My Recent Blooms

My Mom ....

She left me with early memories and a love for bleeding hearts, little bleeding hearts

and larger bleeding hearts.

 

She gave me the ability to enjoy digging in the dirt, and pulling weeds while exclaiming over the first forget-me-knots,

and geraniums, maybe a Sticky Geranium.

She gave me the wonder that makes me look out the window each morning to see how many new little flowers are in the strawberries,

or what bushes have suddenly turned yellow.

She taught me to be excited for each little violet popping up around the yard and even in the sidewalk,

 



and to look in wonder each day at my chives as they grow and
I guard them from the deer.

 

She handed down the desire to know where my food comes from and to be excited for any food I can grow myself, so I watch my new orchard of apple,

 

 

and pear and plum trees,

 

 

and raspberries each and every day.

I'm sorry nothing was blooming when you came out Mom. Thanks for giving me this love of plants, those that grow things and those that have pretty blooms. 
Happy Mother's Day!

Date Bars

I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful spring.  Spring has definitely sprung in Missoula. 

The trees are blooming and the first farmers market was full of vegetables, raw honey, sun, and fun!

I finally got back to a recipe I've been wanting to tweak before posting.  I'm personally a big fan of dates and while this recipe may get set in the back of the folder until next fall, I look forward to many more date bars next winter.  It's full of good fiber and gluten free.

My husband had a bar for breakfast this morning and last night he enjoyed them with the only thought that ice cream would be a nice addition.

Gluten Free Date Bars

Fair warning - I don't like to skimp on the middle date layer and I like nice buttery crumble.

Ingredients for Crust and Oat Crumb Topping
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup Gluten Free Flour Blend (I use King Arthur's Gluten Free Whole Grain Flour Blend)
1/4 cup almond meal
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
5 oz butter (or a little more than 1/2 cup)
1/8 cup (or to taste) chopped unsweetened coconut

Ingredients for Filling
1 3/4 cup dates, pitted and chopped
2/3 cup water
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly spray a 8x8 or 9x9 square baking dish.
2. In a bowl mix together oats, flax, brown sugar, flour and almond meal. 
3. With a spoon, mix in maple syrup.
4. With a pastry cutter, cut in butter.  (Fingers would also work!)
5. Press 2/3 of the dough into the prepared dish, pressing down into a crust and slightly up the sides.
6. Bake the crust for 6-8 minutes.  It just needs to be set, not browned.
7. In the meantime, simmer your dates, water, and lemon juice over low heat.  Stir regularly until water is absorbed and mixture is getting creamy.
8. Into the remaining crust crumbs, mix in the coconut.
9. After you pull the crust from the oven, top with the date mixture and crumble the remaining crust on top.
10. Bake in the 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden on top.
11. Cool completely and cut!

Layer One: Baked Crust

Layer Two: Topped with Dates

Layer Three: Topped with Crumble:

Additional Notes:

1. I think a 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon might also be a good addition to the top crumble.
2. Trying to cut out butter?  My next efforts are going to be to replace some of the butter with coconut butter!  If you try it let me know.
3. Any type of date will work.  I used two different types in here.  I splurged for the pitted dates because it's like cleaning shrimp - why if you don't have to?
4. Could you substitute honey for maple syrup?  I don't see why not!  The maple is a good flavor with the dates though.

Happy Blooms!

Time to Smell the Flowers

Well, that's enough meatloaf, but I don't quite have the time to type of some of the recipes I've been working on the past couple weeks and they still need a couple more tweaks and tests, so I've decided to share some of my favorite things from the past week.

Last weekend I was lucky enough to spend the weekend with my beautiful friend Debbie.  We got to take in the Garden of 1,000 Buddhas.

I barely fed Debbie after she got off the plane before we headed to the Garden.  I've been waiting for someone to visit this garden with me!

I look forward to enjoying this garden of peace and reflection over and over again.  It was the perfect start to a women's yoga retreat weekend.

We had a brief respite from spring, for a different type of May Day.  But within a day that welcome moisture was melted and we were back to spring.  Two nights of freezing temps didn't even seem to daze my first flowers.

I've been spending time in my new gardens, although the more time I spend, the more I realize I have yet to do before summer really takes hold! 

I am truly enjoying these first little flowers that I find as I clear out old growth.

Yesterday they really made me smile and relax into the sun, realizing just how lucky I am.  I've been making an effort to be kind to myself, have a little self-compassion.  What does that mean?  For me, it means to stop and smell the flowers.  To remember that whether the garden looks perfect now, in three weeks, or never - the flowers will still bloom.

I wish you all a weekend of self-compassion.  Find a reason to smile today and forgive yourself for not getting everything on your list done perfectly.