Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
24 November 2011
10 November 2011
After Alfred
I just wanted to check in and report that I am still alive and kicking. And with power restored after two bouts of week-plus outages in Connecticut courtesy of Hurricane Irene in September and what they're calling Storm Alfred last week, I hope to be able to more regularly click on some pixels to make sure my blog is being fed and watered.
After all the to-do about this latest storm, what more can I add? Do I have to ream Connecticut Light and Power (CL&P / Crooks, Looters & Plunderers) over how they've failed to properly cut trees away from major transmission lines and roadside power lines... and how, with stronger storms and faster growing trees, we should be burying our power lines to avoid these major events? Do I have to lament how we had to make do with flushing the toilet with water bailed from the lake in the backyard? Must I again be thankful that we were able to make it through a lot better than others because of some better preparedness and home upkeep choices made over the years? Well, I'm definitely not going to tell you that we were able to provide some help to a few neighbors who were left in the 26-degree cold (spare generator and a couple of oil-filled radiators) and with tree damage --- some with 30-foot oak branches strewn in yards and in the road.
As you might have read, the problem with the early snow (we got about 7 to 8 inches in our little spot in northeast Connecticut) was that it accumulated on the leaves that hadn't fallen, increasing the snow load beyond what some trees could take. As the adage goes, the branch that does not bend must break. Many types of trees had already shed all their leaves, but this was a particular problem among weaker evergreens and oaks, which tend to hang on to their leaves and drop little by little, just enough to drive compulsive yard rakers crazy. A red oak in our yard sometimes keeps its leaves, brown, withered and sere, into March. Combine this with CL&P and homeowners not adequately trimming or cutting trees near power lines, and it's the recipe for the mess we were in. And so, when branches (and in some cases whole trees) fell, they did their damage. For sure, there will be a Lessons Learned approach after this latest storm. Or at least one hopes there will be; there doesn't seem to have been one after Irene.... Two weeks out of two months where large sections of the state have been without power isn't acceptable for a modern economy. This storm will be the death knell for some businesses and make it tough on people who had to spend money on hotels just to keep warm, generators and fuel, and have to replace food lost to spoilage. The power grid is not an area where we can continue to cut corners and bet that these so-called "once in a century" storms won't keep happening year after year.
The Romans said that pride goeth before the fall, and if you knew how I pride myself on keeping a clean home you'll know that last week was a little painful. We don't have the latest and greatest, nor do we need it or even want it much of the time, but what we do have is clean. Even with a dog that sheds like the Dickens and does a full-body shake-out probably 20 times a day. I was able to keep my head above water --- barely --- with regard to vacuuming and dishes with the generator power, but there are a lot of things left to catch up on, not least of which is the laundry. Since we got power back on Monday afternoon I've gotten three loads in and there's probably eight to go. Not looking forward to that, let me tell you....
But enough grumbling. We live in Connecticut and are used to having to put up with wacky weather and the destruction it can bring. You have to try to keep calm and survive this with grace.
After all the to-do about this latest storm, what more can I add? Do I have to ream Connecticut Light and Power (CL&P / Crooks, Looters & Plunderers) over how they've failed to properly cut trees away from major transmission lines and roadside power lines... and how, with stronger storms and faster growing trees, we should be burying our power lines to avoid these major events? Do I have to lament how we had to make do with flushing the toilet with water bailed from the lake in the backyard? Must I again be thankful that we were able to make it through a lot better than others because of some better preparedness and home upkeep choices made over the years? Well, I'm definitely not going to tell you that we were able to provide some help to a few neighbors who were left in the 26-degree cold (spare generator and a couple of oil-filled radiators) and with tree damage --- some with 30-foot oak branches strewn in yards and in the road.
As you might have read, the problem with the early snow (we got about 7 to 8 inches in our little spot in northeast Connecticut) was that it accumulated on the leaves that hadn't fallen, increasing the snow load beyond what some trees could take. As the adage goes, the branch that does not bend must break. Many types of trees had already shed all their leaves, but this was a particular problem among weaker evergreens and oaks, which tend to hang on to their leaves and drop little by little, just enough to drive compulsive yard rakers crazy. A red oak in our yard sometimes keeps its leaves, brown, withered and sere, into March. Combine this with CL&P and homeowners not adequately trimming or cutting trees near power lines, and it's the recipe for the mess we were in. And so, when branches (and in some cases whole trees) fell, they did their damage. For sure, there will be a Lessons Learned approach after this latest storm. Or at least one hopes there will be; there doesn't seem to have been one after Irene.... Two weeks out of two months where large sections of the state have been without power isn't acceptable for a modern economy. This storm will be the death knell for some businesses and make it tough on people who had to spend money on hotels just to keep warm, generators and fuel, and have to replace food lost to spoilage. The power grid is not an area where we can continue to cut corners and bet that these so-called "once in a century" storms won't keep happening year after year.
The Romans said that pride goeth before the fall, and if you knew how I pride myself on keeping a clean home you'll know that last week was a little painful. We don't have the latest and greatest, nor do we need it or even want it much of the time, but what we do have is clean. Even with a dog that sheds like the Dickens and does a full-body shake-out probably 20 times a day. I was able to keep my head above water --- barely --- with regard to vacuuming and dishes with the generator power, but there are a lot of things left to catch up on, not least of which is the laundry. Since we got power back on Monday afternoon I've gotten three loads in and there's probably eight to go. Not looking forward to that, let me tell you....
But enough grumbling. We live in Connecticut and are used to having to put up with wacky weather and the destruction it can bring. You have to try to keep calm and survive this with grace.
26 September 2011
"When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing; when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors; when you see that men get rich more easily by graft than by work, and your laws no longer protect you against them, but protect them against you. . . you may know that your society is doomed." --- Ayn Rand, in "Atlas Shrugged"
01 September 2011
Saucing Tomatoes
As a gardener, I enjoy growing tomatoes and I grow about a dozen plants a year. As an eater, though, I've only recently come around on them... as long as they're de-seeded and tucked away inside a sandwich or grinder/sub. It may sound a little weird, but there it is. Usually, I keep a stock of nice slicers for those in the family who do like tomatoes, but my real motive for growing them is for saucing. And so, here is my process:
Pick and wash the tomatoes, checking for freshness and firmness. Don't use any that show signs of widespread insect damage, over-ripeness or other problem. The one shown in my hand here is my garden's biggest this year.
Slice them up (halve the Romas, quarter the Celebrities, and make several cuts into Beefstakes or Big Boys) and remove the seeds into a container headed for the compost. I also cut away any unseemly sections. And while I used to use a corer to make a V cone cut to take out the white section where the stem leads into the fruit, it doesn't really matter for saucing.
Put the sliced, de-seeded tomatoes, along with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan (the rest of the water shown comes out of the tomatoes) on the stove until boiling for about 5 minutes. Then I usually let them cool for upwards of a half-hour so milling them won't get too hot.
Drain as much water from the pot as possible. Get a sufficiently-sized bowl to catch the sauce and place the food mill on it, using the pronged feet to perch it securely. Then, using a sieved ladle, transfer a workable amount of the stewed, cooled tomatoes into the food mill. Work away turning the gear clockwise and counterclockwise (there's the saucing direction and the unclogging pulp direction) to produce sauce until there's only mostly dry pulp left. You shouldn't go overboard on getting every last drop of sauce or you'll be there a while and expend quite a bit of energy. Keep ladling in the stewed tomatoes until finished, getting rid of pulp in the same container as the seeds and cut-away parts as necessary to keep the food mill from spilling over.
You're left with a bowl of tomato sauce. It can tend to be a little watery, so it's a good idea to either boil it down a bit before using in recipes or add some tomato paste as a thickening agent. At this point, before covering the bowl with some plastic wrap and putting it in the refrigerator, I add about a tablespoon of a good kosher salt or sea salt as a preservative. The sauce will keep upwards of a week in my experience, but I can't speak to the longevity of freshness or when it starts to get fungus because it's never lasted long enough for me to discover how long that takes.
This process supplements my tomato sauce use during the summer months. At all other times of the year, I use Hunt's plain tomato sauce on pizza, pasta, etc. and season to taste with oregano, basil, parsley, garlic, black pepper and sea salt.
Pick and wash the tomatoes, checking for freshness and firmness. Don't use any that show signs of widespread insect damage, over-ripeness or other problem. The one shown in my hand here is my garden's biggest this year.
Slice them up (halve the Romas, quarter the Celebrities, and make several cuts into Beefstakes or Big Boys) and remove the seeds into a container headed for the compost. I also cut away any unseemly sections. And while I used to use a corer to make a V cone cut to take out the white section where the stem leads into the fruit, it doesn't really matter for saucing.
Put the sliced, de-seeded tomatoes, along with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan (the rest of the water shown comes out of the tomatoes) on the stove until boiling for about 5 minutes. Then I usually let them cool for upwards of a half-hour so milling them won't get too hot.
Drain as much water from the pot as possible. Get a sufficiently-sized bowl to catch the sauce and place the food mill on it, using the pronged feet to perch it securely. Then, using a sieved ladle, transfer a workable amount of the stewed, cooled tomatoes into the food mill. Work away turning the gear clockwise and counterclockwise (there's the saucing direction and the unclogging pulp direction) to produce sauce until there's only mostly dry pulp left. You shouldn't go overboard on getting every last drop of sauce or you'll be there a while and expend quite a bit of energy. Keep ladling in the stewed tomatoes until finished, getting rid of pulp in the same container as the seeds and cut-away parts as necessary to keep the food mill from spilling over.
You're left with a bowl of tomato sauce. It can tend to be a little watery, so it's a good idea to either boil it down a bit before using in recipes or add some tomato paste as a thickening agent. At this point, before covering the bowl with some plastic wrap and putting it in the refrigerator, I add about a tablespoon of a good kosher salt or sea salt as a preservative. The sauce will keep upwards of a week in my experience, but I can't speak to the longevity of freshness or when it starts to get fungus because it's never lasted long enough for me to discover how long that takes.
This process supplements my tomato sauce use during the summer months. At all other times of the year, I use Hunt's plain tomato sauce on pizza, pasta, etc. and season to taste with oregano, basil, parsley, garlic, black pepper and sea salt.
29 August 2011
Irene
We came through Hurricane Irene pretty well. Never lost power besides several flickers, had water and phone throughout. The only real damage was some downed branches and twigs, a number of leaves all around, and my cucumber and pole bean trellis falling like a house of cards from the wind at about noon yesterday. Looking at the projected storm paths most of the week, I'd been expecting much worse.
Now, the same can't be said about the rest of the state, even just a dozen miles southwest where power is out, trees are down, people have lost their water....
This is to say nothing of sheer idiocy, where a once-in-a-lifetime canoeing opportunity turned into just that. A little piece of foam fastened to ones' chest was a bridge too far, apparently. It's a thin line between the human desire to "feel alive" and the wrath of Mother Nature screaming "DIE!" at all turns. A thin line, that is very poorly guarded under optimal circumstances. And even less guarded when naked machismo makes one believe he doesn't even need to wear a life jacket while navigating raging flood waters. There's still no Edit-Undo button for real life.
Anyway... it's time to clean up.
Now, the same can't be said about the rest of the state, even just a dozen miles southwest where power is out, trees are down, people have lost their water....
This is to say nothing of sheer idiocy, where a once-in-a-lifetime canoeing opportunity turned into just that. A little piece of foam fastened to ones' chest was a bridge too far, apparently. It's a thin line between the human desire to "feel alive" and the wrath of Mother Nature screaming "DIE!" at all turns. A thin line, that is very poorly guarded under optimal circumstances. And even less guarded when naked machismo makes one believe he doesn't even need to wear a life jacket while navigating raging flood waters. There's still no Edit-Undo button for real life.
Anyway... it's time to clean up.
25 August 2011
23 August 2011
"This was one of those perfect New England days in late summer where the spirit of autumn takes a first stealing flight, like a spy, through the ripening country-side, and, with feigned sympathy for those who droop with August heat, puts her cool cloak of bracing air about leaf and flower and human shoulders." --- Sarah Orne Jewett
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