P&PS

 For those of us in the U.S. Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching. The grocery stores are packed with people looking for a good deals  on turkeys and those of us with allergies and dietary restrictions are wondering what we’re going to eat over the long weekend while everyone else is happily subsisting on turkey sandwiches. Some substitutions are more straightforward, coconut milk or oil for dairy, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, or parsnips and turnips for mashed potatoes, but what about other things: stuffing, pumpkin pie, gravy? I’m trying out a couple of recipes this year and I thought I would share what I’m planning. Since there’s only a couple of us we’re baking turkey breasts instead of a whole turkey, but we usually roast an un(store)brined turkey. We’re having the usual mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, squash, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and desserts: apple, pumpkin, and pudding pies. Along with this, I’m taking sweet potatoes and some coconut oil to stand in for the ma...

I remember writing, last year, about how I didn't think of myself as a traveler.  I didn't as far as I was concerned suffer from wanderlust, or feel the need to up and leave on a wander around the country whenever the mood struck.  And while I maintain that this is still true, my view on this has changed quite a bit. I was talking to a friend's parents after our night out to see Jim Byrnes.  They had just gotten back from a trip to the UK and we were chatting about that when her mom mentioned something that struck me.  She said, quoting one of their group's guides, that a traveler, as opposed to a tourist, was someone who went somewhere to experience things, new things.  They didn't go on vacation expecting the same comforts and experiences as the ones they had at home.  I like this, I like it a lot, and I find that it fits me.  It's not what I had first had in mind, but it certainly fits with the ideal of adventure I have so often equated with the i...

I know a lot of people are put off by the idea of contemporary art, and I can understand that, but here’s the thing, contemporary art is the art you and I make! The Art Assignment uses this premise to introduce people to and start discussions about contemporary art. While the Art Assignment has a couple of different types of videos, my favorites are the artist showcases where we’re introduced to an artist and given an assignment of our own. Assignment 13, Sorted Books , introduces us to Nina Katchadourian who challenges us to look at books in a whole new way. I think any reader can agree that a person’s book collection says a lot about who they are, but what is it that the books themselves say? Nina plays with this, challenging the reader to use titles, specifically those on book spines, to say something about the person who owns them. What is it that books reveal about the person who owns them and what does that say about the world around them? While, Nina suggests using this assi...

 I can't believe I've had this sitting on my desktop for two weeks now... at least this means this month's post will be chalk full of awesome ;) ON REPEAT Pulled pork Chicken and broccoli Chia pudding Squash Berry water kefir Cleaning while listening to audiobooks Farm Heroes Saga Documentary films Youtube videos Walking FAVORITES BOOKS: Syndrome E by Franck Thilliez and The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix FILMS: Catching Fire, La Chambre des Morts (aka The Room of Death or Melody’s Smile), Dark Girls (documentary) MUSIC: Sara Bareilles - Blessed Unrest MEMORIES: The Arnold Arboretum and the Charles River. 101 IN 1,001 About a year ago (August 2013) I started a 101 in 1,001 project.  Below is a list of goals I completed or finished in the last month. Fit all my craft supplies in one place Research my family tree 

Burlington. Oh Burlington.  I could give you an excruciatingly detailed rundown of the time I spent in town, but I think I'll stick with the highlights: the food, the thrift stores, the water, the walkability of downtown, and the fantastic atmosphere. If we ignore the weather, and the public transit (which is great but not big city great) Burlington could very well be the city for me.  It's friendly and cozy but still quiet and solitary when the mood strikes.  It's young and green, and while there is some great shopping, it's not the streets and streets of high end designer shops that have grown so tedious over the last couple of months. Yes, there's the expected number of outdoor and activewear shops, but they're interspersed with restaurants, thrift stores, and bookshops.  Downtown isn't 5th Ave or San Fran's Union Square and I love that about it.  Despite not intending to do any serious shopping, Burlington had the best shopping of the s...

I haven't done individual posts for 101 goals, but this one is a bit special so I thought whether or not this ends up being the start of something, it still deserves its own post. Back in August I went to a reenactment.  While this is not something that's totally outside the realm of possibility because I love reenactments, this was a bit special.  Partly because I dragged my mom along (and she had an awesome time, not to mention a root beer float) but also because I got to spend some time in a living history museum, or what, sadly more accurately, used to be one.  The buildings are all still made up though and the museums house wonderful little collections.       I can't say without the hustle and bustle, I would spare the place a second thought, nor would I be all that inclined to pay the admission required to take a look around, but I love that despite all that this place is still there.  There's still the possibility of something be...