MaryJanesFarm

Last year, snow.

This year, jonquils.

Last year, white.
This year, yellow.

Someone once told me, "do not eat the yellow snow."
I had never seen yellow snow until last year.
I did not eat it.

Gallop on over to The City Farmgirl Blog at MaryJanesFarm.
I put a new post up!

I did forget to say something in that article that I'll say here.
Something very important.

Listen.

If you've got kids on Facebook, then you need an account on Facebook yourself.
Make your kids "friend" you, or make them get off Facebook.
If you don't want to do that, then don't let your kids on Facebook.
If they don't want to "friend" you, then make them get off Facebook.
It's that important.
For real.

End of sermon....

A Song for Martin Luther King

Lyrics:

Let us turn our thoughts today to Martin Luther King

And recognize that there are ties between us,

All men and women living on the earth,
Ties of hope and love, Sister and brotherhood.
That we are bound together in our desire to see the world become

A place in which our children can grow free and strong

We are bound together by the task that stands before us

And the road that lies ahead.
We are bound and we are bound.

There is a feeling like the clenching of a fist.

There is a hunger in the center of the chest.
There is a passage through the darkness and the mist.
And though the body sleeps the heart will never rest.

chorus:

Shed a little light, oh lord

So that we can see

Just a little light, oh lord

Wanna stand it on up

Stand it on up, oh lord

Wanna walk it on down

Shed a little light, oh lord

Can't get no light from the dollar bill.

Don't give me no light from a tv screen
When I open my eyes wanna drink my fill
From the well on the hill
(do you know what I mean? )

There is a feeling like the clenching of a fist
There is a hunger in the center of the chest
There is a passage through the darkness and the mist
And though the body sleeps the heart will never rest

Oh, let us turn our thoughts today

To Martin Luther King
And recognize that there are ties between us,
All men and women living on the earth
Ties of hope and love
Sister and brotherhood…

Snow Proclamation

I do hereby proclaim:

One day I will live somewhere

where

I can have snow

in winter time.

I'm remembering last year's storm.

Oh, how it convinved me

of something I really already knew:

I love snow.

I want snow.

I need snow.

I mean, come on...

this is how my driveway looked in the snow.

What's not to love?!

And we sang, "Walking in a winter wonderland."

So far this year? Nada. Not a flurry. Sad sigh.
How's your winter weather coming along? Is it everything you dream of?

Cripsy Kale and Spelling Bees

"Crip-sy" Kale.

I've told you before what an awesome speller my daughter is.
Seriously good.
When we need to know how to spell a word, we ask her.
And it's that time of the year again.
Spelling Bee season!
She made it to the school-wide Bee.
Her next competition is this Thursday.
So send out vibrations for her at 8 am!

Which, by the way,
just happens to be my 21st Wedding Anniversary to my Sweet Husband,
who, by the way,
just happens to want to be a Cowboy when he grows up.
(More on that later.)

Yes, indeedy, Thursday will be the 21st time that one of us has called the other during the day
just to sing:
"Happy Anniversary, Baby, got you on my mind..."
Bad song then. Bad song now. But it's the only anniversary song we know.
So, well, it's what we do.

Anyway.
 
When I went by the Farmer's Market the other day, I couldn't resist.
I spotted a lovely little bag filled with baby curly kale.
It was far too cute to pass up.

Tiny, curly, bright green leaves.
When I washed them, I realized just how cute they really were.
Even more so than I had originally thought at the Market.
They were too cute to simply saute or boil!
I must do something SPECIAL.
So, I baked them instead.

You've heard about this from all your health-nut friends.
They eat this instead of potato chips.
Well, My Friends, I am no health-nut.
And this is no potato chip.

If you expect it to be, then prepare to be disappointed.
But if you appreciate Crispy Kale for what it is.
An interestingly delicious different way to make your greens.
Well, you'll be sold.
Because it's crispy and light and tasty.
I serve it as a vegetable with dinner, not as a snack.

CriPSy Kale

1 bunch small kale leaves
kosher salt
olive oil

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Wash the kale thoroughly.
Dry well. Very well.
I use the salad spinner for drying all my leafy greens.

Cut out any large stalks or ribs.

There's the list of spelling words.

I'm calling them out for my daughter as I prepare the kale for baking!

The hardest one so far?

I'll have to ask her.

Maybe extemporaneously.

(Did I spell that right?) 

Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Lay in a single layer in a baking pan.

Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven.
Then, mix it around real good.
Bake another 10 minutes.

Each leaf crispy and delicious!

(p.s. Kale is one of those super-foods, so eat often!)
(p.s.s. It's very easy to grow too, so throw some seeds out next spring!)

Have a great day, Y'all!

Old Man Winter

Dear Old Man Winter,

Where are you?
We're a-missin' you.

The soup is ready.
We've got firewood a-plenty.
Even new mittens.
And a sled.
And a fresh bottle of vanilla for snow cream.

All we need is you.
Please come soon.
We're waiting.....

A Beautiful Letter

I am the luckiest person alive.
I am blessed with opportunities to share.
I am blessed with YOU.

I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate your emails, letters, comments, warm vibes. I read every one. I am sharing some emails and letters I have received, but I only do so with the sender's permission. Know that you would never see your communication here. Your words are safe with me. I only share with your express permission. Know that.

I do believe that sharing ourselves with each other is what makes the world go around.

A honey bee in an old timey "Rose of Sharon" (Althea) at our Farm.

Sharing is a bit like pollination.

We gather, we enrich, we fertilize, we amend, we shed, we sprinkle, we shower, we help.

It spreads...

And part of sharing ourselves with each other is taking off the masks, revealing our vulnerabilities. It's sharing our experiences, good and bad. It's being real and authentic.

It's also about sharing our loves, our losses, and how we got through them.

Meet Donna and her Dad. Get yourself a cup of tea and read this beautiful letter...

Dear Beka,
I enjoy reading your messages and musings to us in Mary Jane's Farm.  I followed to your own blog the story about the Christmas jammies.  Something you wrote about when you grow up and realize that the magic of Christmas is in the giving not the getting spoke to me.  If you do it right, this season of giving becomes even more special as an adult or at least more fulfilling.

I've been thinking about my father even more than usual this week.  The 17th was the third anniversary of his passing.  He was very giving and his influence lives on.  I wanted to share a letter I wrote about our family.  I sent it to the head of a yarn company (that will make sense when you read it) the summer after his death.  I didn't get a response from her, but that never really mattered to me.  It seems that the writing of it, putting down on paper what was on my mind, was therapeutic for me.  My mother was quite moved and asked me to send copies to family and friends.  She didn't think they really knew Dad in his later years. 

I'm sending the content of that letter to you now if you would like to read it.  There's a current year update following it.

Thank you for making us think, making us smile and trying to always make the world and the people in it better for having known you!

My father, Howard Whittaker (Whitey), was a very special guy and we lost him just before Christmas. He would have been 80 this year on May 22. He started at age 74 making machine- knitted hats for charity and, at his death, had made nearly 2000 of them!

Mom and I have been knitting and crocheting for forever but Dad’s hobbies were never about fiber unless he was making us knitting needles or some other tool. I got a simple knitting machine in the ‘80s and had no luck with it - got it out of the closet every 2 years or so, tried to get it going, cursed at it and put it back in the closet. Early in 2003, I discovered that a friend in a sewing group was also a machine knitter. She broke the curse of that machine and got me going, with a vengeance. With my mother’s help, I cranked out hats for charity while I learned machine techniques. Each year we have a Christmas coat drive in the medical office where I work and this has come to include mittens, hats, and scarves which we use to decorate the tree. The hats were perfect - colorful and homemade - onto the tree they went. Dad thought this was really great and wanted to do something to help. By December, I had given my knitting machine to Mom and was now cursing at a new and more complicated one. Dad told Mom that he thought he could run her machine and he had time to make some hats before the coat drive deadline.

The plan was that he would get it out of the attic and watch the enclosed video. I was to swing by that evening on my way to our office Christmas party to show him how to work it and get him started with the hat pattern. He was a tool and die maker by trade so he was quite the perfectionist. By the time I arrived, he had watched the video three times, set up the whole thing and had a swatch made. When he started correcting me as I "taught" him how to make a hat, I knew my work was done - he was off and running. He had 14 hats for me by the 16th of December.

What transpired over the coming years was quite a blessing to our family. Dad’s health was declining and he wasn’t able to do as much of the woodworking, fishing and gardening he so enjoyed. He could, however, run that knitting machine (machine being the operative word here, he wanted to be sure that folks knew he didn’t sit and knit, he sat and ran a machine!!!). On a good day, Dad could crank out 6 or 8 hats. Vision issues and some shoulder pain slowed production at times but he cranked out lots and lots of hats over several years. The last 9 months or so of his life he couldn’t sit at the machine but he still made some hats on a hand-held loom. He made thick, warm hats for shelters, adult and child size. We saved these through the year until just before Christmas when they would adorn the tree in our office, a red, white and green one for the tree topper. He made adult hats in baby weight yarn as chemo caps that we donated to the local cancer center and he made preemie hats for the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. The agencies that received the hats were very grateful and their feedback, often in the form of a thank-you note or letter did a lot to make him feel good about himself. I laugh when I hear knitters talking about being yarn snobs. I used to call Dad one - the reverse of the usual though. He never would use wool yarn. It did make sense - his hats were most likely to be thrown in a washer and dryer so acrylic was the best choice. It was funny hearing him relate how different brands of yarn and different colors within the same brand behaved differently in the machine, just like a seasoned fiber veteran. He kept meticulous notes of how many stitches to cast on and how many rows made up the ribbing. As word got around of what we were doing, we started getting lots of donations of yarn - lots - everyone we knew seemed to be cleaning out their craft closets and buying bags at yard sales and thrift shops. We had a lot of wool given to us which I made into felted purses, sold the purses, and then we used the money to buy acrylic yarn. You should have seen Dad and I at the local craft store - we waited for a good sale and were able to fill two carts to the brim with skeins of every color.

A couple years after he started with the hats, Dad had some trouble with the machine that he couldn’t fix. They no longer produced the Brother machine he used so I went looking for one for sale. I asked online at the machine knitting forum I belonged to if anyone knew someone selling a Brother machine just like his. I got two offers, one very kind lady sent us the complete knitting machine for just the cost of the postage and another sold us a machine at a very reasonable price. Fiber folks are kind and caring.

The hat project was a great source of family fun and grew quickly to include extended family and friends. We had yarn given to us that just wouldn’t work in his machine so I started hand knitting scarves to go with the hats, joined quickly by my cousin, Jean, and my friend, Norma. Mom was still busy sewing up the seams as Dad had no interest in learning how to sew and she was making pom-pons for each (at Dad’s insistence). My husband, Mike, was always keeping busy winding the yarn from commercial skeins into balls better suited for the machine. He is also an expert detangler. He became intrigued by the pom-pon production and, with Mom’s help, he taught himself to make very precise ones and took over that job. My mother-in-law, Ellen, developed serious vision problems and found herself unable to drive or do some of the other activities that had been so much a part of her life. Well, it turns out she knows how to knit - we got her large needles (Dad made us all handmade wooden scarf needles - size 17) and she started cranking out scarves at a rate of one per evening. If she can’t see the stitch, she can feel it. She wore Dad’s needles down to a weird corkscrew shape and he had to make her a new set. We got her a 24", size 17 cable needle and got her going on small baby blankets for the hospital - we had to replace that too as she wore down the plastic ends to something shaped like thick screwdrivers, flat with no point. Mom would make lap size afghans for nursing homes from all of the little balls of yarn too small to make a hat or a hat stripe. We wound them up, tied on the next color, and kept winding till we had a big ball of all colors of yarn. Nothing went to waste - Dad used to joke that we needed to find a use for all the yarn fuzz that came from Mike’s precise trimming of the pom-pons. There have been many evenings over the years spent winding balls of yarn, picking color sets for the striped hats, matching hats with scarves and laughing - we have had such a good time.

This past December, I stripped clean the office tree on the 15th to take everything to the agencies in time for Christmas. Dad passed away on the 17th and, with a heavy heart, I made the delivery the following day. One of the directors of the Clothing Bank happened to come out to meet me at the car that day. She saw the hats in the bag and grabbed one - remarking how nice it was. She remembered meeting Dad a couple years before. As I explained why it would be the last of them, she hugged me and we both stood and cried there in the parking lot. It was after New Year’s before I returned to work to find one of Dad’s hats sitting on the front desk. The girls had found it when they took the tree down - a runaway that had fallen back behind it. They said I was meant to keep one. And I did - it sits here on my printer right next to the laptop. We’re not quite ready yet but Mom, Mike, and I hope to set up Dad’s machine again and crank out hats for this coming Christmas (or next).

So, knitting, seems to some a simple pastime but it’s been so much more to my family. It gave Dad a new purpose - filled his days with activity, stimulated his mind, allowed him to help others. It continues to provide recreation for Ellen and a way for her to help others even with diminished sight. It has provided all of us with many hours of family fun and fellowship and the good vibes are spreading. The wife of a long time patient used to make scarves for me each year for our office tree. Her needlework group is now making knitted and crocheted items for charity and doing their own coat and clothing drive. Another patient knits for the local Seaman’s Center - we give her the extra "guy colors" we have for her projects. Mom fills 30 goodie baskets each Christmas for a local nursing home and will expand that this year to include stockings for soldiers. Now everyone we know is saving us their travel toiletries, combs, pens, costume jewelry, etc. even a nice lady who moved away but she still sends us a box of things a couple times a year. The generous gifts of yarn, the knitting machine, and the interest people have shown in helping us help others has affirmed my faith in human nature. Thanks for letting me share our story with you.
Donna Ricchuiti
Bear, DE

The 2011 update to that letter is that I'm happy to report that we had a banner year for the coat drive - the most coats we've ever collected - 113.  There were 226 scarves, 128 hats and 91 sets of mittens or gloves.   We still can't quite bring ourselves to get out Dad's knitting machine and use it to make hats - maybe this summer the time will be right.   We did, however, enjoy the Indian Summer weather here in the east this fall.  One Saturday evening found us sitting on Mom's deck, she and I knitting and Mike making pompons - smiling and laughing once again.   We have picked up a couple more hat makers.  My cousin, Jean, has added loom knitted hats to her repertoire along with her mother, Aunt Marie.  My mother is making loom hats and all are getting hand crafted pompons from Mike.  We've added our friend, Madeline, who helped us sort, bag and deliver all the goodies with her pick up truck.  The wife of our long term patient passed away suddenly last year and I hope that her group continues on with the charity programs she set up.  A nice lady in the office has started crocheting us scarves each year and several patients now either buy or hand knit/crochet items for us.  Mike's mom, Ellen, continues to crank out a scarf, a hat, or most of a little baby blanket each evening.  I don't get a lot of knitting done but I coordinate the donated and purchased yarns and get them to the knitters. 

Mike and I helped Mom stuff 40 nursing home baskets which we'll deliver on the 23rd. So many family and friends collected things for us that we were able to share with the Stockings For Soldiers program.

Thank you for letting me talk to you - it helps me get through this now bittersweet time of year.

My best to you and your family - Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, peaceful 2012.


Thank you for letting me share your story, Donna!
And it spreads....

Winter at Our Farm

A couple of years ago, we heard the snow was coming to Western North Carolina.
So we piled into our car and headed up to our Farm.
The snow came.
We jumped with joy when it started to fall on the mountains and in our meadow.
And then we ran outside to play in it.
Yes, those are plastic bags on my daughter's shoes.
We didn't (and don't!) have the right clothes for snowy weather.
And then more white stuff came.
Our snow dreams came true.

A day later it was gone.
And we came back home.

I just found the pics buried in my files, and I couldn't wait to put them together.

We LOVED this trip.
We LOVE our Farm.
We LOVE it even more in the snow....





Oh, that summer scene is the day we planted a little tiny Norway Spruce in front of the house. My parents have always had one in front of their house, thus began the tradition....

Walk With Me

Do you remember a few weeks ago when I did a Give-Away for a maryjanesfarm 2012 calendar?
Well, the winner was Adrienne. And this is her thank you note.
She said that I could share with you.
I received it and was so moved, I just wanted to share.

The question I have for you, is this: Will you walk with me?

On April 14th, the day Adrienne will be walking in Relay for Life SF, I am going to walk with her. No, not in SF, tho I wish, because I LOVE SF.
I'll be doing it here in her honor.
I don't know if I'll be in an official event or if I'll be taking the steps after work. But I do know that I'll be WALKING FOR HER.

Let's all take steps with Adrienne and for Adrienne on April 14th.
It doesn't matter if you are walk down your street, or walk your dog in the park, or walk on a treadmill, or walk to work, or walk downtown during your lunch hour.
Just walk.
For Adrienne.
Or, if you'd like to participate in an Official Relay for Life Event, here's their website.

Hi Rebekah,

Thank you again for the beautiful calendar.
I will think of you and your kindness (and terrific taste) every time I look at it.
After posting birthdays and anniversaries for family and friends, I added the daily radiation treatments starting January 9 and ending finally on February 24.
I hope to be well enough to walk the Survivors Lap at the American Cancer Society Relay for Life in San Francisco on April 14.
I also hope you and your family enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to a new year full of promise and happiness.
Hugs,
Adrienne

Let's also send prayers, thoughts and hugs for Adrienne. Her treatment starts January 9th.

This photo was taken at the same time as the first one above.

Perspective changes everything. 

Grits Pie

Whoops. I did it again. I used a title in yesterday's post that had nothing to do with the recipe included. I've gotten complaints about you not being able to easily access the recipes in the archive, so I'm trying to remember to use the title of the recipe in the blog post title. But I forgot yesterday.

So, here's the Grits Pie recipe once again. The only difference is there are pictures today!

A couple of things to know about this Pie. It isn't dessert. It's a side dish. And, the recipe calls for quick grits, but you can use "REAL," just adjust the cooking time. (Did you take my three-part Grits 101 course a while back? Here's the first post. Here's the second post. Here's the third post. Now you know everything you ever wanted to know about grits!)

Grits Pie

1 and 2/3 cup water
1 cup whipping cream
3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
2 TBSP butter
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2/3 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1 and 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided
8 eggs, divided
1 onion, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup milk
1/2 lb cooked and diced ham (optional)
Fresh chives (optional)

Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a saucepan; gradually whisk in grits.
Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 5-7 minutes, whisking occasionally.

Now, if you're using the REAL grits, use 2 full cups of water and let cook for about 15-20 minutes. Stir often so there is no sticking on the bottom of the pan. Add additional water if needed.

Add 1/2 cup of the cheese, stirring until the cheese melts. (you'll use the rest of the cheese in a minute....)
Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes.
Lightly beat 2 eggs (you'll use the rest of the eggs in a minute....) and stir into grits mixture.
Pour into a greased 10" deep-dish pie plate.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes; remove from oven.

Increase oven temp to 400 degrees.

Saute onions and ham, if you're using it, in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Layer ham mixture evenly over grits crust. Whisk together milk and remaining 6 eggs, pour over onion mixture. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup cheese evenly over egg mixture.

Bake in 400 degree over for 35 minutes. (I usually place the pie plate in a big pan of water in the oven.)

Let stand 10 minutes and cut into wedges to serve.

Garnish with fresh chives, if you've got 'em and want to.

There you have it: Southern yumminess in a pie plate.

Don't Tempt Fate

Collards,
black-eyed peas,
grits pie,
and smoked pork loin for the meat-eaters.
And some bubbly.

Yep, that's my menu for today.
Always has been.
Always will be.

Except for the pork, which comes and goes with the years.
I don't usually eat Little Piggies, but this menu is full of them or their derivatives.
I'm working around the no piggies thing this year for the sake of me, family, friends and FATE.


Collards bring financial wealth--money--in the upcoming year.
(yep I need some of that.)

Black-eyed peas bring good health.
(yep I need some of that.)

Grits bring happiness.
(yep I need some of that.)

And pork brings progress.
(yep I need some of that too.)

I'm not sure what the bubbly brings....
Maybe that brings fun.
I just made that up, but I like it.
I'm sticking with it.

This year I cheated on the collards.
I couldn't find large, fresh ones, so I bought the washed and cut ones.

By the way, I always wash the bagged greens I buy, even if it says triple-washed. Ever since my Mom found a bumble-bee in her bag 'o salad.
So, the collards were easy.
I washed them, and then put them in a big pot of water.
I usually add salt and olive oil and just let those babies boil.

But this year, since I wanted to be very authentic and assure progress in 2012, I bought a HAM HOCK!

But don't ask me exactly what a ham hock is.
And don't tell me either because I don't want to know!
But I do know it should help with the progress that pork is supposed to bring us all.

The collards are in there boiling now.
Which reminds me.
Collards put a distinct "aroma" in your house, most people say the "stink to high heaven."
So light a beautifully scented candle or saute onions to get rid of the smell.

Now.
On to the black eyed peas.
I find canned peas to be mushy, so I always use dried peas that I have soaked over-night.
There is nothing to be afraid of here. "Oh that's just too much," my un-kitcheny friend said.
It's not. For real.

All you do is dump them out of the little plastic bag they come in and look for weird things among the peas that don't  belong (like little stones), and then cover them in water and put plastic wrap over the bowl.

In the morning, drain them.
And put them in a big pot of water.
I usually add salt, olive oil, and a chopped onion.

But this year? Yep, a ham hock went in there too!
Progress, progress, progress.
That's what that big brown-pink hunk of whatever is.
Don't ask; don't tell.

Now! For the Grits Pie.
I haven't put that together yet, so I don't have a picture, but this is the recipe. Come back tomorrow for a picture. A couple of things to know about this Pie. It isn't dessert. It's a side dish. And, the recipe calls for quick grits, but you can use "REAL,"  just adjust the cooking time. (Did you take my three-part Grits 101 course a while back? Here's the first post. Here's the second post. Here's the third post. Now you know everything you ever wanted to know about grits!)

Grits Pie

1 2/3 cup water
1 cup whipping cream
3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
2 TBSP butter
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2/3 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided
8 eggs, divided
1 onion, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup milk
1/2 lb cooked and diced ham (optional)
Fresh chives (optional)

Bring first 6 ingredients to a boil in a saucepan; gradually whisk in grits.
Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 5-7 minutes, whisking occasionally.
Add 1/2 cup of the cheese, stirring until the cheese melts. (you'll use the rest of the cheese in a minute....)
Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes.

Lightly beat 2 eggs (you'll use the rest of the eggs in a minute....) and stir into grits mixture.
Pour into a greased 10" deep-dish pie plate.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes; remove from oven.

Increase oven temp to 400 degrees.

Saute onions and ham, if you're using it, in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Layer ham mixture evenly over grits crust. Whisk together milk and remaining 6 eggs,; pour over onion mixture. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup cheese evenly over egg mixture.

Bake in 400 degree over for 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and cut into wedges to serve.
Garnish with fresh chives, if you've got 'em and want to.
There you have it:  Southern yumminess in a pie plate.

Happy New Year, Sweet Friends! Here's to 2012!

I wish you a year filled with good fortune, good health, good decisions, and much good luck!

Eat the greens and the beans and the grits!

Don't tempt fate....