Peas Be With You

Summer is nearly here, and I finally got around to replacing my worn outdoor table cloth. It was very sad to say goodbye to the blue hydrangeas, but I have quickly grown fond of this new, pink and yellow covering.

Having a full house around the table again has its challenges, but there is no lack of lively conversation around the dinner table. Pleasing everyone's different tastes, however, is another story.

Lately, I've been loving limes, and use them whenever I can. Tonight, I marinated boneless chicken in lime juice and red pepper flakes, with a touch of ginger, garlic, and onion. As a side dish, I prepared snap peas and asparagus, sauteed with garlic. The kicker was that I used water to stir fry the veggies, and added a splash of soy and rice vinegar to finish.

Here is the result. Bright green, fat free, and crisp-tender to bite. 3 out of 4 diners enjoyed this tasty dish, which I consider a Triple Play.

It may seem silly that I would "Blip" about this, but in reality, I look at it and marvel how my mother was able to feed 7 hungry mouths each day, and somehow manage to have few leftovers.

I'm not really sure if Mom would have had a 75% turnover rate with this dish. It's food for thought.

My mom grew up on a farm and always had fresh food to eat. My dad's mother gardened and grew her own veggies as well. Why then, was I fed canned vegetables most of the time? Maybe it was convenience.

Summers at Seneca Lake always brought fresh sweet corn and green beans, and a large tossed salad was always there to meld its oil and vinegar dressing with whatever was being grilled up. I can still close my eyes and taste the shish kebab and pilaf infused with vinegary and buttery yumminess.

Part of my family still weekends on the water. I miss that family closeness, but plan on spending a few days with them this summer. It may not be a repeat of memories past, but I look forward to making some new family traditions.

We all start out as children, then grow and change into our adult selves. Our experiences and memories shape who we are and how we relate to others. Times change, and with that, we form new bonds and often create new paths to travel.

Who have you become?

What paths have you traveled?

These are things that fascinate me.

Wherever you go or whatever you do, may you do it with love and joy.

It isn't easy, but you can try.

I know.

I do it every day.

Peace.