what a strange winter. we were stunned again and again by the snow that enveloped us, rescheduled us, introduced us to our neighbors, and overwhelmed our mild-weather-loving trees. a side sight; the amputated magnolia limbs that decorated our sidewalks.

as the days draw longer, i wonder what the thaw will bring, as we climb out of our cozy dens, and great the ripening year. i look forward to farmer’s markets, laughing running kids in the park, flutter sleeves, sockless shoes, iced coffees, sunglasses, lunch on the patio…

and usually i hate summer

1/2 lg yellow onion, chopped
1 T extra-virgin coconut oil
4 medium beets, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper
1 T honey
pinch of dried dill
yogurt or sour cream for garnish

in a large pot, sautee the onions in coconut oil over medium heat until very soft (20 minutes – keep the pot covered when not stirring so the onions don’t dry out and burn).
add beets and sautee until they release some of their water.
add cold water to cover beets by about an inch. add salt (to taste, or about 1/2 tsp) and freshly ground pepper. bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until beets are soft (about 30 minutes).
blend in 2 batches until very smooth. return to pot and stir in the honey and dill.
serve hot or well-chilled with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. serves 4.
yum.

since i’m not planning on touring, i am relying mostly on the internet to spread the word about this record. in a lot of ways, it’s a great time to be an independent recording artist, because it is possible these days to bypass the middle-men and get your music directly to listeners. on the other hand, we all know that music is mostly traded for free, so it can be difficult to recoup one’s investment. it costs money to make records and publish and promote them. so it’s nice if y’all buy the CD or downloads legally, just because i’d like to make my money back, and because i have a manager who works very hard for nearly nothing unless people do buy records.

that said, i’m also just happy to have released these songs out into the virtual universe to let them go where they will. it’s been amazing to see over the years how the music finds it’s way, and the comments and letters i get definitely mean more to me than money. so, thank you for supporting independent music, but more importantly, thank you for listening!