Ocean Fresh

 

As a little girl I used to hate the taste of fish, fishing and the smell of fish.
It's funny how your taste changes over the years.
Now that I live on the coast ~
I love freshly caught fish and seafood
I really enjoy a day out fishing and
one of favouite speciality dishes is crispy-skinned pan fried Atlantic Salmon.
I usually cook it in summer when I can open up all the doors and windows
because I'm still a bit funny about fishy smells!

Melissah xox

Images via Julia Hoersch Photohraphy

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I Like Coffee, I Like Tea...

It's hard not to notice that many cyclists are also avid coffee drinkers. I guess I am too, in the sense that I am thoroughly addicted and must drink several cups a day in order to function. But I am not a coffee connoisseur. I am okay with most espresso blends. I keep it simple with a French press. I add a bit of milk. And I prefer a nice big mug over a dainty cup. After more than two decades of drinking the stuff, I have never felt compelled to explore the world of coffee beyond this.

Tea, on the other hand, has always been a danger zone - something that I sensed could plunge me into yet another crazy hobby. Perhaps that is why I've mostly played it safe and stuck to grocery-store tea bags. I did not want to cross that line. 

That is, until recently. There has been a lot of tea drinking at my house this winter and at some point I was gifted a teapot and some loose tea. Long story short, I now have a small collection of delicious teas, about the properties and history of which I know more than I care to admit. It wasn't long before I began to develop my own masala chai recipe, and purchased a dedicated Tokoname kyusu for green tea. Right...

Well, at least playing around with this stuff has kept me sane over the past couple of months - although I use the term "sane" loosely. Earlier today I was debating the idea of a Mobile Tea Party. Inspired by conversations with Jacquie Phelan and by memories of the Xtracycle display at the last Interbike, I had the idea to install a samovar on the back of a bike and turn it into a neighbourhood Tea Chariot. Say a driver is cranky sitting in traffic - I can offer them some tea. A passing cyclist looks thirsty? Cuppa tea. Pedestrian in need of refreshment? Tea! Heck, I can even drink some myself at red lights.

Sadly, I don't think it is feasible to boil water via pedal power while cycling around the neighbourhood. According to this video, it took 11 cyclists on bike generators to boil 1 cup of water with a 1kW kettle! But it's a nice idea. And probably a sign that I should put down the tea (it's Darjeeling tonight) and get out of the house more. 

So: coffee or tea? What's you preference and how into it are you?

Watermelon Cooler

Watermelon just screams summer.

It's sweet, juicy and refreshing

- the perfect answer to a hot summer's day!

It's a total winner sliced up and eaten fresh.

It's also great way to cool down crushed up into an icy granita or

made up into a thirst quenching watermelon cooler.

Melissah xox

Images via 1, 2, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7a, 7b, 8

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Berry Love

Today I am 'berry mad'!

Berries make a great party treat frozen in ice-cubes,

a gorgeous garnish for a glass of champagne

an extra treat mixed through fruit salad

a thirst quencher when blended into a smoothie

but most of all ~

I love them on their own, straight from the fridge!

Melissah xox

Images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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Summer Eats

Summer Fiesta

For me summer is all about barbeques and eating outdoors.

I love entertaining on our sun filled back deck -

it becomes our outdoor living room for the entire summer.

I like to mix it up a bit and put a different spin on our barbeque repertoire.

Some of our favourites are :-

marinated pork spare ribs, Tandori chicken and Mexican fajitas.

They all have a nice authentic, smokey flavour when cooked on the barbie!

Melissah xox

Images via Gourmet Traveller

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Summer Goodness

 

 

 

My favourite season for fresh produce is without a doubt summer.
Nothing beats juicy, ripe stone fruit,
a bowl of cold cherries,
refreshing watermelon on a hot summer's day
healthy salads packed full of goodness
or luscious strawberries for an afternoon snack.

Melissah xox

Images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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A Quick and Healthy Diet

I don't usually pay attention to my weight unless I start to feel uncomfortable. Well, a week ago that day came. I've been super busy and not riding as much as I'd like over the past month, without changing my eating habits to accommodate. It was fine for a while, until one day I got on the bike and... well, let's just say I felt my tummy jiggle and fold in on itself as I pedaled. It was disconcerting. So I decided to go on a diet and get myself to a state of feeling comfortable again. The healthiest version of a crash diet I know is a low-carb, high fiber, high nutrition diet. It works extremely well, because in addition to making you eat healthier it also acts as an appetite suppressor. Here are the rules for anyone interested:

Things to cut out completely: 
alcohol, sweets, junk food, bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, soda, most juices

Things to eat: 
vegetables, lentils, nuts, eggs, milk, fish and meat (or tofu and quorn), high-fiber oatmeal, apples, berries, cheese, butter, unsweetened carrot and cranberry juice

How much to eat: 
For a woman my size not engaged in strenuous exercise, around 1,200 calories a day will work. But this is ballpark; adjust for size/gender/exercise level. Go heavy on the vegetables, light on the fatty stuff, and medium on the protein.

How long will it take? 
I see results in 1-2 weeks when I follow this strictly.

Sample Day's Menu:
  breakfast:
     oatmeal with butter and blueberries
  lunch:
     steamed spinach with sesame seeds and sliced almonds
  dinner:
     grilled salmon and asparagus, lentil soup
  snacks:
     apple, nuts, broccoli florets, baby carrots, coffee and tea with milk

So... I have been doing this for 5 days now. It was difficult on the first two days, then it got much easier. The fiber, the reduced carbohydrates, and the elimination of alcohol are the key here. I already feel a difference and in another week my body should be back to normal. Then I will have a good look at my schedule and try to get more riding in, so that I can eat whatever I want again (kidding, I will try to generally eat healthy from now on is what I meant to say)...

Escape To The Sea

Surfing Safari

'As the summer sun rings in a brand new day,
it's the perfect excuse to grab your friends and head to the beach.
There's nothing like a morning surf to build up an appetite!'

Sweet blue swimmer crabs
prove to be the catch of the day.
Fire up the wok for a spicy, chilli infused feast.
Ready in minutes, it's lip smacking good! 

Melissah xox

{Source : Donna Hay}

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Easy Italian Dishes

I love the easy, relaxed vibe of of summer -

so the last place I want to be is slaving over a hot stove in the kitchen!

We live on simple dishes in the summer:-

pastas, salads and stirfry

It's all pretty light and healthy.

I love anything that's quick and easy to prepare.

Donna Hay is my savior in the kitchen ~ her recipes are fuss free

and perfectly suited to our relaxed lifestyle.

Melissah xox

Images via 1-4

Check out my other blogs Scrapbook and Country Style Chic

Quick, Healthy, Brazing-Inspired Dessert

The main thing you are taught when learning to braze a bicycle frame, is temperature control. For instance: When brazing a lugged joint, the tube, the lug, the flux (gooey stuff the joint is smeared with) and the silver you add all heat up at different rates - and what you try to do is get them to the point where they are in sync. I thought about this as I eyed the pile of fruit and berries I'd brought home from the grocery store. I wanted to make dessert for the husband, and his request was something healthy and light. I decided to keep it simple and approach it as I would brazing: First I'd heat up the thick, heavy ingredients, adding the delicate, leaky ones after the overall temperature was sufficiently hot. Here is the result:

Autumnal Fruit and Nut Medley

Ingredients:
apples
cranberries
blackberries
blueberries
walnuts
lemon
honey
bourbon

Preparation time:
7 minutes

Instructions:
In a bowl, mix a bunch of hard sliced apples with a fistful of crushed walnuts and a fistful of raw cranberries. Add a spoon of lemon juice, a spoon of honey and a shot of bourbon. Heat in microwave for 2.5 minutes or in oven (in appropriate container) until apples turn soft. Alternatively, if preparing in workshop, you could use a brazing torch (held upside down and pointed at the bottom of the bowl - as you would heat a bottom bracket). Let sit for 30 seconds. Add blackberries and blueberries. Heat for additional 1 minute or just long enough for berries to release colour onto the rest of the concoction. Remove, let cool for a bit, and serve with tea.

This dish is basically like a fruit tart, only without the dough. Tastes surprisingly good, looks festive and takes very little effort to prepare. Want to make it less healthy? Add whipped cream.

Enjoy your Sunday evening!

In Love with Herbs

A herb garden is your little patch to nurture nature. 

Herbs are the quintessential plant - they look gorgeous,

smell even better, improve the taste of your food and do you the world of good.

Pick them straight from the garden and add a dash to a dish, a touch in tea,
a spring on your roast or a sprinkle in your soup.

The extra flavour in your cooking is well worth the effort. 

Melissah xox 

Images via Canelle et Vanille, and Tartelette

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