by Krista | Aug 14, 2012 | Bits 'n' Bobs
I couldn’t believe it when Bear announced last week that he had bought me a spinning wheel AND loom!!!
Ever since I was little girl I thought it would be wonderful to spin wool and weave it into beautiful rugs and blankets, or knit it into gorgeous sweaters or cozy socks and mittens. But I never, ever thought I’d have the chance to try it.
My friend Ann has spun wool for years, so she’s going to teach me how to use the spinning wheel (yay!). Neither of us have used a loom though, so that should provide much hilarity as we attempt to figure it out. 🙂 I’ll keep you posted on our efforts!
We picked up the spinning wheel and loom from a delightful Aussie couple who sell all sorts of marvy things at the fabulous New Farm Park Markets in Brisbane.
In addition to golden honey and delicious honeycomb, they also sell gorgeous orchids that they grow on their farm.
I was thrilled when they offered to give me a tour.
I admit I was only expecting a few rows of the exotic blooms, so my jaw dropped when I saw an entire greenhouse full of them.
Can you imagine working in this environment every day? How inspiring to be surrounded by such beauty.
I couldn’t get over the range of orchid colors, from deep burgundy to lime green.
The sea of blossoms looked similar until I bent down and saw the unique details: delicately striped petals, freckled hearts, some looking like they could take flight while others were like tiny exotic tea cups.
Amazing.
The generosity of this couple was incredible. Not only did they give us the spinning wheel and loom we had purchased, but they filled our arms with containers of honeycomb, a bag of wool, stacks of spinning and weaving books, and a gorgeous bouquet of orchids that has been brightening up my kitchen all week.
Such dear people.
With such beauty to inspire me, I got to work and made one of our favorite comfort food recipes: Peppered Steak Pie.
I love heaps of black pepper with my beef pie, but if you don’t fancy pepper, it’s still yummy without it. The beef is slow-cooked ahead of time, so it’s tender as can be and packed with garlicky goodness.
What comfort food are you hankering for this week?
Peppered Steak Pie
Ingredients:
2-3 beefsteaks
8-10 peppercorns
1 onion, peeled and diced
3-4 potatoes, diced
3 carrots, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
salt to taste
3 Tbsp corn starch
ground black pepper to taste
Pie dough for double crust pie
Directions:
- Place all ingredients except corn starch in slow cooker and cover with water.
- Cook on high 4-6 hours until meat is tender.
- Drain meat and veggies, reserving liquid. Remove peppercorns.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Cover meat and veggies then place broth in saucepan. Mix corn starch with 1/4 cup cold water, stirring until a smooth paste. Pour into broth, stirring constantly until incorporated. Add ground black pepper to taste (I use 1/2 to 1 tsp).
- Place saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and let boil 1-2 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and pour over meat/veggie mixture. Stir until coated.
- Place half pie dough into bottom of pie pan and press into place.
- Pour meat/veggie mixture into pie crust. Top with remaining dough, trim to fit, seal edges. (Use trimmings to make shapes to decorate top of pie.)
- Cut 2-3 slits in crust to let steam escape.
- Place pie in oven and bake 30-40 minutes until filling is bubbling and crust is nicely browned.
- Serve warm.
by Krista | Aug 13, 2012 | Bits 'n' Bobs
It’s been a rough week with my Bear injured in a car accident, me sick as can be with an awful flu, and caring for a very ill baby goat as the laundry piles higher and vacuuming goes undone.
It’s just been one of those weeks. 🙂
But in the midst of the pain and the illness there has been so much goodness.
Like deliciously warm sunshine on chilly winter days. I can’t get over how beautiful Australian winters are.
And learning how to make artisan bread in a cast iron pot. I confess I was giddy with happiness over how beautifully it turned out.
Is there anything more comforting than slices of warm bread slathered in creamy butter?
I love looking over from my sickbed and seeing Luna (my dog) sleeping beside the baby goat, licking her gently. So sweet.
Having life go topsy-turvy now and then makes me so grateful for all the little good things in my life: essential oils that make the house smell good, hot cups of tea and buttery toast soldiers, episodes of “Who Do You Think You Are” to keep me entertained.
I feel pretty darn lucky.
What little things are making your life good today?
by Krista | Aug 9, 2012 | Bits 'n' Bobs
Bread is rising on the counter, beef simmering in the crock pot, and a Christmas pudding cooling on the stove. Yep, a Christmas pudding in August. I had a hankering. 🙂
After bustling about the kitchen most of the day, I am more than ready to find a good place to sit where I can be warm, put my feet up, and rest.
Like this lovely spot at an agriturismo near Montepulciano, Italy. Add a good book and a chilled glass of limoncello and I’d be a happy girl indeed.
Or this sun-warmed wooden bench just across the valley, with a vista of Tuscan hills and clear blue skies.
Perhaps this one, clustered around a little wrought-iron table with a few girlfriends, laughing and talking as we sip chilled Sangria and enjoy stunning views of Montepulciano perched on the hill above us.
Maybe this spot would be best of all.
How I’d love to curl up on this wicker lounge bed and have a luxurious nap in the glorious Tuscan sun.
How about you? Where would be your ideal place to sit in the sun?
by Krista | Aug 6, 2012 | Bootstrap Monday
Good heavens it’s blustery out today!! I can feel the house shaking in the wind. 🙂 Later this week I hope to take you on a tour of my little farm in Australia. AFTER I put away the laundry and tidy up the mail and hide the vacuum cleaner. 😉
Until then I hope you will indulge me in one more jaunt through the streets of London. (click to see Part One and Part Two)
My friend Olga is in London right now, and this morning she wrote:
“I fell through the rabbit hole and am in a Wonderland,
the land of hobbits, elves and fairies.
Breathtaking green hills and grey skies.
And every time I take a walk, I think I’m going to run into Jane Eyre or Mr. Darcy, or the White Rabbit, or Elijah Wood.
Just call me Alice…”
I know exactly how she feels.
Until last year, I’d only known London through my imagination, shaped by a plethora of books, movies, plays and people that made this city into something dreams are made of.
No doubt London has its seedy side, its faults and foibles like any city, but there is so much more to love.
London pubs. They were everything I had ever dreamed of with jolly bartenders, cozy places of dark wood and cracked leather seats, cute old couples sitting across the way from young families sipping tea or a group of construction workers having a pint after a long day. They are convivial and communal, and I absolutely love them.
Red telephone booths. Red double-decker buses. Even cherry red doors. Since red is my favorite color, London made me a happy girl indeed.
London Museums. I don’t think London has as many (or as strange!) museums as Amsterdam, but the ones they do have are breathtaking in their scale and scope. And best of all, they’re FREE. My friend Katy and I spent several happy hours wandering through the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum, and didn’t see even a sliver of the wonders they hold.
Afternoon tea in London. I am a tea girl through and through. Though I’ll happily down espresso in Italy and cafe au lait in Paris, it is tea that I drink every single day.
My favorite tea memory in London was when Katy and I met up with my beloved brother Ryan and our dear friend (and fellow Travel Belle) Cailin and her husband who were visiting from their hometown of Toronto, Canada.
We gathered at a cafe in Covent Garden and had such a great visit as we downed pots of cream tea.
London flower stalls. I grew up watching “My Fair Lady” more times than I can count, so I admit my heart gave a happy little lurch when I saw this stall along the street. If only Eliza Dolittle would’ve popped out singing “All I Want Is A Room Somewhere” – my happiness would’ve been complete.
London institutions. I already mentioned the Victoria and Albert Museum, but we also got to see other London landmarks like the infamous (and enormous!) Harrod’s. I knew it was big, but I had no idea how big until I stood outside and craned my neck up to see the top. Wow.
More tea. After all that walking and museum-perusing, Katy and I were in dire need of another cuppa. This time we splurged on a gorgeous strawberry tart to go with our Moroccan Mint Tea, then sat back and indulged in some rather fabulous people watching.
London Underground. I love taking the Underground. Absolutely love it! And in London it’s extra special because somehow, even though I’d never been there, I “knew” nearly all the stops: King’s Cross, Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden. A combination of Harry Potter and a lifetime of reading British novels made these names feel familiar and loved.
Katy and I took the Underground and trains all over London – she’s a wiz at navigating tunnels and stops – and I couldn’t help but grin when I heard those oh-so-familiar words: “mind the gap.”
If you could go to London tomorrow, what is the first thing you’d like to see?
by Krista | Aug 3, 2012 | Fabulous Friday
I do so love the streets of London. It seems that no matter where I look, there is something to delight my heart and stir a sense of recognition, of names and places oft read about but never seen.
When I return to London (fingers crossed!!), I’m going to set aside one whole day just to peruse English bookshops like this beauty.
My friend Katy and I had such fun looking in windows and dreaming of long, lazy days with nothing to do but drink copious amounts of tea and read for hours on end.
After a whole morning of wandering, Katy and I were famished and popped into a tiny cafe for scrumptious salads and fabulous people-watching.
I loved seeing the various fashions (so different from the streets of Italy and Amsterdam), delighting in the eclectic mix of posh business wear bustling alongside punk street garb and traditional Indian saris.
After lunch we strolled through exquisitely beautiful Hyde Park.
I love this expansive stretch of lush green lawns, curving pathways, and wonderful old trees that dropped armfuls of leaves perfect for crunching through.
There’s something about London in Autumn that makes my heart flutter.
We emerged onto a busy street crowed with shiny London cabs that made me grin. It’s such a lovely thing to find your imaginings of a place come to life.
We joined sparse crowds ogling Buckingham Palace, watching the beaver-hatted guards march back and forth.
Soon it was time to step out of the cold and tuck into a real English tea.
Katy found the perfect spot and soon we were visiting happily as we sipped cups of strong and creamy Earl Grey tea and nibbled our way through hot-buttered scones slathered with jam.
Twas a dream come true for me.
Thoroughly warmed and satiated, we bundled up and headed to Piccadilly Circus to see what we could see.
Do you have a quintessential English experience that you’ve always dreamed of fulfilling?
