Creating Magic In Your Life

Conscious Gratitude: A Supper With Heart, Part 2

December 15, 2011

“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” – Federico Fellini  I have always loved cooking for those I love. I think there is nothing more generous than cooking for and breaking bread with those that make your heart zing. Sitting around a long table with loved ones and good conversation, while enjoying nourishing food, [...]

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Grandmas Best Ever Pies

December 15, 2011

Grandmas Best Ever Pie Crust  Makes 2 pie crusts (enough dough for 1 double-crust pie) Ingredients 2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1/2 cup chilled lard or frozen nonhydrogenated solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch cubes [...]

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Fire House Pot Roast Bolognese

December 15, 2011

“This is that very rich beef sauce that will turn a plate of pasta into a bit of glory!”  I first had this delicious dinner at a villa on a vineyard. The matriarch of the family cooked tirelessly and did this entire dish in one day. She would jump on her four-wheeler and head out [...]

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Conscious Gratitude: A Supper With Heart, Part 1

December 14, 2011

  “There is so much to live for and so many ways to expand.” ~Jeanette Goodrum  It was my 92 years young friend Jeanette Goodrum who first taught me about Chi–a vital energy that is not only present in plants and animals but flows through the universe as a whole. In China, it is known [...]

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A Heart Healthy Indulgence, White Chicken Chili

November 29, 2011

My dear husband recently had a heart attack. It was a huge wake up call for not only him, but many of our friends as well. Husbands are whining that their wives are “on them” and I say have at ‘em! While making meals heart healthy is simple, sitting down with your mate to have [...]

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Good For Your Heart & Soul White Chicken Chili

November 29, 2011

Many slow cooker recipes are convenient, tasty, and can be adjusted to be heart-healthy. Just add appropriate heart friendly ingredients and let your slow cooker do the work. Immediately after Stephen’s heart attack dear friends took care of us all by delivering dinner for ten nights, fruit and goodie baskets, and a few bottles of [...]

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Apples, Pears, & Pumpkin Oh, My

October 24, 2011

  Fall means many magical things to so many people. Our collective sense memory for the fall season is huge. Just putting on a sweater and heading out to watch a football game or catch a soccer game, while the leaves change right before our eyes, makes us feel cozy inside. Yesterday, I was happy [...]

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Best Ever Braised Beef Short Ribs with Red Wine Gravy, Wilted Swiss Chard, & Baked Polenta

October 24, 2011

  Braised Beef Short Ribs with Red Wine Gravy, Wilted Swiss Card and Baked Polenta 6 pounds 3-inch-long meaty beef short ribs Coarse kosher salt 1/4 cup all purpose flour 1/2 cup olive oil, divided 3 cups chopped onions 3 cups 3/4-inch cubes peeled turnips (about 1 pound) 2 cups chopped peeled carrots (about 8 [...]

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Spice it up & Live Better!

October 12, 2011

Cayenne pepper has been used for centuries as a medicinal and culinary herb. The Aztecs and Mayans used it quite extensively as a staple in their diets . Medicinal herbalists revere it in the alternative health community  for its remarkable array of health benefits and get this: turning up the heat in your food just [...]

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Ghosts, & Other Things That Go Bump In the Night

October 10, 2011

  The more enlightened our houses are, the more their walls ooze ghosts. ~Italo Calvino  The first time I stepped into our home, I felt a sense of calm. For me “calm” is a huge accomplishment. In our home, just like being at the ocean, calm seems to happen more naturally for me. High on [...]

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