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T S U G U A
TABLE OF CONTENTS
01
02
03
04
05
PIGEON'S POST
WHAT A WOMAN
F E A T U R E D A R T I C L E
J A P A N E S E
F E A T U R E D
06
07
08
09
10
F E A T U R E D FOOD ENTHUSIAST
INSTA INSPIRATIONS
C O B B L E R
P L A Y L I S T
I N T E R V I E W
B I T E S I Z E
INSPIRED DISHES
POET
T+Co Issue 05 August 2021 Cover Image Paulette Wooten Editorial Paulette Wooten Editor Kim Hill Executive Editor Karen Hill Deputy Editor Contributors Karen Hill, Michele Hill, Paulette Wooten, Kim Hill, Emily Sutherland, Allison Rodgers, Audrey Assad Marketing + Advertising thetreehouseandco@gmail.com Subscriptions Visit www.thetreehouseandco.com Write to: 100 Club Dr, Suite 210, Burnsville, NC 28714
www.thetreehouseandco.com thetreehouseandco@gmail.com
T+CO
Published monthly by the treehouse + Co All Rights Reserved. A FOOD + MUSIC + HOSPITALITY ONLINE MAGAZINE
EDITOR'S NOTE
A
Follow me on Instagram @paullyrock
Here we are. August 2021. ugust: the naptime of summer. Vacations are ending, prep for school beginning, the temperature keeps climbing, we’ve eaten our fill of watermelon. We’ve traveled and fished and visited and backyard
barbecued our hearts out. We celebrated dads in June and America in July. But August. Still summer, with that sense of freedom the season promises, but a quiet little month missing the star quality of June and July. The zeal of that first lake plunge in June, the fireworks of July… summer fun starts dwindling as the calendar points us toward September beginnings. Have we worn ourselves out with gatherings and goings? Dear August, what about you should excite us?
August could be the new enticing month, but it doesn’t quite live up to its definition: “impressive.” If I could be August’s publicist for the month, my plan would be to market what’s true. August is more than a blah transitional month. So let’s talk about the awkwardness of transition, so we all know we’re not alone. The truth is August, forgotten and no-frills, bears its own beauty. Pointing out the inbetween times are where we become. Become mindful of where we are in life. Become au courant with our true selves. Become aware of what we need, what we want, what to keep, what to let go of, what to change, what serves us, what harms us, what we long for, what we have, and what we will make of the days ahead.
Does that sound like a tough assignment? Maybe, but then just think of the reward! Just think of the delight of becoming the person you’ve hoped to be. Transition is the highway to that place of personhood, of knowing yourself completely and adjusting yourself and your world. The hard part is showing up to your life and learning to be. How do you start? By being present and honest with yourself. You don’t have to tell a soul what you’re learning or unlearning in transition. It’s for you. It’s to heal you. It’s through this transition that you will become more whole. More fully present for yourself and eventually those around you. True and lasting transition starts with you and can only be maintained by you. We are transition. Sometimes exciting. Sometimes uninteresting. Sometimes electrifying. Many times humdrum, but embracing transition makes uneventful days feel like you are on a divine passage. Transition is the life mission of Emily Sutherland…Dear friend, encourager and bridge builder, co-founder of Love Better World, Emily has been walking alongside Kim and me for many years. She and her husband Scott's work is based on the belief that "the world gets better when we learn to love better at home, in our communities, and around the world." Emily is a podcaster and career writer. For decades, she’s helped others communicate their messages to thousands, and now she’s sharing what she’s learned along the way. We met at one of our first Treehouse events and reconnected in 2019 in North Carolina when we hosted a few couples for an Amy Grant concert at The Biltmore. Emily and Scott are the brave and vulnerable type of people you love to share a meal and conversation with any chance you get.
Scott and Emily Sutherland, Love Better
You won’t want to miss Emily’s insightful article about transition on page 14.
Mary Gauthier, Singer-Songwriter, Authorr
OTHER “DON’T MISS” HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE:
Our Top It Off interview with our friend and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, Mary Gauthier has a way of always putting life in perspective. The first conversation I had with Mary was after a "sing for your supper" picking party. Everyone in the room was a prolific songwriter, and with a lucky invite, Kim and I got to sit in and share our "Is It Alright," the first song we wrote as our new duo, Wooten Hill. Even after more than 25 years as professional musicians, we were both so nervous. This moment. This room was sacred. I've recalled my quick chat with Mary a hundred times. She said, "You belong here. We're just troubadours traveling, singing, and supporting one another. You have a place here." That was a transitional moment for me as a songwriter. The shot in the arm. The ray of hope I needed to pursue a new dream. Mary was a chef in Louisiana before she was the acclaimed songwriter of "Mercy Now," and if you're lucky enough to have some of her gumbo, you know you've tasted greatness. Her new book, "Saved by a Song," has that same effect. I've been hanging onto every word of her book, especially as she reminds us in this divisive time "a song can change a heart by creating empathy. A changed heart has the power to change a mind. And when a mind changes, a person changes. When people change, the world changes. One song, one heart, one mind, one person at a time." Wow. Powerful words. Impressive, just like I hope August will turn out for you after all. In the settling down of summer activities and the ramping up of routines may your transition will be transcendent. May this August earn a place of honor alongside her sisters June and July. And, for you, a memorable passage into fall.
PAULETTE
WOOTEN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
08 /01 / 2021
A Migration Memoir
PIGEON'S POST
My parents lived in Florida for over 45 years and had a little chant every fall. “Oh no, here come the Snow Birds!” Like most locals, they didn’t enjoy the influx of uninvited guests for the season. As I have aged, I’ve realized that I’ve reluctantly become a Snow Bird myself, but in a slightly different way. I’m standing my ground, but my body is migrating south! Body parts that were north have joined their southern neighbors and become intruders and uninvited. For instance, my face and neck have become one block and my ears have come to the party. This is reminiscent of Sponge Bob Squarepants. The funny thing about the ears is that they continue to grow but can hear less! Another life mystery. Mr. Arthritis showed up and convinced my little pinkies to abandon camp and go off-road. The only redeeming thing is that I don’t have to shave my legs anymore or buy razors since all of my hair has moved to my chin. Now, I just use my hubby’s razor when he’s not watching. As I age, I’ve realized I spent a lot of random time doing weird thinking. For example, I spend untold hours trying to figure out what I can wear to the grocery store that doesn’t require a bra. Lots of draping, layering….anything! Whose idea was a bra anyway? I’m sure a wicked evil person who loves torture. I was fully matured at 5’2”, now I’m barely 5’. My shoe size was a 6, and now it’s a 7. None of my body parts had a hall pass for this migration. They are all outliers, uninvited, and yet they keep coming. I can hear their little mantra now “Go south, Go south!” Even my mind has abandoned its proper place. Who knew a grown woman would search the highways and byways in her neighborhood for a kid to fix her phone! My eyes were just fine until one day they joined the march south, and now I have reading glasses that seem to have a mind of their own and tend to migrate together. They join up in strange places and hide. Believe it or not, I have ten random pairs somewhere in this house. One sweet redeeming thing about all of this is that I believe one day on the other side, I’ll have a new body, and all the parts being back in their place. It’s sweet thought I hold close on those weary days when I’m tired of my body’s betrayal.
02 WHAT A WOMAN
WHAT A WOMAN!
JUDY YOKOYAMA Judy Yokoyama, known to her family as Bachan, was born in Sebastopol in 1936. One of six kids, her family was a cornerstone from the start. From her time at Camp Amache internment camp to living and working on an apple ranch, her childhood was challenging but filled with joy surrounded by family. She inherited a hard work ethic, which she has passed down. Justin, her grandson, who always shared her values, fondly remembers Bachan listening for hours as he shared his childhood entrepreneurial dreams. Family was always her biggest priority. Attending every grandkids’ sporting event, helping with homework, holding weekly Sunday dinners, she always strengthened her family and offered sage advice. These words of wisdom have lifted up generations, inspiring Justin as a kid, and now encouraging his daughters. Today, they proudly share these “Bachanisms” with you. Visit their site and order their phenomenal Japanese BBQ sauce.
03 F E A T U R E D A R T I C L E
Transitions by Emily Sutherland
his time of year, when I see all the back-to-school supplies on sale, it feels strange not to be stocking up. Even though the kids are grown, part of me still feel like turning the corner from this season into the next might feel more comfortable with some fresh pencils and composition notebooks. The word transition comes with a bit of baggage for me. I would love to be one of those people who takes on each new season of life with the fearlessness of Joan of Arc. But I tend to want something to hang onto, even if it’s just a number two pencil, that makes me feel safe. Maybe I resist transitions because I seemingly met my quota long ago. I was a pastor’s kid and by the time I was 19, I’d lived in seven different towns. Each journey in a moving truck was preceded by a garage sale and a farewell reception, where the adults ugly cried as they exchanged tearful goodbyes.
T
Mom and Dad had a way of turning each move into an adventure, and I don’t really remember feeling sad about moving at the time. My sister and I became adaptable and got to live life in a variety of places surrounded by lots of kinds of people. But I didn’t develop many long-term friendships. The life cycle on relationships was about three years before it was time to move. So I learned to keep a little distance between myself and others. When I married Scott, we put down our roots in Indiana so we could keep the farewell receptions and garage sales to a minimum. We hoped living near grandparents and having a hometown where our kids could develop lifelong friendships might protect them from the stress of constant transitions. But over time, I started to realize that resisting transitions is about as pointless as trying to keep the sun from rising, or the tide from coming in and out. There’s no avoiding them, and there’s certainly no protecting my kids from them.
I used to think my kid’s toddler meltdowns during the transition from playtime to bath time were rough. Now my “baby” has just turned 22 and her brother is 24. Their debut into adulthood has come with heartbreaks, losses, depression, crises of faith, weighty decisions, life-altering disappointments... oh, and a global pandemic. There have been days when all I could do was pray that my kid would survive another day. All I wanted to do was hit “rewind” and go back to the days when they were carefree and unjaded by disappointment in how the world works. There may have been a time or two when I was the one melting down like a toddler on her way to bath time as I grieved--the loss of my dad, the loss of relationships we had invested heavily in, the turmoil in our nation and too many injustices to process, and the upending of our best-laid plans. I write people’s stories for a living now, and am doing the job I once only dreamed of, but even the transition from a steady corporate job to my own freelance writing business wasn’t easy. Even though I knew I was ready for a new season, there was something so final about letting go of what I knew before I could see was possible. Now I can’t imagine not going for it, but man was it scary.
While writing others’ stories, I’ve stumbled onto a powerful discovery. The parts of every story where the most page-turning action happens always begins at a crossroad or decision point. Transitions always usher in a new chapter that impacts how the rest of the story plays out. In each story I’ve had the honor of writing, the most unthinkably painful chapters of people’s lives became the very experiences they later said, with gratitude, grew them into people they couldn’t have become otherwise. The transitions keep coming. My family just faced another big one that felt hard and disappointing. We have allowed whatever emotions we had to come and go as they pleased until the most beautiful wave of relief settled in, signaling once again that we are exactly where we need to be. transitions always bring gifts.
Transitions not only take us from what was to what will be, they take us from who
who
we
we
are
were
to
becoming.
Transitions not only take us from what was to what will be, they take us from who we were to who are becoming. Some seasons are easier to embrace than others, but all of them come with choices. We can fight them every step of the way, to no avail. We can distance ourselves from people thinking it might be easier to ride it out alone rather than risk more disappointment. Or… we can bravely open our eyes, soften our hearts, release our grip, and receive whatever gifts are waiting for us. Because transitions always bring gifts. Whether we white-knuckle our way through change, or thrive on it, it’s never going to stop coming in and out of our lives. We can never go back to some previous time when things were simpler. And we can’t propel ourselves into the future to skip the painful parts. But we can stay present, feel whatever comes … and listen. Because this moment right here is where the magic happens. Like the John Mayer song, “Stop This Train” so beautifully concludes, "Don't stop this train. Don't for a minute change the place you're in…”
As summer winds down and you begin to feel that familiar shift into cooler days, I hope, dear reader, that you will give yourself the gift of taking each moment as it comes. If you’re walking through pain or grief, feel it…then keep listening. If you’re worried that your best days might be behind you, feel it… then keep hoping. Think of the unknown as an adventure, guided by a Voice that will not steer you wrong. Whatever you’re facing right now might be the thing you’ll eventually look back on with gratitude for the way it shaped you into the person you needed to become. And if buying yourself some school supplies might make this season feel more familiar, this is the time to do it because they’re on the best sale of the year.
"Whatever you’re facing right now might be the thing you’ll eventually look back on with gratitude for the way it shaped you into the person you needed to become." – Emily Sutherland
04 J A P A N E S E INSPIRED DISHES
NOODLES NOODLES NOODLES SLOWING DOWN + RAMEN UP
RAMEN 拉麵
RAMEN UP COMFORT FOOD NOODLE DISH
A SOUTHERN STYLE NOODLE BBQ
INGREDIENTS
2 bundles of Hakubaku Organic ramen 2 (32 ounce) chicken stock (low sodium) 1 1/2 - 2 lbs brisket, chuck roast, or pork shoulder 1/4 cup your choice BBQ sauce 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (low sodium) 1 whole red chili (optional) 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt Pepper
TOPPINGS
Green onion Cilantro Jalapeno Red crushed pepper
DIRECTIONS
serves 2 to 4
Cooking the meat. Heat a large pan to medium-high. Season the your choice of meat with the salt and pepper. Once your pan is hot, add the oil and sear meat on all sides. Move the meat to the crockpot. Pour 32 ounces stock, bbq sauce and teriyaki over the meat. Cook for 8 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high depending on the size of your meat. You want it to tender and easy to shred. Cooking the ramen. Pour the other 32 ounces of stock into a large pot. Bring to a boil and add ramen for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the meat. (I like to remove excessive fat during this process.) Add shredded meat and 1-2 cups of the bbq crockpot juices to the ramen and stock pot. I like to simmer for at least 15 minutes allowing a little time for flavors to blend. When you're ready, add ramen and meat to your favorite bowl. Top with cilantro, jalapeño, green onion and red crushed pepper if you want a little heat.
饂飩
UDON
PERFECT COMFORT FOOD
UDON GOTME STIRFRY EASY + SIMPLE
INGREDIENTS 2 bundles Hakubaku organic udon 1 package firm tofu (marinate) 3 tablespoons Lahtt Sauce AllPurpose Chili Oil Sauce 1/2 cup mushrooms 1 medium size carrot shredded 1 cup snow peas 3 tbsp olive oil tofu prep 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 1/2 inch ginger, minced First, press the tofu to remove liquid. 1 shallot, minced Cube or slice into your desired size. 2-4 eggs Coat the tofu with 1-2 tablespoons of Lahtt Sauce Chili Oil Sauce. If you have time marinate for at least 30 minutes or longer if possible. Even overnight.
DIRECTIONS
serves 2 to 4
Begin heating two pots of water for noodles and eggs. Bring both to a boil.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil to medium-high in a large pan. Once the oil shimmers add the tofu. (See directions for tofu prep.) Cook on each side for about 3 minutes until crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside. Lower heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, ginger and shallot cooking for 2 minutes. Add udon to boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Add eggs to boiling water. Boil for 5 minutes. Now add mushrooms to pan for 2 minutes. Then carrots for 3 minutes. Take the noodles and eggs out of boiling water. Rinse both under cool water. Set aside. Now add snow peas to pan for 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of chili oil and coat everything well. Add udon noodles to pan and make sure they are coated well with chili oil. Add extra chili oil if needed. Cook for a couple of minutes melding flavors together. Peel eggs and cut in half. Place noodles and veggies in a bowl and top with desired amount of tofu and egg.
蕎⻨ "BUCKWHEAT"
SOBA
SOBA MEUP COLD SALAD LIGHT
MEAL
+
EASY
INGREDIENTS
1 bundle organic soba noodles 1 large cucumber sliced Handful cherry tomato or sliced half tomato 1 green onion sliced 1 cup mixed greens 2 cups shredded chicken breasts or shrimp
DIRECTIONS
Cook organic soba in boiling water for 4 minutes. No salt or water needed. Drain, then rinse well with cold water. Drain again. Place noodles and all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour desired amount of dressing and mix together. Top with fresh parmesan and chili flakes.
serves 2
PREP
CITRUS DRESSING
4 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon citrus champagne vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 garlic clove 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 pepper Add all ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth. TIP: PICK-UP ROTISSERIE CHICKEN FROM YOUR LOCAL GROCERY
05 F E A T U R E D
POET
The Summer Day by Mary Oliver
Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper? This grasshopper, I meanthe one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and downwho is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. I don’t know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? from New and Selected Poems, 1992 Beacon Press, Boston, MA Copyright 1992 by Mary Oliver
06 F E A T U R E D
Food Enthusiast
Meet Jill Serron
Writer, Food Enthusiast Boston, Maine
We met Jill through Instagram early this year and connected over our love of food. Her instagram feed is full of delish and simple recipes that are both satisfying and healthy. Excellent combo! She let us swipe a few recipes from her intsagram feed. Check them out and follow her @whatsjillcooking Little more about Jill: I moved to Massachusetts from Orange County, California in 2016 to attend the Boston University College of Communications. After graduating in January 2020, I decided to stay here, and have been working as an ad and marketing writer for clients in the Northeast. You can check out my non-food writing at jillserron.com. When I'm not working, you'll find me in my kitchen testing and developing recipes or somewhere in the city enjoying food I didn't make myself at one of Boston's hundreds of bars and restaurants.
PERFECT WEEK DAY DISH
Kung Pao Veggie Stir Fry I had this little instant cup of Kung pao noodles but there were no veggies and it was soooo bland. Added a few ingredients and threw it in a pan to step it up a lil . Start with instant Kung pao noodles cooked according to package. Mine were a little soupy. - Thinly slice onion, mushroom and carrot. - Cook in a pan with a little sesame oil for 5 minutes on high heat until the whole thing starts to steam and sizzle loudly. Add in @kikkomanusa soy sauce, sriracha and crushed garlic to taste. Reduce heat and pour in the noodles and sauce. Let the sauce thicken over low heat until it’s sticky. Serve and sprinkle with sesame seeds on top! . Tbh I ate some of the plain noodles while waiting for my veggies to cook so what’s pictured is mostly just vegetables in sauce. You can bulk yours up with an extra packet of vermicelli or ramen!
SIMPLE DISH
Beef + Noodles BEEF MARINADE: - 1 part crushed garlic - 2 parts horseradish mustard - 4 parts soy sauce - Marinate beef for at least an hour, then thinly slice and pan fry. - I also sliced up half a white onion and added it to the beef so I wouldn’t be eating just straight up meat and noodles. - Cook whatever noodles you have ACCORDING TO PACKAGE! To be totally honest I undercooked mine bc I wasn’t paying attention and I had to dismantle my bowl after taking these pics :( I decided to just save the noodles in the fridge and finish cooking them when I want soup later in the week oops - Top with chopped scallions and (I wish) sesame seeds - I had some sliced cucumbers on the side which complemented the beef pretty well! It definitely would have been elevated with some mint and white vinegar next time
07 B I T E S I Z E INSTA INSPIRATIONS
N O I T I S N A R T
DID YOU KNOW THAT FEMALES OVER 45 — SPEND A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THEIR TIME CARING FOR AGING PARENTS?
TRANSITIONING WITH AN AGING PARENT ALLISON RODGERS @allisonrodgers Did you know that females over 45 — spend a large percentage of their time caring for aging parents? I feel a tinge of guilt even typing that. As women, it’s a role we step into and not many are talking about what it means for our families, our careers, our lives. And we need to. We need the conversation around this to be REAL. Caring for an aging parent is not usually a short season. It’s not something that will pass in a few days. It is long-term care and assistance and it needs to be sustainable for us. It’s this weird space of being a grown-up, getting your kids to a semi-launched state, hitting a groove in your job, and then an unspoken extra career quietly gets added into the mix. We’re supposed to manage it without missing a beat. FRIENDS - that is not possible or logical. My mom was in the hospital for 64 days home for 7 - and now she’s been back in for 19.
Currently, she’s struggling with kidney failure, dialysis, extreme confusion, and a few other issues that happen when you’re in the hospital too long. Hopefully, these problems are temporary. This is not a fast process, and there is something new every day. Caregiving and patient advocating is a full-time job. We feel guilty for even sounding like we’re complaining about providing this care. We don’t want our parents to feel bad for needing our time. So we stay quiet. I will happily help take care of my mom for as long as she is here. But I can’t ignore the fact that her long-term care has long-term effects on my life. Good and bad. We have to address our grief about our parents’ health and the grief we have about what it means for us. Doing that well IS how we honor our parents. And it will teach our kids how to honor us. Are you in this season? Let’s be in it together. I’m tired and I’m really tired of being quiet.
If you’re a caregiver of a parent or have recently lost a parent, follow Allison @allisonrodgers as she navigates surviving her parents at 47.
THERE’S NOT A SHORTCUT FOR LONG SUFFERING AND SLOW HEALING.
N O I T I S N A R T
IN OUR WORLD OF INSTANT GRATIFICATION - THIS MAKES US FEEL LOST.
Hospital - day 19 ICU day 11 There’s not a shortcut for long suffering and slow healing. - In our world of instant gratification - this makes us feel lost. This whole time I thought the goal - the destination - was surgery. I was wrong. Maybe that’s just what my brain could handle. A week ago today - after 8 hours in the OR - a team escorted my mom into her room with her eyes taped shut, & the sound of a ventilator breathing. I stood back & quietly watched them arrange & label a million tubes coming out of her body. Everything about this moment felt so heavy - as if the weight of the room was pressing me into the corner. I was scared to watch, I didn't want to miss what was happening, & it felt like she was in this weird space of living, breathing & not. Right then - I thought “well - crap - I’m a big dummy.” Surgery was just a stop on this journey & now we’re headed somewhere with an unknown path & timeline. Some of you reached out to me the day after surgery & gently said - “what’s next is the hard part.” I am grateful to be with my mom, help care for her, & walk with her into whatever is next especially since our relationship hasn’t been the easiest. This part is not fun and I have no clue what I’m doing. Dang it some siblings would be nice right now! For the patient as well as the caregiver - this type of journey is physically, emotionally, mentally exhausting. There’s not a shortcut for long suffering and slow healing. In our world of instant gratification - this makes us feel lost. Most of us journey in the dark - alone - not sharing the struggle because it doesn’t fit-in with the happy hustle. Beauty and healing can be found if you’ll venture into the dark & heavy corners of life. It’s where we learn to understand ourselves, our wounds, the people who did the wounding & how we’ve wounded. Impatience comes & asks “are we there yet - are we done? This stop was not on the map.” I can tell you that this path is filled with a bunch of “rerouting” notifications & an unknown ETA. It doesn’t matter how many maps you look at, they all say something different. If you are on this journey - I see you - rest, eat well, get some sunshine, stretch, breathe. If you haven’t left yet, but are heading this direction soon - let me know - I may have some travel tips.
WHATEVER COMES AUDREY ASSAD @audreyassad
I have never been so happy or felt so whole! I have never been so rich in friendship. I’ve never tasted my food with this much delight! I’ve never encountered the fragrance and textures of the earth with such nearly-painful beauty feelings. I’ve never had this much fun or felt God so near to me, and it turns out the two experiences often go hand in hand. I’ve never felt so much sadness or anger (and for me, who lived so many years numbed to my real pain, this is a huge gift!) or pleasure or joy. I didn’t know a life like this could be real. It isn’t perfect. It gets messy and I send mixed messages to myself still. Sometimes I grieve and rage like a summer thunderstorm. Sometimes I stumble all over myself and others trying to reveal my heart to the people I care about. Some days I still forget to remember that I am loved. But oh God, am I *here.* I’ve never been so *here* before. When I dissociate I can almost always click back in within a day. This is new and almost terrifying in its goodness. Sometimes I worry my “here-ness” will be snatched away from me any minute—this is my old and disordered God story rearing its head. Whatever comes—be it pain, pleasure, deep love, deep loss, shame, Hope, or a meal I can barely stand to eat for the fear I might burst from feeling good — I just want to be here. I’m so grateful to be here.
Be here now.
"One day you will look back in awe of the things you made it through. You will look back with gratitude for the grace that continued to find you." - Morgan Harper Nichols
08 C O B B L E R
SOUTH TEXAS
COBBLER Peach
Better known as "Mama Karen's Cobbler." After seeing it on Instagram and dreaming of making it, I asked our friend and editor, Karen Hill to share her recipe. As I've mentioned before, I'm not a baker, so this was my maiden voyage. Kim and I were eating peach cobbler at midnight after a trip to the Asheville Farmer's Market and working on styling, photographing images, and baking it. Not great for our waistlines, but it made for a memorable experience. I'm sure we'll repeat it, hopefully, earlier in the day next time.
MAMA KAREN'S
COBBLER
First, pick fresh peaches. If they don’t smell peachy, they won’t make a great cobbler. If they are large, you’ll need about 15. Small, double that. I love this part of the recipe notes Karen sent me. "I don’t count them. I eyeball them. Enough to fill a very large mixing bowl will do." Filling: Peel + de-pit peaches. Add a little water depending on the size of cobbler - about 3/4 cup for a large. 1/2 cup for a square pan. In separate bowl, combine: 3 cups sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 3 tablespoon flour Pour over peaches & mix it up well. Put peaches and sweet mix in cobbler pan. (I don’t use a bottom crust.) Pastry: 3 cups flour 1 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup shortening (or substitute butter and 1/4 tsp salt) 1/2 cup milk Mix all ingredients together. Roll dough into a ball. Then roll out dough into a large rectangle. Cut into 1-2” rectangles. (Tip: use a pizza cutter.) *Secret to great cobbler: Melt a stick of butter. Pour the hot butter over peaches. Do not stir. Quickly layer pastry rectangles over the lake of butter. 350 degrees about 45 minutes till bubble and golden. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.
"It isn’t officially summer in South Texas until your kitchen is covered in peaches and cobblers." – KAREN HILL
09 P L A Y L I S T
LAST
OF
SUMMER
PLAYLIST
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN Pins And Needles Natalie Hemby Cool Kids Echosmith Suddenly I See KT Tunstall Mercy Now Mary Gauthier Look Long Indigo Girls Dog Days Are Over Florence + the Machine Soak Up the Sun Sheryl Crow Hold One Yola (feat. Sheryl Crow, Brandi Carlile + Natalie Hemby)
Heroes Natalie Hemby Next to Me Emeli Sande Day Drinking Little Big Town Waste of Lime Ingrid Andress Fillin’ My Cup Hailey Whitters (feat. Little Big Town)
Another Day Borrowed Mary Gauthier
L A S T
O F
S U M M E R
10 I N T E R V I E W
TOP IT OFF
MARY GAUTHIER 59, GRAMMY NOMINATED AMERICAN FOLK SINGERSONGWRITER AND AUTHOR
DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST RECORD YOU BOUGHT WITH YOUR OWN MONEY, THE FIRST RECORD, CASSETTE, OR CD? DO YOU STILL HAVE IT? My first record was a 45 of American Pie, and yea, I still have it. WHAT ARE YOUR GO-TO SONGS WHEN YOU GET IN THE CAR AND YOU'RE BY YOURSELF? ANY NEW SONGS YOU'RE LOVIN'? To be honest, I mostly listen to music when I am NOT feeling great. It helps me deal with whatever is troubling me, songs are like medicine sometimes.
FIRST FAV FOOD YOU DISCOVERED AS A KID THAT WASN’T SERVED AT YOUR HOUSE. Bread pudding with bourbon sauce at the Bon Temps in New Orleans. Served hot and bubbling, it was the best thing I ever!
TOP IT OFF
MARY GAUTHIER
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT NIGHT AT HOME. WHAT DO YOU EAT, DO, ETC. ON YOUR “WEEKEND” TYPE NIGHT, EVEN IF IT’S NOT OFFICIALLY A FRIDAY/SATURDAY DUE TO WORK. A great night for me is sharing a meal with friends, then going to bed with my partner Jaimee and we read a while, talk a while, and then call it a night. So simple, so beautiful.
AS KID/YOUNG WOMAN, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE OTHER THAN WHAT YOU ARE KNOWN FOR? I have become what I wanted to be: a songwriter, a musician, an author, and a chef, self employed all the way!
DESCRIBE A TIME YOU FELT WELCOMED IN SOMEONE’S HOME IN AN EXPECTED WAY OR HOW A FAMILY MEMBER (GRANDMOTHER/AUNT,E TC.) MADE YOU FEEL SPECIAL WHEN YOU CAME TO THEIR HOME. My grandmother always cooked breakfast for me, and it was Always amazing…she was an Italian immigrant, and she really knew how to cook. I loved spending the night at her house. IN STORES NOW. CLICK HERE.
