Cafe'...Art: April 2008

Raw Cooking

I find I have some time today to catch up on my blog. It has been a busy 2 weeks. Alot of spring cleaning has been accomplished! It is a good feeling! I also got the "dreaded" cleaning of the pond done....bad this year from the heater malfunctioning over winter and killing all my fish. I was not a happy camper!

Washed all the curtains, cleaned windows, and wiped down sills and walls! The sheers were just "special", billowing in the warm breeze coming thru the now opened windows. aaah, long awaited for!

Raw cooking, here are a few of my trys at this. Spiced squash...yum! I will make this again.

Just cut up onion, yellow summer squash, and zucchini. Then add oregano, dill, sage, basil, fresh ground black pepper, olive oil, and sun-dried tomato's. The ones already packed in good oil, or soak the actual dried ones. This recipe comes from the book by Carol Alt, the RAW 50. Lots of good stuff in there!

Cucumber, avocado soup...oh, a summer must! You know what I will be planting in my garden!

Add to your blender, cucumbers, avocado, dill, fresh squeezed lemon juice, celery stalk .

Just a bit of water at the end, but only after you see the desired thickness.

I then topped it with some paprika, a bit of turmeric.

Really good, and I can see this will really be good and cooling in the summer months.

This is one version of many I have seen, a raw apple pie. EASY ! Almonds and some dates are first put in the food processor.

You process that till it looks like this.... It will start to "clump" a bit.

Then just press all of that into a nonstick dish.

Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of it PRESSED! But you get the idea!

This is your "crust".

The filling is dates, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg! Process till it is carmel like.

This is the finished product. It is to die for. So flavorful ! Keep in the fridge, enjoy!

Another sweet treat! A vanilla pudding! Made with avocado, vanilla, and raw agave nectar. Whir that up in the blender. Top with fresh fruit, I had strawberries...yes it did taste and texture out like actual vanilla pudding!

I also do alot of green smoothies. They are really good and just lift you up energy and I even think brain-wise. There are days I need that!

Those usually consist of frozen fuit, say raspberries, banana, some water, lots of spinach, agave nectar, cuts the too green taste, bee pollen, flax, and chi seeds. Whatever hits me to add. whir in blender. and it's a meal! I will continue, I am learning, it IS worth the "rethinking" one must do. I atleast feel I am finding some recipes that I like and am adding to my daily foodings! I have done some sprouting and using the dehydrator. That is something I need to work on still.

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Cleaning out the garden, the yard,

Saturday, was such a beautiful day, I raked and burned, took down the "winter". The wreathes, the winter flag. Cleaned out all my pots of evergreen. Ready now for planting!

I gave my garden gloves a good workout! It amazes me that I do all the clean-up work, in the fall, raking, cutting back, cleaning off the garden. And come spring there is still so much to do! My friend Helene, had a very clever idea, use the weed trimmer. to cut back, or to clear out areas. Boy, am I gonna do that, even now she said. I have some Veronica vine, or is it periwinkle...hmmm,

anyway am gonna weed wak it down to the dirt to thin it out!

I also broke down and put away my winter purse and dug out my spring/summer one. It was a find at TJ Max LOVE IT!!

Then today came, Monday, cold, wind, wet....YUK! sigh, Spring will come, it has too!

And stay too!

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Moving Along, I think...

Finally got my first socks knitted and done. They are a bit looser than I would like. I love the color way, the browns, some greens.

It's a wool blend.

Lost the wrapper so can't give specifics. They were hand dyed.

Then I washed them, a little to long in the washer...not good...

They came out alittle felted, which was good as far as the stitches, being a bit too loose and open. But now, they are really short, they still fit. sigh, I will continue on this sock knitting venue...they...are not the boss of me...hmph!

Over the weekend I started working on a project for a certain someone who is my partner in a swap.

Love the way it turned out. I also did some creative machine embroidery. Very fun.

I could not resist joining the Paris in the Springtime swap.

I am working on more designs to use in my bags, pictures, pillows, etc, Hoping soon, to be opening my own Etsey shop!

I find this work, flowing for me, and "working" creatively onto the direction I think I am too go!

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Ponderings...

April. Spring. New. Dreams. A Vision. Hope. Waiting. Questions. Pondering.

I am sewing, have always sewed. Literally, what now, tote bags. Useful, fun, good gifts, ??

Knitting, always knitting, now, can't seem to knit a short sock row without becoming ill, and I mean nauseous.

Eating, trying, totally raw, feel great when I am on it totally, I am learning how, new recipes, ways of fixing food, and food shopping. I do, now have some favorites, that even a non-raw foodists would I think, love.

Wanting to weave, just throw myself into it, do it! Experience and enlarge that venue!

Painting, oils, watercolors, also a huge desire in me.

I have learned with my knitting, having not grown up doing it, dabbled in it when I was a young mother, threw it down, and put it away, I am left handed, and there was nobody to show you, and no directions that were for you.

But then when the kids were gone, I picked it up, I knitted scarf after scarf. Then hand warmers, a start to a sweater or tank, many times over...then just over a year ago, I made a promise to myself to knit, everyday, even if it was just a row. To try new things, it worked, I knitted socks, lace, sweaters. Learned cables, short rows, better at the basics, and the shaping. Still growing into new things with it...it is a love.

But then there is sewing, quilting. Fitting in all the things that I do love to do, and want to do. There are still things out there that interest me so much it hurts... You live with that when you are a creative person, when you allow yourself to be an ARTIST! I use to hate the word, it was not a good word, people only associated "crafty" with it...I hated that word. I saw crocheted kleenex boxes, and plastic needlework objects, barbie doll clothes...

Now, in society, and I think because of the internet, you can be an artist, and have respect for whatever you medium is. That, after all these years, is nice, not that having that recognition makes it more so. You, (I), were an artist, first, no matter if it was accepted or not, we were.

So now, pondering what all these pieces that I do, and are a part, not a whole of my life, my creating in each day, means. How do, will they fit together, where are they leading me too. Trusting in God, as He unfolds His plan in my life, in my work, will I pray tell soon. We must enjoy the process, even when we don't understand it, or know where it is leading us. It will make sense, for His ways are higher than ours. He leads us on a path, we don't know, so that we will trust Him, His love for us. His using the "things" in our life to teach us, grow us. Bless us! Whether you believe it or not, He is not religion, He is the person, of God, sent to die for our sins. So we could have abundant life, yes to KNOW where you are going in the after life. But NOW, where you are, with what you are living, going through. All of it. Waiting for you to come to Him, for He is a gentleman and will not push or impose Himself onto anyone. Waiting for you to give Him what is hard, hurting, bad, wrong. He will turn it around, into something good, for you, for me, He will make sense of it all, by His spirit, as you allow Him into your heart. Healing you, touching you, wiping away the tears, the sorrow. Turning you mourning into dancing! So I will hope, and wait on my Lord, for He knows the way I must take, and I TRUST Him! Fully!

He knows the very number of hairs upon our head...why do you worry, does He not feed the sparrows and care for them, how much more will He care for you....

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