by Krista | Jan 19, 2010 | Spring
It was a glorious spring morning at the Villa Trotta, an idyllic escape perched on the side of a mountain outside Perdifumo, Italy. I awoke and pushed open the shutters, delighting in the cool breezes that billowed the lace curtains and sent loose papers scuttling across the tiled floor.
My dear friends – Nat, Trish, Becks and Viss – were still sleeping soundly, so I crept quietly down to the terrace…
…to sip on juice, write in my journal…
…and watch the world wake up.
I’ve thought about the villa so many times these last months, remembering the peace and serenity I felt on those early mornings when everyone else was asleep. I loved sneaking down in my pjs, rummaging quietly in the kitchen for something to nosh on, easing myself into a creaky wrought iron chair and sitting, just sitting and looking, for ages. The peace of that place seeped into my soul, giving me courage to let some not-so-peaceful things bubble up and be faced with honesty and grace. It felt so good to write and write, pouring my heart out onto pages that others will never read, settling my heart and mind, free them from the bondage of false thinking, false guilt, incapacitating fear. How I treasure those sunny mornings of healing and renewal.
When the girls woke up, we donned sundresses and other summery garb…
…jumped in the car and wound our way down the mountain to find a grocery store. It was a gorgeous drive – the hillsides festooned with wildflowers and the sea shimmering a vivid blue.
We managed to find our way around town and emerged from various stores arms laden with flour-dusted loaves of chewy bread, fresh mozzarella, Nutella, tomatoes and massive bell peppers, Greek yogurt and bottles of wine.
Back at the villa we changed clothes then lay like lizards on the hot tiles, soaking up every bit of warmth, snoozing, reading, writing, occasionally propping ourselves up on our elbows for a good chin wag before drifting back to our solitary reveries. Bliss.
That night we made our first dinner: pasta with homemade sauce, green beans roasted with olive oil and sea salt, salad, bread and red wine. Trish made our centerpiece…
…and we dined happily as the sun set.
After dinner we went for a stroll, finding the perfect bluff from which to watch the sun set over the sea.
We celebrated our first full day day in Italy with mismatched mugs of hot tea and an assortment of Italian cookies and pastries, including cannoli, which were every bit as good as Becks told us they would be. 🙂
It was a beautiful day.
Roasted Green Beans
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh green beans, snapped
Olive oil
Sea salt
Directions:
- Toss beans with a generous amount of olive oil and sprinkling of salt.
- Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 10-20 minutes, tossing occasionally for even cooking.
- Beans are done when they’re slightly charred.
by Krista | Jan 18, 2010 | Bootstrap Monday
I knew this weekend was going to be good when I awoke Saturday morning to sunshine streaming through my windows. I flung open door and windows, breathing deeply of fresh air before it got frightfully cold and I scurried about shutting everything up again. 🙂
I gathered ripe pears…
…and fresh ginger…
…and juiced them into a perky, foamy concoction that woke me right up.
Then I got down to business, vacuuming, dusting, laundry, dishes, etc before digging into one of my favorite breakfasts: roasted Yukon Gold potatoes with dill and crispy, wonderfully salty, toasted prosciutto.
While it was a full weekend with my cousins birthday party (Happy Birthday, Nin!!) and a big, jolly dinner at my parents house with dear friends and lotsa younguns running about, I was also able to sneak in some just me time.
I finished reading “The Pianist“, and am still processing what I read. Reading stories like this always makes me question what I would do in a similar situation. Would I risk myself, my family to help others in danger? Would I fight to protect my family? I’m so grateful to not be in a place where I have to find out the answers to those questions.
I drew. Just a smattering of snowflakes – but they make me happy. 🙂
I took my vacuum cleaner apart, gave it a thorough cleaning, put it back together again and it actually works! HOORAY!
I watched the gripping season opener of “24” and am SO happy Jack is back! 🙂 I know it’s implausible and over-the-top, but I love it. 🙂
At my favorite fresh food market I found the prettiest beets in purple AND gold!
Searching for the “perfect” recipe to use them in, I found the Barefoot Contessa’s “Beets with Orange Vinaigrette.” The recipe looked fresh and delicious, but since my beets were not canned, I decided to roast them. This was easy as can be. Simply wash the beets, place them inside a double wrapping of aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for 1.5 hours.
When they’re done, let them cool, remove the skins and proceed with the recipe.
The beets roasted beautifully, emerging tender and sweet with their vivid coloring intact.
I segmented a couple of oranges, reserving the escaped juices to combine with raspberry vinegar and other lovely things for a citrusy vinaigrette. I tossed everything together into a wonderfully fresh salad. Topped with a bit of fresh goat cheese it’s a healthy and delicious choice for lunch.
Roasted Beets with Orange Vinaigrette
(Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa)
Ingredients:
6-8 beets
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
2 large seedless oranges, zested
Segments 2 large seedless oranges
Directions:
- Roast the beets, skin, dice into 1/2-inch cubes and set aside.
- Mix raspberry vinegar, orange juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and red onions.
- Zest the oranges and then segment over a bowl to catch the juices.
- Add the orange zest, orange segments, and any juices and mix well.
- Taste for seasoning and serve cold or at room temperature.
by Krista | Jan 15, 2010 | Fabulous Friday
Wind is gusting, rain is pattering against my window and cars are shushing past on wet roads. It’s a quiet, peaceful morning and I’m so grateful for the respite after this wonderful, but draining week. Much soul-searching has been done and now it’s time to rest, be thankful, and celebrate life. 🙂
I’m going to wear my favorite slippers…
…snuggle under cozy quilts…
…watch old movies…
…start new books…
…nibble chocolate…
…listen to happy music…
…write letters on monogrammed cards…
…dream of pretty places…
Bosnia
…and count my blessings.
I wish you a weekend of peace and happiness, dear ones. Thank you for making my world beautiful. 🙂
by Krista | Jan 14, 2010 | Bits 'n' Bobs
I feel overwhelmed this morning, my mind filled with the images and stories pouring out of Haiti, the heartache of dear friends, my own little struggles.
This week I finally found the courage to pull out my journals from my years in the cult. So much of those years are a blank to me. I can’t remember huge chunks of time, people, faces, experiences. They’ve all been blocked out. Until now I was happy with that. The things I remembered were bad enough. I couldn’t face any more.
But this week I was ready. Perhaps it was reading the WW2 stories, other accounts of escape and survival that showed me I was not alone, and I couldn’t be afraid anymore. Others have gone through far, far worse and survived to be beautiful people with healed hearts and bodies. I want to be like them.
I took several deep breaths, cracked open a journal and began to read.
My heart ached for my young self as I read page after page of sometimes daily emotional and spiritual abuse, brainwashing, and neglect. I wanted to reach in through those pages and give her a hug and tell her to hang on because everything was going to be OK. Sobs welled up inside me and I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to snatch her out of there, and grab all her friends while I was at it, whisking them away to a safe place where no one would hurt them again. I found myself wanting to break down the doors of those buildings where they hid us away from the world, those secret places where they could hide and justify their cruelty and lies, and shout at the top of my lungs: “It’s not true! IT’S NOT TRUE!”
I only made it through one journal before I had to take a break and just sit. Quietly. Silently. I plugged in fairy lights, pulled my favorite quilt over me, and just sat. For a long time. A lovely peace stole over me, and I started to smile. I realized I like my young self. 🙂 All these years I’ve been both sad for her and ashamed of her for not escaping, not getting out sooner, not fighting back. But as I read those pages I saw that I WAS a fighter.
Even in my darkest moments as I’m describing the bad things done to me I would write:
“But, I got to fall asleep in a pool of moonlight! How lovely is that?!”
“But, I got to see the sunrise this morning, and the sun is a puddle of gold on my head as I write.”
“But, it’s a gloriously rainy day, so how can I be sad?”
But.
Such a beautiful little word that allowed a young girl to find beauty and joy in a dark, dark place.
Then I cried. And cried. Such a huge release of pent up fear, pain, grief. I cried and then I wrote furiously, the words hurtling from my fingers, a rush of understanding, comfort and strength compelling me to write, write, WRITE!
When it was all over I discovered something wonderful: I wasn’t afraid of my past anymore. I wasn’t ashamed of it anymore. My old self and my new self met for the first time, a little shyly as we peered tentatively at each other before bursting into laughter, hugging each other soundly and twirling about the room.
We’re going to be OK.
So today, in the midst of so much pain and suffering all around me, I’m taking a moment to be grateful. I don’t know why terrible things happen. I don’t know where God is in the midst of it, why he doesn’t rescue everyone and keep them safe. I don’t know how to alleviate the suffering of the people of Haiti or of my dear ones. But I’m going to keep looking, for answers, for ways to comfort, love and heal. And I’m going to be grateful for healing, hope, love and precious friendship, the things that make life worth living.
by Krista | Jan 13, 2010 | Compatriot Wednesday
It may have been pouring rain for this week’s CEC festivities, but that didn’t dampen our spirits. Our theme started out as Aged (as in, we had to use recipes with aged ingredients) then some forgot and turned it into Simple Finger Foods, then Darren decided it was the perfect time to make mozzarella from scratch. It was a delightful hodgepodge of yumminess.
Beer and wine were poured as we nibbled on cheese, Italian salami and lovely, chewy bread dipped in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic.
Selwyn busied himself toasting rounds of baguette, crumbling Gorgonzola and sauteing garlicky flank steak for Black and Blue Crostini.
Darren stirred his milk mixture, cut it into squares, stirred, heated, stretched, pulled, and twisted until what had once been a gallon of milk became delicious knots of fresh mozzarella.
Deb made a wonderfully creamy and spicy Chimichurri sauce to dip slices of beef in, and Toby made a comforting mound of potatoes seasoned with bell peppers and all manner of colorful herbs.
I finished off the menu by mixing mascarpone, chevre and scallions together, stuffed the mixture into deliciously plump Medjool dates…
…and wrapped them in prosciutto. Then Cameron grilled them for me until they were slightly charred, the cheese a bit melty and the dates warm and soft.
After dinner we hung around for a couple of hours, talking with that comfortable amiability that comes with good wine, good food and good friends.
Selwyn’s Black and Blue Crostini
Ingredients:
Flank Steak (preferably Black Angus but any will do)
Granulated Garlic (enough to dust both sides of the steak)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp of sugar
Sliced Baguette Rounds (preferably sour dough)
Gorgonzola or Blue Cheese Crumbles
Directions:
- Take the Flank Steak and slice it in half lengthwise to make a more manageable piece of meat. Dust both sides with granulated garlic. Mix the soy sauce and sugar together, then marinate the steak in the mixture for an hour. Making sure the steak is in the fridge for at least the last 15 minutes of the marinading will make it easier to slice. Slice the steak into thin strips on a 45 degree angle to get a nice cross section, and set aside on a plate.
- Place the baguette slices on a cookie sheet and stick in a broiler on high until lightly toasted on one side. Flip the baguette slices and set aside to wait for the beef.
- Into a very hot pan with a little bit of olive oil to just coat the surface and keep the meat from sticking, place the marinated steak strips in and sear on both sides to desired level of doneness.
- Place the strips of beef on the untoasted side of the baguette, coat with your desired level of Gorgonzola, and Broil until the cheese is melted and begins to turn golden brown.
- Serve hot out of the oven.
- You can also serve this with a nice corn & black bean salsa to make a full meal out of it, or leave out the baguette and serve on a bed of spring greens that have been tossed in a light vinaigrette.
Deborah’s Steak with Chimichurri Mayo
(From America’s Test Kitchen)
Ingredients:
1 small flank steak (about 1 pound)
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I used Olive Oil)
1/2 c. mayo
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
Directions:
- Pat steak dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook steak until well browned, 3-6 minutes per side.
- Transfer to cutting board, and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice thinly and serve with mayo.
- Whisk mayo, parsley, shallot, garlic and vinegar in bowl. Serve.
Krista’s Cheese-Stuffed Dates with Prosciutto
(Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup (2 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup (2 ounces) goat cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 (12 ounces) Medjool dates, pitted
8 thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise
Special equipment: 16 toothpicks or cocktail picks
Directions:
- In a small bowl add the cheeses, chives and salt and pepper, to taste. Mix together until well combined.
- Gently pull the dates apart and spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of the cheese mixture inside. Close the dates around the filling. Wrap a piece of prosciutto around each date and secure with a toothpick.
- We grilled them for 5-10 minutes.
- Arrange the stuffed dates on a platter and serve.
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