CounselingBlog

It's Here!

Well, I am about 3 weeks late, but I am starting my tomato plants today.  I grown mostly heirloom tomatoes, with seeds purchased through Seed Saver's Exchange and other organic sources, as well as seeds traded with other tomato lovers.

Isn't it a bit early to be talking about tomatoes?  Well, actually no.  In Texas, the growing season is short - we have until about the end of June to get good fruit set, then the plants wait until August to start setting fruit again - the July sun and temps are too intense for the pollen to survive.

So lots of people started their tomato seeds on Boxing Day, but with the renovations at home, I just couldn't get it done.

However, today is the day.  I am heading to Home Depot to pick up seed starting mix and by tonight, I'll be happily incubating some tomatoes.

I can't quite explain my love of tomatoes -it is a deep and true devotion.  You know how it goes, you see a lush tomato plant at a friend's house, or maybe your neighbor shares some of the largess of their crop...you taste that warm tomato flesh, and you want another...

It is absolutely an addiction with me.  I promised myself "no more store bought tomatoes" and only gave in one time this winter -

Store bought tomatoes are not the same creatures as home grown - I might even suggest they are a different species!  The varieties are selected to withstand transit and still have a perfect tomato shape.  They are also cultivated to withstand long periods of storage.  they are picked green, and then ripen, if that is what you can call it, along the way in cardboard boxes and grocery refrigerators. 

I don't like store bought tomatoes.  I think we should all grow our own tomatoes, or support local farmers and farmer's markets and buy up all their lovely tomatoes.

Heirloom tomatoes are different than hybrid tomatoes. 

Hybrids are cultivated to select for desirable properties - like really big tomatoes, or tomatoes perfect for sauces and canning.  there are some great hybrid varieties - Sun Gold and Early Wonder come to mind.  Hybrids are cross pollinated and then the seeds are grown out over several generations to make sure the crossing is stable (so if you are looking for Sun Gold you actually get that delicious little golden tomato - not red, not yellow)

Heirloom tomatoes are grown from seeds that have a history.  They often have stories like, "variety grown by my Russian grandfather" or "saved from tomatoes my Aunt Sue got from her husbands mother."  they have names like Earl of Edgecomb, Aunt Ginny's German Green, Mortgage Lifter, Brandywine, and Pink Ping Pong.  They don't come out perfectly shaped, some need to be eaten almost as quickly as you pick them because they don't store very well.  But oh my, are they delicious!  They even have a bit of a pedigree.  The seeds can be traced back to the person that had them first - that always amazes me.

Here is to the tomatoes of 2007 - I can't wait to taste them!

Just in case you want to know more about heirloom tomatoes, check out Tomatoville - and tell them I sent you !

Cynthia
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Cynthia McKenna, LPC, NCC
www.cynthiamckennacounseling.com

Happy New Year

I had a little tamale party over the weekend...

Doug & Cathy Ricketts getting ready

Doug Ricketts and Melanie Fain preparing artistic tamales

Using a great recipe from Chef Bobby Flay, we had a lot of fun and, more importantly, a lot of great food.

Tamales are an integral part of holiday celebrations in South-Central Texas.  However, tamales have always been a bit mysterious to me. 

The traditional recipe takes a lot of time effort, and experience to get the masa just right, and lots of hands to assemble the delicious bundles.

Bobby Flay's take on tamales is lighter, and certainly user friendly.

It was fun to participate in the tradition of tamales, and of course, a great pleasure to share holidays with friends.

Cynthia

More Musings on Martha Stewartish Holidays

My friend, Debbie Gaskins of Thomasville, GA, sent the following thoughts about holiday pressures...

I think you are right - people (myself included) had become so concerned with the perceived expectation that they have the "perfect" Christmas --decorations, meals, parties -- that they were losing the sense of Christ mas.   

 

We are striving for a more peaceful Christmas, one in which we recognize what our priorities should be and (hopefully!) are.  We are not even putting up all of our decorations any longer.  We do a lovely tree with ornaments collected for the past 30 years, not color coordinated, just an eclectic, warm tree, filled with memories.  Each ornament brings back memories as we hang them, and as we take them down I cannot help but reflect and wonder what will happen in the coming year before I see them again.    

 

We have not had the issue of grumpiness and mood swings (thank goodness!), but we are striving to keep it simple and remember and be grateful for what we have, not for what we want. 

I love that last line, "we are striving to keep it simple, and remember, and be grateful for what we have, not for what we want"

Cynthia
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Cynthia McKenna, LPC, NCC
www.cynthiamckennacounseling.com
CounselingBlog

Martha Stewart Holiday Settings: Lavish Tables, and Too-High Expectations?

November 17, 2006 -- 

No one will deny that Martha Stewart displays a truly elegant holiday presentation. But is it possible that along with lavish tables, Martha is setting expectations for the holidays a bit too high? Human psychology experts say yes.

Each year from mid-November to January, Cynthia McKenna, therapist and owner of Cynthia McKenna Counseling and Life Coaching at http://www.cynthiamckenna.com, helps individuals and couples cope with holiday anxiety. Pressure to be all things to all people takes its toll on our physical and mental health, and detracts from what the holidays are supposed to be - a time of peace, joy, tradition, and celebration with loved ones.

According to McKenna, "Glossy magazines, television specials, commercials, and even our own fantasies can get us into holiday trouble. And while Martha Stewart isn't directly to blame for our self-inflicted stress and exhaustion, Americans will do well to have a reality check this holiday season and take her show for what it's meant to be: entertainment."

McKenna continues, “Who wouldn't want a beautiful party and a table groaning with gorgeous food? But if we are aiming for perfection, we are going to make the holidays difficult for ourselves and our loved ones. When we see that happy, holiday gathering, it isn't real. Martha Stewart has a staff of employees who do the planning, decorating and most of the cooking for her hosted events. Let's face it: in the real world, the holidays just don't play out the way they do on TV and in our fantasies. And for the average person, trying to create the perfect festive holiday atmosphere is more than unrealistic-- it's impossible.”

Life Coach & Counselor, Mark C. Jones of http://www.ArtoftheSoul.com asserts, "Perfectionism usually emerges in the twin forms of procrastination or domination. Those are two stocking stuffers you don't want this time of year. Procrastination is delaying decision making to the last minute so that everything is perfect - you see this in people who are shopping at 50 stores right up to Christmas eve to get the 'perfect' gift. Or waiting until the last minute to bake or cook that perfect meal. But even more disturbing to your loved ones, is when you try to control things, events, and people in an attempt to make the holidays 'the way you think they should be.' In that chaos, everyone around you is steam-rolled over as you set up the perfect Christmas tree or orchestrate the perfect family photo shoot."

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the word "holiday" comes from the old English Holy Day. We can stop our regular work, and eat and relax, or work ourselves silly cooking and cleaning. Holy day or not, people will disagree, or drink too much, or say the wrong thing. As McKenna points out, "Holidays can be more fun if we can let other folks be themselves, and take notice that the "special meal" is really special because the people we care about are sharing it."

For many people, holiday stress can escalate to the point where relationship troubles are dredged up, substance abuse becomes a problem, and even anger and depression must be dealt with on some level. If you would like to obtain information about individual and couples therapy in person or by phone, visit http://cynthiamckenna.com/contact.htm or contact Cynthia McKenna, LPC, NCC at cm@cynthiamckenna.com

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Kitchen excitement

The Lemongrass Girls is a cool new blog that offers food writing, cooking tips, and generally great foodie information.

Dina, at www.wordfeeder.com invited me to be an honorary Lemongrass Girl - which really is an honor for me.  Dina and Ann are great writers and obvious lovers of food - so i am in fantastic company.

Check out the link and you can read about my new love, and while you are there, poke around a bit and see what other tidbits you can munch on.

Cynthia
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www.cynthiamckenna.com
CounselingBlog
Creating Healthy Relationships and oodles of cookies...