Wellbeing, Walking, Weight, and Worship

Well, I must admit that I'd almost forgotten about this blog. I'm not the greatest at keeping up with these things - there are so many things to write, and do, in life that blogs tend to go on the back burner. That, and my current blog is all about my creative writing and the National Trust so this poor little foodie blog hasn't had a look in.

But it has been on my mind to write something on my thoughts about my 2017 walking challenge and that has led to me considering what that has to do with my Christian life, my general wellbeing, and of course, food. So let's see if I can keep this up...

At this precise moment I am about to take very low-sugar flapjacks out of the oven. I went for a 9 mile walk this morning to consolidate the 600 miles I've achieved so far this year. Yes, that's right: 600. And we're not talking about steps. These are "I'm going out for a walk" miles (and occasionally leaving the car on the other side of Tesco's car park and tracking my walk to the store, around the store, and back to the car). I'm doing the #walk1000miles challenge this year and I love it. I have to walk 3-4 miles every day now to feel good. It's a good time to think, pray, worship, problem solve... Walking is amazing for my wellbeing.

I was struck by a verse in my Psalm this morning: Psalm 35:17, "The Lord be exalted, who delights in the wellbeing of His servant." Now, this Psalm is by David and is all about asking the Lord to deliver him from his enemies who are accusing him falsely and making his life a misery. My life isn't in that context but nevertheless the verse rings true for all Christians: the Lord delights in our wellbeing. And if the Lord considers our wellbeing a priority then I have to ask myself whether I consider it a priority for my life.

With the caveat that I depend on the Lord for life and breath and everything else, there are steps I can take to delight in my own wellbeing. Walking is one of those steps (no pun intended!). Cutting out chocolate and caffeinated coffee is another. And now I am attempting to cut down and cut out processed sugar - hence the flapjacks. I've been overweight all of my life and diets simply don't work for me. But I am concerned about my wellbeing so I'm taking these simple steps.

It's a matter of honouring the Lord and obeying Him. If He delights in my wellbeing then I should make His delight my privilege. It's also a matter of honouring others. Sugar is addictive. It makes me greedy and so I eat more. I eat far more calories in a week than some families in countries like Malawi eat in a month. So by cutting down on the amount of sugar I eat I will hopefully also cut down on the amount of calories I consume. And that is honouring the poor and the hungry especially if I have a little extra cash to give to charities which support the poor and the hungry as a result of not buying snacks.

If I'm honest I'm a little embarrassed by this post because it sounds like one of those typical female Christian blogs...but hey, maybe that's ok. Wellbeing isn't just for girls, and it isn't just for Christians either. I'm hoping my wellbeing will improve and maybe as a result of reading this yours will too.

Brownies, Hairy Bikers, and laughing in the sun

Every time I bake a batch of brownies I pretty much change the recipe. It's still Brenda's Fudge Brownie recipe given to me by my good friend and fellow-foodie Rachel Adamson, but I always reflect on what I did last time and try something new. The other day I threw in some glace cherries that needed using up and some big chunks of 70% cocoa solids chocolate that melted gloriously in the cooking process. I also added milk again to create a bit of a batter consistency. I think they turned out to be the best brownies I've made so far. But there's always room for improvement...

Reflection is a necessary part of character development, just as it is for my brownie evolution. In our science-dominated age where anything that cannot be proved or reached by rational enquiry is treated with suspicion or ignored, it is easy to pass through life without ever taking stock and reflecting upon who we are, how we got where we are, and where we are heading. If we want any kind of integrity as human beings we need to just stop and reflect. We need to take a break from the norm and play around with things - the experiment might just work but we need to courage to change, and then to recognise and stick with development when it comes.

Talking of playing, I went to see the Hairy Bikers live last night. Now I've read some online reviews today and I cannot believe how depressed the British public have become. It was good old British humour - a little bit naughty and thoroughly liberating. I can only imagine this is what it must be like to go to a naturist party. It did me so much good to let go and laugh, laugh, laugh. Most of the time I confine my life to rational movements - like following a recipe without deviation. Last night I threw in a good dose of salted caramel and my surface crackled and popped with delight. Playing, laughing, dancing - these are all good ways of reflecting and changing.

Life is way too short to blindly take up residence on the conveyor belt of monotony. What treasures might we find if we step out of our comfort zone, out of the shadows, and into the sun? And once we find those treasures let's not hold on to them and settle back into our miserly life - let's go looking for even more, for there is always more to behold in this rich tapestry of existence bequeathed to us by our generous Creator; very few of us have eyes open enough to see it.

The Foodie's Psalm

Praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD, O my tastebuds;
   all my digestive juices, praise His holy name!

Praise the LORD in the kitchen;
   praise him from the oven.
Praise him for his acts of edible creation,
  praise him for his surpassing variety of proteins and carbohydrates.

Praise him with the casserole dish,
   praise him with the saute pan.
Praise him with the santoku knife,
  praise him with the twelve-hour marinade.

Praise him with fresh coriander and grated lemon rind,
  praise him with hot roast chicken and crackling pork.
Praise him with parmesan shavings over creamy risotto,
  praise him with maple syrup dripping from hot waffles.

Praise him with frangipane and creme patisserie,
  praise him with tempered chocolate.
Praise him with coulis, sorbet and praline,
  praise him with grenache, soave and cabernet shiraz.

Let everything that has TASTE praise the LORD!

Asian Style Baked Salmon

This uses very obvious ingredients but I didn't use anyone else's recipe - just my own initiative! And it's gorgeous!

Ingredients to serve 2 people:
2 garlic cloves, grated
1/2 fresh chilli pepper, finely chopped
15g fresh ginger, grated
juice from 1/2 lime
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 salmon fillets, approx 125g each

Place the fillets in a non-metallic bowl.
Mix all the marinade ingredients together and pour over the salmon fillets. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
Preheat the oven to 150/180C, depending on your oven.
Create a large foil parcel, securing the ends. Scrape off the bits of chili, ginger and garlic, then place the fillets inside the parcel and close it up. Place the parcel on a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes.
You can serve this with new potatoes, or use the leftover marinade as a base for pilau rice, and steamed pak choi or other vegetables.

The Best Crusty White Bread Loaf Recipe

Taken from Farmhouse Cookery...
I've followed a few different white bread recipes and I have to say that this is the best I've found so far. It takes a while - but all the best bakers say that the longer you leave the dough to prove the better your bread will be. This has three proving stages and you'll need to set aside an entire morning for it. The great thing about baking your own bread is that you can go off and do something else while it's growing! And don't use a breadmaker! Feel the gluten change under your own hands - the transformation is unmissable!

Ingredients for Two Loaves:
800g strong white flour
2 level teaspoons salt
15g lard (or butter/margarine)
7g fresh yeast (I use roughly half a 7g sachet of dried yeast)
450ml warm water (see my hot cross bun recipe for how I get the water to the right temperature)

Sieve the flour and salt on to a working surface or into a large mixing bowl, rub in the lard and make a well in the centre. Mix the yeasst to a smooth paste with 1 tablespoon of the water, stir into the rest of the water and pour into the well. Draw in the flour gradually, mixing vigorously to blend well.
Knead for 5 minutes or more (I knead for between 6-10 minutes. See below for a link to a good kneading method from the BBC website.) to make a stiff dough of an even, springy texture.
Shape into a ball, place in a warm, greased bowl, cover with greased polythene and stand in a warm place to rise for 2 hours. (I warm the oven to 50C and then switch it off before placing the dough inside.)
Turn out the dough on to a working surface and knock out the air bubbles. Knead again until smooth and springy, reshape into a ball, put back in the bowl, cover and put to rise again for 1 hour.
Divide the dough in half and mould each piece to fit a warmed and greased 2lb/900g loaf tin. Cover the tins with greased polythene and put in a warm place to rise for 40 minutes. (This time I put the tins back in the still-warm oven for about 20 minutes, then remove them and place them on the side while I preheat the oven to 225C.)
Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 45 minutes. (I never bake it for this long in my fan oven. You're looking for a crusty top and a hollow sounding bottom. I usually check after about 20 minutes.)
Instead of using tins, try shaping the dough yourself into two rustic loaves and baking them on baking sheets.

Caribbean Chicken

I am at a loss to remember exactly where I got this from. I have a feeling it was from a magazine recipe card in something like 1993. Anyway, it's a fabulous recipe and tastes great hot or cold.

Ingredients for 4-6:
6 chicken portions e.g. boneless thighs
1 tablespoon plain flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons curry powder
1oz butter or oil

Sauce
2 onions, chopped
6oz streaky bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 apples, peeled and diced
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 tablespoons tomato puree
12fl oz chicken stock
8oz can pineapple pieces

Preheat oven. (That's all it says in my handwritten recipe book. Either it didn't have a temperature or for some reason I didn't write it down! I'd probably preheat it to 180/200C.)
For the sauce: heat the oil in a large pan. Add the bacon and onion and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the apple and curry powder and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Stir in the tomato puree and flour. Gradually blend in the stock and bring to the boil, stirring continuously.
Add most of the pineapple pieces, leaving some for garnish. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix together the flour, salt and curry powder. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
Heat the butter or oil in an ovenproof casserole dish. Add the coated chicken and fry on both sides to brown.
Pour the sauce over the chicken, cover, and cook in the oven for 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Serve garnished with pineapple pieces, on a bed of rice.

Celery, Mushroom, Red Wine, Redcurrant and Herb Sauce

Wow! I had a quick look at a few recipes for sauces that would go with sausages and then decided to experiment with what I had in the fridge/cupboard. And this is what I came up with... It was deeply delicious with organic pork cumberland sausages...

Ingredients for 2-3 people:
2 sticks of celery, finely diced
a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme and sage, finely chopped
small glass of red wine
about 6 chestnut mushrooms, sliced
about 2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Spray a non-stick pan with one-cal sunflower oil and fry off the celery and herbs until softened.
Add a little of the wine and allow the the celery herb mixture to absorb the liquid.
Stir in the mushrooms and cook until soft then add the rest of the wine. Cook for a few minutes before stirring in the redcurrant jelly and simmer until it has melted. Do not let it boil.
Add salt and pepper to taste and mix it all thoroughly before spooning over hot cumberland sausages. Yum!

Low carb, low cal Oatie Bites

This recipe is taken from the Diabetes Weight-Loss Recipe Book by Anthony Worrall-Thompson, Azmina Govingji, Jane Suthering.

I tend to double the mixture and make about 30 'bites' which means they're not as big or thin as the recipe suggests but still very filling especially of you do use wholemeal flour too. I also tend to put in half the amount of egg white but that's because I prefer the 'bites' to be crisp rather than chewy.

Ingredients for 12-15:
90g oats
2 tablespoons butter, melted
75g dark muscavado sugar
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons wholemeal flour

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Mix all the ingredients together. Spoon 12 - 15 dollops well spaced on the baking tray, then, using a fork, flatten each one to about 8-9cm diameter. (I don't do the flattening as much as this.)
Cook for 15-20mins until golden brown. Leave to cool on the tray then transfer to a wire rack until cold and crisp. Store in an airtight container. Freeze if preferred.

Hot Cross Buns

All of this is taken from my Farmhouse Cookery Book - the only things I changed was using a 7g sachet of dried yeast instead of fresh yeast but I still used it in the same way it says in the recipe and also I didn't have any currants so I just used about 125g sultanas plus mixed peel, rather than dried lemon peel...
It is said that in medieval times, bakers marked all their loaves with a cross to ward off evil spirits and encourage the bread to rise. This practice was condemned as 'popish' during the 17th century and dropped. Only buns made on Good Friday continued to bear a cross, in token of the Crucifixion.

Ingredients for 12-13 buns
For the ferment:
1 large egg, beaten
About 215ml warm water (tepid/luke warm)
15g fresh yeast
1 rounded tspn sugar
50g strong white flour
TIP: If you're not sure about the temperature of the water for the ferment, what I do is plunge a jug of cold water into a bowl of just boiled water and allow the temperature of the jug water to come up to hand hot or tepid (lukewarm, blood-warm etc etc) It's a much safer way of making sure it doesn't get too hot.
For the dough:
100/125g currants
25g sultanas
25g chopped, dried lemon peel
450g strong white flour
1 level tspn salt
2-3 rounded tspns ground mixed spice
75g lard (I used Stork!)
75g sugar
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Golden syrup, heated, for glazing
Prepare the ferment by combining the beaten egg with enough warm water to give 275/300ml of liquid. Whisk in the yeast, sugar and flour, cover and put in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Before starting to mix the dough, rinse the currants, sultanas and chopped, dried lemon peel with hot water and spread on kitchen paper in a warm place to drain.
Sieve the flour, salt and spice into a large mixing bowl, rub in the lard and make a well in the centre. Put the sugar and grated lemon rind in the well and pour on the ferment. Gradually draw in the flour and mix vigorously, then knead to a smooth elastic dough.Carefully work in the warm, moist currants, cultanas and lemon peel. shape the dough into a ball, put it in a warm, greased bowl, cover with clingfilm and put to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
Turn out the dough on to a work surface and knead to knock out any air bubbles and give the dough and even texture. Shape it into a ball again, put back into the bowl, cover and put back to rise for another 30 minutes.
Turn out the dough on to a work surface and divide into 75g pieces. Shape them into balls and leave to rest for 5 minutes on the work surface. roll out the balls into 3 inch (8cm) discs and place on lightly greased baking sheets.
(Cut each disc in to quarters, cutting right through the dough but leaving the quarters touching each other so that as the dough rises it has a well-marked cross on it.)
Put the buns in a warm place to rise for 40 minutes (cover if you like with greased clingfilm). Pre-heat the oven to 240C (475F, Gas Mark 9).
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 6-7minutes, and brush over the buns with hot golden syrup as soon as they are taken from the oven.
The cross on each bun can be made with shortcrust pastry to which water has been added until it is soft enough to pipe through a nozzle. Instead of cutting the discs of dough, pipe a cross of the pastry on to each immediately before baking.

Next time I do this I'm not going to pipe the pastry. I'm just going to make strips of pastry. It didn't really work and I can't really see the difference between the two techniques.

My Happy Place

I love cooking. It's hard to say exactly what I love about cooking because I love everything. But it's the essence of cooking that gets me the most. The smell of fresh lime, the zing of sliced chili pepper, and the extraordinarily melancholic aroma of grated ginger - all of these, and more, have the ability to transform my world into something truly beautiful.

There are many things I love in this world - singing with others, leading people in musical worship, gathering together with God's people, dwelling on great and wonderful theological truths, walking along the coast, watching the starlings murmurate, and the garden birds gather materials for their nests, watching movies, reading books, socializing, theatre....

But cooking? Now there, right there, in the middle of that experience, when I lose myself in the chemistry of food, I am in my happy place. No stress, no difficulty, no performance worries - I am just there, in the moment. Food represents what I wish I could achieve in my music. I have a natural ability - always have - but something stops me perfecting my music. My natural ability seems to get swallowed up in so much other stuff. Maybe if I was a chef and I had to compete with others then it would be the same thing with food. Maybe not.

I wish I could just find my dream job - what I truly truly want to do - but I just don't know what it is. At the moment I'm following the theology path while teaching music to make a living. But I am not 100% convinced I'm on the right track. Maybe I should go into full time paid ministry...but there again, I'm just not convinced.

Where is my happy place when it comes to work? And do I need work to be my happy place? Not sure. But if I do... then maybe it should involve food...

A year on...

Oh dear, I'm not all that good at keeping a blog going am I?! Well where are we almost a year later? I am 5 chapters off finishing the first draft of my novel, and about 6 weeks off selling my late mother's house. Life has provided a new landscape over the last year but two things have not changed. The Lord is still on His throne, and I still love baking and cooking!

So I shall post things from time to time and perhaps others will too! Just at the moment I have Paul Hollywood's Blueberry Muffin mix sitting in my fridge waiting for the mandatory overnight chill. This time however I have added baking powder rather than bicarbonate of soda which is what I did last time by accident. Yes. Sea-flavoured muffins! Yum!

Just goes to show that there is no substitute for the real thing, and no substitute for the life that can only be found in Christ. That's all for now!

Of Rosehips and Second Blushes

We have a climbing rose on the front wall of our house. It is a beautiful pink colour and during its first blush I diligently dead-headed the spent roses and, as a consequence, had a fantastic second blush. However, clearly I missed some, and they have turned into absolutely stunning red rosehips. So I won't be deadheading my second blush so that by Christmas the front of the house will be covered in festive buds. Pruning achieves some things as we know - usually greater fruit in the long run. But sometimes things need to lie fallow and mature so that a different kind of fruit can form.
How true this is for us. Our loving heavenly Father disciplines us as His children and often this involves painful pruning, so that He may bear greater fruit through us. But sometimes He calls us to take time out, to stop striving, and to cease our anxiety, and just lie fallow for a time. What He brings forth out of that time who can tell? It will be different to what has gone before. The fruit will look strange at first, and feel as though it doesn't quite fit, and yet over time, it will prove to be the making of us... Let us abide in Him and give ourselves to our perfect Gardener to tend as He sees fit.

Of Baking Bread and Letting it Rise

I was up early this morning and by 10am had baked some very yummy bread with enough sponge to impress even Paul Hollywood. Being a firm follower of Jamie, I had always applied a generous layer of flour or even sometimes semolina flour, to the top of my rising bread but today I followed Mr Hollywood's advice and kneaded with oil. It worked a treat!
But you know I was also thinking about John 13 and how the Lord Jesus didn't cling on to anything that was His, but gave it all up in order to serve. Knowing that a servant isn't above her teacher or a messenger above the one who sent her, I was challenged this morning about what I am willing or not willing to give up, especially as I've been given it all anyway.
What has this to do with baking bread I hear you say. Well, there are many important ingredients in yummy bread and they all have to be thrown in together and then offered up to rise... Ok, a tenuous connection but the oil makes me think of that lovely line, "Pouring out the oil of love as my worship to You," in I Will Offer Up My Life. There is something about mixing and kneading and watching and waiting for it to rise and then that moment of joy when you take it out of the oven... It just reminds me of sacrifice and service. And just how worth while it all is in the end.