Please watch...

...this interesting and informative video.

Munchy Monday #50: Col de la Iaia Sofia

O.K. folks. I'm sorry to say that this is my 50th and last Munchy Monday post. It's not that I have run out of recipes, it's just that it ties me down too much.

This Munchy is different in another way, too. I am directing you straight over to my eldest daughter's blog for a recipe that my grandson called "Granny Sofia's cabbage".

Why? Because it's purple!

Note: If you can't make head ner tail because it's in Catalan, then drop me an e-mail and I'll help you out :)

Blog birthday

My blog was 2 years old on the 26th of January but I was busy doing the holiday post. To celebrate, like last year, I am posting a bunch of photos of purple or lilac things, things that I have come across during the year 2014.

Don't I just love pens and stuff like that!

Straws and blackcurrant tea.

A field full of thistles.

A plastic bag.

Cimbrisor - a herb that A. gave us to beat off our colds in Romania. Here we call it thyme!

Happy birthday, blog

Munchy Monday #43: Clear green veggie soup

This is a very delicious starter for any meal. I haven't indicated any quantities so that you can adapt it to your own needs, whether you are four to eat, or fourteen.

You will need:

Clear chicken stock, ideally, with the grease removed
Frozen green beans, cut into small pieces once slightly thawed
Fresh leek, finely sliced
Pieces of frozen broccoli, cut small
Potato, cut into small cubes
Rice or very fine noodles, a handful for every 3 or 4 people
Salt to taste

Method:

Bring stock to boil in a pan, add all other ingredients and simmer for 8 - 10 minutes.

An article especially written for today's mother

Are you a mother? Are you enjoying motherhood? Maybe you are feeling inadequate, useless, that it's all too much and that you you can't take any more?

Whatever your circumstances are, please take a few moments to read this very encouraging article, written by a homeschooling mother of fifteen, who just so happens to be a very dear bloggy friend of mine from the States.

http://largefamilymothering.com/2014/09/22/five-things-that-steal-motherly-joy-and-how-to-avoid-them/

Dehydration

The British are right. A nice cup of tea can solve many problems. One of them being dehydration.

If it's mid-morning and you feel tired and 'head-achy' for no particular reason (I mean you haven't been up half the night with a sick toddler or folding laundry into the small hours) it is quite a possibility that you are suffering from a mild dehydration.

Mild dehydration can cause thirst, headache, irritability, weakness, dizziness and fatigue and can generally make people feel tired and lethargic.

When I was small I was discouraged to drink at mealtimes and often didn't remember in between, either, and I'm afraid that, even though now I live in a hotter, drier climate, I find it very difficult to get to the bottom of a glass of water.

Water is essential for your body to function properly. Your brain is 90% water and your body is 70% water, the majority of your blood and every cell in your body is composed of water.

Here are some good reasons why we should be drinking 6 - 8 glasses of water a day:

# Increases energy and relieves fatigue
# Promotes weight loss
# Flushes out toxins
# Eases digestive problems
# Improves skin complexion
# It is a natural cure for headaches
# Eases joint and back pains, prevents cramps and sprains
# Lowers the risk of colon cancer, bladder cancer and breast cancer
# Puts you in a good mood because your body is working well

A winter 'loikatea' by the fire

I must admit that I am not the world's best water drinker and it is something I have to work on. When the children were small every time one of them asked me for a drink of water, I would prepare it and also one for myself, thus ensuring at least five glasses a day. As they grew up and began making their own drinks they would offer to share a tea time moment with me. This was called a 'loikatea'. Now my tea-drinkers have married and left home and I am back at square one again! Even worse is the fact that I rarely actually feel thirsty.

Of course, this is even more serious a problem if you are pregnant or nursing, taking certain medications, doing strenuous outdoor work or inside in offices or shops with air conditioning or simply living through the summer months with high temperatures.

It is very important to keep drinking water based liquids. The experts recommend at least 2 litres daily. Gulp. (Pardon the pun). Also, I read recently that coffee and real tea don't count because their caffeine content counter reacts, as a diuretic. This, however, is still being investigated. 

Here is a recipe for a drink I used to prepare when my family was younger:

Just mix and keep refrigerated:

1/3 water
1/3 fruit juice (nicest with apple, orange, peach or pineapple)
1/3 7UP (or similar, like Sprite. The British call it lemonade! I always used a very economical store brand which was even cheaper than bottled water.)

Does anyone else have a similar problem? How do you solve it? I would love some new ideas...

This week's menu

Mon.
(L) Pasta soup, marinated steaks with asparagus, fresh fruit*
(S) Potato and green beans, battered squid rings, fresh fruit

Tues.
(L) Lentils with bacon and rice served with semolina bread, fresh fruit
(S) Courgette soup, roast pork hock with poor man's potatoes, fresh fruit

Wed.
(L) Salad, macaroni with sausage, creme caramel
(S) Squid chunks stewed with potatoes and peas, fresh fruit

Thurs.
(L) Salad, griddled chicken with curried rice, fresh fruit
(S) Pizza

Fri.
(L) Cabbage with potatoes, tortillitas de camerón (see below), tinned peaches
(S) Chick peas with vegetables served with semolina bread, fresh fruit

Tortillitas de camerón

* Here is a list of the fresh fruit that I buy at this time of the year: pineapple, bananas, apples, pears, kiwi, oranges and strawberries.

Friday is the "no meat" day.

Hope you all have a lovely weekend : )

Coughs, colds and other bugs Part 2 - Cure

What you can do if the germs do strike. You can't avoid them altogether and there really is no cure so the best thing is to grin and bear it.
Here is some advice on how to make your grinning a little easier and the bearing more bearable.

# Once you start feeling the sneezes , STOP ALL MILK AND OTHER DAIRY PRODUCTS for at least 2 weeks. Milk irritates mucous membranes in normal circumstances and you will find that this dramatically reduces the quantity of catarrh your body produces. Don't worry about the calcium - it is an element that your body stores. There is calcium in many other foods. Water contains large quantities of calcium, too.

# Drink plenty of water or water - based drinks

# Eat what you fancy. Soups and pureed foods are easier to swallow, cold jellies are soothing for sore throats. Don't let yourself get hungry.

# If children are vomiting, DO NOT GIVE PLAIN WATER. Liquids such as FLAT coca-cola, Aquarius, herbal or lemon teas can be administrated in small sips 1 1/2 hours after the last "session". Water will activate vomiting once more.

# Get as much rest as possible.

# If you can handle the possible headache and creaky bones that come with a fever it is best not to take any medication. The high temperature is there to kill the germs which have entered your body. If you take the temperature down these germs will live longer. Take  paracetamol or ibuprofen only when you can't stand the pace any longer, or if you want a good nights sleep.

# Don't run to the doctor at the first signs of fever. Let at least 24 hours go by and then he/she will be able see a reason for your fever like a throat or an ear infection, bronchitis, etc. I usually wait three days.

# Don't wait to blow noses. Catarrh is a mixture of germs and your body's reaction to them. If you "bubble" all day long, you are giving the germs time to multiply. Cover one nostril and blow through the other, then visa versa. Not such a good idea to blow through the two, squeezing at the same time, which is what many people do. Apart from being almost ineffective, the raised internal pressure can be irritating if you already have a headache.

# Herbal remedies are much safer than chemical ones. Here are two which have been life-savers with our family:

The contents of one capsule on a cloth by the bed will give you the best nights sleep you've had in ages (especially if it's one of the children with the cough!)

Not completely herbal, as such, but still good for stuffed noses and coughs

# A cough, in itself, is not a bad thing. In fact, quite the contrary. It is the body's way of clearing your lungs of unwanted mucous and germs. Having said that, it is much better for your muscles and your throat to "huff" instead of coughing. A dry cough is a complication which can be helped by drinking warm drinks and treating yourself to some steam inhalations, with maybe a little eucalyptus oil in the water.

# Make sure the air in your house is not too dry. A room burner with some drops of essential oil in it is ideal. (Keep out of reach of small children) We use a mixture of eucalyptus, rosemary and pine.

DISCLAIMER
I am NOT a doctor. I am a certified children's nanny (N.N.E.B.) and the above information is the result of more than 30 years of experience working with children and bringing up 5 of my own. If you are in any doubt whatsoever concerning your health or that of your family, see a doctor immediately.