Breathe

"I breathe better outside.  It's my 'therapy' place."

 

It's true.
I was explaining to a dear friend what helps me clear my head from the craziness...it's being outside.
Now, I'm not an exerciser...I try, but I prefer a brisk walk or slow stroll with my walking buddy.

He sets the pace.
He has messages to pick up and replace. (pee-yuck!)
He needs to investigate what events have taken place in the neighborhood.  (i.e. strange, new smells)
Obviously, as a Border Collie, it is his job to make sure that everything is in perfect order.  The neighborhood is his realm...his territory...his job...he's a detective.
He has discoveries to make
and so do I.
While he takes care of "business," so do I.
I breathe.
I think.
I let the stress of the day drift away.

But my favorite, absolute favorite time of the day is early in the morning.
And, actually, this time of the year...January. 
The mornings are amazing.
Trust me, I know...I'm out there.
While you're sleeping, Murph is patrolling and I'm...well...I'm just breathing.
The morning is full of possibilities.
Nothing has happened yet.
Nothing.
Nothing good or bad.
It's neutral.

In January, it's a different morning.
The cold, somehow, makes everything look different...feel different.
More raw. More real. 
And, well, everything has a beautiful shimmer...
...a sparkle, from the ice crystals forming throughout the night. 
God's sparkle.
It's beautiful.
Simple.
I breathe in the sparkle and it changes me.

And it's really, really quiet.
Shhhh....just listen. (I whisper.)
It's so perfectly quiet.
Most people miss this part of the day.
Most people are snug in their beds still waiting for the light, to greet the day.
Me...I have a headlamp.  It's enough light.
Plus, it is the only part of my day that is quiet. 
A comfortable quiet.

You see...I generally don't like quiet.
I thrive in noise.
I recharge from the conversations and interactions with people. 
That is more comfortable then quiet.
In the quiet you think.
You ponder...you wonder...and try to solve problems...most of the time.
But not in the morning, I just breathe.
I let the bad, stuffy air out of my body, and bring in the good.
In January, the cold, crisp air, brightens my lungs and brings a new freshness into my soul.
I breathe.

As we marched head first into January, I challenge you to one thing...it's simple.
Breathe.
I know, I know...you do that anyway. 
But that's not the breath that I speak of...this is very different.
It's purposeful.
It's meaningful.
It.   will.   change.   you.
Trust me.
It changes my world, daily.
I just breathe better outside.
You'll see.
It's better.
Breathe.

 

P.S.- When I hear the song, Breathe, by Michelle Branch I think about this scene...

I'm so lucky to have an amazing safety net. :0)

Blueberry-Lemon Buttermilk Scones

Brrr...it's chilly outside!
Winter has barely settled in here in Oregon, but I'm already cold.
I know. I know.
It's not really that cold here.
And that's very true...it's not that cold here, but it's cold enough for me.
Sure, I'll take this dry, cold spell over the sideways rain any day,
but it is making me wish for Summer.
Since I can't have summer for awhile,
I'm sure glad that I preserve some little bits of summer to get me through these cold days.

Aren't these pretty?!

Even straight from the freezer,

these are a beautiful reminder of summer.

They deserve a new gorgeous spot, 

as the highlight of delicious scones.

Blueberry-Lemon Buttermilk Scones
Adapted from AlexandraCooks and Tartine
Yield=20-24 Scones

Ingredients:
4 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbl. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp. lemon zest
3 Tbls. fresh lemon juice
1 cup + 1 Tbl. cold unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 cups blueberries

Topping:
turbinado sugar for sprinkling (regular granulated sugar is okay too.)

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Zest and juice one lemon.  Set aside for later.

3.In an electric stand mixer, whisk together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add sugar, salt and lemon zest and stir to combine.

4. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and scatter the cubes over the dry ingredients. Cut butter into dry ingredients.

5. Add the buttermilk all at once and mix until it is combined. If the mixture seems dry, add a little bit more buttermilk, though mine was very moist.


6.  Add blueberries into the dough and gently fold in berries.

7. Dust your work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. If you’ve made the whole recipe, divide the dough into two or three even portions. Using your hands, pat each portion into a circular disk about 1 1/2 inches thick.  Sprinkle with sugar. Cut each disk into 6 wedges.

8. Transfer the triangles to baking sheet.

9. Bake until the tops of the scones are lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes. (They took 23 minutes to be browned in my oven.)

10. Remove from the oven and serve immediately. 
Or take them to your next breakfast movie-fest morning. ;0)
That's what I'm doing!

Joe's Meat Palace

Okay...that's not the name, but it sure could be!
This is the type of restaurant that was created for a man like my dad.

Ox.
Simple name, but flavor, now that's a powerful, beautiful force in this spot.
It's a meatastic locale.
It's a meat-extravaganza!
It's a meat party in your mouth!
Meatapoluza!
Get it, the place is a palace of meat!
(And apparently of exclamation points too...geesh!)

Now, that all of the vegetarians have left this blog, I have the correct audience.

Meat lovers unite along MLK blvd,

to enjoy a culinary dream of local, beautifully prepared carne.

As you can see, I'm not afraid of a meal o' meat.

In fact, I know that I'm my father's daughter,

because I can and do enjoy beef and pork in many forms.

But I am picky about it.

I want my meat to be happy. I like to picture the meat grazing in a grass pasture, mooing the day into being. I grew up knowing the names of the cows that were then served at the meals. Yes, it might sound strange, but they had a nice life. I want all animals raised for consumption to have a good, solid life before it's made into a gorgeous meal.


See, that's not so bad! Good life during and after...and man o' man...this was a tasty afterlife!


I had no real idea of the amazing meal that I was going to be gifted with that evening. But it is definitely going to hold a taste memory for me. For me, when I eat something memorable, it goes into my taste memory bank.

Locked away for me to pull as needed...it's also a good way to remember the places that must stay on my repeat business list.
Ox has a permanent spot there.
In fact, before I made it home,
I was recommending this restaurant where meat dreams are made,
to the one person who I know would love it...

...My Dad.
What can I say?
The man loves meat.
Not only loves,
but can appreciate a good meatastic meal.
So dad, this one was made for you.

And to get you making a reservation soon, enjoy a look at this meat spread. Delicious.

 

Now, if there is a vegetarian still here with me, don't worry, there are things here for you too.
The butternut squash soup was outstanding.
Plus, the sauteed mushrooms were perfect and I could have made a meal with just that and empanadas. Oh, I can't believe that I haven't mentioned the empanadas yet?!?
Mouthwatering. Period.

The crunchy, flaky crust reminded me of the ones that my host-mother in Spain would make. See, taste-memories...I hang on to those forever! I can still remember back to 1997 and those wonderful empanadas every Thursday...perfection.
Ox definitely got those right, along with everything else.

Perfect.
Delicious.




And the best part?
Okay, it's the best part for me,
was that the chef/owner Greg showed me pictures of his two beautiful mastiffs.
Anyone who loves their dogs that much, has to be good.
No question.
Loves their dogs = fabulous human = amazing contribution to the world.
Alright...I may have gone too far...
nah.
I'm pretty sure that I've got that one right.
Plus, my Murph agrees. I'm right.
Now, go! Scoot! Make a reservation!
Eat and live a food dream, in reality.
Cheers!

 Greg and Gabi

http://leeksoup.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/ox-restaurant-portland-food-adventures-hot-hot-hot/