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. 🙂
by Krista | Mar 28, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Hello dear ones. How I’ve missed you! 🙂
It’s so good to be back writing to you again after a perfectly ghastly few weeks of misery caused by Ecoli and other things. Ayiyi. I’m so happy to be sitting upright again, basking in a rare moment of glorious sunshine streaming through my windows.
It was nearly two years ago that I first started getting sick. It’s been such a painful time with all sorts of tests and medications and doctors, but I finally have hope that I will be able to get better one day soon.
Turns out I am highly allergic to mold. My system reacts violently to the stuff giving me symptoms similar to fibromyalgia. My doctors suggested that moving away from beautiful but damp Washington State might do wonders for my health, but it wasn’t until I traveled to Fiji and Australia in January that we realized how right they were.
Upon arrival in Fiji I lay down for a much-needed nap. When I awoke a few hours later I was astonished to discover that nearly all my symptoms had disappeared. After a few days in Australia I was feeling like my old self with energy, a clear head, and virtually no pain. I couldn’t believe it.
Within a day of returning to Washington all the ghastly symptoms returned and have grown steadily worse, sending me to bed for days at a time.
I am now in the process of moving to Australia – a place I’ve dreamed of moving to for years. I’ve been researching visas, going over paperwork, and saving up every spare penny. I will greatly miss my family and friends here in Washington, but am so grateful for the chance to get better.
Thankfully I will not be alone over there. I have many dear friends in the Brisbane area, and am excited to build good memories and traditions with them. I’m also excited to be hostess to my loved ones when they come to visit me.
I don’t have a departure date yet – there is money to be saved and papers to process first – but the hope of feeling better down the road gives me strength to press on through these painful weeks.
A few days ago I was feeling especially wretched when a dear friend called to see if he could stop by for a minute because he had something for me. When he arrived he handed me an envelope, explaining that an anonymous friend had given it to help me move to Australia. Stunned, I opened it. Inside was $700.00.
I just cried. 🙂
In celebration of miracles and hope I made Aussie-style potatoes, an easy yet scrumptious dish dreamed up by my Aussie friend Robbie.
Simply fill a roasting bag (the kind used for turkey or roasts) with cubed potatoes, minced garlic, and a jar of marinated and seasoned Kalamata olives, close and bake at 375 degrees F for 45-60 minutes.
They are deliciously tender and flavorful, the mellow potatoes balanced beautifully by the tangy olives.
What is giving you joy this week?
(This is my contribution to Chaya’s Meatless Mondays. Click here to view more delicious meatless recipes.)
Aussie-Style Potatoes
Ingredients:
4 Yukon gold potatoes
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 jar marinated and seasoned Kalamata olives
1 roasting bag
salt and pepper
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Combine all ingredients in roasting bag, close, and roast on cookie sheet for 45-60 minutes until potatoes are done and begin to brown.
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