Summer must be about here. The air is getting sticky, the trees are fully leafed, flowers are bursting into bloom in the neighborhood, the cottonwoods are blowing their fluffy seeds along the millrace, and my early June allergies are back in full swing! Today, after work, Jim and I take our usual walk at the park and enjoy the breeze blowing through the swaying prairie grasses. The dragonflies and butterfllies flit around us while bluebirds sing and crickets saw. Jim drops me off at work to get my bike because he’s off to music practice. Since the temperature sign at the credit union still says over 80 degrees, I decide to ride my bike to The Chief before heading home for supper. The Chief is a summer tradition for our family as well as countless others as far as I can tell. On April 26th I asked my friends, Do you know what day it is today? And at least one of them guessed. The Chief reopens for the season. It’s one of those places that everyone knows about somehow. They don’t do a lot of advertising but the word travels. “Did you see that they’re having English Toffee as their special this week? Really? I guess I’ll have to go!” And then, when you do get there, you might have to wait in line for half an hour. But no one really minds because you’re bound to run into someone you know and catch up with someone you worked with or went to church with or played music with. And you know that when you do get up to the window, you’ll get just what you came for, and maybe even have fun chatting up those taking your order. It’s not just the ice cream that pulls you in. It’s the relaxed setting, the mix of ages and ethnicities, the social buzz and somehow we’re all equals waiting in line. It’s one of those food traditions that go way beyond the food. And I love it.
In my extended family, one of those traditions also rolls around at this time of year. I tasted the first strawberry of the season at the market this week so I know that soon I will be making everything strawberry. When I married into Jim’s family I soon found out that there is a special strawberry shortcake recipe that’s been handed down from generation to generation. I had just made a shortcake from a cookbook and served it and Jim said that his mom made this shortcake to go with strawberries. So I asked him if he knew the recipe and he said, “I think it’s some flour, some butter, salt, soda and milk or something. You mix it and put it in the pan and bake it until it gets brown.” I decided to call his mom for the more detailed recipe and found out that that’s about as detailed as it was! She told me that it came from her grandmother and it has just been passed on by word of mouth all these years. And this past Christmas when Jim’s family gathered, I mentioned the recipe and all the women recited it by heart! So this shortcake recipe is making its way through the fourth generation and it is definitely about food but also about family, tradition, and a way of baking that we have in some ways lost touch with: remembering recipes in your head, making them without exact measures and adjusting them intuitively as you go. This will be the week for me to make Great-Grandma’s Shortcake and serve it with fresh sweet strawberries.
Great-Grandma’s Shortcake
1/2 c. flour
salt to taste
1/2 t. soda
butter the size of an egg
cream to moisten
Mix. Flatten into pan. Prick with fork. Bake to brown.
Originally printed Summer 2007, The Goshen News
Monday, April 28, 2008
Food for body and soul
I had an interesting conversation on Saturday with a man who was interested in sprouted bread. He eats it for health reasons. I have made sprouted bread before but I was not very happy with it. This conversation though brought out some questions about food that I think about a lot.
Why do we eat? What should we eat? Our society right now has created many rules about food. There is always a new item on the "not to eat" list as well as the latest "good for you" list. I like the idea that you eat what is available around you, enjoying a variety of flavors and styles, but not restricting yourself to one thing because it is the only healthy option. As soon as we set rules then food loses its place as a need in our lives and it becomes one more thing to control.
Why not approach eating with a moderate view. We need to feed ourselves. Let's do it with simple, good food in moderation. The joy and pleasure that comes from eating is also a health benefit. When we make too many rules for our diets, eating becomes a chore and a weight around our necks. I espouse the view that we should eat for nutrition and pleasure. We need to take the time to enjoy the process of making food as well as the time to eat it. Our lives then slow down and our eating makes us happy. We digest better and food gives us more than our daily nutritional needs. It not only feeds the body but also the soul and contributes to a wholistic life.
Why do we eat? What should we eat? Our society right now has created many rules about food. There is always a new item on the "not to eat" list as well as the latest "good for you" list. I like the idea that you eat what is available around you, enjoying a variety of flavors and styles, but not restricting yourself to one thing because it is the only healthy option. As soon as we set rules then food loses its place as a need in our lives and it becomes one more thing to control.
Why not approach eating with a moderate view. We need to feed ourselves. Let's do it with simple, good food in moderation. The joy and pleasure that comes from eating is also a health benefit. When we make too many rules for our diets, eating becomes a chore and a weight around our necks. I espouse the view that we should eat for nutrition and pleasure. We need to take the time to enjoy the process of making food as well as the time to eat it. Our lives then slow down and our eating makes us happy. We digest better and food gives us more than our daily nutritional needs. It not only feeds the body but also the soul and contributes to a wholistic life.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Tired muscles and ice cream
After an easier day of work, it's time to think about running. My energy is high tonight as I start down the road. I'm hoping to reach the four-mile mark. I use the time I run to really focus on what I see and hear and on my thoughts and dreams. Today the woods around me are growing a carpet of green pierced with white and pink flowers. The turtles are sunning and the geese are honking. The smell of manure from nearby fields pokes into my nostrils. My stride is even and effortless. I think I could go on forever. Just like that, I've reached my four-mile goal. As I walk and slowly stretch those tired muscles, I remember that's it's opening day at The Chief. Oh, happy day! Hard work that has meaning, done in the company of good people, followed by the pleasure of tasty ice cream shared with a loving partner-- this is a slice of the good life!
Snakes and hikes, April 21
One weekend in April, Jim and I like to take off for a local state park as a way to celebrate the coming of spring. It’s also a good time to break away from the pressures of hard work and truly take time to breathe in the outdoors. We try to choose a time when nature is starting to come out of its winter nap and starting to show signs of growth. I call ahead to make sure there is room for us and then we start planning what we will take: books, magazines, good walking shoes and food are always a part of the picture. Then there’s also clothes for warm or cold weather since springtime is notoriously fickle. We also take umbrellas. We don’t mind hiking in the rain if it’s not a downright downpour. We have in fact used the umbrella to protect our barbecue grill on one cold and wet picnic. All our walking at Ox Bow Park is good preparation for the trails we will encounter at the state park.
Several years ago, we left for the park, ready for a relaxing couple days. After settling in, we went on our first trail around a lake, enjoying the sunset and fading light before calling it a day. The next morning, we woke up ready to tackle three trails that would take us through quite varied vegetation. We started at the foot of a glacial lake where a sign informed us of the potential wildlife we might see as we meandered on the trail. We were hoping to at least see a few bluebirds and maybe a blue heron as we headed to Bluebird Hill. Barely had we set foot on the trail when we suddenly heard a rustling at our side and a large black garter snake surprised us as it slithered through the swampy ground. Our trail led us through a beaver habitat and then into the forest. We steadily climbed until we reached the highest point of the park and had a birds eye view of the world around us. A series of wooden steps took us back down the hill and there we turned right towards Bluebird Hill, a wide open , rolling prairie with a small lake at its bottom. As we rounded a bend, we heard and then saw a huge bullfrog, sitting in our path. We skirted around it and almost ran into two deer dashing across the trail. They seemed as startled as we were, neither of us knowing who was intruding on who! The path continued around the prairie and then followed the edge of a wood. As we trudged up the hill, just ahead of us something caught our eye. Laying halfway across our path was a snake. It seemed to be sunning itself in a little patch of grass on the trail, its tail hidden from sight in the taller grass at the side. This snake was no garter snake. It had an identifying mark on its head and a very specific marking on its body. Even though Jim and I are both scared of snakes, we couldn’t help but stop and look at this special one. All of sudden we realized that the patterns on it looked familiar and we knew we had seen this snake before: it was one of the animals listed on the sign at the beginning of the trail, an endangered species, the Massasauga rattlesnake. We gulped and Jim calmly walked around it, while I tried to figure out how to get by it without getting closer than I could. I finally made it around. As we continued on our journey, we marveled at the sight we had just seen and decided to go back to the beginning of the trail and make sure of what we had seen. After reading the poster again, we took a well deserved break on a wood bench at the edge of the marsh. We thought we had seen enough snakes for one day when all of sudden we heard another rustling noise, and right behind us, on a reed, we found numerous garter snakes, coiled and writhing around. We both looked at each other and ran back to our place, happy to be inside and away from snake habitat. That weekend we also saw wild turkeys and sandhill cranes. And we discovered in talking to the ranger that a Massasauga sighting is a very rare thing indeed. We count ourselves lucky despite our fears!
To calm ourselves down after this thrilling hike, we grabbed some cups and had some tea. Sitting there sipping, we finally reached our relaxation levels. So today I leave you with no recipe but just some advice: always look before you step and remember, tea is one of those comfort drinks to enjoy with someone you love. Take the time this week!
Several years ago, we left for the park, ready for a relaxing couple days. After settling in, we went on our first trail around a lake, enjoying the sunset and fading light before calling it a day. The next morning, we woke up ready to tackle three trails that would take us through quite varied vegetation. We started at the foot of a glacial lake where a sign informed us of the potential wildlife we might see as we meandered on the trail. We were hoping to at least see a few bluebirds and maybe a blue heron as we headed to Bluebird Hill. Barely had we set foot on the trail when we suddenly heard a rustling at our side and a large black garter snake surprised us as it slithered through the swampy ground. Our trail led us through a beaver habitat and then into the forest. We steadily climbed until we reached the highest point of the park and had a birds eye view of the world around us. A series of wooden steps took us back down the hill and there we turned right towards Bluebird Hill, a wide open , rolling prairie with a small lake at its bottom. As we rounded a bend, we heard and then saw a huge bullfrog, sitting in our path. We skirted around it and almost ran into two deer dashing across the trail. They seemed as startled as we were, neither of us knowing who was intruding on who! The path continued around the prairie and then followed the edge of a wood. As we trudged up the hill, just ahead of us something caught our eye. Laying halfway across our path was a snake. It seemed to be sunning itself in a little patch of grass on the trail, its tail hidden from sight in the taller grass at the side. This snake was no garter snake. It had an identifying mark on its head and a very specific marking on its body. Even though Jim and I are both scared of snakes, we couldn’t help but stop and look at this special one. All of sudden we realized that the patterns on it looked familiar and we knew we had seen this snake before: it was one of the animals listed on the sign at the beginning of the trail, an endangered species, the Massasauga rattlesnake. We gulped and Jim calmly walked around it, while I tried to figure out how to get by it without getting closer than I could. I finally made it around. As we continued on our journey, we marveled at the sight we had just seen and decided to go back to the beginning of the trail and make sure of what we had seen. After reading the poster again, we took a well deserved break on a wood bench at the edge of the marsh. We thought we had seen enough snakes for one day when all of sudden we heard another rustling noise, and right behind us, on a reed, we found numerous garter snakes, coiled and writhing around. We both looked at each other and ran back to our place, happy to be inside and away from snake habitat. That weekend we also saw wild turkeys and sandhill cranes. And we discovered in talking to the ranger that a Massasauga sighting is a very rare thing indeed. We count ourselves lucky despite our fears!
To calm ourselves down after this thrilling hike, we grabbed some cups and had some tea. Sitting there sipping, we finally reached our relaxation levels. So today I leave you with no recipe but just some advice: always look before you step and remember, tea is one of those comfort drinks to enjoy with someone you love. Take the time this week!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
On a sunny and unusually warm spring afternoon, I'm setting out on a new venture with this blog. I have been writing articles for our local paper about food, culture and the good life deriving from my passion for these things. Having grown up close to Brussels, Belgium in a family that cared about food, art, spirituality and the good life, I now want to share this passion with others. I hope to help you learn to look at the little things in life that together make up the whole and share my passion for the simple pleasures.
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