Happy Anniversary Mike.
Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Day 2 of Gratitude and Gifts: Thanksgiving
11 years ago my husband was given the gift of sobriety, although it didn't feel like a gift at the time. It felt like a brutal, life-shattering slap across the face. He lost his job, on the day before Thanksgiving, and in the aftermath of his coming clean about his addiction, he almost lost me. Somehow we made it through, and somehow, for 11 (probably long sometimes) years, he's been clean. I am so grateful for his twelve step program and for all of the other addicts who have helped him along the way. I am so grateful for the immense power of gifts that slap you across the face and feel nothing like a gift. I am grateful for learning and the freedom that comes from letting go of what's hurting you.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
29 Days of Gratititude
I've written about the 29 Gifts giving challenge and book, and what an amazing wonderful experience it is. Today I'm beginning it again, along with 29 days of gratitude. This seems like a perfect season for a focus on thankfulness. So each day I will write about my gift to give and my gift of thanksgiving.
Day 1: Today I woke up so thankful for my children, for everything they have taught me and the way they love me no matter what happens in our lives. I told my childbirth class on Monday evening, "Don't let the stereotype scare you - teenagers are WONDERFUL." They may not be cute and cuddly in the same way that newborns are, but they are such good listeners. And they can make you laugh and teach you so much about being silly and being in the moment. I am so grateful to be right where I am right now, a mom of two sleeping-in-late, fingernail polish and boy obsessed, sass-talking girls.
My gift for today - letting these two lovely sleep in on their day-before-Thanksgiving day off and trusting them to make the pies for tomorrow's celebration - chocolate pecan and Elvis, all by themselves. Yum.
I'm also mailing off, with lots of love, a little baby hat for one of my sweet doula mama's second baby. I wish I could hug her in person.
Here's what the hat looks like:
Only the color is a soft cream, like French vanilla ice cream. I hope it keeps little Celeste nice and toasty warm.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Whole Wheat Bread
Here's my favorite whole wheat bread recipe (with
variations). Someone requested it yesterday, so here goes. If you'd
like a serious bread baking adventure you can check out my sourdough
recipe at SpinningLaughingDancing.
Whole Wheat Bread
Dissolve 2 pkg active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp) in 1/4 cup lukewarm water.
In a large mixing bowl combine 1/4 cup canola oil (put it in a half cup measure then use same for honey and your honey won't stick), 1/2 cup honey, 2 tsp salt, 2 1/2 cups hot water. Add 3 cups whole wheat flour and mix on low speed until moistened. Then on medium for 3 minutes. Add another 1 1/2 cups whole wheat, then slowly add in 2 3/4 to 3 3/4 cups white flour until dough forms a nice ball that is just slightly sticky to the touch but the sides of bowl are clean. Start w/ a paddle and change to a dough hook when the dough begins to ball.
Put the dough into a greased glass bowl and let it rise until doubled in size. I turn my oven on to it's lowest temp and then turn it OFF (that's really important!), and put the bowl in oven to rise, because it's cold where I live. Cover the bowl w/ a clean dish cloth while it rises.
Now punch it down and turn it out onto a pastry mat. Divide it in two and roll each into a nice long oblong rectangle, then beginning at the side nearest you, roll it up tightly until you have a loaf. Put each in a greased bread pan and let rise again, until double or nice and high above the bread pan - 30-45 minutes, covering again.
Heat the oven to 375. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn oven down to 325 and bake another 10 minutes. Loaves should be brown and sound hollow when tapped on top. Let cool a few minutes and turn out onto a wire rack to completely cool. Don't slice until cool.
Variations: I usually add in a cup of whole oats w/ the liquid in beginning, some sesame seeds (these give a really nice sweet flavor), ground flax (1/2 cup or so) and some ground oat flour (I just use my blender to grind whole oats) for some of the whole wheat flour. I've made this recipe w/ all whole grains (no white), and it's good, just won't rise as high and it's more dense. You can also spread the rolled out bread dough w/ butter, then sprinkle w/ brown sugar and cinnamon and roll up really tight to make your loaf, for cinnamon swirl bread. Really yummy toast on a cold day. You could also change the water for scalded milk or use whey from cheese making.
There is no change for high altitude.
I will soon share my recipe for Custard Bread Pudding - the very best reason to bake bread IMO!!
Whole Wheat Bread
Dissolve 2 pkg active dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp) in 1/4 cup lukewarm water.
In a large mixing bowl combine 1/4 cup canola oil (put it in a half cup measure then use same for honey and your honey won't stick), 1/2 cup honey, 2 tsp salt, 2 1/2 cups hot water. Add 3 cups whole wheat flour and mix on low speed until moistened. Then on medium for 3 minutes. Add another 1 1/2 cups whole wheat, then slowly add in 2 3/4 to 3 3/4 cups white flour until dough forms a nice ball that is just slightly sticky to the touch but the sides of bowl are clean. Start w/ a paddle and change to a dough hook when the dough begins to ball.
Put the dough into a greased glass bowl and let it rise until doubled in size. I turn my oven on to it's lowest temp and then turn it OFF (that's really important!), and put the bowl in oven to rise, because it's cold where I live. Cover the bowl w/ a clean dish cloth while it rises.
Now punch it down and turn it out onto a pastry mat. Divide it in two and roll each into a nice long oblong rectangle, then beginning at the side nearest you, roll it up tightly until you have a loaf. Put each in a greased bread pan and let rise again, until double or nice and high above the bread pan - 30-45 minutes, covering again.
Heat the oven to 375. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn oven down to 325 and bake another 10 minutes. Loaves should be brown and sound hollow when tapped on top. Let cool a few minutes and turn out onto a wire rack to completely cool. Don't slice until cool.
Variations: I usually add in a cup of whole oats w/ the liquid in beginning, some sesame seeds (these give a really nice sweet flavor), ground flax (1/2 cup or so) and some ground oat flour (I just use my blender to grind whole oats) for some of the whole wheat flour. I've made this recipe w/ all whole grains (no white), and it's good, just won't rise as high and it's more dense. You can also spread the rolled out bread dough w/ butter, then sprinkle w/ brown sugar and cinnamon and roll up really tight to make your loaf, for cinnamon swirl bread. Really yummy toast on a cold day. You could also change the water for scalded milk or use whey from cheese making.
There is no change for high altitude.
I will soon share my recipe for Custard Bread Pudding - the very best reason to bake bread IMO!!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Day 4 Gifts
It's bound to happen. Every time I have done the 29 Day Giving Challenge I'm amazed by the gifts that flood into my life (or perhaps I just start seeing more things as gifts? That is a gift too).
Today I was not feeling great about some lingering pain I have recovering from a small surgery earlier this month. After days of phone tag with my doctor, I finally could speak with him and he gave the proverbial head scratch, and a prescription. I actually like my doctor (both as a physcian and as a kind human being) but I don't love much about Western medicine and I was feeling a little let down about his recommendation. (I'll report in a couple days if the script is actually helping me!) Then my dh texted me: "Meet me for lunch, I'll take work off early." This almost never happens, and aha, felt very much like a gift. We had a really lovely lunch together.
His gift found me in a much better mood because of MY gift: 45 minutes of doula time with a good friend from my work who is feeling challenged by her choices right now. I listened, gave some info, some advice, a lot of support. I hope it helped. She knows exactly the best choice for her birth, she's just having trouble making a decision. I know she'll get there.
I miss being a doula. I miss the connection with other women and the sense that I can help the most important day of their lives be a little bit better. Talking with my friend really filled my heart today. I think I need to stop saying "I USED to be a doula." While I may not do this work full time anymore, my doula heart is alive and beating.
Today I was not feeling great about some lingering pain I have recovering from a small surgery earlier this month. After days of phone tag with my doctor, I finally could speak with him and he gave the proverbial head scratch, and a prescription. I actually like my doctor (both as a physcian and as a kind human being) but I don't love much about Western medicine and I was feeling a little let down about his recommendation. (I'll report in a couple days if the script is actually helping me!) Then my dh texted me: "Meet me for lunch, I'll take work off early." This almost never happens, and aha, felt very much like a gift. We had a really lovely lunch together.
His gift found me in a much better mood because of MY gift: 45 minutes of doula time with a good friend from my work who is feeling challenged by her choices right now. I listened, gave some info, some advice, a lot of support. I hope it helped. She knows exactly the best choice for her birth, she's just having trouble making a decision. I know she'll get there.
I miss being a doula. I miss the connection with other women and the sense that I can help the most important day of their lives be a little bit better. Talking with my friend really filled my heart today. I think I need to stop saying "I USED to be a doula." While I may not do this work full time anymore, my doula heart is alive and beating.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
29 day giving challenge
I've read Cami Walker's book, "The 29 Gifts" many times now and taken on her challenge - giving a gift every day for 29 days straight - a few times. Each time I'm amazed at how this simple act can bring so much healing and happiness to my life. I felt like I was due for a spiritual/happiness tuneup, so I'm beginning again.
I'm on day 3 of this 29 day giving challenge. Day one I gave the gift of time - a long lunch and chat and many hugs to a dear friend (really a gift to myself too). It felt so good to connect with her.
Day two, I bought a blue and brown striped photo album with a big baby blue bow, for a my brother and his wife, to celebrate their new grandson. We are not close, and usually I am ok with that, but seeing the two of them holding this new little child, I felt my heart bursting with love and happiness for them. The birth of a baby, the first grandchild, seemed so special to me, and I wanted to share my joy with them and send a gift.
Today (day 3) is a very funny gift. Our family has a 6 month old puppy, and unfortunately he has to be home alone for a few hours every day while kids are at school and grown-ups are at work. He has our other 2 dogs to keep him company, but today he went a little crazy and chewed up everything in sight. I walked in and took a long look, let out a huge sigh, then saw his sweet face, sending me an apology with those big brown eyes. Instead of disciplining him I gave him some love and attention. And then I took him out for some needed exercise. The rest of this afternoon is a gift to myself - I'm recovering from a surgery and haven't been resting enough, so for the next few hours I'm going to chill out.
I'm on day 3 of this 29 day giving challenge. Day one I gave the gift of time - a long lunch and chat and many hugs to a dear friend (really a gift to myself too). It felt so good to connect with her.
Day two, I bought a blue and brown striped photo album with a big baby blue bow, for a my brother and his wife, to celebrate their new grandson. We are not close, and usually I am ok with that, but seeing the two of them holding this new little child, I felt my heart bursting with love and happiness for them. The birth of a baby, the first grandchild, seemed so special to me, and I wanted to share my joy with them and send a gift.
Today (day 3) is a very funny gift. Our family has a 6 month old puppy, and unfortunately he has to be home alone for a few hours every day while kids are at school and grown-ups are at work. He has our other 2 dogs to keep him company, but today he went a little crazy and chewed up everything in sight. I walked in and took a long look, let out a huge sigh, then saw his sweet face, sending me an apology with those big brown eyes. Instead of disciplining him I gave him some love and attention. And then I took him out for some needed exercise. The rest of this afternoon is a gift to myself - I'm recovering from a surgery and haven't been resting enough, so for the next few hours I'm going to chill out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)