Alastair and Jacqui were once “the church sound guy and his worship singer wife” to me, little more than strangers. In fact the first real conversation I had with Alastair went something like this: Alastair, standing in front of me, a microphone stand between us: “Sing louder.” Me: “I can’t.” Alastair: *sigh* Slowly we became good friends, and now ten years later, Alastair and Jacqui are as close to my...
I catch sight of them in the store and stop in my tracks. I stand in front of the wooden bin for a long time and use the thick metal scoop to lift and pour pile after pile, watching the cream, mustard and burgundy spin down. I say over and over again in a soft voice (to no one in particular) that these beans, these beans right here are the...
Been spending time in the kitchen, working on my fermentation chops. Haven’t you heard that fermentation is the new canning? Three half-pint jars of whey came from one container of organic yogurt, and now I am sneaking that stuff into all of my kids’ food. I made a batch of Carolina Slaw from the book Real Food Fermentation and it’s sitting quietly on the countertop, changing from one thing to...
Sprouted buckwheat groats, chopped tomatoes, sliced cucumber tossed with lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh mint and parsley. Recipe by the Gluten Free Hippie. I have begun sprouting grains and learning about lacto-fermentation, and have quit alcohol, caffeine and sugar (sigh), in a bid to prevent a recurrence of my disease. I’ve lost five pounds and so need to find new things to eat and pronto!
It was slippery outside this morning, too slippery to run. I made maple oatmeal scones instead. We sipped coffee and read about dinosaurs, then I retreated to the home office to begin my day.
I use a sharp paring knife to remove a cone from the center of each cooled cake, the last step before filling each one with creamy, delicious, Fluff-based guts. Out of the corner of my eye, I see half-filled moving boxes in the living room, waiting their turn. Then the oven timer rings: the pizza dough is ready to divide and shape. At this rate, by the time this house...
Cooler weather brings the smell of green coffee beans roasting out on our back deck. We all wait quietly and listen for first crack. The beans are best the day after roasting. And the coffee is smooth and delicious.
I sit down at the table with a perfect cup of coffee: a preheated mug filled three-quarters of the way with Freedom of Espresso’s organic blend, finished off with really long pours of both white sugar and heavy cream. As I take my first, second, and third sips of the morning, I can feel my mood lift from conscious to maniacally chipper. High on caffeine and eager for conversation, I...
