My last post asked the question, “Who is a guest?” At the Golden Temple this question is answered every day. The least among us are treated like royalty. DH writes,
“I ate lunches there, and washed dishes and even helped cook some of the stuff, about 5 times… Quite an experience, very much like the pics show. The one thing about Golden Temple: It is CROWDED beyond anything Americans or Westerners EVER feel comfy with. You get about 15 cubic inches of space <G>… The picture of the kid sleeping is quite peaceful, but when I was there, there would have been another 15 folks sitting, sleeping and otherwise occupying the space in the picture… And yeah, the kid would have been asleep unbothered right in the middle of that :)))”
This is the vision. See for yourself. Take a virtual visit to the The Golden Temple.
Summer is underway. How will you enjoy your summer? To make sure I take time to savor this summer I am dubbing Fridays as fabulous. Fabulous Friday. This way I will be reminded to create at least one day each week that is fabulous. Of course I can do the same thing with other days. But Friday, at the end of the work week, is a good way to begin a fabulous weekend don’t you think?
So what makes a fabulous day for you? Fabulous takes a little alchemy or transformation. What should be added in? Or maybe, something should be removed, minimized or transformed? Fabulous is adding a some fun or a little bit of flare.
What would a fabulous day look like for you? Take a few minutes and imagine what it would be like. Play with it. Now take one step toward creating it.
For me, being able to observe and watch a little, rather than doing, is part of a fabulous day. Good conversation can be part of it too. I also like to include nurturing or service. Sometimes the nurturing is for me.
Maybe you can imagine sinking into a hot tub, or listening to a concert. What about time with your kids or a bike ride as the day cools off? It could even be giving yourself a bit more time in the morning so you don’t feel rushed or time to read something intriguing before bed.
Maybe fabulous means rushing less, seeing more and turning down the volume and noise. Think of a day without TV, email or cell phone.
Inviting others for a fun meal and conversation, or providing a meal to someone can make for a fabulous day in my world.
Tonight maybe a picnic of bread, cheese and wine for dinner with friends? That’s fun, fast and easy – but can be enjoyed slowly. Add a candle. Or perhaps something else? That’s Fabulous Alchemy . . .
Picnic months have finally arrived! Picnic in a Jar. Now this is a great idea for those of us with plenty of canning jars taking up shelf space.
Here it’s pictured with BBQ beef, coleslaw and baked beans. But why not chili, cheddar cheese, sourcream & cornbread on top, or chicken & rice salad with sliced apples, or a fresh pita quarters with spicy hummus and olives?
Instead of lemonade, I would put lemonana in the second jar. Lemonana is the Israeli answer to sweltering desert summertime heat.
Recipe: Make fresh lemonade. Pour into a jar or water bottle that can go in the freezer. Leave room at the top of the jar for expansion in the freezer. Stuff the jar of lemonade with a handful of fresh mint. Freeze.
Take with you for the day. Enjoy it as it melts. Keep it in your car while you run errands. It will stay cold and fresh until the end of the day. You stay refreshed and hydrated.
For mouth-watering summer meals – fast, easy and delicious check here.
Recently I watched the movie, The Human Experience. This is a remarkable film that addresses the profound questions most of us grapple with, because we are human; Who am I? Why am I here? What does it mean to be a human being? What is the meaning of life?
In the film, which is a true story, two brothers in their twenties dive into life. Although they come from an abusive home, they know that their difficult childhood does not determine who they are nor who they can become.
So they embark on a new journey. They live on the streets of New York with the homeless. They travel to Peru to surf for charity and to work with abused and disabled children. Finally they travel to Africa to visit a leper colony.
It is through their journeys that they meet and develop deep relationships with those who are different from themselves. They allow themselves to be opened and changed by those they meet. They listen and learn how a lack of material things doesn’t diminish one’s happiness and joy in life – quite the reverse. They watch and see how suffering, when it occurs, is used to bring hope rather than despair – that in fact, despair and depression are illnesses – not the result of suffering.
In their travels the brothers learn that moving lightly on the earth places the focus squarely on others – where it needs to be. A small suitcase is all we need. Cocooning ourselves in large homes, trailers or a “home on wheels” insulates us from others, from relationships and from experiencing life as it really is.
Rather, when we connect with others in deep, healthy relationships we become all that we are meant to be.
This film underscores the joy of life and, that regardless of our circumstances, each unique life is of value, it is worth plunging into, and it is a gift.
Everyone should see this film.
The movies, Motorcycle Diaries and Celebrate What’s Right With the World by Dewitt Jones are other powerful films that examine core questions about life and who we are.
My younger daughter used to make delicious apple pies when she was about nine or ten years old.
Into a large bowl she sliced six apples. Then added a handful of flour, brown sugar and sprinkled a little cinnamon. Using her hands she mixed the apples, flour, sugar and cinnamon together. Then she dumped the bowl of coated apple slices into a pie plate prepared with a ready-to-bake crust. She covered the filling with a second crust. We baked it in the oven at 425 degrees for one hour and Mmmmm! Out came a great apple pie. However, she only liked to make the pies – she rarely ate a piece. It was always surprising to me that she didn’t like eating them herself.
The other night I watched the movie Waitress for the second time and enjoyed it yet again. The idea that the pies become a mirror for the interior emotional life of waitress Jenna is an interesting idea. Jenna’s creative pies become the vehicle for her own transformation and resurrection into a new life. We are already familiar with this idea of expressing our interior through art, writing, music. In this case, pies are the medium. Here are just a few of her pies –
Kick In The Pants Pie
Cinnamon spice custard
I Hate My Husband Pie
“You take bittersweet chocolate and don’t sweeten it. You make it into a pudding and drown it in caramel…”
Baby Screaming It’s Head Off In The Middle Of The Night And Ruining My Life Pie New York style cheesecake, brandy brushed, pecans and nutmeg…
The following recipes appeared on Waitress promotional cards
Marshmallow Mermaid Pie
9 graham crackers
1/2 C. sweetened, flaked coconut, toasted
5 Tbs. butter or margarine, melted
34 lg. marshmallows (8 oz.)
1/2 C. whole milk
1 1/2 C. heavy or whipping cream
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, grated
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine coconut and graham crackers in food processor until coarse crumbs form.
2. Combine crumbs and butter with fork. Press to bottom and side of 9-inch pie plate. Bake 10 minutes and cool on wire rack.
3. Heat marshmallows and milk in 3-qt. saucepan over low heat until smooth, stirring constantly. Remove saucepan from heat. Cool completely (30 minutes.)
4. In large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold marshmallow mixture into whipped cream with grated chocolate. Spoon filling into cooled crust. Refrigerate pie at least 3 hours or overnight.
5. Top with mini marshmallows, maraschino cherries and rainbow sprinkles. Serves 8.
Falling in Love Chocolate Mousse Pie
9-inch baked pastry shell
1 14-oz. can condensed milk (not evaporated)
2/3 C. water
1 (4 serving) pkg. chocolate pudding mix (not instant)
1 1-oz. square unsweetened chocolate
2 C. (1 pt.) whipping cream, stiffly whipped
In large saucepan, combine condensed milk, water and pudding mix; mix well. Add chocolate. Over medium heat, cook and stir rapidly until chocolate melts and mixture thickens. Remove from heat; beat until smooth. Cool. Chill thoroughly; stir. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into prepared pastry shell. Chill 4 hours until set. Serves 8.
Baby Screamin’ Its Head Off In The Middle of the Night & Ruinin’ My Life Pie
4 8-oz. cream cheese, softened
1 C. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 C. sour cream
1/2 C heavy whipping cream
1 3/4 C. white sugar
1/8 . cornstarch
1 fl. oz. amaretto liqueur
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 C. chopped pecans
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1. Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wrap outside of 9-inch springform pan with foil. Generously butter inside of pan.
2. In large bowl,beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in sugar and cornstarch. Blend in sour cream and whipping cream. Add amaretto and vanilla. Stir in eggs and egg yolk one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition.
3. Pour batter into pan. Place pan in another pan at least 1 inch wider and add water to outside pan (prevents cracks). Bake on center rack for 70 minutes.
4. Turn oven off and let cool with door open for 1 hour. Remove cake from water and chill at least 3 hours before removing cake from pan. Top with crushed pecans and dust with nutmeg. Serves 8.
If you visit Duluth, Minnesota you can always head up Hwy 61 and visit Betty’s Pies just north of Two Harbors. This restaurant will remind you of “Joe’s Pies,” converted to “Lulu’s Pies” restaurant in the movie. Many incredible, “world fabulous” pies on the menu. Five-Layer Raspberry Pie is my favorite.
Better yet, perhaps today I will bake a steaming apple pie, top it with vanilla ice cream and drizzle it with caramel in memory of my daughter’s apple pies 🙂
My last post asked the question, “Who is a guest?” At the Golden Temple this question is answered every day. The least among us are treated like royalty. DH writes,
