Tag Archives: friendship

Kitchen Remodel 101

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I spent a good part of this day emptying my kitchen so that the deconstruction can begin with the construction to follow. This is what things looked like this morning…fortunately this scene has improved!

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AND…Yesterday some of my dearest friends came to help construct my IKEA cabinets. I can’t tell you how blessed I am to have these people in my life. That they would take time from their busy lives to come to my home and build cabinets is such a gift.

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My dogs are wondering why the refrigerator is parked in the living room along with several large cabinets built by the above good friends….my brain and whole body are screaming for a hot bath so I will close this post and oblige…be well fellow foodies life is good when we are able to enjoy good food, good company and the comfort of our home regardless of the mess!

Brightest Blessings

 

Mom, IKEA and the Pittsfield Farmer’s Market this weekend

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Well we did it! What started out as an ordinary yet insane day closed with pizza, beer, good friends and MOM in my backyard….AND the unloading of about 2000 lbs of kitchen cabinets!

I guess an explanation is needed here for those of you who don’t know me. First a photo from the Stoughton IKEA store where my daughter Kristen, my dear friend (I think we are still friends) Helen and I had just loaded the 2000lbs of kitchen cabinets into my car and Kristen’s SUV…notice we are all smiling still!

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Ok…let me give you the context of this insanity… so we had driven 3 hours prior to this photo and got up at dawn so I could be the first person at the IKEA kitchen design center this morning to purchase my future kitchen which by the way my dear mom made possible…Thanks mom hope you know how much I love and miss you!

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Sooo…after loading our cars (with the help of a very strong…very young man who then disappeared as if by magic)… we began the the 3 hour drive home (it took longer due to the weekend travelers all returning home at the same time we were)…

En route home I was running the whole scene of how, upon arriving at my house we would unload the cars, walk the dogs, eat and survive it all…it was clear we three could not do it…so I began to panic…a little.

Then after several truly crazy moments on my part which I choose not to share here a bit of magic occurred. There were suddenly 2 strong men related to Kristen and Helen waiting at my house to help unload the 2000lbs of cabinets…another dear friend Donna had purchased beer and was on her way to my house to take care of my crazy dogs…and 2 large pizzas had been ordered to arrive right after the cabinets were safely in my basement. AMAZING I thought simply amazing.

AND yesterday all the women mentioned in this blog including my mom who is always present in my life were at the Pittsfield Farmer’s Market sharing whole foods and in particular “ALL THINGS BEANS”

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We had lots of fun at the market as we do every time we participate or visit. I want to share this recipe with you which continues to make me smile…

Chocolate Adzuki Bean Balls:

Chocolate Adzuki Bites (Vegan, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free)

Ingredients:

For the adzuki balls:

  • 1/2 cup dried adzuki beans
  • 3/4  cup pecans
  • 6 or so pitted medjool dates (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/4 cup cocoa
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp maple syrup (optional)
  • 1-2 teaspoons rice milk (optional)

For the topping:

You can choose either shredded coconut, chopped pecans or chopped cashews. You’ll need about a cup of whichever one you choose. For the nuts, I recommend blending them in the food processor before you make the balls because then you don’t have to clean it out.

  • 1 cup of selected topping
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt (the larger flakey kind if possible)

Directions:

Put the adzuki beans in a small pot and cover with a couple inches of water. Boil for about an hour, making sure you don’t let them dry out, until they are soft. Drain and set aside.

In a food processor or blender, blend the nuts for your topping (if using) and set aside. Add 3/4 cup cooked adzuki beans (they will have swollen up so your 1/2 cup should have turned into at least 3/4 cup), 3/4 cup pecans, dates, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. If it is too dry to blend well, you can add rice or almond milk a teaspoon at a time to add moisture. You can also add a teaspoon of maple syrup to make it a little sweeter (if you use the maple syrup you probably won’t need the rice milk)

Scoop out the dough a tablespoon or so at a time and roll into balls. Sprinkle them with just a bit of the sea salt and then roll the balls in the topping until they are coated then put them in the fridge for about an hour to firm up.

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I must admit that I am beyond tired so will sign off for this week…more to come.

I’d like to end with gratitude for my family and friends, for this glorious life I have been given and for the hope of more to come. I am truly blessed and know this each day I wake to greet the sun!

Peace and Brightest Blessings Dear Ones!

The Beauty of Chocolate

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Chocolate makes me smile! It’s just that simple. And when I am smiling the world is a better place. I am reminded of a quote from one of my favorite poets and Buddhist Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh:

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”

One reason to smile is this delightful Pistachio Chocolate Mousse. The recipe below comes from Eric Lechasseur and Sanae Suzuki’s vegan macrobiotic cookbook Love, Eric & Sanae. When I prepare this mousse people think I’ve spent hours fussing to create it and that also brings a smile to my face. Both because they enjoy it and because it is truly a simple dessert to make.

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Pistachio Chocolate Mousse

Love,Eric  Sanae

Here’s the recipe:

24 ounces of silken firm tofu, well drained.

½ cup maple sugar

1 pinch sea salt

½ cup soy milk (unsweetened)

9 ounces grain-sweetened chocolate chips – semi sweet also works

½ cup ground pistachios

Combine maple sugar, tofu and sea salt in a food processor and process for approximately 5 minutes until creamy.

Combine soy milk and chocolate chips in a saucepan, heat at medium. Stir constantly until the chocolate has melted than transfer to the food processor.

Add vanilla extract and continue to blend for a few minutes.

Add ½ cup pistachios and process until well combined.

Transfer mixture to glass or ceramic container and chill for a few hours.

Serve in individual serving bowls topped with crushed pistachios.

YUMMY!

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As you go along your path remember….

“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.” Thich Nhat Hanh

Health, Peace and Brightest Blessing

Everything I think I’m Missing

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My dear friend shared the poem below with me today and I am so moved by it that I am now sharing it with you! I’m not sure who wrote it so if any of you know please do tell.

Tonight, I am grateful that in this life I am blessed with the love of family and friends, good health, the joyful laughter of children, the playfulness of my dogs, the beauty that is abundant all around me and the hope of more to come.

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Sunset’s Silver Sidewalk (it is more golden tonight) on Pontoosac lake a stone’s throw from my front door.

The Poem:

I am struggling. There’s who I believe I ought to be, and who I really am.

It’s humbling, isn’t it? This being, this mystery, this me sits here radiating energy, yet I’m gripped by a nameless fear that I’m missing exactly what I came here to experience.

I am suffering, telling myself stories of what life should look like. And then I get the message like a meteor, like the power coming back on after hours in a storm.

This life, this extraordinary imperfection, this moment just as it is, this is all I’m here to receive. This infuriating, limitless simplicity of day-to-day living holds everything I think I’m missing.

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BLESSED BE