Day 3

Today began with a big wind, and a limb crashing down through the back of my Subaru. Little glass shards all over the junk in the back. Armed with a shop vac, thick plastic, duct tape, and a dustpan, we cleaned up the shards, and installed a somewhat translucent back window covering…. Watch the video. Of course, when a limb shatters your window, it is a chance to reflect on how fortunate you are that it didn’t shatter your head, or cause $6000 of damage by collapsing the roof. Or you can get grumpy. Your choice.

I continued Walking to Gatsal while losing 30 pounds, and enjoyed a 3+ mile walk. Brisk and cool. Back to my stated plan to ‘walk 30 minutes every day’. My Gatsal name is Tsering Drolma. The children there gave me a name, and wrote me some cards. Even though I never met them, I just love them all. (BTW, I am not at Gatsal, and I have not lost 30 pounds, but don’t we have to start where we are?)

Today’s recipe totally kills. Which is modern-speak for ‘delicious’. We made Berbere Lentils, an Ethiopian style dish. What is ‘berbere‘? and where can you get it?  Order some. And while you’re there, get some harissa. That is something you’ll want for the next recipe.

I am giving it a whole entry of its own. I will call it Day 3A. Enjoy.

Day 2

Well, here is Day 2.

I realize that there are two things that MUST be kept in mind when writing a blog.

1. Know your audience.

2. Know your message.

This blog is unique in that I know neither. Well, acutally, I have defined my audience as “human beings who are living in a complex world, with uncertain circumstances, who are trying to make moral and ethical decisions while keeping their job and retaining healthcare”. If that’s not you, you just might be in the wrong blog.

The message? Well, that will become clear in future days. Stay tuned.

As for the blog title… I think I will subtitle it “A year of living mindfully, wearing slippers and walking to Gatsal, eating soup with gratitude”.

Today I learned about categories, which will help you navigate through this written journey, and through life. I also found a nifty ‘email subscription’ widget. See it over there on the right? Try it! and tell me what you think.

I promised recipes. And here is a great one.  A great discovery in this recipe is that if you cook the beans on the stove they will kind of explode like they were cooked in a grenade. If you cook them in the oven (as in the recipe), they maintain their integrity, and look like beans at the end. Go with the oven method. Breakthrough in cooking technology. If you try it, leave me a comment.

Enjoy the day, and the lovely moments of beauty and laughter around you!

Vegetarian Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew

Quick beans:  Bring 2 quarts of water and 3 Tablespoons of salt to a bol. Pour the water over the beans and let them sit for an hour. Drain and rinse well before step 2. Serve over toasted bread.

INGREDIENTS

               Table salt

1            pound dried cannelini beans (about 2 cups) rinsed and picked over

½         ounce dried porcini mushrooms

4 ½      cups water

1          tablespoon EVOO

1          large onion, chopped medium, about 1.5 cups

2          medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces, about 1 cup

2          medium ribs celery, cut into ½ inch pieces (about 1 cup)

8          medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

3          cups vege broth

2          medium bay leaves

1          15 ounce can deiced tomatoes, drained and rinsed

1          medium bunch kale or collard greens (1 pound), stems trimmed, leaves chopped into 1 inch pieces, about 8 cups loosely packed

1          sprig rosemary

            Ground black pepper

            Grated parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Dissolve 3 T salt into 4 quarts water in large bowl. Add beans and soak, at room temp for at least 8 and up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well. (or quick method above)
2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Place mushrooms and ½ cup water in small microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Cut several steam vents in plastic with paring knife and microwave on high power, 30 seconds. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 5 minutes. Lift mushrooms from liquid with fork and mince. Strain liquid through fine-mesh strainer lined with paper towels into medium bowl. Set mushrooms and liquid aside.
3. Heat oil in large dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are softened and lightly browned, 10-16 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining 4 cups water, broth, bay leaves, soaked beans, reserved mushrooms, and cooking liquid. Increase heat to high, and bring stew to simmer. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until beans are almost tender (very center of beans will still be firm), 45 min to 1 hour.
4. Remove pot from oven and stir in tomatoes and greens, Return pot to oven and continue to cook until beans and greens are fully tender, 30-40 minutes longer.
5. Remove pot from oven and submerge rosemary sprig in stew. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves and rosemary sprig; season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, use back of spoon to press some beans against side of pot to thicken.
6. Serve, sprinkled with parmesan cheese and lightly drizzled with EVOO.

From cooksillustrated.com

The New, Improved, Renovated Blog — A Year of …

DAY 1

Hello readers,

After watching Julie & Julia, I realized I needed to renovate my life, get a grip on my health and mission, and (of course) prepare for my book and move tour. I suspect Sarah Palin will be through with her bus by the end of the year, so that’s an option…

And now, of course, the question is… What exactly am I going to write about for the next 365 days? Julie had 524 recipes. Well, that’s been done. So I’m thinking of what my year of pondering and progress will focus on.

Several ideas have come to me. None have fully solidified as the Feature Focus. Here are some of the possibilities:

A Year of Mindful Living
Walking to Gatsal. 365 days, 30 pounds, one lifetime
Your Daily Soup
Creating an Attitude of Gratitude, one postcard at a time

I even considered getting a hookup thingy ding so my sneakers can talk to you, my devoted reader, on a daily basis. Actually, those talking sneakers are real chatterboxes, so they twit out this and that all day long. Not much for plot though.

Of course, I could mix all of the above in A Year of Living Out Loud With Slippers On.

And now, for today’s special message. It is Thanksgiving. We stop in our tracks and appreciate the people around us for a day. We appreciate our food, and where it comes from. We enjoy fine wine. And we reflect a little bit about what we appreciate. Here’s my tip of the day. Appreciate everything tomorrow too. Look people in the eye and listen to them, even when they make no sense (like Beatles lyrics). Give your attention generously. And notice that you feel more alive. And one more thing. I try to remember every day that life is precious and fragile. Cancer, bridges, earthquakes, trucks take lives away every moment. I’m lucky to be here right now. And right now. And in a minute. Yeah. I’m focusing on that good fortune and wonderful adventure of breahing. Enjoy!

Well, pleasant reader, what would you like to hear about for the next 365 days? What do YOU want to accomplish? What do you want ME to accomplish? See that comment box down there? Use it.

And Happy Thanksgiving.

A Whole New World… Day 1

DAY 1

Hello readers, After watching Julie & Julia, I realized I needed to renovate my life, get a grip on my health and mission, and (of course) prepare for my book and move tour. I suspect Sarah Palin will be through with her bus by the end of the year, so that’s an option…

And now, of course, the question is… What exactly am I going to write about for the next 365 days? Julie had 524 recipes. Well, that’s been done. So I’m thinking of what my year of pondering and progress will focus on. Several ideas have come to me. None have fully solidified as the Feature Focus.

Here are some of the possibilities:

A Year of Mindful Living

Walking to Gatsal. 365 days, 30 pounds, one lifetime

Your Daily Soup

Creating an Attitude of Gratitude, one postcard at a time

I even considered getting a hookup thingy ding so my sneakers can talk to you, my devoted reader, on a daily basis. Actually, those talking sneakers are real chatterboxes, so they twit out this and that all day long. Not much for plot though.

Of course, I could mix all of the above in A Year of Living Out Loud With Slippers On.

And now, for today’s special message. It is Thanksgiving. We stop in our tracks and appreciate the people around us for a day. We appreciate our food, and where it comes from. We enjoy fine wine. And we reflect a little bit about what we appreciate.

Here’s my tip of the day. Appreciate everything tomorrow too. Look people in the eye and listen to them, even when they make no sense (like Beatles lyrics). Give your attention generously. And notice that you feel more alive. And one more thing. I try to remember every day that life is precious and fragile. Cancer, bridges, earthquakes, trucks take lives away every moment. I’m lucky to be here right now. And right now. And in a minute. Yeah. I’m focusing on that good fortune and wonderful adventure of breahing. Enjoy!

Well, pleasant reader, what would you like to hear about for the next 365 days? What do YOU want to accomplish? What do you want ME to accomplish? See that comment box down there? Use it.

And Happy Thanksgiving.