Got Heat?

Blooming non-native Carrion flowers, 1/2 inch

Howdy to all you VRT juicer readers.  I just figured you all would like to know what the summer weather is like here in the Southwest Desert.  It is hot.  Daily high temperatures are around 105 degrees (Fahrenheit), sometimes higher.  It cools down to 80 degrees at night. The humidity is creeping up as monsoon season has started.  Sometimes I see the rain clouds and lightening out in the distance, but it has not rained much yet.

The earth is hot.  The tap water is very warm because the pipes in the earth are warm.  You need some ice cubes if you want a cool drink. 

I look forward to melon season.  You can juice cantaloupe or watermelon with some cucumber, or just eat the sweet melons. 

Hope all you cowboys and cowgirls are staying cool,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c) 2012

Dry Monsoon

Temperatures have been hovering around 110 degrees in the afternoons.  We are trying to have a monsoon but it has been a dry year.  The clouds rolled in this afternoon.  The sky got darker.  The wind kicked up and was gusting vigorously.  A few drops fell but the wind dried them quickly.  Then the rainbow formed.  For a while, there was a double rainbow, but the outer second rainbow was faint.  I stood out in the gusting wind, and the few sprinkles of rain the wind blew in, to watch the rainbow.  The sky turned red.  It was almost biblical.  The red sky was within the rainbow.  That passed.  The show went on for the better part of an hour. 

The dog was a bit nervous about the wind.  He couldn't understand why I was standing in the rain, what little there was of it.  Rain is so rare here we sometimes stand in the rain just to experience and enjoy it.  The box turtle came out for the rain, as she does.  The gusty wind blew away the monsoon insects.  It was a perfect time, although we could use some more rain.

Hope you see a rainbow.
Sincerely,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. c(2011)

Got Greens?

Did you ever crave greens so badly that you had to make a special trip to the store just to get them?  I have had craving for ice cream, chocolate, cookies, a glass of wine, bread, pizza, pasta, some very ripe, sweet fruit, but today, for the first time, I had a craving for greens.  I did not care whether it was a dark green romaine lettuce, chard, spinach . . . it just had to be green.  The cucumbers in the fridge would not satisfy the craving.  I had to make a trip to the store.

I bought 2 bunches of organic celery, one huge dark green head of organic romaine lettuce, and organic beet greens.  I had to go to two different stores to get the quality I wanted.  Wilted romaine or beet greens would not do.  I went home and juiced up the beet greens with some beet root, carrot, apple, and cucumber (all organic save the cucumber which was washed and peeled).  Ahhhhh, the craving was satisfied.

Three hours later I wanted more greens.  It was afternoon and a hot 97 degrees with monsoon humidity.  I mixed up a batch of the banana blueberry smoothie* (FREE smoothie recipe e-Book link at the end of this post) and added as much romaine as I could fit into the blender.  The bananas were cut into 1/4 inch slices and previously frozen.  I had to add extra water to get the whole thing to mix.  See the recipe in previous blog.  I also blended in a few ice cubes; crushed ice would be even better.  The result was a thick, cold product that resembled the $7 smoothies at the smoothie shop.  The smoothie shop will top their smoothies with granola.  I topped mine with hemp seeds which give it a nice texture and taste.  I have also topped smoothies with chia seeds which give a bit more crunch.  Both these seeds are said to have good essential fatty acids such as Omega 3, and protein.  The smoothie works with mango instead of, or in addition to blueberries, but the mango I bought was not organic and had a chemical taste.  There are inorganic mangoes that are better than the ones I had, I just did not want to go to a third store. 

I am not going to accept any of that chemical tasting food.  I put the offending mango in a plastic bag and into the refrigerator.  I will return it to the store.  While I am at the store, I will look for more greens.

Still 100% raw vegan,
Southwest Desert Blogger
*P.S. get easy, delicious, FREE juice and smoothie recipes e-Book, videos, and info on the life changing 7 Day Raw Food Challenge I completed, link here:  http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?af=1383344  Have a healthy, happy day. C.
C. (c)2011

Got Monsoon?

Yes.  We've got monsoon.  The pattern has started.  Every afternoon the clouds roll in.  The wind picks up.  You may feel a few drops or see a few drops of water on the ground or the windshield.  Then the rain starts falling heavier and very soon thereafter the rain is falling in sheets and buckets.  After a period of time, sometimes a half hour, sometimes an hour or more, the rain tapers off and the storm moves out.  The sun may reappear or the quiet of night replaces the pounding of the monsoon rain.

Last week it was over 110 degrees in the afternoon.  This week it is 100 degrees.  Within a matter of a couple of hours, the monsoon lowers the temperatures thirty degrees to a humid 70 degrees.  The humidity is over 70 percent and it feels hotter because of the humidity.  Remember, we are used to a dry heat here in the Southwest Desert.  Monsoon changes that.  The smell of humidity reminds one of a more tropical climate.  Insects may appear during this season, only to disappear when monsoon is over.  Plants can enjoy the humidity and deep watering.  Enjoy it while you can.  After a while it will be gone and all will be dry again.

The long range forecast calls for chance of rain every day for over a week.  This afternoon the weatherman reported over 40 lightening strikes in a 15 minute period.  The winds did damage to a roof.  We've got monsoon.  What have you got? 

Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

It Rained

It finally rained.  Last evening, after about 90 days of no rain, it rained for about 15 minutes.  It was a heavy downpour -- enough to  overflow the gutters.  This morning I got out the ladder and climbed up onto the roof to clean out the gutters.  I also trimmed the trees that were growing over the edge of the roof and dropping leaves into the gutters.  There are piles of tree trimmings around the house.

Then, late this afternoon, the wind swept in and blew over anything light such as plastic watering cans and buckets, folding patio chairs, a wooden bird house, and pieces of wood propped up against the wall.  Heavy rain followed the wind.  The rain did not fall vertically as it did yesterday.  It blew in horizontally.  It was the sort of rain that is so heavy you hear it if you are in the house.  It sounds almost like hail even though it is only rain.

The wind blew and the rain fell hard.  There was some thunder.  The TV weatherman reported over 25 lightening strikes in the area within a 15 minute period.  Then, after about a half hour, the storm moved on.  A while later the sun came out and dried most of the puddles.  As the song says, "the skies are not cloudy all day."

The smell of moist earth and humidity in the air linger into the night.  The temperature has dropped to  75 degrees.  The sky is mostly cloudy for the night of July 4th.  Monsoon is officially here yet the Independence Day festivities will continue, as scheduled, after dark.  I can hear the sound of fireworks in the distance.  As I look toward town I can see a fireworks display.  The lollypop ruby red fireworks are the most vibrant color against the black sky.  There is a slight drizzle and a light breeze.  The rain is so light I can stand outside and the breeze nearly dries all the rain as it falls.  The fireworks show is about 50 minutes long.  By the end of the show, the rain has stopped.  Sweet dreams.  Sleep well.

God Bless America and God Bless you all,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C.  (c)2011

Pizza

I felt like making a pizza.  I had purchased sliced provolone cheese.  It was on sale.  Usually I make pizza crust with one packet of quick rise yeast, a spoon of honey, warm (not hot) water and flour.  Add the yeast to the warm water in a large bowl.  Mix in the honey and sprinkle a bit of flour on the surface.  Soon you see the yeast grow.  The honey and flour feed the yeast.  I mix in more flour until the dough is a thick, doughy, kneadable consistency, and knead for a few minutes.  If the dough is too wet, I add flour until the dough is a nice, kneadable, play-dough, consistency.  I knead the dough in the large mixing bowl I used to mix the ingredients.  When the dough is a slightly elastic, smooth consistency, I lightly dust the dough ball with flour, place it in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel to keep it dark, and let it rise for about a half hour.  A half hour later, you have a nice, risen dough, which can be lightly floured again, tossed or rolled out to form pizza dough in your pan.

The problem was, I had no yeast in the house and did not want to venture out in the 110 degree heat, so I made a dough with flour, baking soda, and water.  This worked well, except that the dough was a little too wet and I ran out of flour.  The only way I could get the gooey dough spread thin was to spray the dough with cooking oil and spread it by hand, in the pan.  This required some effort, but worked.  No rising time required.

the basil plant with small white flowers in the Southwest Desert

I usually do not cook much in the heat of summer.  This was to be my holiday weekend pizza.  I find that pizza is best with a thin coating of red sauce.  I did not want to open a quart jar of sauce just for the pizza, so I used ketchup.  It added a nice, subtle sweetness and worked perfectly as that thin layer of red topped with thin slices of provolone.  On top of the provolone was a generous scattering of chopped, fresh cut basil that I elected to harvest before the insects get it, and one, rough chopped, fresh, garlic clove.  That's all.

I baked it in a 400 degree (F) oven, a very decadent summertime indulgence.  Usually I bake a yeast crust at 425 to 450 degrees, but I was not sure how this experimental crust would cook.  The 400 degree oven worked fine, baking for the usual 15 minutes.  The crust did not rise as much as a yeast crust, but it was surprisingly delicious, and there is enough left for a meal tomorrow.  I serve it with a salad.  I used organic romaine lettuce cut across the bunch every inch, and red bell pepper cut in rough half inch cubes. I added a tiny bit of dressing so as to allow the flavors of the raw salad ingredients to be present.  The texture of the salad and the taste of the fresh red bell pepper complimented the pizza perfectly.  I am so pleased with the result that I may substitute ketchup for red sauce in my future pizzas.  The flavor, consistency, and  convenience pleasantly surprised me.

As we look forward to the 4th of July, Independence Day, the weather here is sure to stay well over 100 degrees (F) every day.  We can feel the monsoon heavy in the air, but no substantial rains yet.  I wish you all a safe and enjoyable 4th of July.  Hope you get to see a fireworks show, although many areas have banned them this year because of the fire hazard.  I will look up in the sky after dark, hopeful...
As ever,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c)2011

100 Degrees

It hit 100 degrees here yesterday afternoon.  The weather folk predict 100 degrees again today.  Then below 100 for a few days.  June appears to start with a string of over 100 degree days.

It has been an unusually cool May.  The 100 degree days can start around the beginning of May.  We made it to May 27 below 100.  You have to understand that when it is under 100 degrees we are not complaining about the heat.  It is a dry heat, i.e., the humidity is low so it does not feel as hot as it would in a high humidity climate.  In fact, a few degrees over 100 can be tolerable if you stay in the shade. Weeks of days over 105 degrees get intense.  Sometimes the weatherman tells us how many days in a row it has been 105 degrees or more.  I hope for a cool summer.  Everyone here laughs at the idea.  By "cool" I mean days primarily under 100 degrees.

We can't remember the last time it rained.  Its been that long.  Monsoon rains usually come after July 4th.  That's not a hard and fast rule, but it is fairly accurate.  Those rains are heavy and of variable duration, sometimes as much as 4 inches at a time, but usually an inch or less. 

It is dry now.  How dry?  Your skin feels dry all the time, especially face, hands, feet, lips.  The air you breathe is dry.  The inside of your nose is dry.  The earth is dry.  The plants are dry.  The coyotes are lean.  The cacti are starting to slim down a bit.  A drink of cold water is the best drink you can have.  Laundry dries on the line in more or less one hour depending on sun and wind conditions -- two hours tops, even for blue jeans.

Stay cool,
Southwest Desert Blogger
C. (c) 2011