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First Mother

May 11, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

We discussed the passage below in my writing group this week. The perfect tribute for Mother’s Day…


“It is often said that the first sound we hear in the womb is our mother’s heartbeat. Actually, the first sound to vibrate our newly developed hearing apparatus is the pulse of our mother’s blood through her veins and arteries. We vibrate to that primordial rhythm even before we have ears to hear. Before we were conceived, we existed in part as an egg in our mother’s ovary. All the eggs a woman will ever carry form in her ovaries while she is a four-month-old fetus in the womb of her mother. This means our cellular life as an egg begins in the womb of our grandmother. Each of us spent five months in our grandmother’s womb and she in turn formed within the womb of her grandmother. We vibrate to the rhythms of our mother’s blood before she herself is born. And this pulse is the thread of blood that runs all the way back through the grandmothers to the first mother. We all share the blood of the first mother – we are truly children of one blood.” ~ Layne Redmond
Nana                 Momma                  Me                    Kelsey

talya

Musical Pairing:

Mother and Child Reunion, Paul Simon

Spicy Ginger Black-Eyed Peas

May 10, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

Spicy Ginger Black-Eyed Peas
As promised on my Grace Grits Facebook page here is the recipe for quite possibly THE best black-eyed peas ever. Spicy Ginger Black-Eyed Peas!
And I’ve eaten a bunch of peas.
Ingredients
2 cups dried peas
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 cloves garlic
1 diced orange bell pepper (or yellow or red)
1 diced jalapeño pepper (less if you don’t like hot)
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
fresh ground pepper to taste
sea salt (optional)
Soak the peas overnight. Drain. Cover in fresh water (about 6 cups) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer approximately 2 hours until soft.
When the peas are almost done, melt coconut oil in a skillet. Add onions and cook until softened. Add peppers, ginger, garlic and pepper. Continue cooking 3-4 minutes.

 

Drain peas. Toss peas with onion pepper mix. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.
Pour into a serving dish.

Serves 2-4.

Happy Eating!

talya

 

Papaya-Cilantro Smoothie

May 9, 2013 By Talya Tate Boerner

In Texas, we love our cilantro. In everything.

This smoothie is lactose-free, gluten-free and vitamin-loaded! The hint of cilantro provides a refreshing clean taste.

Papaya-Cilantro Smoothie

1 cup frozen cubed papaya
1/2 cup frozen banana
1/2 cubed watermelon (I used fresh)
1/2 cup fat free Lactaid milk (more if too thick)
handful of cilantro (approximately 2 Tablespoons)
1 teaspoon zip code honey

Blend.

That’s it!

Health benefits of cilantro (known as coriander in Asia):

  • Rich in antioxidant polyphenolic flavonoids and essential volatile oils;
  • High in dietary fiber which helps reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol levels;
  • Rich in several vital vitamins including folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, beta carotene, vitamins A, K and C; and,
  • Good source of minerals such as potassium, calcium, manganese, iron and magnesium.
Zip code honey:
Local honey from your zip code will aid in seasonal allergy relief. Honey is a natural immunity builder used to remedy ailments such as cuts and burns, hangovers, sore throats, and sleeplessness. 
I buy local North Texas honey from Bee True Products. Search the Local Harvest website for sustainably grown produce in your area, including honey.
Delicious. The honey and the smoothie.
talya
Grace Grits & Gardening

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Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (2022)

THE THIRD ACT OF THEO GRUENE (coming 2025)

Recent Ramblings:

  • Sunday Letter: 03.29.26
  • Sunday Letter: February 22, 2026
  • Our Garden Mission Statement
  • Goodbye, 2025. Hello, 2026.
  • Sunday Letter: 11.23.25

Novels:

Coloring Books:

Fiction-Themed Coloring Books

Backyard Phenology:

Children’s Nature Book:

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