I wore long sleeves to the farm because it was just kind of chilly. A far, far cry from the whining I was doing when I babbled incoherently about heat exhaustion and dehydration.
Iowa's motto. "Hey, if you don't like the weather, hang around twenty minutes, it'll change."
Picking produce at the high tunnel was the highlight of the day. Kind of. Actually it may haunt my dreams.
I was given the nod to harvest any zucchini that might be ready to go. I bent, looking for large green torpedoish veggies and found instead an insect party on one of the leaves. The leaf right in my face.
Now these weren't just any insects. There were a lot. A lot of creepy paleish, ghostly gray alien-bot kind of insects. A lot of them. I eeked and said. "Bugs!"
The farmer might have been able to tell by my tone which ones they were. "Oh, Squash Nymphs. Kill em. Do the Mexican hat dance all over them."
Pretty easy to do, actually, with the adrenaline and all. First I folded up the huge zucchini leaf and crushed the living daylights out of the party. Then did do a modified Mexican hat dance. A) I had no hat. B) I was tangled up in vines about my knees and ankles. C) I needed to KILL a lot of stupid bugs.
The farmer came to help. "There's a bunch." Smash! Bash! POW! Holy Squash Eaters, Batman! She found a mating pair, pointed them out and crushed them.
I recommend squash bug crushing as a stress reliever.
And do you find it odd that I was creeped out by ghostly squash bugs but went gaga over the adorable and HUGE Loess Hills toad that hopped across my path? Hey, I like toads. I prefer my creepy crawlies to have warts and slightly toxic skin.
Pictures of our fabulous haul. (A mere percentage we took home PACKED boxes.) And my infamous and filthy Mexican squash bug dance foot.
Here comes the weather just begging for a book to curl up with. Here's another one for you to gander at...
Undercurrent By Michelle Griep Published by Risen Books ISBN-13: 978-1936835027
Description:
Professor Cassie Larson leads a life her undergrad students hope to attain, until she tumbles into the North Sea and is sucked down into a swirling vortex...and a different century.
Alarik, son of a Viking chieftain, is blamed for a murder he didn't commit-or did he? He can't remember. On the run, saving a half-drowned foreign woman wasn't in his plan.
Ragnar is a converted pagan shunned by many but determined to prove his Cousin Alarik's innocence. He didn't count on falling in love with Cassie or the deadly presence of evil that threatens his village in Alarik's absence.
Reviews: "Michelle Griep has done it again. Undercurrent is a gripping historical romance that fulfills every expectation. Easy to follow and laced with adventure, Griep captivates readers by taking them to 10th century Norway and immersing them in the dangers of the Viking world." --Jill Williamson, Christy Award-winning author of By Darkness Hid
"Thoroughly enjoyable! A thrill ride back in time to the days of the Vikings. Ms. Griep's historical research is evident as she weaves a plot that will both grip your heart and keep you on the edge of your seat. Unexpected twists, a passionate romance, battle between good and evil, and a brutal realism that is refreshing all combine to make Undercurrent a book whose story will stay with you well past the last page. Michelle Griep is an exciting new voice among Christian Romance and a welcome change to the standard fare." --MaryLu Tyndall - Christy nominee and best-selling author of the Legacy of the King's Pirates series
Undercurrent rates up with the top 10 books I've ever read. I fell in love with the characters, quirky Cassie, heroic Ragnar, loyal Magnus, and host of others. It's the most creative time travel story, romantic and completely mesmerizing. Griep is such a descriptive writer, you easily suspend disbelief, diving head first into the story and traveling through time with Cassie. I didn't want it to end and can't wait for the sequel. Novel Rocket and I give it our highest recommendation: a MUST read.
Looking for an escapist read? This one might be the complete ticket.
A unique, well-written time-travel that is full of heart-pounding action/adventure and romance. Add to that humor , both dark, and laugh out loud. Characters that you either want to pat on the head and put in your pocket, if only they’d fit, and ones you’d like to strangle populate this read. Finally, descriptive elements that will make your eyes water for various assorted reasons and a whip-snap plot-line that zings with intensity. Those who love a great story need to consider adding Undercurrent to their must read list. However, if you don’t like your fiction populated with an occasional bag of guts or peppered with a little bit of Jesus, you’ll maybe want to pass.
Dry as Rain Gina Holmes Paperback: 400 pages Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (August 17, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 1414333064
Description:
From the bestselling author of Crossing Oceans comes a powerfully moving story that tests the limits of love’s forgiveness. Like many marriages, Eric and Kyra Yoshida’s has fallen apart slowly, one lost dream and misunderstanding at a time, until the ultimate betrayal finally pushes them beyond reconciliation. Just when it looks like forgive and forget is no longer an option, a car accident gives Eric the second chance of a lifetime. A concussion causes his wife to forget details of her life, including the chasm between them. No one knows when—or if—Kyra’s memory will return, but Eric seizes the opportunity to win back the woman he’s never stopped loving.
My Review:
Dry as Rain is a completely different book than Gina Holmes’s freshman release, Crossing Oceans, but it is as well-written as thought provoking as Oceans. Told in first person male voice, this story explores the theme of death, like Oceans, but the death is a slow, lingering death of a marriage. By the time the reader is introduced to the characters the marriage has crumbled into full separation, it is at the point where those who vowed to love til death do them part now revile the very faces that made those promises. Bitterness, blame, misunderstandings and selfishness have replaced all that was good and promising in the marriage.
These hindsight-wisdom tinged details all come out through the inner thought life and conversations of the husband, Eric. The wife, Kyra is in no position to share her thoughts with the reader because an accident has left her without memories of the rancor. Because she believes that their marriage is what it once was, the doctor suggests that the couple reconcile temporarily until her memory begins to return. Eric is given a chance at a do-over. But can he possibly win back his wife’s heart before she sees the disaster of what their marriage has become?
Holmes successfully weaves in some story elements that would be soap-operish if not written with skill and capable hands. I was also impressed with the honest grit that Holmes realistically portrayed. The characters are an authentic mix of likeable and frustratingly selfish at times. Kyra is not as fleshed out as Eric because the story is written in his POV. There are themes in this novel that will make some want to avoid it as it hits heavy in areas that some Christian fiction sidesteps around. There are also Christian themes of redemption and forgiveness that might push some folks away as well. Quite a bit of time is covered in the novel, so there are months covered with just a few pages, but as much as that takes away from the intimacy, it does help with reader emotions. If you are seeking stories that stick with you and leave you with hope. This is one of those. Tired of the sugar-coated, sit-com-simple style of inspirational fiction that falls flat and leaves you hungry for honestly drawn, broken, but forgiven people struggling through life’s struggles by clinging to grace, then this is one to look into.
Perfect temperature. It might have hit 82, the sun was shining in the big, bright blue sky. An occasional cool breeze fluttered among the corn stalks where I harvested ear after ear of corn. The rows of corn cocooned me and I was very glad I was alone and not sharing space with snakes and bugs. Though I did nervously check from time to time. Our co-volunteer offered up her Smart Car as pack mule and we packed the trunk with three hundred ears.
While picking I noticed how absolutely satisfied I felt. The crack of the corn as I broke it from the stalk. It's sweet, earthy scent, released all around me while I was hiding in the Iowa jungle. All of this, and knowing that I was picking food to feed the body fed my soul. I'm guessing this is why one would "retire" by working ten and twelve hour days in all sorts of weather and back-twanging work.
For dinner we dined on corn just a few hours off the stalk, cantaloupe still warm from the sun, fresh tomatoes and peach basil lemonade. (eight fresh basil leaves, three cups of lemonade, two TBSP of peach jam and two handfuls of ice, blended.)
So I feel kind of guilty over yesterday's malaisical post (not to be confused with musicals which I hate. BTW fact that you were just dying to know about me.)
Here I am to rectify it. I will give you all you never knew you wanted but might have felt a teensy weensy spark of curiosity over...or not...you still get it, regardless of your want to know or not. And that spark of curiosity might have been more along the of indigestion and yet still...here it is.
And. At 1:45 p.m. it was only 79 degrees. It was beautiful and not horrid. So I guess the weather, the endless heatwave, the great outdoors offers no excuses. Ha.
My "chalk" outlined island. You can't possibly figure it out from the picture. But. I felt the need to share it. Next see the lovely red wall next to the marbleish looking step. That step is new and it is clad in my new floor. My floor has yet to be clad elsewhere which is why permanent marker was applied to it. The floor was an amazing price and we LOVE it. Faux but it looks so much like the tile in the adjoining room we were shocked. I feel like we are so close to getting this thing done. YAY!
Next. My $1.99 red purse. Okay. It's not Coach or Kate Spade or anything. But it's cute and has an inner section that is the wallet. It's way smaller than I normally carry. But I like it.
The red purse is posing with the now wrinkled from the dirty-clothes-pile maize sweater. Once it's washed and the weather continues to move toward fall...I'm so going to love it. Pasta Rustica. Adapted from The Kind Diet cookbook.
Pasta of your choice. We used this one. But as I was rereading the ingredients whilst taking the picture I realized the dang stuff has eggs in it. So. Keep that in mind. I loved/liked it because it has lentil flour in it giving it extra protein. Prepare pasta according to instructions and set aside.
Finely mince two garlic cloves Finely chop an onion Dice an eggplant (or zucchini) Chop/slice a handful or two of mushrooms. And finely chop a small cabbage (or half of a large one)
Dab (about a TBSP) fat (or broth) of your choice (olive oil, coconut oil, Earth Balance, Lard...whateves) into a skillet (large).
Begin sauteing garlic, onions, eggplant, mushrooms...when they look and smell almost done add the cabbage and cook for a few more minutes, stirring everything together. The cabbage will begin to turn translucent, that's a good time to stop. Mix the veggies into the pasta. Set aside.
In small bowl take 1/4 cup +(don't be stingy) soy sauce (or favorite equivalent) and mix with a 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/3 to 1/2 cup of your favorite marinara sauce. When mixed, dump over pasta and veggies and mix. Weirdly delicious. It reminds me of low mein. You could also add Kalamata olives, green olives, capers, other squashes/veggies.
And now the piece de resistance. MWA. No pictures. It was DEVOURED.
SERIOUSLY YUMMY CHOCOLATE VEGAN CHEESECAKE
Based on this recipe which was borrowed from another.
1 12.3-ounce package tofu (She used regular) 1 8-ounce package Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut milk (Silk's Chocolate Almond milk would work) 1 lb. dark chocolate (melted) 2 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 cup of cocoa powder 3 Tbsp. cornstarch * (cookie crumbs, fruit etc. if you want to go fancy)
She made a graham cracker crust: She tossed cocoa powder, a little sugar (a TBSP of each give or take) and a brick of graham crackers into the blender and added 2 teaspoons of Earth Balance til it all stuck together.
Blend tofu, Tofutti, sugar, milk together for several minutes. Add lemon juice, vanilla, cocoa powder and cornstarch, blend again. Finally add melted chocolate and thoroughly combine. Pour mixture into prepared springform (greased) already "crusted" or pie plate (ditto). Bake at 350 for 55 minutes. The middle should still move when removed from oven and nothing should be browned. Let cool. Then place in fridge. I would let it sit at least overnight in fridge and preferably 24 - 36 hours.
*She poured half the cheesecake mixture in prepared pan, then added a layer of crushed vegan cookies and then dumped the rest of the cheesecake mixture over that.
t kind of insects. A lot of them. I eeked and said. "Bugs!"
s and filthy Mexican squash bug dance foot.
