Making rosemary pesto crackers to have with some chevre we bought. There's something addicting about these freshly made crackers.

The Mad Men folks watching the Giants game on Twitter is the best entertainment of the weekend! Big props to all, esp. @Sal_Romano!

Dark days, but good

Once again, I should apologize to the four or so people who read my posts; I've been lax about writing about what's going on in my life. But I have been spending a lot of time living it, so I know you'll understand. Here's a summary of the last few weeks.

I've finished the current quarter of teaching at SVC, and have decided that in January, when classes start again, I'll be a student for a while and not a teacher. I want to hone some of my design skills; I'm starting to think it's something I can grow into, and I have a lot of amazing people at work that I can learn from.

Brett had a good trip to Dutch Harbor last week, for his job, leaving me and the dog and two cats to fend for ourselves. We did fine, though. I know that Mina will scare the crap out of anyone that comes near the front door, and I feel safe when I'm walking her, since she does growl to warn off what she thinks are dangerous-looking people. The cats, on the other hand, continue to be merely ornamental. I'm not sure they even noticed Brett was gone. He brought me a Dutch Harbor baseball cap to wear on dog walks. Never thought of myself as a baseball-cap person, but age and practicality have won out over vanity.


A week ago we went to a pleasant scotch tasting event at the Rainier Club. I tried to take some photos with my iPhone, but it was too dark to get much detail. We tasted some very fancy scotches; it's no surprise, I guess, that the older and more expensive ones turned out to be the ones I liked best. My recent discovery that scotch is not the most vile liquid on earth (you just add some water to it! Why didn't anyone tell me?!) probably both amuses and worries Brett, though I haven't raided his stash just yet.

We've been walking a lot, of course, and I have gotten to really look forward to our after-work dog walks, even in the dark and the rain. It's been pretty nice out for the last few days, though; this weekend we made a couple of trips to the park for as much frisbee-throwing as the dog could take, and took plenty of long walks in the fresh air. I know it's going to change soon, and I know I really should be out there doing yard work or something, but all I want to do is walk with the dog. The yard is ok. This spring I plan to re-do a lot of it, but in the meantime, nature can have its way and things can grow as they see fit.

Another nice thing that happened just recently was re-uniting with a friend I'd been very close to in my 20s, but hadn't seen in many years. It was great to find that even after this long, we still have a lot in common, and get along really well. We've both grown and changed, but the girls we were are still there.

I haven't been drawing as much as I'd have liked, though I did some sketches for a project at work. My concepts weren't picked, sadly, so here's one in an early stage. It was an idea for a Fall tumbler. I thought it was nice, but they went for something more graphic and design-y. That's ok, and as I said, I'll be taking some classes soon so I can keep up a little better with design trends, and hopefully still use drawing and painting in my work.

That's it; certainly nothing earth-shattering going on, but it's been a pretty good fall so far, economy and work stress aside. Life goes on, as it always has, and hopefully will continue to do. Someone is going to have to walk that dog, after all.

My letter to Barack Obama

Just days after the election, the Obama campaign has set up a website asking what we would like to see change in the upcoming administration. You can see it here: http://www.change.gov/

Here's my lengthy submission:

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When I saw that a younger, well-educated man was a presidential candidate, way back in the summer of this year, I thought, "I wonder if he will embrace the internet the way the rest of us have? Will he use it to communicate, promote transparency, and learn about the cultures that have developed in this new world?" When I saw the Obama Twitter feed, I knew he would. So first I'd like to congratulate the Obama staff for setting up this site! It's exactly what we need.

My vision for the country includes all people, especially those who have been poorly treated by the religious right. I believe everyone should have the same rights as a couple that straight people currently enjoy; I don't care if "marriage" is redefined as a solely religious concept, as long as everyone, gay and straight, can be united in the eyes of the law with all the benefits I currently enjoy as a married woman.

I hope that women will always have the right to choose their reproductive methods, and I'd like to see contraception made available at little or no cost to any fertile woman. Education should be provided to all young people as to the seriousness of raising kids, and how they can make an informed choice when and if to reproduce.

I'd like to see more support for the arts, no matter if they are controversial or popular, and more emphasis placed on educating kids to be creative and confident, not just popular and conforming.

And schools should also include mandatory courses on critical thinking, so all American citizens have the tools to make decisions for themselves. Education should be one of our first and largest priorities, and even though I do not have children, I would never object to paying more of my income towards a more educated America.

I believe religion should be completely separate from government, and while everyone should have the right to choose and practice their religion, that choice should at no time affect my right to be free of religion.

I would like to see protections for animals wherever possible, because unlike humans, they often have no choice in how they are housed and treated. Animal testing is often necessary in the sciences, and some animals do indeed taste good, but we have to take every step to ensure that they do not experience pain or fear or disabling forms of breeding while we are caring for them.

I believe that homelessness is a serious problem, and is closely tied to a lack in mental health care for a large segment of the population. I'm not sure how this can be solved, but it's time a serious effort was put into determining how we can help the mentally ill who cannot care for themselves.

Personal privacy needs to be a constant goal of the government; inappropriate wiretapping and internet monitoring must be ended. Corporations must also be responsible for protecting the privacy of their customers.

Finally, I thank you so much for taking the time to make this site available. I couldn't believe it, the night the election results were announced; we were so very happy to hear that all we'd hoped for was true. That night, my husband and I both decided that since this country finally had lived up to our dreams, we would put more effort into doing whatever we can to pay it back. We will be donating more than ever to our favorite charities this year, and into finding ways we personally can make a difference in the lives of people with less than we have.

Thank you, thank you for caring. I'm sorry this is so long, but I do care, too, and I truly believe that this administration can make the changes that have been so long in coming.

Sonya

P.S. Please consider a rescued dog from a shelter for First Dog! Inbreeding is a big problem among purebred dogs, and setting a good example by adopting a shelter dog would be a perfect example to set for all those other dogs.
(Signed, Mina - Sonya's rescue dog and best friend)

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Posted via Pixelpipe.

How to make spätzle (Pfälzisch style)

I'd been meaning to post this for a while, and since someone recently asked Brett if I knew how to make spätzle, I decided to go ahead and write up my grandmother's recipe.

These spatzle are the real thing; they're not like I've ever seen in any restaurant. But I can vouch for their authenticity, as my Oma is a German lady, living in the Rheinpfalz area (southwestern Germany, not far from the French border). She taught me to make spatzle when I was a kid, and I've always loved them.

By the way, since she was born and raised speaking what is called "low German" (or Pfälzisch) we don't pronounce them the way you might think from the spelling; we say something that sounds like "shpet-zya." You can think of low German as a country dialect, sort of the way we think of a strong Southern accent here in the states.

Oma's spatzle are simple and quick to make. The only three ingredients are eggs, flour and salt, and they're cooked in boiling water. You need only one fork, a knife, a mixing bowl, and a pan for the water. I also recommend butter for them once they're cooked, though these days I use something called "Smart Butter." So far I don't feel smarter.

Unfortunately for you, the reader of this recipe, I have been making these for so many years that I just know how much of each to use, and don't use any measuring tools. So I've taken some photos of the process and hope that will explain some of the more vague parts of the recipe.

Start by putting about 1/2 to 2/3 of a cup flour, about two teaspoons of salt and two eggs into a mixing bowl. You'll have to adjust the amount of flour to get the right texture, so start on the lower end and add more, a little at a time, while you stir the mixture with a fork.

You're looking for a certain texture here; it should be very thick and doughy. Just mix it up and add flour until it sticks to the fork with determination.


It'll be lumpy, but keep stirring until it's fairly smooth. It doesn't have to be perfect, just of a more or less uniform consistency.

While you've been doing this, you'll want to have put your water on to boil. A medium-sized pan will be fine.

Now you need your knife, and you'll have to do the very important mysterious first step that my Oma insists is crucial: before touching the dough with the knife for the first time, rest it in the boiling water for a few moments.

Yes, it is possible to skip this step, but if you do, various hardships and disasters apparently will befall you. I wouldn't risk it. Besides, you wanted to make real, authentic German spätzle, right?



Ok, then. Now you use the pre-heated knife to scoop out portions of the spätzle dough and drop them into the boiling water. The size I like is about the same size and shape as a healthy garden slug. I hope this doesn't put you off your dinner, but it really is the only thing that works as a comparison.









Lower the spätzle-slug covered knife into the boiling water and hold it there until the dough falls off the knife. Then repeat, using the rest of the dough, one slug-sized glop at a time.

As you work, the earlier spätzles will float to the top of the boiling water. After you finish dropping in the last one, wait a few minutes for all the spätzles to float to the top, then take them off the heat.

Those last few moments are best spent doing a little clean-up. Believe me; you'll thank me for this. It seems that this combination of ingredients can also be used to make a very strong adhesive; take a moment to wash off your fork, your knife, and your bowl. If you wait until later, the residue left will make you (or your friend, partner, or spouse who washes dishes) sad and frustrated.

Ok, dishes clean? Then get out your strainer (I forgot to mention it at the beginning, but if you don't already have one, it's fine to leave the spätzle boiling while you run out and buy one. At this point they are virtually indestructible). Just drain off the water, and drop those little guys into a dish. For the best authentic Pfälzisch dining experience you will want to add a lot of butter.



That's it; I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.