every day is day one

I am writing this on Under The Blue Roof, not only because I feel this blog has been neglected and could use a post here and there, but also because I feel the need to diverge a bit in my blogs. Although I have gotten personal on Sand Creek Almanac, probably way too personal sometimes, I have re-thought my blogging mission a bit and I think it would be best for me if Sand Creek Almanac, the more public, more widely connected and hopefully more widely read of my blogs, served to showcase my best stuff. Not necessarily the most polished, but I want to stick to themes of nature and insight, with an occasional family story thrown in just for fun.

With that, I want to share that I think I have arrived at a turning point, where I can make some real positive changes in my attitude and my life. I started taking a yoga class last Wednesday, and was amazed at the physical benefits of just one class. I think it affected my psyche a bit too, because I somehow started feeling more balanced. So much that on Saturday I spent about five hours cleaning and rearranging the bedroom a bit, and I can now say I have carved a more peaceful place in this oft-cluttered house. A place where I can practice yoga at home, when I put my mind to it.

I am also feeling more committed to writing, some of which will hopefully be musical. One small change at a time though. Although I am motivated, new habits take a while to sink in.


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How to use leftover pork chops

We just took the plunge and bought half a hog from our new favorite meat market, Superior Meats in Superior, Wisconsin. Just an hour's drive away from our house, across the border in a state that actually sells beer on Sundays, Superior Meats offers freshly butchered meats, specialty sausages, and thick cut bacon that is not so pumped full of preservatives that the meat loses its shape and texture. We're talking real meat, and Wisconsin seems to do it best.

Our first meal consisted of a package of four unbelievably huge pork chops. So huge that for the five of us, we ended up with 1 1/2 chops left over. Of course I could not let that go to waste, and when I have leftover pork I immediately think fried rice.

I could tell my parents always liked fried rice; it was a meal left for special, rare occasions. I guess pork was always more expensive than the staple, ground beef, and my parents were frugal. But once in a while they splurged, or pork was on special at the Country Club Market, and I somehow developed a taste for it.

Fried rice is pretty simple: a mix of sauteed vegetables, meat, cooked rice, seasoning, and sometimes an egg or two. Tonight Russ had brought home a package of Lundberg's rice blend, which is an amazingly dark mixture of whole grain rices including wild rice. I cooked it in chicken broth for about an hour while I prepared everything else.

In a cast iron skillet I sauteed half an onion, a few small carrots, two cloves of garlic, some dried cranberries, chopped almonds, and about a cup of frozen peas. I cut up the leftover pork and added it to the skillet. Then some teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, and finally the rice. I did not add eggs, although it could be done. I think this dish did not need them.

The verdict: delicious. Which means, unfortunately, no leftovers. I served honeydew melon as the only side, which balanced the dish well. A good white wine goes down nicely also. :)


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