and then came creativity.

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[i know i have mentioned how much i love lists.  if you don't remember, i do passionately.]


once upon a time, on a fall evening, i was having dinner with a dear friend at cafe presse (a favorite seattle spot) and she introduced me to the concept of whenever we endure change, even if it is good, we have to undergo
an awkward season of finding our new normal. discovering where time can be manipulated, evaluating what our selves need, deeming what is permanent and what needs to be let go.

this [new] season, includes staying in lincoln. no more weekly trips to omaha. two different graduate classes, one that is pushing my
writing abilities. new friends. a new football season (yes that is important to note). and a new job *gasp, in social services.
i know i decided to retire from them, but in truth i was on a long healing hiatus.

and i am sitting through trainings. realizing that i have insight. and everything feels so oddly familiar. however, i have moments of great fear and trepidation of returning to a field where my soul fought to survive. and i revel in fantasies of living a life of complete creativity, indulging my own senses. but i have realized that to completely indulge myself
means being a part, practically, of the broken world.

and i desire to see the two more intertwined.

i am an odd bird in social services. meaning, most people i am surrounded by don’t place heavy emphasis on being creative. especially for the pure
sake of noticing the beauty of the world we live in. so understanding that i am different in light of returning to social services, means paying close
attention to my own need to cultivate what fills my soul. because if i want to continue to be strength and positivity in a distraught world,
i have to remember to nurture
my artist.

[poster originally posted here]

living in the heat.

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i’m having to remind myself of this right now. because it’s transition time. july passed quicker than i intended.
and i need to find a job
and classes start in two weeks.

today i was anxious when i thought about the first classes of the semester and having to introduce myself. i’m sheree and _________.  and ____________.
and right now, well, i’m not really doing anything right now. and i should be okay with that. i’m in transition.
but it brings back the feelings that i have somehow missed the boat
sailing to me success and greatness. or at least intentional purpose.
*sigh*

the truth is, though,
i am happy to be living this life. i’ve found a way to own where i’m at.
reminding myself, that what is now is not permanent. transitions mean change.
and i cannot predict the strokes of change in the next few weeks, let alone months.
all i can do, is be honest with where i am at.
and find courage to take bold (even if small)
steps.

and considering it’s summer in the midwest
and hot. and humid.
i will also walk to my freezer for another homemade popsicle.

freeze blended fruit (blueberries or peaches) + 1/4 cup sugar + handful of fresh mint = summer refreshment.

[photo courtesy of katie licht, originally posted on creature comforts]

for every day.

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one weekend my friend kate called.  it was time to get out of dodge and needed wing man. of course i was game, nothing is more exciting than a spontaneous road trip with good music and an unknown destination.  but we agreed oregon: portland, the beach, or willamette valley; we would make the decision when we arrived in portland.
the vote was unanimous. we were down for some good* wine tasting
so willamette valley it was.
with no agenda, no knowledge really about our destination, except i had recently partaken from a bottle of tasty pinot noir from august cellars,
which happened to be the first winery we stumbled upon in the valley.
and birthed was the most dreamy weekend neither of us could have in our best attempts planned
and a fall tradition (now missed because of our distance). we asked locals for recommendations from everything of where to stay, where to eat, and who made good wine.

and we ended up at natalie’s estate winery. i had to call for a tasting, which i did an hour before we drove up a gravel driveway to an unassuming house with no fanfare, and entered in through a side door;
the room was how tasting rooms should be.
a long table. and the winemaker himself pouring and drinking with the taster.
and providing complimentary meats and cheeses and chocolate. and conversation.

we became fast friends with boyd. we shared a background of growing up on a farm in the midwest. and the satisfaction of putting the work into producing what one puts in their mouth with one’s own hands.

many tastings have fallen way short. like all experiences that linger in your mouth
of once tasting something so stimulating, anything categorized as mediocrity turns to dust on the tongue.
we told boyd this the following year when we returned and the trip was feeling stale in comparison. on our 2nd visit, we walked in the back way, smelling different fermenting grape varieties along the way to the magical tasting room.
as the meritage was being poured,
boyd told us that he made wine, nay good wine, at an affordable price
because wine wasn’t meant to be drunk only on celebratory occasions
nor was it reserved for the rich and elite.
from its beginnings, it was part of a common meal, shared amongst common people.
in a single simultaneous sip, my belief about food had been summed up and exhibited.

the same is true regarding the art of eating together.
the art is in the simplicity, the authenticity of choosing to sit down
at a table and break bread with people, preforming a basic ritual that is both a necessity and a luxury. a dinner party stripped down
(though i will never turn down a good dinner party)
happening more often, becoming an integrated part of our every day.

i came across kinfolk and have developed quite the crush.  there are more people who feel the same way.  may there be more collaborations.

[kinfolk video originally posted on frolic]

the flavor combination + goat cheese dip.

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reading (obsessively, maybe) cookbooks and food blogs
presents a challenge- when overloaded with so many delicious looking, perfectly styled plates of delectable food, it’s hard to make the decision of what to make.


and though i’d love to eat strawberry cake for every meal, a diet of desserts isn’t maybe the most diverse [or healthiest] of choices.  the most complex piece is being able to put togehter a full meal, from the simple to the complex.  incorporating flavors so they compliment each other.  and putting together a plate that the diner will be satisfied with.

no, WOWED by.

how many sides are appropriate?  what compliments an heirloom tomato salad? how do you utilize all your produce from the CSA box? or what you over bought at the farmer’s market because it was too beautiful to not buy, though there was no clear vision for it’s place on the plate, as a part of a meal.

and now that i’m making dinner every monday night, i have to make deliberate decisions [and not the day of]. how to put together a complete meal that stretches beyond the meat + potato + green bean combination i grew up with.  foods that are bland are easy to mix and match but i love spices, herbs, flavor expulsions. so i have to execute bold strokes while reigning in the potential for a bomb, and not the good kind.

the skill also uses what i have in my fridge, reducing food waste. currently, it’s full of fresh herbs.  yesterday i made sweet potato wedges with a creamy goat cheese dip that sidled a smoked pork butt.  today i will make chilled avocado soup (to use the cilantro) and pork meatballs (with basil and cilantro).  I think i will have to whip up some pesto with the parsley so i don’t have to throw it out. 

ok, back to the sweet potato wedges.  they were outstanding. and i didn’t make enough.  and the dip: the perfect addition though the wedges were also good on their own. 


GOAT CHEESE DIP

5 oz. goat cheese
3/4 c sour cream
1/4 c mayonnaise
1 T finely chopped basil
1 T finely chopped parsley
salt + pepper

blend until smooth. that’s it.

[photo courtesy of the Diner Journal, originally posted on Miss Moss]