Comfort

Masks are one of the tools of transformation.
It helps us to change what we are into what we want to be.

Words of Comfort...There are days I drop words of comfort on myself like falling rain & remember it is enough to be taken care of by myself.

Song of the day....Tim McGraw-Highway Don't Care

...it feels good to be strong, and independent.....


Grilled Carrots with Carrot Greens Pesto
(makes 4-6 appetizer-sized servings)

1 bunch carrots (as fresh as you can find, and preferably thin)
greens from that bunch of carrots
1 large clove garlic
about 1/2 cup and 1-2 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
optional, for the pesto: nuts such as pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.

Snip the carrots from the greens leaving about 1/2-1 inch of the stem on the root. Set carrots aside. Remove any long stems and wilted leaves from the leafy greens. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and boil the greens for about 1 minute. Drain well for at least 5 minutes. Coarsely chop the garlic clove and the greens, and transfer to a food processor as well as salt, pepper, the 1/2 cup of olive oil and optional pesto ingredients. Pulse for a few seconds, stopping to scrape down mixture with a spatula as needed, until well blended. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as desired.

Cut carrots lengthwise so that they’re about equal in size and thickness (you may want to halve skinnier carrots lengthwise, or quarter them). Drizzle with olive oil just to coat and season with salt and pepper. Get a grill hot (note: or substitute heating a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed pan) and place carrots cut side-down. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, or until charred marks form on the underside, and flip. Cook another 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally, until each side is slightly charred and remove from heat. Serve with the pesto.

A Gift for 2014

"My eyes have been opened,"

  he becomes alike to night's sky,

perceives the past

  left below,

fragments flicker and 

  become part of his

     soul.

Therein lies consolation

  retrieved in times disconsolate,

a piece that will

  forever glow

and ignite the spirit,

  as a fire it grows and

will be carried on to

  places untold.

There is no death in 

  this feeling.

From it, more life

  is sure to be sown.

How can one arrive

  if they need yet to have left.

"It has been beautiful here," 

  he sees there are more stars above,

and wonders how what has been done

  shall shine in what is still to come.

….Ben J

…song of the day…Better Days...Eat...Pray...Love…...

…"Do not look backwards unless it is to say, 'How beautiful is the path that I have traversed!'  Do not regret the past.  You are moving forward, traveling life's path to find happiness once again, and this time an enhanced happiness."  The Outcome….The Quiet Mind

Mele Kalikimaka

“The timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness. And knows that yesterday is but today's memory and tomorrow is today's dream.”― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet (Make each day special so in retrospect you will enjoy it a second time.)  …Across the world…thank you Melanie….

…songs of the day….

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Christmases When You Were Mine


McDougall’s Baked Kale Chips
Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Wash the kale well and leave some of the water clinging to the leaves. Strip the leaves from the thick stems and cut into uniform sized pieces. (Mine are usually about 2 x 2 inches.) Place on a non-stick baking sheet or on top of parchment paper on a regular baking sheet and sprinkle with seasonings of your choice (do not oil the pan or spray kale with oil).

Bake for about 30 minutes until crispy. Store in a tightly covered container to keep them crispy; they taste best the day that they are made.

Try spraying them with a light coating of Bragg Liquid Aminos or balsamic vinegar before baking, or just a light dusting of sea salt. They are easy to re-crisp if you don’t eat them all right away, just put them back in the oven for a short time.

Happy Birthday Ma Grande!!

Miranda Lambert The House That Built Me

...Happy Birthday my girl!!


Also...some alternative cooking techniques!!

Solar cooker for prepping/cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner.  

If not enough sun, then use a rocket stove for minimal fuel consumption.

"Hay box" technique to slow cook breakfast overnight.

...some good ideas to try out!!

Eskimo Cookies--her childhood favorite!!

¾ cup margarine
¾ cup sugar
1 Tablespoon water
½ teaspoon vanilla
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 cup quick oatmeal
Powdered sugar
Put margarine in a large bowl and let stand until soft.   Beat well.  Add sugar and mix well.  Mix in water, vanilla and cocoa.  Mix in oats.  Keep in refrigerator overnight.  Shape into small balls and roll in powdered sugar.  Store in the refrigerator.

11-11-11

The Holiday:  Iris' monologue ...it turns out he wasn't in love with me like I thought...I understand feeling as small and as insignificant as is humanly possible...and how it can actually ache in places you didn't know you had in side of you ...and it doesn't matter how many new haircuts you get or how many gyms you join, or how many glasses of Chardonnay you drink with your girlfriends...you still go to bed every night going over every detail and wonder what you did wrong or how you could have misunderstood...and how in hell for that brief moment you could think you were that happy...and sometimes you can convince yourself that he'll see the light and show up at your door...and after all that...however long all that May be...you'll go somewhere new...and you'll meet people who make you feel worthwhile again ...and little pieces of your soul will finally come back...and all that fuzzy stuff...those years of your life that you wasted ...that will eventually begin to fade...

Streamlined Healthy Eating

Can I really eat JUST what I could grow in my garden??  Of course!! Happy Eating!!

A "test" menu.....

Breakfast:  cooked grain, beans, jalapeño
Snack:  fruit
Lunch:  seasonal vegetables, onion, garlic
Snack:  fruit
Dinner: gold potato, sweet potato, tomato

Grains grown/growing in the demonstration garden:  amaranth, millet, quinoa, corn, sorghum, wheat, barley, spelt, triticale, and dry land rice.

Looking Forward

...Happy Birthday month my sweet brother and sister!!

Epiphany
She saw herself reflected in the store window
& then the sun changed & she disappeared
& all she could see was her eyes
& she remembered thinking I make a very nice floor lamp
& that was the day she decided to quit her job.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Evelyn)... There is no past that we can bring back by longing for it. Only a present that builds and creates itself as the past withdraws.

The year has passed most agreeably...not regretting taking that radical step...looking straight ahead...with the breeze in my hair and the sunrise on my face....

Garth Brook's The River
You know a dream is like a river
Ever changin' as it flows
And a dreamer's just a vessel
That must follow where it goes
Trying to learn from what's behind you
And never knowing what's in store
Makes each day a constant battle
Just to stay between the shores...and

I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry

Too many times we stand aside
And let the waters slip away
'Til what we put off 'til tomorrow
Has now become today
So don't you sit upon the shoreline
And say you're satisfied


Millet-Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"
Robin Asbell:  Potatoes aren't the only way to make delicious puréed vegetables – and a tender grain contributes even more taste and nutrition. Add your favorite herbs, some caramelized onions or a pat of non-dairy butter to this savory millet-and-cauliflower mash.

1/2 cup millet
2 1/2 cups water
4 ounces sliced cauliflower stems and florets (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
Optional: non-dairy butter, roasted garlic, wasabi, horseradish and/or soy sour cream to taste

1. Wash and drain the millet, then put it in a saucepan with a lid. Add the water, cauliflower, and salt.

2. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to the lowest simmer. Cover and cook for 35 minutes, checking and giving it a stir after 30 minutes. The millet will bread open and thicken the liquid in the pot. When the millet is very soft and thick, take it off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Use a blender for the smoothest puree, but a food processor will work almost as well. Purée until the mixture is as smooth as ou can get it.

4. Add other flavorings, if desired, and serve as a side dish.