Strawberry Picking + Jam

Over the weekend Nathan and I went strawberry picking at Lewis Farm, located about fifteen minutes from our house, with some friends. It was a gorgeous day, perfect for picking, and it seemed like half of Wilmington had the same idea. 

Nathan and I ended up with 12 pounds of berries, which came to the grand total of $18.00. Obviously, I needed to make jam. And not freezer jam, which I've made a few times in the past. No, I wanted to make real jam, and put it in a cute jar, and place it lovingly on a shelf, where it would later be surrounded by all the other things I would can and preserve and sauce, building a homemade pantry that would get us through the cold months of winter. (As you can see, my dreams tend to get big fast.) I dragged my canning equipment down from the attic (my dear friend Chay gave me her extra set right before we left Texas, and I had yet to use it), bought a new cookbook (any excuse for a new cookbook), gathered my ingredients (which required three separate trips the grocery store), until finally I was ready to jam. 

Full review coming once I make a few more things.

I ended up getting a brand of pectin at Whole Foods that uses less sugar, because it's made from a citrus peel and thus jells more easily. Since the amount of sugar in jam has always seemed excessive to me, I was curious about this claim. I followed the instructions in the pectin box, mashing fruit, blending pectin with apple juice concentrate, bringing the strawberries to a boil, heating the jars in our big pot. It was hot in the kitchen, and I was wearing a sweet apron my friend Lucy made me and blasting some Riot Grrl music because it felt appropriate, when, just as I was about to funnel the jam into the jars, I realized I had not added any sugar to the mix whatsoever. Hm. That seemed strange. I decided to look at the instructions one last time. 

Apparently, there were four different recipes, and I had accidentally chosen the "all fruit" option, instead of the "low sugar" one, which would have yielded a more traditional jam. Since it was too late to fix my error, I went ahead and canned the jam, hoping it wouldn't be bitter. I boiled the jars for ten minutes and started washing the million dishes I had dirtied (canning jam is messy business) and then fished them out, only burning myself once, and left them on the counter to cool while I washed another thousand dishes. While I was scrubbing, I heard a pop, then another, then another. The jars were sealing, which meant that I got the canning process down, even if the contents of the jars is still a work in process. 

Of course, the best thing about chopping six pounds of strawberries (I had to save some of our bounty for straight up eating) is giving the greens + hulls to the chickens. The big girls love strawberries, probably because it's the treat they get most often. They are creatures of habit.

And I didn't want to leave the little ladies out, even though I was pretty sure they would be terrified of the strawberries. It turns out they've been getting braver every day - instead of hiding in the corners, they came running and attacked the berries with an adorable ferocity.

I'll let y'all know how the jam turned out once I'm brave enough to try it. In the meantime, I'm already dreaming of pickles, which is next on my canning bucket list. 

Also, before I forget: the winner of the Honest Fizz giveaway is adr, who would try root beer first. Adr, send me your information and I'll make sure your prize is mailed to you! 

Back with the Bees

On Friday, we finally got around to opening our hive. The last time I blogged about the bees, I wrote about my fears - that they would be dead, or suffering, or that we'd be stung repeatedly for our various transgressions. I'm happy to report that none of those things happened. While our hive is certainly smaller and weaker than it was at the height of last summer, it's alive and kicking and for now, that's enough.

We've had a hard time in the past with the smoker - using too much smoke, or smoke that was too hot, aggravating the bees when we were trying to keep them calm. This time, we seemed to strike that magical balance, and the bees were docile and unperturbed by our presence. Once upon a time, we thought we didn't need to wear any kind of protection, that we would somehow charm the bees with our good looks and winning personalities. Twenty or so painful stings later, we realized the error of our optimism. Since we can't afford real bee outfits right now, so we made due with Tyvek paint suits, gardening gloves, and straw hats draped with mosquito netting that we tucked under our shirts. We may have looked silly, but at least we felt safe.

When we opened the hive, we didn't know what to expect. The super (a shallow box, placed on top of the deep hive bodies) looked untouched - no bees crawling around, no comb, no honey, no brood. Uh-oh. We checked each frame just to be sure, then set it aside and delved into the next hive body.

Here, we had better luck. The outer frames hadn't been drawn out yet, but all over the inner ones the bees were hard at work. We didn't find the queen, but we saw evidence of her - capped brood where bee larvae were waiting to hatch and lots of nurse bees attending them, and stores of honey and pollen. We cheered, but quietly and without any sudden movements.

After checking all those frames, we set that box aside and looked into the bottom hive body. This one was thick with comb, but empty of honey and brood, and there weren't too many bees hanging out there. I think the bees must have eaten all their honey stores over the winter, and since there was nowhere else to build, they moved up.

Right now, our main concern is growing the hive population. I suspect that our cold and wet spring caused the bees to get a late start, and that's part of the reason why their numbers are low this late in the season. While we've never had to feed them sugar water, I've done some research and I think it would be best for the hive at this point. It'll give them the burst of energy then need to build, and it'll encourage the queen to lay the eggs the hive so desperately needs. Once the hive is more robuts, we'll let nature take over, and any honey we harvest (probably not until next year - sigh) will be pure at that point. 

Even though our hive needs help, there's a lot to be hopeful about. Considering how little hope I had before, I'm feeling pretty good about our future with the bees.

Awkward Teenagers

Ruby Redbird.

The chicks have been living full time in the little coop for about a week now, and they seem to be acclimating well. They're finally getting a little braver, and don't immediately run away, peeping for dear life, when I approach. Now, when I sit in the coop and keep still (or, better yet, fill my hand with food) they come right up to me. Their curiosity is finally outweighing their fear. 

.Hattie

Even though I see them walking on the ramp that leads to the "upstairs" area, they insist on sleeping in a warm little pile in the grass. I don't know when instinct will kick in and lead them upstairs - for now, I just wait until they're asleep and then gently pick them up, one by one, and put them upstairs. They peep like crazy for a few minutes, but then they fall back to sleep and don't come down until morning. 

Gossiping at the water cooler. 

Just like last time, I'm amazed at how fast the chicks are growing. At five weeks old, they already have most of their feathers, and the little puff balls we first brought home are a dim memory. Personally, I love the awkward teenage phase - they start to develop personalities, they get braver every day, and it's so fascinating to see what colors and patterns they'll end up with, feather-wise. The silver-laced Wyandottes are still mostly white, and it's hard to imagine them with a full body of dark coloring. The Americaunas are already gorgeous, and getting prettier every day.  

Hand feeding.

Hilda.

Meanwhile, the old girls celebrated a milestone last week - they turned one year old! I gave them some chicken scratch as a gift and then tried to take some photos, but they were too busy digging up the scratch to pose for a photo. This one of Alice was the best I could get. 

Happy birthday, Alice! 

Two seconds later, her beak was back in the dirt. These chickens are all business.

Gimme that scratch! 

And because he likes to be a part of everything, here's a cute photo of Calvin.

Happy Friday!

Three Bits of Lit

I have three things to share with you today.

1. Last semester, a film class at UNCW offered to make book trailers for some of our works-in-progress. Anyone in the class could submit a writing sample and a synoposis, and the students broke up into groups and chose which projects they wanted to take on. My book was one of three chosen, and yesterday I finally saw the trailer. It's just a minute long, and you can view it here. Go ahead. I'll wait. 

I love it! I think they did a great job capturing the mood and feeling of the book, and the ominous sound of bees in the background is perfect. My only criticism is that the main character, Kate, is in her early thirties, and the actress they chose to play her is clearly much older. Then again, as my friend Lucy stated so eloquently, "That's just what college students think 34 year olds look like." Well played, college students. 

2. I don't know if you're familiar with the raging debate over MFA programs - some say they're a good thing for writers, while others believe they will single-handedly cause the downfall of literature. Obviously I'm a fan, and I think this short essay in Brevity perfectly captures why. A few of my favorite parts: 

Yes, my MFA mentors were skilled writers generous with their wisdom, but even more, they showed me, in their various creative ways, how to build a writing life—especially in a culture that rewards very few writers financially and that offers constant, bombarding distraction. They modeled how to make a living, prioritize writing, navigate the demands of family and friends, and manage emotions around success and failure.

Also this: 

The typical MFA program may not birth genius, but the students improve. And aren’t we all better off when people pursue their passions, when chefs, mechanics, surgeons, parents or musicians are happier and more skilled? Also, I believe what when we struggle with our writing, regardless of the final results, we think more clearly and understand more deeply—and our communities improve when any of us does work that loosens our hearts and defogs our brains.

Yes, yes, yes. 

3. I loved looking at the outlines some famous writers used when composing their books. I realized I needed an outline about 100 pages in, which subsequently caused me to reorganize, rewrite, and trash about 75 of those pages. Oops. My outline is just a simple word document, with bullet points listing what happens in each chapter. I edit it as I go, because I discover something new about the story every time I sit down to write, and things are always shifting and changing. Even though I'm a minimalist when it comes to outlining, I'm still fascinated by the intricate ways other writers organize themselves. The outline for Catch-22 is probably my favorite. 

Any writing news to share? Updates on your creative projects? Good essays or links that I should read? Feel free to share them in the comments! 

Run Now, Race Later

It's nearly summer in North Carolina, which means things are about to get h.o.t. I'm no stranger to this kind of weather - seven years in East Texas taught me to appreciate 100+ temperatures and swampy humidity. I hate being cold more than anything (I don't even put ice in my drinks!), and I actually enjoy feeling like the air is giving me a big, sweaty hug every time I step outside.

That said, the one thing I don't like doing when it's really hot? Running. I'm sure I don't have to explain why, but suffice to say that as the temperatures rise, my pace goes down... and down... and down. I still run in the summer, but I do it as early as possible, and it takes me nearly twice as long. Speed work? Tempo runs? Ha! I'm lucky if I make it home in time for lunch.

Thus, I usually back off from running during the summer and focus instead on cross training - yoga and kettlebell, maybe dust off my bicycle, and as many afternoons swimming in the ocean as possible (it's still a workout, even if you're drinking beers in between dips). It's a pretty good system, especially since a break from intense running makes me all the more eager to start logging lots of miles come fall. 

So that's what I'm doing this summer. My loose goal is to run three times a week, 3-7 miles at a time. Yoga three times a week. Kettlebell twice a week. Sometimes I'll do less yoga and more strength training. Sometimes all my runs will be three miles long and it will take me six hours to stop sweating from them. Mostly my goal is to keep moving, stay in shape, and have fun, which is the best and most balanced fitness plan, especially for a summer at the beach.

One of the reasons I want to stay in shape this summer (besides the fact that I will be in a bathing suit 50% of the time) is because I have my eyes on a few races for late 2013 and 2014. I'd like to take another stab at the Battleship Half Marathon this November. I won't be gunning for a PR - I had a hard time on the course last year and the pressure of a PR + bad memories seems like a terrible combination. Instead, I'll try to set a new PR at the Wrightsville Beach Half Marathon in March 2014 - I also ran that race this past year, and had a great time and a great race. I'm sure that with the right training, I can set a new record. 

And then I'm thinking, maybe that fall, I'll finally be ready to tackle a full 26.2 again. I decided against marathon training while I was in grad school, because I didn't have the mental fortitude or the focus or the energy to do both those things at once. But I graduate next May, most of my friends will leave Wilmington, I probably won't find a job right away, and marathon training is really good at filling a variety of voids. (I initially started running because my roller derby league broke up, and I needed a new distraction, so this is a proven theory.) There are a few fall cool marathons near North Carolina - I'm thinking about Savannah (neat city that I've been wanting to visit), Richmond (billed as America's friendliest marathon), and New York City (we'd have to enter the lottery, of course, but that race is on my bucket list so I should probably start trying to get in now).

Potential marathon training is still 18 months away at this point, so this is all speculation, and it will remain speculation for another year. For now, I'm looking forward to sweating my way through the summer, and rewarding myself with many trips to the beach.

How do you train in the summer? Do you have any races on your bucket list? Most importantly, what is your favorite beer to drink at the beach? Shiner's Ruby Redbird is the best summer beer - Texas represent! 

Honest Fizz Review and Giveaway!

The giveaway is now closed. Thanks for playing! 

A few weeks ago the folks from Honest Tea offered to let me try out their new line of Honest Fizz, a "naturally sweetened soda with zero calories and zero sugars." Usually when I'm offered things in exchange for a review on the blog (which happens once or twice a month) I say thanks, but no thanks - I don't want my blog to become a billboard for different companies, and I'm pretty picky about the things I'll consume. However, I decided to make an except for Honest Tea. I'm on board with the company's mission and ethics (organic, eco-conscious packaging, and over half their bottled teas are Fair Trade), plus I liked the idea of a healthier soda option - especially since I'm trying to cut back on booze. (Though I have to admit - my first thought when I sampled these was that they would make excellent mixers. Sigh.) 

There are four flavors of Honest Fizz, and I tried them all. Here's my honest opinion about each. 

Lemon Limey – a tangy taste of all-natural, lime flavor. This is the one that made me crave a cocktail most of all - it's begging for gin! But even if it's not five o'clock, this is still a refreshing soda. The lemon-lime flavor was subtle, yet sweet - kind of like a grown up lemonade. 

Orange Pop – a classic taste that may seem retro, but the recipe is naturally modern! Do you remember going to McDonald's as a kid, and ordering a happy meal with an orange soda, and how awesome that orange soda was? This Fizz reminded me of that delicious sugar drink, except without the sugar or the moral depravity of McDonald's. 

Root Beer - A zero-calorie Root Beer that's also organic. Definitely my favorite of the bunch. I've never been a huge soda person and once, when I was in first grade, I cried at a birthday party when I was served a cup of Coca-Cola. That said, I do like an occasional root beer, and this one satisfied that craving. Plus: root beer floats! 

Professor Fizz has a unique, all-natural spiced cherry flavor. I'm not usually a big fan of cherry, but this soda was surprisingly tasty. I didn't get too much spice from it - it reminded me of a more mellow cherry coke. 

Nathan also tried the sodas and didn't like them as much as I did, which is surprising, because he's usually the one who drinks soda in our house. He's not a fan of stevia, which is the sweetener used in Fizz, and said it threw the taste off. I have no problem with stevia myself, and didn't notice anything off about the sodas, so you'll just have to decide for yourself. 

Now for the giveaway! I didn't want to subject my readers to a review without giving them something in return, so Honest Tea has offered one lucky reader a case of each Honest Fizz flavor (that's four cases in all!). To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post, and tell me which flavor of Fizz you'd try first. I'll randomly choose a winner one week from today, and Honest Tea will send you your prize. Good luck! 

Disclaimer: Honest Tea send me four free cases of Honest Fizz in exchange for this review, but all opinions are my own. 

Insta-Weekend

Apologies if you follow me on Instagram and have seen all of these photos already, but as much as I keep resolving to use my real camera more often, the draw of the iPhone is hard to resist. That said, my weekend was pretty nice. 

First up: we've officially moved the chicks into the little coop. The dogs are very curious about this development, as you can see. 

The chicks are just about a month old, and we're getting to the point where they can jump out of the brooder. They have most of their feathers, and it's been really warm out (80s in the daytime  50s at night) so we've been putting them in the coop during the day. Last night we let them sleep outside, and while it was a little nerve racking, they survived. I ran out there first thing this morning, and they were already up and scratching around, so I'm going to assume they're okay with the new arrangement  I'm very relieved - as cute as they are, it's a bit wearing to have five baby chickens living in your guest room. Next on our list: clean the hell out of the guest room. 

I spent about two hours on Saturday afternoon, drinking a beer and reading a book on the porch, while Nathan studied diligently for a big test he had today (he passed!). Our DIY wall of wine bottles filtered the light in a lovely way, so I took a break from my book to snap a photo. 

I also spent some time reading in the backyard (there was a lot of reading this weekend). I like this photo because you can see the prayer flags we hung in the chicken coop, as well as our clean underthings hanging on the line. (Nevermind the dog poop all over the yard, our overgrown grass, or the fact that we still can't afford to fix our dryer. Nevermind that at all.) 

This weekend was also our six month wedding anniversary. While we don't normally celebrate such minor events, I bought a fancy (IE, $30) bottle of wine at Christmas and I've been looking for a good excuse to drink it ever since. Six month anniversary it is! I researched food and wine pairings, and came up with a baked mushroom risotto that would compliment our Belle Glos Pinot Noir nicely. The risotto was great, the wine was delicious, and the chocolate pie I baked for dessert was the perfect end to a quiet date night. It's official - I'm a catch. ;)  

The weekend ended by seeing The Great Gatsby with some of my finest lady friends. The movie was okay. I liked the modern music paired with the 1920s period, and the costumes and dancing were lovely. But the narrative was a bit clunky, and it took about a half an hour before I really got into the plot. Also, we saw the movie in 2D because 3D gives me a headache AND costs more, and there were some shots that were clearly filmed with the 3D experience in mind. In 2D, they just looked a bit strange. Did anyone else see the movie this weekend? If so, what did you think? If you actually remember the book, how did it compare? I'm considering picking it up this summer, as I read it in high school and don't remember it very well, but I also have a million other things I want to read, so we'll see. 

As for the week ahead: continue writing 1,000 words a day (still going strong!), research the history of moonshine for my other job, and make it to yoga more than once. I'm also hosting a little giveaway tomorrow on the blog, so check back for that. Until then! 

5 Minute Chickpea Salad Sandwich

This is one of those recipes I hesitated to post, because it's not really a recipe at all. Mash, mix, eat - that about covers it. And yet this sandwich is a very tasty and satisfying combination that I have been eating since I was an undergraduate at SUNY Purchase. I remember making this in my dorm room, sometimes topped with sliced apples and cheese and broiled for a few minutes, sometimes mixed with celery and a good shake of paprika and black pepper. Today I had it with butter leaf lettuce from the garden and chopped dill pickles. (Side note: you know you've been living a thrifty life when a jar of pickles from the grocery store is an extravagant splurge.) 

To make this sandwich, do the following:

• Open a 14 oz can of chickpeas; drain and rinse. 
• Mash the chickpeas with a fork until they are mostly mashed. (I like a few whole ones in there for contrast.) 
• Mix mostly mashed chickpeas with a few heaping tablespoons of Nayonaise (or regular mayo, if that's your style. Hm. Homemade mayo with backyard eggs? Better add that to my to-make list.) 
• Serve on a roll, or a bagel, on in a wrap, or between two slices of bread. (I went with a bagel thin, which were two-for-one at Kroger last week.) 
• Add toppings (in my case, lettuce and pickles). 
• Eat while sitting in a chair in the backyard, while the dogs beg for leftovers and the chickens cluck in their coop. Enjoy the sunshine and the pickles, which you have totally earned. 

I told you it was easy. Now go forth and mash chickpeas! 

Chicks Are Afraid of Everything

First of all, I apologize for denying you adorable baby chick photos. The new girls are growing at a fast rate and have already reached that awkward half-fuzz, half-feathered stage. They're still living in their brooder, but seeing as it is supposed to finally stop raining tomorrow AND it will be in the low 80s (YES!) I am planning to move them to the small coop, at least in the day time. 

Zelda

One of the reasons I've not taken a million photos of the babies is because they are terrified of the camera. They are terrified, actually, of everything. I don't remember the older ladies being quite so skittish when they were tiny, so I'm not sure if it's a breed thing, or if it's all in my head, or if the babies are just bored and cranky. Hopefully moving to the coop will help with the issue, whatever it may be. 

In the meantime, I have finally named the chicks. They are as follows: Louise II, a silver laced Wyandotte. Our first Louise ended up a Lou and had to be re-homed. I'm hoping this time, the name sticks. Hilda, our second Wyandotte. Then there are the Americaunas: Zelda, after Fitzgerald, and because of the gorgeous coloring around her eyes. She reminds me of a 1920s flapper. Hattie, named by my friend Lucy as a going away present. Ruby Redbird. Ruby was another name Lucy was considering, and it seemed like a natural choice for our mini hawk. Ruby Redbird is also the name of my favorite summer ale (Texas represent!). 

I will try to take individual glamor shots soon, when the process is less traumatizing for the girls. Their comfort comes before the blog - I hope you understand! 

In the meantime, here are some photos I took last week, when they were much smaller. (Seriously - chickens grow so fast!) I had given them some strawberries as a treat and a distraction, and as you can see they were, at first, terrified. 

OMG WHAT IS THAT?!

After a few minutes spent huddling in the corner and peeping shrilly, it began to dawn on them that the strawberries were not, in fact, there to kill them. The chicks began to inch closer to this strange new thing. 

HM. IT DOESN'T SMELL LIKE DEATH.

The chicks kept darting closer to the strawberries, and then turning away at the last second. Such a tease, those chicks. 

OMG THIS IS GOOD!

Once the first chick was brave enough to take a peck, the others quickly followed. Sometimes I wonder, if one chicken jumped off a cliff, would all the others follow? The answer is: yes, absolutely. Silly chickens. 

One thing the chicks are not afraid of is eating from my hand. Soon their beaks will be too big and sharp for hand feeding, but for now it's a sweet frenzy, and the one time they do not seem scared of me. Step by step, babies. We'll get there.

Tacos and Tryouts

Despite being far too short, my weekend was pretty great. Most of the good stuff happened on Saturday, since Sunday was spent working at the wine shop (now that the semester is over, I'm picking up more shifts each week) and trying to make progress on my grading (due this Wednesday! Ahhh!). 

Saturday started bright overcast and early, because my first priority was to write my 1,000 words for the day. Then, Nathan and I poured giant cups of hot coffee and headed down to the beach. One of his friends from the paramedic program was trying out for a beach lifeguard position, and half the class went to watch and cheer him on. 

It was a cold and windy morning, and I did not envy the men and women who had to swim a half a mile against a strong current and choppy waves, and then run a mile and a half down the shore. Only six people were able to complete the challenge, and everyone else will have to try again next week (I think. It was hard to hear what was going on over the wind). The only thing I know for sure is that I would be the worst lifeguard in the world, as I need to ease myself into the ocean inch by inch, even in the middle of August, when it's 105 degrees. 

After tryouts were over, Nathan and I headed to our next stop - Breakfast Taco Fest, hosted by our dear friends Katie and Dory. 

Fixins.

Breakfast Taco Bowl.

Breakfast Tacos are an essential part of Texas culture, and since Dory spent years living in Austin, she knew how to fix 'em right. I enjoyed a large portion of migas, topped with avocado, cilantro, salsa, and soyriozo, and washed it all down with many a mimosa. There was a nice turnout of friends, and you have to love a party that starts at 11:30AM. 

Perhaps the best part of the party, however, was a family recipe for a beverage that is brewed and served in a (clean, unused) paint can. It involved fresh squeezed citrus, whiskey, sugar, ice, and mint. Once it was ready, we passed that paint can around and went. to. town. 

Dory serves the drink.

This is a family affair. 

Passing it on. 

Delicious! 

Of course, our early morning at the beach and our day-drinking meant that Nathan and I fell asleep on our couch at approximately 9:30PM. I reget nothing. 

Sunday was also good, even though no paint can drinks were involved. I wrote my words, ran six miles, worked my wine shop shift, graded a few papers, and almost caught up on Parks & Rec. And now it is Monday, and I'm still grading, but that's okay. I've got a pot of coffee and a red pen and I will finish these papers today if it kills me. Better get to it!