November november give me something to remember
So I went a little ranty on my ‘non-political’, political post, A Brief Word. I kept going back and forth on posting it. Do I acknowledge what’s going on? Or do I keep my mouth shut? This personal mouth of mine has a history of highly opinionated word vomiting that isn’t always the most appropriate, well-informed or nessecary course of action in certain (almost all) circumstances. I am, what they like to call, a CHATTERBOX.
“SURELY NOT NED?” I hear you cry in disbelief dear readers.
Yes, shockingly I am. I know it seems soooo out of character.
Also I have highly emotional, bossy, know-it-all tendencies that I have been truly trying to grow through and out of. Most importantly of all I noticed in past versions of myself a habit of being an ‘interrupter’ and I really don’t like that part of me. So, I have mostly been erring on the side of not saying anything but listening.
In the end I did post a little statement on my ‘thoughts’. However, it is not really political in the sense of a sharing of my personal views but merely a…written response to the feelings I have on how we have been to each other through this time. If you live in America, we have not been good or kind. Maybe what I say can encourage us to look at this situation differently, maybe it will spark conversation, or maybe it is the wrong thing to say. Part of me needed to release it and that’s why I did it. Sorry to have added to the noise I hope I can be a force of quietude.
Reads
Firstly, I wish to share this poem. I basically always share the stuff I wish I had written.
How Dark the Beginning
By Maggie Smith
All we ever talk of is light—
let there be light, there was light then,
good light—but what I consider
dawn is darker than all that.
So many hours between the day
receding and what we recognize
as morning, the sun cresting
like a wave that won’t break
over us—as if light were protective,
as if no hearts were flayed,
no bodies broken on a day
like today. In any film,
the sunrise tells us everything
will be all right. Danger wouldn’t
dare show up now, dragging
its shadow across the screen.
We talk so much of light, please
let me speak on behalf
of the good dark. Let us
talk more of how dark
the beginning of a day is.
Secondly, I have been finishing up my re-reading of the book Atomic Habits over the past few weeks. Sometimes with non-fiction, I like to read it over, in a more thorough manner so I can take notes and also because I have a tendency to skim when I am tired and that’s not good for ingesting deep content. One of the ideas put across by the author was the concept of being in motion versus in action.
I love thinking about my relationship to creativity and how it intersects with habits and identity. Committing to the practices of making, writing, thinking, and being over a lifetime in order to reckon with the vortex of thought inside and response outside basically is my forever fallback thought spiral. If you know me, then you know it’s the one beaten path I drag my tired aging body up and down without ever reaching a true destination or assuredness all the damn time.
This essay over on The Marginalian popped up in my email in these last few weeks and it felt like a nice validation of the concept of wrestling with the inner self and the external creative process. The introduction to this is chef’s kiss oh so tasty. Again, I wish I had written it.
“ Writing is the best instrument I have for metabolizing my experience and clarifying my own mind in such a way that I am no longer captive to it.”
Bants
I recently somehow stumbled upon this amazing spice company, Diaspora Co, I think maybe through a targeted Instagram ad. This makes sense as their design choices are totally up my alley. I ordered some looseleaf tea and much-needed spices that my kitchen has been missing and I can report they are 100% worth ordering from. We used their pragati turmeric in a dish I recently made, just a small pinch, and it was punchy, present, and effervescent. Best of all, it did not have the stale taste that crappy old spices often have. If you have the means and they are available where you live, I suggest investing in those few essentials that are hard to access in stores and elevate your dishes to the next, herbaceous level.
For a beautiful discussion of where we go from here in the sharp inhale of post-election America, listen to this podcast interview between Kate Bowler and Parker Palmer. These two are so genuine, so curious and emotional it was a pleasure to hear their thoughts. It helped me with some of my loosey-goosey feelings that still feel displaced.
Eats
I do not have a lot of recommendations of recipes this week as I have simply been falling back on some old faithful foods to #getby. (We are still suffering the sleep consequences of daylight savings). However……I did throw together this last-minute gnocchi dish I just kinda winged after an exhausting weekend and it was so easy, delicious, and came together super quick. I love a one-pan dish that celebrates convenience and taste, it’s that plus any Dutch oven recipe and I’m like yes yes let me play goddamnit.
So here it was, I’ll try to recall my measurements I kinda winged.
2 bell peppers sliced into strips
1/2 red onion peeled and chopped into thin strips
However many cherry tomatoes you have on hand ( I had 1/4 of a container) sliced into halves if small or quarters if oblong shaped
1 tablespoon ish of minced garlic (ie however much your heart tells you)
1 teaspoon sea salt
A few crunches of cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
A dash of crushed red peppper flakes added to personal preference of zing level
Combine all ingredients in a bowl mix until well combined
Spread on a baking tray (yusssss we baking this gnocs) and cook at 450 degrees farenheit/ 220 celsius for 18-20mins depending on your oven
LE MOST IMPORTANT: Grate cheese or toss shredded cheese all over as much as you please. Place back in oven (just turned off and cooling) for a couple minutes to melt the the cheese. Serve and gorge yourself mmmmmmm.
That’s it. It was unbelievable. Hope it gives you a day of good eating my loves.
OHHH I forgot I added some sliced vegetarian sausage. You can totally slice up some sausage and precook in a pan and then add to the tray to cook with food for added protein. Or not, whatever you like. Chicken sausage is a good taste with this setup I have been told by mi familia.
