Local Bread Love!
February 8, 2010
Something about the wintertime makes me crave bread, bread, and more bread, and I’ve had some gooooooood luck satisfying my urges of late. Some of my favorites around Tulsa:
Mexican Bakery, a block South of Admiral on Garnett, a bit past the traffic circle. That’s how we give directions around here, people! But honestly, these folks make fresh bread that is out-of-this-world, and (unbelievably) a loaf costs under $1. My friend MizH brought some to share with me a couple of weeks ago. I cooked for a group of 4: a penne pasta with caramelized onion and garlic red sauce tossed with bacon bits and parmesan, asiago, and Romano cheeses. It was good. But this bread! Ay! Just slice it and put a few pats of butter on it and heat it in the oven. It has a perfectly light and flaky-crunchy crust, with plenty of soft, fluffy center. We started with 2 whole loaves, and between 4 hungry adults, every crumb of it was devoured. It speaks to the seriously delicious nature of this bread when I say that I am fully convinced we each could have eaten an entire loaf by ourselves.
Blue Moon Cafe & Bakery on Brookside in Tulsa, OK. The best French Toast I’ve EVER had. The chef even arranged the pieces of toast to look like a heart, and I left her a thank you note because it was such a satisfying breakfast. -XOXO- The first time I’ve ever done that. I also must say that this place gets bonus points for having self-serve coffee. Helping yourself when you go out to eat may not be everyone’s cup, but I drink ALOT of coffee. Especially at breakfast. I like being able to doctor it myself, and, whenever I feel so inclined, to just dump out the old and refill with fresh.
Lunabread. This company doesn’t have a website or a store. All I know about the company is that the baker is named Chris, and he is at the Farmers’ Market in the Summer. But all year ’round, you can find his pastries (like the heavenly ALMOND CROISSANT) at Shades of Brown Coffee Shop. Because what goes better with a buttery, soul-hugging pastry than a cup of fresh coffee with cream? Not much.
Farrell Family Organic Bread. My ultra-low budget doesn’t allow me to spend $5-$7 on one loaf of bread very often, but when I can, I run straight to the comforting artisan arms of the Farrell Family’s breads. Based here in Tulsa, their breads can be found at many locations in Tulsa and OKC. My personal favorites are the Asiago Cheese bread and the Foccacia Loaf. Why don’t you just read for yourself (and drool over) their baking methods:
The dough we make is minimally mixed, and all loaves are 100% hand-formed. Gentle hand shaping gives our loaves varying holes inside, and a more complex flavor than any other method. Slow, cool fermentation allows the dough to develop flavor naturally, without added sugars or flavoring agents. Next, our hearth oven produces a crispy and caramelized crust by injecting live steam during baking.
So, if you live in or near Tulsa and you love yummy breads, you are in luck!
Also, if you are interested in a yummier, more peaceful culinary life, the Slow Food Movement is growing in Tulsa, and you can read about it here.
Also, if you are so inclined, here is some informative reading about food and the political/ legal battles involved in producing food on a national and global level: Food Freedom!
Chow!
Spring
Does Giving Birth Hurt?
February 5, 2010
I have a big favor to ask of all of you parents out there. Will you help me answer the question I was asked a few months ago? I have a pregnant friend who asked me a simple enough question: ”Does childbirth hurt?” But I was honestly stumped. I didn’t know how to answer; believe it or not, this is one question I have never been asked and never even thought about all that much.
I kept promising my friend that I would give her a response, but I wanted to form a thoughtful, honest, personal response. But, I got so caught up in how this question should be answered that I haven’t yet answered it. I thought about what I should say in order to calm her fears, in order to empower her, in order to set the record straight for myself, in order to be a good mom, in order to be a good feminist, in order to be a good friend. But I still haven’t answered her question.
I read what other people say in response to that question. Like Gisele and other celebrity moms, if you wanna call them people. I read what pregnancy Bibles had to say about the matter. I re-read childbirth scenes from novels, like my favorite in Tracks by Louise Erdrich. But I still didn’t answer her question.
Now a few months later, she is in her third trimester and closer than ever to giving birth and answering her own question, and I still haven’t answered that damn question.
Until now. My answer is in the comment section, but I still need your help. I’m endlessly afraid that my answer isn’t sufficient, so if you don’t mind doing me and my pregnant friend a favor by leaving us an answer in the comment section??? We would be forever grateful 
XOXO,
Spring & Pregnant Friend
The Queer Art of Leidy Churchman
February 4, 2010
Berries 2008. 1" x 1" x 1.5" Oil on rock.
Butts 2008. (approx) 2 3/4" x 1/2" x 1/2" Oil on stick.
Art book 2008. 7" x 9" x 4" Oil on log of wood.
Books 2008. 6" x 2" x 2" Oil on wood and matches.
Claw 2008. 15" x 8" x 1" Oil on stick and crab claw.
Roquefort 2008. 5.5" x 5.5" x 5.5" Oil on rock.
Ruler 2008. 11 1/4" x 12" x 1 3/8" Oil on wood.
Works of art, like people and Transformers, are more than meets the eye. To me, art is also the resources available to the artist, the medium, the message, the feel, what’s inside or behind or underneath the image. To me, art is also the thoughts that start running through my head when I experience the artwork; it’s my gut reaction AND the reaction that lingers and the questions that arise.
These sculptures of Leidy Churchman are so interesting to me because they blur the line between art and craft; art becomes less prestigious and craft less lowly. I love how he takes time to create individually-made, commonplace items that are usually mass-produced. His sculptures blur the line between practical and aesthetic. And, because they’re such cute, queer little things, I would love a bowl-full of the berries painted on rocks on my breakfast table! (By the way, my 9-year-old and I are both equally impressed with his rock painting because we have tried it, and it’s not as easy as it looks).
As his name might hint, he is a transgender artist who says of himself:
I make transgender pictures. My painting is informed by transitions, the humor of uncertainty, and relationships of supposed opposites.
I see people and their environments morphing into transsexual, not as a definitive destination but a space of complexity and amusement. As a transgender artist, I imagine “trans” as suggestive and paradoxical, where gender is always contradictory and in a state of flux.
Also, here’s a video that Leidy did for the really rad band MEN (MEN is a band and art/performance collective that speaks to issues such as trans awareness, wartime economies, sexual compromise, and demanding liberties through lyrical content and an exciting stage show).
Here’s to queer art and those who queer it! Cheers!
Spring
And the winner of the Okie scarf is…
February 1, 2010
Jodie! Yay Jodie!
I hope the scarf makes you feel lucky and fabulous and wonderful in every way! You can wear it like a scarf (of course) or like a Miss America sash or as a tie belt à la the very first Miss America from 1921, Margaret Gorman (so cute!):
Enjoy! And, don’t forget to send me your email address so I can get the goods to ya
Spring
5 Ways to Do Good in a Snowstorm
January 29, 2010
portlyn. 1.29.10
Many of us in Oklahoma are iced-in this weekend and may be wondering, what is a girl (or boy) to do with all this indoor time? I mean after you’ve exhausted your inclination toward catching snowflakes on your tongue, cleaning (blugh!), snuggling, knitting, watching TV, painting your toenails, and doing 1000s of crunches; you may be longing for that feel-good, change-the-world type of task that can be accomplished while sitting in front of your computer. Well, here ya go:
1. Sign a petition! When fast-food giants like McDonald’s and KFC reject meat because it doesn’t meet their standards, do you know who buys it? The USDA. Then they use it for school lunch programs, and all that reject meat is fed to our school children. Grossed out? Think we can do better? Tell the USDA, “I find it unacceptable and shocking that USDA standards for school lunch meat purchases do not even match that of the fast food industry’s standards.” You can help by signing this petition to tell the USDA to adopt common-sense food safety standards, practices, and testing.
2. Support students who go to college! Whether you’re at the far left or the far right end of the political spectrum, surely we can all agree that education is a good thing. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, reforming the student loan programs will save tax payers $87 billion over ten years. That money would go to students instead of to banks as subsidies. Tell your Representatives to choose Students Over Banks!
3. Get caught up on the Indian mascot debate! The latest fiasco is set in nearby Stillwell, Oklahoma.
4. Meditate! Do something good for yourself, dangit! Be kind and patient with yourself. Just try to sit and pay attention to nothing but your breath for 2 whole minutes. It’s really not that easy, especially for me because I’m a bouncy, bouncy, emotional, and fidgety type. But I promise it’s not that weird, and you won’t hallucinate divine beings, as my meditation teacher/ Episcopal nun friend Sister Ellie has assured me.
5. Try cooking and eating VEGETARIAN! Okay, this one requires you to get off your ass, but eating is pretty important. If you are like me and you just can’t commit to a life without a delicious beef burger every now-and-then, it’s okay! Still, eating vegetarian or vegan (if you are really hard-core) is good for our health, better for our beautiful Earth, and a good way to put meaningful thought into a sometimes mundane task. Also, it can be fun and exciting to try new vegetarian recipes like the ones at Meatless Monday.
It seems like this list should be longer, but I’m getting hungry Any other ideas?
Yours in attempting do-goodery,
Spring
Before we had blogs, we had zines. And, I have been thinking quite a bit about zines lately. Recently, a woman I’ve never met in person asked me to participate in the creation of a zine, and I got goofily excited! It’s just that I think that is soooooo cool; these types of small, unexpected gestures make life so wonderful! Her gesture made me start thinking more about what it is about zines (and blogs and self-publishing in general) that have captured the attention of so many artists, activists, feminists, etc. throughout history.
My favorite self-publisher from the past, Emily Dickinson, created 40 handmade books (fancily called ‘fascicles’) filled with over 800 of her poems and helped forge the modern path where the self-published, self-taught, self-produced, self-edited, self-motivated circumvent capitalism.
- Fascicle 84: Amherst College Archives
Human beings, I think, are naturally wired to communicate and express themselves no matter their circumstances or environment. We create art and we write and we philosophize whether we exist in caves, in jails, in big cities, in small towns, in impoverished villages, in slave quarters, or in restricted 19th-century women’s roles. But, sometimes we become intimidated by the official, modern outlets intended to profit from creativity: production companies, publishing houses, television networks, universities, newspapers. (Not that profit is a bad thing- not at all!)
It is so heart-warming and fascinating to me that zines, and in many cases blogs, are made because people can’t help it, because humans have an innate need to make and share something. And we humans can always overcome the frustration that sometimes comes from trying too hard to think of something that is both artistically interesting and profitable. We forget money or success or fame momentarily, and we create anyway! Not perfect nor completely pure nor practical, but nonetheless beautiful.
The beauty of a small, not-for-profit, handmade zine is not only in the artifact itself, but also in the mysterious creative intention and evidence of human will that goes in to making the zine. Here’s to Ms. Dickinson and and all her grandchildren’s zines! A few links you might enjoy and support if you are so inclined (if pictures are provided, you can click on the pictures to follow the links)!!!:
- ‘Where We Don’t Live’ by Will Bryant and Nicole Lavelle.
- Just 1 of the zines created by the talented folks at Tiny Paper Hearts.
Small Victories from New Zealand.
Young fashion blogger Arabelle goes on about ZINES!
A digital archive of grassroots & feminist media in Europe.
More on Emily Dickinson’s poetry at the Emily Dickinson Museum online. For the die-hard Dickinson nerd, they even have games and riddles!
∞Spring∞
Handmade Giveaway
January 25, 2010
I want to thank everyone who takes time to read this blog and any other crazy $#!% I write. I have so enjoyed the discussions, the passion, the beauty, the perspectives, the opportunities, and the collaboration that has come from Progress on the Prairie. Many of you regular readers and commenters have become dear, dear friends with whom I am now comfortable engaging, thinking, disagreeing, etc. Many of you have always been dear, dear friends. Some of you are just stuck with me because we are related Anyway, in order to show my appreciation, I am going to start doing a giveaway every now and then. I figure if you take time to read and share with me, you should get something more than my half-witted opinion in return, right? The inaugural prize is a cozy, fun scarf I made as a tribute to proud Okies and those who love them!
Love handmade stuff? Love Okies? Love this scarf? Love Progress on the Prairie? Love children or puppies or beer or rock ‘n roll? Then you should enter the first ever Progress on the Prairie giveaway!!! How do I enter?, you may ask. It’s easy- just leave a comment in the comment section of this blog post, and be sure to include an email address where I can reach you. I will randomly select a winner on Monday, February 1st, 2010.
Thanks again, my friends; you really and truly make my life better!
Stay warm,
Spring
adventures in prettiness
January 22, 2010
I have gone on several artsy/ crafty adventures this week. For instance, I made some pretty paper flowers:
I made them by improvising on this pattern. Special thanks to Sara, Kay, and Portlyn for sharing coffee, sweets, and conversation with me during the project!
And I knitted and felted an arm-band:
And I have been taking some photographs (warning: I am an extreeeemely novice photographer!) of places around Tulsa. Mostly places that I think are under-valued for one reason or another. This is the “costume” store by my house (click on the image to enlarge):
Pssst…allow me to let you in on a little secret: It’s really a stripper store! I didn’t even know there were whole stores devoted to stripper clothes, did you?!?!?! And the best thing about this one is that it’s a little mom-n-pop store run by a couple in their 70s. The old man drives a Prius, and the old woman makes custom-order outfits for her clientele. Isn’t that cute?
In other news, I am going to try to update the look of the blog this weekend if I can get technology to cooperate with me…wish me luck as I channel my Donna Haraway!
Have a pretty weekend,
Spring
Time for a Blog Make-over?
January 22, 2010
Yes, I think so. The image of the grass and roots is nice, but it’s not exactly original. And I don’t LOVE it. I want to LOVE the look of my blog.
The only problem is that I am completely uninformed when it comes to computer HTML code and graphic design and any kind of technology beyond the entry level. But I want this to change! I started messing around with an image editor on my computer, and after HOURS of experimenting, all I have to show is this:
Don’t laugh- at least I’m trying! Okay, but this is not exactly what I was going for. You can’t even see the text, and the blog name (on the right side of the image) is probably a pretty important thing to be able to see. Also, when I was making it, the text was showing up in hot pink -which I liked- but then when I saved it, the text turned light grey. Hummm. But isn’t the 1950’s roller derby action shot awesome?!?!?!
I’m gonna keep working at this all weekend, and don’t be surprised if I call some of you friendly nerd-sters for help!
Spring
Conservatives Say Good Riddance to Democracy
January 21, 2010
Hi Conservatives,
Remember when your friend John McCain (R) introduced a law to get campaign finance out of the hands of large corporations, labor unions, etc. and put political representation back in the hands of the people? It was a nice idea, and it had bipartisan support. Well, the Conservative Justices on the Supreme Court (2 of whom Bush Jr. appointed) just knocked it down.
Here’s the news from Reuters: “Corporations can spend freely to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday in a landmark decision that allows massive sums to be spent to influence future elections.”
Well, Democracy was fun while it lasted!!! So long, Rule of the People; hello, corporatocracy!
The split was along conservative – liberal lines, 5-4. Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said the limits violated constitutional free-speech rights. ”We find no basis for the proposition that, in the context of political speech, the government may impose restrictions on certain disfavored speakers,” he wrote.
Really? Do you agree with your Conservative leaders that corporations = “certain disfavored speakers”? Because if you do, I might have to de-friend you on Facebook. I’m not above it.
Who has hijacked and co-opted Conservative philosophy and twisted into worship of multi-national corporations? Can somebody tell me? Who has convinced you that you owe loyalty to and/or that the Constitution grants rights to a corporation. You don’t. It doesn’t. Corporations are not persons!!! Corporations are not citizens.
As one commenter put it:
Every one of us, Democrat and Republican, rich and poor, Liberal and Conservative, has been dealt a blow today by powerful corporate interests who have taken over our representative Democracy and turned it into a way to transparently funnel every available bit of wealth and powerful to the already wealthy and powerful.
This is the stuff that all of should be marching on Washington D. C. to protest.
Instead, the disaffected on all sides of the political and economic fight point fingers at each other while the corporate takeover of our government destroys our society.
Stand up! Socialists, Teabaggers, moderates, and party faithfuls. You, unless you are already part of the wealthiest 1%, have had your representation stolen!
I realize that many of you are members of the Republican party or consider yourselves Conservatives because you believe that gay people shouldn’t marry and women shouldn’t have abortions. I personally think it’s ridiculous that a free-willing human would argue that gays shouldn’t have rights but fetuses should. (And I’m not over-simplifying.) But are you so wed to such beliefs that you are willing to sell our country’s democratic soul and your own political voice?
Really?
Spring
Also, if you care anything about State’s Rights, you might want to read this.
