Newness.

Much time has passed since my last post, but even more striking are the miles, moments, snowflakes, love, and flavors that have come and gone over the last month. It began with a journey by train from Seattle to Minneapolis--my first journey by rail.

Aside from the ache-y tailbone, the 40 hours passed like a breeze. I intentionally left my technological distractions at home in hopes of challenging myself in the art of stillness of mind and body--aside from the constant 70Mph passing beneath me. Staring out the window at hundreds of antelope bolting in the vastness of Montana (yes, they do, in fact, roam) , watching small towns with big stories pass in and out of view, and meeting travelers on their own journeys oh, so enjoyable.

I pulled into Minneapolis 5 hours late, but refreshed because my favorite pixie in the whole wide world was there to swoop me up and show my her life, her lovely lovely life. On the day that I was to hop a 1 hour flight south to St. Louis, mother nature dumped nearly 20 inches of pillowy, silencing, slowing snowy goodness onto the upper Midwest. Thank you, mother nature, for the reminder to let things happen as they will.



I soon made the hop to my homeland and was greeted by the most comforting and grounding of sights, my parents. This trip was special, because I we had time to settle into one another's company. We got to go for walks, sip coffee at The Abbey, cut down a Christmas tree, bake tons of cookies, be tourists in St. Louis, and just BE. I also got time enough quality time with special friends and family to reminisce about the past and to build on the present. Moments were so nourishing. I feel so blessed.

Have a ball!

'Tis the season for creating delicious sweet treats to share with friends and neighbors! For some reason, cookies weren't appealing to me last week. Instead, I made balls--two varieties of festive chocolate balls! (And neither required me to turn on the oven)

The first variety was a maple-sweetened truffle. Simple and healthy (enough). The second variety was a treat that reminds me of a block party that my neighborhood used to throw every fall when I was growing up. It was called "The Buckeye Festival", which was really an excuse for all of the kids to run around like crazy while the adults played some sort of wacky golf through everyone's yards while drinking beer. I have a deep fondness for the festival's namesake candy--the buckeye. Essentially, they are peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate with lots of sugar added for good measure.

Have a ball!

Coconut Cashew Truffles

1/4 c. maple syrup
1 c. cashews
3 TBS. coconut oil
3-5 TBS. unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Blend all of these ingredients in a food processor. Add more maple syrup if its too dry or more cashews and cocoa powder if its to wet. It should be sticky, but dry enough that you can shape it into balls.
2. Roll spoonfuls of it into bite-size balls.
3. Roll the balls in a little extra cocoa powder to coat them.
4. Chill and enjoy.

Peanut Butter Buckeyes

1.5 c. of natural peanut butter (I used a little bit of sesame butter)
1/4 c. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
8 oz. chocolate chips

1. Blend nut butter and real butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and continue to blend until creamy.
2. While your peanut butter mix is chilling in the refrigerator, begin to melt your chocolate chips using a double boiler.
3. Roll spoonfuls of the peanut butter into balls and drop them into the melted chocolate. Roll them around to coat--making sure to leave a little peanut butter exposed to give it the look of a buckeye (aka horse chestnut). Scoop them out of the chocolate using a fork and place on a cookie sheet. Chill in the freezer or fridge and enjoy.

A spoonful of sugar...

Upon mailing my finished thesis to Evergreen to be bound, I decided that I wanted to do something 100% light and enjoyable. Being that daylight and sunshine are at a minimum this time of year, I have decided that "thing" is to read the entire Harry Potter series. I read a few of the books years ago and they were entertaining, but I never got around to finishing them. Recently, NPR did a story about Harry Potter--that station makes everything sound so interesting.

People love the story! There is something universally satisfying about it. It is simple, yet it draws you in. Apparently, something referenced in the opening chapter of the first book resurfaces in the last book; so its well thought out too. Anyway, I have been curled up on our couch with my nose in these books for almost a week (aside from our snowshoeing and Thanksgiving adventures).

Wouldn't you know it, my most recent break from the adventures of Harry was to make an elixir with my friend J. She has an inspiring knowledge of medicinal herbs and foods. So, we have decided to, over time, try to build/make our own herbal medicine chests: tinctures, salves, balms, elixirs....

We actually thought this up before I started reading Harry Potter, but I have to say, the scent of herbs and honey cooking in boiling water have a magical quality about them. We started the process by making an Herbal Cough Elixir. We were a bit concerned about the final result as wafts of brandy and thyme burned our nose hairs, but upon sampling it, the flavor was sweet and rich. I guess a spoonful of sugar (or a few cups of honey) does help the medicine go down in the most delightful way. Cheers!

Herbal Cough Elixir
*take 1 tsp 2-3 times per day when you've got that winter cough*

2 qts of water
3 cups of honey
4 oz. of dried licorice root

4 oz. of dried wild cherry bark
2 oz. dried of fennel
2 oz. of dried thyme
4 oz. dried blue elderberries
2 handfuls of fresh or frozen raspberries
1 qt. of brandy

1. Bring water to boil and add honey.
2. Add licorice root, cherry bark, and fennel and simmer for 15min.
3. Add thyme and elderberries and simmer for 15 minutes more.
4. Turn off heat. Add raspberries and let sit for 5 minutes.
5. Strain mixture through cheesecloth.
6. Add brandy to mixture and transfer to jars or bottles.

It makes a little less than 3 quarts.

Gratitude

Vashon Kiwi Meringue Pie!

I am so very thankful...

I am often reminded re-reminded of the support and nourishment that I feel from my family each day. I feel that support all the way from Illinois, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Florida, and beyond. I feel that support and comfort right here in Washington.

On Thanksgiving, Justin and I ventured to our friends' farm on the great island of Vashon to fill our bellies and our hearts with our Washington family--and what a spirited, ridiculous, creative, grounding family it is. We cooked all day. We laughed most of the day. We had snowball fights in the dark. We took time to share the traditions of all of our individual families. And we ate! The 3-day event was delicious. I am so very thankful.

Harvesting kale for our meal.

Dinner prep in kitchen 1 (of 3).

Rob and Alice prepared copious amounts of oyster stuffing--just like my grandma makes.

Justin's 2nd year in charge of the turkey: He added brining to process this year, which was an excellent improvement.

Winner, winner, turkey dinner!


We circled up to give thanks before mashed potatoes heaps with gravy ponds were constructed.



Amidst all of the farm fresh food, we enjoyed a delicious traditional Midwestern tater tot casserole!



One hot (tasty) mess.

Before the snow...

We made a trip out to the coast to try our hand at digging razor clams. The moment we arrived, the rain began to come sideways and our lantern blew out. No luck with the clams, so we ended up drinking wine and playing uno in our little tent--not a bad alternative. The next morning, the beach was calm and beautiful and we got to stop at the Hoh to visit with the elk and see some of Justin's recent trail work.

The calm after the storm.

Mr. Big. (We were in the car and he was lying along the road)

The Misses. (She was just a few feet further up the road)

Also, we had some late-harvest treats from our garden...

Sunchokes: they have a nutty flavor just like sunflower seeds (same family, after all). They are good grated into hash browns or quartered and enjoyed raw in salads.

Our first attempt at growing celery from seed.

Perfect little imperfections, lined up in a row.

and then there was silence...

Hello, hello. I've missed you so.
But seriously. I've missed writing for pleasure..about food, especially this time of year!

Last Monday, I presented my thesis down in Olympia. The moment I finished, I felt a lightness that I haven't felt in years. I felt an internal silence--a mind without the constant nagging of pages to write and edit, power point presentations to prepare, and 45 minutes of talking to worry about...silence.

Friday was my last day of work at the Park until the new year. More silence and stillness. So, its almost fitting that from Sunday to Monday afternoon, Port Angeles got 8 inches of snow! More silence and stillness. Its begs one to curl up in front of the fire and chill. Yesterday, Justin and I walked around town--counting the snowmobiles and jumping into drifts--then, curled up in front of the fire. What goes better with snow than chocolate chip cookies and soy nog? Very little.

Justin is off to work today--shoveling snow, is my guess. I will be dreaming of our impending celebration of rich food and rich company on Vashon Island. We've got the turkey, so I hope the roads clear a bit. I picked up a few lbs. of brussel sprouts at the Port Angeles Farmer's Market on Saturday--I've set my sights on a brussel sprout casserole, of course. So, yestereday, I pulled out the vital wheat gluten once again and made pretty good batch of no-knead bread that will soon be cubed, toasted, and married to the brussel sprouts with copious amounts of egg and Willapa Hills Big Boy Blue Cheese.

No-knead Bread

Kale that crunches...

I don't know about you, but one of my favorite things about fall is the sound of leaves crunching beneath my feet on runs through town or on hikes in the woods. So simple, so satisfying.

Do you know what else is incredibly simple and oh, so satisfying?

KALE CHIPS! On the fence about whether or not you like kale? Already decided that you hate kale? Love, love, love kale?
Kale chips are for YOU. Quick, healthy, delicious...as enjoyable as the sound of crunching leaves in the fall.

KALE CHIPS!

1 bunch of kale --any variety will do
olive oil
salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Chop kale into bite-size pieces-- 3 in. squares, perhaps.
2. Put in a bowl and toss with a liberal amount of olive oil to fully coat it. Add salt and pepper and toss some more.
3. Spread chopped and seasoned kale on a baking sheet. Try not to pile it up; give it room to crisp up.
4. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until crispy, but keep a watchful eye so it doesn't burn.
5. Enjoy as a snack or crumble it up and sprinkle it on soup or pasta.
* Next time, get creative and try some additional spices.