                                                              ... Day

Two Very Good Summer Recipes

Of course I can think of many people that might not agree but these two recipes fit the hot weather requirement by not adding any cooking heat to the kitchen.

Marinated Tomatoes with shrimp

Another great Barefeet in the Kitchen recipe found here.  I added some cooked shrimp I needed to use and it was a marvelous dinner.

Marinated Tomatoes  - slightly adapted from Barefeet In The Kitchen who in turn

adapted from The Pioneer Woman

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

10 basil leaves, sliced very thinly

1/8 teaspoon ground thyme

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds bite size tomatoes, halved, I used red and yellow grape tomatoes

Combine everything except the tomatoes and whisk together in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes and toss well. Allow the tomatoes to marinate at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a few hours or if you prefer your tomatoes chilled, place the bowl in the refrigerator for an hour or so before serving. The tomatoes will create their own amazing marinade as they rest.

I liked it best the first two days before I thought it lost some of the vinegar flavor.  I did let mine sit out on the counter on day one to get the marinade part working so perhaps will try refrigerating next time.  Mary also uses this in a pasta salad which sounds very tasty.

Avocado Chickpea Smashup

 When the Two Peas blogger said she could eat this everyday, I was intrigued.  So I tried it, love it and also could eat this every day!

Avocado & Chickpea Smash-Up – adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

 Salad for 3-4 sandwiches

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo) beans
1 large ripe avocado

2 tablespoons chopped green onion

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

¼ teaspoon curry powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh spinach leaves or other sandwich toppings: lettuce, tomato slices, sprouts, etc.

Rinse and drain the chickpeas.  In a medium bowl, using a fork or potato masher smash the chickpeas and avocado together. Add green onion, curry powder, and lime juice. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spread salad on bread and top with your favorite sandwich toppings or use as a dip.

I added fresh spinach leaves and you can see there is a carrot from the farm on the side!

(PS. The cabbage/sauerkraut is bubbling!)

Fermentation

 

We've been getting a lot of cabbage in our CSA bags so I felt I needed to give this a try.  I did a little calculating and I do believe it has been 41 years since I have made sauerkraut.  It was nice to find a recipe (here) that has been downsized!  This is a 2 quart jar and I did not have quite enough cabbage for the recipe but forgot that when I added the salt so this first batch might not be very good.  It only takes 3 to 10 days in a cool room (65 to 75 degrees) and out of direct sunlight.  The cool part might be hard as this is July after all.

QOTD

"Truthfully, though, most organizing 

is nothing more than well planned hoarding."

 From Joshua Fields Millburn in Everything That Remains

I would highly recommend this book.  It's packed with things to think about and one to read more than once.  If it wouldn't have been a library book, I would have marked up a lot of pages.  I need this for my nook so I can highlight his ideas.

Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus are The Minimalists.   They have been on our local NPR station, interviewed by the fabulous Doug Fabrizio and you can listen to it here.

 

Center Street Delight

I think this picture looks like an artist's rendition but it really is a photo I took this afternoon.  The painting of the Pioneer Books building had been started when Amy was here so I thought I would take a drive today, when there is very little traffic, to see how they were coming along.

Wow, wow, wow!!!  I'm not even sure they are finished but isn't it just so much fun and can you hardly keep a grin off your face!?!

And a couple of stores east of Pioneer Books is my favorite Hruska's Kolaches, also a charming little store/bakery.

Too small for inside seating but there are some tables outside

The neon yellow building to the west of Hruska's is a new pawn shop.  It's the second one on this block fps and I have to ask, why Mayor Curtis, why?

One other little Sunday happy was this peeking up over the fence from my neighbor's side.

CORN!!
(Fun to look at but sadly, there won't be enough to share.)