We’ve been messing with the high-speed video feature on our new camera and braved the white fluffiness to bring you this slow-motion snowstorm. I find it rather zen-like.
Monthly Archives: December 2011
Nob Hill Park & Shop – THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15
This year’s Nob Hill Shop and Stroll was severely impacted by sub-freezing temperatures. In an inspired effort, many of the local Nob Hill merchants of banded together for a Park & Shop on Thursday, December15, 2011 from about 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (depending on store hours). And don’t forget, parking is free up-and-down Central in Nob Hill during the holidays.
Here’s a little bit from the event creators on why a second try at a holiday shopping extravaganza is so important:
In Nob Hill many small businesses are struggling. Shop and Stroll is usually the biggest day of the year for most of the retailers, but an epic wind storm made it hard for the community to come out this year. The timing couldn’t be worse.
For many Nob Hill Merchants this year has been the most challenging year we’ve ever faced. A huge number of stores have closed in the last few years in Nob Hill, and many of us are struggling just to get by. Many shops have cut hours, laid people off, taken on more, and learned how to do more with less just to survive. What’s happening in Nob Hill is happening all over America, and through this action we hope to make it easier for folks to keep their money in their communities.
When you shop in Nob Hill you are supporting businesses that are based in Albuquerque. We live here and we love it. We support the community through community donations, gross receipts taxes, and (perhaps most importantly) through the love and care that we put into our interactions with you in our shops and restaurants in our own wonderful and quirky ways. We believe the neighborhood of Nob Hill is special, and we appreciate the experience of creating this incredible community with you.
The event’s Facebook page has some of information and you can go here for an updated list of all the specials being offered by Albuquerque’s fantastic local merchants including:
A Celebration of Love Weddings
Aqui-Nob Hill
Astro Zombies
Bailey’s on the Beach
Bath & Body Bistro
Birdland
Cowboys & Indians
Dawg Gone Good Boutique, Barkery and Paw Spa
Ecco Gelato
Form Gallery
Gambei Wellness Salon and Spa
Gearwerks
Heart + Soul Salon
Ingrid Mari Boutique
KINK a beaux arts gallery
Kosmic Trading Post
Lilly Barrack
Nob Hill Fabrics
OFF BROADWAY
Olo Yogurt Studio
Ooo Aaah Jewelry
Papers
Peacecraft
Revolver
Rhythm Dance Company
Rockit Hair Studio
Self Serve Sexuality Resource Center
Serafin’s Chile Hut
Sexy Me Brazilian Wax Salon
SOLE Art & Antiques ~ SO much more than just antiques!
Stilo Lifestyles Accessories
Stone Circle Massage
Stone Mountain Beads
StreetFood Asia
Sukhmani Nob Hill
Terra Firma
The Barber’s Shop
The Herb Store
The Yarn Store
TNA Tobacco & Supplies
Tokyo Hardcore
Tres Boutique
Zap…Oh
Filed under Albuquerque, New Mexico, Shopping
Eclipsy-ness
Whew. Raced out the door at 6 a.m. to get some lunar eclipse pictures. It’s a good thing none of the neighbors were out as my eclipse photographer getup consisted of some yoga pants, hoodie, some ridiculous shoes and hair that bore a striking resemblance to a tumbleweed. Cosmic fashion choices aside, the eclipse was stunning in the light of the sunrise and made me once again appreciative of the clear skies of Albuquerque.
I’ll leave you with this quote from the incomparable Carl Sagan on the pale blue dot we call Earth.
“Consider again that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar”, every “supreme leader”, every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there – on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.”
Filed under Albuquerque, Outdoors
Super Easy Green Chile Chicken Mushroom Stew
No, really, it’s ridiculously easy.
And think of this recipe as a broad green chile stew framework, experimentation is encouraged. Feel free to post any modification suggestions in the comments!
One tablespoon olive oil or butter
Two cloves of garlic, minced
One/half medium onion, chopped (or a whole onion, just depends on your oniony-ness)
Four cup mushroom broth (broth, not cream of mushroom broth, blech). Here’s my favorite broth. You can also easily substitute chicken broth if you don’t like the taster or color of mushroom broth (it’s dark brown).
One 14.5 oz. can chopped tomatoes
One small rotisserie chicken, skin removed, shredded into chunks (don’t shred too small, big chunks are better for stew). (Yes you could cook the chicken, but why bother)?
Two cups chopped green chile. (Make sure your of your diners heat tolerance before going overboard with the chile or just make fun of them for being a chile wuss).
Pinch cumin
Salt
Pepper
Three medium potatoes (I prefer yukon golds), chopped and microwaved or roasted until just starting to turn soft.
Tortillas
Sour Cream
Heat olive oil or butter in large pot or dutch oven*. Add garlic and heat until fragrant. Add onions and heat until translucent.
Add mushroom broth, chopped tomatoes, chicken, green chile and cumin. Heat at a medium simmer for one to two hours. Depending on how much time you have and how much you want the flavors to blend. Taste occasionally and season as necessary.
Add the almost-cooked potatoes about a half-hour before you’re going to serve the stew. It’s ready when the potatoes are tender. Don’t cook the stew forever with the potatoes in it, or it they will just break down into mush.
Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream and a tortilla on the side.
*Note: This also works well in a crock pot. Just put the potatoes on top or stir them in later so they don’t break down too much.
Filed under Albuquerque, Food, New Mexico, Recipes
Maker
After months of good intentions, I finally got around to taking at class at The Old School here in Albuquerque. The school offers classes in frugal, traditional and sustainable living.
My class, taught by local herbalist Dara Saville, was on making your own kitchen cosmetics. The class made a lip balm and a skin cream. Both were remarkably easy after some initial supply coordination and supply investment. The lip balm in particular was shockingly simple. It made me a little ashamed to think about regularly paying $5 a tube for lip balm at the store. The trade-off of course, is time. And time does have a value. The women in the class, and it was all women, spoke about how to the how of traditional living choices is the easier part, the when proves to be much more difficult. But just like cooking and gardening – holding a product I’ve made that I can use, eat, give away, trade – is a powerful feeling. So, I think I’m going to try to find the time to make some lip balm, if I can just get off of this computer …
Check out some photos from the class.
-
- Beeswax
-
- Aloe Vera Gel and Distilled Water
-
- Melting beeswax, coconut oil and grapeseed oil. Mmmmmm.
-
- Patience grasshopper. The beeswax and oils must cool before proceeding.
-
- Mixing. Then more mixing.
-
- Success!
-
- Steady, Steady …
-
- Genuine lip balm containers made us feel legit.
-
- Aren’t they cute?
If kitchen cosmetics aren’t your thing, check out all the other classes offered at The Old School. There’s knitting, canning, bee-keeping and so many others. The schedule for spring opens on December 9th and classes fill up FAST. So get on the mailing list if you’re interested.
Filed under Albuquerque, Random
