The Beauty of the Disconnect.
Timmy The Teeth demoing one of his new songs at Willamette MTN Farms & Studio
As the week turns yet again into another ending I am up at 5am, mulling it all over. I have the intent of regurgitating my thoughts and insides into words (digital). But this is the fourth time I have deleted that which I have spouted onto the screen. Things are changing. The seasons (as they must and they do) My body (the aging and inevitable passing of flesh), My mind (settling never seems like a TRUE option) The world, laws, people, friends, family, LIFE. But I feel that if I do as a bird might, and keep my head in the ground, I won’t have to necessarily focus on “ALL of it”.
And that is my wish.
There are things I care to know and things that I truly don’t give two flips of a coin about, the latter being most things outside my world. I don’t follow the news, watch TV, read the latest stories, get political, or raise a fuss when it comes to most things. Call me irresponsible, un-American, lazy, and it still can’t get me to give a shit. There are things that I find vital to my existence. My lover, My family, My garden, My music. Though other things trickle in, I feel that I have ostracized myself from the rest of the world (obviously to a point). This isn’t to say I don’t go out, socialize, help those I can, because I do, FOR I MUST! I just can’t take the mumbo and the jumbo of “it all”.
“Did you here what happened with….?” NOPE.
“Can you believe that …. ?” Hmm, no, wow.
Naïve? A “non” team player? Foolish? Maybe. Probably. And so?
And so you live your life. And so I live my life. And so we live on. Until we don’t. And so it GOES. Life is AAAALLLLLLLL (all) what you care to make it. Add things if you wish. Relish it with anxiety, and worry, and stress. Spice it with overworking, and jealousy, greed, and envy. And if you so desire…. Opt out. Push the realm of anti social to a new level. Or don’t.
Possiblities?   E N D L E S S . . . . . . . .
How beautiful it is that we can.
How beautiful it is that we are.
How beautiful it ALL is.
Yet, how ugly we can make it. Easily. And WE DO. Yes, WE DO.
Now, it’s early morning and I have yet to go back to read the mumbo and the jumbo that I just typed into this here computer. I have no idea if it makes much sense, and this time (and I probably do this more than I should) I am not going to proofread any of it, I am going to Mccartney this one (let it be). And for this go around I am going to end it all with a wonderful wonderful recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks that we recently decided to try due to the overabundance of eggplant that has been growing in the garden.
Here is to happiness mi amigos. CORRUPTION is forseen (Surely).
WE ARE DESITUTE if we CHOOSE to be.
 Let’s eat!
CHANGE. (American Fork Canyon. Leaves and Trees.)
GUITAR. hands.
EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA
Adapted from “Hearty Vegan Meals for Monster Appetites” written by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman
 For the eggplant:
2 large eggplants, sliced into 1/8 inch thick rounds
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
 For The Marinara:
1 TBSP olive oil
4 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 TSP granulated onion
2 TSP dried oregano
2 TSP dried basil
2 TSP capers, with brine
1/3 tsp red pepper falkes
4 ounces tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup tomato sauce
 DIRECTIONS:
To make the eggplant: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Divide the eggplant slices between 2 large, rimmed baking sheets. Lightly brisj each wide with oil and sprinkle with salt.
Roast for 20 minutes or until tender. Remover from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
To Make The Marinara: Combine the oil, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, onion, oregano, basil, capers and red pepper flakes in a saucepan. Cook over medium0high heat for 2 minutes, to let the flavors develop. Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Bring to a low boil, lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 min.
Have ready a 9x13 baking dish. There will be 3 layers of marinara, and 2 of eggplant. Cover the bottom of the dish with 1 cup of the marinara. Evenly top with half of the eggplant slices, and repeat.
Bake for 20 minutes .
SIDE NOTE:
We added ontop of each layer of eggplant a layer of thinly sliced garden tomatoes, I can’t say it WASN’T amazing. SO if you have em. Use em.
This recipe also called for a recipe of Vegan Mozarrella that I just didn’t have time to make. You can search online to find one if you so desire. But it was delicious without it.
 Cooking, looking.
Joshua-Fred.
