Summer Plans

I can't believe that there's less than two week until I'm off to Quebec for six weeks: four weeks in a French program where I'll be speaking French entirely, plus another week and a half spent in Montréal with my sister before coming home again. I'll be put on a plane to Quebec City, after a quick layover in Toronto (I'll definitely check out the restaurants with an iPad at each seat!), where I'll then make my way to Rivière-du-Loup by coach - among another 3,000 kids all traveling to similar programs across the eastern part of the country that day. Atleast I won't be alone!

I'm nervous, I'm excited, I'm thrilled to be travelling somewhere new (crazy that I've traveled to Europe so many times, but have never visited anywhere in Canada farther east than the Rockies!), and I'm also a little apprehensive that I might miss the final moments with my friends on Bowen, before they're off to university, and we're off in a moving van to Victoria in the fall.

With the sun shining consistantly these past few days, up before I wake up and already warming the house, and setting just as we finish dinner on the deck (rare for our usually rainy June), I'm inspired to get up from the sunny breakfast table and explore - outside, in the trees by my house, or along the beaches... or even farther... an adventure of sorts, and with it, a new experience.

I thought with plans of upcoming adventures, I'd check back to Moorea Seal's 52 List Project, and choose another to begin summer with. You can check {here} to see the last list I posted: My Greatest Comforts. Today, I wan't to write down all my goals for this summer, just before it officially begins in the calendar year this Friday (and the longest day of the year!)

It's important to me this summer that I don't miss out on special experiences, once in a lifetime

Read more »

May Showers Bring Back Tea Time

It's May still, isn't it? Yep, according to my calendar we're still right in the middle of it, but heading into a series of days clouded by heavy rainfall. Just when I thought summer was finally nearing, and we were pulling out shorts and tank tops from the backs of our dresser drawers. We had already enjoyed a couple of evenings sitting out on the deck, a plate of chicken burgers on the barbecue, and a salad with fresh fruit set on the table. I'd already started taking those days for granted, riding around the island in shorts and a tank top, flip flops hanging off my toes, on my little red and white scooter. Just hoping for a couple more days of sun, especially over this Mother's Day weekend, I bought a pair of shorts to hopefully get a new shade of tan on my legs - and just as I came out the shops the wind picked up in a fluid motion of clouds covering the sun as well.

I guess it's back to long pants, hot drinks, and big umbrellas stacked by the doors and covering the sidewalks where people should be. Remember shopping in the rain? Jumping into a coffee shop after dashing across the street to be welcomed by a throng of the ten or so other customers who had the same idea - a hot latte and the last of the gluten free baking (oh my goodness, one more scone, don't let that guy take... Okay the cookie looks good too), and just because it is such a rainy day all of a sudden, I'll take a newspaper to watch the people passing by hurried and soaking (I won't laugh, at least not out loud).

You know, I've always wanted to just spend time in a coffee shop, working away at something odd in particular, and people watching. We spent a lot of time on Main Street this week, mum and I went shopping for graduation dresses and popped by to check out a store that was closed, and instead grabbed a drink in one of the restaurants, pairing it with jumbo shrimp and potatoes to keep us going. There are some very interesting people around Main, all doing different things and with different styles - and he stores could keep me entertained for hours! 

So in our eagerness to dress shop again at this particular boutique, with dad in tow this time, we entered the store pulling dress after dress off the shelf - each one beautiful and almost perfect in its own way. I got attached to two, very different, and bounced back and forth between them both, trying them on repeatedly and slowly coming to a decision. If you've ever gone dress shopping, no matter the event, you'll know how much goes into finding the perfect one - with the perfect fit and style for both the occasion and you. We were lucky that the store quickly quieted after we came, giving me all the time I needed in the change room, and all the attention of the salesclerk who was so helpful. She helped me come to a decision with my sister as well, who dad had on the phone, and it was so special to have my whole family there while I chose my graduation dress. 

Anyone up for another round of shops... I'm looking for shoes. (However, I might give it a week for my paycheck to be cashed, and a bit of recuperation). 

I felt like a little girl, peeping in at the perfect dress while the shop was closed. I actually picked out the one I ended up getting today on a previous trip, but I suppose something wasn't quite right. We ended up going around other stores and trying on other dresses. However, I needed dad, and my sister, to be there to make the decision. Ha! I should be on one of those reality shows with the emotion and depth I'm describing this "escapade" with. Don't worry, it really didn't take all that long, and a big plate of Egg's Benedict afterwards refueled us all nicely. Shopping is tiring. Especially trying on dresses and walking around in circles in too-big high heels - you have to curl your toes just to keep them on, and let me tell you, they start to cramp up after a couple laps of the store!

Ginger Maple Tea Lattes

{Print me here}

To end a rainy day, a long day, or as you sit and watch the activities of other people dashing past rain covered shop windows, and need an alternative to coffee or tea, a ginger maple tea latte is just the rich and flavorful hot drink - refreshing and comforting, the perfect balance between the teeter-tottering of this weather. 

I love ginger maple tea lattes because of the sweetness and spice of two key ingredients: maple and fresh ginger. Although I use almond milk for this recipe, cow's milk, or other milk alternative would work perfectly. What a great replacement for your morning coffee!

{Serves 2}

Ingredients:

1 1/2 inch of fresh ginger root, grated or chopped 

3 tablespoons maple syrup 

1 cup almond milk

2 1/2 cups water 

Directions:

In a saucepan over high heat, bring ginger, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and water to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. 

Divide the almond milk among two cups, and divide the maple syrup among them also. Place both in the microwave, heating for up to a minute. This can also be done in a separate sauce pan, before dividing among the two cups. 

When the ginger mixture has simmered, remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for another 5 minutes. (Or pour into a french press for this step).

Pour into the cups of almond milk, and serve.

Enjoy! Xx S 

Winter is the Time for Soup

Mum and dad were up and out of the house before I'd even got out of bed, and the rain was drizzling heavily in streams down the windows. It was one of those lazy weekend days where the cat slept in her little basket by the fire, the rabbit huddled under the coffee table, the dog was sprawled out comfortably between the cat and the rabbit next to the hearth of the fire, and there wasn't much going on at all. That is, except for the busy movement coming from the kitchen and bursts of air shuffling through the rooms following my flurry of activity.

The dog just raised her eyes at me, sighed, and went back to sleep. Only lifting her head enough to peer at me over top the back of the chair.

I lazily woke up with plans of cooking and sipping hot tea when I waited for the oven. My pajamas were just too cozy, so I slipped on a pair of fuzzy slippers and began about making a toasty and warm winter breakfast: fibre-filled oatmeal sprinkled with a dash of cinnamon. I cooked on the stove, stirring in freshly ground cinnamon with water and oats, and as the pot came to a boil, stirred vigorously to mix. I topped my breakfast with some apple slices quickly baked in the oven, defrosted blueberries from the valley in the summer, and finally, a spoonful of vanilla Greek yogourt. It was creamy, flavourful and delicious - and extremely colourful, a mix of vibrant blueberry blue, and cherry-apple red. A perfect start to a day of cooking and playing in the kitchen.

If there's one flavour which I could love more than chocolate, it would be cinnamon. Nothing short of delightful, I love the warm aroma of the spice in baked goods, a top my breakfast cereal, or even sprinkled on slices of apple and cottage cheese for a snack.

My tangle with kitchen utensils and ingredients didn't stop there however, for a few hours later, I stepped back into the kitchen for a creation for lunch. From the vegetables leftover in the fridge I chopped and peeled, imagined and fantasized all the while, as I combined flavours together to make something edible, and delicious. It was just the day for a hearty bowl of soup. A little shrimp cocktail from the evening before's dinner - we go big on Valentine's Day: mum makes dinner and I do dessert, a Chocolate Hazelnut Cake in pots - so I had it on the side ready to go with a few crackers. As I lent over the steaming pot on the stove, steam rising and cascading into my face, I felt the refreshing and warming power of a bowl of soup.

Winter Vegetable Soup
Print recipe here.

Chard seems to be in season this time of year, so instead of using the popular leafy green kale, I've opted for a few leaves of this similar dark green vegetable, which I have no doubt has very similar health benefits, full of essential vitamins and nutrients.

As a super quick stove top recipes for those days when you're just craving a bowl of hearty soup to ease the brisk chill of winter, I guarantee that a bowl of this vegetable soup will warm you and your mood.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove, chopped finely
1 tbsp grape seed oil

1 1/2 cup canned chopped tomatoes, with juice
1 1/2 cup water

2 chard leaves, chopped
1/2 cup cubed yam
1/2 cup cubed zucchini
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 each salt and pepper

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan heat the oil, and add the garlic. Cook about 1 minutes, until the garlic becomes fragrant.

Pour in the canned tomatoes, with juice, and add the water.

Bring the pan to a boil before adding the vegetables. I put the yam in a small bowl in a little water and heated it up for two minutes in the microwave to reduce cooking time on the stove.

Add the thyme, salt, and pepper, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.

Pour into bowls and serve with gluten free crackers or bread.

Enjoy! xx S.

Pampered to Perfection: Dinner For Two

I feel as if it has been too long since my last post - ten days has made me realise how much I love each blog post, each creation. It's an outlet for my creativity and imagination, and also a stream of my consciousness limited by only myself.

I understand now that with each post, I will baby my blog even more, as if every addition is grooming and nurturing it so that it will grow and will evermore become greater to me each time I click Publish. I remember how I doubted my perseverance and ability at being able to continue posting throughout the  weeks, even months, but I think I've proved myself wrong and done exactly that.

I'm almost at 3 months at 25 posts. Almost.

Mum and I have started making dinner together again, perhaps due to the fact that I've become more relaxed around the kitchen, and have begun to let go of the control I sometimes try to retain when cooking,

"This goes here, and that in this cupboard here."

One day last week, when it was just the two of us for dinner, I cooked up the initial portion of the meal, blended in the spices and then hurried off to my evening dance class. For my return, mum had finished off the cooking, and placed the dish in the oven.

A wonderfully prepared, a collaboration, the meal was ready and hot when I came home.

Although we may not have been cooking at the same time, we still shared the tasks involved in preparation of that particular meal, and later shared the outcome of the satisfying tastes of something cooked together.

Last week, I started a new routine, a relaxing end to my day, and rejuvenating for myself as well. Sunday night, as I got back into the mind frame of starting another week of school, and the many upcoming tests I needed lots of rest to be able to study for, I also got myself relaxed enough to try and sleep at least 7 hours that night, an unusual feat for a night owl like myself - especially Sunday nights when my mind would rather race circles around imaginary stresses and upcoming depictions of events - almost irrelevant worries as soon as morning arises and the alarm chimes cheerily.

I started with the bottle of flax oil that I've been neglecting, previously unaware of all it's amazing benefits. I'm also intrigued to try the jars of coconut oil that are also being shunned to the cupboards, maybe tonight I'll take them out and give them a try too. There have been many positive reviews for coconut, especially for its rejuvenating effects on the human body, and both oils have been found to be extremely beneficial to the skin as well as general health.

I've heard that coconut oil is an excellent moisturiser, can be used as a face wash - although some with oily skin may not agree - is used as a natural anti-ageing remedy, for psoriasis and eczema, and has many other internal health benefits as well. It comes in many forms, and I have included coconut flour into my gluten-free baking flour mix because I just love its sweeter, lighter consistency, and the much appreciated dietary fibre that it also contains.

So by first pouring a small amount into the palm of my hand, the strong smell distinct among the warming aroma of freshly baked gluten-free goodies: chocolate chip cookies, I began by massaging small amounts into my hair, and especially focusing at the ends where I suffer from frizz, and moving to the roots where skin can become dry, particularly in the winter and dryer months.

I felt so good all pampered that evening, as if I was finally doing the right thing for my hair, giving it the nutrients and care that it needed, so much that I decided to do a face mask as well.

We've got our grad photos coming up soon, it's scary, already so close, and I want to look fresh, refreshed, and of course, healthy. As in glowing with health.

So, after rinsing my face with warm water, I mixed together a few drops of fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of natural honey, which mum was given by a local farmer when she visited the bees in the valley just outside Greater Vancouver, for product sampling. It felt wonderful.

And just for good, internal health, I ate a spoonful of honey as well.

For the fifteen minutes while my masks worked their magic, I took time for myself, laying down with my eyes closed, but also trying to stay out of the dog's reach, who would only try and lick the honey off my face - and she did try very hard!

Then, on Tuesday evening as the American election played out on the radio and via online streaming, I made it a ritual. Red and blues battled against each other for the last time this year as I mixed together my masks: flax oil for my hair between my fingers before being lathered in my hair; honey and lemon first in a small bowl, and then applied to my face. I wrapped up my hair in a small towel and twirled it on top of my head - I couldn't have felt more like a diva, slippers and robe and all.

The Shepherd's Pampered Pie
Print Recipe.

I've grown up on mum's homemade Shepherd's Pie with a tomato base to the sauce, but this recipe, combined with multiple herbs and flavours, will have everyone scraping the pot for that last mouthful! (Not that mum's didn't!)

My favourite ingredient of this dish is the rosemary, a warming and comforting additional twist on a familiar family meal. If you don't have some of the ingredients listed, don't fret, the beauty of the Shepherd's (Pampered) Pie is that multiple variations of vegetables can be substituted depending on the season, as long as the herbs and spices are kept constant to achieve that desired taste.

Let the dish cool slightly before serving, so that all the flavours can be detected upon serving, and so no one risks burning their mouths.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

2 peeled/diced potatoes
2 tbsp vegan butter, such as Earth Balance
2 tbsp rice milk

1/2 tbsp grape seed oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 onion diced
1 sliced carrot
1/2 c sliced zucchini in half moons
1/2 c chopped broccoli
3/4 c black beans, cooked and drained

1 tsp Herbs de Provence
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp rosemary

1 tbsp grape seed oil
1 tbsp rice flour
3/4 c rice milk, warmed
1 tbsp vegan butter
1/2 bouillon cube

pepper to season

Directions

Potatoes:

Place potatoes in a pot with water, and bring to a boil. Continue to simmer until tender. Drain and mash; add butter and rice milk.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Filling:

In a skillet over medium temperature, heat grape seed oil and add garlic and herbs. Then pour in carrots, zucchini and broccoli.

Cook until tender (10mns), then lower heat. Stir in beans and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Gravy:

In a saucepan over medium/low heat, pour in grape seed oil and stir in rice flour to make paste.

Add milk slowly, stirring. Add butter, and bouillon cube. When it begins to thicken, remove from heat.

Pour gravy into filling and mix well.

Spoon into a large ramekin, or individual ones, and top with mashed potatoes.

Sprinkle with ground pepper.

On baking sheet, bake for 20 minutes, and then increase the temperature 415° and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until top browns slightly.

Pumped For Pumpkin

I just saw the page views from last week on my "Pea-Nutter Butter Cookies" Recipe and jumped up, extremely excited - Indonesia to the United States to Russia! It's amazing how many people, who I never imagined, have now seen my recipes. Thank you, to everyone!

Before starting, I was reluctant because I never thought I'd be able to post every week, and stay committed enough to cook every weekend whilst taking photos, but it's become so much more exciting each time, and I approach every post with anticipation for the process. This blog has opened my eyes to things around me that I would never have taken the time to notice before; the beauty of those little things in life, such as small moments that change the day for the better, are especially amazing to experience and ones that I've come to cherish. I've come to appreciate perseverance over procrastination, as the thrill of a popular post far outweighs the comfort of having nothing change, and never taking risks.

It reminds me of the time mum, dad and I looked up from lunch one Sunday to the swaying of a large tree out front of our house. It's one of the largest alders, but tiny branches grown just last spring splayed out from the expanding trunk. Among the branches, his charcoal black coat apparent against the drab brown and golden leaves of the tree, a big squirrel and its even larger tail jumped from branch to branch with vigor and speed, and not one of us knew of his intentions. He climbed higher and higher, to the teetering branches that bounced at the slightest wind, and careened over as the squirrel bounded down the length of it.

"What's he doing!?"

Dad exclaimed, as mum cried out,

"That's amazing!"

I laughed at their excitement, as well as the humor in their expressions, both standing at the window peering up to the trees. You can tell we don't have a TV.

"He's going to get picked off by an eagle..."

Said dad, and I wondered why such a small creature would venture up so high, with so much risk of falling. So much to lose.

"He can't get any food up there can he?"

I asked, "I mean there aren't any nuts or fruit growing on those trees."

"Look he's way at the top!"

Mum shouted excitedly, dashing back to find her camera from a large pile on the counter, an array of written out recipes, pens and schoolbooks.

"That would be a great photo, you can just see the outline of him up there!"

The branch that he was perched on bent precariously under his weight, bowing down ceremoniously. I gasped as he skittered forward, down, so near to losing everything, although so close to reaching the top of the tree.

Just at that moment, with his head tucked underneath the rest of his vertically positioned body, he sprung up and landed at the end of another branch and scurried furiously along it to the trunk of the tree.

A sigh of relief. It was even better than watching a movie.

And with that, after such difficulty and precision in steps, that big squirrel, who we all doubted from the moment the branch began to give way, had completed his journey to the top. Still, his purpose remained unknown, although it seems unlikely that he intended to get a better look at the mountains, or to seek the thrill of being up so high. However to us, he overcame something unattainable. Unbelievable. Extraordinary.

Just like overcoming something in our lives, with adrenaline pumping, we set to high gear. To go. Go. Go. But for some, after days of high heart rates and busy schedules, we rise to an early morning with dropping eyelids and a lagging drive to get up and out of the house.

In contrast to the squirrel, there's nothing behind us, like the fear of falling, to push us to the top, and propel us toward the day. So, for an added boost to my Sunday morning, I combined a bit of coffee, sugar and spice and definitely that something nice! Today, as fall envelopes my senses and imagination for cooking, I scraped the last of puréed pumpkin from the container.

I didn't quite have the energy to purée my own fresh pumpkin. Yet! However Halloween is still coming, and we have not yet carved our pumpkins - so soon!

Spiced Pumpkin Lattes
Print recipe.

A vision for fall:
Crisp air and the soft, gentle glow of the sun against brightly colored leaves. Bundled in warm mittens and scarves we bound through piles of maple leaves that float blissfully through the air as we walk the trails. As gatherings with friends slowly retreat indoors from the unused patio chairs, one treat remains a consistent favorite, and everyone enjoys the comfort of a perfect blend of spices - cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves - smooth, hot, and just enough sweet.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2/3 c brewed coffee
2/3 c almond milk
1 1/3 c water
2 tbsp honey

1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp powdered cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves

3 tbsp puréed pumpkin

Directions

On the stove top, heat the coffee, almond milk, water and honey together
until it begins to boil.

Reduce to a simmer, and add the vanilla, spices and pumpkin.

Simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Pour through a strainer a couple of times to get ride of thickness, and pour into mugs.

Serve.

Egg-specting Today

The morning was cold but awash with sun from the cloudless sky. Down in the Cove I would expect to see swarms of tourists embarking the ferry dock, expectant of markets, shopping, restaurants and many different hikes to await them on the island.

However, to their surprise, it's an even more low-key island than the guide books suggest.

Especially in the fall, when crimson and bronze coloured leaves fall from the towering maple trees, who's trunks take more than five people, arms stretched wide and finger just touching, to wrap around the base. The tourists march their way up to the nearest local, upon being greeted by the few shops at the entrance of the dock, and express their need for another attraction which is generally met with,

"Well you could walk up that hill there..."

Or,

"There happens to be a bus in an hour and half..."

And so, turned away by the thought of walking up, wander around and snap pictures of the picturesque marina, filled with boats that bob like rubber ducks in the bath tub. The prickly wind rustles the leaves of the trees above, and hats fly across the green as surprised victims turn around in wonder.

In time, they'll venture up, rested by the tranquillity and serene atmosphere of this place. No one shouts at one another. People stop their cars in the middle of the street, forcing others behind to carefully manoeuvre around, to have chats with friends and neighbours. Kids and dogs run in the grass, chasing the thrown ball, laughing and barking with excitement.

The walk up to more shops is not long, nor is it strenuous, however it is not what visitors expect to be faced with when they arrive. The core of the island should be located along the beautiful ocean front, where waves lap lazily against the shore, and where most people want to spend their time, looking out from a spot on a bench.

Fall is the season tourists also yearn for a hot drink, coffee and hot chocolate sales rise while the ice cream shops slowly shorten their hours. They ask around, in hope of a place where they can warm up after exploring the well-known and well-worn trails.

Walking into the kitchen this morning, with my hair pulled back into a pony-tail and a sweater snuggling me in, I had stepped into a typical fall day, alight in a warm glow characteristic to this season alone.

Like pumpkins and squash that dot the valley fields in preparation for harvest, warm colours were cast out around the scene from our large windows out front, and leaves rippled on the alders.

Breakfast Eggs
Print recipe. 

Full of vegetables and protein, Breakfast Eggs are a great way to the start the morning right, giving you the energy and nutrients needed for a full day.
I added some chili spice to my eggs for added flavour, which revive the taste buds after sleep, and awaken the senses as well. And since this recipe does not take too long, it can be made before any big day quickly!

I served these with hash browns (recipe soon!), and I bet they would also be yummy on gluten-free toast.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

1/2 tbsp cooking oil, such as grape seed
1 red bell pepper
1/2 white onion, diced
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

5 free-range eggs
1/4 c rice milk
1 tbsp butter, or alternative such as Earth Balance
1/4 - 1/2 tsp of chili powder (depending on how spicy you prefer it)
Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and add the onions and red pepper. Cook until softened, and slightly browned.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with the rice milk, butter and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper.

Lower the stove temperature to medium-low, and pour in the egg mixture and sprinkle the cilantro.

Stirring constantly, cook until the eggs come together. This may take longer than you expect, but do not raise the temperature. The eggs will turn out better without such strong heat, resulting in a softer, smoother texture without the rubbery consistency that results from eggs being cooked over high heat.

Curry Home for Dinner!

Mum and dad spent the end of the week together in Victoria, and arrived home late Friday night in hunger and a tiresome state, having followed my direction to wait until they were home for dinner. And to ignore the smells of hot food from the ferry bistro, which was an excuse to steer clear of the long lines, winding down the hall, and nearly to front of the ship.

Their hunger, as they walked in the door, was stretched on as I simmered off dinner, regretting my planning for time. Thankfully, they had wine to sip at. I've never quite got a handle on the time it really does take for me to cook: a perfectionist's best trait. Starting too late, some nights we eat closer to bed time than "dinner time."

It was my fault for leaving to the store just before closing time, trailing my shopping bag and list, and trying to find the ingredients as quickly as I could in order to race back and start cooking. Before I left, I had been caught up in refurbishing my blog, and emerged in the savoir-faire of things, I kept pushing the trip down later and later as the light outside dimmed slowly. I had finally found out how to add an ingredients index, which means no more scrolling through each post to find the right recipe!

And better yet, this recipe index is filling up nicely.

So, to prepare for cooking I cranked the music loud with the best songs of 2012, and laced my apron around my back. It was a gift last Christmas from mum after she noticed my flour stained shirts after baking, the white powder apparent on black tops, and ruining some too.

Mum and dad sat at the table, poured the wine, and sank into relaxed conversation about the week's events, which overflowed with snippets from their days exploring around. I listened as I attended to the stove, hearing about mum's excursions of Vancouver Island and the people she saw and met throughout.

Starting with coffee, in a small building bursting with noise and activity from the customers settled in, she watched how life played out in this area. Her book as a mask of sorts, she watched as some locals spent their mornings huddled around a large mug while other stretched out the morning paper, scanning the headlines for interesting stories. A group of bikers who'd ridden from another town caught up with friends while comparing their accomplishments on bike. And all different parties, those quiet and those exuberant, were connected by the time and the place in which they had decided to settle for an hour, or just a few moments, and were all greeted by the warm welcome of the young Calgarian at the till, spending time there to explore different places of Canada, experiencing life just as everyone else was, in his own way.

In our own way, we have dinner as a family on weekends, untied by work and commitments we can enjoy the company of each other.

As the skillet was taken off the stove, it steamed proudly and fogged the lenses of my camera as I tried to take pictures before it was snatched into awaiting bowls. Watering mouths were nearly burnt when fingers reached to test the food, and I tried to press,

"Don't worry! It's definitely worth the wait."

And boy, were we glad we did.

Guzzling down water after a burn from scalding food is never enviable, and food is never as flavourful when half your tastebuds are gone, squealing at spicy, and resisting sour in agony.

Instead, we could taste the different spices, all emerging from one pot.

Ginger root, surprisingly the most common ingredient in natural arthritis relief supplements because of it's anti-inflammatory compounds called 'gingerols,' added to this curry dish by complementing the other spices incorporated together as well as making our legs feel great despite sitting at the table for a while.

I once heard that by ingesting raw ginger root one could self remedy problems in the joints, as well as awaken the tastebuds! If raw ginger is too powerful (I've once sneezed because off it's taste!) it can also be steeped in hot water for a few minutes.

And to add to that, check out all the other super-food ingredients packed into this one recipe! Garlic... Coconut... Nutmeg... "An apple a day keeps the doctor away..." And even cilantro, the best cleanser around!

And I don't mean household cleaner, I mean, this superfood is loaded with vitamins and nutrients such as calcium, iron, beta-carotene and vitamin C and has the ability to remove heavy metals from our systems.

Call that spring cleaning!

Especially beneficial for people suffering with depression, Alzheimer's, or other neurological disorders, cilantro can oppose the effects of these conditions which worsen the levels of toxicity in the body.

So with that, I hope everyone will Curry Home for Dinner tonight!

Curried Chicken
Print recipe. 

For a delicious weekday meal, or a scrumptuous Friday night feast, this recipe can be adapted for the spice-happy or the mild-lovers by adjusting the amount of chilli added. To accompany, cook some jasmine rice or a favourite quinoa recipe, which both will soak up the curry and leave your plate clean (which I doubt anyone will need help with at this dinner!)

Serves 3 - 4

Ingredients

3 chicken breasts, cubed
1 tbsp grape seed oil

1 white onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp chilli (add more for an increased spiciness)
1/2 tsp both nutmeg and turmeric

3/4 can light coconut milk
1/4 c mango chutney
zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp salt

1 Golden Delicious or Gala apple, cored, peeled and cubed (make sure the pieces are not too small, otherwise they will become too mushy and fall apart in the curry.)
2 tbsp cilantro, minced (I added more, since I am a huge fan of the fresh flavour cilantro adds, it was more like 3 - 4 tbsp)

Directions

Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat and add the chicken until cooked through and browned slightly.

Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Lower the heat to medium, and in the same skillet cook the onion, red bell pepper, and minced garlic until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add the grated ginger, chilli, turmeric and nutmeg. Stir, and cook for another minute.

Pour in the coconut milk, and add the mango chutney, lemon zest, salt.

Stir in the apple and chicken and then cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Removing the lid, toss in the cilantro and simmer for another 5 minutes before serving over a bed of wild rice.

Just Chai It

In the absence of school on Wednesday, I had the freedom of the whole day to myself. With adults at work, an act that usually leaves only the dog and cat to their own devices, comforted by a small stuffy or treat, the kids had their homes as their playgrounds for the day.

I awoke to the late morning sun streaming in, almost beckoning me to go outside with my dog more than her puss-in-boot-like eyes and nudging of my hands, which to her, must have held the "key" to the wall that opens.

However the cosiest pyjamas (in the world!) still hugged me warm, and it was nice to have escaped the tasks which usually muddled by thoughts and stirred up my priorities that followed a day of school.

I'm usually calmed by a well-baked muffin, one of my favourites, or a big mug of tea, that more than often contains a caffeine boost to get me back on my feet after school and to get ready for dance.

And being deprived of sleep by the Monday morning, I reached the afternoon on a low, with a severe deprivation of energy. The remedy? A quick trip across the block, a small wait in line, to the satisfying comfort of holding a hot cup, with the knowledge that in a while, I'll be bouncing back. And forth. And back. And forth... Which continued until the next day, keeping my eyes peeled, and my brain wide awake the entire time.

Luckily it was only just after midnight, but the clocks had still changed the date, a worry on my mind as time ticked closer the shrill of my alarm... 6 hours... 5 and a half... 5 hours...

With sleep blurring my focus and hazing the clarity of messages beeping on my phone, I set to cooking.

Breakfast IS the most important meal of the day after all.

The aromas of spices started to fill the kitchen, the juice of freshly sliced ginger remained on my hands, a better replacement for perfume, and intriguing the dog when she came near.

Her nose flicking up and down, and nostrils flaring.

Cardamom, my favourite spice, spilled on the counter, but added to the overall warmth of the smells around, and caused no blip of annoyance or anger at myself for causing such a mess, I was unwinding the coils of agitation. Each stretch smoothing out bumps from the last weeks.

I added the spices to the water in the saucepan and turned up the heat, the temperature rising in unison with the sounds from the radio, which were becoming clearer and clearer as the spices awoke my senses.

Homemade Chai Tea
Print recipe.

Comforting, soothing, and smooth. A drink well worth the small wait as you inhale the spices from the bubbling saucepan, invigorating the senses. For cold winter days, chilly September mornings, or as a gesture towards family and friends as they make their way in from work or school (*hint hint* mum!), this drink is the perfect thing to make, and look forward to, in any day.

Ingredients

2 1/2 c water

a pinch of ground cloves (I find the powder as a much stronger taste, which can make the drink end up bitter, therefore I use very little)
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole peppercorns
2 star anise
1 inch fresh ginger, sliced thinly
1 tsp cardamom seeds
2 peppermint teabags (or 2 tbsp peppermint tea leaves)

1 c almond milk (or alternative)
1 tbsp honey (optional)

Directions

Pour the water into a saucepan adding the spices and the tea bags. Bring to a boil.

Lower the temperature and simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat.

Pour in the almond milk and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Strain, and stir in honey. Add more almond milk or honey if desired.

Serves 2.


From so many chai teas, from recipe, and using the available spices in my house, I've become so accustomed to the strong flavours and no longer sweeten mine, instead I test the limits of my taste buds with different quantities of ginger, cardamom and cloves.

*Replacing the peppermint teabags with black tea will add a caffeine boost, but will make the chai darker, and may mask some of the flavours of the spices.