Perspective

Good Monday morning, friends,

today I'd like to discuss "perspective". Last week I got our first summer electric bill. I whined and complained and threatened to just turn the damn thing off and live in the back yard to spite the cost of cool air. Well, I guess the universe took me at my word, as the universe often will. Last night, our main air conditioner unit bit the dust. A little background on our house and the cool/heat system. Our home was built in 1907 (or there abouts). The house really is very similar to when it was built. The front porch was screened in somewhere in the 50s, the back porch was extended and turned into an extra room and the front bedroom was opened up to create on long front room and it serves as my dining room now. Other than that, everything is the same. Old floors (wood), old windows (double hung), doors everywhere, tall ceilings. This house was built to deal with the hot summers.

Back to the story. My first instinct was to get that familiar lump in my throat and fluttery feeling in my stomach. We can't afford to replace this particular unit right now and all I could think of was "OMG! It's only June...not even really hot yet for Texas". But then, things started to really fall into perspective. The main point being that people have lived (and still do) without a/c in this part of the world for centuries. They deal. They adapt. They work with nature to do so. And of course, I can't ever be satisfied with the explanation of "shit happens". There has to be some existential reasoning behind everything. Perhaps I was taking things for granted. Perhaps I need to learn how to live without a/c for some future disaster. Perhaps I need to spend more time outdoors doing things that I need to do instead of hanging out inside watching movies and sucking up cool air. Perhaps I need to take advantage of this situation to see where I need to improve things in the house (ie: insulated drapes for the windows, more ceiling fans, etc) Perhaps I just need to learn to adapt and make the best of things and still be thankful for what I've got instead of being a brat about things I don't.

This morning I got up early and went out on the front porch to drink my coffee and plan my day. I even got my husband to turn off the morning tv and come out and spend some time just being and chatting and enjoying each other's company. It was lovely. All my chores got done early and now I can sew during the heat of the day. C and I are setting up our summer kitchen today outdoors. I've been wanting to do that for a few years and never have b/c I never needed to. I love being outdoors and cooking outdoors, you'd think I'd have an outdoor kitchen set up year round! Well, now I will.

Since we don't have central a/c, C has a small window unit in her room and there's also one in my sewing room. We've closed doors in such a manner to create a cool area (bedrooms and sewing room) and it's fairly comfortable for sleeping and sewing. This could be a good experience for all of us. Best part? We're going to save a LOT of money this summer and that's always a good thing.

I've put it in perspective. Instead of thinking this is a disaster, I'm now thinking that I'm pretty stoked about it. Everything happens for a reason. We just have to roll with the punches and put things in perspective. Attitude is everything, and everything is a learning experience. It's also a chance to count your blessings and realize that you still have it pretty good.

Ok. I think I'm done. I need to go hang some more laundry. We have a 50% chance of rain, and I've found the second best way to ensure rain (1st is washing the car and leaving the windows down) is hanging 3 loads of laundry on the line.

ya'll stay cool and keep things in perspective

peace

Daring Bakers: Piece Montie

The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri.

Wow..ok, so I'm really glad that I don't bake for a living. While the group I'm in is called the "Daring Bakers", I'm really quite a timid baker. I love the idea of baking, but the execution just scares the hell out of me. Luckily, I have a great sense of humor and find most things funny.

This challenge started off badly, with me being so scared to do this that I stalled so long I'm 2 days late in posting, b/c I just now made the darn thing. The creme patisserie was easy peasy and I got a little cocky. The choux batter/dough was relatively simple, but when it came to piping it, it was kind of runny and they flattened out instead of staying perky and round. As I bent over to put the cookie sheet filled with the uncooked choux, the parchment paper made a break for it and slid off into the bottom of my oven, accordioning itself. I grabbed the edge of it and tried to unfold it and place it back on the cookie sheet. Some of it was still wadded up and some was not. I did have a second sheet with about 6 or 7 choux on it, so that went in the oven as well.

I lost about a 3rd of them, and most of the rest were dramatically deformed. But once you fill an ugly puff with delicious creme and then dip it in melted chocolate and stack them in an interpretive pile and glob the rest of the melted chocolate on top, if you can stop laughing long enough to give one a try, you will be quite pleased with the results. We (hubby and daughter and I) all thought they were quite tasty and I'll certainly try making this again. I learned a lot from this experience. The best thing I learned is that even if I mess it up, the earth is not going to come to a standstill. AND...it doesn't matter what it looks like if it tastes good.

sooooo.... ready for the picture? You have my permission to laugh. It's ok, I did.

We took 2 photos in the hopes that it might have a "good" side. It did not. I did, however, use a lovely vintage cake plate. That's gotta count for something, right? lol

Can't wait til next month....

peace (and chocolate cream puffs)

Deb

Toning up mind and body

Lately I've been allowing God to take control of my life. (A very dear friend gave me a book called "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore) That pretty much means I'm giving him all my baggage, and let me tell ya, there's a TON of it. It seems like such a simple and logical thing to do...giving away all of that stuff. It's much like de-cluttering your home. You attach too much meaning to an item, but once you break through that and get rid of it, you feel so much better and want to clear out more and more. You see the structure underneath. It's so....liberating! And as the saying goes, where your mind goes, so goes the body. I've noticed it's a ripple effect, actually. I started clearing my mind and making space for all the good things God has for me, mentally and emotionally. I start to feel good about myself and that motivates me to feel good about my physical form and take better care of it. So I've been getting up every morning and walking/running about 3 miles. When I get home, I'm full of energy and good feelings and that motivates me to want to feel good about my yard, so I spend much more time in the yard trying to get it back into shape and of course, the logical progression is that I wanna spend some time getting the house back into shape to go with the yard....It's one of those "give a moose a muffin" things.

Now, I know that I won't always wanna get up and run, and that the yard maintenance will sometimes be overwhelming and that tool I need to replace the gutters on the house will cost too much and that there's gonna be days when the anxiety takes a hold and tries to cripple me. But now I feel that I know how to fight it and push through it and maybe lose, but mostly win. And at the end of the day, I will know that I fought the good fight and that I didn't just sit there and do nothing which is the biggest defeat of all.

ps: for those folks who might be visiting this summer and feel like they're going to show up and the house/yard are gonna look like I have a professional landscape/home care service, be aware that it didn't get like this overnight, and it won't necessarily be cleaned up overnight. I'm just saying...

peace,

Deb

Being a Daring Cook

So, my daughter-in-law, M, has this food blog. She posts recipes and ideas a couple of times a week including hits, suggestions and photos of what she's made. I really enjoy reading it and it inspires me to pull out some new recipes and maybe not just have the same old thing over and over. Keep in mind that I love to cook and really enjoy new recipes. In the sidebar of her blog was this cute little button that said "The Daring Kitchen" so I clicked on it and was whisked away to a wonderful world of cooks and bakers that post a challenge monthly. Typically, it features a technique or an ingredient a lot of us would be unfamiliar with. I joined and got a little scared, but then, they posted the May challenge.

Our hosts this month, Barbara of Barbara Bakes and Bunnee of Anna+Food have chosen a delicious Stacked Green Chile & Grilled Chicken Enchilada recipe in celebration of Cinco de Mayo! The recipe, featuring a homemade enchilada sauce was found on www.finecooking.com and written by Robb Walsh.

Having lived in New Mexico and learning to roast and can my own green chiles was quite a boon for this meal. The sauce had to be made from scratch and featured roasted green chiles and tomatillos. Oh my goodness, it was delicious!

Here is the sauce recipe:

1½ pounds Fresh Anaheim chiles (about eight 6 to 8 inch chiles) 24 ounces 678 grams - roast, peel, remove seeds, chop coarsely. Other green chiles (NOT bell peppers) could probably be substituted but be conscious of heat and size!)
7-8 ounces Tomatillos (about 4-5 medium)212 grams - peel, remove stems
4 cups Chicken broth (32 ounces/920 grams)
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 teaspoons yellow onion, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ tsp Kosher salt (add more to taste)
¼ tsp Black Pepper (add more to taste)
2 tablespoons Cornstarch (dissolve in 2 tablespoons water, for thickening)

Green Chile Sauce

1. Put a medium saucepan of water on to boil and remove the papery outer skin from the tomatillos. Boil the tomatillos until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. You can also grill the tomatillos until soft.
2. Drain and puree in a blender or food processor.
3. Return the tomatillos to the saucepan along with the chicken broth, chopped roasted green chiles, minced onion, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the cornstarch/water mixture and stir well. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and reduced to 4-5 cups, another 10-15 minutes.
6. Adjust seasonings and add hot sauce if you want a little more heat.

I saved a little of the sauce out so I can fix Huevos Rancheros for C, now that she's home from school. It's one of her favorite meals.

I had the option of baking the stacked enchiladas in one big dish or in smaller dishes, but I chose the big dish. Here's a photo:

I know it doesn't look like much, but it sure was tasty!

I'm really glad I joined in the fun and I'm looking forward to next month's challenge and also that of the Daring Bakers.

Peace,

Deb

Faith - Don't leave home without it

I am a firm believer in Faith. Faith is like Hope with a backbone. You can hope something will happen, but with faith, you believe that it will. I believe that the (not so) simple act of having faith lends faith it's strength and truth. Hoping something will happen sort of tosses something up into the air and maybe you get heads, maybe tails. But having FAITH that something will happen turns those hopes into truths. You can't just say you have faith, you REALLY, REALLY have to have faith, to believe that it's a truth, to believe that God or the Universe or whatever you believe in will see that you trust It to take care of the situation. Back in the day, when I was a struggling single mom going through a messy divorce, I was waiting tables in a little cafe in a one horse town, I decided that I really needed to buy a house for me and the kids. A logical choice from a woman who had basically no income, tons of debt and bad credit and barely a foot to stand on. But I had faith. I ended up waiting a some older ladies and we got to talking. One of them was selling a house here in town. She wasn't going through a realtor, just selling it herself. Now this house just happened to be one that I'd walk by almost daily. It was after the lunch rush at the cafe and my boss said that I could leave and look at the house. So I did, knowing that there really was no way I could EVER buy a house. I fell in love with it. It was perfect. In town so the kids could walk to school safely, big back yard, the old house I'd always wanted to live in. I dreamed about this house. Once I decided that I wanted it, I went to a mortgage broker here in town and unbelievably, someone decided that they'd give me a shot. Again, I had faith. My friends who knew my situation asked me what my back up plan was because they knew I wouldn't get it. There was no way I could. I was getting ready to be up in my lease at my old house and had no other alternatives. I told them I didn't have a back up plan. I told them that if I came up with a back up plan, it meant that I didn't truly have Faith that my needs would be met. I still live here. I know in my heart, that there is no earthly explanation for me to have gotten this house. None.

All of that was for this.

I've been having a crisis of Faith lately. It happens every once in a while, and it's so dumb. I know that time and time again, when I give things/needs/desires over to Faith, not only are they met, but I am also blessed with such a peace in my soul. I don't need to stress about bills or repairs or birthday gifts, but somehow, in my flawed heart, sometimes I still do. Or if there's something that is a need, but also a want...and I want it NOW...and then I see that I'm acting like a spoiled child. And I'm ashamed of myself. I've been shown the promise of security time and time again and yet I still fall into the pit of anxiety and obsession.

And then, when I realize the error of my ways and I lay all that stress and anxiety on the altar and step away and let the clouds of uncertainty disolve, God's love and truth shines down on me again and I have a day like I had yesterday, filled with the truth of the Promises and beauty of living simply and with the earth and the joy of sharing it with others and a feeling of serenity and peace. Which I think we all need on a daily basis.

I wish you all peace,

Deb

All things considered,

I really should be in bed. Tomorrow at work is my long day. 9am to 7pm, and I'll need to get up early to get dinner in the crockpot. Chipotle Black Bean and Vegetable soup. A customer at the shop gave me the recipe and I've tried it once before and it's delicious. It's also really nice to have dinner ready after working a long day. DH will be home long before me, so if he's hungry he can dig in when ever he wants. He usually waits for me though. Such a sweetie.

I'm working on my list of craft show projects. I got some very good suggestions from my daughter in law. She suggested more smaller items: wall hangings, placemat and napkin sets, seasonal items and baby quilts. I think I'll also ask on facebook what folks might like to see and buy at a high end artisan craft show.

I finally finished the alterations I was doing to barter for goods from a friend of mine. She runs a CSA (community supported agriculture) and in our trade she gave me several tomato and pepper plants. All kinds, slicing, cherry and paste tomatoes and bell, jalapeno (green and black), poblano and anaheim peppers. She also gave me a csa share. A huge bag of fresh lettuce greens, garlic greens, elephant garlic, fresh rosemary and thyme and some coriander. Quite a haul. I gave her a dozen eggs, altered two pairs of pants and hemmed two pairs of jeans. All in all, a good trade.

Yesterday I went out and got quite of bit of work done. I cut all the saplings off the alley way fence line, planted all the tomatoes and peppers and got them all mulched. Indoors, I finally gave in and put the duvet away in the blanket chest and carried all the fire wood in the living room back outside. What that means is that we're sure to have a freak snow storm or some such nonsense. I think I left firewood in the house til July last year, just to be on the safe side. Then I ran into town and facilitated a "support group" at the shop for customers who are doing any of the Blocks of the Month projects. It was 3 hours when they could come to the shop and get help or just have a dedicated time to work on their BOMs. I took my handcrank and worked on a class sample. I only had 2 ladies show up, but it was the first meeting of the group. I'm sure it'll pick up some steam. It's free to our customers.

Well, like I said at the beginning, I really need to get to bed. DH is already snoozing as he has a very early morning.

Y'all sleep well,

D

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

Had a relatively calm day today. I got up and ran into Frisco about 10am to do my grocery shopping at Target and Sprouts, home by 12-ish. Walked the estate and watered a few things that I just planted and then I started sewing. I did some bartering with a friend. Alterations and hemming for plants and seeds, so I got that job all done today. Then onto the Buggy Barn quilt.

I fixed some pop overs as a side for dinner. DH had never had them and they're about the easiest bread product ever. I pulled down an old popover pan (I assume) that I've had for years and never used and baked some up. They were quite a success and DH liked them alot. I'll have to keep that recipe in my head to whip up on nights when I don't have enough time to bake a loaf of bread to go with dinner.

I promised you pictures of the tumblers quilt, so here they are.

1400 pieces (ish) or so. Now I can't decide how to quilt it. I really had wanted to hand quilt it, but now that I have another Christmas piece that I NEED to hand quilt I might just go ahead and machine it. I would like to use both of them this year during the holidays. The other is a wall hanging, but it's a Baltimore style so it will require quite a bit of quilting. I guess I should decide pretty quick though.

I went online today and downloaded an application for the War Eagle Mill Craft show. It's my holy grail I think. I'm working up the courage to start doing craft shows. There are several fairly large ones in this area, but I'd love to get into the War Eagle one. DH thinks it's a great idea and it could be quite lucrative. I guess I need to quit sabotaging myself and just do it. I think I'm just afraid that I'll fail and then all the time and money put into it would be wasted. Perhaps I just need some one to hold me accountable. I guess I need to work up a plan. What I can make to sell, how much time required, etc. Do I make quilts that are quick or quilts that are pretty? Do I make contemporary quilts or country quilts? Wall hangings, queen size or miniatures in frames? Quilted tote bags? You guys, who ever you are that reads this, give me some input. If you were to go to a large arts and craft fair with money to burn and you came across a quilt booth, what would YOU want to take home with you? I guess there's just about nothing that I'd rather do with my day after chores and gardening than quilt. And If I could generate some income doing that, that'd just be amazing.

Ok, well that should give you guys something to think about and PLEASE leave your opinion in a comment. I'd love to hear what y'all think.

G'nite

D