Today's Inspiration: They'll...

"They'll" by Cheryl Denise,
from I Saw God Dancing

They'll
take your soul
and put it in a suit,
fit you in boxes
under labels,
make you look like the Joneses.

They'll tell you go a little blonder,
suggest sky-blue
tinted contact lenses,
conceal that birthmark
under your chin.

They'll urge you to have babies
get fulfilled.
They'll say marriage is easy,
flowers from Thornhills
are all you need
to keep it together.

They'll push you to go ahead,
borrow a few more grand,
build a dream house.
Your boys need Nikes,
your girls cheerleading,
and all you need is your job
9 to 5 in the same place.

They'll order you never to cry
in Southern States,
and never, ever dance
in the rain.

They'll repeat all the things
your preschool teacher said
in that squeaky too tight voice.

And when you slowly
let them go,
crack your suit,
ooze your soul
in the sun,
when you run through
the woods with your dog,
read poems to swaying cornfields,
pray in tall red oaks,
they'll whisper
and pretend you're crazy.

Today's Inspiration: What Would the Buddha Do About Dieting?

I'm not ready to give up my diet but this is certainly something to think about.

What Would the Buddha Do About Dieting?

Starving one's self might be a great act of self-sacrifice, but it's not kind or compassionate. by Franz Metcalf

Excerpted from "What Would Buddha Do?" with permission from Ulysses Press.

Buddha, having emaciated himself for no reason in cruel self-abuse, realized...that this was not the way to peace, or knowledge, or liberation....One who ruins her body can never gain great awakening.
--Buddhacharita 12.97-99

It may seem odd to compare the two, but the Buddha's striving for awakening and the modern-day compulsion to fit in that leads people to starve themselves in the name of beauty are not so far apart. Before becoming awakened, Buddha spent six years starving himself, trying to fit in with the other renunciants and break away from the impurities--the grossness--of his body. Finally after all those years he realized his self-punishment was only making him weak and confused. Remember, this was Buddha! Imagine how confused a modern teenager or dieter might be.

Let's acknowledge that self-abuse takes enormous discipline and strength and see it as a measure of our greatness of spirit. Then let's remind ourselves and our loved ones that this is the wrong way to express such greatness. Buddha was awakened soon after he began again to eat and to love his body. We must embrace and support our bodies, with all their faults; then with that renewed strength we can embrace and support each other.


Excerpted from "What Would Buddha Do?" by Franz Metcalf, with permission from Ulysses Press.

R.I.P. Piper ~ ? 2002 - October 13, 2007

We are in mourning here at the castle, having just said goodbye to one of our feline family members. Our sweet and lovely Piper, the most affectionate and loving of our furkids, passed away this morning. Though she had a short and troubled life, we would like to think that we helped make it a happy one. She came to our home unexpectedly, a stray kitty that was living at my ex-husband's fire station...when they decided to spay her, she came to our house for post-op recovery and the rest is history. She adopted Bambi as her own, spending every night and most days curled up on her bed, occasionally wandering into someone else's room for a cuddle or a purr just when the human needed it most. She was a simple soul, we believe that the injuries she sustained on the street affected her mentally as well as physically, but that made her even more special to us. She loved easily and completely, had no fear of anyone, trusted that everyone she encountered was trustworthy and wanted to have a cat perched upon his or her lap. We all loved her dearly, and she will be greatly missed.

Rest in peace, dear Piper, we love you.

Today's Inspiration: Meeting Of The Minds

Daily Om, October 12, 2007
Meeting Of The Minds
Fragments Of The Self

Sometimes it feels as if we have many different people living inside of us, expressing themselves in voices that seem distinct from one another. There is the inner child with its wants and needs, the angry voice that expresses its opinion and probably several more as well. With all these different parts of ourselves express differing desires and needs and opinions, we may begin to feel as if we have no clarity. It is difficult to know which voices to pay attention to and which ones to ignore or dismiss. Even if we manage to move forward amidst the confusion, doubts and concerns may linger in our psyches simply because they have not been fully expressed and examined. As a result, we may have trouble being at peace with the decisions we do make.

One way to handle this dilemma is to consciously make time for a meeting of the minds within our psyche. This can be done as a guided meditation or as a journaling exercise. In both we can summon the many fragments that make up the whole of who we are and give them each a chance to speak. This can be a helpful tool in the face of a decision we need to make, and it can also be a fruitful path to take in the interest of self-exploration and self-care. When we gather the many fragments of our psyche together, the health and power of the whole is greatly increased.

We can imagine a roundtable in which we gather all the various representatives of our being, allowing them to name themselves and giving them a chance to speak. We allow each one to weigh in, fully expressing the perspective they represent, and we listen without comment. As we listen, we may be amazed at the wisdom and energy stored in these fragments of our self. This gathering brings the fragmented pieces of our psyche into a closer relationship, enabling us to move forward as a unified whole.

On My Weekend Hearth: Potato-Leek Gratin

Beren's girls will be visiting this weekend and since we are up to the "L" word on our Veggie Adventure, we'll be making something with leeks. This Cooking Light recipe sounds like perfect kid-friendly comfort food!

Potato-Leek Gratin


"This is the simplest way I know to make a potato gratin. Simmering the vegetables in the milk precooks them somewhat, shortening time in the oven and flavoring the milk, as well. You can easily vary this gratin by substituting some of the potatoes with other root vegetables, such as celery root, turnips, rutabagas, or parsnips. Yukon golds make a beautiful golden gratin, but I also like russets, and sometimes I mix varieties. There will be some leftover gratin, which is always welcome reheated the next day for a simple lunch served with a tossed salad." --Deborah Madison


4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 2 large)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place milk, leek, salt, pepper, potato, thyme, bay leaf, and garlic in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Discard thyme and bay leaf.

Spoon half of the potato mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining potato mixture and remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.


Yield: 6 servings

CALORIES 362 (24% from fat); FAT 9.6g (sat 5.6g,mono 2.8g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 15.2g; CHOLESTEROL 33mg; CALCIUM 426mg; SODIUM 555mg; FIBER 4.5g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 55g

Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2007

Autumn at the Castle

I'm pretending it's not 80-something outside, am doing some Autumn baking and cooking and enjoying the decorations I put up last week! Above is my entryway table, those are framed reproductions of antique Halloween cards. The little witch hat & sign sits atop my corner wine bar.

Below is my dining room table, underneath is the dining room "wreath" I made using a Christmas card holder. Again, the cards are simply copies of vintage postcards. I really like the affect, what do you think?







And last but not least is Jezebel, my favorite little witchy kitty!

Wonderful Weekend

We're having a wonderful weekend so far, a perfect combination of work & play. Friday was spent on the boat, sailed all around Biscayne Bay and even as far out as Stiltsville! Even though we got caught in some rain, it was still a lovely day of sailing.





Saturday was spent doing some much-needed castle maintenance, visiting with friends & family, then we headed to Oktoberfest. We had a great time dancing to the live band and enjoying the delicious German food & beer. Yummy!

Today is football, movies, and perhaps a dip in the pool, weather permitting. Hope everyone is having an enjoyable weekend as well!

On My Recent Hearth

Lily made this meal the other night, it was absolutely fabulous! A perfect Autumn dinner even if it's still 90 degrees outside.

Stuffed Zucchini and Red Bell Peppers

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, Lily's favorite chef. Note: She substituted veggie crumbles for the turkey making this a tasty vegetarian dish.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, grated
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 large egg
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup dried plain bread crumbs
1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat
2 zucchini, ends removed, halved lengthwise and crosswise
1 short orange bell pepper, halved and seeded
1 short red bell pepper, halved and seeded
1 short yellow bell pepper, halved and seeded
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly drizzle the olive oil into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Whisk the onion, parsley, egg, ketchup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese and bread crumbs. Mix in the turkey. Cover and refrigerate the turkey mixture.

Using a melon baller or spoon, carefully scrape out the seeds and inner flesh from the zucchini, leaving 1/8-inch-thick shells. Be careful not to pierce through the skin. Fill the zucchini and pepper halves with the turkey mixture, dividing equally and mounding slightly. Arrange the stuffed vegetables in the baking dish. Pour the marinara sauce over the stuffed vegetables.

Bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown and a thermometer inserted into the filling registers 165 degrees F, about 45 minutes. Transfer the stuffed vegetables to a platter and serve.


Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
User Rating: 5 Stars

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Blueberry and Nectarine Cobbler
From Food Network Kitchens

When adding juicy summer fruit (like blueberries) to pies and cobblers, you generally need something to help the fruit coalesce into a sauce. We love instant tapioca, as it thickens while fading into the background, letting the fruit shine.

Fruit:
6 ripe nectarines, about 1 pound
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon instant tapioca
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced into small pieces, plus more for the pan

Cobbler Top:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced into small pieces
1 large egg
1/2 cup heavy cream

Serving suggestions: Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

For the fruit: Halve the nectarines along their natural seam, but leave skins on. Cut each half into 3 wedges. Toss nectarines with blueberries, sugar, and tapioca and put into a buttered 9-inch round gratin or casserole dish. Dot the top of the fruit with the pieces of butter.

For the cobbler top: Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Rub in 2 tablespoons of the butter with your fingertips until no visible pieces remain. Rub in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter just until it is in even, pea-size pieces. Whisk together the egg and cream and stir into the dry ingredients to make a shaggy, loose dough.

Spoon large spoonfuls of dough on top of the fruit in clumps (it should look like rough, old-fashioned cobblestones, hence the name cobbler). Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the topping comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool cobbler on a rack, about 20 minutes.

Serve warm or room temperature, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Daily Inspiration: Moving Through Darkness

Daily Om October 2, 2007
Moving Through Darkness
The Places We Go

In life, most of us want things to go to the places we have envisioned ourselves going. We have plans and visions, some of them divinely inspired, that we want to see through to completion. We want to be happy, successful, and healthy, all of which are perfectly natural and perfectly human. So when life takes us to places we didn’t consciously want to go, we often feel as if something has gone wrong, or we must have made a mistake somewhere along the line, or any number of other disheartening possibilities. This is just life’s way of taking us to a place we need to go for reasons that go deeper than our own ability to reason. These hard knocks and trials are designed to shed light on our unconscious workings and deepen our experience of reality.

Often it takes something major to wake us up, to shake us loose from our ego’s grip as it struggles to maintain an illusion of control. It is loss of control more than anything else that humbles us and enables us to see the big picture. It reminds us that the key to the universe lies in what we do not know, and what we do know is a small fraction of the great mystery in which we live. This awareness softens and lightens us, as we release our resistance to what is. Another gift gleaned from going to these seemingly undesirable places is that, in our response to difficulty, we can see all the patterns and unresolved emotional baggage that stand in the way of our unconditional joyfulness. Joy exists within us independently of whether things go our way or not. And when we don’t feel it, we can trust that we will find it if we are willing to surrender to the situation, moving through it as we move through our difficult feelings.

We can take our inspiration from any fairy tale that finds its central character lost in a dark wood, frightened and alone. We know that the journey through the wood provides its own kind of beauty and richness. On the other side, we will emerge transformed, lighter and brighter, braver and more confident for having moved through that darkness.

Quiet Time

Thanks so much to all of you who are still visiting The Castle even though I have been remiss in my writing. I've been putting my focus elsewhere - lots of reading, Halloween decorating, cooking, movie watching, a bit of exercising. I've been exploring some new interests, more about that later. Not a lot of writing or even as much computer time. *shrug* Not sure what's up but I'm just listening to myself and doing what feels right. Maybe this is the way I'm handling the ongoing stress and continuous changes that continue to be hurled at me, not to mention the enormous stress that others close to me are experiencing. (yeah, I tend to soak up their emotions, too). I normally vent, either through blogging or my friends, and I'm still doing a bit of that but mostly I'm self-medicating, for lack of a better word. It's rare for a Leo to withdraw..grin..but when we do, it's for good reason and is much better for us and the people around us, believe me.

So, again, thank you. I do read all of your lovely comments and am so glad that my blogging friends are hanging in there with me. I promise I'll be visiting your own fabulous sites again soon.

Love to all..xoxoxoxo