Well!
That was fascinating. I want to thank you all for indulging me and sharing something so personal. I was amazed that most of the dreams feel into a few general categories. My informal tally shows that the most common anxiety dreams were roughly in this order:
Something to do with school
Teeth falling out or crumbling
Being chased
Driving
Waiting tables
Being along in a house
Being late
Can’t move
Something involving a bathroom
There were others – dressing up like Attila the Hun and being chased by Kiss, the band, were my favorites. I was amazed by how many people dream about losing their teeth. I sometimes dream that I am chewing an enormous piece of gum and am trying to talk to someone and the gum keeps getting stuck in my teeth. When I go to take it out, it just pulls into long strands and keeps sticking.
Anyway. Thank you again for sharing. I was so touched that many of you who usually lurk came forward and commented. As usual, I wish I could send each and every one of you this prize package.
Because I like to give and because I have two children who were fighting over the task of picking a number out of a hat, and because I need an excuse to go back to Theo Chocolates (again, for the children!), I had assistant #2 pick out another winner. I will send that person some chocolate goodies. Drum roll please.
Winner #1 is Erica (comment #84) who has this dream: “My main anxiety dream is that I’m running away from someone or something and no matter how hard I try to run, I’m going in slow motion. Every muscle is burning and I’m pushing as hard as I can go but I’m barely moving. The second one is that my teeth are loose or are going to fall out. No lie. When I wake up I check to make sure they’re all there and not wiggling!”
Winner #2 is Holly E (comment #18) who has this dream: “My anxiety dreams are always about high school. Often I am just roaming the halls or hiding out because I don’t remember what class I am supposed to be in. Sometimes I show up for the final after skipping the class all semester. Every now and then I can’t remember my gym locker combination. I keep hoping that one of these days I will “graduate” to college dreams! My FAVORITE dreams, however, are about the ocean: surfing, swimming, sometimes stuck under water but I can still breathe. I wake up feeling so ivigorated!
So let’s talk about cabbage. My darling husband thinks he doesn’t like cabbage. I mention it and he makes a face. This from the man who loves sauerkraut and coleslaw. When I tell him that both those things are in fact cabbage, he just smiles and nods. So I didn’t talk about the exquisitely purple cabbage I picked up at the farmer’s market and I didn’t tell him that I was going to use it in a side dish for a weeknight Dana Meal. I knew he would question a cabbage dish but I also knew he would love it once he tasted it.
Which of course, he did. A beautiful cabbage thinly sliced. Peeled farm fresh apples too. A bit of sugar, salt, caraway seeds, and cider vinegar and then a good long simmer on the stove – this is a lovely dish indeed. The equinox has passed and fall is officially here. I have found this dish works well alongside so many different things during this season. This time I served it with a hearty pasta dish featuring buckwheat groats and a savory gravy (don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it), but I have also served it with savory grain cakes sitting atop a carrot ginger sauce. I would imagine it would be magnificent alongside some kind of savory stuffed squash as well. Randy’s family serves sauerkraut at Thanksgiving (I know!) so he always requests that I make it for him. I’m kind of hoping I can talk him into this dish instead. He wouldn’t be the only one eating it, unlike the sauerkraut.
One Year Ago: Holly B’s Almond Butterhorns
Two Years Ago: Frittata with Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Braised Purple Cabbage with Apples
Adapted from The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen
Serves 4-6
I like this dish with a hint of sweetness so the seasoning here is perfect for me. I would imagine that you could replace half the water with apple juice or cider if you want it sweeter.
2 tbsp. butter
1 large red onion, sliced into thin crescents
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
¾ cup water
3 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 head purple cabbage (about 2 pounsd), sliced into ½-inch strips
1 large firm apple, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
In a wide heavy sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, brown sugar, caraway seeds, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened.
Add the water, vinegar, cabbage, and apple. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and braise for 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover and cook over high heat for a few minutes until the juices have reduced. Season to taste with salt and pepper.