Starting a new business

Yesterday was our first day in our new kitchen. We are making pickled things.
Riffs on traditional saurkraut with ginger and lemons, pickled beets with kale and hikiji, kim chi.. basically mountains of vegetables that are fermented to make them living medicine that tastes delicious. The pickles are packed with probiotics which, according to my business partner, Mara, is what makes little Japanese grandmothers look so strong and beautiful (and helps them live to 103). Yesterday we supremed 8 pounds of lemons and chopped 150 pounds of cabbage. We listened to Hindu chanting, Ray Charles and the Magnetic Fields. We drank tea, talked about our families, politics and hairnets. We got salty,spicy and worn out.
Keep your eyes peeled for zuké (pron. zu kay) coming soon to a market near you. (We hope!)

So much is happening. The earth is awake in every way. Fat robins, leaves bursting on all the big old trees that were but shadows a few months ago. Tomorrow is mother's day.
Mother Earth, Grandmother Spider, hand holder, arm rocker, maker, taker, doer, magic being of visible and invisible strengths.

Jean Pierre got stung by a bee today. His first sting.
He was trying to rescue a baby bee that had fallen into the pool and had picked him up in his hand. Upon rescue the bee stung him on the finger. His yowls were those of someone who did not yet know that kind of pain. I held him for a long time, until the feeling subsided. Once he regained his calm he asked me if the bee would die, now that it had stung him (something I, no doubt, had told him happens). Lucien then piped up that he had just read a book that details the first 10 weeks of a young bees life and said that during that time they can sting and not die. I do not know if this is actually true, but it was the right fact for the moment. Jean Pierre blinked and said, I am so happy he will not die. That is good that he will not die. I am humbled by the wisdom of my children and so deeply grateful to get to be a mother this time around. Maybe next time I will be a bee. Speaking of, check out this new movie- it looks really good. http://www.colonymovie.com/

Happy almost birthday Jean Pierre.
p.s. these cupcakes are wonderful!

Strawberry rose cupcakes from Sunset

* 1 cup butter, at room temperature
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 3/4 cup buttermilk
* 2 1/2 cups flour
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 cup strawberry jam
* 1 1/2 to 2 tsp. rose water*
* Cream Cheese-Rose Frosting
* 2 1/2 cups small rose petals (organically grown)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°. Line 16 muffin cups with liners. Beat butter and sugar with a stand mixer until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat until well blended.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Gradually beat into butter mixture until well blended.
Whisk together jam and rose water to taste in a small bowl. Spread 2 heaping tbsp. batter in each liner. Top with 1 tsp. jam mixture, then another 2 heaping tbsp. batter, carefully spreading it to cover jam.
Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted toward the edge comes out clean, 25 to 27 minutes. Let cool in pans 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Spread with frosting and decorate with organic rose petals.