Salad Recipe

Here’s a recipe I made the other day for a warm vegetable salad. I tried it out the other day and much to my delight all of my house mates enjoyed it. I had it along side a cooked chicken, but it will go with almost anything. Even on its own, and it’s super easy to make and seriously yummy. And I’m sorry but I forgot to take a picture of it!

You will need:

1 Eggplant

Half a butternut pumpkin

1 can of chickpeas

A hand full of sundried tomatoes

Half a small block of Feta

Some fresh chili and garlic

Peel and chop the pumpkin into small chunks and set them to boil slowly until soft and cooked.

Drain and de-skin the chickpeas and set them also to boil slowly until soft and cooked.

Cut the eggplant into small strips or chunks and add them to an oiled pan. Add into the pan a tablespoon of brown sugar to help caramelise the eggplant. Then add as much as you like of fresh garlic and chili. Stir the eggplant until it is all soft and cooked. Add in the chopped sundried tomatoes and just fry for a minute or so then turn off the heat.

Add to the pan the cooked chickpeas and pumpkin and stir. Then chop the feta into small pieces, it doesn’t matter if it crumbles into tiny bits, and add that also to the pan. Stir ingredients lightly and serve!

Let me know what you think if you give it ago.

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.  ~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story

Because its Monday..

Because its Monday and we all need a little inspiration to start us off on another week. This poem always makes me feel settled and happy with what I have and makes me think about things in a different light. I hope you all get something out of it like I always do, no matter how many times I read it. It is written by Max Ehrmann

The Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,

even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter,

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble,

it's a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love;

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,

it is as perennial as the grass.

take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life,

keep peace in your soul.

With all it's sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be Cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Synopsis: For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along.

With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.



This book is a guilty pleasure of mine, i say guilty because if we are being honest here Patch comes across as the kind of guy you should stay away from. But Patch is the kind of guy you just can't saty away from and Nora found this out.I can be very attracted to bad boys, and Patch has this affect on me. I like my men dark and dangerous, but also protective and brooding. Patch is all those things rolled into a tight black t-shirt complete with wings and a moody swagger.


And no i dont think this book is anything like twilight. I mean this book is about angels and twilight is about vampires and werewolfs. Not alot of similarites there apart from the romance side of things, which i also find greatly different.I admit i now crush on Patch, and i can say he is leagues better than Edward Cullen and i am a tilight fan. I may have just pissed off some twihards, Sorry about that.


This book is well written, and the relationship and converse between Nora and her best friend Vee is very real and believeable, and easy to relate to. I am writting this review a few months after reading it and its sequel so am struggling a little with giving you more details. All i can say is i really loved this book, so much so that i am willing to re-read it As soon as i can get my hands on the book again. Which seems like it might be awhile as this book as become somewhat of a hot commoditiy at my local library.


To sum up my review: Read it!! And make sure you also get the sequel (Cresendo), because after you finish the first book all your are going to want to do is read the next one. Currently I am pulling my hair out waiting for the third instalment 'Silence' which is due out in October this year.



View all my reviews

Mmm Chocolate...

I have come across an awesome website called ‘clever bastards’ which finds and showcases New Zealand artists, designers, craftspeople, writers, musicians, foodies and all manner of talented Kiwis. Whilst I was browsing the site I saw so many awesome ideas and art, and one that stood out to me (probably because I am hungry) was Schoc Chocolates.

Roger Simpson and Murray Langham opened Schoc Chocolates in December 2002 in a tiny turn-of-the-century cottage in Greytown’s main street. Murray Langham has a background as a therapist, counsellor, facilitator, author and restaurateur. And Roger Simpson is an artist, teacher, and is qualified in Radical Spiritual Therapeutics. Together they have created what they call Chocolate Therapy, they found through observing people that certain personalities leaned towards different flavours. The results of their work have been published in two books and they undertake public speaking engagements, seminars and private therapy work. There is even a section on there site about why chocolate is good for you, and they answer the long asked question “Why do we love chocolate so much?”. They also have a brief history of chocolate about how it all started with a drink.

They have a huge range of flavours which span from your classic strawberry to the slightly less mainstream but top seller lime and chilli. They also have sea salt, pink peppercorn and frankincense, Myrrh and gold. Personally I am a huge chocoholic so my mouth is watering right now and I am currently wondering where I can get my hands on some of these goodies. And after closer website inspection I found a list of stockists, and let me tell you it is huge, and lucky me there is a shop nearby.  But I can always buy it online from their site, and since Easter is coming up very soon, a box of chocolates in the post might just be on the cards.

I definitely don’t need any more reason to go get me some..

"There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate." - Linda Grayson

Yoga Update

Last week at yoga class, my teacher actually stood on me! Yep you heard right. And despite my worries of extreme pain it actually didn't hurt. She did it to push me into the position more and give me more of a challenge as i find this one particular pose quite easy.

The pose is called Baddha Konasana or is also known by the Cobbler pose and the bound angle pose. You sit with a straight back and the bottoms of your feet pressed together. You then press down with your thighs until your knees are touching the ground then you pull the inside of your feet outwards to create more pressure. Then after several breaths you lean down until your head is touching your feet. The pose works to open the hips and groin while keeping the spine long. I really love this pose, it feels fantastic.

And like i was saying i was sitting in this pose then my teacher decided to stand on me to give me more of a challenge, so she stood behind me and stepped up onto both of my thighs. I don't suggest trying to get someone to do this too you unless you are experienced at yoga or are very flexible as you could injure yourself.

Tonight I have class again so we shall see if she decides to do this again!

Poltergeist

Here's a silly little poem I wrote the other day, when I was bored.


Poltergeist she cries;
As the cupboards crash,
Spilling containers and bric-a-brac.

It only happens when she's alone,
She runs outside,but forgets the phone!

No one believes her when she says;
"I'm haunted here every night,
Most times i wake with a great fright."

They shake their heads,
They call her insane.
"she was a nice lady it's really a shame."

When the noises stop and the air is calm,
She tip toes inside and holds her lucky charm.

Theres much ado on the floor,
But i do not want to seem a bore.
So i will leave you now with the score.

Poltrgeist: 1 Me:0
©



Hope you enjoyed my silly poem! Does anyone else write any poetry? I love to write it but I find sometimes you need to be in a mood to do it. Like being angry or upset can amount to great poems. Same goes for happiness and depression. Don't you agree?  And it can be a great outlet for emotions, much like a kick boxing class when your angry. try it out!


XO
Meg

A Courageous Heart

Last night I watched A Courageous Heart, which stars New Zealand’s own Anna Paquin. You will probably know Anna from True Blood or one of her numerous movies such as The Piano, The X-men Series or Darkness.

Anna plays the character of real life hero Irena Sendler, who saved the lives of nearly 2,500 Jewish Children during World War II. She smuggled them out of the Warsaw ghetto and placed them into Polish Catholic families who brought them up until they could be reunited with their parents after the war. Irena was a social worker during this time and was part of the Polish underground. She ended up being arrested and tortured by Nazi’s for her part, but managed to escape execution.

Irena went on to survive the war years and live a long life till she pasted at the age of 98 in 2008. She claimed that what she did during World War II was something she HAD to do and not something over which she had any choice. In 2007 she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize but lost to Al Gore. Which I personally think was stupid, she deserved it much more.

This movie will tug at your heart strings, and I can tell you by the end of it I was definitely feeling slightly sick. Not from anything too graphic but just from the sheer horror of what these people went through and the emotional toll. The movie has won one Golden Globe but was nominated for 6 awards. I highly recommend watching this movie it will open your eyes, and it shed’s much needed light on unsung heroes of the war. The acting in the movie is superb but there is a few bad accents, but this is easily overlooked.

I would love to hear what you thought of this movie if you have already seen it, and let me know if you do watch it. I seriously recommend it, but make sure you are in the mood because it is slightly depressing, and may need to be followed up with a light hearted comedy.

xo
Meg