I love Board Games

It's getting to be that time of year here in North Idaho where the days grow shorter, the nights get colder, and the sky becomes cloudier. I begin drinking more espresso, making more soups, and baking more breads and muffins. My reading list gets some more attention and the board games come out of the storage room. Ever since I was a child I loved board games. I have fond memories of staying home from school sick and playing Careers, Scrabble, yahtzee, and Monopoly. In Junior High and Highschool I began playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends often to the angst of teachers (which I don't understand, because unlike video games we were reading and using our imagination). Now in my adult life, I've gained a few new favourites; Carcassone, Scotland Yard, Up the River, and The Garden Game from Ampersand Press which has some other great Nature games. I'm usually not one for advertising, but it's a great company worth checking out and supporting.



As for the game, here's how the Object on the Rules of Play sheet reads;

Players plant their garden with "Garden Cards", trying to get and keep as many cards as they can. In addition, players try to make "pollinating sets"; 2 of the same kinds of Plant cards with a Pollinator card. The Pollinator must be one named on the Plant cards. The Garden Cards symbolize success with plants in the garden; the pollinating sets symbolize successful seed production for next year's garden.

The playing pieces are stones, the spinner is called the "weather Station", and the cards drawn are Gardener's Almanac Cards. One example reads;

Frost Bite. A Few warm, sunny days fooled you into thinking it was safe to move plants outside. A late cold snap came and froze them. Lose a garden card

Anyhow, it's a fun game and great for kids 8 and up. It gets kids interested in the garden and is very educational. The Rules book even contains a detailed "gardener's glossary and a background to "The Life Cycle of Plants".

I'm definitely playing it this weekend. It's been awhile.

You Know You Bought a Lemon When..........



It breaks down long before the temporary license plate sticker expires.

Slow Food Sunday

Since I am now a 8-5 Monday through Friday worker, weekends become very important. As Les Claypool of Primus said, "Funny thing about weekends when you're unemployed. They don't mean quite so much, except you get to hang out with all of your working friends."

Anyhow, Sunday to me has become the wind-down day. More often than not cooking a good meal or doing plenty of baking seems just the way to end a week and prepare for the start of the new one. Having a whole day also allows for food that requires longer preparation. I know probably anyone reading my blog is familiar with the slow food movement, in fact I did a post on slow food awhile ago. Well yesterday a simple pizza was on the menu. With it came the benefit of using some excess vegetables we had sitting around. Coming up with summer squash recipes is always a bonus.
Baby Summer Squash

Here is a quick rundown of my dough and sauce recipes;

Zucchini Pizza Dough
1 C warm water
2.5 t yeast
App 2 C grated zucchini / summer squash
salt
2 T Olive Oil
App 3 C Flour (I use a combo of white wheat, barley, and whole wheat)

*Liberally salt grated squash and place in colander for 15 or so minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture with a towel. Set aside.
*Add yeast to warm water and dissolve. Let sit about 10 minutes then add the salted, hopefully fairly dry, squash and olive oil. Gradually add Flour until it can be placed on a work surface and kneaded. Don't be surprised if you end up adding about 3.5 C of flour, but try not too add that much. The dough will be a bit stickier than typical pizza dough. Knead for several minutes then place in an oiled bowl covered with a moist cloth to rise for 1-2 hours.
*Divide in half and shape into round crusts either in a pan or a pizza peel.
Ahhh Pizza Dough

Basic Sauce

Okay I basically make-up my sauce recipe each time. Since I started with raw tomatoesyeah, these beauties, that I blanched, peeled, and cooked down, I guess I had about;

2C Chunky tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic
1-2 T chopped basil
1 T chopped oregano
2 T olive oil
salt
dash of pepper

* I generally cook the garlic,oil, salt, and pepper for about ten minutes then throw in the herbs at the end
I do love the smell of Italian herbs and garlic.

After the sauce and dough is done it's a matter of building the pizza and popping it into a hot oven (I bake mine on a preheated stone at 475 F for about 15 minutes.

The building is complete.

*note-the picture of the baked pizza had an off-colour so I decided not to post it. It really was lovely and tasty though.

Depressing Song #2

What a great time to listen to gloomy tunes. It's cold and rainy and the whole family is recovering from a nasty virus complete with repeated vomiting. So I'll let Chan Marshall of Cat Power present you with Names;

His name was Perry
He had a learning difficulty
His father was a very mean man
His father burned his skin
His father sent him to his death
He was ten years old
He was ten years old
He was ten years old

Her name was Naomi
Beautiful round face, so ashamed
Told me how to please a man
After school in the back of a bus
She was doing it every day
She was eleven years old
She was eleven years old
She was eleven years old

Her name was Sheryl
Black hair, like an electric space
She would pretty paint my face
She was a very good friend
Her father would come to her in the night
She was twelve years old
She was twelve years old
She was twelve years old

His name was Donovan
He was a very good friend
The cards were stacked against him
He was selling cocaine
The last time I saw him
He was thirteen years old
He was thirteen years old
He was thirteen years old

His name was Charles
He said he was in love with me
We were both fourteen
Then I had to move away
Then he began to smoke crack
Then he had to sell ass
I don't know where he is
I don't know where they are

Several Days of Depressing Lyrics

Even though we're having an extended summer here in North Idaho, I thought it would be fitting to start off the cold and/or rainy season with some songs to put some perspective on life. We have all heard the traditional sad break-up songs, the bluesy spend all my money on gamblin' songs, and the country beer drinkin' songs, but here are some real songs that are sad, depressing, disturbing, macabre-whatever.

Bob Dylan starts us off;


Ballad of Hollis Brown

Hollis brown
He lived on the outside of town
Hollis brown
He lived on the outside of town
With his wife and five children
And his cabin fallin’ down

You looked for work and money
And you walked a rugged mile
You looked for work and money
And you walked a rugged mile
Your children are so hungry
That they don’t know how to smile

Your baby’s eyes look crazy
They’re a-tuggin’ at your sleeve
Your baby’s eyes look crazy
They’re a-tuggin’ at your sleeve
You walk the floor and wonder why
With every breath you breathe

The rats have got your flour
Bad blood it got your mare
The rats have got your flour
Bad blood it got your mare
If there’s anyone that knows
Is there anyone that cares?

You prayed to the lord above
Oh please send you a friend
You prayed to the lord above
Oh please send you a friend
Your empty pockets tell yuh
That you ain’t a-got no friend

Your babies are crying louder
It’s pounding on your brain
Your babies are crying louder now
It’s pounding on your brain
Your wife’s screams are stabbin’ you
T.ike the dirty drivin’ rain

Your grass it is turning black
There’s no water in your well
Your grass is turning black
There’s no water in your well
You spent your last lone dollar
On seven shotgun shells

Way out in the wilderness
A cold coyote calls
Way out in the wilderness
A cold coyote calls
Your eyes fix on the shotgun
That’s hangin’ on the wall

Your brain is a-bleedin’
And your legs can’t seem to stand
Your brain is a-bleedin’
And your legs can’t seem to stand
Your eyes fix on the shotgun
That you’re holdin’ in your hand

There’s seven breezes a-blowin’
All around the cabin door
There’s seven breezes a-blowin’
All around the cabin door
Seven shots ring out
Like the ocean’s pounding roar

There’s seven people dead
On a south dakota farm
There’s seven people dead
On a south dakota farm
Somewhere in the distance
There’s seven new people born



Please feel free to to comment about the depressing songs you've come to love or hate.

Stressed Out - Glad It's Vacation Time

I usually try not to vent many of my personal problems on this blog, but I gotta say that lately I have been stressed out. Much of it has to do with my job which has caused me more personal turmoil than I envisioned. My work as a environmental health specialist has gotten me into more conflicts with developers and homeowners than I'd like. People don't like to hear that they can't put a house on their land. It pisses them off. I also don't care for writing violation letters to people that in return gets lawyers involved. Lately I have been second guessing some of my work which has made my nerves even more of a wreck. So add the stresses of work to all of the chores that need to be done before winter (wood cutting, harvesting, and preserving), to my lack of free enjoyable time, and financial stress and you get a person that needs a vacation. Luckily we're heading to Oregon tomorrow. Maybe I can replenish. Take care everyone.

Idea for a North Idaho Brochure

Did you ever notice how rose coloured the tourism office propaganda is? They can make any hellhole look attractive. Well I've created a totally unbiased tourism brochure for North Idaho (of course it's still in the works).


Come visit beautiful North Idaho and Discover Its;

Commitment to preserving its fragile ecosystems and natural resources.



Great Diverse, Creative Arts Culture


Opportunity to See the Stars of Hollywood


Fabulous Homes and Real Estate Opportunities


Great Pride in its Heritage and Culture


Beautiful Well-Funded Schools


Progressive Political Culture


Openess For Religious Diversity




So come join us here in North Idaho-Where White Trash clash with California Transplants for a great time.

End Of Summer Update

It seems that many of my posts lately are updates because of my lack of entries. This is no exception. What can I say, it's been a busy summer filled with gardening, festivals, and long work weeks. What has been missing, is my usual camping and travel trips.

As far as gardening goes, it has been a decent year. The cooler weather in north Idaho this summer has given us an abundance of cool weather crops (chard, kale, broccoli, peas, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and shallots). Our tomatoes are just starting to come on, but with already one frost I'm worried the green ones won't have the time to ripen. Our summer squash has been fairly plentiful, but not overwhelming. Our cucumbers have been few, but I'm really hoping more will be coming this weekend so I can at least make a canner's worth of pickles.

I'll let the pictures do the describing of the gardens themselves.

Our garden in Late August

Community Garden Sept 1

Big Sweet Onions

Late Brassicas

KIA enjoying the soil