the dreaming Press.

the wee history of my vintage mug

My mother bought two of these mugs for herself with an entire week's salary in probably 1967, from what I can remember her telling me. Or maybe it was 1968. She loved them (but passed them on to me during one of her crazed 'this has got to go!' phases), and this one is all that remains.

She is *the last of the Mohicans*, and she's mine. I love this Denby mustard coloured mug because it is the vessel for many a memoried tale.

It has held cup after cup of tea, coffee & of course...rich sweet cocoa. If this mug could talk it would tell you many splendored things. The very best thing to drink from it though would be...

Spiced Hot Dark Chocolate

1 quart soy milk

6 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon coarse salt

In a small pot, combine all ingredients and stir over medium heat until the chocolate has completely melted & is steaming hot, about 5 minutes. Serve in your own vintage mug and drink with friends, on the front porch while you watch the stars come out at moonrise. {Telling many more a splendored tale.}

lake bones, skip stones

 
The lake yields her bones to the dry earth.  Alas, the driftwood is too large for me to cart home.

   

So we skip stones and give earth offerings of feathers and pebbles in gratitude for things like;

buttercrunch ice cream with marshmallow sauce~

polaroid cameras & film to go with~

health, movement, thought~

freedoms both physical and spiritual, pineapple, root beer floats, coffee scented with mountain blueberry~

fireworks, freezies,

squirrels.

Gratitude works, it really has it's use.  It cultivates more and then some of the abundance you have in your life already.

If you enjoyed the pasta salad recipe of last post, you'll lose your marbles over this next one.

Pineapple Mint White Tea

8 bags white tea

4.5 cups water, boiled

large handFULL of mint

pitcher with a cup and a half of fresh pineapple chunks

Make the tea in a pot on the stove with the mint. When steeped for four minutes strain into the pitcher with the pineapple.  Chill for a day.  ENJOY!!!

Sweeten this one or not, I don't like it sweetened.  Nature has flavour all her own that shouldn't be messed with.  But if you like a lump or two, then go right ahead! Whatever floats your boat. ;)

xoxo

Almost forgot, a song the lake would love for a summer day.

And tonight, yoga after I run. 
Big smile.

a pirate's life for me- {post number 500}

 
The late, late nights.  They make you lazy.  You stay up late, you rise late, you eat late, you do everything well, late.  And it's a clockless wonderful thing.  Time? Who cares! We are on holiday.  We don't need no stinkin' clocks.

A life without clocks, hmmm.  I may just get tired of that after a time.  ;)

A decision has been made and it's a pirate's life for me.  No straight irons for the hair.  Breezy gauzy dresses and sandals-kinda beachy laid back.  I'm feelin' summer, and it's a pirate's season.  Makes me want to anchor my ship in the Leeward Islands and pitch my hammock on the nearest coconut tree. Such dreams, huh?

I've been eating the *best* eat-clean pasta salad you could ever hope for, with fresh mint, olives, red onion, feta cheese & red wine vinegar...so very good.  It's not that creamy store bought pasta salad.  This one is actually good for you!  Here is the amazing recipe so you can try it yourselves:

*Best* Pasta salad recipe in the whole world:

2 1/2 cups of whole wheat bowtie pasta

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

1/2 seedless cucumber chopped up into bits

1 yellow bell pepper cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1 cup of canned white kidney beans (rinsed and drained)

1/2 small red onion diced

2 ounces of fat reduced feta cheese, cubed

1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves, chopped up small

1/4 cup of pitted kalamata olives, halved

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 teaspoon of minced fresh garlic

1 tablespoon of honey mustard

1/4 teaspoon of oregano

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Prepare the pasta according to package directions and then rinse in cool water.  Pat dry on paper towels to make sure there is no water left on the pasta.  Combine the pasta with the olives, beans, peppers, cucumber, mint, red onion, feta cheese and tomatoes. 

In a separate small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together to make the dressing.  Toss it all together and serve. 

So SO freakin' great! You will love it.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. xoxo

 p.s. this little blog has now pumped out 500 posts! gimme a whoot!!! xo

 

Hello blueberries!

 
Succulent, juicy organic blueberries.

Lately I'm eating for cellular health.  If it doesn't make my soul sing, I refuse to eat it.  Which means, no more junk for me.  At least this week. 

Verdant, lush green spinach.

Here is my simple yet totally healthy and yummy salad:

Spinach

Spanish onion & poppy seed dressing

Handful of organic unsalted sunflower seeds

Fruit of your choosing.

Eat!

As you can plainly see, I chose blueberries.

{I'm off now to dream a beautiful dream, goodnight and sleep tight.}

 

xoxo

Beet-root love.

Two large bunches of beets.

Remove stems, keep the verdant green leaves on top.

The juice of three freshly squeezed Meyer lemons.

A good dollop-half a cup or so of your best olive oil.

A pinch of coarse Mediterranean sea salts.

Four hundred degrees.

One hour.

Remove those skins when cool enough to handle, trim off the root end and the stem end, quarter.

Coarsely chop the green tops.

Toss in your favourite wooden salad bowl with the lemon/olive oil/sea salt dressing.

Four hundred degrees for five more minutes.

The best freshly roasted beets you'll ever eat.

xo

Follow your nose...dinner for six is served.

Today is the holiday of *love.*  {But love in my house is everyday.}  Every stinking day!! So lucky I suppose.  Are YOU lucky in love?  Do you love to love? What about that secret ingredient that goes into the tastiest meals....yes LOVE? Tasty, isn't it?

Well today I am meeting up with my husband and our two girls for a Japanese dinner but before we do, this is our lunch.  I actually made it to eat for tomorrow's lunch, but this chili will be lucky to survive the night in my house.  It is filling, healthy and very delicious.  Give it a try, it will become a favourite in your family too.

Part of loving someone is feeding them well, to the best of your ability.  Making healthy choices where possible.  Nurture yourself, by preparing lean protein & high fiber meals.  Your body will thank you.  Then your husband's body will thank you ;)

Drawing a winner soon through the Random Number generator for the One World One Heart prize.  The prize I'll shop for in about two weeks.  Good luck to those who entered and thank you for reading my blog!

So that you can all be winners, I've posted the recipe for the chili.  Because things are only good when you share.  I wouldn't dream of keeping this to myself, that would be so selfish, yes??? xo

Vegetarian Chili-Serves Six

Ingredients;

2 tbsp cumin seeds (Toast them in a pan over medium heat until you can smell them, then remove and set aside.)

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

1 head roasted garlic (I used 2 cloves chopped garlic, turned out fine)

3 tbsp chili powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I like my chili hot so I used double this amount)

sea salt & freshly ground pepper

1 cup canned white kidney beans (for all the beans please rinse and drain)

1 cup canned great Northern beans

1 cup canned red kidney beans

1 cup canned black beans

1 cup corn kernels (canned is fine, fresh is better)

2 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable stock or water (I used veggie stock, yum)

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried basil

4 squares of 75% or higher organic chocolate

28 oz (the big one) can of tomatoes

Juice of one fresh lemon and one fresh lime

Prepare;

1. In a large saucepan, very large, warm olive oil over medium heat and add the onion, carrot & red pepper...stir until onion is transparent.  Stir in chili powder, cumin and sea salt & pepper, and the red pepper flakes.  Cook ten minutes covered, stir occasionally.

2. Add everything else.  Blend well, cover, and cook on simmer for 20 minutes.  Done! Eat it! With brown rice or whole grain rolls.  You will LOVE this chili xo

From my favourite cookbook and lifestyle bible....:)

Adventures in thrifting, music, cooking & love~.

 

Thrifting+Me=Happiness & Joy!!!  Check out the sweet new Kodak Brownie Starflash {the superheroe of old cameras~!} I also picked up an old German SLR, in the original brown leather case.  For peanuts.  :)

I'm wiggling and skipping and jumping for JOY because two of my favourite acts have new albums (can I still say album or does that make me old?  don't answer that)  Bat for Lashes and Coconut Records.  If you ever hitch a ride and I pick you up you will be forced to listen to this, okay?  Natasha Khan is my style hero and I just LOVE her voice.  Listen and watch. Isn't that AWESOME?

My beloved sister in law (the perfect health nut) inspired me to eat clean.  So now I am eating flavourful spicy food that is as close to it's natural state as possible.  I'm addicted to this.  I'm a kitchen whiz!  And now my kids are off the frozen pizzas so I'm happy.  It requires organization in the kitchen, and planning, but it is all worth it.  Go see.

Love? Well love is...allowing your husband to joke about the breakout you are suffering due to the self-inflicted detoxing...

Julian: "Hey, uh, what's up with your face?" (sporting a grin)

Me: "Oh, I'm breaking out because of the eating clean thing." (slightly embarassed, looking away sheepishly)

Julian: "Did you watch the You Tube video of the lady from Britain? She sings really well.  Susan..."

Me: (tossing a towel at him) "Shut up you *ss.  You know it's Boyle."

So there you have it.  If he wasn't so funny, he'd be dead.

Enjoy your weekend kids~! xo

***

Bonus material; For a follow up while I was applying my makeup. Julian: "Gimme a G." (goiner)

Then, just before the giant hook came out and yanked him off stage....Julian: "NASA called babe.  They are short a planet."

Lets rest on powdery notes of vetiver.

The above Winged Messenger was photographed on an old steamer trunk.  (I LOVE old steamer trunks!) I always wonder who took this thing around the world, and what was packed inside?  Did it ride on a ship?  A Pan American jet?  Was it full of journals and photographic equipment and lingerie?  LOL

More on the Winged Messengers later in my post...

Let us rest, on a Sunday.  Rest on powdery notes of honey and vetiver.  Doesn't that sound delicious?  But first, let's foray into the woodsy and spicy realm of nutmeg & coriander-then into patchouli & cedarwood.  What do you think?  It's all fragrance-speak.  And it stems from my addiction to Lampe Berger and the many oriental dreams they offer me.  The one I'm speaking of is Charleston...and it smells wonderful.  For more scent descriptions, visit www.lampeberger.com. 

 

Over at Word Garden today, Shay bestowed me with an award...thank you Shay!  I cannot post it, as I'm challenged with the codes etc...but when I figure it out I will indeed.  The bonus of being blog friends with Shay is, when you visit her you get to listen to Bob Dylan! :)

I'm all about this yummy vegan stew today.  I made the version you see pictured above this morning. A girlfriend made some and brought it over for our lunch the other day...and I adored it.  Here is the recipe;

Totally Delicious Vegan Stew

Tons of smooshed up garlic, or a big blob of garlic paste.

Chicken or vegan stock for the broth. 

White or red kidney beans.

Whole wheat pasta...any kind.

Tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, red and green peppers, onion, corn, peas etc.  Whatever veg you have basically.  Oh, and spinach.

Stir fry the veggies in the garlic.  Add the cooked pasta, beans and broth.  Voila. 

It's that easy.  Ten minutes.  You'll LOVE this.  You should smell it! Mmmmm.

Oh! and it is completely inexpensive to make as you can cheat like I did and use canned tomatoes, frozen corn, peas and spinach nuggets along with frozen Mediterranean mixed veggies. 

:)

Susanna from Susanna's Sketchbook was dear enough to mail out a "Winged Messenger" to me...this week I will take it out and around town to photograph it.  I'll post some of them here...

Last but not least I tried a self portrait but the light was terrible.  I'm still learning!  Enjoy your Sunday and have a lazy, delicious day filled with Bob Dylan, good stew and patchouli breezes.............. xoxo!

Blueberry poppyseed salad :)

No, this is not a food blog.  Sadly.  But I love food!

Today I'd like to share with you my latest craze.  I am currently addicted to this salad. It is a recipe I adapted from my sister-in-law's friends recipe.  (Pretty convoluted, huh?)  Without further adieu, (and you simply must try this)...here goes;

Blueberry Poppyseed Salad

A handful and a half of organic spring mix per person you are serving

Two tablespoons of poppyseed dressing per person you are serving (mix half Renee's and half Kraft, it tastes much better, don't ask why! I think it is because of the onions in the Renee's, yummy!)

One tablespoon of honey roasted sunflower seeds per person you are serving

Half a cup (per person you are serving!) of cucumbers, diced without the skin

Half a cup (per person you are serving, yes!) of fresh blueberries

 

Now;

Toss it all like mad.  Slap on a plate.  Add any accoutements you may desire, such as diced tofu, pulled chicken, sliced beef or skewered grilled shrimp.  Myself I go for tuna the odd time!

Or, alternatively, enjoy it all on it's own.  Straight up.

The original recipe called for sliced strawberries.  It too, is super good.  However, I substituted blueberries and liked it better.  Mandarin oranges work well in this salad too.

Tip; Be sure to go check your teeth after.  This salad makes for some comical smiles! You just may be sporting a poppy seed or two in your canines.