You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours
Here’s my five year old boy heading off for his first day of kindergarten. Obviously he had a lengthy meeting with his fashion consultant the night before.
It’s too early to make a call on how kindergarten is going. When I went to pick Col up yesterday at 3pm (the time he’s usually home, fluttering awake from his nap cocoon), his friend Ella came running up to me and gushed “I love kindergarten! I’m so excited that I get to go to school four days a week, I can’t wait to tell my mom ALL about my great day!”
Meanwhile, Col had nothing to say. He can give a detailed soliloquy on how he’s going to trap the skunk that killed our chicken, or how Rosie ran eight blocks the other night in pajamas and cowboy boots while he sang from his bike “Go Rosie Roo, you’re amazing Rosie Roo!” But when it comes to a play by play of his day at school, there seems to be nothing worth noting.
Meanwhile, I’m going absolutely full tilt bonkers in the kitchen. Every day there’s zucchini roasting in the oven, kernels of corn getting sliced into freezer bags, jars of peach salsa bubbling in the water bath canner.
romas and sungolds from the garden
chokecherry applesauce on toast
Drying king boletes (porcinis) and Keens foot-tan
I’m really excited about this column I’m writing on eating local, and in the spirit of write what you know, I’m putting summer in a jar, to be opened on a frosty, November morning.
But here’s where I need your help:
My column doesn’t have a name, and I need one pretty much now. I also need a photo of myself, and keep telling my editor that I need to wash my hair first. I’ll wash my own hair, but if you can come up with a fabulous name I would thank you for your clever generosity with a pint of chokecherry applesauce, or a bag of dried porcinis, or a jar of grape jelly, or even a half pint of the cherished peach salsa. The name needs to reflect my bioregion, the San Juan Mountains or The Southwest, and beyond that, here are some of the words I’ve been tossing around:
omnivore, locavore, hungry, seasonal, table, eating (feel free to generate entirely different words)
So get your crafty brains ruminating and leave me a comment with your great idea. If you’re shy, you can comment anonymously, just make sure you type in your e-mail (only I will see it), so I can contact you for info on where to ship your jar of choice.
ps: Dan is home, no elk yet, but archery is a long season.
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Okay – I’ll bite….
This is completely off the top of my head:
Savoring San Juan ????
Hmmm… I guess that’s all I got right now – but I’ll keep thinking on it! I do my best brainstorming when I’m not paying attention!!
And I think it’s a GOOD sign that Col doesn’t LOVE school…. he LOVES you guys and your family much more – that’s wonderful!
Okay – some came to me and I couldn’t let it go… sorry if I got a little silly….
Local Mountain Munchies
Southwestern Tasty Tables
Local eats at 6512 feet
Savoring San Juan Seasons
Adventures in San Juan eating
“What’s to eat in these here parts?”
A taste of San Juan
how about “eat a local table” or “eat my local table” or “eat your local table” ok, you get the idea.
i am only half kidding.
or maybe i am 75% kidding.
i do want the peach salsa.
if i think of more i’ll do like ami and submit other titles in subsequent comments.
Durango Dining
Of course, it MIGHT get confused with the Durango Diner. Not probably a place you frequent often.
You are so cool.
Growing Dinner at 6512 Feet
Love the bit about Col and school. I bet he’s still feeling it out. His first day outfit rocks!
Omnivore at 6512 Feet
Savoring at 6512 Feet
Local Lushness?
Bountiful Mountains?
The San Juan Palate?
If I win the food, can you ship it to Thailand?
Probably not huh?
:)
Maybe him not talking about kindergarten is a sign of a future professional man who doesn’t bring work home! lol Just a guessm but who knows! ;-)
Wish I could help with the name, but nothing comes to mind as of right now :(
P.S. Those mushrooms look totally amazing!
Get used to Col not talking about school. My son is the same way. But (**ssshh**) here’s a little trick: never ask a question only make an observation. For example, if I ask “so how was your day?” I get: “Good”. If I observe, “Whoa, that bag looks heavy. Did you load it with a couple of bricks?” I get: “No, we have to do this really weird assignment and I have to…and so and so has to…and I don’t really think its fair to give homework on the weekend…” I just nod and take it all in. It doesn’t always work but it does often enough ;)
For a column name, how about “Backyard Bounty”
I like the idea of “backyard” both literally (because you grow so much of your own food in your own backyard) but also figuratively (because “your own backyard” connotes community).
Do we get to vote? I’m for Backyard Bounty. It has a nice ring to it. Of course you could always call it Durango Backyard Bounty or Backyard Bounty in the San Juans, or some such. Or maybe Backyard Bounty at 6512 Feet?
Aunt Jan
You’ve been busy girl!!! Your son’s outfit is awesome!!!!! I can’t wait till’ I in my own piece of land from which I can farm and let my boys wear funky outfits too!
~Samantha
Ooh, yum…Titles are always so hard, but you know the right one when you hear it. How about:
Four-Corners Forager
Four-Corners (Cornered?) Table
High Desert Dinner
The Mesa Table
Back to the Land at 6512 feet
Chokecherry, Porcini and Elk (oh, my)
Backyard Ruminations
Savory Southwest
Red Dirt Dinners
High and Dry: Local Eating in Durango
High Altitude Hash
Rachel’s Regional Ruminations
Savor the Season
Hungry and Healthful at High Altitude
From Soil to Savor
Southwest Seasons: A Guide to Eating Fresh and Local
Durango Delicacies
Homegrown 6512 Feet High
High Altitude Harvest
Southwest Supper (that would be Suppah here in the Northeast)
Desert Delicious
I’m having way too much fun with this (and avoiding way too much real work)….Good luck with coming up with a title (I’m sure it will hit you at 3 a.m.) and can’t wait to read the first installment of your column!
Oh, and btw, my very (very, very, very) loquacious oldest son has never said a word about school (what did you do today? Nothing. I forget. Boring.). After two days of kindergarten, I think his brothers are following suit. Hate to put gender labels on behavior, but maybe it’s a guy thing (or, now that they have this whole world of their own, outside of their parents’ control, they want to keep it all to themselves…?).
Shoot – can I leave a comment without an intelligent suggestion? Sorry my brain is mush today, but I just wanted to congratulate you on the column. How cool is that?!
And I like Col’s sense of style. Or maybe I’m biased because orange is a favorite color.
As much as I would love to win some edibles, I am coming up blank at the moment . . .
But I love Col’s ensemble. Avi had plaid shorts with a tie-dye tshirt this morning . . . oh, these boys!
6512 and Glowing.
Those tomatoes are gorgeous!
(As is Col on his first day of K pic…). I have four sons and have definitely stopped asking “how was school?” b/c of the unenlightening responses that elicited. Have much better luck with openers like “what was the best (or yuckiest) thing someone had in their lunch today?” or “who played tag at recess?” or “what was the most boring/exciting thing that happened today?”….and a lot of patience.
Has it come to you yet?
I like “Backyard…” something something
Backyard Opportunities
Backyard Opportunivore
Table of Opportunities at 6512
Locatunivore
Hope Dan Gets That Elk but if not Roadkill Will Be Awesome
: )
and Damn That Boy Looks Phat!
Congratulations on the column! Although I selfishly love your blog and writing, I’m thrilled you are expanding your audience to more lucky readers. :).
I like the “local eats at 6512 feet” idea above and also something like “locavore’s ___” (insert witty noun).
Maybe “locavore’s almanac” or “locavore’s picnic”?
(I’ll leave the naming to better minds but wanted to add my vote of confidence!).
PS Love Col’s outfit and thinking nothing beats home when it’s so much fun, but no news is good news sometimes. I can never get much more than a one-word answer to that particular question myself). I once read a suggestion to ask “What color the day was?” and that actually worked pretty well, believe it or not.
Yikes, the website is http://www.mkiphonejournal.blogspot.com. (Spellcheck autocorrected me to “bloodsport.com”). You gotta wonder about the spellcheck gods, eh? ;)
Col is rocking the mixed patterns….
I have no witty names to share…… if my glass of homebrew pinot grigio brings something to mind I’ll be back :)
My daughter dresses much like Col (except, perhaps, with more layers). She’ll go out in a formal, velvety dress and tennis shoes or mismatched shirt and shorts with a fake grass skirt over the shorts just for good measure. We were going to enroll her in a school that required uniforms and I just couldn’t imagine it.
Good luck with the new column; I look forward to reading it. I’ll have to go check that link now.
Also, I never knew so many people got so little information about their children’s school days. But, it made me stop and think: I don’t think I told my parents much of anything either. Huh.
Oh, I *did* read that previous post. I guess I just never got around to clicking the link.
Congrats on the new column, way to go!! As for Col not talking about his day, it’s just a sign of how much he’s growing up already, how independent he is. Who do you think he gets his fashion sense from? ;)
So jealous of the tomatoes, they look like candy!
I just thought of another one. How about:
Backyard Bounty Hunting :)
Hmmm, lots of good names getting tossed about. I’m liking Backyard Bounty, Savory San Juans, and will toss in:
Mountain Manna as in Manna from heaven which our edibles are and it also plays off the Mountain Mama thing you’ve got going on; Bounty of the San Juans; Land of Plenty; Garden of Plenty and; On the Homestead for a chance at some peach salsa. Good luck!
oh, man. those are some *names*! do let us know what you choose! and col? two words.
big.kid.
summer in a jar. That sounds like a pretty good title, if you do say so yourself.
I was puzzled by the mushrooms. Have never heard of Keens foot-tan mushrooms. Thought they might be japanese. But on closer inspection, I DO know that kind of mushroom. I am just more familiar the chacko foot-tan mushrooms that grow around these altitudes (um, 700 feet?). Kind of pungent, but sweet.
looks like you have some cool suggestions here!
i think i may be cheesy, but i do love alliteration…
savory san juan
seasonal san juan
southwest smackerels (that’s a word, right?)
sumptuous southwest
san juan salivates
(i had to look up salacious – don’t use that one, it’s not exactly on par with salivary) ; )
on the school thing, i wish i could remember more specifically the “why”, but when i joined the waldorf nursery teaching set, they told me to encourage parents and grandparents not to ask about their school days. something about children “living in the moment” i think.
I’ve never even seen a chokecherry – I don’t think we have them Down Under – but I simply love the name. Chokecherry Applesauce. I’m going to use that somewhere. As for a name, you’ve probably decided, but what about Eating At Home.
Col is rockin’ the stripes, if I do say so myself. And, really, what is kindergarten without lots and lots of color?