Life-Enhancing Mineral-Rich Green Juice

Siri... can you make me a green juice?

If only.

"A healthy outside starts from the inside." —Robert Urich

Around this time of year I begin juicing and then inevitably stop when autumn starts to slip into winter. I just can't maintain the enthusiasm to juice through the cold months, but when the sun starts to rise early, and the birds begin chirping before dawn, my yearning for green juice returns once more.
   "Mmmmmm, fresh mowed grass," my husband says as a repetitive quip when I hand him a glass of freshly juiced greens. Jay's sarcasm is not entirely unwarranted. Green juice does indeed taste like summer in a glass. For Jay, drinking green juice is a bit like taking a dose of medicine. Being a former Marine, Jay doesn't need to enjoy the green juice to consume it. He just drinks it like a man. #truegrit
   I don't mind the flavor of this slightly spicy tasting green juice. Some over-the-counter green juices are actually high in sugar. To avoid spiking insulin levels I opt to eliminate sweet fruit from the ingredients mix. No apples for moi. If you must add a sweet fruit or vegetable, keep the addition to one serving. Full disclosure, I usually add a small to medium sized carrot.

These are all the veggies that go into a 16-ounce serving. 

My obstacle to juicing is not the flavor, but is related to actually doing the work to make the juice. When I'm organized it takes about twenty minutes to produce 32 ounces, which for us is two servings but for others this amount could comfortably serve a family of four. When I'm not organized it takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and another 5 minutes to clean the juicer's parts.
   A heavy duty Champion masticating juicer has a permanent home on my kitchen counter, whether I juice regularly or not. The appliance weighs 23 pounds so lugging it around to store it between uses doesn't make sense for me. The beast of an appliance stands as a steadfast reminder of what I should be doing when I'm not. Similarly the weight bench in the garage is a constant visual prompt that I should be exercising when I'm not. I always get back around to using both but staying with a routine is clearly a challenge for me.
   The masticating juicer produces more nutritious juice because it does a better job of breaking down the fiber of the vegetables. The Champion both cuts and grinds. The juice produced by a masticating juicer has a longer shelf life of up to 48 hours because the Champion does not build up heat while it does its job. With that being said, I tend not to store the juice. My goal is to consume it within 30 minutes of making it. And, I don't simply drink my juice, I chew it, and swoosh it around in my mouth because many of the enzymes present in the juice are activated by saliva. To learn more, check out this Tedx Talk, Chew Your Juice.

All set-up and ready to juice. 

Finally, you'll want to drink green juice on an empty stomach for maximum benefit and easy digestion (code for not blowing a bunch of gas). I prefer mine as a first meal of the day after enjoying my morning coffee. I add collagen protein and a little half and half to my coffee, which sustains me for awhile. If that doesn't quite work for you and your schedule, the next best thing is waiting a minimum of two hours after a meal to drink a glass of green juice. I find the juice filling but if that's not the case for you, drink your juice then wait twenty minutes before eating whatever's next on the daily menu.

I'm just dropping this image here 'cause the butterfly is pretty and it matches the color theme.

Life-Enhancing Mineral-Rich Green Juice

El Día de los Muertos and Juliette's Tamari Pepitas

By Linda and Michelle

"After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."  —J.K. Rowling                                

El Día de los Meurtos celebration in Petaluma, California. 

 By Linda

   
November 1, 2015—I thought it only fitting that I start to tell the story of my breast cancer journey-battle on this—El Día de los Muertos—the day celebrated throughout Latin America as the day the the veils of the world thin, allowing the worlds of the living and the dead to interact for a short time. This day is thought to be the time in which one just might be able to connect with those loved ones that have now passed through this realm and on to the next. We sisters have celebrated the holiday with gusto and reverence for many years now. 
   Each year we devote a Salvation Sisters' blog post to an aspect of the holiday. My sister Juliette outdid herself this year, by creating an amazing sugar skull that was featured on the current issue of Edible Baja—a regional magazine in Southern Arizona where my sisters both reside. Although I just remembered that I am forgetting about the year that she handmade such an amazing community altar to honor our sister Maria who died of a cerebral aneurysm at the age of 31 in 1992, leaving two young daughters behind. The Red Cross asked if they could take Maria's altar on a tour of the United States as part of a program to educate the public at large just how valuable it is to be an organ donor. Our sister's body helped over 300 recipient families to have better lives with the donation of her organs, bone and tissues.

Even celebrations of the macabre need sweet treats. 

   In my 58 years on this planet, I have experienced the death and disappearance of many that I have loved dearly. My beloved grandmother Maxine, my sister Maria and my son Joshua have all departed this Earth plane for the realm of the spirit, and each has moved on to the next great adventure. In reflection I should add that I feel it is significant in my present circumstances that I have been abandoned by several lovers—traumatic events that each left me feeling bereft, scarred and alone. They had all been relationships that I was convinced would stand the test of time, and yet they did not. In contrast though, I have known great and lasting love—a life-long bond with my remaining two sisters, Juliette and Michelle, both of whom have provided me with a solid connectedness—firmly anchoring me with the living.

   As I begin to write on this holy day, I wonder if I will have departed planet Earth for the next realm by this time next year? There is really no way to know, but I have already begun in earnest to try and wrest the reigns from death, and stay here among the living for awhile longer.

   I walked downtown this afternoon for a pedicure, thinking that I would not go this year to the procession for El Día de los Muertos—too macabre even by my liberal sensibilities. For the last seven months I have thought about death a considerable amount—an inordinate amount even. Enough already, I said to myself this weekend, no more dwelling on death and dying, and yet when I turned the corner onto Kentucky Street which bisects the historic downtown of Petaluma, I was greeted with a Mexican Día de los Muertos street festival in full swing, and I had to laugh, the joke being on me.

   "Welcome to the Día de los Muertos Celebration of 2015, Linda. It's quite possible that you might be the honored ancestor at next year's festivities." I said to myself.

   I can only describe it as a very sobering experience. However I did not weep, nor did I not feel sorry for myself. Instead I did what I am sure I will be doing until I draw my last breaths, or am just too weak to put the viewfinder to my eye—I pulled out my camera and started shooting.

Linda captured these photos in 2015 in Petaluma, CA.

My daughter Maddie is proud of her Auntie Juliette for making
 the sugar skull featured on the October 2015 cover of Edible Baja Magazine.

Three skeletons and a selfie-stick at the All Souls Procession 2016 in Tucson, Arizona.

By Michelle

   Last November my sister Juliette, her daughter Sonora and I attended the All Souls Procession in Tucson like we have in year's past. Linda had been living in Tucson with my husband and me since April of 2016. After enduring both chemotherapy and radiation, and almost dying, she had regained her mobility and was getting out and about with the aid of a walker. The oncologist advised that while Linda's breast cancer was not curable, it was treatable, and that the "virgin" cancer cells might take a wollup of a beating after meeting chemotherapy for the first time. As the saying goes, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. After receiving treatment in February and March at UCSF, before moving to Tucson, Linda did rally over the summer months and steadily improved, albeit temporarily.

   In September, Linda was dealt an emotional blow when a brain MRI revealed multiple small tumors. With this gloomy news, Linda could not bring herself to attend the All Souls Procession, suddenly developing an aversion to a celebration that was once near and dear to her heart. When pressed on why she didn't want to attend, Linda snapped, "You wouldn't enjoy either if you were dying."
   Juliette replied, "That's the point, none of us know when our number is up. Día de los Muertos is about paying our respects to our loved ones that have died." They're dead. You're alive. Let's go remember them, together, while we still can. Then, that was that. There wasn't any more conversation about it. We went, Linda didn't.

  The irony is that Juliette, Sonora and I totally missed the procession. The three of us met in the late afternoon to mill around the starting point for the Procession. We wanted to see how participants were dressed and the late afternoon light afforded me the opportunity to take about a million photos without having to attach a flash to my camera. 
   The three of us eventually got hungry so we wandered around until we found a restaurant to get a bite to eat. We found a nice place to sit outdoors on a patio under a large tree that shielded us from the late afternoon sun. We ordered food to share from a food truck parked in the beer garden. One thing lead to another, one topic of conversation flowed into another, and by the time we picked ourselves up and walked to a nearby street on the parade's route, we discovered much to our chagrin (and embarrassment) that the Procession had already passed by.

Top photos, Juliette and daughter, Sonora. Bottom photo, Sonora and me.
Juliette decorated hats for herself and me to wear specifically for the Procession. 

   Not wanting the evening to end too quickly, we walked to Hotel Congress, which has been a popular destination in downtown Tucson since 1919. We were lucky, once again, to find seats on the outdoor patio under a large, beautiful tree with sprawling limbs. A talented band was playing for our entertainment, so we happily ordered a round of cocktails and effortlessly picked back up our conversation. I can't imagine the weather being nicer anywhere in the world than a desert evening in Tucson in the first few days of November. The majority of the crowd was dressed for the Procession. Faces decorated as sugar skulls illuminated the night under the dim yellow-hued lights strung above the patio and swagged across tree limbs. 
   And while I may not have time this year, due to recovering from a surgery (yes, it has been quite the year), to make sugar skulls or throw a sugar skull decorating party or make Sonoran Hotdogs or Dead Man's Party Cookies, I will certainly without a doubt pay my respects to my all my loved ones, but especially to my dear sisters, Linda and Maria, whom have gone before me into the great beyond. I hope they will always feel my continuing love and devotion wherever they might be.

The scene on the outdoor patio at the Hotel Congress in downtown Tucson.

The hat Juliette decorated for me to wear at the Procession. 

Links:
Juliette's Sugar Skulls and Pumpkin Soup
El Día de los Muertos in Southern Arizona and Banana Salsa
El Día de los Muertos in Petaluma and Everyday Carnitas

Halloween Dead Man's Party Cookies (Traditional and Gluten-Free)

El Dia De Los Muertos: Making Sugar Skulls

Sugar Skull Decorating Party

El Día de los Muertos in Tucson, Arizona: The All Souls Procession and Famous Sonoran Hot Dogs

The restaurants near the Procession route enjoy a brisk business in the late afternoon.

Juliette's Tamari Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)

Paleo-Friendly Tangy Four Bean Salad

by Michelle

When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate

When life is sour, say thank you and grow.

                         —Shauna Niequist

Bean salad gains its unique flavor from lounging in a sweet and sour marinade.

   When I gamely agreed to adhere to a stringent Whole30 Challenge last January, I was forced to adapt favorite family recipes to fit within the rules of the program. I'm constantly tinkering in the kitchen so I looked at the requirement of adapting long-loved recipes as more of an adventure than a pain in the neck. Modifying recipes to be gluten-free or Paleo compliant has introduced me to a variety of new ingredients that I now include as standards in my already overstocked pantry. These items primarily include coconut-based items such as: Coconut Aminos, Vivapura Coconut Flour, Coconut Sugar, and Coconut Oil. I also particularly like Wellbee's Super Fine Almond Flour, Red Boat 40°N Grade Fish Sauce and Avocado Oil. I have also successfully swapped honey and homemade honey syrup for refined sugar in a number of recipes including salad dressings, marinades and beverages.
   This year for my "Going Clean in 2016" campaign that I kicked off the second week of January, I have further reduced the amount of unrefined sugar in my diet. I no longer add honey to my coffee, or any beverage for that matter, and I am consciously doing my best to identify and eliminate excess sugar from my diet whether it is refined or unrefined. I've been juicing vegetables everyday for a nutritional boost and I've started exercising daily. No matter what program my husband and I follow for improved health, one thing is for sure. He will not forsake Four Bean Salad. He loves it so. I documented his love for Four Bean Salad in this post with a recipe calling for granulated sugar.
   What makes Four Bean Salad so delicious is the sweet and sour marinade. Honey is actually sweeter than granulated sugar, so it should not be swapped one-for-one in a recipe. For a non-baking recipe, to replace one cup sugar, you can reduce the same amount of honey by two to four tablespoons, depending upon your desired final outcome. We like the marinade to be on the sweeter side, so I reduced the amount of honey by 1/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup.

Red bell peppers take the place of kidney beans in a paleo-friendly bean salad.

   To be clear, this recipe is not Whole 30 compliant. It is loosely Paleo-friendly, if the garbanzo beans and kidney beans are omitted. I say "loosely" because a Paleo lifestyle completely eliminates refined sugar and only small amounts of honey are allowed. Granted, this recipe has a lot of honey, but my husband and I use a slotted spoon to scoop up portions of the bean salad as a quick and tasty topping for green salads and we let the marinade drain back into the bowl. From my unscientific estimates, once the beans are drained, most of the marinade is left behind. After I finished being stringently Paleo, garbanzo beans were added back to the mix. Why? Because we love them so. Especially in this super smooth hummus recipe. Divine!
   I tried to strictly eat Paleo through the last months of winter and in to early spring of 2015 and found the kitchen prep too labor intensive. And this revelation is coming from me, a person who cooks regularly from scratch with whole foods and lots of organic vegetables. I really tried to stay true day after day, but on hectic evenings when I just needed to whip out a dinner, I did what I needed to do (without guilt, I might add).

   I also went on a bit of a gluten bender this summer, especially with my trips to Denver, New Orleans, and Northern California. Life is short—I wasn't going to pass up trying a Po' Boy and Beignets in the Big Easy or Dim Sum in San Francisco or cup after cup of Linda's Aged Holiday Egg nog. (Seriously, that boozy eggnog is bomb.) I paid for it though around my mid section.
   Much to my chagrin, I finally stepped on the scale on New Year's Day. After squinting to read the digits with my near-sighted eyes, I made a very sad frowny face, and then stepped off the scale. I may have even blurted, in an exasperated tone, a bad word or two. I didn't need a crystal ball with me in the bathroom to foresee my immediate future. I'd be joining the other millions of people who resolved to embark on a bright and shiny new year by undertaking a new eating and exercising campaign.
   I have once again locked down my eating and exercising routine. Unfortunately, this is not my first weight-loss rodeo. It's back to careful eating, with a splurge here and there (I am human after all), and it's definitely back to the gym. Channeling Nike's slogan, I just need to do it. At least I can still have this Four Bean Salad as part of my forthcoming eating regimen. Hallelujah for small graces in the kitchen.

Paleo-Friendly Tangy Four Bean Salad

Joan's Baked Meatballs (Gluten-Free and Paleo Versions)

by Michelle

   I inherited this recipe from my mother-in-law, Joan. Many years ago, when I learned that Joan's meatballs were not fried... well, I had an "aha" moment. Baking the meatballs in broth ensures tenderness. And guess what? It's incredibly easy to make a big batch of meatballs and leftovers are conveniently stored in the freezer. When you want to make meatballs with marinara, or perhaps even mushroom sauce, there is no need to defrost the meatballs ahead of time. Simply add meatballs to the sauce and heat slowly over a low flame.
   While the meatballs are reheating in the sauce, you can bake a spaghetti squash or boil water for pasta. My favorite gluten-free pasta is made by Bionaturæ®, which cooks and tastes like traditional pasta. If you need to prepare a meal for someone who is adhering to a gluten-free or Paleo lifestyle, and don't even know where to start... well, I've just solved your problem for you. Just about everyone loves a great meatball.

   Earlier this year when I committed to eating Paleo for a month while participating in a self-inspired Whole30 program, Joan's recipe made Paleo-style (with no breadcrumbs and no Parmesan cheese), was a lifesaver. The secret to gluten-free or Paleo-style meatballs is to swap seasoned mashed cauliflower for breadcrumbs. I read about this technique in Nom Nom Paleo's cookbook by Michelle and Henry Tam. Now before you cringe and say, "Oh yuck, " rest assured that the cauliflower flavor is not even remotely detectable in the meatballs.
   If anyone could taste cauliflower hidden in food, it would be be husband Jay, who pretty much dislikes cauliflower altogether. When we talked about completing a second round of Whole30 this month, Jay asked how we could accomplish our goal and avoid eating as much cauliflower as we did the first time around when I over did making faux-rice, faux-potatoes, and faux-bagels (yes, all made with cauliflower) with varying degrees of success. Rest assured, if Jay gives this recipe two thumbs up, the cauliflower is not detectable. These meatballs are moist and tender and I think you and your family and friends will adore them as much as we do.

Joan's Baked Meatballs (Gluten-Free and Paleo Versions)

Life Lessons Learned From Dad and Jumbo Shrimp Tossed with Herbed Dressing

My Traveling Tales by Michelle

The butterflies and bees adore the amazing biodynamic gardens of Quivira Vineyards and Winery.

   While growing up, my father stressed to my sisters and I how important it is to know how to do things. Work. Be productive. Get stuff done (the right way). Our dad was not a sit around, watch TV, have a few beers, go to sleep, wake up and do it all over again type of guy. Dad has been, and I imagine always will be, project focused. We lovingly tease him that whatever can be over-engineered, will be over-engineered.
   With good-natured ribbing aside, the fact of the matter is that Dad builds things to last and is meticulous in his craft, whether it's preparing a garden, planting an orchard, repairing a 100 year-old apple peeling machines, crafting a dining room table from parquet wood salvaged from a railway car, pouring concrete for retaining walls, patios and walls, writing code for microprocessors, or turning hunks of hardwood on a metal lathe to patiently shape the pieces into candle holders, pedestals to hold semi-precious stone spheres, vases, keepsake boxes and even perfume bottles.

A photo that I captured of my Dad dates to the mid 80's.

A photo from the early 90's. From Left to Right: Michelle, Juliette, Mom, Dad and Linda.
At the time, Juliette was pregnant with her eldest daughter, Avalon.

My sister Juliette posted the following tribute on our Dad's Facebook wall for Father's Day last year:

"Happy Father's Day, Dad! I was thinking about some of the invaluable lessons I learned from you this morning:

1. How to shoot a gun. It was presented as a tool, and something to respect.
2. Don't fight fair—fight to win. Never take any shit from anyone, and be prepared to back that up with your fists if need be.
3. Follow the instructions!!! Read the instructions through completely, and then do.
4. The importance of language. 
5. Logic. (This had to be learned, as I did not come by it naturally).
6. If something is worth doing, it is worth doing well. Don't half-ass anything.
7. How to garden. Plant seeds, compost, weed, and harvest.
8. That gender was not an issue. Girls could do everything boys could do.
9. How to work. Hard. Good things don't always come easy.
10. Strategy in the form of many games of chess. 

Thanks Dad! I was stubborn as a mule, not the most intellectually inclined of your brood, and many of these lessons took me decades to learn. Some of them I'm still working on...."

Dad's response: "That's a great list, and I wish I could take credit for all of that wisdom but I'm sure you got #2 from your Mom—just kidding."

He's probably right about that—Mom has never been big at fighting fair, you fight to win. We sisters were always assured growing up that if we ever had to use our fists to settle a disagreement, our parents had our back. There were plenty of playground tussles growing up and not one sister ever got grounded for standing up for herself when the situation called for it.

In 2011, Linda posted this sentiment on our dad's Facebook wall for Father's Day:

  "There are so many good things that you taught me... a love of tools and the importance of having the right tool for the job, of doing the job right the first time, the value of being self-sufficient, not to be afraid to be intelligent and not accept consensus reality. My love of plants and gardening started with you, and you taught me that a hard day's work can feel good, and to get by in this world with integrity you need to have a spine of steel. Thanks, Dad, and I wish you a very happy Father's Day."

Juliette added to the post:
   "I remember many, many trips to junk yards and the hardware store (the one with the big cat that was always asleep on the counter). Stopping for an ice cream cone on the way home. Thanks for letting me have access to your well-appointed workshop at such an early age—I still have all my fingers! Your focus on vocabulary and logic have also been things that have proved to be priceless. Love you, Dad, have a great day!"

Dad Replied:
   "Juliette, you were a natural with tools from an early age. The memory that stands out in my mind the most was checking on what you were doing one day to discover you were pounding on something with a big hammer and using the cast iron top of my table saw an an anvil... LOL. You nearly caused me to have cardiac arrest with that maneuver. Funny you should remember the cat at the hardware store. Now that you mention it, I remember too."

Our Grandma Elsie loved to grow Hollyhocks in her yard.
Juliette is carrying on the tradition.

I added to the Facebook conversation with my own memories:

   "One of the things I really appreciated was logic building exercises through playing games like checkers and chess. At a very young age, Dad, you helped me to understand strategy, to plan the movement of game pieces, to recognize what the other player might be planning. Being able to anticipate actions and visualize what something will look like in my head before moving forward with a plan is something that has served me very well in both my personal and professional life and is something I'm trying to pass on to my own daughter. Thanks for all the one-on-one attention, Dad. P.S. I still get great pleasure from the antique buffet and armoir that we repaired and refinished together. Knowing how to do things and working with my hands is very satisfying."

Dad replied:
   "Thanks, Michelle! Chess is a wonderful game for developing the traits you mentioned and you picked it up quickly. Teaching chess to someone that doesn't know the game is a rewarding experience if they have some talent, which you certainly did, especially at such a young age."

   Our dad has fond memories of his mother's gardens as well as the fruit orchards that were near his childhood home in Yucaipa, California. As far back as I can remember, Dad has planted and tended gardens. He also prefers planting fruit trees over non-producing varieties. My favorite trees that Dad planted were Black Mission Figs, which practically overtook the backyard in Phoenix, much to my delight. My husband and I have continued the tradition and have populated our backyard with citrus trees, a peach tree and a pomegranate. I've tried to grow Black Mission Figs, which should do well in Tucson, but apparently not in our particular zone, much to my chagrin.
   Dad grew up during World War II when gardening was not a hobby. "Victory" gardens were a necessity to properly nourish families during a time of food scarcity and rationing. By 1943, items such as canned foods, meat, sugar and coffee became scarce. Neighbors grew a variety of vegetables and traded produce with each other. People knew how to preserve the bounties of the garden and orchard through curing, fermenting and canning. While my own gardening activities have been limited to growing herbs, my parents' gardening and farming pursuits taught me — thank goodness — that food comes from tending the land, and not from grocery stores, which is a popular notion shared by urban kids.
   As much as I love a garden, I have never been an avid gardener like my sister, Linda. Wherever Linda resides, each backyard becomes a magical oasis filled with potted plants, trees, flowers, vegetables and herbs—whatever strikes her fancy from season to season. Linda wrote a moving blog post, A Gift of Fava Beans and Garden Reverie, where she reminisced about a garden that she poured her heart and soul into, which I found particularly moving and inspiring. 
   I never tire of walking through a garden. Such an activity always brings me back to my youth and growing up, for a short time, on my family's small farm on the Central Coast of California. In Sonoma County, where Linda lives, many of the vineyards feature large garden areas that are accessible by the public. During my visits to Northern California, Linda and I always make time to visit a lovely winery that has an incredible garden. Two of our favorites are Lynmar Estate in Sebastopol and Quivira Vineyards and Winery in Healdsburg (where I captured all the garden photos for this post).

   I was recently at a dinner party where one of the guests lamented that kids aren't learning to work with their hands anymore. Many (if not most) high schools have eliminated classes such as woodworking, auto shop and home economics. I practically grew up without TV. To entertain myself, I read books. I baked and learned how to cook by reading cookbooks. Photography has always been a serious hobby. Back in the day, I even learned how to develop black and white film. Now just about anyone can take a great photo without knowing a thing about ISO, aperture and shutter speed.
   I take heart though for the younger set. There is so much knowledge to be gained from searching the internet. Even casual use of social media sites expose users to the benefits of urban gardening, artistic pursuits, engineering feats, business insights, architectural brilliance, and educational opportunities. My hope is that through all the noise we filter through daily, that we can all manage to stay curious about the world around us, and that we challenge ourselves to try new things, whether its rebuilding an engine, fermenting vegetables, refinishing a piece of furniture, planting herbs or learning to draw. Whatever artistic endeavor sparks your interest is worthy of your attention. Your life will be so much richer through the simple act of following your curiosity (and getting your hands dirty on a regular basis).

Jumbo Shrimp Tossed with Herbed Dressing

It's Spring! Make Deviled Eggs and Lemon Cake and Pickled Shrimp and...

by Michelle

   "Allegiance, after all, has to work two ways; and one can grow weary of an allegiance which is not reciprocal."  ―James Baldwin

   One of the more fun chapters of my life occurred during the early to mid 2000s when my daughter attended Montessori Schoolhouse from Kindergarten through 4th grade and I had a business development position with one of the larger employers in Tucson. Most of my business travel occurred during the summers and I had the pleasure of meeting my customers at conventions hosted in fun cities such as Chicago, Boston, and Washington D.C. and not as much fun destinations like Dallas, Orlando and Las Vegas (seriously, go to Vegas 11 times in one year and you won't be diggin' it either).
  Layered on top of busy school and work schedules, my husband and I undertook the long laborious affair of remodeling our home as a do-it-yourself project. As if that wasn't enough activity, it was also the the time in our lives when we entertained like crazy. We often entertained in conjunction with my good friend who also happened to be the mother of my daughter's best friend. We did not limit our entertaining to small cozy affairs. We also threw big, raucous parties where we commingled friends, neighbors, colleagues and acquaintances from all the parts of our lives. It was a mash-up of sorts and all the many different personalities came together to create a spectacle, especially at our annual Halloween bash. My friend and I had no sooner cleaned up a big mess of a party, when we began to plan our next big event. Now when I look back, I marvel at what we accomplished.

Pickled Shrimp are a tangy accompaniment served with the deviled eggs.
Juliette found the specialty egg plates while thrifting for about a $1.00 each. Score!

   In my garage there are tall and deep cabinets that house all the paraphernalia needed to cook and serve for large parties. There are big pots for making carnitas. An assortment of baking pans to make just about any type of sweet, including a square angel food cake. Elegant punch bowls for serving spiked beverages. Bowls of all sizes from the small to the enormous. Then there are the trays. So many trays including what seemed to be at the time, an ever expanding collection of etched brass platters for my Asian themed New Years Eve parties. Sometimes I think I should just have a big garage sale and rid myself of my haphazardly stacked "clutter mess". But, I can't. At least not yet. I enjoy selecting pieces to photograph for the blog and every once in awhile, as for Christmas, or my daughter's upcoming graduation party, I still need a variety of serving bowls and trays for a party. I subscribe to the theory that what you serve is just as important as how you serve it.
   This past Christmas I transformed into a lady Grinch. After Linda visited just after Thanksgiving and we had our big family celebration, the holiday season was over for me. Yes, we still exchanged presents, but there were no big family dinners or fanfare of any kind. Ixnay to the New Year's Eve party. I freed myself from all the extra curricular (and exhausting) work that comes along with the holidays, and you know what? It was great. We adopted my sister Juliette's tradition of watching films on Christmas Day as we lounged on the couch or sat comfortably cradled in our large padded chairs, resting our legs on the overstuffed armrests or on cushy ottomons. And for a simple dinner I heated defrosted homemade Beef Bourguignon and quickly whipped up fluffy mashed potatoes. Clean-up was a breeze. The dinner dishes were managed within fifteen minutes. Now that's a holiday.

 
   When Easter was within planning range this year I vacillated over whether to have a family dinner. Entertaining just seems like so much work now. My party flame has been extinguished and I don't quite know if I want to relight it. Every once in a while I get a party gleam in my eye and then I begin reminding myself of everything that's involved from the planning to the pre-cleaning of the house, to the grocery shopping, to the preparing of food, to the post-cleaning. Then there's the expense. It ain't cheap to entertain.
   When I invite you to my house to participate in a simple dinner or a big party, the invitation and the work associated with prepping the meal and the environment to enjoy in, is in fact, an act of love. What confounded me over time were our friends who made no effort to be reciprocal. We'd have them over again and again and yet they wouldn't invite us over, or out. Our best friends became those who showed us that they loved us back by being reciprocal in some way by either inviting us over for a meal or, if they didn't like to cook, taking us out to a favorite restaurant. And, don't even get me started on guests who bring Two Buck Chuck as a hostess gift and act like it is the greatest find in wine... ever. Two Buck Chuck is what it is. The swill masquerading as wine costs $2.00 and tastes like it too.
   While vacillating over whether to host Easter dinner, my daughter pushed me over the edge when she offered to lend a helping hand in the kitchen. I have found over the years it is so much easier when there is more than one person helping to prepare a fancy meal, or any meal for that matter. The proverb is true, many hands make light work. Plus there's the added benefit of shared camaraderie. Often, the kitchen is the best place to be. It's where the action is unfolding. That's why everyone jams themselves in to a kitchen during a party. Linda and I have so much fun working together to prepare a meal and it is great theater when we're in our groove. Linda's flown to Arizona more than a few times to help with the cooking for our big parties and special occasions, which makes the entire experience so much more enjoyable from beginning to end. Have I mentioned lately how much I adore my sisters? I do. They are fabulous in every way.

Maddie and I prepared a double batch of Avalon and Sonora's Favorite Chimichurri
so we could send them home with a jar filled to the brim with their favorite sauce. 

   For Easter dinner we invited my nieces Avalon and Sonora, and my mother. Juliette declined our offer and opted to stay in Bisbee to enjoy time with her son Paul and his family. She sent me adorable photos of her grandsons searching for Easter eggs. Even though I had the offer of help from my daughter and could plan a more elaborate meal, in the end I did not want to complicate our time together. Naturally, there are always everyone's food preferences to take into consideration when planning a menu. Avalon doesn't care for ham. My husband doesn't particularly like lamb. Everyone loves steaks. Steak it is. Once again.
   I tend to always make one new dish for an event, which reminds me of my friend Stephanie and the time I hosted a Spanish dinner. I assume if you are coming to my house that you must be starving and want loads of food, and variety, of course. I tend to offer big portions and lots of sides. There are always several appetizers for a party and there is always a risk that guests will fill-up on cheeses, maple sugared candied walnuts, charcuterie and shrimp before the main affair hits the table.
   One of the sides for the Spanish dinner were roasted piquillo peppers stuffed with a mixture of mashed potatoes and salt cod. I was running behind on dinner because I was fussing around with the appetizers, grilled flat breads with chimichurri sauce (still one of the best things I have ever tasted). Everybody was chowing down and dinner was yet to be served. Stephanie was dressed up and looking fabulous, as always. She asked if she could assist me in any way. I hesitated, assessing her outfit and not wanting her to get messy. "There is one thing," I said reluctantly. "I need the piquillo peppers stuffed."
   Stephanie gamely put on an apron and got to work scooping the savory white mixture into the small roasted red peppers. I apologized for the chaos of the evening. Stephanie and her husband are admirably organized when they entertain and have practically the entire meal prepared in advance. I'm always amazed at their operational efficiency. Stephanie laid my concerns to rest. "Are you kidding?" she asked rhetorically. "Where else in town town would I be stuffing cod into a pepper." I still laugh at the memory. It's true. I'm always doing something crazy foodwise. And when I'm in the middle of pickling or preserving or doing some intricate activity in the kitchen, I'll repeat to myself Stephanie's line. By the way, the cod stuffed peppers weren't that great (they are likely an acquired taste), but who cares? The rest of Spanish themed dinner was pretty amazing.

   For our lovely Spring dinner to celebrate Easter, I broke no new ground. That's how I kept things simple. I settled on the favorites. And by doing so, Maddie and I could practically make everything without a recipe. My husband grilled New York steaks and we rounded out the menu with loaded baked potatoes, pickled shrimp, sautéed and caramelized mushrooms, grape tomato halves with balsamic syrup vinaigrette and chimichurri.
   When I greeted my nieces at the door and said there will be lemon cake and strawberries they both cheered. And they were especially happy that I made a double recipe of chimichurri with the plan of sending them home with a full jar of the condiment. My Easter surprise for Maddie was a special cheese that Linda introduced us to when we lived in California with her for a year. Maddie couldn't wait to dig into the rich creamy deliciousness that's called Mt. Tam Triple Cream Cheese by Cowgirl Creamery.

My daughter brushes lemon glaze and drizzles frosting on Lemon Cakes
while I peel the hard boiled egg.

   With Easter dinner I did not satisfy my need to make one new dish to accompany all the tried and true menu favorites. I have Maddie's upcoming graduation "fiesta" to try my hand at a few new recipes. Namely, I want to make Horchata as well as a Watermelon-Lime Agua Fresca. I may also indulge in my need for menu overkill by also preparing Pineapple Ginger Agua Fresca. The younger ladies in my life have been investigating the pleasures of fondue lately, so I will also whip up Queso Fundido in the copper fondue pot that Juliette found for me on one of her regular thrifting jaunts.
   Even though I no longer have a huge desire to entertain, especially like we did during the glory years when my daughter was just a young girl and we had a big group of friends from all walks of life, I do still recognize the importance to connect, to share a meal together, to share stories and above all, share laughter. We all seem to live such busy lives now that if we don't carve out time to simply be together, it just doesn't happen at all. So, I'll slog through the bits that I really don't really care for anymore to get to the end goal... time well spent with family and friends enjoying each others company and strengthening our relationships through the time honored tradition of sharing a well-crated meal.

Mom's Deviled Eggs

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

by Michelle

   "The majority of modern medicines orginate in nature. Although some mushrooms have been used in therapies for thousands of years, we are still discovering new potential medicines hidden within them." ~Paul Stamets

   Oregano's Pizza Bistro is a Chicago-style pizza restaurant that just so happens to offer really excellent stuffed portobello mushrooms. According to the menu, the big caps are stuffed with sausage, marinara, basil, four cheese blend and diced roma tomatoes. This is my take on their popular dish.
   Since I've been eating Paleo-style, I threatened my family that I was going to stuff the mushrooms with riced cauliflower. Horror ensued. After a recent jaunt of over-imbibing cauliflower during the Whole30 Challenge, my husband and daughter raised the white flag. And waived it vigorously. Surely there would be anarchy in the house if I proceeded with that plan. I do wonder though, if jazzed-up cauli-rice might make a great vegetarian filling. I didn't add a dab of marinara like Oregano's, but I may try that next time. My basil pesto might also be great smeared on the bottom of the cap along with the balsamic. So many variations, so little time.

Gigantic mushrooms are ready to pop in the oven for a quick twenty minute bake.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

   Although I have been eating primarily Paleo since February, I have continued to eat some dairy. I tolerate dairy well and love cheese too much to give it up.

Ingredients:
6 portobello mushrooms
2 pounds bulk sausage, I used Italian chicken
2 strips bacon, diced; optional
1 yellow onion, finely diced
1 big carrot, quartered and finely diced
2 medium celery stalks, finely diced
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, cored, seeds removed and diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 big handful parsley, minced (about 1/2 cup)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar
about 1/3 cup grated parmesan
about 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Equipment:
Aluminum foil or parchment paper
Baking sheet + rack

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Gently fry bacon so it releases fat and the bacon cooks without burning. Once the fat is rendered, add the onions. Cook for a couple minutes then add carrot, celery and bell pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the sausage. Crumble the sausage with a spatula into smaller pieces. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add garlic. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is cooked through. Turn heat off and add parsley.

Drizzle balsamic glaze for a sweet and tart balance to the rich filling. 

2. While the sausage mixture is cooking, prepare the mushrooms. Carefully remove stems with a paring knife and discard. Gently remove brown gills from undersides of mushrooms using a spoon; discard gills. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a rack on top of the aluminum foil. Put the mushrooms on the rack and set aside.
3. Drizzle mushroom caps with balsamic glaze, or brush on a thin layer of balsamic vinegar. Divide the filling among the 6 mushroom caps.
4. Bake 15 minutes, then remove caps from oven and sprinkle the tops with grated parmesan and shredded mozzarella. Return the mushrooms to the oven and bake an additional 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

The mushrooms pair nicely with Caesar Salad.