Pick Up Sticks

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You’ve done popsicle stick crafts haven’t you?  If not, they’re a fun, if silly, thing to do when you’re stuck indoors on a HOT summer day (did I mention it was hot?).  No resident kids needed.  You’ll need sticks (I recommend buying them at a craft store rather than eating a zillion popsicles) and glue.  And an imagination.  I may have been lacking in the imagination department because all my creations were remarkably boxy (indeed, they were boxes) and log cabin-like.  Like so: popsicle stick boxTake inspiration instead from artisan David Hrobowski who makes furniture with the little sticks.  I really like the chair.  Other pieces may be an acquired taste.

Ah, the memories!  We had an enormous stash of popsicle sticks in our garage when I was a kid.  My grandfather had worked for Vitafreze which made novelty ice cream treats and he got them for us.  It was always great to go over to my grandparents’ house in the summertime, go out to the garage, and open their awesome 1950s refrigerator (that thing ran for 50 years and looked pretty cool) for one of the cups of vanilla ice cream with the attached wooden spoon that he also still got from Vitafreze.  Today’s ice cream cups don’t compete.

My grandparents had a lamp made completely (shade and base) out of popsicle sticks.  That thing was heavy.  Not sure what happened to it.  Like I said: an acquired taste.

Have you ever made anything out of popsicle sticks?  What?

To the Point

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The Point Arena Lighthouse makes a great destination if you find yourself midway along California’s north coast.  It’s always cool there, too, so guess where I wish I could be right this very moment.  Admission is only $7.50 for adults and it’s well worth the price which funds the non-profit organization’s maintenance of the lighthouse and grounds.  Here’s some of what you’ll see….Point Arena LighthousePoint Arena Lighthouse with mess at baseThe current lighthouse dates from 1907 (in operation, 1908) as the original was destroyed in the 1906 Earthquake.  Our very chatty but knowledgeable docent told us that the stairs in the current lighthouse are the very same ones used in the 1870s original.  Even though the old lighthouse was destroyed by the quake, the iron spiral staircase lent enough stability that the lighthouse keeper (who was in the lighthouse at the time!) was able to get out alive.Lighthouse stairsThey are some seriously twisty stairs and there are 125 of them.  Quite the workout. The last level is a ladder rather than stairs so wear good shoes.  You’re able to walk into the lens room and look out the windows.  Then, one level down (down the ladder again), you can walk outside on the narrow balcony and really get great views, feel the wind on your face, and enjoy.  Bring your camera.

Here’s what you see from the top:

In the Lens RoomFrom the lighthouse balconyThere’s a small museum where you can see the lighthouse’s original lens and a tastefully curated gift shop (I actually wanted to buy a lot of things and that is unusual for me).  You can even do the cheesy but irresistible squish-a-penny schtick.  I did.

The old lighthouse keepers’ quarters are now available for vacation rentals but I don’t know what the rooms are like in person.  Great location, though.

For a historical view, the Library of Congress has a stereograph of the early lighthouse.  They’ve dated it at ca. 1868 but the original lighthouse wasn’t constructed until 1870 so they’re a little off.  Click the image below to enlarge.

Point Arena Light House stereograph from the Library of Congress

See http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2003674058/ for more information.

Here’s another image from around the same period at UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library.  This one shows the Keepers’ house better (there were 4 keepers at a time plus their families so up to 30 people lived in that house at once).  Stereographs are awesome.

Have you ever been to a lighthouse?

We’re Having a Heat Wave

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The next seven days look to be horridly hot in these parts.  We’re fortunate to not have the humidity that plagues other parts of the country (ours is “a dry heat”) but 100+° F heat for days on end is just plain hot–too hot–and not at all fun.

To distract myself (and, maybe, you?) from the nastiness that is the weather, I’ll be posting for the next week (or longer if this wave extends itself) about fun summery things.  I leave you today with this potential earworm.

 

Strawberry Ice Cream

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Strawberry ice cream using half and halfHoly Cow, People!  I threw some ingredients in the ice cream maker the other day and came out with an honest-to-goodness winner.  Please note that this recipe calls for strawberry freezer jam, a recipe for which can be found in the Summer 2012 issue of Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine (page 27), so you probably won’t be able to make it right away.

Strawberry Ice Cream

1 pint strawberry freezer jam, thawed but still cold
2 cups half & half
1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract

– honey to taste (optional)

Thoroughly combine the first three ingredients and then taste to make sure the mixture is sweet enough for you.  If you need more sweetness (and only if it’s not already sweet enough), drizzle in honey a teaspoon at a time while you’re whisking until you’re satisfied with the flavor.  Then pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and process according to your machine’s directions.  Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and put it in your freezer to harden–at least over night.  Because this ice cream is lower in fat than some it will freeze solid.  So, to serve, allow it to sit on the counter for at least ten minutes before scooping.  Best in a plain cone.

Five Acre “Farm” Fantasy

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When things get a little rough around the edges, I start fantasizing about going back to the land.  I play the Five Acre “Farm” Fantasy game and pretend that The Taste Tester and I could be self-sufficient on that little acreage (yeah, we probably could but…).  My “farm” will have regular row crops and fruit trees and olive trees.  Beehives, of course.  Also some sheep.  And chickens.

Although T3 and I certainly haven’t ruled out fleeing the city for country life, we haven’t made any steps in that direction either.  Instead, I feed the flames of fantasy by reading books about people who have actually made the switch.  If this is your fantasy too (and we’re certainly not alone if the number of titles about this subject is any guide), the following books will make for great escapism:

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

Fifty Acres and a Poodle by Jeanne Marie Laskas

The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball

The Quarter Acre Farm by Spring Warren (this one is about staying put but growing/eating locally)

Farm City by Novella Carpenter (this is also about staying put and creating an urban farm…I woudn’t keep bees on my balcony, though)

Happy Summer

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It’s the longest day of the year which, I do believe, gives all of us ample opportunity to try something new.  I ran across this manifesto or “An Opening Salvo” about the creative spirit from a consortium led by TJ Beitelman at Try 101.  It makes interesting reading so I thought I’d pass it on.

Don’t forget, we’re counting down to the Summer 2012 issue of Quarterly Speed Bump Magazine on July 1 5 or 2 6  well, not July 6th but in a couple of days.  See you soon.

p.s. Today’s a great day to read Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The Countdown Begins Again

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Production of the Summer 2012 issue of the magazine is going forward.  Looks like we should have a new issue AROUND July 1st or July 2nd.  We’ll keep you posted of course!  Who knows, it might come out earlier.  In the meantime, we hope you’re keeping cool.  We’re having a late spring heat wave in these parts.

Squashed

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summer squashThe zucchini in our garden have no fruit as of yet so it was nice to find summer squash at today’s farmer’s market.  These green and yellow varieties are particularly pleasing to the eye.

Today’s “recipe” (this is too easy to really be called a recipe but it’s my favorite way to cook summer squash in a hurry):

Slice squash into bite-size pieces.  Place in microwave safe bowl.  Thinly slice a few rounds of onion and place over the squash.  Cover and microwave for 4 minutes or until tender but not mushy.  Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over the squash while still hot, add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, then drizzle on a bit of olive oil.  Toss to combine all the flavors but be careful not to break up the squash.  Eat.

Do you grow summer squash?  Have you ever found yourself dumping your excess on the neighbors?  Any good recipes for using up what you’ve grown?