The Revealing, Secret Diaries of a Not-So-Secret Foodie

Archive for the ‘Faith’ Category

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Tomatoes

In Faith, Family, Food, Garden, Photography, Writing on January 6, 2016 at 5:15 pm

Garden Harvest of San Marzanos

Spring’s ground holds such promise.  Black earth rested.  Ready for new life. Working the soil, strong hands turn heavy dirt. Broken free from winter’s hold, it tumbles loose through pitchfork tines.  Falling first, but landing soft and crumbling fine.  Good earth; the sower’s open canvas. Painted in strokes of hope, patience and endurance. Loved into yields of multiplying abundance.

tomatoe closeup
I’ve always been an organized gardening type. Drawn to admire the formal gardens of centuries old.  Clipped and hedged to absolute perfection.  Box woods in neat rows outlining secret mazes.   Or a prized, but hidden rose garden. Perhaps those imagined or more likely inspired into my consciousness.  Sprung to life off the worn pages of a beloved English novel or two. Read More

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Dates

In Faith, Family, Food, Photography, Writing on January 31, 2014 at 7:49 pm
Irish Date Cake with Whipping Cream

Traditional Irish Date Cake with Whipping Cream.

Sticky cake clings to the edge of the plate. Clinging tight, refusing to let go.

“You missed a spot,” the youngest sister notices. French porcelain thin, hangs fragile in her hands. The rose-covered plate moves back towards the dish-filled sink.

“It’s a poor dish dryer that can’t help the dish washer,” the older sister reminds, elbows deep in bubbles.
Inherited bone china, held quiet, between them now.

Side-by-side sisters, sleeves rolled and cuffed clearing the mess left behind. Together in the mess; this time cups and saucers, stacked and balancing high on the counter. Beside the dessert forks and plates, cleared and bouncing in the soap. Read More

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Believe

In Faith, Family, Food, Photography, Writing on December 29, 2013 at 7:20 pm

Some of My Favorite Things.

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1.  Bright Red Wreath on White Front Door.  

This summer my husband spent many a day refurbishing things around our home.   Read the rest of this entry »

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Beckoning Sea

In Faith, Family, Writing on September 6, 2013 at 10:44 am

sea beckons

Open your mind, dream,

the mighty ocean beckons me.

But who am I, small,

grain of sand on this vast beach?

Reach for the stars, dream, it repeats.

Open your heart, sing,

the warm wind whispers to me.

But words do not come.

No rhythm beats, nor note sounds!

Sing joy, sing, echoes the breeze.

Open your arms, love,

the bird soars on outstretched wings.

But I am one, alone,

one heart not two. How to love?

Love, you are loved, the bird’s call.

Close your eyes, believe,

the setting sun draws me near.

Radiant gem rests,

tucked beneath horizon’s line.

Believe, when you do not see.

Waves rise and waves fall,

washing down upon my feet.

Standing in the surf,

peace envelops me. You’re here?

Child, I am with you always.

© suebthefoodie.com, 2011-2013.

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Morning Snowfall

In Faith, Family, Writing on January 25, 2013 at 2:55 pm
King of the Hill.
Pajama Hike.
Donuts in the Woods.

Sometimes it is in the waiting, that the ordinary and expected are graciously transformed into the memorable and treasured.

In this part of the country we have been without snow. Sure we’ve been teased with the whimsical dance of snowflakes that hover. Witnessed skies that howl with the promise of winter’s fury. But still, we find ourselves waiting. Waiting for winter’s first appreciable snowfall.

No snowmen have been built. No snowforts have been defended. No snowballs thrown. Somehow I find myself wanting snow. Lots of snow.

I know. Crazy talk. And from a midwest gal–a Chicagoan. Dreams of tropical umbrella drinks, crashing waves and white sand beaches should be dancing in my head this late in the winter. Yet, I wish for snow. Just one large snow storm.

Then this morning it begins. Snow falls. Gently. Modestly. Quietly collecting on rooftops, branches and walkways. It comes and it goes. Without pomp and without circumstance, the wait is over.

My boys scramble to find their boots and winter gear wanting to clear the scant covering of white from the drive before they head off to school. And I am beautifully reminded that the season of wait sometimes is a gift by design.

© suebthefoodie.com, 2011-2013.

Photos by suebthefoodie.

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Apples

In Faith, Family, Food on November 19, 2012 at 2:34 pm

Rustic Salad of MacIntosh Apples, Cashews, Shredded Swiss Cheese tossed in Sweet Poppy Seed Dressing.

Apple. A word my children most frequently associate with that logo on the back of their favorite electronic devices. I also adore my iPhone, iPad and iTunes. If being completely honest, maybe a little too much. Being plugged in; it’s a national past time. -Read more>

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A Hilltop Perspective can Frame a Life’s Abundance in Skies of Blue and Fields of Green

In Faith, Photos, Tidbits on July 31, 2012 at 1:01 pm
Hilltop Picnic.   River’s Edge.   July 2012.

© suebthefoodie.com, 2011-2012.

Oreos

In Essay, Faith, Food, food photography, Gab, Photos, Recipe, Spiritual on January 3, 2012 at 12:27 am

Milk and White Chocolate-dipped Oreo Bon Bons.

Nearly a year has passed since debuting my little idea of suebthefoodie.com. It is most certainly with a gigantic smile that I recall the electrifying sense of excitement when I hit publish on my first post that February afternoon. How vividly I can remember the sheer terror that immediately followed. Why terror? Well, instead of like so many other times in my life, I did not stand at the edge hesitating, wondering if I could succeed. Or worse, fearing that I would fail. My big toe did not go first to test the waters. Instead, I just did it. I dove right in with a pounding, passionate heart and a “cannonball” mindset. For me, doing something new is terrifying. Silly. I know. But so true. So deeply apart of me. -Read More>

Pizzelle

In Essay, Faith, Food, Gab, Photos, Recipe, Spiritual, Tidbits on November 26, 2011 at 8:05 pm

Holiday Pizzelle with Earl Grey.

Snowflakes sitting on the plate. These ones aren’t cold. They aren’t even white. On the small round table in Grandma’s kitchen next to her cup of coffee they wait. Earlier, I had watched her retrieve them from high atop the dark cherry china hutch that inhabited her dining room . So carefully she had reached up to retrieve the dress shirt box whose lid was slightly ajar. A curiosity in my mind; Grandma never left anything ajar. -Read More>

Cayenne

In Essay, Faith, Food, Gab, Photos, Recipe on June 23, 2011 at 8:32 pm

La Bamba Casserole with Sides of Brown Rice & Organic Spring Scallions

I knew sending my child to Kindergarten would be an exciting adventure for him.  I anticipated that he would learn lots of new things, meet many new faces and more importantly begin to navigate his way in the world without me.   But the big surprise for me, I do have to admit, is that I entirely underestimated all the new things that I would learn and experience his first year of school.    Not only about being a mom, but about letting go.

During the hustle and bustle of trying to get him to school before the bell rang those first few weeks with a newborn and three-year old in tow, I found myself feeling very frazzled.  What an accomplishment it was just to get out the door each day.  Actually getting there was an entirely different and monumental task to hurdle.  I swear on the short walks to school that year, I spent more time chasing my three-year old than I care to remember.  For some reason he had acquired a fascination for following random birds with no regard for where I was, or where I needed to be.  Let’s just say that getting his older brother to school on time was not high on his priority list.   He’d been like that since day one, always following the beat of his own drum, and I would not have him be any other way; except maybe when we had somewhere we needed to be ; ).   -Continue>