If....

Churches are going to be politically active in this health care debate, then the legislature needs to revoke their tax exempt status.

NOW.

 

The Joys of Pumpkin!

I am a pumpkin freak. I always thoroughly enjoy pumpkin* food items, and even more so now that it’s fall. Finding canned pumpkin in my local grocery store is quite a challenge if it’s not October-December. So, on my excursion to Fairway yesterday morning I was elated and shrieked with glee at the presence of pumpkin in the organic canned goods aisle. (Mind you, before I went shopping, I asked a few people, ‘how much is too much to buy before I appear a “weirdo” to the cashier?’) So, I bought six cans…to start with. I plan on buying many, many more to keep my cupboard stocked throughout the year. Times like these make me wish I had a huge pantry, rather than just a few cupboards.

What do I make with said cans of pumpkin you might wonder? Muffins, pies, breads, pancakes, scones, biscotti, cookies, you name it I will make it. For instance, this morning M. and I made pumpkin pancakes. Fluffy buckwheat pumpkin pancakes (substituting almond milk for milk and adding a teaspoon of sugar and handful of pecan pieces), which were perfect for Sunday breakfast. This afternoon I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies to bring to work tomorrow. (And yes, I did save some for M. and for C. and myself.) The recipe below is adapted from a Food Network recipe. Of note: I used less sugar, maybe 1 ½ c. total, plus I used one cup (or less) of 60% cocoa chips, half a cup of white chocolate chips and a handful of chopped, raw pecans. I also used whole-wheat flour, rather than all-purpose.

So, go out and buy a few cans of pumpkin. My favorite brand is the Organic Famer’s Market brand.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans

*Recipe adapted from George Duran, Food Network.

 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1-teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

3 cups whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup 60% cocoa chips, ½ cup white chocolate chips

½ cup chopped raw pecans

I used parchment paper, sprayed with a bit of cooking spray.

*Pumpkin is very high in vitamin A. A half cup serving of pumpkin has 380% of your daily allowance of vitamin A! It’s also low in sodium and has 4grams of fiber and only 4grams of sugar. Not too bad! Gee, maybe I should work for the pumpkin council.

Baking and Remembering

Late last year I learned that I really enjoy baking. For me it's a mind clearing, relaxing, moving meditation sort of thing (Zen and the Art of Baking, anyone?), similar to running. Plus, I like baking for people because I know it makes them happy and hopefully they'll enjoy what I create. I think this hobby started before Thanksgiving and by the time Christmas rolled around I had cut out recipes and made at least six different kinds of cookies for a company cookie party. I had also been making a lot of biscotti--lavender almond, double chocolate, ginger chocolate chip, pumpkin, you name it, I made it. I started the tradition of baking at least once a week and would then bring dozens of cookies into the office for my friends. The recipes changed (sometimes), but three things remain constant: I call my mom and tell her what I baked, and I always use my red plastic flour scoop and my timer, both items I received after my grandma died in 2001.

You see, among many of Grandma Kelley's lovely qualities was that liked sweets, baking and trying out new recipes. I loved nothing more than walking into her house to the wonderful smell of a freshly made apple or blueberry pie or a batch of her peanut butter cookies. She would also make a pie or a batch of cookies because she "just wanted one piece" or a few cookies and then would give the rest away to neighbors, friends or her family. My brother and I always (happily) took said baked goods off her hands. Earlier this year I made a chocolate pecan pie for a friend, but I also made it because I had a taste for it and wanted a piece. When I presented it to him he exclaimed, "WOW! This is all for me?? You HAVE to take some..." I graciously obliged. I bake because I like to make people happy and well, obviously because I like to have a cookie now and then.

I still miss my grandma now and again. I think part of the reason I get/got upset when I think of her death is because for so long I couldn't forgive myself for not being there in the hospital when she died from (fucking) cancer. I talked to her on New Year's Eve of 2001 and told her I'd see her in a few weeks. She was moved to Hospice shortly thereafter. Sadly, it was the last time I spoke to her. She died January 10th.

Using the red scoop and timer I can't help but think of my grandma. I'd like to think that somehow, in some way, she knows I'm putting the items to good use.

Running and Nothingness

I've been running for about a year now and this is what I've learned.

When I first started running my mind raced with thoughts...from "is my form correct?"  to whatever random problem was plaguing my brain at the time. I also listened to music which eventually added extra annoyance because the music became so loud and overpowering I wasn't enjoying listening to it anymore. It was at that point I realized I wasn't in tune with running.

So, a couple months ago I stopped listening to music and started really listening...to my feet hitting the pavement and my breathing, and well, my surroundings. I enjoyed running even more without the superfluous noise. And, what I found was that my brain just switched off. My mind would begin to wander...blocks would go by and then I'd refocus and realize I wasn't thinking about...anything. I was processing information ("ooh, look at those pretty flowers," "damn, that garbage smells," Ooh! A sprinkler!", etc), but it wasn't sticking in my head at the time. Running was akin to meditation, where one pushes out the voices and quiets the mind, but it's more of a moving meditation which I prefer.

When I run...I think about nothing. I zone out and check back in to do an overall body check: "Feet not hurting, good. Legs, good...knees, check...etc" then I zone back out. It's sort of a state of conscious nothingness, if that makes any sense. It's envigorating. And, well, the endorphins afterward help a lot too.

It's this particular state that I have found is a cure-all for ennui, and I love it.

Finding Answers in a Sea of Crap

Interesting morning observation...

(Because I like to torture myself mentally) I found that when I do a general search on google [for the question] "if i have health insurance, will I lose it under the new proposed plan?" A majority of the hits on the first page of the search results are links to articles and conservative websites/thinktanks (Heritage Foundation, JBS, American Spectator, etc.) whose sole purpose seems to be to scare the shit out of people about the proposed new health care plan.

I, myself got scared because there are so many unknowns about the House Bill. However, I found a website called Open Congress, which has the text of the proposed plan.

I'm not an attorney so the language of the bill can be confusing, but I found it to be helpful to read the actual text of the bill. Additionally, there are discussion sections where one can post questions and concerns (but I think one has to be a member of the open congress community to do so).

Because there are so many unknowns, it's important that we--for lack of a better word--don't freak out. We need to inform ourselves from (hopefully) neutral sources and not fall prey to those groups and people who are spreading misinformation about the proposed plan.

Breathe people. Breathe...