A Hearth Witch Kitchen

A good friend gave me some very excellent Columbian coffee.  I can’t bear to water the plants or dump the leftovers, so for a day or so, old coffee (the beverage, not the grounds, those are compost worthy for the best of plants) is being kept in the fridge for use in things like brownies and breakfast muffins.  I don’t make my coffee insanely strong, contrary to the claims of my mother and my spouse, so the difference is subtle, but delicious.

And yes, I know better than to wait TOO long to use it. 

Maite Zaitut!

The time since the 27th of February has been a whirlwind of ups and downs, but finally I’ve found my footing again, despite all of the tempest.  I’ll muse more on this, later, in the meantime a post just for me.

Desiderata
© Max Ehrmann 1927

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy.

My deepest thanks to Wade, who responded to my FaceBook post with his recipe.  HOORAY!

1 large white onion, diced
1 rotessierre chicken from the grocery (just get a decent amount of chicken)
2 14oz cans of chicken broth (I used Swansons)
2.5 lbs Sweet Potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 10 oz pkg frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 – 1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger
1 cup unsweeted coconut milk
4 cups hot cooked rice

1. saute the onions in your pot until tender
2. Add Broth and bring to a bowl. If starting with raw chicken – add that in large pieces now as well and allow to cook through. Once the chicken is done (30 min simmer, roughly), remove it and set to the side. if you’re using already cooked chicken just wait to include it.
3. Add Sweet Potatoe, Tomatoes, corn, crushed red pepper all to broth and return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15, or until veggies are tender. Meanwhile, chop up the chicken into bits.
4. Remove about 1-2 cups of veggies and a bit of broth. Puree that in a food processor and then return it to the soup. Add chopped chicken and ginger and allow to heat through.
5. stir in coconut milk and serve over rice.

Can be served with extras of lime wedges, cilantro, and/or peanuts to be used at the table as guests desire.

Says it serves about 8. I doubled the reciepe and had tons of left over after soup night.

This is modeled after a wonderful Carribean soup made by a dear friend years ago.  I’ve since then lost the recipe, but I put together the things I remember liking about it and came up with the following.

In the slow cooker, simmer on low:
1 can Chicken broth
3/4 c matchstick carrots
1 red/yellow/orange bell pepper
3 green onions
2 tbsp Sweet Curry from Penzeys

After 4 hours, add:
3 cups water
1 can Coconut milk
Shredded chicken meat from 1 rotisserie chicken

Let cook for another 3-4 hours, I may add 1/4 c dry rice.

It was posted TODAY – the anthology is out!  “With stories by: Alyn Day, Gretchen Elhassani, Chauma Smith Guss, Jennifer Goraczkowski, Jennifer Koehler, Rebecca Snow, Katie Simmons J.L. Petty, Suzanne Robb, Dana Bell, Marilyn Simpson, Julianne Snow, Candis Vargo”

It’s an awesome thing, and My Beloved was so very right, seeing one’s name and words in print.

Maite Zaitut!

I finally finished “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” last Sunday.  It’s rather like “Moby Dick,” a fabulous classic that’s a 90 page story about obsession cloaked in a 400 page essay about whaling.  “TGWTDT” is a tightly woven pair of character sketches and an actually interesting murder mystery wrapped up in a 400 page dissertation on generational politics in large family owned businesses.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t read 400 pages in five hours if the book’s not worth my time, but it shouldn’t have taken me six months of false starts to make it through the first 86 pages.  Per My Beloved, who now works at a bookstore (alas, who needs money, when you’re working with books every day?), my experience is not uncommon.  My only other similar experience was with “The Lord of the Rings” – had to see the movies before I could get through Mr. Tolkein’s prose.  Unfortunately for him, he launched a genere that had matured before I learned to read, so I read the fantasy of the 70′s and 80′s before I met Gandolf and Bilbo in print.

Chores for Friday included paying the car note, the water bill and teh website.  Alas, web hosting was completely forgotten until today.  That said, Andrea at Fat Cow was AWESOME, and got me back on track as soon as I contacted their Help Desk via Live Chat.

If that’s too many caps for you, then I shall simply say customer service at Fat Cow is very good indeed.

Tomorrow I shall post about tonight’s Carribean Beef Burgandy with roasted Fingerling potatoes. 

An adventure is what might otherwise be called a hardship if it were attempted in a different spirit. Turing a difficult task or a perilous journey into an adventure is largely a matter of telling yourself the right story about it. — Laura Miller

To live would be an awfully big adventure.” — Peter Pan

That’s a whole lot of thinking in two small quotations. I suspect I will be posting more about this over the next few days.

I spent Yule with my husband and both stepsons and the lovely Hannah.  I woke up with the same motley crew in my home this morning, and that was one of the best Christmas presents I’ve ever had.  Soon we will go to my brother’s house, to spend the day with my parents, brother, nephew, sister in law and her mother – it will be wonderful.  Then to pick Hannah back up and round out the day the way it began.

Tonight I will report in on that writing project.  It was completed on Thursday, and editing was finished yesterday.  Today is the big day for it in a lot of ways.

Maite Zaitut, and Merry Christmas!

1¾ hours | 50 min prep
SERVES 10 -12 , 12 1/2 cup
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup walnuts (Optional)
6 medium cooking apples
3-6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons lemon juice

With pastry cutter or steel blade in food processor add flour,brown sugar, oatmeal, baking powder, salt and butter. process until mixture no longer looks “floury”.
Add walnuts and process just a second. Set aside. Half and core apples peeling is up to you. Slice apples. Arrange apples in a buttered 9×13 baking dish. Combine sugar (adjust to tartness) and cinnamon. Spread over apples.  Sprinkle with lemon juice.  Distribute topping over apples.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Serve warm with whipped cream or Ice Cream, or for Christmas breakfast with scrambled eggs.