THE CYCLE OF SEASONS: AUTUMN

Will you join me as we experience the end of Autumn days, so mellow, so beautiful in death; in giving thanks for the Creator-given cycle of birth, burgeoning life, and now, a return to the earth from whence it all sprang?

                                                                        dulcetly

The winds come and comb the leaves 

from the sap-spent trees;

jewel-like leaves falling through our fingers.

                                                                                                               ghostnights

 We take long walks, enjoying the crunch

of those multi-colored leaves underfoot.

                                                                                                            seasonal-love

 Then return home and rake them into

brittle piles for the children to run and

jump into!

                                                                                      soulemama

The last of the apples 

are gathered in

                                                                                         weheartit

                                         for cider, pies, and crisps...

                                                                                            pumpkinseason

 and lovely, plump pumpkins lying amongst

their withered life-giving leaves, to be 

placed in cold cellars.

                                                                                                             thewholehalf

 The golden honey is gathered from the

combs, largesse freely given by 

the busy bees of summer.

                                                                                                             vintagehome

And just in time, for the Fall rains have

begun to drive us inside again... 

                                             JohnGalboPhotography

And because we, like the bees, have not been lazy,

but have stock-piled logs from the surrounding trees,

just waiting for the lighted match...

                                                                                   indiandreams

We can snuggle up in front of a nice, warm and

crackling fire that pours out a welcome

to our cold and weary bones.

                                                                                           dearposy

And because the larder shelves are groaning

with "summer in a jar", to be savored throughout

the non-productive months, we thank God for all

the bounty and the strength to put them by.

                                                cotton-balls

The squirrels, too, hasten to seek and bury 

their bounty, buried treasure 

whose location is known only to them 

throughout the long winter months.

                                  anaisdaxphotography

And in the warmth and comfort of our home 

we turn our hands to other activities:

preserving the colors and textures of nature

through paint and brush...

                                                                                coastalcottage

seeking the long ignored knitting basket

I now pull it close and finger the soft and fine

wool, soon to be shaped into something utilitarian.

                                                                                       pinterest

Or I may just throw another log onto the low dying fire,

plop into my overstuffed chair, and read words

that transport me to a warmer, sunnier clime;

ever thankful even so for the advancing, 

changing seasons as dependable 

as the ticking of the wall clock

down the hall.

UN-STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS: NON-FASTING

Do you find yourself looking for a quick and easy, yet nutritious, recipe that you can confidently go to again and again.  Well this one does it for me.  I tried it recently and my dear husband and I just LOVED IT!  Besides being ultra tasty, I have learned that cabbage is a superfood containing many nutrients:  it is known to heal stomach ulcers and preventing cancer--especially colon cancer; it is a very alkaline-forming food that we should feel confident in eating often.

Ingredients:  1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey (I really liked it with the turkey), 1 Tbsp oil, 1 large onion chopped, 1 clove garlic minced (I used more), 1 small head cabbage chopped, 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) or 1 quart home-canned tomatoes diced, 1 can (either 8 or 14.5 ounces) tomato sauce, 1/2 to 1 cup water, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp sea salt.  Note:  I also add Herbes de Provence or something similar, to taste.  Basil is also nice.  Basil is always nice with any recipe containing tomatoes in my humble opinion.

Preparation:  In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, stirring, until meat is no longer pink and onion is tender/translucent.  Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.  Add the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper, and salt (and any well-loved herbs and spices).  Cover and simmer until cabbage is tender, about 20-30 minutes.  Keep an eye on it so you don't over-cook it.  Serves 6-8 depending on appetites!  Excellent as a leftover.  

Enjoy!

EYE CANDY: A Visual Vacation

This is what we were the last seven days
as we had a wonderful visit with our daughter
Stephanie and family in Canada.  We even did a 
1000-piece puzzle together and many other fun things.  How we will miss them, until the next
time, God willing!

TRIBUTE TO THE EAR

HIDDEN, YET REVEALED

A TRIBUTE TO A PART OF CHRIST'S BODY:  THE EAR,

AND TO THOSE WITH THE MODEST GIFT OF LISTENING

There are those who listen

While they in silence wait;

The outer and inner ear, as well as the heart

Are tuned to things not seen,

Self forgotten.

Just as the Master bends low,

His Fatherly ear always open,

Listening to the wounded creature who cries,

Uttered or hurting, muted;

Articulated or staunchly secluded.

It has been said, speech is 

"A faculty given to man to conceal his thoughts"

(Talleyrand).

But you look beyond, you always look deeper:

Things hidden, these also seen by the Master.

You seem to fish for hidden pearls,

Flashes of light long concealed,

The mirror of the soul now revealing; 

For a crusty exterior gently exposed

And pried open, reveals a treasure worth seeking.

Oh my friend, as I watch you today and I listen,

You show me the workings of mystery:

Love throws the net, patience the bait;

While you listen and wait,

Ear bending near, 

 Unknowing, you follow The Master.

     "And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I am not of the

      body,' is it therefore not of the body?...But now God has set the

      members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased."  

             (1 Corinthians 12:16,18)

EYE CANDY: A Visual Vacation

erikgroomerphotos

I think Erik has photographed a winner here,

captured while he and his family were in

Mexico.

EYE CANDY: A Visual Vacation

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PRAYER IN THE AIR: Figures of the True

Why is it that prayer comes easier at 25,000 feet?  Locked into an Airbus A320 and seated at a window one has a "front row seat" from which to view the airy, created glories of God unseen by those who are earthbound below.  Whether flung out onto the sea in ships, or up into the sky in a metal tube, there is a sharp separation from the everyday cares while flying in the moving upward to thinner, lighter, air; an allegorical leaving of the things which are passing away for the eternally holy and pure for which we have been destined by our Creator.  There is the feel of commonplace responsibilities falling away as the plane pulses and overcomes that which would hinder it's upward victory over gravity.

When I stepped onto the plane, I inherently gave permission to be taken from one sphere into another.  This turning from the known to the unknown required a measure of faith, which ultimately produced a remote destination at which I hoped to arrive safely. In the skies there are highways by which the aircraft is "vectored" to it's final landing spot; change the compass heading by as little as one degree on a long flight and you can miss your desired destination.

Even while considering the possibility of error in an earthly sense, one can take comfort in these ageless words:  "They that go down to the sea in ships [or up into the skies in planes]...These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep [or in the heavens]...", for there is no place where we can flee from His Presence.  God is our eternal point of reference, being "everywhere present and filling all things".  In His lovingkindness He has given us of His Holy Spirit, who keeps our inner compass set toward Heaven; who gently but firmly redirects us, when necessary, back to the narrow road leading Home.

I turned in my seat to get a better view of the spectacular show of solid cloud cover that billowed into various shapes of pure whipped white, forming columns of moist air.  The radiant sun seems to kiss the tops, casting shadows into the mysterious caverns below.  As usual, I felt all that I would need do was simply step off the wing and go for a cloud walk, traversing mile after mile of untrod, unchartered frontiers.

Worship before the Creator of such beauty became spontaneous, calming my fears that began to surface.  This flash of glory outside my window was a gift from the God who pities and protects, His hand under the belly of this polished shaft fashioned from men's minds, carrying it and those inside safely to our destination.

And then I received a deeper sense of Christ's presence, these truths echoing and underlining all that had come before:  shall He not also carry His own until that final day, when faith shall become sight, when cloud castles become a place prepared; when all that is encapsulated within time shall be shaken, folded up and be made new, dreams of distant cloudscapes evaporating in the light and loveliness of His face?  These "figures of the true" felt and glimpsed while speeding through space only hint at what is yet to come, for they are time-bound; but we are bound for eternal realms where worship and adoration will never cease, for we shall have reached our Destination, Christ Himself, and our Heavenly Father, who loves us and gave His Son for us.

             "If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there...if I take the wings of the 
           morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there 
           shall thy hand lead and thy right hand shall hold me. " (Psalm 139:8-10)

DELISH SOMETIMES NUTRISH

Photos and Recipe Rattlebridge Farm



LAVENDER GRANOLA

What You Need:

1 large baking pan (such as a disposable turkey pan)
4 cups OLD FASHIONED OATS
1 cup chopped PECANS (or other nuts)
1/2 cup sliced ALMONDS
1 Tbsp organic FLAX SEED
1 Tbsp WHEAT GERM

Add your favorite goodies, such as:
RAISINS
CHOPPED DATES
DRIED CRANBERRIES
DRIED CHERRIES
DRIED RASPBERRIES
DRIED BLUEBERRIES
COCONUT FLAKES
BREAKFAST TRAIL MIXES

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Place dry ingredients into the pan and mix.

Add:
1/2 cup LAVENDER HONEY
1/2 cup LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
1/4 to 1/2 cup CANOLA or COCONUT OIL
1 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT
1/2 tsp GROUND CINNAMON
1/2 (or more!) CULINARY LAVENDER

Mix and pour over dry ingredients.
Blend well.

Place pan in oven and bake 15 minutes.  Stir.

Bake 15 more minutes.  Stir.  Continue baking in 5 minute 

increments or until granola is golden brown. 

Watch it carefully!

Remove from oven and cool.

Lavender adds a layer of mystery to this recipe.

It's delicious by itself, with milk, or sprinkled over ice cream.

This granola can be incorporated into a key lime or lemon pie crust. Just add graham cracker crumbs and pulverize in a good processor. 

But you'll probably want to eat this cereal with a spoon. 

It's a good thing that it's healthy--because it's addictive.

Note from Michele:  Culinary lavender is available through Nichols Garden Nursery at www.nicholsgardennursery.com, and elsewhere.  You need not follow the recipe in every detail, but feel free to add or subtract according to your mood, fancy, dietary needs or pantry.  Just don't forget the lavender!

NOVEMBER

By Hartley Coleridge

Photo Courtesy of Wallpaperarchives

The mellow year is hastening to it's close;

The little birds have almost sung their last,

Their small notes twitter in the dreary blast--

That shrill piped harbinger of early snows;

The patient beauty of the scentless rose,

Oft with the morn's hoar crystal quaintly glassed,

Hangs, a pale mourner for the summer past,

And makes a little summer where it grows;

In the chill sunbeam of the faint brief day

The dusky waters shudder as they shine,

The russet leaves obstruct the straggling way 

Of oozy brooks, which no deep banks define,

And the gaunt woods, in ragged scant array,

Wrap their old limbs with sombre ivy-twine.

Something to think about...

Mary Engelbreit--Pinetrest

BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER

Somehow I was struck with the thought that the best place to start recipe-wise was to give you, as a gift, the makings for the most delicious chocolate cake I've ever eaten.  Now it's vegan, but don't let that give you a hiccough in your mind.  I'm actually afraid sometimes to make it, because I know I won't be able to leave it alone...but let's press on with the ingredients and see if perhaps you don't have better self-control that I do.  If you don't, we can just kick ourselves, sit down and have another piece together, and then smile.

3 cups unbleached FLOUR

2 cups SUGAR

1/2 cup UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER

2 tsp BAKING SODA

1 tsp SALT

2 cups COLD WATER (or 1 cup water, 1 cup cold coffee)

1 cup VEGETABLE OIL

1 Tbsp VANILLA EXTRACT

1 bag (12 oz) SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS

(Note:  Ghirardelli brand contains no animal products)

1/2 cup PEANUT BUTTER

1/2 to 3/4 cup DRIED CHERRIES (Optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan or two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, or coat with oil.

Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl.  Mix water (and coffee-the best!), oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.  Stir in dry ingredients, beating until well blended.  Stir in peanut butter and then chocolate chips until well mixed.  Add optional dried cherries if so desired, but don't over-mix.  Personally I think the cherries make it.  And the cold coffee!

Pour into 9 x 13 pan and bake 55-60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.  Do not over-bake!  For the two 9-inch pans bake 35 minutes or until done.  This recipe can also be used for cupcakes:  line muffin tins with cupcake liners and fill 2/3 full with batter, then bake about 18-20 minutes or until done.  Remove to cooling rack.

Now most recipes say "frost when cool".  I don't do this with this cake.  I make up the following frosting, poke holes in the warm cake with my cake tester, and then pour the frosting over.  This way it seeps into the cake and makes it very moist.

CHOCOLATE CAKE FROSTING

1 cup POWDERED SUGAR

5 Tbsp BUTTER

1/3 cup WHOLE MILK or CREAM

1/2 pkg (6 or 8 oz) SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE PIECES

In small saucepan combine sugar, butter and milk.  Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, 1 minute.

Remove from heat.  Stir in chocolate pieces until smooth.  Pour over cake.

To begin with I'd like to post photos of my dear family members, namely my Honeyman Claud, our son Erik and family, and our daughter Stephanie's family.  They are very dear to me, and perhaps to some of you too!

Isn't he the most photogenic?  Sweet too.

Erik, Beca, Peregrine, Poppy, Raphi and Pearl
Adventuring in Panama

Neil, Stephanie, and Claire Noel
Let's talk about photogenic...
They are the Canadian contingent.

FINALLY, IT'S SPRING!

SPRING COMES TO THE LAND

HERE in a quiet and dusty room they lie,

Faded as crumbled stone or shifting sand,

Forlorn as ashes, shriveled, scentless, dry--

Meadows and gardens running through my hand.

In this brown husk a dale of hawthorn dreams,

A cedar in this narrow cell is thrust,

It will drink deeply of a century's streams,

These lilies shall make summer on my dust.

Here in their safe and simple house of death,

Sealed in their shells a million roses leap;

Here I can blow a garden with my breath,

And in my hand a forest lies asleep.

THE SEED SHOP:  

Muriel Stuart

YOU come to fetch me from my work tonight

When supper's on the table, and we'll see

If I can leave off burying the white

Soft petals fallen from the apple tree

(Soft petals, yes, but not so barren quite,

Mingled with these, smooth bean and wrinkled pea),

And go along with you ere you lose sight

Of what you came for and become like me,

Slave to a springtime passion for the earth.

How Love burns through the Putting in the Seed

On through the watching for that early birth

When, just as the soil tarnishes with weed,

The sturdy seedling with arched body comes

Shouldering its way and shedding the earth.

PUTTING IN THE SEED:

Robert Frost

And a garden is a grand teacher.  It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all, it teaches entire trust.  "Paul planteth and Apollos watereth, but God giveth the increase."  The good gardener knows with absolute certainty that if he does his part, if he gives the labour, the love, and every aid that his knowledge of his craft, experience of the conditions of his place, and exercise of his personal wit can work together to suggest, that so surely as he does this diligently and faithfully, so surely will God give the increase.  Then with the honestly-earned success comes the consciousness of encouragement to renewed effort, and, as it were, an echo of the gracious words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

A GARDENING CREDO:

Gertrude Jekyll

"WE GARDEN BECAUSE WE REMEMBER PARADISE"
Passed on by George Lewis 
of Little & Lewis