The Day of Eostre

Unfurling Skunk Cabbage Leaf

Today is Easter Sunday.  The word easter was derived from the ancient was for spring, "eastre," and the Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility, "Eostre."  Though there are obvious religious, especially Christian, reasons for this spring holiday, we choose to celebrate it for its pagan roots.  There was no better day to get in the garden and start grooming and preparing things for the fertility I anticipate this season.  On Saturday I spread most of the compost from our tumbler with hopes to complete the task this week after acquiring a load of topsoil to cover it--I paused in my spreading as I realized if I left the mostly composted food scraps exposed, our curious little one would be picking up avocado skins and peach pits saying "what's that?" and scattering them around the backyard in mysterious places only for me to find later in the summer.  So if the weather cooperates this week, I would like to finish the job.  Today I also seeded some pole beans in our front windowboxes (and watered them with compost "tea") and continued the interrupted job of cutting down dead perennials from last fall.  I also worked on creating some ambience for our backyard eden as I transferred the string lights from the fence that supports our grapevines to the cherry tree with a few small branches that overhang our "patio."  The grapevines leafed out so much last year that the lights were lost and unappreciated.  At the top of an unsteady ladder I wrapped and wrapped and wrapped strands around the delicate branches of our sweet cherry tree in a manner not unlike that of those in downtown Chicago--pretty soon they'll be calling to offer me a seasonal gig (yeah right!)

Naturally dyed eggs

One of these days I will get organized enough with my blog to post holiday ideas well before the holiday so that readers can use the information for their own meals and crafts.  My sister-in-law brought this to my attention around Thanksgiving when she was checking my blog for recipes for the big meal only to come up empty-handed (so sorry Chrispy! I owe you one.)  So this information is belated, but as long as my blog is intended to be a "web log" of my journeys through our urban homestead, this will have to do.  Yesterday V and I spent about eight minutes coloring hard-boiled eggs with natural dyes.  Her attention span for crafts is very short these days, but we decorated the eggs nonetheless as I realized that it's quite a passive activity anyway, especially when using natural dyes in which the eggs have to sit for an hour or two in order to take up the pigment.  We chose beet juice (pink), celery seed (gold), dill seed (brownish gold), and turmeric (yellow)--for some reason I gravitated toward the warm tones like I do with decorating.  We had mild success--the only color that wasn't strong enough was the beet juice.  This morning we hid the eggs around the yard, V had fun hunting for them--with much prompting--and was lead to her basket at the end.

Prepping the dyes

Supplies are ready

Letting them soak

Hmmm, I wonder who ate one...Vera?

Bloodroot

Skunk cabbage

Our Easter day plans were modest from the beginning--we thought we'd visit a nature center then have a quiet dinner just us three.  Mid-week we were ramped up to drive to Horicon National Wildlife Refuge.  By this morning, considering naptime, we downgraded (but only distance-wise) to driving much less to Schlitz Audubon Center  in Bayside then keyed it down (distance-wise) again to Havenwoods State Forest on Milwaukee's north side, and finally decided not to drive at all and simply enjoy the flora in our own "backyard" as we strolled to the Seminary Woods just blocks away.  I always intend to visit the same natural area at least once each season of the same year to observe the changes taking place with the wildflowers, trees, and fungi.  We took a Valentine's Day weekend walk along this very path so let's say we're two for four with examining the grounds at the same location in 2011.  We saw many signs of spring as we identified bloodroot in bloom, skunk cabbage along the stream, trout lilies establishing themselves throughout the woods, and thriving ramps (wild leeks) dotting the undergrowth.  I realized that a tricky part of wild foraging is that one must be dedicated to getting out at least a few times each week to check what's in bloom or ripe.  It's not like the backyard where a person can take just a few steps to see what's close or at peak ripeness...and with many fewer competitors waiting for the same food.  This summer will be much different from the last as naptimes are consolidated and nursing intervals are non-existent.  A walk through the woods always gets my blood pumping and mind rolling--today I was obviously pondering summer.  In the meantime, it was a cold day for a walk, but fantastic to breathe the fresh air and listen to the trickling water of the stream and the knocking of the downy woodpecker.

We even used the wedding china

Our garden sorrel

We capped off the evening (and Ben's week staycation) with a quiet yet delightful celebratory meal, all kosher for my needs (see, it would have been nice had I posted recipes last Tuesday):

Lamb Loin with Sorghum and Tarragon Glaze

Polenta with Mushrooms

Local Spinach and Sorrel Salad with Pickled Beets, Toasted Hazelnuts, and Apple Vinaigrette

Chocolate Coconut Cream Pie with Almond Crust   

 A sampling of my old stamp collection

Though we're sad to see Daddy go back to work tomorrow, we greatly appreciate his spring cleaning efforts this past week.  I think we're all feeling cleansed and rejuvenated with more room to breathe.  I shipped so many things out the door this week it felt GREAT!  Although I'm determined to clear the clutter, I was still unable to part with my stamp collection--yes, I was a geeked out philatelist from about third grade until junior high.  Looking back at my loosely "organized" collection (and by that I mean it's a bunch of loose stamps messily piled in an empty Animal Clipper box from the days my mom and I had a dog grooming business), I believe I was more into the stamps for the quality and variety of artwork they displayed.  Now I'm feeling inspired to somehow upcycle this collection--I can't bring myself to sell them (besides I wouldn't know where to begin pricing them) and I'm certainly not going to "Antiques Roadshow" them.  Stay tuned for more crafty ideas...and Happy Easter!

Sweet Home Chicago

"The Bridge to Nowhere"

Though I've never called Chicago my home--unless you count the few months I spent down there as a pseudo-transient when Ben and I were dating--but B hails from the environs of the big windy city.  To celebrate his parents' milestone birthdays this year (and last) we all gathered there this past weekend and ate, ate, ate, took in a show, visited, walked, walked, walked, and had a lot of fun.  A great time was had by all.  I haven't done all that much dining out since my allergy diagnosis--a great thing for my pocketbook, but it hasn't done much for my on-going desire to explore new foods, cuisines, and restaurants.  It's not easy to find an eatery with an allergy-friendly menu, especially not when there are multiple offending foods.  And having worked in restaurants for more than the past decade, I know that--especially in fine dining--a chef doesn't always look favorably upon leaving something out of a dish that he or she has spent time to imagine and lovingly prepare.  So our dining experience on Friday night at Chicago's well-known regional Mexican restaurant, Topolobampo, exceeded my expectations.  Before I could mention it, our server asked if anyone had any food allergies then spent time discussing my "special needs."  She provided a menu adapted for my restrictions and I proceeded to indulge in an intense, almost 4-hour dining experience with the rest of our party.  Whoa!  It shows that not only are people more in tune to food sensitivities these days, but they're committed making sure every diner has an equally enjoyable experience.  It's instances like this that make me wish I was a fine dining server once again.  The following days at our hotel's restaurant for breakfast and brunch I was just as easily able to pick out something suitable from the menu.  I love telling the server my concerns about dairy and eggs--as if I'm vegan--only to then order a huge plate of breakfast meats.  Don't know how I'd ever go without bacon!

In conjunction with this trip I developed a recipe for some gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free vanilla cupcakes last week.  While preparing a thank you treat for my Chicago friends who babysat for V on Saturday night, I was also working on developing a vegan cake recipe for a former employer.  I used honey though true vegans would make a substitution--I suggest agave nectar or brown rice syrup, though the latter may impart a different flavor.  Add some chocolate frosting and you have a yummy don't-even-miss-what's-not-there dessert.

Very Vanilla Cupcakes
Makes 10 cupcakes

Adapted from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam.  One could sub. agave, brown rice syrup, or even maple syrup for the honey to achieve a vegan cupcake.


1 T. Ener-G egg replacer diluted w/ 4 T. water (equiv. of 2 lg. eggs)
1/4 c. grapeseed oil
1/2 c. honey
1 T. vanilla extract
1 T. lemon juice
2 1/2 c. blanched almond flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare muffin tin with either silicone muffin cups, papers, or pan spray.  In a medium bowl, whisk the diluted egg replacer with oil, honey, vanilla, lemon juice.  In a separate bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, then mix into egg replacer mixture.  Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.  Bake 30 min. until tops are golden brown or a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan about 30 min., the center will sink just a bit which is normal.  Frost as desired.

Chocolate Frosting
Makes 1 1/2 c.

I prefer coconut oil in this recipe; I love the added flavor.  But grapeseed would be perfectly suitable as well.  If you want more of a ganache-like "glaze" for the cupcakes (see photo), freeze for the lesser amount of time then whip slightly.  Any leftover frosting/"glaze" makes a wonderful "chocolate bar" once refrigerated.

I can almost see my reflection in that shiny frosting!

1 c. vegan, soy-free chocolate chips
1/2 c. coconut oil (or grapeseed oil)
2 T. honey (or agave nectar)
1 T. vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Decorating sugar
Additional sea salt

In a medium saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate with oil until smooth.  Stir in the honey, vanilla, and salt.  Place in the freezer 10-15 min. until cooled.  Remove and whip with a mixer until thick and fluffy, 1-2 min.  Use to frost cupcakes then sprinkle with decorating sugar and just a bit of salt to complement the sweetness.  Store in a glass container, keeps a week or so (if you don't eat the rest first!)

Brassica seedlings

I just peaked at the forecast for this week and it looks like rain rain rain!  I guess that's a sign that spring might actually be here so I won't begin to complain.  But I'm really itching to get outside and throw some seeds into the ground.  The brassicas I seeded indoors last week have germinated and are now cheerfully standing tall under my newly installed grow lights (Thanks B!)  This is my first time using these lights, though I've had them in my possession at least the last couple of seasons--it was a situation of extreme  procrastination.  I finally realized how easy they are to use; it just took a little time to hang the lights, which B placed nicely over his workbench for now.  These lights were handed down from my grandfather after he passed.  The story is that in the winter and early spring he always had them set up in the basement laundry room with tables of flower seedlings (I remember marigolds, impatiens, and ageratum.)  Of course, not being an avid gardener then, I--along with my family--thought he was a goofy old man just trying to find a pass time.  He may not have been an expert, but he knew more about starting things from seed than I did--and he tended a beautiful urban flower garden with prized roses and all.  So I'm glad to have these lights and I think about Elmer every time I turn them on.