Farmer's market!

I have more peas!

1. I managed to get up before noon today to go to the farmer's market, spurred largely by the desire for more fresh peas. The getting up before noon bit is actually quite an accomplishment for me, heh. I have:
   
   
   
   • Two (2) loaves of bread, one herb and one olive. Fresh baked bread! Artisan bakeries!
   
   
   • Two (not enough) bags of fresh English peas, which haven't even made it to the fridge because I am going to shell them while watching Food Network and cook them right away because they are too tasty.
   
   
   • One (1) red onion, for cooking with the peas.
   
   
   • One (1) small sour cherry pie. This place has really great crusts. Last week I got two (too many) small strawberry-rhubarb pies, which I ate. They also have boysenberry and pumpkin and other ones that I also must try!
   
   
   • One (1) tub of salmon spread, on yuneicorn's rec.
   
   
   • Five (yay!) ears of white corn.
   
   


2. I did not get (but desperately wanted to) heirloom tomatoes, small potatoes for broiling, fruit (*sniffs* But I still have lots left over from last week's trip), artichokes (I stared, but resisted), flowers, jams, naan, meat pasties (but fannishly got one!), fresh herbs, and many other things.


3. I love the farmer's market! It is so cool! There are fresh peas! Yes, I am still extremely excited about the peas. So many fresh fruits and vegetables, and it actually makes me want to cook very simple vegetable dishes, and people making things like preserves and samosas and bread and pies and it is so cool! *gibbers incoherently and squees*


4. On another note, my Starbucks orders are getting slightly ridiculous now: "Tall green tea frappucino with whipped cream but no melon syrup, extra blended." The extra blended is because I suspect there's something wrong with the blender at the Starbucks right next to the apartment. I kept getting giant ice chunks at the bottom of my frappucinos, and they got stuck in my straw, which was irritating. I always feel bad for having these ridiculous orders, but I am picky about my green tea fraps.


5. I just had some herb bread with salmon spread, and it is ridiculously good. The bread is so incredibly fresh and herb-smelling, perfect soft yet spongy and chewy texture and wonderfully yeasty, and the salmon spread is like those flavored schmears, but better (which is saying something, because cream cheese is so, so good). fannishly is eating her meat pasty, and we are both looking very silly because we're jumping around in excitement about our food finds. Mmmmm food bliss.


6. I just noticed my living room matches my green tea frappucino! Hee!

I go forth now to shell peas. And I have a food icon now! Joy!

(I hope I haven't scared everyone off with my extreme pea enthusiasm. But... peas!!!!111!!eleventyone!!exclamationpoint!)

Windling, Terri, ed. - The Armless Maiden and Other Tales for Childhood's Survivors

The Armless Maiden is a collection of stories and poems (and the occasional essay) of fairy-tale rewrites, much like Windling and Ellen Datlow's Snow White, Blood Red series of anthologies (which I love and own all of). This one is a themed anthology, however; Windling notes that many of the pre-Victorian versions of fairy tales are on the dangers of childhood, on how mothers and fathers can be just as deadly as the wolf in the woods, and how children conquer and overcome these dangers and hardships. Some of the stories and poems are more suited to this theme than others, but then, some of my favorite stories are ones that don't quite fit. So I'm not really arguing.

Particular stories I liked: Jane Yolen's "Allerleirauh," a very creepy version of "Donkeyskin," which I have actually read in another anthology. It's still good though. Patricia A. McKillip's "The Lark and the Lion" takes the "Psyche and Cupid" story and adds an additional chapter, which I liked very much, given that I tend to severely doubt most happily ever afters. I also loved what her princess turned into. Tappan King's "Wolf's Heart" actually started out as another story, but I like what she ended up with.

Others could feel a little heavy handed -- Charles de Lint's "In the House of my Enemy" got on my nerves a little just because it seemed to predictable, and while I was suitably frightened and disturbed by the beginning of Munro Sickafoose's "Knives," the second half changes tones. I suppose that was the author's point, and I do believe stories of recovery are important as well. The second half is done well and is a convincing look at recovery and choices, but I think it's the POV switch that jerks me out of the story.

I also liked Nancy Etchemendy's "The Lily and the Weaver's Heart," though it is a bit rote. Luckily, though the general storyline went with my expectations, Etchemendy didn't quite do everything I thought she would, which was a pleasant surprise.

My favorite part was actually Terri Windling's afterword, which tells her own childhood survivor story and explains why she was drawn to the world of fairy tales and folklore. It's entirely real, no fantasy at all, and yet it is centered around fairy tales, on appearances and deceptions and how by whitewashing the past, even "just" children's stories, we allow the same things to happen in silence.

Recommended, although maybe just for a Windling or fairy tale completist.