Category: Good

Breads

gr4c52 Comments

Clayton, Bernard. Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Breads.New York: Simon & Schuster, 1987.

I wish I baked more. When I was a teenager my mother taught me how to make a white bread with a cup of mashed potatoes that was amazing. It was the most perfect carb I could create. Grilled cheese sandwiches were heaven with this bread. I always pictured my adult wholesome self, kneading and sifting on a Sunday morning, flour dust rising in clouds around me. I don’t know what happened to that “from scratch girl” but, Clayton’s book makes me want to jump in the car, rush to the baking aisle and buy dry yeast. In bulk. This 748 mammoth of a cookbook is cover to cover baking knowledge. There are no glossy photos to fill space. Even the illustrations are small and unobtrusive. It’s all about the bread. And Bread there is. From rye bread to crackers and everything in between. My favorite chapters were, “baking for dogs” (p 715), “little breads” (p 517), and “vegetable breads” (p 409). But, I can’t forget my other favorites like potato, croissant and cheese. Of course Clayton goes over equipment, technique, ingredients, and what went wrong should something go wrong, but he also includes storing, freezing, and there’s even a chapter on homemade ovens.

I would even go so far as to say this book demonstrates culture. In addition to all the different recipes Clayton gives a little history on the more unique ones, “…In Portugal, the bread is served warm or cold with a famous dish of peas and eggs, and a potato- sausage soup” (p 183). Now I want to go out and find that recipe for the soup!

BookLust Twist: One of the reasons why I love reading Book Lust and More Book Lust is quotes like this, “For me the best part of baking bread is theupper-arm exercise involved with kneading, and the times that you can curl up on the couch with a good book while the dough is rising.” Pearl goes on to say, “I’ve used Bernard Clayton’s bread books since the first one was published in 1973, and have never found a bad recipe” (More Book Lust p72).

Africa News Cookbook

gr4c5Leave a comment

Africa News Service, Inc. The African News Cookbook: African Cooking for Western Kitchens. New York: Penguin, 1986.African cookbook

Another BookLust pick. There is something magical about this book. Maybe it’s from the introduction, “Cooking by the book is not the African way” (p.xiii). It’s romantic to learn the ingredients, forget the recipe and go with the heart; that’s what this book seems to be telling me.
On a serious side it’s crammed with interesting facts usually not associated with a cookbook. For starters there is a list of African nations and their capitals. Because this cookbook focuses on a geographical location there are maps. Because it focuses on a culture there are stories about African Women and food, and even how to eat with joy.
Probably my favorite aspect of this cookbook is the recognition of the origin of each recipe. From Malawi comes Masamba; from Algeria comes Dess b’l-besla. I think of Aubrey from Malawi who would write letters on onion paper and dream of traveling to Algeria.

BookLust Twist: From More Book Lust under the category of, “Africa: A Reader’s Itinerary” (p.2)

Inversion Invasion

gr4c52 Comments

headstandI wasn’t sure I would get to yoga today…or that yoga would get to me. The weekends are going to be a little tough, I can tell. But, we connected, yoga and moi. Today was all about inversions. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t done a handstand since…not sure when. Let’s put it this way – I’m sure my last inversion wasn’t a yoga related move! Om Yoga describes inversions as, “the king and queen of all asanas” (p.95). Okay, I’m game. Again, I’m not going to outline the sequence; it’s just way too long – four pages. Most of it is prep for the actual inversions: forearm stand, handstand, L-shaped handstand, headstand, shoulder stand, and plow. I have three words for tonight’s practice: childish, guilty and fun! Childish because getting into the poses was half the fun. I was smiling if not giggling. Guilty because I imagined my grubby footprints on the cream colored wall behind me. Fun because I found I could get myself up and even balance for a few seconds without the wall. I was encouraged. This was my first time trying this sequence so it can only get better. Right?

Take Another Piece

gr4c52 Comments

The second charity of the year to contact me was my very own Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I say “my very own” because I ran a half marathon for them last May. I know this organization all too well. To be more precise, I ran, walked, limped, hobbled and probably most importantly, raised funds for them. Some of you might remember the journal I kept. I documented all 60+ runs that brought me to the final moments of the end: 13.1 miles. See, LLs takes ordinary plain janes like myself (and joes) and turns them into athletes, however temporary. The Society doesn’t just ask for a handout, they ask you to give everything you’ve got – blood, sweat and tears – and thensome. In return, they turn one of your greatest challenges into your greatest adventure. They take your energy (or lack thereof) and add to it more pride and accomplishment than you’ve ever seen. With the help of trainers, coaches and 24 hour support they train you to not only to raise the funds, but to finish the endurance challenge of your choice. You start the challenge worrying about how to ask people for money and you end it with the understanding that there are extremely kind and generous people in the world. You start the journey thinking you can’t run a single mile and end it knowing you can run 13.1 or even 26.2 miles.  In short you go from being a doubter to a believer in the one thing that matters – yourself. They may ask you to raise a ridiculous amount, they may ask you to run a ridiculous amount, they may ask you to give a ridiculous amount, but they give you back something far more precious – a huge sense of accomplishment. Believe me, I kick my own ass all the time, but I was never more proud of myself than on 5/13/06.

So, here the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society contacted me again…wanting another piece of me. They are relentless! And why shouldn’t they be? Cancer is just as relentless. The day after my race I lamented that cancer just doesn’t quit.

I didn’t sign up for another challenge. I wrote a check instead. Actually, what I should say is, “I didn’t sign up for another challenge…yet.” See you in the gym.

Eye Noticed

gr4c57 Comments

I went to the optometrist the other day. I’m not going to slam the guy but he is definitely the kind of white coat who makes me nervous. Here’s a typical exchange between the doc and moi:

Him: “Which is better, one or two?”
Me: “Two.”
Him: “Now, which is better?”
Me: “Still two.”
Him: “Are you sure?”
Me: “Definitely.”
Him: “You should say one.”
Me: “One?” I ask, clear as mud confused.
Him: “That’s better.”
Me (to myself): “Whaaat?”

eyesThen it came time to chose contacts. I wear glasses in the bedroom and when I’m sick (for those of you keeping track). “You want to be noticed” Doc intones, matter-of-factually. I do? He’s nearing 70. What does he know? It’s plastic on my eyeball. I’ve always worn colors to cover what I considered freakish not to be stylish. I’ve always wanted my eyes to blend in, not stand out. Yet, here he is,showcasing Elizabeth Taylor violet. Umm…errr…that’s not what I had in mind. Not really. Hide freak (not Show off freak) is my motto.

To placate Mr. Fashion I ordered one pair of stuning green orbs. Something to be noticed in…I think? To really go out on a limb, to do something really daring and different I ordered a color I haven’t tried in over a decade. Clear. Freaks be damned.

January in Weirdness

gr4c54 Comments

January is

  • National Blood Donor Month
  • National Braille Literacy Month
  • National Hobby Month
  • Hot Tea Month
  • National Oatmeal Month
  • National Soup Month

I’ve never donated blood – never weighed enough. I probably could now, though. I’m up to 113 lbs
The only time I read braille is when I’m bored in elevators or museums.
Good thing I decided to make a resolution out of all those unfinished hobbies!
I bought my husband a gourmet tea set complete with travel mug.
It’s not oatmeal but just today I made cream of wheat – pumpkin pie style with pureed pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and sugar (okay, Splenda).
I will look into the soup thing.soup

On this day…in 1879 E.M. Forster was born. From librarything I will read (or read again and again) A Passage to India, A Room with a View & Commonplace Book. No, I haven’t seen the movies. No, I don’t think I will either.

Repost from Mr. Mayer

gr4c5Leave a comment

I hope he doesn’t mind…. but this is why he is so freakin’ cool. (www.johnmayer.com/blog)John

 

DEC. 31 2006

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season… Going to write in shorthand because there’s so much to say and I don’t have the time to mix and match hip words before I lose what I want to say…

Something really overwhelming has happened in the last several months… the Continuum album has created a real ripple, in that I’ve met so many people on the streets of New York who have stopped me to tell me what a particular song means to them, and it goes far beyond a “fan” encounter. These are people who are sharing some kind of truth in their life. Sometimes it’s too stark or too painful to share with anyone they know, but I guess somehow people feel comfortable being as open with me as I’ve been with them by way of the songs. This goes far beyond album sales, charts, reviews – all of it. This is the greatest expectation you can have when it comes to art – that you can create something that moves the air around it, something that can at least hold (if not remove) some of the weight in a person’s life.


I’ve heard so many people tell me about “Stop This Train” and what it means to them, especially this time of year. All I can say is “me too”…


To everyone in the last year who’s approached me to tell me that my music has pulled them through a tough time, may 2007 be a year in which music only scores the happiness in your life. What makes life so compelling is that nobody can avoid that darkness – I know I won’t – but in the moments when things fall into place, they are to be enjoyed as much for what they are as for what they won’t be someday… And that’s what I’ve been learning lately. My new mantra: “While you were, say you did.”


Next year’s set lists are going to be over the top… Putting a whole lot more songs into rotation – and yes, a nightly acoustic set. So you won’t miss the “Old” me so much. (What’s so different, anyway? Is it my butler? It’s the butler, isn’t it? Damn. I’m going to get my personal ninja to take him out.)


Give it all you got tonight, have a plan to get home safe, and spend all day Monday watching TBS movies, like me.

Here’s to a safe, healthy and happy ’07.


LOVE


JM



POSTED BY JOHN MAYER AT 02:43 PM FROM NEW YORK!!!!!, NY

Resolving I 2007

gr4c5Leave a comment

resolutions New year resolutions. Who makes them? For the longest time I saved my (im)possible good intentions for my Birth Day. To me, that was my new year, my personal day to kick my own ass. I didn’t like January 1st promises. Just the thought of making resolutions on that particular day always seemed to spell failure, as if they could be jinxed from the very start. And they all sounded the same: exercising, flossing, drinking more water, drinking less beer, whatever. It always sounded so rote, so ridiculous. Butbutbut…there is something about wiping the slate clean, starting over. I like the idea of going into that confessional of promises and being able to come out brand new. To begin again.

Back on that OtherSpace I grumbled about having the best intentions with projects. I don’t think it was anew year but I ranted anyway. I ranted about projects left half finished, neglected and mostly forgotten. After that rant guess how far I got? I got as far as hanging artwork. All the important pieces are on the wall (thanks, Scott). That’s it. This is the time, I have decided, to step it up. Finish it up. Do it up. Rock the resolutions. Now really is the time. Let’s review:

  1. Finish the rock quit
  2. Finish the honeymoon blanket
  3. Cook up the recipes
  4. Organize the photo albums
  5. Cork the frame
  6. Pen the cards

Medecins Sans Frontieres

gr4c5Leave a comment

KieferMSF

A while back ago I thought it would be interesting to write about all the different charities that call, write or email me looking for a donation of time or money. It’s only appropriate that I start with Medecins Sans Frontieres. They contacted me first, hoping to start their 2007 campaign early.
Doctors Without Borders is by far my favorite charity out there. Here are the quick stats:

  • Formed in 1971 by a group of French doctors, the organization seeks to aid those in need worldwide (hence, the “sans frontieres”).
  • They are open about where the money goes: in 2005 most of the funds went to program activities (which is the the norm). The rest went towards management and fundraising.
  • DWB’s goal is to direct 85% or more of spending to relief progams and have done so since 1995.
  • DWB goes where the conditions are the worst, the most dangerous – Rwanda, Chad, Darfur, the Ivory Coast…
  • In 1999 DWB was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
  • In 2004 The Discovery channel exposed the world to the work of DWB through the voice of Kiefer Sutherland and the visuals of Crisis Zone

I have been donating to DWB for eight years now. I was introduced to their work after reading a bio on a volunteer doctor from Australia who traveled to a dark jungle country. That’s what grabbed me: the without borders part. This Australian went to a country where he was instantly an outsider just by the color of his skin. The conditions were incomfortable at best, consistantly dangerous at worst. A country in a state of civil unrest. Hundreds of such giving people travel to foreign parts of the world, leaving behind comforts both psychological and physical. It’s hard to ignore people doing such good things.

For further reading:
Hope in Hell

Message in a Bottle

gr4c5Leave a comment

bottle   This year I sent out gifts and cards like never, ever before. I sent to people not on my list. I have no idea why. I guess it’s a simple as I saw something, it made me think of you, so I sent it your way. I would wonder how these OutOfTheBlue presents would be received. Would they even be received? I couldn’t help but wonder. I couldn’t help but care. I had no idea. Like messages in bottles I sent out my goodwill not knowing how anything would end up. I’m insecure so of course I wondered. Like a shipwrecked sailor I wanted my bottles to not only arrive somewhere safely, but I wanted their messages to be taken seriously because I was serious…Here’s what I know now:

This was how my blog for 12/23/06 was supposed to go. I was going to babble about the care I feel for people I barely know. Then, last night happened. Why go on about people who barely factor into my life – who barely blip on my radar screen when things like last night happen? Combine cappuccino, snaking the drain, family “fun” with barely keeping it together and an even better story is born.
It had started out as a pretty rough trip home. Exhausted, dirty and frustrated I couldn’t stop ranting, raving and complaining like a lunatic about the things I always seem to leave behind. All because I am stupid. Stooo-pid. I swear I need professional help, hypnosis, and shock therapy to cure what ails me. Seriously. My already busy sister has to come to my rescue..again. The miles went by and if I wasn’t seething I was sleeping. Trapped in the truck with me, I’m sure it was a tedious, tiresome drive home for my husband.
I had almost run out of bitching steam when we met up with R & C for a show that wasn’t. Upon seeing them (and fueled by the thought of a new audience), I caught my second wind and so launched into a repeat performance of disgust. I couldn’t stop talking ranting. C countered with crazy stories of his own and soon had me laughing.

Why blog about the barely anybodies in my life when J & I can meet up with someone who has known me for 20+ years and make every embarrassing instance laughable? R & C offered advice and had me crying with fill-the-room laughter. I love these guys.

Mind & Spirit Gifts

gr4c5Leave a comment

Natalie

I have to write about this because when I look around the corners of my mind it’s what I see first. Heavy in the thought, light in the heart, making me smile all the same. I’ve been following the post-tour career of Natalie Merchant. How could I not? I’m spurred on by the hope she’ll actually get back in the studio to record, step back on the stage to perform, stand in the spotlight of another tour. For the meantime, here’s what my hero humanitarian has been up to:Natalie

Clear Path International: Natalie contributed “This House is on Fire” to a benefit cd. Ruby and I have classmates actively involved in CPI.
For The Lady: Natalie contributed “Motherland” to a benefit cd. Aung San Suu Kyi is still in exile.
Go Further: Natalie performs in Woody Harrelson’s movie about green living. I have yet to see this documentary.
Red White & Blue: A Tale of Two Americas: Natalie contributes “Motherland” to a documentary about Americans.
Unicef PSA: Natalie contributed “The Worst Thing” to Unicef’s PSA about AIDS. It’s a powerful 30 second spot. Check it out.
The Killer Within: Natalie recorded “Bird on a Wire” for a shocking documentary.
Dan Zanes: Natalie recorded a Scottish traditional folk song “Loch Lomond” for Zanes’ childrens album. I just picked this up for my nephews for a spur-of-the-moment-Christmas gift.
Nothing Like The Sun: Natalie will participate in a project to put Shakespeare’s sonnets to music. My friend, Rebecca Correia, has already done this with one sonnet. Very cool.
For New Orleans: Natalie contributed to a cd to benefit the musicians who were victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Give Us Your Poor: Natalie participated in a documentary about homelessness. This is a really interesting project worth reading about (and watching – there is an eight minute excerpt).

Natalile

Why do I babble about these things? Why do I care? Surely there is little to no effort in allowing someone to use a song in a documentary or in a benefit cd. Surely it’s not big deal to record one measley song for something. But, here’s the thing: everything Natalie does is either for a good cause or a thought-provoking project. This is why I argue with my husband about an athlete’s paycheck and why I’ll never understand the price of sports.

Happy Humanitarian Holidays.

Right Minded, Left Handed, Not Centered

gr4c55 Comments

Last night was another night of yoga. My husband said I’m starting a trend. I replied, “once is a fluke, twice is a coincidence, three times is a dynasty. A trend is when I can get someone else hooked with me.” He laughed back at me. Seriously, I have not returned to  my practice until I simply cannot live without it. For right now, it’s a craving, a search for calm in a sea of frantic. The frenzy of festivities has me worked up, for sure. I want to get to that point when I love my practice more than I need it, if that makes any sense. That will happen. I’m getting back to good. I can feel it.
Last week was all about the thighs. This week my arms felt the burn. Almost everything we did last night was a reminder of how weak and off-balance I really am these days. Spiritually and physically. One armed plank balance was cool, but I learned even if I’m in my right mind, balanced on my left hand, I’m not centered. I have homework to do. I want to be cool, calm and collected to the core… with my core. Left hand where right hand was…yeah, right.

Chaturanga Dandasana
The other issue I had was during the pushups – the ole butt in the air, dip in the back thing…wrong, all wrong. I couldn’t get my back to straighten out no matter how I tried. It felt better to arch…the wrong way. Odd as that may seem. The weird thing is, I can do normal pushups – manstyle – without too much problem. Homework assignment #2. I promise to work on it. Personally, I would also love to work on getting the names of these poses in my head. Ruth can roll them off her tongue but they only bounce out of my brain as though they were made of rubber. I was them to stick so I can own them.

Probably the most valuable piece of this particular class was the box breathing exercise. I had trouble “holding empty” for three counts. My instinct was to gulp air fishlike back into my lungs. Breathing as always been a weird thing with me. When I try to match my breathing to my sleeping husband’s I end up feeling choked and gasping. I don’t know why I can’t relax into his breath and let it become my own. In class we practiced enough times that I was soon feeling the flow. The feeling of fish out of water soon faded, but it took practice.
Practice is all that I need.

Saved My Holiday

gr4c53 Comments

butterfly   My husband is saving my holiday spirit. Every holiday season I start out with the best intentions. I say all my cards will go out on time, all my presents will not only be early, but they’ll be presented with wrapping paper, curly ribbons and sparkly bows ala USPS. A tag from me to you. From us to them. With love. I say I’ll attend every party I’m invited to. I’ll shake out the wings of a social butterfly and fly. Every year I say all these things and every year it doesn’t quite work out that way. Except this year. So far this year so good.
It’s the 18th and 95% of my cards made it out into the world of friends and family, despite all the moving around they do (you can stop now, Jon). I’ve discovered the real trick is to Let Go. Every year I’m bound and determined to write lengthy Here’sWhatWe’reUpTo cards. Every year I refuse to just sign my name, fake his. Letting go allowed for a happy median. A concession of sorts. For the people I barely know I barely wrote. Why struggle with writers block for the sake of a once a year hello? I won’t write a book, I don’t just sign our name – something in the middle, something sane. We wrote them together. He filled in the spaces of my writers block with something to say. I like this together stuff.
The last of the packages went out, thanks to the rockin’ husband. Becca, Angela, Chet…a little something coming their way thanks to my hero, gallantly braving the post office lines, the grumpy, impatient people…
Over the weekend we went to R & C’s for a non-holiday holiday party. Gifts exchanged on the sly. Food on every table, laughter in every room. The butterfly didn’t exactly emerge but I wasn’t part of the wallpaper, either (if R & C even had wallpaper). I ate too much, I laughed even more.
We went to see sirsy. I was disappointed I didn’t hear any Christmas songs. Mel does a mean Happy Christmas (War is Over), but what I really missed was Some Kind of Winter. That’s one of my Live Cry songs. It’s absolutely amazing. My Hero came through with Christmas carols all the way home. Everything from Elvis to Twisted Sister to Frank, JT, and Vonda.
We went to the traditional Other Side of the Family Christmas party. Another get-us-all-together with food on every table. Scratch tickets and scratchy toddlers. Football and funny stories. The only one missing was Irene. I said a little prayer for the grace missing.
We went to the traditional office party with nontraditional karaoke and coffee before cordials. Conversation about BBQ, skiing and family. I held my own. I think I did.

Time to Get Cooking

gr4c5Leave a comment

CranberryLast night J & I brought saucy kielbasa and Riley’s famous Muddy Buddy’s to R & C’s non-holiday party. You can’t get any simpler than those two dishes to literally throw together. He chopped, I poured. We took turns stirring. Simple as that. For both dishes. We make a good team.

Today, I start some of the preparations for Christmas in Maine. Twice baked Cajun sweet pototoes with salty sweet pecans served in orange shells, SpencerSpecial Stuffing with apple cider, onions and Grannies, a cranberry sauce of some kind (haven’t decided but something with fruit)…and the freezer pie that we always, always make. Mom’s bringing the bread, and another pie. I have the sweet potatoes, cream cheese, cajun spices, the nuts, the onions, butter, celery, chicken stock, bread crumbs, herbs, apples, cider, sausage, cranberries, whipped cream, chocolate chips, pie crust, cinnamon…yet, with all this food I feel like I am missing something. I’m not sure what it is. I still have time. No need to freak.

MuddyBuddy (vaguely)
* Chex mix *
* butter *
* peanut butter *
* chocolate chips
* vanilla (the good stuff)
* powdered sugar

This Life

gr4c5Leave a comment

peaceI am positively giddy with life right now. I am this close to finishing my 110 holiday cards, this close to getting all the presents wrapped (another one came today – yay), this close to getting a menu together for my sister’s holiday party. Everything is coming together and I haven’t stressed about a thing. Not even once. Haven’t broken out in hives in worry. Life is good right now. If I were in my normal mind, I would find a way to say, “too good to be true so something bad is bound to happen…” but, I’m not feeling that vibe right now. Maybe it’s the good mail day: a pic of my beautiful nephews, two Christmas cards from people I normally don’t hear from, an announcement of a friend being in town for the holidays, AT’s gift on the doorstep, andand a n d   a notice saying I have one payment left on Bug. I thought I had until February to suffer through car payments. If I had been paying attention to what I was paying I should have expected this. I should have seen it coming, really. I always overpay my bills. Call it a lack of math skills, call it laziness, call it what you will, but I always round up when paying something. Not to the nearest Washington….to the nearest Hamilton. It makes balancing the checkbook easier. I don’t do this on all the bills, just the ones that have an end in sight – like a car payment.
Or maybe this good mood comes from the good moves – we’re going to R & C’s holiday get-together and uncharacteristically, I am looking forward to it. Not a single DoIHaveTo in sight because I want to. I’m bringing gifts for the special faces and the special place. There is happiness in the bringing. Seriously. Later tonight, we’ll move to Pittsfield for sirsy. I have gifts for the band. A band of gifts for the giving. Flute. Drum. Guitar. I’m looking forward to the show but know we won’t stay entirely. Two parties tomorrow…
If it’s not the mail or the moving, maybe it’s my mother. She called this morning and we talked 2007. She hadn’t gotten my card. She didn’t know about Christmas on the island. The surprise in her voice was happiness to my heart.
If it’s not the mail, moving, or mom – maybe it’s the mea culpa I’m experiencing. There are people out of my life that I want to acknowledge. Maybe because it’s Christmastime, maybe because the dislike is not so Dis anymore. I’m certainly not looking for peace, love and happiness…but I can hope for something like it.