juice

"How does one cook razor clams?" she asks. All of a sudden I feel an elevated status of cooking and a recognized responsibility of nature to plate. My brain goes to the skilled chef, drizzling a dash of wine cream butter over a lightly crispy coated tender whole clam in a strong focused twist of the wrist, finishing with a whimsical wave of the arm -- an upside down wave following with finely chopped parsley falling like snow.... "Well, I usually put them in clam chowder," I mumble. Begin by pouring two glasses of your choice white wine- Manhattan Clam Chowder 1/2 medium onion 1 large carrot 2 stalks celery 1/2 large green pepper 3 medium golden potatoes salt and pepper 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 1 T dried parsley 1-2 bay leaves 1/4 c. (or more) diced bacon (Stewart's Meats ends and pieces- Peppered) 24-30 razor clams 1 c. fresh clam juice 15-20 oz diced tomatoes 6 c. broth/water vegetable broth base ("Better than Bullion" pas...

When those you love show you the things of their lives it is a lovely thing. Fruit bearing trees have followed me - I remember sneaking off to sit under a willow tree just across our lot line behind a tall, gray planked wooden fence in the backyard. I don't know if my parents watched me climb over the old rail fence and disappear into the neighbors backyard. The stories my teacher read of Johnny Appleseed somehow inspired me and I usually brought an apple with. Thinking about it now, does one memory have the power to be a fabricated reoccurrence? The beautiful sweet smell of walnuts laying like defeated soldiers in our own yard was a reoccurrence. If I knew back then, I would have brought back buckets from the neighbor's tree for banana bread and salads. Figs followed me from Australia to Washington - I wonder if continuing drought conditions in WA will be good for fig trees... How will that look in the future? How will I look in the future? My husband's daughter...

Ingredients: 1/4 c. red onion, finely chopped juice from 1 lime (~ 2 T) 1 cucumber, chopped small 1 can diced organic tomatoes 1 roma tomato, chopped small 12-15 medium shrimp, thawed and peeled 1 c. (razor) clam juice hot sauce (few dashes) 1/2-1 tsp. minced garlic salt & pepper Method: 1. Chop the onion and soak it in lime juice while chopping the other ingredients. Then mix it with the first five ingredients in a bowl adding some salt and pepper. 2. Put the mixture into a blender. Add cilantro, reserving 1/2 cup in a bowl. Blend the mixture until smooth then stir in reserved cup of cilantro. Stir in the hot sauce, remove the blender container and put it in the fridge (or pour into a bowl first). 3. Put the shrimp in a small (sauté) pan with the clam juice on medium/low. Allow the shrimp to cook, stirring occasionally. Add a bit of salt. 4. Once the shrimp is cooked, remove it from the stove and allow it to cool a bit. Then mix it with the other ingredients ...

I look back at my previous entries and see a voice I'm almost embarrassed to expose again! My life has changed and somehow I feel the outward has forced itself inward, drawing on different, yet familiar impromptu movements and bunny-hop thoughts. Can one really conceive the lifelong commitment to another individual? I do not doubt the strength of transparency, vulnerability and forgiveness. And here I am, again, but for the first time - The only one who will get to live this life: Wandering with Home in my heart - Finessing the resources within and throwing them to the wind... This kite has a long string that often tangles in trees. The beauty is still all around and I find taking it in to be a daily responsibility. I will always be a steward of the earth, blessed with the rising sun, spring songs, flowing waters, and green canopies - yearning to give back.