I don't have much time this morning, but I felt compelled to just write for a moment. I'm sitting on the front porch and it is unbelievably chilly, but for the first time in days there is a lone star visible in the early morning Pacific Northwest sky and it inspires me. Make no mistake, it will not last. Even the weatherman stated, "the rainy season is officially here." So, we must celebrate each individual star that manages to break through the unyielding cloud cover, even if for only a brief moment in time.
I've been a busy beaver in the last week or so. I've been making and canning an astronomical amount of fresh apple/pear sauce made solely with orchard picked apples, pears, cinnamon sticks and cloves. There are 21.5 pints of sauce downstairs in the basement and I estimate about 70lbs of fruit still left to go. There is something incredibly satisfying about doing this in my new, big kitchen with the weather raging outside.
I've also been working dilgently on adapting a recipe for Roasted Turkey Roulade from Barefoot Contessa for Thanksgiving. This has taken a great deal of thought, creative energy and multiple attempts, but I believe I have managed to create a gluten-free, allergen-free, almost dairy-free (it still has eggs) fig and cranberry stuffing even better than the original recipe, which I made for the first time last year.
Our guests and my husband will definitely not feel deprived by my whole-foods diet and I can't tell you how happy that makes me. I am going to attempt it one more time without eggs, now that I have the answer to the bread portion of the stuffing (i.e. making my own). I'm also going to substitute portabellos for the sausage in a portion of the recipe to see if I can make it completely vegan. Stay tuned for the results.
In other exciting news: I have an appointment tomorrow with the midwife, and the mirena is coming out. As of 3pm tomorrow afternoon, I will be birth-control free. We'll see how long it takes. I have been pregnant 4 times in the last 4 years and for the last year and a half, I've had the mirena in. So, really, you could say I was pregnant 4 times in 2.5 years. To say Moose and I are fertile together, is an understatement.
Someone or something wants us having babies...
I also just wanted to mention, I have gotten a couple emails in recent weeks and I will be responding to them. I do so love getting them. I need to be better about responding right away, but I fall into this trap of wanting some unadulterated time to do so and I never seem to get it. However, please know until I actually do sit down and thoughtfully respond, it really touches me when you guys reach out to me. Thank you! Thank you!
My readers are a small base, but unbelievably caring....
