by Krista | Apr 24, 2014 | Autumn
“I believe the nicest and sweetest days
are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens
but just those that bring simple little pleasures,
following one another softly,
like pearls slipping off a string.”
L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea
It’s a sumptuous Autumn afternoon, animals tucked in for the night, the Andrews Sisters crooning “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” in the background, a cup of peppermint tea cooling beside me.
It’s been a week for quiet, simple pleasures, just little things that make us smile and relax as we work through stressful situations and the upheavals that tend to come along when you least expect them.
Things like sitting in the long cool grass of the back paddock after my hike watching two of our dogs – Luna and Apollo – run around like lunatics as the goats ignore them completely. I love these dogs. Love how they chase each other like mad then pounce in my lap huffing and puffing and covering me with affectionate licks, making me laugh as I try in vain to push them away.
We got to go to a Rock Swap with dear friends this weekend and had a marvelous time. We found all sorts of treasures: stone arrow heads, glistening crystals, smoothly polished stones, and this wonderful amethyst geode.
I especially liked the slices of rock that reveal the most amazing patterns and colors. Click here to read more about our little rock hunting adventure.
On Monday we had to go to Brisbane for a meeting so we made a day of it, stopping at my beloved Brisbane Botanical Gardens for an early morning ramble before heading to a fantastic Chinese restaurant for an early celebration of Bear’s birthday with big platters of succulent soft shell crab and ginger garlic mud crab.
We’ve been keeping breakfast simple too: toasted bread rolls spread with Dijon mustard (for me) and tomato sauce (for him) and layered with a buttery fried egg. Mmm, so good and comforting alongside a big cup of cinnamon maple espresso laced with hot milk and topped with foam.
What simple pleasures are making your days special this week?
by Krista | Apr 19, 2014 | Spring
Today I am longing for the beach, the hot sun of Italy, for lazy afternoons with dear friends, so we’re heading down memory lane to Santa Maria Castellabate for a late afternoon picnic.
Of all the places I’ve been in Italy, this is one of my very favorites.
My girlfriends and I arrived in early Spring, long before hordes of Summer tourists cover every square inch of sand with towels, baskets, and book bags.
It was just us and a few locals, catching the first golden rays of Italian Spring sunshine that warms you to your very bones.
Late afternoon is my favorite time to visit for everyone is relaxing after a long day of work. No one’s in a hurry, and the luscious gold of the setting sun is pure balm to the soul.
Bare-bottomed toddlers squeal as they dip their toes in the water, leather-skinned old ladies soak up even more sunshine, and old men fold their arms over their bellies and sit back to watch the world go by.
It’s wonderful.
I like laying back on a lounger and looking up at the gorgeous old buildings surrounding the beach. They’re pitted and weathered, yet somehow, all the more beautiful for it.
Barefoot and deliciously toasted after snoozing in the sun, we decide it’s high time for something to eat and find a little shop nearby that happily sells us crusty rolls, peppery salami, and wedges of creamy cheese.
We sit back in our chairs, basking in the life and light around us as we munch our way through sandwiches that taste even more delicious after a day spent in sea breezes, hot sand, and cold ocean water.
It all feels so perfect that I secretly wish I could stop time and stay right there in that moment for just a few more hours.
But soon the sun lowers and the wind off the ocean has a nip in it, so we pack our books and towels and trudge up the sand to our waiting car.
It’s time to go home.
by Krista | Apr 15, 2014 | Autumn
Bear and I are continuing our oh-so-relaxing holiday at home with popcorn and movie nights and coffee dates in town. We’ve been sleeping in too, and that’s been heavenly. One of the things that makes me smile every day is Bear bringing me my morning cup of tea. Yesterday he spoiled me rotten by bringing me breakfast too! As the wind raged outside we were cozy under a feather bed, sipping cuppas, eating homemade bread topped with fresh tomatoes, and reading good books. Pure bliss, I tell ya. 🙂
My friend Tom sent me a box of new books to read, and I’m thoroughly enjoying this whodunit written by JK Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.
It was downright chilly and windy yesterday, so I had to bundle up a bit for my late afternoon hike. It felt so wild and wonderful out there, the cold turning my cheeks red as I headed into the bush with Luna.
Each day I find new treasures and this day was no different. I love these new pink spires blooming next to tiny purple orchids.
My artist friend Leslie has me on the lookout for a kangaroo skull to use in a piece she’s creating, so now I’m seeing bones all over the place! I think they are amazing things, especially bleached white by the sun, looking like their own pieces of art in a woodland setting.
But it’s the colors that charm me most. Great swathes of yellow in a sea of green with little pops of red, purple, and blue.
Our comfort food treat this week was scones, fragrant vanilla oat ones topped with maple cream, plump cherries, and a scattering of pomegranate arils. Scones are lovely any day, but on wildly stormy dark ones, they’re perfection.
What is your favorite treat on a blustery day?
Vanilla Oat Scones
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup whole grain flour
1 cup oat bran
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup milk
1 large egg
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 egg beaten (for brushing scones)
raw sugar
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450 F (240 C)
- Stir together flour, oat bran, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
- Add butter and cut in with fingers or pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In cup, whisk together milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour into flour mixture and toss gently with a fork until well incorporated.
- Dump dough onto well-floured surface and knead lightly just until dough comes together. (If dough is too wet, add more flour.)
- Press into large circle about 1-inch thick. Cut into wedges and place on baking sheet covered with baking paper. Brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with raw sugar.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes until scones have risen and tops are golden brown.
- Serve warm with butter or maple cream and cherries.
Maple Cream
Ingredients:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tsp maple extract
2 Tbsp maple syrup
Directions:
- Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form.
- Stir in extract and syrup.
- Chill until ready to serve.
by Krista | Apr 11, 2014 | Autumn
“Into the woods–you have to grope,
But that’s the way you learn to cope.
Into the woods to find there’s hope
Of getting through the journey.”
Stephen Sondheim
I like these lines very much, especially as I face some great changes in my life. They’re good and wonderful changes but still scary as I figure out my place in them.
I’ve been going to the woods nearly every day this week, taking advantage of gorgeous Autumn weather to get my daily exercise in a place that never fails to calm rumpled spirits and clarify scattered thoughts. It’s lovely to head out there feeling overwhelmed or uncertain knowing I will return with my priorities realigned and a clarity of purpose restored.
As I leave the fields behind and enter the woods, worries about finances or deadlines dissipate, lost in vistas of lush undergrowth dotted with delicate wildflowers and sturdy mushrooms.
I’m delighted by these sprays of tiny yellow flowers providing cheery spots of light across the dusky forest floor.
It’s so pretty in here at dusk. The light is soft and gentle and it’s so quiet you can hear the thump of a kangaroo hopping by in the distance and the rustle of an echidna waddling past.
Echidnas are also known as spiny ant eaters, and they are the most amazing creatures. Until this week I’d only seen them at a distance before they disappeared into the undergrowth. But this one stayed right where she was, curling up into a spiny ball at first before realizing I had no intention of hurting her. Then her little snout came out and I was even able to touch her, gently stroking her spines that felt like the sharpened quills at the end of a feather.
Luna was delighted by her but then got distracted by kangaroos hopping in a nearby paddock. Apparently kangaroos are much more interesting than a spiny ant eater.
Yes, I love this place very much at dusk, especially when the grass is set aglow by the sun even as gathering storm clouds cast an eerie darkness overhead. It’s pure magic.
Where is your favorite place to go when you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed? xo
by Krista | Apr 7, 2014 | Autumn
“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house.”
Nathaniel Hawthorne
I find myself making any excuse to go outside these days: checking on the garden, hanging laundry on the line, or sitting on the back steps with a cup of tea. Especially since a cool front came in and the sweltering afternoons of late have given way to sheer Autumnal perfection.
This afternoon Luna and I went for a meander around the farmyard, watched by curious ducks and our three goat dogs, Freja, Solar, and Apollo as they rested contentedly in puddles of sunshine.
Luna happily nosed about sniffing everything, nibbling tender shoots of grass, galloping after me when I got too far ahead.
The grass is so green it almost seems fake. Bear and I keep stopping by the windows to exclaim: “Look at that green!” We’re easily delighted around here. 🙂
It feels so good on bare feet and is wonderfully cooling after a few hours working in hot sunshine building fences or planting new seedlings.
The Autumn school holidays are in full swing and we are enjoying every minute of it. Bear has been in his shop sawing and pounding away building a medieval sword box. I love going down there to help because the wood smells so good!! I swear, if Bear had aftershave that smelled like wood shavings, I’d never leave the poor man in peace. 😉
I’ve been reading and cooking and planning dreams with Bear, pottering in my gardens and taking afternoon rests. It’s been so good.
I’ve been on a young adult books kick lately, reading stacks of marvelously fun books like: “The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place”, “The Power of Poppy Pendle”, and the Barnaby Grimes series. They make me smile.
My creativity in the kitchen has returned with oomph since I got on the right medicine last week. I think the best part is not having any more dietary restrictions. After nearly a year of trying gluten-free, dairy-free, low-salicylate, etc, we realized my afflictions had nothing to do with the food I was eating and, in fact, the restrictions were doing my body harm. That’s the funny thing about human bodies. What is healing for one body may be detrimental to another. My body is very happy indeed to be eating fiber-rich breads again and good quality dairy and any fruits and veggies that take my fancy.
Today we decided that Autumn needed to be celebrated so I popped in cds for a British murder mystery to entertain myself, then set about making salads (cucumber and celery salad with fresh mint and cumin dressing, cabbage salad with dill and Thai seasoned dressing), a decadent dark chocolate trifle that started out as a cake but turned into a trifle when the ganache filling didn’t set properly, and Roasted Mustard and Garlic Pork Loin sliced thinly for sandwiches and easy snacking.
We like it alone dipped in mustard or layered on fresh bread rolls smeared with garlicky mayonnaise and good German mustard.
What are your best memories from this weekend? xo
Roasted Mustard Garlic Pork Loin
Ingredients:
2 pork loins (about 1 pound each)
4 cloves garlic, peeled, halved, and sliced
good salt such as Himalayan Pink
freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp grainy or Dijon mustard
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 C (200F).
- Rinse pork loins and pat dry.
- With small sharp knife, make slits all over meat and insert garlic pieces.
- Sprinkle meat all over with salt and pepper.
- Use 1 Tbsp mustard per pork loin, and smear it evenly over entire roast.
- Place pork loins on roasting rack in roasting pan and roast for 45-60 minutes until done. (Don’t overcook or it gets very tough.)
- Remove from oven and let rest 10-15 minutes.
- Slice thinly and use right away or store in fridge/freezer until ready for use.
We got to go to a Rock Swap with dear friends this weekend and had a marvelous time. We found all sorts of treasures: stone arrow heads, glistening crystals, smoothly polished stones, and this wonderful amethyst geode.
I especially liked the slices of rock that reveal the most amazing patterns and colors. Click here to read more about our little rock hunting adventure.
On Monday we had to go to Brisbane for a meeting so we made a day of it, stopping at my beloved Brisbane Botanical Gardens for an early morning ramble before heading to a fantastic Chinese restaurant for an early celebration of Bear’s birthday with big platters of succulent soft shell crab and ginger garlic mud crab.
We’ve been keeping breakfast simple too: toasted bread rolls spread with Dijon mustard (for me) and tomato sauce (for him) and layered with a buttery fried egg. Mmm, so good and comforting alongside a big cup of cinnamon maple espresso laced with hot milk and topped with foam.
What simple pleasures are making your days special this week?
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