Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Sorry about the simple post, but such a busy day today!  Shutting the computer down for the day (except recipe software) and spending with the family!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!!!

Angel Fire. How intriguing is that...

This was the view from my Dad's old house in Angel Fire, NM.  And not one of these photos were retouched by any software or anything else.  These are straight from the camera. I wanted you to see what it actually looks like.

It was majestic.  It was vast and sweeping.  Wheeler Mountain is just to the right of this shot, but I love this view the most...

This is what you saw when you looked from the kitchen, across the deck.  It had the best view of the "angel fire", I think, in town.  Monte Verde lake really makes this magical.

Oh. What is "Angel Fire" you say? Why, I'm so happy you asked.

Its...  

Well, its...

Well, you know what they say about a picture...

You can clearly see why the Utes thought the the light was spiritual to the point of being the fire of the spirits.  It was so soulful to stand and watch this, almost every night, in the summers in Angel Fire.  

Again, Dad, thanks for sharing this magical place with us.

I found this link describing some of the local history as to Angel Fire's moniker...

LEGENDS OF ANGEL FIRE

First came the Moache Ute Indians, who settled in the quiet Moreno Valley in the 1700's.  They stood in awe of the Orange glow atop Agua Fria Peak, and took it as a blessing on their rituals....an omen from The Great Spirit.

Then, a great fire threatened to destroy the forest.  The Ute Indians prayed for rain to save it....and the rain came just in time!  Thereafter, the Utes called this intervention "Angel Fire."

Along came the Franciscan Friars.  The Good Brothers called this mysterious mountain "The Place of the Fire of Angels."  The Friars thus added to the legends of the Indian.  Then in the 1860's the famed Indian Scout Kit Carson called the glow of morning sunlight on the trees sparkling with dew "Angel Fire." Early Maxwell land grant maps identified this mountain as "Angel Fire Peak."

The frontiersman came in search of gold!  By 1870 more than 7,000 residents had chased that legend by moving into the valley, removing a reported $1 million per day from gold, copper, and silver mines in the valley.  Desperados and priests, gamblers and visionaries; all have staked their claim here in the Moreno Valley....of which Angel Fire is the legendary crown jewel.

Angel Fire, NM.

Wild Edibles of Missouri, Jan Phillips, copyright 1979.

Download this today, in its entirety, if you are anywhere near this area. I guarantee personal success, financial windfalls, striking beauty, and ultimate and lasting happiness.  

"Wild Edibles of Missouri" , Jan Phillips, copyright 1979.  

Okay, I'm lying.  But great information, a good read, and outdoors fun for the whole fam-damily, I can guarantee. 

 I think we should teach our children to preserve native species, and what better way than to show them first how they help preserve us? That really didn't come out right, but you get the gist. 

And on top of all the neat-o info are these color plates by Ms. Phillips herself. She had never painted before, wasn't even a hobby.  Her natural skill is so evident in these primitive and pretty plates. *PPPP.*  How talented is that!  They're so pretty!  There's just no other word!  I'm completely tickled by this book!

!!!

I remember these sweet-tarts.  

We used to eat them as kids, though I don't really think we were supposed to.  Ya' know, the whole don't-eat-those-they-could-be-poisonous shuhbang.

Chicory coffee always takes me back to the Vieux Carré.  Beignets on Sundays.  You got 'dat roit. 

Crab apples are so pretty.

My Dad used to surprise us with these when we were little kids.  Imagine the world's best pastry chef makes a custard from a banana sent down from heaven.  That's a paw-paw. *misty, far-away look* That's a paw-paw.

Huh.  Didn't know we had ginseng.  This place is great!

...The monkey chased the weasel.  

Aawh. Crap. Now that's stuck in my head.

Hey, its sassafrass!  Like, one of my favorite words in the whole world. 

Frassy-frass.  

Yikes on the FDA warning, though, eh?

Dayang.

I once read a holistic healer who wrote and taught that for optimal health, you should never consume anything that wasn't grown or raised within 100 miles of where you dwelt.  Now, at first that sounded silly to me, but as the years have rolled past, I begin to see the wisdom in this mantra.  It would be fresher, you would likely know the source/quality, you would be supporting your local economy, you obviously wouldn't be consuming a lot of preservatives or packing materials, and somehow foods we know have a tendency to just agree with us better, don't you think?  No, I'm not giving up my chicken tikka masala, or my Asian potstickers, or my sushi and wasabi, but many of those ingredients can actually be found here as well.  

I really enjoyed "thumbing" through this book.  I'm gonna try to get my hand on a real copy so I can. I miss real books.  I fell in love with the color plates, and I was tickled at how many species I recognized, and had even consumed myself.  On top of that, and even at the risk of sounding saccharin, this lady is completely delightful.  Here's an excerpt:

"...A hiker's delight is to walk into a wild strawberry patch! A field nibble is both thirst quenching and taste-bud arousing.  Sometimes sweet, sometimes tart, the wild strawberry is always good.  An even greater thrill is to locate a patch big enough to provide a wild strawberry shortcake or tarts and still have enough to make jam!!!

The wild strawberry ranges from the size of a pea to thumb-size. With both size and quantity often small, I frequently make the small quarter-sized tarts [OMG - that's, like, something Strawberry Shortcake would totally do] out of my favorite pie crust recipe and place a tablespoon of berries which have been stemmed and sugared in the tart.  This I call Again Strawberry Tart.  You'll want it again and again. 

In August when the leaves begin to dry, pick them for a tea.  The leaves may also be picked in the spring and dried.  The leaves are a high source of vitamin C and were welcomed in the spring by the settlers.  The  dried leaves require 1 t per cup for a tea, and a fresh cup requires 4-5 fresh leaves.  Let them steep for 3-5 minutes.

A good recipe for jam is to place equal amounts of crushed berries and sugar in a sauce pan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the sugar melts.  Boil rapidly for 10 to 15 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.  It is not recommended to fix quantities larger than four cups in one batch.  Success will be more likely by making two batches of three or four cup quantities.  

All in all, this wilding goes the same places her larger domestic cousin goes. ["this wilding", I love it!]

For an even greater tart or shortcake, top with whipped cream or ice cream - from a wild cow, of course!!..."

Now tell me that's not just too cute for colored TV.

And I'm totally going to try some cattails.  

Keep ya' posted, peeps.

Funny Face.

Funny Face.

I love you, baby.