On Certainty

”Don’t be so damned quick to judge.
The less we know about someone, the easier we find it to make a snap decision, to condemn or sneer or believe the worst.
The closer you get, the more you know about the person or the situation in question, the harder it gets to be sure of your opinion, so remember that and try to cut people a little slack.
Like Emilio says, ‘Everything we thought we understood—that was what we were most wrong about.’
So the moral of the story is to be suspicious of your own certainty.
Doubt is good.”

~ Mary Doria Russell, "Sparrow" and "Children of God"

On Discernment

"There is a criterion by which you can judge whether the thoughts you are thinking and the things you are doing are right for you.
The criterion is: Have they brought you inner peace?
If they have not, there is something wrong with them—so keep seeking!
If what you do has brought you inner peace, stay with what you believe is right."

~ Peace Pilgrim

Attitude Is/Isn't Everything

“It is our own mental attitude which makes the world what it is for us.
Our thought make things beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly.
The whole world is in our own minds.
Learn to see things in the proper light.
First, believe in this world – that there is meaning behind everything.
Everything in the world is good, is holy and beautiful.
If you see something evil, think that you are not understanding it in the right light. Throw the burden on yourselves!”

~ Swami Vivekananda

So if attitude makes the world we see, is it (literally) Everything, then?

And if attidue is not Everything, then is it nothing?

My answer:

The attitude comes first.
If we create our reality, (along with our creator, who created us) then, attitude creates
from "no-thing" into some-thing(s).

It is the something that is nothing because it comes from nothing.

So don't look to the material world for how to create -- that comes as an inspiration from within, from the source of who we are, which is the creative force of which we are a part, and thus we create, sometimes knowingly and most times, not.


“What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it’s all about?”

~ Seen on a T-shirt

Perfectionism...oops...

“Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.”

~ Thomas A. Kempis


“You see, when weaving a blanket, an Indian woman leaves a flaw in the weaving of that blanket to let the soul out.”

~ Martha Graham

“No one is perfect; that’s why pencils have erasers.”

~ Anon.

So if you are perfectionistic, then, does that mean you aren't perfect?!?

Easy Quick, Poached Egg Recipe

Poached Egg Recipe

Easy! Quick! Healthy!

Take one can of peas or carrots and put it into a saucepan with the canning water, or you can use frozen or fresh veggies and just enough water to cover.

Heat on medium low heat until just steaming, not boiling. No longer. (Don't overcook your veggies!)

Add a slice of Canadian (round) bacon. Push it into the veggies just a bit, but keep it level with the surface of the water.

Crack an egg gently onto the center of the Canadian bacon.

Cover and cook (simmer) for 3 to 4 minutes longer, not boiling. The center of the egg should still be soft.

Strain liquid off using the lid, and slide everything onto a bowl or plate.

Salt, pepper to taste. I put a dash of oil on it. Grapeseed, olive, or flax oil.

You may say; "Why poach if you are going to add oil anyway?"

This way you can control exactly how much oil you want to use without risking anything sticking to the pan or risking cooking with toxic non-stick surfaces.

The veggies hold up the slice of Canadian bacon, which holds the egg so it doesn't spread all over the water before it is cooked.

If you make it without the bacon, toss the whole, un-cracked egg into the hot water for ten seconds, then crack it gently just over the surface of the water/veggies. You can also use a large Chinese strainer spoon to get the stuff out of the hot water.

I use organic ingredients locally produced if I can. I have noticed that hens allowed to have a free range (no cages) to eat local minerals, (grit) and insects have the best-tasting eggs with bright orange, flavorful yolks.

Recently I made this with fresh, thinly sliced collard greens. I added a dash of fresh lemon juice to the greens and served the egg on top of the greens. Yum!

Also works with dandelion greens, and spinach. The egg is like a dressing on top of the greens.

Eating With The Seasons

It is interesting to eat like our great-grandparents did; with the seasons. Generally, most foods were eaten in season, and not transported long distances. The portion of the harvest that wasn't eaten right away was canned or dried.

With the abundance of food that is now available year round from all over the world, some of us have forgotten what is in season in our area. Here's a list of what is seasonal for the Milwaukee area:

Apples, August through October

Asparagus, May through August

Basil, August and September

Beets, June through October

Bitter melon, August through October

Blueberries, July into August

Broccoli, June through October

Brussels sprouts, August through mid-November

Cabbage, June into November

Cantaloupes, August and September

Carrots, June through October (local harvest available from storage through winter)

Cauliflower, August through November

Celery, August through October

Chard, July through September

Corn, mid-June through mid-August

Cucumbers, July through mid-October

Eggplant, July through mid-October

Garlic, August through November

Grapes, September

Green beans, July through September

Green onions, June through September

Greens (various), June through October

Herbs, July through October

Leeks, August through October

Lettuce (various), June through September

Melons, August and September

Mint, April through October

Onions, August through October (local harvest available from storage year-round)

Parsnips, April and May and again in October through November (local harvest available from storage through winter)

Pea greens, June and July

Peas, July through August

Peppers (sweet), July through September

Potatoes, July through October (local harvest available from storage year-round)

Pumpkins, October

RadishesRadishes, May through October

Raspberries, June into August

Rhubarb, May through June

Rutabagas, October through November (available from storage into spring)

Shelling Beans, September through October (local harvest available dried year-round)

Spinach, May through October

Summer Squash, July through October

Strawberries, June and July

Tomatoes, July through early October

Turnips, August through November (local harvest available from storage through February

Watermelons, August through September

Wild Rice, local harvest available from storage year-round

Winter Squash, August through October (local harvest available from storage through February)

Zucchini, July through October

Zucchini Blossoms, June through August

There is a great visual representation of seasonal produce at this website (look toward the bottom of the home page):

Seasonal Availability of Wisconsin Produce
http://www.farmfreshatlas.org/southeast/index.htm


I encourage everyone to locate a list like this one for their area.

Eating Well -- Local Food Challenge

I eat locally! I purchase locally!

I recently took this challenge, to eat locally for one month following these guidelines:

Guidelines for Eating Well

If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic. This is one of the most readily available alternatives in the market and making this choice protects the environment and your body from harsh chemicals and hormones.

If not ORGANIC, then Family farm. When faced with Kraft or Cabot cheeses, Cabot, a dairy co-op in Vermont, is the better choice. Supporting family farms helps to keep food processing decisions out of the hands of corporate conglomeration.

If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business. Basics like coffee and bread make buying local difficult. Try a local coffee shop or bakery to keep your food dollar close to home.

If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Terroir, which means 'taste of the Earth'. Purchase foods famous for the region they are grown in and support the agriculture that produces your favorite non-local foods such as Brie cheese from Brie, France or parmesan cheese from Parma, Italy.

Hit the farmers' market before the supermarket. Plan your meal around local ingredients you find at the market.

Branch out. Maybe your usual food repertoire could use some fresh ideas. The farmers' market provides a perfect chance to try a new ingredient when it's in season, and lets you talk to its grower to find out the best way to prepare your new food. Flirt with your food producer!

Feed the freezer. Can't cook every night? Worried about your fresh produce going bad? It's easy. Make lasagna with local tomatoes or a soup packed with fresh veggies and freeze it! You can also make personal size meals for a brown bag lunch.

Go out! Many area restaurants emphasize local foods in their dishes. Ask around, you might be surprised how many options you find that serve up local flavor.

From:

http://www.locavores.com/how/

My Report:

I loved this challenge! It inspired me to try new foods, and use more variety, paradoxically, since the limitations of eating seasonally require more resourcefulness than the usual rotation of a dozen favorite meals that we were doing before. I have been cooking from scratch more, and I like the way it feels to serve my family home-cooked foods that are also home-grown.

Having a small urban garden helps, too. I went to the Farmer's market on a regular schedule and got favorite recipes and suggestions right from the farmers themselves.

This year my goal is to visit farms we buy from and try picking our own fruits and vegetables.

I am doubling the size of my small garden and growing more herbs this summer.

I want to plant everything that tends to be costly in the store: raspberries, blueberries, shallots, garlic, fresh herbs and flowers for cutting.

I am also inadvertently growing a good share of dandelions, which we have actually been eating and taste good as long as you are sure not to spray your lawn with chemicals. Our house rabbit, Webster, loves them. This is a good incentive to get out and dig them up weekly.

Recipe for cooking Dandelions:
Wash the leaves, slice them thinly and saute in some organic olive oil or grapeseed oil, sprinkle with some fresh organic lemon juice, sea salt and pepper.
Sautee with a diced clove of fresh garlic or shallots, optional.

My Motto:
If you are going to obsess about food, why not obsess about how it is made, where it is grown, and the quality of it? You can actually loose weight when you know more about where your food comes from and what it takes to get it into your mouth...

I want to use this moment to celebrate an exceptional local food producer who is also changing the community he serves and his efforts are now being nationally recognized:

Growing Power Urban Farm, Founder: Will Allen

http://www.growingpower.org/

Growing Power's produce can be found at Outpost Natural Foods, where I shop.