I'm On The Mountain!

I'm not OK, you're not OK, but that's OK. While tossing and turning in my pseudo sleep this quote by Elizabeth Kubler Ross comes to me. My body feeling massive and heavy, about the weight and size of an elephant, is holding on to the trivial and the mundane. Feeling stuck here with life's little problems and dramas, the bundle of bright multi colored feathers on my alter reminds me that I can transport and transmute. Oh I forgot that the breath can carry one far, far away. In this dream vision which could also be reality I am tightly holding the tail feathers of a majestic eagle flying high where the sun and sky meet to a place I've been before, the little village of Peguche, in Ecuador. It is the home of Incas. And also where sacred waters, waterfalls, rocks, plants, animals, insects and birds speak clearly when you really listen. If you can't understand all this just ask the Shaman for interpretation. 'Hey Shairy, come on out. You got some 'xplainin' to do.' There is no other place I would rather be right now than the sacred mountain Imbabura, where inside dwells a civilization of little people. I can hear and feel the vibration of their drums, reassuring like a steady heartbeat. I play my flute to Grandfather sun while perched on a large smooth rock on the mountain. Sound and light waves speak ecstatic in the universal language of the heart. Everything is music, color and love. We have a long conversation which sounds like a song, the whole content I cannot remember.

We want to love and be loved. We want to heal and be healed. We want to know ourselves and The One True Light within us and walk in That Light. We want to touch what is beyond form and what is beyond all wrongdoing and rightdoing. We want to forgive and know we already are forgiven. We want to be connected to everyone and every thing. 'You guys are soooo demanding.' As all our wants fall away we feel the sweet peace and harmony that exists now and through eternity. The song is a lullaby.

Hey, just stop, look, and listen. Take pause cause things are a changing and you don't want to miss it. Come meet me on the mountain.

And so, thank You for this lightness of being. I swear I didn't eat magic mushrooms!

And now I'm getting very sleepy...sweet dreams...

Serendipity

Early morning cooking. A fist full of lentils, some okra, some jasmine rice, some onions and garlic. A little sauteing action. Still enchanted with the subtle spiced flavor of Ethiopian Nit'ir Qibe, I twirl out my jar of magic butter, pirouette over to the stove and somehow choreograph a most unconventional breakfast. And knock knock, my friend drops by unexpectedly. Probably smelled the food. That happens. And on this particular lazy Saturday, we eat our buttered lentils, jasmine rice with scallions, okra in a light tomato sauce and lemony and sweet red cabbage while watching a DVD called Maha Sadhana, or 'Great Practice'. Sri Dharma Mittra presents jewels of yoga wisdom. It is a discourse of sharing his more than 50 years of practicing yoga and a life in service of self realization. 'He looks alot like Ricardo Montelban,' I think, but then I am struck by his radiating love. I am totally absorbed in his discussion of yoga philosophy and practice, and am amazed by his pretzel poses.

Later, a spur of the moment trip to Omega Institute. We duck into the bookstore just in time to avoid the torrential rain. After the cooling off storm, we explore the winding paths all shimmer and glitter. Dark evergreen trees, heavy and soft drop delicate crystals along the way. The spider's webs, crocheted fantasies illuminated by the rays of the late afternoon sunlight. A rainbow in a grassy clearing. The people stop and admire. The flowers greet us with with their sweet scents and cheery faces. The crisp crunch of the wood chips below foot. Art in nature. Surely the fairies must be hard at play here. I am fully expecting to meet up with them. Miniature masterpieces tucked here and there. On a tree stump in the cool shade a tuft of moss, a ringlet of small stones and a clover flower erect in the teeniest vase. Each stone step opens and closes into a new experience and vista as we make our way up through the forest to a wooden sanctuary poised on a hilltop. Little zen stone pilings are perched on a wall of a pond. These sacred artistic expressions compelled me to create a small sculpture as well. We rest on a wooden bench listening to the sound of trickling water. Bright orange koi swimming happily. 'Am I Alice? Is this Wonderland?' I ask as I notice the colors and sounds of all of nature intensifying around me.

I see the walking meditators, the spiritual journey men and women, the yogis and yoginis. Oh yes, there is Rodney Yee, Seane Corn, and Gurmugh, three of the yogis that I recognize from my DVDs at home.

I feel as if I've found the key to some lost kingdom. I remember what I have been longing for. The beauty and peace of art and nature.

Hungry again. The cafeteria has some decent, wholesome veg food including salad fixings, veggies and pasta dishes, even gluten free pasta. As I pour myself some cool water at the beverage station I feel a loving presence to my right. I look up to notice it is none other than Sri Darma Mittra, The yogi from the DVD this morning!

A day like this cannot be planned but divinely ordered. Serendipity!

Magic Butter

Somehow, I go off on a tangent and get lost on a new path of discovery. Ethiopian food! In my desire to create an African inspired meal for my Kenyan friends, this path of twists and turns leads me to Borders where I find Marcus Samuelson's glorious book 'The Soul Of A New Cuisine'. Useful, practical and visually stunning, this African cookbook would fit comfortably on my smallish coffee table.('Oh gosh, do I really need another cookbook? I think not.') Feverishly copying recipes on coffee stained tattered papers, I am determined to actually follow through and cook some African food. 'If I place my hands on this book can I absorb the soul and essence of this vast continent by osmosis?' I wonder.

Back to the kitchen laboratory to make a fragrant neon yellow spiced butter called Nit'ir Qibe. Onions, ginger, garlic, basil, oregano, cardamom, cumin and fenugreek are simmered in freshly made ghee, or clarified butter, along with turmeric for color. OK, ghee alone is already magical, but this stuff is magical to the twentieth power. This is sllllllllooooooooowwwwwwwwwww cookin'. This is a test of patience. This is a meditation practice. A sadhana. A labor of love. When the flavors are sufficiently extracted, the golden liquid is strained and poured into an impeccably clean jar. Use it instead of butter for sauteing. Or drizzle over your cooked veggies, rice and grain dishes, or your beans and lentils. It's a subtle spice perfumed flavor that doesn't knock you over the head with a sledge hammer. This butter will last for up to three months in the fridge. Call me crazy but I'm likin' this Nit'ir Qibe thing a lot. Love the color yellow.


Then on to the Berbere, an Ethiopian spice mixture with some likeness to garam masala, but loaded with paprika and hot red chili powder. The aromatic spices, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, fenugreek and allspice, along with onion and garlic powder, with the heat of red pepper will please the fire eaters among us. When I use this in small quantities, say a pinch here or there on onions sauteing or sprinkled on the rice pilaf the dish is suddenly exotic. Too much of this stuff however could be lethal, especially to the intestinally challenged.

Using these Ethiopian pantry staples, I make a tomato based lamb curry with coconut milk and gingery garlic black eyed peas with collard greens. All packed away in neat little containers and ready to go in fridge and freezer, my friends practically jump up and down with delight and just plain relief that they don't have to cook. Having an infant and a toddler when you work outside the home all day, that is more than understandable.



Slow cooking has its many rewards. It's the gift that keeps giving. A slice of the NOW, that's remembered and treasured. When I find myself wondering 'What the heck am I doing with my time?' I think of how happy I am when I'm lost in creativity. Then I stop thinking and just breathe. Onward.

Gluten Free Flour Power

There is an art and science to gluten free baking. We rely on the 'gummy flours' like potato, tapioca, corn starch, or sweet rice to replace the glue factor in wheat flour. To counter the lack of nutrition in these, I try to add in as many whole grain, healthy flours, and nuts and seeds as I can. This is where the innovation and creativity comes in.

These days, this is my gluten free flour mix of choice. Mind you, it changes like the direction of the wind, but this is what makes life interesting.

A Good Gluten Free Flour Mix

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
2/3 cup potato starch
2 teaspoons xanthen gum

Mix thoroughly.

You can substitute brown rice flour for white rice flour, especially for dense cakes and baked goods such as banana bread, which doubles as a doorstop, or brownies. I sometimes use sorghum, or quinoa in place of the millet. Or I add a bit of garfava, or teff flour to baked goods as well. The above mix is great for pancakes(but with additional perks such as cornflour and polenta). Oh yes, and for cupcakes too. Heck, I use this mix to replace regular flour in most of my recipes. Often I need to add as much as two tablespoons more of this flour when following regular recipes. I've noticed that for cupcakes and cakes it is advisable to add more vanilla or flavor extract that the standard recipe calls for. One tablespoon of vanilla instead of a teaspoon. This is how we tweak and experiment with the layering of flavors and textures. Go get yourself a good zester and use those orange and lemon rinds for a flavor punch.

If all this sounds too confusing, don't worry, be happy. Don't think so much, or you'll burn out your fuses. Just do it as Nike says.

There are almost as many gluten free flour mixes as there are freckles on my arms. When I figure out the exact measurements I'll post my new favorite recipe for blueberry orange polenta pancakes, which Andrew and I ate heartily for breakfast. Served stacked and layered with toasted pumpkin seeds and drizzled golden honey they will satisfy your flapjack longings and turn your teeth and lips a stylish purple-blue.

So take a little, lazy trip to your local health food shop or Wholefoods and meander down the flour and baking aisle. Lots of organic choices are available. Look for Bob's Red Mill, Arrowhead Mills, and Ener-G products and have a grand old time. More flour power to ya!

Yes I can!

Hello out there in the cosmos, the realm of unlimited opportunities and possibilities. It's me. I am still floating around my kitchen, and I did accomplish something meaningful, something spectacular, yet so mediocre sounding. Now, you may not want to hear all this chit chat, but I bet you can definitely relate. Am I speaking to you? I cleaned out the fridge; we are finally rid of the rotten and useless condiments, the cling clanging jars on the door sitting in pools of sticky, sweet- sour syrup. Be gone, tired worn out gray-green celery stubs, flat cucumber sludge, and what I think may be cilantro. Yuk! The removal and recovery detail took just one day. All drawers, shelves in the frigid box scrubbed clean and organized. I wonder why I didn't do this sooner as I peruse about twenty five jars of rejected goods of various shapes and sizes sitting on the counter.

And just why is this so important to me? I want my refrigerator to be an honest reflection on how I want to eat. I would like to be more mindful about my food purchases. Is it healthy? I would like to eat fresh fruits and vegetables and less processed anything. Is this an impulse buy? Will we eat all of it? Most of all, I kept a promise that I made to myself. I valued my own feelings. Oh gosh, I just like puttsing around in the kitchen. It means that I just may follow through with other projects I have in mind.

OK, I saved myself a little pocket money this week too. That's good.

The gluten free flours like sorghum, millet, brown rice and such are in glass storage containers, along with their 'nutty and seedy friends', the walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut, and the like. The fruits and vegetables are in clear view and less likely to get slimed.

With this small step I have changed a pattern. Now, as I open the fridge door for the thirty second time today, I breathe a happy smiling AAAAAAAhhhhhhhh. It's a feeling of contentment and new possibility (perhaps for a delectable Outer Mongolian feast or how 'bout a tropical fruit fest on the beach with watermelon mohitos?), rather than a wrestling match with the cold monster, to win a sub par, limp, but passable zucchini. A shift toward the positive in any facet of life and a renewed joyful outlook is most welcome...no blame or judgement towards oneself or others. Whew, I sure do feel lighter, freer!

Simple actions most certainly have far reaching effects throughout the galaxy. Really though, some ding dang good meals came out of that purge. I used up all the produce. No waste. Yea! I have renewed respect for the common little millet. Cooked and leftover, the yellow birdseed grain is transformed into a Middle Eastern millet pilaf. I am forever indebted to the earthy and rugged onions, which when fried are sublime. Did I even mention they are really healthy? They make you poop!

Saute a large finely chopped onion and some garlic, one or two minced cloves, in some extra virgin olive oil. Saute on low heat, add salt to onions and about a heaping teaspoon of dried dill. Cook the onions slowly. They will shrink and brown, but not burn. Stir occasionally. Add chopped greens such as kale, spinach and/or collards, and saute, stirring here and there until wilted. Add some cooked millet, or grain of your choice, like brown rice, quinoa... add handfuls of the following chopped herbs: parsley, scallions, mint. Heat everything thoroughly, stirring with a wooden spoon. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle generously with more olive oil and the juice of a lemon. Enjoy.

I served the greened up millet with a ratatouille, steamed string beans, some roasted potatoes, and a fresh salad with a dollop of garlicky hummus. So I do hope you will eat your food and have it too.


I encourage and celebrate all of your accomplishments. Three words...YES I CAN!!!