Michelle Dortignac and I love Ethiopian food. We’ve even learned to make a few of our favorite recipes. One of the key ingredients in Ethiopian cooking is a spiced ghee called Niter Kibbeh.
As you may know, ghee is clarified butter; heated and then the milk solids skimmed off leaving just the pure butter fat. Niter Kibbeh is made by further simmering the ghee with a blend of spices to infuse their additional flavor into the butter fat.
Our recipe for Niter Kibbeh adds minced garlic, grated ginger, chopped onion, turmeric, black pepper, cardamom, fenugreek, cumin, kalonji (nigella), cinnamon, and clove. 
The ghee is simmered with these ingredients for about 30 minutes and then strained through a sieve or cheesecloth, resulting in a golden spiced butter fat that is smooth, rich, aromatic, and divinely delicious.
We are having a new friend from here in Lancaster for dinner tonight, and we will be making Misir Wat, a spiced red lentil stew, and Atakilt Wat, a cabbage, potato and carrot dish. 
We have not yet mastered the making of Injera bread, the flat pancake with which you eat this cuisine. So we will be ordering some from a local Ethiopian restaurant for today.
That’s what’s cooking in Kenny and Michelle’s kitchen, on this Ophelia induced rainy day!
#niterkibbeh #ethiopianfood #misirwat #homecooking #cinnamon #cloves #cumin #nigella #fenugreek #onion #ginger #garlic
Current mood in the yoga studio and clubhouse loft.
Michelle is away in St. Cloud, Minnesota leading a teacher training, so I’m just chilling with the colored lights and groovin’ music.
@unnataaerialyoga @michelle_unnata #unnatayoga #aerialyogastudio #unnatayoga #lancasteryoga #lancasterpa
Up close and personal in the garden this morning. With @michelle_unnata @unnataaerialyoga
#floral #macro #macroflower #pattern #color #nature #garden
Mi tostada es su tostada!
@michelle_unnata @michelle_unnata
#freshsalsa #homemadesalsa #cilantro #sanmarzano #sanmarzanotomatoes #chipotlepeppers #rotel #fireroasted #limejuice #cumin #onion #garlic #luchitochipotlechilipaste
When life gives you clouds, take pictures.
#whispy #cirrus #clouds #skypatterns #watervapor #lancaster #pennsylvania
Math is life.
@michelle_unnata @unnataaerialyoga
#fractal #flowerfractal #diskflowers #flowers #seeds #actinomorphicflowers #corolla
First hang on the new rig! We just completed the installation of Michelle‘s new aerial yoga rig here at our new home!
This is what all of this renovation has been about; to make a fabulous aerial yoga space inside of this old house. 
We’ve been planning this for quite some time, in fact our whole search for a home here in Lancaster was predicated on finding a place where we could make some thing like this happen. 
Next project will be redoing the floors; here in the yoga room as well as the bedroom and office on this level. Starting immediately, we will be taking out the carpeting, and then having the floor either refinished or replaced with some nice engineered vinyl laminate planks. And then all the rooms need to be painted.
Huge thank you to Scott Fisher and Bill Auld for insights and guidance on the rigging. Also big thank you to Rich Morse at Renovation Lancaster for the ceiling removal, and installation of the radiant barrier and attic fan.
@michelle_unnata @unnataaerialyoga
#aerialyoga #unnataaerialyoga #lancasterpa #homeyogastudio #exposedbeams #homedesign #uniquehomes #uniquedesign #homegym #yogaathome
The Joists of Life.
@michelle_unnata @unnataaerialyoga #grainisgood #woodgrain #exposedbeams #pine #douglasfir
Flower power!!!
@michelle_unnata @unnataaerialyoga #lancasterflowers #floralpattern #nature #flowers #prettypennsylvania
When life gives you purple cauliflower…
#eatit #steamedcauliflower #purplecauliflower #lancasterpa #purple #colorful #food #veggies
Removal of ceiling in yoga room project is now complete. The contractor trimmed out the joists with pine planks removed from the floor above. Aluminum pipe for aerial yoga rigging to be installed next.
@michelle_unnata @unnataaerialyoga
#cathedralceiling #yogaroom #renovation #preservation #customwoodwork #woodworking #pinewood #restoration #interiordesign
Yoga room vertical expansion project, end of day one. Original nails from 1897! @michelle_unnata @unnataaerialyoga #yogaroom #remodel #renovation #expansion #lancaster #pennsylvania
Adding some height to the yoga room in our new house! We are having the ceiling removed above the yoga room, opening up into half of the attic. This will give enough room for us to build a pipe truss above the joists, for Michelle to rig off of for aerial yoga classes.
The other half of the attic will become a loft/clubhouse overlooking the yoga room below.
@unnataaerialyoga @michelle_unnata
#demoday #demolition #renovation #remodeling #lancaster #lancasterpa #rowhouse #woodenjoists #upgrade #homeremodel #yogastudio
Tree limbs. Why? What did you see?
#treelimbs #legs #doubleentendre #fallentree #art #sculpture #nature
Crowing at the crescent moon.
#lancaster #pennsylvania #weathervane #crescentmoon #rooster #wegmans
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
w/ @michelle_unnata
#joycekilmer #kilmer #tree #trees #pennsylvania #lancaster #longspark
Wowsers! Today marks 22 years of marriage for Michelle and me! Tonight we’re going to dinner at a nice Italian restaurant, located just around the corner from our house! Yay! I love you honey! @michelle_unnata
#happyanniversary #22years #love #lancaster #newbeginnings #pennsylvania
Infra-Ken. Not a filter, but rather a thermal imaging camera that plugs into my iPhone.
We’ll be using this tool to analyze any heat or cooling loss issues in our new home. However, that won’t stop me from playing around with it before then!
Here’s an infra-selfie of me on the plane (with Michelle) on our way to Denver for her niece’s graduation.
#thermalimaging #heatmap #infraselfie #hot #heat
Yesterday was my birthday. They say I’m 60 years old, but I don’t feel it at all!
For my big birthday, I wanted to make a big change, and I think we’ve succeeded! A new home and a new life to make in Pennsylvania.
I’m the luckiest guy to have such amazing friends and family around me — starting with my beautiful wife @michelle_unnata, and then to everyone in NYC, USA, and the world.
Thank you everyone! You’re all invited to come visit our new life location anytime you want!
#sixtyisthenewforty #youngatheart #pennstate #newlife #farmerstyle #lancaster #pennsylvania
Little pink houses.
W/ @michelle_unnata
#lancaster #lancasterpa #littlepinkhouses #cloudscape #lovethathouse
Great concept! Not sure I’d try it though.
With @michelle_unnata
#goldfish #crackers #oldbay #crossbranding #justbecause
Say hello to this cute little visitor we saw in the backyard of our new home here in Lancaster!
It’s a baby opossum, a common local animal seen here. They eat tons of ticks and help prevent Lyme disease in Pennsylvania!
(From Lancaster Online):
Here are a few other amazing factoids about the largest member of the marsupial family in the Western Hemisphere:
They have a near immunity to rabies.
They can`t be harmed by the bites of rattlesnakes, cottonmouths and other pit vipers.
They have been around since the time of T-Rex and likely ate dinosaur eggs.
Early settlers in the Jamestown settlement in Virginia described them as "beast in bigness of a pig and in taste alike."
When threatened they will involuntarily faint, seemingly dead. At the same time, they release the smell of a dead or sick animal. Their lips roll back, baring their teeth and saliva foams from their mouths. They may remain like this from a few minutes to four hours.
They do not hang by their tails, as sometimes erroneously depicted.
@michelle_unnata @unnataaerialyoga
#opposum #lancasterpa #lancaster #pennsylvania #wildlife #wildlifeinthecity
Holy crap! Michelle and I have already found our new home here in Lancaster! We are now in contract for this absolutely cute house in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Lancaster!
More details and pix to come, but here are a few teaser shots for now. I’ll post more in the comments below.
We are beyond exhausted from this process, but very excited to make our new home here. Cannot wait to have everyone over — we’ll have plenty of extra room for guests.
.
@michelle_unnata #lancaster #pennsylvania #newcity #newhome
Some savory eye candy from El Mercado de San Miguel in Madrid. With @michelle_unnata @unnataaerialyoga #tapas #spain #madrid #mercadodesanmiguel #iberico
Leaving lovely Ljubljana! With @michelle_unnata and @unnataaerialyoga Hvala lepa!!! #airfrance #ljubljana #slovenia #nostresscenter #madridbound
SelfUs. @michelle_unnata with @kennethfeldman @unnataaerialyoga #ljubljana #reflection #selfie #slovenia
Ljubljana Castle soaring up there above downtown Ljubljana. Originally a medieval fortress, it was constructed in the 11th century, and was rebuilt and overhauled in the 12th and 15th centuries. @michelle_unnata @unnataaerialyoga #ljubljana #ljubljanacastle #slovenia
A bit cloudy today, but beauty abounds nevertheless. We’ll probably do a river cruise after lunch. With @michelle_unnata @unnataaerialyoga #ljubljana #slovenia #citycenter #unnataaerialyoga #nostresscenter
On such a timeless flight. @michelle_unnata @unnataaerialyoga #madrid #barajasairport #spain #a320 #horizon #sunbeam
Adios Ciudad Real! @michelle_unnata and I are now heading from Ciudad Real to Ljubljana, Slovenia! Michelle just taught a level 2 Unnata teacher training here, and she’s leading another one in Ljubljana this week. @unnataaerialyoga #yogasadhana #ciudadreal #spain #madrid #ljubljana #slovenia #unnataaerialyoga #unnata #nostresscenter #unnatayoga
BAM! Brooklyn Academy of Music. #bam #brooklynacademyofmusic #downtownbrooklyn #theatre #nycatnight #brooklynnights
