Gracias Cozumel: Taco Layer Dip

I just made this masterpiece for the second time in two weeks! A big thanks to Dr. Kandace (my lovely, new boss) who practices nutrition-based healing and chiropractic for this, now favorite, recipe.  The night before my family left for a week long trip to Cozumel, Mexico, J and I hosted a small dinner gathering for my dad's birthday. The dip went almost as fast as my week off went - like poof. I was back in MN by Friday eve and am still bursting at the seams with excitement to be back in this frigid weather. NOT. So, I had some warming up to do, a craving to satiate and an empty 'fridge to fill: a win, win, win. Now, grab that cerveza with lime and let's toast to one hell of a life-changing, international experience. Barriga llena corazon contento (full stomach, happy heart, en espanol).

Serves 10-12

2 cans refried, black beans (vegetarian)
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 16 oz container sour cream
1 pkg cream cheese
1-1 1/2 cups of salsa
1-2 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can large, pitted black olives

In medium bowl, mix beans with taco seasoning mix. As the base, spread the mixed beans evenly onto a round platter. Mix sour cream and cream cheese (at room temperature), season with salt and pepper and spread atop the beans. Next, salsa. Sprinkle with lettuce, then cheese, then garnish with olives, red peppers, etc. Refrigerate for an hour or two to blend flavors. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips. I would highly recommend Garden of Eatin's Blue Corn Tortilla Chips, GMO free and made with organic, blue corn. Delicioso!

2012.

We started off the year right with a 50th birthday celebration for my lovely father. A dad is the most important man in a woman's life and he sure is just that.

 

I turned the BIG 2-3 and celebrated with the whole fam.

 

Jon entered his senior year at Augsburg. He will graduate in May! We are looking forward to that. Hockey ending, on the other hand, will be hard.

 

I learned so much from the fabulous ladies at Love and Life Architects as LoveLife Design Concierge. I was blessed with the opportunity to work in such a fascinating industry along with Miss Kailen Rosenberg, who was hailed by the one and only, Oprah Winfrey, as OWN tv's Love Ambassador.

 

The Peace Project was an idea that came to Jon and I in the beginning of the year. It started with a complaining session about how our little hometown was lacking in the healthy food department and evolved into something much more that coincided with the 150th anniversary of the U.S.-Dakota War. In short, we devoted most of the winter preparing, planning and researching the rich, Dakota history that once was. 

 

In March, Jon and I celebrated 5 years (that's HALF a decade, people) of 'official' love on St. Patrick's Day with a small road trip to Mankato, Minnesota. Mostly to do research at the Blue Earth Historical Society and to commemorate the Dakota 38 that were hanged there. Although we are not Irish, we truly are lucky in love.

 

On Earth Day (April), The Peace Project planted one of our first labors of love, our sign that stood in previously conventionally farmed soil right on Highway 24 for all to see. Boy, did the questions start rolling then.

 

June brought Jon, Jason and I away from the U's West Bank and Augsburg to the comforting area of Bryn Mawr. Wooden floors, large park right across the street, on-street parking, squirrels in the ceiling, plenty of windows, small-town feel that we have been looking for (minus the squirrels, of course).

 

July brought tons and tons of, zucchini. I am now a chocolate zucchini cake master.

 

In August, Jon presented our project in front of a whole crowd of students and professors in Berkeley, California.

And plenty of weekends spent canning salsa, stewed tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and enjoying the occasional bloody mary.

 

Too many trips to the Animal Humane Society, since we live 2 miles from one now. Hopefully 2013 will bring what we've wanted for too long.

 

September brought curing onions, basil pesto and plenty of pickles.

 

The Peace Project sold our bounty at both the Litchfield and Minneapolis (West Broadway) Farmer's Markets. What a fun experience to be able to connect with people that are looking for fresh, local produce and are SO thankful to be recipients.

We joined the Wirth Co-op membership committee to help raise awareness and gain members for a neighborhood co-op that should be up and running by Earth Day 2013.

I jumped into the grad school ring, from east coast to west coast, getting some great advice from like-minded individuals. Although the educational path is set, I have some soul-finding to experience before I can think about hitting the books again.

October brought the most ample amount of squash that I have ever seen in my life, and naturally, a bunch of puree-making, seed-saving and pumpkin-carving.

November and December: lots of holiday celebrating, seeing friends, a new job as a Practice Coordinator/Chiropractor's Assistant for a holistic office just west of the metro (so exciting, btw) seeing family, life-changing dreams, bronchitis, and then returning bronchitis, lots of antibiotics, cookie-baking, snow and life-changing conversations.

On December 26, 2012, the year came full-circle, our hearts were with the approximately 67 Dakota horse riders as their 330 mile journey came to an end on the 150th anniversary of the largest mass execution in U.S. history. On that day in 1862, 38 Dakota men were hanged from a single gallows platform in downtown Mankato. An unplanned, 40 mounds lined the medicine wheel garden to grow our three sisters (squash, corn, beans).

Mitakuye Oyasin, We Are All Related.

The best is yet to be in 2013, the year of Little Crow. Wishing you all peace, love and happiness in the new year!

Flow.

Oftentimes I find myself searching and for what, I wish I knew. Sometimes I don't know whether I should be annoyed or angry with my lack of contentedness, or just let it be. Humans, in general, are always pursuing something, and probably a different thing at any given time; a new job, money, social acceptance, vanity, material goods, etc. As of late, my thoughts and dreams have blown up to the point where blogs that I have thought about posting seem either much too trivial or much too personal, or spacey, for lack of better words. There is much to share, but the timing is off. I'm still in discovery and wondering how to make sense of it all, as well as learning that not everything should or can be deciphered immediately. A precursor to stage 4, otherwise known as a quarter-life-crisis in upon me. Sigh.

Saturday afternoon, a surpising 65-and-sunny day graced us with her lovely presence. I haven't been spending much time at the park across the street mostly because I need to get my priorities in check. But mostly, because I've been busy; a lame, overused, festering excuse. So, I grabbed Bill Plotkin's Soulcraft (a book that I've been reading for over 2 months, because I've been too busy) and ventured outside. The warm, humid (November?) air embraced my face as if summer and I had met again, like old friends. I settled on one of the sunniest spots in the park on a cedar bench and dug in. The inner is no less real than the outer, and, although it is part of us, it is not literally inside our skin. We imagine the unconscious... WOOF. HONK, HONK! CHIRP. SCREEEEEECH.

Although the parks that sprinkle our metro area are a godsend, they are still band-aids, meant to exercise, relax and otherwise distract us from the destruction that we are causing our mother earth. Onward, ...Looked at with soulcentric eyes, every dream reveals hidden...[insert sounds of basketballs hitting concrete, baseballs hitting bats, laughter, traffic, more dogs barking, birds chirping, doors slamming here]. GAHHhh. So. hard. to. focus. After 20 minutes or so, I nearly gave up, lost all hope and almost my sanity and headed back inside to the cave that I call home. Away from all the humanity. It sounded good at the time, but that sun was just too damn good to me and us Minnesotans take our sunshine when we can get it.

Again, ...Looked at with soulcentric eyes, every dream reveals hidden potentials of our deeper lives and stories and provides the opportunity for the ego to be rooted more firmly in the soils of soul.... I looked up at a tall oak tree, I felt warm and much more relaxed. Many pages and many minutes flew by without my knowledge, without my care, without my stress, without my anxiety, without distraction. Flow. A term that is coined by psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, as a "state of heightened focus and immersion in activities such as art, play and work." Flow, for me, usually only occurs when I'm outdoors; gardening, biking, hiking, walking, exploring, anything really. It has always been that way, especially as a young girl. Kelsey lately is on the pursuit of flow. Happiness will be not far behind.

Calypso Bean

Of all the wonderful things in the wonderful universe of God, nothing seems to me more surprising than the planting of a seed in the blank earth and the result thereof.  

Julie Moir Messervy

The Black Calypso Bean, otherwise referred to as orca or yin yang is an heirloom variety. I purchased the seeds through Seed Savers Exchange, who say that the beans were originally found in the Caribbean. Besides being one of the best for baking and soups, this full-of-flavor bean wears a dramatic outer shell, which is just, awesome. Many of our high school friends back in the rural homestead have followed in their parent's footsteps and taken on conventional farming. It's a bit of crazy-making conversation when we find ourselves together, but that's a whole 'nother can of worms. One night on 'the town,' Jon, still in his garden jeans, discovered a few Calypso Beans from a test picking earlier. We weren't surprised when there was little interest in the beans that we had proudly harvested. A few minutes and a few changes of subject later, a gentleman approached Jon and I and through his heavy, Mexican accent he spoke, "Those beans...can I see those beans?" He must have noticed us admiring them, or rolling eyes at them, depending on who he had been watching.

When we flashed the beans, his eyes lit up with intrigue, "Where did you get these," he rang out. We explained to him that we had purchased them through the Seed Savers Exchange and he went on, "The last time I had seen these beans, it was over twenty years ago in Mexico." He proceeded to mention something almost inaudible with regard to his family. Realizing it was a bittersweet moment full of cherished memories, but of loved ones left behind was when we found all of our hearts sinking. "Take them," we insisted, "Plant them. Then you will have some to share." The man smiled from ear to ear and through his smile came the gracious, yet quiet, "Thank you."

This moving moment is one that will not be forgotten: we will never take for granted the power of an heirloom seed.

Grasshopper

A couple of months back, we started noticing some grasshoppers in the garden. Their welcome coincided with my reading of Animal Speak by Ted Andrews, a fascinating discovery of natures voices all around us.

Those with grasshopper totems have an uncanny ability to leap into successful ventures. This becomes even more true when they learn to listen that inner voice and follow their own instincts.

Sometimes grasshoppers can show up if we are not listening or if we are afraid to make the leap off our mound. Many times such fears have to do with the fact that "no one else has done it that way." Grasshopper people have to learn to make new leaps. Life only becomes difficult when they refuse to move. At such times they may feel as if they are experiencing a scourge of themselves.

Remember a grasshopper always leaps up or forward. It doesn't leap backward.

The Miracle of Seed

As I was browsing through photos from our garden, I stumbled upon two pictures that caught my eye.
The before....

And, the after.

 It may definitely be impossible NOT to have a garden from this point on.

Tribute to Taoyateduta and the Occasional Zucchini.

On July 3rd, 2012 we remembered Taoyateduta (Little Crow), chief of the Mdewakanton Dakota Sioux: a leader, a teacher, a legend. (1810 - July 3, 1863). We traveled about six miles north of Hutchinson, MN to offer our very first zucchini as a tribute. As day turned to night, we noticed that the moon was painted red.

Diggin' It.

The recipe for a lovely, yet productive weekend consists of a dash of sunshine, a bit of mom time and a sprinkle, okay (I lied) a TON of gardening. Resulting in a sunburn, good times (and full bellies) and over 300 feet of planted goodness! I was so excited to finally get my hands dirty and that I did. In terms of The Peace Project, this was our very first weekend of sun and warmth, so of course we took full advantage.

Till, rake, dig, hoe, furrow, bend, plant, cover, repeat. I was sad to leave Jon back at the site to keep working on this fabulous Monday, but a bit relieved to get a little 'break' back at the office. Whew! Don't let anyone ever tell you gardening is easy, especially on a larger scale, with two workers and a tiller made in the early 90s.

Potatoes, bush beans, herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro, sage, dill) radishes, onions (red and white), spinach, leaf lettuce, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, beets, squash (zucchini, pumpkins, butternut, acorn), sweet corn, ornamental corn and pole beans (calypso and cherokee trail of tears varieties). Tomatoes (courtesy of Litchfield OVOC, One Vegetable, One Community) and peppers to come.

Note: this blog post was meant for last week, sorry guys. An update alas, Jon and I will be doing even more planting as our demonstration garden is evolving into more of a highway market than a community garden, which is super exciting. The ball is in our court again. A lot of public interest, just not enough commitment and the with mother nature's schedule, someone has to do some planting. Chameleon abilities. Peace.

Earth Day 2012

"We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can't speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees." Qwatsinas

As a whole, the world celebrated Earth Day 2012, this past Monday. One special day, named to honor and recognize the miraculous planet that we live on. My hope is that most of us try to recognize, honor and respect the earth every day. As for me, my connection with nature and our mother earth is only becoming stronger. I have been a city dweller for the past 5 1/2 years, but mind, body and soul have pretty much stayed in the rural countryside, where I was born, raised and lived for all 18 years of prior existence. I'm longing for it and I can no longer ignore it. 

I miss the woods, trees, the fields, the birds, the green, the stars in the night sky, dirt, the crunchy leaves, butterflies and the sun. I miss it all and more. For me, it's time to transition back to the basics, back to my roots, but in my own way.

Earth Day 2012 was extra special, because after weeks of devoted composition, The Peace Project's first 'sign' of life, a true labor of love, is standing proudly; no turning back now!

Living and Breathing...

the native culture.
Before, it was all in my head, floating around like some dream cloud. But slowly, slowly, it's becoming real. Jon and I took a little weekend trip to Mankato, MN. We celebrated 5 years of love on St. Patrick's Day and wanted to do a little something special. We ended up mixing business with pleasure and actually spent the majority of our milestone day researching at the Blue Earth Historical Society. Nerds, right? We love it. Although it's basically been a second, full time job, we couldn't be more passionate about our little brain baby.

Here's what's 'dangerous' about this project. The Peace Project; the four As: call to action, awareness, activism and accountability. The more we learn, the more we expose ourselves to, the more we explore, the more we. are. changing. Personal change and growth is inevitable, but it's a turn off for a lot of people. We have learned that there is a fine line between preaching and practicing. We have also learned that there is a big difference between planning and doing, although they are both fully dependent on one another. Thankfully, we have developed a major support system through many impromptu emails, phone calls and in-person meetings; it's great to connect with those that are willing to listen as well as share what makes you tick. As more paths are crossed and more ground is covered, the inspiration only increases. Did I mention we are about a month away from planting season!? 
POTENTIAL MEMBERS: If you, or someone you know, is a Litchfield, MN native, is able to commit/tend to a garden plot for the spring/summer and partake, open-mindedly, in a series of workshops throughout the growing season, we want to hear from you!

Email Kelsey & Jon at: thepeaceprojectmn@gmail.com

Follow us on twitter: @plantpeacemn
'Like' us on facebook: www.facebook.com/plantpeace

Things.

You guys, I have been so busy lately. Good busy, to the point where I am almost OK that I am neglecting this blog; just OK though. As much as I love, love, love unleashing my inner mind and often nonsensical thoughts via head in the clouds, my head has actually been so far UP in the clouds lately, that it's been a little difficult to come down, down, down and take a second or two to fill you in on Kelsey lately. Grounded and balanced; It's good to be most of the time. But mostly, light bulb moments don't give a $#&*! as to what stage you may be at in the game, they hit you. Hard. The thing is, things are great.
Life is great, work is great, love is great. But no matter what, I always have something on my mind and that is my unsatiable urge to attempt to change certain things. I say attempt, because I am not one to expect nor acknowledge to fulfill such a task. The thing is, I know what I know and I know that I am here for a reason. I am constantly reminded that life is way too short and the time is now. Our project is coming this Spring. It has consumed me, invaded my mind, set up shop in my heart and will be my mission, because it will not be escaping me anytime soon. Things can change. Social responsibility, accountability, awareness, activism: They've become some of my favorite things. We have the land, we have the support system, the tools, the passion, the determination, the dream...but we will not succeed in our vision without help. It's funny how things change; in life, in love...in the environment..in the economy. Are you asking questions? If not, the time. is. now. Apologies in advance for simply being M.I.A., but it's time to cultivate knowledge and other, miscellaneous things.

Minne-HAHA Falls.

Lost in the serenity of winter wonderland.
If only for the afternoon.