~ James Thurber

The other day, a friend of mine was suffering from an intense migraine headache.  I told her to lie down so that I could do some acupressure on her head and neck.  As I massaged her forehead, I asked her when she had first noticed the pain.  She replied, "It started yesterday.  I couldn't sleep last night; I've been thinking too much."  

I knew immediately what she was referring to.  When our thoughts run laps around an endless track of past regrets and future hopes and fears,  the present moment sitting quietly in the center becomes but a blur.  The colloquial term, "out of it" perfectly describes how we feel when we are disconnected from the here and now. Our bodies are here but our minds are off running a marathon that can leave us both mentally and physically exhausted.

This week, why not take a vacation from thinking?  This is not as easy as it sounds. We are creatures of habit.  Your mind will want to slip back into familiar patterns of thought like a needle playing the grooves of an old vinyl record.  When you notice your thoughts drifting out of the present moment, stop your mind in its tracks and say to yourself, "I'm on vacation."  If you wish, you can go back to that mental marathon next week.  Until then stop thinking and try doing, creating or just being.  This vacation might turn out to be the best one you've ever had.

You can do something to benefit our canine friends by purchasing a bottle of Margo's Bark Root Beer.  All proceeds go to help shelter dogs (see link at right). Then celebrate the last dog days of summer by cooking up a tasty batch of Root Beer BBQ Sauce.

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots

One  12 oz bottle of Margo's Bark Root Beer (or other cane sugar root beer)

1 & 1/4 cups ketchup

1/2 cup organic orange juice

2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce

2 tablespoons organic grade B maple syrup

1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar or Balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

In a medium saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt the butter, add the shallots and sauté 5 minutes, or until translucent.  

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 25 to 35 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.  Cool and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Makes about 2 and 1/2 cups of sauce.

     ~ Chuck Palahniuk

With the weather heating up this week, I am considering spending a day at the beach.  Believe it or not, I haven't made time to relax on the beach yet this summer. I am quite proficient at making extensive and well organized to-do lists filled with work, household chores and errands, but enjoying life never seems to make the list.  Instead, it is delegated to a no man's land of "as soon as I get organized I'm going to..."  Meanwhile, I still have not gone through that perpetual box of miscellaneous papers that sits next to my desk, out of sight but never quite out of mind.

When I was a young girl, I didn't let anything get in the way of a day of summer fun. I never told my mother, "Sorry Mom, I can't go play with my friends, my closet is a mess!"  I think she would have fainted if I had.  I spent summer afternoons making mud pies, swimming in the local pool and laying under the tree in my backyard, daydreaming.  

These days, accumulated junk from the past is looming too large for me to enjoy my present.  I've decided to let it go and embrace the spontaneous enthusiasm of my childhood.  Want to join me?

This week do two things.  Start by selecting one chore that's on your to-do list. Choose only one and make it small enough to actually accomplish.  Delete twenty old e-mails from your inbox, organize that junk drawer, or pull out three pieces of clothing that you haven't worn in ages and donate them to charity.  

Then spend a day doing something fun that you haven't done since you were a kid. Go to the park and play a game of softball with your friends.  Lie under a shady tree and read a book, or simply watch the ants marching between blades of grass. Run through the sprinklers in your front yard, spend the day at a public pool or go to the beach.

I have fond memories of days spent on the beach with my cousins.  Our moms would bring bologna and cheese sandwiches, potato chips packed in little sandwich bags, and soft drinks.  After swimming for an hour or so, we would come back to the blanket for our sandwiches and potato chips made even crunchier by sand covered fingers.  Our beach lunch often included large, black pitted olives and one of my favorite activities was to put an olive on the end of each finger and then eat them off, one by one.  I loved to come home at the end of the day, tired but happy, with the smell of Coppertone and the taste of saltwater still clinging to my skin.

What are your fond memories of summers past?  Dust off your inner child and have some simple summer fun this week.  Put it at the top of your to-do list.

Mortadella is the authentic Italian forerunner of the bologna from our childhood sandwiches.  Check out the link at right for a humanely-raised, handcrafted version from Fra' Mani.

1 cup extra large ripe pitted black olives (I get mine at Trader Joe's)

Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon paprika or pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

A pinch of cayenne (optional)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  Mix well, cover and marinate in refrigerator overnight.  

Makes about 1 cup.

     ~Kahlil Gibran

Earlier this week I was walking home from the market, making my usual mental to-do lists as I passed the apartments, houses and flowers along the tree-lined streets where I live.  I stepped off the curb at a green light, clearly noticing the humanoid figure of a walk sign.  It was reminiscent of the Lite-Brite toy I always wanted as a child.  I was right in the middle of the crosswalk when a car flew past my abdomen so closely and so quickly that I actually had to throw my hips back to avoid it.  The woman passed me and slammed on her brakes.  "Did I hit you?" she asked.  "No," I replied, "I'm o.k."  She had made a left turn without stopping or looking.  She apologized and drove away.  I immediately broke into sobs.  She had missed me by less than an inch.  I was seconds away from becoming the subject of one of those "she never knew what hit her" stories.  As I walked home I was in a state of shock.  I remained rather numb for a couple of days.  I was grateful to be alive, but sort of just going through the motions.

Then on Saturday something shifted.  I was driving to a friend's "paint party" (an event that was more about painting than partying).  She was remodeling her office and asked her buddies to help.  I told her I'd come, of course, but there were other things I would rather have done that day.  As I drove to fulfill my obligation, I noticed the beautiful mountains ahead of me, the bright flowers along the road and the yellow morning sun shining overhead.  I was suddenly filled with an inexplicable joy.  I took a deep, satisfying breath and exclaimed, "I'm still here!"  I was overwhelmed with an awareness of the precious uniqueness of that day, of that moment.  A moment that would never have happened if I had stepped off that curb just a few seconds sooner.  

I had a fantastic time at the paint party.  My friend took us to lunch and I ate every morsel on my plate.  It wasn't my usual "Humanely-raised Wild-caught Organic Fair Trade" kind of meal... but it was delicious.

Today as I walked to Trader Joe's, I didn't run the mental to-do lists over and over again in my head.  Instead, I listened to the leaves crunching beneath my feet  and stopped to breath in the scent of my neighbor's still fragrant roses.  I passed another woman who was also taking a walk.  I smiled at her but she didn't see me; her eyes were focused on a tiny, hand-held television which she watched intently as she sailed past me, speed walking.

I am so very grateful that I'm able to write this blog and that you are kind enough to read what I write each week.  I'm not sure what the moral of this story is.  Maybe it's two-fold:  Look both ways before you cross the street and don't forget to stop and smell the roses.

This delightfully rich and creamy Coconut Banana Sorbet only takes a few moments to prepare.

2 medium-large just-ripe bananas

1  13.5 oz (400 ml) can of full fat coconut milk (unsweetened)

1/2 cup organic sugar (evaporated cane juice)

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Optional toppings:  Dry toasted, slivered almonds and/or chocolate sauce.

Peel and chop bananas into blender (1/2 inch chunks).  Add coconut milk, sugar and cinnamon.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into a shallow glass baking dish.  Cover well with plastic wrap, then foil.  Place in freezer and freeze for at least 12 hours or overnight.

To serve:  If sorbet is frozen a little too hard, simply leave out for 5 or 10 minutes until you can scoop it easily.

Top with toasted almonds and/or chocolate sauce, if desired.

Makes approximately 4 cups

     ~The Prayer of St. Francis

The other day I overheard a conversation.  A woman was criticizing a group of people whose philosophy of life she did not share.  I remember thinking to myself, "That woman is so judgemental!"  A few minutes later, a smile crept across my face as I realized that in order to label her as judgmental, I first had to pass judgment on her.

In that moment I was reminded of The Prayer of St. Francis.  I am not a member of any organized religion, but that prayer has always been one of my favorites because it is so empowering.  It suggests that we have within our hearts the power of transformation.  

From a physics standpoint, everything in the Universe is made of matter.  This matter expresses itself in a variety of states: solid, liquid, gas, plasma and more. From a cosmological standpoint, the term matter also refers to little understood forms such as dark matter and dark energy.  So everything in our Universe is made of the same stuff.  The shapes, forms and colors may change, but at its core everything is one.  The energy that expresses as love, hate, fear or compassion is all made of the same ingredient.  Think of it as modeling clay.  You can shape it into anything you wish.  When you realize this universal sameness at the base of our existence, negative thoughts and emotions, whether generated by ourselves or others, are not something to fear.  They are gifts of thought, an energy that we can reshape with visualization, meditation and prayer.

Here is my modern version of a transformative prayer.  I often say it before meals. Direct this prayer to your own concept of that power in the Universe which is greater than yourself, whatever that may be.

The next time you think someone is being judgemental or prejudiced or intolerant, remember that the key to a closed mind is an open heart.  The power of change lies within you.

Strawberries transform pesto into a delicious, almost aphrodisiacal dish.

*I started with about 1 quart of frozen whole berries.  After defrosting, draining them well and trimming the tops, I ended up with about 1 and 1/2 cups of defrosted berries.

1  1/2 cups of defrosted, well drained, organic frozen strawberries*

1 tablespoon minced shallots

1/4 cup dry-toasted slivered almonds

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese or a blend of Parmesan and Romano.

1 teaspoon Sherry Vinegar or Balsamic Vinegar

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to serve

Salt to taste

12 oz. farfalle pasta

1 tablespoon butter

Blend/process strawberries, shallots, nuts, tarragon, half the olive oil and the cheese.  Scrape down sides of blender/processor with a spatula if necessary. Gradually add remaining oil, vinegar and freshly ground pepper.  Pulse a few times and taste.  Add salt if desired (I didn't).  

Cook pasta al dente in boiling, salted water.  Drain well and toss with the butter until it melts.  Add the sauce and stir to coat.  

Serve immediately, topped with additional freshly ground pepper.

Sublime!

Serves 4

"You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might also pray in your days of abundance."

     ~Kahlil Gibran 

The first harvest also reminds us that change is inevitable.  In August we pass the halfway point of the summer months.  We prepare to say goodbye to the growing season and look toward autumn.  August is a time when the evidence of nature's bounty is plentiful, but it is also a time of letting go.  This is the strange and beautiful duality of the first harvest. 

As you prepare to let go of what no longer serves you, take some time to remind yourself of the abundance that is everywhere.  Take a walk on the beach, in the forest or through your neighborhood.  As you walk, notice how many different forms life takes.  How many trees, plants, insects, animals and people do you see? About 2 million life forms have already been identified on our beautiful planet Earth and, according to The National Science Foundation's "Tree of LIfe" project, there could actually be between 5 million and 100 million.  Why should your own life be any less full of possibility?

These Rustic Corn Fritters could possibly be the most delicious I've ever tasted.

2 cups diced ripe tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/8 teaspoon cumin

a pinch of cayenne

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

4 slices of Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Bacon (approximately 5 oz)

2 cups corn kernels (from a 15.25 oz can, drained or about 3 ears of fresh corn)

2 eggs, beaten

3 green onions, diced (about 3 tablespoons)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3/4 cup grated pepper jack cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Oil for frying

In a small mixing bowl, combine tomatoes, salt, cumin, cayenne and lime juice.  Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown bacon until crisp.  Remove bacon and drain on paper towels, turn off heat and leave bacon drippings in pan.

While bacon is cooking...

In a large mixing bowl, combine corn, eggs, onions, cilantro and cheese.  Mix well. Stir in salt, pepper and flour.  Mix again.

Add a little oil to pan of bacon drippings so that bottom of pan is covered.  Heat oil and drippings over medium high heat until a tiny piece of cheese dropped into pan begins to sizzle.  Using a 1/4 cup scoop, drop corn mixture by little mounds into pan and flatten slightly with a spatula.  Cook until golden brown on both sides (about 2 minutes per side).  Drain on paper towels.

To serve:

Crumble bacon into salsa.  Spoon salsa over warm fritters.    

Makes 8 fritters.

       ~Lao Tzu

Small changes can make a big difference.

Several years ago, I was trying out my new George Foreman Grill by cooking up some homemade burgers.  As I reached for the ketchup bottle, I noticed high-fructose corn syrup listed at the top of the ingredients list.  HFCS had increasingly been replacing sugar in many American foods for over a decade.  Like many other Americans, I had concerns about consuming this highly processed form of sweetener.  I decided to check the labels of other items in my pantry.  To my surprise, almost every packaged food item in my kitchen contained HFCS.  I wondered if this could be one of the reasons I had managed to put on some extra pounds.

My first impulse was to throw out every item in my kitchen that contained HFCS, but this seemed rather drastic and potentially expensive.  Instead, I decided that as each item ran out I would replace it with an alternative brand containing real cane sugar.

Today, nothing in my kitchen contains high-fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, genetically modified organisms, artificial colorings, artificial flavorings or chemical preservatives.  Most of the fruits and vegetables that I eat are organic and I am careful to purchase meat and dairy products that are humanely raised.  I rarely drink soft drinks, preferring sparkling water with a splash of juice or unsweetened iced tea.  My food budget has not increased and I don't miss junk food at all.  In fact, almost everything I eat, down to the simplest piece of fruit, tastes amazing!

The big changes in my eating and food shopping habits were not made in one drastic sweeping gesture, but rather by making incremental changes over several years, each small decision leading to another and another until I found myself thirty pounds lighter and exponentially healthier and happier.

Today exercise is an integral part of my daily life.  This was also accomplished one small change at a time.  I used to put off working out because I never wanted to devote an hour of time at the end of a long day to going to the gym or watching a workout dvd.  Finally, I began by simply putting on my tennis shoes; that's all that I did.  The next day I put on my tennis shoes and then took a quick fifteen minute walk.  Every day I would do at least fifteen minutes of something.  If I couldn't walk, I would simply do a few calisthenics while watching my nightly television. Little by little, my consistent practice of fifteen minutes a day grew into the thirty or forty minutes of daily walking or yoga that I enjoy today.

What big changes have you been putting off because they just seem too overwhelming?  Stop trying to make big changes.  Instead, make a small one. Work out for ten minutes a day or, if you can't find ten minutes, do five.  Make one small change in your eating habits or in your food choices at the market.  If you feel the need to re-awaken your spiritual practice, meditate for three minutes a day or simply say the words "thank you" before each meal.  

Whatever you decide to do, do it consistently and without fail.  Little by little, you'll be amazed at the big difference one small change can make.

A little cheesecake can put a big smile on someone's face.  Here is a yummy no-bake version for summertime.

About 24 ginger snap cookies, crushed (1 cup of crumbs)

1/4 cup of butter, melted

8 oz package of cream cheese, softened (do not use low fat)

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

1 teaspoon lemon zest (1 lemon)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

A few pieces of crystallized ginger, finely diced, for garnish

Line a 12 cup muffin/cupcake pan with paper liners. Set aside.

Using a rolling pin, crush cookies into crumbs between two pieces of plastic wrap. In a small bowl, add melted butter to crumbs and mix thoroughly with a fork. Spoon a rounded tablespoon of crumb mixture into each paper liner.  Press down with two fingers to form a flat base.  Refrigerate to set.

Meanwhile, in a medium-sized bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Add sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla.  Mix again on low speed until smooth and free of lumps.  Stir by hand with a spoon to finish smoothing.  

Pull crusts from fridge and spoon filling evenly into lined cups over crusts.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 3 hours.

Garnish each cake with a few tiny pieces of crystallized ginger.  Leave the paper liner on and eat them out of your hand for easy clean up.  Or, for a more elegant presentation, remove the liner and serve on a pretty plate with a fork.

Note:  These freeze well, so you can make them ahead and enjoy one anytime you're in the mood for a little cheesecake.

     ~Steven Wright

When the temperature heats up, so can our temperaments.  Super-hot summer days tend to have an evaporative effect on our patience.  We are all aware of the usual methods for cooling off our bodies: take a shower, go for a swim, enjoy a cold beverage, etc.  But do you know how to cool yourself off from the inside?  When you've sweated out every last drop of serenity, here is a simple, seven-minute strategy for regaining your inner cool:

1)     Smile (even if you don't feel like it).  Dr. Robert Zajonc, a psychologist at the University of Michigan, believes that the physical act of smiling actually has a cooling effect on the brain, resulting in a happier mood (New York Times, July 1989).  Try it.  Smile big for seven whole minutes.  At the very least you will feel quite silly, which should lighten up your mood a bit.

2)     Breathe.  Dr. Herbert Benson, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, famously conducted a comprehensive study which found that relaxation techniques such as deep breathing improved blood pressure, arthritis, immunity, digestion, hormone levels, fertility and more.  Even better, the benefits of the relaxation effect were found to increase with regular practice (The Independent, July 2009).

My yoga teacher, Astrid Kastenberg, always reminds her students about the benefits of proper breathing techniques.  Here are some basic guidelines:

Breathe in and out through your nose.  Nose breathing helps us fill our lungs to capacity with air.  Nose breathing tends to be a more controlled form of breathing, and a sense of greater control after a long, stressful day can certainly be comforting.

Breathe long, slow, even breaths.  Try to breathe in for a count of seven or for as long as you can.  Make sure your inhaled breaths and your exhaled breaths are of equal duration.

Put your hand on your diaphragm (directly under your ribcage, in the center).  This area should rise as you inhale and go down again as you exhale.  Squeeze all the breath out with your abdominal muscles at the end of each exhalation. 

3)     Be Thankful.  As you smile and breathe deeply, think of seven things that you are grateful for.  These could be big things, such as health, loved ones and shelter, or they could be small things, like a delicious lunch or a day at the beach.

4)     Give Away Your Smile.  Later on, as you go about your day, say thank you by giving your smile away to seven people.  Lift the spirits of someone you pass on the street, or in the parking lot, or in line at the market.  It's amazing the difference a smile can make.  You will probably get some smiles back.  Sometimes I smile so much it's downright dorky. Those days always end up being the coolest.

Chill out in the kitchen by whipping up a cool batch of authentic gazpacho.

Approximately 1 and 1/2 lbs. of ripe tomatoes (I like to use heirloom tomatoes) tops and cores removed and cut into 1 inch chunks

1/3 of a bell pepper, any color, seeds and membrane removed (about 1/4 cup)

1/2 to 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into small chunks (about 1 cup)

1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon or more of sherry vinegar

1 cup of spring water

Salt to taste

A tiny pinch of cayenne, if desired

Tiny cubes of all the vegetables, for garnish

In your blender:

Fill the blender up about 3/4 of the way full with tomato chunks.  Add the bell pepper, cucumber and garlic (blender should be almost full of veggies, with a little gap at the top).

Add olive oil, sherry vinegar and water.  Blend until smooth.

Add salt to taste (I use one teaspoon), and a few more drops of sherry vinegar, if needed (I always do).  Add a tiny pinch of cayenne, if desired and blend again.

At this point some people like to strain the gazpacho through a sieve.  I never do.  I like the little flecks of color that you get when you don't strain the soup, although you may have to give it a stir before you serve it.

Chill the soup for at least an hour.  Garnish each serving with tiny cubes of all the veggies and a drizzle of the olive oil.  

I like to serve this with those root vegetable chips.

Makes about a quart, if you don't strain it.

   ~Oscar Wilde

I spent several afternoons reading The Alchemist in August of 2008.  I loved the book so much that, upon finishing it, I immediately turned back to the first page and began reading it a second time!  

What books have had a profound effect on you? Which titles, when you hear them mentioned, bring a nostalgic smile to your face?  Summer afternoons are the perfect time to go outside, find a quiet place to sit, and re-read a favorite book. You will have a totally new and different experience from the first reading and you will probably discover nuances of the book that you previously missed.  No electronic  or cinematic version can replace the sweet simplicity of reading the printed page.  No internet connection or phone service provider is required.  All you need is a few minutes a day, a quiet place to sit and a favorite book.

Say thank you for your favorite book by donating a copy to your local library. While you are there, sign up for a library card and make a visit to the library a regular outing.  Transform your book club into a library club by meeting on the library grounds once a month for a picnic and book discussion.  Better yet, introduce a young person you know to the adventure of books.  Growing up as a library groupie had a profound effect on my life that I will forever be grateful for.

Summer afternoons are also perfect for a cool, refreshing bowl of Earl Grey Tea Sorbet.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

3 cups of spring water

4 Earl Grey tea bags

1 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

Lemon cookies to accompany, if desired.

Bring water to a boil.  In a 4 cup heatproof glass pitcher or measuring cup, add the water and tea bags.  Let steep for 5 minutes.  Remove tea bags and add sugar (and lemon, if desired).  Stir until sugar is dissolved completely.  Cool to room temperature.  Cover and chill overnight in refrigerator.  Process in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

Serve with lemon cookies.

Prepare ingredients as above.  Cool mixture to room temperature, pour into a shallow container and freeze for four hours, stirring every 30 minutes to achieve a uniform texture.  When frozen, simply scrape the granita into ice crystals with a fork and serve.

        ~Rabindranath Tagore

Last week I was feeling a bit more economically conservative than usual; my budget had no room for extravagance.  One evening, not in the mood to cook but not wanting to spend the extra money on take-out, I headed home to my kitchen. Before entering the house, I checked my mailbox and found a happy surprise.  A local pizzeria had sent me a gift certificate for a free large pizza!  Many of my friends had recommended this restaurant and I'd been meaning to give it a try. What perfect timing!  The free pizza coupon arrived just when I needed a bit of serendipity.

This unexpected gift from Mamma's Brick Oven Pizza reminded me of the pleasure of giving and receiving little surprises.  There's nothing like finding a gift-box of goodies on your doorstep.  A dear friend of mine often mails out little care packages full of her favorite things to all of her loved ones.  She has surprised me with dried lavender from Diamond Hitch (see link at right), cans of hand-caught Albacore Tuna from Oregon, and a variety of goodies for my cats.  Each parcel brings with it the delight of receiving something unanticipated and the warmth of knowing that someone took time out of their busy schedule to share something special.

Even traditional gifts can be more intriguing when delivered by what we call "snail mail".  My friend Astrid has two boys that I've watched grow up.  Although they live only 30 minutes away, I often send their birthday gifts through the US Postal Service.  Now every year each of the guys looks forward to the arrival of a mysterious package, addressed especially to him.  Knowing this makes sending the packages something that I also look forward to.

Giving can be just as much fun as receiving.

This week, say thank you for the happy surprises in your life by sharing one with someone else.  Send a surprise package.  It doesn't have to contain anything expensive or time-consuming.  You could share a cool product that you've discovered or a book that you've recently enjoyed.  Or open up that box of mementos from your past and share a meaningful photo with an old friend.  

Say thank you to the planet by using eco-friendly packaging.  Re-use a box and line it with shred from your paper shredder or scrunch up those annoying junk mail flyers and transform trash into gift wrapping.

Most importantly, don't put off sending a surprise package.  The perfect time is now.  

Be a humble messenger of happy surprises.  

Summer is the perfect time for Shrimp in Grape Leaves.  These tasty little surprise packages are super easy to make and always a hit when I bring them to summer cook-outs. 

1  16 oz package frozen medium (70 to 110 per pound count) cooked tail-off shrimp 

1 and 1/2 cups Greek vinaigrette dressing with feta (bottled or homemade) 

1 jar of preserved grape leaves (8 oz drained)

3  stainless steel barbecue skewers (about 10" long)

In a medium sized bowl, combine frozen shrimp and vinaigrette.  Cover and thaw several hours or overnight in refrigerator.  When shrimp is thawed, cover your counter or other work surface with plastic wrap or foil (it gets a little messy).  Carefully remove grape leaves from jar.  Carefully separating grape leaves as you go, spoon 3 to 4 shrimp into the center of each leaf and fold outer edges toward center, over shrimp, creating a tightly wrapped package.  Add packages to skewers, making a kabob and leaving an inch or two at each end.  Spoon a little of the marinade over finished skewers for extra flavor.  Grill skewers 1 to 2 minutes on each side to heat through.  Makes about 30.

          ~Adlai Stevenson

The concept of political and personal freedom that Independence Day represents is easy to understand.  But have you ever considered the multitudes of individuals that contribute to your daily freedom from hunger?  We buy meat in a package, greens in a bag and milk in a wax-lined carton, rarely giving even a single thought to the unseen lives, time and energy those items of convenience represent.

Many of us are looking forward to enjoying a nice, juicy hamburger at an upcoming 4th of July picnic.  Let's take a closer look at what goes into that burger.  The beef or turkey was once a living, breathing animal.  Was that animal healthy and well-cared-for during its lifetime?  Even a veggie burger is made of plants that were once very much alive.  Did they grow in healthy, nutrient-rich soil, free of chemicals?  The tasty cheese melting on your burger came from the milk of dairy cows and the eggs in your mayonnaise were laid by chickens. Did they spend their days grazing in a pasture or confined inside a factory farm? 

Don't forget the farmers and farm workers who planted, tended and harvested the lettuce and tomatoes; the factory workers who packaged each item for shipment and the drivers who delivered the food to your local market.  Once your food reached the supermarket, a stock person priced it and put it on the shelf, a cashier rang up your purchase, and a box person packed it all in a bag.

We are dependent on countless individuals to keep us free from hunger.  They, in turn, are dependent on each of us for their livelihood and their freedom from want.   Each of us owes a debt of gratitude to others for our daily independence.

As you celebrate this weekend with fireworks and picnics, take a moment to give thanks to the many plants, animals and people who give their lives, time and energy each and every day to keep you free from hunger.

This Independence Day, let freedom and gratitude ring!

Here is a delicious recipe for Raspberry Tiramisù, made with LOFT Organic Raspberry Liqueur (see link at right). 

 

1 and 1/4 cups raspberry preserves

1/3 cup LOFT Organic Raspberry Liqueur, plus an additional 4 tablespoons, divided.

1/3 cup orange juice

16 oz mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

1 and 1/3 cups whipping cream, chilled

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 and 1/2 pounds fresh raspberries, divided (or a combination of raspberries and blueberries)

About 52 crisp ladyfingers (Savoiardi)

Chocolate shavings, if desired

Whisk preserves, 1/3 cup liqueur and the orange juice in a small bowl and set aside. Place mascarpone cheese and 2 tablespoons of the remaining liqueur in a large bowl and fold just enough to blend.  In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream, sugar, vanilla and final 2 tablespoons of the liqueur to soft peaks.  Stir 1/4 of the whipped cream mixture into mascarpone mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining whipped cream mixture.

Spread 1/2 cup preserve mixture over the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish.  Arrange enough ladyfingers over the preserve mixture to cover the bottom of dish.  Spoon 3/4 cup more of preserve mixture over ladyfingers, then spread 2 and 1/2 cups mascarpone cheese mixture over that.  Arrange half the berries over mascarpone mixture.  Repeat layering with remaining ladyfingers, preserve mixture, and mascarpone mixture.  Cover tiramisù with plastic wrap and chill 12 hours or overnight.  

To serve: 

Arrange remaining berries over tiramisù and decorate with chocolate shavings, if desired. 

Makes 8 servings