Lamb soup for the soul

Lamb soup

Ingredients:

500 – 600 gr       Lamb (neck)

100 gr                   Vermicelli

1 tablespoon     Paprika

1 tablespoon      Thyme

1 tablespoon      Parsley

Salt depending on taste

Preparation

Boil the meat until it separates from the bones.

When it is ready take the meat out of the pot and put the vermicelli in the broth.

While the vermicelli is simmering separate the meat from the bones, cut it into small pieces and return to the pot. Add salt to taste.

Take the paprika and infuse it with the broth (see the video on how to do that).

At the end add the finely chopped thyme and parsley, put the lid back on the pot and switch off the heat.

Ingredients:

500 – 600 gr       Lamb (neck)

100 gr                   Vermicelli

1 tablespoon     Paprika

1 tablespoon      Thyme

1 tablespoon      Parsley

Salt depending on taste

Preparation

Boil the meat until it separates from the bones.

When it is ready take the meat out of the pot and put the vermicelli in the broth.

While the vermicelli is simmering separate the meat from the bones, cut it into small pieces and return to the pot. Add salt to taste.

Take the paprika and infuse it with the broth (see the video on how to do that).

At the end add the finely chopped thyme and parsley, put the lid back on the pot and switch off the heat.

Bon appetite

Pumpkin (or apples) stuffed with dried fruit.

Pumpkin (or apples) stuffed with dried fruit

Ingredients:

1 pumpkin (or if you don’t like pumpkin – 5 apples)

2 – 3 tablespoons  of dried apricots, blueberries and cranberries (each)

2 – 3 tablespoons of various nuts

3 – 4 tablespoons of honey – depends on the size of the pumpkin – if you chose apples – one tablespoon per each apple

3 – 4 tablespoons of butter – again one tablespoon per apple if that is the case

Instructions:

Cut a lid from the pumpkin with the handle (the same for the apples)

Clean the seed from the pumpkin (or the apples)

Put all dried fruit in a bowl and pour then into the pumpkin (distribute evenly for the apples)

Spread the crushed nuts on top

Last put the butter (for the apples 1 tablespoon per apple)

Put the lid back on the pumpkin and put it in a baking tray (or arrange the apples) with half a cup of water.

Bake on moderate around 30 – 40 minutes – depending on the oven.

Take out of the oven and after it has cooled down cut as you would a cake and serve (the apples can be served whole).

Bon appetite

I'm back!

I want to apologize to the followers of my blog for my long absence. The reason is that in the beginning of September 2019 we decided that we have to change something in our lives and that something was to move to another country. We chose Australia to be closer to our boys who live there. That’s when the chaos started – quitting jobs, buying tickets, sorting out our stuff in three unmanageable piles – one to be sent by ship, another to be with us on the plane and a third to be donated or thrown away.  We made the move at the end of September. Ultimately, it appeared that we have organised our move quite well and my former super boss also helped as much as he could. Our younger son met us at the airport, we bought sim cards for the phones and went to his apartment to leave our luggage and then to a restaurant with the boys and their partners for a welcome celebration.

I was very happy when we came back from the restaurant and enthusiastically opened the laptop to look for a place to stay – the best solution being us in the same town but not under the same roof. I liked an apartment and entered the address in my phone for directions. The next morning, I woke up before everyone else showered and go ready to go and see the place. The phone said we had to go to La Trobe St and take tram number 30. We got out on the street and turned left. We walked for some time – my phone lost connection to the internet perhaps the new sim wasn’t working but be believed the other phone might still connect and take us to the place. We walked till our feet ached but saw neither the street nor tram number 30. We stopped to order Uber but unfortunately the other phone had no connection too.  Desperate we decided to turn left and try to return home – we have missed the appointment to see the apartment. As some say – desperation leads to success. After a block or two we saw a tram – a different number – 1 and reckoned that it may take us home. The map in the tram assured us that will be the case. When we told our kids about our adventures, they laughed a lot and said that we should have turned right from the time we came out of the building and the tram stop was just a minute away. Now, three months after that, we still live near La Trobe St and every time I pass through that street, I remember with a smile our initial confusion. But that how life is – it sometimes serves you something you didn’t want but will later turn into a happy memory.

Happy New 2020! I wish you all peace, happiness, health. Let it be bountiful like the autumn and you be strong and unstoppable like the sea in winter!

To sweeten your soul, I start publishing recipes.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

Pastry

Grated pumpkin

Sugar

Chopped walnuts

Olive oil or butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C

2. Take a sheet of pastry and roll in it 3 spoons of grated pumpkin, 1 spoon of sugar, 1 spoon of chopped walnuts and one spoon of butter or olive oil.

3. Arrange the rolls in a buttered or oiled baking pan. Spray the rolls with olive oil and bake in an oven until golden.

4. After that cut the rolls in rectangular pieces and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Remedy for Sinusitis

Prepare an infusion of chamomile by dropping a soup spoon of the flowers. After boiling it for 2 – 3 minutes take it off the heat. When it cools snort some of it into your nose with the aim of washing it from the inside.

Do that every morning and evening for ten days. After that – take a break for ten days.

Repeat this cycle three times and take a two months break.

Repeat again if needed.

My husband tried it and it works.

More advice on how to deal with sinusitis.

Rash

If you have rash – here are eight remedies:

1. You will feel better after bathing in sea water. If that is impossible due to weather or other reasons but you have access to sea water dab the skin with a piece of cotton soaked in seawater.
2. You can also cover it with slices of cucumber or smother it in cucumber juice.
3. Try one teaspoonful of vinegar mixed with one soup spoonful of warm water.
4. You can get some relief from the itching if you add three spoonfuls of baking soda to your bath and spend at least 10-15 minutes soaking in it.
5.  You can also use the following – mix a teaspoonful of lemon juice with some coconut oil and leave on the affected place for an hour. After that rinse it with warm water.
6. A similar to the above remedy is to mix a teaspoonful of ground poppy seed with some lime juice.
7. Creased almond leaves also help. Apply to the affected places twice a day
8. Vitamin C helps strengthen the immune system and any way to get more natural vitamin C may alleviate the symptoms of rash and allergies. A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice in the morning or the juice of a lemon diluted in a glass of water can help achieve that.

If the rash appears suddenly and/or covers  large part of the body you may need to seek medical attention.
How to tell?
If your kids get rash!

Sunscreen

I am of fair complexion and have sensitive skin.
By that I mean that I tend to burn in the sun sooner than most other people.
My kids don't have that problem, my husband too.
I also will only go to the beach if the weather is really hot. Like Mediterranean hot.
Yet I never use sunscreen, haven't used it on my children and my husband just hates the smell.

I have dealt with the negative impact of exposure to the sun by staying longer in the shade.
Recently I came upon some articles arguing for and against the use of sunscreen.
See the links below and decide for yourself. As in many other cases moderation is the key.

Enjoy summer!
I am in the Southern hemisphere :-(

Opinions

Safe: https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/executive-summary/
Not: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-sunscreens-safe/
Debate: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-science-of-sunscreen
Guide: https://www.ewhttpsg.org/sunscreen/report/executive-summary/

About the Heart!

Heart problems

Heart problems are often caused by the diaphragm pushing the heart upwards, the following breathing exercises can help ease that pressure:

1 Breath in and try to hold the air in your lungs as long as possible. Try to take a deep breath and hold the air in as long as you can 5 to 6 times in a row. That should ease heartache and palpitation.

2. If the heart problems are caused by anxiety you can ease them by sitting on the ground legs crossed in a lotus position and to breath in slowly (counting to 7) hold your breath (again while counting to 7) and exhale slowly (again while counting to 7) Do it several times then reverse your legs if tired and repeat the breathing exercise.

In addition to the breathing exercises it is good to drink freshly squeezed vegetable juice on empty stomach (in the morning or in the evening 1 – 2 hours before dinner)

First day:             Carrots and spinach: 290 g carrots and 170 g spinach

Second day:         Carrots, beetroot and cucumbers: 290 g carrots, 90 g

beetroot, 90 g cucumbers

Third day:            Carrots, celery, parsley, spinach: 200 g carrots,

120 g celery, 60 g parsley, 90 g spinach

Fourth day:          Start all over again as in day one and continue for several

months. Do it every day.