Thanksgiving

I am looking forward to this Thanksgiving because I will be with my family and dear friends. I have a mellow day planned... the pies are finished, our friends are cooking the turkey, W is making the rolls, and our son is making cranberry sauce, so I can spend the morning in a thanksgiving meditation.

In order to set this day apart, I will treat it as a Sabbath… no unkind words, no rushing, no work that isn’t thankful work. I choose to stay present, notice everything as if in slow motion, and pause often to observe what I am thankful for in this moment.


Agenda:
1. Thanksgiving Meditation for Peace and Abundance:
In order to start the morning right, I plan to begin giving thanks before I get out of bed, and just stay in a thanksgiving meditation as long as I can...Take a deep breath and feel deep gratitude for what I have, for the abundance of having a home, a family and friends. Be thankful for the things I usually take for granted.

I give thanks for my warm bed, for my slippers, my dog, my sleeping family, my clean kitchen, and my morning cup of coffee. I pray that my friends and family stay safe and well.

I give thanks for the pies on the table, the bread dough rising, and the abundance of food in the refrigerator. I pray that others find enough food today to feel full and satisfied.


I give thanks for a home of peace, and a town with no bombing. I pray for peace in the Middle East- I pray that the people of Iraq and Syria can overcome their differences and that peace will settle over all the land.

2. Give thanks:
For each new morning with its light, 

For rest and shelter of the night, 

For health and food, 

For love and friends, 

For everything Thy goodness sends.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thankfulness is a powerful and transforming emotion. I hope to take time to feel each nuance of the day, to feel gratitude for each person present, and for each dish offered; and give thanks for the food, all the way back to its source and all who handled it on the way to our table.

I hope to take the time to connect deeply with the people I am with and appreciate each person’s uniqueness, and I challenge myself to find out something new about every person at the table.

Full Frost Moon

Tonight is the full moon, my monthly time for action and release: I look again at the “seeds of intention” I planted 2 weeks at the new moon and decide on my next steps to take, I take those steps, then I release my expectations in order to clear space for new ideas and new intentions.
This full moon is called the Frost Moon, because now is when the first hoarfrost appears-- that white frost that makes walking crunchy, and that requires scraping of windshields. Frost is a reminder that winter is coming, so we all need to finish our outdoor chores and close the storm windows.

Agenda for today:
1. Altar:
It's time to discern what to put on my altar for the next month. (For my thoughts on altars see About Altars). I generally keep it simple and choose only things that speak to me and feed me, and reveal what I believe in. I ask, what quality of Spirit do I want to invoke?

This month-

• a purple candle for abundance
• a God's eye- to watch over us
• my straw doll- for luck and protection
• a clay house (made by my daughter)- to remind me of home and family

Each month at the full moon I put a motto or quote on my altar, to ponder as a theme for the month. This month:

2. Practice at my theme:
My theme this month is abundance. I know I have great blessings in my life, but sometimes I forget to appreciate them. Sometimes I actually feel bored by all the great things in my life... I mean, everything is fine, I have a great life, but it sometimes it begins to feel the same, day after day.

My goals this month are:

• to give attention to what I really want for myself and for others in my life;
• to expand my vision and be more open to opportunities and alternate ways to proceed; 
• to remember that I am filled with an abundance of blessings each day;
• to create something each day (bake bread, work on a gift, paint a picture, write a blog entry, and so on), in order to contribute my share of blessings in the world.

3. Journal:
Last year before Thanksgiving I printed my own Abundance Journal pages, and wrote on them for a month. I found it helped me to be mindful of gratitude and generosity, so I've been using it again this year, with slightly different wording:

1. Morning: Expand my Vision- 

• What do I want for myself & others?
• What new path could I explore?

2. Noon: Create Something-

3. Afternoon: Give something-

4. Evening: Abundance Journal-

• What filled me with light today?
• How is the world fuller?
• How am I living my vision?

4- Take Action:
The full moon is a time to celebrate life, stay up late, see friends, exercise harder, and be more creative and outgoing. The crazy full moon energy builds and builds; it’s best to acknowledge it so it doesn’t throw me off balance. This surge of energy allows me to take action on the intentions I set two weeks ago.

Prepare for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is in a four days, and our plans are pretty much set. We are invited to our dear friends' house for a traditional turkey dinner. We'll bring pies and homemade rolls.

Agenda:

1. Cook the pumpkins:
The secret to good pumpkin pie is to use fresh pumpkin. We harvested six small pie pumpkins from our garden this year, and had one big pumpkin donated (thanks, Jeff!). I cooked the pumpkins a couple of days ago. 

After chopping and cleaning the pumpkins, I baked them at 350ºF until they were soft. Then I scooped them out of the skins and put the pumpkin in containers in the refrigerator for later. 

I got about 18 cups, way more than enough for the three large pies I plan to make; I will probably have enough for a couple of pies at Christmas, too!

2. Make a thank you card and hand them out:
I've been having fun painting colorful abstract papers, and decided to use one to make a card. It's pretty easy to scan the paper, then upload it to Pixlr, a free on-line program, to add words and borders. Here's what I made on Friday:

I printed a few to hand out, and I plan to send some by email as well.

3. Make the pies:
On Wednesday I will make pies-- several, because we need one for breakfast on Friday! My pumpkin pie recipe-

Ingredients:

• 4 c. pumpkin
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. each ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg

Makes one large pie-

1- Make the pastry and line the pie plate. Preheat the oven to 450ºF.

2- Put half of the pumpkin and half of the milk in the blender with one egg and blend until pureed.

3- Pour into a mixer bowl, and repeat with the second batch.

This is enough for two pies.

4- Add sugar, salt, and spices to the mixer bowl and mix on low, then pour into pie shell.

5- Bake at 450ºF for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 375ºF and bake for 45 minutes.

Stir Up Sunday

Today is Stir Up Sunday, the last Sunday before Advent. This is the traditional day in Britain to make the Christmas pudding, and set it aside for Christmas Day so the flavors have a month to develop. 

At least, it used to be the traditional day; apparently most families buy a pudding in a tin now. What a shame! Being partly of Brittish descent (and also being fond of brandy) I think it's worth the effort. And the flaming pudding is an exciting end to Christmas dinner!

Agenda for today:
1- Prayer:
The name "Stir Up Sunday" comes from the Church of England “collect” for this day: A collect is a short prayer, which “collects” or sums up the thoughts of the day and season.

The collect for this Sunday is: “Stir up, we beseech thee, O God, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded.” 

This prayer was parodied: "Stir up, we beseech thee, the pudding in the pot. And when we do get home tonight, we'll eat it up hot."

My prayer today is: Stir up my sluggish soul, and awaken me to the wonder and joy of the season of Thanksgiving.

2- Finish the Christmas Pudding:
I posted the first steps yesterday, but here's the whole recipe all together.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. (2-1/2 c.) dried mixed fruit (raisins, prunes, currants, etc.)
• 1 small tart apple
• 1/2 of a large orange and 1/2 of a lemon
• 1/2 c. brandy or sherry
• 1 c. vegetable shortening, frozen, then grated
• 1/2-c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2-tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4-tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2-c. dark brown sugar
• 2 c. fresh white bread crumbs
• 1/4-c. chopped almonds
• 2 large eggs 

Yield: Serves 8 - 10

Day one:
1- Peel, core and chop the apple finely. Chop the larger dried fruits. (I used 1-1/2 c. prunes and 1 c. raisins.)

2- Remove and finely chop the zest from 1/2 of a lemon and 1/2 of an orange, and squeeze the juice. (I poured it through a sieve to get out all the small seeds.)



3- Combine the apple, dried fruits, zest, and juice in a large mixing bowl. Add the brandy and stir well. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and marinate overnight.

4- Put the vegetable shortening in a plastic tub in the freezer overnight.




Day two:
1- Lightly butter a 2-1/2 pint pudding basin.

2- Combine flour and spices in a very large mixing bowl.

Grating the frozen shortening...

3- Grate the frozen shortening into the bowl...

Lumpy shortening.

4- Work the shortening into the flour gently, leaving large chunks of shortening.

I used challah for bread crumbs.

5- Add the sugar, breadcrumbs, and nuts and stir gently until well mixed. 

6- Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl. Add the marinated dried fruits and the eggs and fold together until everything looks moist. 



Folklore dictates that all family members must take a hand in the stirring, and it must be stirred in a clockwise direction, with eyes shut, while making a secret wish.

Pudding in the basin, ready for the lid.

6- Spoon into the pudding basin, gently pressing and smoothing the mixture with the back of a spoon. 

Pudding is in the pot and ready to steam!

7- Cover with the lid, and place the basin in a pot of simmering water. Steam for 7 hours. Make sure you check the water level frequently so it never boils dry.

8- Remove the pudding from the steamer and cool completely. Remove the lid; the pudding should be a deep brown color. Don't try to eat it now- it will collapse. 

Poke the top of the pudding all over with a skewer and pour in a little extra brandy. Cover again with the lid and store in a cool dry place until Christmas day. (The kitchen might be too steamy-- I put ours in the bedroom closet.)

9- Top the pudding up with a splash of brandy every week to keep it moist.

10- Reheat on Christmas day by steaming again for about an hour. Half-fill a metal ladle with brandy and carefully heat over a candle flame- when the ladle is hot enough, the brandy will light on fire. Pour the flaming brandy over the pudding. Turn the lights out and carry it to the table to serve.

Saturday before Stir Up Sunday

Tomorrow is the traditional day to make the Christmas pudding, and set it aside to mature for Christmas Day. The fruit needs to soak in brandy overnight, so I bought the ingredients yesterday and got started this morning (...cooking with brandy naturally required a swig in my coffee).

Agenda: 
Start the Christmas Pudding

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. (2-1/2 c.) dried mixed fruit (raisins, prunes, currants, etc.)
• 1 small tart apple
• 1/2 of a large orange and 1/2 of a lemon
• 1/2 c. brandy or sherry
• 1 c. vegetable shortening, frozen, then grated
• 1/2-c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2-tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4-tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2-c. dark brown sugar
• 2 c. fresh white bread crumbs
• 1/4-c. chopped almonds
• 2 large eggs

First day:
1- Peel, core and chop the apple finely. Chop the larger dried fruits.

2- Remove and finely chop the zest from 1/2 of a lemon and 1/2 of an orange, and squeeze the juice. 

(I put the juice through a sieve to get out all the tiny seeds.)












3- Combine the apple, dried fruits (I used 1-1/2 c. chopped prunes and 1 c. raisins), the zest, and juice in a large mixing bowl. Add some brandy (a few spoonfuls) and stir well. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and marinate overnight.

4- Put the vegetable shortening in a plastic tub in the freezer overnight.

I’ll tell you the rest of the recipe and folklore tomorrow!

Diwali and New Kindly Moon

This is the start of the five day Hindu Festival of Diwali, which falls on the new moon of late October or early November. Diwali is the festival of good luck and prosperity- one of the most important festivals of the year for Hindus. People wear new clothes, clean and decorate their homes, go to fairs with music, dancing, fireworks, jugglers and snake charmers, and give gifts to each other.

It's also the night of the new moon. The Chinese call this tenth new moon the Kindly Moon. In China, this is winter crop planting season, and this month brings the first “little snow” which gently (and kindly) moistens the winter wheat seedlings. We don't have snow yet, but the rains are moving in.

Agenda for today:

1- Journal:
Where do I need more kindness in my life (kindness to self, others, nature, the universe...)?
What might give my life more wholeness?
What are my next steps in life?

The new moon is my monthly time for “seeding” intentions. I write down what I hope to focus on in the next 30 days or so, and then give my ideas a period of gestation, like seeds in the soil, before I take action. Having this regular time each month to focus my goals has helped to give me clarity of purpose.

List my intentions for the next month in these areas-

Self, Friends and Family, Teaching, Artwork, Writing, Home and Garden, Business, and Volunteer work.

2- New Moon Meditation:
Diwali is dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, Today I light a small white candle, center, and feel myself fill with thankfulness for all I have now in my life. 

Remember: Prosperity is a sense of peace and well being within, enough money to pay my bills on time, and the support I need to make my dreams come alive.

3- Plan:
As the moon waxes, I expand-- plant seeds, make connections, and begin new projects. Today I will plan my first small steps.

4- Make diya lamps:

The word Diwali is short for Deepavali, which translates into "row of lamps"; people set out hundreds of small diya lamps filled with oil for this festival, to celebrate the triumph of good over evil. 

A diya lamp is easy to make- you will need a little bit of self-hardening clay. Form a small egg-shaped container, with a shallow bowl, and a lip to hold the burning wick. 

When the clay is dry, twist a wick from half of a cotton ball, and fill the bowl with a bit of vegetable oil. It will burn for quite awhile.

And here is my first ever video tutorial (in 2 parts)!

     

5- Make a Rangoli:

To prepare for Diwali, Hindus clean and decorate their houses with flowers and tinsel. They also paint designs on the ground in front of the door of the house, as a sign of welcome to Lakshmi. 

Floor painting is an art handed down from mother to daughter in India. Many women make designs every morning, by sprinkling white or colored rice flour with their fingers- rice flour is thought to have protective power. The artist starts her painting with a period of meditation and works in a prayerful way. 

We drew designs on the front porch with chalk and rice flour. Floor paintings are very temporary since walking feet, wind, and rain will soon turn them to dust.

6- Make Almond Katli:

On Diwali, Indians also give gifts to each other, especially big trays of candy! Almond Katli is a traditional Diwali sweet, and it’s pretty easy to make. It's like almond fudge or marzipan- sweet and yummy.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 c. sliced almonds
• 1-1/4 c. sugar
• 1/4-tsp. cardamom powder
• 1-Tbsp. ghee or oil

(Yield: 20 pieces)

1- Measure almonds and grind in a food mill. Set aside.


2- Oil a cookie sheet and set aside.

3- Put 6 Tbs. water into a saucepan, and add sugar and cardamom powder. Heat until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to rapid boil.

4- As soon as sugar begins to boil, remove from heat and add the almond powder. Mix well to break up the lumps, then add ghee or oil.

5- Return the pan to the stove and cook again on medium until the batter becomes thick but is still liquid. 

(The first time I made this it got stiff and when cooled it shattered into bits. The second time I poured it out too soon and it didn't hold it's shape, so I put it back in the pot and cooked it a minute longer-- success! It was just right.)

6- Transfer batter to the pan and use a spatula to turn it and knead it to get a smooth dough.







7- When it's done, shape it into a rectangle. Cut into diamonds with a pizza cutter and decorate each piece with an almond slice.

7- Make a Puja:
A puja is a ritual of reverence or celebration. At Diwali, I add some coins to my altar, and light a diya to welcome Lakshmi. 

Then I focus on my idea of prosperity, and chant-

• Om - the primordial sound 
• Shreem -  from which beauty and feminine energy emanates
• Ma-ha - great
• Lak-shma-yai - goddess of wealth
• Na-ma-ha - I pray.