Favorite Things – Farm to Fork

And then there were Pez…

I have a long-standing love of collecting things that, as Marie Kondo would say, “Sparks Joy” for me.

I find small gifts of happiness to be the light that takes us through the bouts of suffering we have as a species, as a society, as humans.

So, once upon a time, I discovered Pez. I may have been six or seven. I wasn’t allowed sweets of any kind. None. Seriously. I was completely deprived. 😉

And then there was this little stick that looked like a little sheep (like Shari Lewis’ lambs!) or some such and when you tilted its head back you got sugar. In the form of a hard chewable Pez tablet.

I was hooked. And not allowed.

So, of course, in my adulting year’s, the first thing I do? Start collecting them. Muppets and WB cartoon figures and Marvel and DC and holidays and goofy figures.

(BTW, did you know there is a MUSEUM???)

About half of my collection is now visible in a fit of cleaning that happened over the weekend.

I see it every time I sit down in my office chair. Happy. Happy. Joy. Joy.

Life is good.

Women in food

A few months ago, a lovely friend and I were talking about restaurants and women and as a result I decided to start a list of local places that were owned or run by women.

Since then, the list has grown with a little help from my friends and we’ve used it as a basis for where we have been eating this year.

Of course, as always, there have been exceptions but in general we are eating what women cook or from restaurants owned by women or we are cooking it ourselves.

Over the next few posts, I’ll try to catch you up where we’ve been so far.

Anyone who would like the list or wants to contribute to it, please send me a PM here or on IG with an email so I can share it out to you.

The first foray was to Buttercup Diner with dad. Yup. Betcha thought I was gonna say something else. But we eat like the rest of the world and after a Dad Dr. appointment there is not much better for him than a slice of something Debbie made. Read on for more:

Buttercup is local, family owned and yes, at least one of them is a woman. Its owners Debbie and David (and their kids) have owned the chain for over 28 years and it has 5 locations around the East Bay.

Debbie’s desserts are all her own recipes and, well, my dad loves her bread pudding. Her seasonal pumpkin is great when it is the right time of year and most days you’ll see my honey and I racing for bites of her chocolate cream.

Every location is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner with no breaks in between . (And that is a feat in itself.) The food is consistent, homey and the atmosphere’s are all comfortable.

Well worth it and did I mention it is locally owned? 😉

These are a few of my favorite things (wk16)

I didn’t do so well keeping up with the weekly summary posts. So I’ve missed a few (seven) weeks. I realized it was because I was following someone else’s formula, so I’m making up my own, and I expect it will change a bit over time.

But for this week, here are my current favorite things:

(Note: some links below are affiliates; I only share what I use and personally recommend.)

What I’m cherishing right now are some freesias that Handsome brought me home earlier this week and inspired Wednesday’s post on freesias.

What I’m dealing with this week: both the shocking loss of part of Notre Dame where we visited last year and some personal stuff that has me reeling. Not a great week but I’ve kept my head upright and fastened down the hatches and we will keep moving on. Right? The alternative is Stuck and I refuse.

What I’m cooking right now: For the past few weeks, as I’ve previously mentioned, I have been experimenting with yogurt cultures to make homemade yogurt and then straining it to be thick Greek-style. I’ve started with Clover Organic whole milk each time and played around with using a few tablespoons of Straus Organic yogurt to create new culture, commercial culture and now, these Greek Heirloom Thermophilic Yogurt Starter Culture (affiliate link) cool-looking heirloom yogurt cultures.

What I’m listening to now. Some of my best moments come from music. And I’m often making Spotify playlists these days to try and keep track of themes and moods. This week, I’m listening to the new album by Clare Bowen. I first heard her music courtesy of the show Nashville, and I just love her caring attitude and lovely voice.

What I’m reading now. The Girl who Takes an Eye for an Eye. Love the series, still trying to come to grips with the new writing style. But, honestly, Lizbeth is the bomb.

Quote that sums up the now.

I know it’s supposed to be quote, not a meme, but I. JUST. COULDN’T. RESIST. that nose!

These are a few of my favorite things (wk9)

This week has been the first ~~warm and~~ sunny days we’ve had in a while. The break is needed as this “El Nino” year is somewhat crazy. I honestly don’t care if it is climate change or something else. It’s definitely different.

Here are a few of my favorites right now:

What I added this week:

A recommendation from my Peanut is an app called “Workout for Women” I’ve used it for most of this week and the workouts are free (with some non-invasive ads), it connected to Apple Health automatically, and is very easy to use. There are not always step-by-step instructions but it is straightforward enough that the exercises are easy to follow.

What I am listening to:

The Spotify playlist for Umbrella Academy. A crazy mix of music from the 60s to the 80s, and quite a fun selection of Electro.

What I am reading:

All My Love, Detrick by Roberta Kagan – a book written about the world and how it affects two families of different religions during the Holocaust.

What I’m working on:

Perfecting homemade yogurt in the new gas oven. Something I’ve wanted to do since started planning the remodel. I have made it two times so far and am quite happy with the results, even a bit more so when I drain it into Greek style. Thick, creamy and luscious, and I’m using the extra whey to acidify the garden for some camellias and hydrangeas. This is apparently a hotly debated technique, so we shall see if it helps or hinders. I am using the hydrangeas as the test bed as they actually change color when the soil is acidic.

I hope to be able to write a post about all this after just a couple more attempts.

The quote that sums it up for me in the now:

“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” — who knows

These are a few of my favorite things (wk8)

So I am now officially back in news avoidance mode. The only way to make that work means avoid the phone, live tv and do something else. So it’s been work, bake, work, cook, and work clean this week. Not a bad thing at all at all.

Here are a few of my favorites:

What I am avoiding this week:

is what is called Adulting. Have you heard of it? I personally think it’s a great phrase. Being a grown up has never been of interest to me. Being an adult has been necessary. Being able to “verb”alize it so that it becomes a function rather that a way of being. I’m sold. So I avoided bill paying, grocery shopping, errands and all that this week. It’s been nice. Too nice. I might actually feel like I have a moment for myself.

What I am watching:

Live TV is under self-ban, so we are back on Netflix and watched the inaugural episode of The Umbrella Academy. I like the irreverent comic and this has a FABULOUS cast and the first show had me smiling and laughing out loud. No. Really. I did.

The quote that sums it up for me in the now:

“We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid.” – Benjamin Franklin

These are a few of my favorite things (wk7)

This week has been filled with lots of releases after too much tension this month.

Here are a few of my favorites:

What I cherish this week:

Is the communication my partner and I have now. A wise woman suggested to me years ago that we should negotiate what would happen on holidays so that we weren’t setting each other up for problems.

It was one of the best things I’ve learned, and having a partner that will participate is a solid win.

Because of this, we had a lovely Valentine’s Day without drama and lots of love.

Thanks, handsome 😉

What I am listening to:

I decided to go back to the basics. I’m listening to This American Life and Marc Maron. Many consider them to be the masters of podcasts. I’m gonna decide for myself.

What I am reading:

Belong by Radha Agrawal – my review is on GoodReads.

The quote that sums it up for me in the now:

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” – Harriet Tubman

These are a few of my favorite things (wk6)

Here are a few of my favorites right now:

What I added this week:

I am officially recommending the Oura ring over other tracking tools, including FitBit. I’ve used a UP from Jawbone, a Fitbit HR, and moved to the Oura in December. I ordered it online and it arrived in less than 4 weeks (I’ve seen some reviews that said it took longer.)

I miss the watch-like function of them, but the trade-off is that I forget I’m wearing a device. I can wear it in the shower or doing dishes. And it’s tracking is more accurate than either of the devices I wore before. It only tracks HR during sleep, and that’s part of the philosophy of the Oura. The ring, its app, and the analytics available on the Cloud all believe that the best day starts last night and give you plenty of tools to track. So far, it’s known when I am getting sick, and when I needed additional support due to stress.

Does it track steps? Yes, accurately and lets you add activities too. I’m happy with my choice.

What I am listening to:

Nothing specific this week, just lots of acoustic music with some female singers: Lavigne, Morrissette, Parx. It’s been a nice week.

What I am reading:

Legends of Gods and Ghosts (Hawaiian Mythology): Collected and Translated from the Hawaiian

The quote that sums it up for me in the now:

“If you just set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.” – Margaret Thatcher

These are a few of my favorite things (wk5)

Here are a few of my favorites right now:

What I cherish this week:

Family. Had a lovely meal with the closest members of the tribe at one of our favorite restaurants as a belated birthday present to me. It’s a treasured day every year, and this one was great. Thank you.

What I am listening to:

One of my go-to playlists: French Jazz, it soothes my soul and helps me feel centered during the day.

What I am reading:

World Enough & Time: On Creativity and Slowing Down by Christian McEwen – this is a lovely book, meant to be read in fits and starts. Taking pieces of wisdom from artists, scholars, and writers, each section allows you time to contemplate how to be slower in this crazy world. The title is also a line known from a 17th-century poem by Andrew Marvell

The quote that sums it up for me in the now:

“To achieve, you need thought. You have to know what you are doing and that’s real power.” — Ayn Rand

These are a few of my favorite things (wk4)

Here are a few of my favorites right now:

What I appreciate this week:

Umcka Cold Care – almost everyone I know has been or is sick right now. As soon as I feel the first bits of a sore throat or such, I start up with it and about 80% of the time it keeps the cold from coming on. Once again it is saving me from feeling horrible.

What I am listening to:

I’m working on an Autumn playlist and what I keep on replay this week is 85 by Andy Grammar. It reminds me that today is not just another day. It is the day.

What I am reading:

Catching up on New York Times magazines. I keep them in a stack for rainy weeks like this one, and while one or the other can be a bit more political and depressing, there is usually something uplifting.

The quote that sums it up for me in the now:

“Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” — Simone Weil

These are a few of my favorite things (wk2)

This week has been a lovely one. Lots of winter rain but without harsh flooding. Great meals cooked in the kitchen.

I wanted to start off the first full week of the new year by sharing with you all where I am today. So here are a few of my favorites right now:

What I (appreciate / cherish / miss / added) this week:

A new pair of clogs for my kitchen work. K logs, with a K, to be exact.

I found these to be comfortable, fit both my custom and otc orthotics and make me that 1 1/2 inches taller that makes most counters friendly to my 5’1″ stature.

What I am inspired by:

Believe it or not, some darned cool vinyl paper. I wanted a cabinet to have a new look and found this lovely tile pattern with Mediterranean colors and had a fun time tacking it up and trimming it to look close to the real thing.

What I am listening to:

It’s not playing music, per se, but Noislii is an app I was turned on to by the fun folks over at Project EVO – they send out a monthly newsletter with cool things that satisfy my “Alchemist” personality. And this app is a winner, it gives me control to create white noise from a variety of sources with a timer so that I can have concentrated time blocks to focus and work. The timer was a bit hard for me to figure out for the first 20 seconds, but after that, it was a breeze and comes with a cool fade out feature.

What I am reading:

I think Betty Friedan wrote “The Fountain of Age” while in her 60s – it was published it in 1993. It’s very relevant today for the more mature person and the people that want to understand them. So far, it is an intimate and encouraging look at how to evolve while your body ages.

Quote that sums it up for me in the now:

“Get up and move.” — attributed to… well, lots of people from Richard Simmons to me, when the kids were on the couch too long. But it is true. Moving, whether slowly or quickly, with some purpose or intentionally having no purpose is one of the best things we can do. Moving every day keeps us going and maybe even living longer.