White Truffle Oil Dreamin'

White musk,

Rich marrow spilling...

Survival is assured.

I have formed a mild mania for White Truffle Oil. Well, to Il Fornaio's Proscuitto, Arugula, Grana Padano parmesan and Porcini laden Pizza Cristina. This delightful concoction is liberally drizzled with White Truffle Oil that smells like roasted ox marrow - buttery, rich and sustaining. A hint of extreme luxury rich in beneficial nutrients that there is never enough of for the entire tribe to share - an honor to savor. I am certain white truffle oil must have medicinal properties. "It hath the power to cheer and mellow the disposition" to quote Mrs. Grieve. Hie thee to a grocery store and try some.

Tonight I made a happy but tired J-Bear the gift of a small quantity of white truffle oil infused roasted pecans. He had made me a gift of the oil after his earlier trip to the shops. Such decadence. ("Land sake!" Grandmother Mimi exclaims inside my head, deeply whiffing the bottle and wiping clean hands on her apron.)  Dr. Mercola preaches the values of mineral-rich Celtic sea salt as does Dr. Batman. I just happened to have some on hand that I use for cooking (it's nice to know periodically that we're doing something right, unawares). I ground sea salt in a mortar and sprinkled the pecans with it.  Foodies: Toss pecans thoroughly in walnut or almond oil with salt and broil on a cookie sheet at 250F for ten or fifteen minutes. Resist the temptation to use flavored salts - the pecans are richness enough on their own. Drizzle sparingly with white truffle oil and toss again. Eat, trying very hard to constrain portion size. Heavenly.

This collation was a really nice treat after a whole lot of unremitting toil that's left us wanting Minor Indulgences. We felt most luxurious consuming those Roasted Pecans  - the only one of my Mother's holiday delicacies it's relatively safe for healthy people to eat. White truffle oil. Mmmm...

We have plans to lay in some arugula and prosciutto and make our own pizza dough, though Dr. Mercola does preach quite voiciferously against grains lately, and now, perilously, about the dangerous mycotoxins in my beloved truffles! Okay Doc, but I'm not ready yet. A few more artisan pizzas and sprouted flaxseed rolls. I'm going to work on getting rid of sensitivities to grains, though I will probably eventually cease eating them as my body purifies. But not quite yet!

I still want to have the odd luxury, having given up all the vices I thought I had and being rudely informed that there are others - many, many others that will need to go for perfect health. Well thanks a lot Doc, thanks a lot. I appreciate the advice, but jimminy crickets, what a bummer! I'm going to keep affirming all things healthy and positive in my life anyway - a great Practice at any time. And in the right time, these things too shall pass...

One by one, the pleasures of the past are replaced by greater knowledge, the awareness of decisions and opportunity of Choice. As I have made decisions to forego certain foods and beverages, I have also made decisions to exit certain environments and relationships for healthier ones. Wheat is largely gone in my life but for special treat moments such as the ever-yummy Pizza Cristina and Mom's holiday pecans.  Spiritual communities that were rife with chaos and politics have been released for a smaller fellowship of rare but very special individuals who lift me up, consistently. I've chosen to eschew the corporate environment in favor of running my own consulting business which is a thousand times more rewarding both to me and to those I work with. In these small ways and others, I am turning my life into a life that makes more of a difference and helps both myself and everyone I can touch.

We all touch each and every person that even peripherally crosses our lives. Even a friend heard-of but never met is having impact and influence on you, and you upon them. Now that influence may be small, but you are connected by the thread of your mutual friend, so it still impacts. So it is throughout The Field. Think about it.

Morel of the Story: When in doubt as to what you can do to move forward and upward, look for what can shift, and in Joy, shift it. Food, people, environments, whatever, as long as you remain in Joy. The Joy is your filter and indicator flag that lets you know that you are moving towards the right thing. Whatever that may be for you. Trying to shift without engaging your passion and your love is like trying to move the Sphinx by yourself. Sure, it can be done but it's going to take all your energy, and for what? Consider deeply the role of Joy in Moving the Universe...