This Is For YOU

This is for you. For your courageous self, for the shy, the outrageous, timid, loud, fat, skinny, ridge, flexible, stingy, generous YOU! That’s right I’m talking to You ~ each and everyone of You.

I am struck by what it takes to get out of bed each day. To not give up. To choose to continue on what ever path you are walking. You are out in the world BEING you. That my friends is not necessarily an easy task.

We are bombarded everyday with what society claims they want us to be, look like, wear, even down to the way we wash our skin. Yet, I would tell you this isn’t what we want ~ look at your friends ~ they are your friends and mine…why? Because they are exactly who they are! With all the frills, bells and whistles that make them the unique person they are.

I am struck also by the courage it takes for us to be true to ourselves. To choose to grow, push against our edges, to reach out to a friend and ask for support. To laugh at our silly serious selves. Yes, even to choose on some level to stay stuck in our own mud pit. Some days I wonder what it is my friends see in me ~ who is it that they know that I don’t seem to. I wish I could take out my eyes, borrow yours for just a moment to get a glimpse of the me that you like, love, hate.

This is for you, my friend ~ I See You and through your eyes I am able to see me. Thank you for this gift of friendship. I am blessed by your gift.

I See YOU, this is for you ~ in the words of edward estlin cummings

i carry your heart with me
(i carry it in my heart)
i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)
i want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

This is for YOU, dear friend, for indeed I carry you with me each day~ it is that You See Me that I AM . Thank you, from the bottom of my soul.


the heart of me, my home is indeed my kitchen - my love comes through to you with what is created there. Self in shadow - it could be you as we are one.

A Sweetness for YOU

L'shannah Tovah! As the sun sets this evening, I have friends that are celebrating the possibilities of the coming year. Rosh Hashanah, commonly called the Jewish New Year. With this celebration like all good traditions there are foods that are eaten to bring to mind some of what is desired or wished for. So I offer up Honey Cake, made with rye flour. This one is not so sweet ~ which doesn’t mean anything other then that.

Rosh Hashanah Honey Cake
2 Tablespoons instant coffee dissolved in ¾ cup hot water
3 eggs
3 Tablespoons oil
¾ cup apple sauce
¾ cup honey
¾ brown sugar
2 ½ cups rye flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Dissolve the instant coffee in the water. Cool
Grease the equivalent of a 9x13 pan and heat the oven to 340 degrees
Mix the first 6 ingredients ( wet items) to blend, in another bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Mix them together just until smooth.
Bake cake/cakes about 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Since I use rye flour I notice it takes a little longer.
If using wheat flour use 2 ¼ cup and bake for less time.
While still hot, drizzle a little bit more honey on top of cakes – this will make it shiny.

Wishing you all a year that is Sweet, Healthy, full of Adventure and Friends! To the possibilities of all that may come. Now on to the Days of Awe.

Beets to Borscht

Harvest time, a fabulous farmer’s market, it’s Soup! This past Saturday, I decided that I would see if I could pick up everything I needed fresh from the market. Indeed there were many options I could have gone with, yet the abundance of Beets, the deep reds, the striped and the goldens. South Paw Farm, Freedom Farm, and Fishbowl Farm, a little bit from each to spread the cash flow and we have; ta- da~ Momma Ro's Golden Beet Borscht. Time to start putting some root veggies back into the swing of things.

Momma Ro's Golden Beet Soup
Feeds 4- 6 for dinner 5-8 if you’re calling it a starter


1 large yellow onion or a leek ~ chopped
2 stalks celery ~chopped
1 –2 cloves garlic ~ minced
3 carrots ~ I cut them on the diagonal
A healthy splash of oil for the sauté pot

5 large Golden beets, peeled and chopped
2 med potatoes ~ chopped
I recently used fingerlings (object everything from the Farmer’s Market)
2 Honey Crisp or Paula Reds ~ chopped peeling is a mater of preference


8 cups veggie/chicken stock or water
You can make a quick veggie stock by taking 4 cups and tossing in all the peelings from the items above – bring to a boil let simmer while you, do the rest of the steps.

Salt and Coarse Cracked Pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional

1 ½ cup green cabbage


Topping goodies 1 cup sour cream
¾ cup chives or grated raw red beet



Saute the first 5 items till the onions are clear (tip – hot pan cold oil – food won’t stick)
Add in you beets, potatoes and apples, stir together, add a pinch of salt and one of pepper.
Add the stock to the pot, heat, cover, simmer until beets and potatoes are tender. Add the cabbage just before about 2 minutes before you turn off the heat to serve. I sometimes take about 2 cups of soup and CAREFULLY pour into the ‘quezy’ then add it back into the soup.

May be served hot or cold, top with a dab of sour cream, sprinkle on chives or grated beet

Enjoy this classic! You can also use red beets makes a different soup all together. Serve with a green salad and rye bread. YUM