We didn’t have a stove this Christmas, but Mr. E. got the new one installed just before New Year’s Day. I wasn’t exactly hoping for the old range to die, but it was a nice excuse to convert to gas in the new house. Life with a stove ist definitely better than life without. And cooking with gas beats the heck out of electric.

I feel like I’ve spent most of the last three days in the kitchen, and today I finally got to make tamales in the new house (we skipped them last year because we left for LA the day after Christmas).

Here’s how I made them this year:

Tamales

Ingredients

Corn husks
Filling (use your imagination!)
6 cups masa harina
5 cups warm broth
2 cups shortening
2 T cumin
2 T chili powder
salt to taste

Method

Soak corn husks in boiling water (I like to soak them for an hour). Mix masa and broth; let sit. Whip shortening in a mixer until it’s fluffy. Mix in masa/broth mixture and spices; salt to taste.

I mashed a sweet potato and a russet with a little milk and butter for filling, along with some refried beans. smear masa into the corn husks, put in a dollop of filling, roll ’em up and steam ’em standing up and covered with a layer of corn husks in a double boiler until they’re not doughy; about 2 hours. Serve with your choice of toppings/sides/garnishes. I usually do a green sauce and a mole; this year I’m keeping it simple with a little guacamole.

And since it’s New Year’s Day, not Christmas, we’re starting things off with a pot of hoppin’ john.

Hoppin’ John

Ingredients

Black eyed peas
Onion
Garlic
Hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Soak and cook black eyed peas. Saute onion and garlic, and add into cooked peas. Add salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste.

Found this rose in the neighborhood on a last-day-of-2011 walk.

We moved our canes a year and a half ago, and they’re still confused. I picked this berry this morning on the way back from the compost bin.

Shrouded in clouds.

Viewed from Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, Oregon.

Photo by flickr friend Louis, who writes:

The Literary Cart. As a young man Martin sold sodas and water in the streets of Cartagena. He was a voracious reader though and began to carry books as well for exchange and to encourage other readers. Now he has a full time mobile bookstore with sponsorships.

One of the great stories about Martin is that he does readings for young children from an elaborately bound book – filled with blank pages. He makes the stories up as he goes along.

A great man passed today. Rest in Peace, Rob. You will be missed.

�I�m one of those guys who believes that actors and musicians and athletes are a little over-paid, and our teachers and social workers are way under-paid.� –Rob Ingram, in a 2009 audio podcast interview.

Per Wacky Mommy:

• Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Bruce Boudreau)
• Ruffy (Lindy Ruff)
• La Violent (Peter Laviolette)
• Tortellini (John Tortorella)
• Alfred (Ken Hitchcock)
• Kevin Spacey (Terry Murray)

A video I made about Starbase Portland, a partnership of the US Department of Defense and Portland Public Schools aimed at 4th and 5th graders.

What a beautiful planet we live on.

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael K�nig on Vimeo.