Category: Front Porch Musings

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Joyful things

At the “late” hour of 6:00 p.m., it is now full dark.

But, this morning and all day, the sun did shine…

I tell the herbies to stand tall and look to the sun and take it in. The real thing is always the best and it is in short supply at 48 North in the Winter!.

With the sun shining, I mixed a bit of my new favorite condiment: pickled stuff. I started with pickled onions. Last week I added some fennel and this morning some english cucumber. The “pickling juice” is apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt and mustard seeds. It is a difficult recipe…mix the juice, pour it over thinly sliced stuff, let sit for several hours – stirring it every time you walk past it.

After awhile, I put it in a jar and stick it in the refrigerator.

It is great on a sandwich…I mean GREAT! Everything softens, sweetens, tangs and intensifies.

It is also good on greens. I like to massage some olive oil into a bit of kale, throw in some quinoa, toss on the pickled mix and let it sit in the frig. When I’m ready to eat it I add some avocado and apples, peaches or berries…maybe some sunflower or pumpkin seeds. It is good.

Bob aka Mr. Grumpy – took his sun with a bit of dryer heat.

Bear had his partial sun with a treat after a morning walk.

Sunshine, good food, time shared, joyful things.

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Being mindful

It is Thanksgiving Day here in the United States.

We celebrate the day with food and family and friends…food!

We speak of all we are thankful for and most of us have much to be thankful for.

Recently, I read an article about being mindful of the food we eat. The writer talked of her own thoughts while stirring honey into her tea… of being mindful of the bees who made the honey, the people who gathered it and the entire chain of distribution that brought that honey to her home.

It is a bit Zen, a bit 60’s…, but I tried it. As I sat to eat, I thought about the plants and animals that contributed to my food. I thought of all of the people who contributed to getting the food to the store. I brought to mind all the things I know about what it takes to get the simplest of food to my table. It is an interesting exercise and for me, it was calming and peaceful and ultimately filled me with gratitude and compassion.

The thoughts brought to mind the scene from Avatar when she blesses the animal that is killed, thanks the animal for its life and praises the animal and its creator.

A common mealtime blessing is to ask for the food to do good to the bodies that eat it, to bless those who prepared it and I now add a thanks to the animal and plants and people who provided the food to be prepared…being mindful of all it took to get food to my table.

Being mindful.

I sat this morning with Bob and Bear – my time of quiet contemplation and prayer. I listened to the rain falling. I enjoyed the companionship of my beloved boys.

I have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Day, but topping the list is the reminder to be mindful: to be mindful of the joy in the moment, to be mindful of all who have a part in the things that bring me joy and sustenance and to be mindful of the Creator who gave me and all those I love, abundant life.

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So much pumpkin…so little time.

This time last year I was making preparations to head to my folks with Bear in Wild Thing. Today, I received a TDay email from Patty and her family…Bear and I enjoyed a night before and Thanksgiving Day morning with them in Missoula last year.

It was a wonderful trip and as I perused my blog posts from that trip I got to wishing we were on the road again! If not for Bear’s leg and surgery, we WOULD be off :)!

However. We will all still enjoy.

Yesterday my computer locked up and required a total reboot.

While that was happening I made a pumpkin pie! This was my first from fresh pumpkin…pumpkin from my CSA, roasted in my own oven….

…and topped with cashew whipped cream and a drizzle of cashew cream vanilla bean caramel sauce.

I jumped the gun you say ???? I say NOT!

I promised my neighbors pumpkin pie and so I had to make it before the day AND because it was my first from fresh pumpkin, I REALLY needed to make sure that it was edible!!!

Well, it was edible.

BUT.

I emailed my mother that I’d made the pie and that I’d used the Betty Crocker/Libby Pumpkin Can recipe and it was ok but I’d do a thing or so different next time.

She emailed me back that she didn’t realize I didn’t have Grandma’s recipe…actually Great, Great Grandma…a Scot from Aberdeen. My mother wrote the recipe as she sat and watched my Great Grandmother make pie. My own Grandmother Ruthie did not have the written recipe and was not a big fan of measuring and sometimes the pie was outstanding and one year it had a greenish tinge from a bit much of cloves. Anyway. The original recipe… which my mother wrote down and has been making all of her adult life – and finally – I also have it.

Another pie is in the works. Maybe my computer will lock up this evening…or tomorrow.

I have plenty of pumpkin.