life – Page 2 – Peaceful Reader

Beautiful Days…

Focus on the positive

Remember in March when I posted about the amazing meditation retreat I went to in Minneapolis. Yes. Read about it here if you missed it. Sadly I didn’t follow through. Oh I’ve meditated sitting in my chair or walking around the library waiting for a class and that is all good. My goal though is to make meditation a daily practice; one where I literally getting down on the mat, bolster, pillow, floor, blanket, whatever and make it a ritual.

I’m not good with follow through sometimes. The only ritual I maintained as my kids were growing up was reading to them at bedtime. That I did without fail. I began other rituals like prayers, blessings, and poems at dinner time. That didn’t last. We do have meals together-that is a good simple ritual we’ve maintained. So reading and meals are my two rituals. Makes complete sense as books and food are priorities for me.

I got up on Saturday and did it, just rolled up my favorite blanket, lit a peace candle, and plopped myself down facing the wall.

I focused on all manner of positive words, thoughts, and phrases. My eyes closed I just let the thoughts flow freely. I thought about my family, peace, love, harmony, gratitude, forgiveness, my dog, the earth, ice cream, sushi. It was far from perfect but it was a good start. The peaceful feeling stayed with me all day long. I loved it. It’s the honeymoon phase. The important and hard part is to keep it going.

Join me in my 21-day challenge if you’d like to make meditation or any good ritual as part of your daily routine. What change would you like to make?

Namaste.

Weekly Recipes 13

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My husband celebrated his birthday last week and somewhere before that day I had read a blog post about really doing it up for your kids’ birthdays. Balloons across their doorway, balloons in the cabinets, singing, cupcakes for breakfast. It was a fun read and inspired to go the extra mile in celebrating his big day.

First a little background on my guy. He’s the artistic director at our local community theatre. He is a talented and creative guy. He is also crazy busy. He is in the middle of directing Cabaret; a big and serious show. His birthday fell during tech week. You do not take a day off during tech week. He had rehearsal at 6:30 so we scheduled around it and had dinner plans with the kids for 4:45 approximately.

Because we weren’t celebrating at home I had kinda thought I wouldn’t make any dessert for him until I read the blog post. After I called a local store to ask about a cake. Usually I make everything from scratch but my cake idea was for cast and crew and I thought a big sheet cake was in order. Until I checked the price. Wwhhhaaaat! Highway robbery for a stupid cake that has fake plastic-tasting frosting.

I made my own. And he loved it. And the cast and crew demolished it. He’s not a fake frosting kinda guy anyway. He isn’t even a chocolate cake kinda guy. I made this Oatmeal-Raisin Snack Cake for him and it’s a keeper. I didn’t even get a bite but he came home raving and rolling his eyes back about how wonderful the frosting was-this is a man who does not love sweet. My heart sang. From one of my favorite food bloggers…Brown-Eyed Baker. Click her link or the recipe title above for the recipe. The recipe was very easy but you do have to wade past all the new ads on her site.

We did have a lovely dinner together. We laughed. The kids had excellent gifts for him. I had a big bouquet of balloons for him. And tickets to the Blue Ox Music Festival. He did make it to rehearsal.

Everyone needs some meditation…

Last weekend I was able to attend an amazing one-day zen meditation retreat with my brother on Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. The day was crisp, cold, and it had just snowed. March Madness.

We arrived at the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center 10 minutes before the retreat was to begin. The roads were slippery and the drive wasn’t easy but we made it as we walked through the porch door kicking snow off of our shoes. There were people gathered on the porch all staring at the view out front-beautiful Lake Calhoun-or at the wall. It was a little surreal to walk in feeling like we had already missed an introduction or instructions of some sort. We did have one person tell us in a whisper to find a spot and that at exactly 8 we were expected to be on a pillow.

Not ever having been there it was confusing, plain and simple but on the porch there were hot pots of coffee and water with a basket of tea, people seemed friendly or at least interesting. NO one was talking though. I mean I know meditation is done in silence but I expected there to be a beginning meet and greet kind of time and there was it just came later than expected. We meditated for 30 minutes to start off and then we gathered in the main room and heard a lovely dharma talk and understood that the entire retreat was to be in silence. I missed that memo in the retreat outline-truthfully-it wasn’t there as I guess that is an understood norm for everyone else but me.

I am an introvert and struggle to make daily conversation and hate chit chat yet it was very hard for me to spend the day in silence. I do like to crack people up and often love to make jokes in inopportune moments. This would have been one of them if I wasn’t trying so hard to fit in. I was uncomfortable at first, everyone around me seemed to know so much more. Come to find out almost everyone else in attendance is a regular there. My brother and I were first timers and that made it quite a challenge. By the end of the day though I was thrilled with the experience. We did sitting meditation, walking meditation, and mindful work meditation (which for us was ironing cloth napkins). Even eating lunch was a meditation-and the lunch was vegetarian and delicious. I was able to focus on a few key items in my life that I struggle with and I did a lot of silent (of course)praying for my whole extended family. I loved my one-on-one session with Wanda Isle, our guide for the day.

It was an amazing experience. My brother and I chatted on the way home about our experience, some similar and some different. I was ready to get myself a pillow and a mat and start practicing every day at home. I had the best of intentions.

I looked for cushions and mats-they are expensive. I can just use a pillow though and yet I never once was able to sit down and do this like I know it should be done, not once during my week. I’m a little frustrated with myself. I did do walking meditation once at work when I had some stressful moments and it helped.

I do want to make this part of my regular day, every day. I will work to find some space to do this. I need help though.

Groovy Girl and poetry

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My daughter has written three amazing poems, maybe more, but 3
that I know of and this one I’m going to share. She doesn’t even realize what amazing talent she has in this area. All three of my children are great writers
and so far one of them wants to write for living. This was written for a class assignment. Enjoy.

Where I’m From…

I am from Tye-dyes

I am from Pesto pasta and skim milk

I am from Warm honey dripping down my throat and coating my lips

I am from French braids and peace rallies

Fighting war and oil pipelines

I am from Little Rock and inner city Chicago

From dirt between my toes and wide tall trees

I am from Creativity and make believe

From Tutus and imagination

I am from Sunday school and hallowed be thy name

My church I know like the back of my hand

I am from Lavender oil and dancing in the rain

From Gooey brownies and strawberry rhubarb pie

I am from Cartwheels and ballet slippers

I am from edamame and basil,

Buttered toast and sweet corn

I am from the kissing hand and our tree named steve

I am from furry dogs and fairy houses

From dinner times and blues clues band aids

I am from laughter and snow angels

I am The baby from 3lb 2oz

I am from sea salt and ocean waves

These memories I keep in my mind locked away only mine

They carry me along my way through my life they will stay.

By: Groovy Girl

Playing Dress-up

My friends V and A and I have been on a quest to hone down our wardrobes and clear away the clutter. They already live in pretty clutter free houses so that one may be mostly for me. Part of the quest has us looking at posts about the 10 item wardrobe and one that A sent us about the art of dressing up.

I work at a school where our teachers dress nicely and our principal wears a dress or a skirt every day! But after watching this video it made me take it to a new level. Of course it is summer so it’s easy when I can stay in my pj’s for the first part of the morning and then linger over what exactly to wear.

Shoes have been a big discussion in this quest as it can be easy to throw on a skirt and a blouse or a flowered sundress but having the RIGHT shoes to match and make it still look dressy is harder. Flip Flops do not count as dressy attire.

The first day I did this I was going to a musical gathering and I tossed on a pair of skinny jeans, a black & white striped 3-quarter length T, and a black cropped blazer. It was chilly out and I quickly added my gray suede boots but it was the perfect fit. In this debate with A and V, I’ve thrown out shoe ideas of sandals cute clogs, Chuck Taylor’s, and even little white sneakers like my mom wore in the 50’s.

Of course there are a plethora of fancy sandal choices as well. And Birks have hit it big as the new “it” shoe wear. It’s time the world paid more attention to just what the hippies were (are) saying, wearing, and doing…

Dress it up a bit more just for yourself. The compliments are just the icing on the cake.

Here’s the video that started us on this journey:

Weekly Update

It’s been a week of quick meals, crazy schedules and yet I’ve managed to create a few recipes to share.

{Janssen’s granola and photo}

I’ve been meaning to make Janssen’s granola recipe for quite awhile now and when the last few clusters of my TJ’s ginger mix landed in my morning yogurt the opportune moment was upon me. It took me 3 days to gather ingredients and find a space of time to make and bake it. It’s delicous! Just because it’s my nature I will play with it next time. This time I did add in some mixed nuts (cashews + pecans) because they were sitting in our nut jar and some chopped dried mango.

Last night I hosted book club and I gave the granola away in little cloth giveaway bags (that I made from white cotton squares). It was a combination Earth Day/May Day gift from me to all my book club friends. Hopefully it brightened their morning yogurt.

I also whipped up a jug of ginger beer this weekend. Jenny from Dinner; A love story introduced me to the Dark and Stormy and ginger beer is a major ingredient. I don’t like the jacked-up expensive price of ginger beer ($10 for 4 bottles) so I thought it would be worth it to make my own. Now I know why it’s not cheap…it’s hard to make. I chopped up two large roots and then squeezed it through my mesh strainer to just barely produce 3 tablespoons. I rinsed cold water through the pulp to eek out 1 more tablespoon. I thought with the added yeast in this Epicurious recipe that it would be fizzy but it is not. It does have ginger flavor though and I will use it. Maybe this weekend I will test run it with a Moscow Mule. I will probably have to add club soda though to give it that extra POP and zing.

I planned to make Dark and Stormys (we’ve had rain + the last time I hosted we had a tornado warning) for book club but I changed plans when I wasn’t happy with my fizz-less mixture. Luckily we had plenty of wine. And delicious food. My favorite was Katinka’s Greek salad.

What I’m reading:

Book club: Orphan Train by Christine Baker Kline ( I read this months ago so didn’t have much to contribute)
School: The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
Groovy Girl: Nest by Esther Ehrlich

Next up: Swamplandia by Karen Russell

What I'm reading…the number might amaze you.

How many books do you read at one time? Usually I prefer just one but often I have more than one going at a time depending on circumstances. For most of the year I’ve been able to balance my student book club books with a few that I’ve already read so I can discuss without the need to read.

I did have to read most of the Gregor series with my boy’s group and I’ve read most of Christopher Paul Curtis with another group and we are reading The Mighty Miss Malone right now. It is an amazing and intellectually stimulating book for all of us. I’m so happy Curtis turned to writing as he is a talented story teller. If you haven’t read his new historical fiction about The Great Depression you should. Next up for this group is Shannon Hale’s The Princess Academy, one of my favorite girl power books. Luckily I’ve already read it 3X’s so I can just re-skim and ask good questions. I blogged about my boy’s group in my weekend cooking post and I did make the cranberry oatmeal cookies, they were tasty but flat. Sadly two of the boys were missing from our meeting today. Suspended over a fight they had with EACH OTHER. This is the horrible hard part of where I teach. I think I reach them and then things like this pop up. My soul cries almost every day for the kids I work with at school.

Onward.

Monthly I have my own adult book club to keep up with and we are reading Anthony Mara’s lengthy novel A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. I downloaded this to my Kindle as the price was right and I am interested but it is not a quick read. I have to kick it up a notch though as we meet next week. Maybe I should look for the Cliff Notes on this one.

I also started something easy the other night as my Kindle needed a charge. The Lying Game by Sara Shepard has been on my to-read pile for awhile and I picked it up and read three pages. I will finish but those 3 pages were all I needed to fall asleep. No reflection on the rest of the book I hope.

I also started The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin about a week ago to help me get in the mood for Spring cleaning and reorganizing my house and my thoughts. I am anxious to get back to it but it will have to wait until the book club book is done.

While I was upstairs reading (Daughter of Winter by Pat Lowry Collins) to Groovy Girl I realized I am “reading” another book on my phone through Audible as I drive back and forth to work; Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss. It has me so hooked that I listen to it as I make dinner. I’m only on the fourth chapter and yet still quite disgusted how the food industry works. I am someone who cooks almost all meals from scratch and still I shake my head at the mystery of it. How can people go to work every day to purposely make people sick. Why worry about real drugs when they are giving them to our children daily in pre-packaged form. Yuck.

Seven books. Can you beat me? Let me know your total.

Life is one big emotional roller coaster…

We’ve been back from our big East Coast trek just two days and now it is time for College Boy to head to the mountains to live! I’ve never experienced this horrible emotion of feeling like my time to fill him up with knowledge is over and he’s now going to be out there on his own, hopefully putting all that he’s picked up to use.

Time flies while you are making dinner, cleaning the house, wiping noses, and working. Oh, there’s been plenty of laughter along the way. It makes me think a little of playing with play-doh; you’re having fun as you mold and shape this intricate human being and then after you look back and think “Hey, he’s turning out pretty good!”-he packs his car up and waves good-bye.

Tomorrow is actually when he drives away. After I have breakfast with him I am going to toddle off to a meeting and try not to cry. Today he’s spent time seeing friends and packing. I bought him a Garmin GPS. It eases my mind to know that something will be there to help him find his way in my absence. It’s a small consolation. It’s his first road trip on his own and we had to talk him into stopping half way across Nebraska, sleeping in a comfortable hotel, before continuing the journey. His young and determined spirit was thinking it would be much better to drive from Iowa to Colorado all in one stretch. I’m thankful he listened to us (?) and agreed to stay overnight. As someone who’s made that trek quite a few times I know it can make you stir crazy and sleepy.

I’ve packed up a box of supplies (toothpaste, yes), some of his favorite foods (crunchy peanut butter, yes) and am in the process of making some dynamite chocolate chip cookies for the road. He laughed at me when I told him I had a supply box for him-I don’t think he’s laughing any more!

It’s going to feel very strange not having him here. He makes me laugh and he is easy to converse with on a wide array of topics. Bless him as he travels and as he settles into his new Colorado life. He’s been waiting 15 years to get back there.

The wonder of Wonder by R.J. Palacio

“You can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.”

Wonder

R.J. Palacio

{2012}

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school-until now. He’s about to enter fifth grade at Beecher Prep, and if you’ve ever been the new kid, then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie’s just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, despite appearances? ~inside book flap

This book is the new poster child for anti-bullying, be nice rhetoric we teachers are constantly spewing at the kids that we teach, hoping it will make a difference. This book though has the potential of actually starting a movement. Auggie and his family work hard to maintain normal and even through the very rocky times stay true to what their family means which leads to the extraordinary way that Auggie sees himself. Even though he gets depressed and would love to have an ordinary face he also feels comfortable with how he is.

I loved this book and plan to push several teachers to use it as a read aloud starting in August. Right now all my teachers are just limping toward the end of May, ready to be done. But Auggie will help them start the school year off right as they help their students build community; one that doesn’t judge.

Now that I’ve read and reviewed it I’m putting it back out for students and I have quite a few who are waiting to get their hands on it! Thank you to my friend Verda and Groovy Girl for constantly telling me how great the book was so I had nothing left to do but pick it up and read it.

My own Cinnamon Scones

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I made these for breakfast this morning and they were delicious and flaky. It was my turn to make something for Sunday school treats and our church has been on a Blue Zone kick, trying to bring in healthier options instead of donuts. Even though these had minimum sweetness kids and adults ate them up! I know the title of the post says cinnamon scones which is confusing since the recipe says different but trust me and keep reading…

New Hampshire Maple-Walnut Scones
KAF Baking Companion

3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter or shortening (or a combo)
1 cup finely chopped and toasted walnuts
1 cup milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp maple flavoring

Preheat the oven to 425*F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter or shortening until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Stir in the walnuts.

In a separate bowl, combine the milk, 1/3 cup of the maple syrup, and the maple flavoring. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until you’ve formed a very soft dough.

Flour your work surface generously and scrape the dough out of the mixing bowl onto the floured surface. Divide the dough in half.

Working with one half at a time, gently pat the dough into a 7-in circle about 7/8 inch thick. Transfer the circle to a parchment-lined or lightly greased cookie sheet or other flat pan; it will be very soft, and if you have a giant spatula, it’s the tool of choice here. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing it in a separate pan.

Using a sharp knife or rolling pizza wheel, dived each dough circle into eight wedges. Gently separate the wedges so that they’re almost touching in the center, but are spaced about an inch apart at the edges. Pierce the tops of the scones with fork tines and brush them with remaining maple syrup.

Bake the scones for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with any remaining maple syrup. Wait a few minutes and then gently separate scones and transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, with jam or maple syrup butter.

Adaption:

This was the recipe I really wanted to make except I didn’t have walnuts and our maple syrup jug was ’bout empty plus it was 10:30 pm. At that point you have to improvise. Last week I’d made this scrumptious cinnamon sugar syrup (The Sisters Cafe) for fun. I still had some left and I used that instead of the maple syrup in the recipe and in the poked holes. I replaced the walnuts with golden raisins which provided a little natural sweetness. My flour was also a mixture of KAF unbleached and whole wheat.

I made only one batch of these but cut those nice wedges into half again and it made plenty for about 30 people. I easily made them in about an hour’s time including baking. Even though it kept me up late it was worth the compliments from both young and old.

Yes, you may ask why I was concocting this so late…and the answer would be busy, busy day. We worked a charity event at a local restaurant from 12:30-4:30 came home and ate dinner quickly with kids, kissed them again and then headed to our local university’s theatre to usher for The Merchant of Venice (Beach) a revised Shakespearean drama. Today we saw another play, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, at the children’s theatre my husband used to run. I’d not seen this, one of my favorite children’s books, brought to life and it was excellent. We had several young friends starring and it lit a fire in Groovy Girl’s belly to try out for next year’s season.

While I’ve been typing this post out my sweet son downloaded a Grateful Dead album onto my computer and I’ve been grooving to Sugar Magnolia-he just made my day as I discovered I can sing the lyrics out with his awesome headphones on which make me feel like I’m in the band. Of course I cleared the room also!

This post is linked to Beth Fish Reads Weekend Cooking post. Click her link to find many other food-related posts from all over the globe. The scones in the photo above look delicious also and closely resemble mine. I found the photo at Jenny Steffens Hobick’s website Everyday Occasions and will have to make them the next time I need a perfect breakfast treat.