Just a Lazy Sunday (Except in the Kitchen)

There's nothing quite like a day to ourselves. No real plans. Nowhere to be.

My daughter and I didn't even get dressed.

Best of all, after my lemongrass quest yesterday, we had all the ingredients we needed to make a Thai feast: Thai spareribs (a first for us) and Thai green curry - loaded with zucchini and basil - both served with cilantro-ginger rice.

The house has smelled amazing ever since last night when Sim braised the ribs and blended up the ginger/lemongrass marinade. The place got really aromatic this afternoon when the sesame oil, green chili paste and coconut milk started to simmer for the curry. 

This is going to be the best week for leftovers.

We're Pretty Solidly a Coca-Cola Family

We had our Pepsi Challenge - a blind taste test using Mexican Coca-Cola and Mexican Pepsi, both sans corn syrup and loaded with real sugar.

There's no doubt - we're a Coca-Cola family. All three of us who took the challenge - me, my son (not a soda drinker at all) and my husband picked Coke as our clear favorite.

I was a little surprised because I actually thought I'd like the Pepsi better.

The other striking thing for me is how both colas aren't nearly as sweet as the Coke and Pepsi I can get out of the vending machine and fast food soda fountains.


No doubt our taste buds would be open to a little break from the super syrupy sweetness in the prepared, prepackaged foods we still eat.

Why Aren't Girl Scouts Leading the Charge to Eliminate Trans Fats?

Girl Scout dressed in cookie boxes.

I've been considering getting my daughter into Girl Scouts. I loved my brief experiences with scouting, early on with Brownies and later in middle school, when we did loads of camping.

I wasn't particularly focused on earning badges (though foursquare seems to be rekindling that interest). But I enjoyed the activities and my fellow scouts. And, even though I'm betting my mom didn't love this part, I didn't mind selling cookies.

Selling cookies is still a signature Girl Scout fundraiser and activity. If Future Farmgirl signs up, she'll be asked to sell those familiar boxes of Thin Mints, Samoas and Tagalongs.

But would I buy any?

I'd have to say no until the Girl Scouts finally eliminate trans fats from their recipes. I've been amazed that the scouts haven't been leaders in the anti-trans fat effort.

There is now no dispute that any amount of trans fat is harmful. Not just unhealthy, but harmful. I've seen popular brand after popular brand nix all traces of trans fats from their ingredients lists. I've learned to look carefully at the full ingredient list because some manufacturers have simply adjusted their serving sizes. The FDA allows this labeling slight-of-hand.

Monica Eng over at the Chicago Tribune is onto this trick and reported last week that eating just two Samoas (my favorite GS cookie) would add two grams of trans fats. [See "Girl Scout Cookies and other sweets offer confusing labeling on trans fats."]

What's worse is that the scouts don't appear to have a plan or a goal (even Wal-Mart is getting out of the trans fat business) to retool their recipes.

The Girl Scouts' spokeswoman has this non response to Eng:

"We are always looking for ways to make healthier cookies that still appeal to our audience....Our bakers are constantly tweaking the recipes, but we do know that our girls are selling a beloved American treat that is to be enjoyed in moderation."

The Girl Scouts website also uses the "zero trans fat per serving" justification. "All varieties contain less than 0.5 grams trans fat per serving, which meets or exceeds the FDA guidelines for the 'zero trans fat' designation," the site boasts.

Ugh. I read that to mean that the scouts, like so many companies, aren't planning to change until they're required to. That's a shame and a waste of their influence.

Photo of Girl Scouts selling cookies from FrankFarm's Flickr photostream.

VFG's Pepsi Challenge

Today I found my new favorite grocery store. I was on a quest to find lemon leaves and lemon grass. I'm still on the hunt for the leaves.

But in the process, I ended up at Tony's Finer Foods in Riverside and, well, it's clearly bumped Ultra as my new favorite store for staples.

I can get almost all my Indian food basics without having to make the drive to Devon in Chicago. The produce was far superior than anywhere else I've been in the Chicago area (except maybe Caputo's).

And, I was blown away by the selection of fresh peppers. I counted more than 12 varieties, including a beautiful display of Anaheim green chilis - my absolute favorite. Now I can roast my own for recipes instead of resorting to cans!

Before I headed to the checkout, I spied bottles of Mexican Coca-Cola and Mexican Pepsi, both made with real sugar instead of fructose and high fructose corn syrup mixtures.

The bottles are chilling in the fridge. And tomorrow, we'll be doing our own Pepsi Challenge to see which reins supreme.


I'd place bets that we're a Coca-Cola house, even though I favored Pepsi products growing up.

We'll see what the blind taste test reveals.

A Healthier Husband and Happier Guinea Pig

There is no happier guinea pig today than our little buddy Fluffy. 

I'd been worrying about taking him back out of the warm house into the cold garage, even though I knew it was necessary.

Sim's already started having to use his inhaler more often than normal, so I know the Flufster's presence in the house isn't good.

But even with Fluffy's new heated mat and heated water bottle, I fretted that the little guy would be uncomfortable in our unheated garage. Plus, wouldn't he miss us?

Um, no. 

I found out that what he'd really been missing was his two story hutch and ramp between the two.

As soon as I set him down, he zipped around the place, checking out every inch and stretching his legs in all the extra room.

His only complaint was that I didn't fill his food bin soon enough. When that was full...he was pretty much done with me.

Cold-Weather Features to Keep Our Furry Friend Warm (and Healthy)

When I started hearing reports that temperatures were about to plummet to sub-zero levels, I knew that it was time to bring our guinea pig Fluffy inside.

He's been outside since the summer and in the garage most of the winter.

He's mostly done just fine. But his water bottle was freezing within a couple hours as temperatures dropped in early January. I'd replace it morning and night, but I was worrying that he wasn't getting enough fluids.

Worse though were the pads on his feet, which started to get red and raw.

So I brought him into the house. He's been here for a couple weeks and I've been cleaning his cage more than usual, trying to keep my husband's allergies to him in check.

He's also been getting all sorts of extra attention from Future Farmgirl. Until we brought him back inside, I've been the one on cuddle duty, giving him the attention he needs (and checking to be sure he's healthy).

When it's warmer...in the 30s and 40s...my daughter will join me in the garage and we'll play with him while he runs around in her old kiddie pool.

But this cold is too much for her...and him. Yet, I'm prepping to send him back out to his hutch in a couple days.

This time though, he'll have a couple more features for his two-story critter condo: a heated resting spot, a heated water bottle and a special outlet that turns both devices on when the temperatures drop too low and off when it warms up outside.

I got the pad and the bottle last night, but am still waiting for the Thermo Cube to hook them all up. I'd worried that the resting pad wouldn't really be chew proof. But it looks pretty hearty.

I'll set it in Fluffy's cage before I plug it in, to see whether he tears it up. It'll be interesting to see how he reacts to a heated apartment.

Still Unwrapping, er, Uncorking, My Christmas Gifts

For Christmas, I got a gift that keeps on giving: several bottles of Indiana wine (and a lovely fair trade carrying case to transport them safely home).

I've already enjoyed one of the Oliver Winery bottles that I've tried before.

This week, I had the pleasure of uncorking Oliver's Chambourcin Rose from the winery's Creekbend Vinyard.

It's a smooth, tasty table wine that goes nicely with meats and fish. Just be sure to chill it first.

My initial taste was at room temp and I didn't like the aftertaste. But properly chilled, it was a light and delightful addition to my meal.

Can Making Things Fun Change the World?

Over the weekend, I noticed on a friend's Facebook page this video showing a fascinating experiment in Stockholm.

Scientists noted that when given an option, pedestrians would choose the escalator over stairs 97% of the time. But, what if taking the stairs was more fun?

Watch and see:



The video and experiment was from 2009 and is part of The Fun Theory, a Volkswagen initiative operating under the idea that the best way to change human behavior is by making it fun.

One of the latest Fun Theory Award winners was Kevin Richardson, who devised a Speed Camera Lottery. The idea was that speeders would get caught on camera and ticketed. But those who drove the limit could also be entered into a lottery to claim a portion of the fines paid by speeders.



An interesting experiment of human behavior for sure, though the privacy implications are a little troubling on this one.

Despite those reservations, I really love this project. And it's surely a marketing success story for Volkswagen too.

And Then There Were Four

It's official, we now all have glasses in our house.

No miracles here - except the miracle of modern medicine (and fashion) that makes it possible for four people with terrible eyesight to thrive nonetheless with a little correction from glasses (or contacts).

On the fashion side, my Future Farmkids couldn't look any cuter in their glasses.

My son is the latest to get specs. He chose stylish pair of Nike's that frame his face nicely.

As a bonus, he may actually agree to a haircut now so he doesn't have to keep brushing his bangs out of his eyes. This wasn't a problem before, but it's apparently more annoying to him when his glasses trap his hair so close to his eyes.

He had no reservations about getting his glasses. As soon as the doctor showed him what he should be seeing (turns out that look of concentration he'd get from time to time was a form of squinting), he couldn't wait to pick out his frames and pick them up.

My daughter has adjusted to her glasses too. She wears them most of the time now. And we've already noticed improvements in her ability to focus on printed words.

The other night we caught her avoiding bedtime, not by playing with her stuffies, but with a stack of books. It's like she's making up for lost time.

Author Makes Important Corrections to Indian Slow Cooker Book

For those of you who purchased an early copy of Anupy Singla's book, The Indian Slow Cooker, take a look at her blog: Indian as Apple Pie.

There are some important corrections and guidance on proportions/technique.

I'd noticed the obvious typo in the recipe for Simple Split Chickpea Curry - 33 cups was clearly a mistake.

But I missed the cooking time issue on Chicken Vindaloo. Thankfully when I made the recipe, I followed the cheat sheet notes in the header: 7 hours on high. The time in the recipe is 6 hours on low.

I also appreciated her guidance on proportions (and salt). I'm only recently beginning to get comfortable enough with how the legumes cook down to start experimenting with substitutions.

It'll be a while before I can start subbing out spices.

Just When You Think Your Crock Pot Is Too Small

Turns out my large slow cooker can handle even more food than I expected.

Admittedly, I pushed the limits here a bit with this creamed spinach ala slow cooker.

This is two pounds of spinach (that's a lot of concentrated nutrition when all's said and done); two large onions; 20 cloves of garlic; chili peppers; tomatoes; ginger; and spices. The recipe is for Curried Spinach from The Indian Slow Cooker: 50 Healthy, Easy, Authentic Recipes.

Fortunately, it doesn't take too long for the spinach to start to wilt down. After a go with the immersion blender, the bubbly mixture smooths up nicely.

And, as usual with these recipes, it's especially good second day.

Recipe notes: If I had to do this over again, I'd opt for yellow onions instead of red. The red overpowered the dish a bit.

The cookbook author, Anupy Singla, touts the nutritional benefits of this dish - indicating there's no need for the cream found in similar restaurant versions of this recipe. But I really enjoyed just a splash of heavy cream to finish off the dish to balance it off as a stand-alone meal. But it really is very good without the extra fat and calorie punch.

Also, I used frozen fried paneer instead of making my own. I've never been a huge paneer fan, but the frozen Swad fried paneer was really good.

Oh...and I discovered that my husband is not much of an Indian spinach fan. So, I'll halve this recipe next time.

Why My Children Have Sworn Off McDonald's

My children have sworn off McDonald's. For good.

In some ways, I'm glad about this. And I couldn't agree more with their reasons. My son has been conflicted about McDonald's for quite some time.

Every time we pass the golden arches, he'll make some remark about McDonald's being the most unhealthy of all fast food restaurants. Yet, he'd eat there willingly. And when I'd offer him apples instead of fries, he'd still opt for fries.

But my daughter made the final declaration, holding her hand up, asking me to "promise, we won't ever eat McDonald's again."

Her reasons are just as valid. The Happy Meal menu board outside clearly indicated that the toys being offered were mini Only Hearts Pets (for girls like her who adore cute little animal toys) and Bakugan (for boys except my son who would prefer to get the Only Hearts Pet to give to his sister). Those toys, I'll note, are still being promoted on the McDonald's Happy Meal site.

Yet instead, we were given a Halloween Penguins of Madagascar toy and an old Shrek toy. I should add that my children purposefully avoid going to McDonald's during Shrek promotions because they dislike those toys so much.

When I called to ask about the random, old promotion toys we got, I was told they were clearing out their bin because the promotion had ended. Um, not according to the McDonald's Happy Meal homepage or the menu board.

I opted to end the conversation and move on. So did my children.

The healthy food reasons, and bad toy experience on top of a mediocre cheeseburger that may daughter couldn't stomach turned out to be the final straw. They both agreed that we should wash our hands of McDonald's for good.

And I couldn't agree more...

Except maybe for those moments of deep craving for fries and a BigMac. Oh, and the eggnog shake during the holidays.

But, it looks like I'll have to satisfy those cravings when I'm on my own, or during the workday.

Just don't tell my kids.

Growing Power's Vertical Plans for Milwaukee Would Be Model for Urban Farming

Thanks to City Farmer on Facebook, I've had a chance to see some of the early renderings of a new urban farm initiative from urban farm pioneers Growing Power.

Kubala Washatko Architects in Cedarburg, Wis., was hired to design a site and master plan for what would be a Milwaukee-based training center and warehouse to support production, classes, meetings, meal preparation, offices, and on-site warehousing.

All the while, the space -- which is decidedly vertical by design -- is supposed to be a model of ecological sustainability.

A Milwaukee Business Journal story from November reports that the site and efforts to convert vacant property to garden space would increase Growing Power's ability to feed the public, from from 10,000 people a year to 25,000. Increased production means more jobs too.


“We’re creating a new industry of growing food inside cities, which is going to create thousands of jobs,” Growing Power's Will Allen is quoted saying.

Allen appears to be a ways off -- about $10 million -- from getting the project underway.

Indian Food Cooking Spree

Patel Bros. shopping haul.

At some point, I think we'll probably get a little sick of Indian food.

 We haven't reached that point yet. Not even close.

Good thing too because I have at least two more dishes planned this weekend alone.

This week, I made a Chickpea Flour Curry with Vegetables and served it alongside a Tandoori chicken (from a paste I got for Christmas). I erred a bit with the curry dish. At first I thought the yogurt had curdled. But then I realized the grainy texture was explained by the fact that I didn't get the correct consistency when I tried to make a paste out of ginger and garlic. Next time I'll have to use a smaller food processor or add a little liquid to get the two to fully blend.

I really loved this dish, on its own over rice. And especially 

Next up I made - again - a Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes dish. This was better than the first time I made it, though my chili powder (from my New Mexico stash) was potent. So this is XX-Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes. This was excellent as a side to pan fried catfish.

For the Bears game, I made Punjabi Curried Kidney Beans. I'd made this before and it's absolutely one of our favorites. I cut the heat down a bit this time and expect we'll be eating this for a few more days.

I'm planning two more dishes for tomorrow: Garlic and Chili Split Pigeon Pea Curry, and Curried Spinach.There's a recipe for making your own paneer. But I bought mine frozen at Patel Bros. the other day on my trip to Devon Ave. to stock up my Indian cooking pantry.

All recipes are from The Indian Slow Cooker: 50 Healthy, Easy & Authentic Recipes. In the book, author Anupy Singla often suggests serving these dishes with naan, roti or rice. Most of the time, though, I've found that no extra carbs are needed to enjoy. These are fine just on their own.

Today's Farmers Market Haul

It was easy to drop in quickly to the winter farmers market at Unity Temple partly because there were just a handful of die-hard vendors to browse.

The market was in part to benefit the Harvest of Hope Farm Crisis Fund. 

Not surprisingly -- considering it's mid-winter -- there was no produce. But it was good to see some familiar faces - River Valley Kitchens and Tomato Mountain were there.

Even with just a handful of vendors, I still managed to leave with a pretty good haul:

Hasselmann Family Farm: eggs, stew meat and breakfast sausage.

Roger's Creek Grist Mill: pancake mix.

River Valley Kitchens: spicy tomato soup, xx-hot portabella salsa and granola.

A nun in a habit: Some pretty amazing apple bread.

Feed Your Appetite & Your Soul at Saturday's Winter Farmer's Market

Thanks to the Local Beet and Becca at Live Here Oak Park for cluing me in that there's a winter farmers market tomorrow at the beautiful Unity Temple.

I just passed by there tonight and admired Frank Lloyd Wright's handiwork. It'll be a treat to see the interior. I'm not sure I've ever been inside, which is kind of amazing when I think of how many times I've passed by enjoying the exterior detailing. 

The market - sponsored by Faith In Place -  is Saturday, Jan. 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 875 Lake Street, Oak Park.

If you're wondering what you can possibly get that's local and fresh in winter,  the Local Beet notes that there should be greenhouse veggies such as lettuce, spinach and other greens, plus mushrooms, cucumbers and herbs. From the root veggie stocks there may be beets, carrots and other root cellar items such as onions, potatoes, apples and squash.

Faith In Place advertises that at it's "movable feast" there will be local meat, eggs, produce, salsas, sauces and mushrooms for sure.

Sounds like it's worth a visit to see what's available.

Blog Takes On Backyard Chicken Myths

If you've been contemplating getting backyard chickens, but found yourself fretting about what your neighbors might think or worrying that your property values will tank, check out this blog post de-mythifying backyard flocks in urban areas.

The McMurray Hatchery blog is exploring and, presumably debunking, the "7 Myths About Urban Chickens."

In the first post, the hatchery dismisses concerns that backyard chickens spread bird-to-human disease, including Avian flu.

The blog promises in its forthcoming post to deal with concerns that backyard chickens are too noisy.

Angry and Sad

Yesterday's senseless killings of six people - including a 9-year-old girl and a respected federal judge - shattered an otherwise normal weekend for me.

I learned about the shootings while I was stocking up on groceries. Nothing could be more routine. And I kept imagining the horrifying scenario in Tuscon unfolding right in front of me.

I started to get angry, then sad.

I'm not blind to the violence and misfortune happening around me on a regular basis. But this felt different. Whether an isolated act of a deranged individual or prompted by increasingly hostile rhetoric pouring from my cable channels and the Web, the shooting felt like a direct attack on our democracy.

That's where the anger comes from.

The sadness comes from the stories of the victims, the survivors and their families and friends. My heart goes out to them. And my prayers are with those, including the believed target of the attack, well-liked Gabby Giffords (D-AZ), who are struggling to recover.

Besides justice, my hope is that this horror show at a local grocery in Tuscon will be the final straw, the event that shakes us loose from the status quo that's allowed our society to tolerate rhetoric that skirts or outright crosses the line into bigotry, hate and uncontrolled rage.

I can dream, right?

Bird Deaths Explained

National Geographic's Daily News is bringing some much-needed context to the bird deaths in Arkansas.

After I started following reports of the mass New Year's Eve red-winged blackbird deaths near Beebe, I started seeing that there are reports of bird deaths - albeit not always 4,000-5,000 dramatically falling to their deaths in a populated area - all over the country on a pretty regular basis.

Indeed, according to National Geographic, "in-air bird deaths aren't due to some apocalyptic plague or insidious experiment—they happen all the time."

So why the alarm this time? National Geographic blames "media buzz." I'm sure that's part of it. More context in reporting from scientists explaining the frequency of these events would have been helpful and likely tempered some of the conspiracy theories.

But with the timing and location - New Year's Eve and in a well populated area - there was bound to buzz and concern. Healthy birds reflect a healthy environment, or at least I think that's what many people believe. En masse deaths are rightly investigated.

I remember a few years ago that dead blackbirds in my neighborhood turned out to be a sign that West Nile Virus was now present.

That said, preliminary tests of the Arkansas birds show what scientists speculated in the very first news reports: that the birds died from blunt-force trauma, likely from being scared out of their roosts by fireworks and slamming full force into cars, trees and buildings.

Wildlife officials are rightly using this high-profile event to educate the public, not only about bird deaths, but about how man-made structures, especially constantly lit cell towers can disorient birds and contribute to mass deaths.

As ornithologist Karen Rowe of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission told National Geographic: "How many migratory warblers do you want to kill just to get better cell phone reception?"

I Realized How Much We Still Rely on the Postal Service, After It Decided to Quit Delivering Our Mail

Empty Mailbox

I'm starting to get a little worried now that it's been more than a week since we've received our mail.

We'd stopped it briefly for the holidays, went into the office to pick up the held mail and to restart regular deliveries. That was Dec. 30. We've received mail exactly once since then...late in the evening, after 6 p.m., on Monday.

We've called numerous times and received a host of excuses: Your mail is still on vacation hold (then why did we receive a delivery?); your mail carrier's father died and other carriers are trying to pick up the route (that's proven to be false); and, again, your mail is still on vacation hold, but don't worry you'll get your mail today (also not true).

Seriously, what do we need to do? I feel like our mail is being held hostage.

At first, this was just an annoyance. It's beyond annoying at this point, past frustrating and getting to be worrisome. We've now spent quite a bit of time on a daily basis trying to track down our mail and expected package deliveries.

So much of what we get in the mail these days is unsolicited junk that missing a couple days didn't seem like much of a big deal. But doing an inventory, we can see we're missing some important things: a key utility document that we need to make service adjustments; a belated Christmas gift; a part we ordered to fix our exercise machine (how am I supposed to get to that weight loss/fitness resolution without that?); and, of course, bills.

The Post Office opens at 9 a.m. We'll try again. If we can't get our mail today, I may need to file a theft report.

UPDATE: When Sim went to the Post Office this morning, he was told, "your mail has been delivered." (Hmm. Then why is our mailbox still empty?) Then the supervisor started investigating and pledged to find it on the truck and deliver it himself within the hour. We shall see.

UPDATE: Hooray! We got our mail later in the afternoon. Still not a single apology, just some explanations about a string of miscommunications with the carrier. My favorite thing to dislike about this was the posture of the supervisor...seemingly pleasant in person (with others present), to openly hostile and outright mean over the phone.

Eggnog Muffins: A Tasty Morning Treat

These eggnog muffins are simple to make and, to my surprise, aren't overpowered by the nutmeg and eggnog flavors.

I'd been worried that these might taste heavy -- like a thick mug of eggnog.

Not to worry, the cup of eggnog and teaspoon of nutmeg is subtle and pleasing in the final muffin.

I can't remember where I picked up the recipe, but here it is:

Eggnog Muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup eggnog
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup (2/3 stick) butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

In another bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and mix until moistened (don't overmix). Pour batter into either 12 greased muffin cups or paper-lined cups.

Bake in preheated oven about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. (My oven had them finished in about 15 minutes).

Adding the pecans or walnuts definitely would make these muffins heartier. But I left them out because my kids aren't big nut fans.

To sweeten these up a bit, top with a glaze: Mix 1 cup sifted powdered sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk to a glaze consistency. (I used eggnog instead of milk for a little more flavor.)

New Urban Farming Ordinance Creating Controversy Among Active Farmers

There are few operations I respect more than Growing Power, which pioneered impressive not-for-profit urban gardens in Milwaukee and Chicago.

So it's alarming to see Erika Allen, one of Growing Power's principals quoted in the Tribune saying that if Chicago's proposed urban farming ordinance goes into effect, it'll stunt the growth of her organization and possibly many others.

Monica Eng reports that the ordinance will regulate fencing, plot size, processing and landscaping of everything from commercial plots to not-for-profit farms and community gardens.

"We couldn't do any of our projects," Allen told Eng. "They're all over the size limit. We couldn't sell produce at our Cabrini-Green farm stand. And some of our expanded projects would also be affected."

That would certainly be a shame.

So I hope that, as Eng reports from others, that the concerns are largely overblown and that the wrinkles in the ordinance can be worked out so that urban farming can continue to take root in Chicago.

Mass Die-Offs of Fish & Fowl: What's Next Arkansas?

No doubt it's unusual to have thousands of birds fall dead from the sky. But what about 80,000 to 100,000 fish suddenly washing ashore?

That's what Arkansas residents and wildlife officials are dealing with - two mass deaths of two separate species within a week.

So far, the sudden deaths (they literally fell dead from the sky) of the red-winged blackbirds on New Year's Eve and the drum fish are being treated as unrelated incidents, according to KSPR Channel 33.

Many believe the birds died of stress, maybe from fireworks or lightning. The fish, because the die-off involved a single species, are believed to have contracted some sort of disease. 

Yikes. No wonder residents such as Denise Dickerson are wondering what's next.

Lab results from the birds are expected by the end of this week. But it could take up to a month to learn what afflicted the drum fish. 

The Essential 7: Stocking Your Indian Spice Cabinet

I swear I don't get a kickback for pushing sales of Anupy Singla's Indian Slow Cooker book.

But when I make her recipes and share, I get a lot of questions about the book. I think the biggest hurdle is getting the spices organized in advance. No matter how good the ethnic section of my local Chicago area groceries, none carry everything I need for even the most basic recipes in the book. And getting even the essentials at a Penzeys can be pretty pricey.

The best strategy is to make a shopping list and get to an Indian market. Be sure to write down the Indian names of the spices. I had to go back and get the book to finish shopping the first time I went out. Lesson learned the hard way.

If you haven't settled on a recipe and just want a basic pantry, Anupy created a video she posted on her blog - Indian as Apple Pie - to explain which seven essential spices you need for most North Indian dishes.


I'm now stocked up with these seven and then some.

I need to plan a trip to Patel Brothers. When I go, I'll for sure restock spices (the ground coriander goes fast). I'll also be sure I have a good list for lentils and other specialty items I can't get at the corner grocery.

Mystery: Thousands of Blackbirds Fall from Arkansas Sky

Google Map: Beebe, Ark.

Wildlife officials in Arkansas are stymied as to why thousands of blackbirds have fallen from the sky near the small town of Beebe.

Theories so far as as wild as they are mysterious:

• New Year's Eve revelers shooting off fireworks may have literally scared the birds to death.
• A large flock may have been struck by lightning. 
• Or the flock could have flown into a hail storm.

Press reports say that between 4,000 and 5,000 birds started falling onto the ground, rooftops and streets late on New Year's Eve and into Jan. 1.

Experts are expected to examine the dead birds in Little Rock and Madison starting next week.

Update: Report from KATV/CNN posted on YouTube:

Party Favorites: Wood Bowling & Indian Black-Eyed Peas

We get out our old Skittles (tabletop wood bowling) game every holiday. Usually the kids play it for a while, then go off to do something else.

Mr. DJ

This time though, the adults dominated and the game lasted well into the night. At one point, just as Sim started spinning records from the 70s and 80s, nearly all the adults were in.

I ended up dead last, but had a great time during the whole party. I'd been so disappointed we had to skip our annual holiday tree-trimming party. This Christmas was oddly overwhelming. But I think I prefer the smaller gathering we had on New Year's Day.

For a prosperous 2011

We've been (or I should say Sim's been) braving the elements on Jan. 1 to fire up the grill ever since our son was born. Every once in a while we invite one or two people over.

This year we decided to expand the invite list, just a little. And the number was just right for me, not too many people that I couldn't sit down and enjoy the company. I even got to sit at the table and eat!

By far, the biggest menu hit was the Goan black-eyed peas, from my Indian Slow Cooker cookbook. I served it with green chili and cheese corn bread.

Alberto No. 1 fixings

The other big hit was Sim's Alberto No. 1, a drink recipe we found in the New York Times when we were visiting Manhattan about 11 years ago.

Not as many people got into the chocolate fondue, though it was fun to make and set out. My favorite dipper: potato chips.