It’s still getting into the 90s here in Houston pretty much every day but I haven’t been holding off on my autumn inspired baking and cooking. I’ll admit it’s funny to see little pumpkins and bouquets of sage and thyme decorating the small table in my kitchen and then walk outside just to be punched in the face by heat and humidity. And I literally mean punched in the face. It’s rather overwhelming.
But then again, I can’t control the weather and there’s no use trying because it just ends up a waste of time. It’s sort of like how I’ve been wanting to change things about the past and letting past decisions upset me. Try as I might I can’t change the past. None of us can (unless maybe you are the Doctor). I have to keep reminding myself there’s no use dwelling on the past because I miss out on being present in my life. I’ve found that presence is key. It’s what allows me to appreciate a cool morning walk or the sweetness of a morning ritual. Or, in this case, a freshly baked boule laced with the scent of earthy sage, pecans, and cardamom.
I had forgotten how much I loved sage until I picked some up this past weekend. I love the velvety feel of the leaves and the sweetly pungent and intoxicating aroma it gives off. It evokes memories of holidays and family dinners, the table filled to the brim with steaming dishes. I’ve been finding the scent very grounding and comforting. Lately I’ve noticed myself gravitating towards grounding scents and foods. Perhaps it’s because I need to be tethered down to the earth so that I can focus and learn.
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I had a big breakthrough last week on the tail end of my cleanse. One of the things I wanted to work on was laziness/stagnation in my life. Laziness has been taking many forms lately and slowly choking out my normal productive tendencies. It caused me to stray from focusing on what I really wanted in life as well as building my career. I got lazy. And complacent. I stopped dreaming and planning. It was easy. But it wasn’t exactly enjoyable.
I pictured this tart in my head a couple of weeks ago. I think I was driving home from a yoga class and it just popped into my mind. I wrote down the idea as soon as I got home so I wouldn’t forget. Since I was able to get some lovely local pears at the farmers market this past weekend, it earned the top spot for post-cleanse baking. And then I almost didn’t make it because I knew how involved each step would be along with the photography. Then I almost kicked myself for thinking that way and let go of those thoughts since they weren’t serving me in any way. I’m re-adapting and re-learning. I’m creating a new groove.
