Hubbard Squash Pie

Have you ever had left-overs, and wanted to be creative? That's what I did here, with left-over squash and buckwheat pancakes with blueberries. Couldn't throw any of it away, so I made a pie! And, it turned out great - graham cracker crust, squash filling, and the top was the crumbled pancake and blueberries mixed with a few pecans.

I think it is the purrrrdiest pie! And, the luck of getting a burst of sunlight for just a moment so I could photograph it - well, I'm countin' blessings here.

I also went to the library and picked up some books on living in the deep woods of Maine - one is "The Natural World of Louise Dickenson Rich", just down-home living. Homey. And, the other is "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson" ( Thanks to Anvilcloud). Now, Bryson can be a very funny guy...this book is about all of his ineptitude on the mountain trail with some out-of-shape travel companions. One book will put me in the mood to cook and put up the last of my preserves, and the other will keep me laughing.

The Grub Tent - Camp Jones Bay

My post today about our trip will describe what my sister, daughter and I brought to eat, what we drove to get there, and how we slept...you will see how all factors describe who we are!

My daughter arrived in a white Toyota Camry, newer model, loaded with good camping gear - a tent, chairs, bedrolls and pads, camping stove and lantern, and heating unit for warmth. That's my oldest daughter and her husband in the photo above.

My sister camped in their camper van, loaded with microwave, stove, refrigerator, complete bathroom, living and dining space and two full beds, about $60,000 worth of careful comfort, with everything in it's place, everything clean and orderly.

I inched out of an ole Dodge Caravan, motor rebuilt, with fish and bird decals circling it's girth. It is dusty and loaded too, with foam mattresses in a wire mesh sack inside the canoe, which was strapped on top. Four bins contained bedding and pillows, two bins contained food and pots n' pans, there were a couple chairs, and a duffel-bag apiece for clothing.

Now food was complex - I told everyone to bring their own, with a little to share. So my daughter brought all 'organic' - avacado, exotic grains (quinola?), veggies, mango juice. Her tastes run the exotic, the Seattle 'elitist' crowd. They are tea drinkers using stainless steel capped mugs.

My sister brought homemade lentil soup, a large assortment of garden vegetables (squashes, tomatoes, green beans), and a fantastic morning omlette of eggs-feta cheese-spinach-with sour cream seasoned with powdered ranch dressing. Her taste is economic, from scratch, elegant and wholesome. Her beverage is 'pressed' coffee, served in stainless steel mugs.

I brought quick-cooking foods, instant snacks - meals served in seconds for hungry campers - fried chicken, homemade cinnamon rolls, prepared stir-fry, and hamburgers and hot-dogs. My food was served while others were busy preparing the rest. I always served coffee with Coffee Mate and Sugar, brewed with cone paper filters, and served in those paper espresso cups with lids, that keep it super warm.

Next, 'how the ladies slept' - my oldest daughter with all the fancy gear, froze the first night. Ruhiyyih gave her a better sleeping bag, and that helped, except, she said her nose froze the second night. So I told her to bury her head in the down sleeping bag, and I'd get her a big Telfa Pad to lay across her nose. If that wouldn't work I had a wad of lamb's wool. But, that was not all, this older daughter also was bothered by neighbors who were partying until 2:00 a.m., so she walked over then, and bemoaned her sleepless plight. They complied and she woke up the next morning very sleep-deprived, without any resolve to continue - we had to convince her sleep deprived people make poor decisions.

My sister, in the van, was bothered by bug-sprayers that did their rounds about midnight, so she worried about me in a tent. That led to a nightmare in which she thought two men were dragging me out of my tent. She sat bolt upright, and growled, "Put her down or you'll be eating a bullet!!"

Then, there was me....I got just what I wanted: a clear starry night, coyotes howling, a bright moon. I sat in the doorway of my tent several times, unable to relinguish the view, and slept soundly after that. When Ruhiyyih said that George snored, and kept her awake, I said, "Are you sure? I didn't hear a thing!"

Group Photo - Family

My 3 boys had to stay home at the last minute, due to job-related stuff. But, those of us who were there enjoyed it and hope to get together one more time before the cold weather sets in...

Ruhiyyih in the Kayak

What a great day for gliding across the water! She loved it.

My Twin Sister

She is older than me by 3 minutes - but has been there from the beginning. In this photo I wanted to capture the halo of wind-blown hairs that frame her face and trail down her shoulder and back.

Sunset at Camp Jones Bay

We spent 4 days with family at Jones Bay, on Banks Lake, and did some great hiking, climbing, kyaking and canoeing. The lake is in eastern Washington, in a vast, dry basin lined with basalt cliffs and lava outcroppings. It is great hiking country, in spite of snakes, and the views are spectacular. The ground is very soft, sandy, and dotted with sagebrush. Perfect for pitching a tent.

Tomorrow I'll post a few more pictures, of family, but I thought I'd post a little today while I'm putting away camping gear and washing clothes. It takes a day just to unpack.

My sister and her husband arrived about an hour after we got here; they came in a camper-van, all self-contained. My daughter Ruhiyyih and my other daughter, Laurel, and her husband arrived an hour before sunset. George helped them all set up their tents and I got them fed before this sunset spilled over the water.

I'll have to admit that I need sleeping comfort at night - we've done a lot of experimenting, from one-man tents and sleeping bags to a 3 man tent, with 4-inch foam mats that create a Kingsize bed. A down comforter and afghan work for cold temperatures, which occur about 2:00 a.m. Until then, I use a simple homemade quilt.

I like the tent windows open, so we can see the stars and get plenty of fresh air. I enjoy getting up just to look out at the Milky Way - which is something I never get to see in the city.

In the middle of the night the coyotes began howling, and they spooked the Canadian Geese several times, making them fly up. There was a lot of commotion by raccoons at the water's edge. The next day when I checked the beach, all the footprints were in the sand, a real gathering of wildlife.

Rock Climbing At Jones Bay

One morning I got up early, made coffee and gathered family members up here before sunrise, so we could watch the sun come over the mountains. It was pretty cold at night - about 34 degrees, and once the sun was up, jackets would come off, and hands would be warm. You can see our vehicles down in the distance.

My sister and her husband kept warm in their van, which has a little heater. It also has a microwave, shower, toilet, sink - the works. I joined her one morning for coffee in the van, but all the other mornings I made coffee and hiked up on a boulder to enjoy the sunrise. Some of the cottonwoods had turned yellow-gold, and the air was so crisp and cool.

The last day of our trip, George and I went for a sunrise glide. The water was so still, and the birds did all their territorial calling. It is an exquisite time of day, daybreak.

Jones Bay Campsite

This was our campsite for 3 nights, a nice beach for canoeing, and gentle water for canoes and kayaks. A couple of monthes ago, George and I camped across the bay, between the trees, and knew we wanted to bring our family here in the fall.

Tomorrow, I'll post photos of the family gatherings and fun - for now, you've got only 'a sense' of the place.

Ah, There Was A Lake Here Somewhere...

Yes, that's George using his new gizmo - a device to portage our canoe.

We have to hike into a few lakes over in Eastern Washington, and yesterday we tried this out on Lenice Lake. It straps on easy, and can be folded, then put in the canoe if we want to portage from lake to lake, which we've done a few times.

It works surprisingly well, and we did about a half-mile portage with it. I was glad there was no traffic on this road, as it took George awhile to get his steering down.

The lake was accessible only by portaging, so very few people were there. It is primarily a fisherman's lake, filled with 14" trout and big frogs. I was able to film 3 horned-owls at very close range. It was a beautiful day, very sunny and warm.

When our paddle was over, we loaded the canoe up on the gizmo and George pulled the canoe up while I pushed it up a sandbank that was about 40 feet high. We were sure huffin' and puffin' when we got done. We wiped the sweat from our brows, looked at each other and laughed - it would have been a heck of a lot easier to just drag the darn canoe up that sandbank, without the gizmo!

Jack and the Beanstock

I couldn't resist throwing in this photo today - what did George do to get Italian green beans to do this well? We've had beans in just about every meal I've prepared, except for oatmeal!

I'm cutting down a lot of perennials today, and taking out the rest of my dahlias. I want to have all my garden put to bed for the winter before it gets too wet and cold to work out there.

There is a gentle mist today, but it will lighten up by noon. Our neighbor has a fire going today, and the woodsmoke blew over this way. We've put the furnace on the past few mornings just to take the chill off. Looks like there is a change in the air - what we call 'Indian Summer'.

What's This!

What in the world is this?

It lives in the water, but I have also seen it on the shore, during low tide. It can be quite tough to the touch, and prickly, and it squirms quite slow. When I see one, I'm amazed it can go anywhere, which foot does it lead with?

My daughter and I walked down at the waterfront on Tuesday evening, just about sunset. Lots of people were out fishing on the fishing pier that extends out into the water.

I've fished that pier quite a few times, but now I just go down to watch people fish. We saw a school of perch glistening in the water, and kids were going after them.

As we walked along the pier, one of these red starfish was splayed out on the dock, dehydrating. Someone had pulled it up - and left it to dry out. It was about 14 inches long, real red, with little white filaments along the legs. These starfish are all over Puget Sound, and come in a variety of colors - gold, orange, red, brown, tan.

One of the real pleasures of canoeing on still water is the opportunity to view what's 'down there', and I've filmed a lot of it - oyster beds, anenomie, sand-dollars, schools of fish, starfish, jellyfish. A polarized lense on the camera makes it very clear, and a zoom lens gets up close. As we glide along, the aquatic terrain changes. There can be oyster beds and a gravely look,sandy areas with seaweed. We'll glide over ground-up pebbles with smooth sides in a little cove, round a corner and come across rough boulders that protrude out of the water.

The variety of aquatic life and terrain is so rich, so abundant here. Just wish I knew the names of everything. I know this starfish has a fancy one...

Doin' the Puyallup Fair

Most of September is dedicated to the Puyallup Fair. My daughter and I went and spent the day among all the exhibits and rides, and throngs of people.

At a fair it seems like people come out of the cracks, the hollows, the boonies. I saw so many specimens of humanity - and I think I enjoyed this the most... old people in wheel chairs, with visors and sunglasses, pretty women with babies in strollers, gangs of young men checking out girls with cell phones propped up to their ears; Harley couples, Hispanic and Philipino and Japaneese. I sat out on a bench with a hamburger and a coffee and just soaked up humanity.

We spent all afternoon going through the horticultural displays, animal barns, the arts and crafts, the collections. I'll post a few pictures below, for you to enjoy, but most of them will follow later in the week when I have a chance to talk about them more.

My daughter is such a great companion, pulling me over to all the things she knew I'd enjoy - and she knew where all the great food is. Those aromas were going to get you - we got roped into grilled burgers and onions for just that reason. And she couldn't resist a Snicker bar dipped in batter and fried!

I like the sounds of humanity having a good time - the screams from people hanging upside down on a ride, the carnival barkers enticing someone to play a game. But after awhile sensory overload takes it's toll, and all that walking too, and we made the carousel our last stop. We sat down and just listened to the music and enjoyed the smiles on the faces of children, fathers close by. The carousel here was built in 1913 - imagine going around and around and around for so many years, and still goin' strong. Sounds hopeful, doesn't it.

Stalled in the Street

It ran, but it stalled. Fair-goers had to help rock the darn thing to get it started, then it spewed steam and squirted water out of the radiator. There was a big blast and sputter, a discharge of smoke, and it was on it's way.

Getting Ready to Show

My daughter and I enjoyed watching the dairy cattle getting ready to be judged. I'll post pictures of this event later in the week.

Horticulture Displays

For many years this is the first place I went when we went to the Fair. I was a gardener for over 25 years, and have grown most of the things you see here.

Even in a city, a desperate gardener can rent garden plots from the Metropolitan Park District - Community Gardens. I usually got four, and I can remember a lot of home grown food: Fava beans, green beans, black-eyed peas, Oriental peas, regular peas, all kinds of squash and pumpkin, corn, potatoes (Yukon gold were my favorite), carrots, cabbage, onions, beets, Swiss Chard, all types of spinach and lettuce, cilantro, parsley, oregano, basil, buckwheat, fennel, dill, tomatoes... and more that I can't even recall.

What I do recall is that my husband would gather the produce after work, and put it in the refrigerator, with all the dirt still on it. I'd have to haul the beets out, wash them and put them back...those were some wonderful good eatin' days. And, he is a good cook!

Antique Collection - Shoes

Later this week I'll post more photos of the Collections at the Fair, and talk about some of my own collections.

Gut-Rumblin' Quiche

I won't be here tomorrow, I'm goin' to the Fair with my daughter, so I've cooked ahead for my family - a Gut Rumblin Quiche and some corn bread. I call it that because Acidman on Gut Rumbles wrote about a heavenly quiche today, which I decided to try. Unfortunately, I didn't have fish.

But, mine was Gut-Rumblin' good, trust me. Click on image for a bigger bite...

Gut-Rumblin' Quiche

Prepare one pie crust.

Saute fine chopped garden beans, celery, onion and garlic. Chop 4 link sausages into tiny slices.

Beat 3 eggs, add 3/4 cup whole milk, and add tabasco, salt and pepper to taste. (I didn't add any salt. The sausage had plenty.)

Pour sauteed vegetables into crust, then pour egg-milk mixture over it.

Add shredded cheese on top, with fine chopped Ritz crackers.

Bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Allow to sit 15 minutes before cutting, and serve with cornbread and a tossed green salad. That's for dinner tonight. Thanks to Gut Rumbles.

Filming Our Canoeing Trips

In this photo I was filming Puget Sound on a canoeing trip earlier this summer. It was pretty nippy out, and the water got too rough, so we headed inland, hopeful for more gentle water.

We've canoed hundreds of locations in all kinds of weather. I've filmed under an umbrella in the rain, during a sudden storm, while George was vigorously paddling along shore. We've paddled while snow was falling, and also when it was 90 degrees out. We've paddled in morning mist, and done late evening glides with the sunset on the water. All of these conditions offer unique filming advantages.

By now I've learned what to focus on, when to zoom in or pull back, what to film with bird sounds, and how to linger on a subject to satisfy my curiosity - all of this while moving along in a paddle rhythm. I have hand signals for George to follow, to slow down or stop, to turn, because I do not want my voice giving directions on film. He has since come to watch me, and knows what to do to get good film. He has an interest in getting good results.

I film our hikes too. I've always enjoyed listening to dry grass crunch underfoot and the gentle conversation that goes along with hiking. I like camera angles of our climb, of the crevaces in rocks, the vegetation on the ground. Sometimes I hold the camera down as I walk, just because of the variety of vegetation. I've filmed the sound of the rain as we ate our lunch, and when the rain stopped red-wing blackbirds started calling out to each other.

When we camp, I film cooking over the fire, and the image of the canoe in the water at sunset. I love camp scenes, of setting up, gear ready in the canoe - even the image of George pulling on his long underwear, inside the tent. I've captured images of coffee being made from inside the tent doorway, with the fabric of the tent framing the steaming brew.

I love to film all my family gathered around the fire, in multiple conversations, while eating dinner, and, I'll film everything on the picnic table to show the meal. In all, I manage to get a lot of family history, conversations that would have been forgotten in time. The only thing that is missing is me - you can hear my voice, but not see me because I'm behind the camera. Only rarely do I turn the camera on myself - it's got to be a good hair day, and when you are battling all kinds of weather, that is not likely to happen. I'm usually wearing a visor, sun-glasses, a big scarf around my neck, double layers of everything - even gloves sometimes. And, of course my green life-jacket. In winter I've got a down coat over everything - I'm sure if we capsized, I'd float, just from all the stuff I wear to keep warm.

Well, I bring this up, because some mornings I turn CNN off, and just enjoy my coffee with one of these videos, like I did this morning, and it will sure take me away! We've got a four day trip planned for the last weekend of this month over at Banks Lake, Jones Bay, Eastern Washington, one of our favorite camping locations. My sister and her husband and a bunch of the 'kids' will go along. My son-in-law will bring their canoe, and we'll do some more hiking and paddling. Should be pretty quiet over there now. I'm packing.

Cajun Cookin' For Lunch

I made a Cajun Gumbo for lunch, using shrimp, sole, a tiny bit of octupus and squid (left-over from someone's lunch out), and some little hamburger balls. I simmered the vegetables in a spicy broth, then added the fish and meatballs. I thickened the broth just a little with flour, to make it richer.

It is supposed to be eaten with cornbread and coleslaw, but, my sons devoured it without - double helpings.

I'll make the cornbread later, in time for dinner. I have a feeling this gumbo isn't going to last long.

Cajun Cookin'

This is how my sons ate the Cajun Gumbo - on top of rice.

I simmered the sauce about an hour before I added the fish and meat balls. When a slotted spoon is used to get the goodies, a lot of rich broth is left, and I'm going to freeze some of it for future gumbos.

This recipe was inspired by GuyK, of CharmingJustCharming - he's got the recipe on his blog today...go check it out.

Compost Soup

This is a small portion of George's Italian beans. He has them along the south side of the house, so they get manximum light and heat. He's strung heavy chord up to the eaves of the house, and has staked them at the bottom. When George comes home from work, these beans are the first thing he checks, and he putters around them like a mother hen. This photo was taken a month ago, when they hadn't yet grown up to the rain gutters. To pick the beans up there, he'll have to use a ladder.

Anyway, to get to the real issue of my post - Compost Soup.

When I first arrived in Tacoma, I joined a Community Garden Program, and rented 4 garden plots from the city. I worked with a lot of nice people, many of whom were Ukrainian, and one of them said to me, "We watch you!", which was her way of saying that they had to learn new ways to garden over here in the Pacific Northwest.

Every spring, the ground was extremely wet, from a winter of rain. I showed them how to dig trenches, and double dig, to make berms that stayed dry. They could plant all their onions, and they would be up, out of the water. If you didn't dig trenches for water, your bulbs rotted in boggy soil.

By doing this, all the rain went into the trenches. One spring it backfired a little, though. There was so much rain, everyone had to replant - except me. I went and collected grass clippings from neighbors (here they bagged them up and put them out by the curb to be hauled away by the garbage collector). They gave me enough bagged cut grass to fill up all my trenches, and I just put my wading boots on and mashed it down. Goopy, yes. And stinky.

It all rotted into a compost soup that seeped into my growing beds in July, and my plants looked twice their normal size. Everyone who had to replant, had puny stuff, then there was this one plot that was phenomenal! People would drive by and ask me what I'd done to get such excellent growth. Well, you can imagine my amusement when I told them about the misfortune I had in the spring, with so much rain...

After that, everyone was digging trenches, filling them with grass clippings, and making "Compost Soup".

Hoppin' Away

This photo is of the hops that I planted two years ago. It is an agricultural crop around here, and I knew it was a climber, so I tried it. It is a hearty little devil, and the buds are used in making beer. This photo was taken before any of the buds began to drop into their little cones.

Somewhere in that mass is my utility meter, which I make sure is visable, regardless of what Mrs. Hopps wants to do.

Pie On the Porch

Well, it took several days to get my youngest daughter moved into her new apartment up in Seattle, and when we were done, we went to the Whole Foods Market, just to look at everything.

I've never been in such a bountiful place. Both my daughters went to shop, and I just wandered around to look at all the deli items, bulk items, fresh fish and fresh fruit. Everything was displayed beautifully, to entice you to buy something, so I bought some goat cheese with chives and some crackers, some fancy fish soup with French bread, and a chocolate doughnut and a cup of coffee. We sat at a little deli-bar and went over some menu's, and watched the crowds. I never saw so many people in a grocery store, so much good food, or such happy employees. When I got home, I made two pumpkin pies, and as you can see, I like crispy crust on the top.

Hunger Pangs

I spent most of the afternoon cooking; two of my boys are having a day off from work, and they are hungry. Dinner is served!

They've been cleaning up a woman's yard and helping out at Brighton Creek Conference Center. They are 'between real jobs' right now, and so they are staying busy helping out wherever they can. When Taraz got off work last night, he went down to the Red Cross office, and signed up to do some volunteer work, which is what they love to do.

I guess when nothing is coming to you, it is best to go to it! I tell them, 'provide service, to see what you are worth', and, you'll learn a lot. I remember doing this a long time ago, when I couldn't find a job - I just volunteered to do what I wanted to do. I helped out in a nursing home, put out a state bulletin, co-ordinated travel teaching teams, gave classes in art, babysat, even taught for several weeks in preschools at Baha'i summer schools. It allowed me to tap into experiences I never would have had otherwise. And, I met other nice people who taught me how to quilt or knit, how to bake bread, and make Mexican tortillas from scratch.

I sometimes worry about my boys, like mothers do, and I pour that anxiety into cooking good food. Last night they came home so tired, George too, and I was grateful that I had a good hearty meal to serve. And, I did it in shifts, as they all came home...me, well, I ate dinner as I was making it, a taste here, a taste there. Counting my blessings, one taste at a time.