Trust the timing of your life

a celebration of 50+ women and a recipe for a timeless classic - hazelnut and almond biscotti

Have you heard of Bettie Parker?

The 73-year-old African-American was two-time mayor of Elizabeth City in North Carolina. What’s remarkable about Parker is not her position, but that she entered politics at 69, after a 33-year career as a math teacher. Her second act accomplishment is all the more meaningful for a woman who was born into segregation that ran deep.

While Parker’s story is truly inspiring, I might not have heard of her if it weren’t for the Forbes 50 Over 50 list, developed in partnership with Mika Brzezinski. Now in its second year, the list seeks out women who have drawn upon their life experience to achieve their greatest successes over 50.

It’s a long overdue endeavour. Forget the 30 Under 30, or even the 40 Under 40. As we get older, we not only get wiser, but we also have the capacity to better understand complexities; to connect the dots and innovate in ways not imagined before; and ultimately, to be a source of transformation and positive change, both great and small.

Here’s the thing. We are surrounded - and I mean surrounded - by amazing women who have accomplished much, achieved greatness, done extraordinary things, well beyond the age when most of the world has decided we should be thinking about slowing down. As Parker said,

“What appears most stunning about my accomplishments is that I came out of nowhere and got elected for the first time at an age when most retirees begin preparing for a life of leisure and fewer activities.”

(For even more inspiration read this fantastic profile of Hazel McCallion, the 101-year-old former mayor of a major Canadian city)

So why is it that we boomers, particularly women, have gotten short shrift? I think it’s because the world just hasn’t been paying that much attention. Maybe it’s our ever-growing fascination with youth; maybe it’s the lack of value placed on wisdom acquired with age and experience, or maybe it’s simply our own lived experiences of being discounted by a pre-conceived “best by” date. After all, dreams have no expiry date.

Trust the timing of your life

Our high-drive competitive society loves to make rules for us, laying out a linear path for all to follow. But a prescribed list of life milestones doesn’t allow for detours, roadblocks, setbacks. In life’s off-roading moments, it’s easy to get panicked about losing time, falling behind, being overlooked, or worse.

In these moments, trust is the greatest gift we can give ourselves. It’s in trusting in the moment, in focusing on the “what next”, “what now” instead of the “why”, that we can unearth the real richness and depth of our potential, and the abundance of what we still have to give. And as we get older we also begin to trust the timing of our lives. Not just that “things happen for a reason” but that there is something wonderful to discover, if we try. After all, isn’t the comeback always greater than the setback?

Blessings beyond measure

Look around. It won’t take you long to discover the female power players in your own circle. Forget job titles, positional power, conferred status. I’m talking about the magic that comes from confidence, the assurance that comes with patience and the shaking off of insecurities that comes with our accumulated insights. That means you and me, sister. And when that circle gathers tight around you in gathering storm, there is no better tribe to be part of.

Hazelnut and almond biscotti

Excerpted from Olive Oil - From Tree to Table, Peggy Knickerbocker

makes about two dozen cookies

When I sit down each week to write this missive, there is more intuition, less deliberate intention, in choosing the featured recipe. But sometimes it’s kismet that leads me to exactly the right one.

And so it was that this week, as I thought about some of my favourite cookbooks, spines cracked, pages splattered, notations throughout, that I thought of Peggy Knickerbocker. Long a fan of her excellent cookbooks and great writing, it was only when I visited her website that I saw she has written a memoir, about finding true love later in life. As she says,

"It was when I became truly content on my own, that I was open to what came through the door in the middle of the night."

Indeed. When you make these really delicious biscotti, and have one (or two) with a cup of tea or a rich espresso, have your notebook close at hand. You’ll want a handy place to jot down those future dreams and plans.

Ingredients

¾ cup almonds

¾ cup hazelnuts

Zest of two large oranges

3 cups all purpose flour

1½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

3 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup mild extra-virgin olive oil

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Oil two baking sheets with olive oil and set aside.

2. In a heavy skillet over medium heat, combine the almonds and hazelnuts and toast until fragrant, shaking the pan continuously, about 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool slightly. Chop by hand or transfer the nuts to a food processor and pulse to break them up and release their flavour. Place in a large bowl.

3. Add the orange zest to the nuts and stir to combine. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.

4. Add the whole eggs, egg yolks, vanilla and olive oil to the bowl and mix well.

5. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and divide into four equal portions. Shape each portion into a log approximately 10 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Lay the logs lengthwise on the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between the logs (they will spread a little during baking). Flatten the logs slightly with the palm of your hand.

6. Bake until barely firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Using a large metal spatula, transfer the logs to a cutting board. Cut the logs on the diagonal into slices 1½ thick. Return to the baking sheets, cut side down.

Reduce oven to 325°F and return biscotti to the oven. Bake until firm and almost crisp, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Let cool completely before serving.

The cookies will keep for a few weeks in an airtight container.

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