This Rocks! (you can thank neil for this post title)

Every Sunday, we walk a few blocks down the street to our neighborhood farmers market.  O loves it because we always run into friends and she gets to dance with her buddies to whatever live music they have.  I love it for the social reasons as well, but Neil and I are also a tad bit invested in the alley trolling we get to do on the walk there and home.  Since we are walking, we are free to see what people leave out next to their dumpsters AND what people have thrown away in their dumpsters.   gross?  hell yes.  but stick with me here.

when I was a kid, my mom had this friend named Avis who would tumble her own rocks.  I was fascinated by the concept of some rocks having more value than other rocks.  you mean that I could maybe just find one of these extra special rocks as I was walking down the street and Avis would polish it up for me and I would have a JEWEL?  to my 6 year old brain, this was the best fucking news ever.  Avis made me this folder with what must have been 40 or so different polished rock chips glued into its folds.  next to each chip was the name of the rock and where it could be found in nature.  None of these rocks naturally occurred in my yard in Mill Valley, California but I was hooked anyway.  A rock nerd was born.  

A few months ago, there was an estate sale down the street.  There were some pretty cool smoky quarts  and pyrite specimens (total rock nerd word) there.   I got to talking to the son of the deceased rock collector and found out that this guys dad had been collecting rocks for 57 years.  and it was obvious that the son was humoring my insane interest and just wanted the damn rocks gone.  I think i got 5 pieces for 28 bucks.  and I was stoked.  

Cut to this morning when Neil opened a dumpster and we found all the rocks the son couldn't get rid of.  it took at least a half an hour for us to stuff everything we could in the bottom of O's stroller and slather ourselves in hand sanitizer.  It's gross, the dumpster diving.  I'm not gonna lie.  But life is hard people so buck up.

This is what we found:

Can you believe that crap?  Amazing.  And yes, I washed them all.

Now if only there was also a book on gemstones and minerals in the dumpster as well, cos I really wish I knew what all these different blue and green guys were.

 I am guessing this is citrine.

 This is actually a deep blue color.  I have no idea what it is.  I wish I still had Avis' folder, damn it!

 Teeny tiny dark green crystals.

 This amethyst almost looks like teeth, with the roots and everything.

What is this?

A buttload of clear and smoky quartz crystals.  I told O they are magic because I like to fuck with her head sometimes.

 This guy is teeny, really heavy, and makes me wish Game of Thrones was on tonight.

 I love how this one is so clearly layered with white, green, amethyst, green, then white again.

 Some paper white stone with smoky quartz escaping.

\

 This is pyrite with some turquoise colored stone.  pyrite is a family favorite.   if you don't have a family favorite rock, you just aren't living.

This one is barely there.  The green is bright, but it is such a thin later.

 More citrine.

IT'S ALL SO FUCKING PRETTY AND COOL AND AWESOME!  CAN YOU EVEN STAND IT?!??!?

There were plenty that weren't glass display case worthy (i am hoping to find a glass display case in an alley next Sunday.  fingers crossed!) so O and I put them out in the garden for the fairies.  Again, I like fucking with my kid.  She is pissed at me for telling her the fairies are so small we can't see them.  Seriously, there was yelling and tears.

O wanted to take a picture of the new fairy beds in the kale sprouts.  and her crocks, apparently.  Also, she is stepping on my nasturtium!  that kid.  my god.

If you happen to know what any of these stones are, please tell me in the comments!

Can It. Peach Salsa

I grew up in the Bay Area.  We had fresh everything all year round.  I know we had canned green beans in the house because I remember snacking on them with a little bit if red wine vinegar as a kid.  but we also had access to what I assume was fairly inexpensive fresh produce as well.  We never relied on canned goods as meal items. So therefor, I never really understood the draw of canning until I started growing my own stuff.  So this year, I got myself a little present.

I had (and kind of still have) some pretty high expectations of my garden.  I plan on canning a lot of tomatoes.  I was going to pickle some green beans.  I want to make sauerkraut but just recently learned that if I were to can it, it would lose all of it's health benefits.  So there is that.  And I was going to pickle cauliflower, too.  and pickles.  regular old pickles from cucumbers.

Let me now update you on my garden.  Tomatoes?  I have approximately one million green tomatoes that may or may not ever turn red.  My kid eats all the green beans before I even get them out of the garden.  See above regarding sauerkraut.  I have harvested three heads of cauliflower, weeks apart from each other, and ate them all as dinner.  Cucumbers?  I have one that is 2 inches long.  Let's not hold our breath on that particular bumper crop.

So my adventures in canning have taken a turn for the store bought.   That's cool.  It happens.  And, well, if I am going to screw up 12 pints of something, please let it not be something I have been tending to daily since early May.  I am too fragile for that crap.

These guys have been at Costco as of late.  Perfect for my first tries at canning.  Round one was a pretty rad Peach Vanilla and Bourbon Jam from a really amazing lady who we call The Beantown Baker.  I also call her my Cousin In Law, but that is besides the point.  Her recipe is here 

I have a problem with recipes.  I can't follow them.  The more I cook, the more my clever ego is convinced that I know better.  For the most part, this works out okay because I avoid the more
science-y approaches to cooking.  baking is just not for me.  but canning is another mode of cooking that really does require the following of some rules.  I am working on it.  But it's hard.

I started with the Peach Salsa recipe from the book pictured above, The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.   

6 cups peaches -- diced I used the 10 peaches pictured above, not sure how many cups it was.
1 1/4 cups red onion -- chopped I used one huge red onion.
4 jalapeno pepper -- chopped  I used one and a half because that is what was in my fridge.
1 red pepper -- chopped  I used one and a half because one wasn't pretty enough.
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro -- loosely packed 
1/2 cup white vinegar 
2 tablespoons honey I omitted the honey because peaches are plenty sweet on their own
1 clove garlic -- finely chopped I used 3
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin omitted
1/2 teaspoon cayenne omitted
I added the juice of one lime and about a teaspoon of kosher salt.

First is peeling the peaches.  Once again, the concept of blanching seemed tedious and scary to me.  And then I did it and realized I was being ridiculous.  To do, put peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, then pull them out and throw them into some ice water.  after a minute or so (or maybe it's 10 seconds, what do I know.  I waited a minute), the skins come off SO easily.  Check out how undamaged the flesh of the peaches are after peeling.  It's THAT easy!

 I just love a diced red onion.  How pretty is that?

I find tremendous joy in chopping produce.  I remember my mom being so patient with me as I butchered her onions with the smallest knife that would do the job.  I was 7 and I fancied myself an expert.  Now, I am 41, have a big knife, and am VERY aware at how little I know.  Ha!

I cut the peaches much larger then the rest of the veg because I was hoping they would hold their shape.  Salsa (to me) is not a sauce.  Its whole point is to impart a freshness, which is difficult to achieve when you are cooking and canning it!

So here is my struggle.  I live in Denver!  We are The Mile High City.  When canning above 5000 feet (a mile is 5280 feet) you add 10 minutes to your processing time when canning.  So, i just brought my salsa to a boil before putting it into jars, knowing it had to process 20 (yes, 20!) minutes, instead of a sea level-y 10.  ugh.  my freshness!   What will happen to you?

I will say that the salsa itself tasted super delish before canning, so if you are looking for a non canning peach salsa recipe, this is fantastic for that, as well.  Even Neil, who is a huge sceptic in regards to sweet things hanging out with savory and/or spicy things, though this was pretty great.  We had it on chips.  I am definitely going to try it on fish or shrimp.  I can't bring myself to pretend that a grilled chicken breast is an interesting or fulfilling piece of food but if you are into that kind of item, this salsa would be awesome on it.

And here are my little peachy babies!   The peaches held their shape.  I did something right!  I was shocked at the amount of liquid that was produced, and did my best to strain it away before canning.  The cilantro just aint so green anymore and the onions look a bit pale, but I know the flavor is there, no matter what.  I call this a pretty great success for my second try at canning!

Big ones for me!  Little ones as gifts!  That's how I roll!