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| Serendipity Photography
It's hard to believe that a whole week has gone by since my darling daughter, Rachel married her handsome sweetheart, Jubal in a dear old church in Portland, Maine. As mother-of-the bride, I had the distinct honor of helping with the ringing of the big bell in the steeple, announcing to the whole world that the last of my four children, had indeed, tied the knot.
Now that the two lovebirds have flown off for an extended honeymoon to the Emerald Isle, the rest of us are left behind to pack away the array of gifts, dry the bridal bouquet, and devour the remainder of the decadent chocolate-raspberry wedding cake. Flurries of e-mails and texts are sent back and forth across The Pond as we relive The Big Day, marveling in how we managed to get two large far-flung families all under one roof, and how the fickle spring weather impressed us with its cooperation.
As I look back on last Saturday, what I remember most is how we were all bursting with giddy joy and the way the glitter of the bride and groom sparkled over us as we celebrated this long-awaited wedding day.
Bearing witness to a couple in love always inspires me to love better, do better, be better. In the endless sea of smiles, kisses, hugs, and laughter, I sensed a silvery thread that united us all. It's no small thing to stand together honoring and supporting these two people who we love, this sacred commitment that they share, and this intertwined journey they have agreed to begin together.
So it goes. Just when I think my heart is holding all the love, joy, and dazzle I can possibly handle, it expands even more to house yet another sweet son-in-law and his amazing, beautiful, crazy assortment of relatives and friends. Today, I feel so much richer than I did a week ago. Like the happy couple, I am lit up from within, radiant with the knowledge that love always finds a way. We just need to stand aside and allow it to happen, to be ready, and to have faith that love will have its way with us in its own good time.
In all the years I have left to me, I will not forget watching these two dear ones fall in love, and that on the day they were united how they glowed golden, causing the sun, moon and every star to always be jealous of how they shine.
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Sunday, April 14, 2013
Lit Up
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Embracing the Season
This morning after going down to the wet basement in my robe and slippers to find big puddles everywhere and having to adjust the yowling sump pump YET AGAIN, I've been keeping myself braced up against the dull numbness of yet another winter day by snacking on pineapple and taking virtual trips to tropical destinations. Maui. Bali. St. Tropez. Even Pennsylvania, where my sister lives, sounds good. At least it's warmer there. And different.
Okay. Enough indulging myself with complaints. Since this blog is entitled "Comfort and Joy", I really shouldn't be using it as a platform to be negative, unless I change the title to "Mud, Slush, and Where is the Snow Scraper?"
Really, other than the 16-day bout with the flu that ushered in the start of February, things haven't been too bad. I'm still able to talk myself into thinking the snow is pretty and fun, especially delighting in the fact that my oldest grandson has not only learned to ski, but is already hitting the intermediate slopes, impressing the heck out of all the rest of us. Each storm (some lasting two days, followed by THE BIG THAW) is, after all, an excuse to drink hot chocolate festooned with real cream, light a fire in the fireplace, and play board games, (I'm getting good at cribbage, so watch out. ) or rest on the red sofa pretending to read. With my eyes closed.
When we're feeling desperate, my entire family goes candlepin bowling for an hour or so, or to the elementary school where we work out our winter blues in the gym shooting each other with Nerf missiles while playing "Battle Rockets", a game endeared to us at summer day camp. I love winning, even though I know it's because no one wants to aim at and hit Grammie Red, the Old Lady.
Now that I think about it, there are moments that are more than bearable; some are even blissful. Maybe I can go twenty more days until the first moment of Spring...hopefully without biting anybody.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Weekly Soup-I
At this point, my soup-eating habit is nearly legendary. It seems I've turned soup-making into a near-religious
experience. When I’m meditatively chopping
vegetables and herbs to add to a pot of homemade stock, I feel blessed with
abundance and that all is right with the world. I'm so blissed out on soup that I make a potful a week, delighting in knowing that there is always a container of "fast food", in the fridge, ready to heat up at a moment's notice to fill my belly and share with whoever happens to come into my life that day.
I've been collecting recipes for years now, but often just grab my soup bible for inspiration. Otherwise known as "The Big Book of Soups & Stews", I peruse it often. My very well-loved copy is full of yellow highlighted pages, notes in the margins, and penned-in stars. If you were to pull it off the shelf and take a glimpse, you might see my handwritten notes: "needed more garlic", "not so many beans", "Double It!", "Winner!" and "It was yucky."
My kitchen is never without onions, celery, carrots and herbs; everything you need for a basic vegetable stock. Sometimes I don't even crack open the Soup Bible, I just begin chopping and see where my imagination takes me. I've been known to only make the broth and leave it at that, sipping steaming cupfuls throughout the day to fortify my immune system and soothe any random frayed nerves. It's also a fabulous weight-loss snack. Try this in place of your morning coffee or night-time tea:
Light Vegetable Broth (adapted from 1,000 Vegan Recipes, by Robin Robertson)
1 T olive oil
2 onions, quartered
2 carrots, chopped
2 parsnips (optional-gives a fabulous spring-time taste)
1 small beet (optional-lends a lovely rosy color)
1 small potato (optional-an added potassium boost)
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed
Cover and cook over medium heat until softened and browned a bit.
Add 8 c water, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 T parsley, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Bring to a boil then simmer for at least 2 hours. Makes 6 c.
Very, very nice. Healthy. It will make your heart smile.
Following is one of my personal favorites. It's a rib-sticking, complete meal that's special enough to serve at a winter dinner party. The secret ingredient: a lovely bit of prosciutto!
Italian Country Vegetable Soup (adapted from The Big Book of Soups & Stews, by Maryana Vollstedt)
In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 1 T olive oil and add:
3 oz. chopped prosciutto
1 c chopped onion
2 chopped carrots
2 ribs chopped celery
3 cloves chopped garlic
Saute until tender, about 5 minutes, then add:
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
2 c shredded cabbage
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp oregano
Cook for 1 minute. Add:
4 c vegetable or chicken stock, so much tastier if it's homemade!
1 T tomato paste
2 T Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 c Great Northern beans, presoaked (1/3 c dried beans)
Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, about 1 1/2 hrs.
Remove lid, add 2 c julienned Red Chard, stems removed, or 2 c spinach or a combination of any greens. Simmer uncovered until greens are tender. Ladle up and serve w/ more grated Parmesan cheese and:
Garlic Crumbs
Tear 4-5 stale rustic bread slices in chunks, leave them out on the counter to get good and hard. Place bread in food processor and process to coarse crumbs. In a frying pan over med-high heat, melt 2 T butter w/1 T olive oil, add 2 lg cloves minced garlic. Add crumbs and toss to coat. Stir constantly until crumbs are crispy. Don't eat them until the soup is ready!! You will be sorely tempted! With these on hand, you'll never dip a cracker into soup again. Ever.
As the pot simmers on the back of the stove, its delicious aroma conveys that I'm providing something good for myself and for those I love. I have what I need. I have enough.
May you always have abundance in your life, and someone to share it with. Warm winter blessings to you and yours-
I've been collecting recipes for years now, but often just grab my soup bible for inspiration. Otherwise known as "The Big Book of Soups & Stews", I peruse it often. My very well-loved copy is full of yellow highlighted pages, notes in the margins, and penned-in stars. If you were to pull it off the shelf and take a glimpse, you might see my handwritten notes: "needed more garlic", "not so many beans", "Double It!", "Winner!" and "It was yucky."
My kitchen is never without onions, celery, carrots and herbs; everything you need for a basic vegetable stock. Sometimes I don't even crack open the Soup Bible, I just begin chopping and see where my imagination takes me. I've been known to only make the broth and leave it at that, sipping steaming cupfuls throughout the day to fortify my immune system and soothe any random frayed nerves. It's also a fabulous weight-loss snack. Try this in place of your morning coffee or night-time tea:
Light Vegetable Broth (adapted from 1,000 Vegan Recipes, by Robin Robertson)
1 T olive oil
2 onions, quartered
2 carrots, chopped
2 parsnips (optional-gives a fabulous spring-time taste)
1 small beet (optional-lends a lovely rosy color)
1 small potato (optional-an added potassium boost)
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed
Cover and cook over medium heat until softened and browned a bit.
Add 8 c water, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 T parsley, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Bring to a boil then simmer for at least 2 hours. Makes 6 c.
Very, very nice. Healthy. It will make your heart smile.
Following is one of my personal favorites. It's a rib-sticking, complete meal that's special enough to serve at a winter dinner party. The secret ingredient: a lovely bit of prosciutto!
Italian Country Vegetable Soup (adapted from The Big Book of Soups & Stews, by Maryana Vollstedt)
In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 1 T olive oil and add:
3 oz. chopped prosciutto
1 c chopped onion
2 chopped carrots
2 ribs chopped celery
3 cloves chopped garlic
Saute until tender, about 5 minutes, then add:
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
2 c shredded cabbage
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp oregano
Cook for 1 minute. Add:
4 c vegetable or chicken stock, so much tastier if it's homemade!
1 T tomato paste
2 T Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 c Great Northern beans, presoaked (1/3 c dried beans)
Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, about 1 1/2 hrs.
Remove lid, add 2 c julienned Red Chard, stems removed, or 2 c spinach or a combination of any greens. Simmer uncovered until greens are tender. Ladle up and serve w/ more grated Parmesan cheese and:
Garlic Crumbs
Tear 4-5 stale rustic bread slices in chunks, leave them out on the counter to get good and hard. Place bread in food processor and process to coarse crumbs. In a frying pan over med-high heat, melt 2 T butter w/1 T olive oil, add 2 lg cloves minced garlic. Add crumbs and toss to coat. Stir constantly until crumbs are crispy. Don't eat them until the soup is ready!! You will be sorely tempted! With these on hand, you'll never dip a cracker into soup again. Ever.
As the pot simmers on the back of the stove, its delicious aroma conveys that I'm providing something good for myself and for those I love. I have what I need. I have enough.
May you always have abundance in your life, and someone to share it with. Warm winter blessings to you and yours-
Sunday, December 23, 2012
My Christmas Prayer
For the next few days, at least, I pray you will focus on angels, the ones who are already part of your life,
and the ones you'll encounter along your path without even realizing it.
I pray you will focus on magic
and laughter,
togetherness and fun.
Most of all, this Christmas, I pray you will remember,
and believe.
May the peace of the Holy Spirit guide your way this Christmas and always.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
The Christmas Cookie
This week I spent a very content, productive afternoon making Christmas cookies. In years past, I have made about 20 different kinds, but now I make just a few favorites and leave the rest of the baking to my very capable grown-up children. Several years ago, we started a tradition of an exchange where we gather together with our cookies and containers to plan the Christmas Day festivities. We reminisce, laugh, knit, and give hints for presents, all the while sampling one another's baked goods and trying not to clobber one another or throw around impatient, inappropriate remarks. I always come away from this gathering with a full heart, a bit of a sugar high, and wondering how I could have possibly given birth to four children who are so much the same, yet all so different.
As far as the cookies go, I leave trying out the newest Ina Garten and Nigella Lawson concoctions to the girls while I stay with the old-fashioned recipes I've always been partial to. Shortly after Thanksgiving, I go through my beat-up black card file and dig for the faded, nearly illegible hand-written recipe cards I've had in my possession for 40 years. As Christmas approaches, I wait for the kind of snowy day when I know without a doubt that I will not want to so much as stick my nose out the kitchen door. I put on some old Bing Crosby and Perry Como cassette tapes, get out the gigantic blue and white bowl, and begin.
One of my favorite cookie recipes comes from a time long ago, when a wood-fired cook stove was the heart of the house. My mother, Agnes Scanlon Schneider has very fond memories of her Great-aunt Clara making gigantic molasses cookies when she was a little girl growing up in Hannibal, New York. My mom has made these cookies many times herself and I remember happy visits to NY with my own little girls, where we sat around the kitchen table enjoying these enormous warm molasses cookies with a cup of piping hot tea or cold milk after the girls' nap-time.
I even have memories of Great-great Aunt Clara who turned 80 the day my younger sister was born. I have the recollection of my grandparents bringing this tiny elderly lady to special birthday dinners in our dining room. All us children were dressed in our Sunday best and the table was set with the fine china, crystal wineglasses and good silver. There are photos of my sister and I in identical dresses, flanking the diminutive lady with the lace collar and antique brooch, her snow-white hair pulled back into a tight little bun.
Mom loves to tell the story of how she often visited her great-aunt Clara and would be treated to the lovely, puffy, spicy cookies we have all grown so fond of. She has related several times how Aunt Clara would hand her a cookie, and how her well-meaning mother, my sweet grandmother, would take the cookie away for a moment to break it in two pieces before handing it back to my mother. Mom says it always made her sad to have the cookie taken away from her and broken in two. I can picture her little girl self with her blonde curls,her blue eyes misting, not understanding why her mother wouldn't let her have the whole beautiful cookie all in one piece. She tells how she dared not complain or whine. She thinks her mother did this so there would be less crumbs to sweep up. Perhaps my grandmother thought the substantial cookie was easier for her little girl to eat if there was a half for each hand. To this day, whenever my mother sees someone break one of the cookies in half before eating it, she gets that same sad feeling. I have even heard her cry out, "No!" if someone breaks the cookie in half so it can be dipped into their cup of coffee or tea.
Mom uses Great Aunt Clara's over-sized cookie cutter when she makes the cookies. I have to resort to a one-pound coffee can, but I do roll them out with my grandmother's rolling pin, which is my most treasured possession. The recipe I'm about to share here is much cherished by our family and is printed here with my mother's blessing. You will probably be shocked to see that the cookies contain lard. It's really important to not substitute shortening or butter; the flavor just isn't the same. Buy the lard and don't think about it too much. You won't be sorry. Have the tea ready as soon as the first batch comes out of the oven. Set aside some to take to a little old lady later in the day. Invite a friend or two for a visit. Sit by the fire with your feet up. Reminisce. For my mother's sake, whatever you do, don't break the cookies in half! Just eat the whole thing and don't worry about the calories, or the crumbs!
Great-great Aunt Clara Cole's Molasses Cookies
1 c. melted lard (cooled to lukewarm)
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. molasses
Mix w/a wooden spoon until blended.
Add alternately w/ 1 c. sour milk:
5-6 c. flour
4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ginger (You can add another tsp. if you want.)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
Roll to about 1/4-1/2 inch thick on a floured board and cut out w/an over-sized cookie cutter or 1-lb. coffee can.
Sprinkle w/sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes (depending on size of cookies) on baking sheets lined w/wax or parchment paper. Makes about 20. You may want to make a double batch!
One of my favorite cookie recipes comes from a time long ago, when a wood-fired cook stove was the heart of the house. My mother, Agnes Scanlon Schneider has very fond memories of her Great-aunt Clara making gigantic molasses cookies when she was a little girl growing up in Hannibal, New York. My mom has made these cookies many times herself and I remember happy visits to NY with my own little girls, where we sat around the kitchen table enjoying these enormous warm molasses cookies with a cup of piping hot tea or cold milk after the girls' nap-time.
I even have memories of Great-great Aunt Clara who turned 80 the day my younger sister was born. I have the recollection of my grandparents bringing this tiny elderly lady to special birthday dinners in our dining room. All us children were dressed in our Sunday best and the table was set with the fine china, crystal wineglasses and good silver. There are photos of my sister and I in identical dresses, flanking the diminutive lady with the lace collar and antique brooch, her snow-white hair pulled back into a tight little bun.
Mom loves to tell the story of how she often visited her great-aunt Clara and would be treated to the lovely, puffy, spicy cookies we have all grown so fond of. She has related several times how Aunt Clara would hand her a cookie, and how her well-meaning mother, my sweet grandmother, would take the cookie away for a moment to break it in two pieces before handing it back to my mother. Mom says it always made her sad to have the cookie taken away from her and broken in two. I can picture her little girl self with her blonde curls,her blue eyes misting, not understanding why her mother wouldn't let her have the whole beautiful cookie all in one piece. She tells how she dared not complain or whine. She thinks her mother did this so there would be less crumbs to sweep up. Perhaps my grandmother thought the substantial cookie was easier for her little girl to eat if there was a half for each hand. To this day, whenever my mother sees someone break one of the cookies in half before eating it, she gets that same sad feeling. I have even heard her cry out, "No!" if someone breaks the cookie in half so it can be dipped into their cup of coffee or tea.
Mom uses Great Aunt Clara's over-sized cookie cutter when she makes the cookies. I have to resort to a one-pound coffee can, but I do roll them out with my grandmother's rolling pin, which is my most treasured possession. The recipe I'm about to share here is much cherished by our family and is printed here with my mother's blessing. You will probably be shocked to see that the cookies contain lard. It's really important to not substitute shortening or butter; the flavor just isn't the same. Buy the lard and don't think about it too much. You won't be sorry. Have the tea ready as soon as the first batch comes out of the oven. Set aside some to take to a little old lady later in the day. Invite a friend or two for a visit. Sit by the fire with your feet up. Reminisce. For my mother's sake, whatever you do, don't break the cookies in half! Just eat the whole thing and don't worry about the calories, or the crumbs!
Great-great Aunt Clara Cole's Molasses Cookies
1 c. melted lard (cooled to lukewarm)
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. molasses
Mix w/a wooden spoon until blended.
Add alternately w/ 1 c. sour milk:
5-6 c. flour
4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ginger (You can add another tsp. if you want.)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
Roll to about 1/4-1/2 inch thick on a floured board and cut out w/an over-sized cookie cutter or 1-lb. coffee can.
Sprinkle w/sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes (depending on size of cookies) on baking sheets lined w/wax or parchment paper. Makes about 20. You may want to make a double batch!
Friday, December 14, 2012
A Winter Walk
To justify my recent big and hearty breakfast at Betty's at the beginning of the week, I had to follow the indulgence with a power walk up and down Bath's hilly sidewalks.
With the mild temperatures and mellow sunshine earlier this week, it was a real treat to be out and about admiring the familiar sights in the place I call home. The scent of the sea was in the air and the feeling around the City of Ships was friendly, light and festive.
As I walked along the Kennebec, I noticed many smiling faces, frisky dogs, and playful toddlers dressed in colorful caps and scarves. The river was calm, inviting me to sit on a bench and contemplate life for a few restful moments before moving on.
As I sat there, I felt grateful for my little corner of the world here in Maine where I'm surrounded by family and friends, where I feel blessed every day by beautiful surroundings, kind people, and a sense of serenity. The boundless ocean and the waterways that connect to it keep me mindful of the ebb and flow of life; the times of abundance and the times of scarcity.
I was thankful for the gift of time to walk in the sunlight on a winter's day, to know I had a warm home to go to and an afternoon spread out before me which I could choose to spend in myriad ways.
I'm hopeful that I can continue to steer clear of the stress and busyness that can make itself ever more apparent at this time of year. I remind myself to take time to breathe, go for walks, be a good steward of what I have, and to stay in touch with the simplicity and beauty of the everyday.
Yes. I am grateful.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
So It Begins...
Combined with boughs from the evergreens growing around the yard, I can decorate without spending a cent. Doing this task not only gets me outside for some fresh air but satisfies the frugal forager in me. It really pleases me to bring the Christmas colors of nature into the house sprig by sprig, branch by branch.
Such a simple thing brings me so much delight!
Once the wreaths and greens are in place, I get that festive feeling...
You can come now, Christmas.
I'm ready for you.
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