at rest
Was catching up with a friend yesterday and we were talking about how do you give yourself permission to really “rest” when it seems like everybody around you wants or needs something (right! now!). Whether it’s a day, a week, a month or a year, most of us feel at least a little bit guilty when we slip away to allow our brains and bodies a little R&R. How nice, then, to stumble upon an article today featuring Senator Joe Lieberman’s book, “The Gift of Rest.” A couple of months ago while traveling with a client, we ran smack dab into Sen. Lieberman at Reagan National, and what stood out most to us that morning was the senator’s big smile and genuine happiness–just walking through the terminal chatting it up with TSA officials and travelers. He seemed glad to stop and talk with everyone he met. “How refreshing,” I remember thinking, “and he’s not even running for office.” Then we hurried outside to find our ride.
Now, we’re not Jewish, and this post isn’t a political statement, but we thought the spirit of this book was worth a share. Here’s to finding the gift of rest on your own “Sabbath.”
“The Sabbath is an old but beautiful idea that, in our frantically harried and meaning-starved culture, cries out to be rediscovered and enjoyed by people of all faiths.” – Senator Joe Lieberman
See the senator discuss his book on CNN.
our cobbler fetish
For Sunday night supper last weekend, we whipped up this super-simple blueberry cobbler based on a recipe by New Orleans-based chef/restaurateur John Besh, whose cookbook My Family Table is out this month.
“The tradition of the Sunday feast accomplishes more than just feeding us,” Besh says. “It nurtures us.”
Thank you and Amen.
Blueberry Cobbler
Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 pints blueberries (4 1/2 cups)
To Make:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease sides and bottom of 9×13-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons butter and dust with 3 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining butter and sugar; add eggs and whisk until light and fluffy. Add milk and whisk to combine. Whisk in flour, baking powder, lemon zest and cinnamom until combined.
3. Place berries in prepared baking dish and top with batter. Bake until top is golden brown, 25-30 minutes.
4. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream (optional).
Serves 10-12
for the life of the prairie
I recently had the pleasure to attend the annual gala of the Prairie Dog Coalition during a trip to Boulder, where we met the incredible Lindsey Sterling Krank, who serves as the Coalition’s director.
This week a pair of sterling silver earrings, made with green amethyst and peridot, arrived in the mail from Lindsey. They’re from Cowboy’s Sweetheart in Boulder. I forgot we had bid on them during the gala’s silent auction (let’s just say there was some good Malbec flowing). But we happily paid up because this group does incredibly important work. A division of The Humane Society of the United States, the Prairie Dog Coalition is dedicated to the protection of imperiled prairie dogs and the restoration of their habitats–one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. If you’re like us (and most folks), you’ve probably never pondered the plight of the prairie dog. Please read more at their website and consider supporting this group’s tireless efforts in some small way. Here’s an easy way: Purchase Zack the Prairie Dog as a holiday gift for a special kid in your life. For each book sold through the book’s website (www.zacktheprairiedog.com), 25% of the proceeds go to the Coalition. Just write “Please support Prairie Dog Coalition” in the comment section of your order. Click here to find out more and read a letter from the author. Thanks!
a ‘good egg’
For a trip last week I grabbed a magazine before boarding the flight and started flipping through during takeoff. What fun to come across “Chick Lit,” by Jennifer Reese, who shared how chickens (yes, chickens) helped get her through a difficult time after losing a job. Certain parts of the story made me “lol”–like when Reese’s teenage daughter almost brought her to tears with criticism over mom’s fondness for the birds (been there/suffered that), or when the hens ate up the garden (yep-they’re voracious, we can attest; ours preferred eggplant), or when the egg-laying production starting coming on like “zucchini in august.” Speaking of eggs, we ourselves are overrun with the big, beautiful brown gifts our two hens–Sam-n’-Ella–give us each morning. We make them every which way we can, but still find ourselves with a ‘frigerator full. So if you want fresh farm eggs, give us a shout. We’re serious. These gals are prolific.
To hear a reading of Ms. Reese’s Chick Lit article, click here…or learn more about her at Tipsy Baker or Marketplace.
“Having chickens is like having foxy teenage daughters. Trouble will find you.”
Make the Bread, Buy the Butter
loafin’
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