No Need for the Muffin Man....

Do you know the Muffin Man?
The Muffin Man, the Muffin Man.
Do you know the Muffin Man,
Who lives in Drury Lane?

In the Olden Days, back in England, there was actually a muffin delivery man. And when the English say "muffin" they mean what we Americans call "English Muffins." Not cupcake-esque muffins, namesake of the infamous low-rise-jean "muffin top" issue.

No need for a Muffin Man around here, because I now have a surplus of English Muffins. Once I learned how to make a decent free-form loaf of sourdough bread from wild yeast, I was encouraged to attempt fancier things. My cousin Janna (aka my baking coach) led me to this wonderful English Muffin recipe. Even though she is a five-hour-drive away in San Francisco, the US sourdough capital, we are frequently comparing the rise and fall of our loaves and swapping dinner inspiration.

This recipe was surprisingly simple, with only one real rise. I didn't have a round cookie cutter so I cut them out using the edge of a drinking glass.

You don't even bake them! They are made more like pancakes:

I will never look at an English muffin the same way. These are one of the best things I've ever made. Let me know if you want a sourdough baby/pet/starter so you can make your own.

I put half away in the freezer and left some out to admire. I served them up this morning in a makeshift version of Eggs Benny with spinach, a poached egg, and a yellow sauce made with lemons, mustard, curry powder and a bit of mayo.

If you are interested in an *American* muffin, I also made these yummy apple muffins. I used mealy old apples from the back of the fridge and they turned out really well. They were delish like an indulgent coffee shop treat. Please, friends, never use a muffin mix again!

Breakaway from Cancer: Timed Cycling Trials

On a whim, we headed up the coast to watch the timed cycling trials going on in the charming little Danish town of Solvang. I was happy to find out it was also a fundraiser for cancer research. This cause became near and dear to my heart when Andrew was faced with testicular cancer last fall.

Highlights from the outing:

The rolling hills we drove through were all a vibrant green from recent rain and I saw snow-capped mountains in the distance Purple lupines were dotting the sides of the 101.

Solvang is a fun town, with a Little Mermaid statue and windmills. It was also full of professional cycling teams and their memorabilia.

I enjoyed the happy crowd full of cycling enthusiasts and cancer fighters. Right before my battery died, I caught this image of a pro cylist whizzing by.

The highlight for many people was American hero Lance Armstrong flying by in his yellow LIVESTRONG jersey. I learned a lot more about him after reading his book It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life. You can check out my goodreads.com review.

It was a festive atmosphere. Andrew, who started working in a bike shop at age 11, recognized all sorts of fancy valuable bikes. He pointed out old ladies on $3000 bikes, and banged up Subarus with $30, 000 in bikes stacked on the roof. I heard many European accents in the crowd and was excited to see an older couple on a racing tandem.

It was a fun, inspiring event and a great way to spend a sunny afternoon. Also a great reminder to get outside, bike more, and take advantage of the Santa Barbara County's fantastic geography.

Open Your Eyes

I love living by the ocean.

I'm a dabbler. This is why teaching elementary school appealed to me far more than being a single-subject teacher. I have many interests and go through obsessive hobby phases like tennis, jewelry-making, or long-board skateboarding. Most recently I'm consumed by digital photography, making bread from wild yeast, ceramics, and learning about plants. Though I never "go pro" or really even excel, I feel like these experiences help me grow a new understanding of how things work. They all become a part of me. Not surprisingly, choosing a major in undergrad was really difficult for me. I settled on English literature, feeling like it was most inclusive and complemented my interests in both history and art. Plus, reading and writing are other favs!

My hobbies these days help me to remember to live in the moment and give me a sense of purpose.

They danced by the light of the moon...

While I've always loved picture taking, I'm getting into night photography for the first time. The clear desert skies combined with lack of city lights make for great star-gazing weather. I love the challenge and magic of a low-light-setting. The moon was almost full.

Pottery requires intense concentration and a relaxed sort-of mind/body coordination. I have to smudge my name on the bat because I completely forget what I make between sessions. These bowls still need to be trimmed on the bottom but I whipped them out so quickly I was shocked. Last semester I'd spend hours just trying to center one blob of clay. Documenting growth is rewarding!

Yes, I am!

The Center of Everything: A Novel

The Center of Everything: A Novel
by Laura Moriarty

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I am still thinking about it. The cover made it look like it was going to be fluffy, but it was poignant and well-written.

I tend to like books about smart, under-appreciated poor kids from dysfunctional families (Matilda, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, anyone?). It's a coming of age book, set in the 80's, and I related to the main character. For me, it was a realistic portrait of adolescence. I loved her religious phase and her holier-than-thou attitude toward the people around her who make bad choices, the tense mother-daughter relationship, the mom who is problematic but loving, her stunning but less-than-bright best friend, her unrequited crush, her frenemies, and how she manages to separate herself from the mess around her, yet comes to terms with.

The school dynamic and the religious pulse in her community were true-to-life. I liked that the story is set in Kansas, which on map looks like "The Center of Everything" rather than the middle of nowhere.

I recognized the cover from a review I read years ago in O magazine (which usually has good recommendations) and am really happy that I noticed it on the honor-back shelf at my local library.

View all my reviews.

SB Photo Journal: I Heart Spring

Many people say their favorite season is fall, for the crispness and holiday anticipation. Or summer for the obvious sunshiney, carefree reasons. I think my favorite season is spring. I love the new growth and the feeling of anticipation. It feels like a Thursday night, right before the weekend. When I lived in Portland, I used to take walks along dirt roads that led to Trion State Park with Andrew's sister Heather. My favorite memory is seeing the sweet little crocuses poking their shy purple heads out through the cold mud. I'd know then that the end of a cold damp winter was in sight. Last fall, I planted a crocus bulbs between my rose bushes and was delighted when I saw my the first purple blooms the other day. And their variegated leaves make me go ooh-la-la. Crocuses remind me of babies--small and brilliant, with round little heads. Maybe a bit like the pansies in one of my favorite scenes ever:


Oh, Alice, my kindred spirit, Italian name (pronounced Ahleeshay), and best Halloween costume ever back in 4th grade.

Cauliflower isn't usually one of my favorite veggies, but I think it is gorgeous. When your grow something yourself it always tastes better.

Another spring blessing has been the rain. The thirsty desert climate is loving it. Frogs are happily croaking, worms are wriggling, and the charred Santa Ynez Mountains are radiant in green.

And any sign of snow, like this bit of frost on the mountains the other morning, leaves me feeling giddy and full of wonder.

Water for Elephants

Water for Elephants
by Sara Gruen

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars


I was disappointed with this book. Perhaps because I had been looking forward to reading it for some time. I like elephants, I liked the title and the cover, and I saw people I admire reading it. Well, the first half didn't disappoint me, it was well set up. But the romance that takes over the second-half wasn't very convincing. Other than her apparent good looks, I couldn't understand the appeal of the protagonist's love interest. I also had a hard time rooting for them because she was already married.

Both the circus history and the Great Depression historical fiction spliced throughout the novel were fascinating. I liked certain characters, especially his dwarf roommate. I think she did a good job creating the very elderly character the narrator becomes. But I didn't think he seemed like he was the same character as the young protagonist. His voice, opinions, interests didn't matched the version of him as a young man. When he is young he is passive and quiet and as an old person he is demanding, crude, and humorous. People change, but I figured these two versions of the same person would reflect one another more.

The elephant's antics were entertaining and the intelligence of the exotic animals in this story made their abuse even less tolerable. It reminded me of an event that happened when I was a kid growing up in Hawaii. An elephant killed her trainer, broke free from the circus, and went on a rampage, running down the streets of Honolulu. They killed the poor thing of course, and then there was talk of a statewide ban for visiting elephants. The circus hasn't been back since. Ten years later government authorities took away a whole mess of mistreated elephants--from that same owner!

I remember the news coverage was live while it was happening. Here is a video I found, if you're interested. Warning: it's pretty graphic.




View all my reviews.

Field Trip to a Hindu Temple

The other day I found myself in Montecito. Montecito is Santa Barbara's even more upper-class sister, sitting just Southeast, while Goleta, just north is where UCSB is actually located. University of Goleta just doesn't have the same ring to it. Goleta is SB's slightly cheaper sister, where they hide such things as the airport, Costco, and college students.

Montecito doesn't have much beyond windy tree-lined streets, huge gated-off estates, and a teeny row of shops. It is the home of Oprah, LA movie stars who come to escape, and other gazillionaires.

I was excited when I read about a Hindu temple located in the hills of Montecito so I went on a solo expedition to find it. I turned the ringer off my cellphone as I tiptoed up the steps:

The Million Dollar View. Okay, multi-million. This is California.

Didn't ring the bell but I was tempted.

I strolled through the gardens, snooped around the empty temple, and met a friendly man in the bookstore that sells new-age, spiritual stuff. This place is open to the public 7 days a week and may be the only place in Montecito that doesn't have a big tall fence with cameras mounted on it. I hope to return in a month when more wildflowers are blooming.

Homemade Pad Thai

Lately I have been trying to create every meal around our surplus of sourdough loaves, so I really wanted something different tonight.

We have yet to find a Thai place here that's yummy, and going out is a lot of effort and too much money these days. So I looked up Pad Thai and came up with this recipe:

Sauce:
2 tbs. Rice Wine Vinegar
4 tbs Fish Sauce
4 tbs White Sugar
Mix together, set aside.
*I might make more of the sauce so it is more ooey-gooey like a restaurant.

Cube 1 block tofu, then dip into
One beaten egg, mixed with 2 tbs water, & salt
Then roll pieces in 3 parts panko bread crumbs, one part dessicated coconut flakes.

Lightly fry the tofu in oil, with one clove minced garlic, until the breading is brown on all sides, add some salt. This part reminds me of coconut-crusted fish you can get at nice restaurants in Hawaii.
Set aside.

I would usually use Rice Noodles but i was out so I substituted half a package of angel hair pasta. I then steam-fried a bag of frozen Asian veggie mix from TJs. Once they cooked most of the way I threw in and wilted a huge bunch of deveined and chopped up mustard greens from the garden.

Scoot veggies out of the way and scramble 3 eggs. Set aside.

Once the noodles were cooked and cooled, I threw everything in a big cast iron pan with the yummy sweet-tart Thai sauce. I squeezed half a lime over it, and wedged the rest to serve it with.

I also melted a table spoon of peanut butter in the microwave and dribbled it on top since I didn't have any chopped peanuts.

Serve with dark Mexican beer. Yummy!

SB Photo Journal: Beaching It

Looks like pahoehoe lava flow, like you'd see on a Hawai'i beach. Nope. It's naturally occurring beach tar. This is the reason you may avoid going barefoot on the luscious white sand beaches around here. It was treasured by the Chumash Indians for its waterproofing ability and it's the reason for the brightly-lit pirate ship-esque oil platforms stationed off the coast. It also did a good job preserving the bones of the mammoths that lived on the Channel Islands across the way.

Bigger waves bring out better surfers, rather than the typical scene of Midwestern folk flailing about in whitewash... I am so pleased with this lucky shot! I love that the Island is visible behind him. Wish I knew who the guy was so I could give him some extra bragging rights.

Storm surf casualty-looks like it may have been worth it!

Rainy cloudy days make for better sunsets. Thank you sun! See you soon.

Rainy Sunday in February

Andrew's birthday was last Thursday. He means the world to me! I realized I have helped him celebrate 6!!? birthdays so far. We have grown up a lot together, through fun times and adventure, as well as through grief and challenging times. Elderly women, little kids, dogs, and even moody felines are all taken with this gentle, handsome man--why wouldn't I be? We really love one another more with every year that goes by...it just keeps getting better and better.

We celebrated with Mexican food and more friends than I've ever tried to squeeze into our little living room. I forced myself to get over my fear of fussing hosting and made a fruity hummingbird cake with gray lavender frosting:

Also...

*I have job interview tomorrow! I am too nervous to say anything more about it.

*The rainy weather brought in pounding surf. Much more reminiscent of Maui's North Shore or the constant, choppy waves off of the Oregon coast.

*I've been posting pics on my new flickr account. My sweet friend Heidi surprised me with a pro account of my own so I can share to my hearts content. But I still haven't figured out how to download the flickr uploader, since my computer runs Linux and I know nothing about code. Help!

*Andrew's little sister is moving from Belgium to the LA area in late February. She will be driving down from Oregon and we look forward to seeing her and meeting her new husband(!!!).

*With my cousin's constant coaching, I am becoming a better (and braver) sourdough bread baker. My new goal is to try making bread using yeast, rather than starter, and I want to make all our bread from now. No more store bought slices for us!