Recipe for a Resolution

Well, it’s been a long time since I last posted. Life has been so busy, and a bit of sorrow has rained down on my family, too.  During these months away, my adorable and sweet mom passed on.  This holiday has been a struggle…The first without her, but then we all have Those Firsts.

Thanks to all of you, who have stopped in from time to time to read “On the Mother Lode.” I hope you’ll have fun with today’s entry, inspired by a phone call and an iconic bit of American Junk Food…

Chex Party Mix…

I’ve never really been a salty snack fan. Hmm, cookies, cakes, pies…yum! I’m that sugar-sweet kind o’ gal.

But then we got invited to a New Year’s Day Party, one that I’ve been wanting to catch for a couple of years. When my friend called to confirm that we were finally coming this year, I heard my voice chime in, “What can I bring?”

“Bring Chex Mix!” she sang back.

Chex Mix?

She sang on, “We put a big bowl out in front of the TV for the folks watching The Game.”

The Game? Wow, I haven’t watched The Game in a long time. I don’t even know who is playing this year?

In fact, I completely forgot…It’s Rose Bowl Day! People sitting and watching football (or any sport on TV) is not my norm. But I do enjoy an occasional rousing game of Grid-Iron.

She continues, “You can just pick up the pre-made packages.”

Me? Pre-packaged? I’ve also always been a “Make It At Home” kind o’ gal. So, that meant I would prefer to make Chex Party Mix from SCRATCH!

But, here is where it gets complicated because I don’t even really know what Chex Mix is suppose to taste like. I’m one of those…sugar-sweet kind o’ gals. I can’t remember when I’ve eaten Chex Mix, and I’ve never prepared it (nor did my mom).

While I’m weighing options: Do I make something about which I know very little? Or do I zip into the market to succumb to The Evil Generals Mills and its Super-Food Machine of Pre-Packaged Over-Processed Items and buy a couple of bags of the stuff? At this point, an alarm goes off in my head: I’ve been trying to only shop locally and eat what grows within 200 miles of my home for the last three years! But it’s just a couple of bags of Chex Mix, and I’ll save a lot of time!

As soon as I feel myself leaning toward the simpler, but lower integrity route of buying the stuff and completely de-bunking my own value system, my guy chirps, “Oh, no! The packaged stuff tastes horrible! It’s only good when you make your own.”

That settles it! And I’m a pretty good cook. Just last week my Coffee Crone Pals, those women my age with whom I enjoy a weekly Cuppa Joe, “ooh-ed” and “aah-ed” when I gave them each a bag of my famous Thumbprint Cookies..sweet. Chex Mix? How hard can it be?

Later that day I am lost in the maze of my local Safeway. Chex cereal comes first, of course! And conveniently the recipe is right on the box: Cereal, 3 varieties, pretzels, mixed nuts, butter, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and onion powder–“15 minutes, that’s all!”

These are all things that I never buy. But I know the market fairly well, so I start cruising the store: Three boxes of Chex: Wheat, Corn and Rice. Organic mixed nuts, of course! Some extra cashews, pecans and almonds. Organic butter and the REAL Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce. (Where is Worchestershire, and why are they famous for this sauce?) Twisty pretzels, the recipe says so.

But then on the cereal box I read, “Bagel Chips.” I spend the next 60 minutes wandering through the giant store looking for Bagel Chips. My intuition and understanding of the geography of the store should guide me to Bagel Chips. In every aisle I run into someone that I know (I live in a small town). The grocery store is a bit like our Town Square where we “meet and greet.” On the way to Bagel Chips I chat with three teacher friends (all retired, like me), two former students, three former classroom parents, one of my weekly Story Time families, and a friend from a current community volunteer project. But where are those Bagel Chips?

Eleno, my favorite checker, finally points me to the Deli Department. I should have known. Bagel Chips would logically be in there…if you’ve never been in a real delicatessen. After all, the bag says right on it, “New York Style!” So, of course, it goes in the Deli Department. What once was lost is now found, and I have them in my cart!

Finally, I schlepp to my car…$90 later. I had no idea that a triple recipe of Chex Mix could be so expensive.

Once home, my husband asks, “Where are the skinny stick pretzels and the Cheerios?” The Chex cereal box recipe did NOT mention Cheerios! This is when I learn that my hub’s own father was the Master of Chex Mix! All at once Jof is reminiscing about watching his father toss the sauce into the big bowl, then later stringing the Cheerios onto the skinny pretzel sticks. Fond childhood memories.

Back to the store.

Once home again, I am ready to begin. I even go online to look for an alternate recipe, something more gourmet for this wonderful crowd of people. Good food is an offering, a blessing of moments together. When friends gather there is something sacred about the time, love, attention (and yes, sometimes the expense) of preparing that which sustains us and brings us joy!

Food brings people together…Even Chex Mix.

Now I am ready to cook, one of my true passions! As I bustle in the kitchen and get out my roasting pan (as is recommended in the recipe), Jof lets me know that I am definitely not doing it like his dad, and that it probably won’t turn out right using my chosen method. Then he goes into lengthy explanations as to why. “The cereal will soak up the sauce too quickly.”

“But I’m following the recipe!” I contend, and I proceed.

An hour later (what happen to the 15 minutes?) the Chex Mix is roasting in the oven to be stirred every 15 minutes. All is well. My Chex Mix will be the hit of the party, at least for those who are watching The Game.

But as another hour ticks by, we take a closer look. The Chex Mix is soggy, just as Jof predicted. And the Cheerios? They are shriveled and brown. They won’t even fit onto the skinny pretzels. But certainly when it’s all done, it will taste just fine.

Using my understanding of chemistry in the kitchen, I decide to expand the surface area of my Chex Mix in hopes of drying it out a bit more quickly. And Jof is helping. We transfer the mixture to cookie sheets and long cake pans.

Another 45 minutes goes by. We’re baking this stuff at a low temperature, so things are not really burning, just roasting, right? Finally we are done! Baking pans, the roasting pan, measuring cups and spoons, big stirring spoons, a spatula, and a dozen mixing bowls of various sizes litter the kitchen. We let the stuff cool, then I get ready to “bag it up.” But first it’s tasting time!

There is one word to describe my version of this aromatic, savory blend of nuts, cereal, the sauce of Worcestershire, powder of succulent garlic and onions, and God’s Breaded Delights…yuck.

So, now I have a platter of Thumbprint Cookies ready to go. And the Chex Mix? I threw it out in the yard. I hope it doesn’t kill the birds.

And as for my next foray into Party Cooking: I’ll be sticking to my basic principles: Stay local, fresh and above all, avoid anything that has its recipe published on the back of a big cereal box.

I’m B.Z. Smith.  I tell stories.  Here’s one…

For inspiring this piece, I’d like to offer thanks to my beloved friends at Farms of Tuolumne County, who started me on my journey to being a “Locavore.”  And additional thanks to authors Barbara Kingsolver for her book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and Michael Pollan for all of his work on eating local to save our lovely little blue marble…Earth.

B.Z. Smith, storyteller & community arts advocate

(209)532-7697 The Hive

Sonora, CA

Hive-Arts.Org will be online soon!

A World for our Children to Inherit…

Where are we headed?

That essential question hung heavy in the air on Thursday, 1/28/10, when Chris Martenson, creator of The Crash Course, spoke to nearly 500 people at the Sonora Opera Hall. The whole event was a huge, “Wow!” I got home feeling terrified and excited all at once.  This guy, one of those nerdy, but folksy fellows, literally gave the group his crash course in world economics and banking, energy’s role in economic production and the balance of resource depletion–all packed into about one hour and at least another hour of Q&A. And he was brilliant–even erudite!  And thanks to a group of concerned citizens, headed up by local architect Coop Kessel and “internet media mogol” Bob Gelman, and The Foothill Collaborative for Sustainability (FoCuS), we had a chance to have Martenson bring his message to our sleepy little town, SNORE-Ah, CA (aka Sonora, CA).

Visit with a Senator…

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.  The next best time is now.”—A Chinese Proverb.

On Monday, August 23rd, my guy and I were invited to attend a very special meeting.  Here is an account of our afternoon…

On a summer’s afternoon a small group of friends and family gather at Red Rock Ranch, Robert Woolley’s home. The wide, flat expanse of land, framed by the slowly rising Sierra Foothills catches the sun’s glow.  The Red Rock Arabians gracefully graze in a nearby pasture.  Butterflies, dragonflies and hummingbirds dart through elegant Mediterranean gardens touched by gentle breezes. In the distance, soft green light shimmers off millions of leaves in row after row of tiny trees, budded in Spring as a promise to the future.

 

Our future.  That’s why we are all here.  While this summer day might seem like any other at Dave Wilson Nursery’s Red Rock, it is not.  Joining us on this lovely day is  U.S. Senator Deborah Stabenow (Michigan-Dem). As a member of the  U.S. Senate’s Agriculture Committee, Senator Stabenow is an influential decision-maker on funding and issues concerning agriculture programs, nutrition programs and rural development.  In addition, she serves on the  Senate’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and chairs the sub-committee on Water and Power.

 

After a quick tour of the growing grounds at Red Rock Ranch, Senator Stabenow, who has served Michigan since 2000, comments on the ranch’s beautiful landscape. But quickly she notes the essential difference between Michigan and California…Water!  Surrounded on three sides by  The Great Lakes, the world’s largest concentration of fresh water, Michigan’s water issues have a different focus than arid California.  She reiterates the critical need for deep study and dialogue over mounting water issues.  

 

Water is life.  We all must learn the complicated interconnections that will impact and are influenced by this precious resource, given by providence.  In the next year we will all be confronted with critical  decision about water rights, water usage, water sources.  It is essential that we prepare to make wise decisions for future water policies.

 

At Red Rock Ranch we enjoy an informal August fruit tasting from DWN trees as we engage in vital conversation about the needs of California farmers and agriculture.  The Senator, catching a quiet moment in the middle of a whirlwind tour of the Central Valley, smiles warmly in the graceful setting.  Affable and relaxed, this senator speaks with conviction about her work in our nation’s capital, including the Farm Bill, which contains new provisions for schools to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables, and in so doing, improve the quality of school nutrition. 

 

As we munch on  Flavor-Grenade and Dapple Dandy pluots,  yellow peaches, white peaches and an  Asian pear, Senator Stabenow shares stories of children in her home state who are now enjoying locally grown delights.  She also teases us with a tidbit about her friendship with the Queen of California Cuisine— Alice Waters of Chez Panisse.  Stabenow explains how Waters has spent recent years developing  The Edible School Yard to promote hands-on cooking and gardening in classroom curriculum.  With funding from The Chez Panisse Foundation in Berkeley, CA, schools can receive grants to redesign their lunch programs, using fresh produce as the cornerstone of cooking.  Senator Stabenow refers to schools in her own state (MI) that are following this model.

 

Not only does our small group have a chance to hear about important projects that Senator Stabenow and her colleagues have created, we also have opportunity to share with her our own individual concerns for rural California and agriculture in the Central Valley.  Our focus is on agriculture, of course, but she manages to give a nod to the important  Health Care Reform legislation that awaits our representatives when they return to Washington, DC, after Labor Day.

 

Robert gives the Senator a brief overview of the history and practices of the Dave Wilson Nursery and the tree nursery industry.  He explains to her the significant contribution that immigrant labor gives to not only DWN, but to many other family farms in the Central Valley.  He urges her to better understand the importance of wise decision-making on  immigration reform laws as he gives a thoughtful explanation of the vital importance of California’s immigrant workers and the institutional knowledge that they provide to various agricultural concerns.  In the case of DWN, many employees come from immigrant families who have worked for DWN for generations.  These loyal employees hold vast pieces of knowledge and understanding.  Unfair discrimination hurts not only the worker, but has detrimental consequences for the farmer and all of U.S. agriculture, as well. 

 

The hour with Senator Stabenow flies by quickly, but we manage to cover a wide spectrum of topics. From water issues, nutrition in the schools, to immigration laws for a few quiet moments we are included in a circle of influence with one hard-working member of the U.S. Senate.  Deborah Stabenow’s warmth and ability to listen thoughtfully with focused attention will be remembered.  

 

And thanks to Robert Woolley of  Dave Wilson Nursery for being a gracious host!

I’m B.Z. Smith.  I tell stories.  This is one.