#when there are sooooo many options out there mostly for p&p i know a noted a few i liked and even then there's gotta be way more

[autumnrory]

i went ahead and put my newer books in their respective places as well so now the dvds are kind of ruined but they already had to be stacked anyway and i KNOW there are books on my shelf i won't want anymore once i reread them it's just a matter of doing it

but yeah my collection has grown quite a bit between enjoying the shopaholic and shadow and bone series and then filling in everything i was missing in just a couple years plus other random books here and there like i WILL get it down (the dream would be just for a time to have everything on my one big shelf but ya know who can say if that's feasible) but yeah right now between presents and book fairs or just getting things for myself it's definitely increased a lot in a pretty short amount of time

[thejennydreadful]

Time for a Reboot?

SOOOOO.... first, thank you to everybody who responded to my last post! I'm still sorting through things at the moment, on that front, but your input has definitely been helpful!

As for the photo with this post, this is just me out walking the dog last night... no particular reason for the selfie... just was thinking about making this post and figured I should have some kind of recent picture for it. :-p 

Anyway, I’m posting today because, I have an idea that's been brewing for a while now, which has kinda come together for me since my last post, that I'd like to share. And yes, this is related to my last post... just kind of expanding on the idea.

First, a little history: After "jen-dave," It took me awhile to really organize the direction I wanted to go. However, I finally settled on splitting myself in two... not unlike when I got pregnant with the twins. :-p

On one side, we have Jen PM, which is just me... unashamedly-all-of-me. It's where I can kind of strip-bare... metaphorically speaking, at least. :-p

Whether it's sharing things from my childhood, my jen-dave career, my children... things I think are funny, things I think are important (I try to keep the politics to a minimum but things slip out here and there :-p)... this is just my plain old personal corner of the web.

On the other side, though, is Jenny Dreadful. This is my fantasy self. I like horror movies, haunted houses... all manner of spooky, dark things. I've never identified as a "goth" per se; I just like what I like. :)

Even with the photo shoots I did back in the day, my favorites tended to be those that had a “dark” theme.

So, that's what Jenny Dreadful is all about... just having fun in the dark. ;-) I've always intended it to be more than me just dressing up (or down), but I'd be lying if I didn't say that was a big part of it. :-p And, if I’m going to do anything of that nature again, that’s the direction/theme I’d like to go with.

So, on that note, I'd like to talk about Patreon! :) The very first time I ever charged for anything was back in 1996, and the only thing available back then was a company called "First Virtual." (So very futuristic-techno-cool. :-p) Now, there are so many more choices, when it comes to funding projects like mine.

I've chosen Patreon this time around because they do seem to have a really good system that has worked out well for me the last couple years... even with not really having my act together. :-p 

Now, Patreon doesn't stop you from having more than one account, but they do tend to suggest you just make one for all your work. However, I’ve just finally decided that it would be best if I had two.

It’s not unlike when we first started charging for the jen-dave site. We actually had two options back then: $5 for 6-months worth of access to our weekly updates and $10 for 3-months worth of access to our archive, for those that needed to catch up. 

My plan now is for Jen PM’s Patreon to be dedicated mostly to the past. I plan to start telling stories from my past, with of course photo accompaniment.... the uncensored of which I'll keep for Patreon subscribers. No particular theme... just all of me and my past.

Jenny Dreadful’s Patreon on the other hand, will be a bit different. I may start off with a few things I've done in the past that fit the theme, but I really would like to get back into doing some pictures, at least here in there. It's something I just enjoy, and I might as well do it while I can still pull it off. ;-p Again, I plan to share a lot of this just for free on my blog and social media accounts and all that but, I'll be keeping the uncensored stuff for Patreon subscribers. I’m not planning to go quite as far as I did way back when but, I’m still OK with the occasional nudity... when the mood strikes, anyway. ;-p

So, please feel free to subscribe to one or both! I’m still making the minimum donations pretty low ($1/month for JenPM and $5/month for Jenny Dreadful), but I appreciate anything you’re willing to donate! The fact is, ventures like this do take a least a little funding, so the better I can do on the financial side, the more I’ll be able to do on the fun side. :-D 

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through my ups and downs. I’m hoping things will continue looking up for awhile, now. :)  Jen PM’s Patreon: http://patreon.com/jenpm Jenny Dreadful’s Patreon: http://patreon.com/jennydreadful

P.S. If everything is not quite together at the moment when you click on things, just know that I’m working on it. This post was just my first step to getting all this going. :)

[edgewaterfarmcsa]

CSA WEEK 6

p i c k l i s t

Carrots - Cilantro - Tomatoes - Carmen Sweet Pepper (big) - Hot Pepper (little) - Arugula - Cauliflower - Hakurai Turnips - Summer Squash - Cucumbers - Blueberries

This week’s all-star star crop award goes to the blueberries.  However, I can’t tell you from personal picking experience as my days wind down from on farm duties around 5pm because kiddos, tomato sand-bos, bath, story, bedtime.  At that time, the picking is just getting started over in the blueberry field.  By the time I wrap up the night-night scene, and those little eyelids quietly close (jkjkjkjk, never quietly), Ray* is still not home- off picking blues until it’s often too dark to see.  For you at home pay attention to the fireflies!  When they start to glow and show off their stuff, that  is about the same time the crew is done picking for the day.  With a quick punch of the time card, off to bed field crew goes.  Dinner- maybe, bath- hopefully, story- completely unnecessary as Ray, Ramone and Petey* keep the crew entertained while filling with tales big and small, far and wide, true and false (mostly false).  

Late night picking aside, these berries are abundant and beautiful, and sweet.  

This week’s shitty crop goes to: Hakurai Turnips!! When they are good, they are sooooo good.  And when they are bad, they're still good, but cosmetically, yeesh.  Mike* gave the word that it was time to pick those things so he can tear them up, till them in, and get ready for the next planting.  Unfortunately we were a little too late to the field as the bugs got there first- munching on every leaf, nearly demolishing every turnip.  I emphasize nearly, as those white spheres remain more than edible, and the horseradish flavored crunch is worth the pick.  

*Ray: for those that don’t know Ray, he’s my #1 boo and partner in all things. He also manages our field crew, field crops, wholesale accounts, etc… 

*Ramone and Petey: field crew farm hands- we love these guys, consistent pickers, and tellers of many tall tales  

*Mike:  Lone Wolf.  Jack of all trades.  Can do all jobs, does do all jobs. 

TIPS - TRICKS - RECIPES:

SERVINGS: 4 AS A MAIN, 6 AS A SIDE

 TIME: 35 MINUTES

In this 2018 update, I’ve kept everything in the recipe the same but wanted to mention three things: 1, no need for an adjustable-blade slicer or mandoline here. I use a vegetable peeler these days to make (prettier) ribbons of summer squash instead. This works best with thinner zucchini or summer squash. 2, I use a bit less arugula these days, maybe 3 to 4 ounces, instead. I love arugula, but prefer to let the summer squash star. 3, Finally, but perhaps you already know this: you needn’t follow the measurements, although they work perfectly well, precisely here. Season to taste, oil to taste, lemon to taste, parmesan to taste, and you’ll have something perfectly delicious.

1 1/2 pound zucchini (about 3 large) or a mix of thin summer squash

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 pound arugula, stems discarded and leaves cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips (6 cups), or baby arugula

1 ounce parmesan, coarsely grated (on large holes of a box grater; about 1/2 cup) or shaved with a vegetable peeler

3 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of one lemon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

You can either cut summer squash/zucchini crosswise into paper-thin slices with an adjustable-blade slicer, or use a vegetable peeler (this works best if zucchini are thin, thinner than the length of the peeler blade) to shave the zucchini lenghtwise into long ribbons. Toss zucchini slices or ribbons with 1 teaspoon salt in a large colander set over a bowl and let drain 20 minutes.

Rinse zucchini/summer squash slices well, then drain, pressing gently on slices to extract any excess liquid. Pat zucchini slices dry with a kitchen towel.

[Do ahead: I often prepare these up to this point. Once drained well, they keep in the fridge for a few days in a container so you can use them here or elsewhere.]

Put arugula in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil over greens and toss. Arrange zucchini over arugula greens, then drizzle with remaining oil, lemon juice and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and black pepper.

Written by Sean Timberlake

1 cup small cauliflower florets

1 cup carrots (sliced ​into 1/8-inch-thick coins)

1/2 cup red onion (halved and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices)

1 1/2 cups jalapeno chilies (in 1/4-inch-thick rounds)

1 cup rice wine vinegar

1 cup water

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

5 whole cloves

1 tablespoon oregano

1 bay leaf

2 large cloves garlic (lightly crushed)

Put the cauliflower, carrots, onion, and chiles in a wide-mouthed quart canning jar or a heatproof glass or ceramic bowl.

Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, cloves, oregano, bay leaf, and garlic in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.

Remove from the heat. Place the jar or bowl in your sink to catch any overflow and carefully pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables.

Let sit for about 1 hour, or until completely cooled.

If you have used a jar, screw on the lid. If you have used a bowl, transfer the vegetables and liquid to a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.

Let sit at room temperature for 24 hours before serving. The vegetables will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Variations

A rad dish: Some escabeche purists claim this popular dish cannot go without onions, however, if you are going for an escabeche that is entirely crunchy, ditch the onion and add radish. If you do, expect your escabeche to take on a more reddish hue than the red onions would have imparted.

Quick saute: Some variations on this dish call for sauteing the veggies prior to submerging in the vinegar mixture. This can bring out the veggie flavor more, however, it will guarantee a soggy escabeche. If texture matters more, skip this variation.

JENNY’S NOTE: This is a recipe for well-known quickish pickles that are fantastic with tacos!! BUT my heart is with fermented foods, so ask google to help you find a way to lacto fermented recipe- I am running out of space here, but i will offer a link to a fermented pickling option on the BLOG (yes, all these newsletters are archived on our website filed under “CSA BLOG”)