impressions last night (erik lund & ?) & my cooking

I really haven't prayed in earnest still, since asking for the clothing colors those two days, and then something about Obama (his femur). However, last night I tried to see about something, but it wasn't focused really.

I did get an "okay" about thinking for a minute about William of Wales (and then some other royals too). People have made me feel like if I even glance at even a byline, or wonder about something, there is something wrong with it (or with me). I asked God myself last night and as soon as I was thinking, I actually had a very good positive vibe. So what I got from that, is that if there is good energy, no one can tell me what to do, think, pray, inquire or wonder about, whether it's trite or not.

I also tried to guess about someone I haven't ever wondered about, and (I just goofed on what I was writing), but I don't think there was a perfect connection.

I felt a really good, peaceful and strong, sort of calming kind of energy when I started asking about William. It may have been because there is another Will I care about and someone picked up on that--I don't know, but for whatever reason, whoever was paying attention or not, there was a very good vibe. Part of it was just correctly connecting with God I think. But when I asked, "Is it wrong to wonder or even inquire or ask about him?" and I asked God, there was nothing blocking me at all. All I got was good energy, so I felt fine about that. Then, I asked about others and started picking up on some sadness. I wasn't sure why. I thought about Harry next and there was a sadness and then sort of continued. Wasn't sure why. With William I saw him (or someone else, in an interference or crossed wire) wearing a kind of shirt, and then maybe doing something with both hands, on the floor or across something that was horizontal.

My dream about the blond guy whose hair turned dark, the faces weren't his, they were other faces (I didn't recognize really or sort of vague). So I wasn't thinking it was about him, because I really thought it was something I picked up about others somehow, or someone, in some kind of veiled way. I later just thought about William of Wales, because, but it didn't have to do with other people who I feel figured into my dream, who were individuals in their own right (it was like separate people but the same one, I don't know, but it was just a dream too).

At first I thought it was William (of Wales) with his hands across a washboard, but that didn't make sense so then I didn't know if he was scrubbing a floor with both hands, or what. I saw both hands, in that sort of movement, across a horizontal plane. (whoever it was). At least I thought so. I didn't know if maybe even he was praying or sick or just doing some kind of work but I just got a quick flash. I also saw, maybe an interference though, a light blue and white checkered shirt (small checks I think but not fully sure) and I think it was a crossed wire.

Then I thought about Harry and how I just refer to him as Harry now, and not Henry like I always prefered (which I still like). That was when something shifted to more of a sadness for some reason. And then I thought about a couple of others, and a little bit of the same thing. No other real impressions though.

Then, I was curious about Erik Lund, separately, and wondering if I would be able to pick up on someone I haven't seen for over a decade and who I only saw briefly in the past. I didn't spend hardly any time on it, so I don't think I was right. I think I got a lot of mental noise. Which is a phrase psychics will understand but not others probably. Like, imagination that interferes with real impressions or images.

I got something about a swing and wondered if he still played golf or something with a stick. I don't really remember him playing that much when we were young kids, not that I recall, but I think once or twice he probably played golf. But I saw a stick swinging so I wondered if he was into some kind of sport.

Then I saw a pipe in the middle of everything and I cannot picture him with a pipe. ?! I thought maybe I was getting his Dad for a minute. I don't know if his Dad used a pipe or not. I can sort of imagine his Dad as the type that would, but I have no clue about Erik, what he looks like, where he is, what he does, nothing.

Then, I figured maybe I was getting an interference with an anatomy book or something because I then saw internal organs. I saw organs that are below the ribcage, like the heart and then the things around that region, and I did wonder if he has some health issue involving organs, but I have never heard of any kind of medical problem with him, he's always been as healthy as a horse, and probably eats well and exercises so I can't imagine anything being wrong. However, because I saw this, I figure I either had an x-ray vision of something to do with his health in this region, or someone was studying an anatomy book.

Maybe it's symbolic too. I was thinking about Erick Lund specifically and saw what I thought was his heart. I saw it as an actual organ, not in photograph or painting or drawing form. Then I thought, well, is it his heart? or kidneys? or what because then I sort of saw other organs but I suppose it was that I questioned it was his heart.

I guess, if it didn't have to do with Erik's health, it is either symbolical or a crossed wire.

First I just saw an organ. Then I asked again and closed my eyes and saw more of a chest cavity region.

I also had a vague impression of books and things, but that would be sort of a natural thing I think, because as far as I know, he does read, and might have something like a study or be around one at times. I also saw a bathrobe and just figured this had to be imagination. I tink the bathrobe is imagination. I think the pipe had brown on it. Like, a brown pipe. I would think a maroon or crimson colored robe, but THAT is strictly imagination. It sort of goes with the whole study, pipe, books, and red wine I had with his Dad one time, which was the first time I had ever tried wine. So that's why I think it is more imagination. The heart and chest or abdominal stuff, swinging a stick of some kind, and other things, even pipe (can't remember if his Dad used a pipe or not) I think were impressions. I wasn't praying in my usual way though, and it seems to work best that way, so I doubt myself more with this. I guess only Mr. Lund wuld know if I'm close or not. I am probably most curious about the heart or internal organs thing.
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I did some cooking.

I made a different borscht. It is really different from the first one I made.

The first one I made with tomato base and strained it and then added vegetables. I liked it best with a small pat of butter at the bottom of the dish and then ladling into it. It was strictly vegetarian but very hearty.

This borscht I made with a beef stock (or boullion) and I thought, "What do I do first?" and I winged it. I first steeped the beef bones (3 organic pot roast round bones with the marrow in the middle), purchased at the health food store) in a crock pot with garlic and onions and let it steep for over 8 hours or longer, to leach out all the marrow from the bones and nutrients.

Then I made another small pot of tomato base because I still wanted that tomato flavor. So I had that going in a different pot on the stove, just enough water to cover a few tomatoes. A little garlic and onions too and pinch of salt and pepper.

Then I looked at the beets. What to do? Is it supposed to be meat stock? tomato stock? or beet stock? I was confused.

I had seen a couple of recipes too but I was more confused. The first time I made it, I think I had made a Ukranian style borscht and not even known I was doing it bc i later looked it up on wiki and that's the kind I had made, except with a dash of hungarian or polish maybe with my paprika (but some Ukranians make it that way too).

I was really suprised that I had somehow made a borsht with zero prior knowledge and I thought that was sort of cool. This time though, so many options.

I didn't like the idea of potatoes in my borscht. So I left them out for a long time.

I stared at the beets and decided okay, I'll grate them to leach the color more. So I grated the beets just for making a beet stock.

I made 3 frickin' kinds of stock. So then I just thought, okay...I will pour the beet stock into the meat stock. So I did and then when the tomato stock was ready I added the tomato stock.

I skimmed the foamy stuff off of any of the stock as I made them.

Then I added carrots first, then celery, and then cabbage. Oh and a little fresh onion as well and put a few of the garlic cloves in. I had also cut a little hot chili pepper into the tomato stock which was nice because it cut into the beef fat. I steeped a slice of pickle for a short while too. I figured a little bit of vinegar was good for it but it was just a thin slice and I put it in with the beet stock for a little bit and then took it out so it wasn't tangy. It was just a tiny bit of vinegar.

Then I added more paprika.

I cooked it on low overnight after having chopped up one beet and adding it and it wasn't even pink or orange anymore. I said to the housemate guy, "I didn't even know it was possible to cook the color out of a beet."

I figured I might have done something wrong but the flavor was okay so then I cut up 1 1/2 more beets and added it and the color and better flavor came back. And then I thought, because of the spicy punch, that I could add in a few potatoes last. I figured it might absorb a little of the heat yet they wouldn't be in the mix so long as to make it dull. So I don't know why I added potatoes at the end, but I did. 1 1/2 potatoes and it worked out perfectly because it just soaked up a little of the other strong flavor and tempered it just a little, and probably added other good nutrients too. I cooked it until the potatoes were very tender and soft but not mush. And this one is really good with sour cream! This one could be served with a little bit of roast beef or meat on the side, and maybe the option of horseradish. I don't know. Sour cream for sure. It was half meat stock, 1/4 tomato base, and 1/4beet stock with then the other beets and veggies added.

The first one I liked with butter, and this one I like with a dollop of sour cream at the end. It's slightly picante so the sour cream is really good with it.

I think that unless my son's tastebuds have changed, he will really like it.

Chicken Soup:
At the same time, I had a chicken soup going. I make a really really good chicken soup that my son loves, and leave the husks to simmer in until the end (corn husks) and it has really good flavor. But this time I wasn't using tomato and didn't have husks so I just used a few other things. I put it together in the crock pot and cooked on high until boiling for a short time and then brought down to low heat and let it just simmer overnight in the crock pot. The chicken was tender enough to fall off the bone and it was organic chicken so even the bones were tender.

I put a little organic chicken (with the skin and bones) into the bottom of the pot, added enough water to cover, onions, a few garlic cloves, then put 2 corn on the cob over and then added carrots, celery, and cabbage, and then a few mushrooms. With enough water to cover at the top. I usually add a little bit of pepper of some kind (tiny bit of chili pepper or something) but this time I left it more bland, bc of the mushrooms and corn the way it was and it was more like something that would go well with rice or risotto. I could have added rice but wanted to keep it as soup that was heavy on tender chicken and other stuff. Just a little s&p and no other seasoning. It didn't need anything else.

In the pot that I made it had 3 narrow organic carrots, 1/4 of the stalks of organic celery, in the end about a 1/4 to 1/2 small onion, 1/2 head of cabbage, 2 1/2 beets as well as the additional beet stock I made, and then at the end I cubed 3 medium potatoes but after I added about 1 1/2-2 potatoes worth, I felt to quit. I wasn't going to add potatoes at all, but just added them at the end as a small touch. I didn't want too much, but I thought, it will absorb a little of the spiciness and it will also be fine with the sour cream, as long as they are not sitting and stewing forever. So it was light on potato. I just didn't like the idea of potatoes sitting in the broth for a long time. But I didn't want them to stand out as plain but just lightly cooked and then sitting, they hold their own and alter the overall flavor just a little bit.
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So I thought I would put some of it in separate little bowls so it can be put in the freezer (some of it) for later and used later. Some of it to keep out.

I cooked for my son like this all the time, when he was with me. I spent a lot of time preparing and making really good foods for him. And he was at the top of his percentiles. All the way around.

I made the organic borscht for him but I think I might have to have a bowl for lunch. I offered a bowl to the housemate too. Not the chicken soup bc there's not as much.
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I have to make something out of bacon now. The best thing I can think of is a gourmet mac'n'cheese but I probably won't do that. I just like BLTs.

Bacon dumplings came to mind. I looked it up and it's Pennsylvania Dutch and Austrian. I've never made them before. Sometime I might try it but I am not going to make yet another soup after making chicken soup and borchst. I might think about making these, or something to go with apples and applesauce or something. I don't know they'd go with though and I'd have to make another soup. I've never been a big dumpling person, but I have to figure out what to do with the bacon. I am thinking, since I just sauteed some spinach, spinach with bacon. There's quish too but I don't feel like making quish and I don't think my son would like it. Oh, maybe I will make a quiche. I don't know. With enough bacon it might be good. I could maybe make a quiche and also bacon topping to spinach base salad. I think I'm going to make a rustic original style quiche.

In a cast iron pan and with the gruyere cheese. Why omit the cheese when it would work so well with the bacon? This is probably why I don't like the modern quiches as much. I think using the cast iron would enhance the flavor and gruyere is one of the best cheeses...used in french onion soup (which I used to make and love). I am not sure though. I might make it simple for myself for now and just do sauteed spinach with carmelized onions and bacon. Actually, of all the quiches, the original one looks the best. I don't like the kind with all the different ingredients. I can imagine a bacon one with gruyere cheese would be right. I don't like these multi-veggie and sausage quiche things. I am a traditionalist! (when it comes to quiche and maybe that's it.)

And no, for your information, I am not making carrot cake. I make a very good carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, but no for now.

I used to make a lot of carrot and banana walnut bread though. I've made apple bread too. Oh, and zucchini bread. ! I love zucchini bread.

Gratin Dauphinoise. I might make this. I was thinking of making scalloped potatoes (au gratin) but then I found this one and like the idea. Probably this would also make use of bacon or be a good side dish to something bacon (or just bacon plain). We have a ton of potatoes. This recipe uses sour cream, gruyere cheese, and cream. Very Mmmmm fattening. I don't want to buy a lot of new ingredients though. I will have to make do. The cozze gratinate also looks good. After looking up a good gratin dauphinoise, I looked it up on wiki, wondering if the origin has always been French. And found an avocado gratin.

Actually, I think every single thing on that page looks delicious. I must be a fan of gratins in principle. Even creme brulee is a gratin of a kind. Not like a seafood or vegetable gratin but in the sense of having a browned top.