by Krista | Apr 29, 2013 | Bits 'n' Bobs
“There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest.
Use both and overlook neither.”
Alan Cohen
Today is a day of pulling back, nestling in, and resting.
A day of restoring through sunny naps in my hammock as it sways in the morning breeze, cups of chamomile tea, and beautiful words found in blogs and books and status updates.
It was a wonderful weekend of working on projects with Bear and spending time with dear friends. I got to collect my first harvest of rosy crab apples and can’t wait to make my first batch of crab apple jelly.
Crab apples hold such lovely memories for me, of my childhood spent in Northern Canada. I used to eat these tart little beauties straight off the tree, eyes squinting and cheeks puckering at the sour but delicious juice.
My Mum and Grandma would can them whole and in winter we’d have bowls full of glistening little apples, soft and sweet.
I’m so glad our crab apple tree – our Christmas tree – is thriving. It’s my bit of Canada in Australia.
I’ve been craving porridge lately and have been experimenting with different grains, fruits, nuts, spices, and sauces.
When I make meals or desserts with sauces, I like to make extra to use with other things. When I make Ginger Caramel Roasted Pears with Fresh Ricotta, I always make extra caramel sauce. Then I drizzle it over oatmeal or ice cream or pie, or stir a spoonful into my coffee.
This weekend I used it with Spiced Basmati Rice Porridge studded with black currants. It was warm and comforting and slightly decadent, making a very ordinary dish a bit special.
Now it’s time for a bowl of soup and the next chapter of my book.
What is your favorite way to restore yourself after a busy weekend?
Spiced Currant Rice Porridge with Pear Caramel Sauce
serves 2
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown Basmati rice
1 cup milk
a few shakes each of cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg
1/4 cup dried black currants
Pear Caramel Sauce to taste
Directions:
- Combine first four ingredients in saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Stirring often to prevent sticking.
- Lower heat and simmer 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking.
- Ladle into two bowls and drizzle with pear caramel sauce.
- Serve warm.
by Krista | Apr 26, 2013 | Bits 'n' Bobs
I was rousted out of my early morning reverie by Bear shouting, “Babe! Grab your camera!”
I hurriedly found said object, pulled on a flannel jacket, slipped into my farm shoes, and dashed out the door.
And saw this.
I’ve lived on this farm for a year and a half now, yet it still astonishes me with its beauty and wonder.
Bear chuckled, very pleased with himself, as I dashed about exclaiming in wonder and absolute bliss as the misty fields were suffused with golden light.
I leaned on the dewy front gate for a long time as the burnished light enveloped me, Bear, every leaf and blade of grass.
It is not possible to feel sadness in such moments. Or fear. Or anxiety. Simply an exquisite peace and deep, deep gratefulness.
I wandered through my gardens, loving the sunlight shimmering on feathery asparagus fronds and glistening on the crab apples jeweled by droplets of mist.
Even my little greenhouse wall, usually plain old plastic sheeting, glowed as if it were made of molten glass.
After our walk we returned to our little kitchen and held hands as we visited and sipped maple cinnamon coffee.
It made me smile as I thought of my younger self, so eager for big adventures and grand experiences. Now it is these little moments I treasure, these quiet, beautiful ones shared with people I love.
“One grateful thought is a ray of sunshine.
A hundred such thoughts paint a sunrise.
A thousand will rival the glaring sky at noonday –
for gratitude is light against the darkness.”
Richelle E. Goodrich
Today I am grateful for cozy flannel shirts and maple cinnamon coffee, Autumn sunshine, fallen seed pods that crunch when I walk, seedlings for my winter garden, NUMB3RS on DVD, being creative with dear friends, and love and hugs from Bear.
What are you grateful for today? xo
PS – I am very honored to be interviewed at two lovely sites by two amazing and inspiring women. If you fancy learning a bit more about my life, click here to read the interview at Budget Travel Talk and click here to read the interview at Reading is Fashionable.
Maple Cinnamon Coffee
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp espresso (more or less according to your desired strength)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp real maple syrup
1/4 cup whole milk
Directions:
- Place espresso grounds and cinnamon into your coffee brewer of choice (I use a French press) and brew.
- Pour into mug and stir in maple syrup and whole milk.
- Sip most happily.
by Krista | Apr 23, 2013 | Bits 'n' Bobs
My courage failed me this week. Hard and scary news from my surgeon crumpled me for a while, but I’m standing tall again.
Sometimes life holds a lot of scary and uncertain things, and I’m learning that it’s OK to be terrified, to bawl your eyes out through a doctor visit, and to hide away for a bit to face your fears so you can emerge into the world again with renewed courage and more fervent hope.
“You gain strength, courage, and confidence
by every experience in which you really
stop to look fear in the face.
You are able to say to yourself,
‘I lived through this horror.
I can take the next thing that comes along.'”
Eleanor Roosevelt
I love that quote. It helps me breathe a little deeper, stand a little straighter, and know that this next hard thing, whatever it is, I’ll be able to handle it.
Today I’m so grateful for my little hideaway here in Australia with Bear. Our lovely little farm that has so many spots of peace and stillness and beauty.
This morning I went for a wander in the sunshine, capturing a few of the sun-drenched Autumn things I love.
The sunshine feels so good in Autumn. It doesn’t have that searing heat of Summer, but more of a cuddling warmth that makes me want to stay outside all day long and take naps in the hammock.
Sometimes it’s hard for me to get started looking for beauty. I get distracted by the piles of stuff to be sorted, the shed begging to be cleaned out, and the fence that needs to be mended. But once I put my mind to it, I start spotting things everywhere, and with each discovery my heart says, “See! I TOLD you!” And I grin and feel my world get bigger than the painful/scary/awful thing weighing me down.
I like that.
I also like working with my hands during times like this. Fear loses its strength when we take our attention away from it and focus on making good things.
My favorite good things today are homemade sun-dried tomatoes with capers. Mmm, they’re so lovely and so easy to make.
Since I have an abundance of flies around the farm (thanks, goats, dogs, and birds!), actually drying the tomatoes in the sunshine is not possible, so I use my oven. Simply wash, core, and halve the tomatoes, make a single layer on cookie sheets, and stick them in a cool oven (about 200-250 F) for 8-12 hours. Check them every few hours and rotate if necessary. Once they’re dry (I like mine pliable rather than crispy), layer them in a sterile glass jar with plump capers, then fill in all the cracks with a hearty drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Make sure you keep a film of oil over the top of the tomatoes to keep them from spoiling. Leave them for a few weeks to mature and then fish them out to use in whatever you like. Don’t chuck the olive oil out! Use the richly tomato-flavored oil to fry onions and garlic or drizzle over veggies before roasting. Delicious.
What do you do to restore your courage after a scary situation? I’d love to hear your ideas.
XO
by Krista | Apr 20, 2013 | Bits 'n' Bobs
It has been a great week but an intense one of doctor visits, more medical tests, and making time for good things in the midst of it all.
By the time Friday rolled around I was more than ready for a homemade raspberry mojito. There’s something about the fresh lime, cool mint, and tart raspberries that can’t help but make you feel like you’re on a holiday filled with sunny afternoons and nothing to do but rest and amble. (I’ll be sharing the recipe over at Plum Deluxe soon.)
After one exhausting doctor visit I headed to the local park to walk along sun-dappled paths and let the Autumn sunshine work its soothing magic.
It was wonderful.
Golden leaves and glossy black berries crunched and popped underfoot as I strolled, stopping to soak up warmth in puddles of sunshine that filtered down through the canopy of trees.
I watched quail rooting through the leaves for tasty morsels and bats swooping from one tree to another before grasping a branch and dangling upside down with their mates.
I found a couple of benches in the shade of a ghost gum and parked myself there for a rest.
The sun felt so good, the warmth seeping into my very bones and making me feel hugged by sunlight. The glowing leaves danced on the breeze casting all sorts of interesting shadows around me.
Then it was time for a picnic. I’d brought a container of pasta that I learned how to make in Bologna, Italy from my friend Maddalena, and happily tucked in. It is simple yet delicious drizzled with olive oil and tossed with tuna, olives, and capers.
Then I spotted a weathered old picnic table and moseyed over there to write in my journal and have dessert – wine gums. Wine gums make me happy.
It was such a lovely reprieve, time to walk out any lingering anxieties and write out my thoughts and get back to a place of peace. I returned to regular life with greater clarity of thought and all sorts of creative ideas for recipes and articles and projects. I like that.
How has your week been? Do you have a place you go when you’re stressed? I’d love to hear about it.
by Krista | Apr 15, 2013 | Bits 'n' Bobs
Good morning, dear folks. It is so good to be back after a truly restorative break.
It has been a wonderful two weeks off the grid with gorgeous Autumn weather that is delicious for afternoon naps, long cuppas in the morning, and cozy evenings of popcorn and good movies.
I’ve been embracing my creative soul this holiday, indulging in painting, cooking, planting, preserving, designing, photography, sewing, and wood-burning.
It has been sheer bliss to lose myself in creating beautiful and delicious things for no other reason than they make me happy or enhance our life on the farm in some way.
I never cease to be amazed at how working with my hands allows my mind to wander freely, sorting things out at its leisure, working through all the kinks until the anxiety, fear, stress, and other negative feelings melt away. I love that.
Somehow with the urgency of work deadlines and health issues I’d let the priority of creative pursuit dwindle into near nothingness. I never want to do that again.
I’ve taken good, hard looks into my heart and schedule and goals and dreams and made changes that are already reaping benefits.
They’re not huge changes, just little investments in my own well-being that spill over into making me a better partner, friend, and co-worker.
Things like:
Exercising in some way each day: walks, hauling wood, sanding furniture, chasing animals, something that gets my heart rate up and breathing deeper and muscles working.
Drinking healing things: green tea with lemon and honey, coffee with cardamom, water with mint and lemon balm, fresh squeezed juices, and delectable things like coconut milk blended with fresh pineapple and pears. Bliss.
Resting: a ten minute nap in bed, laying in the hammock for 30 minutes, meditating quietly in the sunshine with eyes closed.
I love how these little things practiced over time make such a huge difference in the clarity of my thinking, the peacefulness of my heart, and the energy of my ol’ bones.
This morning we had breakfast on the back veranda as the sunshine filtered through the clouds and made everything soft and glowy. It was a bit chilly, but a pashmina wrapped around my shoulders made all the difference as we visited, sipped creamy cardamom coffee, and tucked into steaming bowls of cinnamon-spiced oatmeal with black currants, walnuts, honey, and milk. So nourishing and comforting.
What creative pursuits bring you the most happiness?
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