Cleveland -- The Market and the Fair

I love Cleveland -- and not just because the family and a good friend live there (although I probably wouldn't have discovered it without visiting them!). Here are Jane's hydrangeas -- so beautiful!

Only four hours from Lansing, it's an easy ride, and when it's long weekend time, you can't beat it! (As I mentioned before, I really need a vacation -- even if it's just a couple of extra days!)

Well, apart from great fun with family, catching up and all that, I wanted to take you with me to Shaker Market, which is located in Shaker Heights -- and Chagrin Falls.

Here are a few scenes from the market.

Tons of flowers -- I was very fond of the lilies.

'tis the time for planting!

And business was booming!

And of course wonderful fruits and veggies. I don't think I've ever had sweeter strawberries.

And the veggies were inviting, too!

I love watching the cooks, like the crepe maker.

Jane and I got a breakfast burrito, pastries and enjoyed the feast!



Then it was off to Chagrin Falls to see my friend Wally Parshall, who was exhibiting.

The fair was on the Chagrin River and it was lovely!

In the distance you can see its popcorn shop -- a celebrated spot!

And they have ice cream, too!

It's a lovely town -- both Shaker Market and Chagrin Falls are well worth a visit if you're in the area!

(Note: There is a new review on Chopsticks and String of "The Necklace," by Cheryl Jarvis. I loved it!)

A Tourist!

Last weekend I participated in a local event called "Be a Tourist In Your Own Town." Lots of places are open for free or at unusual hours to welcome community members who want to sample what they have to offer.

Usually WKAR is a participant, but since we may have an open house in the fall, we took the year off, so I volunteered at the MSU Museum.

And of course I took the camera!

Here are a few of the collections at the museum. In the future, I'll have more specific posts about these, but these were a few of my favorites from each category.

In the quilt section, a lovely display of African American quilts. I'll show you more of these soon, but this might have been my favorite -- it was certainly one of them!

In another gallery, "Dear Mr. Mandela, Dear Mrs. Parks," a look at letters written to these two great leaders, beautifully displayed, along with information about the various causes they represented.

I can't resist a general store. We'll come back here, too!

Every museum worth its salt has natural history -- here is the one of the dioramas with deer.

And of course, I adored the puppets from Asia -- they were from Burma, India, China, Sri Lanka and other countries.

But the number one favorite of the children coming to visit? The one they said they wanted to see before they were even in the door?

Nothing like a giant dinosaur to attract the kids! (And the oldies were pretty impressed by it, too!)

Gyppy and the Visiting Vet

Gypsy has a new vet. She came to the house for our first appointment last week, and we sat in my living room where we talked for nearly two hours before she touched the Gyp. By that time, he had developed a cozy friendship with her textured leather bag, no doubt full of the smells of many another cat before.

When they did have contact, she was an old friend, whose familiar and warm voice and gentle touch "allowed" her to build a relationship with my orange boy.

When she left, I had a new meal plan for Gyppy -- one that will take about six months to integrate -- and a new insight on my boy, his psyche and veterinary medicine.

She is a holistic vet, and while she is perfectly willing to use traditional medicine or prescriptions if the situation warrants, she believes is treating the whole animal.

She touched him gently, moving her fingers over the acupuncture points on his back. As we discussed Gypsy's reaction to Stimpy's death nearly five years ago and how he licked his stomach and part of his paws bare (he's now furry again), I was relieved that she understood that animals grieved.

She explained that often soothing himself with grooming also could mean his stomach was upset, as ours sometimes react when we are under stress. And interestingly enough, all the places he licked were on the nerve tracks of the digestive system.

Then she asked me if he threw up. Bingo! And when he does, his dry food isn't always fully digested. As she felt him later, she could tell by his intestines where part of the digestion situation fell.

I learned far more from this session than anyone other than I would be interested in sharing. But there are a few things that might be useful information to all pet owners -- whether or not they someday choose to take a holistic approach with their pet.

She doesn't recommend vaccinations for older cats. It can be hard on their heart, and they may well have an immunity over time. (I'm not sure of her take on this for dogs.)

She advocates use of flower essences for certain behaviors. For example, Gypsy has always been a needy, clingy boy (which I like), and I've always felt it was because he was abandoned as a wee little kitten.

She "gets" this. And he's very anxious in the car. (aka, the Happy Hurler.) Among the essences I'll be getting first are "abandonment" and "anxiety."

And really, things like that work for me -- why wouldn't they work for him?

Corn is very difficult for cats to digest and wheat isn't great either. When you are buying cat food, that should not be near the top of the ingredient list.

And you don't want "by products" there, either. Or, you may be feeding your cat (and dog), things like ground up chicken beaks or fish poop.

She says wet food is often better than dry because of the moisture and being easier to digest, among other things.

But the real idea is to move toward people-grade food. Gypsy will be experimenting with tomato sauces, pasta sauce (hold the pasta), asparagus, and more. This will take some time to integrate that successfully, but will ultimately result in a better coat and easier digestion.

Speaking of poop, she's very big on checking it in the litterbox. Does it break easily? Is it hard? Do things appear digested? And someday, "is it different than usual?"

By listening she could tell me that Gyp had a heart murmer, so no soy sauce for him, but that can be a flavor they gravitate to and it's fine if there's no medical reason to avoid it.

She also listed several commerically prepared cat food brands (and dog) that had a better combination of ingredients. So, I'm off to the pet food store. (And, she wisely also suggested I not overbuy any one of the three recommended to see which he decides he'll like best.)

Gypsy rarely met a brand of food he didn't like, so I'm looking forward to first shifting him to a better commercial brand, then integrating more of my home cooking into his diet.

I was sorry I had to meet people for dinner so we couldn't talk longer! I felt as though I'd met a friend who wants Gypsy to be around a very long while, just like I do. And in the best way possible.

I'll let you know how it goes -- but I think it could be fun!

Where I'd Like to Be Right Now

I'd love to be here right now.

Cruising on the Seine -- or walking by it -- or being within five miles of it...

Hanging out at my cottage.

Here's a better view of what I'd be looking at!

Or spending time at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, in this charming book store or catching a terrific play.

Instead...

Oh, well. Vacation soon.

Cooking with All Six Senses

A few days ago, my friend Rhonda hosted a lovely May fiesta for our wonderful group of women. We all brought a dish to pass and mine was a corn salsa. As I shared the list of ingredients, I realized I really could never "write" a viable recipe for this salsa down -- because I don't use one.

And it's not just the salsa where I "wing it." I haven't used a recipe for a fruit crisp for years, and most nights, my dinners and salads come from my head -- a mishmash of recipes I've used in the past combined with nugget I picked up from a cooking show.

True -- I have a large collection of cookbooks and have probably saved every cooking magazine I ever received. And yes, I DO use them, though not as much as I should.

But even when I do, I cook with my senses.

Sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, intuition. All six.

And really, don't we all?

It can lead to some interesting creations and it's awfully hard to share exactly how you made something, but really -- isn't it just sort of natural? As though we are going back to some primal roots when we didn't have good measuring tools or digital timers, and when the trip to the store to get just the right ingredient wasn't so easy as hopping in the car and driving a mile or less?

Who doesn't use their sight when checking out the produce for bruises? Or when reading the nutrition label for the healthiest ingredient. I may use my eyes to determine if something is done -- is it the right color?

Are the egg white peaks standing tall enough? Are the edges brown enough? Or too brown? And of course, we'll take a careful look at that measuring cup -- if we use one (and yes, when it comes to baking, I do.) Especially for the liquid ingredients or when baking. Is that enough milk? Too much? I know those with vision difficulties can be wonderful cooks, but I will say, being able to see what I cook makes it much easier.

And then there's sound. That's my cue for if the skillet is hot enough -- toss that bit of onion into the olive oil -- hear that sizzle? I'm good to go. If my attention is directed elsewhere, I'll hear the water boil before I see it -- and I'll hear that timer, too -- which more than once has saved me from singed baked goods!

Touch -- well, that's one of the best skills to use at the market -- especially when fruit is involved. And I'll gently test the tops of cupcakes, too. The fine outdoor grill chef will often do the touch-test when grilling steaks. And why not?


And when it comes to touch, our best tools may be our hands, as we use our fingers for cutting in butter to crumble topping (well, I do), knead bread, guide the rolling pin as we make a pie crust or firmly roll the sushi.

We use them to press crumbs into a tart pan and yes, even as measuring utensils. A pinch of this or that. We just know when it "feels right."

Taste. Well, unless you're hyper-tidy in the kitchen, you're tasting as you go along! How else can you really know if you've got just the right combination of ingredients. And really, isn't the endgame all about how it tastes? (And looks, but we're back to sight!)

Smell. That's another useful farm market or grocery store skill. Going for the fruit? The sniff test will help you know if something is ripe. And frankly, I can never tell parsley from cilantro without the sniff test.

A good nose will save you from using spoiled milk, losing your muffins to too much time in the oven, or warn you of scorching of ingredients in a skillet. And admit it -- isn't the smell of something really wonderful (say, garlic and onions or freshly baked cookies or bread) just the best?

Intuition. How do I know how much of any one ingredient to use when I'm cooking with my senses? Mostly, intuition. Let's revisit the salsa. I don't think the original salsa I sampled had lime juice in it. And it sure didn't have mango or peach. How did I know that these were going to be critical ingredients? I don't know -- just seemed like they'd go together. And they did.

It's hard to write down a recipe like that -- but I'll give it a try!

Spicy Corn Salsa -- The Senses Way

Cook maybe a cup, give or take, of frozen corn and drain in cool water.

Dice up 1 each red, orange and green pepper. Or any combination thereof. Or maybe half of each, depending on how much you want to make.

Dice up one bundle of green onions. Or purple onion.

Finely chop some cilantro. Maybe the upper three-four inches of a big bunch. Or less to taste.

Finely dice one jalapeno.

Dice two or three or so tomatoes (depending on how big they are) and add them to the mix, along with whatever juices come.

Dice one or two mangoes or peaches (if large).

Add cooled corn back to this.

Look at it -- are the colors well mixed? Not enough red (add more red pepper). You get the idea.

Now add seasonings -- some sea or kosher salt, chipotle powder, cumin (I use maybe a small handful of that, but I love cumin), others to taste. No chipotle? Chili powder will work (it's not as good, but it will work). Maybe a little cayenne.

Oops. Too much. More mango.

This can sit overnight or proceed with final steps. (I do this part not too far from serving)

Add 2 avacados, diced or scooped. Or three if you really love avacado and are making a lot.

Juice of three limes. Or more if they're not very juicy limes.

Mix it all together. And I mean MIX. There is no oil in this, so the avacado/lime juice/tomato juices are what hold it together.

Then taste again and serve with chips. (Or, serve it on burgers or as a side salad. Weight watchers -- the thing you need to point out is the corn, avacado and fruit, so adjust those quantities so they work for you.)

No "sound" here, but lots of sight, touch, taste, smell, and intuition!

Are you a by-the-book cook, do you wing it, or are you a cook who combines both? How does that work for you?!

At Chopsticks and String: "Watching What You Eat" -- a fascinating book about the history of cooking programs on television.

Three Whole Days...

Three whole days off -- and what to do?

I started it off by having dinner with my friends Mark and Jan, as Rick was away till Saturday.

While we enjoyed outdoor dining, one of my favorite moments was seeing all the nature popping out in their yard.

My favorites? The irises, which remind me of my dear Aunt Iris, mom's oldest sister.

I did my share of planting, too -- getting in annuals and tending to my "farm" in the front yard!

I did planting at the cemetery, too. Red geraniums, white begonias for mom, dad and the relatives.

The Gyp had fun salivating over the guest at Gypsy Rose's Birdbath Bar and Grill.

He also has a second neighbor to taunt him when Jasper takes a break! (He looks a bit like a bully to me!)

And of course there was time for reading (look for a new Chopsticks and String post in a couple of days!) and projects. I finished this purse, and another is done, save for the felting.

(The button on this is by Joanne!)

And this recipe tag book is a gift for a friend. I did a tutorial on this long ago, which you can see here.

All this, plus lots more. And yet still time to cook, to relax, to enjoy. I love three day weekends!