RED POPPY'S AND BLUE SKY

I read a book that everyone seems to have read, and I found out it’s been made into a movie a while back. It’s called “Sarah’s Key”. I guess I am not on top of things, but that’s never bothered me before.

Hey, I just discovered The Public Library again too. It’s so great,  because as much as I long to be swimming in the ocean these days, or relaxing in a thermal bath in Switzerland, I can’t. But getting lost in a good book is the next best thing, so go out and get your library card and start to read: and, it’s free.

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I have a friend who is so cool. His name is Tosh, and he has this site that has his book reviews. Whatever book he has said is great, well, it is. Check it out. You will find a book that is new to you, and perfect for your next mental get-away.

The beauty of flowers, the color of the blue sky, the smell of honey and clover and fresh-cut grass in the air…it sure makes me smile and feel like there is nothing wrong with the world.

I am feeling grateful and drinking in what is here in my garden.

I’ll finish this week’s post with a poem that I thought was by Rumi, but one that is actually by Rashani Rea. It’s  a poem that you might want to read out loud: Enjoy!

VERBENA AND OUR HENS

There is a brokenness out of which comes the unbroken,
a shatteredness out of which blooms the unshatterable.

There is a sorrow beyond all grief which leads to joy.
And a fragility out of which depth emerges strength.

There is a cry deeper than all sound whose serrated edges cut the heart
as we break open to the place which is unbreakable and whole.

Rashani Rea

CALIFORNIA POPPIES

THE OPENING OF A PEONY

In the last week it seems as if everything is growing, budding, and flowering at an accelerated rate in my garden.

The first fragrant peony opened, as well as the comfrey, the pink’s, the salsify, and the parsley too. The roses, the geraniums, the abelia, the sweet william. And hey, it’s just the first week in May.

There is so much to do, what with planting time being until tomorrow, that I say the hell with senseless murders, politics and politicians; I am done with Fukishima news and the high levels of radiation that is and will continue to be in our food chain, forever. I am done with hearing anyone talk about their medical conditions: I just can’t take any more of that kind of stuff in when I have intense planting to do.

IT FEELS AND LOOKS LIKE SUMMER - OH MY!

I have to plant my zinnias, my lettuces, my basil, my zucchini, sunflowers, some bachelor buttons, or else.

I wasn’t planning on getting more than a couple of tomato plants, but somehow, 15 ended up in our dirt!  Cherokee Purple, Yellow Pear, Hillbilly, Rutgers, Black Krim, and Mr. Stripey. I have a feeling I am going to be learning how to do some canning soon.

WHAT THE PEONY IS LOOKING AT

Click on this line to see a very interesting post I read on how to get the most flavor and fruit out of the beloved tomato plant in your garden; or, How to Grow Perfect Tomatoes.

RED ORIENTAL POPPIES

And whether you like or hate Obama, below is a clip of a recent dinner event that made me laugh. Many of my friends who are in the know with these kinds of things, had only just heard about it.
Take a moment to see another side of Obama that made me laugh. And that is something that I always have time for.

Wishing you Well,

Sadhvi

TIRAMISU

I’ve had a long relationship with Tiramisu.  Not growing up in Cleveland, no, that chapter of my life was Fannie Farmer Fudge, Snickerdoodle cookies, home-made tapioca pudding, and delicious poppy seed and nut rolls days.

But after moving to Switzerland, my whole world opened up in many ways with new things to discover, like architecture, art, gardening, and of course, food.

And since there are French, German, and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland, that diversity not only listed all the ingredients on the labels of every item in the grocery store in those 3 languages (french is the easiest and closest to english, funny enough), but it also brought a lot of variety to what I ate.

I think I had my first bite of Tiramisu in an Italian restaurant somewhere, and while I don’t remember where, I do remember being blissed out!

VERMONT CREAMERY'S MASCARPONE

I just had to try to make it myself, and was happy to find out that it is so easy.  In Switzerland, there is a very good cook book that is called “Betty Bossi“.  It’s kind of the same as “Betty Crocker” here in the States.  I just linked the word, “Betty Crocker” to the Americanized-version of Tiramisu.  But I would definitely stick to the Swiss one below.

NONNI'S BISCOTTI BITES

Since the recipe calls for mascarpone, I hadn’t made it in a long time because I just couldn’t find it here.  A few weeks ago, I was trying to get out of our local Whole Foods as quickly as possible (I hate shopping!), when I saw Vermont Creamery’s mascarpone.  It was something like $4.99 for 8 oz., which I thought was OK.  It’s so OK that I’ve invited myself to potlucks of people I don’t know just so I can make it to be able to eat some. I think I’ve made a total of 5 batches since then.

It takes about 20 minutes from start to finish, and it is really good!  Just about everyone that I have shared it with has asked for the recipe, so here it is…enjoy!

Here’s the original recipe from the Betty Bossi cookbook, and here is my translation:

Sadhvi’s Swiss Tiramisu

Get 3 bowls (2 medium, the 3rd one larger) out of the cupboard. Get an oblong glass loaf pan, or small cups or…anything you want to use to present the Tiramisu in.

Take the Nonni’s Almond Biscotti bites, and place them in one layer at the bottom.

Take a Pyrex measuring cup, and add 3-4 T. instant Italian espresso coffee.  Add 1 cup hot water to dissolve, and then add 1 T. sugar, 3 T. Amaretto, and 2 T. Patron Orange Liqueur. Mix it up, and put aside to cool.

Take 8 oz. of Mascarpone (the whole container), and put in the BIGGER bowl.  This container was shy 2 T. of mascarpone, so I used 2 T. of  sour cream.  Grate the peel or an organic lemon over the bowl, and mix it up.

Separate 2 very fresh eggs (I got mine by lifting one of our hens up, and taking them from there), the yolks go into one bowl, and the whites go into another one.

Add 3 T. sugar to the egg yolk and mix them up with a hand mixer.  Add to the mascarpone mixture. Clean the beaters.

Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites, and mix until “stiff peaks” form.  Add 1 T. sugar, and mix some more.

Gently fold the egg whites into the “mascarpone mixture”.

Pour enough of the espresso mixture over the biscotti (like maybe a little more than half of it).

Layer and spread the mascarpone mixture over to cover.

Take some more of the biscotti and dip them into the espresso, and lay gently on top.

Pour the last of the mascarpone mixture on top.  Shake the crumbs from the biscotti box over the top.

Cover the top with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Voila!

* Note: If you take this to your friend’s house, or make it for dessert when friend’s come over for dinner, expect them to think you are smarter, more attractive, and more pleasant to be around than before.

IT'S SO GOOD:)

THE FIRST POPPY OPENS

There’s a lot going on, and that’s why I haven’t written in a while.
Some of the things that have taken up my time are the following:
1. Planting and pruning time in the garden
2. Work
3. A couple of birthday party’s
4. The fact that I’ve been drawing a blank on what to write about
5. And, our dog ate my ongoing journal of notes

We’ve also had some crazy weather, so not knowing if it’s summer or fall or spring has got me a little out of sorts. Then we had a killing frost, with my beloved fig tree surviving, but with a lot of damage, and just a few days ago a deluge of rain. Constant rain. Unusual amounts of rain. But no wind like the mid-west had with it’s incredible tornadoes that went through. Yes, there is always something to be thankful for.

The real news of the tragedy of Fukishima is coming out – finally. The media has been successful in keeping the truth of what did happen, and what is happening, from us for over a year. But the truth will always prevail, and so it is with the nuclear meltdown to end all nuclear meltdowns at Fukishima.

A BEAUTIFUL WEED

I go back and forth: should I even mention anything? Most friends don’t care, don’t know, or truly think it’s been taken care of.
Which I find interesting, because during the 1960′s and 70′s, these same older friends were the younger generation who were trying to change the world; to make love, not war; to give peace a chance; to stop all nuclear power, with bumper stickers like “The Sun in the only Nuclear Power we Need”.
I guess nothing could can be done, and it doesn’t ultimately matter anyways, right? Or maybe we are getting too old to think about it.
After watching the speech that Helen Caldicott, I went out into my garden and took a few pictures of the first Oriental Poppy and some flowers that are really weeds that I so enjoy to see come every year, and I was filled with peace and happiness. Because like Helen Caldicott, I am a worshiper of Nature. And, I love this planet. It’s time to go inside and create the world I want to see, to imagine it, to see with my mind’s eye, a better world that will come out of the chaos and change. I can’t wait.

NAN, ME, and KAREN

There are a handful of people I’ve met that have touched me deeply, and Nan is one of those. I met her in my freshman year at a college in a small town in Ohio way back in the fall of 1976.

That period is my least favorite in my entire life. In fact, Melinda, another long-time friend from way back in high school who went with me to Miami, feels the same. We have this ongoing argument as to who was the one who convinced the other to go to this college. And I know it was her who convinced me!

I first met Nan in the laundry room of the dormitory of McCracken Hall. I think I took Nan’s clothes out of the dryer, and she came in and asked what I was doing, and I yelled at her. I don’t remember really, but she does! I guess I like to show my strong emotional side (some have called it bitchiness) right away, as a sort of test. Wow, that was over 35 years ago, and whatever bond was made, it is still there.

It turns out that Nan thinks I am funny, and I think she is funny. That’s important to me. No one can be my friend if they don’t have the same sense of humor as me. I feel understood by her, and often communicated with her back then without talking. I know from experience that we are all multidimensional beings, and that language is overrated. Just ask my husband. I feel the same about Karen, who is in the picture on the lower right. I hope to write about her sometime soon.

I tend to have this curious nature in general,  and value my friends opinions for new things and good products.

So I asked Nan a few questions:

What was the name of the first record you ever bought?

Hmmm, let me think a moment. Oh, it was Sukiyaki, the song that came out in 1963 that was sung in Japanese. My mom couldn’t stand it; it drove her crazy!

What is your favorite lipstick?

I usually use the Clinique freebies that they give out. And then, for special times, I have this one from Guerlain that is a little luxury, because it is so expensive (LIKE ALMOST $50!), and the case is so over the top, but the color and the way it makes my lips feel is really great. I really wish Guerlain would make it cheaper by not having the heavy metal case and mirror.

Which group did you like more growing up, The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?

Oh definitely The Beatles. There was something that I found dark and disturbing about the Rolling Stones.

What is the one thing you have to put on or have on that makes you feel good about leaving the house?

A LIPSTICK TO LOVE

Well, I guess it would be my perfume. I like this one called “Artemesia” by Penhaligon. I use it all the time. It smells really clean. In the winter, I like to use this one called “For Her” by Narciso Rodriguez.  My sister, Tina, says that it smell like “sex on a stick”.

Thanks for sharing Nan. I still think my friends are cool, even if we are getting older! I’m really looking forward to this summer’s get-together. Melinda? Tina? Teresa? Mary Ann? Are you guys coming?  Karen has a pool.

xxx

Sadhvi

CLOUDS

With my sun in Pisces and living right on my Neptune line, you’d think that I’d be a daydreaming fool.  But no, I cannot even take a little catnap in the afternoon!  There is just too much to DO!

I remember how much I liked to color with crayons as a kid, and how I would lay down in the grass and look up in the sky for long periods of time.  Now, baking (more so than cooking meals) takes me to places that are nice, and meditating is good because it is going inside, but it is not often enough.  I occasionally allow myself time to paint, and get into the zone of no-mind, but again, it just isn’t often enough.

I tend to think it’s because of the amount of my day I spend on “the computer”.  And the fact that I now “multi-task”, which has only started within the last couple of years.
So when I read an article from the Huffington Post site that says the latest research shows that a wandering mind helps the memory, I was thrilled.  What an interesting post!  Here’s an excerpt from that article:

Adam Gazzaley, a University of California San Francisco neuroscientist who studies the mind and distraction, wasn’t surprised by the results.

“I have been thinking more and more about our external environment and our internal environment,” he said. “We feel like we live in an external environment because we interact with the world.  But we also have a dynamic and rich internal environment.”

Results are indicating, “there may be consequences” as we jam more and more stimulus into our heads, without taking a break to simply contemplate or daydream, Gazzaley said.  “There are costs to multitasking and not pausing.”

Previous studies have shown that multi-taskers are more distracted and stressed.

“It is up to us to slow down enough to make informed decisions,” Gazzaley continued.  “I think there is a growing tendency to feel that if it exists,” he said of media in all its forms and omnipresence, “I might as well use it all at the same time.  But just because it exists, and is cool, does not mean it has to all be used simultaneously.”

So now that it’s proven that it’s perfectly OK to space out and to take mental break during the day, I feel more and more people will begin to enjoy life – hooray!
So take a moment to listen to the following song from the Lovin’ Spoonful, and enjoy where it takes you.

It’s been a busy couple of weeks. Pruning, replanting fruit trees and moving the increasingly invasive butterfly bushes and the normal spring clean-up that happens every year had Sakshi and mephysically spent at the end of each day. The older we get, the more I realize how much we do! What was once taken for granted, is now watched and witnessed with surprise and sometimes amusement.

I also celebrated, along with my family & friends (you know who you are…and since this is not FaceBook, or Pinterest, or LinkedIn or…I can have some secrets!) my 54th birthday. There have been years when I didn’t want anyone to know, but this year wasn’t one of those. I am no longer shy about getting older. I also can accept that I am now part of the older generation. I won’t be looking like I did when I was 28 (except on FaceBook), and I will start to look like my dead ancestors.

There was no snow all winter, and it’s now summer-like. I can also hear the grass growing, really. The birds are back, the flowers are opening and dying in what seems like a quick procession, and suddenly, the air feels alive.

I saw one wayward yellow butterfly, happily flying and dancing, all by itself the other day. I don’t normally see them until the end of August, when the Mexican Sunflowers are blooming. The strange feeling at seeing it now, in March, was mixed with a certain joy at watching it move across the yard, and then seeing the hens all stop and look up at the same time as it passed over their heads.

No matter what, Spring is most definitely my favorite season.

I just went out and took some pictures of what I see.

I hope you are enjoying your Spring (or Fall) too!

...

BLUEBELLS

IT'S STARTING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE ... SPRING!

I was one with Elvis when I was about 8 or 9. It was in a dream, and boy, did it feel real. Not the sexually acrobatic kind of oneness, no, it was a true melting of souls. I can still remember how delicious it felt to merge with a human being. It was so good, and truly, I don’t even think I knew who Elvis really was. I do remember my Mom listening to Jerry Vale and Peggy Lee a lot, and my Dad liked Elvis, but I didn’t realize what a phenomenon he was back then. I must have been picking it up via the collective consciousness.

But then again, I also had dreams of being dissolved with God, you know, the Almighty. I guess you could say that I have a bit of the devotee in me, and secretly long to become one with the Universe. Still. Or maybe it was just part of the Path of merging and melting which would eventually lead me to find my Guru.

What brought all this on? Well, hearing that Davy Jones, one of the Monkees, passed away this week, made me take a little trip back in time, remembering their music, which I really liked. I don’t want to say “loved”, since it wasn’t really used then like it is now – the word, love, I mean. You know, these days, it’s like: I love my iPhone, I love my iPad, I love so-and-so’s chocolate cupcakes, etc. It’s interesting to think back to the way people talked, and instead of saying how much you loved everything that you liked, or how awesome everything is that you think is neat, you kind of just kept it to yourself and savored it.

Anyways, even though I wasn’t in love with Davy, his death made me remember how much I really liked their music. In fact, I had all of their albums, played them over and over again, and knew all the words to all of their songs. I watched them every week for many years on TV, probably not missing an episode. So for what it’s worth, I wanted to share my favorite song from the Monkees.  RIP Davy Jones.

When Robert Redford speaks out, it makes sense to listen. Please click above.

A few months ago, President Obama made a decision to postpone the KeystoneXL pipeline – Hurray! I was very happy to hear about that. Oh, for just 60 days? OK, it’s just the beginning of a battle. So it’s coming up again. And we all need to be aware of it.

Y’know, there is such incredible beauty in this country. I’ve taken many road trips over the years, and have always been touched by it, and how BIG America is.
I remember being surprised when I saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time just outside of San Diego in 1971. I remember seeing the Grand Canyon and feeling the “grandness” of it.
I remember the feel of walking into the Redwood Forest outside of Mill Valley (the name of that city is so ironic) and sensing the silence of those trees all together, untouched by man.
I also remember the sadness I felt when I saw the land that was given to the Indians by the US Government in exchange for…well, I guess it was out of guilt for treating them so bad. I saw a couple of these “Indian Reservations” and they looked like miles and miles of rubble and flat, lifeless land. I remember getting out of the car back then, to see one of these “Reservations”, and felt like I could bounce with each step, since it looked like so much like the Moon’s landscape.
With the KeystoneXL pipeline, I don’t know who will win out in the end. Big Oil might.
But it’s not over yet, and maybe being aware of the game might help to shift the decision that would impact our beautiful country.

I mean, if awareness can get Bank of America to drop their $5 per month charge to customers, then I think there is a good chance that if people knew what was at stake, they would not want this pipeline destroying this beautiful land, right down the middle.

I hope you take a look at the clip to expand your consciousness, and imagine a future where new jobs and the future generation will create clean energy, and can enjoy this incredibly beautiful country.

ARJUNA'A HAUS

We went to visit a friend who lives in a community about an hour away that is off the grid. I’ve been there many times before, but this time was special because it’d be the first time we would see Arjuna’s new home, named “Leila”, all finished and lived in.

Walking up to it, the curves and rounded shapes in the structure made me smile. Inside there were more rounded edges, with walls and floors having an earthiness and sensuality that is lacking in practically every house that I’ve even seen, and I have seen a lot of houses!

THE ROUNDNESS OF THE STAIRS

I have to wonder why most homes are not made to feel good?  Having lived in a 1903-built home in Switzerland, where the design was based on Pythagoras’ Golden Mean, where each room and every room that it touched was in harmony, I can truly say that this small detail makes a big difference. And since we spend so much time in our home, doesn’t it make sense that it should feel good?

It was a cold winter afternoon outside, but going inside “Leila” was like a familiar hug, and the fire that heats the house by heating the walls smelled so good! Alternative housing, alternative living, communal living: I’ve lived that way when I was in my 20’s. Being in a community of like-minded people is something that is hard to describe. And if I told you that it was the best time of my life, being in the middle of nowhere in Oregon, not owning a car, not getting paid but having everything that I could possibly want, either you wouldn’t believe me, or you would want to be living there right now!

Then in Switzerland, we often found ourselves living in houses with others.  One of the things that people often think is that there would be no privacy with this type of housing.  And the funny thing is that I had the feeling of being able to be more private!

And now, as I get older, having lived the chapter of my life called “remodeling the old farmhouse, having a nice garden and chickens and rabbits with my partner”, I can again see the benefit of having people around me, friends that share the garden, the shopping, and get together for things that matter to me, like meditation. I don’t know what the future will bring, but I can see it more clearly after spending that afternoon at Arjuna’s in her beautiful house at Earthaven.

CHIWA THE ARTIST'S WORK

It’s still winter and yes, I still feel like hibernating.  With the temperature in the 50’s with sunshine this past week (month? winter?), we spent time outside trimming the fruit and flowering bushes.  I am smitten with raspberries.  And gooseberries and currants and blueberries too.  So to get the best harvest, I will do what it takes to make them thrive.

I really like making elderberry syrup too, but have had to buy elderberries since ours have not done well.  It turns out they don’t like root competition, and there were many creeping vines entangling theirs, along with an old black walnut tree that was still alive, right above.  So we dug them up and moved all 6 of them to a better place.  It was quite a chore, but we like physical work, and since this is something that needed to be done now for several years, it felt good once finished.

I’ve started to think about the things I want to grow in the garden, and where they will be. Today I’ll be planting some slow-growing things like “celery root”, from seed.  It takes a long time, and I don’t find the young plants at the markets around here much.  And, planting from seed is just so simple.

It’s planting time until next week. I’ll be placing poppy seeds around the beds now too…already getting excited to see their beauty in a few months.

I found this clip a few days ago (above).  I grew up in an era of incredible music.  I knew what psychedelic meant without having to take acid, because I listened to the music of those that did.  And, I was about 11 years old when the song “White Bird” by It’s a Beautiful Day came out and wasn’t exactly in the position of scoring any good stuff.  I was more into reading and coloring.  That sounds so old-fashioned, doesn’t it?  Reading and coloring…

But when it was time to dance, disco was coming on the scene and that’s what got me out of my chair.  Seeing John Travolta dance in “Saturday Night Fever” back in 1977 was the beginning of the thrill of seeing him dance in every movie he’s made after that.  Do watch the clip.  It’s good to feel something good these days.  Enjoy!

No one really ate out much.  Mostly everyone cooked their meals at home.  I bought my tofu and brown rice and organic veggies (that usually looked kind of wilted) at a funky health food store, not the posh Whole Foods-like stores of today.

I’m not dwelling on the past!  I just want to share this clip of something that I found kind of funny…enjoy!

FLIP, FLOP, and FLORIAN

The quince bush has started to flower. Some of the dandelion flowers have bloomed. It’s cold and below freezing at night, and sunny and reaching in the 50′s in the daytime. It’s the warmest winter that I can remember in the 13 years that I’ve been in these parts.

But me and the 3 new baby bunnies we got gifted to us are very happy!  We like sunshine and blue skies. And we like it crisp at night.

A non-profit animal rescue shelter nearby had just too many baby rabbits. So we agreed to take these three.

It’s always interesting how our animals get their names. In this case, we had to fill out a four page form and sign in front of a witness, saying that we would never eat them, that we would give them fresh water and food  daily (listing what kind of food and what is the source of our water), and then there were 3 blanks for their names. After reading all these pages, I decided to write in those blanks, “Finger, Lickin’, Good.”

Oh, just kidding! Flip, Flop, and Florian are what they will be called.

By the way, the one on the right in the picture, he really is smiling. His name is “Flip”.  “Florian” is the one in the middle, making “Flop” on the left.

I love all of our animals. I put flower essences in their water, or make tea for them when it gets really cold. I grow 3 different types of mint for them.  As well as lemon balm, basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley; I know they like the sprouted bread that I like from the store, so I will toast the ends for them.  I wish I could eat them beacuse I bet they would not need much seasoning!  But no, it would be like eating a close relative for dinner.

In return, I am gifted with the most wonderful manure that I could hope for. Rabbit manure can be put directly in the garden, without any composting. The only other manure is bat guano. But that is hard to come by.

The daffodils are up and have buds. Which is different, since there are no crocuses appearing. Nothing can be done. And, nothing matters…words from Osho that I find comforting these days.

I hope you are enjoying your life.

Life of flowers from VOROBYOFF PRODUCTION on Vimeo.

APPLES PILED HIGH

After realizing that I only spent 3 minutes, 10 times a day on FB, I decided to try and see how many “real” hours a day I was spending on the computer.  It turns out I average around 5 hours.  By stopping FB, I had only managed to cut out 3.5 hours per week.  Hmmm.

I thought it would be interesting to find out how I compared with my friends, and found out that working and retired people alike spend about the same amount of time, an average of 8.5 hours a day…reading books, watching YouTube, texting, answering emails, being in chat rooms, playing games, working…whatever.  Some were on for around 16 hours per day, while others were just on it an hour.

I am not trying to turn back the hands of time here.  I do realize this is the norm now, this being on the computer for hours and hours and hours.  I just realized that being on the computer has replaced and surpassed the amount of time spent watching TV.  I went to get my eyes examined the other day, and my eye Dr. told me that I should get a pair of glasses that I use just for the computer, to avoid eye strain, which I do have.

So since I can’t cut down much more, I can take breaks: baking, gardening, painting.

Apple Charlotka

Here’s a recipe from the Smitten site (one of the few food blogs that I like) that I have modified to make gluten-free.  I’ve also cut back the sugar a bit, and sprinkle some of it on top to get a bit of caramelized glaze on top.  You’ll see.  It’s easy, not too sweet, and very yummy. The original recipe calls for all-purpose flour, by the way, which of course you can use.

Sadhvi’s Apple Charlotka

Butter or nonstick spray, for greasing the pan

• 6 large tart Apples, like a Granny Smith
• 3 large Eggs
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• …and another 1/4 cup Sugar to sprinkle on top towards the end of the baking time in the oven
• 1 t. Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 1 cup of Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix (this replaces the flour, it is gluten-free, and, it tastes good!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

Butter the paper and the sides of the pan.

Peel, halve and core apples, then chop them into medium-sized chunks.

Put the cut apples directly in the prepared pan.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, using an electric mixer or whisk, and beat eggs with sugar until thick.

Beat in vanilla, then add the cinnamon.

Now stir in Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix with a spoon until just combined. (The batter will be very thick.)

Pour batter over apples in pan, using a spoon or spatula to spread the batter so that it covers all exposed apples. (i.e. spread the batter and press it down into the apple pile. The top of the batter should end up level with the top of the apples.)

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or so.

Then sprinkle that reserved 1/4 cup of sugar on top.

Bake another 5 minutes or so.

Now move the pan up a rack, and put on Broil.  (At this point, watch the cake to make sure it does not burn!)

When done, cool in pan for 10 minutes on rack, then flip out onto another rack, peel off the parchment paper, and flip it back onto a serving platter.

Eat plain, warm or at room temperature, with some whipped cream or sour cream on top to get fancy, if desired.

Enjoy!

It's Good!

ME AND OUR DOG, BELLO

I just deleted my FaceBook account, which oddly enough, was not so easy.  Actually my account will not really be deleted for another two weeks. FaceBook wants me to be sure, so that in case I change my mind and feel the urge to log in and see what any of my 597 “friends” are posting, then I will be “reactivated”.

You might be wondering, what prompted this?

Well, it’s been building up…this kind of feeling of wanting to pull the plug.

For starters, I hate that there is no privacy any more on the web, and especially with having a FaceBook account.  Then I recently got my yahoo account hacked into, which ticked me off, wondering why would anyone want to do this kind of thing?  And then during the Holiday season, I kept seeing ads for places I visited on the web and especially while on FaceBook.  And then there are my friends with smart phones: the reception is not the best, so either I can’t hear them, or they can’t hear me very well, and often we are cut off and that is the end of that “cool”connection!   Misspelled smart phone emails are so common-place that I seriously wonder if anything matters anymore.

Oh, and you and I can now be arrested without a warrant and put in jail indefinitely without a trial date.  This is to protect us from something…ummm, what was it again?  Oh yeah.  Terrorists.

So for me there are many reasons.  And if something feels very overwhelming, bothersome and not much fun for very long, and if I’ve had one too many constitutional rights taken away in the last couple of years, something has got to change!

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So no more cool ways to connect for me.  Goodbye to Linkedin, to Google+, to all the other ways of connecting that I never could get into: Twitter, texting, & yes, Pinterest too.  God I feel better just writing this!

It’s time to spend less time on the computer, and more time with my dog and husband.  And doing things I love, like painting.

I will continue to write for Oops50 every Friday, and will do so until I no longer enjoy it.

I don’t have the boundless energy I once had, but I still have enough to draw and form boundaries of what is good for me and what isn’t.

Thank you menopause for making this all possible.

I think being a woman over 50 , a crone, an elder even, is going to be just fine.

Oh, in case any of my FB friends want to contact me, my email is:

SadhviSez@oops50.com

Unmillo's Hibiscus

ME AND OUR DOG, BELLO

I honestly don’t feel like there is a small gap between me and the next generation any more.  It  feels too big to say that. 

I don’t like FaceBook much any more either.  In fact, I find myself wanting to be on the computer less and less, but more and more time is spent there.  Hmm.

I’ve been trying and cannot seem to take a break from my computer and cell phone for even one day.  It is a true addiction.  Just wondering, how many hours do you spend on your computer each day?

One night this past week, my husband and I were making dinner together.  I am cranky by nature, and people who know me understand.  I mean, I am not used to having him around helping me in my, I mean, our kitchen, so he put on an old Cat Stevens CD, and within a few minutes I found myself in a really nice space.  Music will do that to me.  I imagine my Mom and Dad had similar experiences, but with Buddy Holly. 

So I am getting old – damn it!  Since there isn’t much I can do about it, except whine a little from time to time, I want to share another song that takes me back to a time that makes me feel relaxed and in a mellow space.  Enjoy!

Joni Mitchell playing with James Taylor, singing background harmony on the song: “You can close your Eyes”.

SADHVI

There doesn’t seem much time to share much lately.  Sorry.  It’s all spinning!  I did want to share something though that I really found quite amazing: if you put red wine in a blender for 30 seconds or so, what comes out is really so much better.  I got this tip from my Cook’s Illustrated magazine, and wanted to share it:

Aerating Wine in a Flash

Sakshi the Swiss Chestnut Roaster

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.  Really.  Because it’s that time of the year that is the most hectic, with all the shopper’s and all their frustrations, and all the family gathering’s that have to be planned and all the gifts that must be bought and wrapped and then it gets dark so early and it’s cold and maybe it’s gonna be bad weather and! and! and!

Since I bake and send my gifts to my family, I don’t shop, I don’t do any family gatherings, and, we don’t have kids.  We don’t even celebrate Christmas.  Actually, I kind of like it that the more crazy it gets “out there”, the more I slow down and go inside.

Plus, it’s that special time of the year where I can get my fill of one of my most favorite foods: Fresh Roasted Chestnuts!

I get to help out at the Chestnut Stand, which I LOVE to do.  It is such a pleasure to smell the chestnuts roasting.  To watch people.  Look at their shoes.  Sing my favorite Christmas Song with customers: Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire (The Christmas Song).

To notice how many people are not aware of walking because they are texting or reading a text.  Or an email.  Or on FaceBook.  It’s kinda weird.  But that makes the ones that look me in the eye and smile from their heart really special.  It fills me up.  Oh, there are lots more babies this year.  And lots of them are laughing.

And more people are into chestnuts this year.  Maybe because chestnuts are so good tasting and so good for you?  A complete protein (you can live on them…cooked or raw), they are low in fat.  And alkaline.

This year, when someone asks for a sample, I say that it will cost them a quarter or a good joke (i.e. “chicken crossing the road jokes” do not count!).  It’s been fun.  It also been interesting to see how many people do not know a good joke – unbelievable!

The other day a small boy, maybe 6, who has been coming to the stand since he was a baby, doesn’t want a sample, he wants a large bag of chestnuts, but he wants to tell me his favorite joke.  Which is funny.

Then he says, “So who gets the money?”  It’s me.  Because I am the only one there.  My husband is someplace else.  He gives me the money, I give him the chestnuts, and then he says, “You know, I can’t tell you how shocked I was to find out you are the Chestnut Man’s wife!”.  We all cracked up and laughed and laughed.  I can’t tell you why that was so funny, but it felt so good.

And that is what makes this season special…there is so much of everything, including love and laughter.

Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!

xxx

Sadhvi

SADHVI

I’ve started to get into the Holiday spirit.

It started with the first snowflakes last week, the Christmas songs I’ve been playing while baking the things that I love to send to my family, and the tangible joy I feel when I roast chestnuts as a street vendor with my husband.

This year there are more and more people who are trying chestnuts for the first time.  And loving them.

Knowing that they aren’t nuts, that they are a complete protein (you can live on them), that they’re alkaline, and they contain very little fat might be the reason.  Or could it be that they’ve been growing all summer in Italy, so that you are, in fact, eating “Italian Sunshine”?

HOT ROASTED CHESTNUTS!

Without chestnuts, I don’t know if I could handle winter.  I’ve made a simple Chestnut soup for dinner tonight.  I like easy, simple, and satisfying.

For my family who are far from me every year, I used the recipe that I have for making my Swiss Linzer Torte.  But instead of rolling out the dough for the torte, I just pinch off some pieces and roll it in a ball, press down in the middle with my thumb, and fill with raspberry jam, if I have it.  And some other kind if I don’t.  I bake them for about 15 minutes, and then sprinkle with some of the ground almonds.  Everyone loves them.  You will too!

“Swiss Linzer Thumbprint Cookies”.

SWISS LINZER COOKIES & ST. NICK

Sadhvi the Roasted Chestnut Vendor!

I got a lot of emails, wishing us a Happy Thanksgiving yesterday.  Facebook postings from friends were abundant.  It was nice.

Being far away from family AND chestnut roasters to boot, Thanksgiving is always a very busy day after a week of being busy selling  “Freshly Roasted Italian Chestnuts” outside of the health food store here in town.

After chilling out for an hour or so after coming home, we ate a simple meal of  homemade Quiche Lorraine (I always make a few extra pie crusts and freeze them, so that on busy days I can take one out before I leave the house and it’s good when I get home) with salad and greens from the garden.  It was so good to relax, knowing that we have a day off today, and that we could sleep in too.  No Black Friday for us.

I read everyone’s little share about being thankful at this special time of year, but here’s the one that got to me.  It’s all about opening our eyes…I found it beautiful.  Thanks Daniela for sending it!

Carrots, Kale, and Fall Salad

Good news! The vote November 21st on whether to move forward with the fracking on the East Coast, totally affecting the Delaware River Basin, has been postponed. And of course, just recently so has the Keystone one that would come down from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. I can let out a long sigh of relief. I called people, including President Obama’s telephone number, and Joe Biden’s too (after all, he is from Delaware). It was kind of intense. But, it seems that all the hype (Thank You Josh Fox) helped to put off (maybe forever?) what would be a huge mistake.

And while many of you might not even be aware or care about that issue, I am sure that all of you can feel the hyper energy of the Holiday Season – it has begun!

This year, the Christmas food and even decorations are out before the Thanksgiving things in the grocery store. And yes, even Santa is working overtime and came yesterday to visit with the kids at a festival nearby. Poor kids.  They will start to think that Christmas is before Thanksgiving.

I just want to slow down even more. And take walks with my dog alone, eat comfort food, and bake.

I went out yesterday to take a look at my garden to see what was going on since I hadn’t been out in a week or so…just caught up in other things.

I’d planted some carrots this past summer. I could see that the carrot greens were very nice looking; bright green and robust.  I had forgotten about them!  Which is what I really like about growing carrots – they are always a surprise, quietly growing underground all summer, and come fall, they are ready. I pulled a bunch and made a good soup with them, giving our rabbit, Brownie, the robust carrot greens. I think I saw him mouth, “Thank You”.

The Late Afternoon Fall Sky

I won’t be doing any family things for Thanksgiving…just helping out with the Swiss Chestnut Roaster, and cooking meals and keeping the order and balance in our life.

To finish out this week’s post, and in case you have a moment to click and close your eyes for a few minute’s, here’s some music by Shastro that I really like.

Shastro's Tantric Heart

Ho Ho Ho!

Sadhvi

SADHVI

These days I am increasingly aware of how much information I take in while not reading newspapers nor having any TV to watch.  It’s all from the internet.

So, with this post, I want to share a personal sigh of relief:

President Obama has delayed the Keystone XL Pipeline! Say thanks, and ask him to reject it once and for all.

And to bring awareness to another MAJOR issue that is going to affect a whole lot of people.  People who happen to be my family.  My friends.  Maybe yours too?

It’s about a decision to start drilling in land that will affect the Delaware River basin after a long moratorium.  Not just one drill, but a LOT of drilling.  Just the idea that lots and lots of fracking is about to occur, and that the Delaware River basin is going to be affected by all the chemicals that will flow into it makes me nauseous.

I could pretend that it’s all awesome and that it won’t be that bad, but instead, I choose to bring awareness to it.  And for those of you who are afraid of awareness, don’t be.  Because in times like this, it’s OK to to notice and say that the Emperor is not exactly fully clothed.

You might not be able to physically participate, but you can call to say something.

Call the Governors from the member states and President Obama Monday – Friday from 8-6pm.

Just tell them,

“Hello, I am calling you to express my serious concerns about hydrofracking.  Please Don’t Drill the Delaware!”

Governor Christie’s office:609-292-6000

Governor Cuomo’s office: 518-474-8390

Gov Corbett’s office: 717-787-2500

Gov Markell’s Wilmington Office: 302-577-3210

And the White House comment line: 202-456-1111

In case you don’t really feel like it, you might after you watch Josh Fox‘s video of what is at stake.

SAVE THE DELAWARE from JFOX on Vimeo.

And lastly, I was listening to some NPR on the radio in my car the other night, and a singer came on and spoke, and then sang and played.  She is not a newbie to the music scene, but she is new to me.

Abigail Washburn.  I really liked what I heard. I felt comforted.

And these days, it is about finding the balance between being aware of how fragile it all is, and moments of comfort and joy.

Wishing you Well,

Sadhvi

THE LIGHT OF AUTUMN

We belong to the local “Swiss Club”, where we get together every so often to eat good, traditional Swiss food, chat, watch a movie, and generally have a good time.

One of our friends is a cook in one of the resorts here, and we started to talk about “Rot Kraut”, a favorite fall dish.

Then the whole table took turns telling how they make their version.

Every person had a different way to make it, and everyone was excited and thrilled to hear how.  I love those kind of conversations…so much better than trying to top each other on the latest bizarre news of the moment!

I don’t remember eating “Red Cabbage” while growing up in Cleveland.  I did eat it in Switzerland though, where people went crazy over it, as a side dish to other fall specialties, like homemade “spaetzli”  served with wild boar sausages.

MITSOUKO by Guerlain

So if you like “Red Cabbage”, I think you will love this “recipe” I got from a French house guest we had staying with us.  She also was the one who introduced me to the Guerlain perfume house, and my favorite perfume, Mitsouko.  I can’t remember her name, it was over 20 years ago, but I will always remember her.

She got this recipe from her great-great grandmother that is absolutely delicious.  Funny, but when I told the friend who’s a cook about how I make it, he said he had never heard of doing it like this before with garlic.

By the way, he uses apple sauce…something I will be sure to try in the months to come.

Sadhvi’s Red Cabbage Recipe

1.   Take a head of red cabbage and wash, remove any outer leaves that don’t look good, core it, and cut it up into the desired size.

2.   If you use a pressure cooker for everything like I do,  then you know how to do the timing, etc.  If not, throw the cabbage into a big pot with a tight fitting lid.

3.   Take a whole head of garlic (or so), peel, and put one or two whole cloves into each piece.  This makes taking them out very easy after cooking, because you don’t want the cloves after it’s done.   Place them amongst the cabbage in the pot.

4.   Now sprinkle some good balsamic vinegar over the cabbage.  It’s maybe a cup, maybe a bit more?  It doesn’t matter!  We have a store around here that has really cheap prices on really good condiments.  So I understand if you don’t want to use your really expensive Italian Balsamic Vinegar.  Use whatever you have on hand.  No need to go out and buy anything special for this recipe.

5.   Now sprinkle some salt over the cabbage.  And now some nice olive oil. 

6.   Cook.  Voila!  Enjoy…now wasn’t that easy?  It’s even better the next day, by the way.

"ROT KRAUT"

While on the operating table she had a near-death experience.

Seeing God she asked, “Is my time up?”

God answered, “No, you have another 40 years, 2 months, and 8 days to live.”

Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a face-lift, liposuction, and a tummy tuck.

She even had someone come in and change her hair color.

Since she had so much more time to live, she thought she might as well make the most of it.

After her last operation, she was released from the hospital.

While crossing the street on her way home, she was hit by a car and died immediately.

Arriving in front of God, she demanded, “I thought you said I had another 40 years – why didn’t you pull me from out of the path of the car?”

God replied, “I didn’t recognize you.”

WHITE BEACH MORNING GLORY

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Every autumn, it’s the same thing: it takes me a while to get used to the idea that all the leaves will fall from the trees, it’s going to get cold, and winter is coming.

I have never lived in a place where there were NOT four seasons, so why does it come as a shock each and every year?

Maybe it’s simply because I don’t like to be cold!

Here’s a joke that I find funny ever time I read it:

On a small iceberg, somewhere near the North Pole, a little bear goes up to his mother and asks, “Mom, what kind of bear am I?”

“You are a polar bear, son,” replies his mother.

“Are you sure I am not a brown bear?” he asks.

.

“Quite sure, son,” she replies, “you are a polar bear.”

But the little bear is not satisfied. “Mom,” he says, “maybe I am a grizzly bear?”

“What are you asking these questions for, son?” asks his mother. “You are a polar bear.”

So the little bear walks across the iceberg to his father.

“Pop,” he says, “am I a panda bear?”

“No, son,” says the father, “you are a polar bear.”

“Not a koala bear?” asks the baby bear.

“No, you are a polar bear,” says his father. “Why are you asking all these questions?”

“Because,” moans the little bear, “I’m cold!”

So postponing the inevitable is why I like to have as many Zinnia’s around me as possible.  They seem to continue to bloom and flower until the first hard frost, which around here can be in November.  They require nothing more than putting some seed in the ground once the Spring frosts are behind, and then continue to sow some in little corners until mid-Summer.  Oh, and deadhead when needed, saving the spent flowers to use for next year’s blooms.

Remembering to do this is not hard, once you’ve experienced the joy of their colorful blooms.

Wishing you Well,

Sadhvi

Zinnias from a few days ago!

MAXINE'S JOHN WAGNER

Maxine can still crack me up.  Like her, there was always someone around in the family who called a spade a spade.  In the “politically correct” times we’ve been living in, and now, where EVERYTHING IS AWESOME, I can appreciate Maxine’s character even more.  Because most of the people who used to be like her are gone.  And I know I should watch Jon Stewart, but I don’t have a TV.

The other day while at the market, I saw a young girl, maybe 11 or 12 years old, hugging a colorful book to her chest.  I asked her if I could see the title of the book.  It was, The Book of Awesome.  Her mother was behind her, and I asked what the book was about?  She said that every kid is reading it, and her daughter just loves it.  Nothing wrong with love, but this book even has its own Wikipedia page.  Now how weird is that?  What a peculiar thing, that there is a book written for people to read, about things like:

Snow Days, Bakery Air, Finding Money in Your Pocket and Other Simple, Brilliant Things

I wonder what Maxine is gonna have to say about it?

Hey, I might actually read this New York Times bestseller and start to wear a t-shirt with the cover on the front, and start carrying the book around, hugging it!

So who is the person behind Maxine’s character?  The following is taken from the Hallmark website:

John Wagner, Hallmark artist since 1970, says Maxine was inspired by his mother, his maiden aunts and his grandmother, the woman who bought him art lessons when “fill in the pumpkins” was about the extent of his art classes at St. John ‘s Catholic School in Leonia, New Jersey.

When Hallmark launched the Shoebox card line back in 1986, nobody knew that the crabby character gracing the covers of a few cards would become a celebrity.  It didn’t take long for Maxine’s irreverent quips about aging, the workplace, retirement, political correctness, and of course sex (or the lack of it) had struck a cord.

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“If Maxine can get a laugh out of someone who feels lonely or someone who is getting older and hates the thought of another birthday, or if she can make someone chuckle about stressful interpersonal relationships, then I’m happy.  Putting a smile on someone’s face is what it’s all about.”

Why the name ‘Maxine’?

“People at Shoebox started referring to the character as “John Wagner’s old lady”, and I knew that would get me into trouble with my wife,” John says.  So the Shoebox team had a contest among themselves to name the character and three of the approximately 30 entries suggested “Maxine”.   John says the name is perfect.  He’s also humbled by such acceptance of Maxine, and admits he’s proud of her.

So now you know!

Enjoy,

Sadhvi

FATIMAH'

I enjoy sharing women that are interesting and Fatimah’ is one of those women.  I recently met her to ask some questions in order for you to get to know her better.  She is so into music and has her own website where she is the DJ.  Finding out that we both listened to Matt the Cat and Kid Leo on WMMS, the home of the Buzzard, back in the glory days of rock in the 70′s was actually not a surprise…

What was the name of the first record you ever bought?

I remember it well…it was “Think”, by James Brown and The Famous Flames.  This song made me dance, and I love dancing.

Who was your favorite female singer while growing up?

It was “Esther Phillips”. Esther’s voice is sultry & unique.  Take a listen…

What is the one thing you have to put on that makes you feel good about leaving the house?

I have to say, it’s an essential oil called “Ylang Ylang” and I only use the one from the company, Young Living.  It makes me feel empowered, seductive, creative, and magnetic.

What is your favorite comfort food?

It’s either Ben & Jerry’s or Haagen Daz’s Butter Pecan ice cream, or, this Greek Honey Vanilla yogurt that I get at the health food store.

What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about being over 50?

If there was anything that is my least favorite thing about being over 50, I guess it would be that I don’t have the physical strength and tenacity that I used to have: I don’t last like I used to!  But my favorite things are I feel more conscious, more aware, and feel like I have wisdom.

What is your most favorite thing to do that is “creative”?

Dancing, singing, drumming, storytelling: I love them all!

Do you feel optimistic about the future?  And, what keeps you going?

Oh yes.  I do feel optimistic about the future!  And what keeps me going are the possibilities.  The unknown.  The trusting.  And the knowing.

What is part of your daily routine that makes you feel good?

I have a internet TV Station, “One Outrageous place on the Internet” ‘Shabazz 7777‘  WRNU Internet TV.

Check it out by clicking here: http://www.viewerone.com/channels/wrnu

I get such a good feeling and so much enjoyment while selecting the music or Informative Documentaries for each show, knowing that those good vibes are being passed along and shared; that is something that I love to do!  Tune in from 7pm – 7am every day to feel it!

SADHVI

I had a lot of Basil plants that I’ve been using in salads all summer long…if you keep pinching back the plant, and never let it start to flower, it becomes very bushy and full.  Which means, more Basil!  Notice how I capitalize the word: Basil.  It’s like a good friend, and I cannot imagine my life without it.

The other day I heard someone say it’s going to get cold, so I harvested all of my plants to make my version of “pesto”, knowing that with just one cold night, all that lovely taste inside those leaves would be gone, and therefore wasted.  I never really FEEL like doing these kinds of things, I just somehow start to move in that direction, and IT happens on it’s own.  I must have it in me from my Slovenia grandma or something. Or maybe from my other grandma, Mabel Carter?  Both women had gardens, sewed their family’s clothes, and both put food up for the winter months.

ONE OF SADHVI'S PAINTINGS

So I got out my Cuisinart food processor, started to pluck Basil leaves (never stems), added olive oil and a little salt, and then blended until I got the consistency that makes it pourable into clean glass jars, labeled them, and voila!  A base for pesto that will last a long, long time if it’s kept covered with olive oil, and in the back of the fridge.  Just let it sit for an hour or so, to make sure the olive oil comes to the top to “seal” it, which preserves it.

SADHVI'S BASIL HARVEST

I had grown hundreds of pots of different types of Basil my first year that I started to garden, way back in the spring of ’94.  I had never gardened before that.  I was too busy with my “life”.

Then we got into a terrible car accident, and I slowed down.

And started to paint and to garden.

I didn’t know how to do either before the accident.

That first year I grew Thai Basil, I grew Purple Basil, I grew maybe 10 different types of Basil.  And you know what?  I only grow 2 types nowadays.  The Genovese Basil and the Greek Basil.  The other ones are interesting, but really, I don’t waste my energy on them, because the taste is only in those 2 I grow!

After harvesting all those different types of Basil that first year, I mixed them with garlic and pine nuts and olive oil and salt and put the mixture in sterilized glasses.  Much to my horror, after a month in the fridge, they were all moldy and had to be composted – my heart almost broke in two!  All that work for nothing.  Well, being the type of person that has to make a big mistake the first time I do something, I’ve since been told how to do it the right way.

BASIL, OLIVE OIL, SALT!

So here’s a very simple way of preserving Basil from Martina, my Swiss-Italian girlfriend.

Martina told me to never add the garlic and the nuts.  Only do that when I am making the meal, she said.  This is the way her Italian grandmother taught her and I’ve been doing it this way every single year since, which makes this year my 15th year.

1.  Take a big pot and fill with water and bring to boil and then add the pasta.

2.  While that’s cooking, take a big mixing bowl and spoon out some of the “Basil, Olive Oil and Salt” into it.  Let it sit on the counter for a while, and then, take a paper towel and wipe the sides of the inside of the jar, removing any of the mix, and make sure it’s covered with some olive oil; not a lot.

3.  Add some fresh-pressed garlic cloves and some chopped walnuts or pine nuts (or whatever nuts you have), and mix.

4.  Once the pasta is “al dente”, ladle out some of the water from the pot and mix in with “Basil, Oil, & Salt”/garlic/nut mix until it’s the way you like your sauce.

5.  Drain the pasta, rinse, and add to the mix and toss.

Grate lots of the best Italian Parmesan cheese you can afford, get a good bottle of red wine, put some Frank Sinatra music on, and maybe a candle or two, and savor the taste of summer, preserved!
p.s. if you want to see how other people make and preserve their pesto, Culinate, which is one of the food blogs that I subscribe to, shares their tips.  Just Click This!

SADHVI

There’s a lot of time and money spent on face creams.  Both by us women, and in advertising dollars.  To make us look younger, flawless…perfect!  Just pick up any magazine while you’re waiting to check out at the grocery store and flip through the pages.  The beautiful faces that look at you are simply stunning, aren’t they?

As I see myself getting older, I’ve noticed that there has been the thought that if I get this or that face cream, I will look like I did when I was younger, or at the very least, better.  I have tried samples of Estee Lauder and felt like I’ve been putting something with silicon on my face.  Interesting, but too weird.  I’ve tried Lancome, and nearly got knocked out by the strong perfumed scent.  I’ve tried Chanel and Guerlain, and could not justify the price tag.  Then I thought the drugstore products, like Roche or L’Oreal would be good.  They stung my face, and smelled too strongly of synthetic perfume.

I’ve been big into the natural and organic movement since the ’70′s, way before big companies got interested in the movement, and bought most of them out.  Those were the days when being a vegetarian was considered very odd…cult-ish even!

WILD SAGE BOTANICALS Rose Geranium Face Lotion

So I just wanted to let you know that one of my 2 favorite face creams* is made by Wild Sage Botanicals.  Every product is hand-made by Garima, the woman behind this very cool “company”.  I think I have to say that again:  every product is made in small batches, by hand, by Garima!  With most of the herbs from her own garden. Pretty incredible, really.  With wonderful smells that are euphoric and make me happy.  Wild Sage’s Rose Geranium Face Lotion is my pick for the best moisturizer for my skin.  Check out Garima’s site and see if you don’t just love her products.  She has drawn all the plants and things on the site herself too.  And her prices are very affordable.  Which is so important these days when most of us are watching every penny that we spend.

If you do happen to order some of Garima’s products, please let me know.  I wonder if you will become a loyal fan like I have been for the past 20 years!?  When something is good, I don’t think you have to shout it from the top of a mountain – you just know.

And if you have a few moments, check out this informative clip below.  I think we need a little reminder on why the stuff that is being mass-marketed and fed to us, and readily available is not something that we want to buy!

 *P.S.:  The other face cream that I use is one that is not available for sale, yet!  It’s made by a close friend of mine,  in small batches, and it is what I call, “The Perfect Cream”.  It’s based on a recipe by one of my favorite herbalists, Rosemary Gladstar.  It smells like a bouquet of roses (real ones), and it goes in and makes my skin feel so good.  I keep saying she should sell it.  Maybe one day she will…  I will let you know.  

SADHVI

It’s almost Fall – again.  I find myself going through the pantry, going through my closets, taking stock of things.

I am also making decisions on what I am willing to put up with for the sake of “keeping up” with the seemingly never-ending, new (and expensive) ways to be in touch and connected.

Yes, menopause is the reason, and yes, it is the only thing I can think about right in this moment that I like about it.  Having weird hormones in funny places makes it easy to weed things out that don’t make sense in my life.

If Facebook, and texting, and tweeting, and Linkedin, and Google+, and Pinterest, and of course, emailing and phones weren’t enough wonderful ways to “keep in touch” these days, I personally don’t think any more will help.

It’s kind of interesting, the range and extremes of what people are doing these days with all these ways of connecting.

For instance, I meet people who can’t imagine living without their computer.  Really.  And from the sound of their voice, I believe them.  I had several conversations with friends who ask me, how can I not text?  To which I answer, how can you possibly?  I don’t have kids, so that seems to be the major deciding factor.  I asked one Mom recently why she texted?  And she told me that it’s the only way to communicate with them.  Hmm.

LATE SUMMER MORNING DRIVE VIEW

On the other hand, I hear friends say things like, “I can’t do Facebook any more – it just sucks too much of my time”.  Or, “I can’t do Linkedin, it’s too much.”  I even have a few friends who have taken a big step and just deleted all their “InBox” and “Sent” messages in their main email account (the other ones they don’t even check!)!  Wow.  I often imagine doing that, but I just can’t.  I asked how it felt when they did that, and they said it felt really, really good.  Hmm.  Some of my younger friends don’t even have a cell phone.  They tell me they can’t afford one.  Double hmm.

There seems to be all levels and extremes in this new world regime where technology rules all of us in some way or another.

I am not into “keeping up” with it all any more.  I returned my “awesome” iPhone a few weeks ago and feel less irritated in general because I can actually HEAR what others are saying on my simple LG phone.  It’s not a smart phone, and believe me, it doesn’t have to be!  I feel like I was smart in giving it back though.  I already have to go through almost 200 emails every day so why would I want to have them downloaded on my phone?

When I asked my Mac friend if he really, really, likes his iPhone, as a PHONE, and he said, “Well, no, it’s so much more than a phone.”  I repeated the question, and he said, “Well, no, there are lots of better phones out there.”  Geez!

I am not against technology.  I use it.  I need a computer for work.  I enjoy flittering in and out of FaceBook.  I like YouTube.  I just don’t want to add anything more!

I wonder how many of us are getting tired of all this technology that seems to be more troublesome and time-consuming than it’s worth?

SUSUN WEED

I create space and balance by being in the garden, and taking walks with my dog.  Or baking.  Or writing letters.  So as long as I can keep the balance, all is well.

Here’s a clip below that I saw recently from Susun Weed, on how to make an easy vinegar to help us with Fall allergies, using Goldenrod.  I didn’t know that Goldenrod was such a powerful herb.  I just thought it was beautiful to look at. My Goldenrod is just starting to open, and I will make some.

Well that’s it from me this week.

Happy Fall!

SADHVI

I know some folks who have had everything taken away from them recently.  They live in Pennsylvania.  Where there was an earthquake, a tropical storm, and now heavy rains and flooding that has hit their area in the last couple of weeks.  It’s unreal.

I know a young family who live in Japan.  Dealing moment to moment with the reality of nuclear contamination in their food system, their water, and themselves.

I don’t watch TV.  But I cannot help be connected to people.  People that I care about.  And sometimes, it just gets to me.

I’ve always loved music.  From playing the flute to singing hymns in church to Christmas carols, music has always taken me away.  During these days when things seem intense and topsy-turvy, singing is a good thing.  And singing along to a song that you love is exactly what is the cure for what I got.  I leave you with one of my favorite songs written by one of my favorite songwriters, John Prine.  This one is sung by Bonnie Raitt with Jackson Browne (By the way Mr. Browne, my marriage proposal still stands).

SADHVI

It’s been an intense time on the planet this past week.  Mercury is still retrograde, but will finally be going direct tomorrow.  Then there was an earthquake that was pretty severe on the east coast.  Whoa!  While we’re being told it’s not unusual, being from the east coast, I can say that it is.  And while I’m thinking about it, does anyone see any cause and effect with the incredible amount of high-powered blasting through the shale in the ground, otherwise known as fracking, to get to all that natural gas under the shale, in order to create a huge pipeline through some of the poorest areas of America, and this earthquake?

OH MORNING GLORY!

If you’ve clicked on the link to the word “earthquake” above, you will see an ad from Exxon-Mobil before the CNN clip, on the “safety” of fracking.  I know I felt better after watching some executive from that company tell me in a soft and smooth voice that it’s all done very safely.  I mean, how could blasting through shale with high-pressure, chemical-filled water (that is being taken from – where?) do anything to the earth.  I wonder if maybe Mother Nature is getting back.

Now there’s this huge, and in the words of  President Obama, “historical” hurricane Irene, that looks really scary that is about to hit the eastern coast.  I know, I know, we’re not supposed to talk about stuff like that…sorry!  It’s just kind of intense looking!

But it was also wonderfully thrilling to eat the first of the second batch of raspberries from my garden this week,  and the many very ripe figs off our tree (thank you Judi for your tip on how to increase the yield last fall – it worked!), to smell the intoxicating fragrance of the kudzu flowers, and roses still blooming.  And it’s always very good to spend time with our 11 hens, all named after my mom, Sally.

KUDZU FLOWER

HERITAGE RASPBERRY'S

INSIDE MY FIG TREE

And a good laugh is always welcome, so here’s a joke that I had never heard before, that cracked me up.

Enjoy!

Sadhvi

An old, blind cowboy wanders into an all-girl biker bar by mistake.  He finds his way to a bar stool and orders a shot of Jack Daniels.  After sitting there for a while, he yells to the bartender, “Hey, you wanna hear a blonde joke?” 

The immediate silence in the entire bar is almost tangible.  In a deep voice, the woman next to him says, “Before you tell that joke, Cowboy, I think it’s only fair, given that you are blind, that you should know a few things:

1.  The bartender is a blonde girl with a baseball bat.

2.  The bouncer is a blonde woman.

3.  I am 6 feet tall, weigh 195 pounds, and have a black belt in karate, and am a natural blonde.

4.  The woman sitting next to me is  blonde and is a professional weight lifter.  And lastly, the lady to your right is also blonde and a well-known professional wrestler.  Now, think about it for a moment, Cowboy, do you really want to tell that blonde joke?”

The blind cowboy thinks for a few seconds, shakes his head, and mutters, “No, not if I’m gonna have to explain it five times.”

SALLY HENS

SADHVI

I got a new iPhone last week so that when I am at our stand at the Market, I can take credit cards with the Square.  I spent a long time trying to figure out the best deal from the many companies, and frankly, it was harder than my first year of college!  So when a friend said I should Google Square I did and was so happy that someone (one of the founders of Twitter) came up with this easy method that lets you take any credit or debit card with a smart phone.  And the best part is that there’s no monthly fee or service contract.  Another added perk is that customers think you are cool if you offer this, don’t ask me why!  Kind of like if you’re the first kid to have the newest-toy-on-the-block sort of thing.  It couldn’t be easier to use, and the money goes straight into your bank account.  Perfect for massage therapists, artist’s, and small business owners.  And it works with the Droid and the iPad too.  Really, it’s great.

iPhone4

But getting an iPhone has made me cross the line from where I set my boundaries in my own personal comfort zone of technology.  I mean, I don’t text because I find it kind of weird to type on something so small, and, I don’t have kids, which I hear is the only way to communicate with them these days.  I don’t like to play games.  I don’t really get lost, and if I do, I like to look at a map or even ask people for directions (I get a secret thrill out of talking to a complete stranger of the same species as me!).  I don’t need to identify a song I like on the radio, I can just enjoy it as something new, and I will leave it to chance when I am on the road and am looking for a good place to eat.  If it’s not good, I know it will be an interesting memory, or something soon forgotten.

So imagine becoming immediately addicted to something that I am a bit embarrassed to write about: and that is, checking my incoming email while driving!  Can you believe it?  It was as if some part of my brain took over and told me: ‘It’s OK…you’re just cleaning up any junk mail and looking for the important ones!”  The bad part is that I wasn’t just doing it just at red lights.  After catching myself doing it during a long stretch of the ride home, I vowed not to touch that iCrackThing while driving ever again.  I don’t know what happened, but it was scary!  No wonder Apple is now worth more than the oil companies!

My 10-year-old niece came to visit, and while driving together in the car to the horse ranch that she would be staying at with her Dad in the car ahead, the beautiful mountain views were truly something to behold.  She sat next to me playing a game on her new iPhone4.  “I love it!”, she says.  I told her she can love it, but not while driving on vacation with her Aunt Sadhvi.  I wanted her to find enjoyment in the ride and the journey and the wonderful views.  She reluctantly put her beloved iPhone away.

Just to let you know, I also write her letters in cursive writing, on cute stationary and send them in the mail with stamps that I pick out, not the ugly Forever Stamps.  I’ve heard they don’t teach cursive writing in schools any more, and I think that’s kind a real shame.  That’s when I started to send her letters.  So maybe my niece will be able to land a job someday because she knows how to read cursive?!  No, I’m just kidding.  I really just want to make sure she has some “human connection memories” instead of computer games that she’s become addicted to on her awesome iPhone.

Or just maybe all this tuning out and tuning into a hand-held computer that is so cute, sleek and even loveable is just a way to tune out the hectic energy of the world?

Enjoy!

Sadhvi

“Be careful not to fill up every moment of your life with “stuff”: things to think about, to react against, to worry about, be upset about, regret or even look forward to… There’s more to life.  You don’t have to stop doing, but you can intersperse your life with brief moments of presence.  Like now… allow everything to be as it is.  Then become aware that there is an awareness here, a consciousness, & that THAT is more truly who you are than anything else.”

EckhartTolle

PRIYA'S MORNING GLORY

SADHVI

It’s National Book Week.  Or that is what I was told by a friend on Facebook.  I thought it was a fun 2 minute diversion to an otherwise hectic day.

The rules: Grab the closest book to you.  Go to page 56.  Copy the 5th sentence.  Don’t mention the book.  Pass it along.

“Every woman wants to kill the husband – it is another matter that she does not kill him – because if she kills him, what will she do?”

*Note: I know this quote seems strange, but just so you know, I was feeling overwhelmed and my husband was adding to the mix; so when I picked a random book from the shelf, and read this  quote I had to laugh!  I am not a violent person, and I wasn’t thinking to kill him either. Enjoy!

SADHVI'S MEXICAN TORCHFLOWER

SADHVI

Ok, for the last couple of days, Mercury has been retrograde.  Personally speaking, if it gets any more intense in the heavens, I might have to join the “Baptists who Believe and Want Rapture to Happen Yesterday” (BBWRHY) church down the street.  A friend recently told me about a quote he read…something about “Nothing can be done.  And, nothing matters.”  I think it was from Osho.  I like it.  And I find myself repeating it to myself throughout the day.  You might want to do the same…just find something you like and resonate with.

Here are some suggestions to get you thinking:

“Don’t Worry, be Happy.”

“Everything is OK unless you think about it.”

“Through Chaos Stars are Born”

You get the idea, right?

What does mercury retro mean to you and me?  Well, here is what my favorite astrologers at StarIQ have to say about it:

“Mercury, the planet of communication, short trips and details, appears to stop dead in its tracks on August 2 at 1 degree of Virgo. The planet then turns backwards in its apparent path through the zodiac. It stops again on August 26, then turns to resume its direct motion at 18 degrees of Leo.

Mercury turns retrograde three times a year, spending a bit more than three weeks in “reverse” gear each time. The retrograde cycle is due to the fact that we are viewing the planets from a moving platform, the Earth. The planets, in fact, do not actually change direction, but appear to do so from our perspective. This geocentric, or earth-centered, point of view is the basis for astrological measurements. In a sense, what you see is what you get.

What Does It Mean?

A retrograde planet is generally considered more introverted than when it’s in the normal direct motion mode. Astrologers have traditionally considered Mercury retrograde to be a time of difficulty in Mercury related endeavors like communication, travel and matters of detail. Some counsel the avoidance of launching new projects or signing contracts at this time. Glitches are considered more commonplace now, as are misunderstood or poorly delivered messages.

There are, fortunately, more optimistic views of what Mercury retrograde means. Rather than hunkering down in your bunker, this is a positive time to tie up loose ends, reconnect with people from the past, make mechanical repairs and get systems in order. This can also be a productive period for psychological review as new information can be gleaned from old experiences.

How Long Does It Last?

Mercury, the planet of communication, short trips and details, appears to stop dead in its tracks on August 2 at 1 degree of Virgo. The planet then turns backwards in its apparent path through the zodiac. It stops again on August 26, then turns to resume its direct motion at 18 degrees of Leo.

I hope you are enjoying what is,

Sadhvi

SADHVI

It’s been really hot on the eastern side of the US.  Or maybe it’s just a long hot flash?  Either way, I haven’t felt like doing much cooking in the evening lately.  So I try to take it easy and make simple things for dinner, like cold beet salad (I LOVE BEETS!) with fresh goat cheese and something from the garden, like dill.  I have a feeling that everyone has their own recipe with their own memories from their grandma or mother making it, so I won’t post mine.  You do know that I really don’t follow any recipes anyways, right?  And that it’s too hot for me to prepare dinner AND write down what I’m doing?

Oh, and by the way, if you happen to be living on the western coast of the States, where it’s been cold, well, you can still make fresh steamed or juiced beets – beets are so good for you.  Didn’t Dr. Oz talk about them recently?

But here is a recipe from Clara, who is almost taking the place of Oprah.  I find this woman fascinating!  She’s lived through the depression, and she looks terrific!  She has her own website, and her own book.  Maybe everyone but me knows about Clara, but if you are not familiar with her, take a few moments to watch her in action.  I think you’ll agree, she’s a treasure.

P.S. Thanks Garima for sharing!

Stay Cool,

Sadhvi

SADHVI

I wanted to share my secret to eternal youth this week, but I couldn’t think of one.  Then I thought I could let you in on how at the age of 53, I’ve invested wisely and am now retired, except that this is not the case.

So instead I’m going to share something that I think is pretty interesting.  I was looking at the data collected from GoogleAnalytics, a free service from Google that shows which key words people are punching into their search boxes, and how many of them there are.  What I discovered is that the majority of people using the web are trying to find their perfect mate!  Uh oh, wait!  I think that also includes porn sites.  Geez.  I shouldn’t be surprised, since just about all of my single friends use online dating these days.  I even have friends who tell me, “I’ve got to find time to get on Match.com!”.

If only they realized that their type of “Mr. Right” is not anywhere but between the pages of a book.  Because having been in a relationship for over 25 years with the same partner, I can attest that it ain’t like what these single friends are yearning for.  It is not necessarily bad, it just isn’t romance every day!

MR. RIGHT THERE ALL ALONG

If I were looking, I definitely wouldn’t look for a potential relationship online!  They pick the picture themselves and they write things that make them appear like they are auctioning themselves off on the block!

If I were looking for love, I would join a tango class, or a bowling league, or maybe just go the library and get some Harlequin romance novels and drift away in a comfortable chair.  Or just order online at my favorite book site: Better World Books.  A much better company than Amazon to support, by the way.

Here’s a quote from a summer read that I recently picked up (no pun intended).  Let me know if you agree with me that reading about romance might be better than an actual relationship.  It’s cheaper. There is no compromise.  When your heart gets broken, vicariously of course, it will be better by the end of the book.

Enjoy!

Sadhvi

SADHVI

I knew the moment we saw our house that it was the one.  The place where I would plant the flowers and things that I loved.  I didn’t do much the first summer, wanting to see what kind of things were here…an old snowball tree, lots of “Rose of Sharon”, an old Lilac tree, a huge Oak tree, and lots of hemlocks.  That was also the first year they started to die off around here; some sort of aphid was killing them.  It also started to get warmer and we went from Zone 6 to Zone 7.

MY POTTING BENCH

I got a tree man to come and treat all 24 hemlocks, and they are still standing.

I feel cozy and protected with those hemlocks surrounding our little half acre.  This month it’ll be 9 years living in this old farmhouse.  It was so much work to gut it and redo it, but it’s wonderful having a place that feels like a haven from the world each night when I come home.

Each year what grows and blooms is a little bit different, and maybe in a different spot.  It’s as if the plants and flowers start to have a life of their own – and I love that.

I would be lost without the Maria Thun BioDynamic Planting Guide.  It’s now online, and it is easy to read and use.

MARIA THUN

I highly recommend planting at the time that Maria Thun says to!  It’s the best thing you can do to get the strongest plants and best harvest.

ONE PURE DAISY

With such a small life, with such a small energy source, it is simply stupid to waste it in sadness, in anger, in hatred, in jealousy.

Use it in love, use it in some creative act, use it in friendship, use it in meditation: Do something with it which takes you higher.

And the higher you go, the more energy sources become available to you.

At the highest point of consciousness, you are almost a god.

OSHO

ZINNIA'S ARE MY FAVORITE!

SADHVI

I saw the first leaf fall the other night on a walk with my dog.  It’s not the first time I noticed this right after the beginning of summer, just a few weeks after the longest day of the year.  Just one of life’s paradox’s.  It was orange and it was from a beautiful maple tree.

DEEP BURGUNDY PINCUSHION

The flowers are opening a good month ahead of the “norm” of the last 12 years that I’ve been in these parts.

MAGNIFICANT SUNFLOWER

The wine berries are almost over, and the raspberries have been gone for several weeks.  They were huge.

CORNFLOWER'S

My butterfly bushes are gigantic (but no sign of the butterfly population), my 4 o’clock’s smell more intense than I can ever remember, and the skies seem bluer than I can recall.  I want to enjoy what is in front of me, drink it in.  Love what is.  Find the source behind all that I see, smell, notice these days.  I wonder if you are feeling this way too?  Well, I hope you are having a summer where your senses are taking in the beauty of the magnificent color and delight that comes through flowers, nature, and life!

BUTTERFLY BUSH AND HOLLYHOCKS

BELLO THE BELOVED

OH MORNING GLORY!

My husband’s iPhone flashed an alert last night while we were sitting on the front porch, cooling off from a hot work day, drinking a beer.  Some sort of App that he has that sends reports when they come in, no doubt.  That alert said that a chunk of the sun had spewed out into space, and that some of it was going to be hitting the earth and cause possible electromagnetic disturbances.  Maybe today.  And nothing more about when, where, or what that will mean.  I don’t have an iPhone, and I don’t watch Fox news or any TV, so I wouldn’t have known.  Hmmm, maybe it IS better to not know about everything, cuz I was wondering about that all day.

Even if I don’t want to know about “THE BIZARRE INTENSE NEWS OF THE MOMENT”, I keep hearing about it.  There’s something or someone telling you the latest thing that JUST happened, or is about to happen, that is kind of mind blowing.  I mean, really, an electromagnetic storm?  What does that mean???

So when I  stumble upon things that I find quite amazing, to keep the balance, I like to share them.

This week’s “finding the balance” share is Eric Whitacre‘s most amazing project with a virtual choir.

So do yourself a favor: click below and bliss out,

xxx

Sadhvi

PINCUSHION FLOWER IN SADHVI'S GARDEN

It’s kind of funny, because women under 50 don’t read this blog – they think it’s some kind of thang that they might catch, this being over 50.  And funny too that some of my friends who are men read it, secretly, never commenting.

No matter who you are these days, I have a feeling that all of us are in the same boat, as a humanity, and that the intensity, the shocks, are being felt on some level by everyone.

I have met people recently who have had the whole side of their house sheared off from a hail storm that hit in the middle of the night, with all windows being shattered in the house and their cars.  And I’m not talking about Joplin, Missouri either.

I have met people recently who have lost everything: their jobs, their homes, their future.  They have a blank look behind their eyes, that suggests no more hope.

I also meet a lot of people trying their best to believe themselves when they are asked how they are doing and they answer, “I’m Awesome!”

I realize that all of us are finding our own way to be OK with these times, in our own ways, the best we can.

Observing, feeling compassion and imagining that things will get better, once the chaos is over, is my way.  I am trying to be very open to magic and awe-some-ness.  So finding words from the mystic poet, Rumi is one of the gifts that I have stumbled upon recently that I want to share.

Wishing you well,

Sadhvi

“This being human is a guest house.  Every morning is a new arrival.  A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor…welcome and entertain them all.

Treat each guest honorably.  The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.”

— Rumi

SADHVI

I think that because life is so absurd these days, I am coming to a place inside myself where I feel at peace with it.  Funny, huh?  You too?

In spite of this, I can’t help but notice an occasional “odd thing” popping up on my radar every now and again.  Like how the media has just about dropped any news coverage of the nuclear meltdown(s) in Japan.  Like it never happened.  Oh I know, I mean really, why worry us, the masses, about something that is out of control, right?  It’s just that, oh, never mind…I will just not think about those kind of things.

Something funny that I saw and wanted to pass along…The Secret was a big thing a few years back, and there are people that I bump into who just “discovered” it and can’t believe how amazing it is today.

Like attracts like and it’s really as easy as that!  Just wish for a new car, or even a check in the mail for a million dollars, and it will appear.  I mean, it was all there in the book and you could even see people just like me and you who experienced it: OMG!  Many, many people spent money and made the people who came up with this incredible idea very rich.  Well, it’s no secret that the founders fought and sued each other over who would get all that money and no longer talk to each other.

Here’s a funny clip that made me laugh, from the Austrailain TV comedy satire show,  “The Chaser’s War on Everything” that makes fun of “The Secret”:

Whatever your space these days, I do hope you feel more optimistic than pessimistic, and remember…during these intense times, try to do what one of my favorite new illustrator’s, Katie Daisy, says to do:

SADHVI

SEDUM AND ROSES

I don’t watch TV.  I just don’t have the time.  Sorry Oprah!  Sorry Dr. Oz!  I realize I am in the minority, and to tell you the truth, that is where I have felt the most comfortable my whole life.  Under the wire, so to say.  I don’t go to the gym.  I don’t go shopping and I don’t belong to many clubs.  Really, I am not that social and am somewhat of a hermit when I am not working.

I would even say that I need a lot of down time these days in order to survive and stay somewhat sane in a world that I find increasingly fast and intense.

GROUP SHOT OF ORIENTAL POPPY'S

I am a big fan of all the flowers that open in my garden.  That wonderful progression starts in late winter, and doesn’t stop until late fall.  And to think that leaving Cleveland, Ohio back in 1976 made this all possible!

BELLO, MY SHADOW!

It’s funny, but I’ve planted things only to find them in completely different places the next year.  Like the hundred or so larkspur’s coming up in a corner completely different from where they were originally planted; and they were originally maybe a couple of dozen from a seed pack!  Oh I know, those are from the many seeds that were blown there in a strong wind.  But I find that magical!

Then there’s the 3 butterfly bushes which have now multiplied into a dozen thriving plants in different parts of the yard!  It’s like: “Where did those come from?”

I like to let the garden do what it wants, because it simply thrills me to know that I am not in charge!  And it really feels like it has a life by itself, and will continue long after I am gone.

SAGE

These are the pictures of what I saw this morning.  I hope you are finding beauty and joy in the flowers and fragrances that you see in your world.

MANY RED POPPY'S

PINK POPPY

BEAUTIFUL MULLEIN

PURPLE POPPY

SADHVI

These days I seem to be running into people who are either dropping out of Facebook, etc., or they are trying to keep up, and are feeling overwhelmed.  And then there are folks like my husband, who never wanted any part of it and thinks it is a complete waste of time! Someone sent me the following email; I don’t know who wrote it, and I hope no one is offended. No matter where you are in the spectrum, I do hope you enjoy reading it like I did.

“When I bought a Blackberry cell phone recently, I thought about the business I ran for 30 years with 1800 employees, all without a cell phone that plays music, takes videos, pictures and communicates with Facebook and Twitter.

I only signed up for Facebook and Twitter because of the pressure from my seven kids, their spouses, 13 grand-kids and 2 great-grand-kids who told me they would be able communicate with me in the “modern way” if I did.

Not wanting to be left behind, I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.

That was before one of my grand-kids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie, Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting world.

My phone started beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation.

I was not ready to live like that.

So now I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.

The kids then bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library.  I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth headset (it’s red, by the way).

Which I was supposed to use when I drive.  I wore that Blue tooth while standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife and everyone within 50 yards started glaring at me.  Maybe it was because I had to take my hearing aid out to use it, and I think I got a little too loud.

As far as the GPS goes, it did look pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside that gadget was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time.

Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, “Re-calc-u-lating.”  You would think that she could be nicer.

It was like she could barely tolerate me.  She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then if I made a right turn by mistake, well, let’s just say it was not a good relationship.

Now when I get lost, I just call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me.

To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house.

We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven’t figured out how I can lose three phones all at once and have to run around digging under chair cushions and checking bathrooms and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings!

The world is just getting too complex for me.

They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store.  You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sudden “Paper or Plastic?” question every time I check out just knocks me for a loop.

I bought some of those cloth, reusable bags to avoid looking confused, but I never remember to take them in with me.

Now I toss it back to them.

When they ask me, “Paper or Plastic?”,  I just say, “Doesn’t matter to me.  I am bi-sacksual.”

Then it’s their turn to stare at me with a blank look.

It’s only fair.

I was recently asked if I Tweet?

I answered, “No, but I do toot a lot.”

I just want to end by saying that I really don’t need any more gadgets to connect.

The TV and the garage door remote are about all I want to handle!”

I want to enjoy life…how about you?

SADHVI

Well, I almost stopped doing this blog since some of my friends seemed to be concerned about me after my last posts.  For those friends who don’t know it, I have a very quirky sense of humor.  I think it was developed from all those winters that I spent growing up in Cleveland, Ohio.  At any rate, I didn’t realize that ending a post with Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” would give anyone cause for concern until I mentioned the weird reactions I was getting to a long-time friend who happens to be from Cleveland too.  She said she read my post, and as usual, simply enjoyed hearing from me.  However, she did say that having that Pink Floyd song might give someone the impression that I was drifting off into a suicidal binge – OMG!

I’ve been doing a post a week for the last couple of years, so if it sounds like I am going off into the deep end, in reality, I am not:  I am simply sharing something.  Consider these posts a little window into my reality, and simply enjoy.

There are just so many things that are in bloom right now.  I love my flowers, and I love how they photograph.

Here are a few that lit up my world this past week:

CORNFLOWER

AN ORIENTAL POPPY

CALIFORNIA POPPIES

PEONY

I also like to bake, and so here’s what I made this past week for my husband, who absolutely loves rhubarb.  This tart is made from the first batch of rhubarb from my garden.  And as usual, it was delicious!  I don’t even like rhubarb but I squealed when I my first taste of this.

SADHVI'S SWISS RHUBARB TART

I shared this secret and easy recipe for this before, so I have not re-posted it.  Just enter it in the search box at the top to get it from the archives.  It is timeless and always good.

What else?  I like to take our dog, Bello, for an evening walk on the trails nearby our house.  It is so quiet, and we usually don’t run into anyone, so it is especially nice.  I wanted to share a picture of the evening light that makes those walks magic for me.

THE LIGHT IN THE FOREST

So whatever your reality is, I invite you to share yours with me, or simply enjoy mine!

SADHVI

Well, I want to thank all of our readers and fans who clicked on the Google Adsense ads to the left side of our site.  It did help us out with a penny a click.  And we got our first check for $100 recently, which means 10,000 of you clicked on one of those ridiculous ads that seemed to have nothing to do with our site.  If you notice, there is now a blank space where those ads used to be.  It seems that we have been terminated since someone clicked too often on those ads, according to the terms that we agreed to.  I was a bit surprised & embarrassed to get that email notification from Google, but after a short while, I realized that whoever was the guilty party was only supporting us.

What else?  Well, according to the May 16, 2011 issue of TIME magazine (did you know they date their magazine ahead?) which I subscribe to and get in my mailbox located at the end of my driveway, and actually sit down to read,

69% is the “increase in ExxonMobil’s first-quarter earnings from the same period last year; the oil-and-gas giant made almost $11 billion, marking one of its most profitable quarters ever”.

With gas prices going up weekly during the last couple of months based on whatever fear-based shortage is being fabricated, I was deeply saddened by the greed of, well, whoever owns ExxonMobil – who is that?  Mr. Rogers?  Big Bird?  Wall Street?

Maybe I really should consider getting some sort of pill that will make me feel comfortably numb.  Some of my closest friends have told me that I am bi-polar, and it’s just a sickness that can be fixed with a pill.  Which makes the following YouTube video of one of my favorite bands, Pink Floyd, performing “Comfortably Numb” rather appropriate.  Enjoy!

BEAUTIFUL SPRING FLOWER "WEEDS"

So much intensity these days, no?  Just about everyone I talk to is overwhelmed…oh oh oh what to do?  I actually sprained my ankle on Monday and had to take a few days off to get better.  I mean, I couldn’t walk!  But, it felt so good to STOP.  Hey, maybe next time I will just be able to take off and not have to have an “accident”?

There is thankfully, Spring which has sprung, which is looking more like Summer around my neck of the woods, but I won’t go into that right now.  This year it’s nothing short of a miracle to see the grass growing and the flowers opening in my garden.

"ATHENS CALYCANTHUS"

A friend named “Buddha” once told me that I had to get a plant that had the most amazing smell of fresh cut cantaloupe.  I had never heard of it until I read in a garden book about a type of sweet shrub or calycanthus called “Athens”.  I bought three baby plants, and put them in a spot that I was having difficulty in figuring out what to do with it.  The plants thrived and just the other day, I walked out on the front porch and smelled the most divine smell of fresh cut cantaloupe!  I ran to the side to these lime-yellow flowers and took a picture so you could see.  If it grows in your area, I highly recommend having one in your yard.

You might remember that I planted a lettuce bed last fall with a mix of the remaining seeds from different lettuces that I had in my collection.  I called it “Sadhvi’s Fall Mesclun Mix”.

LAST FALLS SALAD BED

I had lettuce just about until the New Year, when the 6th frost and the cold nights of winter pretty much did them in.  I didn’t dig up the wilted and dead looking plants like I usually do to clean up my beds for spring.  To my surprise, all those dead plants came back and now I have full heads of beautiful salad in abundance.  Something that I will remember for the future.

And also because I can’t do everything that my mind wants me to these days, it seems that some miracles happen on account of that, because having these strong, full heads of all my favorite lettuce is a real treat!

NEW SPRING SALAD BED

I also planted a new lettuce bed and will soon start to thin that out for salads.  Growing salad greens is quite possible the easiest thing you can do.  No skills required.  Just some seeds and some soil.  And no store bought salad can compare to that buttery taste of greeness that you get with ones from your backyard.

What else?  Oh. The first Oriental poppy opened this morning!  I had to take a picture to share because it is magnificent!  I love poppies, and there are so many waiting to open.  I can’t wait.  The sheer delight of not knowing what color or type is really a thrill that I also highly recommend to anyone who has some seed and some soil.

FIRST ORIENTAL POPPY!

The first bearded Iris made its Spring 2011 appearance a few days ago…this is the one that smells like Welch’s Grape Juice that is really intoxicating.

THE FIRST IRIS

I am feeling so much better thanks to Spring.  I hope you are enjoying nature wherever you happen to be in this crazy world!

KATINA

I’ve known Katina since 1983.  We were young and had no fears about anything, and, we laughed a lot.  We share the same guru, we share astrologically, the same degree of moon and sun, and we share that wonderful connection of being loved and accepted by each other, no matter what.

I hope you enjoy what I found out about Katina that I didn’t know before this little interview.

1.  What was the name of the first record you ever bought?

I remember buying the Beatles album with the song, “I wanna hold your hand”.

2.  Who did you like more, The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?

The Beatles.

3.  What is the one thing you have to put on or have on that makes you feel good before leaving the house?

My push-up bra from Chantelle!

4.  What’s your favorite lipstick?

I like lip glosses instead of lipstick.  I like to go to Sephora online and try different ones.  I like one now that’s called “Sephora: Nectar Shine”.  It’s in a tube.

5.  What is your favorite comfort food?

I would have to say it’s a glass of Shiraz or a Zinfadel.  Lately I really like the Predator 2008 Red Zinfadel that’s around $13.99 a bottle.  Oh, and Archer Farms Cheddar Sourdough Twists!

6.  What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about being over 50?

My favorite thing is that I still feel and look OK.

My least favorite thing is that I have been dealing with a back problem for the last 7 years…and thankfully it’s getting better and I am starting to feel like my old self again.

7.  What is your most favorite thing to do that is “creative”?

Meditation is my most favorite thing to do because it makes me feel so good and connected and I’m creating awareness within.

Ah This!

SADHVI

It’s been tough, as in, hard to keep up with life, this past week or so for me.

Mercury, the planet of communications and anything to do with that (i.e. computers, cell phones, etc.) went retrograde and still has a week to go until it goes direct.

No one is getting back to anyone with any of the many ways we can be in touch: cell phones, email, texting; it feels like we all need a nap from the world as we know it.

At least I do.

For this week’s post I thought I would share a really good recipe that I use for making bread that’s about as simple as brushing your teeth, except since I left the flour in the bowl for a day, it didn’t turn out to be all that easy to make!  So I won’t be sharing that just yet (no pictures!).

Then I thought I’d share some pictures of the green explosion of plants and flowers since there have been days almost reaching 90 degrees here, but also tornadoes, hail, constant winds and thunder and lightning.  Every day is so different from the last.  It’s feels unreal.

I won’t even go into politics, earthquakes, nuclear meltdowns, Monsanto, the price of gas, or anything else that I cannot bear to hear about any more.

So instead I will share with you a poem from Rumi because some things don’t change, and he expresses what I cannot on how I really feel lately.

There is a field

out beyond ideas of wrongdoing

and rightdoing

there is a field.

I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass

the world is too full to talk about.

Rumi

RUMI

SIGN OF THE TIMES

Since Oops50 is a site about and for women over 50, I have to tell you that I am usually not aware of how old I am.  That’s why I don’t write about menopause, aches and pains, hot flashes, sharing the best face cream to take years off my face, etc.  OK, once in a while I notice something new, like jowls, and I have to write about it, but really, I  don’t think there is anything to be done about it except to be aware of my mind freaking out at times, and just accepting what is.

When I first started to develop breasts and have a period, I didn’t think I could change it; I just accepted it and didn’t really dwell on it.  It was also a change, and it was kind of weird, just like menopause.

I could also share what I heard the latest date on Rapture is (I think it’s the end of May now), how I feel about the radiation levels all over the planet, or how the Oxford English Dictionary added a lot of new words and phrases, including OMG and LOL (which I thought meant “lots of love” and now know it means, “laughing out loud”!).

Instead, I’d like to share one of my favorite recipes that is easy and very delicious.  When you read it, it’s going to sound complicated, but believe me, it’s not!  And not only will you be glad you tried this recipe, but you will feel like a genius and your loved ones who eat these will also look at you in a better way.

SADHVI'S SWISS MANDELGIPFELI !

Now you could just go buy some frozen puff pastry dough from the supermarket, but when you make this just once, why would you waste gas, and money, to get something that is filled with junk that is poison for your body?

Sadhvi’s Swiss Almond “Gipfeli”* (croissant)

The recipe for the pastry dough:

2 cps. Flour (I use King Arthur’s All Purpose Organic White Flour)

3/4 t. Salt…put all this is a bowl and whisk to mix.

Take 1 stick + 1 T. cold Organic Butter (and not Land ‘o Lakes), cut in pieces, and by hand, blend it and squeeze it and think good thoughts while doing so.  Think of your loving grandma, think all good wishes, think that you are making this for all the hungry people in the world, and imagine that everyone that eats it will be filled with love and happiness, and that will spread all over the planet.

Add…1/2 cup = 1 T. Sour Cream, or Yogurt, or Quark, and mix quickly into a ball…don’t knead!

Flatten in a ball in a bowl and put it in the fridge for a half hour.

Take out of fridge and roll out on a floured surface into a rectangle, about a half inch thick.  Bring the 2 shortest sides to the middle, and brush off any flour with brush or hands.  Cover with a t-towel and let it rest in the fridge for a 1/2 hour.

Now roll out the dough so that the short ends are now the long sides, and take fold the ends so that the top short end is folded under and the bottom short end  is folded under the bottom in the opposite direction than the top.  It sounds complicated, but really, just follow the instuctions.

Put it in the fridge again, covered, for another 30 minutes.

Now you want to make the filling:

2 cups ground Almonds

4 T. Apricot Jam

4 T. Milk…mix all these in a bowl, and add the grated rind of…

1 Organic Lemon

Line a baking pan with some parchment paper.

Preheat over on middle rack to 425F.

Take the dough out and divide in half, and make 2 balls.  Roll out one on a floured surface into a circle. Take a knife and cut into 8 triangular pieces…like you are cutting a pizza.

Spoon about 1 T. of the Almond filling along the outer rim, and brush some Milk or beaten egg mixture along the edges.

Roll each triangle from the wide end to the tip, making sure to lay on baking sheet this tip side down.

Brush with Egg or Milk mixture before putting in over.

Bake for around 18 minutes.

While waiting, mix 3 T. Powdered Sugar and 1/2 t. Lemon Juice in a little coffee cup.

When the Swiss Almond “Gipfeli” or croissants come out of the oven, brush this  mixture on top.

Let cool, and…enjoy!

SADHVI

p.s. “Gipfeli” is a Swiss word for the top of a mountain!

SADHVI'S SWISS LINZER TORTE

A lot has happened since I had that dream of Arianna Huffinton wanting me to be her friend on FaceBook.  The earthquake in Japan.  The Tsunami in Japan.  The Nuclear Nightmare in Japan.  Coming to terms with my heart opening and crying for what seemed like a long, long time.  People all around not really feeling it.  As if, since it didn’t happen here, and there is nothing to be done about it, well, Japan will recover.  Something feels broken to me and something feels more insane in the world.  I feel both scared and relaxed a lot of the time.  I  turned 53 last week, and I woke up to having jowls, just like all the women on my mother’s side of the family.

THE FIRST SPRING CROCUS

Spring has come.  And here where I live it feels already like summer.

I also made one of my favorite things to eat, something that I have not made for maybe 20 years:  A Swiss Linzer Torte.  The recipe I want to share is exactly the same kind you would find in any Bakery in Switzerland, and boy, it is good.  Which made me happy, and made me feel like there is hope.

This recipe is easy and is truly divine.  Oh, I know that the metric is a drag, but only if you don’t have that manual metric scale that is very affordable and ever so easy to use like I have.  Don’t go to Amazon, Google it and shop someplace local, so that you can get it in person, Ok?  Because if you order it from Amazon, and it is broken, you will not be able to return it to Amazon, etc.  I am trying to spare you from having the nightmares that I have had with them on more than one occasion.  I try not to get anything on Amazon.  No customer service.  No, I mean, horrible customer service.  In fact, before I forget to tell you, if you like to buy books, go to Better World Books online.  They are a great company with great prices on new and used books, and they contribute money to promote literacy and help fund libraries.  Oh, and they have free shipping.  Thank you Tosh for sharing that site.  Ok, here is the recipe:  Here is to things getting better everywhere.

Sadhvi’s Swiss Linzer Torte

(preheat oven 400 F about half way through this recipe)

200 g. soft Butter (7 oz)

200 g. Sugar (7 oz)

2 Eggs

1 pinch Salt

1 t. Cinnamon

1 “tip-of-the-knife” bit of ground Cloves

1 T. Chocolate Powder, or the same of grated Dark Chocolate

200 g. ground Almonds (7 oz.)

250 g. Flour (a little less than 9 oz)

Butter for the 11 inch springform pan, or a tart pan

400 g. Raspberry Jam (14 oz.)

(I used a couple of spoons of some Red Currant Jam that I had too)

1 egg, beaten with a fork, to paint over the top of the crust

a.) Mix the Butter and the Sugar in a bowl.  Add the Eggs, Salt, Spices, Chocolate Powder and ground Almonds

b.) Sift the Flour into the mix and quickly make into a dough ball.  Put in the fridge for 30 minutes.

c.) Divide the dough ball into 4 parts.  Take 2 and roll them out and put in the bottom of your pan.  With the 3rd part, roll it out, length-wise about finger thick, and place around the edge of the pan.

d.) Spread the jam on the bottom

e.) Roll out the last portion of the dough out onto some parchment paper, oh about 1/16th of an inch, and put in the fridge until it’s firm

f.) Cut the dough into finger-wide strips (or hearts!) and put them on top, making sure they are firmly put on the edges.

g.) With the mixed egg, take a brush and  “paint” over the top of the dough

h.)  Bake for 30 – 40 minutes

It gets better as it gets older, but I seriously doubt that it will last more than a couple of hours, er, I mean days!

Enjoy!

SADHVI

I don’t have to tell you that there’s a lot going on these days – everyone knows. The price of gas went up about 40 cents this past week.  Genetically modified food will be introduced to our food system and it will not have to be labeled.  It’s getting more difficult to buy a house and keep one.  Food prices will continue to go up.  The US Government is going broke.  The bee population is rapidly dwindling.  A computer is now smarter than humans.  And as much as I try to keep it simple, avoiding the news, it just seems to be everywhere!

Huffington Post got bought out by AOL recently for something like $350 million.  It used to be my homepage, but since the AOL buyout, the picture of the latest newsworthy item stays the same for a day or even longer.  It’s almost like it’s broken now.  I found some site that has soothing beach music to replace it, but its like listening to elevator muzak playing, “Feeling Groovy”.  Don’t worry, I’ll get used to it.  I mean, this is the start of the Brave New World; I just need a little more time.

By the way, I am happy for Arianna Huffington, the site’s innovative founder.  She created something totally unique, and the site felt alive and captured the pulse of  worldwide news minute by minute.  In my opinion, she deserves every million that she got for it.  It’s just too bad that AOL couldn’t keep it alive for more than a twitter second.

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON

I had a dream the other night that Arianna “friended” me on FaceBook and asked me and the Oops50 girls to be part of a new site.  I told her we had a vision to create a new show called “The Other View”, and Arianna said, “Yes, that’s exactly my vision, too.”

Instead of talking about things that hold no interest for me or other women over 50, (which just so happens to be the biggest population of women on the planet) we talked about what we wanted to talk about, and everything we shared was acknowledged and appreciated.  And, we didn’t change as we got famous.  I still wore the same monochromatic clothes and black pants with an elastic waist, I did not start dyeing my hair, and I still wore the same Chanel lipstick that I have worn for years.

I am proud of our baby boomer generation of women over 50.  We were revolutionary in many ways: we went braless, we wore pants (!), blue jeans even!  We were into being ourselves, and that meant being free.  So why would we want to look or be anything other than who we are right now?  That’s what “The Other View” would be about. Hmmm…Arianna, look us up on Facebook ‘cuz we’d love to share the Other View with you!

To get into a mellow space, click below to take a trip back in time with Simon and Garfunkel…it’s the real thing and it’s time to feel groovy!

PEGGY SANDS

Peggy Sands is not only a beautiful woman over 50, but she’s an artist that I like a lot.  And since I don’t like everything that I see these days that is called “art”, and I didn’t know that she did such beautiful paintings, I wanted to share her with you.

She paints murals.  She paints with colors that make me squeal. Go to her website and buy some of her paintings.  Or have her make a mural for your bedroom or living room.  The world needs more art and more artists like her.

WAITING FOR YOU IN MY GARDEN

Just for fun, I asked her to answer 5 questions recently, and here is what she said:

1. What was the name of the first record you ever bought?

Rubber Soul: THE BEATLES

THE BEATLES: RUBBER SOUL

2. What is the one thing you have to put on or have on that makes you feel good about leaving the house?  And, what is your favorite perfume?

It’s a bracelet I got for Christmas that makes me feel really special when I remember to wear it.  And Nina Ricci L’Air De Temps is my favorite perfume.

REMEMBERING TUSCANY I

ELAND PASSAGE

BOYNTON CANYON

3. What is your favorite comfort food?

Almonds and raisins maybe?  No, wait, I can’t do comfort food – I’m on the diet from hell to try to revive my adrenals and thyroid.

Oh, I know, oatmeal raisin cookies or Miso soup (Can you believe it? Miso? Comfort? So embarrassing!).

4. Have you found the perfect bra?

Yes! One from Victoria’s Secret, I got it years ago and I still like it a lot.

5. What’s your favorite and least favorite thing about being over 50?

I never ever think about it.  But, if I have to think about it, the least favorite I suppose is wrinkles and the body falling apart slowly but surely.  And the best is loving and accepting myself, and not beating myself up anymore, and becoming whole.

IRIS A MURAL

A RARE MEDICAL CONDITION

A man and a woman were sitting beside each other in the first class section of an airplane.

The woman sneezed, took out a tissue, gently wiped her nose, and then visibly shuddered for ten or fifteen seconds.

The man went back to reading his book.

A few minutes later, the woman sneezed again, took a tissue, wiped her nose, then shuddered violently.

Although assuming the woman might have a cold, the man was still curious about the shuddering.  A few minutes passed when the woman sneezed yet again.

As before she took a tissue, wiped her nose, her body shaking even more than before.

Unable to restrain his curiosity, the man turned to the woman and said, “I couldn’t help but notice that you have sneezed three times, wiped your nose, and then shuddered violently.  Are you okay?”

The woman replied, “I am sorry if I disturbed you.  I have a rare medical condition.  Whenever I sneeze, I have an orgasm.”

The man, more than a bit embarrassed, was still curious and asked, “I have never heard of that condition before.  Are you taking anything for it?”

The woman nodded and said, “Yes, black pepper”.

SADHVI

As a woman over 50, I’m amazed at the number of products and plans to help me stay slim, healthy and young.  As if I better do something now or else I will get old, ugly and fat!

I had the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Weight Watcher’s before I graduated from high school.  I also knew about the state of ketosis, fasting, and complete protein shakes before I started college.

I remember going on a cleanse and becoming a vegetarian in 1978, and believe me, not only was it considered odd, but so was I.

I even had the perfect morning yoga routine down in 1980 when I was 22 years old that incorporated Pilates!  Funny enough though, the older I get the more relaxed I become and all the rituals, along with the “should’s” in my head are disappearing.  And I feel good.

Lately I’m meeting more older women who become instant friends, and after talking with them for a short while, I feel like there is some sort of magical transference of wisdom that makes me smile.

For instance, I met Helene at the Swiss Club that I belong to the other night.  I was hungry and there was this incredibly addicting spinach dip that was mostly sour cream and mayonnaise.

I looked over while dipping my umpteenth pita chip into the dip, and saw Helene doing the same a few feet away.  She looked over at me and we both just laughed.

Helene told me about growing up during WWII, in North Africa, and how they had no food for 2 months and were starving.  It was a very hard time in her life.

We talked about how there are so many people on some sort of prescription drug, and how so many of the commercials on TV are for drugs that make you fall asleep at night.  She laughed, saying she has never had much trouble falling asleep.  She told me that after she gets into bed, she goes back over her day and remembers three wonderful things that happened to her, and then drifts off into a peaceful slumber.  I told her I was going to have to remember to try that; it sounds like something that could become a nice little ritual.

Then I ask Andrea (who turns out to be 72 but looks my age: 52), who was sitting across from me what her secret to looking so fantastic is?   She told me that her only secret is that she never thinks about getting old.  I found this to be quite profound!  I thought she was going to tell us about her daily routine of juicing, meditating, yoga, chanting to the One, and fasting every seventh day because she looked so vibrant!

Instead Andrea simply said that we are all going to die, so why spend so much time preventing it?  She prefers to enjoy it!  She paints, drinks coffee and eats well, but is not fat.

So maybe instead of feeling guilty about anything and often having the thought that I can be better,  I will become more aware of those thoughts, and I will enjoy life, including the spinach dip moments, because they don’t come every day!

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”
— Mae West

MAE WEST

SADHVI

As a woman over 50, I am always looking for deals.  Ok, to tell you the truth, this has nothing to do with my body being over 50; I have always liked being a bargain hunter and finder!  And I am always into sharing.  So here’s the best place I have found to buy quality vitamins and herbs that will save you lots of money; it’s not in any store, it’s online at a site called Swanson Vitamins.

SAVING MONEY FOR A RAINY DAY!

I now buy vitamins twice a year from Swanson, and smile when I go to the health food store and look at the prices of the same vitamins there that cost a lot more money.  Do you have a better place to save money?  If so, please share because these days we are all into simplifying our lives and saving money!

THE BRIDGE

A man on his Harley was riding along a California beach when suddenly the sky clouded above his head and in a booming voice, God said, “Because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish.”

The biker pulled over and said, “Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can ride over anytime I want.”

God replied, “Your request is materialistic; think of the enormous challenges for that kind of undertaking; the supports required reaching the bottom of the Pacific and the concrete and steel it would take!  I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things.  Take a little more time and think of something that could possibly help mankind.”

The biker thought about it for a long time.

Finally, he said, “God, I wish that I, and all men, could understand women; I want to know how she feels inside, what she’s thinking when she gives me the silent treatment, why she cries, what she means when she says nothing’s wrong, why she snaps and complains when I try to help, and how I can make a woman truly happy.”

God replied, “You want 2 lanes or 4 lanes on that bridge?”

SADHVI

As a women over 50, the time has come where all I crave is Artisana’s Raw Organic Coconut Butter and laughter.  Items that are newsworthy are so bizarre these days that to write about what feels important to pass along is absurd.  So this week, I thought I would share an old Johnny Carson skit that made me chuckle and feel good.  I hope it does the same for you – enjoy!

ANNICE THE ARTIST

Being a woman over 50, it’s so nice to have the ability to feel like I am 5 years old just by painting.  I’ve always loved this inner child of mine; it is fresh, full of joy, and feels the closest to what I consider “the real me”.  So I felt lucky when my friend Annice told me she wanted to make her Holiday gifts this year, and wouldn’t it be a great idea to paint on glass bottles over at my house?  Yes!

SADHVI IS HAPPY!

It turns out that you are either someone who jumps into anything creative, or you are not.  Funny enough, the judgemental chatter of the mind of each is the same.  Annice is so full of life that I was surprised when she said she couldn’t paint.  Impossible!  Me on the other hand, I just love the process, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a masterpiece or not.  How wonderful it was to see Annice go beyond her mind’s judgments and create some pretty cool designs.  We listened to some good music, enjoyed yummy snacks, drank schnapps, and laughed a lot!  Time stopped for us that Sunday afternoon and it felt rejuvenating.  I hope you make the time for your inner child on a regular basis – it’s fun!

One of my favorite artist’s is Georgia O’Keefe, and this is one of my favorite quotes from her:

“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life – and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.”
Georgia O’Keeffe

TA DA!

YUM! THIS IS HOW IT LOOKS!

As a woman over 50, I cannot be bothered with too many things these days.  I attribute that to me being a chicken without any eggs in her basket (i.e. menopause), but am glad to report that I am getting used to it.  I have even begun to play with the word “crone” and kind of like it (thank you Yvette!).  And while I do love to cook and bake, I am not into following new recipes because I have so many good ones that are easy and taste wonderful.  I used to enjoy getting cooking magazines, but I no longer subscribe to anything because I don’t have time to read them.  I’ve had stacks and stacks of old Saveur magazines piled up for years, waiting for me to find the time to go through and cut out ”only the good recipes” to try later.  The truth is that I have all the good recipes that I will probably ever need.  Happily, I feel the urge for “more” or “better” slipping away.  I do subscribe to several  food blogs now, and getting them in my inbox has taken the place of relaxing with a magazine that came in the mailbox at the end of my driveway.   I do so mainly because of the photos of the food that are really quite wonderful!  If you’ve read my posts before, you know that David Lebovitz is my favorite. 

ADDING SWISS CHARD FOR COLOR IS ESSENTIAL

The recipe below is just for the tart shell, and the filling can be whatever you have on hand.  With this one, I sauteed 3 or 4 onions and and some bacon in a skillet, added some chopped apples and some swiss chard for color, stir-frying it all together, splashed some white wine into the pan at the end and stirring it all up.  I let it cool, and take the pie crust I had made before that was in the fridge for an hour or so,  rolled it out,  put it in my quiche dish (with the parchment paper, of course), took a fork and punched holes all over the bottom.  Then I put some chopped walnuts on the bottom, cracked 2 eggs in a bowl and whisked that with about a cup of organic half and half, added a bit of salt and pepper, spread the cooled onion, bacon, swiss chard and apple mixture in the crust, and then poured the egg and cream mixture over it.

I put it in the lower level of the preheated 425 oven for about 15 minutes.  Then I turned it around and baked it for another 15 minutes.  I add some grated Swiss gruyere cheese on top (I think it gives the best taste) , and put it back in the oven, on the top rack, watching it really closely until it melted and turned a nice brown color.  I make a simple salad with some good wine, and voila!  Dinner for 2 that leaves nothing to be desired, and no obligation to tip for a mediocre meal.  Enjoy!

Sadhvi’s Secret Swiss Pie Crust

300 grams white flour (about a cup and a quarter)

About 1 teaspoon salt

150 grams of butter (again, about a cup and a quarter)

1 egg (not beaten!) with 4 T. half and half, organic if possible

Whisk the flour and the salt together in a bowl. Cut the butter up in pieces over it. Now mix it all together with your hands, squeezing and playing and putting good energy into it. When it starts to look golden yellow between your fingers & crumbly, you are done.

Now take a coffee cup and crack the egg into it.  Add the half and half, and mix it up with a fork. Add this to the flour and butter mixture. (At this point I take one of those bowl scrapers and combine it all to make a little roundish ball.  Do not knead!)  Take a piece of parchment paper and cut it out a bit bigger than your pie pan.  Put the dough on the paper, shaping it into a flat disk, and fold the edges of the paper over to close it.

Put in the fridge for a few hours, wrapped in a tea towel, or put it in a freezer bag and freeze.  I usually make up a bunch because they keep a long time, and I make a lot of tarts and quiches. When it’s time to make one, just take it out a few hours before you’re ready to roll it out.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees, put in your filling, and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until done.  You’ll know when…trust me…you’ve been a baker forever and just don’t know it!

SADHVI

Being a woman over 50, I find myself starting to reminisce about food from my childhood.  It was bound to happen, right?  Nut rolls and Poppy Seed rolls, along with Kolachi’s filled with apricot, cherry, or plum jam, were a part of the Holiday season for me growing up.  My Mom and Dad used to make them just about every year, and it was a BIG project.  I can remember that my 3 brother’s and I stayed clear of the kitchen when this was going on, because it was just so intense!  They had to be made just right; the dough had to be rolled out thin (which was not easy), and there was no scrimping on the filling.  Sticking with the basic recipe was important: no raisins in the poppy seed filling!  Once my Mom put coconut in the nut filling, and well, let me just say that Christmas was not very special that year.  

I spent months trying to get the perfect recipe; from my old boyfriend’s Mom, to hours online researching all the many and complicated recipes that are out there, watching YouTube videos of these rolls being made, studying old cookbooks on my shelves, until finally, my Mom came through and gave me a recipe that she used which was given to her by her best friend’s cousin’s Mom, who made my Mom swear not to give it to anyone until she died.  This is the recipe I want to share.  

POPPY SEED ROLLS GO GOOD WITH COFFEE!

I hesitated for many months.  I thought they would be so time-consuming and difficult.  Being the baker that I am though, I decided it was high time to try.  And besides, my Dad really wanted me to make them, and even bought me a grinder online that cost a lot of money.  It didn’t work at all, so please don’t order it!   They emailed the company, Otto’s Import Store and Deli, asking for a refund and are still waiting to hear back from them, so don’t use them!  I ended up grinding the poppy seeds with a small amount of the sugar in my inexpensive Black and Decker blender and guess what?  It turned out fine.  

SPREADING THE POPPY SEED FILLING

Oh, before I forget, I also ordered bulk poppy seeds online from a company and they were rancid.  The company is called NutsOnline and they were not very nice when I called them to ask about their return policy.  I hate returning things, and of course, I had to pay the postage.  I am happy to recommend Mountain Rose Herbs though, which is an online source of many quality herbal products, teas, and oils.  What a pleasant experience ordering from them!  I did put the poppy seeds in the freezer when I got them, which I think is a good thing, since they do tend to go bad quickly.  

MIXING THE FLOUR

So here is the recipe:  Good luck!  Have fun because they are so good and they are not really difficult!  

Sally’s Poppy Seed or Nut Roll Recipe   

(6 rolls)  

In a big bowl, whisk the following together:  

7 cups Flour    

 1 t. Salt  

 ¼ cup Sugar  

Then cut up 8 ounces Butter and with your hands, incorporate the butter into the flour mixture until it is mixed in.  

Now add in 8 ounces of Sour Cream, and blend it in.                  

Then, add ½ cup lukewarm milk (a little at a time), and mix in.  

In a separate bowl, whisk:                               

 1 ½ packages of dry Fleishman yeast,  

 ½ teaspoon sugar, and  

3 ounces warm water  

Wait about 5 minutes until it foams & then add this to the flour mixture.  

And lastly, add 3 beaten eggs, a little at a time, mixing in.  Let dough stand for about an hour, covered and in a warm spot.  

THE DOUGH IS RISING

 Then cut into 6 parts and put a tea towel over the dough to cover for another 1 hr. (or double in size)  

 Roll on flour and powdered sugar surface and fill with either of the following:  

 FOR 6 rolls: use 5 lbs. ground walnuts OR 2 lbs. grounded poppy seed  

 (You can add yellow raisins to the nut filling: soak in hot water first)  

FILLING:  

In a big bowl, for every 1 pound (around 4 cups) of ground Walnuts or Poppy Seeds,  

add 1½ cups Sugar, and  

2 T. Butter, melted  

Mix  

Scald 1 cup Milk & add little at a time to the filling mix until you get a nice, spreadable consistency.   

If it thickens before used, just add more milk  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

ROLL OUT each dough ball on a little bit of flour and spread filling to edges.  Roll up like a jelly roll.  3 rolls should fit on a pan.  Cover each pan until the rolls rise a bit.  

Then poke the tops with a toothpick.  I washed the tops with an egg yolk wash.  If you don’t, then sprinkle powdered sugar on top when they come out of the oven, after cooling a bit.  

Bake for around 40-45 minutes.  Enjoy and share!

HOW I LOVE POPPY SEED ROLLS!

Sadhvi

Well maybe I still can’t figure out what I like about being over 50, but here are some women who had no trouble saying what they like and dislike about it.  Take a moment to read what I find interesting about these beautiful women over 50…it’s good to know there are so many of us out there!

Adele

 Adele, who turned 88 on November 24th said, “The best thing about being older is that I have the freedom to do anything I want, and at anytime.  For example if I want to play the piano at 11:00 at night I can and do because there is nobody who can say no!   

 And what I like least about being an older woman over 50?  Well, it’s a very small thing but when I wake up in the morning there’s nobody to say good morning to.  I miss that.  Especially since my dog Missy died in 2007″.  

Annice

Annice says, “What I like best about being a woman over 50 is the realization that I have so many choices in life and that “no” is a complete sentence – and it looks like this:  No.   What I like the least about being over 50 is realizing how short life really is and how fragile it is.”  

Betty

Betty says, “What I love about being over 50 is the fact that I like myself the way I am, regardless!   What I don’t like about being over 50 is the fact that four decades of varying levels of activism have not resulted in much of the change I want to see happen.”   

Guitele

Guitele says, “What I like best about being over 50 is my sense of self, feeling self-actualized, and what I I like least are the changes in my body.”

Jane

Jane says, “I like the fact that I no longer care what people think about me—at least most people!  And I like the fact that I no longer have to color my hair but can just be grey.  I also like being friends with women who have been through a lot, suffered a lot, but kept their positive outlook on life.  I like—and sometimes dislike– not being noticed by men.  It’s a lot less stressful, even though I can wax nostalgic about the old days at times.  Like Yvette, I like having grown children and getting to know them for themselves instead of as “my children.”  I like being married to Tom for 27 years now.      And what I dislike is having wrinkles on my face, but I’m trying to change my attitude about that.  After all, each of those wrinkles was well earned!  I don’t like the fact that many of the people who were very important to me in my childhood and youth –whom I would love for my children to know firsthand—are no longer walking on this earth.  I wish we could somehow get the generations all living together at the same time—but I’m hoping for a “meeting in the air!”     

Dr. Judith King-Calnek

Dr. Judith King-Calnek answers, “What I like best about being a woman over 50 is that I feel so comfortable in my own skin.  I feel like a mellow glass of red wine, it just feels good.  What I like least?  Ah, vanity!  I guess it’s those patches of gray hair (although I’m trying hard to embrace them because I think women with silver hair are beautiful), and that my face doesn’t have that tight skin that it once did”. 

Priya

Priya says, “What I like most about being a woman over 50 is that being a disciple of Osho I’ve always felt a sense of freedom, but now aging has afforded me an even greater sense of freedom from social mores.   And what I like least about being over 50 is that my attachment to the physical beauty of this earth is being tested in that I know I am going to have to let go of the physical plane sooner than later.”  

  

Sadhvi

Now that I am definitely over 50, I have been thinking and really trying to figure out what it is that I like, and honestly, I cannot think of anything yet.  

And since I don’t want to be thought of as a whiner, I won’t just write about what I don’t like, so I will just take a bit more time until I can come up with BOTH answers, OK? 

I thought it might be interesting to ask other women and Yvette just happens to be the first one, so I hope you enjoy what she has to say. 

Yvette, what do you like the most about being over 50? 

Yvette!

I love seeing the maturation of my kids.  I’m really enjoying what feels to me like a return on the investment of energy and self spent on parenting.  I love seeing their characters, ideas and creativity begin to bloom into adulthood. 

I’m so happy that they are such nice people.

Yvette, what do you like least about being a woman over 50? 

What I like least about being over 50 is learning the lessons of letting go.  It’s hard enough to let go of your children as they go off to college (luckily I still have one more at home for a few years…) and to let go of youthful beauty and shape, such as it ever was, and to let go of owning so much junk (I need to work on that but there’s time). 

But there’s deeper letting go going on.  I have only recently let go of thinking that there are interests and talents not yet developed that realistically just won’t grow at this time of life (for instance, I don’t think I will ever be the conductor of a major orchestra).  It’s as if I can see the neural pruning happening right before my eyes!  It time to let go of so much and focus on what I am doing best.  It’s not that I’m inflexible or rigid in my path but rather that, well, for example in my younger days I was sure I could catch a  whole bucket full of ping pong balls tossed in my direction.  Now I know that focusing on and keeping my eye on one ping pong ball at least improves my chances of catching ONE instead of missing them all. 

And in this hologram of existence I see that in the hard work of letting go I find a gift of the freedom of being let go which is both frightening and wonderful at the same time.

Yvette in the Mountains

When I turned 50 my Mom wanted to give me a broom for my birthday.  I want that broom.  I really want to be a Crone when I grow up: a Crone with a broom.

I want to be from a time where the wisdom of the elderly is sought after.  I am trying to still be reaching forward instead of the free fall to the end of life.

That Red Hat Society, bless their hearts, has it all wrong in my perfect world.  It’s not that we are free to do whatever we want now but that we speak and act with the wisdom of our years and experience.  The rest of the world sees this as senile.  That’s our society’s inside out way; we are permitted to be senile now.  Go ahead and wear purple and red together. We who are women over 50 are floating in that cast off world struggling to figure out our new identity.

Baba Yaga the Powerful Crone

Here’s the modern view of Crone from Wikipedia (that semi-serious popular culture voice of ours):

The Crone is a stock character in folklore and fairy tale, an old woman who is usually disagreeable, malicious, or sinister in manner, often with magical or supernatural associations that can make her either helpful or obstructing. 

She is marginalized by her exclusion from the reproductive cycle, and her proximity to death places her in contact with occult wisdom.  As a character type, the Crone shares characteristics with the hag.

She’s certainly no youthful beauty, but marginalized?  Well, I see her as powerful.

And I see my hot flashes as a type of downloading of wisdom.  I view myself as a Crone in the making.  Come with me you powerful women.  I have no idea where we can go because the path has become grown over with eons of strangling vines, but I do believe the path is right in front of us!

Yvette

So hand me my broom…but skip the pointy hat, please.

Yvette is a single mom of 3 (2 in college and one at home) who inadvertently swims upstream in most of life’s dealings. 

She’s a homeschooling Mom, runs her own business as an early childhood music educator (Have you ever heard a 10 week old baby sing?), a flute player, an avid reader, and runs the slow food kitchen in her house.  Given any free time at all she’ll knit and think.

Sadhvi

Being a woman over 50, I thought I might want to write something about Menopause every now and again.  It isn’t taboo, but I think that for me it’s just been so intense that I don’t know what to say.

Really.  I mean, who wants to hear someone write about how they don’t know who they are anymore?   Besides, I have a funny feeling that dealing with this Change is kind of like trying to find the “perfect  bra”, having the “perfect job”, or communicating clearly with my husband: there really isn’t an answer, it’s just a mystery and a challenge to be lived on a daily basis!

Not only is there the pressure to look good these days, to be thin enough not to be considered “fat”, to not be negative, but rather positive, to be politically and socially correct, to work out or do some sort of Yoga or Pilates to stay in shape as I get older, but every morning there’s the challenge of facial hair.

Susun Weed

I have a book, “New Menopausal Years, The Wise Woman Way: Alternative Approaches for Women 30-90″  that I opened from my bookshelf to see what herbalist and Wise Woman Susun Weed had to say about it: you can just click HERE to go to that information online. 

If you find the time, you should go to one of Susun’s events, and most definitely, buy any of  her books.

In a nutshell, I can tell you that it’s not going to go away and I will have to keep up with the daily maintenance of it, well, for the rest of my life.  And for everyone’s sake I really hope I don’t forget.

My mother, who is still alive, has not really spoken much about her Menopausal years to me…maybe the whole topic was as mystifying to her as it is to me now.  Mom?

In the past couple of years I have had all the symptoms associated with this Change and I am thankful that they didn’t all happen on the same day, because then I wouldn’t be writing to you via this blog post, but rather from a prison cell somewhere in Missouri.

When it gets brought up with girlfriends, there is always someone who didn’t have ANY symptoms, who is having wild sex all the time with her husband or new, younger lover, or someone who just started taking some hormones from horse urine and swears it makes her look 20 years younger.  Then there are my girlfriends who are in their 60′s who tell me that their menopausal symptoms have never gone away.  So there ya go!  It’s like I said before, it’s all a mystery.

Maybe it just comes down to accepting this new me as I get older, just as it always been throughout my life of being OK and enjoying what is, no matter what age. 

Amen, and seriously now, may you have a good night’s sleep and awake with no facial hair in the morning!

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

(Reinhold Niebuhr: American theologian 1892-1971)

Sadhvi

I didn’t think I could fit in any fall planting this year in my garden.  I went back and forth quite a bit in my head until a couple of weeks ago, there was a moment out of time where I found myself cleaning up a few beds and amending the soil with some composted manure without much effort. 

Sadhvi's October White Zinnia

Sadhvi's Favorite Salads for Fall

Often, I will make a big thing out of something that really does not take much time…it just has to BE the right time, the right moment!  I watered the beds well, and waited a few days until I sprinkled a mixture of leftover lettuce seed packets over them.  I did want some collards and didn’t have any seed, so I bought a 6 pack of starts for $2.39, planted them, and well, that was easy!   

"Firecracker vine"

Sadhvi's Fall Garden 2

Sadhvi's Pink Zinnia in October

Sadhvi

 As a woman over 50, I do notice myself becoming lazier as a gardener.  It’s as if I conserve my movements and tasks to adjust to where my body is now.  I still shift into automatic, where time just is, and my body is in motion with no sense of hurt or pain or overexertion.  I am just more like a slow-moving dancer, instead of a fast-moving one!  If I am sore the next day, that’s Ok, since my love of gardening will never fade; and I figure that’s what Epsom salt foot baths are for!  

Where I live, summer is officially over.  The leaves are falling, and the color of the sun feels more golden, like honey.  But the temperatures are still hitting the upper 80′s, and I still have the fans running.

Sadhvi's Quan Yin & Cosmos

It’s been such a hot summer with temperatures above normal that I am not feeling too melancholic about it slipping away this year.  Twice I had friends knock on our front door to escape the heat from where they live an hour south.  The night temperatures did not change much here, but where they came from, they didn’t change at all, they said!    

Sadhvi's Sally Chicken

With summer fading, I went out to take some pictures of what is still flowering.  And to show you a picture of one of our 11 hens, all named “Sally”, after my Mom.  It’s so funny to yell, “Sally” and see the whole bunch running fast towards me…it makes me laugh every time.  Well, I hope you are enjoying the shifting of the seasons, wherever you are.  Oh, and Happy Fall!    

Sadhvi's Everbearing Raspberries!

Sadhvi’s Sunset Torchflower

   

I started meditating in 1979 I guess, and have tried to find that space since then through love, laughter, friends, painting, gardening, and of course food.  I saw this little video of Puppetji and laughed…I hope you do too!

Sadhvi

OK, I know I am not the most up-to-date person when it comes to movies.  There are so many new ones that come out that even my most avid movie-going friends can’t remember complete titles anymore when they share the latest ones they just saw with me!  Or if they can remember, the names all sound alike.  Personally, I think that all the movie titles have been taken by now, and that the ones that come out are just a random mix of all the previous ones.  My husband watches a lot of movies, and usually, only good ones.  He said that I had to see “Gigantic”, and I liked it so much that I want to share it with you.  I know it came out in April of 2009, so please forgive me.  It’s all good and we are all one anyway, right?  I have a feeling that you haven’t seen this one though.  It has some of my favorite actors in it: Paul Dano, Zooey Deschanel and yes, John Goodman. I found it so refreshing!  Take a look at the trailer and if you get a chance, jot it down to see one day.  I think you will enjoy it!

Sadhvi

Every year, I like to pick one plant to grow in my summer garden that is different, an ”exotic”,  just so I can experience the taste of that particular fruit or vegetable right off the vine.  So growing next to the usual tomatoes, swiss chard, lettuce, basil, carrots, beets, fennel and figs, this year’s  “exotic” is a cantaloupe called Hearts of Gold.  I love that name, and found the seeds in my local health food store from a local seed seller, called Sow True Seed.  And yes, I do believe in buying local!

I plant everything based on the planting guide of Maria Thun’s BioDynamic calendar.  I cannot imagine gardening without it.  I even get my hair cut according to this calendar! If you don’t know about this, you really should try it because it really does make a difference.  

So growing vertically along the fence that surrounds my raised beds was the cutest plant with yellow flowers that became little baby rounds that soon in this record-breaking summer heat became heavy and firm cantaloupes.  I was thrilled to watch them grow, I was thrilled to bring it in when it fell from the vine into my hands, and I was thrilled to taste it…it was like eating warm sunbeams with a sweet taste and heavenly aroma.  Ahh, summer!

Sadhvi's First Cantalope

Sadhvi

I listened to Bloomberg News on the radio while driving back from Cleveland this past weekend.  That was over 8 hours of pure fascination hearing the latest scandals, news, and interviews on the health of our nation’s economy.  I should tell you that I have never listened to this kind of news since I have been living on the edge my whole life, travelling a different path than what might be called “the norm”.   

Here is what I heard: there was talk the whole day about the big H-P (Hewlett Packard) scandal that not only ruined CEO Mark Hurd’s reputation (although the 28 million dollar severance package should help get him over the shame of the sexual harassment charges, and I heard he is actually negotiating for more!), but H-P’s stocks fell sharply. 

Then the 2nd quarter reports were in and would you believe Goldman Sachs broke a record in that for the first time in 3 years, there were 3 consecutive days of losses!!!   After hearing this over and over while driving through towns so depressed that they felt dead, what I suddenly realized was that not once did I hear what Goldman Sachs made in the other 87 days!  I have a feeling that it was just too obscene to report.  Ok, I just Googled it, and they only posted a profit of $613 million, or 78 cents a share, down from $3.43 billion.

The company reporting the most profit surprised me: it’s McDonald’s!  It seems they are hugely popular in Europe, and Japan, and then of course, the US of A, solely because of their “Dollar Meals”!  That means that more people are eating a meal for a dollar in America…is that a good thing?

There was a bit of news on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac being in trouble, and mabye even going under, but hey, didn’t they just get a huge amount of money a few months ago from the government to bail them out of something, and are they anyway not government owned?

 By now, if you are still reading this, you might be catching my drift…I cannot keep up!

So I think I will do something that makes me happy, like go disappear in my garden for a while and commune with the flowers and vegetables.  And the next time I take a road trip, I think I will stick with my own music mixes! 

Sadhvi's Mexican Torchflower

Sadhvi

I am about to go on a road trip to visit my family in Cleveland, Ohio.  I am really looking forward to it because I like driving and I get to spend some real time with my husband.   And, I find it so relaxing driving through parts of this beautiful country that are not considered tourist areas…like West Virginia!  I also like to get those tin cans or glass jars of Starbucks coffee and drink them along the way. 

They taste good, and they give me a buzz, and hey, they can’t be that bad for you since it’s just coffee and water and some sugar, right? 

Well, I guess I was wrong, because it turns out that drinking one of those Starbucks Frappaccino’s is like eating a bunch of Nabisco’s Nilla Wafers.  Now I know why I am obese!!!  Seriously, click on the link below and take a look at this article from  Men’s Health that shows what the sugar equivalent is on mine and your favorite cold drinks: I am still in shock!

http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slide/worst-water?slideshow=184612#title

What USED to be my favorite coffee drink!

Sadhvi

I need to share this.  A good friend of mine sent it to me, and asked if I could post it.  I just got done watching this YouTube video and it gave me goosebumps.  That always happens to me when I hear the Truth.  Take a look, and see how it affects you.  It is time to end the war.  It is time to wake up!

Sadhvi

I remember reading the book, Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert when it first came out in February 2007.  It was so good that I didn’t stop until I was done, and I continued talking like Ms. Gilbert for a few weeks after.  Then again, I also dressed and talked like Diane Keaton’s character in the Woody Allen movie,  ”Annie Hall” for a long time after seeing it.  I guess I’m just a wee bit impressionable, no?!   

I knew when I finished the book that it would be made into a Hollywood movie at some point, and sure enough, Julia Roberts bought the rights shortly after it came out.  She stars in the movie that is coming to the screens next month.  So if you have NOT read the book, DO!  The book is gonna be hard to beat.   

Here’s the trailer, take a look, and hopefully, we will all enjoy a good film this summer taken from a great book!

Sadhvi

It’s the 4th of July tomorrow, so before the summer is over, I want to share some pictures of the poppies that came up this spring in my garden.  I think I might have one or two that are blooming right now, but most are gone.  I’ve seen a couple of birds eating the seeds out of the pods, which helps the seeds to spread.   I always save some seeds to give to others…there is always more than enough poppy seeds to go around!

I picked my favorite pictures so I hope you enjoy them.  For me, having some joy in my life is important.  I don’t think I would be still around at 52 if I didn’t!  So I have planted my garden only with the flowers that make me happy.  It’s one of the main reasons that I love living in Western North Carolina.  It has such a long growing season.  Oh, one of the best sources of poppy seeds to plant is the online store onestoppoppyshoppe.  Seriously, this is the place to go and get you some poppy seeds!  They have an amazing selection…just looking through their online store is a simple delight!

So, on with the show…it really was a spectacular season of poppies! 

Pink Poppy

Purple Poppy

Watermelon Poppy

  

White Mauve Poppy

Red Orange Oriental Poppy

Double Red Poppies

 

 

Poppy close up

Oriental Poppies Group Shot

Poppy and Calendula

Sadhvi

Every 4^thof July we have to be aware of making plans so that we are home by dark.  Our dog, Bello, is so sensitive to the sounds of fireworks going off, that if we don’t come home by the time the fireworks start, then he will suffer.  We didn’t know this when got him, and so we put Bello outside on his leash when we went to celebrate with some friends that first year.  We came home with our front door bent, the screen ripped, and poor Bello’s paws all bloodied!  I am sure everyone who owns a dog or puppy will take care of their beloved pet, but when I saw this article on the Humane Society of the United State’s website, I thought I would pass it along.  Oh, and here is a picture of a very happy Bello!

Bello at the Beach

Sadhvi

I know this one has been around for a while, but, I love to watch this ad for Evian. And since it is so damned hot where I live, I can’t help but think this is going to be how I dress when I have to go out. I think diapers with a little t-shirt might be the only way I can survive this heat wave if it continues!

Sadhvi

OK, I do have a Twitter account.  I think I have like 12 followers, all men in India who want to “connect”.  Awesome, huh.  Thankfully, one of my favorite people on the planet “tweets” on a regular basis.  This is a good thing because he is not only funny, but what he has to say is so damn interesting.  B.E. (before email), we used to correspond a lot by writing letters.  Getting a letter in the mail from him was a delight that is hard to top these days with so many ways to communicate.  He “tweeted” something today that I want to share.  So I guess that means I am “retweeting” it?  Frankly, couldn’t they have picked a different phrase?  Anyways, all week long I have been kind of bothered by the lack of news coverage and the fact that no one seems to be seriously dealing with this catastrophic disaster.  Oh, I forgot:  it’s the 2010 World Cup of Soccer!  Even Huffington Post replaced it’s  ”The Gulf Oil Disaster” link with the World Cup link.  Awesome, huh?   While talking on the phone with my friend, he said that, “Sadhvi, it could be that there IS no solution.”  OMG.  LOL.  HELP.  My  friend figured out what the amount of oil might look like on his website.  Take a look.  Goooooaaaaaalllll!

Sadhvi

You know, I tried the Twitter thing.  I just couldn’t get into it posting “tweets” myself, but I do have some very intelligent and very interesting friends who do.  Here is one that is worth sharing: 

The “tweet” reads:

BP CEO Tony Hayward: “I’d like my life back.” http://goo.gl/SLOA  World’s most clueless CEO?

After reading this I had to conclude that this BP CEO Tony Hayward is kind of pathetic.  But not as pathetic as how the BP Oil Catastrophe is being handled.  Or the loss of wildlife and animals and dolpins and human lives and the livlihood of millions of people or the beauty of the Gulf.  Tony Hayward, why don’t you go down to the Gulf and the oil that is starting to hit the shores and the beaches and help clean up this horrendous mess.  You could get back to your villa in France quicker, instead of just wishing it were all over!

Sadhvi

BP disaster hits home.  Center this map on your home town to better understand the terrifying scope.

http://www.beowulfe.com/oil/

Sadhvi

I just read Arianna Huffington’s Sunday Roundup.  It’s always interesting what this woman has to say.  She let’s me know things that I might otherwise have missed.  Like Obama is having a concert for Sir Paul McCartney next week.  Hmmm… The “Top Kill” solution of putting a ton of concrete on top of the leak is a huge failure.  The oil is now leaking into the marshes.  The Florida Keys are the 3rd largest coral reef on the planet and is now a dead zone.  There are many who have good solutions to try, but they are being ignored, while the leak still continues.  I guess since Obama said the whole BP Oil Disaster is now being handled by the Federal Government, it is time to celebrate?  Hey man, what’s up with that?

I voted for Obama.  Not because I thought he was the answer to all the problems of this country.  No, I have been over that kind of thinking for many years.  

BP's Top Kill Fails

He just seemed the more intelligent pick, compared to Palin and McCain, and he spoke the words that we all needed to hear after two terms with a president that was not really elected and was such a big disappointment.  Heck I didn’t even think of him as black – I just thought he was the change that was needed.  Now, I no longer care who is “in charge”.   Because frankly, there isn’t anyone.  I really don’t know what else to say, except, Obama, you are a disappointment, or as Arianna Huffington puts it, “This is not the time for a White House sing-along.  It’s time to set up a temporary White House in New Orleans until the well is capped.  And if there is a concert to be held, why not make it a fundraiser for all those whose lives are being destroyed by the oilpocalypse?  We need less of the president’s anger-with-no-follow-through and more “hands-on”  leadership.  Without it, Obama risks turning into a real Nowhere Man.”

Ok, I am now going into the garden to find peace and happiness, and continue to spread that to everyone I meet, because while I won’t ignore what is going on, I cannot dwell on it.  It is simply heartbreaking.

Sadhvi

When I was growing up in the 60′s and 70′s, music was so much a part of my life.  I think this was true for us all.  There was the weekly countdown to the #1 song.  And everyone in our house listened to it.  There were weeks when The Beatles had a number one hit.  Then The Rolling Stones would take over.   Then The Beatles again.  There also seemed to be those that liked one group over the other.  Not me.  I loved them both.  The unusual  harmonies and lyrics of The Beatles made me feel good and slightly out-of-my-mind.  But then I got excited and turned on with the drum beat and guitar and the image of The Rolling Stones.  There was something so sexy about Mick Jagger; the way he moved and his clothes and his voice!

Here’s a new release (for me!), along with Lenny Kravitz. As I watched it I found myself asking, “Is Mick Jagger still Rockin’?”  I think the answer is yes.

Sadhvi

There are times when I feel helpless.  There are times when I feel like I have to go inside and find some sense of serenity.  I think today is one of those times.  A friend sent me some pictures of the BP Oil Disaster.  My heart feels like it is breaking.  Another friend who lives down by the Florida Panhandle told me that hundreds of people, strangers and friends alike, walk down to the beach every morning at sunrise.  To say good-bye to the beach.  There is not much talking.  It feels like a funeral.  I have seen posts on YouTube from people who have some very good ideas on how to help clean up the oil spill.  And put some hard-working American people to work.  Which would also be a good thing.  I don’t think anyone in the government is too interested.  I could be wrong.  I hope so.

Sadhvi

Everyone I know is either taking yoga, doing yoga, training to become a yoga instuctor, or thinking about all of the above. Growing up there was only Jack Lalanne, so I think the trend is a good sign that we all want to feel good as we get older!
Here is a clip I found that shows my own personal workout that I do right along with the Ross Sisters. It looks a lot harder than it is. Try it yourself and see if you don’t start feeling a lot more flexible in no time!

Sadhvi

I went to visit my friend Judi last week.  After a hello and a hug, she started to tell me about this pair of shoes that she just bought.  The way she was acting, it was as if she had fallen in love with someone.  Great I said.  After years of seeing cute shoes that only go up to size 10 or 11 and that I will never be able to wear because I am a size 11.5 – 12, I no longer feel any jealousy.   Judi kept going on and on about these shoes that she just had to show me.  Hmmm, I was having a litte deja-vu experience.  Her excitement was the same as what Jane had when she wrote about falling in love with a pair of red Jambu shoes.  It turns out that Judi’s shoes were the exact same ones!  I must admit, my breath quickened a bit when I held these shoes in my own two hands.  They had flowers embedded in lucite in the arch and they looked so good.!

Jane and Judi's Jambu Red Shoes!

Judi’s friend was there, and said she had just walked 14 miles in San Fransciso in hers, another model, the Jambu Planet  and couldn’t believe how comfortable they were. 

Judi's friend's Jambu Planet Shoes

I started to walk out of the room slowly, which is my way of leaving a situation that I find uncomfortable.  Judi said that I could get them in a men’s style…surely.  Well, after googling them online, it turns out that they do not.  

I guess I will always long to have a pair of beautiful comfortable shoes.  So please, check these shoes out on my behalf.  Really, go ahead.  Get a pair and feel like you are in love.  It will make me happy that you are happy with your cool and very comfortable shoes!

Sadhvi

These are certainly interesting times we are living in, don’t you think?  I mean, with so many ways to connect, everyone I talk to is simply overwhelmed with “life”?   If the call is not lost, or they are in the middle of doing something, or their computer is down, or there is another call coming in, or I have to run, god forbid any daytime conversation can go a little deeper than actually hearing stress.  It is very apparent that everyone, even retired people I know, are about at their limit of what they can handle!  Oh, I forgot to mention the pressure to get the latest, or to upgrade.  My husband thinks that I should soon get the iPad, because it would be so good to be able to have it with me when I have clients with me while driving – geez louise!

Therefore, I think it is more important than ever to have something that makes one very happy, that is thrilling even, and does not cost a lot of money.  For me baking something from my garden satisfies that need.  And in the moment it is rhubarb time!

Sadhvi's Swiss Rhubarb Tart

I didn’t grow up eating rhubarb, but being with my Swiss husband has made me very aware that there are some people who consider it a divine comfort food.  Actually, my mom, who grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, also swoons with the mere mention of the word too.  She told me that there was a patch of rhubarb growing in their yard, and they used to eat it raw with a bit of salt on it.  Well, it IS a vegetable she told me!  So when we moved into our home some 8 years ago, I made a point to plant some in our garden.

Sadhvi's Rhubarb Plant

They say that for the first year or so, you shouldn’t pick too much because the plant is getting established.  I went out a few days ago to pick, or rather, “twist”  the first batch, and I made a simple Swiss tart.  It was so delicious that I ate some and decided that I now love rhubarb!  My friend who is German told me that the first rhubarb, called  ”May Rhubarb”,  is the most tender and delicious, and he got weak in the knees just hearing me describe the tart!

Here is the recipe.  It’s easy.  Take a break from FaceBook, from email, from the routine of your day, and try it.  You’ll like it!

Sadhvi’s Swiss Rhubarb Tart

So many people have their own pie crust recipe that I say to go ahead and use it!  I have my own recipe that I use all the time, for savory and for sweet tarts and it is good, but so is yours.  I would say to make it yourself and not buy one pre-made though, because there is such a big difference!  And honestly, it takes just about the same amount of time  to make your own that it does to take one that is made with bad ingredients out of the freezer. I like to chop hazelnuts pretty fine and put them on the bottom.   Then take a fork and poke the crust.

At this point preheat the oven to 425 F and position the rack the second from the bottom.

Then wash and cut up the freshest rhubarb you can find, which is hopefully right out of your garden!  I spread the cut pieces over the crust.  Then sprinkle 3 T. of sugar or so over the rhubarb.  Now mix 1 cup of organic half-and-half with 2 fresh eggs, and  1 T. of pure vanilla extract, a pinch of salt.  Pour it over the tart.  Slide it into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.  Take it out of the oven and sprinkle another couple of tablespoons of sugar over the top, and return it to the oven, but now on the second down from the top rack, and broil it for a few minutes.

Whip up some fresh organic cream, put it on top, and enjoy!

Sadhvi

It feels like ages since I’ve posted something.  I had a really bad cold, and I didn’t feel like doing anything for a couple of weeks.  I also turned 52.

I had this urge to bake a chocolate cake with white, fluffy icing just like my grandma, Mabel Carter, used to make.  I never made her “7 minute frosting” before, but I thought it was high time now that I am starting to look like her!

After looking hard and not being able to find her recipe in my collection, I decided to make one that sounded just like hers, called “Wonderful Marshmallow-Like Frosting” by Susan Branch that is in her Sweets to the Sweet book.  She has a cult following, and I am one of her groupies.  Here’s what she says, followed by the recipe:

“The classic boiled frosting, pure white, shiny and fluffy.  You’ll need a candy thermometer.

1/3 c. water                                        a pinch of salt

1 c. sugar                                           2 egg whites

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar           1 tsp. vanilla

Stir the water, sugar, cream of tartar & salt together in a small, heavy-bottomed pan.  Hook a candy thermometer to the edge of the pan & boil without stirring until mixture reaches 240 F.  In the meantime, beat egg whites until stiff.  Pour the 240F syrup over the whites in a thin stream, beating constantly until thick & glossy.  Stir in the vanilla.  Now frost the cake!

I found a simple chocolate cake recipe called “Gateau Therese” in David Lebovitz’s The Sweet Life in Paris.  This is a must read book, by the way.  The following is what he has to say about it…

“Every Frenchwoman I know loves chocolate so much she has a chocolate cake in her repertoire that she’s committed to memory, one she can make on a moment’s notice.  This one comes from Therese Pella, who lives across the boulevard from me; when I first tasted the cake, I swooned from the rich, dark chocolate flavor and insisted on the recipe.

Madame Pellas is fanatical about making the cake 2 days in advance and storing it in her kitchen cabinet before serving, which she says improves the chocolate flavor.  And the Brie she keeps in there as well doesn’t seem to mind the company…”

I actually use just one stick of butter, which is probably a few grams less than what is called for, and, since most of my friends are into gluten-free eating, I use ground almonds instead of flour.

9 ounces (250g) bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate, chopped

8 T. (120 g) butter

1/3 cp. (65 g) sugar

4 eggs, at room temperature, separated

2 T. ground almonds

A pinch of salt

Try this recipe…it’s really really good.

And, oh, thankfully, it’s Spring!

Sadhvi

I tried to fax one piece of paper to a client of mine today.  It didn’t go through.  Hmmm, I called her to tell her that there seemed to be a problem.  I asked her if she had gotten any faxes recently?  She said no, that actually, she had never received one; she just sends faxes on occasion.  Well, she tried to find out if she could get it working, and couldn’t.  Too bad, right?

Then I emailed a terrific coupon to a friend of mine  from the local health food store: a pound of organic coffee and a big package of granola for free, with any purchase – wow!  My friend wrote me back saying thanks, but her printer wasn’t working today.  Darn!

iPhone

My husband rarely gets any bars around where we live with his iPhone because the service is so bad with AT&T.  But it’s supposed to be so great now that our area has finally got 3G service, and now I see they even offer 4G service – oh boy!  It never makes any sense to me as to why someone would want a cell phone with little or no coverage, unless it was really just a toy, which it is.  I had one for about 3 days, which was the limit of my patience with no coverage.  Strange enough though, the comments I got from people just seeing me holding that worthless phone were kind of funny…they all thought I looked cool holding it!

Then I get an email from a friend saying I should check out this system called EVERNOTE that says it will help me  ”Remember everything”.  Now that is a tempting proposal, but really, just looking at their web site just made my migraine worse (click on the big bold EVERNOTE link above and see if you don’t get an immediate reaction to run away.  I double dare you.)

I cannot handle another thing to make my life simpler, and that includes hearing about it either…including, but not limited to: Kindle, the latest Smart Phone, the new GPS device, getting more business using Twitter, or any of the  other new and wonderful Social Media that keeps making me feel like I have to keep up…that’s it, I think I have reached my limit!

Instead of trying to keep up with the latest s0-called technology, I am going to go back to what I enjoy the most: recipes and gardening.  And being curious about other people…maybe I will start to interview my interesting friends and family for a while.

Now excuse me, I have to go through the emails that came in while I was writing this post before they build up to the point where it becomes my new part-time job.

then click your mouse and  move it over the page.

It’s almost Spring!

Sadhvi

Where I live in Western North Carolina, this past winter has been unbearable in that there has not been a lot of sun, something I really need.  Some might say that the snow has been too much, but I happen to like snow.  There is a certain stillness and quiet that comes with snow that I find calming and nurturing.  I don’t really mind the cold either, because as a gardener, I know that it’s good for a lot of things, like killing off bad bugs and poison ivy.  And besides, the old farmers that I sometimes run into driving their tractors with their well-worn overalls on say so!

I also like being in a place that has winter because I can rest from the garden fever that I get during the growing season.  Every year, without fail, I have to fight the urge to start growing everything right about now.  Magically, just a few days ago, I woke up to birds singing and I knew that the green has been awakened from its winter sleep.  Everything feels different now.  I always act calm and disinterested when the seed catalogs start coming, which this year was not too hard because they started coming around Christmas!  But just a few sunny days with temperatures in the 50’s like it’s been, and I find myself drawing on a piece of scrap paper what I imagine the garden to be this year.

As she turns around, her worst nightmare materializes in the form of a salesman standing right behind her and he’s good looking as well.

Cool as a cucumber, he displays all of the qualities one would expect of a professional in a store like Tiffany’s.  He politely greets the lady with, “Good day, Madam.  How may we help you today?”

Blushing and uncomfortable, but still hoping that the salesman somehow missed her little ‘incident’, she asks, “Sir, what is the price of this lovely bracelet?”

He answers, “Madam, if you farted just looking at it – you’re going to sh-t when I tell you the price.”

Sadhvi

This past weekend we were snowed in.  Last Tuesday and Wednesday we had a blizzard with constant winds of about 50 mph, night and day.  The weekend before we had 3 solid days of non-stop rain, with a little mud slide thrown in nearby.  Now I know, I could be 6 feet under rubble in Haiti, so believe me, I am not complaining:  I am just noticing things!

So if I could get away, it wouldn’t be to the Caribbean, it wouldn’t be to Mexico, it would be to one of my favorite thermal baths in Switzerland.

When I lived in Switzerland http://www.myswitzerland.com, I got such a thrill out of taking the train and going to one of the many beautiful, clean, and affordable hot springs.  I liked to visit and experience the different minerals that made up each of the hot springs.

It was very interesting to find that the salt-based hot springs made me feel like I had just been disinfected; very clean, and all cuts were healed.  The baking soda mineral bath was a true delight!  It made my skin feel like silk, and it was the most relaxing.  In the little town of Vals was a smallish pool that had mountain meadow herbs like fresh-cut hay and lavender flowers that was very nice.

But maybe my most favorite was the one in a little village called Scuol in an area that speaks a language that is a mixture of German, French, and Italian, and that language is called Romansch.  It is supposedly a dying language, which makes it intriguing right there.  Listening to people speak Romansch, which is Latin-based like English, made me feel as if I was not on the planet Earth, and I like that feeling -  a lot.

I wish I could take a few weeks off and go to Switzerland, where they are also having record amounts of snow and cold.

But at least they have these incredible mineral baths that you can escape to!  Where dipping  your toe  into 38 degree Celsius water (that’s 100.4 °F) and feeling the body turn into liquid relaxation as you slink into the waters that make you feel like you have gone back to a primodial place called  “Aahhhhhh” … yes, I’ll take one of those right now, please.

1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   and 30

Good! 

Now aren’t you glad to know that you accomplished something today?

Tomorrow we’ll post the ABC’s.

Sadhvi

I have never been a big fan of February.  If February was at the beginning of winter, I think I would choose to live closer to the equator and put up with scorpions and cockroaches and hurricanes.  In Cleveland where I grew up, I don’t remember having any conversations with anyone in February simply because the only thing that was on anyone’s mind was another month of winter, and to talk about it only made it worse.  One thing that makes these cold months bearable for me is cooking and baking.  I am no David Lebovitz although I feel closer and closer to him now that I have read several of his books, and get his blog regularly.  In fact, I even had a wonderful dream about him, which as I remember, made my day.  Among other things, David has made me aware that there is a difference in chocolate!  My favorite in the moment is Callebaut’s, which is available from two of the health food store in town, and not so expensive – lucky me.

So here’s the recipe for one of my favorite’s, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.  It’s so easy and so much more delicious than the traditional ones, that if you make it once, I have a very clear psychic message from another dimension that this recipe will become one of your favorites.  It is adapted from Alicia Silverstone’s vegan recipe, and it is as follows:

Sadhvi’s Peanut Butter Cups

½  cup Earth Balance Butter, or some regular organic Butter

¾  cup of your favorite organic peanut butter

¾  cups of your favorite organic graham crackers, ground up in the Cuisinart

¼  cup organic sugar

1 cup of the best chocolate you have, like Callebaut’s

¼  cup or so of organic half and half

¼  cup of chopped smoked almonds, peanuts, whatever you like or have around!

Line a 12 muffin tin with paper liners.

Put the butter and the peanut butter in a small saucepan, and over low to medium heat, whisk and stir until it’s combined.

Add the sugar and combine.

Add the crushed graham crackers and mix.

Now pour this mixture evenly into the muffin tins.  Or spoon it.  Whatever is easier!

In another small saucepan, combine the chocolate and half and half over very low heat.  Whisk it.  Smell it.  Love it.  Just don’t cook it too much!

Pour over the peanut butter mixture in the muffin tins.  Put some chopped nuts on top.  Refrigerate overnight.

Then, before you let anyone try one of these the next day, sample one yourself.

And be transported to another time, another place…maybe another month!

Giuseppe replied to the assembled husbands,  “Wella, I’ve a-tried to treat-a her nicea, spenda da money on her, but besta of alla is, I tooka her to Italy for the 25th anniversary!”

The priest responded, “Giuseppe, you are an amazing inspiration to all the husbands here!  Please tell us what you are planning for your wife for your 50th anniversary?”

Giuseppe proudly replied, “I’m a gonna go get her.”

He said, “It is between two wolves.

The one wolf is evil:  Anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance,
self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.

The other is good:  Joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one I feed.”