I updated my website

No, really!
And I have this OTHER blog now, can you keep up??

New Project Time Again

Well. Here I go again. New project. So many. GARRRH. Is that a sound of agony or victory? Answer: both. Would you like to see this bag made? You might consider pledging. And I would be utterly grateful.

Mission 2010

I'm going to give up take-out containers. I guess I'll need a new blog to document this. I'll call it. Givinguptakeoutcontainersin2010? I'll have to ponder on this one.

Busy bee writer

I know, I know, I've neglected this blog!
But I have a new post up on http://www.sheepless.org/magazine/shorts/animal-chemical-radical-case-leather
A new post up on http://masteringtheartofeverything.blogspot.com/
And new post up on http://astoryeveryweek.tumblr.com/

Phew! How much writing do you need from me?!

New Season, New Blog

Mastering the Art of Everything

The Secret to Softer Skin (and Fur)

Can you believe it's already August? Arlo has been suffering the heat a little worse than me lately. Dry itchy skin, rashes. I tried spritzing him down with apple cider vinegar, and it seemed to help alleviate his conditions somewhat, but I wanted to try something different and, frankly, a little more pleasant smelling.

Plenty of skin products advertise colloidal oatmeal. It soothes skin by bringing the high pH of itchy skin down to normal levels. And here I thought "colloidal" indicated some special scientific process, but apparently it's just another term for "finely powdered"—which makes preparing it a snap.

Just grind a cup of oatmeal in a coffee or spice grinder until it's the consistency of a fine dusting powder. You can sprinkle this in a bath (for people or animals). But I wanted something a little more concentrated and having Arlo lie in a bath just didn't seem practical (or water-efficient). So I added just enough water to the powder to make it into a thick paste (think cake batter) then massaged it into his coat. Let it set for at least 15 minutes and then just towel dry afterward if necessary.

There were still some chunky bits left (I knew I should have ground it longer), so I used a flea comb to gently comb them out. What we were left with was the silkiest coat Arlo has had since he was a puppy. Hurray! I'm thinking of a weekly regimen of oatmeal rinses until his rash clears up. I'll let you know how it goes.

Weird Recipe of the Week

I was craving fish. And I'm trying to (literally) downsize the fish I consume by eating fish lower on the food chain (and giving large fish a chance to recover their populations). So I got sardines from that fish market on Metropolitan and Leonard which I hadn't been to in several years because I once got some bad salmon there. (The sardines were fine, fresh and wild caught.) And I had all my CSA ingredients.

So this is Grilled Sardines with a Corn Peach Papalo "Salsa."
Better I think side-by-side, not together.

"Salsa"
fresh-off-the-cob raw corn
ripe peaches and/or nectarines, cubed
papolo (or cilantro or mint), finely sliced
juice of one lime or apple cider vinegar
olive oil
salt

Toss all ingredients together.

Sardines
Brush butter on whole cleaned sardines. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on hot grill. This is one fish that tastes better when it's actually cooked through so test for doneness after about 3 minutes on each side. But keep cooking until fish is flaky.

Environmental Side Note
I bet some folks are thinking I could possibly serve the fish population even more by skipping out on fish altogether. But fish are essential for a healthy brain and reduce risk of death due to coronary disease—outweighing even the risks of mercury and PCBs.

According to a study published by the Harvard School of Health "For infants and young children, the authors found that omega-3 fatty acids from seafood likely improve early brain development; children could obtain that benefit from pregnant or nursing mothers who consumed fish." And implies that it could offset depression or other behavioral problems.

So all my cranky friends, may I suggest more fish? Especially sardines, anchovies, catfish, lobster, mussels, and oysters—all of which are the least endangered and have the lowest environmental impact.