1. Turmeric Chai/Latte
I’ve been meaning to work more turmeric into my diet for its various health properties, particularly its anti-inflammatory super-powers. So when a pack of Turmeric Elixir caught my eye while I was re-upping the tea supply at Murchie’s a few weeks ago, I brought it home with me. It sat in the cupboard for a week or so, until I resolved to try it as a replacement for my habitual afternoon tea, thinking it might be a good idea to dial down the post-noon caffeine.
Pater and I both enjoyed our turmeric tea that afternoon — I added a quarter cup of heated milk to each serving and a bit of honey. Enjoyed it enough that it became a bit of a ritual over the next week, until the package emptied. . . At which point, I trawled the ‘net for a recipe or two, rummaged through the cupboards for the necessary ingredients, and have come up with a much less expensive, equally tasty, although slightly less convenient variety — I just sliced a small knob of ginger into a saucepan, added a few peppercorns, a few cloves, a cinnamon stick, and shook in some ground cardamom and spilled in a teaspoon of turmeric, added enough water to make up our two mugs, and brought it to a boil, then turned the heat down and let it all simmer for about ten minutes.
When it seemed ready, I added in a good dollop of milk, a teaspoon or so of coconut oil, and the same of honey. I added the milk and oil mainly because I’d read something about their contribution to the bio-availability of the turmeric’s good stuff. My science may be questionable. . .
I plan to pick up some turmeric root at our local grocery store later today, and will use that next time instead of the powder, but yesterdays’ drink was a pleasant substitute for my usual Ceylon Select.
Have you tried Turmeric Chai or Turmeric Latte or a simpler Turmeric Tea? Do you make up your own? Have any suggestions? Or scoff at the trend? (which I’ll admit I could easily do in a pinch 😉
2. Nutritional Yeast Dressing
There will be no scoffing at all, however, at the deliciousness and sheer efficacy of the nutritional yeast dressing we were introduced to at my son and daughter-in-law’s last week. I’d heard about nutritional yeast but it had never graced my pantry. But Z and J served us up a Buddha Bowl (brown rice complemented by sautéed mushrooms, charred broccoli, julienned raw beets and carrots, pumpkin seeds, pea shoots) made I-can’t-stop-eating by the dressing we drizzled over it all.
He sent me this link afterwards, and then I did some poking around online for other versions with slightly different proportions and/or ingredients, and I ended up making a version closer to this.
Seriously, a tablespoon or two of this will turn whatever’s in the “crisper” drawer of your fridge into a yummy meal, especially if you mix it up with the leftover whole grain you tucked away in that Tupperware container. . . . Hence my using the noun “efficacy” as one of the dressing’s qualities. . .
Have you tried it? Will you? And tell me, have you learned some great recipes or culinary tips from your kids? That phenomenon is at least as delicious as this dressing, truly. . . .
3. New Shoes
I really could leave this photo wordless, couldn’t I? Except I’d like you to know that these were comfortable from the get-go. Officine Creative made them, Gravity Pope sold them to me, and the cobbler down the road is going to put a Topy sole on them next week to protect them from our rainy sidewalks — and yes, I’ll also spray some protection over that blush-pink impracticality. But honestly, I’m looking forward to them getting a bit of patina on them, and I’m hoping not to be upset by a stain or two. . . .
4. New What-Shall-We-Call-It
We spend a few (too many) hours in this room watching Netflix together, often eating dinner while catching up with a favourite show. Being short of stature, I find I’m much more comfortable if I can put my feet up, and we’ve been making do with a leather ottoman we brought from our old house. Trouble is, it’s big enough that it has to be moved down to storage when we open that sofa into a bed for guests — and then it can take a while for it to get brought back up again. Plus it’s just not the right proportion for the space.
So we’ve been making do, but keeping an eye out, and the other day, my guy made it a mission to solve the problem. Honestly, when I saw the effort he was putting into looking online (and I realized there might be a gap between our respective aesthetics regarding a solution), I got into the act and researched the possibilities offered by a cool design shop up the road. That oak tabletop lifts off easily, but stays in place thanks to a lip in the metal basket base. The what-should-we-call-it shifts into the corner very accommodatingly. And there’s all that storage space in the basket, although right now, we prefer leaving it empty for a less cluttered look and to let the rug show through.
And in case you’re wondering where His feet rest while mine are happily supported by that oak disc. . . . we’ve ordered a second, so there will be a His and a Hers what-should-we-call-it. . . .
5. Watercolour Drop-Ins
And finally, the watercolour drop-in mornings have begun again at the local botanic garden, so my fall begins to take on a more structure schedule. I appreciate the instruction and the motivation and the inspiration I get from these drop-ins, and perhaps just as much, I enjoy the relaxed social atmosphere.
Yesterday, I bypassed all the vases with stems of flowers or berries or ornamental leaves the volunteer put together for us, and I chose instead to make a simple arrangement of three Cornus kousa (Korean dogwood) berries.
And then I was flummoxed by how to indicate something about the various planes/angles of those stems. . . Our instructor sat beside me, though, and demonstrated (on her own sheet of paper) how she would show the relief through shadow.
Then she left me to try it on my own while she went off to help someone else. I haven’t got it yet, but I’m on my way. . . .
So. Friday, here we are, poised at the weekend.
Any plans? Any comments? Any questions?
I think your watercolour efforts are marvelous. Maybe a matted and framed triptych ( is that the correct word?) of bread, apples and berries in the future???
Not sure about the tumeric tea though. This maritimer has only recently grown out of her family's tendency to have the tea pot perpetually o the stove. Stewed not steeped I guess. Builder's tea? Seriously… I haven't drunk my tea like that for years. But it still has to be black tea. Small steps:)
P.S. Thumbs up to the pink shoes. Alyson Walsh has a similar pair, so you're in good company.
I have a Yorkshire heritage (my dad) and we've been the same way. Black tea, well steeped, with milk. But I'm trying my own small steps. . . . And if there's any anti-inflammatory benefits to be gained from the turmeric, I'll give it a try.
I remember that Alyson has a pair. Good company indeed!
#6 Your language test(s)…how did you fare? Have you decided on lessons?
I have made turmeric latte/golden milk and use it in cooking from time to time but not regularly…so am now taking a daily capsule. Just in case it helps my arthritic feet (I will pretty much do anything to that end as long as it doesn't harm me.) And speaking of feet how is your toe? Mostly recovered?
The recipe…I want the whole thing, dressing (the tahini version) and bowl…I forgot about nutritional yeast over the summer.
Enjoy your weekend 🙂
As I thought about what I said above, in case I sounded nosy 🙁 it wasn't the results of the test I was asking about…but rather how you felt about it (my own 'other' language skills seem to wax and wane unexpectedly, I would be hoping to have a good day when the test came!).
And I linked to the recipe…I want to EAT the whole thing…maybe it's not just my 'other' languages that have off days…
Not nosy at all — the test was just a placement test, 10 minutes of conversation. We decided that while I qualified for the Advanced class, I would be more comfortable in the level just below, Intermediate II, since my goal is to build confidence rather than to add vocabulary or strengthen grammar. I was surprisingly relaxed in the interview, but I always struggle with the hearing part, which is also a problem for me in English (my hearing aids are good, but . . . )
The recipe is SO good — and I knew you meant "eat the whole thing" 😉
Love the shoes! I think you'll find that pink is surprisingly neutral. Those footrest whatchamacallits are pretty darn clever too…I'd love to find something along those lines to replace the pretty-but-too-big glass-topped coffee table in our living room…
That's what I'm hoping, with the pink. I already love it with black and navy (and was it you or Alyson or both of you who paired it with olive?)
Hope it doesn't take you as long as it did us to find something that worked for the tables, but then, you'll probably make a more concerted effort. Our daughter has a set of nesting curved-plexiglass tables that group effectively in front of their sectional instead of a coffee table, and I like that look as well. . .
Such pretty shoes! I've not tried turmeric tea nor nutritional yeast dressing, but they both sound good, and I'll give almost anything a try. The whatchamacallits are a great solution in your condo. Putting my feet up is de rigueur when watching television.
Weekend plans include a one-night trip to Pender Island with friends and a little puttering at home.
The nutritional yeast is a surprise — apparently super heatlhy.
I envy you that overnight to Pender Island — enjoy!
Some things just sound better in other languages even if they are basic. French – "table de chevet" (foot table) or "panier de pied" (foot basket). Or Italian – "tavolino" (foot table). Sounds so much more elegant in another language. 🙂
It's so true, isn't it? Especially when you roll an rrrrr or two pronouncing the other-language term 😉
My husband was drinking turmeric tea for a while but I couldn't develop a taste for it. I'm not really a tea person. We watch a bit too much Netflix as well and I do need my feet up. It's more comfortable. I like your table as our ottoman is clumsy as well. Your paintings are really progressing. Christina left Paris about half an hour ago and I'm changing apartments today. I'll stroll down by the river tomorrow and enjoy a solo Sunday. I loaded up the new Elizabeth George book and I started watching The Resistance Banker. I'm not sure if it was added to our Netflix. It's Dutch. Happy Week-end!
I'm becoming accustomed to the turmeric — and given that I was drinking three 10-12 ounce mugs of tea each day, it's probably a good habit to cultivate.
Hope you're all settled in your new apartment, adjusting to your daughter's having left. . . .I enjoyed that Elizabeth George very much — go Havers!!
I haven't yet read the 5 things but I can say that I am very familiar with the turmeric latte. In truth, while I love the colour, I find it a bit strange. I prefer to have my turmeric in a "shot" (from the cold pressed juice peeps who charge a stupid amount of money) or I like putting it in all of the savory things (but in quantities that don't compete with the flavour of what I'm making). I just don't love the taste with milk, though I can totally drink it that way. I mean, it's not off-putting, just not appealing. Now off to read the other 4 things.
I have to agree, but I'm working on it. And the cinnamon and ginger go a long way to convincing me. . .
OK, love nutritional yeast (it's like miso – so versatile) One of my fave things is marmite but I don't eat it anymore because I used to put it on well-toasted bread with TONS of butter. But you should totally do that with your homemade bread!
Ah, so that's the yeast in Marmite — ha! makes sense.
Can you believe I've never had nutritional yeast in the pantry before?
Marmite is hydrolyzed yeast which is supposedly bad for brain cells. Nutritional yeast is grown on molasses, I think. We vegetarians/vegans have been eating nutritional yeast for years because the Red Star vegetarian formula has B12. And it's great with almost any savory dish.
Thanks for this info, Cara! I hadn't heard of the Red Star formula, but will now keep my eyes open — any way to get adequate B12 into a diet is good.
Try dry nutritional yeast on popcorn. Hazelwood Herb farm used to sell some mixed with herbs. Brenda.
I love the shoes!
OH, I am SO trying this — yummm!
Thanks, I could see you in these shoes, actually.
The tea sounds delicious! I also take a large chunk of tumeric, cut it into small 1/2" slices, and pop in ziploc in the freezer. It's easy to put a few pieces into smoothies, stir fries, & curries. Looking forward to making the salad dressing this weekend.
Thanks for that tip — I'll do that with the pack of turmeric root — a good way to make sure I don't waste any.
I like the idea of the frozen turmeric root-although I don't know if I could find one. I use turmeric a lot in all the dishes where it can go (or where I can hide it),but have never tried the chai latte
Your watercolours are always lovely,they get better and better,but I love almost all of them already, as they are
Pink shoes! They are so nice
Dottoressa
I was surprised to learn we could easily buy turmeric at our local grocery store, but I'll admit I find the powdered turmeric easier to use.
xo
Your shoes are very beautiful. I like that simple elegance. And a cobbler down the road – that is something to be grateful for.
Your watercolours are getting better and better. It must be fun watching your own learning curve.
Re that little music video on Instagram: was it really May when you were in Munich? Seems like yesterday.
Thanks, E. I feel so very fortunate with that cobbler in the 'hood — and a woman as well, with a very old-school-new-hipster-artisanal approach that I love.
I know! Munich doesn't seem that long ago at all!
Ahh, such a happy five! I drank a turmeric tea for a while last year, although I don't know how I lost the habit. Must look into that.
I'm not sure how long I'll last — I'm rather missing my afternoon cuppa, such a creature of habit as I am. . .
I've decided to try making a Glory Bowl…I like the sound of that dressing, Thank you!
I put my feet up when I watch TV or read…we have two small arts and crafts stools in the living room but I make use of a smallish table in the family room…I tried tumeric tea but found it too strong…several of my friends swear it helps them stay healthy.
Apparently, the recipe is in the Whitewater Cookbook, which I think you've mentioned before.
I haven't been a turmeric fan, but I'm working on it for the health benefits. We'll see.
How funny, I just went out to buy nutritional yeast this week as I went to an astonishingly good vegan restaurant in Melbourne on the weekend, bought their cookbook and am dying to try some of their recipes, many using nutritional yeast. Whoever (K-line?) said it’s like miso is spot on – it’s that umami thing.
Yes! The Umami. . . and marmite, of course!
Ha! Here it’s Vegemite, less sweet than Marmite but an amazing addition to all sorts of things …