Happy Birthday List

Yesterday was my actual 48th birthday. It was a really good day. I'm not just saying that either. From the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed the day was filled with laughter, good food, and great moments with loved ones. I wanted a big breakfast and I didn't want to cook. I happen to be the cook of the house so I had to think hard on this one... egg bake in the crock pot! Had it all done before midnight and it was ready to eat as I lazily climbed out of bed around nine, after a cup of coffee! The mister was great about cutting up some fresh fruit. Sarah made us some great coffee drinks and we all sat around talking, eating, sipping, and just enjoying each other for a few hours. My day finished off eating out with ALL of my kids, my granddaughter and my parents. What a treat!

As I get older I'm finding that each year I start to think a little bit more about what has been and what's coming up. It's this need I have to evaluate what's working and not working in my life. I feel like I've learned quite a bit but I know I've got a lot to learn. Here's 48 things I thought about this year.

1.  Life is pretty good.

2.  I can make my life easier by letting go or harder by allowing worry to take over.

3.  The past is done. 

4.  No one cares about what I'm wearing as much as I do.

5.  Never ask him if an outfit looks good - ask your daughter or best friend instead. He's just gonna give you whatever he thinks the right answer is.

6.  Holding grudges only burdens you down.

7.  It's a good thing to have at least one fresh flower in your house. 

8.  Not everything your parents told you when you were a kid holds true today. 

9.  Your mom and dad are humans and never claimed to be perfect. Don't treat them like they should be.

10. Make messes. 

11. Make more messes with your kids. 

12. Make sure your kids know you know you're not perfect.

13. You can't save your kids from making the mistakes you made. 

14. Validate and reassure. It goes a long way.

15. Believe in something bigger than you.

16. Never, not once, not for a single moment, stop believing in yourself.

17. Don't be afraid to talk to someone when life hurts. 

18. Cherish.

19. Dream.

20. Be a grandma. Find someones baby to borrow if you don't have your own!

21. Never see your child as a mini-you, even if they act just like you.

22. Love a pet.

23. Feed birds.

24. Watch birds eat.

25. Walk through a garden.

26. Learn from your mistakes. 

27. Don't be afraid to take chances.

28. Don't be afraid to fail. 

29. Tell the people you love that you love them. 

30. Show the people you love that you love them.

31. Allow the people that love you, to love you. 

32. Never be afraid to say no.

33. Buy something frivolous for your home.

34. Take a lot of pictures of it and post them online.

35. Slow down.

36. Bake treats. Taste them always.

37. Help people. 

38. Believe in good.

39. Dance in the street when it's raining with a child.

40. Be okay with the quiet.

41. Relax, be flexible.

42. Know how to cook comfort food.

43. Share that food with others.

44. What seems to be, might not really be. Don't judge. Don't assume. 

45. Find out what the story is - from others, about things. Try to understand.

46. Listen to music. 

47. Take care of your body. 

48. Just breathe.

See you later in the week with another fabulous recipe. Just a little tease, get your whole chicken and grills ready!

xoxo

Lisa

 

Cold Press Coffee, Sarah's Way

I fell in love with cold press about five years ago when eating gluten was no longer an option for me. It was overwhelming trying to figure out what was safe to eat and drink so I went back to the very basics. I gave up blended coffee drinks that summer and found cold press. I tried it with cream, with chocolate, with skim milk, and with vanilla. I began to order it with skim milk and half a shot of chocolate. It got me through. Last year I started making my own cold press. Something I loved so much and it was oh so simple to make! A little bit of coffee, some cold water, a working fridge, 12 or so hours and there you go!

This year my oldest daughter moved back home after graduating from college. It's been a great summer so far and we have been trying to out foodie each other as much as possible. I bragged that I could make her a far better cold press than the stuff she was paying a fortune for. Since that moment we've been stocked. What I didn't realize was how many ways we could switch it up! We've tried different sweeteners, milks, milk substitutes, fresh herbs... last weekend Sarah made me her new favorite and I have to agree, it's darned good! 

Cold Press

1 1/2 cup ground coffee 

Almost a gallon of filtered water

A refrigerator 

Patience

You can use any container. I bought two gallons of water, the jugs work perfect.  I can brew in one and we can drink what's already done out of the other. Just mix the coffee and water together. Put it in your fridge. Wait. A. Long. Time. 12-18 hours. That's why you need a brew jug and a drinking jug... see?! Sarah didn't have coffee this morning because I didn't brew fast enough. Pour it through a fine, finer than you think you'll need or it will be gritty, sieve. If you don't have one you can go buy one, or use cheesecloth. Or, do what I do and just stick a coffee filter in your not fine enough sieve. Whatever you do, don't make this difficult! 

You may wonder about what kind of coffee to use.  I can't answer that. Coffee is a personal thing. I like a rich, full roast. The mister likes a lighter roast. Some people like grocery store coffee, others make a special trip to the coffee shop for their fresh roasted beans.  Just don't be afraid to try new things, you never know what you might be missing out on! 

Sarah's Cold Press

Tall glass of cubed ice

Cold press coffee

Almond Milk

Agave Syrup

Two roughed up mint leaves

Fill your glass up with ice, then fill it about 3/4 full of cold press.  Finish off with almond milk, a drizzle of agave syrup and the mint leaves you twisted a bit so their flavor pops out.  Add a neon straw and sip away.

Here's where I've been doing my sipping.  It's one of those places where I can be with my family and laugh and talk and be together.  It's also where I can sit with friends and talk about the past, the present, and the future.  But even more important than either of those things, it's where I can be by myself. I can listen to my heart. Or sometimes I listen for all the different types of bird songs. Other times I listen to the wind, often hearing it rustle through the trees before I can even feel it. I've been gloriously happy here on this deck. I've cried tears of pain so intense I wasn't sure they would ever stop.  I have reflected on my past, prayed for my future, and enjoyed my right now. 

Enjoy the rest of the week! Take that moment for yourself, listen. There's a lot to hear.

xoxo

Lisa

Quinoa Summer Salad

This is me. Perfectly imperfect. Simply complicated. A beautiful mess. Quietly bold. (Okay, not always so quietly!)

I am a daughter. A mom. A grandma. A friend. I cook. I garden. I love junk. I love seeing beauty in not so beautiful things.

Now I blog. It's a journey; my life, my desire to be healthy, my quest to decorate my new home, a 1980's modern home with my love of antiques, and his love of all things contemporary,  our battle against creeping charlie, vetch, and every other imaginable weed to create a peaceful yard that matches it's amazing setting overlooking the MN river valley.

There are dreams, some so huge I think I'll never be able to live them. Some so small I wonder why I haven't yet. I've learned some nuggets of wisdom and information in my 48 (pronounced 29) years of living. Today's bit: see how simple you can make your day. You'll be amazed how big it will turn out!

Here's a little something I whipped up during our heat wave this week.  Totally perfect for the hot, hot, hot days. You know the ones - you can't breathe when you walk out to take the little doggie out to potty and by the time you get back to the house you need a shower because you're dripping in sweat kind of hot. Whew, I got warm just thinking about it!

So about my recipes.... I'm not a measurer. I think you need to taste and feel and see and smell to make things right. Unless I'm baking. Then measure. Use my recipes as a base. Grow your own favorite meal from there!

Quinoa Spinach Cannelloni Bean Salad


2 cups cooked quinoa (I used my rice cooker!)
2 cups baby spinach
1 can rinsed cannelloni beans
1 cup chopped fresh herbs from your garden, farmer's market, or wherever you get them!
  I used basil, mint, and parsley
1/2 cup diced garlic scape (use onion, shallots, garlic when scapes are not in season)
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced jicama
1/2 cup peppers, chopped
1 cup fresh blueberries
Juice of a very juicy lime (or two not so juicy ones)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together.  Chill.  Take a picture just in case you write a blog about it.  Send picture to your foodie daughter to make her jealous she's not home for dinner. Devour.  Comment about how when you eat this salad, the heat doesn't seem so bad.