Colors of spring

10 tips to a mindful home

I just came across these wise words from Karen Maezen Miller and I really had to stand still for a moment to think about how good her advises are. Simple and beautiful. The only thing keeping me wishing it was fall that I could rake the fallen leaves is that it's finally spring :) Enjoy and learn:

Wake with the sun - There is no purer light than what we see when we open our eyes first thing in the morning. Resisting the morning's first waking moment instantly adds stress to your day. Avoiding the sun, you commence a chase that lasts all day long: running short of time, balance, peace and productivity.

Sit - Mindfulness without meditation is just a word. The search for mindful living is always grounded in a meditation practice. Seated meditation is the easiest and fastest way to clear your mind of anxious, fearful and stressful thoughts. Meditation puts your overactive brain on a diet, so you have more attention to bring to the real life that appears before you. You will be far more productive in the ensuing hours if you begin the day by spending five minutes actively engaged in doing nothing at all.

Make your bed - The state of your bed is the state of your head. Enfold your day in dignity. The five minutes you spend making your bed slows you down from your frantic, morning scrambling and creates a calm retreat to welcome you home at night. Plus, making your bed means you've already achieved an even more challenging feat: getting out of it.

Empty the hampers - Do the laundry without resentment or commentary and have an intimate encounter with the very fabric of life. Doing laundry is a supreme act of personal responsibility. It requires maturity, attention and discipline, and it engenders happiness. Don't believe me? See how you feel every time you reach the bottom of an empty hamper.

Wash your bowl - Rinse away self-importance and clean up your own kitchen mess. If you leave it undone, it will get sticky. An empty sink can be the single most gratifying sight of a long and tiring day.

Set a timer - If you're distracted by the weight of what's undone, set a kitchen timer and, like a monk in a monastery, devote yourself wholeheartedly to the task at hand before the bell rings. The time you'll find hidden in a kitchen timer unleashes more of your attention to the things that matter most.

Rake the leaves - Take yourself outside to rake, weed or sweep. You'll never finish for good, but you'll learn the point of pointlessness. The repetitive motion is meditative; the fresh air is enlivening. Lose yourself in doing what needs to be done, without a thought of permanent outcome or gain. You'll immediately alter your worldview.

Eat when hungry - Align your inexhaustible desires with the one true appetite. Coming clean about our food addictions and aversions is powerful and lasting medicine. Eating is so central to family life and culture that we can pass on our habits for generations to come. Mindless overeating feeds our sickness; mindful eating feeds the body's intuitive, intelligent wisdom and nourishes life well past tonight's empty plates.

Let the darkness come - Set a curfew on the Internet and TV and discover the natural balance between daylight and darkness, work and rest. Your taste for the quiet will naturally increase. When you end your day in accord with the earth's perfect rhythm, you grant the whole world a moment of pure peace.

Sleep when tired - Nothing more to it.

Persimmon bread recipe

This cake is really, really great! I found the recipe on the blog of David Lebovitz. His blog is a great source of delicious recipes and a great inspiration for anyone who likes the great food, fine photographs and Paris.

You will need for one loaf:

225g flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
200g sugar (can be more: more sugar more moister the cake)
110g melted (unsalted) butter and cooled to room temperature
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
90ml cognac, bourbon or whiskey
1 cup pesimmon puree
1 cup walnuts pr pecans, toasted and chopped
1 cup raisins or other dried fruits

Butter a loaf pan. Line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper or dust with flour and tap out any excess. Preheat oven to 180 °C (350 °F).

Sift the first 5 dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center then stir in the butter, eggs, liquor, persimmon puree then the nuts and raisins.
Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Storage: Will keep for about a week, if well-wrapped, at room temperature. The Persimmon Breads take well to being frozen, too.

You can find the original recipe on David's blog, together with some interesting stories :)

The only adjustment I made was that the first time I made the bread I use preserved figs (I know, my fig addiction is boooring), what I pureed with the food processor instead of the alcohol, because I made it for kids too. I decreased the amount of sugar, because the preserve was pretty sweet too. For grownups I would definitely recommend the version with the whiskey :)