...Robin...

Oh my little sister.  Robin T. Bate - that's how she signed her artwork.  Thirteen years ago today she flew to heaven.

I am so thankful for Robin.  So thankful for her life and death.  Getting to have a sister like her.  Her death has freed, molded and taught me so much of what life is about.  I trust so much that I know God took her for divine reason.  One we can't understand.  The agony, depression, fear and acute sadness seemed bottomless.  But I am so thankful for the choice to be able to move with it, through it by subscribing to Grace and seeking joy in suffering - the blessings that can come from such heartache and tragedy.  The Calling to be happy and think of good things and draw nearer to the One who never changes and is a haven and the ultimate comforter.

Robin, despite the difficulties in her life, had a light, kind, accepting, peace-invoking, fun-loving free-spiritedness that inspires me even more today than ever.

I'm overwhelmed with gratitude and humility that we have so many choices everyday about how we think, act, react.  That we can always be forgiven and are renewed every day.  To have the choice to carry on, learn from our experiences and not let earthly grief, stereotypes and expectations rule us is incredible!

Here's to Robin, my amazing sis, to you, to all those you've touched and have touched you.  To peace and love and acceptance and humility.  ( :

Lotso Foodo

I

YOU

Is Jason getting getting better and better every meal he prepares?  Seems like it.  He has no shortage of ideas, experiments or radar for new things and recipes to try.  It inspires and puzzles me..and spoils us!  Everybody has their unique gifts and talents - cooking is definitely one of Jason's (...many).

Love using leftover/extra stuff - the baguette from previous night with eggs, avocado and almost-too-ripe tomato for breakfast - SO GOOD.

Fish Taco Fridays

Frittata with asparagus and goat cheese

Ravioli lasagna with tomatoes and herbs from our garden with homemade sauce

Tilapia with a wild and brown rice and roasted cauliflower and broccoli - so good and nice and healthy

This is Posole soup - Jason crock potted a pork roast from the pig from Aunt Dar and they pulled it.  Such a nice, nice flavor and the hominy (soft white corn - garbanzo bean-esque but smoother) is so good.

Individual blueberry cobblers in ramekins

This pizza dough is from Glorioso's/Sciortino's that Jason doctored with fresh herbs from the garden and the classic corn meal - a many step process - even more when he makes the dough from scratch.  Jason's patience and labors astound me.  Nothing is ever never done to the fullest.

Roasted pepper, asparagus, turkey italian sausage and goat cheese with penne - fantastic flavor  fiesta

Our favorite salad - grilled chicken, craisins, goat cheese, a nut item (almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.) over arugula with the wonderfully biting balsamic and garlic dressing Jason makes

Based loosely on a recipe - a Thai inspired dish with basmati rice, peapods, cilantro, cashews, roasted red pepps - fantastic

This is more summery but still sensational - fresh herbs and a sweet tart dressing over a medley of grapes, apples, celery, raisins, almonds and on...

This is from a chick pea, raisin and marinara pasta recipe Jason found

A tomato app replica from a Greek restaurant Jason went to out east on a biz trip - lemon juice and feta make it great

Fresh lime pie - bags of organic limes were on sale and we had quite a few left over and so genius just whipped this number up - so fresh and bursting with fresh lime flavor

Frost has arrived so Jason harvested the rest of the herbs and is hang-drying  them to use over the winter

Whole chicken with those herbs stuffed under the skin and into the cavity - yummmm

This is a minestrone soup that I actually made, surprise, surprise - it's from a book on Parkinson's disease and highlights marjoram and turmeric along with fava and canellini beans - Jason approved it and even the kids really liked it!  Patting myself on the back a little, too.  The three components of health (from another book I'm reading on hormones - lovin' the self help books apparently) are diet, lifestyle and stress management.

Did I already post this verse?  Maybe, but it's so good, a calming favorite - Isaiah 30:15
In rest and repentance is your salvation
In quietness and trust is your strength
Quite the opposite of what the world pushes and such a refuge for when I feel lost or alone or on the wrong track.  God is sooooooooooooooooooo good.