Mindful Monday: Favorite?

Mindful Monday: On Monday's I'm going to share what's been on my mind. I by no means have any of this figured out, I'm just thinking out loud here.

I never seem to have an answer to the question, "what's your favorite______?"  The perfectionist in me thinks I have to have the perfect answer, or that there is only one answer.  What if the answer I give isn't actually my favorite? How can I possibly decide and pick just one thing out of all those options? Being the indecisive, perfectionist, people pleaser that I sometimes am, I'm finally realizing that there are far too many areas in which I have yet to form an opinion for myself.  Rather than making a decision, I often just go along with the choices of others, saying I don't really care or it doesn't matter.  Of course this doesn't happen in every situation, but apparently enough that I'm aware of it.

For some reason a conversation I had with someone this summer keeps coming to mind.  The topic was deeper, but for simplicity sake let's just say the topic was music.  Someone asked me what my favorite type of music was and I responded with something along the lines of, 'I pretty much just listen to whatever's already on.  I usually let someone else pick the station and most anything goes.'  Normally the conversation would move to the next question or topic of small talk, but this time the response caught me off guard.  This person looked right at me, saying, "but what do YOU like to listen to? What does Melissa enjoy?"  Ummm, what? You actually want to know what I like and aren't just trying to make small talk? You're really listening and interested and my answer matters to you?  

That got me thinking, what do I like? There are several areas I've just gone along with other people's preferences or opinions. You know, that go with the flow, don't tip the boat, do things they way they've always been done attitude. I don't make a decision because I don't have to.  But what is it that I really enjoy? What is the purpose or motive behind my choices?

What fun to discover new likes and interests.  Everything takes on a new perspective.  I don't have to pick one favorite for life and chisel it in stone, it can change and grow as I do.  Maybe something I thought was my favorite really isn't anymore.  There are some things I really don't care or have an opinion about, where either way really is fine with me.  But there are others I'm pondering in a new light.  The freedom comes in the mindfulness of choice and ability to define and recognize the situation.   I can say 'I don't care' or 'it doesn't matter' when I really do mean it, but I can also state my opinion with confidence.  It's like an exciting new adventure, called life.

Food for Thought: "We don't need to have just one favorite. We keep adding to our favorites. Our favorite book is always the book that speaks most directly to us at a particular stage in our lives. And our lives change. We have other favorites that give us what we most need at that particular time. But we never lose the old favorites. They're always with us. We just sort of accumulate them." -Lloyd Alexander

Fermented Friday: Pumpkin Wild Rice Bread with Rosemary and Dried Cherries

Fermented Friday: recipes featuring yeast, wine, beer or some form of fermentation.

This pumpkin yeast bread is the perfect middle ground. Soft and tender yet sturdy and hearty, it has just the right amount of chew.  Wild rice sneaks in to add body and texture.  But don't be wary, the rice bakes in enough that you can't really tell it's rice while you're eating it.  Pumpkin helps make the loaf tender without using loads of butter (like the potato in these rolls).

A sweet loaf with a hint of savory makes this bread versatile.  Sweet cherries blend with subtle notes of rosemary while a delicate pumpkin flavor lingers in the background.  It's perfect on its own or great for toast or sandwiches.  I am so tempted to make this again next week as dinner rolls or use it in stuffing.  Then again, this bread sort of has the makings of stuffing baked right in.  I don't know, I really need to nail down what I'm making for Thanksgiving.  I'll try to stick to tradition, but knowing me...well, you just never know what you'll get at my house.

Thursday's Thoughts: Giving Thanks

Thursday's Thoughts: a taste of what I'm thinking

One week until Thanksgiving.  I easily get caught up in the food and planning, but that's not really what Thanksgiving is all about is it?  Or at least not what it's supposed to be about. Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks.  Yet a thankful attitude should be present all throughout the year, not just around a holiday.  I'm going to try and be extra mindful of things I'm thankful for in this week leading up to Thanksgiving.

I can be sick of cleaning or thankful I have a house to clean, cleaning supplies and time to clean. (But if you're coming over don't expect too clean, just saying.)  The piles of half unpacked boxes from college overtaking the basement mean that I was blessed enough to go to college in the first place.  A tablecloth that's 6 inches too short makes me thankful for enough family to fill that long table.  Way too many ideas and recipes to choose from makes me thankful for fun and creativity as well as tradition.

A few years ago our relatives watched their neighbors house burn down the night before Thanksgiving.   I'm thankful for a home to fill with family.  One year I was in the hospital for Thanksgiving.  This year I'm thankful to be home with family.  Last week a 10-year-old boy who just had brain surgery here was killed in a car accident on his way to spend Thanksgiving at home.  I have so much to be thankful for.

There's plenty to be thankful or on a lighter note too.  I'm thankful I'm not a turkey.  I'm thankful for cozy blankets, warm tea and slippers on chilly days.  I'm thankful that I saw the stuff floating in my tea before I took the first sip and not after.  I'm thankful for sunshine, fresh air and the fact that it's really not all that cold out yet.  I'm thankful the election is over (what? I am.)  I'm thankful I caught the falling container of banana puree before it oozed all over the counter, doors and floor.  I'm thankful I've made some time to read books lately.  I'm thankful for the softer sheets I put on my bed last night.  I'm thankful for aprons, kneading and the aroma of bread baking.  There is always something to be thankful for.  And probably a little more too.

Food for Thought:  "Gratitude bestows reverence , allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world." -John Milton

Weird Recipe Wednesday: Egg Coffee

Weird Recipe Wednesday: Because some recipes are so weird I just HAVE to try them.  My curiosity always gets the better of me.

Last month I randomly mentioned egg coffee.  You knew I'd give in and try it sooner or later, didn't you?  You should have placed bets for how long I'd hold out before I tried this weird technique.  Maybe you did, in which case I hope you won.

I found some old percolators at my grandma's house and mentioned them to her.  She told me about the egg coffee she used to make where whole egg, shell and all, is added in with the grounds. And we're not talking an electric drip coffee maker here either, just a stove top coffee pot.  She claims it's the best coffee she's ever had and they just don't make it like that anymore. (Gee, I wonder why?....no I don't.)  So after raising my eyebrows for awhile and plenty of skepticism on my part, I gave in.  Truth be told, I had several other weird recipes planned for today, but they crashed, flopped and withered a little too hard to make it all the way here.  Since this egg coffee concept seems weird to my generation, I decided it would work in a pinch.

It's actually a technique that's been used for years by countless coffee brewers and served to plenty of unsuspecting guests.  A Scandinavian tradition, this coffee is also known as 'Lutheran church basement coffee.'  I looked up quite a few recipe variations and had fun learning about this weird tradition.  It wasn't until afterwords that I found this food science post explaining the chemistry involved.  I'll spare you the details, but the egg and shell supposedly remove bitterness and acidity, producing and incredibly smooth cup of coffee.

Let me just show you what happened.

Tuesday's Twist: Homemade Butterfinger Bonbons

Tuesday's Twist:  A basic recipe with a fun twist.  In other words, just another excuse for me to play around with weird recipes I've been dying to try.

If I had one word for every one of these I popped in my mouth, that would be a lot of words.

These lasted less than 24 hours, much less.