Pray for Peace

Quote of the Day:   from Matthew 24:6-7 (The Message)
Jesus said, "Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, 'I am Christ, the Messiah.' They will deceive a lot of people. When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to what is coming.




News of the end of the world took me by surprise.  I didn't know it was coming until sometime late on Friday when a facebook friend linked an ad. for dog care after the rapture.  Huh? Doesn't the end of the world mean the end for everyone and every living thing?


The passage above is a modern translation of the Bible. I love the clarity in the language.  When I was a kid, I thought that "wars and rumors of wars" and earthquakes, and "nation rising against nation" were signs that the end was near.  Then, I thought, people who were living in times of the great wars, especially WWII, must have thought, this is the end.  But, it wasn't.  Generations were born and grew up and fought more wars, new wars, old wars, wars that never cease.


Instead of spending our energy and resources figuring out how to most efficiently kill each other, we could be using our wonderful minds and talents to determine when the next natural disaster will occur.  We can give out warnings, and have aid available.  We could concentrate on preserving life and saving people, on beauty and creativity and lifting each other up.


We don't need an army of people to stop one power-crazed man.  We need an army of people to stop his army of followers.


What does Memorial Day mean to me?  planting flowers at gravesites, a somber parade followed by a meaningful service.  It's families taking time to be together and making the Earth a more beautiful place.  They're planting flowers, mowing lawns, doing projects, and remembering.


Thank you to all the people who have sacrificed for freedom.  We salute you.

John Lennon's song Imagine is probably the most brilliant song ever written. imagine all the people, living life in peace...

Blogger has been quirky lately, making it hard to leave comments. I found that horribly frustrating. I mean, how will you know I've stopped by for a visit, if I can't leave a note? Here's a suggestion I read in the comments of a fellow blogger:



"Sarah Ahiers (Falen) said... the way around the blogger commenting error is to sign out of blogger and then sign back in, but to UNCLICK the "stay signed in" box. Worked for me" 

It also worked for me.  Thanks, Sarah!

Go. Create. Inspire!  And, remember the reason for the holiday.

Journaling Prompt:  Write your reflections on Memorial Day.

Sharing a Sugar Swan . . .

Sometimes we try to do extraordinary or unusual things in my Pastry II class. Sometimes we succeed. Other times, not so much. Yesterday was one of the good days. We made these delicate swans and I just wanted to share mine with you guys.

The swan's body is made from blown sugar; the wings, feathers, flowers, and leaves from pulled sugar; and the base from poured sugar. Well, not sugar exactly, but a sugar substitute that pastry chefs use for this sort of thing called isomalt, which is derived from sugar alcohol. It's edible, of course, but not particularly intended for consumption.

The swan is no more than 7" tall and perhaps 6" long from front to back, and sits on a base of about 8" in diameter. Here's how it was made, in a nutshell: Its body is formed from a golf-ball sized glob of hot isomalt that you, first, mold with your hands into sort of a light-bulb shape (and, believe me, you're wearing plastic gloves--maybe even two pairs--the entire time you're working on this). Then, you attach the narrower end of that to the tube end of a small, primitive-looking, rubber hand pump, not unlike the pump used on a blood pressure cuff. You gently pump air into the sugar glob, which you're cradling in one hand, and, if you're very lucky, it expands cooperatively to about the size of a large lemon. Then, you pinch a bit of the hot sugar with your fingertips, from the non-tube end of the swan, and pull it upwards, curling it over to form the neck and head. At this point, you let the whole thing cool. Then you heat the tail end so you can remove the air tube (when that's done, you say a prayer of thanks that the whole thing hasn't shattered yet).

The wings are formed from small separate globs of hot sugar. To do this, you grab a bit of hot sugar, hold it tightly between thumb and forefinger, and then pull it out into the shape of a thin wing, and immediately use a pair of scissors to cut the feathering onto one side. The tail feathers were formed similarly, but without any scissor cuts. You heat just an edge of the wing and quickly attach it to the body.

The eyes were made by taking a very small, straight strand of colored sugar, letting it completely cool so it was like a tiny stick, and then reheating just the very end of it so it would melt into a drop. Then that melted tip was dabbed onto the swan's head on each side. The beak was made by pinching off bits of the same color sugar and pulling them into the appropriate shape, then gluing them on by quickly heating them on one edge.

 The little flowers were made by pulling a ribbon of sugar and then quickly rolling and tucking it up, very simply. The leaves were formed much the same way the wings were. And the dark blue base that the swan is sitting on was made from extremely hot isomalt that was poured into a shallow, round, rubber mold and then left to cool.

Occasionally, I don't necessarily think all that much of what I've made at school on a given day, but then I get whatever it is home (assuming it's something we get to bring home, which doesn't happen all that often) and have a chance to look at it in a completely different setting. And, I think to myself, "Wow--that's actually pretty cool." That's kind of how I felt about this little swan. I honestly don't know if I could ever reproduce him at home, partly because I don't have any of the needed equipment, but even if I never make anything else like this in my life, I enjoyed working on this feathery fellow.

(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple COMMENTS below!)

Writing Support

Quote of the Day:  I like to write when I feel spiteful; it's like having a good sneeze. - D.H. Lawrence

You can be a little ungrammatical if you come from the right part of the country. - Robert Frost

Grammar is a piano I play by ear.  All I know about grammar is its power. Joan Didion

I found those quotes in a little book called Writers on Writing.  I picked it up at a used bookstore in Lincoln City, OR, when I was visiting my sister last summer. (That's Joy in the background looking at funny music books.)

Sometimes, I envy kids because they have so many opportunities handed to them.  Grown-ups have to make their own opportunities. Take last week's Young Authors Conference.  The kids could choose from 18 different presentations by professional authors.  In fact, we were all wishing we could rove around and sit in on each other's classes. They were diverse and interesting and filled with inspiration.  They could learn about Jackhammers and Mount Rushmore, sharing secrets, and writing scenes for a screenplay, to name a few. I would have loved being a kid that day.

Where do you turn for inspiration? Have you taken any classes lately?  Used any online services?  One place students can go is college support services.  We visit blogs, read about other's success, buy the craft books, take courses, and attend workshops.

My idea of a great vacation would be to escape to a camp for grown-ups who like to create things.  We'd have theatre games, time to write, time to interact, great food, campfires with wild, imaginative stories, late night swims, and a bit of romance.

Ya, that's the kind of summer camp I'd sign up for.

Journaling Prompt:  Where do you go for support and inspiration?  Do you want to join me in my virtual summer camp?  Have you ever been to a camp or retreat center that nurtures your creativity?  Your sense of romance?

Community

Quote of the Day:  We are marching in the light of God music and text from a South African hymn.  As the text indicates, this is a march tempo.  The words repeat.  We can set our books down and march together.  Additional action words: dancing, singing, praying, walking.

When we walk together, we don't have to walk alone.  This is the first year that I'm walking in the Race for the Cure Walk for Breast Cancer, and I'm a team captain!  I'm in a group called Mothers of Multiples (MOMs).  One of our members is battling inflammatory breast cancer.  If you want to walk with us, be a spirit walker, or donate, you can go here.  Our team name is MOMS for MAMS.  Kinda fun.

I'm writing a story for our local women's magazine on The Buddy Walk, which is a walk for families and people who have Down syndrome.  I've talked to three local families, and they all have a unique story.  What is common is the desire to build community, to walk together.

Here I am walking, (well, drinking coffee and talking after a long day with middle schoolers), with two of my favorite writers from this region.  We were all presenters at the Young Authors Conference (YAC) in Nothern Minnesota.  If you'll remember Friday's post, I was nervous about going, questioning if I belong, and despite that crazy talk, found success.  In fact, we had a great time.  Some of the highlights include: reciting poetry at the dinner table on Tues. night, singing random songs, discussing religion, and serenading the full moon and a couple birthday girls with Amazing Grace.

Roxane (Bob Marley in the above photo) has more details of the fun at YAC on her blog, Peacegarden Mama.

Journaling Prompt:  Have you walked for any causes?  Do you know someone with Down syndrome?  How do you experience community?

Passion Fruit Cream Cake . . .

One of the most pungently tasty items I've learned to make in the last year or two, hands down, is fruit curd. Fruit curd is a rich substance, cooked on the stove with egg yolks and butter, and can be used in much the same ways you'd use a really good jam. We make it now and then in pastry classes at school, and it's often a predictable citrus flavor--lemon, lime, or orange.

But last week, browsing through cookbooks at home, I found a recipe for a simple genoise layer cake that included a passion-fruit curd filling, with the curd being made from frozen passion fruit puree. Serendipitously, I happened to have a package of passion fruit pulp in my freezer, and it was getting antsy to be used. Frozen fruit pulp, which I've sung the praises of before, can be remarkably inexpensive. It's not to be confused with the shockingly costly, concentrated fruit purees that professional pastry chefs buy in quantity to have on hand in their enormous freezers. Those purees are of exceptional quality, no doubt about it, but they're another animal altogether. For those of us with no access to wholesale prices on those sorts of goods, we'd easily have to pay $15 to $20 for a 1-kilo container.Yeah, I know. Not bloody likely, right?

The type of fruit pulp that I'm talking about is often found in Hispanic food markets, but it can increasingly be found in mainstream grocery stores, gourmet markets, and even health food stores. Brace yourself for the price I paid for one package of this gorgeous, golden, passion fruit pulp: $2.05. That's right. Two bucks and minimal change. Unbelievable, isn't it? You've gotta get some. Granted, it's not high-brow, but it's still pretty darn good.

Besides loving the pulp itself, which comes in several flavors--some of them quite exotic to a Midwestern girl like me (eg., lulo, mamey, soursop)--I love the flat plastic bags in which this stuff is packaged. You can lay lots of these in your freezer and they'll take up almost no space at all. It's the best thing since sliced bread (or maybe I should say sliced fruit).

About this recipe . . . 

I have to tell you at the outset that my favorite thing about this recipe was the curd and, given what I just said above, that's surely not a surprise. But, the fact is, I am not a huge fan of genoise in general. In terms of flavor, it's an eggy cake--one of the classic "foam" cakes similar to a basic sponge--that certainly has its place in the pastry pantheon, but I am not sure it complements this curd in the very best way. And I have always been hypersensitive to anything that's overtly eggy tasting. 'Course, that's just me.

Were I to make this particular cake again, I think I'd use only one layer of the genoise and split it in half horizontally, rather than using two thick layers, which seemed to be overkill. I might also consider brushing the layers with a simple sugar syrup to combat any latent egginess. But you, fellow bakers, should follow your heart. Perhaps you adore genoise? Then by all means use both full layers. In any event, I can strongly endorse this recipe for the passion fruit curd alone. And, who doesn't love whipped cream? We all love whipped cream, don't we? Of course we do. So use that, too.

This dessert hails from the pleasing little book, Luscious Creamy Desserts, by Lori Longbotham. The only change I made to this formula was to add some powdered sugar to the whipping cream, and to reword the instructions, reflecting exactly what I did.

Passion Fruit Cream Cake
(For a printable version of this recipe, click here!)

Ingredients for the fruit curd:
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
yolks from 5 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup frozen passion fruit pulp/puree, thawed
1 pinch of salt
2 tsp. fresh lime juice

To make the curd:
 Place a fine mesh strainer over a medium-size glass bowl. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a heavy, medium-sized, saucepan over a medium-low flame. Take the pan off the heat and, whisking constantly, pour in the sugar, fruit pulp/puree, yolks, and salt. Put the pan back on the stove over medium heat. Begin by whisking frequently, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly for the last few minutes as the mixture thickens. It should seem thicker than gravy but still be easily pourable.

Take the pan off the stove and immediately pour the curd into the strainer over the bowl, encouraging it through with a spoon or flexible spatula.

Whisk in the lime juice. Cool to room temperature. Cover the bowl securely with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface of the curd, to help prevent a skin from forming as it cools. Refrigerate the curd for about 2 hours, until completely chilled.

Ingredients for the cake layers:
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 unsalted butter, melted

To make the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of two 8" round cake pans. Cut a parchment paper circle to fit onto the bottom of each pan.

Sift the flour three times onto a sheet of parchment or wax paper.

Beat the eggs and sugar in the large bowl of your mixer, using the paddle attachment, for up to 10 minutes, until the volume has increased at least three times. The mixture should look thick, pale yellow, and bubbly.




Take the bowl off of the mixer. Sprinkle in half of the flour, folding it in with a hand-whisk just until combined; repeat with the rest of the flour.

Drizzle in the melted butter and whisk only until combined.

 Divide the batter equally between the prepared cake pans.

Bake the layers for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cakes begin to pull away slightly from the sides of the pan. Cool the layers for 10 minutes before removing them from the pans. Peel off the parchment circles and let the layers cool completely before assembling the cake.

For the whipped cream filling:
1 cup whipping cream, very cold
1/2 sifted confectioners' sugar

Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in the confectioners' sugar and whip until stiffer peaks begin to form. Keep the whipped cream cold until you're ready to spread it on the cake.

To assemble the cake:
Place one cake layer on your serving plate. Spread about a cup of the curd evenly atop that.

Spread a thick layer of the sweetened whipped cream over that.

Sandwich the other cake layer on top. Using a fine mesh sieve, sprinkle another tablespoon or two of confectioners' sugar over the filled cake.

Keep the cake refrigerated if you won't be serving it right away.

(If you'd like to comment on this post, or to read any existing comments, please click on the purple COMMENTS below!)

Middle School Adventures

Quote of the Day:  Presence arrives through the intuitive.  We cannot approach the intuition until we are free of opinions, attitudes, prejudices, and judgments. - Viola Spolin, in her book Theater Games for Rehearsal.

I've been riding the trails with middle schoolers this week, marveling at their energy, creativity and courage.  I've been volunteering and teaching, learning and living.  I've been experiencing life off-screen, and been quiet online.  Here are a few highlights.

On Monday, I went on an outdoor fieldtrip with Twin B, Eric.  We had a wagon ride through the woods, learned about the plant and animal life, and roasted marshmallows.

He learned how to approach and catch a horse, lead him, and brush him.  Then, the kids went on a trail ride.  Smiles, smiles everywhere!

The kids were challenged by the adventure ropes.  To truly grow from an experience, you need to be pushed out of your comfort zone, climb one more step up.

On Tuesday, I went on the same adventure with Twin A, Charlie.

I watched as kids went from crying to trotting on the horses, from shaking their heads and saying, "No way," to the ropes course, to "Let me go again!"  With encouragement, trust, and bravery all things are possible.

On Wednesday, I traveled North to a middle school Young Authors Conference.  I used that model of being encouraged out of your comfort zone to empower young writers.

I also used it to empower myself because the night before I left, the voices started taunting me again.  They said, "Who are you to teach anything at a conference?  Where are your published books?  What are your credentials?  All those other presenters are real authors.  You're just a poser."

Weren't they awful?

I pulled out Viola Spolin's Theater Games book and thought, she might be able to help build my confidence.  I read what is the Quote of the Day, above, in the prologue.  Yes, Viola, I need to trust my intuition.  I needed to push aside my own self-doubts, opinions, and judgments against myself.  I took notes and visualized eager young writers, embraced the teacher inside of me, and I went into the classroom with the old confidence I once had as a classroom teacher.  And, guess what?

Success!!!

I helped them create characters and write two different scenes, one alone, and one as a group.  The one on the board is called a "Death By -" scene, a comedy about ways to die by...boys, Justin Bieber, homework, chocolate, fear of pens - to name a few. 

Did you know Middle School kids are very brave, smart, and creative?

Ya, thanks, kids, for a terrific week!!!!!

Journaling Prompt:  When is the last time you were pushed out of your comfort zone?  What did you do?  Would you dare climb up those trees to do the adventure ropes?

New Guy in my Life

Quote of the Day:  FOG by Carl Sandburg



THE fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

That's just how Leo glided into our hearts.  I told the boys, "We're just going to look at HART" to see what cats they have at the shelter, and that "We probably won't find just the right one the first time we go."  So, we walked into the cat room.  I sat down on a chair, thinking, I'll let the boys look at the cats.  Then, this big, fluffy furball climbed on my lap, snuggled down and started purring.  He loved it when I pet him.  Then, Zach sat down to hold him, and he fell asleep on his lap.  They were closing, so I said we'd go home and "sleep on it."

Saturday morning, I was trying to distract myself from thinking about that white, fluffy cat at the animal rescue shelter, by reading blogs.  Inkygirl posted this link, and it was all over. It's photos of writers and their kitties.

So, I called the shelter, and we went to get him.  I told Zach to try brushing him, because with a coat like that, he'd better like being brushed.  He loved it.  I filled out the paperwork, paid the fee, and brought the pet porter into the room.  I set it on the floor and opened the door. Zach set Leo down and he walked right into the porter.  We were all shocked.  The worker said, "I've never seen a cat so willing to go in one of those.  He must really want you to take him home."  Yep, I feel like Leo picked us.

He's about a year and a half, is declawed and fixed, well cared for, and had to leave his family due to allergies.  You can tell he's been snuggled and played with, brushed and loved.

Journaling Prompt:  Have you ever gotten a pet from a shelter, or rescued one?