Simply Norma – Page 76 – Living Simply

Mosquito Death in Minnesota

The first West Nile Virus death this year in Minnesota occurred a couple of days ago. Click hereÂ to read the article.

And just yesterday morning my mother was admonishing me about working in our 1/2 acre that is mostly brush and trees as mosquitoes can be present. She reminded me of the West Nile Virus that is taking people’s lives as mosquitoes transmit their disease to humans. Am I careful? Yes, I am, although even when I’m careful by using DEET on all exposed parts of my body, the mosquitoes sometimes find one small spot that I miss. They are able to find me by the smell of carbon dioxide that I emit when I breathe. Well, I do have to breathe …

Searching the internet for something more “natural” to put on my body that doesn’t have side effects, I came upon an idea that I thought I’d try. Â Garlic. Â Apparently mosquitoes don’t like the smell of garlic so I have been making a paste to rub on my body.

I have been using my homemade potion for a couple of weeks and it works just as well as DEET does. I still spray DEET on the bottom of my pants and shoes to keep away any tics that might be in the area (although we have only seen one this year). Have I gotten bitten using the garlic? Yes. I was bitten twice yesterday in places where I did not rub the garlic on my body. I don’t know if it matters whether you use fresh garlic or ground garlic but I have tried both and they have the same effect although the ground garlic is less trouble to use.

Some people say the garlic doesn’t work for them and they use Skin So Soft by Avon. And, as you can imagine, there are a lot more suggestions out there. If I find something that works (that’s not going to kill me) then I’ll stick with it until it stops working. This solution isn’t for everyone and one day the only thing that may work against mosquitoes is a chemical solution. That’s when I might have to move to a less buggy part of the United States.

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My New Saw

Another cool day in Minnesota. For me that means lots of YARD WORK. I hired the neighbor boy to come help move the woodpile from the back of the property to the side of the property so it will be easier to access when winter comes. I can’t wait to use the fireplace again. It’s so pretty!

While the woodpile was being taken care of, I went to the garage and took out my new 21 inchÂ Friskars Bow Pruning Saw that I purchased last evening at Home Depot.

Notice the orange warning “Aggressive Cuts.” I certainly hope so as I can’t cut a large branch with a “non aggressive” cut.

This bow saw cut magnificently! The cuts were sharp and clean and it didn’t take me long to cut up a few branches. I think I may have even grown a muscle. Â hahahaha

The blade is replaceable which is really good as we have quite a few branches that fall throughout the year and the pruner just doesn’t work as well. All this for less than $10! I literally felt giddy as I left Home Depot with my new tool.

Maybe I should buy some flannel shirts so I can look like a real lumber, uh, woman. Â haha

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The Agave Kitchen

It’s been awhile since we returned to the Agave Kitchen in Hudson, Wisconsin although I’m not sure why. Their food is delicious and we always leave feeling quite satisfied with the portion sizes, the service and the quality of the food.

This time we tried two new entrees — chicken tenders with french fries and barbecue chicken with vegetables. Pretty good!

Unfortunately, when I searched Google to read the reviews on the Agave Kitchen, it did not have good reviews. One of the problems appears to be the wait time when the restaurant is busy. Since we usually go in the evenings, we have never had the problem of having to wait nor of our food getting to us cold.

I was not able to find their website either as it appears to be redirected elsewhere — not sure what’s going on with that.

It’s always “buyer beware.” Â Too bad the restaurant can’t seem to be more consistent with everyone.

The Spider

With cooler Minnesota weather, I can now sit in the screened-in porch and enjoy fresh air, wildlife and the quietness that surrounds us.

As I lay back on my chair, content as a bee with nectar in its mouth, I looked up at the ceiling and saw it. Â “It” was a large black spider measuring 3-4 inches from the tip of one leg to the tip of its other leg. Instead of getting up and hooting and hollering, I watched as it just sat there as if it were dead. I knew better though — it was alive and would eventually be discontent sitting motionless.

My husband was sitting directly across from me unaware of the danger in the room. Well, okay, it COULD be dangerous. I cautiously rose from my chair and circled to the other side of the room where I informed him of what lay overhead.

Now it was time to investigate how much danger we were in. With iPad in hand, I scoured the internet for images of this newfound creature who had made its way into our peaceful abode.

I immediately eliminated the black widow and brown recluse spiders (both poisonous) from my list. At first I thought it might be an orb weaver and had it been that species I would have been delighted as they eat mosquitoes. Upon further examination (magnifying the images I was comparing) it does not appear to be an orb weaver.

Perhaps a grass spider? Similar but the grass spider only grows to one inch.

So I am left to ponder what this spider is. Â Any arachnoid experts out there?

As I left the porch to make dinner, my husband took a broom and swatted the spider off the ceiling then chased it out the door. Â Yeah! for a husband who handles the icky things in life for me.

Question: What do you do with the spiders in your house? Do you kill them or do you take them outdoors so they can die naturally?

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Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini

Awhile back, I bought a large bag of Quinoa so I’ve been looking for new recipes to try. The one challenge I have is that I like quinoa but my husband has more of a “I’ll eat it if it’s served” mentality. That’s a big difference in how one looks at this “perfect” food (so called by a nutritionist I know because of its low carb high protein properties).

The Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini recipe that I’m posting was good and it serves two (2) people which was even better as I didn’t have to worry about leftovers sitting in our refrigerator. If you try it, let me know how you like it. My husband (who likes spicy foods) said it was too bland whereas I (who don’t like spicy food) thought it was perfect.

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa, well rinsed
4 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and ends trimmed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt & fresh pepper
1/3 cup chopped pitted black olives
1/2 cup pimientos
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup of dry bread crumbs

DIrections

Lightly oil a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and set it aside
In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat
Add the quinoa and salt the water (if you wish) then return to a boil
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer until the quinoa is tender (about 15-20 minutes)
While the quinoa is cooking, scoop out the zucchini flesh but leave the shells intact and chop it up
Steam the zucchini shells until slightly softened, about 5 minutes, then set aside to cool
In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat then add the onions, garlic and chopped zucchini. Add salt and pepper to your taste. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, approximately 10 minutes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa with the onion and zucchini mixture. Add the olives, pimentos and parsley to the mixture. Mix everything together.
Stuff the zucchini shells with the quinoa mixture then sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and arrange the zucchini in the pan.
Add 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan with foil and wrap it tightly. Bake until the filling is hot approximately 20- 30 minutes.
Uncover the pan and bake 10 minutes longer to lightly brown the topping
Serve immediately.

The original recipe called for sun-dried tomatoes but I used pimentos instead as I don’t particularly care of the tomatoes. Also, I halved the quinoa in the recipe as I had a LOT of quinoa left over so I’m not sure why the original recipe called for so much.

Let me know what you think if you decide to try it.

The original recipe was found in the cookbook called 1000 Vegan Recipes.

Enjoy!

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Big Marine Lake Park – North

On Sabbaths we sometimes look for a new park to explore and that is how we found Big Marine Lake Park – North. It’s a little out of the way for us but the drive north is beautiful and was well worth it.

Big Marine Lake - North — Big Marine Lake – North

So far, the parks we have visited have been very clean and this one was no exception.

Big Marine Park - North — Big Marine Lake Park – North

One of the first things we saw when we entered was a moss filled pond. The deep green colors look so beautiful on the water and make it appear as if you can walk on it.

The park also has areas with tall grasses.

The day we visited was pleasant with blue skies, low humidity and temperatures in the low 80’s. A “normal” Minnesota day — so I’m told by the locals. So where were all the people? What I’ve slowly learned is that living in a State with over 10,000 lakes means that people have more options of where to go so the parks are not crowded. There were a few families at the children’s playground which is very nice and has more than ample room for children to run around.

Children's Playground — Children’s Playground

My husband and I then drove to the beach which was beautiful, had two lifeguards and two children swimming in the water.

Next to the beach was a wetland and throughout the park we kept seeing these beautiful yellow birds flying around. Anyone know what they are?

Minnesota parks all seem to have fishing piers and this park was no exception. I walked to the end of the pier and spoke with a couple of fishermen there. They had caught a few fish but they were small and had thrown them back in the water.

The really nice thing I liked about this park is that the trails are paved so you don’t have to struggle to get through brush and dirt to get to your destination.

Since summer is still in full swing, the flowers are still blooming.

Another Minnesota park explored with so many more to go. If you like water then Minnesota is the place to live.

Note: Click here to go to the Washington County Big Marine Lake Park website.

What Is In Your Hand?

Many years ago I read a book whose author I can’t remember … nor can I remember the name of the book. Â But, I do remember a chapter in the book which is called “What Is That In Your Hand?”

This memory was brought back to me at church recently when my Pastor was preaching on Chapter 9 of the book of Acts. In that chapter there is the story of a woman called Tabitha who was known for doing many good works.

The work Tabitha did does not seem impressive to many in today’s world which makes the simple things in life seem so insignificant. Clothing and feeding the poor in her local community would be a stark contrast to those who spend millions of dollars helping AIDS infected people in Africa. Who normally gets in the news? (Ironically, in the Twin Cities Tabitha would get a LOT of news time …)

The mentality overall though is the bigger the better. But looking at the simple things in life that are counted as less significant with a magnifying glass shows how important these acts really are.

A clinical therapist recently told me that she has a lot of people who see her because they feel alone even though they have friends. They feel they have to initiate everything in their relationships or no one would care about them. The longer I live, the more I see this as truth in the lives of people I know.

God recently asked me “What is that in your hand?” interpreted by me as What do I have, whether big or small, to offer others in this world?

If I can talk then I can call someone who would otherwise not hear from anyone and let them know I’m thinking about them
If I can walk then I can visit someone (so many elderly are estranged from their familiy and friends)
If I can bake then I can take some cookies to a neighbor who might otherwise not hear from anyone

I did recently visit a neighbor who told me that she looked forward to visits from the outpatient nurses because they were the only ones who visited her. How sad this was to me.

We all have something we can do. I’m praying that I will be more intentional in looking around me to see who I can help on this journey of life.

Hey! What’s that in your hand?

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Pad Thai

I found another delicious recipe. This one is vegan and the recipe made quite a bit for two people (for those who aren’t vegan, you can add chicken to the recipe). My husband thought this recipe needed more flavor but I thought it was fine the way it was.

Ingredients

12 ounces dried rice noodles
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon tamarind paste (see note below)*
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 small red onion, quartered and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
4 green onions, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup coarsely chopped dry-roasted unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup bean sprouts (for garnish)
1 lime, cut into wedges (for garnish)Â

Directions

(I made the mistake of not starting with the tofu first which made dinner a lot later than it should have been, Â so … here’s the directions for preparing the tofu first.)

Tofu Preparation

Remove the tofu from the package
Cut the block into slabs and place the slabs on a baking sheet lined with paper towels
Weigh down the slabs with a baking sheet topped with heavy canned goods and let it sit for an hour
After the hour (when most of the water has been removed from the tofu) cut the tofu into 1/2 inch pieces

Food Preparation

Soak the noodles in a large bowl of hot water until softened which takes anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes depending on the noodle you’re using
Drain the noodles well and rinse them under cold water
Transfer the noodles to a bowl and set them aside
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, tamarind paste, tomato paste, water and crushed red pepper. Stir this together and set it aside.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the tofu and stir-fry until golden brown (5-10 minutes). Transfer this to a plate and set it aside.
In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat then add the onion and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the green onions and garlic then stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Add the cooked tofu and cook about 5 minutes tossing occasionally.
Add the cooked noodles and toss to combine and heat everything through.
Stir in the sauce and cook through, tossing everything together so it’s evenly coated with the sauce. (You can add additional water if it seems too dense for you — a tablespoon at a time …)
When the noodles are hot, put them on a platter and sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.
Garnish with the bean sprouts and lime wedges.
Serve this meal hot.

*I wasn’t able to find tamarind paste locally so I used the substitution they recommended which was 1 teaspoon brown sugar (or you could use molasses) with 1 teaspoon of lime juice.

Quite a delicious meal! I decided to add some more veggies to the meal also — brocolli and carrots. Â My husband had to wait an hour longer than normal for this meal as I thought I had read the recipe all the way through but didn’t account for the tofu preparation time. Â Oh well … live and learn.

This recipe is from the 1000 Vegan Recipes Cookbook that I have found to be quite useful because of its tasty recipes.

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A Cool Down

I haven’t posted much lately because we are experiencing a much needed cool-down in temperatures in Minnesota soÂ I’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors after being cooped up for almost a month because of the hot weather, humidity and high dew points.

My attention is now directed to the 1/2 acre in the back of our property although I had told myself that I wouldn’t start that project until next year. Â Walking the property to see what needs to be done, all I can say is “Ugh.” Â There is so much work to do in the back that I’m not quite sure where to start.

I pulled weeds for a couple hours then stepped back to see what it looked like and it didn’t seem like I had done anything at all. Â I am now starting to pull up some small bushes and trees that are growing wild. This could take forever …

The two neighbor teens I have been using to help me have not been around much this summer so I think it’s time to find other “workers.” I hope to work in the backyard off and on as long as I can before autumn arrives along with its showers of daily leaves.

The rains come back today and tomorrow so I will have a little bit of rest from my outdoor physical labor. And the bugs have been cooperating even if I was bitten by mosquitoes three (3) times — Â not bad for working outdoors a few mornings this month.

Has anyone ever cleared a large area of brush like this before and if so, do you have any helpful hints on how to work efficiently without calling in the professionals?

(Oh — The picture you see as my header is of a flower called knautia macedonica. It was growing wild in the front yard of one of my friends who lives in Seattle. I found the flower quite pretty and asked my friend what it was called. Since he didn’t know, he headed to the nursery to find out what it was called as his family had not planted it. Knautia macedonica – quite a name for such a beautiful flower. Â I don’t know if we’ll be able to grow it in Minnesota as a perennial considering how cold it gets here but I’m hoping to get some seeds in the spring and plant them in one of the two sunny areas we have on the property).Â

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Chicken Fajitas

This recipe for chicken fajitas is quite tasteful but be careful if you don’t like your food spicy. I adjusted the ingredients for myself (because I don’t like spicy food) and it still had a wee bit of a kick to it. So feel free to adjust as you go along …

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
2 green bell peppers, halved and sliced
2 medium onions, halved and thickly sliced
1 tomato, quartered
Cilantro (optional)

Marinade

3 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons lime juice

Directions

Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl.
Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag and add the marinade then toss to coat and refrigerate for two to three hours. (Leave about a teaspoon of the marinade to add to the skillet with the vegetables)
In a large skillet (on medium high heat) add the 2-3 tbsp of olive oil.
Place peppers, onions, and tomatos in the skillet and grill until cooked well but not soggy.
Add some of the marinade to the mixture for flavor.
When cooked, remove from the skillet and set aside.
In the skillet, grill the chicken for 6-8 minutes each side or until juices run clear.
Place the chicken and vegetables on a hot plate or a hot cast iron skillet, squeeze the lime juice over the mixture and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately.

The recipe I received from my son adds a jalapeno (seeded and sliced) to the marinade but I knew up front that it would have been too spicy for my taste so I left it out. I also adjusted the crushed red pepper along with the chili powder. Â Experimentation is a good thing!

I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did.

Note: Â Not sure where the original recipe came from …