A Serene Snowfall

 

Album:  The Fairy Ring

Artist:  Mike Rowland

I had awakened this morning to a light snowfall.

It was only a very light and brief snowfall...

but it was nice to see.

I got up and cooked a Korean dish called Kalbi

(Korean short ribs).

Bandi always hangs around the kitchen whenever I cook.

She finds the smell of cooking meat irresistible.

She knows I always share my food with her...

and so...

she always licks her chops in anticipation of a meal to come.

This simple meal filled both of us up for the meantime.

This incense brings back memories of my childhood in Japan.

These sandalwood incense sticks were burned everywhere...

especially at the temples.

I often burn them at home.

It adds an ambiance of the past...

one of deep serenity.

I bought a rocking recliner to just sit in while I take in the views.

I covered it with a blanket to keep it from getting damaged by the morning sun...

and to keep Bandi's fur off of it.

Sonos Era 300

This one speaker housing holds six drivers (speakers)...

four of which face the sides...

one faces upwards...

and one faces forwards.

It has this layout to give a greatly enhanced spatial separation to the sound.

I placed it on top of the fireplace mantle so as to utilize 

this speaker as it was designed to be utilized.

The sound reflects off of the ceiling and the walls to give the music 

an expansive sound.

And...

it connects via Bluetooth to my iPhone's whole music library...

and I may control everything through it.

I am compiling soft jazz to play while I read...

or when I look out at the view through my front windows.

At about noon...

the sun is over head...

and so...

no longer shines directly through my front windows.

This is when I may recline and read one of my favorite books

while in an almost fully reclined position.

There is but one problem...

this recliner is so plush...

and so comfortable...

I find it hard to stay awake while reclined in it.

While reading...

I had gotten sleepy...

and so...

I went to bed for a nap.

When I had awakened...

the snow had begun to fall in greater amounts.

I had promised myself that with the first real snowfall...

I would light the fireplace and recline in my chair...

as I took in the scene before me.

I now park my car in my heated garage...

as the snowfalls may come at anytime.

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

Time is something none of us may escape...

but in how we spend that time is something we may control.

Yes...

plan your life...

but also be grateful for the great simple pleasures of life.

Choose to be deeply happy in life...

for there will be many things out of our control in it.

However...

there will always be a time and place where you may step away 

from the storms in life so you may reflect upon your dreams.

Steadily working towards them is what gives you that state of serenity.

 

Treasure those moments in life...

for that is the state of being which forever raises your inner happiness...

where a new threshold is established...

and where the regrets of your past no longer haunt you...

and your future brings more hope of even greater times.

This is when you are no longer the person of your past...

but a newer and better person of your future.

When you are in this state of serenity...

you notice the great beauty all around you...

and as happiness begets happiness...

it becomes a positive feedback loop of hope...

and so...

feeds your future state of serenity.

Life...

for me...

is as gentle and serene as was this snowfall.

I have much for which to look forwards...

for I refuse to allow myself to be away too long

from my serene state of being...

for this is the world in which I wish to live.

This is my choice...

as it is under my control...

and so...

who and what I am at my core.

Dawn Of Hope Ranch - A Hidden Gem

 

Song:  The Paris Match

Group:  The Style Council (Featuring Tracy Thorne)

I had a strong desire for pizza near suppertime.

I looked up a place nearby...

and to my surprise...

there was a highly rated Pizza place located

not so far from my home (1/2 an hour)...

technically in the town of Florissant...

and about 15 minutes from Woodland Park.

As I drove towards it...

the GPS map indicated a turn on to a country road which led  

through a sparsely populated mountain community.

I double checked the map...

and then the address...

yep...

I was headed in the right direction.

I kept going up this mountain...

and I then passed by this horse ranch...

and at the end of this ridge...

I saw the Dawn Of Hope Ranch.

On this ranch...

there are several restaurants.

I looked about and couldn't figure out how such a place 

could have a lot of business being so off the beaten path...

and several miles into the mountains and forest.

No matter...

I went inside...

and then went downstairs.

I loved this country cafe

(Wild Horses Cafe for breakfast/lunch...

it then becomes Cap's Pizza for supper...same place).

I talked with the waitress.

She said when it gets cold in the winter...

they light up this fireplace.

I will certainly be back for that.

What a beautiful view.

I worked out that this was a horse ranch which has paying guests over...

and the restaurants serve their guests

(and me from now on :)

This is a mountain cafe with great ambiance...

and magnificent views

(there was a gentle mountain breeze blowing through the slightly open door to my left).

I tried a great NY style pizza...

and the price, just as was the taste...

 was simply unbeatable.

I haven't had pizza this good since I had some in New York city...

decades ago.

I never thought I would get this level of quality...

this deep in the mountains and forest.

Anytime I simply must have a great pizza...

I will be returning here.

The atmosphere was so peaceful.

There was soft music playing...

but in my mind...

the song on this blog was playing.

Pike's Peak is visible in the background.

I will be back soon to try out the cafe in the morning hours.

Just as I have found everywhere I have been in Colorado...

the staff was very polite.

They make you feel so welcome.

Upstairs they have another restaurant...

but I am unsure of the name of it...

but I will certainly try it sometime in the future as well.

I walked outside to get into my car...

and you can see the country feel of the place.

The horses are kept just up the road.

The sun was just beginning to set as I walked towards my car.

I keep forgetting to wipe my phone camera lens.

My screen is almost on the fritz...

and so...

I can barely make out what I am photographing.

I will soon be getting an upgraded phone with a great camera on it.

Just down the mountain...

I saw these deer by the side of the road.

Bandi got excited as she stared at them from her open window.

I got on to the main road for my journey home.

The ranch (and the restaurants) is just a 30 minute pleasurable country drive from home.

I got home when the sun had already set...

I put the remainder of the pizza in the fridge for later...

and I kept thinking about that ranch.

It is both...

hidden (I had, at first, thought I had made a mistake as I drove up into the mountains)...

and a true gem of a place.

I will be taking future guests there for some great food...

and great views.

I will continue to search for hidden gems throughout Colorado...

but it was especially gratifying to have found one so near to my home.

This will be one of my go to places for a true mountain cafe experience.

A Favorite Supper and Breakfast - Japanese Style

 

Song:  Old Man

Artist:  Neil Young

For elderly people...

the following two light meals are not only supremely healthful...

highly digestible, and very tasty...

but they are very inexpensive and easy to make.

Although I usually add some kind of greens to my meals...

on some nights...

I am not so hungry.

Regardless...

Unagi (freshwater eel) is a favorite quick meal for me.

Japanese food is my overall favorite type of meal...

although I love Mediterranean food as well.

Unagi is very healthful as it is a highly digestible protein...

which...

like other fatty fish...

are high in Omega 3s and other nutrients and vitamins.

I really love Unagi...

especially as it has the health benefits of sardines...

and yet...

are less expensive...

and are, to me...

 much more delicious

It is also a very satisfying meal...

and so...

you will not eat so much of it.

The red circular objects in the upper left container are Japanese salted pickled plums...

called Umeboshi.

I often eat these with most Japanese dishes.

They provide just the right tartness to accent the meal.

I also have a small rice cooker...

which when I cook a full batch...

gives two full meals worth.

This way...

the rice I cook will last for a supper...

and then for breakfast in the morning.

That is what I had done here.

Last night I had eaten Unagi with rice.

I then refrigerated the rice...

and finished it off with my breakfast.

This is one of my favorite breakfasts...

Natto mixed into rice...

accompanied by Umeboshi...

and sometimes with Miso soup.

I left the Natto over the rice just to give an idea of how much

Natto I use for a meal.

After I had taken this picture...

I thoroughly mixed the Natto into the rice.

They often come in three packs at the Asian markets...

and although some people use just one pack per meal...

I use all three.

The Natto may be frozen...

and then defrosted in the fridge over a couple of days.

You then put the Natto into a small bowl and mix in the included

ingredients:  a light sauce...and a mustard pack.

Some people don't like the smell or consistency of Natto.

For me...

Natto smells like coffee...

and the "sliminess" pretty much goes away once mixed in with the rice...

but even so...

 I like it just as much as I like okra.

Natto has a plethora of healthful benefits 

(look up Natto...you will be convinced to try some just for the health benefits)...

besides being a wonderfully light meal...

and yet...

ever so satisfying.

Actually...

I really don't like typical American breakfasts.

I only had to make some before because I hadn't...

at that time...

gone to the Asian market.

The boxes on the 2nd and 3rd door shelves (from the top)...

of my washroom vertical deep freeze...

are the packages of Natto...

bundled in sets of three.

As soon as I have more room in my freezers...

I will be buying many...

many more packages of Natto.

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

I will soon begin making my own yogurt...

as well as dehydrating lots of veggies so I may use them in my cooking.

There are so many projects for me to do around the home...

but they will all be labors of love.

Although I will not live to see the fruit of many of my property improvements

(ex...planting of trees)...

just knowing that what I do now will positively affect others in the future...

by just creating more beauty around me...

or with a little effort now...

much protection may be given to the things in life I value

from the ravages of time and weathering...

these are what make my future projects labors of love.

I am now gathering many of the equipment needs for the future projects...

and I am researching, designing, and arranging my visions of the future

on an invisible and unknowable timeline...

and of which are based on an unpredictable future.

However...

I am in no rush to do anything.

My pace in life is now on Toller Time.

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

"Nothing is really immediate...

nothing has a higher priority than that what I deem to be so.

I have the basics covered.

My mind may now go on free flight...

to soar the skies...

or to perch myself on a mountain top to watch a sunset.

I may unhook myself from the rest of the world...

at least for much of the time...

and I may just be me.

I have serenity.

I am the old man on the mountain.

I have the freedom to no longer care about most things.

My sieves have a finer screen...

the path up my mountain...

longer and more arduous.

I am not what I may seem to be.

I am more than you can know.

I have divorced myself from my past...

from my old misgivings...

from my old desires...

I...simply...

am."

(While this IS basically me...

it is also the thrust of a new writing project I will be working on soon).

The freedom I have with my writing allows my mind

to spring forth with which my heart most desires at that time.

I have many started writing projects...

some many chapters long...

many of which I have placed on a back burner.

While my mind plays pinball with its ideas...

I won't hesitate to place on a back burner...

or to drop...

 any theme which no longer stirs passion in my heart.

Cooking and Preserving Day - Bean Stew / Pickles

 

Song:  Love Reign O're Me

Group:  The Who

This was the first time I had made Ham Hocks and Beans

in my new home.

I have a 12 quart...

and a 24 quart stock pot.

For Ham Hocks and Beans (Bean Stew)...

I use the 24 quart stock pot 

(however, I only fill it to about the 20 quart level...

to prevent boil over...

and to make stirring easy).

(I first soak the beans for 24 hours...

frequently changing the water.

This eliminates the compounds in beans 

which make them difficult to digest)

I started at approximately 10 AM yesterday.

I just keep it on low simmer for approximately 13 - 14 hours

(barely any boiling).

In the meantime...

I made a batch of Rocky Red Hots.

I used Daikon...

but...

Korean Radish...

or Turnips may be used.

I cut the daikon into roughly 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick semi circles.

The pickle solution is a mixture of white vinegar...

sugar...

Memmi...

and Korean chili pepper powder (coarse ground).

I then put in the daikon.

These are the pickles I have made.

The one on the left is HOCA (Habaneros, Onion, and Carrots).

The solution is...

White Vinegar, Sugar, and Habaneros.

The center container is Honey Fermented Garlic.

It is merely peeled garlic in pure honey.

The garlic will last many years in this manner...

and may be used in cooking...

or may be eaten straight...

as the fermentation process

mellows the garlic.

And, of course...

the Rocky Red Hots are to the right.

Hoca and Rocky Red Hots should be refrigerated...

but the fermented garlic should be at room temperature...

as this provides an ideal fermentation temperature.

You will need an actual fermentation vessel...

as they have an air lock which allows the natural gas produced...

to escape...

without allowing any outside air inside.

I just push the top garlic to the bottom each day...

and ensure the water level is up in the air lock.

I keep it in this storage cabinet...

the door of which keeps out light.

During the 13 - 14 hour cooking process...

be sure to stir the pot at least once every hour.

I used approximately 7 pounds of beans...

and three ham hocks to make about 20 quarts of bean stew.

I use ham hocks because they come on the bone.

The cartilage and marrow on and in the bone...

adds significantly to the nutritious nature of this stew.

The white object in the left most background is a humidifier.

As the altitude is just over 9,600 feet in elevation...

the air is very arid...

usually hovering around 20% humidity.

While I don't mind the air being that dry...

with this humidifier I may keep the humidity level around the 30 - 40% humidity level

(so long as I keep the windows closed)

just for health sake 

(it keeps the nasal passages from drying out...

which without, would make it easier to catch colds).

I had bought 240 lbs of pinto beans...

and I keep them stored in hermetically sealed containers in the kitchen pantry...

and in the storage closet just outside the kitchen.

These particular containers hold 60 lbs of dry goods each.

In another kitchen pantry...

I store Bandi's dog food in the left container...

and rice in the right container.

These have wheels so they roll out with ease...

and each holds over 50 lbs of dry goods.

This is the storage closet just outside of the kitchen.

I have more storage containers here to store the rest of the beans...

rice...

and dog food.

The top blue cooler I use when I go food shopping.

I carry the frozen or refrigerated food in it.

The wheels make transferring the food to the house a breeze.

I also have another cooler which has three times this volume...

but I only use that when I go on major shopping trips.

I used metal trash cans to prevent rodents or insects from snacking

 on my dry goods.

These are just my convenient storage areas.

I have a large storage room downstairs...

which with its concrete floor...

I may store...

quite literally...

many thousands of lbs of dry goods.

I have more metal trash cans there...

and I will have to buy more...

once the ones there get filled with more dry goods.

After I turned off the heat...

I had to let it cool for another three hours to ensure

the stew wouldn't melt the freezer containers.

I pulled out the individual meal sized freezer containers...

and began filling them

(they are reusable).

This one batch filled a total of 22 individual meal sized freezer containers...

and one pyrex refrigerator container...

so I may eat a good meal of this bean stew tonight.

As you can see...

this bean stew is very nutritious...

and delicious.

Its composition is very simple:

7 lbs of pinto beans presoaked for 24 hours.

3-4 ham hocks...

2-3 habaneros...

Simmer for 13 - 14 hours.

The containers are ready for freezing.

I had cleared one whole freezer section just for these containers.

They stacked 4 x 4 deep.

This left 6 containers...

of which I had placed in the washroom vertical deep freeze.

You may see the containers...

3 on the top door shelf...

and 3 on the bottom door shelf.

My deep freeze is now filled.

This is the cleanup.

As you never go above a low simmer...

the food does not burn...

and so...

does not stick.

The whole cleanup took about ten minutes...

including wiping down the counters.

I had finally finished the whole process at about 5 AM.

I will usually have at least one serving of bean stew a week.

I just take out one container from the freezer and let it defrost slowly in the fridge

over the following two days.

Then just pour the stew into a bowl and heat in the microwave

for a hot and delicious meal.

Freshly cut white onions and black pepper are my usual garnishments...

and hummus dipped tortillas are my usual accompaniments.

Bean stew is not only a delicious and nutritious meal...

it is easily made and stored in large frozen batches.