Catching up to do

I've been reluctant to close some of my browser windows because I have yet to save the great recipes trapped on their glowing pages. So many people are posting recipes, and I have been inspired by many to try something new. Pretty much anything you ever want to make can be found online.

I wanted to share some of these. In the future maybe I will add my own photos or experiences, but today I will just post the links.

Soy Milk: Recently I decided to try making homemade soy milk. The process takes a long time, and I am still getting used to the flavor, but my boyfriend uses it in smoothies daily and has not complained! I make it almost every week now. I do not have a machine, so found these two sites helpful:
VeganYumYum : http://veganyumyum.com/2008/05/homemade-organic-soymilk/ and
Soya : http://www.soya.be/how-to-make-soy-milk.php

Butternut squash gnocchi: I have been wanting to make gnocchi for a long time and had seen a recipe on PBS that used arborio rice instead of potatoes, however, I really liked this version with squash instead. I used melted rosemary butter and cheese as a topping.

Brussels Spout Potato Casserole: I had some old brussels sprouts and white and purple potatoes. Instead of bacon I used salami. At the end I sprinkled some asiago cheese and baked it for 5 more minutes until melted. I of course also added 3-4 cloves of garlic.

Basic Pizza Dough: I was satisfied with this dough. I think I will keep looking for other recipes, but I can't complain! The key is kneading it a lot the first time so it is very elastic. I made 3 different pizza types.
1. salami, tomato paste and garlic sauce, caramelized onion, mozzarella cheese and artichoke hearts
2. thinly sliced sweet potatoes, roasted garlic, rosemary butter, feta cheese, parmesan cheese, artichoke hearts and caramelized onions
3. thinly sliced beats, olive oil, feta cheese and artichoke hearts.

In the Kitchen

My good friend Nikki recently suggested I start posting again. This time I will probably mostly focus on the products of my kitchen, and less on the products of my wandering mind. It's been a while since I've written anything. It is too much to stop and really think very deeply. I know it would help me sort through the mush that my brain must resemble, but these days I spend much of my time in the kitchen. Here I cook food into mush (or into something delicious) and I can easily document my experiments with the ingredients.

I will start with my muffin recipe. Though I admit, these muffins are different every time I make them, there is a basic formula I follow. I will share that formula and maybe some of the alternatives I have found to be so delightful.

Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup okara (I roasted and ground mine into a flour)
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup oats
1/3 cup ground flax meal
1/3 cup garbanzo flour
1/3 cup corn meal
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Wet Ingredients:
1/8 cup coconut oil, melted
3/8 cup canola oil
1/3 cup sugar (mix of coconut palm and brown sugar)
1/8 cup flax seed cooked with 3/8 cup water (replacement for 2 eggs)
1 grated apple
2-3 lbs previously roasted butternut squash (2 cups or so)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract



Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients in medium sized bowl. In larger bowl, mix oil and sugar.  Next add squash and mash it together, adding grated apple on top. Add cooked flax seed and water mixture (the consistency of the flax seed should be similar to a raw egg). Finally, add agave, soy milk and vanilla. Stir until blended. Pour in dry ingredients and mix until combined. If the mixture seems too dry, add more soy milk.


I use one muffin tin and one cookie sheet to bake. Oil muffin tin/cookie sheets and distribute dough evenly. I was able to make 16 larger muffins and 16 smaller "cookie muffins."

Bake until knife comes out clean, between 15 and 25 minutes.

I have tried many variations on this recipe. In the summer I use zucchini or summer squash. A carrot/apple mixture is nice as well. Canned pumpkin (I just use one whole can) and other winter squash are delicious too. You can add nuts, dried fruit, various other spices (cardamom is good) and try using other flours as well.

Here's the basic, simpler recipe that I based mine off of:

Dry:
3 cups flour
1 T backing powder
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t salt
1/4 t ground nutmeg

Wet:
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3-2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (firmly packed)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt
1 t vanilla extract

Use same procedure as above recipe.

Farm Girl Returns

I don't know much about the future...none of us do. But I am fairly certain of one thing: I will be growing my own food. 


Whether it's for recreation, my livelihood or pure survival, being self-sufficient is an aspiration I'm coming to take very seriously. The building hype surrounding locally grown, sustainable agriculture, urban gardening, free-range pasture-finished, make your own yogurt/cheese/vinegar/alcohol (etc)...makes it hip to think about raising chickens in your background and generally just making conscious choices about where food comes from. For me, this return to the earth and an understanding of our connection to what's on my dinner plate goes a bit further back. It's in my blood. The ironic thing is we all come from farming lineages; hunter-gather lines. It's not far enough back to have been bred out of us, though it feels that way. The egg of knowledge is slipping toward the edge, but it hasn't yet shattered. 


Reading Tuesday's FOODday in the Oregonian compelled me to reflect a little on why I would choose farming as a profession (if I should be so lucky) or more simply, how I can make the most of the bits of earth I can till and what I can do to shrink my own "ecological footprint." "Nurturing the next crop of farmers" by Leslie Cole follows a couple approaching retirement who built up their 17 acre land into a functioning food producing farm. They sell at the Hollywood Farmers' Market and to many restaurants in the Portland Area (and beyond?). They have hired 5 full time employees, all twentysomething graduates with an interest to start their own farms or at least gain experience. A statistic that strikes me is the average age of American farmers is 57 "and few young people with farming experience are waiting in the wings to replace them." This is a serious problem to the future of our country and our food security!


While the average American cannot pack our bags and move to some abandoned tillable land and begin anew, there is much we can do to impact the food economy. I'm starting with growing seeds. 


Here are a few things I realize I do (or am thinking about doing) when I go to a grocery store or in need of food:


1. I ask myself "where did item this come from?" If it's not from the States neighboring mine, I try to avoid it (luckily California is one of those States).
2. Is it in season where I live? (If so, chances are it's local, though not a guarantee).
3. I try to avoid lots of packaging. It's wasteful and required extra energy on the processing end.
4. I love buying bulk items.
5. I take my own containers and bags to put grains, oils, peanut butter, EVERYTHing in.
6. I go to as many farmers' markets as I can. Different markets are priced differently. Some areas have cheaper markets than others (for example, Downtown Portland is much more expensive than some suburbs). Do some investigation.
7. I like to support restaurants that have local, organic foods on the menu. I try to pick items that are in season (sadly, no asparagus in December).
8. Now I'm starting to grow my own lettuce and other veggies. I will take advantage of any fruit trees or other edible herbs and plants in my garden.
9. Finally, I am interested in how to preserve in season foods so they can be enjoyed out of season (if this means canning tomatoes, making pickled vegetables, or drying fruits I'm going to try!).

Many of these suggestions involve sacrifice. It is hard to resist bananas or other tropical fruits. I love crackers, chips and granola bars. However, my food choices do matter. Just because the item is in the store already, doesn't mean you don't impact the system when you choose not to buy it. If less people in the Montana decide to buy avocados from Mexico, the store will stock less of the product and cut down on the fossil fuels used to transport it. On average, most of the food in a typical American diet has traveled something like 1,500 miles to reach their mouths. That's each item and some come from much farther (those New Zealand apples flew at least 6000 miles to get to the USA+what it took to get to your market).

After reading Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" I am a convert. 100-mile diet, Locavore, whatever you call it, eating responsibly is one important way to save our planet for the future generations. There are many complexities, but I'm going to do what I can, the best I can. I hope you will too. There are lots of resources, check http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/Resources2.html and go from there.

Mixed Media: I've got the evidence...

This summer is testing my patience. Less than 2 months to go before I start my Montessori primary program at MINW. I recall the slight feelings of dread and panic that used to accompany the waning of summer's freedom. This time around, I feel more like a child wearing one of those monkey-on-my-back backpacks (you know, the ones with the leash). I'm ready to bolt forward (to September), but someone's got me reined in, restricting my movement. That someone would be Time, and he's not about to let me go an inch (or minute) faster than he pleases. So I wait.

A few years ago while cleaning out the attic, I discovered a huge pile of papers stuffed into an old art portfolio folder. Upon further investigation, they revealed themselves as my 3-6 year old self's artwork. While I haven't yet learned the elaborate theory behind art's role in the primary Montessori classroom (and I'm sure there is one), I can explain what I glean from examining their ink blot mysteries. Directly below is a list I came up with for planning and promoting art with young children. Below that are the observations that lead to these conclusions.

Suggestions for the Art Encouraging Parent/Teacher/Nanny:

• Set up an Art Corner or Shelf where supplies are accessible to the child. At first, maybe rotate types of medium and paper, keeping only one type available at a time. As the child gets comfortable, make more available at a time for his or her choosing.
• Prepare various sizes and types of paper to have on hand at all times. Let the child choose which to use. Butcher paper, water color paper, construction paper, old newspaper/magazines, etc. are some ideas.
• Teach the child how to take out the materials, set them up, use them and put them away. Do so by example without a lot of talking.
• If you save the art (which any art loving person would), write the child's name and date on the work.
• Teach the child to use both sides of the paper. This saves paper and teaches conservation.
• For the younger child, use on one medium at a time. This limits the mess and helps them focus on the behavior and properties of each type.
• Be sure that the materials are non-toxic and easy to clean up. Good media include tempera paint, oil pastels (cray-pas), chalk, watercolor, glue, etc.
• For collages, show the child how to cut up smaller pieces of paper, newspaper, magazines, tissue paper, etc. and glue them onto a lager paper. Other items such as leaves, thread, stickers, cloth, etc. can be used. I even have a collage with small scraps of wood glued and painted to a stiff cardboard. Help the child gather appropriate items for collage and put them in a basket only for these things so they aren't tempted to glue puzzle pieces, socks, or cell phones to the paper!
• Use an apron to designate the time specifically for art. Make it clear that the child can do the activity as long as they want, but show by example that it must be cleaned up afterward. Art should be done at a table or easel, but not on the walls!

Observations of My Primary Art


First of all, I observe the sheer volume of work. I now consider myself an artist and suppose primary was where I made my grand debut. My mom evidently cherished each and every scribble and glue caked paper because she saved all of it. I must have done other things in Ginni's classroom, but a big chunk of my time had to have been spent engaged in artistic wanderings.

Next I notice a level of consistency. The paper size, while varied, was clearly cut (by the teacher or assistant) and available for use at all times. There were large butcher paper pieces, which were taped to an easel for use with tempera paint. The next size down was still large...maybe 10 by 16" and was used primarily with oil pastel crayons (cray-pas). Finally there were various types of paper (watercolor, construction, stationary) cut in half to about 8.5 by 5.5." These are filled with three distinct media. Either (but not mixed) chalk, watercolor or collage.

That's where the subject of mixed media comes in. I guess in this case, instead of mixing media together, my art from primary is made of many distinct materials. In most cases, each piece of art is made with only one medium. I think this points out the importance at the 3-6 age of focusing on one thing at a time; allowing the child to get to know the properties of chalk and chalk alone. Later, after putting away the chalk and cleaning up it's dust, one could move to the easel to paint large dripping strokes; mixing colors into mud. The next day, chalk and paint are old news. How about using scissors to cut, paste and tear small scraps of paper into a masterpiece?

My art is evidence to these theories...just see for yourself.

The Long and Winding Road

Earlier, I felt so inspired to write. But now the whirring of my computer seems to disrupt my forming thoughts, much like a strong gale throwing a formation of migrating birds off course. Where am I headed? I mention my journey and think of it often. My journey really means my life and the path I continue to wander. Montessori's presence in my life has been a constant throughout, whether explicit or not and I recognize that now as I await the start of my primary training at MINW.

Though I am young I've always known and appreciated my old soul. Not old as in decrepit, but old as in joined to the long chain of time and able to access its wisdom. I can say that my Montessori education reminded my old soul of this connection and its implications. The more a child learns, the greater weight each grain of knowledge hold somehow. It all relates and new insights illuminate old truths. I believe the interconnectedness of our own in and out breaths amazed and startled me. I realized that the air I breathe once was a star, oyster, ocean, bird. Now it gives me life as it has always done.

Maybe you see the connection, maybe not. I think I do.

What I find interesting in looking back on the long and winding road are the signs pointing the way. Most often, these are not bright arrows at forks in the road. Still these turning points in life are glaringly obvious when we wear our retro-spectacles.

Now it must be time for my story - my signs - the moment my feet began choosing their path without my input. I had just graduated from college. I think I'm supposed to feel empowered, vibrant and invincible. While I managed to muster some confidence, I knew there was something more I had to do; a piece of my formal education to complete. I worked and waited. And a "plan" sprouted: Nepal. I would go, meet some college friends and see where the winds took me next.

Off I went. It was so easy to leave all I had ever known behind. I embraced the newness, the difference. Watched, listened, smiled. I learned so much, lost some of my innocence, became a sister, auntie, daughter, friend to many. I embraced so much and let myself become lost and intertwined in a place so unlike my home. Yet it was just like I had been there before. I lived at Ama Ghar home for underprivileged children, taught at a private school in Kathmandu, visited an orphanage near Chennai, Southern India, flip-flopped over the hills near Darjeeling, sweated in a hostel in Dheli and spotted yaks in the high Himalayan plains of Ladakh. All the while I absorbed the plight of the earth, the people and the culture in each region I visited. The eyes of the small children still stare into mine as their grubby hands lift toward my elbow; begging.

Eventually I had to leave, return home. It was harder than I fully realize, even now. I still suffer in small ways. I have been marked by that time away and it was hard to embrace the road that seemed so simply laid before me: find a job, stick with it, marriage, kids, retirement, death. I knew I could do more...but what?

I didn't do much and an answer fell into my lap. The foundation that ran Ama Ghar Children's Home in Nepal needed part time administrative support at their Bay Area "office." I thought about it and agreed to join the effort. At first I felt swamped with the tasks and mysteries of accomplishing the day to day operations of the nonprofit out of my bedroom. But I learned and grew. Understood my reality differently and coped with what I could not change. I surrounded myself with the work but also with people connected to the organization, and in turn Nepal. I held onto the place and people as a lifeline to those in need who I hoped to help. Montessori was with me all the time, I know now. My ability to work independently, focus, set goals and communicate with others served me well. Patience didn't hurt either.

The most glaring sign though was the day I learned that 24 children from Ama Ghar had received scholarships to Montessori House in Kathmandu. Wow, I thought. I went to Montessori too. How can I use my knowledge and connections to help this school? I turned to Facebook, where I could find Montessorians galore. I contacted Peter Davidson, the founding Head of Montessori School of Beaverton, my elementary, and he gave me some leads. I contacted one, Susan Stephenson, who shares my impulse to flee the comforts of Western life to breathe the thin air of the Himalayas. She continues to inspire me through her work in Bhutan and other Himalayan countries. Unfortunately distractions always abound. I lost momentum until I made another amazing connection.

The founder of Ama Foundation, Shrawan Nepali lives on the bottom flour of a typical Noe Valley San Francisco house. I'd always enjoyed the weekly gatherings held at his place after serving another Curry Without Worry meal to homeless friends at UN Plaza (a different story all together). Upstairs lived a young couple who sometimes frequented the parties and also expressed interest in Ama Foundation and Curry Without Worry. Not long after the children at Ama Ghar received scholarships to Montessori, I learned that a long time Montessorian was staying just above Shrawan. Victoria Barres, who has sat on the board of AMI and is a representative to UNESCO happens to be the mother of the woman who lived above Shrawan. Coincidence? Maybe...but I think not. Here I encountered another glaring signal to change my direction.

After meeting with Victoria, I continued on my way...working and working for Ama Foundation. I was inspired by her words, but still had many task to complete and I was yet to feel truly compelled to seek a new reality. I learned that my Montessori upper elementary and middle school teacher Elise Huneke-Stone was taking the primary training at MINW in Portland. I learned that my first teacher, Ginni Sackett was the head primary trainer at MINW. Slowly I made the connection.

"take the Montessori training" said a small voice said inside of me. but i wasn't quite ready.

one day i heard "TAKE THE MONTESSORI TRAINING" a bit more loudly. I looked up the program online and BOOM, it hit me. and I made my decision.

Now it seems obvious, but just a year ago I had no such clarity. Open your eyes. The answer will reveal itself.

To Nepal and Back

My journey to the AMI training must have started the first day my mom dropped me off at Whole Child Montessori. It was just shy of my third birthday. That first day I probably cried. The second, I walked straight to class without looking back.

I've always held on to very vivid memories of my primary years at Whole Child. While much of life has whizzed by me, my memories of preschool float peacefully, like the white mushroom clouds outside my window after days of rain. They don't intrude, but rest as friendly reminders of my roots. Yes, my roots. Normally I think of my roots as my great-grandmother who immigrated from Ireland or the cemetery in Page, North Dakota where my relatives are buried. But right now my roots are what keep me grounded. What feed my hungry soul. Right now those roots are my memories of Montessori.

I have lots of them. From the ages of nearly three until fourteen Montessori was the only education I really knew. But still I stress the clarity of my memories from my primary (3-6) years. In my application essay to Montessori Institute NW (where I will be attending in the fall) I discussed this very topic:

"I close my eyes. Quickly my Montessori classroom renders itself in my mind. Every time, I’m amazed at the details I unearth: the memories and feelings. I remember my devastation when the porcelain horse I brought for Show and Tell broke it leg. The joy when I zipped, buttoned and tied the wooden frames. My amazement when my teacher sucked the water out of our fish tank to clean it. But mostly I remember a clear sense of myself attending primary in an environment that nurtured a passion for learning through exploration and experience.

Through these memories I have come to understand the skills and personal qualities Montessori has helped me develop throughout my life; and it is these same memories that draw me back to Montessori now, back to the point where I embarked on my biggest adventure: a life of learning."

Recently I found this photo while cleaning out (purging more accurately). See, I just returned home. Home from Nepal. While Nepal features prominently in my return home to Montessori, I'll leave the explanation of its significance to another day. Back to the photo: the image exemplifies my point. This is what I remember. Only through an inner calm and confidence in myself could I achieve this state of concentration. At age three or four I wanted order and created it wherever I could. From a box of several hundred multicolored beads I chose one color to place in a line. Now, twenty some odd years later I would do anything to be able to sort, order or organize the piles of stuff currently creating islands around my room. Chaos became a resident in my life long ago and I have long been searching for that calm eye inside the twirling storm. Finally I (re)found something: Montessori.

With my decision to attend MINW this fall and pursue my Masters in Montessori Primary Education at Loyola MD, I am going back to my roots; revisiting those memories to unlock their forgotten lessons. Ultimately I will harvest new meaning and sprout deeper roots, anchoring me more firmly when the winds of life again blow.

Stay Tuned....

I often think how different it is to write in public: putting my thoughts out for all the world to search and tag and comment. So here is a direct address to you, written over a few weeks ago, that is still relevant today.

I am sitting on a purple bench in at gate 1 in the Hong Kong airport. I'm on the last hour of my 10 hour layover here. Soon we'll be boarding our plane to Kathmandu. I am so tired I cry spontaneously. I can tell my travel muscles are weak and unused. I think I'm at my low point, but still am so excited to be returning to Nepal.

March 29, 2010: "For some of you, much of the following will be old news, but for others, I may not have contacted you in at least 2 years. I apologize for being out of touch, if that is the case, and thank all of you for being in my life and sharing it with me.

I feel compelled to write you all for various reasons. There are many things happening in my life that I want to share so you can be a part of them as well. Where to start?

Wednesday is my last day with the Ama Foundation. I have been working for this small non-profit organization for over 1 year now. I first became involved while living at Ama Ghar Children's Home in Nepal. Ama Foundation supports Ama Ghar so I have been working here in San Francisco sustain the operations of Ama Foundation so that the underprivileged Nepalese children have a bright future. It has been a wonderful journey and I have received so much for all the time and energy I have given this organization.

What's next? Well, I thought that in the beginning of April, I would be moving back to Portland to start a new chapter of my life there. I still am but there is a twist. I will actually be returning to Nepal around the 9th of April to spend time with my boyfriend's father, who is living in Kathmandu (yes, I have a boyfriend from Nepal, who I met in San Francisco. We've been together for over a year!). I look forward to returning to Kathmandu, where my eyes were opened to the world in many new ways and spending at least a month visiting my friends and family there. Those of you in Nepal, I hope to see you. I fear one month is not long enough to see all the wonderful people I met there two years ago.

When I return from Nepal, I will be moving back to Portland. I'll spend the summer there, hopefully working and enjoying my favorite fruits (peaches and berries). In the fall, I'll begin a one year program at Montessori Institute Northwest to become a primary teacher (for children ages 3-6). Through my adventures, job with Ama Foundation, and Montessori upbringing, I have come to see myself as a Montessori teacher and I couldn't be more excited to start this program.

I have so many thoughts and feelings about all of these changes, but I cannot fully express them yet. All I know is that I am ready to take it all on.

Thank you for your support throughout the years. Whether I've known you my whole life, or I met you recently, you are all special to me.

Now, one last thing that is hard for me to do, but I find so important. As you know, I've been working to support the orphaned and abandoned children at Ama Ghar in Nepal. I ask that if you have not already, please consider making a donation to the Ama Foundation. Currently, we are running a campaign to raise money to install a sustainable water conservation system at the new Ama Ghar home near Kathmandu. This system will purify gray water and keep pollutants out of the nearby river. It will also promote innovative green technologies in the local community. Please support this effort if you are able. It would mean so much to me and the community of Ama Ghar. Visit http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/amafoundation-h2o-conservation/ to learn more and donate.

Thank you again for your time and support. Even when I am alone, I know I have so many friends and family members all over the world. Please keep in touch."