abstraction

i awoke to a world
washed with gray
the wet colors dripped
in muted hues
swirling together
forming deep, foreboding
tidal pools
waves, foam roaring
crashed
upon the bleached shoreline
an akward step
over rocky terrain
i stumble down
my face planted
in the fresh mud
it is rich and soft
i can taste the millenia
and forgotten lands

below me
the ground opens
i slip into darkness
quiet and stillness
reign in this place
of sensory deprivation
there is time to contemplate
if i really exist

Citrus Herb Marinade

Citrus Herb Marinade

1c fresh cilantro, chopped
½ onion peeled and chopped
¾ c orange juice
½ c chicken broth
1tsp dried oregano
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

This sauce makes an excellent marinade for both chicken and fish. I think it would taste especially delicious fresh halibut.

I made a chicken dish with this.

I placed 1 pound of skinless, boneless chicken breast in a large ziploc bag and poured the marinade over it. I let the chicken marinade in the refrigerator for about 8 hours. (I think next time I will let whatever I'm marinating sit over night).

I heated about 3-4T olive oil in a large cast iron skillet. I browned the chicken breast on each side. After browning the chicken I poured the remainder of the marinade over the chicken and allowed it to simmer until the chicken was cooked through.

It was really delicious. I would love to hear any comments if you try this out.

Birthdays

Six year old snuggles are simply a great way to start the day!

Every year that goes by we age. What age does to us is similar for all; we grow taller, longer, wider, etc... our mental abilities increase (hopefully) we learn how to relate better to others (possibly) and we gain more knowledge about ourselves. This I guess is more refelctive of an adult growing older.

When a child grows older their changes are impossible to miss. My boy turned 6 this month and it seems to me that these past 6 years, ok 7 including pregnancy have simply flown by so quickly. At least at first without retrospection that's how it seems. However when I really take the time to think on the flight of time, I relaize how very many experiences I have had the opportunity to share with him. each one comprising varying amounts of time from a few seconds, to a few hours, to the entire 6 years since birth.

Amazing!

Each experience for a child is still new to them. I take for granted the skills I have learned and known now for most of life. Simple tasks like tying my shoe laces and enjoyable tasks like reading are all second nature to me and yet for my boy, he is just embarking on those.

For his birthday Ian requested an Incredible Hulk theme. However as hard as Jeanne and I tried we could not find one piece of Incredible Hulk anything for decorating a party, no plates, napkins, cups, hats, stickers, or even a coloring a book.

So I thought I might as well do my best to capture the essence of the Hulk onto a cake.

A year or so ago I started noticing these "cupcakes" in the grocery store. essentially they were cupcakes that had been set out into a pattern and then iced to look like a full cake. I'd been dying to try it and so I was excited to have my chance at it.

I asked Ian what he thought about that idea and he smiled his bright smile at me and said, "Can he still have big arm muscles?" When I assured him that Hulk could still have his arm muscles he was all for it.

So, here you have it: The Incredible Hulk in cupcakes complete with the requested arm muscles and all.

I made these cupcakes with a modified chocolate cake recipe and I used my favorite once a year (well maybe twice) icing recipe that came from Stick Boy Bakery in Boone, NC. Funny, vegan cupcakes with buttercream icing priceless.

Marinated Mushrooms

I love having quick items to pull out of my fridge for a makeshift lunch. I often gather up small pieces of cheese, pickles, olives, crackers, turkey breast or whatever I think looks good. These marinated mushrooms are currently on the top of my lunch list, enjoy!

12oz cremini mushrooms, cleaned with stem ends removed

2T lemon juice
1T balsamic vinegar
1T brown rice vinegar
3T chopped fresh cilantro
1/2t minced garlic
1/2t salt
1/8t-1/4t ground black pepper

6T extra virgin olive oil

Place prepared mushrooms in a 8x8 dish so that all of the mushrooms lay flat.

In a glass bowl mix together lemon juice, vinegars, cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper and whisk until well combined. In a steady stream add the olive oil while whisking and continue whisking until all of the ingredients are emulsified.

Pour marinade over mushrooms and stir so they are all well coated. Let sit over night to absorb all flavors before eating.

Holidays at the lake