We call attention to impressive achievements by imitating fanfare. A magician pulls a rabbit out of a hat. Ta-da! A circus performer successfully executes a death-defying feat. Ta-da! A baby’s first steps. Ta-da! Their first words. Ta-…you see where I am going.
Welcome to my Ta-da! All Good Things has a brand new home! Welcome to this new clean space for my words and pictures to breathe. I feel like the baby, the magician, and the circus performer all rolled into one, and I am bursting with pride and relief that I can finally share it with everyone. Please take a look around. Feel free to leave a comment or look at past posts, or you can find a favorite recipe and share it with someone you love, then bookmark it to return to again and again. Make yourself at home!
As many of you know, I am making the All Good Things blog into a book and this new site is one of the first of many steps in the process. New projects often mean new fears, right? So we either listen to our doubts, or we find new ways of stalling by doing every little thing that is not on our to-do list. These actions (and non actions) only expand our fears. Insecurities: we all have them. And most of these issues of feeling less than have been projected onto us over the years from people and experiences from our past.
Many times I’m afraid of falling short, or not being good enough, or disappointing others, etc., but I don’t feed these fears and insecurities. I don’t give them any more power. They are plenty strong on their own, believe me. I make every effort to cut them off at the pass. I come at them from a place of possibility. And on many days, like this one, the day of my big Ta-da, I actually starve my fears. Self-sabotage and self-doubt are the food of those insecurities. They seem like they’re really powerful, but they’re just bullies. It’s like inviting vandals to your party and asking them to set fire to your dreams. Take them off the guest list!
Fear of failure can be paralyzing. But the biggest buzzkill for fear is asking for help. Employ a team, so you’re not up against these demons by yourself. There’s so much I don’t know how to do and instead of shaming myself for my lack of skill in certain areas, I seek out someone with more experience who can guide me. I surround myself with a support system that believes in me, shares my vision, and out-and-out loves me as much as I love them. These are the people I want at my party! (PS That’s YOU guys. Thank you for coming to my party!)
A few years ago I came across a recipe for a beet terrine that was in all of the food blogs and cooking magazines. It was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen on a plate. It also seemed like one of the most difficult recipes to ever attempt. I would often look at the picture included in that recipe and dream of being skilled enough to make it myself. I slowly learned that dreaming is not doing. Just looking at that picture was not getting me any closer to making it myself. I finally broke out the recipe, rolled up my sleeves, and, ta-da!, look at it! Isn’t it lovely? It wasn’t difficult at all. Pretty food doesn’t always mean it’s hard to prepare. Making a terrine is simply stacking things in a pan, pressing them down so they fuse together a bit, letting it set, and then slicing. Gorgeous, impressive, and easier than pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
Stained Glass Beets
recipe adapted from 7970 Miles
Ingredients:
- 10 beet roots, golden and red or any variation of color you can find
- 10 oz soft goat cheese
- olive oil to drizzle
- salt and pepper
- walnuts and herbs for garnish
- 2 loaf pans
- plastic wrap
Method:
- Cook the beets in boiling water until soft, about 25 minutes. Let cool and peel. Slice thinly on a mandoline.
- Line one of the bread tins with plastic wrap leaving some overhang to fold over once the terrine is completed.
- Starting with the lighter colored beets , begin layering the beets and goat cheese. A few layers of beets at a time, and then spread a thin layer of goat cheese, completely covering the beets. Season with salt and pepper and a small drizzle of olive oil after each layer of goat cheese.
- Continue with more golden beets, until they are all gone. Repeat with the red beets and goat cheese, making sure that the last layer will be the beets.
- Once you have finished the layering, fold the plastic over to seal them up.
- Place a weight on the terrine so it compresses.
- Do this by placing another bread tin the same size, on top of the terrine, and placing canned veggies inside to create a weight. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight. For serving, unwrap the seal of plastic wrap and place a platter over the surface of the terrine. Keeping them together, flip the platter and tin over. Lift off the loaf pan and remove the plastic wrap. Slice (with a very sharp knife), making each slice about 1/2 an inch thick.
- With a spatula, gently place the layered slices onto a platter, scatter with herbs and walnuts. Drizzle with a little more olive oil.
Thank you to Cheryl Stockton of Stockshot Photography for capturing these jewel-like beets!