by Krista | Feb 4, 2010 | Plucky Thursday
It was a dark and stormy afternoon – we have those now and then in Washington. 🙂 I got home on lunch break, pulled up the shades to let a bit of light in and there were snowflakes! Stuck there by my roommmate Robyn. 🙂 Aren’t they cheery?
I’ve been bed-ridden so much lately that I simply had to post some pictures of my beautiful Washington. Just looking at them makes me FEEL like I’ve been out and about. 🙂
Dairy country. That’s Mount Baker off in the distance
Nooksack River
Nooksack Falls
Sigh. I feel better already. 🙂
Sometimes in the middle of winter I crave summer. I know you couldn’t tell from all the hot, sunny photos I’ve been posting lately. 🙂 Well, I’ve also been craving summery foods, light, bright and packed with flavor. Like this noodle salad.
I picked up some lovely mung bean noodles – something I’d never cooked with before.
I love how they go all glassy and silvery when they’re cooked.
I added scallions…
…cilantro…
…plump mandarin orange segments…
…and some thinly sliced yellow bell pepper, then made a quick vinaigrette of freshly squeezed lime and orange juices, sesame oil and a bit of kosher salt and pepper.
It suited my craving beautifully. 🙂
by Krista | Feb 3, 2010 | Bits 'n' Bobs
After a long week of illness, I’m finally perking up. Hooray! Just in time for sunshine too. 🙂 Thanks to a chiropractor appointment and some good pain pills I was able to sit outside yesterday with juice, quilt and a good book, soaking up healing rays and fresh air.
I’m reading “The Rose Cafe” reveling in vivid descriptions of the sun-drenched, intrigue-laden Corsica of the 1960’s.
Today I go back to work and my lunches are light and healthy. The first came about when, in my groggy state, I thought I was making a pot of millet porridge and ended up with quinoa. 🙂 Thankfully I had some perfect additions on hand to make a delicious salad. I tossed the quinoa with pesto then added quartered artichoke hearts and thinly sliced red and yellow bell pepper.
The second dish was beautifully simple. I had chilled polenta in the fridge, so I sliced it, fried it in a bit of olive oil with a sprinkling of kosher salt, spooned on a savory blend of mascarpone, chevre and green onion and topped it with marinated roasted bell peppers.
Now I must juice oranges and grapefruit, mix plain yogurt with apple sauce, vanilla and mandarin oranges, brew my tea and head to work. Hope you have a beautiful Wednesday! 🙂
Fried Polenta with Savory Cheese and Roasted Peppers
Ingredients:
10 slices chilled polenta
olive oil
kosher salt
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
1 jar roasted marinated red or yellow peppers
Directions:
- Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Place polenta slices in pan, sprinkle with kosher salt, and fry until golden on each side.
- Mix cheeses with chives, pepper and salt.
- Dice peppers.
- Place slices of polenta on platter, spoon 1-2 tsp cheese mixture on each piece and top with bell pepper.
by Krista | Feb 2, 2010 | Spring
After our relaxing and beautiful first day in Greece, we slept soundly and awoke to another brilliantly sunny day.
We headed down to the hotel dining area, found sunny seats on the terrace and tucked into a hearty breakfast of strong coffee, yogurt with fruit and grains, Spanikopita, deviled eggs, sausages, tomatoes and cucumber.
With water bottles in hand we set out to explore the Old Town of Corfu, particularly the Old and New Forts. On our way we found a splendid outdoor market filled with artichokes, lettuces, olives, fresh fish and grapes.
I walked through dreaming of all the wonderful meals I could make with these amazing ingredients. There’s nothing quite like a farmer’s market to get the creative juices flowing!
We emerged into the blazing hot sunshine ready to tread the cobbled walkways and tunnels of the Old Fort.
The view from the fort was worth the trek up, and the breezes off the coast were deliciously cool.
Then it was time to head back through the Old Town for lunch, shopping and delighting in the shaded streets.
I love this classy restroom sign
Next week I’ll share with you our lovely lunch in Old Town Corfu. 🙂
by Krista | Feb 1, 2010 | Bootstrap Monday
I have been called Anne of Green Gables my entire life, with the occasional Pollyanna along the way. I was honored by the Anne bit because she was my absolute hero as a girl, but I found the Pollyanna label was usually intended as a put down, a reference to my determined nature to find something good in everything. For a while there I was embarrassed and tried to harden myself and develop such charming qualities as pessimism and sarcasm. Neither sat well with me and I finally realized that being a Pollyanna is not such a bad thing after all, so long as I use it to highlight reality, not escape from it.
Today I’m going to subject you to a bit of Pollyanna-ish-ness. 🙂 I’ve been in so much physical pain the last couple of days that even my normally sunny nature disappeared in blinding headaches and tears of distress, and it’s time to bring her back. 🙂 While the pain was real, so too were the lovely bits, the shining little moments of happiness and delight that I’m very, very grateful for.
An absolutely wonderful visit with my rellies visiting from Canada! We met Saturday morning at my folks’ house for a fabulous brunch: fried potatoes and sausage, scrambled eggs, toast with peanut butter and jelly, and coffee. Delish! Then we were off to town for a few hours of treasure hunting in our favorite thrift and deal stores. I was so happy to find my favorite tea on sale for only $2 a box!
At the thrift store I found two darling sundresses, a funky pair of new fuchsia snakeskin flats, and a totally glam cocktail ring that cheers my heart every time I look at it. 🙂 We had such good visits and laughs and parted with big hugs and promises to see each other again soon. 🙂
That night my phone rang and it was my brother Evan who is deployed in the Middle East!! YAY! He got this handy-dandy thing called a Magic Jack that allows him to have an American cell phone number for us to call free any time. He never fails to encourage and inspire me, making me laugh AND feel like I can take on the
world. 🙂
I found an oh so cheery primrose to take home for only 99 cents! 🙂
I was able to finish a good book, play Scrabble on Facebook with my friend Tabby, have great phone chats with a dear friend, and last night I was well enough to get up and make some yummy food for the week.
I juiced apples, poured the liquid into a glass and laughed because it looked just like beer.
I gathered garlic, parsley, black pepper and diced butternut squash, tossed them all together with a bit of flour and a few glugs of olive oil and slow-roasted them for two-hours. Wow – the smell was amazing and the sweet, garlicky chunks melted into a savory gratin with a toasted crust.
I collected all the leftover bits and bobs from my fridge and made a lovely Black Bean Sausage Soup with tomatoes, cilantro, lime, green pepper, green onion, garlic and smoked sausage. Mmm. 🙂
So, I’m counting my blessings today and counting down the hours to the chiropractor tomorrow! 🙂
Happy Monday, dear ones! 🙂
by Krista | Jan 29, 2010 | Spring
I am so excited about this weekend! My aunt and uncle, Janet and Clint, are coming to visit from Canada and we have grand plans for delicious meals and girlie days and movies and popcorn and long walks and much visiting. 🙂
It’s been a doozy of a week. Pain has been my close companion. I have severe endometriosis and it’s been giving me grief this week so I canceled everything and have been resting, resting, resting. Thankfully the pain is easing up now and my world is getting brighter again. 🙂
It’s actually been kind of lovely to step away from life for a bit, to huddle under a quilt, read books, write, or just look out the window and think. While this week may have wreaked havoc on my body, it’s done wondrous things in my soul.
As I’ve been working through the aftermath of my youth spent in a religious cult, I noticed that I have kept a lot of stuff from those years. Books, music, movies, mementos, things that I used to create spots of beauty in that dark place, or allowed me to escape, if only for a brief moment, the traumatic situation I found myself in. Some things I kept as “proof” of what happened, feeling I needed them to validate myself or my past. Others were trinkets I had kept from my abusers, oddly enough. I was so starved for their approval and affection, that I clung to any little scrap they tossed me. I have them all.
But this week I realized that I don’t “need” them anymore. I don’t need to keep evidences of false love, reminders of darkness, or even my feeble attempts to make a bit of heaven in the midst of hell. I don’t need them because I have real love in my life now, I have healing and friendship and peace. I don’t want those things cluttering up my physical or emotional life.
So last night, when my pain miraculously ebbed for a few hours (yay!!), I became a One Woman Clearing Machine!! I went through boxes and bookshelves and bins and sorted my little heart out. I filled box after box with books and movies, decorations and clothes, linens and, mercy, who knows what all! The “bad” stuff I tossed immediately – shuffling outside in the dark, in my slippers and pjs to the apartment dumpster because I didn’t want them in my house one moment longer. 🙂 All the good things I’m going to take to a Woman’s Shelter. I hope that they will bring comfort and solace to another hurting heart, and perhaps give her light in a dark place like they once did for me.
Afterward I eased myself down onto the couch, surveyed the stacks of boxes by my front door and had a little weep. Understanding, awareness, change, they’re all good things, but they hurt like blazes along the way. Then I sighed and smiled and felt like a huge weight had been lifted. And golly, is my office ever clean! 🙂
So dear ones, in the spirit of new beginnings and fresh starts, I thought I’d share some peaceful and oh-so-green pictures of the area around the Italian villa my friends and I stayed in last spring. I hope they delight your hearts as much as they do mine. 🙂
Lane wending through the trees to an olive grove.
Battered and buckled old church door.
Hazy look into the valley at Perdifumo, Italy.
I could spend a happy hour sitting here.
I’m exceedingly fond of this door. And the little stone bench.
I dearly wanted to fix up this little place.
Sure would love to know the story behind this.
The wall, the path, I love it all.
Just because he’s cute. 🙂
Happy Weekend, dear ones!
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