Story time!

Faith and Food from the Heart of Mexico…

This past weekend I was SO blessed to be able to here this man here speak!  He is Chef Dudley Nieto – and if you don’t know him, he is a Chef from Chicago who is opening up a new Mexican restaurant.  I suppose to help promote his new reataurant, his long time friend Chef Rick Bayless (hopefully you know of him!), they had a cooking demonstration at the amazingly beautifully preserved Paramount Theatre in Aurora, IL. All I have to say is WOW!  Well, not really all I have to say…

The first part of the demonstration wasn’t cooking, but Chef Nieto speaking from his heart, about food – I instantly connected with this Mexican man.  He started his speech out with how food in Mexico doesn’t come from the kitchen, but from the heart.  He explained a huge part of being Mexican is the food, but not just to eat, but to savor that time together, in the kitchen and then at the table.  He described 3 things that are most important to him: 1^st his Catholic Faith, 2^nd his Family, and 3^rd the Food!

He told us how all three of those things intertwine into their meals….how they prepare them…..

For example, on a Feast Day (a special day in the Church) there will be special dishes to eat, whether it’s color or flavor, to enhance that day’s memory. 

Chef Nieto didn’t actually cook for us, but the words melted in my mouth.  So rich with heritage….so many ideas to take with me….and try on my own.  If only all of us could have that devotion and respect, in all aspects; faith, family and food.  That is why I find it so necessary for myself to carry on my Hungarian foods, some of the language and most definitely our faith.  http://www.eivissachicago.com/ 

 

And Chef Bayless….He was the reason I found this FREE event hosted by the Aurora Public Library (hooray free).  I don’t get PBS out here within the corn stalks and soybeans (we only get 4 channels and only one of them is clear), but I used to watch him while living in our previous home, with my son Joe (he loved it at age 3).  Rick Bayless is a delight to watch, good to mimic in the kitchen, and has a very tasty restaurant in Chicago that my husband and I went to:  Topolobampo  (http://www.fronterakitchens.com/restaurants/restaurants.html)

He too cooks because he loves it – he’s not Mexican, Spanish, or of any decent thereof (at least not to his knowledge)- but he has fallen in love with the tastes of that region of the Americas.  Passion for food needs to come from the heart, or you simply aren’t making a good dish at all- just food.  You don’t have to speak Spanish in order to make a good Spanish dish, and you don’t need to wear a babushka to cook Hungarian dishes (although I am a fan of the babushka)….Food is an international language we can all understand.

Enjoy your kitchen…enjoy life!  And Chef Nieto and Rick Bayless have helped me do just that.

Anne Marie

 

National Sewing Month….

Did you know it’s National Sewing Month?

How fantastic!!  Except, it’s almost over!

Strolling through the prairie with my long skirt brushing up against the leaves, gives me a gratifying rustling sound of times of long ago.

 

After I made up this outfit, with no pattern, and my daughter tried it on, well, she’s just as pleased looking as I feel! 

 

 

Anne Marie

 

 

 

 

 

Mindless Samaritan

Mindless Samaritan…

 

Have you ever heard that parable about the Good Samaritan?  Well, let me introduce myself…meet the Mindless Samaritan.

Let me explain…

Tuesday is “library day” for our home school, and so off we went, to return books, and get the allotted 3 new ones per child.  Little did I know that God was putting something in front of me, that I only noticed too late!

 

When we entered the library, the children scatter as usual to their coveted locations in the library, and I headed for my destination – the ‘how to’ area (always looking for new ideas).  I saw a man sitting at one of the computer stations just inside the library door.  Many people came and went from the library, but no one stopped to talk to him.  At first, I thought that maybe someone would (while I was so busy browsing) and that I could over hear the conversation (ever so politely), however, no one did, so that led me to take a deep breath, check for spit-up stains from the baby, and head over to talk to this man.  He had a large backpack next to him with a sign for a website where he is writing about his travels and these people with no obligations or responsibilities as mine just fascinate me.

 

“Hi” I said like a kid meeting an adult.  He looked up at me with a slight grin to the side, and leaned back on his chair intently waiting to see what I had to say next.  Meanwhile, I am searching for some profound question.  After all, this guy has just traveled from somewhere, by foot no doubt, and I wasn’t about to say something stupid.

 

“So, what are you all about”  ??What?? Seriously?  C’mon Anne!  That question isn’t too broad….

He went on to explain that he is hiking from coast to coast interacting with others.  Ok, perfect!  He stumbled across an idiot.

“Are you basing your life lessons off of one particular theologian?”  I might have redeemed myself sounding a bit smarter than my previous attempt.

“No, actually” he said calmly.  This man seemed confident, relaxed, and a bit taken back of my “20 questions” sort of look I was giving him.  My mind was racing of so many things, I really didn’t know where to begin, what to ask him…

“Where are you from?”

“Wisconsin”

And the ‘chit chat’ continued for awhile…and the more I asked him questions, the more he did as well…

As we talked, the baby was just staring at him, and he, for the first time during our conversation, smiled.  The smile made the man’s eyes light up, and changed his look completely.  I thoroughly enjoyed talking with him, and making him smile.

The kids had finished checking out their books, and they were exiting the library as scheduled.

“It was great talking with you” I said, like seeing an old friend – casually, like we were going to speak again.

“Yes, me too” he said still smiling at the baby….now waving at him goodbye.

As we were driving home, just minutes away from the library, all that was racing through my mind was what he said, so I wouldn’t forget…how excited I was to have met someone like that again.  My husband and I always seem to meet wanderers….wherever we are (even Maui – but that’s another story)…so I couldn’t wait to tell my husband all about him.

And then BAM! Like I seriously was smacked with a rock behind the head.  My body got hot and my hands almost shook.

He probably could have used food….shelter…..a shower….a ride!  What an idiot I had been making small talk with someone who the more I thought about, the more I realized how thin he was, how much I talked about myself, how I didn’t even ask what I could do for him.  So I quickly got on the internet to the address he had given me and frantically searched for his contact information.  He had to be on the computer still- he had to!  I emailed him and then kept checking my mail every 2 minutes until the library closed at 5, to see if he responded.  No response.  My heart sank.  Here was my opportunity to help someone besides my family.  Here God had presented Himself to me and I kept the earplugs on.  Idiot!  The Good Samaritan parable echoed in my head relentlessly.  I even tried to call my husband to see if he was on his way home, and explained what a helpless wife he has, and if he could stop by to help him.  Nope, he was still at work.  I prayed, ask for forgiveness, and worried about this man the rest of the night. 

You wouldn’t think this life experience story could get any longer, well, it does, but hold on, because it’s so ironic that it truly is frightening!

My Mom gave me a book just a few days ago, about a man who was traveling (by car) and when he came into town, a severe storm hit, and through circumstance ended up staying at a woman’s “rental” house by the sea.  The book is Rainbow’s End  by Irene Hannon, and so far, I highly recommend it (but I am only on Chapter 4).  Anyhow, she takes him in, not knowing a thing about him, other than he is scraggily looking and what compelled her to open the door in the first place is that this man was asking for a dry place to sleep, and the Good Samaritan story inspired her to do what Christ said.   The next morning, after the storm had passed, the man fixed her siding as a thank you, and she offered him breakfast.  She noticed that he was so very thin, and in desperate need for not only some food but kindness, however, after looking through her pantry all she had to give him was some pancakes with hand-picked berries.  What do you suppose I was cooking for supper last night?  Yup – buttermilk pancakes with hand-picked berries.  I didn’t have any meat thawed from the freezer for supper, and pancakes, eggs, and sausage sounded good to me.  So after this sank in on how I met this man, totally ignored his needs, didn’t even ask if he wanted food, just getting done reading this part of the book, heading home to make pancakes as well…..so meet the “mindless Samaritan”.

This story of mine does have a happy ending for me at least.

I checked my email first thing in the morning – and YEAH!- he said he could have really used that supper, but if the offer still stood for breakfast, he was heading out at 7am.  Overjoyed, I called my husband and told him, and asked him where he thought this man could be now? By this time? 

“Anne, I talked to him this morning already.  I saw him on the highway, stopped and we talked for awhile” 

HOORAY!  I quickly ran into the kitchen and grabbed my leftover pancakes, fried up the biggest eggs I could find, heated up the leftover sausage patties, and threw together the following:

-dehydrated pineapple chunks

-dehydrated papaya bits (good for the digestive system)

-some carrot sticks (from our organic carrots in the garden)

-a handful of heirloom cherry tomatoes

-3 organic apples

-homemade organic trail mix (with soybean nuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts and chocolate chips for good measure)

-a hearty sandwich (chuck full of meats and lettuce and cheese)

-half a loaf of my homemade French bread

-Neosporin lip treatment

-Blister band aids (padded band aids that have a medicated patch inside them)

I wrapped it up in a bandana that I knew he could use in many different ways, grabbed the plate of breakfast (after slathering maple syrup over the blueberry pancakes), a clean fork, a cloth napkin, and a tall glass of cranberry juice and the camera – of course –

 

In his email he gave me his phone number, and so I called him, leaving him a message, and let him know that I was on my way!  Like I was some fireman going to put out the blazing inferno or something. 

The kids were just as excited to hear their Mama was able to help him – and my dear Joseph (11 yrs.old) ran to get his wallet.

“Oh, Joseph, that is so nice of you, but what he needs is food” I said only thinking of his need of food like he told me; again, totally unaware of this man’s need for cash I’m sure.

“Well….wouldn’t he need money?  For more food later??” Joe said wad of dough in hand at this point.  He was right, and I could have cried with joy.

 

We set out to find him, but to no avail….where could he be?  We stopped at a diner, a gas stop – and finally called him again, this time he picked up.

 

“Hi (name not mentioning) it’s Anne Marie!  How are you?”

“Good…I talked to your husband this morning” just in case I didn’t know.

“Did you eat breakfast yet?  Where are you?”  Secretly hoping this warm plate of pancakes weren’t going to be devoured by my children.

“Well…uh…I am eating…but to call it breakfast…..”

“I have a plate of homemade blueberry buttermilk pancakes, sausage and eggs here”

“Are you kidding?  That sounds great!”

He told me where he was, and the kids and I bounced up and down in the car like we found a stray kitten.  Meanwhile, the kids were just amazed at how far he had walked just this morning.  I thought, this is so great, the kids learning so much too!

I pulled up to where he was, and offered him a ride to where he told my husband he wanted to go, but he declined…he doesn’t take rides…so I pointed to where I was going to park.  He was at a community college, in their green space, surrounded by pine trees and perennial beds….not a bad choice for a farm style breakfast I thought.

So I parked the car, pulled to where he could still see his ‘pack’ and let him sit down in my comfy SUV where we enjoyed 1 ½ hours of each other’s company.  The kids asking questions, he asking questions….it was great…

 

The ‘care package’ I put together was thanked for, but not as much as when Joe, a child of 11 years, gave him his hard earned money mowing lawns.  The man loved hearing all the kids’ stories of their life, and got to know them pretty quickly.  No one was being shy.

We left each other exchanging handshakes, smiles, and addresses.  He should be in New York, at the World Trade Center’s location by December 13^th he said.  So, in case you read this my new friend, good luck to you, and hope you arrive safely wherever you land.

 

Your friend,

Anne Marie

 

Fungi Jason

Hunting for wild mushrooms of yore

Be smart about your mushroom hunting – DO NOT EAT ANY MUSHROOMS YOU FIND UNLESS A PROFESSIONAL HAS GIVEN YOU THE ok. 

KEEP YOUR CHILDREN AWAY FROM ANY MUSHROOMS you find.

Na-Da Farm and it’s affiliates are not responsible for anything that might happen to you or someone else you are with, or someone you tell, if you eat a mushroom you find in the wild.

God speed.

Homemade Pizza Dough!!

Have you seen my other place?

If you haven’t seen my other web-pages, just visit me over at:

http://nadafarmlife.blogspot.com/

Merry Christmas!!

Advent Wreath

Cleaning up…

How to keep clean?  Well, we can’t even grab a bar of soap these days without looking to see if it’s toxic or not, heck, I can’t even use anything these days before checking the labels.  But, Dove soap has an unbeatable campaign for beauty right now, that is causing quite the stir.  Below I posted the link where you can view their Dove Films that are fantastic!  They are telling women to teach their daughters inner beauty, and they are showing young girls that it isn’t important if you aren’t ‘model like’ in your appearance, and that appearances aren’t always what they seem. So, if you have the chance, check them out.

(alas…a company showing the parent’s how to show our kids an example ;(

 

HOWEVER; there is a down side to Dove…Dove harvests palm tree oil to make their soap (hence, checking the label) and the way that happens is devastating forests in Indonesia at a quick rate (just google what products use palm tree oil and you’ll be surprised- i.e. margarine is one, biodiesel fuel another). 

Still, to me, a young girl’s outlook on herself, modestly from the inside out (humble attitude all the way out to the clothes she wears) truly makes a girl into a wonderful woman.  If the young girl grows up not caring what she looks like (well, at least what the models and actors/singers look like) then she’ll be more confident, stronger, have a deeper faith, etc…than the girl who constantly worries about what she’s wearing, how her hair looks, etc….that will only lead to botox and a lack of confidence. 

SO, to sum up- Way to go Dove –

http://www.dove.us/#/features/videos/default.aspx[cp-documentid=8354359]/