That’s right, I have gone kitchen-crafty-crazy!  Yesterday I rendered lard, made refried beans, made and jarred mayonaise from scratch, and started my kombucha.  Oh, did I mention we have beer #5 fermenting in our bathroom as I type?  It’s a beer we made up!  (Sort of.  We basically took the licorice beer recipe and just added some anise and fennel.)

It’s Craft City in this apartment!  Keeping the old world traditions alive in apartment #9!  I felt like such a little pioneer woman using real lard that I rendered myself to make refried beans.   And the lard was made from pork fat that I bought from Finca Pura Organic Farms at the farmer’s market.  I know my dad would be horrified at reading this post, and I’ve TRIED explaining the health benefits of fat from grass-fed animals…but it’s hopeless.  Oh well.  But back to feeling like a pioneer woman:  seriously, it was like I was Ma Ingalls (Little House books fame), cooking with lard and salting the pork to be stored for the winter.  Just kidding, I didn’t really salt and store pork, but I did tell my parents that I wanted to eventually start living without refridgeration, much to their laughter at such a preposterous notion.  Geez Mom and Dad, sorry for saving the damn world!  Excuse me for pulling the plug (literally) on our dire energy crisis!  Didn’t know it was so funny!

But speaking of Little House books.  If Mr. Urbangrower and I do indeed get this apprenticeship in Wisconsin, I am SO re-reading the first book in the Little House series, Little House in the Big Woods.  It’s where Laura and her family live in a log cabin in Wisconsin!  The geography is a little off, I know, since I believe the book takes place in NORTHERN Wisconsin, supposedly the more majestic and beautiful part of the state, but whatever.   Man, I love those books!

Well, I’m off.  Sure wish I could churn some butter or something.