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Do you have a favourite tray? Why not set it with your best dishes and a pretty flower and send a photo of it to a friend with an invitation to join you ? Ideally in person but even if it's WhatsApp or Zoom, or Facetime..  I just did and she said yes! Not face to face this time, but soon....
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Ready to grab a mug of instant the other day, I stopped myself and decided to make real coffee. As soon as I had made that decision I slowed down. I knew it would take a little more time and I realised how nice that was. That small ritual... I took it out to the greenhouse.  I've had lots of meals and drinks out there and of course it's where I celebrated Midsummer (see here). It made me think of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, British Elevenses, English Afternoon Tea, Swedish Fika....  A cool moment..  Small pot of espresso  Dissolve tblsp sugar  Pur over lots of ice cubes  Add 100ml milk  Enjoy!
This is the first time I have made an iced latte In fact it's the first time I have had an iced latte It won't be the last. Do you have a favourite hot weather drink? ..for water and for knowledge! I drink a lot more water if I make up a jugful with a little lemon, cucumber and a splash of tonic and keep it sitting out. So far I am enjoying reading Michael Singer's The Untethered Soul, The journey Beyond Yourself. (I'm almost half way through.) Inner strength? Spiritual growth? Maybe a good use of this strange time. I would like to think I can come out of it stronger.  Yes, same title as yesterday, but yesterday I meant it literally. Today with an announcement that easing of the lockdown may be imminent here in Scotland, I mean it in the sense that things may be getting better! It can't come soon enough. The strain is beginning to tell. Normally pretty disciplined about what I eat, I binged yesterday on treats and fell into a 'sugar -sleep' on the sofa in the afternoon. It's all too easy to start thinking What does it matter? What does it matter if I write a blog post tonight or leave it till tomorrow? What does it matter if I wash my hair today, if I put off changing the bed for one more day, if I don't bother cooking tonight....If I skip the death tally today. Perhaps what matters for me right now is to find sweet things to do for myself that don't involve sugar! Pick little posies of lily of the valley to put beside the bed and in the bathroom. Check. Light a candle. Check. Have a daytime bath. Check. Send a loving message to someone else who is alone. Check. Wear something different. Check. Suggestions welcome! Trivial perhaps, but also quite important. As so often it's the little things that make a difference and help us maintain our equilibrium. What matters to you right now? A change in the weather has brought me in from the garden - the good weather and the garden have kept me going for weeks - so although I'll continue my survey of the garden design I'll also take a fresh look at my sheltering space... home.  Blackbird and heron
Clematis 'Freda' needs her fringe cut..  Talking of which have you been cutting your own hair? I've always had a bit of a go at my fringe between haircuts, but I have just given myself a full cut! My hairdresser, who is very meticulous, will have her work cut out when she eventually gives me another cut - one of my first wishes after lockdown. My first day of juicing was great and I am not the least bit humgry. If you are interested in the topic you might like this documentary.. Does preparing to do a health retreat mean eating up all the coffee and walnut cake before I start on Saturday so that aI am not tempted during the juice fast? I think I know the answer to that :-( Here is the recipe. 225g butter 225g sugar 3 large eggs beaten 225g SR flour 30ml coffee essence (I didn't have any so made a pot of espresso) 75g walnuts chopped Save some halves for decoration coffee buttercream 20cm cake tin oven 180C 350F Gas mark4 for about 45mins Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, beating well. Fold in flour, coffee essence and walnuts. When baked (springs back when lightly pressed) leave in tin to cool for five minutes. When cold, cover with buttercream. Cut into slices and freeze open, then wrap individual slices in foil to freeze. I will definitely make this one again for the wonderful coffee mornings I am going to have when I am allowed to see my friends again!  Today I saw the first swallows and yesterday I heard the first cuckoo. These things always lift my spirits and nourish my soul.  Watching the beautiful colours develop in the tulips also lifts my spirits.  They change every day.  Even from morning to evening.  The colours of the stems change too.  So subtle - this tulip started out yellow... I just woke up this morning feeling better. So I made a late birthday cake. Please help yourself...  What lifts you up when you are down? Man cannot live by healthy food alone.  Sometimes only chocolate will do! What is your go-to in times of crisis? I do realise that many of you in the early stages of restrictions on your movements really won't care a hoot (umderstandably!) about what I am eating here in Venice, but when you are quarantined, as we have been for about 10 days now, food and mealtimes become even more important than usual. lWe can go out to shop for food. Beautiful fresh food is plentiful. There are no empty shelves, or panic buying. Here are some photos taken on Saturday.  Fresh meat, fish, fruit and veg  So many kitchen and toilet rolls they have to stack them in the aisles..  Easter eggs....  Beautifully wrapped Panetonne Having said all that.... I was delighted to find a copy of one of my favourite books about Venice here in the apartment.  Heather loves to cook. How lucky am I? She made risotto di asparigi e scampi.   It was absolutely delicious with a wine from the Veneto.  From the same book I made us a Rossini (like a Bellini but with strawbeerries). A cup of strawberries blended with a tsp of lemon juice and a tsp of sugar topped up with prosecco. Beautiful. This thoughtful gift of a lightweight portable blender has come in handy for smoothies and Rossinis. Thanks guys.    Ricotta dolce al limone Best eaten on the balcony in the sunshine. Be assured we are following and keeping up to date with directives and washing our hands continually! The argument might justifiably be made that we are in fact safer here in Italy where every possible precaution is being taken to avoid the spread of coronavirus, than in uk where they are just beginning to talk about such actions..... At the moment we are focussing on, and grateful for, work, food and wine.  All shops are now closed 'except those selling basic necessities'. ;-) This is where we did our shopping yesterday. The most beautiful Spar you have ever seen. Frescoes, ceiling paintings, even a stage. (Spar is a very ordinary grocery chain of small shops in uk.)            And you exit through red velvet curtains. Who knew shopping at Spar could be so beautiful? No shortages or empty shelves. Wonderful. Stock markets are tumbling, the retail sector here in uk is making huge losses, but Hotel Chocolat (a brand - not actually a hotel) are reporting increased chocolate sales of 15 per cent!!
Haven't resorted to chocolate myself yet, though if I lived nearer the shops I may have. It's an ill wind as the saying goes.. ..of a fabulous Super-Healthy Family Feast which was everything I could have hoped for, I am trying not to think of the words Venice and coronavirus!
Hopefully, tomorrow we are having a family feast. In the last hour we have had sunshine, rain, horizontal hailstones, lightning and the biggest rumble of thunder I have ever heard. I do beleive the house shook. There is snow on the hills and the wind is 53mph. But, weather permitting, almost the whole family will be here for dinner. There are lots of different dietary requirements and everyone is bringing something - their favourite Super-Healthy dish. As a family we are pretty health conscious and we will be sharing our best tips and recipes. I am making soups, hot vienna bread and several big salads from my most used cook book. I think I will photgraph some pages from it to take to Venice with me.  The weather in Venice today - Full sun, 13 degrees, zero per cent likelihood of rain, and winds of between 1 and 4 mph.... Have a good weekend. I will of course start eating sensibly again, but first I have to finish off the leftover cake, biscuits, ice cream and chocolate covered raisins because I can't possibly eat well while they are in the cupboards and the sooner I scoff them all the sooner I will be eating healthy again. I know there is a flaw in this train of thought but I can't quite see a way out. I mean it would be wrong to bin all that nice food and I have given away as much as people are willing to take (they all have their own hoard). However, after a day of indulgence, which I didn't really enjoy, I am ready for a fresh start. I like new beginnings, a new notebook, a new resolution, a new page, a blank canvas... So, open all the windows - even if its raining and blowing   Empty the rubbish bins, recycle the bottles.  Ear vegetables, drink water.  Clear off one surface - even if that means just piling it all up on another surface for now...  Light a fresh candle.  Get outside. I was only going to the bottle bank but bumped into a friend and went a much longer walk. You know you will feel better for it.   Then make a cup of coffee and sit down and write about it!
Even if you don't write a blog - a new diary? Your own Thought For The Day? A new list? Blogging is an odd thing in many ways, but it certainly makes my life more fun! I'm off to do Fly Lady's Home Blessing Hour - I listen to her as I do it - she's so wonderful and makes me laugh. Laughing as I do the housework? Who'd have thought it! Have a great day. Have you heard of G bombs? It's a list of foods to boost your body's immune system. I keep it in my purse and make sure I buy something from every category when I am food shopping. G greens B beans O onions M mushrooms B berries S seeds Do you have any other tips for avoiding the dreaded lurgie? Mary mentioned hand washing, which I have to confess to forgetting quite often. As children we had to wash our hands before every meal. Wiping doorhandles and light switches with disinfectant now and then is probably a good idea too. While travelling on public transport can be a hazard with people coughing and sneezing, being out in the open air going for it maybe counteracts the risks! Though city air may be a risk in itself....  I LOVE when someone is playing in the piano garden at Central Station.  And I really liked the view from the restaurant  and the elegance of the decor  in the Grand Central Hotel  which also comes in a seasonal gingerbread version! Grand, but welcoming and not too expensive for a light lunch. Today is the first time I have been in here and I am thinking what a great place to wait for a train, or to meet someone. I could get used to this! ..our own city. I have an excellent new book about Glasgow called 111 Places In Glasgow That You Shouldn't Miss. My friend Ann and I grew up in Glasgow but on our first foray with the book we found three places we didn't even know existed. The Russian restaurant mentioned in yesterday's post and The Cup Tea Lounge, once the Bank of India with an amazing Victorian tiled interior....     A full day menu and at night it's a gin bar. Really nice. The third place lies behind this fine facade in Trongate - the world's oldest surviving music hall apparently! Pretty grim and seedy looking inside and certainly atmospheric (it really felt like Halloween) A group of people are aiming to restore it. See more about the incredible Brittania Panopticon here.  I am listing all the entries that have restaurants and Ann and I plan to eat our way through the book this winter! We also have the version for Edinburgh - we are going to have fun. There may be one for a city near you.... Cafe Cossachok Glasgow  folk decor  the whole ceiling covered in Russian shawls  hot borsch in an (edible) ryebread bowl  and for me, selyodoschka pod Vodoch'ku! Herring with gherkin, onion, sour cream, crispy potatoes and a shot of vodka. Delicious, Can't wait to go back!
..fruit with the leaves still on!  How beautiful is that?  Spanish clementines in a natural basket for the princely sum of £1.50. I've had my eye on the cheerful mug from Dunoon ceramics (sadly no longer made in Dunoon) for a while. A fun shopping trip.
What have you treated yourself to lately? If the answer is nothing, what will you treat yourself to the next time you are shopping?  Cranberry green tea with a tiny sprinkle of nutmeg and a couple of raisins and an almond dropped in. We were served spiced drinks like this in Stockholm one December. I bought the Alessi coffee spoons at The Hepworth gallery lovely shop. Simple, with a nice weight to them and perfect for scooping out the juicy raisins and almond. Simple pleasures for the darker months. ..at how my body's defence systems actually work!  I am really enjoying this book. It's a big read, but not a difficult one. The author describes how our body's five defence systems work to protect, heal and regenerate, and explains how foods are now being tested in the same way as drugs to assess their effects on diseases. It's specific and detailed (which accounts for the size of the book) and I am finding it fascinatng. Along with Eat Right For Your sight by Jennifer Trainer Thompson I am using it to refine my diet bit by bit adding more and more beautiful (normal and readily available) foods! Another source of inspiration is the Blue Zones newsletter. There is lots of good news out there on the health front. YouTube is a good place to start I would say.. you can listen to Dr William Li on Ted Talks and at medical conferences - it's all on there. (I've not forgotten the 12 Rules For Life reviews....just got a bit behind!) |
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