The night was cold and drizzly as I loaded up ingredients, purse, and slippers, and dashed from my car to my friend Don’s house for cooking club this week. We were a small group since most folks were busy with family and last minute work projects, but it ended up being one of the best nights yet.
We had great talks, about all sorts of things, laughed ourselves silly over a particularly rousing game of Pictionary, and soaked our aches away in the hot tub while cold rain fell. I sure love those folks.
The food was magnificent! We chose a global theme with everyone making something from their cultural or family background. We started off with delicious California red wine and cold dilled green beans like the ones my Mums used to make when we were kids.
Don is a grilling king and made us scrumptious skewers with tender chunks of seasoned beef and lightly charred veggies.
Darren made some of the best soup I’ve ever had, a hearty Irish stew simmered with bacon, chunks of tender potato, and frilly strips of Savoy cabbage.
Jon provided the perfect accompaniment with his inspired twist on traditional quesadillas: adding tiny nuggets of sun-dried tomato. Delish!
I wrapped things up with my family’s traditional Christmas dessert: Danish Almond Rice Pudding with Caramel Sauce. It is one of the most heavenly dishes I know of, pure comfort in a bowl. I’m going to share the recipe with you in a week or two because I want to tell you more of the history of this dish, and the quirky tradition my family has involving one whole almond and a special surprise.
What is one of your favorite dishes from your background?
Warm seas, hot sand, salty breezes. These are the things that occupy my dreams when frost coats my windshield and icy winds find cracks to blow in through my house. At such moments I can close my eyes and remember the bounce of a catamaran over the waves just off the coast of Fiji or the feel of blazing sun warming my skin as I swam the crystal clear waters of Cozumel.
With such fancies dancing through my mind, I was delighted when my friend Cailin of A White Picket Fence invited me to join her in a blog challenge featuring warm winter escapes.
I’ve not had many winter getaways in my life, but oh how I cherish the ones I’ve had!
Walking the beach in New Zealand was glorious. Flowers dotting the sand dunes charmed me no end and I loved sitting there, gazing out to sea, letting the breezes toss my hair while the waves lulled me into sleepy peace.
Cancun was a wonderful escape. Traveling on the off season I spent hours on the nearly deserted beach swimming, resting, napping, looking, walking, just soaking it all in. Here’s a video I took with my phone that will give you a little visual escape to white sand and turquoise water.
Cozumel was one of my favorites. As soon as we left the main town, life slowed down beautifully and I loved driving the back roads, discovering flower-filled neighborhoods, deserted beaches, and lusciously cool waves crashing onto craggy rocks and dazzlingly white sand.
Next month I’ll be wending my way to Fiji and Australia for a true winter getaway with dear friends. It will be my first time to Australia and I can’t wait to explore that amazing place with people I love to bits.
What is your dream place to get away to?
Be sure to stop by Cailin’s blog today for excellent tips on planning a winter escape to the Caribbean. Click here to visit.
Good morning! I’m yawning and stretching and yawning some more this dark Monday morning, wrapped securely in a quilt as I eat a Christmas orange. It’s been a good weekend filled with hustling and bustling and getting some much needed rest. After not taking any vacation time this year, I now have two trips, back to back, with only one day in between to prepare. Yipes!
As a result my house is dotted with stacks and piles and lists, one set with boots, sweaters and scarves for Europe, the other with sundresses, sandals and sunscreen for Australia. Then there’s the other lists, the ones filled with things to do for work: articles and posts to be written, interviews to be done, projects to be completed, all by Thursday. Again I say, YIPES! 🙂
All this madness WILL be worth it though. I’m going to see people I love, experience things I’ve never experienced, eat things I’ve never tried before. I’m excited and grateful.
In the meantime there is regular life to be lived and in between scrubbing floors, washing dishes, and sorting laundry, I had such fun this weekend cooking up a couple different curries to last me the week: Green Chili Cilantro Chicken and Chicken with Spinach and Tomatoes. Mmm.
I also got to see the progress of my homemade Vanilla Extract. My friend Darren made me a Vanilla Extract Making Kit for my birthday – complete with a bottle of vodka and 6 vanilla beans that we sliced in half and slid into the vodka. It’s coming along beautifully, the liquid getting darker and darker as the vanilla infusion works its magic.
Tomorrow I’m excited to be participating in a Blog Challenge with my friend Cailin from A White Picket Fence. We are going to be writing and sharing photos about warm holiday destinations such as Jamaica, Mexico and Fiji.
If you could go to any warm place for your next holiday, where would you go?
Homemade Vanilla Extract
Ingredients:
1 bottle good vodka 6 vanilla beans
Directions:
Lay vanilla beans on cutting board and careful split each one in two, leaving 1/2″ at one end intact for easy removal.
Open vodka bottle and insert vanilla beans, split ends first.
Seal tightly and store in cool, dark place for 6+ weeks.
Hello, luvs! A storm is raging outside, lulling me to sleep as I fight to stay awake. It is almost midnight – my usual and most unfortunate bedtime this week – and I can’t wait to hunker down under a cozy quilt and sleep, sleep, sleep.
It’s been raining something fierce all week, shutting down power and phone lines, thoroughly drenching everything in sight. I may be hankering for some sunshine, but the moss and ferns are flourishing!
What are you up to this weekend? I’m sticking close to home, bustling about doing laundry, finishing up writing assignments, wrapping Christmas pressies, and packing to leave for Europe next Friday. Two of my brothers live there – one in Germany, the other in Amsterdam – and they sent my parents and I plane tickets to spend Christmas and New Year’s Eve with them!! We couldn’t believe it. Those crazy, lovely fellows. I can’t wait to see them! So I’m looking forward to my last weekend at home, spending it in my new striped pajamas, playing music as I clean, tidy and plan.
I’ve been eating super healthy lately and am hankering for something good yet decadent for breakfast tomorrow morning. What is your favorite breakfast to spoil yourself with?
I really love hiking in stormy weather. I like how the rain makes everything clean and glossy – leaves, rocks, branches. It’s especially beautiful here in the Pacific Northwest with the ocean, mountains and woods as stunning backdrops for blustery winds and steady downpours.
The Nooksack River that wends through Whatcom County, Washington is one of my favorite places to amble on a rainy day. Every bend provides a stunning view of thick forests, frothy rapids, and unexpected delights like these towers of river rocks.
There’s something so peaceful about a river. I like finding a damp seat on a big rock right near the water, watching it tumble past in a steady cadence that would lull me right to sleep if I was tucked in a sleeping bag in a nearby tent.
There’s something mysterious and mesmerizing about the fog rolling in over the mountains, filling up the river bed and snaking its way through the trees.
On such days I like to return home to dry pajamas, wool socks and hot, comforting food like this 5-vegetable curry. Made with diced potatoes, carrots, green beans, zucchini, and petite corn, this dish requires a lot of chopping but is well worth the effort. I like to make a big batch and freeze the leftovers for quick lunches. I don’t care for much heat in my curry. I’d rather savor the delectable tangle of coriander, turmeric and 5-spice heightened with lime juice and a sprinkling of fresh cilantro.
What is your favorite thing to eat after a trek in the rain?
Vegetable Curry
Ingredients:
2-3 large Yukon gold potatoes, diced 3-4 carrots, diced 2 cups corn 2 large handfuls green beans, diced 2 small zucchini, diced 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 tsp turmeric 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more if you like it hot) 2 tsp ground coriander 2 tsp 5-spice 3 bay leaves 1/2 jalapeno, minced (more if you like it hot) 2-3 cups chicken broth 1-2 tsp salt lime juice cilantro
Directions:
Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add spices and bay leaves and stir.
Add carrots and cook 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add potatoes and cook 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add green beans and cook 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add zucchini and cook 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add jalapeno, chicken broth, salt to taste. Bring to boil and simmer uncovered 8-10 minutes until vegetables are soft.
Just before serving stir in lime juice and garnish with cilantro. Serve alone or over rice.
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