A walk in the morning

Seeking clarity in beauty
Noises of everyday in the distance
Fade with every step
Intoxicating honeysuckle lined paths gently guiding along the way
Birds sharing their own stories through songs of the day
Bullfrogs rubber banding conversations heard in spurts
The sun's warm presence on my face
Helping me close my eyes and take in the moment
Water flowing in the distance overshadowing my mind's chatter
Dragonflies exploring in all their wonder
The trot of my Chappy on the boardwalk providing percussion for the day
The moss giving indication of where we are today
Anhingas enjoying their own view on the water behind a fence where additional surprises are to be found by those willing to see
The continuous spider web along the wooden fence screaming interconnection between all things
The shade of the trees bringing breezes to the warmth of the day
The cushion of shedding bark lightening our steps
The bridge that is a beacon bringing us closer to reality
Silos signaling the end of our experience or maybe it's just the beginning
A new perspective
A little more space
A little more open
A little more clarity
Ready to continue my day again

Put on Renegades by X Ambassadors and get cooking!

I made salmon the other night and it was delicious! I thought I had already placed on the blog but apparently I hadn't so here it is! Couldn't be easier and really was a meal in a packet. I did make a side salad as well.

Salmon in Parchment with Horseradish-Yogurt Sauce, Dinner, A Love Story via Bon Appetit, November 2013
Packets:
1 tsp mustard seeds (could use more or straight Dijon)
1 bunch Kale or flat-leaf spinach, center ribs removed, torn into 2" pieces
8 oz baby Yukon gold potatoes (about 6), unpeeled, very thinly sliced
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
4 6-oz skinless salmon fillets
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lemon, very thinly sliced, seeds removed
2T olive oil

Sauce:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2T chopped fresh dill
1T Dijon mustard
1T prepared horseradish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toast mustard seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat until golden and some begin to pop, about 1 minute.  Transfer to a small plate and let cool.

Lay 4 rectangular pieces of parchment paper on a work surface. Place kale off-center on each sheet; top with potatoes, shallots, then salmon; season with salt and pepper. Top fish with lemon slices and mustard seeds; drizzle with oil.

Fold parchment over fish and crimp edges tightly to form a sealed packet.  Packets can be assembled 6 hours ahead; chill.

Place packets on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake fish 20 minutes. 

For sauce, whisk yogurt, dill, mustard, and horseradish in a small bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Can be made 8 hours ahead.  Cover and chill.

Carefully open salmon packets and serve fish with horseradish-yogurt sauce.

 Enjoy and have a very happy day!!

Circle of Life

As you may have realized, I took a bit of a break from my blog over the month of March. I am not sure why exactly but I think that a break is sometimes a good thing in life. You are able to gain some perspective and return refreshed.

We had a crazy time gearing up for the Masters again, getting the house ready, organized and in order. So much has to wait until the last minute but the feeling of accomplishment when you walk out your door is a nice one, a relief.

Before I get to vacation though, I wanted to share something that happened last night. You hear and you know about the circle of life but when something happens that demonstrates it in such a meaningful way, you need to stop and really acknowledge it.

I had a very difficult time falling asleep last night. My mind was racing.

My headmaster for the 14 years I was at Moravian Academy in Bethlehem, PA was Mr. David Devey. I may have mentioned him before in my blog. He worked with my father for most, if not all, of his 35 years at the school. The Devey family are friends and an extremely special group of wonderful people. Carol Devey was my babysitter at times and my memory of those times is always present in my mind.

When Mr. Devey walked in the room, we all stood up. We had to, of course, but we also would never dream of not doing so, out of sheer respect for the man. He greeted every single student with a firm handshake every day at the Lower School. He began every school year with all students at the flag pole, booming Hip, Hip, Hooray three times, in a way that brings a smile to my face to this day. His sense of humor was impeccable but his words of wisdom even more memorable. He was firm when he needed to be and Mr. Devey showed me deep compassion and empathy at a very difficult time in my life in elementary school. Simply, he inspired me to be a better person every day. His presence was extremely visible at all school events, and I mean all school events, and last night he passed away with his family beside him at the age of 85 years old.

Last night, around the same time that Mr. Devey passed away, my dear, dear friend gave birth to a baby boy. They didn't know each other and they were in different parts of the country but the circle of life was witnessed by me last night. Pretty meaningful moment, I must say.

Vacation in Turks & Caicos was truly amazing. I was quite emotional when I left on Saturday and I think it was because we were in a beautiful setting, with family, and able to live in the present. We went on a catamaran and snorkeled and went SNUBA and on jet skis and ate amazingly well and relaxed and read and laughed and played games and swam and kayaked and was able to just be. Visiting underwater through SNUBA and snorkeling was almost addictive - seeing the beautiful fish and the habitat in which they live. Hearing them nibble on the reef and realizing we are just visitors, or should just be visitors in their world.

A very happy place.

Put on Elastic Heart by Sia and get cooking. Also you tube this video if you haven't seen it already.

So, today's recipe is from Bon Appetit, January 2015 and is a Cheater's Porchetta. It is incredibly easy, very delicious and I served with roasted tomatoes, pilaf and a simple Belgium endive salad with radishes and an apple cider vinaigrette. I could have sworn I already posted the roasted tomatoes recipe I use often from Martha Stewart but I haven't so that will be in a future post. They are yummy.......

Weeknight Porchetta, Bon Appetit, January 2015
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, plus 2 heads, halved crosswise
1T coarsely chopped fresh rosemary, plus 4 sprigs
1T fennel seeds, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2T olive oil, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
1- 1 1/2-lb pork tenderloin
4 slices bacon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss chopped garlic, chopped rosemary, fennel seeds, salt, and 1T oil in a small bowl; season with pepper.

Rub garlic mixture all over tenderloin (if you have time to do this in the morning, great; refrigerate pork until dinner). Scatter rosemary sprigs in a large baking dish and set tenderloin on top.  Wrap bacon slices around tenderloin, tucking ends underneath so bacon stays put. Nestle halved heads of garlic around tenderloin and drizzle everything with remaining 1T oil.

Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of tenderloin registers 145 degrees for medium, 40-45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Calories 300, Fat 15 g, Fiber 1g, Serves 4

It is a yummy and fast meal! Enjoy and have a great day, everyone!