Freshly harvested nettles – three bags full.

It’s been a long time since I posted – time to get back on the horse. In the interest of keeping it simple and therefore possible, this is just an announcement and some pretty pictures. More articles will be coming, as I can. Step by step, my energy is returning, matching the return of the light. And the flowers! The greenery!

Life is good.

And, the potlucks have been growing in so many ways – more regular potluckers, more fun, great conversations, and my older boy is even doing a little child care to keep the younglings occupied. I surprise myself by having a better time every month!
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My mother passed away on August 23rd. I know some of you may be wondering. I’m slowly coming out of a fog of grief and exhaustion. I know I’ll be writing more soon, but all I can seem to muster so far is a recipe. I’m so grateful for cooking, it’s very healing.

I’ve been trying to figure out a clever name for this, but “Caulummus”, or “Humiflower” don’t quite work for me. Actually, “Hummiflower” is kinda cute, but I don’t think anyone would know what I mean.

Kalamata-cauliflower hummus with garden picked tomato and lemon cucumbers

I wrote this post a few weeks ago, and am just now getting around to posting it. Things have changed rapidly here, and hospice is with us now, caring for my mom is what is looking like her last days. I’ll wrote more soon. Blessings.

I’m chronically self-sufficient. A bit of a control freak.

I talk a good talk, I know the drill—it takes a village. We can’t do it alone. I know it’s okay to ask for help, in fact, it’s important to! I practice it in small ways with my husband. (Sometimes.)

I’m getting better at saying no when I’m asked to do something that I know will push me over the edge into abject Stressville.

But, I haven’t really learned how to ask for help. It’s even hard for me to recognize when help is offered. I tend to give a reflexive, “No, thanks, I’m fine! I can handle it.”

In my last post I wrote about my mother moving here. She finally has a diagnosis of gastritis, duodenitis and esophageal constrictions (which were stretched successfully). That’s basically a lot of inflammation in her upper digestive tract. So, eating and drinking is not much fun for her. The good news is it’s not cancer. Although what’s going on at the other end of her digestion is still an unknown, she opted not to let anyone take a look. Which is her right.
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My 76-year-old mother moved to Oregon 3 months ago. It was time. She was handling the details of life adequately, but just barely. So, my husband and I decided to build her a little mother-in-law unit in our back yard.

And since then… aiyiyi! I’m hearing stories of acceleration like this from friends, from clients, and I’m experiencing it at home.

For some it’s happy things like a marriage and a new house. Another (few!) are having babies.

But for many the changes are harder. Deaths or illnesses. Old griefs deciding to surface now.

For me it’s a mixed bag.
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So simple, and so delicious. Make a few or make a bunch and keep them in the fridge to use throughout the week. Use them on burgers, steaks, in soups, meat sauces, on toast (almond flour, of course!) – let your imagination go wild!

You’ll need:

And, an appetite.

In an earlier life I did corporate catering in downtown San Francisco. Lately, I’ve been revisiting a lot of our standard recipes from those days. And revamping.

One of my favorites was Aram sandwiches – lavash bread moistened until it was pliable, spread with a cream cheese and herbed feta spread, topped with sliced meats, fresh tomato slices, and lettuce leaves, then rolled tightly and sliced to make beautiful pinwheel sandwiches.

Thing is, lavash is made with wheat. So, I haven’t had an Aram sandwich in quite awhile.

I’ve tried making them with coconut flour crepes, and they’re beautiful and tasty. But very fragile and a lot of work! First you have to make the crepes, then you still have to make the sandwiches. More work than I want to do on most days.

A few months back a friend was visiting. She slapped together a quick snack for herself and her son while they were here – a sheet of nori seaweed spread with some nut butter, quickly rolled up and munched.

Hmmmm… I thought. That’s a wrap. Damn. That’s a really quick and easy wrap! It’s gluten-free, and low carb to boot.
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