by Krista | Dec 31, 2012 | Bits 'n' Bobs
“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day
with no mistakes in it yet?”
L.M. Montgomery
Tomorrow is one of my favorite words.
It makes me feel hopeful and excited, it gives me something to look forward to. It makes whatever no good, very bad, perfectly awful things that happened Today lose their power to discourage and hamper.
I like that.
Over the holidays some no good, very bad things happened. Really painful things that crushed my spirit and left my body in a sorry state indeed.
But the thought of Tomorrow helped me.
Because things are always more manageable Tomorrow after a good sleep, a decent breakfast and a cuppa.
Tomorrow brings perspective and gives ruffled emotions a chance to settle down.
Tomorrow gives the opportunity to schedule things like quiet time to journal, meditate, read, or go for a walk.
All things that help us process painful situations better, that enable us to more readily forgive others and ourselves.
Tomorrow also gives us the chance to pick up the pieces of the day before and make something beautiful out of them.
For me that means gathering up the crumbs of a troubling situation and treasuring the good moments, cherishing hope that good moments will return one day.
It’s stepping back and listing all the oh-so-good things I have in my life to be grateful for: a dear man and dear friends who love me, a safe and beautiful place to live, fuzzy baby ducklings that wobble about and make me grin.
And it’s purposely putting some beauty back into the world each day through a kind word or a pretty picture or something delicious like Cranberry White Chocolate Scones.
I’m so grateful for a clean slate every single day, especially now, on the cusp of New Year’s Eve. How wonderful is the prospect of an entire year of clean slates! 🙂
What is one thing you do that helps you redeem a painful situation?
Cranberry White Chocolate Scones Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup butter
one bar white chocolate, cut in 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 cup to 1 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup milk or cream
1 large egg
1 egg, beaten (for brushing top of scones)
raw sugar (to sprinkle on top of scones)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F or 210 degrees C.
- Stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and lemon zest.
- Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in white chocolate and cranberries.
- In cup whisk together milk and egg. Pour into flour mixture.
- Toss gently with a fork until mixture is just moistened.
- Dump onto lightly floured surface, and mix together with hands just until it holds together.
- Pat gently into circle 1/2-1 inch thick. Cut into triangles and place on baking sheet.
- Brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with raw sugar.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until tops are golden brown.
- Serve warm alone or with butter or lightly sweetened whipped cream.
by Krista | Dec 21, 2012 | Bits 'n' Bobs
“What is Christmas?
It is tenderness for the past,
courage for the present,
hope for the future.
It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal,
and that every path may lead to peace.”
Agnes M. Pahro
Happiest of Christmases to you, dear ones!
After a short but treasured trip to the ocean, I am back home cleaning house, baking goodies, and plotting special things for the holidays. I’ve got games to play, beloved stories to read, and some Aussie twists on old favorite recipes.
What are you looking forward to most about your holiday?
I’ll be taking a break to celebrate with my dear Aussie folks, and will be back in the New Year with heaps of recipes, stories, and pictures to share with you.
In the meantime I wish you a truly peaceful and happy holiday.
Much love.
XO
by Krista | Dec 17, 2012 | Bits 'n' Bobs
Hi lovelies!
It is roasting hot here in our part of Australia, and it’s hard to believe that it’s nearly Christmas when I’m watering my gardens and getting sunburned.
I do miss the snow and pine trees of my childhood, but I’m learning to love the uniqueness of a warm Christmas.
Last night my friend Jackie took me to Carols in the Park – a wonderful local tradition that I absolutely loved. Carting a picnic basket and lawn chairs we joined hundreds of others at Leslie Park in Warwick, finding a spot on the grass where we could see the stage. We sipped coffee and nibbled on crackers topped with Camembert and Jackie’s homemade quince paste, visiting happily as we watched the performers bustle around getting ready for their turn on stage.
As night fell and the sweltering heat of the day was replaced by cool evening breezes, we listened to local talent strut their stuff and belt out Christmas carols, joining in whenever the mood took us. How I loved hearing hundreds of voices raised in a jaunty version of Jingle Bells as little kids waved glo sticks and danced madly in the grass. It was a great evening and truly put me in the Christmas spirit.
After a wild month of doctor visits and tests, deadlines and end of term busyness, Bear and I are heading to the coast for a much-needed break.
We are so excited to see our dear friend Elizabeth for good visits, jaunts to foodie shops, and a nighttime tour of Brisbane Christmas Lights.
We will also get to recreate one of our very first dates at Main Beach, Queensland with brunch at Milan on Main (I’ve been dreaming of their smoked trout crepes with balsamic reduction for two years!). I’m really looking forward to a leisurely meal with my man and time in the sun, walking barefoot in the sand and letting those warm ocean wave crash over me.
In preparation for leaving I’ve been doing a bit of Christmas preparation so I don’t have to stress about it when I’m back home.
I made cranberry white chocolate scones (recipe later this week!) and some lovely pickled heirloom beets. My favorite thing thus far is cherry-infused vodka for Christmas toasts or just a cheery evening tipple.
The color is so gorgeous and I can’t wait to use the boozy fruit in something scrumptious like a dark chocolate cherry tart. 🙂
What is your favorite Christmas treat?
Cherry-Infused Vodka
Ingredients:
1 bottle good quality vodka
1-2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
1 Tbsp raw or granulated sugar
Directions:
- Sterilize one mason jar or other bottle.
- Fill with fresh cherries.
- Sprinkle sugar over cherries.
- Pour vodka over cherries and sugar.
- Seal and shake gently to dissolve sugar.
- Let rest in cool, dark place 3-5 days, shaking once a day to make sure sugar dissolves completely.
- Strain and use fruit over ice cream or another dessert.
- Store cherry-infused vodka in freezer until ready to use.
by Krista | Dec 10, 2012 | Bits 'n' Bobs
“The world is quiet here.”
Lemony Snicket
It’s a beautifully peaceful Monday morning on our Australian goat farm. The skies are dark and heavy with clouds and there’s nary a breath of wind, only a few bold birds singing while the rest of the world is silent.
I love quiet days like this. Days of napping and horizon-watching, endless cups of coffee and tea, old movies and good books.
It was just such a weekend and my heart is full with the joy of it. My strength restored, my creativity revived.
I’m so grateful for this quiet weekend. It healed wounds reopened last week and gave me time to calm fluttering anxious thoughts and get my soul peaceful again. It is so good to not be flattened by those painful situations life hurls at us, but only pummeled a bit.
It’s even better to stand up tall after the fact and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that in spite of dark moments, life is an incredible gift to be treasured and delighted in.
“If we sit with an increasing stillness of the body,
and attune our mind to the sky or to the ocean or to the myriad stars at night,
or any other indicators of vastness,
the mind gradually stills and the heart is filled with quiet joy.”
R. Ravindra
On such days I like simple foods. Easy, healthful things that don’t require much time or effort or ingenuity but still taste marvelous.
Like roasted asparagus, roasted potatoes, and roasted radishes.
There is something so comforting and nourishing about such simple fare. The crispy bits, caramelized and salty, melting on the tongue with an intensity of flavor that can’t be found in boiling or sauteing. I can happily eat whole plates of these roasted veggies with a bit of delicious cheese or a hunk of sourdough olive bread.
Today I’m roasting peaches and nectarines for a coconut crumble, and cannot wait to eat it for breakfast with a big dollop of plain Greek yogurt.
I’ve been reading more these days, finding inestimable comfort, wisdom and creativity in the experiences of others.
I love how different we all are. How uniquely even similar experiences affect, inspire and shape us.
I read a lot of your blogs and really love doing so, but it occurred to me this weekend that perhaps some of you are writing and I don’t know about it. If you DO have a blog, I’d love it if you could share the address with me (and each other!) in the comments. I love getting to know you through comments and emails, but it would be great to read about your blog world too. 🙂
Now I must get up out of my comfy green chair and pickle some heirloom beets, get those peaches and nectarines in the oven, and fold the pile of laundry that’s been sitting utterly neglected since Friday. 🙂
What is nourishing your soul this weekend?
by Krista | Dec 7, 2012 | Bits 'n' Bobs
It’s a sleepy sort of day at my house after a rather hectic week. I am so excited that the weekend is nearly here.
I have chicken divan bubbling in the crockpot and am reminiscing about a freezing but gorgeous walk I took in Amsterdam one stormy December.
The ice storm was fierce and left glorious ice sculptures in its wake. Strolling through the ice-coated neighborhoods made me feel like I had been dropped into a Dutch Fairyland.
Snow was piled everywhere, big puffy chunks falling off wrought iron gates, over-loaded tree branches and telephone poles.
Vondel Park was exquisitely beautiful. Normally filled with the sounds of bicycle bells, running feet, and the shrieks of playing children, it was almost silent under the heavy weight of snow. I absolutely loved the colored lights dangling between the snow-covered trees.
I was delighted by the Dutch kids making sliding runs out of the steepest hills they could find: the numerous little bridges crossing frozen streams and lakes. It reminded me of my childhood on the prairies of Alberta, Canada. We too could make a sliding run out of anything in that flat country.
Stopping for rum-spiked hot chocolate was the best on that frosty day. I clambered up slippery steps to a tower overlooking the park and sighed happily as I sipped my boozy drink and looked out over the wintry wonderland.
Heading back to town I passed one of my favorite cafes and smiled to see that in spite of the snow, ice and biting winds, someone had thought it a good idea to sip their coffee at one of the sidewalk tables.
Back in civilization the signs of Christmas popped up outside front doors and on the stoops of brightly lit shops.
I liked this fat little Christmas tree standing so cheerily by the bright orange door, and the sprouting pussy willows made me smile. It didn’t feel like Spring, but it was lovely to think about it.
I returned home with red cheeks, snow-covered boots and a very happy heart.
Where is your favorite snowy place?
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