I HEART NEW YORK!

A little peek at what's to come in the great Northeast...

We made it! Captain and I jumped on three airplanes last week and arrived unscathed to our destination of Grandma & Grandpa's house in Troy, NY. It is truly wonderful to be here and visiting with family, especially within the walls and property lines of their wonderful, over-200-year-old farmhouse in the country.

We went to a family wedding in Rye, NY on Saturday and, wow, what an event it was! 8 bridesmaids, a seven course meal served over hours, stunning flowers, and being inside a giant mansion aren't typical events for us mountain mamas! Captain finally got to wear her fancy dress and she was treated like a little princess the entire time. The gracious (and gorgeous) bride made a point of spending some time with her and had a princess gift bag stuffed with goodies for her. We danced until 10:45 pm and Mama Homebiscuit had her share of goodies too- in the form of champagne and something pink and fruity that my lovingly adopted little sister Carrie brought to me. I had a lot of fun spending time with my two brother in laws and their girlfriends, Carrie and Lisa, and being the Mother of the Princess was fun! I was so proud of her as she danced herself into a frenzy with thousands of photographs being taken of her.

Some rude lady asked our Grannie why she wore "that old dog to a wedding" in reference to her lovely old fur that she wore; the look of utter distaste on her face both embarrassed and hurt Grannie's feelings. Grannie told me she has had that fur forever and didn't think she should throw it out just because it isn't popular to wear animals anymore. Too bad the fur didn't have one of those creepy little preserved heads on it.... she could have lifted it delicately and made it bite that young woman in the neck with a "grrrrrr!"

I could see the tippy-top of the Empire State Building from the edges of the Wainwright House lawns. I felt super New York-y and a great time was had by all.

The leaves are turning all around and although the residents here complain that the drought conditions of late summer lessen the glory of the trees, Captain and I have been loving the gorgeous colors and the porch covered in red, amber and gold like a Halloween party. The leaves fall slowly out every window and little Captain yells out "Canadian Geese!" every time she hears their sweet call as they gather to fly south before the colds of winter.

There is magic in the air and it is a great time to be a giant kid!

Happy Fall and may the pumpkins spring onto your scene like orange devils, racing toward your porches and charming your pants right off.

Good Thoughts from the East..

Karen HB

Homebiscuit Gone Bonkers...

...as seen under a 1960's feather cap






I'm Back! I tried to come up with an eloquent and/or groovy opening statement but here I am and that is a start at least. It has been quite a summer and I am happy to report that I am healthy, happy and full of too many ideas for my own good. I would like to share a moment, in all honesty, to explain why I haven't been writing. I could say that it was all of the computer trouble I have had, although that really only accounts for difficulties in the past two months, but really it was all about letting those old feelings of self-doubt and self-pity (I have the best pitiful-look ever!) rise to the surface and burst right through my heart and skin like a bad case of cardiac-a-lific psoriasis. I needed to pick myself up, dust off the mites and move forward. I needed to be okay with myself and the things that excite and inspire me. I needed to get over my boo-hoo'in and say YES! And that is just what I am doing.

Here's the story:

At the beginning of June I finally decided to actually look around at some of the innumerable blogs floating around out there and see what people are doing, what they are writing about and found that there are many good ones indeed, some quite crappola and everything in between. Did you know that if you have a secret fetish for laying naked atop beds of cooked rice (how wasteful!!!) that there is something out there for you? It is truly amazing! Well, I stopped dead in my tracks when I glanced around in a blog called "Use Real Butter". The layout of the blog is terrific, the writer, Jen, is a photographer, has degrees in both geology and engineering, telemark skied during chemotherapy back in '08 and is a darned fine foodie and cook. Jen has pizazz and great taste. She is a self-proclaimed "proficient noodler". A proficient noodler! I was stunned.
I thought, wow, who is going to want to hear about scrambled tofu and clouds fucking after that? It kind of rattled me to be honest and I was feeling a little down about not knowing much about computers and blog-design and unable to do many of the things I want to do in my presentation. A slight tremble of the lower lip. To my own credit, I did not have a jealous T-bone floating in my freezer for Jen or her butter, but truthfully, I started to think that perhaps I "sucked" a bit. I know, I know! We aren't supposed to say things like that about ourselves, but dammit, that was how I felt!

Now this alone wouldn't probably have cast a dark shadow on my parade of words, but the next night I discovered that my husband, KH, the love of my life and whose opinion matters most to me, doesn't read my blog. It isn't a matter of not having the time. It was not because his eyes blew up in an unfortunate factory fire. He doesn't read my writing because, I felt, he simply doesn't care, doesn't find it interesting and prefers to spend any spare moments he has to surf the Internet looking at sailboats or new ways to make hash that won't grease the lungs. I also realized that despite asking relatives (several times) up at the Big House, where we all share food and life together, to click "follow" on my page, that they just wouldn't for whatever reasons.

I was crushed.

I didn't intentionally stop writing because I got a "bad review". I just drifted into a realm where I was so busy, trying to be a great mom, to do my part to keep things going here on the ranch, and going to the cabin any chance I got. Cars broke down and I was often trapped at the ranch, money was hard to get ahold of and I couldn't go online by that point and I basically just tried to keep myself sane. I was gaining weight. I could recognize that I was in a funk and needed to grab hold of my own jiggling arse-bustas and get a grip! No matter what was happening in my sloth-y state, there was always that rebellious voice, vibrant and shrill as the call of a red velvet ant that burned in my heart and said to just do what you need to do and not worry about all of the rest. Furry and red, I discovered I still have my stinger.

As for KH, my close friend Sheryl gave me a good piece of wisdom that I never thought of and made me feel a whole lot better. She pointed out that KH spends nearly all of his time working for our family, being a great husband and father and trying to keep his own passions alive. He doesn't read my blog because he doesn't care. He doesn't read it because those stolen moments of looking online, or just watching some television is his time. His time to not think about all of those constant family-things and just have a little fun.

Truth be told, I am getting my proverbial shit together and feeling great about it. Anyone who has been in a funk knows the only real solution is a jolt to the system or the rut will just go on and on and on... I've been dieting successfully, exercising, looking for more time to write, which will become easier after all of the busy stuff of the next two months. I want to go rollerskating and paint my toenails. I want to go on a big adventure with Captain, and luckily we are getting on the airplane tomorrow, heading out on a 4 week tour of upstate New York, filled with wonderful family and fish. I feel like something amazing is going to happen and I hope you will follow along with me, all the while something amazing is happening to you.
Thanks for listening and I'll be back next week.
Until then, let the butterflies follow you and keep your bosoms out of the iced tea!
Karen HB

Cloud Erotica

Oh yes. What better way to refresh one's self than to stop and watch some clouds. I was taking the kitchen scraps out to the compost when my eyes were drawn to the sky quite suddenly. It was a perfect blue sky, like the ones I used to see on television shows as a kid and thought that they were fake, or colored-in (I lived in Spokane, WA) but it turns out that they had been filmed on a bright California day just like today. A shade of blue both melting and crisp as a rogue sapphire.

A sky as waverly as a bluesy heart on a Wednesday. Blue!

My upper realm was filled with bright, fluffy Cumulus clouds putting on a super show in the middle of my busy day.

Clutching my compost pail, I watched, and that is when I saw them....

They were a heterosexual couple, facing each other so that I could see each of their distinct profiles. The woman was smiling and turned her head just so and I was able to see her devilish expression. The man had big wide shoulders and a large, glorious penis which began to rise slowly. Her arms opened wide to him and they both hovered for a moment, suspended in that perfect moment when the sky is charged with electricity between two lovers, but they have not yet touched...

Finally he just gushed to her welcoming roundness, and they slowly wrapped their arms around each other, she tilted her head slowly and they shared a long kiss. The fluffy white penis grew longer and the head began to frizzle and dissipate as he pushed it into the swirly place between her legs, which were quickly melting into his..... melting together, rotating in a sweet spiral, the last second before they completely became one cloud I could see the curve of her lips, the twinkle in her smile...

The clouds kept moving on, tumbling and promising a scrumptious day. I had a giggle, standing there with my now empty compost pail. The trash needs to go out and there are weeds to be pulled, and the list goes on. A deep breath. A sigh. Two thumbs up to Mother Nature herself for the smashing intermission.

Here's to really cool clouds...

Good (and naughty) thoughts,

Karen HB

Shakin' the Dooo off my Lily

Springtime in the Sierra can make a heart whole again. Foraging for Miner's lettuce for salads and morel mushrooms (shhh!) make for better meals than we could buy anywhere. Bubbles, painting outside, building magical forts to drink tea in while eating little heart-shaped sandwiches, hiking in the forest to find treasures and scrumptious spring-water baths make for a happy Captain and Mama too. I noticed how little light the gas lamps put out in comparison with the "regular" lighting of the rancho, and not having to carry buckets of water to the stove to heat up for dishes is rather convenient too (although this problem will be resolved at the cabin when KH sweats all of the pipes back together that burst this winter, even though they were drained... It was COLD up there!) The Cabin was full of stink beetles and too many spider egg-sacks to count. Ugggh. I can't stand the killing but can't let them burst into life inside the house. What to do? I must admit that I got out a cloth (no vacuum) and wished them peace and love before swooping them up. Yes, I do take lives sometimes but don't think for a moment that every time I do I think about what I am doing, try to avoid it, and apologize, followed by the wishing of peace and love to their souls. I also do this well-wishing with all road-kill.

We all slept well in the little bed under the big picture window with views of 80+ foot pine trees and stars, especially after Captain and I hiked safely for hours (the rattlesnakes are still sleeping!) on our morel-treasure-hunt. It is amazing how quickly Captain got into it and, at 3 1/2 feet, she is so much closer to the action and could spot them better than I in most cases. It was a good trip!

The magic of bubbles pumping out of a little bubble machine added to the joy


And ooooh the morels. KH must have eaten a couple of pounds of them himself!
Welcome to my chambers~ ECU beautiful morel
The photo does no justice to a meal of sliced grilled chicken, morels sauteed in butter, fresh Brussels sprouts and red chard sauteed with olive oil and tons of garlic. I forgot to photograph the cuteness of Miner's lettuce with their little white flowers on top and succulent little skirts below because I was having too much fun in the moment!
The Cabin kitchen~ dipped in Sepia tone and hung on the line to dry in the breeze!
The redwood bar where all of the important matters of my life for the past 13 years have been hashed, laughed and loved
Home is where the Cabin is...

Mother's Day Blues & Gold

...this morning Captain practiced with her Dad and then recited to me, "Happy Mother's Day Mom... you're the best mom in the world"and my heart melted onto the floor...

Today is my 3rd Mother's Day, and what a wonderful day to celebrate being a Mama. I love my daughter with all of my heart and am feeling a bit sentimental as I've been transferring video we took at the cabin in her first year.... time is going by so fast already!

I think about my own Mom and wonder how she is doing today. To say we have had an "estranged relationship" still feels funny to me, but the reality is, I haven't seen her since 2002 and have only talked to her on the phone a handful of times since then. Why we can't connect is complicated and very sad and I wish I knew what the right thing to do is here. I recently began writing to her again and sending photos of Captain but haven't heard back from her. According to my sister Jen, she is shy about getting in touch and regrets not having had a good relationship with any of her kids for all of these years. After so many hurt feelings and so many years, is the right thing to just let go in this case? To try harder to get her back into my life? To just keep sending cards and photos and leave it at that?

I can't just let go, she's my Mom! I love her and I miss her! But, I won't torture myself about this situation either because I've done that. It doesn't work.

My Mom was a wonderful stay-at-home Mom when we 4 kids were growing up. She was quiet and shy and didn't feel comfortable in many situations that involved talking to anyone, even the checker at the supermarket. She did not teach her daughters about asserting themselves or that a person could do anything they wanted to do as long as they worked really hard at it.

However, she was always rooting for us, driving us anywhere we needed to go, firing beautiful ceramics in her little kiln, all nestled in the basement, hungry mouth propped slightly open with an intense red glow pulsing from within.

She made all of our holidays fantastic. Christmas', birthdays, St. Patrick's, Easter, Valentines day... they were the best any kid could ask for. When we were sick, she treated us like Queens and always brought magazines and ice cream.. She took me to all of my appointments for my back brace for scoliosis and made sure I felt as good as I could about it at the end of the day. She endlessly taped my magic wands back together (don't you just love a good magic wand?).

She made the best pies, handmade ornaments, stained glass, and the cutest little chickens painted on Easter pails. She liked chocolate, ribs and Chanel No. 9.

My Mom was a great mom and that very fact makes it hard to be in this situation. She was not mean or abusive, or easy to run from. She was beautiful, had a wonderful laugh, and loved Willie Nelson and pussy willows.

Now I don't even know what she looks like.

I've decided right at this moment that I want to call her and tell her I love her. I'm a little nervous, but it feels right. When she asks about Captain, I will open my heart up wide and tell her about her granddaughter, she is my favorite topic of conversation!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I did call my Mom's number three times and it rang and rang and I couldn't leave a message because her voice-mail is not set up yet. I was disappointed, followed by feeling that things were right. Perhaps we weren't supposed to talk right then. I will try again in the next instance that it feels right to me. In the meantime I send out big heart-shaped biscuits to my Mom, Carol, and all of the amazing Moms out there who love their kids no matter what the circumstances surrounding their relationships.

For now I have my husband loving me up (he brought me a latte and a magazine this morning- lovin' it!) And there is my darling little daughter who is creating a painting just for

me, wants me to play jazz music while we dress up in necklaces and scarves and dance around with magic wands. Life is good and I am filled with love.

Good Thoughts, Karen HB

Don't Get Your Panties In A Bunch, It's only Mac & Cheese!

Dem Meat Bones...
Well, it's time for Karen HB to lose a few pounds and so I'm dusting off the hooves for a bit more exercise, giving away my penchant for eating Belgian chocolate (at least for now), and throwing in a mac-n-cheese recipe as a curbside bonus! Happy Garage sale-ing!


Cabin Macaroni and Cheese
~Just the basics! We tried a lot of different mac & cheeses over the years during the long cabin winters and spring. This is the one we always went back to.

1 16 oz bag of large elbow macaroni, if you are feeling traditional, or try a new pasta shape like farafalle or gemelli.
3 cups of a mix of a good quality sharp white cheddar
2 cup of Irish white cheddar
(or any combination of good cheeses)
6 Tbsp. of organic butter
1/4 cup (slightly heaping) of flour
2 1/2 cups of whole milk
S&P to taste

1. Cook pasta until it is not quite al dente; it should still be firm or you will be quite sorry! Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large heavy-bottomed pot with lid ( I heart Le Crueset!) turn heat to medium high and melt butter. Whisk in flour to make a nice roux and let it bubble and brown slightly.
3. Add milk all at once, whisk it in, then stir slowly and just hang out with it as it thickens and gets bubbly. Add 1tsp. kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to your taste.
4. Add almost all of the cheese, leaving a handful to throw in with the pasta, and stir until smooth. Taste to reseason if necessary.
5. Add pasta and remaining cheese and stir. Put the lid on and bake for about 25 minutes, depending on oven and baking pan used.

Lets face it, M&C is not a light meal and I like to serve it with a couple of green veggies. KH prefers great-quality sausages with it, and that is good too. However laden with dairy and carbohydrates, this M&C keeps well in the fridge, and if you want, you can freeze smaller portions to have on hand for a quick "work" lunch to pop in the microwave.

Happy Cheesing!

Homebiscuit Brewing: Dame's Belgian Dubbel

"Welcome to the Brewpot!"
~hops, earthy green
yeasty-peoples, so nice
I'd love to have you naked
on a bed of rice...

Karen Homebiscuit.
..turning to pudding on the malt


On Saturday, May 1, Alewife and I got together for another day of brewing adventures. In one day we both brewed a 5 1/2 gallon batch of Dame's Belgian Dubbel and also bottled last week's Pale Ale, which didn't require a secondary fermentation and was ready to go. Aside from some trouble with the racking tube and siphoning for the bottling and some questions on our yeast, we had an excellent day of laughs and learning!

Here are our two carboys containing the Pale Ale, wrapped lovingly in a sleeping bag. We discovered a lot about room temperature fluctuation and will not be using the same spot to ferment with the dubbel.









Cate and Karen making some notes last Saturday before brewing the P.A. We were so young and innocent then!
With our Bel Abbey yeast smackpack activated and starting to swell, we added our Belgian Special B Malt and German Cara Munich Malt I to 2 1/2 gallons of 170 degree water in the brewpot. We swirled and waited 20 minutes before putting the grain bags in a strainer and sparged to extract as much sugar as possible. The grains were fresh and smelled fantastic and so the wort was quite aromatic. We returned to boil, turned off the heat and added: 6# Briess Amber Malt Extract, 1.25# Briess Light Dry Malt, and 1#Belgian Candi Sugar Clear. We brought the wort back up to boil and added, in stages, 1 oz. Spalt German Hops (for bittering), 1/2 tsp. Irish Moss (for clarifying), 1/2 tsp. yeast nutrient, 1 oz. Saaz-Czech Hops (aromatic) , cooked the right amount of time and, finally, turned off the heat and reduced the heat to 90 degrees with the rocking wort-cooler. We added 2 1/2 gallons of cold water and aerated heavily with a slotted spoon. We added some water to the bottom of two carboys, cooled the wort to 76 degrees ad ladled it in with a measuring cup. We also took a hydrometer reading for later reference. We topped off the carboys to the 5 1/2 total gallons the recipe called for.

We pitched the yeast and slipped it into the Bookkeeper's office (We love you Lisa! She is a multi-talented woman with heart who can keep the books, wrangle the donkeys and llama back into their pen when they get loose and are charging her, and bakes cookies that have chunks of See's Chocolates in them...) where the temperature is steady and IDEAL, hoovering at around 67-70 degrees.

Dame, that smells good!



Enjoying a brew.



Sparging is groovy and just makes sense.

Taking a break in between and swapping info

Racking the P.A. before adding the priming sugar and bottling. We were kind of tired by this point after cookin' up the dubbel.

Adding the final water to the dubbel to bring it up to 5 1/2 gallons total.

Bottling the P.A.!!! Cate prefers 12 ounce bottles but, if I can pull it off, I am going for champagne bottles or, ideally, 22 ouncers for the Belgian Dubbel...

All in all, another great brewing day! Cate is going to brew a small batch at home to do some experimenting and soon we will plan what our next brew together is- her choice. Then, I want to brew an Amber Ale of some sort as a sort of tribute to my old stomping grounds, The Mendocino Brewing Company, and the original method for their famous Red Tail Ale when it was still brewed in Hopland... And, I must brew a porter, a strictly Christmas Ale, oatmeal stout, a pilsner and a...............

Good Brewing Thoughts!

KH