bee creative

moon flower

About 30 minutes of sunshine today.

Unaltered photo, just the way the camera picked up the light. 

Another perspective.

There are a few more things I want to do before I move on.  Edging for the other sides, perhaps more green stems along the bottom. 

 

at the kitchen table: soup weather

Bus station. 

Windy morning and then rain, lots of rain. 

Soup weather.

Onions and celery cooked in a bit of olive oil + a bit of water added to the last bit of buttermilk to rinse the container + about 1/2 cup of potato soup made a couple days ago. 

 

rose by flashlight

I have got to stop asking myself "Why" and say "Why not" instead. 

at the kitchen table: playing with recipes

I've been wanting to try the recipe for "Quinoa & Cauliflower Cakes" from Vegetarian Everyday by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl (Green Kitchen Stories) for awhile.  It needed a few adjustments. 

Adjustment number one, I didn't want to use the 4 eggs it called for.  As I looked at the recipe I realized it was pretty much the same as Heidi Swanson's (101 Cookbooks) recipe for "Little Quinoa Patties" in Super Natural Every Day. 

I'm still working on getting a mix that sticks together well as I experiment, so I used the measurements from Swanson's recipe to be sure I'd get the balance of wet/dry ingredients right.  I included the cauliflower in the quinoa measurements to keep things compatible. 

Adjustment number two was a substitution for the ramps or spinach suggested in the Frenkiel and Vindahl recipe.  I decided on Swiss chard.  Since Swiss chard doesn't cook down quickly like spinach, I tossed it into the food processor with the cauliflower.  This made everything very green.  It worked out just fine but I could have also chopped the Swiss chard separately and stirred in to the mix. 

I did get a few extra crispy.  I've realized that when I am cooking vegetable/grain type patties I tend to flip them too soon which causes them to fall apart. Sometimes I wait a little too long.  Something to keep practicing.  

This recipe or this one is pretty close to what I did. 

I'd love to know, do you feel comfortable playing with recipes?

This week I have medlars (pictured above), the rest of the Swiss Chard, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes (the last fresh ones?), pears, apples, Brussels sprouts, a winter squash and more cauliflower from the farmer's market. 

A bit about the medlars...they are something I haven't tried before.  I bought a few last year but they spoiled before I remember that I had them.  They need to sit so they will soften before eating.  This year they are where they can be watched closely. 

 

peek-a-boo moon

For just a moment, it was visible...maybe longer, I fell asleep early as I usually do. 

considering light

Sunrise on Friday, just for a moment...

"Red skies at night, sailor's delight. Red skies at morning, sailor's take warning..."

And sure enough the last two days have been windy and rainy. 

This morning, lots and lots of gray.

I've had to switch from my hand needles (carved by a local woodworker, doesn't have a website that I know of) to cable needles for my liminal scarf. 

Thinking about how we measure light, capture light, light that creates a threshold, illumination.

A recognition that there are different kinds of light.

***

Adding some sunlight to this cloth.

Remembering that moonlight is a reflection of sunlight + starlight and even a bit of light from Earth.

***

I'm not sure where I originally found this video but I love it because it is joyful.

Musical can come from liminal places too. 

 

 

at the kitchen table: local

Back at the curb again, waiting for the bus.

It was stormy today, windy and rain. 

I went to the farmer's market anyway, I usually do regardless of the weather.

Just a few things this week, I still have beets, onions, and a couple peppers from last week.  Plus kale and sorrel in the garden. 

As I was leaving, at the corner in front of the market a group was passing out flowers and free hugs. 

This is the kind of protest I believe in. 

One of giving. 

I buy local, organic and seasonal food for many reasons, but one of them is because it supports my community, my neighbors. 

***

My chickens aren't laying right now so a friend and coworker shared some from her chickens:

It made me laugh to realize that these eggs match some yarn that I picked up today from the local yarn store:

Spin Cycles's Grumpy Birds.  They used to sell their yarn at the farmer's market. It's probably good for me that they don't anymore... too much temptation. 

***

I want to remember that all that we do is who we are.

***

Thank you everyone who left parsnip suggestions.  I ended up sauteing them in olive oil with carrots (red and orange!) and a bit of apple syrup.

I will absolutely buy more.

comfort

This is where I find comfort today...

That I can stitch stars for wishes, for hope.

In these words from Terry Tempest Williams (found here recently but from her book Finding Beauty in a Broken World):

"Finding beauty in a broken world is creating beauty in the world we find."

In these words from Rachel Naomi Reman:

"It's not about healing the world by making a huge difference.  It's about healing the world that touches you, that is around you."

We have this power, this ability.

This is where hope lives for me.

 

at the kitchen table: try something new

lentils + polenta + roasted tomatoes + roasted beets (they needed to be eaten so I thought why not?)

cauliflower and romanesco gratin

Roasted brussels sprouts and rice

...

From the farmer's market this week:

 

I thought I'd have more to say, but I don't. 

Just two things really:

1.  Hooray for fresh local ginger!  Boiled the stalks for broth, the rest will go into vodka so that it will last the year plus make ginger "tincture." 

2. My challenge for myself this week.  Try something new...

Parsnips.  Any recommendations? 

I went a bit overboard at the farmer's market this week.  I also have: golden beets, celery, sweet potatoes, radishes, pears and apples. 

 

the news that matters

I'm going to start where I want to end,

the news that matters is what we hold in our heart. 

It is what we hold most closely. 

And occasionally I need to remind myself that it is worth sharing. 

It is stormy and dark and I slept the afternoon away. 

It has been a very long week of covering teachers who have been sick.  But it has also been full of songs and smiles and hugs.  I work with some of the most wonderful children, parents and caregivers. 

It is work that sustains me on many levels.  Even though there are many frustrations and it can exhaust me, it gives me hope. 

I return to this essay about being busy.

About wanting to know what is in the heart.

What is the news the matters?

My heart holds hope...

 

...

 

I'll post about food tomorrow when there is better light for photos.