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Sarah Kay Ndjerareou

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Exotic Flavors

Sweet and Spicy Pepper Jelly Recipe

By Sarah Kay
December 8, 2020
7 min read
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In Exotic Flavors
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The harder a pepper works to grow–the spicier it becomes. Turns out, I’m fantastic at growing hot peppers. This sweet and spicy pepper jelly is the perfect taste of 2020. This year we turned our garden bounty into a sweet ...
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MY INSTA-HAPPENINGS

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”
—Ernest Hemingway One of the most rewarding aspects of Art House Dallas is developing our craft along side passionate writers across genres and experience. Recently, I’ve asked some of our community to share their experience by sitting in on our regular Feedback. Individuals share a project in uplifting night of inspiration and support. This month @krissidallas will be joining us. @maggiephilpot creator of @sparkandspiritpress will be stepping in the end of October. Join us! Register at @arthousedallas
How do you cultivate creativity? “The Artist Da How do you cultivate creativity? “The Artist Date is a once-weekly, festive, solo expedition to explore something that interests you. Artist Dates fire up the
imagination. They spark whimsy. They encourage play. Since art is about the
play of ideas, they feed our creative work by replenishing our inner well
of images and inspiration.“ Julie Cameron Today as children go back to school, I sit back down at the blank page. It can be daunting so first we need to fill up our creative well. Enter the artist date, a hot cup of coffee, my porch and The Voyage of the Sable Venus by Robin Coste Lewis.
“The future belongs to those who believe in the “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” -Eleanore Roosevelt 11th and 4th grade - Not a child in sight. They’re making life choices, driving cars, handling committees (student government) and shaking hands with their teachers like grown people. Didn’t I just drop him off at mom’s day out? Didn’t she just get her big teeth? I love this phase for so many reasons. They are exploring who they’re meant to be, becoming hard working, fascinating people but it’s just one more reminder that I can’t control time, only savor it as they learn to soar.
Having a garden this summer has taught me two impo Having a garden this summer has taught me two important things, nature is far more fragile than I realized but my children are far more diligent and helpful than I expected. I’ll admit my ignorance, food in the grocery store is just so hearty and prolific that it’s easy to get seduced into thinking it sprouts from seeds overnight like Jack and his magic bean stalk. Instead we’ve learned that cucumbers don’t grow long and lean without bees to throughly pollinate them, okra needs to be harvested young to really be worth eating, there’s over watering, under watering, and the list of possible diseases that took out our squash and stunted our peppers will make your eyes water. Despite our rather shoddy first attempt at a garden, I’m hooked. I’m not sure why? Perhaps it’s the joy of watching an idea grow fat and juicy under your care? The simple miracle of manifesting something edible despite all the odds against us. Perhaps it’s the simple satisfaction of cultivating something and tasting it’s wholesomeness? Ironically, we planted a garden in the midst of a blistering Texas drought but whole family is invested in weeding, watering and cultivating our little corner. Basil has probably been the thing that’s been the most prolific. Our first jar of basil pesto felt like such a triumph I couldn’t wait to share. That’s another thing about home grown food (at least for me.) You invest in it with your whole body that the joy has to be spread around, the sheer wonderment of it feeding mind, body and soul. I pray I’ll become a better gardener but I also hope we never lose the wonder of that first eggplant, or the pride of our first watermelon. I’ll add the walnut pesto recipe to my website. A dear friend inspired me with her home grown basil and sent me home with jar of walnuts. Consider this your invitation. #mysongrewthis #watermelon
Happy 4th of July - 2022 Happy 4th of July - 2022
“The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimu “The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.” -Albert Einstein Summer for a mother is finding the perfect balance between boredom and community. It’s like spinning a plate-delicate, difficult and messy when we get it wrong. We all need connection, friends and community. We also need to make peace with solitude and find ways to entertain ourselves. Often our family escapes across the globe for a regular unplug adventure. Honestly, this can have lonely moments for our kids. It’s become more of an every other year tradition.This year is a quiet summer and although I don’t have as much to put in my feed, I’ve been moved my my kids joy in the simple moments. Yes, there have been boring days but it’s less of a concern and more of an opportunity. I’ve also noticed how susceptible my soul is to comparison. We fill our social media feeds with our yeses, the adventures we splurge on—we rarely share our no’s. The long list of things we sacrifice to make our concerts, vacations, nights out possible. Do you make your own lunch? Coffee? Do date nights at the park? Life is changing on a global scale and all of us learning a new reality. How can we inspire simple adventures? Recently, my children have been reminding just how sweet it is to say yes to every game night, hang out, cousin swim or to linger over quiet moments. We’re growing a garden for the first time and learning to make pickles. Here’s to the simple moments. May your summer be sweet, and boring, and your inner life be rich, and colorful.
“Love betters what is best.” -Wordsworth This “Love betters what is best.” -Wordsworth This weekend our family got to celebrate a new adventure for sweet @bayley._.boo. Some of my favorite life moments have included this lovely face and her family. It gives me a slight lump in my throat, to watch these two take flight. I was on the other side of the world with Bayley the day she got accepted to Black Forrest Academy for her first launch far from home and family. To witness the joy of this young couple surrounded by adoring BFA community moved my heart in ways I didn’t know I needed. Bayley you’ve had to say so many goodbyes in your short life and yet you still embrace the world with a wide open heart. Today, I’m grateful you’ve found the person you never want to let go of and get to spend the rest of your life learning to love. May your new home be blessed with love and laughter. May suffering bring you closer to your God and your people and may it bring sweetness to the ordinary moments. Until we meet again. . .
“I learned that courage was not the absence of f “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” -Nelson Mandela Every beautiful day I serve at Art House Dallas I ask people to take a risk, to dare to see themselves as braver, bolder, more colorful than they were yesterday. It’s one of the greatest gifts of my life to watch them rise to the challenge. To find the guts inside to share their ideas with the world, it’s not easy, it’s not pretty, but at some point there’s a fervent breakthrough, courage births words, words inspire emotions that vibrant into our souls and leaks into actions that we never thought ourselves capable of. We all leave feeling a bit sparkly, buzzing on the energy of creativity and community. Art House constantly pushes me out of my comfort zone, to go a little deeper, expand my horizons. This month they asked me to lead a Deploy camp for 8-13 year olds on writing with my dear friend @sfrhoads.author I’ll admit I did not think I could do it. I wasn’t sure I could guide young people into a meaningful experience without it crumbling into chaos. The fear was palpable, but it also forced me to focus. The results were magical. Something special happens when you share your passions with the world, it’s electric. We discussed the power of journaling and created their first entry The Best Part of Me. Children understand energy and play. As we played they reminded me that words are universally powerful. Finding your voice takes effort. Doubt can squelch the liveliest vision but the reward of creation and courage is one of the richest experiences life has to offer. Thank you @arthousedallas for giving me a chance to experience this moment and for the brave kids who jumped into the deep end with me.

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