No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.
Helen Keller
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Sometimes I am not terribly good at expressing myself, like right now. I really want you to know about this fabulous book I put on my holiday wish list and got (!) from my brother, Chris, yet I can’t think of a description that does it justice, but I will try.
The Art of Looking Sideways is a collection of information about the world, ideas, people, our perceptions, creations, history, and much, much more. What makes it special is the immensity and the sheer joy with which I am certain the creator, Alan Fletcher, experienced while putting it together.
There are seventy-two chapters with titles like “Noise,” “Problems,” “Dreaming,” “Handedness,” and “Pictograms.” Rather than describe each in an academic fashion, Mr. Fletcher cleverly writes about the subjects, infusing humor and involving the reader in the process of learning by using a variety of fonts, excerpts from scholarly and not so scholarly texts, hand written excerpts, photographs, pictures, and quotations. There is, too, as the title suggests, that sideways view, causing this reader to crane her neck or turn the book.
It is a magical and oftentimes funny look at our universe. One that embraces it, shakes it silly, and then takes a photograph of it lying on the floor. If, like me, you love experiencing other people’s genius, interesting facts, art, whimsy, and challenging your mind to appreciate a different view, pick this book up, but maybe use both hands because it is kind of heavy.
I have but one resolution for 2009:
Allow life to flow freely through me as I live in the present moment.
Whether it is shy and contemplative…
Or full of passion…
It is my intention to greet whatever arises with love and acceptance before letting it go.
Peace, Love, Health, and Happiness in 2009!
This here, my pretties, is truly happiness on a plate, well, at least, for me and my family. Paris (Hello in heaven,sweet girl), as much as she may want a taste, will get no such thing. It’s mine, bwa ha ha! But, you, gentle reader, should you like to follow the recipe, can savor bite after bite. I’m going to put on my teacher hat here and ask that you read the whole recipe before you start, because it is done in stages. You’ll see.
Colleen’s Green Chile Burritos
2-4 pound pork shoulder roast, cut into 1″ chunks, removing as much fat as you can
28 oz diced green chiles (use more or less, to your taste). If you like it SPICY use some 505, jarred green chile.
2 fresh poblano peppers (optional)
2 dried ancho/pasilla chile (a dried poblano with different names – very dark and wrinkly)
2 dried New Mexican chile (dark red and slightly translucent)
1 large onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, diced or 1 T garlic granules
2 teaspoons salt (I use smoked sea salt fantastico!)
1 teaspoon mild New Mexico chile powder (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup dried pinto beans
1 piece kombu seaweed (optional)
water
tortillas
grated cheddar or monterey jack cheese
other toppings of your choice – lettuce, sour cream, avocado, black olives
For the beans: The night before you want your burritos, get the beans soaking. I use the same pot I will cook them in. Use enough water to allow the beans to triple in volume. Once the chile is going, drain the soaking liquid from the beans, and add enough water to cover by about an inch. Add the kombu – it is supposed to help with the dreaded after-effects of beans, and truth be told, I think it works. Whenever I make beans without it, I’ll be honest – there is more farting. I bought mine at New Seasons ages ago, but I’ll bet an internet search will reveal more sources; the package lasts forever – unless you’re big on beans. Getting back to it. Add two cloves of diced garlic. Cook on low heat for 2-3 hours, adding 1 teaspoon of salt at the END. Add it too soon and the skins will be tough. Strain the excess liquid along with the kombu (It will be slimy and likely in a few pieces) and keep warm.
For the green chile: Brown the cubed pork in a little oil on medium high heat, working in batches to keep from overcrowding the pan. Place in crock or instant pot on low heat. In the rendered fat of the pork, saute onion until soft. Add to the crock pot. Add the canned green chiles to the pan, filling the empty can(s) with water to get all of the chile goodness and adding to the pan to deglaze. Add this mixture to the crock or instant pot.
Chile Peppers: Chop the dried peppers into small bits with a very sharp knife, discarding the stem. OR, even better, whirl the peppers, seeds and stems removed, in a food processor until they are thoroughly pulverized and kind of powdery. Add to crock pot. If using fresh poblanos, I turn on a burner and hold the pepper over it until the skin gets blackened, rotating it to get it even. Your kitchen will smell like chile heaven. Once all sides are good and dark, place in a paper bag until cool. Remove the skin by rubbing it with your fingers (don’t touch your eyes, ouch!). Dice the peppers, discarding the stem, keeping the seeds if you like it a little more spicy. Add to pot. Add cumin, chile powder, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add 1 cup water. Cook for 2-3 hours, until the meat is tender and thoroughly flavored. If using an instant pot, pressure cook for seven minutes on normal-low and switch over to slow cook on normal until you are ready to eat.
Putting it all together: Take a tortilla and set it on a burner turned on medium heat, rotating quickly to keep from sticking or burning. Once it has softened a little, turn over and do it all again. Add beans, a layer of pork, and a handful of grated cheese. Roll up, um, like a burrito, tee hee. Add another handful of cheese, and top off with another ladle of green chile goodness. Add your favorite condiments and enjoy!
Added info – I don’t know how much this makes – I’d say at least ten burritos, but I don’t know if you are a Gregory burrito – MONDO or a Colleen burrito – just right. Let’s put it this way – the recipe fills half of my crock pot, which holds 6 1/2 quarts. Also, if you want your chile thick, like a stew, turn the pot to high about a half an hour before you want to eat. Once it is bubbling mad, take a ladle full of the chile and add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour, stirring thoroughly to avoid lumps. Put back in crock pot and quickly incorporate it. Keep the the lid off. It should thicken in a few minutes. I really don’t do this anymore, but some people prefer this texture.
Yes, I am a crazy person. I’ve got that look in my eye. However, I am not crazy with junk sticking out of my head. That is just the door hinge in my very unprofessional office/photo studio. Anyhoo. Back when it was sunny and warm outside, I wrote this Concoctions post that told you about my DIY proclivities. Well, I’ve got an update for you, along with a couple recipes for new goodness you can try at home.
To start, the Queen of Hungary water is awesome. It really does make my skin feel super tight and smooth as a baby’s bum, with one caveat. It smells like vinegar, so I have to dilute it with water or I smell as crazy as I look in the above photo.
Angry Chicken’s deodorant has been terrific for the hubster, but after about a month, it made my pits get a rash, so I stopped using it. I am now deodorant free, and it isn’t as scary as I thought it would be, even Gregory agrees. I am guessing the fact that I shave is the reason for the rash. So, if you don’t shave, I think you are golden with this stuff. Maybe try it without the baking soda, too. Just a thought. Also, I did use her suggestion for glycerin to make it softer. I used a couple tablespoons, and the consistency is quite nice.
Kombucha – still going strong! I love it! If you are a local yokel and want to try it, give me a holler and we’ll hook you up with a SCOBY.
Birch Water – my original intention with this was to replace shampoo. Initially this was great, but then, even though I had just washed my hair, it looked, well, dirty, mostly oily. So now I use it as a body wash and am super happy with it. You can’t beat the smell of rum in the shower.
So you might be wondering if I returned to the shampoo. Nope. I have, since September, been cleaning up with baking soda and Queen of Hungary Water. Here’s the “recipe”:
Mix about a teaspoon of baking soda in about a quarter cup of hot water. Swirl around until the water is clear. Pour the water over your head, concentrating on the scalp. Close your eyes, too. This stuff burns a little. Once you’ve gotten all of it on, give yourself a nice scalp massage. Let it sit for a minute or two, or comb through it. Rinse very well. Seriously, very well. Even though you’ve only used a little, it will dull your hair if you don’t get it all out.
Next, take about a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, or even better, Queen of Hungary Water, and mix it with about a quart of water. Pour this over your head, comb through, and rinse, rinse, rinse! Nobody wants to smell a vinegary head, nobody. I am speaking from experience.
Finally, the reason for the title and the kooky photo above. I recently made lip balm and it turned out really well – like well enough to surprise everyone who’s used it, including me. I got the ingredients from a few places, but this awesome website (Mountain Rose Herbs) has it all, and most of it is certified organic. Yippee!
Pucker-Up!
12 teaspoons castor oil
9 teaspoons grated beeswax (pack this and the cocoa butter into the measuring spoon)
9 teaspoons grated cocoa butter
9 teaspoons sweet almond oil
9 teaspoons jojoba oil
9 teaspoons glycerin
1 teaspoon vitamin e oil
Essentail oils – I used spearmint (10 drops), rosemary (8 drops), and peppermint (6 drops).
15-20 1/2 ounce metal tins – I used 20 but didn’t fill them all the way. I didn’t know how much the mix would expand as it cools – not very much, so I’d use 15 next time.
Place all ingredients in a heat proof glass measuring cup. Place that in a pot of hot water over low heat, and stir, stir, stir, until melted. It takes a while, but I read that melting it too quickly could cause everything to be grainy. Nobody wants grainy lip balm.
This turned out medium firm, I’d say. If you like it really soft, more like lip gloss, change the ratio of castor oil (more) to beeswax and cocoa butter (less). Do the reverse if you like it a bit more firm. You can also use any combination of essential oils. Lavender, orange, or lemon would be nice, too! Finally, if you want it tinted, add some lipstick or food coloring at the end. It will look much darker in the tin than it does on your lips.
**I forgot to tell you that I filled my tins with a turkey baster. Just be sure to get it really clean because it will smell like your lip balm or get a baster to dedicate to unusual home projects.
Have fun, and if you do try something, let me know how it goes. I’d be eager to hear.
