Tasting Summer

The rain had finally stopped and the chilly grey days were disappearing.  As the summer solstice came and went, we were beginning to actually see the first signs of summer.  The sun was shining!!!  What a difference it has made in our lives here in the Pacific Northwest.  I think we are actually smiling and laughing again (happy face inserted here)!!  That was one long winter and wet spring!

A good friend came by the other night with steaks.  It was a 100 degree day and we not only needed to celebrate, but we had to “feel” summer.  A barbecue is one of the best and friendliest ways to do that.  I made some side dishes; a Russian crab and rice salad, foontyoza (a noodle vegetable salad that my husband loves and grew up with - from Central Asia) and we grilled corn on the cob.  As we sat down to perfectly grilled steaks encrusted with a black pepper seasoning, salads and grilled corn basted with a basil butter we felt such a happiness that comes with good friends and good food.  As we ate each mouthful, you could just hear the sighs of “this is heavenly”.   We felt like we were tasting summer.

(not my photo.....steak was eaten before I remembered to snap!)

Later relaxing around a good romantic “chick flick” (my husband was so kind!), we indulged in fresh strawberries and ice cream over pound cake.  Again, summer in a bowl.  

(photo from Food.com)

So busy enjoying, forgot to snap a photo :) 

Sometimes the summer months can end up being just as busy as the rest of the year.  So being able to stop and plan meals and outings with friends, especially outside with the barbecue and the smell and tastes of a simple season surrounding us, allows us to create memories with those we care about.  I saw my (steak) friend the next day and she commented how absolutely enjoyable the previous evening had been.  I told her we felt the same.  We said, “it’s like summer has finally arrived!”

God is in this season.  I am reminded of the verse in Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”  His blessings of friends and food we share together.  Don’t let these weeks go by without stopping and enjoying each other.  Fire up that grill, make life simple with salads, fresh fruit and if you feel like it, those pies and cobblers that capture summer perfectly.  Stop and be thankful for all that we have and all those God gives us to share it with.   I’m in a good (and thankful) mood - summer has arrived!!

Psalm  27:13   “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

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Good Friends, Good Food, Good Times

There’s just something about getting together with girlfriends where you share a history.  Ladies who’ve known you for years and know your goods and your bads.  Where you can almost tell what they are thinking just by looking at them.  The connection and sense of belonging - nothing else can beat it.  

Last night, as I climbed into bed I had such a feeling of fulfillment.  (I was suffering badly from my allergies, so this was no small feat)!  Earlier, six of us had  met together to celebrate a belated birthday of our dear friend, Elizabeth.  We are all very busy women and to pull us together can sometimes take a considerable amount of time.  Not for wanting, surely, but simply navigating time when we are all in town and not engaged.  As it was, two friends were unable to make it.  One out of the country visiting her daughter who was preparing to birth twins, and the other unable to get away from work in time.  She cares for the elderly.  Incredibly gifted women reaching out to the needs and joys in their lives at this moment.  They were sorely missed.  

The rest of us greeted each other separately arriving at the restaurant and there was a sense of “this will be fun” and long over-due.  For some reason, probably the end of the school year and great weather, the restaurant was packed.  We were able to grab a table on the beautiful patio and squeezed us all around so we could be close and hear each other.  It was very noisy and the air packed with enthusiasm and a “let-your-hair-down - it’s the end of school and summer is here” feeling!  I am certain three-quarters of the patio was filled with teachers!

We ordered our meals - yes, salads, for all six - it’s what you do at this season of life!  But incredibly delicious salads of grilled meats, vegetables and greens!  And in large bowls - we were happy!  Even as we bowed our heads to thank God for the food, the birthday celebration and our friendships, the noise was beyond loud, but such a peace as we were altogether.  Smiles all around!

Sharing life.  Relaying happy moments with grandchildren.  Upcoming weddings and out-of-country trips.  And stories of miracles and God showing up in other countries and cultures kept us enthralled as we let our lives overlap once again.  We laughed, asked questions and said we needed to be sure and not let the summer get away without doing this again.  A bbq at a home with the husbands and families.  Last night, we connected over salad, shared experiences and our lives that keep moving.  And so much to look forward to in the months and years ahead!  Several adult children not yet married, more grandchildren to come in the future and new seasons of each of our lives yet to be realized.  

I, for one, had a wonderful time.  Connection with women who matter to me.  And I am certain I was not alone in the feeling.  God seems to show up when we take time to let our lives intermingle.   When we are real with one another and just “be”.  Easy to do when you are with people you love and know you can be good, bad or hurting and they will listen, pray and be there.  Last night was one of those times.  I felt good when I left as my heart had been nurtured and fed in a way that only good friends can do.  

My husband and I had also spent last Sunday afternoon sitting in a beautiful vineyard overlooking the fields, enjoying a few hours with very good friends of many years whom we don't see very often these days.  Our children had grown up together and are now scattered all over the nation.  We took time and caught up with their lives and their children.  Again, a wonderful feeling when we parted….let’s do this again real soon!!  We don't see them often enough.

We need connection and more frequently than we realize.  We need community.  We need each other.  And those moments give us the fuel to move onward into the day and week of what we is ahead - back on the battlefield of life.   An oasis in the midst of the busy-ness and chaos of life.  Amazing how God can accomplish that in a very busy, chaotic, over-the-top noisy restaurant on a summer’s eve.

I am extremely blessed to have wonderful ladies and families in my life.  I hope you do as well and not let busy-ness get in the way of you blessing someone’s life and you in turn be blessed…just when you all needed it!

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National Creme Brulee Day

I wasn't going to do this...but when I realized the significance of today, I succumbed :)  Today, July 21st is "National Creme Brulee Day".  I am not sure "who" thinks these holidays up...but I am all for this one!  Probably my all time favorite dessert, even over chocolate!!  I love the creaminess and the crunchy caramely (is that a word) buttery topping you break through to get to the prize that lies beneath.  I love the little bunsen torch you use to light this baby up and burn the topping.  And no, I am not in the habit of playing with fire :)

I cannot eat creme brulee, or even think about it for that matter, without remembering a special friend.  I don't see her as often as I used to, but she always remembers my birthday.  On that day of remembrance, she always brings me a tray with several ramekins of creme brulee for me to celebrate and share with my family. And over the years, she has made these delectable treats with varieties of lemon, lavender, thyme....and she knows my favorite is lavender.  If I am not home, she leaves it on the bench outside my front door.  She knows I adore this dessert.  And for some reason, she likes me and has chosen to honor and bless me in this unique and very tasty way.  She is like my own special birthday creme brulee fairy :)  And I love her for the creative way she chooses to express her friendship towards me.

Do you have a special friend or friends that think of you and bless you in certain times?  Those friends are truly gifts from God.  They are givers.  They remember.  And they remember at all the right moments.  Today perhaps we should make an effort and thank those who really bless us when we need it most.

Today, on this momentous and national holiday :)  I may find somewhere I can eat a special buttery caramely dessert...or maybe make one myself....and as I do, I will thank God for my special friend and pray for her.  I am grateful for her life.

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Remember Educating Rita...Becoming Jane...Now Promoting Joan :)

Ever find yourself reflecting back on your life and being overwhelmed by the goodness of God and the friendships He has given you over the years?  Try doing this in the spirit of thankfulness and you will be blown away by how your friends have impacted your life, even through the small things - and the oh, so many, big things.  Right now in my life, I have some incredible friends.  They walk with me and share my joys, adventures, sorrows and struggles.  Some I see and talk to daily, others maybe once a week or every few weeks.  Recently, with graduation, birthday and wedding parties, as I look around, I am blessed beyond words to have such a full life of friends.  

With the writer's challenge I am participating in, I have come in contact with new friends, and reconnected with old.  I have asked for help and received some incredible wisdom and input.  The discovery of the community of writers and artists is amazing and oh so helpful to someone such as myself.  

Today our challenge is to promote someone...be generous. Because great writers share others work.   It didn't take much thought on my part to know immediately "who" I wanted to promote.  She is a writer, (I've read some of her awesome stories and poetry), but her first love and passion is photography.  She has been one of my closest friends for 31 years, although we have been separated geographically for several. 

We worked as missionaries together for years.  We have hilarious stories to tell of the adventures God has allowed us to have together...sweating and eating charred  corn-on-the-cob in 100+ degree weather in Croatia because it was a "delicacy" and would have been rude to refuse.  We've been stuck in bus strikes during the days of "Solidarity" in Poland in the early 80's.  Together we've squished into an elevator with Russian athletes who were two feet taller than us and ridden for days and nights sharing train compartments with unsavory characters and blue stinky cheese!  Hmm....maybe we should write a book :)  It would be full of adventures, but also filled with the stories of lives my friend has touched.  Today there are men and women in Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic and surrounding nations living a life of fullness serving God, loving and serving others due in part to the prayers of my friend and the impact she had on their lives.

These past years, health issues have prevented her from working a regular full-time job and she has put all her effort and energy into her passion to create an at-home business to generate an income.  However, it is not a job to her.  It is a life of color, art, passion and creativity that flows from her lens.  She tells a story through her photography.  She lives through her art.  And she is one of the most talented artists I know.  

So today, I want to introduce you to an incredible lady.  You can find her on facebook and her website.  I hope you will visit her, enjoy her creativity and support this woman who has given so much to others in her youth.

www.joan-e-photography.com

on facebook -  Joan E Photography

An added note...in this age of free-for-all internet, postings, bloggings, pinterest, etc. there is so much art we discover and want to share with others because we "like" it.  But...please remember copyright laws - respect others and refrain from copying and pinning the art.  The biggest compliment you can give to artists, is to recommend their site for others to view their work. 

I would love to end with a photo of hers, but you do have to go to her site as it is all copyrighted.  And it is definitely worth the trip :)  So I will end with a photo of my own which she liked. As I mentioned, she is a big fan of mine which I so appreciate and she gives me wise advice on photography and writing.  

I love you, Joanie...you are the best!

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Please, to the table...

Today's challenge is to quit trying to be so original and recognize the inspiration all around us.  In working so hard to be original, we don't often get our art, our music or writing out there for the world to see.  In reality, so much of the time, we are inspired by those around us....Picasso said "Good artists copy.  Great artists steal."  An idea, a phrase, a picture from someone else can often trigger the creativity within us and get us creating something that is so "us", but began perhaps in the mind of someone else. I'm not talking plagiarism here...just being inspired by other great writers and artists.

Today, I am taking the book title of a cookbook I own so I can share some fun food photos with you from Moldova and Ukraine. Yes, I'm sorry, still not done with this amazing trip. (I had my new camera so I took hundreds of photos...).  But I will recommend this book, although the last time I bought it for a wedding present for a friend, I had to really look for it as it was out of print.  It has many of the recipes of the foods we enjoyed on this trip.

So, ladies, please to the table.....

Moldova presented a variety of delectables for us to feast on, beginning with breakfast...

For those who are granola and cereal lovers, you would have had to adjust your palate to the savories of an Eastern European breakfast.  

Then came lunch on the road - and we traveled many many kilometers throughout Moldova so lunch on the road was often flexible and with friends...

Of course, no matter what or where the meal is eaten you must always finish  with the pièce de résistance

Oh my, the coffee...and these ladies know how to bake!

Ending this culinary tour with dinner(s) in the Ukraine:

When in Kiev, do as the Kievans do...Chicken Kiev

Or if you are fortunate enough to eat in the homes...

Chop, chop...

This went into this...

Which became this...

More chop, chop...

Again, into this...

Final product....a delicious "green Borscht" , a traditional soup of Ukraine

Remember in a previous blog posting when we were in the market and I said we were looking for fish...well, we found it and it was incredible!

It goes without saying, the haute cuisine of Ukraine is a memorable

experience and is a must to try at last once in your life.  Of

course, we are leaving out the vareniki (potato-filled ravioli type dish)

which I had at least four times.  If I had this...

Bulk-style vareniki & pelmeni (meat-filled) ...I would eat it that many times a week here at home!  

And so, in closing, I "borrow" another quote from a book I read, of which I cannot remember the name, or I would give it credit...

"Around here, it almost doesn't matter what's on the table, but it always matters who is in the chairs."  

What was on the table in Ukraine and Moldova was awesome...but it was definitely the friends we shared the meal with that will always remain the best of memories!

  

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