by Krista | Jan 2, 2012 | Bootstrap Monday
Hello luvs! I’m writing to you by the light of my Christmas tree, sipping ginger berry tea and listening to the frogs outside. I know Christmas is long gone, but I was so sick over the holidays that I didn’t get to put my tree up until Christmas Day, so I’m breaking all holiday rules and keeping it up for as long as I like. 🙂
Although I’d never choose to be sick over the holidays, it did guarantee me my wish of a quiet Christmas. It was really nice to have time to curl up with old movies from the library, read more from the endlessly interesting “At Home” by Bill Bryson, and listen to Old Time Radio mysteries while playing solitaire.
Bear took good care of me and when I had stronger moments would take me for drives in the gorgeous countryside. From my comfy seat on the passenger side we explored side roads and small country towns, discovering whole fields of cheery sunflowers and tidy little farmsteads. I loved it. One night he took me to a nearby town and drove around showing me wonderfully gaudy Christmas lights while we nibbled on pretzels and dark chocolate and sang along to Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.
One of my favorite holiday memories is from Christmas Day. Bear and I donned our wellies, called Fletcher (the lovely Belgian Shepherd who keeps me safe) and went for a Christmas Bush Walk.
The weather was perfect, gorgeous blue sky and brilliant sunshine with cool breezes rustling through the gum trees.
The meadows abounded with wildflowers and as we strode through the tall grasses we startled more than a few kangaroos and wallabies having their afternoon naps. It was grand fun to see them bounding along only a few feet ahead of us.
We found all sorts of interesting thing on our bush walk:
A tree struck by lightning, its hollow trunk providing a cozy nest for various creatures.
The old grave of an unknown settler.
And a nearly perfect circle of trees we dubbed The Sacred Grove.
One day soon I’m going to go out there again with a blanket, my journal and Fletcher for some peaceful reflection and maybe a nap.
Now, dear ones, tell me all about YOUR holidays! 🙂 What is your favorite memory?
by Krista | Dec 19, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Storm clouds are brewing and chooks are clucking contentedly outside the door as my dog Fletcher snoozes on the rug.
I just finished watering my gardens and am pleased as punch to see the melons flowering, rainbow chard flourishing in brilliant colors, little bell peppers and tomatoes making their appearance, and cheery snapdragons blooming faithfully day after day.
Nine baby chicks joined the family yesterday and they are fuzzy and tipsy and cute as can be. The last batch are rowdy teenagers now and we’ll introduce them to the chook yard today or tomorrow. The new goats are out of quarantine so the herd has swelled to 16!! I love looking out my windows and seeing them grazing in the backyard, mowing down the weeds as effectively as a lawnmower. Bear has taken to calling me “Heidi the Goat Girl” since for some reason the goats have taken a fancy to me and come at a gallop when I call them.
It’s been such a lovely week of surprises. 🙂 My friend Elizabeth spent a couple of days on the farm and we had such a good time sewing and cooking together, talking a mile a minute. My Mum and Dad sent me the best Christmas parcel full of Danish and Canadian and Bjorn treats to make me smile and laugh, my own copy of our favorite Christmas book “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”, and beautiful decorations for my Christmas tree. Then my friends Joe and Shirley had us over for a splendid Aussie BBQ and surprised me with coffee from Tim Hortons in Canada. And Shirley showed me a gorgeous lily that smells like chocolate! Such happy little surprises. 🙂
A lot has happened this week and I have heaps of things to share with you.
Firstly, I’m so honored to be interviewed by the fabulous ladies at Well Designed Journeys about my travels and some favorite food destinations. Click here to read it and please leave a comment there and let me know what your answers would be!
Second, I’m very excited to have my Christmas in Australia article up at The Travel Belles. Click here to read how the holidays are celebrated where there’s not a lick of snow in sight. I’d love to hear how you would celebrate Christmas in an environment completely the opposite of what you’re familiar with.
Third, I’m very proud to host a guest post by my dear friend and true kindred spirit, Breanne from A Vintage Box. I met Breanne and her splendid husband Jared for the first time on a chilly day in Vancouver, Canada, after months of reading each other’s blogs. We were instant “bosom friends” as our beloved Anne of Green Gables would say, and have stayed in contact ever since. (Click here to read about our adventure there.) Tomorrow she will be writing about one of their most delightful holiday party traditions, and I can’t wait to share it with you.
Fourth (I told you there are heaps!!), the very first Rambling Tart Newsletter will be coming out this week. I had every intention of sending you one every month since last spring, but as you know my whole world went topsy-turvy (click here to read more) and I never had the chance. But now that I’m settled down again, I’m getting back on track. 🙂 If you would like to receive it, please click here to sign up. I promise to never spam you and hope the Rambling Tart Newsletter will inspire you with ideas for building a beautiful life.
Phew! Now I wish you could join me for a cup of tea and a slice of Plum Tart with a soft, nutty crust slathered in rich cream. After using up most of my plums in Spiced Chilled Plum Soup, I used the rest in this oh-so-homey tart. I love it any time of day, but it’s awfully nice for breakfast with coffee or tea. I tidied up the back porch and now it is perfect for sitting and visiting while eating a slice of tart and watching the antics of the local wildlife. I saw my first kangaroo hopping by the other day!
What is your favorite homey dessert?
Plum Tart with Nutty Crust
Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup almond meal (finely ground almonds)
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks cold butter, diced
1 egg yolk
2 pounds ripe plums, pitted and quartered lengthwise
heavy cream
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Combine all ingredients except plums and cream until mixture forms a dough. (Will be rather wet)
- Press 3/4 of the mixture into an even layer along bottom and sides of 9″ tart pan with removable bottom.
- Arrange plums, skin side down in whatever pattern you desire.
- Drop small spoonfuls of remaining dough across plums (like you would for a cobbler).
- Bake for 40-50 minutes until crust is lightly browned and plum juices are bubbling.
- Remove from oven and cool 10-15 minutes.
- Serve warm or at room temperature drizzled with heavy cream.
by Krista | Dec 12, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Rain bucketed down Wednesday morning as my friend Barbara (from Winos and Foodies) and I sipped coffee and nibbled delicious pain au chocolat from the wonderful French patisserie Chouquette in Brisbane.
Both of us are early risers, so we had a few hours to kill before our big day out at Natasha’s Annual Christmas Degustation Trek with Taste Trekkers and Natasha Mirosch. We were so excited, eager to join other food-loving adventurers for a tour of Russian, Greek, and Italian shops in Brisbane.
Bryan, Barbara’s husband, weathered the downpour to drop us off, and we dashed from puddle to puddle until arriving safely in the dry and cheerful home of Taste Trekker owner Sally Lynch.
Sally is even more jolly and hilarious than her website conveys, and we felt utterly welcomed. She chatted a mile a minute as she whipped up one delicious dish after another for our post-shopping lunch. The downpour kept us from enjoying her beautiful riverside backyard, but we contented ourselves with the view from her covered porch.
Soon everyone arrived and after pasting nametags on our bosoms we boarded our bus and headed to our first stop, the Greek shop Samios.
Established in 1934, Samios is a charming hodgepodge of traditional Greek offerings like Baklava and feta cheese mingled with unusual ingredients from around Europe. The owner regaled us with jokes and stories as we were served thick Greek coffee and platter after platter of dolmades and various Greek cheeses. While I listened, an older gentleman tapped me on the shoulder and wondered what was happening. We got to chatting and I found out that he was from Slovakia and had relatives in Canada in the same town as my relatives. Things like that make me smile.
Then it was time to shop and I perused the shelves happily, filling my basket with a parcel of sumac, some liquid smoke, a jar of grape molasses, and a tender wedge of baklava.
Our next stop was Pennisi Cuisine, a warehouse-style shop which specializes in Italian foods but also carries delectables from all over the world. I was thrilled to pieces to find ingredients for Mexican food – something I’ve been craving since I left the US in July – a bag of my favorite Canadian cookies Dare Maple Leaf, and a couple bags of spices for a mere $2 a bag.
Our final destination was the Ruski Way Deli, small, relatively new shop full of Eastern European delicacies like Napoleon cakes, Russian chocolates, and anti-oxidant super food berries from Siberia. The owners went all out creating a special Russian tea for us on a table laden with all sorts of lovely things: bread rounds topped with plump Russian caviar, eggplant puree, and thinly sliced sausage, and an array of cakes. I lived in Russia for a few months many years ago and have loved the food ever since. I was so excited to find homemade sauerkraut and pelmeni, especially when the owner told me how to turn the sauerkraut into a delicious Russian salad.
Bags laden we boarded our bus one last time, talking animatedly about our purchases and what we were going to do with them once we got home.
We arrived back at Sally’s in time for a tea tasting with the oh-so-knowledgeable May King of MayKing Tea. She shared an iced version made from an herbal mixture that tasted like real tea. Suitably refreshed we wandered into Sally’s basement that she had turned into a Greek Taverna when the weather rendered outside dining impossible.
There we were given a Clovely Estate wine tasting by the lovely Renee who taught us about different grapes and Australian wines. A bit later we were given a beer tasting by the inspiring Matt Kirkegaard who introduced us to a Belgian bblond ale La Chouffee. I can’t wait to serve it with the smoked salmon and chive tart he recommended.
At long last we sat down at long tables in Sally’s Greek Taverna and tucked into her incredible lunch.
Here is only part of her scrumptious menu:
Pork Belly Apple Fennel Salad
Smoked Trout Soba Noodle Salad
Banana Flower Salad with Shredded Chicken
Roasted Veg with Creamy Feta and Roquette Dressing
Black Rice with Mango and Coconut Milk with Palm Sugar
We visited animatedly about food and travels and the latest must-have kitchen gadgets, chit-chatted about our jobs and families and homes. Long after the event was over we lingered, until someone glanced at the clock and suddenly there was a flurry of bag-grabbing and leftover-packing and contact info exchanging before, one by one, we disappeared into the rain.
It was a fantastic day, a wonderful experience learning about so many different foods and cultures and getting to meet such lovely people.
If you’re ever in Brisbane, be sure to check out Taste Trekkers for a delectable and inspiring day out.
by Krista | Nov 20, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Well, I’ve been officially sick for two weeks now. Bear has been too, and folks from work are coming down with this wretched cold/flu thing left, right and center.
I’ve drunk copious amounts of tea, bowls of soup, and, it must be admitted, a whole lot of salty potato chips that somehow are just the thing for upset stomachs and sore throats.
Last week my friend Ann surprised me with a bread machine and taught me how to use it the way she does. Ann is a clever soul and with five kids to feed she has found every possible shortcut to making healthy food for her family. She uses the bread machine to do the mixing and kneading – a process she doesn’t have time for – then shapes and bakes it in a regular oven which she’s found results in better texture and taste.
I’ve been trying all sorts of flavors and styles and each one has turned out beautifully. It’s been especially nice when I’m unwell since I can just dump in ingredients, press the button, and rest until it’s ready to pop in the oven.
Now that I’m perking up a bit, I finally have time to share the rest of the photos from my trip to my friend’s goat farm. (You can read Part I here)
After a scrumptious lunch, we donned our wellies and with a herd of curious goats at our heels, headed down to the creek for a stroll.
My first visit to their farm was in January after devastating floods swept through uprooting trees and depositing mounds of mud and debris. (Click here to see photos of how it looked then).
I’m so happy to see what ten months of time, sunshine and Joe and Shirley’s hard work have done to turn that disaster into something beautiful once again.
The entire creek is like this now, water gurgling through towering trees with banks thickly carpeted with a tangle of wildflowers.
I love it here. 🙂
Now I think it’s time for a slice of fresh bread and butter and another cup of tea.
Do you have any tricks for making healthy food quickly?
by Krista | Nov 15, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
As much as I love seeing gorgeous old buildings and ambling down narrow cobbled alleyways in Italian cities, one of my favorite ways to get to know a place is to go hiking.
When I visited my friend Maddalena in Italy this fall, she took me on a gorgeous hike just as the sun was setting over the russet hills outside Bologna. We entered the gates of the park in time to see locals gathered around a bright red tractor to pick up some last minute produce for their dinners.
It was such a peaceful time of day to go for a walk. Mothers pushed prams and chattered happily with their friends, and old men parked themselves on benches to watch the goings on of their neighbors.
Our first stop was at the ruins of a once splendid villa rising golden and majestic in the late afternoon sun.
Once a stunning place of colonnades, soaring ceilings and a flourishing orangerie, the villa managed to survive all of World War II until it was bombed on the very last day of the war.
Maddalena and I were just discussing how we wished some rich personage would come along to restore it when she spotted a sign saying that restoration was actually beginning. Hooray!
Old black and white pictures showed us what the villa used to look like. Isn’t it beautiful and grand? Like something out of an old Hollywood movie. 🙂
I can’t wait to visit in a few years to see the villa as it ought to be: tall, stately, with native Italian plants thriving once again.
We continued on our way, Maddalena telling me what it was like in Italy during the war years. As in the rest of Europe, times were very difficult for the local population.
Unlike the rest of Europe, Italy had the dubious position of being a former ally of Germany. For several years the Nazi’s had lived peaceably in Italy, using the country as a base of operations, but overnight they went from being friends to enemies.
The results were horrifying for the Italians. Murder, starvation, and fear were daily struggles, and many lost their lives in the years that followed.
It was amazing to walk these paths, feeling completely safe and peaceful, knowing that just a few years ago Resistance fighters and Nazi’s fought a constant game of cat and mouse.
It feels so peaceful now.
So warm, quiet, and safe.
But there are still reminders of those days in the crumbling, bombed out villas scattered throughout the park.
I’m glad people are investing the time and money in restoring them, but I’m also glad I got to see them as they are. Vivid reminders of the preciousness of peace and freedom.
Soon our trail left the woods and wended up into the hills, heavenly sunshine warming us after the cool shade of the forest.
Tomorrow I’ll show you glorious views worth every step of our uphill trek.
What is a meaningful historical site you’ve visited?
by Krista | Nov 6, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Good morning, luvs! How was your weekend?
After feeling pretty blech with a cold/flu/achy something last week, I perked up on the weekend and had such a good couple of days.
Saturday I got to visit my friends Shirley and Joe at their gorgeous goat farm. I can’t wait to show you pictures of their wildflower-filled creek banks and darling baby goats a bit later this week.You won’t believe the enormous belly on one of the pregnant mama goats!
Yesterday afternoon my friends Ann, Neil, Lizzy and Jess joined bear and me at the farm, and we had a jolly work party getting all sorts of things done.
We built new pens and roosts for the chooks (Aussie word for chickens) and shifted the feathered folk around. They are so happy to be out of their small cages and dashing about in their expansive new digs.
We let the goats out of their pen and gave them free reign of the yards. Tentative at first, they’re now roaming happily as if they owned the joint. Below are William (the Dad) and Felix and Sophie (the two month old twins). They love coming up to get their heads scratched.
Although it’s spring here in Queensland, the weather was quite cool this weekend and put me in the mood for autumnal dishes.
After my grand cheese-making experience last week, I had fresh ricotta on hand that needed something special to go with it. I pondered for a few days and finally settled on roasted pears. With hot ginger caramel sauce. And toasted walnuts.
I love recipes like this. Decadent ones that are so very, very simple to make. This one is especially lovely because the sauce makes itself! Simply combine melted butter with brown sugar and powdered ginger in the bottom of a cake tin. Top with halved and cored pears and roast them at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. Turn the pears, spoon over some of the sauce and roast for 10-15 minutes more. Then place the pears on a plate, top with a dollop of fresh ricotta, drizzle with the remaining sauce and sprinkle on toasted walnuts. Delicious! I had some for second breakfast this morning and can’t wait to have the rest for dinner tonight.
Ginger Caramel Roasted Pears
Below you’ll find my friend Ann’s recipe for ricotta cheese. It is so creamy, delicious and easy to make, you may never go back to store-bought ricotta again.
What is your favorite dessert on a cool, cloudy day?
Ginger Caramel Roasted Pears
(Serves two hungry people or four recently fed ones)
Ingredients:
2 Bartlett pears, halved and cored
3 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
2-3 Tbsp chopped toasted nuts
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In round metal cake tin pour melted butter. Stir in brown sugar and powdered ginger until combined into smooth syrup.
- Place pears cut side down over sauce.
- Roast in oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven, turn pears, baste with sauce and return to oven for another 10-15 minutes.
- Place each pear cut side up on plate, top with dollop of fresh ricotta, drizzle with remaining sauce and sprinkle with chopped, toasted nuts.
Ricotta Cheese Recipe
(from Ann Hill)
Ingredients:
5 litres (1.3 gallons) whey
2 cups whole milk
Salt to taste
Approximately 40 mls white vinegar
Directions:
- Heat whey to 60 degrees C (140 F) Stir frequently.
- Add whole milk.
- Add 1/2 -1 tsp of salt if you like.
- Continue to heat the milky whey to 90C-(194F) Continue to stir.
- At 90 C (194 F) add approximately 40 mls of white vinegar. At the first sign of small specks appearing in the whey, stop adding vinegar.
- Let stand on low heat for 5-10 mins to let the ricotta firm up, then, gently scoop off the layer of curd that has risen to the surface into a ricotta mould (or use butter muslin in a colander).
- Eat straight away or store in the fridge and use with in a week.
