by Krista | May 1, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Hello dear ones. 🙂 It’s been a gorgeous weekend, sunny and beautifully peaceful. I spent many happy moments snoozing and reading in the sun, breathing deeply of fresh, clean air.
I had more energy than I’ve had in months and am so thrilled to have a clean and tidy house again. There’s nothing quite like walking across newly vacuumed floors and slipping into pristine clean sheets to make this girl happy. 🙂
Today I am off to US Immigration to renew my Permanent Resident card. It’s nice to have graduated from Resident Alien to Permanent Resident. 🙂
Thank you so much for your many kind emails, calls, texts and comments regarding my Grandpa. He is still hanging on, seems to be waiting for the last of his kids to get there. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking of him this weekend. He grew up on the Canadian Prairies and loved taking us grandkids out to wonderful abandoned homesteads where he’d tell us stories of when he was a youngster as we explored every nook and cranny. In the winter he’d take us out onto the frozen prairie and somehow find hills steep enough for us to slide down. We loved it. I’m so grateful for such good memories of this lovely man.
I was so sad when this weekend started, but dear friends invited me over for a dinner and movie night and it ended up being the best thing for me. How good it was to be with safe, loving people, to share delicious wine and scrumptious vittles. I made one of my favorite comfort food dishes from my homeland of Canada: poutine. It is not even remotely healthy but oh, it’s so very good. 🙂 Simply pile piping hot French fries on your plate, sprinkle with grated cheese (we used Swiss) and top with peppery roast beef gravy. If you want to be TRULY Canadian, finish it off with a drizzle of white vinegar.
What is your favorite comfort food from your homeland?
Canadian Poutine
Ingredients:
1 bag frozen French Fries
2-3 cans roast beef gravy
2-3 cups grated cheese (Swiss, Monterey Jack or Mozzarella work best)
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: white vinegar
Directions:
- Bake French fries according to directions on bag.
- While fries are baking, heat gravy in saucepan. I like adding lots of freshly ground black pepper.
- When fries are done, salt to tasted then pile them on individual plates, sprinkle with cheese, drizzle with gravy and eat.
- Add a few shots of white vinegar to make it truly Canadian. 🙂
by Krista | Apr 25, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Good morning, luvs! How was your weekend?
I was thrilled to pieces to actually experience a bit of SUMMER on Saturday!!! It was glorious, I tell you! Blazing sunshine, clear blue skies, the scent of newly mown grass and budding trees filling the air. My dear friend Jenny came to visit me and we went for a beautiful walk in the country.
It was a wonderful amble through woods and beside flower-filled meadows. We stopped often to rest, smell flowers, and take pictures of anything that took our fancy.
By the time I waved farewell to Jenny I was wondrously roastingly hot. Gone were my winter boots, scarves and sweaters and out came sandals and a favorite sundress.
For dinner that night I couldn’t think of eating heavy warming foods, I wanted cool, refreshing and bright. So I made a Chilled Tilapia Stew with fresh lemon. Mmm, mmm! Tender chunks of tilapia simmered with fire-roasted tomatoes, sweet onions, cilantro, and parsley, it was absolutely delicious, especially eaten barefoot in the sunshine.
What is your favorite memory from this weekend?
Chilled Tilapia Stew
Ingredients:
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
1 large onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1.5 Tbsp garlic, minced
1/4 tsp each of ginger, curry, cumin and turmeric
3 cardamom pods
3 lemons, juiced
4-5 tilapia fillets, cut into 1″-2″ pieces
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients except tilapia and juice of one lemon.
- Bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes.
- Add fish, return to boil, and simmer 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and chill 15-20 minutes.
- Just before serving stir in remaining lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro.
by Krista | Apr 18, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Hello, dear ones! I’m still basking in the utter bliss of a sunshiny weekend. It may still be cold here in Washington, but this gorgeous weekend gives hope that spring weather may be just around the corner.
I had to rest most of this weekend, but today I was able to get out for a walk and oh, how wonderful it was!! All sorts of folks were out and about: kids cheering and laughing over a game of volleyball in the park, a father and daughter fishing from a bridge over the creek, and an elderly couple strolling through the woods with their sturdy walking sticks in hand. It felt so companionable to bid each other hello, smiling in shared enjoyment of a glorious day.
Everything looked beautiful today, from the glittering stream to the sun-dappled leaves in the forest, but my favorites were the white flowers positively beaming in the sunlight. Do any of you know what these ones are? There were whole trees filled with blossoms.
It was a peaceful, happy sort of afternoon, with breaks to sit on fallen logs and listen to the wind in the trees and the gurgle of the creek wending through the woods. It was just what I needed to clear my head, fill my lungs with fresh air, and remind me how beautiful life is.
While I recover from these wretched viruses I have to avoid wheat and corn. It was OK the first few days but then I started craving bread and baked goods something fierce. My friends Darren and Nicole are also going wheat-free for a while and having similar cravings, so I decided we simply had to have something decadent to eat to help us be good.
I made my favorite Dark Chocolate Tart but used buckwheat for the crust instead of wheat. It worked just dandy but turned out so dark it was almost black! I decided to view it as looking “extra rich” instead of “burnt to a crisp.” 😉 The buckwheat is very hearty but somehow the maple flavoring softens it and makes it a good wheat-free alternative for the luscious truffle-like chocolate filling. It was a lovely treat on a sunshiny afternoon.
What is your favorite memory from your weekend?
This is my contribution to Chaya’s Meatless Mondays. Click here for more meatless recipes.
Dark Chocolate Tart with Buckwheat Crust
Ingredients for Crust:
1 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp maple flavoring
1 cup buckwheat 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 | Apr 11, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
My dear friend Herb died unexpectedly this weekend at 66. I still can’t believe he’s gone.
He was like a beloved uncle or a second dad, the one who teased me unmercifully but would drop everything to help if I needed anything.
Born into an Orthodox Jewish family, Herb was ordained an Orthodox rabbi at 18. He converted to Christianity late in life and was painfully shunned by his family and community, the same community described by Chaim Potok in his book “The Chosen.”
He found a new family and life with his wife Kathy and the homeless men and women he encountered through his prodigious work with the Rescue Mission.
That’s where I met him, as a young newspaper reporter for the Merced Sun-Star in California.
Herb was truly a force of nature. Much too smart for his own good, he could talk circles around the most learned scholars. We had splendid discussions and he took great delight in baiting me and getting my dander up.
Although no longer Orthodox, Herb still abstained from eating pork. But that didn’t stop his friends and family from filling his office with every bit of pig-related paraphernalia you can imagine. He loved it!
Herb talked a mile a minute and always seemed to be thinking of ten things at once, but he was also exceptionally observant and a good listener. If you even hinted at a need in your life or someone else’s, he was already on his phone taking care of it. He would not take no for an answer in seeking help for others, always managing to find clothing, food, money, shelter, and jobs for them when no one else could.
Most of all he loved his family, his friends, his God, and anyone in need. Even total strangers were simply friends he hadn’t met yet. Herb loved as he lived: confidently with utter devotion and an uncanny ability to overcome obstacles. He was like a hedgehog, seemingly prickly on the outside but an absolute teddy bear inside. I shall miss answering my phone and hearing him say brusquely, “What do you want?” 🙂
Herb called me the day he died, but I was too sick to answer and planned to call him back the next day. I was heartsick to know I’d never have that chance. So I cried, aching for Kathy, for Herb’s step-daughter and my friend Lisa, and grieving the loss of Herb from all our lives. Then I got a little smile as I remembered that Herb believed in heaven and was up there having the time of his life wishing the rest of us would hurry up and join him already! So I wiped my tears and asked God if he could please pass on a message for me, then said all the things I didn’t get the chance to say.
I am so grateful to have known this man. My life is better because he was in it, and I miss him already.
by Krista | Apr 4, 2011 | Bootstrap Monday
Good morning, luvs! How was your weekend?
I stayed cozy, warm and dry at home whilst rain poured, drinking mug after mug of strong cream tea as I read and napped. It was the perfect time to think through things.
After writing about When One Door Closes last week, I went through a lot of emotions: sadness, fear, anxiety. But after the initial storm passed and I took a few deep breaths, hope crept back in and I realized that through the disappointment I had been given an unexpected gift: choice.
I was no longer tied to what was behind that closed door, and it got my creative mind whirling. My bed was covered with books and papers and a notepad as I read and dreamed and wrote and started narrowing things down to what really makes my heart happy. It ended up being so interesting and very eye-opening as I faced various fears and insecurities head-on. I feel so much stronger and braver now.
Forgive me for being so cryptic about this situation in my life. Hopefully one day soon I will have the answer I need and then I can tell you all about it so we can celebrate together. In the meantime, thank you, thank you, thank you for the love and support you’ve lavished on me. Your kindness has given me much courage and I wish I could hug you tight.
For this very rainy and thought-filled weekend I decided comfort food was in order. I’ve been reading so many old-fashioned stories lately and they put me in the mood for old-fashioned food like Creamed Eggs on Toast. Mmm, how I love the peppery white sauce studded with hard-boiled eggs. It goes so well with a crisp, well-buttered piece of toast and a steaming mug of Earl Grey tea.
What is your favorite old-fashioned breakfast?
This is my contribution to Chaya’s Meatless Mondays. Click here to see other delicious meat-free recipes.
Creamed Eggs on Toast
Ingredients:
4 hard-boiled eggs, halved and sliced
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2-1 tsp pepper (I like a lot!)
1 cup milk
3-4 slices hot buttered toast
Directions:
- Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
- Add flour, salt and pepper, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbling.
- Remove from heat and add milk.
- Return to heat and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute.
- Remove from heat.
- Fold in boiled eggs and pour over toast. Serve immediately.
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.
