Rituals--Small and Large

Today was a normal Saturday--mostly. The Captain and I went to the farmer's market as usual, but not before he had hauled The Bosun up the mast of Mother Goose (our sailboat, and she came to us with that name. It's fitting, isn't it?). We have been fixing it up so Grandad can sail it by himself--and he's so excited he makes the 30 minute trip into Port Angeles almost every day to check on the progress. The Bosun replaced a light and an antenna, and then we were off to see our farmers.

The spring veggies seem a bit slow in coming this year. There are a few greens like kale raab and some hothouse lettuce, and there are leeks (all of which I bought). And potatoes, lots of potatoes (I skipped those, natch!). I sometimes joke that I can get through the market without buying anything green, because ours is a full-service market. Today the haul was beef liver and steaks, local cheeses for The Captain and Blondina (who share a fondness for what he calls "psychedelic" cheese--the stinkier the better), eggs (soy and corn free! The feed is locally grown too...) I am missing our lamb farmer who injured himself badly recently. And there was no salmon yet, only cod, so we didn't get fish (we had cod last week and fish is a hard sell with the kids). Still, we are so very lucky to have a year-round market here, and we could live very well, if a bit monotonously, on the winter offerings.

I always feel so connected going to the market. The farmers have become friends, friends who point out something special, save things for us that they know we will like, who will discuss the finer points of chickweed preparation (oh, I got some of those too, because I don't have a good foraging spot for them yet).  It is rare for me to set foot in the local supermarket, something I do for things like charcoal and trash bags. Between the market, the health food store, foraging and gleaning we are covered. We usually buy meat by the side from a farmer, which goes into a chest freezer on our top deck. As I said yesterday, we (truly) have everything we need.

The Blogess and Blondina cutting and coating marshmallows

Still, I shopped for Easter basket fillers today: pencils, stickers, Silly Putty. I had already thrifted some adorable stuffed animals and a few other geegaws. Then I spent some time organizing the treats. I broke the nut brittle, shaped the truffles and cut out the marshmallows. We may have everything we need, but the kids do enjoy such small rituals--and they get so little that's special otherwise. We don't watch TV or go to amusement parks (but we do have the best County Fair ever!) We live a pretty simple life, which is why I feel o.k indulging them a bit on occasion.

I must admit that I did lick my fingers during Operation Marshmallow. The ingredients are all on Intro, but I still felt guilty. Kind of like following the letter of the law but not the spirit of it...

Otherwise, I am doing pretty well, now that it's what, Day 13? Wow. I seem to be back to a better pace after the confusion following the stomach bug. I wasn't sure if ghee was problematic, or the fermented fish, so I took a break from those two and added avocado several days ago. That's been fine--and a welcome addition. As the stews have been. So today I had a tiny piece of my gravlax. There's always the urge to have more, because it tastes (as Cap'n Gary would say) like "s'more"! But I reminded myself I can have that tomorrow if I am patient today.

I am not by nature a patient person. Just ask my kids. So this project of Intro, the Right Way, is testing my abilities. Self-control is a good thing, at least in some areas of life, so I am working on this. Who knew a "diet" would force me to analyze my values, personality and habits? This is one powerful path we are traveling together!

I may not post tomorrow, as we are having a feast with my in-laws: Salmon and cross-cut ribs, geoduck chowder, wild-rice (for them), veggies and salad. I get to eat the chowder--but I'll be with my family, so who's complaining? I also get to share my lovely salad, some GAPS-friendly cookies for Blondina, and some of our Easter treats.

Here's to your lovely Easter celebration, or at least a gentle relaxing Sunday. See you on Monday!

Life Is Sweet, with a recipe

Such a full day!

With no kids around (except the last one to succumb to the tummy bug, who was tucked into her bunk and never made a peep) I took advantage of feeling soooo much better than yesterday. I am so grateful that simplifying my food, back to soup and eggs, made such a difference so quickly.

Projects! I had things to do: can the stock that had been simmering for a day and a half, make honey candy for the kids' Easter, clean the 30 pounds of geoducks that had shown up miraculously this morning. In addition to things like picking up the Blondie girlie from her friend's house, getting her to ballet, dropping her back for a "double sleepover". And hitting the health food store for the makings of horse clam chowder (Intro friendly!) for tonight's dinner. 

Somehow it all got pulled off gracefully and I never got tired until midway through dinner. The Professional had woken me at 4:30 am with her version of the tummy bug and I never got much more sleep, so it is catching up with me. I am looking forward to a lovely night, as the vertigo is improving. Not gone, but much better--like riding the Cups and Saucers instead of the Loop de Loop.

I only got a portion of the candy done, but it was the important part: the marshmallows, which have to set for a couple of days. Ever since we started the SCD, I have made honey candy for Easter. It's a GAPS compatible splurge, better than the Halloween binge I have no control over (not with two teens and a tween at home).  I won't be eating any--it's definitely not o.k. for Intro--but I may save a couple of pieces for later. I only make it once a year after all.

Blondina with the treat

The marshmallows get cut into chicks, eggs and bunnies with special marshmallow cutters. I tint coconut with turmeric and beet juice for yellow "peeps" and pink eggs. The bunnies get rolled gently in cocoa (I have locally-made raw organic cocoa this year! Thanks Denise!) and are the most adorable "chocolate" bunnies ever. This year I made them with amazing duck egg whites--they turned out so fluffy and white (thank you so much Christopher!)

In addition, I will make almond brittle (just honey, butter and soaked/toasted slivered almonds) and truffles (chocolate with cream or coconut milk, and flavors--we like chili!, rolled in nuts, coconut or cocoa). Yeah, I know cocoa is very advanced, but my family isn't doing GAPS. And all of this is a far sight better than the norm. The kids want me to try lollipops again. The one year I made them, I didn't cook the honey long enough and they stayed gooey--still yummy, but not lollipops. I have ideas to make them work this time.

In Longboat with the loot

In case you think all we do is gorge on sweets, the tradition for years has been to do a scavenger hunt where the clues take the pack of kids  --who have to work together to solve the rhyming riddles--- all over the marina, until they end up where the baskets are hidden. We always seem to have a guest or two--the more, the merrier. The baskets are candy-free, containing things like stuffed animals, stickers, little plants, and tiny toys. It gets harder with teenagers, but believe me, they still look forward to the whole ritual. When they have found the baskets, they come into the galley for the treats. 

Last Easter, Blondina and I took our homemade candy in a basket around the marina. We are the only family here with children, but there are older couples whose kids are gone and single men, none of whom have family around. You should have seen their faces! They were so surprised and thrilled that we had come visiting, bearing our tiny treats...

The Captain's parents live near us, having moved to the area last summer. We will have celebratory salmon dinner with Grandmom and Granddad, share the rest of our treats and watch Downton Abbey, a British serial that has been engrossing us all.  I will be bringing part of the offerings, including some geoduck chowder to share, that I can eat for my meal.

This is the essence of a holiday, no? Watching the kids have a blast together, sharing a meal with extended family, and sharing ourselves and our treats with others. This is pure joy, a necessity for life. The candy is optional.


Homemade Honey Marshmallows
(which I have been making so long I am not sure where I got the recipe--If you know, please tell me)

Ingredients

5 tsp (or 2 envelopes) gelatin--I use Bernard Jensen's
1/2 cup water
1.5 cups honey (lighter is better for a white candy,  each honey gives a different flavor and color)
1/3 cup water
one egg white
coconut flour (or other fine powder for coating the pan--cocoa works, so do almond flour and shredded coconut, it depends on how you want them to look when done)

Parchment or waxed paper
A 9 x 12 or similar pan (smaller= thicker marshmallows)
A candy thermometer
A mixer, stand or hand

Procedure 

~Line the pan with the paper, letting it extend up the sides. Make a fine layer of the flour.
~Put the 1/2 cup water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it, being careful to avoid clumps
~Mix the honey and 1/3 cup water in a large-ish saucepan (the honey will foam) and heat until 240 degrees F (soft ball stage). Add gelatin mixture, stir. Let cool ten minutes.
~Toward the end of the syrup cooling time, beat the egg white just to stiff peaks (still moist, not dry)
~With the beaters on medium, add the syrup to the egg white slowly. Continue beating on high until stiff peaks. The volume will triple or quadruple--at least!
~Spread into prepared pan and set in a safe dry place for 24-48 hours.
~Cut into squares or shapes (use simple cookie cutters, if deep enough, dipped in coconut flour)
~Toss in shredded coconut, cocoa, coconut flour, etc. Your choice. If you want to tint the coconut (the flour doesn't tint well), use natural colorings or things you have around: turmeric for yellow, beet juice for pink, purple cabbage juice for blue (or blueberry juice), any juiced green for green. And so on.
~Don't forget to share these! People have never heard of homemade marshmallows--you will make their day!

Tradition

Making marshmallows for Easter, a tradition around here. And almond brittle, and truffles . . .

I cut the marshmallows with marshmallow cutters (found, of course, at Williams Sonoma some years ago) into chicks and bunnies--the chicks get rolled in yellow-tinted coconut (think Peeps) and the bunnies in cocoa powder (so velvety! so cute!) I know, how obsessive can we get?, but last year was so full with the move and all that we didn't do the homemade candy or the scavenger hunt, so I feel like I need get back to normal already.

I am looking for some new recipes, but can't find anything earth shaking. I might flavor the brittle the way my sister did for her wedding favors, with the Persian twists of rose water and saffron. And I am thinking of doing the truffles with coconut cream so I can have some, but otherwise, Tradition Prevails.

It is Spring therefore It Is Raining. Not great conditions for candy making--terribly humid, but there you go: I don't make the calendar, I just respond to it. So Easter candy it is. No matter what the experts say. If it all turns out, I will have to post pictures for you. Just please, help me to remember that the marshmallows are drying out in the turned-off oven, or we might disappoint the kids two years in a row . . .