ungrip

"At a major juncture in his life, rob in the pagé family began down a road less traveled to free himself from fear, government control, and reliance on public energy and food supply, and shares his journey that led him "off the grid".

Ben: Stewart and Dan Stewart, creators of Esoteric Agenda and KYMATICA, focus the essence of this film around the journey through transitional and groundbreaking moments in a human's life.

The purpose of this film is not to provide legal advice, nor is it to simply educate, but rather as inspirational fuel. To become more of what we already are."

fall harvest

 kabocha squash, spaghetti squash, and one little pumpkin

these are the winter squash that i harvested in the middle of summer, but since they're "fall crops", we'll just pretend i picked them today.

5/21/11

you may remember that i filled one of our plots at the community garden with gourds. some of you gardeners probably laughed at me for thinking the space was sufficient. well, i learned my lesson.

 6/26/11

just a little over one month and the space reached full capacity. after that it was a squash hospice. i'm grateful some plants hung on long enough to produce fruit. it's just so hard saying no to some seeds, especially the ones i saved myself. i could really use more space!

daily affirmation in action

to some it may sound hokey, but i believe daily affirmations manifest positive change. 

 (the quintessential daily affirmation flower photo=)

"Today I will be fine with whatever happens.  I will go with the flow.  I will remain carefree."

last night before dinner, john and i set out to pick up a few things from our local supermarket, which is roughly a mile from our home. 

we were halfway there when we saw that the area separating our town from the market was flooded. we're not sure if the creek overflowed or what, but we never saw anything like it.

countless roads were under water and traffic in some directions was standstill. there was no way to get to the market, unless we wanted to get out and swim.

we had to take a long detour just to go in the direction of home. hungry and unprepared for this little adventure, it could have been frustrating, but john and i went with it.

after a few unfamiliar turns we found ourselves in the midst of a hidden gem, driving past adorable houses right on the creek! who knew this paradise existed so close to our urban dwelling?!

a view from one of the homes posted on trulia website

further driving saw us minutes from where my little sister (from bbbs) lives. it was her birthday, and the idea popped in my head to bring her balloons.

so some crappy detours led to some sweet surprises. i just wish i had my camera with me. you would have flipped over these houses. one was even named... creek hollow. love it. so fall-like.


"Today I will be fine with whatever happens.  I will go with the flow.  I will remain carefree."

sweet sage squash with rosemary roasted potatoes

:: sweet sage squash ::
(slight modification of muth family farm's recipe)

1 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
2 T earth balance vegan butter
1 T maple syrup or brown sugar
2 tsp minced fresh sage
pinch of salt

rosemary roasted potatoes
(recipe by barefoot contessa)

1 ½ pounds small red or white-skinned potatoes (or a mix)
2 T olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 T minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 T minced fresh rosemary leaves


1 :: preheat oven to 400°F. 

2 :: place acorn squash cut side down in a glass casserole dish. 

3 :: cut potatoes in quarters and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary until well coated. spread on baking sheet in a single layer and bake with squash about one hour, or until potatoes are brown and crisped. flip twice with a spatula during cooking to ensure even browning.

4 :: while the squash and potatoes are cooking, prepare sweet sage butter by heating butter, maple syrup, sage and salt on low about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

5 :: coat squash with sweet sage butter and enjoy flavorful fall deliciousness!=)

::

at the community garden for rosemary, i picked some more greens and shot some more photos.

 cabbage

 arugula and peas

 escarole

 pea blossoms

 our plots

cute shed

and lastly, the stars of tonight's show

sage

 and rosemary

do you like rosemary and/or sage? what are your favorite ways to use them?