My son shows how excited I feel on days when I have a Veggie Gals party!
Joni Hilton, an author about my husband’s age, from the boomer generation, has this book out called Ten Cow Wives Club. It’s about a group of girlfriends who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and have known each other since childhood. They grow into middle age together. Every month, they meet together for lunch and share recipes and laughs. It’s a fun read but there’s nothing really deep there. It’s a brain candy book that I would read only once. I was bothered that the main characters don’t really show joy in building marriages, having babies and breastfeeding and homemaking.
Some day when I am done with the other four books I have planned to write, have my year’s supply of food thoroughly inventoried, my home organized, my children all in independent scholar phase, and all my family history and scrapbooking are done, I am going to write a book called Veggie Divas. It will offer deep meaning every time you read it. Well, at least the first three times you read it. I will base it on my Veggie Gals group of girlfriends. We met through La Leche League of Provo/Orem over 14 years ago and as an offshoot to our LLL meetings we started having unofficial dinner parties with kids and breastfeeding babies in tow. We wanted to meet to share recipes for healthy eating and have an outlet to talk about whatever we wanted. At the time healthy eating meant no meat or dairy but some of us have changed our definitions of healthy eating.
Two days ago my Veggie Gal friends met at Joyce’s home to have a reunion with Michelle, my girlfriend who has moved to Guam. Our friend Annette who moved to Park City also came and some others who don’t come as often to see our long gone away Michelle.
We don’t meet as often as we used to. It used to be once a month for dinner at someone’s home. So far this year we’ve only met once. As our kids have gotten older it’s harder for us to meet and I think the need is no longer there for us to meet so often as we are getting our emotional needs filled in other ways.
Anyway, I always laugh so hard when I get with these girls. They are so hilarious. Over the years I have been so emotionally nourished by them with their entertaining antics. We’ve talked about so many fun things that most people don’t: colonic irrigation, natural childbirth, homeschooling, muscle testing and energy work, healing with food, natural sweeteners, the molecules of emotion, eco-friendly funerals (Joyce’s speciality), how to attract more money, praying for angels to help when things are lost, and more. We’ve laughed over Joyce’s fetish for cabbage and we love swapping recipes.
Here’s the latest and greatest recipe. Natural Lemon Sauce that is great for dipping cookies or whatever you want. It’s from Heather. I am hoping to get the cookie recipe that came with it. They were so light and melted in our mouths. Um, yum! Too bad I didn’t get a picture. I did remember to use my cell phone to snap a few of the ladies talking.
Lemon Curd from Heather Beecher
-4 eggs
-1/2 C. honey
-1/2 C. fresh lemon juice (maybe 3 lemons?)
-1/2 to 3/4 tsp. stevia powder
-lemon zest (whatever you can get from the lemons you juice)
-(p.s. zest lemons before juicing them)
-dash of salt
-2 to 2 1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil or butter
Whisk eggs and honey very well until eggs thin and become frothy and lighter. Add the lemon juice with the stevia and salt dissolved in it and whisk some more. Cook gently over med low heat on the stove and whisk continually until it thickens like a stirred custard. If you cannot stand there and whisk it, you need to use a double boiler or you will turn it to scrambled eggs very quickly. As it thickens, have a silicone spatula handy to stir it, to really make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom, so you don’t get lumps. Once you feel the eggs are sufficiently cooked (some people only barely cook it), remove from heat and add the oil, a tsp. at a time and incorporate it. It will help remove bubbles and smooth out the texture. Add the zest at the end (keep zest covered as you cook so that it doesn’t dry out and lose its lovely oils to the air). I also added some fresh chopped mint for interest – totally optional. I have also heard of adding minced ginger or other green herbs like lemon thyme or rosemary. Chill. It is great for a sauce or dip or spread or glaze on breads, cakes, cookies, fruit, and even some meat and vegie dishes.”
Joyce claims to have the secret natural alternative to invasive procedures that erase wrinkles between the eyebrows, which she got in answer to prayer while she was driving. She was pleading, thinking, “There’s gotta be a better cure than duct tape!”
Are you ready for the answer? It’s Breathe Right Strips. She says she puts them on every night and she now looks as good as Botox. Hey, she does. And she’s 45 and could be a grandma soon. I’m going to get me some!
Another girlfriend shared what she has been learning from going to a life coach for help with her marriage. It was interesting to hear this. Ten years ago it was Michelle who was really struggling in her marriage and now it’s this other friend. Michelle shared her favorite books for marriage: The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work and Why Marriages Succeed or Fail by John Gottman. Our other friend who I will call Joy said that she has learned that life coaches are great for marriage therapists because they ask, what do you want to experience out of life, instead of, what’s wrong and how can I fix you?
Joy also said that our marriages come from what you learn to expect based on childhood wounds. That’s a fascinating thought for me that I am still processing.
Tree of Life Mothering 