s-a day 9

The secret of self-acceptance is...

forgiving others; for as we forgive, so are we ourselves forgiven by them, and by Life itself. By forgiving others, we acquire also the wisdom to forgive ourselves.

After reading my potato peeling story you may think that I hold a grudge against my mother-in-law and that I have never forgiven her. I did hold a grudge for a lot of years. Although I have never forgotten what she said that day and other things she said to me after that, I have forgiven her. It no longer matters to me that I disappointed them by being a small town girl whose father was not a doctor or a lawyer or a bakery owner like Betsy's father. It no longer bothers me that every time my father-in-law saw me, he would ask me "How are things in Middleton?" to which I always responded with a sneer "It's MiddleTOWN". I can even smile when I recall these things.

I hold no grudges. I hope my father-in-law forgave me my insolent response to his question. I have forgiven everyone who ever hurt me intentionally or not. I am certainly no angel so I ask forgiveness from all whom I have hurt intentionally or not. I ask forgiveness from myself and from Life itself.

on peeling potatoes

Today is Labor Day and I guess you could say we celebrated it by not laboring. But it was the weather that kept us from it. If it had been a nice day instead of gray and overcast, B would have been working in the yard. Since it is gray and overcast he suggested we go see The Help. I had asked earlier this weekend if he would like to go see it as I had just finished the book. The movie was good but as always the book was better. I left the movie feeling a bit disappointed knowing I probably would have liked it more if I had not read the book. But I'd rather read the book. I did like the Celia character in the movie. She actually seemed a bit more real than Celia in the book.

If I had stayed home I would have started cleaning and organizing my sewing room....a job I have been wanting to tackle but have been putting off. It's one of the last things to do now. I've tackled all the ironing that has piled up, gone through all the stacks of papers on both desks, sewn buttons back on and hemmed skirts. Once I get the sewing room cleaned I can start sewing and it scares me a little. It's something I think I want to do but it's been a long time. What if I find I've lost the desire or the creative spark?

I've cooked and baked some this weekend. I've found that I haven't lost my creative spark and desire in that department too much. I made those Blue Moon cupcakes. I made fresh corn cakes. I made Wheat Germ French toast, grilled pork tenderloin and Chiavetta's chicken. Tonight I'm making Swiss steak. I bought a sirloin from Wegman's from a local farm, Angus Hill Farm. I pounded flour, dry mustard and salt into it. Browned it in olive oil. Put it in the oven with canned tomatoes, green pepper and fresh garlic. I had four potatoes that were a tiny bit past their prime. They had grown a few eyes. Normally I don't peel potatoes but since these were past their prime but not bad enough to throw away, I thought I'd use them up and placed them in with the meat while it roasted.

As soon as I started peeling, the thought that always comes into my head when I'm peeling potatoes came into my head. It was 1974. B and I had been dating since the beginning of our sophomore year. He had an internship with one of the Big Eight accounting firms and was living at home and working in downtown Chicago while I was still at Illinois State. I took the train from Bloomington to Joliet to stay with him and his family for a few days. He was at work and I offered to help his mother cook dinner. She gave me the task of peeling the potatoes. I wanted to please so very badly. I didn't want to peel too deeply and take too much potato with the skin or gouge the eyes out too deeply and leave big holes. So I erred on the other side. Trace pieces of potato skin remained. She looked at the potatoes and scoffed "My family would never eat potatoes with skin still on them". Maybe she didn't scoff. But she did say it and scoff is how I heard it. It's how I hear it yet to this day when I peel a potato.

s-a day 8

The secret of self-acceptance is....

serving others ever more consciously as an instrument of a Higher Power.

I'm not sure what this means. Community service, running for office, recruiting for my faith, doing a good job at work, making dinner with a smile on my face? All of the above?

s-a day 7

The secret of self-acceptance is....

loving others and not waiting for them first to love you.

If I waited for that I could be waiting forever. Nope, no problem with this one. Most people seem so sweet and vulnerable and worthy and needy, don't you think?

once in a Blue Moon

Once in a Blue Moon a cupcake comes 'round that I'd like to try. I'm a cookie person as a rule and cupcakes don't excite me too much. When I heard about Blue Moon cupcakes I wanted to try them because although I'm a wine person as a rule and don't like the bitter taste of beer, I do like the flavor it emparts in food. Beer bread, cheddar beer soup and meat cooked in beer for example.

I Googled Blue Moon Cupcakes and a number of recipes came up. One even called for Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa. I love chocolate but I think it would totally overpower the taste of beer. So this is the recipe I came up with...

Blue Moon Cupcakes

3/4 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c sugar
3/4 c brownulated sugar
2 1/2 c flour (I used White Lily Flour just because the bag is so cute that I wanted to try it out)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 t cinnamon
3 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp orange zest ( I reconstituted Penzey's dehydrated orange peel)
1 c Blue Moon beer
1/4 c milk

Frothy Beer Head Frosting [recipe follows]
small orange slices, for garnish

Directions:
1. Line 24 cupcake trays with liners. I used some white and some blue.In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking power, cinnamon and salt.
2. In a large bowl beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar a little bit at a time, beating well.
3. Add eggs, beating after each.
4. Add vanilla and orange zest and beat.
5. Mix beer and milk in a measuring cup. Alternatively add beer/milk mixture and flour mixture to butter mixture in the large bowl, beating after each. End on the flour mixture.
6. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 18 minutes at 375 degrees F until cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7. Once cool, frost each cupcake with a generous amount of frosting. Just before serving, garnish each with a small orange slice.

Frothy Beer Head Frosting

2 egg whites, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp orange juice
1 c sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 c Blue Moon beer
Directions:
1. In a saucepan, mix sugar, water and cream of tartar. Cook on medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is bubbly.
2. In a large bowl, beat egg whites, vanilla and orange juice until soft peaks form. Slowly add hot sugar mixture, beating continuously. Beat for 7 minutes until stiff peaks form.




the beautiful creamy cake batter


ready for the oven


fresh out of the oven...the aroma is yeasty and heavenly


a beer tray from 1959 that we found in our basement bar when we moved in


cupcakes served on the tray


I choose this one. Do they look better just white or with blue sugar sprinkles?

s-a day 6

The secret of self-acceptance is....

mixing with those who, in their own expansiveness,offer support to others. Shun the company of those who are cynical or insecure.

Now this one I have to beg to differ with. Yes, it's good to mix with those who offer support and who are always upbeat. I truly believe that they help us believe in ourselves, expand our thinking and make us feel good about ourselves. But if we don't mix with the cynical and insecure, who will help them expand their thinking and make them feel good about themselves. Besides a little cynicism can be fun at times as long as it's not disrespectful. Insecurity is no picnic and these people need all the support they can get.

s-a day 5

The secret of self-acceptance is....

respecting everyone; for as we are so do we imagine others to be: and as we view them, so do we ourselves become even more.

I think I do this. I hope I do this. The times I feel that I fell short of doing this have made me feel bad. Even when opinions differ greatly and personalities clash, others are always deserving of our respect.

This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes; one I strive to live by. Be extra nice to people, you never know what they're going through.