by Krista | Mar 23, 2010 | Spring
We had spent a happy hour exploring Bled Castle in Slovenia, luxuriating in the cool breezes gusting across the terrace, utterly entranced by the exhilarating views of snow covered mountains, forested hills, and the turquoise waters of Lake Bled.
The mountains surrounding Lake Bled, Slovenia
My friend Ben perched far above Lake Bled.
Although we could’ve stayed up there for hours, we reminded ourselves that we still had much to see before driving to Ljubljana that night. So we took one last look at the amazing vista then headed out through the castle doors and hiked down the winding cobbled path to the lake.
The lake was even more beautiful up close, the water clear and cool, the banks bordered with trees and wonderful old homes.
Research beforehand warned us that the only way to the island in the middle of the lake was by rowboat, so we secured ourselves a sturdy craft and a burly oarsman, and began our peaceful journey across Lake Bled.
Our strapping oarsman.
In an age when everything seems to be motorized and streamlined for optimum speed, there was something surreal about bobbing slowly across the lake, the only sounds the splash of the oars and our occasional bursts of amazed laughter at this grand adventure we were having.
Next time I will take you to explore the island and inside an ancient church.:-)
by Krista | Mar 22, 2010 | Spring
I sometimes wish I lived in the Old Days. You know the ones where when you were sick (and rich) they would prescribe 6 months rest at the seaside, or 1 year in a sanatorium where all your meals were cooked, room cleaned and you had nothing to do all day but willingly submit to mud baths and “taking the waters” and sitting on manicured lawns watching the world go by.
As I watch old movies, I find it amusing that I can readily suspend disbelief and believe that the chap the fair maiden just spilled soup on is in fact the Prince of Whatsit who immediately swoons at her “cornflower blue eyes” and proposes undying love and affection. But when I see those scenes where everyone packs up their life for a restful escape to more appropriate climes I think, “Yeah, right!!”
I wonder if those things really happened, or if they were like us, refusing or unable to rest because there are bills to be paid and families to be cared for and functions to make an appearance at. This weekend, as I once again realized that I had optimistically over-committed my recovering self, I thought, “There’s got to be a better way.”
I can’t pull up stakes and head off to the Mediterranean for half a year to get better, but can I not play Sanatorium Director for my own self? Providing moments of respite and healing in the midst of the hustle and bustle? So that’s what I’m trying to do. 🙂
I don’t have the manicured lawns of a beautiful, white sanatorium to enjoy, but I DO have my Mum’s garden to wander through, and we did that Sunday afternoon as a gentle rain fell.
I can’t spend 6 months at the seaside, but I am within an hour of coast, river or lake. So on the next sunny free evening, I’m driving to one of them after work, past the beautiful mountains that surround us, to watch the sunset.
And, last but not least, I don’t have kitchen staff at my beck and call making me the vegetarian meals I must have for a while, but I have fabulous cookbooks with a wealth of nutritious options. This weekend I leafed through my favorite vegetarian cookbook and found Catalan Spinach with Toasted Pine Nuts and Raisins. It was too odd to resist. 🙂
So I washed and dried spinach, toasted garlic, pine nuts and raisins in olive oil, then tossed everything together with the steamed spinach. Mmmm. 🙂 The toasted nuts and warm fruit play beautifully off each other and provide earthy highlights for the spinach. Delish!
Catalan Spinach and Toasted Pine Nuts and Raisins
(From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)
Ingredients:
2 bunches spinach, stems removed, leaves steamed then chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, sliced
1/3 cup dark or golden raisins
1/3 cup pine nuts
Salt and freshly milled pepper
Directions:
- Warm the oil with the garlic in a wide skillet over medium heat. When garlic is golden, remove to plate.
- Add raisins and pine nuts to pan and cook until raisins are plumped and pine nuts golden.
- Add spinach and garlic and cook until heated through.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
by Krista | Mar 16, 2010 | Spring
We returned from our 5 a.m. walking tour of Venice in time to pack our bags and linger over a hearty breakfast of croissants, muesli and coffee.
Securing one last gelato we left the charming canals of Venice one bright Spring morning, loaded up our 9 passenger van and headed towards Slovenia.
It was a gorgeous drive beside flowering meadows, over mountain passes and through quaint villages. We were enjoying ourselves immensely as Ryan taught us his oh-so-novel dance moves and we sang loudly to The Proclaimers I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles). Suddenly we were startled by this sign:
Austria! How the dickens did we end up in Austria?! There was much laughter and the hurried unfurling of the largest road map I’ve ever seen as we attempted to find out where in tarnation we were. 🙂
To this day we don’t know how we got there, but it was a welcome detour as we pulled off the highway and wended our way up, up, up into forested hills.
As we entered Slovenia we were struck dumb by the soaring peaks rising up before us.
We pulled over to the prettiest meadow and just gazed up at them. Tearing ourselves away, we continued on, finding exquisite beauty at every turn. I was struck most by the color of the river we followed, a pale, ice blue, so striking against the lush green terrain. Before we knew it, we were at our destination: Bled Castle.
First mentioned in 1004, Bled Castle is one of the oldest in Slovenia, and overlooks the stunningly turquoise Lake Bled.
I love these shutters. 🙂
This monk chatting with his bird.
This lovely gateway that I simply had to go through.
We had such fun exploring, but the best part was being rowed across the lake to the ancient church on an island in the center. I shall take you there next time. 🙂
by Krista | Mar 12, 2010 | Spring
“When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I’m feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad”
Rodgers & Hammerstein The Sound of Music
Thank you so much for all your emails and comments yesterday. They really, really meant a lot to me. I was scared to write
yesterdays post, but I knew I needed to, and your words were of immeasurable comfort. You are some of my “favorite things.” 🙂
I felt rather shaky in resolve and courage last night, then the words from “My Favorite Things” popped into my head and how I smiled. 🙂 Julie Andrews is brilliant. Yes, I know it’s actually the writers who are brilliant, but since she is the one who played the roles in The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady (the play) and Mary Poppins, she gets all the credit. At least from me. 🙂 I need a face to go with brilliance. 🙂
As Mary Poppins she very sensibly makes taking nasty medicine a delight by adding a spoonful of sugar. As Maria Von Trapp she steps beyond her painful, lonely or scary circumstances by remembering to focus on the beautiful things in her life. As Eliza Dolittle she is happy with so little, all she wants is “a room somewhere, far away from cold night air, with one enormous chair.” I like her very much. 🙂
So today I’m taking my friend Trish’s wonderful advice and spending this weekend delighting in all that makes my New Life beautiful, safe and loving.
It’s storming something fierce outside, winds howling, raining pouring off the tree branches, so tonight I’m going to stay home, cozy and warm in my “one enormous chair” with dark hot chocolate, popcorn and good stories.
For dinner I’m having my favorite Irish potatoes. A couple of years ago a dear Irish friend taught me how to make them, and oh, how I love them! Potatoes (I like Yukon Gold), green beans and garlic, all boiled up together until the beans are soft, then mashed with olive oil, salt and pepper. Unbelievably good. 🙂
Saturday I’m sleeping in – HOORAY! 🙂 Then puttering about sorting through the boxes and bins I hastily shoved in closets and under tables to make the place look livable. I’m going to listen to music that makes my heart happy, and throw open all blinds to let the outside in. Saturday night I get to go to my cousins house for a big ol’ family shindig. SO fun! 🙂 And Sunday? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see. 🙂
Now I will leave you with a few places that have brought beauty, peace and joy into my life. 🙂
A grassy hillside overlooking the Santa Maria coast in Italy
A sunlit meadow in Slovenia.
An early morning walk through Venice.
I wish you a beautiful weekend. 🙂
Irish PotatoesIngredients:
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cleaned and chopped into chunks
1 handful fresh green beans, chopped (I use a can of green beans when I’m in a rush or starving. So, pretty much always. :-))
6 cloves garlic, cut in quarters
Salt (if using canned beans, you won’t need to salt the water, just pour in everything from the can)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
Directions:
- Combine first four ingredients in a pot, add water to cover, and boil 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
- Drain.
- Mash vegetables with olive oil and serve warm.
by Krista | Mar 10, 2010 | Spring
I’m cozied up at home enjoying a free evening to read, get caught up on “24” episodes, sip tea and recover from a killer flu that hit last night. Yeesh. I’m getting knocked flat with stuff this winter! Thankfully it was of the 24-hour variety and I’m feeling heaps better. 🙂 I celebrated with dark hot chocolate and some great new podcasts from Itunes. In my quest to save money and pay off bills, I’m always interested in finding free things to do that are entertaining and informative. It’s amazing the free podcasts that are available: old time radio, Writer’s Almanac, This American Life, all sorts of ones on travel, history, music and literature. I’ve having a grand time! 🙂
This weekend I had a sudden and irresistible urge for that lovely Greek spinach pie: spanakopita. So, after a deliciously relaxing Sunday afternoon, I headed to the kitchen. I popped in a dramatized audio version of “The Horse and His Boy” and set to sauteing spinach with savory onions, mixing them in with tart feta cheese, nutmeg and lemon juice, and enclosing it all with buttered phyllo dough into tidy little packets of goodness.
I love the sunlight filtering through the crispy layers of phyllo. 🙂
I only par-baked them, freezing most of them for a rainy day. When I’m ready, all I have to do is thaw, bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or so, and they’re good to go! I do so love easy, yummy food. 🙂
As I recover, I’m looking for good ways to detox and restore my system. Do you have any ideas? Please share them if you do! 🙂 Thanks so much. 🙂
Spanakopita
(From David Lebovitz)
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and minced
12 ounces (325g) fresh spinach, well-washed and towel dried
salt and freshly-ground pepper
8-10 ounces (230-250g) feta cheese
2 tablespoons finely-chopped flat leaf parsley
pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg
1 large egg, at room temperature
lemon juice
16 sheets filo dough (about 12 ounces, 350g), thawed, if frozen
Melted butter (2-3 ounces, 60-90g)
Directions:
- Heat oil in a large saucepan or skillet. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until transluscent.
- Add the spinach and a bit of salt and pepper, cover, and cook until the spinach is completely wilted, stirring once or twice to hasten the process.
- Scrape the spinach into a colander and let cool completely. Once cool, firmly squeeze out the excess liquid then chop the spinach with a chef’s knife into smallish pieces.
- Mix the spinach in a small bowl with the feta and parsley until chunky. Taste, and add nutmeg and a squirt of lemon juice, plus more salt and pepper if desired. Stir in the egg.
- Unwrap and unroll the filo and keep it covered at all times with a damp tea towel.
- Working quickly lay one sheet of filo on the counter and brush it lightly, but thoroughly, with butter. Lay another sheet on top of it and brush it with butter as well.
- Set a scant 1/4 cup (50g) of the filling in the center, about 1-inch (3cm) from the edge of the sheets of filo, then roll the two edges of the dough over, lengthwise, to encase the filling. You should have a long rectangle with filling underneath the top far end.
- Brush the exposed surface of the filo with butter and fold one corner diagonally over the filling, then continue folding keeping the triangle shape (as you’d fold a flag) and brushing the exposed surfaces of the filo with butter, until you have a neat triangle. Brush the top with butter and set on a baking sheet in the freezer.
- Continue making more spanakopitas with the remaining filling. Once all the spanakopitas are frozen, store them in a freezer bag until ready to bake. If well-wrapped, they’ll keep for a couple of months.
- To bake the frozen spanakopita, preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and put the frozen triangles on a baking sheet, then brush each with butter. Bake for 30 minutes, or until deeply-golden brown. If you’re baking them without freezing them first, they’ll take less time to bake, so check them before the recommended baking time.
by Krista | Feb 16, 2010 | Spring
I am recovering from my car accident today, so I will simply share these beautiful pictures from the Italian countryside. They bring such peace to my heart. 🙂
We made tisane with this scrumptious lavender.
