by Krista | Jul 17, 2012 | Compatriot Wednesday
It is a cold, dark and windy day in Queensland, so I’m escaping to a summer morning in Italy when the sun was warm, the breezes cool, and we had a whole day to do whatever we liked.
On such a day a leisurely breakfast on the sun-drenched terrace was essential. We lingered long over fresh strawberries and toasted ciabatta topped with fried eggs or spread with Nutella. How lovely it was to be outside in our pjs, talking for ages with dear friends as the birds twittered cheerily in the orchards below us.
After breakfast we piled into our rental car and headed down the hills near Perdifumo, wending our way past ancient villas, lush olive groves, and roadsides carpeted in a profusion of wildflowers.
We stopped often, spilling out of the car to stretch our legs and soak in the views of emerald hills and cerulean skies.
The road was narrow and rutted, twisting and turning down the hillside heading towards the Adriatic Sea.
At last we saw it, vivid blue against the sandy beaches and red-tiled rooftops of the seaside town of Santa Maria.
We meandered our way through the unfamiliar streets until we found a parking spot, then hauled our bits and bobs down to the beach, eager to kick off our shoes and plunge into the cool, clear water glistening in the early morning sunlight.
What a jolly time we had on the beach that morning: swimming, tanning, hiking up and down the beach, reading under a bright blue umbrella, napping happily in the sunshine, taking pictures like mad. 🙂
I loved the wildflowers growing by the road, little kids bathing suits hanging out to dry, and the rocky shore that rose up on either side of pristine sand, the water aglow with lime green seaweed and gold lichen clinging to the stones.
As much as I love these wild winter days in Australia, I can’t wait for spring and summer to arrive with brilliant sunshine, blue skies, and long days to putter and adventure in.
What do you love most about summer?
by Krista | Jul 16, 2012 | Bootstrap Monday
On June 29, 2012 my friend Barbara Harris died after a long and painful fight with cancer.
We met online a couple of years ago through her blog, winos and foodies, and became virtual friends. As soon as she heard I was in Australia, Barbara and her husband Bryan drove down from Brisbane for a visit. It was like we’d known each other for years, and once we got talking we couldn’t stop. 🙂 Before lunch was even over, they invited me to stay with them, so we made a date for December.
As the date for our visit drew closer, we laughed because they found out they would have to suddenly move apartments on the day of my arrival. Our plans for a leisurely visit went out the window and instead we spent the weekend packing and hauling boxes in the pouring rain. 🙂 We had a marvelous time chatting as we packed, taking breaks to indulge in pastries from Barbara’s favorite French patisserie, and to take in the stunning views of the Brisbane River from their new apartment. They dubbed their guest room “Krista’s Room” and said that it would always be open for me. 🙂
Throughout all this Barbara was suffering terribly from the effects of her cancer treatments. She could hardly breathe. Her voice was only a whisper. She could no longer taste the food that she loved so much. But she wouldn’t dream of putting her life on hold while she recovered, she simply adjusted her schedule to accommodate naps and rests and wrote to her friends instead of talking with them. Barbara was not a martyr, she didn’t push herself past her limits or take risks with her health, but she was brave beyond measure, and I felt stronger just being with her.
She taught me so much, helping me work through painful things from my past. She shared stories from her life, urging me to trust my own heart, to not be afraid, to press forward with hope. She also gave me courage to be myself, and inspired me to live as beautifully as possible in the time I am given.
My last visit with Barbara was a week or two before she died. Her perky silver hair was gone, and even eating was painful for her. Yet she insisted on providing lunch, spreading the table with scrumptious bread, antipasti, and cheeses. Although she felt terrible, we had the jolliest visit, discussing food, books, music, shared acquaintances, travel and family. I never dreamed it would be the last time I’d see her.
One of Barbara’s greatest blogging legacies is her creation of LiveSTRONGwith a Taste of Yellow, her tribute to Lance Armstrong for the courage and strength he gave her in her own fight against cancer.
This month Meeta from What’s for Lunch Honey? is dedicating her Monthly Mingle to the memory and legacy of Barbara. It will be hosted by Jeanne from Cook Sister, and the theme is Taste of Yellow.
That makes me smile because when I think of Barbara, I think of yellow.
Near my house are fields of yellow sunflowers, and Barbara was planning to drive through them so she could take heaps of pictures with her beloved camera.
Barbara grew up on a farm in Australia, and she always peppered me with questions about life on our farm – Citadel Kalahari – wanting to hear all about our chooks, goats and gardens. She had planned to celebrate an early Thanksgiving with us here next month, and I know she would’ve loved these yellow leaves, the yellow dish towel drying in the sun, and the yellow tail on our windmill.
My contribution to Monthly Mingle’s Taste of Yellow is a recipe for Irish Potato Pancakes with Garlic Cottage Cheese. It is pure comfort farm food and when you make it with yellow Yukon Gold potatoes, they fry up a beautiful golden yellow. I call these pancakes Irish because the recipe for the potato mixture was shared with me by an Irish friend who made them regularly on the cold, rainy days Ireland is so famous for. They pair beautifully with creamy cottage cheese mixed with garlic and scallions.
I’m so grateful for the chance to know Barbara, to see her love for her husband and children, her passion for food, music, and travel, and her kindness and genuine care for the people she loved. My life is so much better because she was in it.
Irish Potato Pancakes with Garlic Cottage Cheese
Ingredients:
6 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can green beans
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt
1/4 cup (or more) olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup creamed cottage cheese
1 tsp minced garlic
1-2 scallions, sliced
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
- In saucepan place potatoes, green beans (including liquid), garlic, and salt, cover with water and bring to boil. Lower heat slightly and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes mash easily with a fork.
- Drain well and return to pan. Add olive oil (add more if needed to make mashed potato consistency), salt and pepper to taste, and mash well. Set aside to cool.
- In small bowl mix cottage cheese with garlic and scallions. Set aside.
- Add eggs and Parmesan cheese to cooled potatoes. Mix well.
- Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet and add tablespoons of potato mixture, spreading to make even discs like small pancakes. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until crisp and browned. Transfer to plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat until potato mixture is gone.
- Serve warm with garlic cream cheese and sprinkle with additional sliced scallions.
by Krista | Jul 12, 2012 | Fabulous Friday
As I read this piece today I couldn’t help but smile, amazed for the umpteenth time how the truth I need to hear always comes when I need it most.
“It is going to be OK.
Take a deep breath and then another, and just know that everything is going to be just fine.
That big thing you are fearing is so much bigger in your imagination than it is in real life…and it is all going to work out. You know from experience that not everything is easy, or comes easy….but that you have always made it through everything that has come along. You will make it through this too.
Please don’t be afraid of change, dear friend, change has to happen for things to grow…for things to get better…..for things to become what they are meant to become. Change is good. Change is uncomfortable and scary and sometimes seems unnecessary….but change MUST happen for things to progress.
You have a choice in this moment and in the next….and the next and the next and the next. So, if it’s too hard to choose peace in this moment….know that you have the choice to choose it in the next. You get as many chances as you need to choose to feel peace……and, you can do this. You can feel peace even inside of uncertainty.
Just be still, and listen very closely.
It really is going to be ok….and there really is a plan.
You are very very loved.”
Brave Girls Club
It’s going to be OK. We are loved.
I’m so glad. 🙂
After a very wild and stormy week the sun and clouds put on a glorious spectacle of light and color this evening.
With such a sky to dazzle us, Luna (my dog) and I had to be outside. It may be the middle of winter in Australia, but this evening it was warm enough to go for a trek in a sundress and wellies. How amazing is that?!
We headed for the bush, down a rocky gully, through waist-high grasses and along a faint track made by tractor tires.
I love how the trees and bushes look like exquisitely detailed etchings against that fantastic sky.
Like this orchid that has taken up residence in the dead tree below.
And this lovely old tree standing stark and tall beside a hardy prickly pear.
The light was so glorious as the clouds ebbed and swelled in great masses of color and form that I kept having to stop and exclaim to Luna how wondrous it all was. Alas, since she can’t actually see over the grass, the view was utterly lost on her. Instead she ran pellmell through the underbrush startling cows and sniffing out kangaroos.
We both had a marvelous time.
As the sun slipped behind the clouds once more, Luna and I headed for home, stopping often along the fence line to look out over the fields and up into that breathtakingly beautiful sky.
It’s so good to be home, to be loved, to take heart once again that no matter how dark things get, there is always hope.
We’re going to be OK. 🙂
by Krista | Jul 11, 2012 | Compatriot Wednesday
Today at Across the Cafe Table we’re sharing our favorite festivals from around the world.
I grew up attending two festivals every year: Scandinavian and Scottish. They were highlights of my year, places where I met the same dear friends and ate traditional foods that we dreamed of all year long.
Now that I’m in Australia, I’ve started new festival traditions.
I’m very excited about the Jumpers and Jazz Festival coming up this month in nearby Warwick, Queensland. With chocolate workshops, wine-tasting, yarn-bombing and lots of great music, it looks like a jolly time indeed.
The best festival I’ve attended recently is the Abbey Medieval Festival on Bribie Island. The largest medieval festival in the Southern Hemisphere, this festival is a flamboyant celebration of all things medieval.
Yesterday I showed you pictures of a medieval gypsy caravan and wedding (click here to see pictures)
There were so many other sights to see!
Like these medieval Syrian dancers who twirled, dipped and shimmied to the beat of drums as they gracefully waved silk scarves.
Adorable children dressed up as Vikings complete with their own little wooden swords and shields.
You could take a ride on camels like this fellow who looks like he’s grinning for the camera. 🙂
Or cheer wildly for gallant knights showing their prowess and chivalry on the field of battle.
When the battle was over you could wander from one medieval camp to another, learning how to make braided trim and amber jewelry from the Vikings or how to bind books from the French.
And you couldn’t miss out on the wonderful array of shops where you could find everything from hand-made pottery and beautifully wrought iron to exquisitely soft furs and luscious felted wool.
Do you like attending festivals? What is your favorite one?
by Krista | Jul 10, 2012 | Gulliver Tuesday
I am home safe and sound after a marvelously fun weekend of medieval camping with my Blackwolf friends at the Abbey Medieval Festival this weekend.
What a jolly time we had roasting a pig on a spit, talking and laughing at night around the campfire, and meeting people from all over the world.
One of my favorite things was visiting the other groups at the festival. Especially the medieval gypsy caravan.
I fell in love with the delicious colors, dreamy fabrics, and gorgeous jewels, tassels and coins that adorned everything from tree trunks to hemlines.
I wanted to shoo the crowds away so I could escape into one of these scrumptious little tents festooned with swathes of silk and tapestry, and disappear from the modern world for a while.
Then there was the medieval gypsy clothing. Oh my. Such luscious swirls of fabric and tinkling of bells as the women twirled and danced. It is all so exuberant, joyous and beautiful that I couldn’t wipe the beaming smile off my face.
I loved it so much that I dragged Bear back for a second look and arrived just in time for a medieval gypsy wedding!
We weren’t quite dressed for the occasion, but this lady was. Isn’t she stunningly regal in her exotic jewels and glossy black braids?
The medieval wedding was announced by the lovely old man with the wonderfully interesting staff.
The drummers arrived next. First the men in their fir-trimmed hats, then the women in their lavish outfits.
The groom walked in wearing a jaunty red sash and then at last the gypsy bride in her sumptuous red, gold, and white dress.
I liked standing at the back so I could see the gorgeous veils embroidered in gold, the circlets trimmed in leaves and flowers, and the multi-layered skirts that swished and jangled as the women swayed.
Gorgeous.
I’ve never seen anything so wondrously fairytale-ish.
Have you ever seen a gypsy wedding?
