Daniel, Fred & Julie: The Laziest Folk Trio Ever

God bless NPR. They and Daytrotter are the only way I am introduced to new music like Daniel, Fred and Julie, a Canadian folk trio. They released an album "Runner" in November 2009 and I hope they come together again.

It's kind of a weird storHy: so here's a guy who wants to record an original album, but doesn't want to write any lyrics. He grabs a book of folk songs that are too old to be subject to copyright (think O Clementine), picks out the lyrics that are easiest to write music to, and then shows up basically unannounced on his buddy's doorstep to record a full record in the garage using only one microphone for three vocalists and two guitars.

For something that is so low-tech, these three really put together a great sound. Listen for yourself here.

Delicious Library is Tasty.

But Trish, you're thinking, you talk about tasty things on Fridays! Well yes, but in this case an awesome piece of software also happens to be delicious. Delicious Library ($40) that is. I've been admiring this program for years, and it just keeps getting prettier. I've always been a bit collector of books but have never taken the time to catalog them. Delicious Library would make this task a snap. Using the built-in iSight on my MacBook, I could scan in my library in no time (well, a couple days). Books aren't the only thing this app can keep track of. It also recognizes music, DVDs, tools, clothing.... basically a huge list of items.

Delicious Monster is the company behind the Library. Wil Shipley is the man behind the Monster and is entertaining to follow on Twitter.


Update! I finally broke down and bought DL. I haven't had the opportunity to scan in many of my books yet, but it's only a matter of time. I like that I can keep track of who I've loaned books to without taking them out of my library. Screenshot below.

Salt: NaCl in a World of Flavors

I have a sinking feeling that many of my posts will start out, "So I was dating this guy who .... and he taught me about..." You'll catch on pretty quick that they aren't all the same guy, but at the very least I am hanging out with interesting people who I can learn from. Also, welcome to the first edition of Food Friday. I figured that along with Mondays and Sundays, Fridays can have their own theme (while due to some strange laws of time and space, Thursdays don't really exist).

So! I was dating this guy who wanted to become a chef and he taught me about salt (the guy before him taught me about pepper, but we'll save that for another day). Salt, it turns out, is way more than the iodized stuff with a girl and an umbrella on the front. Sea salts are great for seasoning and garnishing, and there are a variety of tastes to choose from. We tried some smoked sea salt on prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and I loved how the salt brought out the meat's flavors while adding a bit of texture.

Unfortunately for my spice cabinet (seriously you should've seen his paprika), we broke up. While I immediately bought a sea salt grinder, what one of my friends has that I really want is a block of salt. Specifically, a Himalayan sea salt block. I could grate it over dishes and it would be fun just to lick every now and then. It is apparently a bit sweeter than table salt, and I think it would look cool in my kitchen.

Artisan Sea Salts have a great range of salt flavors
The block is sold at Sustainable Sourcing
The Cook's Thesaurus Salt Page is a good resource
As is the What's Cooking America? salt page

Vornado: a personal wind machine

It is 86° Fahrenheit right now in the office where I work. The A/C unit apparently will only work if the outside temperature is below 90° F.  I thank my stars that I wore a sundress today, and that my employers provide cold filtered water.  Even so, I am still quite warm (and perhaps even a bit shiny) (because everyone knows that girls, even grown-up tomboys, don't sweat). This is why instead of a blender, today I am adding a Vornado Flippi V10 Fan ($50) to my wish list.

While any fan would probably help my current situation, Vornado fans are superior for two reasons: power and quietude. I was recently blow away by the breeze created by their Flippi V6  ($20) when I visited my brother a few weeks ago (pun intended). He was working an outdoor festival on a sunny, breeze-less afternoon, but his little fan quietly generated enough wind to keep both of us comfortable.

Here's hoping that I can find some kind of fan tonight.  The A/C should be fixed by next week or else I'm going to politely request that I work the rest of August from home.

Vornado website

Hats: I wish I could wear them better

Caps in all flavors! 

I like biking though I confess that I'm more of a commuting biker than a road or adventure biker. There are a few things that are important to own when biking: a bike (ner), proper lights (especially at night), a helmet (this is debatable, but I think they are essential), clothing (naked biking is rarely permitted), and a strong bike lock. What I don't need is a hat. But what I want is a cycling cap. Specifically a Walz Cycling Cap ($15-23).

Unfortunately, I look funny in hats. It might be because I have too much hair. Maybe it's because the hats I've been wearing are made of the wrong stuff. Maybe it's because hats just look better on guys sometimes, which I think is the case with these hats. I found them through the Yehuda Moon web comic and really want to buy hats for all my guys friends who bike (and maybe one for myself). The next time I'm on a team, this will be the first place I go for team apparel. They customize at a crazy low price and use high quality materials. I just hope that my indoor co-rec flag-football team will want to wear bike caps on the field.

Walz Cycling Caps website
Walz Caps on Twitter

Mondays are for Music! Eef Barzelay has a funny name.

So the lovely thing about Daytrotter is that it introduces me to all kinds of new bands, or reminds me of bands that I've been meaning to try. I found Eef Barzelay through twitter when someone posted his ukulele cover of Journey at the AV Club in Chicago. He's the lead singer of Clem Snide, which never has the same band members with the exception of Barzelay.

The reason I like this guy is both because Ben Folds could allegedly listen to him all day and he reminds me of my friend who traveled India once with a guitar case that had a ukulele in it wrapped in his clothing. My friend is incredibly musically talented and someday I know you'll all know of him. Until then, he is the best bassist in Indonesia and one of my best friends.


Second Daytrotter Session
First Daytrotter Session

Wish list with a purpose: Do you like dawgs?

Murphy and Cooper!

Something that has always been on my wish list is a puppy. I spent a few hours of my Saturday night driving five puppies from one parking lot to another. These little guys are heartbreakingly adorable and thanks to volunteers across seven states they and their mother Lacey are on their way to new homes. In related news, I no longer want a puppy. But I do enjoy helping transport dogs through the various Humane Societies and could use a few items (as can your local Humane Societies).

I got involved with the dog transportation through No Kill Louisville. My cat would kill me in my sleep if I fostered homeless dogs, so instead I'm on their transport email list, which comes out weekly. This led me to the Kentucky CENTRAL (Communicate Educate Neuter/Spay Transport Rescue/Foster Advocate Lobby/Legislate), who posted the transport that let me hang out with Abby, Potter, Murphy, Cooper, and Max for an hour between Versailles and Williamstown, KY.

Abby and Max

This was my first time transporting dogs and had to borrow a medium sized crate. If I'm going to do this again, I need to get my own crate that folds down flat, can hold at least a 40-pound dog, all while fitting into the back of my Alero. Also on my wish list are a couple clip leashes, pee pads and a waterproof sheet.


However, it isn't my wish list that matters. Humane Societies everywhere rescue dogs, cats and other cute'n'fuzzies on shoe-string budgets. You can help by contacting your local shelters and seeing what they need. If you're lucky, they might even have a wish list posted online, like the Lexington Humane Society does.