Boreal Witch

Robinson and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary this weekend. Every year, we try to come up with some fun, creative ways to spend our anniversary. It's been a challenge coming up with family-friendly ideas because of Baby Boy. Still, we wanted to do something exciting, so scheduled a halibut-salmon fishing combo in Seward. It was close enough to Anchorage that my mom and sisters could watch Arthur for an evening or two, but far enough away to have some alone time.

Although it was horribly rainy and the waves were pretty choppy on the boat ride, I caught my limit and Robinson caught 3 fish - 2 of them were monster-sized fish. When they were filleted, we had 24 pounds of fish. Now, our freezer is completely full of fish!

Of course, our freezer was already full of pork roasts and whole chickens, so I needed to do some creative freezer packing in order to make everything fit. (If only I didn't shop at Sam's Club weekly!)

Arthur did really well with my family, though. Blythe was especially taken with him. She was a little nervous about putting him down for the night, but as it turned out, Arthur was a complete angel. Blythe said that he knew when it was time for him to go to sleep and that he didn't put up a fuss at all. She read him a story and sang him a song. Then she put him in his playpen and left the light on, unsure if he needed a night light. She went upstairs and asked Mom if she needed to leave a light on for Arthur. Mom said, "No," and when Blythe went back downstairs to turn off the light, she discovered Arthur was already asleep!

We also took Arthur and Josh to H2Oasis. Josh likes the River Walk. He loved getting the double floats and walking with myself or Robinson. Arthur loved the kid's area. The pool has a pirate ship in the middle of it and he especially liked going down the ship's slides and splashing in the water. The place is pretty amazing. I was impressed that the place, even though it was small, was packed with four slides, the River Walk, and a wave pool. It was the first time I'd ever been there and I think we'd go again.

Robinson and I also went to the Crow's Nest, an excellent restaurant on the top floor of the Captain Cook Hotel. The food was phenomenal and the service was incredible. We happened to get seats in a corner, so the view was pretty amazing, too.

It was nice to get away and visit family. I'm hoping to see everyone once more before the summer ends.

Blessed be.

I suppose I need to amend the "Arthur's Favorites" list to include fudgesicles. He used to be content just taking a lick or two off of our pops, but now he wants his own. Which, I'm only too happy to give him (even though in the back of my mind I wonder if it's a good thing to get him addicted to frozen novelties).

Arthur's three favorite things in life are airplanes, cars, and dogs. Although Robinson and I can't really get him an airplane or a car, we can, however, get him a dog. Or hundreds of dogs.


It was a beautiful day outside, but hot - way too hot for a few of the poor dogs. We saw several pups who badly needed some water. Unfortunately, my sandal broke early in the mile-long walk, and I had to finish barefoot. The hot pavement was pretty unpleasant, so by the time I reached Pioneer Park, my feet ached. I'm surprised I didn't have more blisters than I did.

Pizza, obviously, is a big no-no during South Beach Phase 1, but I have been craving pizza something fierce lately, so I was determined to find some kind of a crust that we could eat. After about a half hour on the Internet, I found a recipe for flax-seed meal crust. Perfect! I thought.

Unfortunately for me, our Fred Meyer's doesn't carry flax-seed meal (just the seeds) and the local health food store is closed all day Sundays. So what's a girl to do?

Improvise, improvise, improvise!

I went back to square one and found an online recipe for pizza using cauliflower as the crust. Wild! I thought, and totally South Beach approved! The original recipe called for more cheese than I had on hand, but I decided to wing it anyway using the ingredients I had in my refrigerator.

So, here's the version I came up with...although I think it will need to be tweaked some time in the future. The crust had the consistency of mashed potatoes and I didn't have enough soy flour to balance it out. I'm also thinking that a harder cheese like Parmesan might help the crust hold together better next time. The only other thing about this recipe I don't like is the long baking time. Due to the consistency of the "dough" it takes a while for the cauliflower crust to dry out well enough to emulate pizza crust.

Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Makes 1 12-inch pizza; about 6-8 servings

1/2 head cauliflower, broken into florets
1/4 cup soy flour (I would increase to 1/3 to 1/2 cup depending on the size of your cauliflower)
1/4 cup ricotta cheese (or Parmesan)
1 tbs. olive oil
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. marjoram

Boil or steam cauliflower florets until tender. Process with olive oil in a food processor until smooth (this may need to be done in two separate batches). Combine pureed cauliflower, soy flour, cheese, and spices in a medium mixing bowl and blend well. The batter will be thick, but spreadable. Grease a pizza pan well and spread mixture on the pan. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees, or until firm to the touch. Add whatever sauce or toppings you desire. Return to the oven for approximately another 10-15 minutes.

Blessed be!

As I chased Arthur around Thursday, my eyes kept trailing back to my unkempt flower bed. The stone wall lay half finished (since last year) and the bed needed a good weeding. For the longest time, I hadn't even planted the irises I bought at the Turner Plant Sale. I resolved then and there to finish the flower bed this weekend.

Surprise, surprise! I actually did!

The new flower bed really spruces up the yard. Once I was finished, though, I felt like the flower bed still needed something, so Robinson and I dragged some rocks across the yard and tossed them onto the empty part of the bed in the front. I'm really impressed with the way it turned out, and I'm hoping that the added mulch cuts down on the weeds. Our yard's already full of them, but I'd like to keep them from choking the flowers.

I'm thinking about expanding it next year. There's a really nice circular shape next to the current bed that would make a great addition. Maybe put some more rocks in it and some annuals...well, I have a whole other year to think about it.

Blessed be.

Once again, Robinson and I are on South Beach. My reason for getting back on South Beach is due to an unfortunate run-in with my parents' scale. I weighed myself while in Anchorage and did not like what I saw. So, back to the beach, as they say.




1/2 cup Smart Balance-esque margarine
1/2 cup Splenda (I would decrease the amount to 1/4 cup next time)
2-3 tbs. ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup 90% dark chocolate pieces (optional)

Blend the margarine, Splenda, ricotta cheese, egg, and vanilla together until batter is smooth. Mix in the flours until well incorporated. Stir in the chocolate pieces (if desired). Drop by rounded 1/2 tbs. onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Cookies will be airy and light. Store leftovers in the refridgerator.

Blessed be!

This was the first year we grew broccoli in our garden; although, really, it isn't broccoli. It is broccoli raab. It's already starting to flower, so I've been looking for some recipes online to figure out what to do with it. When you've never tasted it, cooked it, or even seen it before, it's a bit overwhelming to just throw it in a pan and see what happens.

After conducting some internet research, I discovered that the whole thing is edible; however, most people only eat the leaves and the stalk. The florets, unlike broccoli, are quite bitter. This plant is also related to the turnip (and, coincidentally, I learned earlier this summer, you can also eat turnip greens).

I had found a recipe several months ago that I have been dying to try out, so I based this recipe on it. I created my own mixture of spices to give the chicken an Indian flair. I think you could also mix the spices with 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and marinate the chicken in it, if you wanted extra flavor. Feel free to substitute collard greens or spinach for the broccoli raab.

Indian Chicken with Sauteed Vegetables
Serves 2-3

1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1/8 tsp. ground fenugreek
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 or 3 chicken breasts
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
7-10 broccoli raab leaves, sliced
2 tbs. olive oil

To prepare chicken: Mix cumin, garam masala, turmeric, fenugreek, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Spread 1 tbs. olive oil in shallow baking dish. Add chicken and baste with olive oil in the pan. Sprinkle seasoning mixture on chicken breasts, to taste. Place in 375 degree oven for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove from oven, flip chicken, and sprinkle seasoning mixture on the other side of chicken, to taste. Return to oven and bake another 5 minutes.

To prepare vegetable saute: Add 1 tbs. olive oil, crushed garlic, and red onions to a large skillet. Saute until red onions begin to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add red pepper and saute for an additional 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the broccoli raab and cook until wilted.

Blessed be!

Although there were a few bad spots of the weekend, our trip to Anchorage was, on the whole, a much-needed break for all of us. We drove down Thursday night and came back Monday night. It was great seeing the family and just seeing some new scenery. It's been about six months since I've been to Anchorage and it's fascinating to see all of the changes that have taken place in such a short period of time. It amazes me that even with their money troubles, the city somehow keeps growing.

Arthur was quite taken by all the junk my parents have and spent most of his time rummaging through boxes. As Arthur pulled out toy after toy, Mom pointed out a few more toys to take back with us (to add to his ever-growing pile). I've got to avoid garage sales for the next few years since his room is becoming overrun with toys.

Dad got two DVD players and made Robinson hook them up. I guess he figured that since we were staying at his house and eating his food, Robinson could spend 10 minutes setting them up. Then Dad went overboard and rented five movies from Blockbuster. I highly recommend Juno.

We brought Arthur's summer snowman to Anchorage. He melted a bit in the car, but still looked enough like a snowman to represent our summer snowman. The summer snowman is a tradition of the Duffy household. It's pretty cute, actually. The boys would create a small snowman in the winter and put him in the freezer. At the 4th of July, they would bring him out, read "The Summer Snowman", and watch him melt. Although Mom and I really enjoyed the story, I think Arthur liked licking the snowman more.

Before we left, Mom told us that there were some fires in the interior and that it had been hot and smoky in Fairbanks. Great, I thought, we're gone for two days and all hell breaks loose.

Funny thing was, as we drove back to Fairbanks, the sky blackened around Nenana and it truly looked as though we were headed toward hell. At times the sky glowed red or purple. It was slightly unnerving to see the sky so dark in the summer. It eventually cleared up around Ester, but that didn't stop us from wondering if Fairbanks had been destroyed in some kind of fiery oblivion. Both of these snapshots were taken around Nenana. We did arrive, though, safe and sound.

Blessed be.

Sharply exhaling harsh breath,
From ice fog, thick, unyielding.
Snow packed upon the ground,
Why do I yearn for thee?

Yesterday, as I was driving to Robinson's office to pick him up after work, I found myself wishing that it was the middle of December. I laughed to myself...why would anyone in the middle of a beautiful Alaskan summer, wish something dreadful like that?

Lately, I've been feeling so busy that, in retrospect, I think I wanted it to be winter to have a break. Winter is a time for hibernation, a time to sleep, and maybe catch up on a few indoor projects...I yearned for that simplicity. Due to all the light, I become much more active in the summer and tend to spread myself too thin by getting involved in too many projects and too many activities. I plan so many things it becomes a bit overwhelming trying to implement them all. Even though I get cabin fever during the winter, there's something to be said about just staying home, sipping a mug of hot chocolate, and watching the snow fall outside.

I suppose I'll have to spend some time soaking in the sun so that I'll remember it at Yule.

Blessed be.