Good medicine

This weekend was a journey for us. We weren't sure about going, and then we knew that we had to. As it turns out, my brother and sister came to the same conclusion on their own. So we all gathered at Marilyn and Rich's house to love on our ailing Uncle Reuben.

While the circumstances were sad, it was amazing to see us all gathered around the long table outside. We were four generations of sisters, brothers and cousins enjoying a gorgeously warm summer evening-- eating together, swinging over the stream on a rope, sitting around the fire -- and talking about the love of family, the importance of transitions and of saying goodbye. It was good medicine.

Yellow Peppers stuffed with quinoa, corn and feta

Wow. This is definitely a new favorite! I know I've waxed on about Deborah Madison before (my absolute go-to cookbook is her Vegetarian cooking for Everyone) but this time, she's outdone herself. Pepo gave me Vegetarian suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen for Christmas and I can't believe it took me this long to make this deliciousness. I paired these with roast chicken and a green salad - a perfect Sunday night dinner. The quinoa is so good on its own, I can easily see skipping the peppers altogether. Try it - you'll see what I mean.

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch scallions, including 2 inches of the greens, thinly sliced into rounds
2  jalapeño chiles, finely diced, seeded if desired
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups, more or less fresh or frozen white corn kernels (about 2-3 ears)
1 bunch spinach leaves (about 1/2 pound)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
2 large red onions, thinly sliced into rounds
1/2 cup white wine (can be Riesling)
4 yellow and/or orange bell peppers

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, then the quinoa. Give it a stir, then cover and simmer over low heat until the grains are tender and reveal their spiral germ, about 15 minutes.

2. Warm half of the oil in a wide skillet. Add the scallions and chiles, cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic, cumin, corn and spinach along with 2 tablespoons water. When the spinach is wilted, add the cilantro and quinoa. Crumble in the feta, toss everything together. Taste for salt and season with freshly ground pepper.

3. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wide skillet. When hot, add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until they start to color around the edges, after several minutes. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan, giving the onions a stir as you do so. Season with salt and pepper and distribute in a baking dish (or two) large enough to hold the peppers.

4. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise without removing the tops or stems, then cut out the membranes and seeds. Simmer them in salted water until tender to the touch of a knife but not overly soft, 4-5 minutes, and remove. Fill them with the quinoa salad and set them in the baking dish.

5. Preheat the oven to 400. Drizzle the rest of the oil over the peppers and bake them until heated through (20-30 minutes), then switch the heat to broil and brown the tops. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Midwest meets West! What a success!

This was a pretty spectacular weekend. Our Chicago nieces came out to California for the first time and met their West Coast counterparts. It was a whirlwind of giggles, screams, and ridiculous amounts of fun. Before we forget all the highlights, here are just a few of our favorite moments:


1. Endless amounts of kisses and hugs from our favorite girls
2. "Dads vs. Nieces" soccer smack down at the park
3. Learning how to make friendship bracelets again
4. Responding to endless shouts of "Aunt Mary! Aunt Mary!" from all locations

5. Watching cousins make fast friends at the pool
6. Nightly living room "dance parties" to Justin Bieber
7. Learning that one round of "twinkle, twinkle, little star" is the exact amount of time needed to secure a temporary tattoo

8. Singing rounds and rounds of "You are my sunshine"

9. Finding our missing Jenga piece inside Uncle B's guitar (thanks Kylie!)

10. Having the family all together in our backyard, grilling Italian sausages

Caprese salad

Tomatoes are starting to show up everywhere now and this has long been my favorite way to enjoy them. I don't think there's anything that says summer quite like a caprese. Simple and oh-so-delicious! The best part of course, is snacking on the ingredients while you assemble the salads. 


Caprese salad
A few lusciously ripe heirloom tomatoes
Fresh basil
A hunk of fresh buffalo mozzarella
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste


Slice the tomatoes and the cheese into rounds. Roll and slice the basil leave into ribbons (or tuck whole leaves between the cheese and tomato slices). Give a generous seasoning with salt and freshly cracked pepper and drizzle with the oil and vinegar. 

Snappy medicine cabinet makeover

"after"

We've been running around like crazy people trying to spruce our house up for this year's great family event: our Chicago nieces are meeting our California nieces for the first time at our house. It will probably be madness and mayhem -- but we just can't wait. 

It's funny the things you decide to take on before company comes over. Like redoing the medicine cabinet in our bathroom? Who would've guessed! But when I saw this idea at a local shop it just seemed to easy and too fun. A pretty piece of paper, some glue dots and voilà... cabinet transformed!

"before"

Bees, glorious bees!

B captured this amazing photo in our backyard this morning. I love the flower, but it's the pollen-laden bee that took my breath away. It's a great personal victory for him that the flowers have managed to get this tall. Usually the squirrels come by to snap their heads off one by one. Every. Single. Year.  But not this year. Woo hoo! It just warms my heart -- all the wonderful things he's planted to attract bees and hummingbirds... and we just love watching them flit about doing their thing. Here's to summer!

Sautéed Zucchini with Marjoram

Normally, I'm not a big fan of zucchini - though I always think it looks so tasty at the farmer's market. Last year we had a bumper crop of marjoram in our garden and I was looking for ways to use it when I stumbled upon this recipe in The Art of Simple Food. I'm now a zucchini convert! I think it's the combination of the herbs and the grating that make this recipe a keeper. If you have any leftover, this makes an excellent filling for omelets!

Sauteed Grated Zucchini with Marjoram

(serves 4)

Ingredients

1 pound zucchini (about 5 small squashes)

2 tablespoons olive oil or butter

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh marjoram leaves (or leaves and flowers)

1 garlic clove pounded to a purée

Rinse, dry and trim the ends of the zucchini. Grate them on the large holed grater and layer them into a mixing bowl, salting each layer lightly, and let stand for 20 minutes or so. (Gauge the salt by taste; the zucchini should taste highly seasoned but not salty). 

Drain the zucchini in a sieve or colander, squeezing tightly to remove as much liquid as possible. (I put the zucchini in the center of a clean tea towel, then gather up the edges and twist into a ball, squeezing out the liquid.)

Place a heavy-bottomed sauté pan on medium-high heat. when warm, add the olive oil or butter, and the drained zucchini. Sauté, tossing frequently until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. spread it out in the pan with a wooden spoon to help it brown. When the squash is cooked, take the pan off the heat and stir in the marjoram and garlic. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Stretching a new muscle

"Use it or lose it!" is a phrase I've been thinking about a lot lately. Beyond the usual ideas about health and fitness this saying conjures up, I think about it in terms of my whole life. Trying new things, learning new skills, encouraging the tiniest seeds of an idea are so important and so easy to forget when we're in our usual routines. 


That's why I'm so proud of Pepo. He's been nurturing his creative self slowly and steadily for awhile now - dabbling in acrylics, oil painting and even water colors. Personally, I think he's ridiculously talented but I'm just a little biased since I'm in love with him. His typical comfort zone is small and detailed, but last night he branched out and went big! The inspiration came from a photo he took when we were in Baja earlier this year. This is just the underpainting - but already I can see where he's heading and I love it!

Flea market inspiration

I love the Alameda Flea! It only happens the first Saturday of each month, and I hardly ever get there, but there's always a fun discovery every time. Like these little lavender-filled fabric hearts. Such a cute idea with the different initials and whimsical embroidery. If I get my act together, these would be perfect Christmas gifts to make!

Squares, Ma! Squares!

This has been a slow and steady project, but I'm really loving the sweetness of these squares. The inspiration was a pair of lamps and I'm trying to decide the right balance of pink vs. green and lighter squares vs. darker squares. 

The colors in these photos aren't completely accurate - but you get a sense. I think the fabrics are very sweet. Can't wait to see how it comes together.

Zuni Roast Chicken with Bread Salad

If I had to name a cookbook that had a huge impact on the way I cook and the way I think about seasoning food - it would be The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers. My friend Jenn gave it to me for Christmas one year and I vividly remember that once I cracked it open, I actually sat down and read it. Page by page. It was not only a pleasure to read, but an amazing treasure trove of information.


Zuni is famous for this particular recipe. When you're in the restaurant, it's one of those dishes that make people change their orders if it gets delivered to a neighboring table while folks are perusing the menu. The recipe is pretty long, so forgive me for not posting it. Just trust me and buy the book. So good!

Ticker Tape Quilt

My niece Jacey turned eight on Friday. I figured it only made sense to make her doll Zoey Elizabeth a quilt to match her own. After my friend Emanuela told me about the ticker tape quilting approach, I decided to try it and I'm hooked. Grab a scrap, sew it down. Choose the next one - sew that down, and keep going. No complicated patterns to think about - just grab whatever appeals and go from there. 

I was also excited about having just enough of the backing fabric to make them "twins". The edges of each square will fray gently as it gets washed, worn and loved. This could be my new favorite way to quilt! 


Happy Birthday, Jacey! Sweet dreams to you and Zoey.

Shrimp and Scallops "alla griglia"

When I think back on people who inspired me to cook, my friend Barbara tops the list. She was the first person I knew who was a "foodie" and she got me interested in food magazines and exploring recipes I would have never found on my own. This recipe came from her collection and I think of her every time I make it. The original recipe calls for broiling, but we've gotten excellent results on the grill. Makes a wonderful appetizer or main course dish - also fantastic over pasta. 


Shrimp and Scallops "alla griglia"
serves 4-6


Ingredients
1 lb. medium shrimp
1 lb. scallops
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup chopped prsley
3 garlic clovers, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry unflavored breadcrumbs
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
lemon wedges


Shell and devein shrimp. Wash shrimp and scallops under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, combine oil, parsley, garlic, breadcrumbs and salt and pepper. Add shrimp and scallops to mixture. Mix until well coated. Let stand 1 hour. Preheat grill (or broiler). Remove shrimp and scallops from marinade. Gently press some extra breadcrumb mixture onto shrimp and scallops (this is an art...pack on too much and the crumbs won't get crispy, too few and you'll wish you'd added more). Grill on indirect medium heat (or broil on hi) 2 minutes, or until underside is golden. Turn skewers over and grill or broil on the other side 2 minutes more, or until shrimp is opaque and crumbs are golden. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Plum and Strawberry Jam with Rosemary

"Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken." 

- Oscar Wilde

This week I started a new job. There aren't that many times as an adult when you have to learn something new or  meet all kinds of new people and learn all kinds of new things all at once. So I thought I'd ease into it by doing a little jam making on Monday night. What could be better than handing out a little bit of fruity fabulousness to new friends?

The recipe from Blue Chair Fruit called for Santa Rosa plums - which are my all time favorite - but they didn't have any at the farmer's market, so I substituted a combination of Black Splendor and wild plums. The rosemary came from our garden and it was the perfect compliment to the fruit. So easy, and so delicious!

For baby H

It was pretty difficult to contain myself when I found out my friend Sophie was pregnant. Harder still when I found out that she's expecting a girl. (Oh! The fabric choices!) But I was secretly jumping for joy (and yes, perhaps doing mental "jazz hands") when she told me she had decided on pink, coral and turquoise as colors for the nursery. As it just so happens - great minds think alike! Now I just have to figure out what to choose for the back.

Avocado Sandwiches

My friend Lorraine got me hooked on these sandwiches years ago. They are perfect for a warm summer afternoon and, in my opinion, best eaten outdoors. If you want to go for gold, top them off with a nice bunch of arugula or spicy watercress. Delicious!


Ingredients
serves 2


1 gorgeously ripe avocado
goat cheese
loaf of your favorite crusty bread (we like Acme's walnut levain)
citrus vinaigrette
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


Toast up a couple of thick slices of bread. While toast is still warm, spread on a layer of goat cheese, top with avocado slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle a generous amount of citrus vinaigrette on top. Add a handful of arugula or watercress, if desired. Enjoy immediately.


Tip: if you're doing a lot of these - toast the bread using your oven's broiler, set to high. Place sliced bread on a cookie sheet and be sure to turn often, watching carefully so they don't burn.

Travel bags

I was trying to think of a perfect gift for a friend of mine recently. She's got a big trip coming up (to Italy no less!) and I was thinking about that when it hit me. Travel bags! Of course. So I picked three of my favorite stash fabrics and got to work. I just love having these bags around, especially for traveling. They're great for shoes and dirty laundry, or for delicate things that might snag. They also help provide cover for things that you'd rather not expose to TSA or customs and the different fabric patterns make it easy to remember what's in each bag. So much fun and easy to make.

Favorite Minestrone

I couldn't believe the color of these beans when I took them out of their shells. They were a fantastical array of blues to purple - even steely gray. Incredible. I knew instantly that I would need to honor them properly by making one of my very favorite soups. This minestrone comes from The Art of Simple Food. Alice offers variations for each season - but I like the Fall best of all.


Fall Minestrone
Serves 8


Ingredients
1 cup dried cannellini or borlotti beans (to yield 2 1/2-3 cups cooked) - or fresh beans if available
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
5 thyme sprigs
1 long sprig fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
1 bunch kale (lacinato), stemmed and chopped
1 small can tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup bean cooking liquid


If using dried beans, soak overnight and cook until tender before beginning the soup. (Here's a basic recipe.) Save 1-2 cups of the cooking liquid to add to the soup later.


Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat. When warm, add 1/4 cup olive oil followed by the onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes and kale. Cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic cloves, thyme, rosemary and salt and cook for 5 more minutes. 


Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Turn soup down to a lively simmer, adding the butternut squash. Continue cooking until squash is tender - about 10-15 minutes. Add the cooked beans, and 1 cup cooking liquid. Cook for 5 more minutes. if soup is too think - add more bean cooking liquid. Remove rosemary stem. Taste for salt and adjust seasonings to taste. Optional: use an immersion blender to puree a small portion of the soup before serving - to add body. 


Portion soup out into bowls, drizzling olive oil over top and adding a sprinkling of parmesan, if desired. 

S is for slow

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do 
with your one wild and precious life?" - Mary Oliver

This quote and a few others are hanging in the air today. It's a perfect Sunday: the sun's out, our resident mockingbird has an endless amount to say, and sitting here in the garden seems to be the way to start the day. All of the things I should do have been taken off the list. Instead - I think the day should be called "S is for Slow" - starting with a leisurely breakfast and a wonderful hike outside. Doesn't that seem right?

Kumquat Salsa

I have a special place in my heart for kumquats. They are such a cheerful petite size and their flavor is the perfect balance of sweet citrus with just a wee bit of delicate floralness. Also - they're in season now so I had to bring some home from the farmer's market.

I never knew quite what to do with them until I went to a local restaurant and ordered a gorgeous halibut dish with a kumquat salsa. It was magical. I came home and figured out my own version. Apologies in advance for my measurements - but you really can't go wrong. Just mix and match ingredient amounts until it suits you. This salsa has a perfect sweet/savory balance and is wonderful over grilled chicken or fish.

Kumquat Salsa
A nice handful of fresh kumquats (6-10 or more)
1 shallot, finely minced
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, or chives or parsley (one or all of these)
2 tablespoons pitted and chopped green or kalamata olives (or a combination)
extra virgin olive oil (or meyer lemon infused olive oil)

Halve and chop the kumquats length-wise into thin strips. Combine with minced shallots, chopped herbs and olives and capers in a bowl. Drizzle generously with olive oil and toss to combine. Let sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to let the flavors combine. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding a dash of fresh lemon juice, a splash  more oil, and salt to taste. Feel free to adjust ingredient amounts as desired. Best at room temperature. Will keep, refrigerated, for about a week.

Citrus Vinaigrette

This recipe is for my friend Rob who's up to his eyebrows in gorgeous home-grown lettuce. It's fabulous on beets! Chervil can be hard to find but can be left out (see sprigs in the dressing above).

Citrus vinaigrette (from Chez Panisse Cafe)
1 large shallot, diced fine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon chopped chervil
1/4 teaspoon chopped lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon chopped orange zest

Put the chopped shallot in a bowl and add the white wine vinegar, lemon juice, orange juice, and a pinch of salt. Let macerate for 15 minutes. Whisk in 3/4 cup olive oil and stir in the chopped chervil, and orange and lemon zests. Taste for seasoning adding salt and freshly cracked pepper, as desired.

Easter Mug Cozy

I love my friend Emanuela. She's obsessively creative (birds of a feather are we) and has wildly embraced quilting in all the best ways. When I was at her house the other night, she surprised me with the most delightful gift...a matching pair of egg-shaped mug cozies. One for me. One for Pepo. They're just the right size for a nice cuppa joe and a litte toast or sweet treat. The fabrics and the quilting alone are divine. But the egg shape - does it get cuter than that? Graize, Emanuela!

Fresh Chickpea Bruschetta

I can't think of a more perfect sign that spring has arrived than all the fresh green veggies that start popping up - like asparagus and favas and fresh chickpeas. I will warn you that this recipe does take a bit of work, mostly due to the double shelling process for the chickpeas. But it's worth it! (I know, I know - I always say that - AND it's true).

FRESH CHICKPEA BRUSCHETTA
(shamelessly copied/adapted from a restaurant in Calistoga)

Ingredients
A very large bag of fresh chickpease in their husks - about 6 cups
fresh goat cheese
a sweet baguette
meyer lemon infused extra virgin olive oil (plain olive oil also works)
fresh mint leaves
salt and fresh milled pepper to taste

Prepare chickpeas:
Put a large pot of water to boil. While it heats, shell the chickpeas discarding their outer husks. (If using favas, remove favas from their pods). Discard husks (or pods). When water boils, salt it generously and then add hulled chickpeas, boiling for about 3-4 minutes. Immediately drain chickpeas and place in an icewater bath to cool. Drain chickpeas and use your fingernails to remove the outer shell of the chickpease, retaining the small, bright grean "pea" in each shell. Toss the twice-shelled chickpeas with 2-3 tablespoons chopped mint, a nice drizzle of the olive oil, salt and pepper.

Assemble the bruschetta:
Turn your broiler to high and adjust cooking rack to highest shelf location. Slice the baguette on the diagonal to create long wide slices about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Place slices on a cookie sheet and broil, turning once, until toasted to a nice golden color.
Spread goat cheese on each slice of toasted baguette. Top with chickpeas, season with additional salt and pepper as desired, and drizzle generously with lemon infused oil.
Serve immediately.

"Ooh ooh, aah, aah!" That's the Fairy Dance!

I'm sure you've probably been waiting to hear what happened to the fairies since we last saw them. As you recall, they were completely obsessed with Ivan's pot of gold and were flying in to get a closer look.

Turns out they were a bit naughty, stealing his gold and distracting him with an ooh-ooh, aah-aah dance. (I'm sure you've heard about that dance before. It's very common among fairies.)


Uncle B was wondering where to take the story next. Should the fairies be put under a terrible spell? Would Boris swoop in and eat them? Then we thought - perhaps the fairies need a COS (change of scenery). Besides - we haven't really seen where they live, have we?

So we wandered over to Red fairy's toadstool cottage. All fairies live in toadstool houses, you see - and of course the toadstools often color coordinate with their fairy-owner's outfits. (Is that not THE cutest toadstool house ever?!) But wait! One of the fairies is missing! What will Jacey decide happens next? We excited to see where she takes the story next.

Going in circles

I finally got around to making a few squares for my next project - a circles quilt I found in The Modern Quilt Workshop book. It's my first attempt at quilting circles and I can see this one is going to take some time. Three down, 16 to go. What have I gotten myself into? Still - I think it will be really great when it's done. Stay tuned.

Green bean, shitake and farro salad

I'm a big fan of farro, especially as a salad. My all time favorite farro salad is this one with beets and feta. But - I discovered another one recenty, and it's a close contender for second. The crispy shallots make the recipe and they are absolutely worth the effort!

The recipe is from the May 2006 Food & Wine. You can find it here. I'm crazy for mushrooms so I recommend using more than are called for and have substituted shitakes for the creminis. Delicious!!!

9-patch coasters

When I was first experimenting with 9-patch squares, I made a few blocks that never ended up in a quilt. I was inspired by my friend Diane to turn a couple of straggling squares into coasters. I'm actually pretty pleased with how they turned out - and they're washable - which is highly desirable given my tendency to spill things.

Mason jar pin cushion

I get really excited when I find a craft project that's both good looking and quick and easy. So when my friend Emanuela showed me how to turn a basic wide-mouth mason jar into a pin cushion - I couldn't resist. This was a double bonus since I have an endless supply of jars laying around from all of my jam making. I think the best part is deciding what kind of treasure to put in the jar when you're done.


Step 1: basic ingredients include a jar (with lid), a piece of scrap fabric, some polyfil stuffing.


Step 2: Make a ball with the polyfill stuffing and cover with fabric. Slip the fabric between the mason jar ring and push into place with the lid. I used a glue gun to glue the fabric down to the lid  - but you could also skip this step.

Test square for Ma's quilt

This weekend I finally had time to test out a square for Ma's quilt and I'm so excited about it. The colors were inspired by a pair of lamps and I really love the colors. I also think the sweet fabrics work well in this variation of 9-patch. Can't wait to cut the rest of the fabric and get cracking on more blocks.

Sunday Lilies

When I saw these lilies at the grocery store yesterday, I just couldn't resist. It's been awhile since I put fresh flowers in the house - given the strange winter/spring we've had this year. But now, the tulips are starting to poke through and our lavender is beginning to send out some fresh shoots. There's something wonderful about bringing the outside in. 

Spy Hopping

When we first climbed aboard the panga boat to go whale watching - the captain had just one request: "Please - whatever you do - make sure you don't all go over to one side of the boat at the same time."  I thought it was a pretty ridiculous request. My whale watching expectations were low and I couldn't fathom that we might see something exciting enough to get us all over to one side of the boat at the same time. I was hopeful we'd see a spout, maybe a shape in the distance - but that was about it.

I never would have guessed that a pair of mama and baby gray whales would swim right over to us to say hello. As they got closer, the mama did a little "spy hopping" - pushing off from the bottom of the bay to get a better look at us. With all the "oooohs" and "aaaahs" and pointing and shouting, you can be sure we had to remind ourselves not to tip the boat over as they moved gracefully through the water, popping up on one side of the boat and then the other. Completely magical.

Coco's Ceviche

We had been told that our camp cook Coco usually receives several marriage proposals by the end of any given trip. After I put the first bite of fresh ceviche into my mouth, I could easily see why this happens. I could have eaten the whole bowl if I didn't have to share any with my fellow campers. Muchísimas gracias, Coco!!

Coco's Ceviche
A good bushel of fresh trigger fish, hand-caught by Arturo the fearless Sea Trek guide, while you take a siesta, read a good book, or do some paddle boarding. (If you don't happen to be on Isla Carmen, and Art isn't around, Coco says you can substitute calamari, bay scallops or halibut).
Generous amounts of fresh squeezed lime juice
Lots of chopped cilantro, onions, and tomatoes
A bit of chopped jalapeño
A generous pour of Clamato

Clean and chop the fish into pieces appropriate for dipping/piling onto a chip. Combine remaining ingredients together wiht the fish in a large bowl. Adjust ingredients until you arrive at a pleasing balance. Generous amounts of fresh lime juice are key - "cooking" the fish with their acid.
Serve with tortilla chips, topping with a dash of your favorite hot sauce, as you chomp away.

Why I Wake Early

There's something strange and magical about camping. You don't necessarily sleep all that well at first, so you tend to be wide awake at the crack of dawn. That seems to be the whole point. There's a peace and a calm like no other when you're out in nature, watching the sun rise.

On our trip, our friend Diana opened the morning yoga practices with incredible readings and I'm grateful to her for introducing me to the beautiful poetry of Mary Oliver, whose words touched me deeply. This one was a real gem:

Why I Wake Early

Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who make the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and the crotchety--

best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light --
good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.

                                     - Mary Oliver

Totally inspired

There's something really infectious about quilting and knitting and when you find friends to share it with - it's even better. My friend Emanuela has been on fire since she got a sewing machine for Christmas and, after taking a paper piecing class, she has been quilting like crazy. I could not believe how cute these slippers were! I just love the pattern and the fabrics.


She also turned me onto a terrific blog called Pink Penguin shere she found a tutorial to make this adorable lunch bag for her son's teacher. I am just blown away by her projects. She has such a great eye for color. I can't wait to see how her next project turns out!

Baja Time

We just got back from one of the best vacations we've taken in a long time. We've been mulling over all of the different reasons it was so great - but I think I can sum it up in two words: Baja time.
We heard this phrase several times on our trip. In Baja - there's no rush. Nowhere to be. Nothing to do with any urgency. Everything is just slow and easy. Just like this little guy here - squeezing in a siesta on top of the merchandise - what a perfectly good use of time.

This trip was both an adventure and a magical change of scenery for us. We knew we had signed up for yoga and kayaking and camping... but we didn't expect the pleasure of camping in a national park, taking in an epic desert/ocean landscape by day with gentle lapping waves lulling us to sleep by night.
We love Baja time! I'm just hoping I can hang onto the peacefulness like our friend Obama here. (Yup - that's his name.)