Rocky Mountain Reds

 

Song:  Theft and Wandering Around Lost

Group:  Cocteau Twins

Rocky Mountain Reds...

is my name for my favorite general homemade pickle.

These have a balanced amount of...

tang...

sweetness...

and heat...

 all in a crunchy and healthful turnip pickle.

I had about twice the amount needed...

but as I eat the pickles...

I can just add more turnips.

I first put them into a mixing bowl in preparation to give them an initial scrub down.

I use a veggie dedicated nylon pot scrubber to ensure 

any residue is scrubbed off all of my veggies.

I then set them aside on the veggie cutting board.

I use a gallon sized hermetically sealable Mason Jar for my pickles.

The below ingredients are used to make these pickles.

Only use the coarse ground Korean chili pepper powder

(available in most Asian Markets).

Memmi is also found in almost all Asian Markets.

Sugar

White Vinegar

I just fill the jar to just under half full with the white vinegar...

and I then dissolve sugar into it...

about 2-3 cups worth...

adding about 1/2 cup at a time as I then taste after each addition.

You want the astringent nature of the vinegar to be mellowed by the sugar...

but you don't want it too sweet.

Memmi adds a soy sauce taste.

Just add until it reaches your taste preference...

but the pickles are supposed to taste a bit salty...

and it is the Memmi that accomplishes this.

The coarse red peppers are supposed to totally coat every piece

of turnip in the jar.

You will end up using 2-4 cups of it.

Just add one cup at a time and stir until the peppers sink.

I just cut the turnips into semi circles...

and in varying thicknesses...

...and then add them to the jar...

being sure I submerge them completely after each addition.

You can see the amount of pepper I added to ensure complete coverage of the turnips.

You will generally want to wait a week or so for the turnips to pickle enough...

but...

at anytime...

they may be eaten.

These Rocky Mountain Reds are a perfect accompanying pickle for almost any dish...

but goes especially well with red meat dishes...

or noodle dishes common throughout Asia.

_______

After making the pickles...

I then began preparing a large roast

for cooking in the oven

(380 F - 1.5 hours usually).

The only things I use for my roasts:

Olive Oil

Salt 

Black Pepper

I first completely coat the bottom of the roast with the olive oil...

and heavily salt and pepper each side...

and then turn it over and repeat the process.

I want a thick layer of black pepper especially...

as it adds so much to the flavor of the beef once cooked.

I will be using this roast for several of my following meals...

including:

Beef Udon

Beef Ramen

Beef Yakisoba

-------------

I didn't use exact amounts of ingredients for my recipe...

as we each have differing tastes.

Just be sure you add a little at a time...

and then stir and taste.

Once you put too much of an ingredient in...

it is very difficult to correct afterwards.

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This is a must try homemade pickle...

as it is inexpensive and easy to make...

but, most of all...

it is tremendously delicious.

A Sunrise Vocal Session / A Country Breakfast & Drive

 

Song:  A Pillow Of Winds

Group: Pink Floyd

I was just a few seconds down my mountain ridge here.

The sun was just rising as I continued on to a country cafe 

located about 30 minutes Northwest of me.

As they opened at 6 AM...

and as I had a craving for gravy over biscuits...

I headed there as I practiced my singing on the road.

The temperature was in the low 50s F...

and so, the cool breeze in the car as I drove with the windows down...

just felt so invigorating and refreshing.

I sang to the above song as David Gilmore's vocal range and style of singing

is what allows me to improve my voice.

Of course...

I know I will never approach his vocal quality...

but, as he sings with an open throat and with loose vocal cords...

the more I try to emulate his voice...

the more I improve.

The sun began to rise as I was headed to the cafe.

I had been to this cafe once before...

as it is located right near Lake George...

and some country roads which are very peaceful on which to drive.

I had ordered biscuits smothered in country gravy...

two eggs over medium...

and some country style potatoes.

I also got one of my favorite drinks...

a Chai Latte over ice.

As I was feeling good after my meal...

I turned off onto a country road leading to a lake 

as I continued with my vocal practice.

It was a mellow morning as I drove...

and the main song I had practiced with was the above song

(A Pillow of Winds)...

as I played it over and over...

while sometimes switching to Comfortably Numb...

also by Pink Floyd with David Gilmore being the lead vocal.

Although my voice has actually improved some...

it is not saying much...

as I am pretty trash as a vocalist.

And...

although I know I will never be a really good singer...

even a small improvement in my abilities makes me very happy.

I have two main problems vocally...

one...

 staying in tune.

The other...

is in staying in a completely relaxed state...

by keeping my throat and vocal cords loose and open as I sing...

so as to not only make it easier to stay in tune...

but to create much more resonance.

There are certain songs

which are primarily in my vocal range...

and which are mellow enough for me to practice 

a much more relaxed and open throat style of singing...

which in turn...

allows singing from the diaphragm.

It is this combination which gives richness to the voice...

and is what I am trying to achieve.

But...

again...

even the smallest of improvements makes it all worthwhile.

As I continued driving...

I got more and more mellow.

This allowed me to relax even more...

which in turn...

allowed me to stabilize my voice more easily...

and to stay pretty much in tune...

at least...

for this session.

I was just a short ways from home here.

In total...

I had practiced for approximately two hours.

It was a productive session...

and I greatly enjoyed my country drive as well.

It is those little zen victories in life which just keep us going

(conquering of the self).

My tone is now deeper and slightly richer...

and hopefully...

my small improvements will keep building...

one upon another.

-----------

I always have a good time driving in the country.

It is the freedom of the road which just makes me want to burst out in song... :)

as the fresh air blows through my hair...

and cools my face.

But...

as I had awakened way too early...

I am getting sleepy...

and so...

I am going to take a nap...

of which is another of life's little simple pleasures.

The Ant

 

Song:  Love Theme From Twin Peaks

Composer / Performer:  Angelo Badalamenti

Fairy Tales...

are not to brushed aside as stories of worthless fantasies...

designed to merely entertain children.

They are of basic truths of human nature...

as derived from real life experiences over long periods of time.

And...

it was through general pattern matching

that cause and effect had been determined time and again...

and so...

had been designed to give highly valuable life lessons to children

so they could pattern their lives in accordance with the basic paths to walk in life...

which would lead them to successful and happy lives in the long run.

These truths are merely in a fantasy setting to engage young minds...

to help mold their futures in a manner which is highly palatable...

and so...

are easily remembered and applied

(through modeling...a natural process of emulation).

Of these fables...

I think...

The Ant and the Grasshopper is the most valuable.

It demonstrates the differing lives of two opposing lifestyles...

and the ultimate manifestation of the underlying psychological concepts of:

Deferred Gratification (the Ant)...

vs...

Immediate Gratification (the Grasshopper).

I need not go into the various long term studies conducted

verifying what had already been established over time

through observation and general pattern matching done 

throughout all civilizations over time...

since the beginning of time...

as the skills of seeing things happen time and again

and simply doing what works...

and not doing that which does not work...

are basic skills of intelligence inherent in all of us.

Fairy Tales...

however...

are the culmination of wisdom through which

give succeeding generations a head start...

so they needn't spend years on the wrong paths...

and instead...

propel them to a better future.

It is simply learning from the learned...

as had been proven time and again.

And...

this is important...

it is through generalization that we may apply basic concepts 

to multiple areas of our lives all at once...

and for all time.

And...

it is through the movies of our minds that paths in life 

are played out to their ultimate endings.

This is how we distinguish between true and false paths in life.

And...

a check on the paths walked is not only an absence of anxiety...

but that of a feeling of serenity...

of freedom.

The below pictures are merely an example of my deep inner happiness

as derived from just the many great simple pleasures of life.

These are recent photos of my home area as I took simple country drives

into the nearby town of Cripple Creek to enjoy very simple...

but deeply satisfying meals.

To greatly enjoy the views...

of passing wildlife...

of the clouds...

of the very refreshing air deeply breathed...

of the freedom felt while driving...

of the deep pleasure of playing favorite music...

of reliving magical experiences...

and of looking forwards to having many more...

is to know you are on the right path in life.

It is to be at peace with the past...

living with great anticipation for the future...

and so...

of being able to live fully in the moment.

However...

the hidden trap which lay in our own minds is our ability to fool ourselves.

It is to falsely equate freedom from anxiety...

and that of immediate comfort...

to that of walking the correct path in life...

especially when artificially induced either through

pharmaceutical or other drugs...

legal or otherwise...

or simply by unjustifiably "living in the moment" (Hippie style)

without regard for the future...

of sailing out onto the ocean without regard to the storm clouds on the horizon...

by pretending they don't exist...

instead of clearing the storm clouds by adequately preparing for the future...

thereby shortcutting the warning bells which should be sounding

to drive you towards walking the path of living for the future.

This is not to say that one cannot live in the moment...

that one cannot live fully by experiencing the great simple pleasures of life

before your future has been properly set up...

but the key component is that the path to it is actively being walked.

If you allow yourself to lie to yourself...

you betray yourself and the future you could have had.

Life is not mostly about aptitude...

but one of mostly attitude.

-----------

The flute playing in the above song tells the story of a properly set up and lived life

(in my mind).

The initial constant thrumming of the bass...

along with the steady repeating melody of the flute...

and the accompanying piano notes softly playing in support...

represents the unknown of young childhood...

of simply observing and making connections as to the meaning of life...

and to the child's place in it...

in his own mind

(thereby erasing the fear of the unknown...

and replacing it with the spirit of adventure).

As the pace picks up...

and the flute begins its ascension...

its gentle flight to the clouds...

with the piano notes playing its heavenly arpeggios

and otherwise repeating patterns in support of the flute's flight of fancy...

 tells me of the realization of a young child who sees his future...

and the path he will walk towards it

(understanding the necessity of the path of the ant).

As the flute begins its descension back to Earth...

and the pattern of steady thrumming begins anew...

it is of the child grown and entering the grind of his profession...

knowing it will all be worth it in the end...

as he experiences the flow of life...

until...once again...

he feels the resurgence of the pace...

and of the reascension of hope as he nears retirement...

as the flute once again reascends to the clouds...

and he lives loving life fully in retirement...

and as the music decrescendos one final time...

it is of his life living in the complete happiness of old age...

as the pace of life slows and he reminisces of all of the magical times...

accompanied by the slowing and final thrumming of the bass being his final heartbeat...

and the solo of the flute is of him dying in complete serenity...

at peace with himself and the world...

in the final moments before death overtakes him.

-----------

Too much?

No...

I don't think so.

It is because people don't think honestly enough about death

that they fail to take life seriously enough.

Life is the sonata we compose and play.

Our lives may be discordant...

or may be the magnum opus worthy of having lived.

It all starts and ends with our initial choice of living life...

as the ant...

or that of the grasshopper.

The other day...

I just drove into my nearby town to try a previously untried restaurant...

and, as always...

I enjoyed the drive there and back as much as the meal itself.

To be able to just enjoy simple meals...

as well as the drive to and from there...

is to enjoy life itself.

As I...

and my wife...

have lived the life of the ants...

our profound enjoyment of life will just continue to grow and deepen...

for we not only have everything in which to look forwards...

but we will always look at our experiences through the eyes of great appreciation...

for we had lived a life of necessary sacrifice...

which makes all of life so much sweeter.

And while the distance to the finish line and the pacing of growth

depends heavily on what and with how much we start out...

the path is the same for us all.

The path of...

The Ant...

is always the correct choice.

It has always been the song of the ages.