Monthly Archives: July 2010

>Staying cool in the heat

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>We installed central air conditioning when we bought our home many years ago. Health was one reason: Amigo had asthma when he was young, and humid heat would make him miserable. We’d cooled the tiny duplex we called home with a window unit and a series of fans. Finally having central air was a huge relief.

Air conditioning, centralized or a window unit, isn’t always necessary. Frankly, when the weather is less extreme, I’m happy to open up the house and let the breezes keep us comfortable. Our den is usually the coolest room in the house. It’s small, it has two windows across from each other, and it has a ceiling fan, too. The windows and fan keep the air moving just right, making the den couch the perfect place for a summer nap.
But I wasn’t talking about napping. I was thinking about cooling, keeping comfortable in summer’s heat.
Mother Nature Network featured 8 Ways to Stay Cool without A/C. Without going over all eight (you can follow the link yourself), I’ll choose my favorites.
–Stay hydrated. Absolutely. Water, water, everywhere. Drink up, folks. I just put a pitcher of fruit punch in the refrigerator in case we need an alternative. Lemonade, iced tea, all are good.
–Avoid using the oven. Right on! I’ve cooked on the grill, used the microwave, and the few times I used the oven, I did not preheat and made a point of turning it off immediately. I’m lucky to have a small kitchen, and the heat from the oven does not spread to the rest of the house. And those cookies I’ve been craving will just have to wait until tonight; it’s not worth it to heat up the oven midday.
–Add to the above: avoid heat-creating appliances during the hottest part of the day. Laundry can wait until evening or get done early in the morning. Seriously. There’s not rush.
–Close the curtains. Blinds, curtains, window coverings of any kind can block the sun’s heat and prevent the room from overheating in the first place. If you’re using the A/C, this simple step helps keep the cool air from reheating, overworking the air conditioning.
If you’re sweating like crazy and really, really need to air condition your living space, which is the most frugal choice: window units or central air? Leah Ingram discusses this very issue on her Suddenly Frugal blog. The simple answer: there is no simple answer. It depends on many variables. Leah explains it well; check her out.
So readers, stay cool, drink lots of liquids, and blog from the shade or an air-conditioned coffee shop. That coffee is good over ice, too. Works for me, and keeps me cool!

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>Lucky seven: a list of seven links

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>I subscribe to ProBlogger not because I’m a professional (far from it) but because his suggestions and discussions are fascinating and useful even to a small-time blogger like me. His latest challenge is a list of seven: seven links. Here’s mine.

My first post, It’s not easy being green, briefly discusses the name of my blog and my gardening philosophy. If I rewrote this today, I might rephrase it a bit. I’m not so much a lazy gardener as I am a practical planner. I plant in such a way that weeding isn’t necessary every day, I use rain barrels for watering (so easy and so frugal!), and if something doesn’t grow well, I’m okay buying it at the farmers’ market.

A post I enjoyed writing: I enjoy blogging in general. If I didn’t enjoy it, I would close up the blog and spend my time elsewhere. Many posts that related to the 2008 election were fun to write because they were fun to experience. Volunteering at Democratic headquarters. Election reactions. My favorite, the Recipe for an Historic Inauguration.

A post which had a great discussion: This post about work email didn’t generate a lot of comments, but it certainly described a great conversation. The funniest part? It was all true. All I had to do was copy, paste, and report. And laugh.
A post on someone else’s blog that I wish I’d written: This was easy. I went straight to PunditMom and searched her archives. The woman is brilliant. Her open letter to the New York Times after a reporter thoroughly disrespected women bloggers – well, read it.
A helpful post: I searched the archives for “advice” and found this post on increasing backyard composting, the tale of my failed adventure in making marmalade, and this post about pseudo-professional attire.
A post with a creative title: The recent “No bladder left untested,” despite its tendency to make people cringe, gathered a lot of attention.

I wish more people had read my response to the Republicans’ response to BP. Accountability is still important in my world. Is it still important on both sides of the Congressional aisles?
A list of seven with more than seven links: done! It took a while, but I enjoyed the journey through my archives. Readers, I hope you enjoy the journey through the links.

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>Coping and Cooking

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I’ve had a lot going on health-wise lately. Issues that are not life-threatening, but miserable. Sometimes the tests to find out why I’m miserable make me feel temporarily even more miserable.

So I fool myself into thinking I’m calm. Sitting back on the clinic chair, finding a focal point, breathing slowly and steadily. Visualizing peaceful places, imagining quiet and calm sounds. When all else fails, it’s time for my sense of humor to kick in, and I distract myself thinking, “This is going to be a blog post” and then start writing it in my head.

After the appointments are done, I realize that things really aren’t all that bad. Really. But I get home and my body disagrees. Aching back from tension. Sore jaw; I must have been clenching my teeth at some time. Overnight? In the doc’s office? I’d internalized the stress I thought I didn’t feel and placed it firmly in a convenient joint.
To make matters worse – or better? – sometimes I don’t want to cook, but there is no excuse. We have plenty of food in the fridge and in the pantry. Lots of planned-overs, lots of good vegetables from the farmers’ market, and more. It’s rather difficult to justify calling out for pizza on a typical summer day, appointments or no appointments. Nope. I’d have to be feeling much, much worse to rationalize pizza, wings, and cheesy bread sticks. Sniff. Sigh.
It was one of those nights. I was sore from being poked and prodded, achy jaw, sore lower back, and tired. Anemia? Stress exhaustion? Poor sleep? Who knew? But the family had to be fed, and I was the one with time and opportunity to prepare it. I reheated my coffee (half-caff, with an eye toward minimizing self-induced tension), tried not to clench my jaw any more, and took stock.
Planned overs:
-chorizo, cooked on the grill a day earlier.
-sweet corn, already cooked
Pantry staples:
-rice (Texmati this time)
-olive oil
-roasted red peppers
Farmers’ Market bounty:
-green pepper
-onion
-fresh peas
-fresh spinach
Did you guess? Stir fry! Rice cooked with a teaspoon of seasoning and a half cup of peas added. Onion and Pepper sauteed in olive oil, red peppers diced and stirred in, then corn cut off the cob and added to the mix, chorizo sliced thin, a little water and then spinach on top of it all. Meanwhile, the rice was cooking with the peas in the middle.
Know what, readers? It’s all good. Keeping a well-stocked pantry, and then supplementing it with planned overs and farmers’ market produce presented a positive result. It was easy enough to create a decent meal that I would not, could not talk myself out of it. And in the end, I felt better. Better for eating decent food, better for not wasting money, better for not feeling sorry for myself.
Now that I’m feeling positive and productive, I think I deserve to go out for ice cream. Chuck? What do you think? A grasshopper, perhaps? Get the keys; I’m on my way.

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>Strawberry Crunch Bars

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>Have you ever looked for recipes and come up disappointed? I have. I subscribe to several food newsletters, follow foodies on Twitter, and own a variety of cookbooks. Sometimes the right recipe just doesn’t turn up.

For example, searching for strawberry recipes will inevitably turn up several that use strawberry jello mix or strawberry jam or a bag of frozen berries instead of real strawberries.

I wanted a snack bar – something homemade, not a store-bought prepackaged granola bar. Strawberries were in season, and I’d just frozen a big batch and made jam (three kinds!) when I found this. It used jam, not fresh berries, but I made it anyway – with my own strawberry jam.But as I got ready to put it in the oven (I don’t preheat until I’m ready in order to cut wasted energy), I realized I didn’t have the correct oven temperature. Back to the Internet! I pulled up the original source in case I’d missed that detail: nope. The publisher hadn’t put in the temperature. next, I went to Plurk, my favorite social network. I posted my question and within five minutes had the answer!
The bars are delicious. They’re good as dessert with a little whipped cream or good as a snack. So try it: with your own jam or Smuckers!
Strawberry Crunch Bars Daisy Style

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups rolled oats or quick oats
1 Tablespoon wheat germ (optional)
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup melted butter
¼ – ½ cup applesauce (start with the smaller amount)
? cup strawberry jam or jelly
Combine the first four ingredients in a mixing bowl. Pour in the butter and ¼ cup applesauce, and mix until slightly wet crumbs form (adjust the consistency by adding more applesauce). Press two-thirds of the mixture into the bottom of a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Spread the jelly or jam over the base and crumble the remaining mixture over the top. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top.
Serve warm or cold, with or without whipped cream on top or ice cream on the side. The possibilities are endless. I might try this with a different kind of jam – I wonder if orange marmalade would work? Stop laughing. I dare you.

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>Remodeling the old homestead: choosing the colors

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We had a big pile of color choices. How big was it? Here it is, Mount Colorama, taking over our kitchen table.

We narrowed it down, and Chuck analyzed the choices once again. This was harder than it looked; he kept going back and forth, asking what I thought, asking La Petite for her input, going back to the store for a few more. We started making comparisons. School bus yellow? No.

“Show me that yellow card again?”
Then Chuck picked a black-eyed Susan from a neighbor’s yard.

I brought home a bouquet from the Farmers’ Market.
Finally, Chuck brought home a sample can of the shade to actually put it on the wall.

It’s good. This is the shade.
Final pictures: when the carpet’s in and the walls are done, I promise I’ll share.

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>Rain, rain. Or not.

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>Our summer started out like a soggy mess. The rain barrels filled and overflowed, filled and overflowed some more. I started rearranging the overflow tubes so that different sections of the garden got flooded with each storm.

Last week the weather was fabulous. Not too hot, not too cool. Windows open at night for lovely sleeping weather. No rain. We’re actually using the water in the barrels! It’s the kind of weather when I can actually get out in the dirt and accomplish gardening goals.

Task one: transplant herbs. I bought a few lightweight, inexpensive pots from Fleet Farm. I moved the herbs from their long hanging pot; now they’re on the steps leading up to the deck. I felt like they needed more space to grow and they were getting too soggy. I also noticed that a few stray oregano seedlings were coming up in odd places. They must have reseeded last year, unseen by me. I’ll pick up more oregano seeds and fill in the rest; we can reserve this long, narrow pot on the rail for oregano and just say it was meant to be.

Task two: take care of the transplanted rhubarb. I moved several rhubarb plants from their home near the garage to the former abode of mint and hollyhocks. I’ve decided to wait a few years before trying hollyhocks again; mine caught a bad case of rust last year. As for mint, we still have plenty.

Task three: fence the new tomato plot! Chuck started this, but has had little or no time to finish. I’ll weed a bit, keep the tomatoes on their supports, but that’s all. You see, the neighborhood rabbits have found a home there. We chase them out, wave them off, and talk sweetly to the baby one so we don’t scare it. No, not really. But as long as these three adorable furry creatures find refuge in my tomatoes, I can’t plant carrots. Or more lettuce. Or expect the broccoli to reach maturity.

Task four: keep it all watered. That’s easy! The barrels are still very full, thanks to yet another storm over the weekend.

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>Increasing the iron: the research

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>I have anemia. Yes, all the garbage my body’s thrown at me lately has drained me of iron. In my own locavore way, I’m planning to increase the amount of iron in my diet, too. It can only help.

So far, I’ve found that red meat, egg yolks, seafood, shellfish, oysters are high in iron. Some of these are also high in cholesterol, so I’ll need to balance this. Shellfish and oysters are not exactly plentiful here in the great lakes, but I can get other fish. Did you notice I left out liver? It’s high on the iron list, but it’s not going on my shopping list. Nope.

On the plant side, we have dark green, leafy vegetables (grow, spinach, grow!), dried fruit, beans, lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, and artichokes. Blackstrap molasses is another iron-rich food option. If I make grandma’s baked beans with molasses, that would be a great side dish. Red beans and rice would be good, too. I wonder if the rest of the family will eat artichokes? I like artichoke hearts in pasta dishes at the local Italian restaurant. Am I gutsy enough to cook them myself? Maybe.

The good news? Adding vitamin C in the form of orange juice, tomatoes, or berries can increase your absorption of iron-rich foods. Homemade jam with organic berries! Homegrown tomatoes! Berries from the Farmers’ Market on top of iron-enriched cereal – with orange juice on the side! I can do this.
The bad news? Coffee can actually interfere with the absorption of iron. Hm. Must think on this one. Sob.

Before I take any more action, I think I’ll take a nap. Rest is good. ZZZZZZzzzzzzz.

Much of my information came from Everyday Health’s collection of articles on iron in diets. I’ll keep working on it and discussing this with my doctor. No worries, bloggy peeps. And you know it: if I find a good recipe, I’ll post it here.

And you also know this: I’m open to suggestions. Leave me a link to a good iron-rich recipe, and I just might try it!

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>No bladder left untested

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>It is a cruel, cruel world.

I needed an ultrasound to help figure out what’s going wrong. If you’re familiar with ultrasounds and uteruses (uteri?) you might know that these are done with a full bladder. According to those in the know, the full bladder makes it easier to distinguish the uterus and recognize what’s in it. Hence, the pre-test instructions noted that for a 12:15 appointment, I was to empty my bladder at 11:00, drink 40 oz. of liquids between 11:00 and 11:15, and then refrain from emptying the aforementioned full bladder until after the test was completed.

Enter Teacher Bladder!! Educator humor always mentions teachers’ superhuman bladders. I can look at the clock during class, register that I have 40 minutes until the recess bell, and say to myself, “No problem. I can hold it.” An ultrasound shouldn’t be any different. Or should it?

Well, I was nervous. Nervous about the tests and nervous about the potential results, although I hadn’t yet admitted that to myself. Nerves + full bladder = added nervousness and an increased need to go.

Upon arrival at the clinic, I had to wait in not one, but two waiting rooms. Nervousness + waiting + full bladder = even more increased need to go.

After completing the final registration and getting my fashionable wristband, I had to walk past no fewer than two large, prominently labeled restrooms on the way to the radiology department. Oh, the torture!

Yes, I called on my inner teacher – in July. Now that’s just cruel.

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>Many moons ago, I thought I was done.

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>I thought I was done timing these lunar cycles. Not the full moons that send my students’ behaviors into the stratosphere, but the cycles that most women know and tolerate and handle with an aplomb that very few men could face on a monthly basis, thank you very much.

I thought I was done facing the dementors, those Potter-esque creatures that make their victims chilled to the bone, feel like they’ll never be happy again, and after the attack, head for the chocolate.

I was rejoicing, cleaning out the bathroom vanity and saying, “I don’t need these supplies any more!”

Enough euphemisms, readers? I thought I had reached the big M: Menopause.

I was wrong.

After restocking the bathroom and heaving a deep, heavy sigh, I realized this had gone on a bit longer than normal. I made note of the start date and kept track of unusual traits. Three weeks in, I called the clinic.

We scheduled tests. Blood tests, ultrasounds, the works. I thanked my lucky stars that I have good coverage. I thanked my lucky stars that I didn’t decide to teach summer school this year; I had the flexibility to schedule appointments without making sub plans and using up sick days. I could even — well, anything more borders on TMI, much too much information.

Results came in:
I’m anemic. Not surprising, to be honest.
I have a few abnormal cells here and there, but nothing serious.
These should not be problems. But should, you know, is a bogus word.

Based on this, we move ahead. I’ll keep you informed, readers and friends. So far, rest easy in the knowledge that I’m resting and recovering, too. And I’m hiding that box of fudge in the refrigerator.

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