Ordinary Miracles . . .

"The little things, the little moments?? They aren't little.*
~Jon Kabat-Zin

Every day I am surrounded by ordinary miracles. Small things that bring me joy and that might have gone un-noticed and un-remarked, except that I have chosen to acknowledge them and give them voice. Little things that touch my heart and make it sing.

The sight of a small white feather caught up in the branches of the hedgerow in front of our cottage reminds me of our many feathered friends that live amongst the hedges and brush that surround our humble home. I think of the wonderful gifts that they share with each day . . . the gift of their song and the joy of watching their antics as they visit our feeders each day. Just the other day we had a pair of adult gold finches as well as all of their fledglings, and it was so much fun watching them. It really warmed the heart . . .



Most days when I walk home for my afternoon break, I am met in the drive by our Jess, who is sitting out there waiting for me. She dances and prances about in her Collie dog way and is so very happy to see me. I can think of no better way of being greeted than by way of a dancing collie. It is nice to be loved and to love back. She is the first thing that I see each morning when I awaken and come down stairs, and we always have a cuddle time for a few moments before I get on with my day. I sit on the sofa down here in the kitchen and stroke her behind her ears and we share a special time with each other. It's the perfect way to begin my day, after prayer of course.



I am always on the look out for little gems and gifts throughout my day . . . the way the sunlight dapples down through the leaves of the trees that grow along the drive and hits the pavement underneath in a dance of flickering light . . . the sight of a butterfly's wings brushing against the glass of our kitchen window just as the sun is going down and dusk begins to settle in . . . whispy clouds in a deep blue sky that move across the horizon with the breeze that brushes past my face . . . the sound of my husband's breath going in and out as he lays sleeping, and the rush of love for him that fills my soul . . . the silence of the cottage of an early morning, as the earth begins to wake up, the only noise being the soft twitters and melodies of the birds awakening, a beautiful melody that builds to a crescendo and then abates into the normalcy of a day . . . the sun as it rises and bathes the earth with it's special early morning glow . . .



These everyday things might be taken for granted, if I didn't have a heart that sees and embraces all the joy that surrounds me. I am so blessed to be able to take the time to stop and breathe them in and make them mine. These little snippets of joy are free for the taking. They are what makes life so very beautiful, and worth living for. I sure hope that I never stop seeing them, or hearing them, or feeling them . . . these ordinary miracles . . .



I made this tasty potato dish for our Todd the other day. He does love him some potatoes. I think if I didn't serve potatoes at least once a day, he would not feel as if he had been fed, but then again . . . I love them too. I am always trying to think up new and tasty ways to prepare them. Potatoes are never boring. Even a simple boiled potato with lots of butter and salt and pepper can be quite heavenly . . .



*Pancetta and New Potato Crush*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

I love the slightly salty and smokey flavour the pancetta gives to this dish. It goes very well with the sweetness of the new potatoes and the earthy flavour of the greens. I do believe that this is one of my favourite ways to prepare potatoes, especially this time of year when our garden is filled to the brim with lovely new potatoes. I have given quantities for two, but it can very easily be multiplied to serve more.

500g (1 pound) new potatoes, washed and unpeeled
200g baby leaf greens, washed and coarsely shredded
2 TBS olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and crushed
140g cubetti de pancetta (diced thick sliced pancetta)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 TBS chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Place the potatoes in a large saucepan of slightly salted water. Bring to the boil, and then reduce the heat, allowing them to simmer until tender, some 20 minutes or so. Add the shredded leaf greens in the last five minutes of cooking. Drain well, and return to the pan.

While the potatoes are cooking, heat 1 TBS of the olive oil in a skillet. Add the onion, garlic and the pancetta. Cook, stirring from time to time until the pancetta and onions are golden brown. Keep warm while the potatoes finish cooking.

Using a potato masher, crush the warm potatoes and greens lightly, adding the remaining TBS of olive oil. You don't want them mashed too much, just lightly crushed. Tip in the pancetta mixture along with the chopped parsley. Lightly mix together and heat through. Season with some salt and black pepper and serve immediately.



Something else that was plenty tasty that I prepared the other day was this lovely main dish salad. Pop over to The English Kitchen to see more!