The Importance of Quiet Time

The Importance of Quiet Time

There is something to be said for having quiet time, nap time, time for yourself each day.  Some people never give themselves that luxury, and indeed it is a luxury, but whether you can give yourself one hour a day, five minutes a day, or just a moment in each day, it is important to have that time to yourself.

I have one friend who is a business consultant, and years ago, when he was just starting out, I called him, and he was too busy to talk.  He called me at the end of the day, when he had the time to call me back, and explained that his whole day was blocked in 15 minute increments, and two weeks in advance!  I was surprised, and blurted out “what if you have to go to the bathroom?  Do you schedule that in too?”  He laughed.  

Another friend wanted some time to herself on her birthday.  She is married, with two children, and I suggested that she take a bubble bath with candles, music, flowers, a cup of tea, a sweet snack, and enjoy a moment to herself on her special day. She said she thought of me all day as she was rushing around on her birthday, and managed to squeeze in bath time fifteen minutes before midnight.  She was determined to have her quiet time on her special day!  

I think quiet time does not have to be grandiose.  Quiet time for me means taking a walk, lying down and taking a rest, or enjoying a sunset.  Sometimes it is as simple as listening to your own breathing.  Create a way to center yourself, focus yourself, and find your anchor.  Find the quiet time that works for you each day.  

Today's recipe:  Greek Salad with Goat Cheese Feta

***

Wild Piglets

Wild piglets

A few nights ago I was driving on a winding country road near my house...it is a simple country road  between two fields and as I was driving I saw some dark somethings moving around in the middle of the road...I put my bright lights on, and there was another car coming my way as well.  We both stopped driving.  And parked.  And there it was.  In the bright headlights in front of me, I saw about 10 wild little baby piglets huddled together, walking in circles around and around each other--confused, probably scared, not knowing which direction to go...a jumble of piglets.  No direction.  No purpose.  No one to follow.  No Mama piglet or Papa piglet in sight.  They kept circling and circling each other in one confused, moving mass piglet huddle.

Immediately, I opened the door, and popped out, knowing that this other car was watching me with their headlights on too, in the darkness of the night.  I stood there in front of the scared piglets--little black piglets, little brown piglets, and one copper colored piglet.  

I clapped a few times and they all looked at me in their football piglet huddle....gently I cooed to them to go to the grassy side of the road...come on, come on guys...let's get going...clap, clap, clap...sweeping my hands along in large broad gestures to move them to the side of the road.  I kept leaning towards that side, walking them to that side, and finally one brave little piglet started marching over in my direction, to my voice, to my hands, and to my place, and to the grassy pasture...then, all of a sudden, a sweet breath in time, the rest of the piglets followed this one little piglet...and because of that one brave piglet they made their way across the road and on to the grassy pasture, and then shuffled into the dense brush on the side of the hilltop.  All they needed was a nudge.

I bring this sweetly unexpected moment up because it reminded me that sometimes in life we all need a  nudge...someone pointing us in the right direction.  Sometimes we are stuck too.  When I am feeling stuck in life  I have a few friends I do lean on, and I do ask for help.  I do ask for direction.  Those piglets were helpless in that moment...all they needed was a bit of reassurance, someone to lead the way, point them in the right direction.  And so I did.  And they trusted me.  Simple things.  Simple truths.  Who do you lean on for help, guidance, reassurance on your path?

Today's recipe:  roasted brussel sprouts...

***

Gentleness and Love

Gentleness and Love

When I was in grad school, a number of years ago, I kept wondering what the purpose of life was about...why are we here?  What's the point?  What's the goal?  

And then one day, it dawned on me in a real lightbulb moment, that life is either choosing love or choosing fear.  A simple truth.  A basic rudder of existence.  Life has an organic pulse-- either towards love or towards fear.  We can walk in love.  Or walk in fear.  I couldn't believe it was so simple.  But that was my answer!  That was my truth. 

So this is it: that to truly live in life, one must live in love--be loving, kind, gentle, compassionate, and do things with love.  And when one notices a flicker of fear, to remind oneself that it is about love over fear...all fear is an absence of love.  

I reflect on this now, as I type on my laptop, at 1:22 in the morning, here on a Monday night, a full week after the Paris attacks.  I have been stunned by the terrorism, the acts of violence.  My mother is French.  I have cousins in Paris.  And friends there too.  I got in touch with them all, and found out everyone was okay.  But it still does not comfort me to know that innocent people were killed doing things we all do--going to a cafe, a restaurant, a sporting event, a concert on a simple Friday night.  It doesn't make sense to me.

I woke up the other morning feeling sad.  What is this world coming to?  I do not understand. Yet tonight, on the local news, there is a teacher helping students make a one mile green lei - a simple act of love - to bring to Paris next week to show their care and support.  

Love transcends fear, for sure.  

Today's recipe:  cinnamon chia seed pudding...

***

A Nature Moment

A Nature Moment

Today I was feeling overwhelmed with anxiety and a big "to do" list.  And so a friend suggested I write things down.  And so I did.  Then, everything on paper seemed a little less daunting, not as difficult to do.  Somehow, by writing the list down on paper, it was off of my chest, and out of my mind.  I still had the exact same things to do, but somehow they seemed do-able.  I could relax a bit more.  Not so bad.  My attitude shifted.

My friend also suggested taking an ocean break at the end of the day, so here I am now, sitting on a bright blue nylon beach chair, a pen and notebook on my lap, with the ocean waves lapping at my sandy toes.  I am listening to the sound of the waves, and feeling the rhythm of the ocean-- a constant beat of time. 

There is something lovely about nature...whether it is in a park, on a beach, lying on the green grass, stretching out on creamy sand, sitting by a percolating river, or a running stream, a serene mountain, a quiet meadow, a falling waterfall.  All nature is amazing.  But for me, the beauty of the ocean has always been my secret heart space.  My sanctuary.  My sacred place.   It is a place where I feel the deep rhythms of the earth - a vibrant life force - the grandeur of nature.

So what's my point?  That sometimes it is essential to stop whatever you are doing, and take a mental break, and pause for a moment in time.  For that is all we have: moments in time.  And in that moment, stop and listen to the heartbeat of the earth.  Sometimes it is about being, not doing.  It's that simple.  

The writer, Virginia Woolf, called these moments, "moments of being"--when a moment becomes much bigger than itself, becomes an expanded moment in time.  A simple moment becomes a moment that blossoms with fullness, ripeness, richness, delight, joy.  

My friend is paddle-boarding right now, smack in the middle of the ocean.  He is one with the waves, his paddle, his board, the rhythm of the ocean.  That's his sweet spot, his saving grace, his meditation.  

I did not grow up surfing, so for me resting quietly on a beach chair by the ocean, listening to the sound of the waves, feeling the warmth of the sun on bare shoulders, looking at blue skies, blue waters, yellow sand, blanched driftwood...this is enough for me.  This is my moment of being.  My prayer.  

The sound of the waves touch my soul.  I am one with the waves, the ocean, the sand, the sky, the land, and all the nature around me, in this expanded moment of being--this expanded moment in time.  I breathe in tune with the rhythm of the waves.  I am reminded why I am here on earth.  I am being, not doing.  I breathe in all this nature, all this beauty, all this light, all this space, deep into my soul, deep into my being.  And I do feel refreshed.  My friend was right.   

Today's recipe:  Basil macadamia nut dip.  Enjoy!  

                                                                                     ***

Miss Steam...

When I was living in New York, a few years ago, in a little 530 square foot studio apartment in the city, in the heart of midtown Manhattan, I used to go to a 24 Hour Fitness gym around the corner from my apartment.  Sometimes I would go there the half hour before they closed, not to work out, but simply to enjoy the steam room there. 

The woman at the front desk started calling me, "Miss Steam", with her loud Southern voice.  She would say, "So how is Miss Steam tonight?"  or "Hi, Miss Steam!"  or "There's Miss Steam!"  And we would both laugh as, clearly, I was not working out, AT ALL, and only there to enjoy the steam room!  I would go in for a steam and then leave!  I found it so relaxing to be in the steam!  A few nights a week!  Just a delightful way to end a busy city day...

The reason I am even thinking about this woman, at the front desk, at the gym, who always greeted me as Miss Steam, or even thinking about steaming, is because steaming veggies is good for you too.  In a different way.  Steam holds all the nutrients in your vegetables.  So rather than boiling the nutrition away, and then all the nutrients get left in the wasted water...instead, you retain more nutrients with the steaming method of cooking. 

That's my point.  Steaming is good for you!

One of my favorite dishes is a chilled asparagus vinaigrette.  Steamed asparagus!  And this is my fun version of a French veggie side dish.  Asparagus with a lemon-caper vinaigrette!  I made this up.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy this dish.  And I certainly enjoyed making it yesterday. 

By the way, I enjoyed the sample I made for this blog!  Had it for dinner with a piece of mahi fish!  Yum!  Perks of the trade.  I had a friend sample the asparagus last night too, and he loved it.  It passed the test.  I hope you enjoy it too.

Goodnight from Maui...

xo

July 7, 2015

Maui, Hawaii...

A Sprig of Basil

I adore basil.  I don't know why.  I just do.  Something about the fragrance, the cheeriness of the bright green leaf, and whenever I eat anything with fresh basil in it, it is always so vibrant and delicious!  I'm happy!  Don't even try dried basil.  Fresh is the way to go.  All the way. 

When I think of fresh basil, I think of pesto, caprese salad, fresh green sauces, tom yum soup...I even made a fresh basil macadamia nut dip last week as a wild experiment...stay tuned!  I also love putting fresh basil leaves on open-faced sandwiches too.  Will share these recipes with you in future posts.  Somehow the basil leaf adds that je ne sais quoi to the dish.  Sometimes you just need that extra special something.  Basil is the secret.  At least for me. 

Over the years I have always bought green, leafy basil plants at the Korean markets in New York, or at the  plant stands at farmer's markets here on Maui.  I always have good intentions...but somehow they wilt over time.  I am not a gardener, but one of my friends here is, so perhaps one day I will learn the secrets to keeping a healthy basil plant. 

Last year I did manage to keep this one basil plant going outside, in a little pot in my patio...and can I just tell you it was so much fun to pick a leaf or two, fresh off the vine, and put it in my dish of whatever I was making!  I felt like a real gardener!  So exciting!  That's as vibrant as it comes....talk about life force.  Farm to table.  A mini version!

The other thing about basil is how special it is in the nutritional realm.  It has wonderful nutrients: iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C, along with antioxidant flavonoids, and anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic properties. 

Today's recipe is one of my absolute favorite salads.  The caprese salad.  I call it a Basil Caprese Cobb Salad.  I made it up one day, a few years ago, since I love Cobb salads, and thought it would be fun to have a cobb style caprese salad.  I had never had caprese salad before, and had never even heard of it, till I was at a restaurant one day, on a visit to Italy, years ago, and ordered the caprese salad.  It sounded good.  I still remember how it was served.  It came in a white oval plate, and it, literally, was this:  one big slice of tomato, standing vertically next to one thick slice of mozzarella cheese, also vertical, standing next to one big green basil leaf, all upright...and it kept repeating--tomato slice, cheese slice, basil leaf...tomato, cheese, basil...with a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar on top.  Although I did enjoy this salad, and how simple and delicious it was...when I first discovered the caprese salad, I secretly thought it was a little boring, in how they presented it, and thought I could do better.  

So, here is my creative version.  I hope you enjoy it.  Every time I make it for friends, they end up finishing the whole plate off.  I think you will love how simple a recipe it is.  And delicious too.  I'm all about fun, simple dishes.  Remember to always taste your food!!!  Tip from cooking school!  Enjoy!  

xo

June 28, 2015

Maui, Hawaii...

A Touch of Spirit

Today is the summer solstice and it is also Father’s Day.  

When I was working on a date to put up the website, and blog, as a goal date, a friend of mine suggested posting everything on the Summer Solstice, a few weeks away. The deadline would help me finish my to do list, and get things rolling... I agreed, sounded great, plus, after all, this new blog and website is called, The Summer Table!  I said perfect!  

I came home and wrote it down on my day planner, not knowing what day it landed on... oh, a Sunday, and then I realized it was Father’s Day too...which made it even more poetic for me.  

My father passed away a bunch of years ago... so looking at my little purple day planner, and marking the goal date, and writing it down with my little purple pen... I started having tears in my eyes... maybe my Dad was with me in spirit. How lovely to launch the blog on this special day for me. 

My father loved food, and loved cooking shows. He would always smile at a great dish, or delight in meeting a new chef, or going out to a new restaurant.  I grew up in New York, so as a family, it gave my Dad a lot of joy to try new foods, new restaurants, and new dishes together. So, it feels fun to be able to start the blog today. He is, truly, my inspiration, and perhaps one of the people in my life that taught me a lot about good health habits, good healthy foods, and good mental habits too.  

"Sweetheart", he used to say, "always do your best.  And if you do your best, you have nothing to worry about."

So here it is. I'm doing my best. I am doing my best to share what I know and what I learn from others, about health, nutrition, happiness, peace, joy, good habits, love, life, and a little sparkle of fun and creativity in between.  

Thank you for taking the time to read my post. And thank you, to my Dad, for being such a great role model in my life. I hope I inspire you on your life's journey too. Enjoy! 

June 21, 2015
Maui, Hawaii...