by Krista | Sep 25, 2015 | Spring
One of my favorite things about medieval enactment is learning about the spices, fruits, vegetables, and herbs that were used in medieval times.
This past weekend I got to see the Templar style of eating and found it fascinating.
My friend Michelle, one of the pilgrims in the Templar encampment, made these beautiful little jars featuring some of the spices she uses to make food for the Templar group. I’ve used all of them in my own cooking except the Grains of Paradise, and I’m excited to get some of my own one day soon to experiment with.
Here’s my friend Lawrence cutting up bread for a marvelous invention he made over the weekend, a medieval version of French toast.
Instead of the traditional egg, milk, and cinnamon mixture we use to dip bread in before frying, he dipped the slices in apple juice then cinnamon and toasted each piece over the fire. Oh my. Such comforting flavors and heavenly smells.
The kitchen bench was also covered with an array of bowls full of good things to snack on like fresh strawberries and salty pistachios.
Oranges, mandarins, apples, and plump dates were also in abundance.
These crispy little pastries were light and crunchy, just the sort of thing you want to grab to nibble on while heading to a battle or for a bit of exploring around the markets.
Lawrence also made a lovely strawberry sauce out of overripe strawberries. It would go beautifully over the grilled apple cinnamon French toast.
I like the look of this seeded bread in the basket. Doesn’t it make you want to tear off a piece and dunk it in herbed olive oil?
One of my favorite things the Templars make isn’t a food at all, but a drink. This gorgeous rosewater cordial flavored with fresh lemon and mint. It is truly refreshing on a hot afternoon, and so pretty to look at.
This week my friend Velva from Tomatoes on the Vine asked me to write about how I got into medieval enactment, and I’m happy to do so.
I’ve always loved history, spending innumerable hours as a girl reading encyclopedias, history books, and reference books to learn as much as I could. Reenactment wasn’t part of my world until I met my husband, Bear. I’d never known anyone who engaged in it, and really knew nothing about it. I honestly thought it was weird people dressing up in strange costumes and pretending they were someone else. How wrong I was.
Bear never pressured me to join in, just invited me to an event to see what I thought. I loved it!! These were my people, lovers of history and information, researchers and those who got in to try all the things I’d only read about. I met people who made leather shoes and Templar shields, those who dyed wool and linen with things they grew in their back yards, folks who made mead and their own ink and hand-sewed the most exquisite garments. I met bead-makers and wood-carvers, weavers and naalbinders, bone-carvers and blacksmiths.
I simply had to be part of it.
I joined the group run by my husband, Blackwolf, which is set in late 12th century/early 13th century, and started researching all sorts of cultures from that time period. My first persona was from medieval Finland and I set about making traditional 12th century Finnish clothing as I decided what I wanted to do. I thought about food, combat, clothing, and other crafts, and finally settled on medieval folk medicine. It has been a fantastic journey of learning and experimentation. I learned how to make my own medicines using herbs I now grow in my gardens. I love having things in my cupboard and fridge to alleviate stomach pains, headaches, burns, and cuts. That led to my writing a book of medieval remedies earlier this year. (Click here for a preview.) Making my own remedies is an extension of my desire to be as self-sufficient as possible.
The last few months I’ve been working towards a Bedouin persona, delving into the history of medieval Bedouin food, medicine, and culture. I’m working on new garb and adding Bedouin herbs and spices to my stock cupboard. It’s marvelously fun and interesting.
Now, however, I must get back to modern life and start a load of laundry, finish up the ham and cheese muffins I’m making, and tackle some paperwork.
What are you working on today? xo
by Krista | Sep 23, 2015 | Spring
Bear and I are home safe and sound from our wild and wonderful trip to the St. Ives Medieval Faire. We’re utterly knackered after the 27-hour round trip, but chock full of great memories made with old and new medieval friends.
It makes me smile to think back on all the great discussions held around campfires, huddled under tents out of the rain, and on straw bales outside the sanity-saving coffee vendor’s tent. There’s truly never a dull moment at medieval events, for each person you meet has a passion backed up by years of research and experimentation that leads to the most fascinating conversations.
I learned about medieval perfumery, Varangian leather armor, how to make soap from olive oil, what people ate for lunch in the 14th century, Templar religious practices, Odinism, Scottish herbalism, surgical practices in medieval times, and how to do Viking tablet weaving.
I loved strolling through the medieval encampments and market stalls, learning all about how rose petals and Grains of Paradise were used in the Middle East and what vegetables were grown and cooked with by the Vikings.
I couldn’t get enough of all the gorgeous handmade crafts, from hand-dyed wool and linen to carved wooden spoons. Aren’t the colors marvelous?
I’m always charmed by the naalbinding mittens, socks, and slippers. They look so cozy and warm, and the cheery colors and patterns are delightful.
Some of my favorite displays are the toys. The hand-carved wooden horses and tiny dolls made from scraps of wool and linen.
All this beauty and talent and history inspires me no end. As I sat on the bus coming home, my brain was whirring with things I want to research, make, and taste. Bear and I talked a mile a minute when we got in our car for the final leg of our journey, listing plans to enhance our own encampment, garb, and personas.
We want to finish the medieval bed Bear started a while back, complete my armor so I can start practicing medieval combat, and add the colorful Bedouin tassels I’ve been making to the Bedouin baby cradle, doorway to our tent, camel saddles, tent poles, and anything else that needs them.
It all makes me so happy and excited.
But first we need to settle back into normal life a bit. There is laundry to be done, dishes washed, bread made, animals fed, gardens watered, and errands run.
It’s so good to be home. xo
by Krista | Sep 16, 2015 | Spring
We had a gorgeous storm tonight that brought us some much-needed rain. Even though it wasn’t a lot, we are thrilled and thankful.
Bear and I have been working flat strap the last few days getting ready to head to St. Ives (near Sydney) for the St. Ives Medieval Faire. It’s a new event for us and we’re delighted to experience medieval camping in a new way. Instead of going as our usual Blackwolf Bedouin encampment, we’re joining the Templars as a pilgrim (me) and combatants (Bear and our friend, Adam).
As much as I love our encampment, and I really, really do, I’m excited to see how the Templars live, camp, and eat. We’ve been getting to know them over the last few months and they’re such a hilarious and jolly bunch.
I’m wearing new garb for this event too. Gone is my Finnish dress and in its place is the garb of a woman on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I must say it’s rather fun to embody a new persona, if only for a weekend, and I look forward to grilling our Templar friends to learn more about what life would have been like for “me” during the Crusades.
In order to go adventuring for four days, Bear and I have been working hard to get the gardens and orchards watered and mulched, and all the feed, water, and shade ready for our animals so our lovely caretakers don’t have anything to worry about. They do such a good job keeping an eye on our house, property, and animals while we’re gone, and we like to make things as easy as possible for them.
I’m sure looking forward to this getaway with both new and old friends.
Now it’s time to finish packing and get all the food together. I’ve got homemade oatmeal raisin cookies, dried apples, dates, nuts, seeds, bread rolls, double-smoked ham, Croatian salami, and frozen bottles of our fresh-pressed apple juice. I think we’re almost ready.
Hope you have a fantastic weekend! xo
by Krista | Sep 15, 2015 | Spring
Sometimes I have a lot of words swirling around in my head, tumbling over themselves in a race to get typed into a blog post. And other times, like the last few weeks, I have none. I sit down to my computer and all I can do is feel. The expressions for those feelings haven’t resolved themselves into anything comprehensible. I don’t understand yet. And when I don’t understand, I can’t communicate.
My friend Margo once told me that when she’s traveling or muddled and doesn’t have time or energy to write it all out, she just writes in bullet points. Short little bursts of information from her day and experiences that help her remember and track and, one day, understand.
So here are my bullet points from “my lately”:
- Asparagus growing is wondrous. One day there is nothing, the next there’s a 6″ spear ready for eating.
- Sundresses are the best item of clothing in the world. Truly. I find it difficult to ever be too downhearted in a sundress.
- When I’m grieving or hurt or sad, going outside at sunset and sunrise never fails to ground and comfort me and remind me that it’s OK to feel these hard things. They will pass.
- Bear bringing me a cup of tea without being asked makes me feel more loved than if he showed up bearing diamonds.
- Gardening makes me feel like I’m a magician. I throw dried up old seeds in the dirt, give them some water, and before long they’ve transformed into sugar snap peas and artichokes and tomatoes. Amazing.
- Watching baby animals of any variety is excellent therapy. They elicit laughter from even the most battered hearts.
- Stealing a few minutes to read a novel is never, ever a waste of time.
- Go for a walk. Even a little one. You’ll not regret it.
- Muscovy ducks make me smile. They are so quiet with their quacks that they seem to always have laryngitis.
- When you stroll past a rosemary bush, run your hands up the stalks then breathe deeply from them. Bliss.
- Eating lunch on the veranda makes even sardines, olives, and cheese feel like a feast.
- Reading other people’s blog posts is like traveling for me. Their words and photos take me to places and experiences completely different than my own, and make me a more balanced person.
- Re-reading my favorite childhood stories has been such a good idea. It’s like revisiting all my happiest memories.
- When I get homesick for mountains and pine forests, a dish filled with pine cones and set on the table sure is nice.
- Baking a cake is always a good idea. Especially when it’s a simple, homey one, heavily fragrant with vanilla and studded with spirit-soaked cranberries.
What are some bullet point moments from your life that you’re treasuring this week? xo
Vanilla Cake with Boozy Cranberries
Ingredients:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup spelt flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 cup vodka or rum soaked fresh cranberries
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 F (180 C).
- Cover removable bottom of 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
- In medium size bowl, beat together sugar and butter until pale yellow.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.
- Beat in vanilla extract.
- In small bowl whisk together flours and baking powder. Add to wet mixture and stir until well incorporated.
- Add milk and beat until mixture is smooth.
- Add cranberries, stirring gently so they don’t break.
- Pour into prepared pan and place in oven.
- Bake 35-40 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
- Let cake cool in pan 5 minutes, then remove and cool on rack until ready to serve or until fully cooled and ready to store.
by Krista | Sep 10, 2015 | Spring
I’m home again after a sunset tractor ride with Bear through our bush. It’s one of our favorite things to do together, getting totally away from everything and trundling along on our old red Massey tractor as we point out roving gangs of kangaroos, the exquisite light shimmering through the gum trees, and our favorite spots where “one day” we’re going to build a cabin with a veranda overlooking the trees, back dam, and valley beyond.
It’s been a contemplative week for me, one where I needed to pull my borders in close and rest, giving myself time to grieve the loss of two dear ones, time to do those things that comfort and heal.
Nature, love, and companionship with a trusted soul, these are the things that strengthen me.
I took naps and read books and wrote many, many words in my journal.
I lingered in my gardens soaking up sunshine and celebrating every new sign of life, excitedly showing Bear each tiny harvest of asparagus, peas, and baby beets.
I shared many cuppas with Bear, talking or just sitting quietly, finding comfort in his hugs and kindnesses.
They were all good things, so good, and today I was ready to step back into the world.
It was a lovely day for stepping back. Gorgeous Spring sunshine warmed us to our bones and cool breezes fragrant with new blossoms kept us from sweltering as we worked.
Bear and I have been building new pens this week and this afternoon we nearly finished number three. Soon we’ll have enough to be able to rotate our flocks of ducks, chickens, geese, and turkeys so they always have a source of grass and weeds to peck through while staying safe from foxes and wild dogs.
Today I spent with Oma at her farm, visiting over our favorite Earl Grey Tea and homemade chocolate cake in between all sorts of projects. We oohed and aahed over her gorgeous pigs, trimmed the beaks of naughty egg-pecking chickens, dispatched some roosters for the stew pot, bottled her latest batch of whiskey (smooth as silk, I tell ya!), and taste-tested her luscious caramelized marmalade jam – just to make sure it was OK.
It was a beautiful end to my stepping back day.
Now it’s time to finish up my latest wood-burning orders, have an evening tipple of Oma’s whiskey, and go to bed for a good sleep.
Wishing you a beautiful weekend. xo
by Krista | Sep 4, 2015 | Spring
It’s one of those funny sorts of days where I’m perfectly happy but feel all sorts of emotional, getting weepy at the drop of a hat. I know it’s because of all the kindness I’ve received and observed this week. It never fails to turn my heart to mush and make me a bit soppy.
The refugee situations in Europe and Australia are breaking my heart. I wish I was rich enough and powerful enough to find everyone a safe place to live and grow and thrive. But I’m so thankful for those who are doing everything they can to help and comfort and support. If this situation is on your heart too, here are 5 practical ways you can help refugees, starting today.
I’ve seen kindness close at home too. Yesterday my friend Oma spent the whole day with me showing me how to use her feather plucker, how to butcher ducks and chooks to get the most use out of each bird, and shared recipes for corned meat, sauerkraut with black pepper and caraway seeds, and crispy fried duck pressed under a brick. Then she gave me a stove. A stove!!! Do you remember I told you my stove and oven (and electric frying pan and spice grinder and bread maker) konked out last month? Bit by bit we’ve been replacing the appliances, but a stove is a big one and had to wait a while. Well, Oma told me, “I’ve got two and I don’t need two so one is for you.” I cried. Such generosity and thoughtfulness. It’s the loveliest little oven, just enough to bake a loaf of bread, a roast, or a pan of cookies, with two burners on top for soups, boiling potatoes, and frying eggs. I love it. And have named her Rosie.
It was such a beautiful day at Oma’s, working in the shed out of the wind, thoroughly enjoying the novelty of lush green grass and wildflowers after a dry and withering winter. As we plucked and gutted and carved and chatted, we were able to talk about so many good things in our lives: rain for our gardens, chooks laying eggs again, friends who are really there for each other.
When you move to a new country, it takes a while to find your place, to build the relationships that will be the ones you depend on when life goes wonky. And today I’m quite overwhelmed with gratitude for the lovely people in my life here. People I can ask for help when I don’t know what to do, who can ring me for a ride somewhere or to pick something up or to lend a hand in a project they’ve got going on. We’re there for each other and it is a lovely, deeply comforting feeling. It’s good to not be alone in this world.
Earlier this week I got to spend time with my friend, Kathy. Several months ago she invited me to join her gardening group and we’ve become dear friends since then. She grows and sells seedlings and plants and always has something new to try, like Egyptian mint. I love going over to her place for the afternoon. A “quick visit” always turns into hours of animated talking about herbs and veggies, happy perusing of seed collections, and sipping wine while catching up on all the ins and outs of our daily lives. We’re always swapping plants and seeds and sharing things we’ve grown, baked, or brewed. This week I brought her goat manure, black violas, pansies, bush lemons, and spelt flour, and she sent me home with celery, mugwort, horse manure, and a stack of cool new seeds: apple cucumber, jam melon, Amish paste tomatoes, Italian striped zucchini’s and other treasures. If you’re on the Southern Downs of Queensland and want healthy, hearty plants for your garden, pop over to Facebook and join her group: Pots of Herbs and Punnets of Seedlings.
Today is sunny and quiet and peaceful and I’m exhausted after a very busy week. 🙂 So I’m taking the day to potter, to rest, to do the things that restore my body and spirit: reading, naps, sorting seed packets, making soup, and chats with far-away-but-dearly-loved friends who always give me courage and inspire me to press on with hope.
What kindnesses have you experienced this week? xo
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