In The Test Kitchen!

   Monday evening brought together two of my faVorite friends, 

Miss Zoe Fern & Miss Emma Bean 

in my home kitchen 

to sample what is hopefully going to be a signature 

Veggie Burger. 

 Did you say Eggplant? Wha? Yes, I've never used eggplant in a veggie burger, its true. Tonight, thinking that two precocious judgmental turn your nose up at the idea, 12 year olds would be just what the chef ordered, proved to be an excellent choice.

I finished it with a freshly made salsa of scapes & cilantro from my own garden beds & red onions & tomato from a kind grocery store. =) & also a spicy brown mustard just to see which tasted better. 

The salsa won over Emma

& the brown mustard took Zoe.

I like both. 

 

It was a hit I am so happy to report!

& 

The Wild Fern Veggie Burger 

was cooked.

~Luv From My Kitchen to Yours~

Jedi Powers

So how do you stock a restaurant without a business loan? 

You do it the old fashioned way. 

On a Wing & a Prayer? 

No, on a string, no budget & with Jedi Powers.

Hmmm, well, yes, there's some equipment that I can use. As I've made my decisions, the owners Don & Terry have been supportive, advising & gracious & the last person who was cooking food there, Bill Campbell who own's Toziers just down the road has been more than helpful & generous by offering me advice, two pieces of his equipment & all around good attitude.

The Tropical Storm Irene unfortunately took a nice dishwasher & a charbroil grill that were in storage. My friend Michael Bulkowski says, the dishwasher is no big deal. We'll see about that when he comes to visit & I put him on dish duty =) 

My love & affection for thrift stores of any hue often turns up a few great finds. It's like, this Jedi power that I have & its super I tell ya. 

I'm not really sure how this will go, & I don't know what I"m looking for until I find it(Jedi) but there lends a certain satisfaction to the whole game of thrift storing that rarely is driving by one & not stopping an option.... for most that I know these days. 

I think its over taking us, & why not? there are worse things out there.

In keeping with The Muse, these are some of the treasures that have unveiled themselves.

Craig's List, Bethel Vermont, after driving around, walking around the unknown's person's house, not owning a cell phone for directions. Jedi led the way & I bought these. Pretty Vermonty. Imagine eating soup from them.  

Kyle's yard rubbuge, free, soon to be a baker's companion for things that hang =)

Rutland's Salvation Army & Bethel VT Tag         Sale

Randolph VT Thift Store~notice the juicer's,  Excellent Find.

Bethel VT's newest Thrift Store Lauri's

Rutland Discount Foods~ because I love this movie & I love Rick ;)

Lauri'sThrift Store Bethel VT

Lauri's again =) 

Tag Sale, the sign read: "everything must go by Sunday" after wondering where exactly I was driving off to on the back roads of Bethel, I arrived & found a few nice treasures & had a great chat with the son-in-law. 

love this one! Randolph VT

 Tag Sale~another sweet score, right?

Randolph Strikes Again.

Love these bowls~you little hot spot Randolph.

Meat Tenderizer? Sweet Find, Randolph VT

You can see, The Thrift Store Muse is in the House!

Then Second Guessing Arrived

I've been called "the Jill, & the Jayne, of many trades".  
I think about that & wonder about it. 


Is it an obsessive compulsive creative brain at work never sinking fully into the abyss of one particular direction & focusing? 


Is it the on going fear of failure & total lack of confidence in myself that propels the object of any of my current desires & thus prevents me from ever truly experiencing gratification of the completion of one notion? 


Or, 
Am I made up of all these wonderful opportunities that totally salt & pepper my world offering imaginative, inspiring & stimulating experiences that I could never pass up & sit cautiously back while this giant size manifestation called Life passes me over for something or someone else? 


I've decided, I am made up of a bunch of things, I can't be anything other than me & its Life Volunteering Me Freedom. 

So when the second guessing began, I cried for two hot sticky humid beautiful days & doubted every single path I've walked upon for the last 20 some years. 


Then I remembered a few words of wisdom by Eleanor Roosevelt,


"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which 
you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."

Could I be a Mother? I was always afraid. Could I ever be the Mom my Mom was to me? Would I ever fit in her shoes?

I never thought I could be a musician. Then one day, Rick said to me, 

"this weekend you have to play bass!" 

What if I had said, NO! I can't because I don't know how!!!???

Would I have ever learned how to play such a wonderful deep big sounding instrument? 
Would I have ever owned any of these beautiful glorious pieces?

Daion Bass photos my extremely talented photographer Sister, Dani DeSteven ;)  there's more where these came from;)

oooh, lala, sleek Rigel Acoustic Bass with DJ Shawn & Stay Tuned Radio, Portsmouth, NH! on the release of The New Album, THE CIRCUS

Would I have ever got to own a tour bus?









Would I have got to play on a kick ass true Album Listening Experience called,  The Circus ??    




















Would I have had the courage to write my own songs? 
Would I have played my songs for a community that suffered through the wake of Tropical Storm Irene?  

I would never have had some of the most amazing times of my life & I would have missed some turns on the path that leads to who I am. 

So, can I do this too? 
Can I still be a Mom, A Musician, A Photographer, A Yogi, A Baker & occasionally A Hairdresser?

How can I not? ;) 

I've Fallen In Love With Italian

Last Saturday June 30, I got to be inside The Wild Fern & begin working. I went inside & the first thing I did was put in the cd that came with $1 cookbook, it's Italian. It was very exciting.

I looked around, & smiled. I was in the moment. ;) & the music was so good.

I brought flowers from home & put them on the tables. I began to sweep.

I started painting things white again, & it just felt good. Then I needed to mix up my painting experience, so I made a chalkboard wall for the kitchen. It was really smart as I looked back at it =)

I was feeling like I needed to be with my family & one of them, Zoe was in PA with her Dad's family reunion & I missed her, & the rest of my family The Redingtons were getting ready to go to Maya's play. I hedged that day of not returning to Rutland, cuz its a long drive! haha! & cost gas! But, the strings in my heart tugged & I excitedly headed back down Rte 100 to meet up with the Boys!

I'm so happy I did. I cried just about 3/4 of the way through Jacob Patorti's very first Original Play, Simple Heart, the play was about his Grandmother, Angeline & she was Italian too! Oh my word. Remember I put in the music from the cookbook at the beginning? That sent shivers up my arms. Ha! wow. 
Anyhoo,
Remarkable work. Bravo Jacob, Rick's nephew of a mere 22(I think;) years.

& Did I mention, the music? Holy crap. This Lady, Laura Cortese & her band were more than amazing. Their performance was moving, chilling, inspiring & thrilling & it perfectly complimented the beautiful love story of Angeline.

This is Laura.

But this beauty, is my girl Maya Redington.

                      The rest are photos that I took in the moments in between the tears & sobs that still evoke emotion in me when I flip through them.

Until next entry,

ciao!