Chinese Fruits, Flowers, & Fabulousness

Mostly, I just wanted to show off the beautiful pictures of the incredible fruit market we went to so here goes!! Citrus citrus citrus - golden succulent and abundant at this time of year.

Pots of chrysanthemums -giant "marigolds" to us!- for New Year decorating.

Burning coal in the wok to roast chestnuts - more street food :)

Choosing citrus - New Year's is the peak of the citrus season - we must have seen over 20 varieties of oranges, tangerines, mandarins, pomelos, etc. the air was full of that zesty scent - very invigorating! And they sold lots of citrus covered bushes to take home. They look like coins hanging on the branches :)

Special "Gung Hey Fat Choi" (Happy New Year) apples. They place paper stencils on the apples as they ripen to get this effect.

Seeds and Nuts for sale

Jon's Durien fruit (stinky to say the least.... aka "lulian") about the size of a football.

More varieties of fruits - toward the front is something similar to a persimmon but deep purple, and it has interior light colored sections somewhat like citrus.

Orchids for sale - fragrant!

Green coconuts - Jon had one punched and drank the water - street food staple.

On the street in GuangZhou, with the New Year's lanterns hanging.

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Patacones!!

PATACONES -made with green plantains - if they have gotten yellow & spotty, they will not stand up to this treatment! Heat about an inch depth grapeseed or peanut oil in a deep skillet. Slice 4-5 green plantains into about 1 1/2" chunks, and then remove the peel. Fry the plantain chunks until lightly golden, drain on paper towels. When a bit cooler, take a heavy pot and squash the plantains flat (they look like "large paws" - patacones -) and dip them (do not soak them!) into a bowl of salted water (about 2c. water and a tbs. or so of sea salt) then carefully place them in the hot oil and fry again until crispy brown! Top patacones with guacamole and fresh salsa, or a garlic/mayonaise combination- they are a great alternative to chips and crackers. Best when eaten hot!!

Medicare for All should be our goal

" Under the greatest adversity there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others ." ~Dalai Lama And one of Montana's Methodist Ministers, Joan Uda, wrote an editorial for the Great Falls Tribune this week, asking essentially, What would God think of this? Here's a small excerpt: I'm startled by the frenzied opposition to health care reform. Are these good people Christians? Do they recall that Jesus will judge us not by how well we've kept our earnings for ourselves but by how we have cared for "the least of these"? Matthew 25:31-46. This is a matter of salvation. I don't believe God supports any particular solution for health care. But I do believe God wants everyone, even the least, included. And I believe Jesus Christ calls us to display our best Christian virtues in the debate on these issues. Here's George Lakoff's perspective on how language influences the discussion on Health Care policies this seas

My Precious Pikle-It

Now that we have finished running about between Missoula and Portland like bees buzzing between flowers, I can tell you all about my favorite kitchen "gadget" this year..... the Pickl-It from the wonderful People at Pickl-It . I got a set for myself and my sister-in-law, - since we both are fermenting fiends. A few years ago, I had gotten a Harsch Gairtopf crock (see earlier posts regarding sauerkraut making) because I was tired of skimming my 'kraut. Essentially, I love kitchen science, but I'm even more enamored of accomplishing kitchen crafts with less oversight! The Harsch crock has a wonderful "burping lid" water lock system that allows you to leave your crock unattended for several days at a time while the fermentation beasties work in a safe environment. My Harsch crock is in almost constant use, and I would never give it up. But there were still times when I wanted something smaller....for those tiny baby carrots, or the 3 small heads of gard

Knitting, Singing, the Universe and all....

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