My Hero

The video is a bit long, but so important and necessary.  His passion is palpable, and I hope with all my heart it is contagious as well.  I was very fortunate to grow up on a farm when I was a kid, and I learned to love and appreciate real food. I think every child deserves that opportunity.  How sad is it that there are kids who don't know WHERE carrots come from?  Most can probably tell you where McDonalds is located though.  How great would it be if the local pea patch had such appeal?
Bravo, Jamie Oliver.  Thank you for starting your Food Revolution.

Gratitude

"The universe is a stage..... your mind dances with your body, guided by your heart. "

        Thank you, Kathleen....my dear sweet friend....for sharing this quote with me today.  You are a treasure to me, and I am grateful for your sweet presence in my life.   xoxo

(photo by Kerri Hussey)

Murphy

Seriously....how cute is that face?  I had a bit of a cold today, and was lucky enough to spend the afternoon with my puppy sleeping on the floor next to me while I watched Avatar for the first time.  I loved that movie.

When I was lying on the couch Murphy reached up with his ENORMOUS paw.....as if to say, "hello??....there is a belly here waiting to be loved." It was so great hanging out with my old friend....my heart misses him.

Note to Self

If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I will tell you..... I came to live out  LOUD.   

~Émile Zola

Crush

I admitted recently to an obvious crush that I currently have in my life.  That's right....the Essential Baking Company.  It was one of the things I craved the most when I was in India. The rosemary bread with sea salt is at the top of the list.  Sliced, toasted, and topped with butter....oh, it's heaven, I tell you.   When I go camping I always take along a loaf of their raisin pecan bread.  I slice it up, make it happy with a generous dose of butter, wrap it in foil, and toss it on the campfire.   The raisins and the butter and all the other bits and pieces toast up to a caramel-brown slice of goodness.   This of course is always accompanied by a fresh cup of coffee.   These two items are on my top ten list for survival when camping.....
    I recently decided to get all daredevil and live on the edge...I actually bought their ciabatta bread.  I was shocked.  This simple, unassuming character that I have passed up on numerous occasions for the otherwise beautiful focacia, was delicious!  Crispy on the outside, soft, and yet chewy on the inside.  Yum.   The only down side is if you have leftovers.   I came home early from work tonight, on a beautiful, sunny Spring afternoon.   I was feeling quite lazy and didn't feel too much like cooking.   I decided I would have some ciabatta and curry red lentil soup with spinach.  Well, when I picked up the bread it was hard....as...a....rock. oh, no.  I thought..."maybe I could heat it in the oven?"  Well, I couldn't even get a knife through it, so that wasn't going to work.  Then...I had an idea.   I ripped it in half.  Yes, the inside was still soft.  So, I ripped it into pieces, like the size of small biscuits.   I mixed together 2 eggs, some vanilla soy milk, and some cinnamon and I made baby size ciabatta french toasts!   Oh, it wasn't pretty to look at, but it was delicious.   The spongy bits of bread soaked up the egg and the milk and the result was like bread pudding on the inside and toasted, maple syrup craziness on the outside.  It was so good I didn't even MAKE it to the table to sit down.  There I stood at my kitchen counter...with the sun beaming into my apartment, the Cowboy Junkies singing "Blue Moon" in the background....and I ate every last bit on my plate.   I guess the crush continues....

Craving

crav·ing 

Pronunciation: \ˈkrā-viŋ\

Function: noun

: an intense, urgent, or abnormal desire or longing


    I went to the Pike Place Farmer's Market yesterday afternoon.  It was a beautiful, sunny Spring day.  The kind of day that almost lets you forget about Winter.  All I want to do is cook anything with fresh vegetables, and I am patiently waiting for fresh salmon to get here.  I know, I know....there is fresh salmon available now.  I just don't want to pay $34.99/lb. for it.  Yeah, call me crazy.  So, I decided I would go to one of my favorite places in Seattle and take care of my  salmon craving once and for all, and at a very decent price I might add. In theory, this should have been to appease the situation at hand until salmon season officially starts.  Which should be soon, right??  Anyways, I  went down to the Pike Market with my salmon craving and meandered my way to the "Market Grill".  It's a tiny place with about 8 counter seats right inside the market.  All they have on the menu is halibut, salmon, and clam chowder. Oh, and really good cole slaw.  You can have a baguette sandwich, or fresh grilled fish on a field greens salad with tomato, grilled onions and a side of garlic bread.  It's right across from my favorite place to buy fish in the market too which is handy for me, in my opinion. I made my way through the crowd, and walked up to the counter.  Low and behold, there was actually a seat!  If you  have been there, you know there is ALWAYS a line waiting.  Well....this is my lucky day I thought.   I sat my happy, salmon-craving, salivating self down on a stool...and waited patiently.  The young woman working behind the counter looked at me with a very weary face, and said....."there are a few things you should know. (oh, this can't be good) I am out of halibut, salmon, and bread....but, I  do have chowder left."  I don't even think I said a word.  I picked up my bag and my salmon craving, and I slowly walked away.   Then, it dawned on me.  HOW can you be out of "salmon and halibut" when you are INSIDE the fish market?  Do you see my logic? Seriously.

   How gorgeous are all those berries though? oh, my, goodness.

Sweet Memory

I have been eating my body's weight in Satsumas as of late. I suppose it is partly because you have to buy a box of 25 if you really want them.  I can't resist though...they are like candy.  Small, sweet, no seeds to be bothered with, and not all the work of peeling that an orange requires.  Plus, you have so many of them at home that you end up sharing them with your co-workers, and that is just a good thing, isn't it?   Having a crazy day at work?  Put a Satsuma in front of a co-worker....you'll get an instant smile. Seriously, go ahead and try it.
   I was on my breakfast break at work enjoying my oatmeal and eggs, and decided that some breakfast dessert was in order.  (who says you can't have dessert with your breakfast?)  I prefer it to be fruit...but I can't say I haven't had chocolate cake for breakfast dessert.   If, for instance, it just happened to be in the fridge.  Anyways, I sat there looking out at the mountains and Puget Sound from the fourth floor break room, and had a smile on my face enjoying my delicious orange treats.  Even the color of them is perfect.  Which brought back a sweet memory from my recent trip to India...
   When I was in India I was a bit frustrated with my wardrobe choices that I brought with me for a month long yoga teacher training program.  I was more concerned with being cold than with what I would be wearing, and that led me to pack a duffle bag of essentially ALL black clothes.   I was on a yoga trip, and it really shouldn't matter...but, I love clothes and I love color. (not really sure what I was thinking)  One of the many reasons I loved India turned out to be all the amazing colors.  The yellow mustard fields, the women in their beautiful saris....it made me crazy!  I have 650 pictures from the trip to prove my obsession. Anyways, one day before I took my shower I looked into my bag and thought..."I really wish I had something orange.  That would make me happy."  Well, that wasn't going to happen, so I collected my black yoga pants and my black yoga top and walked out of my eco-cottage and headed to the shower.  I was walking by myself, and then right in front of me...... there were two BIG beautiful orange butterflies dancing in the air.  They hovered in front of me flying in unison, and then they were gone.  I smiled, and I was grateful.   It reminded me that sometimes when we want something it may be right in front of us....we just have to see it. It may not even be in the form that we were hoping for....but, it may be even better.  It made putting on my black yoga pants that day really not such a big deal.

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