Posts Tagged ‘Love Your Life’
We spent the entire day and most of the night with my mom “out in the country.” She and my step dad have lived out there for nearly 20 years, and most of the time growing up we lived ‘out in the country.’
I have never loved ‘living out in the country.’ My mother refers to me as her ‘concrete baby.’ And I’m not sure why I didn’t like the country as most of the time growing up you could find me outside, walking here, walking there, roaming in the jungle in Guam, trekking miles each day to and from friends’ houses.
I guess the reason why is that the country is a place where you make your own place. You aren’t plugging into another person, another activity, something else to ‘keep you busy.’
The day had two focuses…I would help my Lelon clean out his woodworking shop (he’s a craftsman that makes stunning rustic furniture), and Mark would help mom and Lelon come into the 21st century with high speed internet. It was a very big day out in the country to say the least!
The very best part of being ‘out in the country’ was watching Chance be with mom in her workshop, watching Food Network’s Cake Master Bake Off, and remembering what it was like when it was me in the chair next to her watching some chick flick for the 20th time (Baby Boom, A Star is Born, etc., etc.), and how the more things change, the more things stay the same.
Plus, we had banana pudding that was to die for…and Chance made a pillow with big long beads on it that he has named “Charm,” which reminds me how much our life is charmed no matter what is going on when we drink in these precious moments.
Oh, and mom lives with her windows open, so there’s always a cool breeze that blows through the house. I love that feeling of air on my body that is cool from outside coming through the room. Simple things, simple life.
This past weekend, Mark, Chance and I popped up to Bowie Trade Days. For those of you who aren’t from the south, trade days are similar to a trade market – a place where merchants could come together for a big outdoor market to sell various wares (flea market style) for willing customers.
Mom, a.k.a. Dusty Rose, has a new booth up there. Most of you know that she is an artist, and is always dreaming up some new type of creation guaranteed to make people ooh and aaah.
She loves, loves, loves cowboy and cowgirl things so is having a ball creating new collage art on tin with old-style, vintage photos. Since my dad is native american, and I resonate so closely with the spirit of my dad’s heritage, I found myself magnetized to one of mom’s latest creations – it is so simple,yet I found myself wanting this so much! This collage features a native american family and ALL of them are smiling! It perfectly matches the feeling I have when I meet with the grandmothers or the grandfathers… true resonance for oneness.
True to mom… she sent me home with this wonderful creation, an extra big antique-style heart for the back fence (watch for a post about the back fence in a few days), and two jalapeno pepper plants – all her gift to me. What a wonderful Easter to imagine a world where we are all one… and to feel that so much too.
This song reminded me of the rusty, dusty cowgirl as she refers to herself… love you mom. And, for those of you who don’t know Sara Hickman… wow… talk about a SAINT. She is one of my very favorite people in the whole entire world. What a HUGE heart she has for loving everyone!
Plus… WHEN my book comes out… she is in my book too! 
A couple of months ago, Mark and I went over to my friend Hefina’s house for lunch. She made this scrumptious apple crisp (recipe below) that is absolutely to die for. Ours didn’t have the booze in it (we don’t drink in food and otherwise – lol), so rest assured it is good without the spirits too.
As we drove home, I thought about how there’s just something special about Hev’s cooking – it just feels good and tastes yummy. For YEARS I’ve eaten there and would come home raving about the food – how good it tasted, how satisfying it was. I would often wonder if it was the company, the conversation, the combo of these with the food or just the food.
So, one day, several years ago, Mark called Hev to ask her how to cook her ‘magic’ brussel sprouts. For years I didn’t like brussel sprouts and then she made them and they are a favorite now – same with parsnips. Who knew?
Anyway, Mark followed the instructions to the finest degree, and after much consideration, we all have decided that the ‘magic’ comes from Hev’s loving way. She sings while she cooks, she dances while she bakes, she sends good thoughts into the food and that’s just that extra special something that you just can’t put your finger on but you definitely know (and can taste) it is there!
Mark makes no bones about it. He’s an achiever cook, just like he is an achiever in every area of his life, and he is there to get the food on the table as fast as possible – with or without the ‘extra special something!’
I’m grateful he cooks, and I’m grateful for Hev for teaching me how our energy does make its way into everything. For you Top Chef fans, you know that Carla felt the same way… and, of course, the technique has to be there too. No amount of love will allow us to swallow burnt buns!
So, the next time you cook… take a moment and pour some love, good thoughts, and special blessings into your food and see what kind of rave reviews you get!
Christina’s Apple Crisp with Bourbon Cream
Filling:
6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped (about 31/2 pounds)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup maple syrup
Topping:
1 cup of all-purpose flour
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ teasp ground cinnamon
¼ teasp salt
8 tablesp (1 stick) butter cut in pieces
¼ cup of coarsely chopped pecans
Bourbon Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon bourbon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
For the filling::
Butter a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. In a large bowl mix all the filling ingredients together and toss to coat all the apples. Pour in the prepared baking dish.
For topping:
In a food processor combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in large bowl. Pulse to blend. Pulse in the butter
until mixture forms pea size lumps. Add the pecans and pulse 1 or 2 more times. Sprinkle over filling. Bake crisp for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.
For Bourbon cream:
In a medium sized bowl, beat the cream until it begins to thicken. While beating, add the sugar and bourbon and beat until
soft peaks form. Dollop over servings of apple crisp.
Add vanilla ice cream to warm apple crisp for a taste bud EXPLOSION!