by Krista | Feb 21, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Good morning, luvs! Oh, I am a happy soul today. I’ve had an entire weekend of glorious sunshine, hikes in the woods, and true comfort food. I finished reading an entire book and watched the fascinating new PBS series Downton Abbey. I feel inspired and rested, ready for a brand new week. 🙂
It’s still wicked cold around here, but the sun has been out and I had to be out in it. So I bundled up and went for long walks every day, so thrilled to see snowdrops and crocuses blooming cheerily.
I just loved being out there, breathing deeply of cold, fresh air mingled with wood smoke, strolling past neighbors going for walks with their kidlets.
When I got home from my walk this afternoon I was craving comfort food and hastily whipped up a batch of whole wheat scones. Mmm, they smelled so toasty and grainy fresh out of the oven.
I slathered one half with lime curd and the other with boysenberry jam, then topped each one with a healthy dollop of sour cream and dug in. Oh my. Twas pure deliciousness and the perfect accompaniment to a big mug of Earl Grey Tea and a British mini-series.
What is your favorite memory from this weekend?
Whole Wheat Scones
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
2/3 cup half and half
1 egg
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
- Combine first five ingredients, sift if necessary.
- Blend in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir half and half and egg together. Add to dry mixture and toss with fork until moistened.
- Lightly mix dough until it holds together.
- Pat into circle 1/2 inch thick. Cut into wedges.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden.
by Krista | Feb 18, 2011 | Fabulous Friday
It’s a glorious thing to get off a red eye flight and crawl into a wondrously comfy bed only to wake up a few hours later to the tropical beauties of Fiji.
That’s just what happened to me on a beautiful layover in Nadi, Fiji on my way back to the US from Australia in January. Stretching luxuriously I made myself get up, slipped into one of my favorite sundresses, grabbed sunglasses and camera and headed out for a stroll along the beaches of Denarau Island.
Denarau Island is renowned for it’s opulent resorts, golf courses, fine restaurants, and shopping, but my favorite place is the beach. The lovely thing about staying at any of the resorts on the island is that you get access to all of them: their beaches, restaurants, even their swimming pools. It’s perfect for a nice long walk from one beach to the next.
I made my way past hammocks swinging in the sea breezes, kids shrieking happily in the surf, and businessmen snoozing in their lounge chairs. I walked and walked, the waves lapping at my ankles, sun beating down wondrously, until the resorts ended and a bit of wilderness began.
I was delighted by the flowering vines encroaching onto the sand, hundreds of vibrant pink flowers stretching up to the sun.
I spent a blissful time imagining how lovely it would be to own a stretch of beach like this. To build a simple cottage with huge windows open to the wind and a wide wrap around porch from which to watch sunsets and storms alike. It was a splendid dream.
After a bit I wandered back to civilization, stopping to watch a boy fishing from shore. When he caught me observing him I smiled and he ran up to me and asked excitedly, “Did you see them?” I shook my head so he dashed a ways down the beach, pulled off a bit of dough from a bag and threw it into the water. Within seconds fish were wriggling just below the surface, nibbling their treat. We both grinned and he went back to his fishing, pleased as punch to have an audience.
It was a beautiful morning in Fiji.
What is your favorite thing to do at the beach?
by Krista | Feb 17, 2011 | Plucky Thursday
I love my three brothers, and I love hanging out with them in their homes now that they’re all grown up with fabulous women and places of their own.
For Christmas this year I got to visit my middle brother Evan and his wife, my dear sister-in-law Kendra at their home in Germany. We spent four marvelous days lounging about playing cards, Settlers of Catan, watching movies and going for hikes in the snow. And every morning we got to eat the amazing breakfasts they’d put together.
While we sipped big mugs of creamy coffee, Kendra would make a gorgeous fruit platter of some kind, a light dusting of sugar glittering in the candlelight.
Then she and Ev would labor over the stove making crispy hash browns, creamy eggs, whole grain toast and a whole lotta bacon. Mmm, mmm!
Around noon one of us would decide that maybe, just maybe we should get out of our pjs and go for a walk. It was the snowiest Christmas imaginable in Germany, and we had such fun bundling up and trekking through knee-high drifts or warily stepping our way over hard-packed stretches that squeaked under our boots and were as slick as ice.
Some days it was too wicked cold even for us Canadians, so we’d happily stay warm and toasty inside and just enjoy the view.
What is your favorite breakfast on a snowy morning?
by Krista | Feb 16, 2011 | Compatriot Wednesday
The wind whipped wildly through the trees as the Single/Significant-Other-Out-of-Town folks of the cooking club gang gathered to celebrate Valentine’s Day with some Chinese comfort food. Darren cracked us up by purchasing a package of Medjool Dates so we could all tell folks we had a date Monday night. 😉
We took things at a leisurely place this time, eating in courses and lingering over each one as we sipped wine and Darren’s hot jasmine tea, and discussed all manner of interesting things.
We started with my soup – a simple garlicky beef broth with scallions and cilantro poured steaming hot over either glassy Mung Bean Noodles or hearty Chai Green Tea Soba Noodles. Each person doctored their bowl with soy sauce and slurped up every last bit.
Next up was Selwyn’s splendid salad of Napa cabbage, broccoli slivers, julienne carrots, red cabbage and a fabulously savory peanut dressing.
Our third course was Toby’s fantastic fried rice with a special sweet Chinese sausage, shredded carrot, egg, and bright green peas.
Last week we had oh-so-authentic “Chinese” chocolate chip cookies for dessert, and tonight we went equally traditional with Selwyn’s divine dark chocolate salted caramels.
It was a marvy evening of great talks and much laughter with dear friends. A perfect Valentine’s Day.
Did you do anything special Monday night?
Selwyn’s Napa and Broccoli Shred Salad with Peanut Dressing
Ingredients for salad:
1/2 head Napa Cabbage, sliced thinly
1/2 cup broccoli shreds
1/2 cup carrot shreds
1/2 cup red cabbage, sliced thinly
1/2 cup snow peas
Crispy Chow Mein Noodles
Ingredients for Dressing:
1 Cup rice wine vinegar
1 Cup canola oil
1 Cup peanut oil
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 Cup soy sauce – gluten free
1/2 Cup sesame oil
1/4 Cup agave nectar
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp minced Ginger
Directions:
- Toss vegetables together in large bowl. Set aside.
- In medium bowl whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth.
- Toss dressing with salad and top with Crispy Chow Mein Noodles.
Krista’s Garlicky Beef Noodle Soup
Ingredients:
2 boxes organic beef broth
1 bunch scallions, sliced thinly
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
handful fresh cilantro
sprinkle of dried red chilies
1/2 tsp Chinese 5-Spice
soy sauce to taste
Fresh cilantro
cooked and drained noodles (I used Chai Green Tea Soba Noodles and Mung Bean Noodles)
Directions:
- Combine first six ingredients in saucepan. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.
- Place noodles in bowl, pour broth over them, add soy sauce to taste and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
Toby’s Fried Rice with Sweet Chinese Sausage
(Click here for recipe)
by Krista | Feb 15, 2011 | Gulliver Tuesday
My Aussie friend Ann was working in her Queensland garden when she heard her dog barking fiercely. Getting up she wandered over to see what the fuss was, and saw movement under a pile of grass clippings. Thinking she saw a harmless blue-tongued lizard, she bent over and brushed away the grass. Suddenly a venomous brown snake shot out straight at her. Before she could even react her dog leaped in front of her, grabbed the snake mid-air and broke its neck. Her heart pounding a mile a minute, Ann praised and hugged her dog. It wasn’t until a while later that he collapsed in the doorway. In his heroic protection of Ann, he’d been bitten. She rushed him to the vet and $700 later, he was alive and recuperating.
“The funny thing is,” chuckled Neil, Ann’s husband. “if Ann had been bitten, it would’ve cost less to have her fixed up!”
But with a dog like that, you do everything you can to make sure they’re OK.
When I arrived in Australia this January I was scared of two things: snakes and spiders. Reading Bill Bryson’s fabulous book “In A Sunburned Country” had given me a holy terror of venomous things awaiting me at every turn. My Aussie friends thought this was hilarious.
Nearly every person I met had startling stories of snakes leaping at them from the feed bin or slithering down from under the hood of their car, yet they told them with laughter and shrugs of shoulders as if there was nothing to worry about. Heavens!
They assured me that snakes (referred to as Joe Blakes or wrigglies) were hardly ever seen in town and rarely in the city. This afforded me little comfort since I was spending my entire trip in the country, so I did what any sensible person would do: ask for advice on how NOT to be bitten by snakes in Australia.
Their response: “Stay out of Australia.”
Helpful buggers, aren’t they? 🙂
Although Australia has some of the most venomous snakes in the world (click here to see shiver-inducing photos), my friends informed me that more people get injured or killed from honeybee stings and horseback riding accidents than from snake-bite. There are even more injuries from car accidents than snake bites (which doesn’t say much for Aussie driving! ;-)). In fact, according to the splendid Birgit from Outback Australia Travel Secrets, when snake bite fatalities per million inhabitants are compared, they are higher in the United States than Australia. Phew!
So, dear ones, here is how NOT to be bitten by snakes in the Australian countryside:
- Wear sturdy shoes/boots. Sandals, bare feet or flimsy shoes are not adequate protection.
- Bring dogs with you. They are marvelous snake-hunters and protectors. They’re also excellent at giving warnings, offering you the chance to take a different path.
- Carry a good stick. Aussie “bushies” (folks who live in the country) always have “snake sticks” scattered around their farms. The best ones are shaped like a hockey stick giving you both distance from the snake and a flat surface with which to bash him. As my friend Robbie said: “It’s very good at making two snakes out of one.”
- Make a bit of a racket. Use your walking stick to pound the ground regularly and don’t be bashful about stomping your feet. The vibrations will warn the snakes of your location and approach, giving them time to scurry away. They are naturally shy creatures and will only attack if they’re startled or feel threatened.
- Don’t just stand there. If you see a snake, hoof it in the opposite direction. Their eyesight isn’t so good and they may mistake you for a tree and attempt to hide around your ankles.
- Be observant. Snakes are most often to be found near their food source – mice, frogs, and small animals. This includes creeks, ponds and lakes, long grass, deadwood, and feed bins. Don’t go “fossicking about” with your hands in the grass, don’t reach into hollow trees, or stick your hand into dark spaces where you can’t see what’s inside.
- Get out of their way. Snakes don’t want to see you any more than you want to see them. If you see one, keep off his path.
After all my fretting, I actually didn’t see a single snake. Not one! I hiked in the bush, tall grass, by creeks, ponds, rivers and lakes, but no snakes. I guess all that stick-pounding, boot-stomping, and dog-guarding really does the trick. 🙂
Are you scared of snakes?
