busy, busy

musings

How can the real food revolution happen without housewives to grind grain and spices, ferment yogurt and vegetables, render fat, make noodles, bake breads and harvest vegetables from the garden and eggs from the coop?
How can pregnant women with kids get the help they need to keep their houses clean, feed their families, and get adequate rest without a local network of fellow like-minded sisters who can pitch in?
How can we return to sane business hours and holidays for all without housewives to do the shopping and bring kids to appointments during the day?

what we saw there

cash at the old Hancock village (Shaker) gift shop


equipment at the gift shop


beautiful spun wools and cottons with natural dyes (including a lot of alum, cream of tartar, madder, goldenrod, etc.) in the Sisters' workshouse at the Shaker village - my favourite part of Hancock!


a more complete shot


poppies at Hancock village


a random interlude - bathtub diaper laundry


antiques near Kennebunkport - BEST ANTIQUE SHOP EVER. Stonewear beer bottles.


These things were a dime a dozen - wish I had picked one up, but I figured we'd see tons more... not the case. Would have been beautiful for brewing in.



Kitchen stuff.


the brain


Peter Rabbit and quilts


You, too, can be a screwball.


ice cream maker (I think?)


I C U


Lovely skillets. There was one really huge one, pizza size, but it was like $120. So sad!


I love miniature things.


This was beautiful. When we own a home I want to fill it with antiques and home-made pottery.


The baby spent a lot of the vacation making this face. There was a lot of car time, folks. (Don't get me wrong - there were lots of smiles and giggles, too!)


Daddy-snuggles at the beach

the haps

I got my birthday books yesterday, and I am officially giddy over Wild Fermentation. I've dived into sourdough and I am eager to finish our 4 L jars of pickles and granola so that I can get on the honey mead. I am inspired to try cheese again, with some kefir. And oh, kefir! Need I mention that reading about the healthiness, flavour, and artisanal qualities of fermented foods, I had a sudden craving for my new favourite beverage? I am considering kefired cranberry juice and kefir sour cream. And oh, beer, delightful brew - my first batch will be Egyptian beer made with partly-raw baked sourdough loaves. Amazing. I am salivating for sauerkraut. "Cleanliness, not sterility". Yes! Sandor Katz, where have you been all my life??

The question is now: Could I make a crock? I feel like my Crock Pot TM might work, but you need a lid inside the pot to weigh down whatever you are fermenting usually, and my crock pot is oval and sort of awkwardly shaped; no plate would fit in there, certainly. Can I just whip up some flour-salt-and-water clay and whip up a pot? I mean, for pete's sake, we've been fermenting for thousands of years, and still in many parts of the world people can't run out and buy fancy vessels, they make them. Right?? Google searches are so far unfruitful. Could somebody please tell me they have experience and advise for me??