by Krista | Apr 4, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Good morning, luvs! How was your weekend?
I stayed cozy, warm and dry at home whilst rain poured, drinking mug after mug of strong cream tea as I read and napped. It was the perfect time to think through things.
After writing about When One Door Closes last week, I went through a lot of emotions: sadness, fear, anxiety. But after the initial storm passed and I took a few deep breaths, hope crept back in and I realized that through the disappointment I had been given an unexpected gift: choice.
I was no longer tied to what was behind that closed door, and it got my creative mind whirling. My bed was covered with books and papers and a notepad as I read and dreamed and wrote and started narrowing things down to what really makes my heart happy. It ended up being so interesting and very eye-opening as I faced various fears and insecurities head-on. I feel so much stronger and braver now.
Forgive me for being so cryptic about this situation in my life. Hopefully one day soon I will have the answer I need and then I can tell you all about it so we can celebrate together. In the meantime, thank you, thank you, thank you for the love and support you’ve lavished on me. Your kindness has given me much courage and I wish I could hug you tight.
For this very rainy and thought-filled weekend I decided comfort food was in order. I’ve been reading so many old-fashioned stories lately and they put me in the mood for old-fashioned food like Creamed Eggs on Toast. Mmm, how I love the peppery white sauce studded with hard-boiled eggs. It goes so well with a crisp, well-buttered piece of toast and a steaming mug of Earl Grey tea.
What is your favorite old-fashioned breakfast?
This is my contribution to Chaya’s Meatless Mondays. Click here to see other delicious meat-free recipes.
Creamed Eggs on Toast
Ingredients:
4 hard-boiled eggs, halved and sliced
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2-1 tsp pepper (I like a lot!)
1 cup milk
3-4 slices hot buttered toast
Directions:
- Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
- Add flour, salt and pepper, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbling.
- Remove from heat and add milk.
- Return to heat and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute.
- Remove from heat.
- Fold in boiled eggs and pour over toast. Serve immediately.
by Krista | Apr 1, 2011 | Fabulous Friday
Hello luvs. 🙂 I can’t thank you enough for your kind comments, emails and messages you flooded me with yesterday. You mean so much to me and your words and love have helped me through this overwhelming and daunting time.
A good sleep does wonders and I’m feeling much better about things today. Life is still scary and unknown but my heart is at rest. I don’t know what the future holds for me but I’m excited to find out. Big hugs to you and thanks again for your kindness.
I came home from work this week to find the bush outside my door absolutely covered in these cheery yellow blossoms. They were such a sunny contrast to the incessant rain we’ve had lately, and brought my neighbor lady out for a chat and a tour of her latest blossoms. 🙂
My doctor said it will take another week or so for me to recover from this Ecoli business, so this weekend will be one of naps and resting. I’m looking forward to it so much. I stopped by the library and have audio books (Rainbow Valley and Mrs. Pollifax), old movies (Zorba the Greek and Monkey Business), and a few new books (The Dragon’s Apprentice and King Zog) to make my recovery delightful.
I will also have this decadent Dark Chocolate Mocha Tart with a lovely Maple Crust to celebrate being a few days closer to getting a whole lot better. In the past I’ve made it with regular cocoa, but this time I tried Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa and ohhhh mercy!! The filling is silky smooth and melts on your tongue with a lingering finish of rich, dark chocolate and a hint of coffee. Bliss!
What are your plans this weekend? What is your ideal dessert to spoil yourself with?
One more big hug and much love to you.
Dark Chocolate Mocha Tart with Maple Crust
Ingredients for Crust:
1 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp maple flavoring
1 cup whole-wheat flour
Ingredients for Filling:
1/4 cup Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa
1 cup coconut milk
6 Tbsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp instant instant coffee or espresso powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Directions for Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Mix butter, sugar, salt and maple flavoring in medium bowl. Add flour mix until just blended. Don’t worry if dough seems too soft.
- Press all of the dough evenly into bottom and sides of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, or until crust is deep golden brown.
Directions for Filling:
- While crust is baking, place butter, sugar, cocoa powder and coconut milk in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture is blended, smooth and begins to simmer around edges.
- Remove from heat and stir in espresso powder and vanilla.
- Just before crust is ready, whisk egg thoroughly into hot chocolate mixture.
Directions for Tart:
- Pour filling into hot crust and return to oven. Turn off heat.
- Leave tart in oven until it quivers like soft Jell-O in the center when the pan is nudged, about 10-12 minutes. Cool on a rack.
- Serve the tart warm or at room temperature.
by Krista | Mar 31, 2011 | Plucky Thursday
I’m going to pretend that you and me are tucked up on a couch somewhere, a soft squishy couch, mugs filled with something hot and delicious warming our hands as we settle in for a good visit.
I’m in need of a friend like you tonight, and a hug, and a good long talk.
A door I was told would stay open for me was slammed shut this week and I’m rather weepy. I’m not sad because of what I lost behind that door, but because now it seems I’m left without any door at all, and the darkness is scary.
I’ve had my cries, my little (huge!!) inner panics, and now a lovely sort of hope is creeping up, lightening my spirit, and the darkness isn’t so bad. I “know” another door will open somewhere.
My friend Effie posted something that made me smile:
“Something better is coming . . . you’re allowed to be excited!”
I love that. 🙂
So tonight I’m celebrating closed doors – some of my favorite doors ever are the closed ones – and keeping my eyes peeled for the first crack of light that tells me the next door is opening.
Thanks for hanging out with me on our imaginary couch. I’m feeling better already.
“Hope is a good thing – maybe the best thing, and no good thing ever dies.” S. King
by Krista | Mar 30, 2011 | Compatriot Wednesday
by Krista | Mar 29, 2011 | Gulliver Tuesday
It can be a dangerous business founding a new settlement, especially when that settlement is Budva, Montenegro and you have a few skeletons in your closet.
Budva is one of the oldest settlements on the Montenegrin coast, a beautiful fortress-like warren of twisting alleyways, steep stone staircases, and red tiled roofs.
According to legend, Budva was established by Kadmo (Cadmus), son of the Phoenician king Agenor, ruler of the Illyrians. Exiled from Thebes, Kadmo and his wife Harmonija set out to find the Enhealeans – the eel people – and arrived in the region on a team of oxen. Their mode of transport – bous in Greek – formed the basis for the name of the new settlement: Budva.
What happened next is a bid of a muddle, with differing legends.
In one a murder committed in Kadmo’s youth finally catches up with him, and Zeus makes him pay for it by turning both Kadmo and Harmonija into blue-spotted snakes.
In another, Kadmo is cursed by the gods while at sea with his wife and turned into a dragon. To keep themselves from drowning, the pair turn into fishes, each holding the other by the tail to stay together forever. Awww. 🙂
Their fellow Budva residents suffered neither fate, and continued building the settlement into a thriving port city with vineyards and olive groves.
Unfortunately Budva also became a target for conquerors that ravaged and impoverished the tiny region. First the Greeks then the Romans followed by the Slavs, French, Venetians and finally the Austro-Hungarians.
Big changes were in store with the arrival of World War I, and I’ll tell you all about that next time. 🙂
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