bethsblog

Bellyvision

It's only fair...  our extremely pregnant daughter Amy, helped us decorate our tree, now it's my turn. Next week I'm off to Ann Arbor to assist her with Christmas stuff in between sessions of putting her feet up.

Amy's exactly one month away from her due date. Here's a Utube I published this morning. (My first attempt.) It's a little long. I don't have the editing video part figured out yet. Thanks Sophia, Gary, and Sara for helping out with the tree project too!

I'll be taking a blog break next week while I'm out of town.

"There's no hurry."

Pay Attention

When I was a pup, I had this college professor... the class was Dance History...  she was your typical 70's hippie-artsy-spacey-chick. Her lectures were delivered a soft spoken way with a slight German accent.  She often went off on tangents. 

She was brilliant. And passionate about her subject.

I was there to learn Dance History and of course get an "A". 

Most of the kids in the class despised her. Nobody listened. Nobody cared. Thankfully, and probably due to whatever she was "on", I think she was blissfully unaware that most of the class, at least those who bothered to show up, were either sleeping, filing their nails (those were the days way before iphones) or talking to their neighbor.

I felt sorry for her. And as I said before, even though she was a terrible lecturer, she knew her stuff, and deserved our attention. So I leaned in, and listened. And I got my "A".

Here's a quote from Seth Goden's post Always on: Everybody Markets. It reminded me of that Dance History Class.  "Every time you walk into a meeting, agree to sit in on a sales call, do a job interview or have a conversation with a consultant, you're marketing. You're either selling the story of your enthusiasm and attention, or you're not. And more often than not, you get what you put in."

I do believe I got what I put in.

"There's no hurry"

Christmas out of Control

Most of you know that I'm a control freak. And I'm trying to get over it. This just might be the cure:

My daughter, Amy is expecting. She's due on Christmas Day. I'm on call for the next several weeks. When the blessed birth happens, I'll grab my luggage and head to Ann Arbor to take care of 2 1/2 year old Sophia for the duration of Amy's hospital stay. I plan to stick around to help Amy at home. For up to two weeks.

That means that this year Christmas is out of control. As in: I'm out of control. As in: I can't control when this baby might arrive, where I'll be on Christmas Day, or with whom. 

I have lots of have-to-dos surrounding Christmas.
Here's the short list:

Polish the furniture
Clean the refrigerator
Disassemble and clean the crystal chandelier
Vacuum the baseboards and cold air returns
Shop for presents
Wrap the presents
Send Christmas cards to about 60 friends/family
by first week in December
Decorate the house
Set up and decorate the Christmas tree
Bake about 8 types of cookies, some of which require very specific and elaborate decorations

On Sunday, the family helped me get the tree set up and decorated. For that I am grateful. Then on Monday morning I was looking at about a dozen boxes labeled "Christmas Deco" and I got overwhelmed. I thought to myself: "Why should it take me the better part of a week (as in previous years) to decorate my house? Talk about a royal pain-in-the-posterior waste of time. If I can't get the job done in the better part of a day or two then I just have too darned many decorations."

So I located a big box. I labeled it "donate". And as I unpacked my dozen boxes I deposited anything that I didn't absolutely love or need into the big box. I got my house decorated in one day.

For several years now, we've scaled down the gift buying and wrapping by having family gift exchanges, so the whole shopping, wrapping drill is much, much simpler than in the old days. Christmas used to be an all-day gift-fest, where we would gather as a family of 12, each with a present for each person (you do the math) and spend about 7 hours opening... we are the sort of folks who go around the room opening each gift one-at-a-time to make sure that every present receives proper admiration and gratitude.

The dozens of cookies that I have baked for the past 30 years are all illegal on my new diet, and though I mourn their loss, I guess I'll be fine without them. There are many delicious legal goodies that I can make and share with family and friends... I'm working on a recipe for cut-out cookies, that might fill part of the void... my favorite Christmas cookies have always been in the shapes of stars and Santas and such... and I'd love to come up with a rich, gooey, bar cookie involving pecans.

Then I have this take-the-phone-off-the-hook-have-to-be-
utterly-alone-slightly-embarrassing tradition. It's just not Christmas without it. I take apart the entire crystal chandelier and lovingly wash, dry and replace each piece while listening to Menotti's, Amahl and the Night Visitors. I always get teary-eyed when the little crippled boy offers his crutch to the Christ-Child because "Who knows, He might need it someday!"

I got the chandelier cleaned yesterday.

And I will probably get the cards out sometime next week… after all,
I have an unbroken record to defend.

As for the other things on the "To do list"... the baseboards, the fridge, and the Lemon Pledge... well... they're going to have to wait. 

Christmas this year is out of control. It's going to be more about people and less about stuff and food.

It's going to be about savoring the quiet darkness deepening toward winter while waiting for a newborn babe.

"There's no hurry"

First Snow

No matter what the weather, a trip to the park is high on Sophia's list of  "love tos". Over the holiday weekend we ventured out in spite of the nippy temperatures and snow flurries.

First Snow

Cleaning off the Seal

Slide

Swinging

Here's a little video that Auntie Sara shot.
Hidey ho!

"There's no hurry."

Ladies in Waiting

Baby Cassidy is due on Christmas Day. In spite of the fatigue and periodic aches and pains endemic to the last weeks of pregnancy, daughter Amy has had a healthy and enjoyable time. She swears that this baby is going to be bigger than her first, and statistics would bear this out. It seems to me that Amy's baby-belly grew noticeably each day of the Thanksgiving weekend visit.

First Granddaughter, Sophia is excited about being a big sister. Like many older siblings anticipating a new baby in the family, she sometimes pretends to be pregnant too... and is aware of physiologic details of childbirth as much as an almost 3 year old can be. The other night she lay down on the couch and said she was "having a baby"... a baby teddy bear!

Sophia is experiencing the normal role anxieties that most kids have in anticipation of the advent of a new sibling... wanting to be a big girl one minute and a baby the next. Amy and Stephen are taking this all in stride and handling Sophia's various moods with patience and grace. One afternoon, while taking walk, Amy and I talked about all this. I had similar experiences (with her) when pregnant with my second-born. We agreed that things will get easier all around when the baby is actually born and that which is shrouded in mystery is finally revealed.

I know that Sophia will be a fantastic big sister, and will always be her mommy's "first" baby.

God speed little Cassidy.

"There's no hurry."

Thankful...

...for sleepy good mornings with my granddaughter.

"There's no hurry."

Thanksgiving Blogcation

I'm in full swing getting ready for a house full of guests. So I'll be taking a blogcation for several days in order to enjoy the preparations, festivities and recovery in as calm, cool and collected a way as possible.

Have a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving.
Here's a little spot of sunshine I encountered while on my walk yesterday:

"There's no hurry."

On Saying Goodbye

Seth Godin has a great piece of advice for those of us who find ourselves in the place of having to say "goodbye."  I agree with him on the importance of not chickening-out, but attending to our "goodbyes" with as much care as we take with our "hellos".

Last week I said "goodbye" to 8 of my students in anticipation of a reduced teaching schedule in 2008.

Typically, when I accept a new student, I have quite an elaborate "hello" involving an interview to get to know the prospective student; having them show me examples of their artwork, discussing the student's areas of interest, and then explaining some of my studio policies. 

I hope my "goodbye" was up to Seth's standard. Two weeks before their last class I sent a note home with the students, I had already made arrangements for them to have a new instructor, and on the last day they received a thank you gift of art supplies. We spent a good deal of the last class talking about what they got out of their time with me, and then I told each of them what I felt they had accomplished in my class.

It was a bittersweet parting. I will be glad to have more time to pursue a few new creative avenues in the New Year, but I will miss these wonderful kids, some of whom I've mentored for 5 years.

Last week there were more than a few tears. One of the students brought me a beautiful long stemmed rose. They all hugged me as they left. 

"There's no hurry."

Time to take my time.

The holidays can be such a rush if we let them.
But I am drawing a line in the sand this year.
Refusing to get caught up in the crazy-making, frenzy.
I have gotten much help and inspiration from this site.
It presents a world of possibility for the chronically rushed.

"There's no hurry."

SCD Butternut Squash Casserole

serves 6-8

Preheat the oven to 400. Cut a large butternut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place cut side down in a large baking pan that has been lined with buttered heavy-duty aluminum foil. (I use a jelly-roll type baking pan so that juices do not leak onto floor of oven.) Cover with another sheet of foil and seal the edges of the foil completely. Bake for 45-60 minutes until fork tender. (I poke a sharp fork right through the foil to test for doneness.) Remove to a cooling rack. Carefully open one corner of the foil to let steam escape and let stand until squash is cool enough to handle. Scrape flesh away from skin and place in a large bowl. Add 1/4 c. soft butter, 1/4 c. honey (optional) 1/4 tsp. ground thyme, 1/8 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. black pepper. Mash the squash with a potato masher or a fork if you like texture, or puree in food processor or blender if you prefer it smooth. Place in a buttered casserole dish and bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes until piping hot. Can be made a day ahead and warmed in the microwave or oven.

Click here for information on how you can get a copy of this beautiful Turtle Soup Cookbook Cover and a set of printer-friendly recipes.

"Keep it simple."

You'd think all I do is cook...

...since most of my posts lately have been recipes. Following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet does involve a ton of cooking, but my recipe post obsession should pass as soon as I get the final installment posted of my Thanksgiving Recipes. (tomorrow)

I look forward to a quiet December writing, painting and oh yes, there's all those cookies to bake... and a few more recipes to post! To those of you who don't give a brass fig about the SCD, thanks for bearing with me. To those, who I can see from my stats are checking out the recipes and hopefully finding some ideas for the upcoming feast, bon appetite!

And here's a little survey:
There might be a cookbook in the works. If you like my recipes and think I should publish a cookbook, in other words, if you'd buy it... email me sometime and let me know.

"There's no hurry."

Good Gravy

This is a delicious alternative to gravies thickened with flour or starch.  I have also had success thickening pan juices, stews and soups with almond flour, added one tablespoon at a time, and simmered until thickened.

SCD Mushroom Gravy  serves 6-8

8 oz. sliced fresh white mushrooms
4 T. butter
1/2 cup SCD legal* chicken stock or water
1/4 c. double strength almond milk**
Turkey or chicken giblets  (optional)
Cooking water from giblets (optional)
2 T. meat drippings (optional)
Additional water or stock as needed
1/4 tsp. paprika
pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper

In a skillet, saute the mushrooms in butter until golden and crispy/ brown around the edges. Deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits, with the chicken stock or water and let cool a little. Spoon the cooled mushroom/stock mixture into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth, (about 3 min.) scraping the sides of the container as needed. Add the almond milk and process briefly to blend. Place the puree in a saucepan if planning to finish cooking the gravy right away. (At this point mixture can be refrigerated as "mushroom gravy base".) 

(This part is optional and can be done earlier in the day.) Place giblets in a small sauce pan . Cover with water.  Simmer until tender. Remove giblets to a dish in the fridge to cool when fork tender. The liver will cook the quickest. Add more liquid to the giblets as needed. Dice the cooked giblets. Cover and refrigerate. Reserve cooking liquid for later use.

To prepare gravy:  Place mushroom puree (base) in a saucepan. Add giblets (optional) Stir in meat drippings. (optional) Thin the gravy with stock, water, or cooking liquid from the giblets while bringing gravy up to a simmer. Add enough liquid to get the consistency you want. Add the paprika, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. (I like lots of pepper.)

*no added starches, sugars, or gums
**Mix 3/4 cup almond flour, 3/4 c. water. Puree in food processor or blender for 3 minutes. Yields 1 cup. May freeze for later use.

Click here for information on how you can get a copy of this beautiful Turtle Soup Cookbook Cover and a set of printer-friendly recipes.

"Keep it simple."

Time to Star Gaze and Gaze into my Lover's Eyes

On Saturday, Gary and I went on a little retreat. Just the two of us. We try to do frequent little get-aways in between the BIG GET-AWAYS. (Keeps those home fires burnin'.) We took the Amtrak to Chicago to visit a place we've never been... the Adler Planetarium.  At lunch, we managed to connect with a bunch of astronomers from Kalamazoo. Technically, we were part of their group, but we took a different train to get to the Adler, and arrived a little later than they did. The group didn't really hang together much in the museum... astronomers tend to be geeky loners who will stay out all night in the freezing cold just to get a glimpse of a deep space object, that even with a fairly powerful telescope, looks exactly like a fur ball. We're proud to be in that category too!

So it felt like we had the whole day to ourselves. And it was wonderful. And romantic. We took in 2 planetarium shows and toured the museum. One of the best parts was the ancient star chart exhibit... Bringing the Heavens to Earth . I would like to have spent more time there but alas, we had to catch our return train home.

While we were walking to the cabstand, I had this weird thought... what if we run into someone we know? It's happened to us in the past, on top a mountain or in the middle of the desert, we will run into someone we know, like it's a divine appointment. No sooner had the thought flashed through my mind than we ran into a dear couple that used to live in our hometown, whom we have not seen for 3 years. We had this screaming, hugging reunion on the sidewalk. I thought they had dropped off the face of the planet, but here they were... happy, healthy and so glad to see us too! 

On the 3-hour train ride home Gary and I enjoyed some snacks... cheese, nuts and wine. We caught up on a little reading. We talked a bit. We mostly did nothing. We just were together. It was wonderful.

"There's no hurry."

SCD Home for the Holidays

I've been getting e-mails from readers who are on the verge of tearing their hair out trying to figure out how to stay on the SCD, feed a hungry, holiday throng and maintain their sanity.  So today I'm launching a new post category: Specific Carbohydrate Diet- Holiday Recipes.  There, I'll publish ideas for making  truly delicious, tummy friendly, nutritious versions of some traditional holiday foods.  Enjoy! And try  not to stress, because:

"There's really is no hurry."

More Turtle

This from the New Yorker October 29, 2007 issue. I couldn't resist.

"There's no hurry."

S.A.E.F.A.D.

I hate it when I find a typographical error in one of my posts that's been published for weeks. Self-editing can be a real challenge. You think you've got it all pristine and perfect then you find a mistake in a post from several weeks ago.

"You mean, my readers (all 3 of you) actually SAW a misspelled word, grammatical error, or heaven forbid, a dangling participle in one of my posts???"

One editing trick that sometimes works is to copy my drafts into a Word document in a different font for the final edit. I also have a better typo-detection-rate if I read my "final" draft out loud veeery slowly. Still, an occasional typo sneaks through. Last resort is another pair of eyes. But my alternate set of eyes (husband) is usually not around when I think I'm ready to publish. 

 

Yesterday my daughter in Ann Arbor graciously served as my S.A.E.F.A.D. (Self Appointed Editor For A Day) and tipped me off to a blatant spelling error right at the end of a particularly important post. Thanks to her, I was only publicly embarrassed for about 4 hours.

So if you ever find a (Heaven Forbid!) typo in one of my posts, and have the time, feel free to serve as my S.A.E.F.A.D.  Copy. Paste. E-mail me the error. We bloggers need all the help we can get!



"There's no hurry."

 

It's the Berries.

This is every bit as good as the "normal" kind.  Change it up by using fresh orange juice for the water, and grating in a little orange or lemon rind.  But I like just plain cranberry, cranberry sauce the best.

SCD Cranberry Sauce

1  12 oz. bag cranberries
1/2-3/4 c. honey
1/2 c. water or fresh orange juice
grated lemon or orange rind (optional)

Dump it all in a medium saucepan and bring it slowly to a simmer. The cranberry skins will pop. The sauce will thicken. Done! What could be simpler!
Let cool and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for several days in the fridge and for a month or so in the freezer.

Click here for information on how you can get a copy of this beautiful Turtle Soup Cookbook Cover and a set of printer-friendly recipes.

"Keep it simple."

It's just not right

On Monday I got word that a friend and fellow teacher lost her daughter to a rare and fatal reaction to migraine medication. By the time co-workers found her, passed out in her apartment, she was already brain dead.

The daughter was 26. The same age as our Sara. Sara and she were high school classmates.

She was the daughter of our local rabbi.

This is the type of thing that's not supposed to happen. Our single, career-minded offspring should not have to fall victim to the sort of things that we worry about for the elderly.... living alone... a stroke, a heart failure, a fall, death...

When our children leave us for the big-bad-world we wish we could wrap them in a cocoon of parental protection... keep them safe from all the hazards of living. But we can't.

Gilana Alpert will be missed.  She was her parent's firstborn, a bright, shining star. Perhaps the only consolation in this unspeakable tragedy is that her heart is now beating in the chest of someone who was desperately waiting for a new lease on life.

"There's no hurry."

Time to ponder and to dream

On January 1, of 2007, I adopted a new personal catchphrase: "There's no hurry". Now you need to know that going slow has not been my nature. I've jack-rabbited through most of my life, getting a lot of stuff done, while much of the time feeling frazzled, hassled, and haggard.

Not wishing to bring on an early demise from stress-related causes, I resolved to mind my instincts, stopping more often to smell the roses, and not committing to too many projects, social obligations, or anything else that feeds my over-busy, over-driven personality. (Some of those "anythings" are the TV, radio, newspaper, and MSN homepage headlines.)

Since getting myself into a slower and more contemplative mode, I've had a lot more time to ponder and to dream. I always dreamed of learning to type and last Winter I did... now proud to be counted among the slowest typists on the planet. While working my Mavis Beacon, I committed to writing almost daily... writing can't be rushed, you know.

Then in February, I embarked on a new way of eating that necessitates cooking almost everything from scratch... another exercise in slowing down...  no more fast food around here. And found myself on the culinary adventure of a lifetime, completely revising the way I think about and prepare food and creating a bunch of recipes with a new palette of ingredients.

And last summer, while on hiatus from teaching and pondering my painting supplies, along with some reproductions of Tiffany Glass, I "invented" a new painting technique.

Then to cap it all off, my usual summer vacation from teaching extended into October on account of our Utah Trip. For the first time in 30 years, I was not teaching during the start of the school year. I looked around at all the time I had on my hands and said, "I like this!" When the students came back, 3 weeks ago, I felt pressed, almost crushed for time. I had become accustomed to a much more leisurely pace. After a few weeks of struggling to figure out what I needed to do to recapture that lovely slower pace, I decided to semi-retire and only teach one day a week in the New Year.

I should have plenty of time to ponder and to dream.

"There's no hurry."

Ch- Ch- Ch- Ch- Changes

As I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago, the times, they are 'a changing. This fall I've been dogged by a nagging sensation that my life needs to get simpler, quieter, more focused and in the flow. So I'm going to dedicate a paragraph or two every so often, as the spirit moves, to my impressions and feelings as the New Year approaches and as I navigate momentous events... the birth of my second granddaughter, a dramatic reduction in my teaching schedule, the first anniversary of being on the SCD, and the always challenging, and this year, almost totally reinvented holiday season. 
A new post category is begun today: "Changes"

"There's no hurry."

right/left

Blogging and painting are perfect compliments: writing, left brain, art making, right. When my hand gets cramped from wielding brush or pencil, I switch to the keyboard. When I tire from the close work that my art works require, I switch to my computer glasses and give my eyes a rest from the super magnifying glasses I wear to see the nitty-gritty details of my latest creation. And since my attention span for any one activity is about 1 hour max., it's great to have these two complimentary activities to alternate.

"There's no hurry."