Baked Apple Blondies

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I’m allergic to apples in the good way. Years ago someone explained to me that certain foods change their chemical composition with cooking. Something you may be allergic to raw, you may not be allergic to cooked. I don’t know if it’s true but it does seem to apply to me for apples and carrots. I can’t drink carrot juice without my throat getting itchy (I love carrot juice) but I can eat cooked carrots. I have the same problem with apples. But apples are amazing cooked so I miss out on nothing.

This winter has been a baked apple winter. A little butter, some brown sugar, raisins, 30 minutes and mmmm. When I happened upon a recipe for blondies in the Fearless Baker, I knew they need a healthy does of apples.

Adapted from the Fearless Baker

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 c unbleached all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 or 3 medium apples cored and cut into 1/2″ thick slices

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

  1. Preheat the oven the 350°F
  2. Grease 9″ square baking pan.
  3. Place sliced apples into pan in even layers. (I leave the peels on because I like things “rustic”, but you can peel them if it’s more your style).
  4. Beat butter and brown sugar together. When well blended add the egg and mix. Mix in the vanilla extract. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Stir until well mixed. Stir in the raisins.
  5. Dollop the batter over the apples. Don’t worry about gaps the batter will fill in as it bakes. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  6. Let cool to room temperature.

Black Gold – Step 2, Part 1

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Composting is the possibly the most logical activity in the world. You take the remnants of your food, the cores, the stems, the mealy parts and with a little time and effort, you use it to grow something else to eat. It is the perfect example of the cradle-to-cradle methodology I spoke of in this post Whole life permaculture- the dorky version and it’s free.

Starting a compost heap is super easy. What you need:

a spot of ground

vegetable waste

water

leaves, paper etc

shovel

That’s it. There are hundreds of speciality compost bins that spin, sift and make a pina colda. You don’t need that. You just need an area of dirt. I have two compost heaps currently one in an old pet play pen. It is wire and open on the top and bottom. The other is in a plastic trash can I drilled drainage holes in the bottom.

There are two types of composting: hot and cold. I believe in cold composting because I am not as attentive as I like to think. Cold composting is very passive. You do less work, but you get less output (funny how that works). Hot composting is more labor intensive, but you can compost more things faster. In hot composting you want to maintain your piles temperature between 120-150ºF. The higher temperature allows you to include things like weeds whose seeds will die in the heat. We are going to talk about cold composting more next week.

Have an amazing weekend.

Marley

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I like to spend the holidays at home, my home. Which means alone. I decorate the house, make scrumptious dishes and even wear Christmasmy aprons.  I embrace what I can do alone. I can make every dish with onions (I love onions). I can watch Christmas horror movies (generally pretty bad, but that makes it more fun). I can take a hike before I open my presents.

A few years ago, my sister gave me a set of sheets I’d been mooning over.  Rather than put them on my bed I put them in a basket at the end of my bed. Then I added some bubble bath, tea, and chocolate.  Every night when I went to bed I saw my basket filled with things I loved. Christmas morning I made the bed, took a bath and ate to my heart’s content. The day felt luxurious.

Last year I decided to move and began filling a suitcase with wonderful things that would make my first week in my new home a lovely adventure. I didn’t move. Months after I wrapped them, I unwrapped beautiful stationary, books, incense and even some clothes bought for me by friends. Now I am planning on moving again and have started another celebration suitcase.

To make a celebration suitcase:

  1. Repurpose a suitcase or basket. Make sure to use one you find attractive, this is about celebrating you.
  2. Gather up your beautiful wrapping paper, ribbons, tags and tape.
  3. Gather your gifts. For this suitcase I looked for things I already owned. Some amazing soap and body products I got for Christmas, beautiful books I bought but hadn’t read and a t-shirt that says Kiss me.
  4. Wrap everything as if you were giving it to someone you love, hopefully you are.
  5. Put it away.
  6. Open it at a specified time. I will open mine in almost a year or save it until you need a special boost. The key is to include things you love, need (in a feel good sense) and to hold onto them for a while at least a month.

This year, I may ask my friends for a little token for my celebration suitcase. A mix cd, a photo of us etc. So when I arrive at my new house, I will instantly feel at home.

Rosemary and rocks – Step One

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The first step of your own AFYM is to list your assets. My totally free assets are:

  1. rocks – hundreds of them
  2. rosemary – easy to propagate and grows well in Tucson (also my favorite herb)
  3. bricks – various sizes
  4. compost – we’ll talk more about this later
  5. flagstone
  6. volunteer plants and trees
  7. A big, flat wooden bench

I’ve considered both the rocks and the volunteer plants as pains in the *** in the past. But I have a lot of them and they are free so they are going on the list. I probably don’t want to grow any more rosemary, but I could easily start rosemary plants for others and trade for what they have. The flagstone and the bricks were both given the me by friends. I just gave a dozen pots to a friend.I believe in AFYM karma.

If you make an asset inventory, let me know. I want to see how you make the best use of what you’ve got. Have a great weekend.

Marley

Of prayer flags and plans

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In a flurry of Sunday night mania, I made a set of prayer flags. I considered the viablity of becoming a professional prayer flag maker they were so much fun. Despite the embroidered heart on the first one, I didn’t have anything in mind as I was putting them together. Two of them have pockets to hold my prayers. I’ve already tried them out.

I used an old pair of jeans, some fabric, book pages, handmade paper, vintage handkerchiefs and lace. They look so festive strung across my front porch. They make me happy to be home.

They’re called pups

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Agave are big, gorgeous succulents. I recently received one as a gift and it had an offset or a “pup”.  In the spirit of free plants, I separated the pup by gently separating the roots and inadvertently breaking the main connection between the pup and the parent plant. I planted it in potting soil and am watering it periodically. In a month or so the roots system will be strong enough for me to plant it outside.

While this was occurring, I happened to have a copy of the Plant Propagator’s Bible from the library. The book has suggestions on how to propagate 100s of plants. A must read from anyone planning their own AFYM.

One down

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This year is a weird goal year for me. I actually am following through. I don’t know if it is because I am heading where my heart is leading or if I just want to get things going. One of my goals for 2012 was to design some embroidery patterns. This little tree will nestle in the small of my back (slightly to the right) on a camel colored v-neck.  I will post the pattern soon.

A couple weeks ago, I posted my development plan on the whole life permaculture page. Boy have I followed through. Yesterday I began working my way through Now Write which is a book of writing exercises. It was like dancing.

When you have friends who knit

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I’m a knitter. I am a specialty knitter. I am the one who knits an entire sweater, decides she doesn’t want to piece it together and pulls out her embroidery.

My friends are not. They are a special species known as  sock knitters. Much like professional sports fans, socks knitters are extremely loyal. Over the years, I’ve listened to them discuss cast-ons, new sock patterns, socks in worsted weight (what?) and turned back to my embroidery. But everything has changed now.

My dear friend Adriana made me socks. Thanks, Adriana. They are warm and comfy, the sock equivalent to macaroni and cheese.

If someone offers to make you socks say “Yes, please. How may I serve you?” Trust me you won’t regret it. And as for Adriana, let’s just say some embroidery may be coming her way.

The Absolutely Free Yard Makeover is Back

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Last year I started the Absolutely Free Yard Makeover and then… well then I stopped. Now it’s back. Possibly with a vengeance.

This is my front yard. Far from exciting I know. After spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars to look blah, I decided to remake my front yard with only donations, scavenged parts, and propagated plants.

I will chronicle my progress and give hints and suggestions during the Absolutely Free Yard Makeover.