Autumn, Chicken Soup, Turnips, and me....Oh MY!!!

So, it’s starting to get a fall chill to the air in Indiana…finally  after one of the longest Indian summers I can remember.  The leaves have turned beautiful crayola colors and most are on the ground now.  The past weekend I was able to witness the full effects of fall back in Bloomington, my college stomping ground located in southern Indiana (for those of you not familiar).  My friend, ‘Jane’ (ok, names have been changed for my blog's sake...you know, protect the innocent, blah, blah...) and  I took a drive towards Nashville, Indiana…a very ‘artsy’ little community tucked away most of the year until fall arrives and then it explodes with tourists.  People come from all over Indiana to experience this smaller version of Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  There are artisans of various trades, country home-style foods, roasted nuts and fudge, antiques, and unfortunately lots of junky t-shirt and souvenir stores.  (Another unfortunate similarity to Gatlinburg).  We walked and looked at all of the handcrafted items…leathers, wood carvings, pottery, photographers, paintings, beadwork, blown glass, crystals, hand painted furniture, home made goods of all kinds.   local potter..doing his thing.. Funny thing is that while most people like to enjoy simply looking through the shops, Jane and I seem to enjoy hearing people’s stories about what brought them to do their works of art....yes, we have the gift of gab and curiosity.  We talked to an older woman in her shop who had been taking beautiful photographs of the area for many, many years…  As she framed and wrapped one of her beautiful fall scenery pictures for a customer, she told us her story.  In a nutshell, she had not always done photography…but was in an accident that prevented her from making a living and disabled her.  She was asked to take some pictures for a family member’s social function and discovered that she, with the help of the camera, had an eye for capturing people, nature, etc, through photography.  That she enjoyed pleasing others with her pictures and that is how it began for her.  In her case, when she thought that all hope was lost and the door was closed permanently….she discovered that it was only the beginning of a new and better life.  One that she enjoyed now, instead of going day after day to a job that was not nearly as rewarding to her.  I realized that her story could also be mine (or many others like me)….and I took it to heart.  At the age of 51, I have felt in so many ways that I have lost myself by taking care of others for so many years.  Mind you, I will never regret taking the time to raise my family and being a ‘stay at home’ mom (even when it was not so easy from time to time).  Those years that my husband and I willingly chose for me to spend at home have paid off for my girls 100%.  But…now, I have felt many times that I have wasted time…should have been building my career…should have, could have….helping financially and having the self worth that goes along with the contribution to a family.  Sure…I did laundry, helped with homework, volunteered at the girls’ schools, and did crafts until I was literally covered in paint and glue!   I go back and forth in my mind, rethinking the past.    And now, I think….What can I do at the age of 51 and how can I start now when it is so late?  Let alone to find something that makes me happy,  is enjoyable, or rewarding for me, personally.  I related to this woman.  She was there.  Her door had closed…but had it???  Like they say…”When one door closes, another opens”.  She is an amazing example of this saying.    She was able to press the‘re-do’ button and was now doing what she loved most.   The other thing that I deciphered from her story is that happiness and success  isn’t all about money or prestige that people strive for …or the mass of material things.  The more expensive the better…the person with the most money at the end wins!!   No, not true and certainly not true for her.  She had made a good income before…but now, even though she appeared to have a successful shop, her income was not consistent and certainly not guaranteed (they don’t call artists ‘starving’ for nothing!).  Her reward was that of pleasing others and bringing happiness to them through her photographs….much better than the membership at the country club or the designer labels in the closet.   That, my friends, is the price of happiness at your own pace.  Living a simpler life…appreciating your environment, friends, lovers, spouses, children and life in general.  Wow…think of all the people that simply walked into her shop and looked and perhaps either bought something or not.  Honestly, they went out empty handed if they did not talk to her.  Jane  and I walked out the door with a few life lessons…much more than something in a bag, don’t you think? The ride back was sooo enjoyable…the sights and smells of fall…my senses were overwhelmed.  On top of it all…a full moon.  I reflected about the story of the woman..I reflected on my story.  Everyone has a story.  As the moon glowed from above, I realized that just like this blog…I am able to write my own story.  Able to create my own self.   Able to begin again anew.   That this is MY time and I am the only one  who  can make my life happen and change for the better. Full moon in Bloomington The next day…I took a trip back to the same Farmer’s market where I got my coffee that I wrote about in my previous blog post.  Just as the last time, there was much activity…people buying, people looking, entertainers, and even a couple of politicians (who, by the way, looked like they were 16).  Yes, I got my coffee again and looked over the veggies..  ohhhhhhh, so many beautiful varieties!!!!  I have never seen so many peppers in my life…some hot, some sweet, some red or green…some purple even.  And salad greens…many kinds I have never heard of.  This place is truly a chef’s dream come true.  I knew I had to buy something…..But what?  I wanted it all!!!  So, with much thought, I finally decided on two vegetable items.  One being the most beautiful peppers I have ever seen…their shapes were so imperfect (which I love!) and the colors so pronounced.  If they tasted as good as they looked, I would be in heaven!   The second veggie was three bunches of turnips.  Go ahead…make fun of me!  (I can hear you gasping…WHY!!!?)  These turnips are not your standard kind of tasteless rubber balls you buy at your local grocery.  There were, as like the other types of veggies, different varieties to choose from I had never seen before.  Who knew turnips could be so fascinating!  I settled for some beautiful white, tender turnips and left the place thinking I was the luckiest girl ever.  Ok...i guess things have changed drastically for me  because had I known 30 years ago that a vegetable could make me so happy….well, I would be very disappointed in this simple fact!  And that’s all I’m gonna say about that! Sooooo…in honor of my weekend and the beautiful fall weather, and the beautiful turnips I bought… I made a wonderful comfort soup for our dinner last night…not simply good for your soul (as the books claim), but good for whatever life hands you.  Make this with someone you love, for someone you love… and eat it with someone you love…and you will forget  about  all of your troubles for sure.  It will warm your heart and renew your spirit.  I promise.  And let the turnip be the new surprise in a very predictable soup….read between the lines and you will understand what I mean.    Recipe follows…and by the way, if you make it…I want to hear about it!

Served to you with a great big perma smile on my face!

Kim’s BEST Chicken 'Surprise' Soup                              

 

Ingreds:

·         3 lg chicken breasts, preferably bone in (but remove skin)

·         2 boxes good chicken broth (about 4-6 cups) *

·         ¾ Tbsp thyme

·         ¾ Tbsp sage

·         1 Tbsp parsley

·         1 cup chopped Carrot

·         1 cup chopped Celery (tops included)

·         ½ large onion, chopped

·         1 med. White turnip, cubed

·         ½ stick butter

·         About ¾ cup of frozen corn or peas…or both

·         About 1/3 or more (depending on how many noodles you like) of a lb. bag of Amish style noodles *

In large soup pan, combine chicken breasts, 1 box of broth, thyme, and sage.  Bring to slow boil and simmer slowly until very tender….about 45 mins.  Prep veggies while chicken is cooking.

Remove chicken onto plate with slotted spoon.  To the pot of broth, add veggies and butter….bring to simmering boil until veggies are tender.    After veggies are tender… (once chicken is cool enough to work with) take chicken off bone (it should fall off if it is tender) and tear small pieces with your hands…do not cut with knife.  Add back to pot, along with frozen corn and peas, parsley, and 2^nd box of broth plus about 2 cups of water (depending on how ‘thick’ you like your soup).  Bring back to slow boil.

Add noodles and cook until tender.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with good crisp Italian or French bread….or good crackers.

***** To make this recipe Gluten Free, make sure to use gluten free chicken broth and use gluten free shell or spiral pasta.

That Old Black Magic and Me

Coffee is that magical black liquidy stuff that I cannot live without at the beginning of each of my days.  If I skip a day and something happens and I miss coffee, a headache (caffeine deprivation) will ensue and generally, I will just feel like I’m in a big slump all day.  This morning, as I sit here with my first cup of coffee, I’m thinking all about the feelings that go with it…and the memories that are attached to it…and the friendships involved with it.

A couple of weeks ago, I took my daughter to IU to visit with her sister who is an attending freshman.  Although it was ‘their weekend’ to spend time together, it was fine as I had some plans of my own which involved meeting IU college friends from about 30 years ago.  The two drinks of choice in a college town involve alcohol and caffeine…this has been true for many, many years!  (One will sometimes follow the other!)   Anyway, on Saturday morning…I found myself with my friend walking around a farmer’s market in downtown Bloomington.  It was a very cool morning and was raining.  There was much hustle and bustle of people carrying their market bags and buying fresh produce.   Oh… for someone like me, who loves to cook…it was heaven!   The most beautiful garden varieties of vegetables and fruits were to be found in this holy place!  As we walked, enjoying the sights and sounds of the morning we could not help but to wander into the most heavenly  scent of coffee…drifting through  the produce, people, breads, and flowers.  Mmmmmm… and voila!  There it was: The Bloomington Coffee Roaster’s booth…soooo many kinds, who could possibly choose??  Of course, two cups were ordered and we went about the task to try to choose some to take home.  One kind caught my eye…it was named ‘Good Day’.  Hmmmm…well, today (despite the rain) was a good day!  I was with a good friend, we were having a great time, and we would be enjoying the day at an IU football game with the rest of our group.  Then I looked at the description of the ‘Good Day’ coffee.  “Coffee for your Conscience”.  What does THAT mean??

According to Wikipedia, the definition of Conscience is “an aptitude, faculty, intuition, or judgment of the intellect that distinguishes right from wrong.”  So I ask, what the heck does this have to do with coffee?  Is coffee a moral drink???  Will I be judged for drinking it??  Perhaps it could mean that many, many important decisions from people in all walks of life…poor, rich, students, business people, mothers, presidents, priests, etc.. …..that perhaps everyone has pondered important stuff over a simple cup of Joe.  Also more than that, it is a very social drink…and is often shared in all types of situations.  Celebratory events, receptions, parties, business meetings, family gatherings, friendships, and holidays…just to name a few.  If you go into a coffee shop, look at the tables…look at the people.  What are they talking about??  Maybe the day, maybe upcoming events, or maybe some life changing decisions….who knows.  All of this over coffee.  Hmmmm…maybe it IS magical.  

As I type this…I’m trying to remember when I first put this rich, black (get me up and going) liquid to my lips.  And yes, I like it black…nothing to ruin the great flavor that God gave to the almighty coffee bean.  I’m pretty sure I began drinking it when I entered college at Ball State University. And I am pretty sure I did not appreciate it much at all and that the only reason why I ‘threw it down’ was in order to stay up late to study.  Any crappy brand would have sufficed…and honestly, I did not care much at all as long as it helped me keep my eyeballs open.  It’s a drink you don’t just start drinking and say….Oh my!!!  This tastes soooo good!!!!  It’s an adult drink that you learn to like and appreciate…and you either acquire a taste for it or you don’t.  As the years went on, I learned to love coffee and I think it may love me too.

Through the years, I think I have owned about  4, 0865 coffee makers…all of them broke or gave out on me.  Not that it was my fault; I just think they couldn’t take the demand!  Ok…well, maybe one was my fault when I left it on and it burned up…!   My coffee maker of choice currently is one that I actually bought at the local Good Will Store.  It’s an incredible retro-vintage stainless steel electric perk.    (I say that smiling because everything I own or used to own is now called ‘retro-vintage’!)  This thing is like the Timex watch that ‘keeps on ticking’.  It, for sure, keeps on perking no matter what and I am very sure it will be my faithful friend until I can no longer drink coffee…but that day will never come!  And, oh yes..I went through all the stages of a coinsurer of  coffee….flavored, Italian, French, morning blends, dark, med, light…drip, strained, perked, whole beans, ground beans, hot or cold.   Now-a-days, coffee is a cool trend…and people order drinks that have at least 5 or 6 syllables like.. Mochalotatomatos,  double triple espressos (I don’t recommend this..Unless you have about 23 books that you need to speed read), frappacinos, something, something something…etc.  (No, I don’t go to Starbucks often and if I do, I get a plain coffee for fear of the unknown..Ha!).   It is a cool place to go…to the coffee place.  I wonder if people go there because they really WANT coffee or because they want to look like they want coffee??  Hmmmm.  And they have all these big, comfy chairs and lounges…and internet usage so perhaps you need coffee just to stay awake while there.   They also offer cute snackie thingies like little Italian biscuits, fancy crackers and cookies, and muffins that could feed a family of four.  You have to wonder what the point is to coffee with all of this.  Again…Hmmmm…

 

Well, back to the ‘Good Day’ coffee.  I love this…not only is it wonderful and flavorful coffee, but I have the fun memory of picking it out with my dear friend and laughing about the names and labels of the coffees that day.  And I get to enjoy it every day and think of my friend and know that my day will be great, if only for that one single memory.  (And by the way, I have no guilty conscience about drinking it at all!)

Popcorn Revelations

Last week, my youngest daughter was wanting popcorn.  Normally she eats a whole regular microwave bag each day after she gets home from school.  This day was no different…except we were out of it.  Instead of going to the store and buying more (because I was feeling a little lazy), I decided to make some the ‘old fashioned’ way…on the stovetop.  Now, I’ve done this from time to time…simply because there is nothing EVER as good as popcorn made this way.  I will never forget the first time I made it like this for my kids.  They were amazed that the tender kernels could come from such hard little seeds…changing shape and texture within the ‘magic pan’.  It was the best thing ever and they could not believe that there was ever life before microwave cooking!

When I was at IU, I used to drive to see my Grandma Lawson who lived a hour or so further south in a small coal mining town called Dugger.  Just to tell you how small this town is (or was when I was there last)…it consisted of a little ‘ Mom and Pop’ grocery, a post office (where my Grandma had been the post master for many years), and a saloon (every town needs one, I suppose!).  I would drive my 1977 chevy camero with the backseat completely packed with my dirty laundry!  When I arrived, Grandma would start the laundry and begin talking about all the good food we would have…”Oh, Kimmy…we are going to such a fun party tonight!!”  Please note that the ‘fun parties’ never included anyone except the two of us…but that was just fine with me.   Ahhhhh….there would be the freezer pizza (I guess she thought I loved this since I was a college kid)  which she always doctored up and always cooked in her gas oven…and the popcorn perfection which I can still taste in my mind to this day.  The drink was always a big glass of her iced, sweet tea and I can still hear the ice cubes tinkle as she carried them in the room.  I can vividly remember the ‘feast’ on her coffee table as our ‘party’ began.  We would watch Lawrence Welk, tv specials, or movies.  All the while TRYING to watch, I would hear the latest Hollywood gossip as if Grandma knew these stars personally!  Ohhh that John Denver was the nicest young man to his wife and loved her so dearly…..and  wasn’t Robert Redford the most handsome man ever???  (ummmm….YES!)  

By day two, I was biting my nails and waiting for the last load of laundry to be finished so I could head back for some ACTION!!!  This feeling was recently recalled when my daughter Sophie, an IU freshman  came home for the first time since leaving for ‘the weekend’.  My poor husband picked her up on Friday and she brought every piece of laundry possible for me to wash!  By evening,  we were all watching tv  and meanwhile, the whole time she was glued to her laptop and chatting on Facebook.    After many heavy sighs, she finally looked at us and asked, “ Is this what you people do in the evenings???  Watch TV??”  ( Ummm…yeah, it is…and I recall just as recent as last year and summer that you were sitting with us watching too!  Ha!)  By the next afternoon, my husband was driving her back to IU.  Eight hours of combined travel time.  Well, that’s what you do, I suppose.  The funny thing is that everyone was a little upset that she was leaving (and wanted to leave) so soon……except for me.  I remembered and relived that very same feeling…wanting to get back to IU and my boyfriend…and all the fun! 

Back to the popcorn.  I have the most disgusting looking pan called my ‘popcorn pan’.  It is a mismatched old Club roaster pan with lid.  Don’t ask me how I got a brown pan with a pink lid but it is what it is.  This came from Grandma’s and is what she made her popcorn in.  So…here are my questions:  1)  How in the world could anything so good come out of anything so ugly  …and  2)  How can these hard little seeds  turn into the most tender, delicious treat ever.

The last two weeks have been so horrible for me.  I lost a dear, long time friend to suicide.  And this week, I lost my youngest brother also…in fact, In just a couple hours i will be going to his visitation.  As I thought about the popcorn, it occurred to me that we all start out as these tough little seeds and how we turn out depends on a lot of things.  You can look at the ugly pan and think nothing good could ever come out of it…but surprise!  By the time you open the lid, the hard seeds are replaced by the tasty, tender kernels.

People and loved ones are a lot like this.  A person can be pretty hard on the outside and it takes a lot of different life experiences and growing to hopefully change them into a caring, soft human.  You have to be generous with love (like the oil) to get them to come out.   But no matter what the environment or how ugly the pan…if the circumstances are right, ( just like the ingredients and temperature)…a wonderful soul will come out.  However, sometimes no matter what…there are those kernels that refuse to change.  Well, what can I say…no one likes them and they eventually go in the trash.   We are all capable of bringing out that tender stuff on the inside.  Life is too short. 

I got the opportunity to make peace with my dying brother and tell him I loved him.  I didn’t get an opportunity to see or talk to my friend for some time….and how I wish I had.  Some things you can never take back…and some people can make your life miserable (the seeds that never pop).  But it is all how we choose to carry on after the fact and deal with our situations…good or bad. 

If you are still reading this..i’m surprised…a lot of deep stuff here.  This post was more for me, therapy…to help me today.  Dealing with the losses and unfortunately an ignorant family member who has a mission to hurt me as much as possible.  The popcorn is a reminder for me today to look beyond the hard seeds and kernels and remember the possibilities of a warm heart and future acts of kindness and love.

Ps.  This post is dedicated to my dear caring friends who have been there for me through everything…. And also to Bob, who encouraged me to blog.  A million thanks…