Peaceful Daily Blog

The Holiday Joy Experiment

Early November, I began to feel the subtle onset of of anticipatory stress--a sure sign that the holiday season was just around the corner. In a 4 week span of time, we celebrate 2 thanksgivings, 8 days of Hanukkah, 2 critical birthdays, and THEN Christmas. There's just too much to do in too little time.

Sensing my stress, my energy worker said, "Annie, make this Thanksgiving as simple as possible, do as little as possible, and just take it easy." Correctly assuming that I didn't listen the first time, she gently re-administered her sage advice the next time I saw her. So I heeded her advice and, consequently, had a wonderful, surprisingly relaxed Thanksgiving. I still baked and got the kids their new outfits and haircuts, but it felt easy, unrushed, organic and, dare I say, fun.

Could all holidays and celebrations be this way? Could so many events packed into so little time actually be enjoyable?  I decided to conduct an experiment.

I began by setting the intention that each celebration this season will not only be stress-free, but also fun, perhaps even invigorating. It seemed impossible, so I just set the intention and decided to let my actions and choices be guided with this intention in mind.  

My experiment worked. It genuinely and unequivocally worked. The entire season has been relaxed, joyous, sometimes even invigorating. I have simply opted out of the holiday chaos. As a result, this has been the absolute best holiday season I can remember. 

And the kicker? I still made 4 pies, dozens of cookies, and 3 birthday cakes, crafted decorations, finished knitting a sweater (a year in the making), and wrapped upwards of 60 gifts. But I had fun doing it, did it with a mindful approach, and with minimal (if any) holiday-related stress.

My new intention is that I want every holiday season to be joyful and easy. So I made a list of all the choices and actions I have made these last several months that contributed to this season being so special:

1) I set the intention to have a relaxed and joyous holiday season.

2) I did as much shopping as possible online and at garage sales months in advance

3) I avoided malls and television, both good at feeding holiday chaos and materialism.

4) I decorated the house early so I could be surrounded by Christmas magic as long as possible.

5) I lit candles and had a fire almost every night. 

6) We dined atop a blanket in front of the fire several times a week.

7) I opted out of things that I don't enjoy and /or that are potentially stressful, such as holiday cards, Christmas photos, travel, long lines, and all non-required holiday-related activities (yes,even visiting Santa).

8) I avoided leaving the house whenever possible, opting to read books or play games in front of the fire.

9) I cancelled or postponed all appointments (even important ones like therapy and dentists).

10) I tried to do things only when I felt like doing them.

11) I helped myself to extra servings of energy work, yoga, and baths. 

12) I gave thanks after each joyous, relaxing celebration.

 

Wishing All of You a Joy-Filled & Invigorating Holiday Season!

 

Peace,

 

Annie

 

The Pumpkin Philes Part II: The Pie

Having had a pumpkin patch for the last few years, it seems only natural that I have become a bit of a pumpkin pie aficionado.  I have tested and tweaked more pumpkin pie recipes than I care to admit, finally landing on a tried and true recipe that I rarely deviate from. It remains my most requested recipe and I have written it down more times than I recall. And have I pumped out the pies from this very recipe over the years. One year I made 17 pumpkin pies over the course of 3 days--the lion's share slated for the local food bank. The pies were a hit, city folk were thrilled at having eaten a pie grown from the cook's garden, and a Thanksgiving tradition was born. 

What makes this pie (or any dish for that matter) special is the quality of the ingredients. Whenever possible, make sure they are local and /or organic and minimally processed. Over the years, I have setteled on a few special ingredients that really make this pie pop.

Pumpkin puree:  Use only those that have a high sugar content specifically grown for baking. If you can get these local and organic, all the better. If you really want to make it pop, grow your own. You can experiment with any number of high sugar content varieties that are hard to find. "Winter Luxury" is one variety that is delicious and is small enough to be grown in a container.

For the puree, I like to steam or roast pumpkins. Clean out pulp and seeds, cut into halves, and cook until a fork easily pierces the skin like butter. For steaming, place halves face down inside steamer basket over hot water for approximately 40 minutes. For roasting, place pumpkin halves face down on tray and cook at 375 for 60-90 minutes. Scrape the insides and puree in blender or food processor until smooth.

Eggs: Ideally these should be from free range, grass-fed chickens that are happy. Yes, content chickens make really good eggs. I am lucky to own my own healthy, happy chickens, so I use their eggs now, but before the ladies entered my life, I patronized the local egg man and his chickens made some rich, creamy eggs.

Spices: Buy them fresh and grind them yourself, it really makes all the difference in the world. Tinkering around with Indian cooking has taught me that this step is necessary in all styles of cooking.

Crust: Okay, I have tried so many types of crust and the one that everyone goes absolutely ga-ga for is the graham cracker crust, it simply dissolves in the mouth and the crumbly texture is such a nice complement to the creaminess of the pie. If you are blessed enough to have access to a Trader Joe's, it is critical to use their graham crackers, they are insanely delicious and up the yum factor dramatically. If you don't, just use the best quality ones you can find.

Once you have amassed your beautiful bounty of ingredients, it is time to get to work. Start with the crust, you'll need the following:

1 cup of graham crackers (roughly 8 to 10 crackers)

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

Place the crackers into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they are fine crumbs. Add the flour, sugar, and butter (slightly cooled) and mix. Press into a pie pan to form the crust then cool in refrigerator while preparing the filling.

Preheat the oven to 350 and start the filling. You will need the following:

1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree

1 cup heavy cream

1 egg plus 2 egg yolks

1/3 cup honey or agave nectar

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1-2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger 

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

pinch freshly ground nutmeg, cloves, & cardamon 

Mix all the ingredients and pour into prepared crust. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes. If you have time to chill overnight in refrigerator, reduce baking time to 35 minutes.  

 

Happy Thanksgiving and Peace!

 

Annie

The Pumpkin Philes Part I: The Patch

To the delight of neighborhood children (and squirrels), for the past few years I have transformed our front yard into a sprawling urban pumpkin patch. It was such a treat pulling into our driveway (mindful to avoid the occasional renegade vine) only to be greeted by charming hand-like leaves embracing countless orange globes of varying sizes. I came to adore my pumpkin patch and tended each pumpkin tenderly: I rotated them to avoid flat sidedness, placed them gently atop a mound of straw to deter slug and moisture damage, and sprayed them with varying homemade concoctions to deter squirrel snacking (they were not deterred). Despite the fact that squashes are about as easy to grow as dandelions, I felt an incredible sense of pride and accomplishment with the arrival of each new pumpkin. 

As children discovered our patch, we began to have regular visitors (we are experiencing this surge once again since the addition of front yard chickens). I would watch with delight as they marveled at the pumpkins perched in their natural habitat. I put up pumpkin-shaped signs that said, "Welcome" and "The Pumpkin Patch". When the pumpkin patch became bare and straggly looking, I filled it in with straw and potted chrysanthemums. Later, I over seeded with nasturtium which provided heaps of gorgeous autumnal-hued flowers perfect for bejeweling many a salad and water infusion.

At Halloween time we chose the best pumpkins for carving, and harvested these first. As Thanksgiving approached, we chose the best pumpkins for pies and harvested those next. The more we grew pumpkins, the more pumpkins grew on us.The pumpkin patch became our most treasured Halloween decoration, especially once embellished with a scarecrow and a few strategically-placed red lights. It became our favorite photo shoot location, documenting halloween costumes, pregnancies, and loved ones. The subject of pumpkins became our favorite fall reading and we would borrow whatever books we could find on our most treasured squash and display them, along with those from our own growing collection, in the middle of our living room table.

As the time came to look for a new home, one of my requirements was that there by room in the front yard for a dedicated pumpkin patch, preferably within view of passersby. When (after a 4-year search) we found this home, I immediately designated  the corner of the front yard for our new patch. Since we are now in between homes, this is the first year that I am without a pumpkin patch. The kids miss it. I miss it. The squirrels really, really miss it. I can only reflect on the perfection that is the pumpkin patch...and of course plan for the one to come. 

This time our pumpkins--notorious for their thirst--will be irrigated with water reclaimed from our clothes washer and showers. This time our pumpkins will have an apple tree border, making it easier to string up netting to keep out--once and for all--those pesky pumpkin-loving squirrels. Yes, I will have to relocate many a rose bush to make room for the pumpkins and, yes, I will have to move many a shrub to improve access for our anticipated visitors, but this is but a small price to pay for all that is reaped from the patch of pumpkinphile. 

Peace,

Annie

Azure Standard

Every month for the last several months, I have been doing a sizable portion of my grocery shopping online through Azure Standard, an oregon-based company specializing in organic, natural, and earth-friendly products. Azure Standard sells directly to customers anywhere, though if you are lucky enough to live in the western two thirds of the U.S., they deliver monthly via semi truck to a predetermined "drop point" free of charge. That's right, no shipping fees.  And no tax for anyone living outside of Oregon. As if these two savings weren't enough,  their prices (especially bulk pricing) seem to be better than most health food stores that I've frequented. And let's not forget the precious opportunity to support the independent grocer once again in this era of large scale health food chains.

Then there's the variety! I have found products there that I didn't know existed, and I spend a fair portion of time seeking out fairly obscure food products. Powdered goat milk? Check.  Ten pound bags of organic kelp granuels for the chickens? Check. Gallon size mason jars? Check. I'm a bit of a jar phile, so this last little discovery cemented my love for this company.

But I don't stop at food products. I get my soy candles, light bulbs, Himalayan salt lights, pet food, supplements and personal products all through Azure Standard. Once more, they carry an impressive variety of bulk items, and I'm all about bulk shopping: it's cheaper, it's more efficient, and it's generally less packaging which means less waste. I just pile it all up on a shelf in the garage and forget about it until the appropriate time.

Those with the homesteading spirit and those living in more isolated communities have known about Azure Standard since its humble beginnings in 1987. I'm delighted to finally be in on the shopping scoop and can hardly wait until my next shipment. 

Peace,

Annie

 

How to braid hair

I took my 87 year old grandmother with me to Vermont this past weekend.  The trees already spectacular with burst of amber, fire, and pumpkin.  The air crisp but still warm enough for a light sweatshirt.

We filled our time with general store purchases of Maple Syrup, flea market finds, and healthy portions of apple pie(Ok, the portions were rather large). The hours drifted calmly from one simple moment to the next.

And in one of those simple moments everything seemed to change.  My grandmother just recently battled Breast Cancer, has emphysema, osteoporosis, weighs 90 pounds, and shows signs of congestive heart failure.No one expected her to be chopping wood for the fire.  AT this point, her frailty of body seemed natural and OK.  We have gotten use to it, accepted it.  SO has she. What we were not prepared for was the changes in her mind.

She asked to braid my hair on Saturday morning.

"Like I did when you were a kid."  she winked

I gathered the comb, rubber bands, and got myself in that familiar cross-legged sitting position nestled between her legs.

She tried.  She tried so hard.  But for all her want, my grandmother simple could not remember how to braid.  Near tears, she settled on coiffing my hair in this sort of half braid pony tail number then quietly tucked herself into a bedroom.

I suspect she cried.  Being in that place somewhere between blissfully unaware and painfully astute.

I have heard it called a "Second Childhood" before.  I suppose because of lose of independence and the needing to be looked after like a child might. But what I witnessed was far from anything like a childhood.  Laughter and lollipops of real childhood were noticeably missing.  The joy and magic  somehow alluded my grandmother.

So, her body and now mind are starting to journey.  My heart tells me though, her spirit , even though outwardly diminished, soars inside of her.  As she changes, I must change.  Because that is how I can reach her now.   I think when she wants to remember how to braid my hair again I will say to her , "Not today mom, but let's talk about how it felt to do it when I was little."  Truthfully, it is not the hair braiding she really wants to do and remember, but rather a time in our lives that was pure and sweet.  Through that sprit connection we can be together again in a real second childhood of simple happiness. 

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you how to braid hair: with love.

I love you, Mom mom.

Namaste,

Krissy

Howe Cavern, Part Two

In the 1940’s a Boy scout brought his best friend on a tour of the caverns with his troop.  His best friend, being a mouse, did not listen to the instructions the tour guide gave.  One of the most important rules of the cavern is to remain on the path and not to go into the water.  The water is 42 degrees-burrrr!

 

Well, the mouse ran out of the little boy’s pocket, into the stream, up the limestone wall, and froze there.  He dangled out of reach like a mini-stalactite and perished.

 

Sixty years later his body remains persevered and petrified.  Day by day calcium deposits dripped over the little mouse’s body making it more rock then anything else(True Story).

 

At first my daughter was horrified and so “grossed out that I am gonna puke” but after we left she kept recalling the story and wondering about the boy.  She wondered if the boy ever got a new mouse.  She wondered if there was an effort to save the mouse.  She wondered if the boy was still a boy scout.  And on and on.

 

Twenty four hours later and yes-we were still talking about the mouse.  She asked if we thought the boy came back year after year to visit the mouse.  Maggie thought if it had been her pet, she would come back year after year.  I asked her why.  She simple said, To remember.”  I paused and felt the gravity of that sentiment.  A moment later my daughter finished her thought by adding, “ I mean come on Mom, it is a pretty big deal.  Your mouse getting stuck on a wall.  Not like that happens everyday!”  I just laughed.

 

I still sit with her original declaration, to remember.  I am a believer that we should not stay in the past but to live in the present moment.  But remembrance is different.  It is reverence.  It is acknowledgement.  It is witness. 

 

So thank you little mouse and Maggie for reminding me that to remember.  Thank you for teaching me that remembering the past is a sacred part of who I have become today.

 

Namaste

Krissy

Spiritual House Cleaning

I have recently emerged from months of poor health and healing. My life was a rotating door of aches and pains punctuated with headaches that waxed and waned each and every day. Things seemed to feel better for a few hours after sleeping...lots and lots of sleeping. I slept 11, sometimes 12, hours a day. Nonetheless, by day's end I felt completely and utterly exhausted. 

None of my healers could find anything wrong. Relieved but still concerned, I contacted a gifted shaman that was visiting the area for a few days and immediately arranged for a healing. The healing was intense and incredibly powerful. After the healing, however, I was more tired and my headaches were more intense. Then one day while I was driving I became so suddenly exhausted that I could barely get off the freeway. 

During this time, I contacted my beloved spiritual intuitive for my quarterly reading. As always, she had the explanation. I am experiencing something akin to a "spiritual house cleaning". As part of this "house cleaning", my body is detoxifying itself of built up emotional, physical, and mental toxins. My job is to help my body get rid of this garbage gently.  

I examined my diet and began to eliminate garbage that had crept in over the years. First coffee...then meat...then dairy. I started to feel better. I cut out sugar and felt even better. As my energy levels returned, I began to cook healing foods for each meal. My regular healer put me on special supplements that made me feel better yet. 

I had enough energy to resume my yoga practice and take walks again.

With my new found energy I turned my attention to my surroundings. I looked around my house and started purging it of clutter, bags and bags of clutter. I cleaned it top to bottom, organized it inside and out. 

I began to feel better than I had in years--more relaxed, more harmonious...I started to meditate again.

The world is going through tremendous change right now and, not surprisingly, the people within this world are, too. I am continuing to do everything in my power to help my body, mind, and spirit cope with the sweeping changes going on in my life and on this planet. I look forward to sharing more of my experiences and discoveries as this journey of spiritual house cleaning unfolds.

Peace,

Annie

Howe Cavern, part one

In upstate New York there boasts one of the coolest underground natural caverns. IT was discovered 20 years before the outbreak of the civil war by a group of cows.  A cool gust of air acted as a natural  air-conditioner for Farmer Howe's bovine. Years later-tourist attraction:)

Along the amazing walk through twists and turns you come across these awesome natural sculptures.  The tour company has given them some clever names like Godzilla's Head, Two Witches, Ceiling Straws, Etc.  But there was one in particular that got me thinking.

It was a stalagmite called the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  If memory serves me correctly, our guide said that this stalagmite took over one million years to create.  Maybe four foot high, it did resemble the classic Italian architecture.  To me though, it looked more like a huge stack of hot cakes with melted butter and syrup oozing down the sides.

What I could not get over was that with one tiny drip at a time a masterpiece took form. One drop of water through lime stone-insignificant.  One drop. Another and another. Persistence. One million years later. A sculpture from the hand of God.

Sometimes my "one drop" of love and your "one drop" of love go unnoticed.  Sometimes our drops even feel futile.  But if we combine our drops and persist, think of the creations we can make!

 

Namaste,

Krissy

 

 

The dog ate your homework? Well, the deer ate my garden!

Every year I try to plant a vegetable garden.  The previous owner of my home had an amazing green thumb and basically supplied the neighborhood with fresh veggies all summer long.  The first year we moved in, I decided I would take up the torch and feed the masses.  Well, five tomatoes, seven squash, and a handful of basil didn’t cut it.

 

The next year I thought I should just focus on one  item.  Really do one thing well.  I planted tomatoes since in the previous year it was one of the few things that took under my hand.  That summer I got nothing.  Apparently, you are suppose to water things, go figure!

 

Last year, I decided to go nuts and do watermelon.  The crop was looking promising.  I was actually getting sphere shape objects crawling all over the garden area.  Despite having a fence around them, the deer managed to eat them about a week before I was going to pick them.

 

This year I decide to abandon the large garden and plant just a few things next to the house: tomatoes and cucumbers.  Fenced again and with the close proximity to our door, I thought the deer would be to afraid(especially since we have a dog) to eat my veggies.  Clearly, the deer in my neighborhood are warrior deer and have no fear.  Mid-day I can look out the window, knock on the glass, and they keep on munching.

 

It seems to be a futile endeavor. Will I plant again next year?  Absolutely! I was going to quit.  Then I decided to accept my gardening skills for what they are.  I will never be like the woman before me, I will never even have enough to make one fabulous summer salad.  I have changed my expectation to what is.  I will be the gardener for the local deer and enjoy their nourishment and the wonder of seeing these majestic creatures so close.  I will not garden for the outcome but the possibilities.

 

Day by day, I hope to change all my expectation to what simple is.  How peaceful.

 

Namaste

Krissy

 

 

Salad Snob

Summer is here, the veggie beds are bursting, and I look forward to dining daily on freshly picked salad. Just typing those words has my mouth watering and for good reason--there is no vegetable dish more decadent than a well-crafted salad. Over the years I have perfected my daily salad, becoming a bit of a salad snob along the way. Got a hankering for a salad fit for a snob? Follow these surprisingly simple salad-crafting tenets: 

1) Grow your own lettuce. Lettuce is easy to grow, requires very little soil depth (it can grow happily in a kiddie pool), and is quite forgiving. A few times a season I open 2-3 packs containing 10 or so lettuce varieties and scatter them willy nilly in any patch of exposed garden soil I come upon. I water. I wait. I eat lettuce. It is really that simple. Growing your own opens up a whole world of tender varieties of ridiculously delicious lettuces--lettuces that will never see the bins of a produce aisle since they're just too delicate to transport. Growing your own also allows for the freshest tasting salad--even the lettuce I get from the farmer's market has been traveling and then sitting around for several hours--once you've had freshly harvested, chi-rich lettuce, it is truly hard to go back to anything else. Plus food that is homegrown and tenderly cared for just tastes better and is better for you (and I adore my lettuce and they know it).

2) Make your own dressing. This seems like a hassle at first, but it is surprisingly easy and quick. We don't even own a bottle of dressing since nothing tastes nearly as good as homemade. I used to make up a small batch and use it for the week, now I just make it as I need it and it takes me less than 5 minutes. My work horse is a simple vinaigrette of champaign vinegar and extra virgin olive oil (perhaps 1:3 parts) with a dusting of sea salt and a pinch of sugar. If I have a few more minutes or dinner guests, I will mix rice vinegar with extra virgin olive oil, a minced clove of garlic, salt and pepper to taste and, for variety, a small dollop of of dijon. 

3) Eat salad with something crunchy and something soft.  I love mine with goat cheese or tomatoes and toasted pecans. But you could do any type of soft cheese, fruit, or vegetable along with any kind of toasted nut or seed (I pan toast quickly in a preheated cast iron skillet).

Bon Appetit & Peace,

Annie