Kabees

Today I made three quarts of Kabees, a simple, middle eastern preserve of turnips and beets. Where are the beets, you ask? The only late beets I planted are golden ones. They are gorgeous and delicious and will imbue a warm, golden tone to these quart jars as they age.

Here's how I made them (today):

Kabees

3 turnips, peeled and cut into matchsticks
3 beets, peeled and cut into matchsticks
9 cloves garlic, sliced
hot pepper flakes (I didn't have any fresh hot peppers)
2 ½ cups vinegar (approximately) - I used an herb-infused apple cider vinegar
2 ½ cups water (approximately)
5 teaspoons salt (sea or kosher)

In a bowl, combine the vinegar, water and salt and stir until the salt is dissolved and dispersed.
Fill each quart jar with the beets and turnip pieces in layers with the garlic and pepper flakes.
Fill each jar with the vinegar-water-salt blend and cap.

I did add some sweet pepper to one of the jars to fill the jar and because I had them. That's how I roll.

I label these and put them in my basement pantry where it's both relatively cool and very dark. I like to let them sit for at least one month before using, and can say they get better as they sit throughout the winter.

I love these on our hand-ground wholewheat bread, sandwich-style and understand that they're a great addition to sandwiches in general. I also love them tossed into a salad (hot or cold), as a side-dish, alone or with other vegetables, and even on pizza.


So, yeah, that's what I made today. Peace.

Spirit Pouches

Alongside harvesting and preserving, September has been about developing and planning activities (classes and such) for 2015. This is the sort of activity that, for me anyway, engages the full spectrum of the brain. It involves a lot of free thinking and creative play, as well as plotting and planning, which is a fabulous, holistic endeavor. Yet I find that by the end of the day any attempt to engage linear thought or intuition is for naught, and I Know that it's time to refill my well. Know what I mean?

So I ground and center myself to engage in the meditative practice of creating my Spirit Pouches.

I consider the creation of these little Spirit Pouches to be a sacred, healing act. The stitches of the pouch are "counted" with a series of mantras. The straps are miniature Spirit Cords that are, likewise, spun in a sacred manner using mantras of healing, divine intention and love.

And, odd as it may sound, I feel an honor to mama Gaia, the Earth, when using the old vintage buttons to finish off these sweet little pouches. As I often say, "I have a distaste for waste," so I tend to save things, and when their reuse is revealed to me, I feel such elation and gratitude.

The act of creating these Spirit Pouches is such Good Medicine for me. It allows me to disconnect from this earthly plane, to connect to spirit, to refill my well, and create something of meaning, of Medicine, that I may share with others.

So yeah, that's what I made today … have been making all month … and will continue to make. Because making Good Medicine is Good Medicine.

Peace.

Tomato Love in Jars

First I'd like to offer a big, big dose of gratitude to all the creatives who participated in August heART! I would have expressed this sooner if it weren't for the summer plague that my spouse brought into our little hut. But I had great fun creating art most every day August and visiting the many blogs of those who joined the party. I bow to you all.

As for today ... well, you can see what I've made so far. Now, I'm heading out to the gardens to harvest and prep more sustenance for the dehydrators.

Ciao for now!

Peace.