Sophia Lindop - A Unique Food Experience

What's the secret?

Paddy and I are a sorry pair today!  He has staged a full-on war against the flu virus, and if I sneeze once more, I will have to cut my nose off! 

Not exactly an inspiring thought, so I thought I'd share with you an amazing experience we had on Friday evening.  We were privileged enough to share an hour or two with Dr.John Demartini - what a guy!  He also featured in the movie "The Secret", which, if you haven't seen, you should make sure you do soon!  It's all about the Law of Attraction (no, not that kind!)...  So I spent the day in my pajamas, paging through old magazines, cutting out, and putting together my "vision board", i.e. the things that I want in this lifetime, so that I can focus on those every day and not fall into the temptation to focus on what I do not want.  Not in an "I want, I want" kind of way, but the things that I want to achieve, gain, grow in, etc. 

I am pretty good at this already, except for the fact that I learnt that I need to be more specific!  So, instead of saying that I want to one day publish a recipe book, I should say that I want my recipe books to hit the shelves by such-'n-such a date.  See what I mean? 

So now I have all my dreams, my vision, my goals and my aspirations on my board in full colour, all waiting to come true!  I can't wait!!

"I wanna be a cowboy..."

So, there I am, every day (oh, yes!) mounting my bike, and pedalling away...  I am actually enjoying it!  In three days I have built up the stamina to cycle for 15 minutes without falling off the bike and foaming at the mouth.  Walking down the stairs afterwards is a challenge, though - ever tried walking on jelly?

Talking of which...  I mentioned that I am in the midst of a jam, preserve and jelly-making frenzy, and there seems to be no cure!  I have been bottling everything that lies still for long enough -  Paddy says that he will have to keep moving.  "How to keep your man young and active..." - by Sophia Lindop.

New kid on the block

Originating high on the Andes Mountain, quinoa (pronounced 'ki-nwa') is a species of goosefoot grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds.  It is a pseudo-cereal rather than a true cereal as it is not a grass. Its leaves are also eaten as a leaf vegetable.  The Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa as "chisaya mama" or "mother of all grains", and it was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using 'golden implements'. Its protein content is very high, and it is a good source of dietary fibre and magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest.

Quinoa is an easy food to prepare, has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to white rice or couscous.  The first step in preparing quinoa is to remove the saponins, a process that requires soaking the grain in water for a few hours, then changing the water and re-soaking again, or rinsing it in ample running water either in a fine strainer or in cheesecloth. Boxed quinoa typically has been pre-rinsed for convenience.

A common cooking method is to treat quinoa much like rice, bringing two cups of water to a boil with one cup of grain, covering at a low simmer and cooking for 14–18 minutes or until the germ separates from the seed. The cooked germ looks like a tiny curl and should have a slight bite to it (like al dente pasta). Alternatively, one can use a rice cooker to prepare quinoa.

Vegetables and seasonings can also be added to make a wide range of dishes. It is also suited to vegetable pilafs.  Quinoa can serve as a high-protein breakfast food mixed with honey, almonds, or berries; it is also sold as a dry product, much like corn flakes. (Thank you, Wikipedia, for this information...)

Going nowhere slowly...

So, the bike is being used, and I must say, I am actually enjoying it.  I have it set up with the best view of our TV, and although I'm not moving (and keeping in mind that this girl needs constant stimulation), I pedal away while watching my soapie...  Paddy calls it my "Tour de Trance" - I am a strong girl, and can take the abuse!

Anyway, this is my favourite part of the year, and mainly because artichoke season has dawned on us!  Hallelujah!  Can't think of anything better!  Mine are standing tall, and I carefully inspect them every day, hoping to find that first gem... 

No more excuses!

Paddy and I bought that exercise bike this morning, and we will erect it this evening, and by tomorrow morning I will have to come to terms with the death of any or every one of the following:

1.  It's unsafe to walk in the late afternoon
2.  I have no one to walk with
3.  It rains all winter long so I can't walk
4.  I hate the gym
5.  I don't have the time to exercise...

Today's the day!

Ready...

Steady...

And the winner is...

While we were away on our flyfishing trip to Dullstroom, we were spending precious time with good friends, one of whom is my adopted Greek mother.  Since my own mother passed away, I have been lucky enough to be adopted by a host of amazing women!  Anyway, being Greek and not too fluent in English, she could not join her daughter, Katherine, and myself playing Scrabble, so she sat with us, not too charmed, playing Rummy with herself.  She'd deal two hands as if there were two people playing, and talk away while playing cards with her 'imaginary friend'.  Once, during our game, Katherine looked up as our mom was finishing off one of her games, and asked, "Who won, Mama?"  With a mischievous smile she said, "Both of us!"

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It's...

I must be honest, I can't wait for the upcoming long weekend!  I need an energy boost.

Last night Paddy and I were chatting about birds and birding (we are both keen, as you know), and he mentioned that the peregrine falcon was the fastest bird on earth.  The cheetah can move at about 70 kilometres an hour, so when he asked me to guess how fast the peregrine falcon goes, I guessed 85 kilometres...  Not!  Apparently this bird cruises at a speed of 350 kilometres an hour when stooping on its prey!!  Move over Superman!  Talk about speedy!

Monday blues

OK, so there I am, on a stage, the spotlights on me, I open my mouth, and the angelic voice of Celine Dion spills from my lips.  And I sing, "If you kiss me like this, and if you whisper like that .............."  Relax!  It's SO not true - don't we all deserve a little fantasising?! 

I just discovered that the only way to afford tickets to go to Celine Dion's live concert early next year at Vergelegen Wine Estate, is to rob a bank within the hour, before they are all sold out!  It would cost way over R1000 for Paddy and I to go.  All I have to cheer me up is, ".........it's all coming back to me now..."   

Say it as it is...

When we were visiting on my family farm about a month ago, Paddy and I took our 'un-biological' son (my brother's firstborn), Richard, to check out the bird hide that my mom had produced as a surprise for Paddy and I.  We are both keen birders.  Anyway, we were explaining to him that we were going to the bird hide to look at birds, so when we got there, we were settling in to get 'ornithologically' active, while he remained physically active, up and down, looking underneath the seat, over the sides...  Finally he looked up at Paddy, puzzled, and asked, "So, Paddy, where are the birds hiding?"  Good question!