At the office, even though it's Sunday. I've not been writing the blog on weekends because I don't have a computer at home (by design). But today, putting finishing touches on a birthday basket for beloved friend, Carol. Copying her idea to me which was a cornucopia of her favorite things. I was the happy recipient of cool stuff like, a loose tea mug, gourmet teas, gourmet salts, a tasting spoon for cooking, an explicable looking thing that turned out to be a sponge that comes to life with water, a whisk broom. I missing a bunch of things - leaky memory.
Anyway, now it's my turn to turn her on to my favorite things and how much fun is it to sit and itemize your favorite things? I felt like breaking out into the Rodgers and Hammerstein song that starts, "Raindrops on Roses!" My life should have a soundtrack, I swear! So here's what's in her basket (she will get the gift before she reads this blog, so don't worry, I won't spoil the surprise).
- a carrot cake - you didn't really think I was done with making crack carrot cake, did you?
- 20 year old aged balsamic vinegar from Old Towne Oil
- a plane grater for zesting lemons and oranges - I can't live without mine
- a coffee mug that I actually bought for her almost a year ago. She and I are passionate about caressing coffee mugs. This one is perfect. Matte, rounded so it cups well in your hands, simple and unadorned with the most beautiful chocolate brown glaze that is crackled a little bit in the inside with the color morphing to a brownish plum. Made in France. French people know.
- A loaf of Seed-uction bread - I eat it almost every morning for breakfast. It's the kind of loaf that would knock you out if I lobbed it at you, full of whole grains and seeds, hence the play on words.
- Irish cheddar cheese. You toast the bread, and then put thin slices of this cheese on it.
- Raw cranberry orange walnut relish that I made. It's incredible atop the bread and cheese. I just used my last bag of cranberries and thinking I'll have to wait until next fall to get more since they're now out of season.
- These thin little ginger cookies that have cinnamon in them and bits of ginger. I can't remember the name of them. Liza and James made the discovery of these cookies with Manchego sheep's milk cheese. Who would have thunk to put cheese on what is really a thin cookie, but OMG!
- The Manchego cheese, of course!
- A tube of VO5 hair grease. If you're my age, you probably remember your mother using it. Did you know they still make it? A dab of it is magic for taming fly-aways. My girls used to make fun of me and now they use it too.
- Chocolate mint tea that I drink all the time and love.
- My staple granola from Whole Foods - comes in a pouch - can't remember the name. I eat it stirred into Greek honey yogurt.
- The Greek honey yogurt of course!
- Remember me talking about my ritual of taking a bath and selecting a packet of bath salts with just the right name? Tranquility, Inspiration, Soothing Heat, Euphoria, etc? I got her some of those as well. I know it's blatant marketing hype but I play along with it and enjoy it.
It will be fun to share these things with her. I've always thought it so interesting that we live our lives so much the same but so differently. The point is driven home when I peek into other peoples' shopping carts - what are staples for them - the things they can't live without. There is surprisingly little commonality with what we stock in our larders and refrigerator. Of course, the basics: milk, eggs, mayo. These are things you will always find in my refrigerator: gourmet cheeses, greek yogurt, fresh pineapple, pie crusts, marmalade, fresh ginger root, Perrier or Pellegrino, heavy whipping cream, sour cream, buttermilk, bell peppers, scallion, apples, carrots, Italian parsley, English cucumber, lemons, yeast, all the de rigeur condiments like Worcestershire, Dijon, horseradish, beef stock, cocktail sauce. And always onions, sweet potatoes and fresh garlic. These are the things that go on my list when I run out of them. No soda, no juice, no prepared foods. I have a virtuous refrigerator!!!
This weekend has been difficult. I'm still trying hard to let go of things that have me in a stranglehold. The good news is that I'm on top of it all. Life is grim and not much fun these days, but I'm living with dignity and keeping promises to myself which feels deeply gratifying (personal victories). Eating is good, not drinking these days (since I gave up vodka, wine just doesn't call my name), my important relationships are humming along, I am in contact with the people I need to be and not with those I need to let go. My house is clean and things are getting done. It's a good life and soon, I think, I will be happy again.
Your challenge today could be taking Carol's idea and making a basket of YOUR favorite things for someone with an upcoming birthday. Chances are you've made some amazing finds (the perfect barbecue sauce, a kitchen gizmo that you can't imagine living without, hand lotion made by nuns in New Jersey that is unequaled, etc). Share them!
Peace,
Sarah
Picture is of a cranberry bog. I grew up in cranberry country - Cape Cod. The kids in the next town over, Carver, were the cranberry farmers and they often had cranberries in their pockets to pelt at kids they didn't like. Each fall, the cranberry bogs are flooded to harvest the berries (they float) and the bogs are left flooded for the winter. I remember ice skating on a bog and how pretty the pink ice was with cranberries that had escaped the harvest, frozen into the ice. Did you know that cranberries bounce? That's how you know they are good - the spoiled ones lose their bounce.
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