Monday, January 31, 2011

another year...



This year, on January 1, 2011, added up to a decade that I have been coming up almost every month to offer a dana meal to the community at Abhayagiri Monastery.

For this anniversary dana meal, Karen and I were joined by our husbands as well as our friends, Tom and Tina. My introduction to a dana meal was originally through Tom and Tina's suggestion, ten years ago, to offer a meal to the monastery on New Year's Day. The idea seemed like an auspicious way to start the New Year.

Soon after that first visit, a timid, almost questioning thought arose: I think I could commit for one year to bring a meal once a month---over these past ten years, I see how that one spontaneous thought has evolved into so many directions: a deeper understanding of the power of dana, as well as bringing countless visible and invisible gifts into my life...
in particular
a sangha and a dhamma home

In the first words of the Dhammapada, the Buddha said, "mind is the forerunner of all things." I have always loved contemplating that mind blowing teaching (excuse the pun). As I go through life, I drag this thing called "my" mind around with me and "it" alone creates my reality?!?

After that first year was over, the most natural thing seemed to be continuing on...Luckily two friends, Karen and Cassidy, who are talented and experienced cooks were interested in joining me for that first year.

One month at a time, driving the two and a quarter hours each way, come rain or snow, hell or high water, (110 degrees in the summer, torrential down pours sometimes even snow in winter) the meal must get delivered, offered.

On the drive up, sometimes listening to dhamma talks or other times, arguing with each other but always grateful for the beautiful and uncrowded landscape of Northern California.

The time passed and relationships deepened.


I became apart of the Abhayagiri sangha and found a dhamma home.

Many small moments were dhamma...

Anticipating the 10 year anniversary, I was wondered how to celebrate the event...some spectacular dessert, something special...

But in the end it was simply and profoundly another day another dana.

Sublimely.

Menu:

LIGHTER VEGETARIAN LASAGNE
KALE SALAD (see post from Dec. 8th for recipe)
GREEN SALAD
TWO LOAVES OF GARLIC BREAD


LIGHTER VEGETARIAN LASAGNE (From Moosewood cookbook)
2 cups cubed zucchini
1 cup cubed red peppers
1 cup chopped tomatoes
4 cups sliced mushrooms (about 12 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup dry red wine
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
10 ounces fresh spinach
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 1/2 cups of tomato sauce
1 pound uncooked lasagna noodles
(I quadrupled the amounts to feed approximately 25)

preheat oven 350

Combine the zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, salt, and wine in a saucepan, bring to boil, cover, and then simmer on low heat for 10 mins. until all of the vegetables are tender and juicy. Stir in the basil and set aside.

Cover and cook the spinach on high heat in just the water clinging to the leaves for 3 minutes, until wilted but still bright green. Drain and chop coursely. Combine with the ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan and set aside.

Spread ~1 cup of the tomato sauce evenly on the bottom of a 8x12 inch baking dish.
Layer with noodles, generous amount of undrained vegetables, and some spinach-cheese mixture. Cover with a second layer of noodles, sauce, vegetables, some spinach-cheese mixture
and a third layer of noodles. Finally, add the rest of the vegetables, the remaining spinach-cheese mixture, a fourth layer of noodles, and the rest of the sauce.
Cover tightly with foil and bake until the noodles are tender, about 60-70 minutes.
Let sit at least 10 minutes before cutting.

I prepare the lasagnes the day before.


MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES
makes about 50 cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
3 TBSP sugar
2 cups flour
2 cups raw pecans
1 tsp vanilla
at least 2 cups of powered sugar
heat oven to 350 and toast pecans for about 5 minutes or until they smell good
reduce oven temp to 250
cream butter and sugar together
add one cup of flour at a time
add finely chop pecans to mixture (I use a mini food processor for chopping)
add 1 tsp of vanilla
form into small round balls with palms of your hands
bake 1 hour at 250
remove from oven and while still hot, roll into the powered sugar
let cool on wire rack
roll in powered sugar again

from the kitchen dana wish list we brought:
one gallon of honey
cumin
salad dressing
different herb teas

plus 2 pounds of coffee beans offered to Ajahn Yatico for his solo month long walking journey in India (pictured below)