Photographs of the Heart

This morning I had to stop at the doc’s office to pick up paperwork for a chest X-Ray and lab work. To return to campus and the clinical center, I had to drive through MSU’s farm lands. MSU started as an agricultural college and that remains one of its big draws. On the perimeter of campus is a good degree of farm land, where one often sees horses, cattle, sheep and – in the summer – crops. It’s really quite lovely.

This morning the light was perfect as I went down these rural roads. Fresh snow gleamed and the world looked like a symphony of white. Crisp, precise white fences; white barns, immaculately kept; white sheep (which actually looked gray by comparison to the pristine snow), and of course that snow.

Only the darker donkey, and the black trunks and lacy bare branches of the trees offered a stark contrast to the white. The lighting was perfect. It was dazzling.

At first, I was frustrated I didn’t have my camera with me. But I also realized that one would need to be a far better photographer than I to balance all that white. And perhaps even the best of the best (and I know a few of those!) wouldn't be able to do it justice -- there wasn’t a lot of contrast.

Yet to me, it was breathtaking. A “photograph of the heart” for days to come.

On another topic, I’ve yet to take that picture of my UFO – the unfinished knitting object I mentioned. I'll do that soon. I was so worn by the time I got home last night (with proofing to do) that I just crashed. No knitting guild for me last night!

Tonight my friend Suzanne from Canada (formerly from Lansing – formerly meaning high school) is visiting, en route to a meeting in Chicago. We’ll go play tomorrow. Perhaps Ann Arbor, Trader Joe’s and the fabulous Hollander’s Art Store, all weather pending. And, we’ll celebrate Christmas (I knew there was a reason why some of the trees were still up…)

In honor of Suzanne’s visit, here is her Heart-Healthy Stuffed Mushrooms recipe! It’s good – enjoy!

Suzanne’s Healthy Stuffed Mushrooms

According to Suzanne, each mushroom only has 27 calories and one gram of fat!

1 lb. medium-sized mushrooms
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. thyme
Dash pepper and ground nutmeg
1/3 cup soft plain bread crumbs
4 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Clean mushrooms, carefully removing stems, which you chop finely.

In medium pan, heat oil.

Add chopped stems and cook, stirring until juices have evaporated.

Mix in remaining ingredients; remove from heat. Mound cooked mixture into mushroom caps.

Place caps in a shallow baking pan sprayed with cooking spray and bake uncovered at 400 for 20-25 minutes.