Technically, I should post a food blog today. But I suspect we’re all fooded-out after the feasts yesterday and we can wait until next week.
My Thanksgiving weekend gift to you is this: all of you, writers or not, go find an hour of your own this weekend to do something to make you feel refreshed and renewed and filled with beauty. Maybe that’s going to a fabric shop to finger the silks and paisleys. Maybe you’ll watch a movie nobody else wants to see. Maybe you’ll have a facial or a pedicure or go for a long walk with crunchy leaves or buy some new music and listen to it.
Here are a couple of things that make me happy: going to Whole Foods to look around at things I might cook extravagantly. Last week, I was looking for the ingredients for a cereal I want to try, made with barley and almond milk and dried cherries. I found loose barley and pearl barley and bags of barley, but no quick-cooking, which is what this recipe requires. So I found a clerk, a young man with dark eyes and great hair who lit up at my request. Together we went to one aisle and then another, and then when we couldn’t find it, we stood before the rices and he told me about eating eating barley bread in in his native Morrocco, and how much he likes it and how he cooks it, and how he had not had any in four years. (Hmm. Just realized there’s Morrocco again.)
That counts as an artist date. Cooking counts as long as it’s something that’s involved and lovely and you aren’t doing it out of obligation. I cooked a turkey for my youngest to take home with him yesterday (he is young and poor) and experimented with apple-blackberry crumble and–oh, host of the gods–the absolutely fantastic banoffee pudding (which said son adored. "What is this called again?"), and all the while, the girls in the basement were very busy and working hard on the pages I hope to capture today.
That counts as an artist date, too.
Do whatever you like most, for at least an hour. Nurture yourself this holiday weekend with beauty, color, music, crafts, whatever you enjoy.
And I’d love to hear what you do. Maybe I’ll get some new ideas, or somebody else reading here will.
I made butternut soup this week and it was so yummy. I don’t know what it is about this soup but it just makes me feel all warm and comfy like I was sitting down by a fire with a blanket wrapped around me and a good book in hand.
I need a good recipe for a buttenut soup! I made one last week that was very blah and not worth the trouble.
This is my own recipe:
1 butternut squash
Oil (canola or vegetable) 1tbsp
1 tablespoon butter (I use unsalted)
1 large onion
Salt
Pepper
Potato
Chicken broth
Peel potato and cut into chunks, boil until tender. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise (you can leave the seeds in) and place cut side down onto an oiled cookie sheet. Place in oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until a fork slides into it easily. When squash is soft remove from oven and then remove seeds and discard. Scoop out the squash pulp and place in blender. Dice onion and place in sauté pan with the butter and cook until soft then place in blender with the squash. Add enough broth to the squash and onion for the consistency you like then after it is blended place in a pan and heat; add the potato that has been mashed to lumpy pea size bits. Add salt and pepper and if needed add more chicken stock.
Beautiful, Donna. Thank you.
My artist date was a trip to see the Nutcracker last night with a good friend. We had a nice supper and then went to the ballet and watched all the swirling beauty. Loved it.
I had my first artist date earlier this month. I’d delivered my book three weeks early to my editor and fulfilled other writing and family related obligations and decided, at last, to treat myself. So I went off to the movies to see Atonement all by myself (a first!) and sat in the leather recliner Circle Lounge seats (another first!) and after I’d gotten rid of the guilt that plagued me for being (a) at the movies on a weekday morning, and (b) being there on my own, I really started to enjoy myself. And afterwards I went to my favourite beachfront cafe/tapas bar for lunch before resuming my ‘real world’ duties again. Honestly, when I walked out of that picture theatre I felt so liberated. Ridiculous really, but I did! And so relaxed too.
Excellent, Yvonne! What are the circle lounge seats? Is that something you pay a little more for, a little luxury? I’d love it.
Yes, the seats are leather and have a footstool and they recline. In the evenings you can be served a meal to dine upon while watching your favourite movie. I think I need to do that one night too. It does cost extra to sit there, which I’ve always thought was ridiculous when the other seats in the theatre are generally very comfortable, but to be able to sit with your feet up… bliss! And the advantage of a circle lounge seat in the morning is that you get it cheaper than for an afternoon or evening session (a frugal artist’s artist date, LOL!)
I’m swooning over the movie and dinner and comfy chairs! That would be so much fun!
Next time you’re in New Zealand we’ll have to try it out! 🙂