So-Simple Linzer Torte Bars with Wild Plum Jam

I found a wild plum tree in the corner of the hilltop here, and right now the branches are heavy with ripe, glowing fruit.

I picked as many as I could carry and for a few days they sat there, pink purple and pretty, in a wire basket, because I wasn't sure what I wanted to make with them.

I decided to cook them into a simple jam of fruit and powdered sugar.

It melted down into the most delicious, tart, sweet, sticky magenta mess.

I jarred it up and put it into the fridge.

Then I found a recipe I knew I wanted to use this wild plum jam for.

Linzer Tort Bars, by Betty Crocker.

The recipe is so simple; only 6 ingredients.

And the result is lovely!

Linzer Torte Bars

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup ground walnuts or almonds

1/2 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon cinammon (I substituted 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg)

2/3 cup red raspberry preserves (I used my wild plum preserves)

Heat oven to 375°

Mix all ingredients except preserves until crumbly.

Press two-thirds of mixture into an ungreased pan, 9x9x2 inches (a brownie pan).

Spread with preserves.

Sprinkle with remaining crumbs. Press gently into preserves.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Store in an airtight container.

YUM.

xoxo country girl

Preparing for Boston's Arrival

Today I stocked up on all the things you need for a new puppy: kibbles, collar, harness, and lots of TOYS. I was so happy when the pillow I ordered on etsy arrived. It's upcycled from a t-shirt and I bought it at My T-Shirt Pillow .


So I set up Boston's little spot next to our bed and told Kiki, "These are for Boston." I left the room and when I came back, Kiki was on the bed with a guilty look on her face and the smallest of the toys.

Of course I played with her! I realized that there was no way of keeping the toys from her, and that actually, since she will be the 'boss' of the two dogs, all the toys will probably be 'hers' anyways. 


I am so curious how it will be once Boston is here. I wonder how it will be for Kiki; if she will be upset, happy, or indifferent. Change always makes me nervous. But mostly, I am excited, and hopeful that this new member of the family will just bring more love and joy.


When we were done playing, I caught this lovely shot of a contemplative Kiki.

I love her so much, my heart just bursts sometimes. I am so blessed to have her in my life. We are together 24 hours a day, so close, and so connected. I hope this bond remains strong when Boston is here.


xoxo country girl 

happy august!

"O Spirit of the Summertime!

 Bring back the roses to the dells;

 The swallow from her distant clime,

 The honey-bee from drowsy cells.

 Bring back the friendship of the sun;

 The gilded evenings, calm and late,

 When merry children homeward run,

 And peeping stars bid lovers wait.

 Bring back the singing; and the scent

 Of meadowlands at dewy prime;—

 Oh, bring again my heart's content,

 Thou Spirit of the Summertime!"

-   William Allingham 

corn fields reach, wild fruits ripen

bees buzz, butterflies flutter

august unfolds

xoxo country girl

the hills are aliiiiiive...

There was a break in the rain just long enough for Kiki and I to go frolicking over the hillside, covered with wildflowers waving and bobbing in the breeze. Joy!

At a corner of the field I discovered these wild, ripe, delicious, beautiful jewels...

...but more about those, and what I'm using them for, in the next post. :)


Have a LOVELY weekend, my dear ones!


xoxo country girl

Fill Jars With Sunshine

Cover the bottom of a pot with water; throw in sliced apricots; sprinkle over sugar; cook, stirring once in a while, on low-medium heat, until fruit has melted; taste and add more sugar if too tart; fill clean glass jars with sunshine; keep in fridge and eat with yogurt, ice cream, on toast, sprinkle with granola, make into an apricot crumble or apricot bars. Or give to a friend.

xoxo country girl

today, one year ago: my 10 words

Interview with Vedic Astrologer Robert Koch

Back in May I told you about my reading with Vedic Astrologer Robert Koch, and how it ultimately filled me with new hope after the loss of our first pregnancy last fall. I was so fascinated by this process, and by the information he was able to provide us with, that I longed to know more about this ancient science, and how it can help you and me. Robert was kind enough to answer some questions I had from the comfort of his home in Bend, Oregon, and I'm happy to share them here with you!

Dawn: Robert, thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions for my readers and I. I'll begin with a question which some people who have heard I had a reading done have asked me: What are the benefits of having a Vedic astrology reading done?


Robert Koch:  There are many benefits, the most compelling ones being a clear definition of life's purpose and destiny; and then timings of events which support and contribute to that destiny.  We are all challenged at certain junctures of life to take a more critical view of all possibilities, and if changes need to be made, to have the courage to make adjustments to the normal course of lifestyle.  Often we are confused as to which path to take, with whom, or whether there should be no change at all at a particular juncture in life.  Vedic astrology gives clarifications to these dilemmas and offers various types of spiritual remedies as well in case the challenging issues are especially vexing.  


D: Which aspects of someone's life can you NOT predict?


RK:  Predictions on any aspect of life are difficult and require a lifetime of study, skill, and application of rules for interpreting horoscopes.  So just about all areas of life can be predicted given that the astrologer is qualified.  Some exceptions, however, are:  where and to whom a person will take birth in his next lifetime; and, when Divine Will intervenes in some special cases to offset a difficult situation. 


D: When someone finds out about something in their chart that they don't want to happen, is there any way they can change it, or is what stands in the chart going to inevitably happen?


RK:  This depends on the nature of the event.  Some things will happen regardless of our attempts to deflect the event.  Other events may not happen because we were forewarned ahead time and took diversionary actions.  The magnitude of the event, or the severity of it, is not easy to determine, but an astrologer can almost always determine the dangerous period of time knowing which the client can make adjustments accordingly.  However, if something is fated to happen, then even knowing about it ahead of time will not enable the person to prevent it from occurring.  Forewarning can go a long way, however, as maybe an event is meant to happen, but by taking some precautionary actions, the client may be able to deflect the severity of the outcome.  


D: If you see something painful in someone's future...a disease, an accident, an unfaithful spouse...do you tell the person?


RK:  The astrologer's duty is to give forewarnings if some dangerous situation is seen in the client's future.  However, to what extent he may tell the client, and to what degree the dangerous event may impact that person, the message will need to be buffered accordingly.  In certain cases, such as in death, astrologers are taught not to reveal such information.  Only in specific and particular circumstances should the details or timing of death be given, and not otherwise.  But if there is an indication in the chart of an injury or accident, or sickness, for example, the astrologer will forewarn the client and thus the latter's vigilance during the dangerous planetary periods may help to divert a dangerous outcome


D: When you told me that you see two children in my near future, a boy and a girl, I was overcome with peace, and my hope was renewed after a long period of grieving after the loss of my first child. How do you think your readings have helped others?


RK:  I am very happy that those readings gave you peace and hope that you will be blessed with children in your future, Dawn!  Most people send me feedback after receiving readings in which they felt a similar kind of peace that you report.  At heart, or on soul-spiritual levels, we actually know what is coming in our future.  It is only due to contact with the illusions of the material nature that we either forget this knowing, or we doubt it due to fear.  Fear results from a gradual separation from Source, or God which has taken place during our various incarnations as humans.  A reading in Vedic astrology reminds us of the fact that the connection with Source, and thus our true spiritual intelligence, is never deleted.  When the reading thus confirms what a person knows internally, but may have forgotten temporarily, then a great sense of context, perspective, and peace comes over that individual.  This is what others have reported after having received a reading from me.  So it is not so much a matter of learning something new, but remembering things that the soul has known for a very long time but which he or she has briefly forgotten. 


D: A friend was concerned when I told her about your predictions for a child in 2011, afraid that I might be disappointed. Are you ever hesitant or worried about giving someone information which may result in false hope?


RK:  Most predictions do not go wrong, and in fact I have about a 95% accuracy record.  However, the 5% of incorrect predictions do happen and this can be chalked up to the astrologer's error.  Also, the birth time given by the client may also be inaccurate thus setting the potential for incorrect predictions, which are not the astrologer's fault.  Thus even if the astrologer is qualified, incorrect information will result if the client does not take the trouble to confirm his/her time of birth carefully.  In most instances, however, the astrologer's error lies at the fault of bad predictions.

In answer to the question, I am never worried about giving false hope to an individual as the prediction is given with the greatest sincerity and drawing upon all the skills that I've developed thus far after 21 years of professional practice.  If the prediction goes wrong, then the first step is to re-check the accuracy of the birth data given by the client.  If the client confirms accurate birth data, then the astrologer takes full responsibility for the bad prediction.  In this regard, some spiritual knowledge and detachment is necessary for anybody who consults a Vedic astrologer.  The astrologer is not God, and thus cannot predict all things with 100% accuracy, and thus the client should know that a small margin of human error is possible.  Spiritual detachment means to take guidance or insights from the astrologer as to the possible destiny which will unfold, while at the same time realizing that ultimately things happen or don't happen not just as a result of re-occurring karma, but also according to God's plan.  This sort of detachment protects the client from a shock or let-down if the desired result does not happen.  


D: To what degree is a warning from you, such as 'be careful when travelling' or 'be careful when driving,' able to help someone avoid a pitfall which is predetermined in their chart? Can being aware of those dangers actually help someone avoid a possible accident or injury?


RK: Yes, but not always.  Sometimes a period of instability, especially while travelling or operating vehicles is indicated, although no malignant or terrible outcome is foreseen.  If that is the case, then a simple forewarning can help to deflect a painful situation.  Other events are destined to happen and will happen whether or not one knows ahead of time.  For example, an astrologer may warn a client against falling objects causing potential injury.  But if he then walks down the sidewalk and a piano falls out of the window overhead, how could such an event be avoided?  Generally if someone enters an extremely dangerous period of life planetarily speaking, the astrologer will give a forewarning the result of which the client will exercise great caution and not take any risky actions.  Ultimately, however, fate will play its hand regardless of one's attempt to the contrary.  


D: Do twins or multiples share identicle charts? And if so, why are their lives different?


RK: Twins do not share all the subtleties of the horoscope, even if they are born within 2 minutes of each other.  There are finer layers or dimensions of a Vedic chart called Harmonic charts, and these show differences in children born to the same mother, on the same day and place, and within 1 and 1/2 minutes of each other.  In most cases, such children have very different lives, but not always.  


D: How often do you look at your own chart for guidance in your life?


RK:  I look at my own chart every day.  There are daily charts, for example, which give not only the effects of a given day, but also the times of the day when those experience should happen.  There are also monthly, bi-monthly yearly, bi-yearly charts as well which are very useful in seeing what is going to come at a given time.  Ultimately, the birth chart is the greatest calibrator of the trend or evolution of experience over the course of a lifetime.  I find myself contemplating the broad themes and timings less than the daily or monthly charts, as the latter give more detail for shorter periods of time.  


D: Is what you see before you in a chart what you would call fate? Or destiny? Is everything predetermined?


RK:  I like to use the word destiny more that fate, as even the sounds of these words carry various ominous types of connotations, and the word "destiny" carries a softer vibration than the word "fate."  As indicated above, some kinds of events are fated or pre-determined; other effects will bring certain potentials, but free will may be used to deflect the outcome to a certain extent.  My mentor in Vedic astrology was of the opinion that we have 30% free will, even though we would like to think that we can orchestrate all the situations and outcomes of life by our own intelligence and self-determination.


D: What would you say to someone who is skeptical about a Vedic astrologer's ability to see the past and predict the future?


RK:  If the person approaches me with a challenging sort of attitude, then I would say nothing to that person.  If the person were sincere but also skeptical, and thus needed some kind of verification of the efficacy of predictive astrology, then I would point that person to a compilation of various predictions I had made in the past which came true. I would also venture to tell that person - given access to their horoscope - about various things that should have happened in their past in order to give them faith that the science of the stars can see the past, the present, as well as the future.  I have written articles about some predictions, for example, including the correct outcome of the last five presidential elections in the US.  I also predicted the 9/11 attacks in New York City, but that was to a client who lived near ground zero and who had a reading from me four months prior to that.  Another client of mine, an author, inquired about the outcome of her book which was about to be published.  I told her that this book would bring her great fame, beyond her wildest dreams.  Thereafter, Oprah Winfrey caught wind of the book (entitled Women, Food, and God, by Geneen Roth ), interviewed her twice on the Oprah show, and thereafter the book has since been # 1 on the NY Times best seller's list for two consecutive months!  So any astrologer who has been practicing long enough, will have a folder of correct predictions, and that should help someone who is skeptical about the power of Vedic astrology. 


D: Thank you, Robert, for this fantastic look into Vedic Astrology!


If you are interested in a reading with Robert Koch, please click HERE .


For a detailed introduction to Robert Koch, please click HERE . 

Meeting Boston!

It was so hard to leave this soft, clumsy ball of love and playfulness. We are so in love, and can't stop talking about him. Kiki was a little suspicious of this tiny curious creature, and his seven brothers and sisters. But we know that she and Boston will become best friends once he is home with us. We're picking him up August 8th...my husband's birthday! What a gift. 


xoxo country girl