NOFA Winter Conference

The weather is still well below freezing out there, but January is behind us, the days are getting longer, and there's a definite hint of Spring in the air. If that's not enough for getting revved up for the new growing season, the NOFA Winter Conference will do it.

NOFA is the Northeast Organic Farming Association. This group of farmers, gardeners, and consumers began to organize about twenty-seven years ago. Click here to learn more. NOFA has grown to approximately 1300 members (including us!), many of whom attended the Winter Conference at the University of Vermont this past weekend.

This is what registration looked like on Saturday:

This year NOFA was honored to welcome Senator Patrick Leahy AND Congressman Peter Welch for comments during the luncheon. Vermont's Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Ross also spoke, as did Governor Peter Shumlin.  NOFA has come a long ways from its humble beginnings.

Here's Vermont's Governor at the podium:

It was difficult to choose from all the workshops. I decided to focus on those aimed at the home gardener.

I came away from the conference eager to expand on what I am already doing, and to experiment with some new crops. At first I decided to do a mini-rice paddy. Yes, wet clay and our climate should be just fine for rice ~ but then I heard that a rice huller is quite pricey. So, my experimental crop will be brussel sprouts ~ not so exotic, but something new for me to grow. And now I'm off to delve into my collection of seed catalogs, and to plan for the new growing season.

Today She Would Be 100

Today marks the anniversary of the birthday of Rosa Parks. She would be 100.

It was on December 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She is credited with saying that she was "just plain tired and my feet hurt." Years later in her autobiography she states that she was just tired of always "giving in." Her refusal to move from her seat sparked the successful Montgomery bus boycott, a significant milestone in the Civil Rights Movement.

I have a copy of her "Featherlight Pancakes" recipe. I understand it was found among her belongings written on the back of an envelope. In her honor today, here is the recipe, and a culinary connection to the fifties.

Featherlight Pancakes

Sift together: 1 Cup flour, 2 Tablespoons baking powder, 
1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 Tablespoons sugar.

Mix: 1 egg, 1-1/4 Cup milk, 1/3 cup peanut butter, melted, 
1 Tablespoon shortening or oil.

Combine with dry ingredients. Cook at 275 degrees on griddle.

The unusual ingredient here in a pancake recipe is melted peanut butter. Added flavor, added protein.

Happy Birthday, Rosa Parks. Thank you for your courage.

English Muffin Microwave Bread

Yes, this homemade bread takes just 30 minutes to rise AND is baked in the microwave. When I visited my cousin and his wife in Wisconsin, they gave me a frozen loaf to bring home to share with Geo ~ we loved it!

Here's the recipe:
3 cups flour, plus additional flour, up to 1-3/4 cup
2 packages active dry yeast (I used the fast-rising kind)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup water
cornmeal

Combine 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and soda. Heat milk and water to approximately 120 degrees.Add to dry mixture and beat well. (I did this by hand.) Add additional flour as needed and mix until batter is slightly stiff. Spoon into two glass loaf pans that have been greased and sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle tops with more cornmeal.Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Then microwave each loaf for 7-1/2 minutes (no longer). Allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing from pan. To serve, slice and toast. Each loaf yields 16 slices.

It's only 12 degrees out there today, and the warmest place in our home is in front of our gas stove. The bread is rising!

Waiting for the bread to rise is a good time for cleaning up.

While "baking" for 7 1/2 minutes in the microwave, the bread continues to rise.

Here's the first loaf, while the second one is in the microwave.

Store finished loaves in the refrigerator. They also freeze well. The bread slices best when cold, then just pop the slices into the toaster to heat and serve. I like mine with butter and a touch of honey. Geo likes his with blueberry jam. This recipe is definitely a winner!

Note: I posted this in 2013! and I've forgotten about it. Now I'll be making it again!

If you found me here, please follow me on my new blog Resolutions. Thank you!

Enjoy the bread!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration and Dr. Henry Gates, Jr.

As one of the multicultural events sponsored by the University of Vermont, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. was invited to be keynote speaker for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration.

Dr. Gates is a scholar, researcher, author, and professor with fifty-one honorary degrees from various universities. His presentation  to us was entertaining and highly informative.

He spoke on how his own personal interest in genealogy led him to pursue African American Studies, and he highlighted how the miniseries ROOTS contributed to the desire of many to have fuller knowledge of their own heritage .His interests led him to develop the PBS series African American Lives and, a second, Faces of America.

He noted how each of the celebrities, when confronted with their personal and previously unknown ancestry, had an emotional response, that this knowledge often surprised and truly resonated.

Dr. Gates then showed us his own ancestral tree, including photos, and spoke of what he learned about his own family.

Part of his talk included statistics of African American ancestry and names of countries and tribes of origination. He then spoke of the huge numbers of children who are underachieving in inner city schools and who have no real idea of their true heritage.Since it's been demonstrated that knowing one's heritage can mean so much, having a major impact on one's self awareness, then why not introduce discovering one's ancestry as curriculum for children? This is exactly what he is doing.

A new ancestry curriculum will be introduced as a pilot program in some schools. Children will be directed to interview parents and relatives about family history, do a "paper search," then obtain permission for their DNA search in a worldwide database. The objective is for children to discover their heritage and develop a strong sense of identity and self worth. Outgrowth of this may be a greater level of scholastic achievement with an involved study of history, geography, etc.

To be sure, I will be following Dr. Gates's endeavors.

Canadian Studies

Living less than one hour from the Canadian border, I'll admit I've known very little about this huge country to the north of us. So last Fall, I signed up for a Canadian History class at the University of Vermont. My biggest surprise ~ from this class I learned a lot about United States history. The development of each of the two countries cannot be considered in isolation from one another; their histories are dynamically interrelated. This semester finds me in a second Canadian Studies class, Canadian-American Relations.

Last semester our class was fortunate to take a field trip to Ottawa. This semester it looks like we may be heading to Montreal. And what's this I hear about "curling" as a nonprofit fundraiser? We'll have an opportunity to learn curling and actually take to the ice?? From the classroom, to Montreal, to the ice arena, this class promises to be quite an adventure!

Out with the Old, In with the New

My Christmas gift from Geo this year was stainless steel cookware ~ totally unexpected! And not just one random piece, but a whole matching set!

So Jenn inherits my old pieces, and I’m cleaning out the pantry so my new cookware will have a handy happy home on the shelves.

With the cookware came some heavy duty red mitts AND a cookbook for classic Italian meals.

Jenn and Sean gave me a variety of Penzy spices.  I am now so inspired to take cooking to a whole new level.

(Don’t tell Geo, but I am getting him into the kitchen with me so he can participate in the culinary creations.)

2013 promises to be the year for going gourmet.

Thank you for my gifts, and Happy 2013!

GCEPD

During December, it's a good time to review what we have done over the past year and to plan ahead for progress in future months.

This is exactly what we did at a recent meeting of the Vermont Governor’s Committee on the Employment of People With Disabilities (or, as we like to call it, the GCEPD).

This is one enthusiastic group of people with varied backgrounds and experiences related to the disability community. There’s so much to learn from one another.

The GCEPD’s mission is to promote equal employment for all citizens of Vermont by advising the Governor on current issues affecting employment of people with disabilities, and through partnerships between business, government, and people with disabilities.

Yes, the GCEPD is on youtube: http://youtu.be/yBxOy9daOuQ

The past year we networked at business trade shows, we gave out awards to noteworthy employers, we engaged in the national Disability Employment Campaign “What Can You Do?” 

We wrote a public service announcement for statewide distribution by our Governor, we "got our feet wet” in social media, and so much more…

To see the official website, go to: 

www.hireus.org .

What’s ahead? Stay tuned. The GCEPD is putting together some exciting plans to accomplish goals of promoting and encouraging inclusivity in the workplace.

In the meantime, please check out the new FACEBOOK page for the Vermont Governor’s Committee on the Employment of People With Disabilities. Here’s hoping you’ll “like” us.

Baguettes

First "snow day" of the season here. Cars were sliding all over the road today on my way to Burlington. Rescue crews were out in full force. I turned around and headed home until conditions were better. 

So what to do?
Bake baguettes, of course.

Here's my recipe:


1 C water
2 1/2 C bread flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon rapid rise yeast

Place all ingredients in bread-making machine. Choose dough cycle. When done, turn out dough into greased bowl. Punch dough down and turn it so that dough is well-greased. Cover and let raise for 30 minutes.

Place dough on floured surface and flatten. Roll out into 16'' x 12'' rectangle.
Cut in half for two 8'' x 12'' rectangles. Roll each one tightly into a baguette-shaped loaf. With sharp knife, make slits across the tops. Lightly oil or butter. Place on greased cookie sheet or baguette pan. Cover and let raise for another 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Bake for about 25 minutes in 375 degree oven.

Yield is two yummy loaves.

A Trip to Ottawa

The Canadian History class at the University of Vermont took an annual trip to Ottawa. Invited to go along was a Canadian Studies class from St. Michael's College. Since I'm currently taking the class in Canadian History, I signed up to go with the students. We were in Canada for three days, two nights.

One of our first stops was Parliament. We went through some serious security, and anything that could be tossed from the gallery, literally, was temporarily confiscated, including purses, cameras, and cell phones. We proceeded to the House of Commons for Q&A.  A myriad of topics were covered, accompanied by loud partisan cheering and clapping by the members. Everyone in the gallery, however, needed to be as quiet as a church mouse!

We had an informative tour of Parliament, including the library (shown on the right of the Parliament building in this photo). On display were news stories and clippings of the times Queen Elizabeth had visited Canada.
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Later that afternoon we personally met with five members of Parliament of different parties. For me, this was a real highlight of our trip. They responded to our questions clearly and directly, each from their own points of view. No matter what the topic, no one wanted to give the other "the last word." It was quite a lively discussion.

We also visited the Museum of Canadian Civilization (soon to be renamed the Museum of Canadian History). This is a photo taken near the front entrance. (See the view of Parliament in the distance.) We breezed through an overview of Canadian history through the 20th Century.

Here's what the ground floor looks like. There's an impressive collection of totem poles here.

 We also had a tour of the National Gallery where we viewed art. The interior hallway and atrium are stunningly beautiful.



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 I found one Rene Magritte here, and also an Alexander Calder mobile. The Canadian artists I discovered were Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven. They primarily painted scenes from the Canadian Shield of water, rock, sky, and trees. This one by Tom Thomson is entitled The Jack Pine and dates back to 1916.

A huge part of Canadian culture is ice hockey. So we took in a game of the Major Juniors, the Olympiques (home team) playing against the Titans. The Olympiques won 4-3.

No visit to Ottawa would be complete without a stop at one of the local bakeries. I just had to splurge on a croissant with almond filling. It was delicious! Really interesting, though, were the Obama Cookies. The Canadians were pleased about President Obama's first foreign visit to Canada, and the bakery where he stopped still commemorates his visit by selling sugar "Obama Cookies" in special tins. Wow, three cookies cost me more that $8.00 Canadian.

Our hotel was near the Byward Market. We had plenty of time to visit this outdoor market before heading home to the USA.

This was my second visit to Ottawa. Hopefully, it won't be my last!

It's Sunday

Three takeaways from Mass this morning:

1. Incense. Our priest was really heavy with the incense this morning. Each time I turn around, I still get a whiff.

2. Homily. The sin of a "good person" is refusing God's invitation for self-sacrificing service and love. (The Scripture reading was about the rich young man who was asked to give to the poor.)

3. Year of Faith. The Holy Father asks that we celebrate a Year of Faith beginning Ocober 11, 2012 and culminating November 24, 2013. During this time we can deepen our knowledge and practice of Faith. As one way to do this, our priest challenged us to go to: http://www.flocknote.com/catechism to sign up for reading the whole Catechism in one year by daily emails. 

I signed up. Hope I can persevere through November 2013!

Potato Harvest

It was early Spring when I planted a few pieces of potatoes in four bags. After cutting the seed potatoes, I "cured" them by exposure to air for a day or so. Then I put about four pieces into each of the bags with a depth of about two inches of an even mixture of compost and topsoil. 

As the vines grew, I continued to cover them with the compost and topsoil so they were not exposed to light.  I added about as much soil as the bags could hold. By June 28, the potato bags looked like this.

I watered them only when they were extremely dry. Toward the end of August, the vines began to die.

This was the day I was waiting for. On September 1, I dumped the bag onto a tarp. Some potatoes rolled out.

I sifted through the soil and found a plentiful harvest.

And this was the largest!

The other three bags did not yield so many potatoes. Since planting, I have heard that it may be better, when planting in bags, to use small whole potatoes, or much larger pieces, so the vines have extra nourishment to get started. Next year I will try using larger pieces at planting time. However, I'm happy with the harvest. We should get lots of good meals from this crop!

The soil I had dumped on the tarp? I dragged it over to another part of the yard to expand my flower garden ~ getting ready for more peonies next year!

Update: The Peony garden is beautiful in season, and I am newly inspired to plant more potatoes!

If you found me here, please take a look at my newest posts at Resolutions. Thanks!

Our Trip to Cabot

Yesterday we took a drive to Cabot, Vermont to see the Creamery. I believe the Cabot Creamery is the largest dairy farmers' cooperative in the Northeast. We saw the video of the history, took a tour to see the operations, and sampled some products.

We were impressed with the speed of the line and the efficiency of the workers.

Since we had read in the Summer 2012 Vermont Life magazine about a nearby historic Victorian home, we continued down Main Street to find it. It is privately owned. Looks like it could be a wonderful Victorian museum someday. 

From there we drove to the Grand View Winery. The roads were unpaved, rural, and rough. Loggers were at work and they needed to move their truck so we could pass them. It was worth the drive. The views were Vermont-beautiful. Gardens leading to the winery were gorgeous, including a hardy hibiscus that , I was told, can survive a 30 degree below winter. I was busy taking photos of the flowers while Geo was sampling wine.

I like this view through the wineglasses of the fields and mountains.

We purchased a bottle of Pear Wine.

Then it was back over the rough roads to highway 2 towards Plainfield. Geo wanted to find The Dancing Goat cafe. We stopped for tea for him and a latte for me.

We had lunch at a restaurant on 2, then headed home through Montpelier. We stopped at Manghis', one of Geo's favorite bakeries, for a few loaves of bread. AND Geo picked up one of these:

Special edition dark chocolate yet to be enjoyed... (along with the pear wine!)