Sunday, June 14, 2015

Recipe for a Healthy Snack Bar


Here’s a recipe for a healthy snack bar that I’ve been enjoying lately. As with so many of my healthy eating ideas, this recipe came to me via my good friend, Erica. The original recipe was called Warrior Bars from a program called Fresh Start 21. I made a few changes to make it my own, and here is my version of Warrior Bars.

Wet Ingredients:
2 tablespoons chia seeds + 6 tablespoons water
3 ripe bananas (medium-size)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients
1 cup almond meal
1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
½ cup raisins
1/3 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt
  1. Preheat the oven to 350. 
  2. Prepare 8x8 baking dish. Either grease it with coconut oil or line with parchment.
  3. Combine the chia seeds and water in a small ball. Set aside for 5 minutes.
  4. While waiting on the chia seeds, using a food processor, mash the bananas until smooth. 
  5. Add the vanilla to the bananas and pulse to combine. 
  6. In a large bowl, place all the dry ingredients and stir to combine. 
  7. Add the bananas and the chia seeds to the dry ingredients. Mix well. The mixture will be thick.
  8. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
  9. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. 
  10. Cool, then slice. Makes 16 bars. 
  11. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Banana & Almond Butter Pancakes

Back in February, Brent from Classic City CrossFit in Athens told me about a recipe for banana & almond butter pancakes from Mark's Daily Apple. The MDA recipe includes two bananas, one egg, and a heaping tablespoon of almond butter. I wanted a lower carb pancake, and here's what I came up with. This makes about six 3-inch pancakes. I love this recipe. And if you end up eating the whole batch in one day, you've only had ONE banana, not TWO. Better yet, if you have a friend or family member or a dog (well that's a family member) to split the batch with, then you've only eaten one-HALF of a banana.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Six Years Later

My last day of coaching at CFRX, 12/18/13.

I did my first CrossFit workout six years ago on August 15, 2007 at age 46. To mark my 6th anniversary, I decided to take a look back through the years at what I have learned along the way.

I’ve had the good fortune of learning from a variety of great coaches through the years, the main ones being: Patrick Gallimore, Shana Alverson, Chuck Carswell, Damon Mosley, Laura DeMarco, Kelly Levens, Michael King, and Emily Bridgers. I’m grateful to each one for what they taught me.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Sweet Potato Pancakes




I had a leftover, baked sweet potato in the fridge that I needed to do something with, so I decided to make some pancakes. These are good, and the only sweetness comes from the potato—unless you drizzle them with honey or syrup, which I chose not to do. I topped mine with a little butter and found them very satisfying. So the next time you are baking sweet potatoes to go with your steak, throw in an extra one for pancakes on Sunday morning. This recipe makes about 12 three-inch pancakes.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Grain-Free Coconut Flour Muffins

These coconut flour muffins remind me of an English muffin.

These grain-free muffins are made entirely from coconut flour. I have wanted to try baking with coconut flour instead of almond flour, and I finally got around to it. The typical muffin recipe using coconut flour calls for ½ cup of flour to 6 eggs. So you get a higher protein content, and the ratio of flour to eggs makes for a lighter muffin than does almond flour. I have to admit that these are not as wonderful as my Carrot Banana Muffins, but these aren't meant to be a treat. I don't want to be tempted by these in any way. I just want the option of having a piece of toasted "bread" with my breakfast. And these fit the bill for that without having to worry that I will eat them all before sundown.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Good Karma is Great


Good Karma Coffee House
31 N Avondale Plaza
Avondale Estates, GA 30002
(404) 499-0999



Thanks to my friend, Sheryl, I recently discovered a wonderful new coffee shop in Avondale. It’s called Good Karma Coffee House, and I must tell you that Good Karma is great!  Good Karma specializes in gluten-, nut-, dairy-, and soy-free food. They don’t just offer gluten-free muffins as an after-thought, alongside conventional baked goods. Everything they offer is gluten-free, and the facility is certified 100% gluten-free by the Gluten Intolerance Group.

Those who must eat a gluten-free diet, and those who choose to eat gluten-free should plan a visit to Good Karma real soon. I visited on a Friday morning for breakfast and ordered eggs, sausage, and a BISCUIT. The eggs were cooked just the way I ordered, and the biscuit was scrumptious. The sausage was just okay, but I’ve heard the applewood smoked bacon served on the weekends is really good. On a future visit I might try the waffle, French toast, or maybe even one of their lunch SANDWICHES – all gluten-free.

Good Karma serves Counter Culture Coffee, and it is available to purchase by the cup or the pound.  

Frozen prepared baked goods are available for purchase as well as dry mixes for muffins, pie crust, and the like. Good Karma is open Tuesday through Sunday for breakfast and lunch. Hours are 8am to 2pm.  For more information, visit them on the web at www.goodkarmacoffeehouse.com.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Carrot Banana Muffins, Version 2


Carrot Banana Muffins Right out of the Oven

I originally posted this muffin recipe over two years ago after discovering it on Elana's Pantry. I made a few tweaks and shared my version of the recipe on January 20, 2011. I haven't made these in a while, but last weekend I decided to make some to share with my Aunt Dora and cousin, Paulette who were stopping by the cabin for coffee on their way to visit Paulette's son in South Carolina. Even though the original recipe is free of refined sugar, it includes a cup of dates and 3 bananas. I decided to omit the dates and use green-tipped bananas instead of ripe bananas. I used 4 bananas because mine were on the smaller side, and since I was omitting the dates, I thought I might need the extra volume for the recipe to work.  The result was fabulous and plenty sweet. No need for the dates to make it even sweeter. This is how I'll make them from now on. If you prefer a sweeter muffin, try the original recipe for Carrot Banana Muffins.


Carrot Banana Muffins, Version 2
2 cups blanched almond flour, packed
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
4 medium bananas (I used green-tipped, rather than ripe)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 ½ cups shredded carrots (don't buy pre-shredded carrots; they are too dry)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
  1. In a small bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  2. Chop the walnuts and set aside.
  3. Shred/chop the carrots in the food processor using the shredder blade. Remove carrots and set aside.   Rinse and dry food processor bowl for next step.
  4. In the food processor, combine bananas, eggs, vinegar, and oil.
  5. Transfer wet mixture to a large bowl.
  6. Blend dry mixture into wet until thoroughly combined.
  7. Fold in carrots and walnuts.
  8. Spoon mixture into a greased muffin pan. I use coconut oil. Grease it well as these tend to want to stick. Paper liners work, but the muffins stick to the paper until they are completely cool.
  9. Bake at 350° for 25-27 minutes for medium muffins. Bake 30-35 minutes for mini-loaf pan. Mini-muffins are done in 15-20 minutes. 
Makes 14-16 medium muffins or about 36 miniature muffins. Or 12 medium muffins and 1 mini-loaf pan.

These deserve a pretty plate, and so do you.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Goodbye, Rudy.

"Rudy"
July 1995 - December 26, 2012

Rudy came to live with me way back in November 1995. I had been living at 110 Lamont for about a year, and my first kitty, Cindy had recently died. I missed her terribly so I attended a local pet adoption in search of a new cat. I came home with two male kittens, Rudy and Teddie. Teddie passed away over three years ago. Rudy seemed sad after his companion died, but he kept on going. Over time, he bonded more with Melvin whom he had always viewed as inferior. Eventually, he seemed to enjoy being an "only cat." He made a few trips with me to the cabin, and this picture was taken on his very first trip in June 2010. He liked it here at the cabin, but he hated being crated for the trip so I only brought him a few times.

On Friday, December 21st, I loaded Rudy along with Melvin and the Christmas packages, and we headed to the cabin for Christmas. I promised Rudy it was the last time he would have to make that trip. "We're moving to the cabin, and you won't ever have to do this again." He was quiet on the drive over and seemed to be handling it just fine. When we arrived, he settled in and ate his dinner as usual. But he seemed clumsy and unsure of himself on the stairs to the sleeping loft. By the next morning, Rudy was clearly very sick. I contacted the vet in nearby Royston where my parents and sister take all their animals. Rudy was hospitalized and received IV fluids and meds. When I visited him two days later on Christmas Eve, he was comfortable but still not eating. And still not himself. By the day after Christmas it was clear that Rudy would not come home to live with me at the cabin. I visited him one last time and held him for the final procedure. He was calm and went peacefully. I buried him here at the cabin, on a sunny slope at the base of cherry tree that holds a birdhouse Jack gave me for Christmas. I marked his grave with a piece of flagstone leftover from the wood stove installation. I laid a pine branch and a stem of pyracantha berries on top and said goodbye.



Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas, 2012





Wishing you peace, love, and joy at Christmastime.
And always.


~Pat and Melvin~

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Goodbye, Sonny


Sonny
April 2002 - October 25, 2012


This past week, we lost our beloved pet, Sonny. Sonny came into our lives back in May of 2002. My sister, Jolyn worked for the Madison County Tax Assessor's office at the time, and she was out on routine county business when she came upon a desperate, abandoned puppy. He was only about 8-weeks, had mange, and was nearly starved to death. Someone had just thrown him out to die. Some people can be so cruel, but big-hearted Jolyn brought him home and nursed him back to health. He soon recovered from his tragic, early start and turned into a bundle of high-energy trouble for a few years. We think he was a Lab/Chow mix, and the Lab part came through LOUD and CLEAR at first. We used to joke that we should have named him Bull-Otter because he was like a bull in a china shop, and he loved hanging out in the swimming hole down at the creek.

By the time he was 5 years old, he had mellowed into a calm, best friend for Jolyn. He was always right by her side. And he loved me too. Every time I came to visit, he would squeal with excitement.

In recent months, he developed lameness in his back legs, then his front legs. It advanced to the point that he could no longer walk or even stand for more than a few seconds. He needed to be carried outside and back inside. Despite his afflictions, he remained sweet Sonny, his tail wagging incessantly. On Thursday, Jolyn made the agonizing decision to release him back into eternity. It was a beautiful, warm autumn day, and leaves fell from the clear, blue sky. We sat outside with Sonny all morning, feeding him bacon and hamburger, holding him, and saying goodbye. My dog, Melvin was there with us. By mid-day, the vet arrived. Jolyn held Sonny, and I watched as he slipped away, and his tail became still for the first time.


Things We Can Learn From A Dog
(author unknown)

Never pass up the chance to go for a joy ride.
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Let the fresh air and wind in your face be pure ecstasy.
Take naps and stretch before rising.
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
Be loyal.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, sit close, be silent, and nuzzle them gently.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
When you are happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Run, romp, and play daily.

Jolyn & Sonny
October 25, 2012
Me & Sonny
October 25, 2012

Saturday, August 4, 2012

A Merciful Respite

That's me with my big sister, ready for the trip to Rustin's Lake.


When I was four years old, Mama and Daddy scraped together the down payment to purchase a small house on Sunset Drive in Butler, Georgia.  Butler sits almost exactly between Macon and Columbus, in the middle of the state, where the Piedmont meets the Plain and rolling hills turn into long stretches of loneliness. Back then, Sunset Drive was a dusty dirt road just a couple of miles out of town. Ours was the only house within eyeshot, and other than the twice-daily school bus, traffic was non-existent.  The yard was flat and open, without a single tree. Soon after we moved in, at Mama’s insistence, Daddy planted a Sycamore tree for shade. It was only head-high, but he said he was planting for the future. As for immediate relief, there was none in sight. A few big pines in the fields beyond the yard’s edge provided the canopy for our playhouses and forts.

Our simple clapboard house with peeling white paint had a living room, an eat-in kitchen, and three small bedrooms with a bathroom connected by a tiny hallway. There was a small porch on the front of the house. The floors were unfinished hardwood which we later covered with cheap vinyl, the kind that comes in a big roll from the hardware store.  The walls were unpainted sheetrock and remained so for most of my childhood.  In winter the house was heated with propane gas space heaters, one in the hallway to heat the bedrooms, and one in the kitchen to heat the front of the house. In summer a fan was strategically placed in a window in hopes of creating a cross breeze, a futile attempt to keep cool. Daybreak brought the only relief, but by mid-morning each day a heavy blanket of heat and humidity settled in again.

On the most unbearable days, Mama would announce plans to spend the afternoon swimming at Rustin’s Lake, a merciful respite from the relentless heat and the vexatious south Georgia gnat. The buckets of peas and butterbeans to be shelled and the bushels of corn to be shucked and cleaned would wait for tomorrow. This was our version of a summer vacation. The first real vacation that I recall was in the mid-seventies when Mama finally got so hot, tired, and fed-up that she found the courage to drive us all the way to Daytona Beach.

Once the outing to Rustin’s Lake was announced, we scrambled into our bathing suits and raced for the car. My two older siblings and I jockeyed for the front passenger’s seat of our 1961 black Ford Falcon. Whoever got their first claimed it, and the other two grudgingly crawled in back. My younger sister, the baby, was plopped in wherever she would fit. These were the days before car seats and other restraints; we just climbed in, rolled down the windows, and hung on for the ride.

Rustin’s Lake was way out in the country, and the trip involved a maze of dirt roads, a mix of red clay and white sand, sharp turns, some rolling hills, and long flat stretches through farmland and puny forests of scrub oaks and loblolly pines. The swimming pool in town was no longer an option since it had been filled with dirt and cement rather than allow white children and black children to share the same water. It was the 60’s, and the rural south was clinging to its ways.

The last few minutes of the trip were marked by a steep climb, then rapid decent into the lowland where the lake resided. With dust billowing behind, the car bumped across the rickety wooden bridge and shortly came to a stop under the shade of a huge oak tree just up the hill from the lake.  Mr. Rustin always greeted us in bare feet with khaki pants rolled into neat cuffs that hit him about mid shin. Despite his big straw hat, he was deeply wrinkled and brown as a ginger-cake. His feet were wide and strong, the kind that spend most of the year unshod.

As soon as the car came to a stop, we leapt out, yelled our quick respects to Mr. Rustin, and ran squealing down the hill to the lake, leaving Mama behind to handle the baby. We charged straight into the water, taking high choppy steps until we could run no further, then collapsed into cool relief.

Midway through our afternoon vacation, we took a break from swimming to rest on the wooden dock erected near the waters edge. Mama always gave us a few coins to spend at Mr. Rustin’s country store located up the hill next to the big oak tree. Bottled sodas were available in a shiny red Coca Cola chest; it opened from the top and the words “Ice Cold” were painted on the side. We liked Grape Crush, Orange Crush, or Mountain Dew, but Mama always got a co-cola. In a small bottle. She said it tasted better than in a big bottle. Our favorite candies were available at the counter: Mary Janes, Sugar Babies, Butterfingers, Candy Cigarettes, Fireballs, and Bazooka Bubblegum with a comic strip inside. I liked the penny candies best because, for just a dime, I could fill the bottom of one of the little brown paper sacks that Mr. Rustin kept on the wooden counter.

After the obligatory 30-minute delay, we returned to the water to play, swim, float, and roughhouse for as long as Mama would allow. The sad part of the day was when she declared, “It’s time to go home.” We dallied and delayed as long as possible, eventually acquiesced, and trudged up the hill with towels in tow. Tanned and exhausted, we climbed back into the 1961 Ford Falcon and made our way home.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

In the Midst of Loss


A bouquet of Sunflowers and Zinnias

I was recently laid off from my 11-year employment with a small, family-owned business. The company has been doing poorly for several years, and I had managed to survive numerous layoffs. But not this latest one. I’m not sure the company will make it, but that’s not my problem any more. My problem is unemployment. This is a new experience for me. I’ve never left a job when it wasn’t my choice. Until now.

Prior to this most recent job I worked for the same company for 16 years; when I left that position, it was on my terms and my timing. It was a huge transition in my life; I was 39 years old and had been planning for several years to make a change. I was vice president of development for a large software company. I traveled regularly to India and back and forth between Atlanta and Boston; I was burned up and burned out. I no longer had any passion for the work I was doing, and I dreamed of more rewarding and fulfilling work and a simpler life. When I resigned, I didn’t know what my next move would be. My plan was to rest for 6 months and use that time to figure it out. During that time I did whatever I wanted which included a lot of gardening, walking, reading, and napping. At the end of the 6 month sabbatical, I “chickened out” and took a job doing exactly the same thing I had done before, except in a much worse situation for a horrible Australian man named Simon. My fear got the best of me - fear of failure, fear of making less money, fear of the unknown. Within weeks of taking this new position I knew I had made a mistake. I was uninspired, stressed, and unhappy. I cried a lot and ate tons of the complimentary candy bars available by the baskets-full in the break room. It was 2000, just before the internet bust, and this little internet startup, like many others, used all form of gimmickry to get employees to work long hours. And we know I’ll do pretty much anything for a candy bar. Within four months, I had gained 20 pounds. And my clarity. I had to resign. The future was still unclear, but I was crystal clear on the present – it did not include this job. In hindsight, I’m thankful for the horrible Australian man who made my life miserable and for the know-it-all software engineers who reported to me – who knew nothing really, but thought they knew everything. Had it not been for these characters, I might have stayed longer, might have wasted more time doing work I dreaded, trying to make something out of nothing.

Shortly after leaving the internet startup, I made the decision to return to school (at age 40) to study horticulture. I did a year-long certificate program at Gwinnett Technical College and LOVED every minute of it. I took a part-time job with a wholesale nursery just to get some experience in the green industry and to see how I liked it. When I finished my horticulture studies, my part-time employer offered me a fulltime job. That is where I have spent the last decade. I started in sales; then moved to account management; then to sales forecasting and production planning. I was so-so at sales, really good at account management, and excelled in the analyst position. When I first took the analyst position, I found the work satisfying. But in recent years as the company declined, I felt less enthusiastic. It’s no fun working for a company that is in decline. It’s much more rewarding when things are thriving and expanding. And it is really no fun being told that your position has been eliminated. I know I did good work; I know I made a valuable contribution; I know the company is in a dire situation. But it’s still hard not to take it personally. When you get laid off at age 51, it’s pretty personal.

I’m sure in time I’ll look back on this as another key turning point in my life – one that marked the end of a period that had run its course and the beginning of a new chapter. I am trying not to panic or make any desperate moves. I have the benefit of severance pay, and I have saved for a rainy day. So I’ll be ok. In the moment, I am fine. It’s when I start worrying about what the future holds that I get into trouble. I’m reminded of a quote from a Wayne Dyer lecture that I listened to recently. He said, “You don’t have any problems; you just think you do.” In the moment, everything is fine. I am sitting in my comfy chair at the cabin, early on a Sunday morning. I am drinking coffee and writing. The doors and windows are open, and there is a nice breeze. The birds are singing. My cat, Rudy is sitting at my side watching me type. My dog, Melvin is snoring at my feet. In every direction there are beautiful views of the hardwood forest. I hear the tic, tic, tic of the clock and the hypnotic whirring of the ceiling fan. In this moment, I don’t have any problems. It’s only when I start thinking about what tomorrow may bring that I can conjure up a problem. But when the present moment brings a problem, we always have the tools to deal with it. The day I was laid off, well, that really was a problem. But I got through it. Loss is a part of life; we lose a job or a loved one or our health takes a turn for the worse. But we always have the ability to get through it. God provides. Even in the midst of loss, by staying present and grateful, we will find our way.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

In Memory and Stillness

The Store at McCants Mill Pond
Highway 19N
Butler, Georgia

Recently I drove Highway 19 south from Atlanta to Ellaville to attend the funeral of a dear uncle. It was the second time inside a month that I made this trip; three weeks earlier I had attended my grandmother's funeral in the same small town. Funerals and trips back home are ripe with emotion and can quickly get one thinking about the way things used to be. I slowed well below the speed limit as I entered Taylor County, the place where I was born and spent the first 18 years of my life. Highway 19 used to be a lightly traveled two-lane route, but for years now "they" have been expanding it to a divided 4-lane. Miles and miles of a lonely, sparsely traveled four-lane through the heart of rural south Georgia. I wish they had left it like it was. Like it was back when as far I as knew it took you from my home in Butler to Grandma's house to the south and occasionally Aunt Minnie's house to the north. Later as a teenager I learned from my business education teacher, Mrs. Guy that you could take it all the way to the big city of Atlanta. It was on those trips that I got a glimpse of my future and the possibilities available to me.

Highway 19 dissects McCants Mill Pond on the north side of the county before you enter Butler. When I was 3 years old, we rented a house just up the hill from the pond, just a few paces past the country store where you could buy fish bait, co-colas, salted peanuts, and potted meat. My earliest memories are of this home. Faint, vague memories of french doors, hardwood floors, an outbuilding with a dirt floor, and the country store next door. The house is long gone, but the building that was the store still stands. I must have driven by it a hundred times or more in the years since I left home. But on this day, I slowed for a long look. Then decided to circle back and stop to honor this monument from my childhood. I stood for a while in the late morning sun, in memory and stillness. I thought of my little hands on the store's door handle nearly 50 years earlier. I looked up the hill where our house once stood and thought I heard my laughter echo through the pines.


The Door to the McCants Country Store


"I am memory and stillness, I am lonely in old age; I am not your destination
I am clinging to my ways . . ."
From "I am a Town" by Mary Chapin Carpenter

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Remembering Nettie


1990


My grandmother died last week on Tuesday, May 22nd. She was born December 23, 1912. I remember her saying often in recent years, "I might live to be a hundred." Except she pronounced it "hunderd."  "I might live to be a hunderd," she would say.  And she almost did.  She was the last of her siblings to pass, the last of her generation. Her life spanned a full century, an accomplishment that not many can claim.  But that is certainly not her greatest achievement. As Abraham Lincoln said, "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count; it's the life in your years." And neither precludes the other. She certainly did a lot of living in her 99+ years and left a legacy that included 5 children, 17 grandchildren, 29 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandchildren.  Her clan was well represented at her service along with some friendly locals who loved her like we did. Many at her service knew her as Grandma; some called her Mama, some Aunt Net, and others Miss Nettie.  All those who called her simply "Net" have already passed on, and she is with them now. Her sisters and brothers, her husband, many friends, and her parents, Maw and Paw as she called them. She was much loved, and I feel she was pleased by the attendance and the outpouring of love from so many.

My memories of Grandma are precious. When I was a very young girl, she lived with my step-granddad (we called him Paw Paw) in a big white farm-style house on Buena Vista Street in Ellaville, Georgia. The house had a big, deep porch that spanned the full width of it with a swing on one end and rocking chairs on the other. Big, old abelia shrubs lined the front of the house. I can still smell them, but it was only in recent years that I realized what they were. The front door was in the center of the porch and opened into a wide central hallway that divided the house into two apartments. Grandma and Paw Paw lived on the left, and I remember my fun, cool, young Aunt Elaine and her new husband living on the right.  There was a ramshackled, shared bath at the end of the hall at the back of the house. The first room on the left housed the console TV where we watched Ed Sullivan and The Lawrence Welk show. It also contained the guest bed where I slept when I spent the night. In my memory I could lie in that bed in the front room and see straight through the next bedroom, the dining room, and into the kitchen. So when Grandma got up early and pulled the cord on the single light bulb that hung from the kitchen ceiling, I could see that she was up. (I'm not sure that you could actually see from the front room all the way back to the kitchen, but that's the way it is in my memory.) Soon enough after Grandma was up, I could smell the coffee percolating and breakfast cooking. She always made eggs, grits, the best buttered toast or maybe even biscuits, and bacon or sausage. Seems like she always had homemade jelly or preserves, usually blackberry from the previous summer's pickings.  I would spend the night with my Grandma many times over the years, and not always in this same house for she moved a number of times, but the essence of the memory is the same.

We visited Grandma every weekend when I was little. Family meals around her big table were common. Every Christmas Eve was spent at her house; then we would make the long drive home. It was only a 30 minute ride, but seemed much longer to a child. By mid-morning on Christmas Day we loaded up the 1961 Ford Falcon and headed back to Grandma's house to show her what Santa had brought and to enjoy her wonderful cooking. She was a gifted southern cook who could throw together a feast in no time and never seemed to stress over it.  She was a hard working woman who somehow always managed to make ends meet. She grew up in poverty and didn't finish school. She worked in the cotton fields, then the cotton mills, and later sewed shirts at Manhattan Shirt Factory in Americus.  She could stretch a dime and never wasted anything - not cardboard or tin foil or old worn out clothes. Everything was reused in some way. She loved to shop at Goodwill and often combined floral prints with plaids or whatever struck her fancy. She was not concerned with fashion; if she liked it she wore it. She never studied music but could play by ear; I heard she could play the piano, but I never got to witness it. Many times I enjoyed her harmonica playing. One Christmas comes to mind - late on Christmas Eve she played into the wee hours while we all laughed and danced. She had a hearty laugh that could easily turn into a snort.  She loved story-telling and often shared stories from her childhood. She enjoyed gardening, berry picking, canning, cooking, rocking on the porch and talking with family and friends. She loved coffee - not just the drink, but the ritual surrounding it;  I can still hear her asking, "you want some coffee?" One of her favorite treats was an occasional co-cola and snickers bar.  She was a hopeless romantic and loved a good looking man, especially if he could play the guitar and sing.   She was strong-willed, disciplined, and fiercely loyal to her own.  She loved her family, her home, her town, her church, and her God. And we loved her.

May, 2004

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Just Gratitude, 4/19/12

Azalea indica 'Red Formosa'
Picture taken March 22 at Stratford Commons

Today I am thankful for. . .
. . .Melvin who is presently subtlely begging for the leftovers from Rudy's breakfast.
. . .Horticulture and that I get to work with, and think about plants everyday. I am looking forward to being able to garden again when I move to the cabin for my country year (or two).
. . .feeling good. What a blessing it is to feel good.
. . .lunchtime walk on the PATH at Medlock Park. The woods were green and lush from the rain, and the air was thick with the smell of ligustrum sinensis (privet).
. . .Randy at Lowes who is trying to help me locate my counter top and get it delivered.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

Love in a Mist

"Love-in-a-Mist"
Nigella damascena

Today I'm grateful for . . .

. . .the "Love-in-a-Mist" that was starting to bloom at Mama's today. This pretty little annual self-seeds freely and comes back year after year. Myra planted it for Mama several years ago on Mother's Day, and it comes back every spring from seeds dropped during the previous growing season.
. . .the climbing hydrangeas loaded down with flower buds. I planted these at Mama's many years ago; I think nine years ago. They never thrived in the original location, so we transplanted them to their current location about five years ago. Climbing hydrangeas are notoriously difficult (late) bloomers, so it's especially gratifying to see these healthy, lush plants loaded down with buds.
. . .the pleasure of a good book. 
. . .this perfect spring day.
. . .Lamar and Mama doing so well and happy.
. . .baby birds nesting above the porch light at the cabin.
. . .the small stand of Solomon's Seal at the cabin which I transplanted from 110 Lamont Drive before I sold it.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Just Gratitude, 4/12/12

Chinese Snowball Viburnum from Mama's yard.
Picture taken March 22nd.


Today I'm grateful for . . .
  1. feeling better after waking up with a headache.  
  2. a lunchtime walk at Deepdene Park on this beautiful, cool spring day. 
  3. a productive workday. 
  4. successfully resisting the temptation to eat things that aren't good for me. 
  5. always having more than enough.
  6. the snowball viburnum (pictured above) that bloomed so beautifully at Mama's this year.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Just Gratitude, 4/11/12

Wild violets blooming at the creek.

Today I'm grateful for...
  1. I got my taxes done, and I have the money to pay what I owe.
  2. My range and cabinets are being delivered to the cabin on Saturday afternoon.
  3. A dinner invitation! Erica's parents are here, and her mom cooked a paleo dinner. Erica invited me to join them.
  4. Van was the happiest baby tonight. He was content and found almost everything funny. He said "book" for the first time while I was there. He's been making the "k" sound, but last night he put it all together and said "book."
  5. My bright pink spring sweater.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Just Gratitude, 4/10/12



Josie, Melvin, and Sonny
Locked up for the Easter Egg Hunt!
 
Today I'm grateful for:
  • This picture of the dogs from the weekend. And the dogs, especially my best buddy, Melvin.
  • For the cabin. I'm so blessed to have it.
  • My job that provides a decent income and lots of flexibility.
  • For good health.
  • For great friends, especially Erica.
  • For Van - how wonderful to have a baby in my life.
  • For family.
  • For CrossFit and being strong.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Accidental Supper Club

Paleo Supper Club

Here's a cool idea you might want to try. A few close friends and I have formed a supper club of sorts. It didn't start out that way; it started with a potluck in early February. We had all been too busy to connect over the holidays, so we picked a date/time in the "off-season" when things had settled down. The plan was simple: meet at Sheryl's house and bring a paleo dish to share. We knew we would have fun relaxing and catching up, but we were surprised by the fabulous meal our potluck provided. No single person was burdened and everyone shared in the feast. We sat around Sheryl's big table, leisurely savoring our wholesome, quilt-free paleo supper and proclaiming, "what's so hard about paleo?!" We all agreed this was one of the best meals we had ever enjoyed, and before we retired for the evening, we made tentative plans for an encore. And so our accidental supper club was formed.

The encore potluck was last night at Erica's house. The beautiful spring weather provided for perfect al fresco dining, and once again, the meal did not disappoint. For starters, we shared a glass of wine and one of my skillet meatzas.  Jax brought a delicious main course of spicy pulled pork which was balanced perfectly by Erica's beautiful salad and Sheryl's roasted vegetables. Damon brought a nice bottle of wine. For dessert we shared a wholesome, grain-free, minimally sweetened apple crisp. (I'll share the recipe for the apple crisp soon in a future post.)

It was a wonderful spring evening with friends enjoying good food, wine, and conversation.  I'm looking forward to the next one.

Van loves paleo food!

Monday, February 20, 2012

The Drift of Things

"Ah, when to the heart of man
Was it ever less than a treason
To go with the drift of things,
To yield with a grace to reason,
To bow and accept the end
Of a love or of a season?"

from "Reluctance" by Robert Frost

Robert Frost posed the question. Is it less than treason to go with the drift of things, to yield with grace to reason, to bow and accept the end of something beautiful? My answer? It is not a betrayal of beauty or love to go with the flow, to age gracefully, to move on without a fight. To do so - to go with the drift of things, is the true essence of beauty and love.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

That is Enough

“I exist as I am, that is enough,
If no other in the world be aware I sit content,
And if each and all be aware I sit content.

One world is aware, and by far the largest to me, and that is myself.
And whether I come to my own today or in ten thousand or ten million years,
I can cheerfully take it now, or with equal cheerfulness, I can wait.”

from Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Skillet Meatza

Skillet Meatza

I've had this idea for skillet meatza for a while now, and I finally got around to giving it a try. Meatza is a paleo take on pizza. Basically it is a pizza with a crust made from meat. This skillet version is easy, and I think it's a winner. Here's how I made it.

Skillet Meatza

1-1/4 lb good sausage
3 eggs
red bell pepper, sliced
baby vidalia onions, sliced
mushrooms, sliced
kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
arugula
olive oil
salt & pepper

Brown the sausage in a cast iron skillet. (I used a 10" skillet.) 

Once browned, drain the fat and remove from the heat. Press the meat down with a spatula and ensure the bottom of the skillet is covered and the meat is well packed.

Lightly saute the onions and bell pepper in a little olive oil. Set aside.

Whisk the eggs in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.  Pour the eggs over the meat and cook slowly over low heat until almost set. Top with the onions, peppers, mushrooms, and olives.

Place the skillet under the broiler and broil on high for about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Toss the arugula with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Top with the arugula and serve.


This is how it looked when it came out of the oven.
Then I topped it with the arugula and ate a piece. Yum.


Saturday, February 11, 2012

For Her. And for Me.

Whitney Houston
1963 - 2012

My eating was off track today. It started out with minor deviations from paleo, and then I found myself in a full blown sugar binge this evening.  I haven't done that in a long time. As I was sitting in my living room eating reeses peanut butter cups and surfing Facebook, I heard about Whitney Houston's death. She was basically my age, just a few years younger. I loved her in The Body Guard, and I wanted to BE her. I had a crush on Kevin Costner, and wanted him to be my body guard too. I listened to "I Will Always Love You"  over and over and pretended I could sing it like she did. Whitney Houston was talented and beautiful. And haunted by addiction. Now she's dead way too soon. I don't know why, but it's likely because she was never able to conquer her demons.  I cried for her. And for me. Then I walked to the trash and threw out the rest of the candy.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Buffalo Chicken



I found a great recipe for buffalo chicken wings in Make It Paleo. I highly recommend this cookbook. I've made the Buffalo Chicken Wing recipe twice. The first time I made it pretty much exactly as written and enjoyed it very much. The second time I made it I decided to include some drumsticks too, not just wings or drumettes. Thus the name, Buffalo Chicken instead of Buffalo Chicken Wings. I also made a couple other tweaks to the recipe; mostly I simplified the process. Here's the recipe.

Buffalo Chicken [Wings]

The Sauce
10 Fresno chilies, stems removed and rough chopped. Don't discard seeds.
1/2 cup yellow onion, rough chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 tsp coconut oil
3 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup apple cider vinegar

Pulse the garlic in food processor - a few times. Add the onion and pulse. Add the chilies and pulse until no big chunks remain.

Heat coconut oil in a large skillet set to high. Add garlic, onion, and peppers and saute about 3 minutes.

Add two cups water and cook on high for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After 10-15 minutes add an additional cup water. Turn heat to medium and continue to cook uncovered until all water has evaporated and peppers are soft.

Transfer mixtures to food processor. Add salt and blend. Slowly add the apple cider vinegar. Blend until smooth.

Makes about 1.5 cups of sauce.


Make the Chicken

About 2.5 pounds of chicken drummettes and/or drumsticks
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 cup Buffalo sauce (recipe above)

Preheat oven to 325.

Melt coconut oil and mix with a cup of the buffalo sauce.

Place chicken in a large bowl. Pour sauce over the chicken and toss to coat.

Place chicken on foil-lined sheet pan.

Bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes for drummettes, longer for drumsticks.

Finish under broiler to get a good char on the chicken.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Massaged Kale Salad



I'm on a mission to eat more veggies, specifically more leafy greens. Lately I've been eating a lot of kale.  I love it in salads. I especially like that the greens are stout and hold up so that a salad made on Sunday is still good on Wednesday.  I made a big kale salad this past Sunday and have been eating it along with my breakfast and lunch everyday.

I discovered a new technique for preparing the kale leaves. The greens are massaged with oil and vinegar (or other acid such as lemon juice). This tenderizes the leaves a bit and makes them so flavorful.

Massaged Kale Salad

1 bunch of kale, washed, trimmed, spun dry and chopped into bite site pieces
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
a squeeze of fresh orange juice
salt
pepper
other sturdy vegetables such as radish and red pepper, prepared for the salad

Add at serving time if desired:
toasted walnuts
blueberries

In a small bowl, add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Wisk together until combined.

In a large bowl, add the kale. Make sure the leaves are mostly dry. Drizzle with 1/2 or more of the dressing.  (Save the balance of the dressing to add at serving time if desired.) Add a squeeze of fresh orange juice. (I like orange rather than lemon because it adds a bit of sweetness.) Using your hands, massage the leaves until well coated with the dressing and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add other salad vegetables and toss.  At serving time, garnish with a few toasted walnuts and blueberries. 

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Roasted Plum Tomatoes

Roasted Plum Tomatoes

I love Ina Garten and recently bought her Back to Basics cookbook. Her recipes are simple with the emphasis on quality, fresh ingredients. They often work for me as written or with just a few tweaks.  Her recipe for roasted plum tomatoes in Back to Basics caught my eye.  Here's what she had to say about this recipe.
It's a challenge to take something pedestrian from the grocery store and make it really delicious. Plum tomatoes are available year-round but they generally have absolutely no flavor. I discovered that if I roast them at a high temperature with good balsamic vinegar, they develop the intense flavor of summer tomatoes. 
The only modification I made to her original recipe was to omit 2 teaspoons of sugar that she sprinkled on the tomatoes prior to roasting. Here's my version of Ina Garten's roasted plum tomatoes.

Roasted Plum Tomatoes

12 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise, seeds (not cores) removed
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, minced
salt for seasoning
freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with the garlic, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes start to caramelize and the flavors are concentrated.

Notes:
  • The only thing I'll do differently next time is to line the pan with foil to make clean up easier. The vinegar caramelized and made a mess on the pan. 
  • This recipe created a lot of smoke because of the high temperature roasting. Be prepared to crank up the exhaust fan.