White Christmas

just magical...

Trees of Claude's Cove

Country Cedar from Claude's Cove


Callie's Bay Tree

Tree of Paradise

France

Trees of Christmas

Japan

There may be no other more expressive symbol of how someone displays their festive spirit of the Christmas season than the Tree of Christmas. One of the best twenty five cents I've spent was on 'The Trees of Christmas', Abingdon Press 1969.

As I recently heard someone lament that this Christmas they would have no tree, it seemed so forlorn that some focus couldn't be made to exude a more uplifting spirit to honor the season from someone who had so much to be thankful for.

The tree of Christmas has had many shapes and presentations throughout the world and the ages. In my first lone apartment, I decorated a Norfolk Island Pine with modest ornamentation.


Brazil

Some of my fondest memories are of tromping through the fields of both my grandparents' farms to cut the traditional Cedar for our Christmas tree. It is a tradition that we still carry on.

The tree need not be a tree at all. A branch, an armature, a structure to adorn with lights or garland, large or small, indoors or out, it is an offering to the season to project a belief that love is around us, that beacons lead us, that we must carry on traditions to maintain our strength to move on, to new years, new generations, and pass on the memories that we hold dear.


Italy

Why even our pets get all peppy and exuberant when the tree comes into the house and becomes illuminated and surrounded with treasures whether old or new.

It's a most wonderful time of the year.

December dates

painting - miPods


While everyone seems to be making their lists for the latest tech-bots, gadgets and wii-bop-doo-dahs, I am making mine for ingredients and recipes to bake up, stir up and box up for sharing with my loved ones.

One brief trip to the mall for some meager tangibles to let a few know that they haven't been forgotten.

Sharing coffee with a friend and comparing recipe ideas. My first shopping trip to Trader Joe's, what fun!

The social season starts to bustle. Heavenly holiday tunes by the Chamber Singers . Warm turkey gumbo made by the maestro, Marybeth. An afternoon lunch date with more special girlfriends on a misty mountainside.

Wood fires crackle and we back up to absorb the warmth and coziness.

Let the baking begin.

Charles Phoenix's Cherpumple: The "Monster" Pie-Cake

Gazing

It makes me very happy when family comes to visit and find magical visions to capture in our surroundings.



photos by Thomas Hammond

Parasol Days

Polka dot parasol bounces along the pathway repelling droplets falling through the autumn mist

Golden foliage pales and drops piece by piece to the soggy ground

Sleepy heads dodder groggy to the breakfast room; boot clad, slickers glisten, daylight softens, eyes awaken

Sunny side is not up today

Bird Season

It's just around the corner, well actually, it's always bird season here at Claude's Cove. Whether we're watching Herons and Hummers or Cardinals and Crows or the phenomenal Pileated Woodpecker, there always seems to be an abundance of bird life to fancy our bird-watching pleasures. We have a breathtaking natural habitat that invites those who will to stay with us year round if it suits their nature.

Although you know that what I'm really getting at is the big bird of the year. I've been racking up points to get the Thanksgiving turkey to share our thanks with the family. I've been poring over page after page of the latest Bon Appetit's Thanksgiving special issue and testing recipes for sharing later. My autumn treat to me was the Lee Brothers' 'Simple, Fresh, Southern' cookbook, a valuable addition to my cooking library. Last year I served the Pimento Cheese Potato Gratin, which I think rocks and have made a few other times. This year I will harvest some of brother's collard greens from the great greens patch and make Collard Greens with poblano chiles and chorizo. We've already tested that one and guess what, it rocks too. It is a new spin for me on greens and southern food.

The Lee collection of recipes accentuates good vibes of the south and they don't seem to have any qualms about admitting that this is a vital part of their background.

Easing in to my favorite holiday time of the year, best wishes to everyone for Peace, Prosperity and Comfort and safe travels to your destinations far and wide.


painting- Golden Winged Decalia


French Hens

To the Bat Cave!

Finally. A day to run away to the hills and Apple Valley, to our favorite places that mark Fall and all that goes along with it.

Summer's last tomatoes



Sugar pie pumpkins waiting to be carved and baked into deliciousness.



Ghoulish blue-gray-green pumpkins stacked like zombie heads in a giant wooden box.



turban squash. acorn squash. butternut squash. spaghetti squash.



Fashion plate lady Scarecrows parade, wink and wave in the crispy Autumn glow as passersby wander into a melodic emporium of craftiness and good cheer. Elixirs of freshly pressed cider refresh and begin the Happy Hours of escape to Hickory Nut Gorge and it's magical mood of a perfect Fall day.



A tiki bar hideaway awaits with more refreshment and riverside exotica and conversation.

An all-day date with my favorite guy, piles of fresh mountain produce and a few silly souvenirs to satisfy our whims. Autumn at it's best.

October Fest

October

cool cool rain.. flannel..fleece..corduroy
black cats. scarecrows. family birthdays
Happy Birthday Sarah, Victor and Jim

blankets
warm rich colors red russet orange yellow ochre rust sanguine
mulled cider. hot toddy
sitting inside on a cloudy fall day sipping soup and hot tea
the feel of a soft flannel shirt

Oh, no, I'm not ready for cold cold weather...we have baked all summer, please, oh please give us our properly allotted Autumn. The days are already short, the air crisp and nippy in the morning and the evening. Let there be days of soaking up warm sun while picnicking on a mountain ride.

painting - Aubergine Apparition

A Chili in the Air..

summer wanes. cool nights. windows open. apples. pumpkins. pies. drives in the mountains. apple cider. tailgating. state fairs. autumn colors. mums.

chowders. stews. planting the winter garden. collard greens, kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, lettuce, parsley. raking leaves.

September

I think it's time for some chili.

White Chicken Chili

2 TBS. Olive Oil
1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 can diced green chiles
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup tomatillo sauce
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups diced cooked chicken
2 TBS. cumin
1 can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white hominy (Maiz Pozolero), drained and rinsed
Juice of 1 lime

In a Dutch Oven, saute onion, pepper, mushrooms and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add green chiles and cilantro and stir to blend. Add Tomatillo sauce, chicken stock and cumin. Stir well and add cooked chicken. Add beans and hominy and lime juice. Stir and simmer for one to two hours. Serve garnished with avocado, roasted red peppers and cilantro.

Enjoy!

Read All About It!

It started with a gift. "Life Is A Verb", a book, a birthday gift from my dear friend, Donna. Oddly, in it's relation to 37 days, I had little more than 37 days to become one of the many unemployed. As I plunged headfirst into a world I knew little of, I grasped at every thread to find, remold, educate and express myself to move onward and upward.

I found that giving of my talents and energy to good causes has been a life raft amidst the flood of Bureaucratic BS, my being a small fish in an ocean of others searching for their next landing as well.

"Life Is A Verb" is a captivating and inspiring book by writer, Patti Digh from Asheville NC. When I learned last summer that Patti was composing a new book, I signed on to contribute an illustration. A most Happy Moment came for me in being accepted as one of the artists from around the world whose work would go to print. Another most Happy Moment was to receive my copy of the finished product, "Four Word Self Help". It is available to you September 1, 2010. I urge each and all to explore the concept of these simple yet deeply meaningful thoughts composed by someone who, in my book, is a very wise woman.

Read Book Be Enlightened

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday little man...he is the forerunner for our family in this millennium. He is the inspiration for all the story telling that started here in Claude's Cove.
He is one very special boy.

Succulence

I recently found an oasis of color and vibrance at the center of the state farmer's market in the midst of a long hot summer. A distinguished man in a straw hat distributed bouquets of loveliness to many who came looking for a splash of nature's color to bring home. Sweet Williams, Gladiolas, Dahlias, so many dramatic specimens that I don't begin to know all the names of. Many walked away smiling with bountiful color in hand.



My pick was a current obsession with succulents. The plant vendor had a fine variety in colors and clusters. My choice was a Sempervivum, also known as hen and chicks.



I've had an interest in doing a painting of a single one. I sometimes become overcome with these visions of things that I must paint, as with things I must cook, places I must go, and so on.

I also procured a few nice sweet onions and some local fresh okra for making more okra pickles.
I was sad to see that the hot pepper farmer from last summer was not there. We do have our own small crop, and on the "to do" list is "make hot sauce", but the vision of his table last summer was colorfully stunning.

I also ran into an old friend, which made the day complete. There is nothing like a good tailgate market in midsummer for visiting, for inspiration, for awesome fresh food and healthy eating and for seeing the vast abundance that nature gives us. Its great to have these bright and cheerful places to go and find succulents, and other stuff.

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
-Thomas Edison

______________

I think that I shall drink a peach.



Peachtree Punch

This luscious and creamy smooth refreshment was invented for the opening of Trader Vic's in Atlanta, one of our all time favorite places to visit. It is a tried and true recipe and an astonishing elixir for what ails in this onerous summer.

1 medium fresh peach, peeled, pitted, and quartered
1½ ounces silver rum
2 ounces orange juice
¼ ounce coconut syrup
¼ ounce peach liqueur
1½ cups crushed ice, plus additional ice cubes
1 sprig mint, for garnish
Grated nutmeg, for garnish
Red wine or double old-fashioned glass

Reserve one of the peach quarters. Combine the remaining three peach quarters, rum, orange juice, coconut syrup, peach liqueur, and crushed ice in an electric blender and pulse for a few seconds, just until uniformly combined. Pour into the glass and add ice cubes to fill. Garnish with the remaining peach quarter, skewered on a cocktail pick, and the mint sprig. Dust with grated nutmeg.

Recipe from "Trader Vic's Tiki Party!", by Steve Siegelman, Ten Speed Press, a fantastic guide of history, party planning and recipes for cocktails and food.

Ladies of the Lake

July was the annual girls camping trip. For four days we floated and floundered on the shores of Lake Jocassee. We ate like queens. We told stories, watched shadows in the moonlight, painted pictures and knitted and purled for as long as we wanted.


White morning glories hung like dew drops from the banks of the water's edge. Hardwoods towered above us while large feathered friends crowed about.

Boat tour with hospitable friends.. visions of waterfalls. ferns. moss. and rainbow. Riding roof top...laughing ladies sliding, splashing. Cody and Cinnamon happy smiling.


Ahhhh,...a mini break..

photos by M.Palmarita

The Garden Muse

photo by J.T. Hammond

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
-Marcel Proust

____________

There she is in her Most Happy Place. It is time I introduced the Matriarch of the other side of my family. Grandmother Pauline.
The farm that my father's family finally settled on after a number of years of tenant farming, was just a stone's throw from Claude's Cove. Mom and Dad met in high school. As country neighbors do, the families occasionally got together for special suppers. We will delve into that aspect at a later time.

I spent many childhood days visiting my grandma's hilltop farm. I believe her greatest loves at that time were being encircled by her family, music, and gardening. She labored for hours with her own hands building stone walls and pathways and growing lavish roses, lilies and other beautiful flowers.

I played for long hours and days with cousins or childhood friends, riding horseback or staging imaginary sagas in the hand built fort, complete with lookout tower. The tower overlooked the clay tennis court where other cousins exhibited their physical prowess.

Many family reunions occurred there. Roasting split whole chickens slathered in barbecue sauce over a fire pit. Many hours of my aunts slaving over the stove to feed the dozens of us who came just to play. More hours of putting away freshly picked produce from Grandmother's garden to feed our families through the year.

This summer we have put away much happiness from the garden. We are blessed.

Pickled Green Beans

3 lbs. tender green beans
4 hot peppers, fresh or dried
4 garlic cloves
4 tsp. peppercorns
4 tsp. mustard seed
4 TBS dill seed
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup salt
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. celery seed

Trim and wash beans.
Sterilize canning jars and lids. Fill each jar with beans. To each jar add 1 chile pepper, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp. peppercorns, 1 tsp. mustard seed, and 1 TBS dill seed.

Bring water and vinegars to a boil in a non-reactive pan. Add salt, pepper flakes and celery seed. ladle vinegar solution over beans leaving 1/2" head space. Clean jar edges and place lids on securely.

Boil in hot water bath 10 - 12 minutes. Remove and let cool. Check lids to see that they have sealed. Allow to sit for 3 - 4 weeks for flavors to blend.
Makes 4 pints.

You say tomato..

I say, "Let's Eat!". Let's eat them now on fresh white bread and as John T. Edge said, "Standing over the kitchen sink with the juices running down your arm."

It was my pleasure to discover a program on South Carolina ETV this last sweltering Saturday afternoon while escaping the heat. At the end of the regular Saturday food shows line-up, Dr. Walter Edgar hosted a symposium on Southern Food featuring speakers, John T. Edge, Matt Lee and Ted Lee. It was an eloquent review of historical reflection as well as an observation on where we have arrived in present day respect and honor of our culinary heritage. (Re-airing July 12th at 7 pm)



Our summer suppers at Claude's Cove, and breakfasts and lunches for that matter, have been laden with fresh garden vegetables. Nice, juicy tomatoes and bushels of beans, also squash, eggplant and peppers.

In inspiration from viewing Dr. Edgar's review of Southern fare, I pulled out my best kitchen knife and cutting board and chopped up my first summer batch of Gazpacho. Gazpacho is a cold Spanish tomato-based raw vegetable soup originating in the region of Andalusia...it is also said to have been a product of Southern kitchens generations ago, called Gaspachi.

Gazpacho

2 cups tomato juice
1 cup cucumber, peeled and diced
1-1/2 cups chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS red wine vinegar
2 TBS lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp hot sauce
dash of worchestershire sauce
2 TBS white wine
1 TBS chopped fresh basil
1 TBS chopped fresh parsley

Combine all ingredients and allow flavors to blend for several hours or overnight. Serve in chilled bowls and garnish with your choice of fresh herbs. Serves 4.



In my kitchen which IS the heart of my home, I chop and stir and simmer and create in the space where my grandmother made many meals and creations for her loved ones. Her spirit stands beside me and comforts me. When I can do nothing else, and life feels all out of sorts, I go into this sacred place and sometimes, magically, rewards come out that soothe my heart and soul.

In my quest to re-create my life, my career, in soul searching and daily inspirational reading, Sarah Ban Breathnach cinched it. My life path did not come to me as a ready made mix in a box. It has been made from scratch, one ingredient at a time, year by year. One might think that we would be nearly ready for the feast by now. I think I may still be short an ingredient or two.

I was also inspired as I recently viewed a video interview of a sculptor. She said she found her sculpting 'Muse" at age 55. That made me feel much better. Many great creators have found their niche at that awakening time in life.

Accentuate the Positive

"In times of great adversity, it's always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive."
-Lee Iacocca

Amen and Amen

Green Baby Green

Talk to me about going green...how about the Green diet? laced with a little red and yellow.

Why I was raised on a green spoon, started eating organic about the time I started eating solid food...farm raised chickens, eggs and milk. Homegrown vegetables, fresh herbs, canned foods from the fields for the winter.



This summer we are blessed by the Jolly Green Giant and Mother Nature's Rain ...numerous pints of pickled green beans, refrigerator cucumber pickles, cartons of beans and squash in the deep freeze. Daily doses of cucumber, tomato and yogurt salad. Luscious, juicy tomato sandwiches, piquant, garlicky pesto and caponata. Ahhhh, the freshness.



A Saturday jaunt to a North Carolina tailgate market to see what they have that we don't...not much, I see, but I did grab a bagfull of good HOT jalapenos, since ours are not quite ready.





bean basket photo by J.T. Hammond

Matinee Mania

painting - Laurence of Hospicia, artist unknown

Already, the long hot summery days call for diversion and escape to faraway places. The breeze lulls, afternoon storms rumble through, the laundry flaps on the clothesline.

I run to gather in the freshly dried clothes before the next stormcloud bursts. The dog hunkers in the corner, then paces and pants and worries over the noise and the drama of these daily summer occurrences. He seeks comfort in the closeness of his companion.

Hours of study and research go by. Mornings spent planting, weeding and watering before the heat becomes oppressive.

There are endless projects and tasks to attend to, but there is an inner yen to flee. A need for other scenery. These walls are dark, the air is stale.

For a while I roamed markets of castoff treasures and collected odd pieces to trade off or use in other creations. Now I pile full boxes of excess, hauling away for others to plunder through.

I go for a matinee. A much anticipated outing with my good friend. City princesses trek off to exotic places in their overwhelmingly garish fashions. They whine and complain of their less than perfect perfect lives. The outcome of this escape was far less cathartic than I had hoped, the movie part, that is. Delirious Divas riding camels across dunes and picnicking under tents while served by handsome butlers.

I once rode on an elephant with a friend. We were at a State Fair and I dare say had more fun on that excursion than those silly divas in their harem couture.

What we need here is a windfall, a ship, a real job. Spare me from the hours of waiting for my number to be called in this game of economic roulette.

Calgon, take me away...

Floating along

painting - 'Adrift'

days float by, studying, gardening, finishing old projects and starting new ones

spring rain has created lush environs and many blooms and blossoms scattered on the porches

spring cleaning removes the cobwebs from the mind and the crevices

turning the soil and planting seeds and plants will make our summer table alive with nourishment

berries ripen. our anniversary approaches. celebration. we have grown another year closer

To Market

Callie and Susan go to market..

Asheville Farmer's Market, Annual Herb Sale. She's told me about it for years. Why I've never gone before is inexplicable and inexcusable. We had a post-birthday outing in her honor to go and procure plants for our summer garden. She wore her new and lovely sun hat. I was astounded at the greenery and floral abunda. We had a wonderful day gazing at fragrant herbs, exotic flowering plants and enormous strawberries that exuded intoxicating aromas.



flying pig



mermaid art





Lovely Mermaid Art by Burton Edwards of the J & B Herb & Plant Farms in Roxboro, NC

We came home with Cinnamon Basil, Lime Basil, Lime Thyme, Purple Basil (it was a veritable Basil Heaven), Lavender of at least two kinds, Herbal Dog Biscuits, Chives, Russian Tarragon and yes, a piece of Mermaid Art.

Such amazing discoveries...I must go every year evermore.