Susiej

As a child, I went with my parents, aunts, uncles and cousins to the woods to find our annual harvest of wild mushrooms each spring. Sometimes we would find one or two – other times, we’d find grocery bags full. We’d soak them in salt water, and fry them in flour and butter. A true delicacy.

The methods for finding mushrooms could be categorized by certain scientific phenomena. Yes, there are several natural world phenomenon that occur with the finding of mushrooms – such as:

• · The lilacs begin to bloom
• · The dandelions in your yard first begin to go to seed
• · The oak leaves are the size of mouse ears
• · The may apples have developed their leaves
• · The Jack in the pulpit begins to appear
• · The Dutchman’s breeches are flowering

Mireille Guiliano refers to gathering mushrooms in her book, French Women Don’t Get Fat. Today, you can buy fresh morel mushrooms for over $50 per pound.

But buying them is just not the same. The fun is in the hunt for morel mushrooms. How do you find mushrooms? How do you know what to look for? I know that many of you wouldn’t even dream of trekking out in the woods to collect what could be a poison mushroom. But I can’t imagine letting a yellow sponge mushroom lay there, uneaten. The taste of a gray sponge mushroom, or a snakehead mushroom is something I can barely live without in the spring. But finding mushrooms is hard work – they are very difficult to find in the woods under dead leaves, brush, nettles and fallen trees. Many hours of walking through the woods often leaves you empty-handed. You would think the frustration of the wild mushroom’s elusiveness would discourage us from trying to find them. I think it is their mystery (and their taste), and not the “agricultural form of gathering” that makes finding wild mushrooms so appealing. But, if you’ve found one once in your life – especially as a child – the mushroom will forever call your name. I’m not encouraging you to go out and find them by yourself – take an expert with you. But first, let me explain that finding them is not an exact science – it’s still quite a mystery.

But to be honest, I have found mushrooms when none of the above was occurring. For this reason, I think that finding mushrooms is more mystical than scientific. Here’s what I mean:

• When I follow a fellow hunter, I usually stay behind about 10 steps. Sometimes, I find mushrooms that the person in front did not see. This phenomenon is called “popping up.” The conditions are so right for mushrooms that they are literally popping up in front of your eyes. At this point, we usually turn around, and head back to search the area we just covered, only to find mushrooms where there were none before.
• Every mushroom has a twin – my Mom would find one, and tell me to draw a line from that spot, 360 degrees to find the other one. There it would be — lined up in a perfectly straight line from the first one.
• My family swears by the north facing hills – but I’ve heard others that only find mushrooms on south facing hills.
• Apple trees, for us always yield a strong crop of mushrooms.

And that brings me to “where to look.” We can point to numerous places we identify as where to look:

• · In old apple orchards
• · On south-facing slopes
• · On north-facing slopes
• · Around dead elms
• · Near dead trees
• · Near dead trees that still have bark clinging to them
• · In sandy soil
• · In soil with a high Ph value
• · In soil with a low Ph value
• · Near old sawmills
• · Near wood piles
• · In river bottoms
• · On high ground
• · At burn sites
• · Near railroad beds
• · Under cottonwoods
• · Under poplars
• · Under tulip poplars
• · Under Douglas fir
• · Under ash trees
• · Under oak trees
• · Under Hawthorn trees
• · In may apple patches

And once you’ve found a spot — the mushroom hunters never share it. It’s secret they have earned.

However, despite all the logic of the best places to look, my husband found a yellow sponge at the suburban soccer field where our son plays a game every Sunday. And, I knew it was a match made in heaven when I learned that my husband, too, as a child, found mushrooms.

The ground’s wet — I see green. I’ll be looking for mushrooms today. More links:

• Find mushrooms
• Mushroom expert.
• Amazing, mouth-watering pictures.

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Filed under: Life, Science by SusieJ - 11 Comments →

I left love on the table today. So many words left unsaid. I didn’t pour that love into my kids today. Instead, it was an unbearably frustrating day — whining and bickering. Bedtime couldn’t come fast enough. It came. They’re asleep. And now I just want to run into their rooms, wake them up, and tell them how much I love them. Today, the love just wasn’t getting through. It’s tough sometimes.

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Filed under: Life, Tears, boy by SusieJ - 4 Comments →

I’m going through this phase where I just can’t get enough to eat. There is a recipe here that is quick and easy to make, and totally satisfies the strongest cravings for something rich and creamy. But — warning — it is healthy. I will admit, that I don’t eat as much as I should. By the time I’ve fed the boys, and cleaned up after them, I’m just too tired to bother with my own food. Well, really, I’ve lost my appetite by then. When I start craving food, I’ll grab anything in site — especially hidden chocolate. I just have to remember where I hid it.

Yes, after cleaning this up, I’ve lost my appetite.

As a remedy for the chocolate, I’ll pull a bag of shelled walnuts from the freezer, and grab handfuls of them and stuff them into my mouth every time I walk by. I figure I need the protein, the essential omega 3 oils, and the walnuts are rich and satisfying. (They’re not black walnuts, which WOW, I love. They’re just the regular ones in the plastic bag in the produce section.)

But, what I really need is beans. Mashed black beans, chickpeas, cannellini beans — any bean. I open the can, rinse them, smash them with a fork, add lemon juice and salt — heaven. The beans are creamy and smooth, and taste like 1 billion calories. But they’re not.

Yesterday, I indulged myself, and cooked myself a real lunch. I couldn’t get enough of it. I found this recipe on yahoo (it’s my home page). The recipe follows, but let me just say, the combination of the hummus, with the chopped onions and lemon juice was sublime.

Crispy Chickpea Sandwich with Hummus Recipe

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, plus 1/2 cup whole parsley leaves
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 plum tomatoes, diced
4 pitas or pieces flat bread, warmed
1 8-ounce container hummus
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 lemon, cut into wedges

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the lemon juice, chopped parsley, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper and toss.
• In a small bowl, combine the whole parsley leaves, tomatoes, and the remaining oil, salt, and pepper.
• Divide the warm pitas or flat bread among individual plates and spread with the hummus. Top with the chickpeas, onion, and hot sauce. Serve with the parsley salad, yogurt, and lemon wedges.

I was satisfied.

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Filed under: Life, Make Something, eat, health by SusieJ - 4 Comments →

For Men Only

By now, you should be thinking about the “Mother’s Day Gift.” First, let me explain that flowers are mandatory. Moms have given up over 90 percent of their lives to the care and nurturing and worrying over their children. And, if the child is not adopted, they have given a year (and for those of us who nursed their babies, more than 1 year) of their bodily functions over caring for the child. Alcohol, caffeine, donuts and fish have all been subject to sacrifice. And her shoe size is now ½ size larger – forever.

So, what could you get her for a Mother’s Day Gift? Skip Hallmark. No stuffed animals. Diamonds are always a perfect choice. But if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, and exotic, you might want to consider a Mother’s Day Gift that:

• Soothes PMS
• Is an art form
• Cultivates a svelte figure
• Help her loose the baby fat (You are not to mention this)
• Increases her sex drive
• Builds strong bones

To learn more about the gifts of belly dance, keep reading.

These are the benefits of belly dance – it is truly an art form that has prevailed for thousands of years, through cultural transformations, and fluctuations in societal standards. What is belly dance? Check this out here.here. And yes, BellyDancing is For every Woman.No one knows her better than you, but here’s some information that may help you decide if this is the right Mother’s Day gift for her. Wikipedia says, “Belly dance is a Western name for an Arabic style of dance developed in the Middle East. In Europe, it is sometimes called oriental dance. Similarly, In Turkish it is referred to as oryantal dansı (“Dance of the East”). Some American devotees refer to it simply as “Middle Eastern Dance”.

Despite the variety of forms and cultural transformations, belly dance’s most common feature is the isolated movements of the belly. These abdominal movements may be circular, rolling, angular, or vibrating. Vibrations and shimmies provide an aerobic workout. Slow belly rolls and hip undulations work the pelvic muscles, gently soothing away tensions, and increase circulation. This helps alleviate PMS, by working out the “congestion in the pelvic area.” Belly Dance is work, and requires focused concentration, and is not only mentally stimulating, but brings a much needed break to much of the mundane tasks of a the day. Other benefits include the prevention of arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and greater intuition. More on the Health benefits of Belly Dancing. Here’s a beautiful book, regarding the ancient rituals and benefits of belly dance. Grandmother’s Secrets: The Ancient Rituals and Healing Power of Belly Dancing.

Belly Dance’s ability to soothe women is precisely the reason it is the oldest form of natural childbirth instruction. Belly dancers would dance around the bedside of a woman in childbirth, by a circle of her fellow tribeswomen. In this ritualistic form men are not allowed to watch — the purpose here is to hypnotize the woman in labor into an imitation of the movements with her own body. This greatly facilitates the birth and reduces pain from womb contractions. It helps the mother to move with instead of against the contractions. I find this particularly fascinating. You can read about this, here.

If you think this would be the perfect Mother’s Day Gift, you can figure out where to find a local belly dance teacher here. If she’s particularly shy, you can give her a belly dance DVD as a Mother’s Day Gift. But, if you do decide to get this Mother’s Day gift for her, please do this for her: leave her alone. She doesn’t need an audience while she’s trying to learn the tricky moves of the dance. Give her time to build her confidence. And, without ever seeing her dance, you’ll notice a difference. She’ll start to move differently. I’ll leave you here to check out information from the belly dance experts:

• Belly Dance tips
• Photo Gallery here
• No local teacher?

Read more, kissing tips, here.

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Filed under: Life, Science, Yoga, health by SusieJ - 18 Comments →

As parents, we think we know our children. We use this knowledge to protect them, shielding them from situations that we know they do not yet have the resources to cope with, and might cause them harm.

Sometimes, though, no matter how we try, such an event will lay itself down upon the path of our child, and there is nothing we can do to protect them. And much to our surprise, we catch a glimpse of the way our child will “be” as an adult.

After the exhausting day at the pool, and the nature hike, my four boys and I rode the elevator back up to our room. The shinny brass elevator doors were irresistible to my 3-year-old. He put his hand on the elevator door. It slid open, and carried his tiny little hand all the way into the pocket chamber, and he couldn’t pull it out. There was a scream, the elevator started beeping, and I dropped to my knees to pull his arm out.

I couldn’t reach his arm, because my 11-year-old son was already there. Working, pulling, trying to free his brother. We worked together for what seemed like hours. Time stopped. Suddenly, something shifted, and the 3-year old’s hand finally popped free. I picked him up and cradled his tiny red-swollen fingers to see if they were broken. It was then, that I looked at my 11-year-old’s face. He was white as a sheet, and his lips ashen.

Someone from the hotel came with ice, and the red swollen fingers (unbroken) were soon relieved of all the red, and traces of the accident disappeared. Afterwards, my son – my 11-year-old, couldn’t understand why his foot was trembling.

I just had a glimpse into the caring, sensitive, brave, strong, big-hearted man this boy truly is. Yes, it was quite a day.

P.S. I’m still puzzled by whatever it was that shifted and enabled his hand to come free. I can only say that is was almost like a 3rd set of hands was there to release the elevator door, just enough to free his hand.

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We left the pool, and decided to take advantage of the hotel’s award-winning Nature Trail and Wildlife Estuary. The tall trees and shrubs will give us a much-needed break to hide us from the gawkers at the pool the sun.

No one needs to go back to the room for a pit stop, so we’re off. There is a beautiful Promenade to walk through in front of the hotel to get to the Nature Preserve. The hotel is covered from ground to cloud in glass windows, allowing guests to have a full view of the promenade.

But alas, what was I thinking? My 5-year old suddenly has to go potty. There is no bathhouse close to the pool. The only way to the bathroom is to walk into the hotel lobby, across the slippery marble floor, past the open-air restaurant to get there. Now, that I am so much wiser [Read more →]

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Filed under: Laugh, Life, boy by SusieJ - 6 Comments →