lately

They always say that the older you get, the more quickly time passes.  In the last year or so I have noticed that my days seem shorter and that the weeks and months flash by before I can grasp them.  October is nearly over and I am still shocked by September's end.  

Time is short, and spare moments are few.  They deserve to be lingered over, savored, considered.  

Thursdays have become my favorite day of the week.  My day with Jordan, a day we make as free of obligation as possible.  We venture out, sometimes to Charlottesville or Richmond.  Sometimes we stay in.  These days are precious to me, sweet morsels calling to my attention the goodness of the life I am living.

Here are a few snapshots of that life.  Some are from Thursdays, others are not.  Each reminds me of the beauty of being alive, the glory of breath and body and light and earth.

This last shot is from this morning.  I was headed over Afton mountain, on 250 and, when I saw the sun shining on the clouds, I turned around and headed up the on the Parkway for a better perspective.  Friends, may you act on those impulses which lead you to the life beautiful and free.

[recipe] love

Friends,

It's Friday.  For a short time, Friday meant a weekend with Jordan was ahead.  I really didn't understand what we had.  Two days together, relatively free of obligation.  These days, we get one day (mostly) off together.  I don't mean to complain.  We've made our decisions and we continuously evaluate and reevaluate them.  At the end of the day, our relationship is more important than jobs and activities and projects.  Those things are negotiable.

 I've been realizing recently that sharing a meal in the midst of hectic schedules is one of the most practical and meaningful way of connecting at the beginning or end of a day.   Admittedly, a lot of our meals are spent watching our favorite sitcoms.  We recognize that this may not be the most connective activity, but that isn't what I'm here to talk about.  Whatever we are doing during our meals, whether it be giggling uncontrollably watching New Girl or having meaningful conversation, there is something  inherently connective about sharing a meal.  Together, we experience the flavor, the sating  of our hunger, the sound of the fork hitting the plate.

While I believe firmly in the connective power of a shared meal, I also believe in the connective power of a meal eaten alone.  In either context, food connects us to the world in which we live.  It is grown, transported, manipulated, and made by other human beings.  It is given to us by the earth, a gift of life and delight.  Our need for food reminds us of our dependent nature.  We are dependent on the earth, on others, on ourselves, on God.  

Yet food is difficult.  Sometimes there isn't enough.  Few of us know what it is like to experience ongoing hunger.  Most of us have too much food.  We can't seem to get away from it, even when we try.  Still, though we consume much and often, we do not approach food with intentionality.  A frozen dinner here, a granola bar there, a handful of chips, a can of soup.

I understand.  Life is busy.  Cleaning up after making a meal is the worst.  I don't have a dishwasher.  There are dishes.  All. Of. The. Time.  

But can you do something this weekend?  Make a meal and eat it with your friend, your significant other, your parents, your kids, or yourself.  Savor it and remember that it connects us all to one another and to this beautiful, amazing world in which we find ourselves.

In case you need some inspiration, here are some recipes I'm loving these days:

1. These Chickpea Crepes with Artichoke Aioli are to die for.  I skip the mushrooms and roasted tomatoes and fill them with roasted vegetables (peppers, red onions, garlic, asparagus) and wilted spinach.  

2.  I made Cauliflower Steaks earlier this week.  I used this recipe, but added curry powder.  Make it classy and serve them on top of a tower of mashed red potatoes, wilted spinach or kale, and roasted red peppers.  Glory.

3.  In the mood for breakfast?  You must make these Pumpkin Spice Latte Waffles.  There is brewed coffee in the batter.  Did you feel that?  Your taste buds just did a happy dance.

4.  Tracy made my Wednesday.  I saw an instagram of this soup in the morning and made it for dinner that evening.  I made it vegetarian friendly by simply replacing the chicken stock with vegetable stock.  I couldn't find tortellini that wasn't crazy processed, so I grabbed some organic basil and pinenut ravioli instead.

5.  Have you ever tried vegan mac and cheese? I have an never liked it before Isa came to the rescue again.  While I don't find it helpful to think of it as mac and cheese (lest I expect it to actually taste like it), this dish is just as soul-comforting and is guilt free.

Have a great weekend, beautiful people.  

Kitchn Cure: The Other Days

Ok, so, the Kitchn Cure.  It involved a lot of organization and a lot of cleaning.  Am I right?  If you didn't sign up, take my word for it.  If you did, call me and let's commiserate together.

Admittedly, I still haven't gotten around to Day 4: Deep Clean.  Cue a tantrum from my inner brat.  She's the one who likes to stomp her feet and whine until she gives herself what she wants.  Oh yeah, she's THAT girl.  I'll get around to it one of these days.

I did, however, manage to clean and organize the pantry (Day 2), declutter my appliances (one-third of Day 3), restock a few ingredients (Day 5), pick up the steel mixing bowl I've been meaning to purchase for at least a year (Day 6), complete a small special project (Day 7), and bring two new plants into the kitchen (Day 8).  Days 9 and 10 involved cooking myself a meal and then planning a dinner party.  I actually really loved that one day was dedicated to cooking a meal for yourself.  While I cook dinner most evenings, I realize that there are a lot of people who either do not or cannot do so regularly.  Even after a day of making food for other people for eight hours, coming home and crafting a meal, however simple or complex, for myself and Jordan reminds me to slow down and savor both the process and result.  I hope that by setting aside time to make it happen, hundreds of people found peace in feeling the crisp pepper yield to the knife's sharp edge, breathing in the aroma of toasted spices, and experiencing the explosion of flavor as the roasted tomato burst in their mouths.

Of course, I also love that Day 10 asked participants to plan a dinner party.  I haven't decided whether or not I will plan a formal dinner party.  Again, I love that it was an assignment because I think that gathering together around a table is the epitome of life.  Really, I do.  While holding a formal, planned-well-in-advance dinner gathering would be lovely, having people at our table is pretty standard fare.

Overall, I felt the Kitchn Cure was only moderately helpful.  I wish it had been extended over a longer period of time and that there had been more emphasis on special projects.  I also wish that it had provided more ideas for how to better organize food and utensils for a more efficient space.  I know a few of you signed up.  What did you think of it?  Did you get super organized and clean?  Accomplish any fun projects?


But, again, a little goes a long way.  Without further ado, here are a few glimpses at my Kitchn Cure.  Forgive the picture quality, iPhone pictures all the way.

Pantry before:

Pantry after:

Eventually, we want to take down the door and put up a heavy curtain in its place to make the pantry more easily accessible and functional.  We plan to hang a peg board on the wall not visible in these photos and use it as storage for pots and pans.  Also, one day I'll get around to painting the walls and shelves and maybe even adding some fun wallpaper?  I'm thinking about frosting the window so that the shade could be removed.  But I'm also thinking a bamboo blind would work well. 

My project was simply hanging these letters.  I found them at Goodwill for a $12.  I snagged an air-purifying plant for the cork-bottomed planter seen below.  I picked up the planter at Crate and Barrel for $4 months ago and hadn't taken the time to do anything with it.  I'm so happy it houses a happy plant now!

Kitchn Cure: Day 1

It has only been in the last few years that I have begun to understand the importance of the kitchen.  I'm sure most of us have dozens of vivid memories involving this room.  I remember frequently sitting on the counter, bare feet dangling, cracking eggs and adding them to my mom's chocolate chip cookie batter.  Often, I assumed this position in my Grandma B's kitchen which happened to be conveniently situated below my own.  The woman was a whirlwind.  In life, yes, but especially in the kitchen.  She would occasionally hand me a spoon filled with her beloved (and nearly impossible to replicate) chocolate icing.  And though she rarely offered me spoken words of affirmation, the spoon of icing was a testament to pure love and adoration.

At Grandma Stokes' house (just a hop, skip, and jump across a field), my feet stayed on the ground, but the message was the same.  She would bake sugar cookies and invite me to help her decorate.  Or she would make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, carefully cutting off the crust to appease me.

In my family, the kitchen was the center of the home.  In that room, love and joy were freely expressed.

When hosting parties in our home, I often find that everyone in attendance migrates to the kitchen.  In our current house, the kitchen is a tiny space, unable to contain more than three or four people without risking stubbed toes and spilled food.  Still, I've seen at least ten people voluntarily gathered there, chatting and eating and laughing.

I've said it before.  When we bought our house, we knew a kitchen renovation would be in order.  But, over the year, we found other projects, trips, gifts, animals, and emergencies to sink our fiscal teeth into.  So it goes.  It appears we are looking at another year or two or three before a renovation takes place.  And you know what?  It's ok.  The appliances work, our cabinets are functional, the counter is sturdy.  The only major thing that is an absolute must in the coming months is the partial removal of the wall dividing the kitchen and the dining room.  But, we'll get there eventually.

 In the meantime, I have been looking for little ways to improve the space.  The walls have gone from dirty cream to sage green to stark white.

 The peel-and-stick floor was pulled up, the stained floor refinished, and a rug thrown down to hide the blemishes.

We added some new hardware, but not all of it.  I used burlap to cover the blinds (let's not talk about how those are actually hanging over the windows).

I realized only recently that it has actually come a long way with a little work.

When The Kitchn announced the beginning of their annual "Kitchn Cure," I signed up.  Running from September 30 to October 11, an email is delivered (almost) daily to participants' inbox, giving them their "assignment."  Each task is designed to help give your kitchen a facelift without requiring an overhaul.  It is a perfect kick-in-the-pants for those of us who don't have a five figure renovation budget, who are renting, or who just want to switch things up a bit. 

Although it started yesterday, I only just got around to completing the first assignment this evening.  That being said, it's not too late to join if you're longing for a little help getting your kitchen cleaned, organized, and gussied up.

I'm going to attempt to blog about my progress.  I'd love to hear about yours.  If you're interested, just go to The Kitchn Cure and enter your email address.

So, what was the first assignment?  Clean out the fridge.

UGH.  Why?

We all know how to clean out the refrigerator.  I think its probably safe to say that we all hate doing it.  But, alas.  Here was the before:

  And the after:

I threw away an entire garbage bag worth of stuff.  Perhaps maintaining a sparse refrigerator would help reduce waste?  I think it's worth a shot.