Thanksgiving Stuffing

Thanksgiving stuffing 2009

1 stick butter

2 shallots
1 medium onion
2c diced celery
1 bulb garlic minced
3c sliced mushrooms
¼ t ground black pepper

1T tarragon soaked in 1/2c riesling

15c bread cubes ( ½“ x ½”)
8c stock of choice
¼ c riesling

1 ½ c roasted chopped pecans


In a very large skillet or pot melt 2T butter and add shallot and onion, cook stirring gently until onions are translucent. Add 1T butter and celery and cook 3 minutes. Add 1T butter, mushrooms and garlic and cook until mushrooms are tender. Add 1T butter and pour in the tarragon and wine. Allow to bubble and simmer a few minutes.

Add the rest of the butter and all of the bread cubes. Stir well to coat the bread with vegetables and spices already cooking. Add the stock 2c at a time and mix until absorbed and then add the rielsing. When the stuffing is thoroughly moist remove from heat and fold in pecans.

Thankful

At this point in my life there is no place that feels so much like home to me as the South Toe Valley in Western, NC. The ridgeline of the Black Mountains gently curving like a warm embrace from a beloved relative. My whole spirit sings when I am there, as if I am a part of that place. I guess that could be becasue I developed so much of myself while living there, falling in love, getting married, conceiving a child, creating deep lasting friendships. As my life moves along on it's path I know I have influence, but yet I am also open to the natural flow as it comes to me. Celo will always be in my heart. I am thankful to have had the chance to know it deeply and share it with my son.

Here is a view of the ridgeline as seen from the home we stayed in over the Thanksgiving holiday. Again, thankful, it's folks like Ben and Cedar (along with others) who offered us their place so we could share Thanksgiving with our close friends. They have a magnificent view, a warm home, and lovely gardens.

Here is my comtemplative husband on the banks of the Toe River. A beautiful day, we went walking to Green Toe Ground Farm. I caught Jim as he looked out into the water, scanned the rocky mountainside across the water, and breathed in the crisp mountain air.

On a gnarled tree root Nicole and I share a refelctive moment. The truth as I've noticed it, is that the older I get the more difficult it is to create deep lasting friendships. I feel thankful to have that with her. She accepts me as I am and in turn I her. We've seen each other grow into strong women, get married, have children, and chase dreams.

Two pals walk together down the road laughing, singing, running after the puppy. I notice there is a freedom my boy shows when we're there in Celo, it's different than when we're elsewhere. Almost as if he too is infused with the magic I feel in that valley, I hope he always feels it.

We give thanks for the turkey who gave it's life so we could feast and feel full. Gaelan rubbed this one down with a butter and spice mixture and cooked it just right. It was the most delicious and moist turkey I have ever eaten. I made the stuffing fresh with mushrooms and pecans (recipe to be posted later), yum!

Oh the plentiful feast, before us on the table, our mouths water with anticipation on this one of the few days during the year eat with such ferocity. We savor the flavors of perfect turkey, fresh stuffing, squash gratin, mashed potatoes with parsnips, fresh cranberry sauce, stewed greens with a hint of apple, sweet potatoes topped with pecans, and mixed green salad. Having Thanksgiving with farmers is truly a reason to celebrate the harvest and give thanks to the land and the spirit for blessing us all with nature's bounty.

At the proverbial kids table, ours too enjoy this feast. The girls, whose hands contributed to the meal by working the land with their parents helped to bring forth this glorious meal. Ah, to be a grown up and finally appreciate how special the kid's table actually is.

And of course, to finish off the meal, we must have pie and pie we had a plenty. I made what I am considering now as a part of my Thanksgiving a chocolate pecan pie, Gaelan created for us two kinds of pumpkin pie: one traditional and one with a layer of chocolate spread over the crust which adds a devilishly decadent kick, and Pat made a wonderful apple pie with hints of cinnamon and spices coating every bit. We added fresh whipped cream and had a marvelous treat for our taste buds.

Ah, the joys of celebrating, feasting and fellowship.

Alena's Turkey Chili

With the colder weather beginning to set in I've been enjoying soups and stews and thick warm one pot meals. Here's a new one I came up with tonight working from a Veteto family favorite. I changed it a bit and so have taken liberty with a new name. Enjoy!


Alena’s Turkey Chili

(based loosely on Brian’s Chili given by Jeanne Veteto)

1# ground turkey
¼ c diced onion
¼ c diced red bell pepper
3 cloves garlic minced
1 can cooked kidney beans plus the juice
1 can cooked cannellini beans plus the juice
½ c – 1 can stewed crushed tomatoes plus the juice
½ c frozen sweet corn

2T chili powder
1tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper

6oz brown style beer
1T agave nectar

Heat saucepan to medium. Brown the turkey and then add a pinch of salt and pepper, stir. Add onion, garlic and pepper and cook until soft. Then add the beans, tomatoes, sweet corn, and spices, stir and cook on medium high for 30 minutes. Add beer and agave and cook as long as you want (at least another 30 minutes), the longer the better and stir occasionally.

Crescent View chapter three

Chapter Three: The stranger
As Gina screamed the stranger walking out from behind the painting stopped suddenly. He raised his hands above his head to show that he was unarmed. It was dark in the studio because Gina had not yet turned on the light but very suddenly a bright light began to shine and it seemed to be coming from the hands of the stranger. She blinked hard to make sure this was not a dream, it wasn’t. The man came closer and Gina was unable to move. She felt frozen to this very spot just inside the door and pulled almost magnetically to walk closer to the man.
Now that she had the chance to breathe and calm down a moment she wasn’t scared at all. She felt a sense of peace and a warm buzz swept over her entire body as if her blood pulsed with electricity.
As he approached, a voice so soft and clear and familiar reached out to her, “I see that you found my gift. I’ve been waiting for you to come home.”
She moved quickly now into his arms. Into the warm embrace she had missed these past years. The one she knew she would never feel again. Could it really be true, could he really be here?
“Max, is it really you?” she had to ask. She needed to break her silence to be sure she could trust herself to believe he was standing here. “How…when did you get here?” she asked in a whisper afraid he wouldn’t answer because maybe he wasn’t really there.
“I swam and then walked,” he said with a slight chuckle, “I only just arrived today.” With that he pulled her close and kissed her with such emotion she thought that she might faint on the spot. He was gentle, holding her closely kissing, now whispering in her ear about lost love and ocean voyages, then more kissing and all the while the white-blue glow emitting from him setting a surreal scene in her little studio.
Abruptly Gina pulled away pushing him in the opposite direction. It was too much. She felt too alive, too sensitive. Images were flashing in her brain of tumultuous seas and sinking ships, of love gone missing, of years of grieving, of best friends and crashing school dances, of winters alone on the beach waiting or wishing, of the agony of knowing that he was gone. How could he be here? He wasn’t supposed to be here. He was lost at sea. Who was this glowing man, grown and different, yet enough like Max to confuse her? Dolores always said he would come back one day.
“Don’t give up hope Gina, he’ll be back against all odds. I know it,” was one of the last things Dolores had said to her. That was over a year ago.
It was still too much, she dropped the shell, her head felt dizzy and the light…the light was so brilliant, too brilliant. She fell suddenly into his arms and he caught her.

Earthscouts and Alpacas

A few weeks ago our Earthscouts group went to visit Crooked Pine Hollow Alpaca Farm. The Farm is located in Winterville, GA and is run by Nancy and Ricky Miller.

They have a breeding herd, fleece animals, a rescue herd, and a few bordering aplacas.




Above is one of the breeding herd members pregnant
and expecting this fall.


These three on the right are in the rescue herd. They were emaciated when they came to Crooked Hollow but now seem to be getting better with the all of the love they are receiving.

Our Earthscouts went to Crooked Pine to learn about Economic Justice and to support a local business and member of our extended community.

We talked about how Nancy and Ricky earn a living by taking care of, raising, breeding and selling products from Aplaca fur, which is soft, warm and beautiful. we also used alpaca fleece to create felted squares that we will stitch our earned badges onto.

One fun fact we learned is that Aplacas are considered to be "green" animals becasue their poop doesn't smell and is extremely beneficial as a compost and soil additive.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

This recipe is my current favorite making it's presence felt at least once a day.

Ingredients:

1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes
1T olive oil
1/8 t salt
1/8 ground pepper
1t oregano
1/2t garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350

Peel sweet potatoes and slice into 1/4inch rounds. Place in a bowl with remainng ingredients and coat well. Spread evely on a cookie sheet and bake until done, about 20 -25 minutes. For a crisper potato slice flip over after 10 minutes. Delicious and oh so satisfyingly sweet.

Yellow Finch Designs GIVEAWAY!!!!

Yellow Finch Designs GIVEAWAY!!!!