Saturday, December 13, 2008
The wild outdoors
On the couch...with achey legs and arms after a morning on my bike in Ballinastoe, Co. Wicklow. 3 hours with Niall Davis from allmountainexperience. What an incredible morning! And what a wonderful Christmas present from my partner Glenn. I managed a bunny hop for the first time, after several sweaty nights in the basement car park trying to achieve the same thing. Not only did I manage it, I even used it a few times on the trail. My track stand is coming along nicely too, even if Niall was holding the back wheel while I perfected it :-) No crashes either, although I have heard someone wise saying once 'if you don't crash, you're not going fast enough'.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
recipe
I thought the recipe for Apple & Berry Crumble might appeal...sugar, yeast, wheat & dairy free, but still tastes yummy :-)
Crumble:
100g rolled oats
50g ground almonds
50g flaked almonds (I used flaked coconut last night!)
50g sesame seeds
50g sunflower seeds (pumpkin seeds last night, worked well!)
2 tbsp sunflower oil
Fruit filling:
8 eating apples, peeled and sliced
450g berries (raspberries, blueberries etc)
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar free sweetener (Agave syrup is great)
Preheat oven to 180 C
Mix all of the crumble ingredients together in a bowl, mix well
Put the sliced apples in a saucepan with the water and sweetener and cook, lid on for 5 minutes
Add half the berries and cook for another 5 minutes, until soft but still holding it's shape
Put the fruit mix into an oven proof dish and top with the crumble.
Pop in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
Enjoy with cream, or for dairy free alternative use cashew cream (cashew nuts and water, blended to a smooth cream, yum yum)
Crumble:
100g rolled oats
50g ground almonds
50g flaked almonds (I used flaked coconut last night!)
50g sesame seeds
50g sunflower seeds (pumpkin seeds last night, worked well!)
2 tbsp sunflower oil
Fruit filling:
8 eating apples, peeled and sliced
450g berries (raspberries, blueberries etc)
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp sugar free sweetener (Agave syrup is great)
Preheat oven to 180 C
Mix all of the crumble ingredients together in a bowl, mix well
Put the sliced apples in a saucepan with the water and sweetener and cook, lid on for 5 minutes
Add half the berries and cook for another 5 minutes, until soft but still holding it's shape
Put the fruit mix into an oven proof dish and top with the crumble.
Pop in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
Enjoy with cream, or for dairy free alternative use cashew cream (cashew nuts and water, blended to a smooth cream, yum yum)
My life in bullet points
Sometimes I wonder if it might be possible to live life as a series of bullet points. Wouldn't that be easier?
Wednesday 10th Dec
6am: Up out of bed
7am: School
7.05 - 7.15: Meditate
7.15 - 8.00: Nap on beanbags in library (yes really)
12.30: Trip to Tesco to buy ingredients for cooking with children tomorrow & Boots to buy headlice treatment (yes really)
2.30: Depart school with haste
3.00 - 6.30: Cook up a storm, shepherd's pie for my friend who has recently been widowed, apple & berry crumble for the NTOI (Nutritional Therapists of Ireland) committee meeting
7.00-11.00: NTOI Committee meeting
11.15 - 12.30am: Watch Horizon episode about allergies, fascinating!
Now that looks much more manageable! Today should be a bit calmer! Cooking with the kids, study in the afternoon - pharmacology assignment due in this Sunday and I haven't started yet! - and yoga at 6, followed by a trip to my friend's house with food for her freezer.
Wednesday 10th Dec
6am: Up out of bed
7am: School
7.05 - 7.15: Meditate
7.15 - 8.00: Nap on beanbags in library (yes really)
12.30: Trip to Tesco to buy ingredients for cooking with children tomorrow & Boots to buy headlice treatment (yes really)
2.30: Depart school with haste
3.00 - 6.30: Cook up a storm, shepherd's pie for my friend who has recently been widowed, apple & berry crumble for the NTOI (Nutritional Therapists of Ireland) committee meeting
7.00-11.00: NTOI Committee meeting
11.15 - 12.30am: Watch Horizon episode about allergies, fascinating!
Now that looks much more manageable! Today should be a bit calmer! Cooking with the kids, study in the afternoon - pharmacology assignment due in this Sunday and I haven't started yet! - and yoga at 6, followed by a trip to my friend's house with food for her freezer.
Monday, December 1, 2008
the next step?
Hello everyone, well it's been a while since I posted anything new...life has been pretty topsy turvy for me lately.
I have been trying to work out how my career path should be directed and while I'm still studying, I've decided to get back into full time employment. This decision is not an easy one, part of me wants to devote all of time and energy to study and developing my new path, but I have to pay the bills too! Of course, I am still working on my new website, which launched recently (www.ruthmckenna.com) and even managed to squeeze in a cookery evening about 10 days ago; a fundraiser for St. Vincent de Paul. An entertaining, giggly, fun night, in a beautiful castle in Co. Louth...
Off to read material from the 'Food for the Brain' conference back in October!
I have been trying to work out how my career path should be directed and while I'm still studying, I've decided to get back into full time employment. This decision is not an easy one, part of me wants to devote all of time and energy to study and developing my new path, but I have to pay the bills too! Of course, I am still working on my new website, which launched recently (www.ruthmckenna.com) and even managed to squeeze in a cookery evening about 10 days ago; a fundraiser for St. Vincent de Paul. An entertaining, giggly, fun night, in a beautiful castle in Co. Louth...
Off to read material from the 'Food for the Brain' conference back in October!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Late night preparations
16th September, 22.39
Just back from Annie's/ I'm pretty tired, on my feet all afternoon & evening, but it went really well! Annie & I took turns with recipes, we each had a bit to say about the ingredients, nutrients, benefits...everything was tasted (by Frank, Annie's husband too, who was brutally honest with us!) and I'm pretty happy... A few logistical things to work out, like ensuring we have all the utensils we need for each dish...and having all of the ingredients for each dish together on one tray or plate, so we don't forget anything! Like the miso paste for the laksa I'm doing; one of the most important ingredients (and tonight I forgot it!)
Time for bed...early start tomorrow...college work to do!
Ruth
Just back from Annie's/ I'm pretty tired, on my feet all afternoon & evening, but it went really well! Annie & I took turns with recipes, we each had a bit to say about the ingredients, nutrients, benefits...everything was tasted (by Frank, Annie's husband too, who was brutally honest with us!) and I'm pretty happy... A few logistical things to work out, like ensuring we have all the utensils we need for each dish...and having all of the ingredients for each dish together on one tray or plate, so we don't forget anything! Like the miso paste for the laksa I'm doing; one of the most important ingredients (and tonight I forgot it!)
Time for bed...early start tomorrow...college work to do!
Ruth
16th September
Up until 1am this morning, pulling together the final recipe choices, preparing recipe cards for the classes and working on my brand new website! I want these classes to be more than just the usual 'demo, watch, taste' experience. I want to educate and share what I know, about food, how to cook it, but also how it can heal, soothe nourish. So, the recipe cards include info about some of the ingredients, particularly the more unusual ones that I think people may not be familiar with. I'm working on striking a balance between informing, inspiring & entertaining, without overwhelming!
This afternoon Annie & I will trial each of our recipes, time outselves and work out a running order for the night. I neglected to put a price on the flyers I designed for the first taster night next Wednesday, so we have to do it for free...first step into the world of business and I am already losing money! Oh boy, this should be interesting!
Ruth
Up until 1am this morning, pulling together the final recipe choices, preparing recipe cards for the classes and working on my brand new website! I want these classes to be more than just the usual 'demo, watch, taste' experience. I want to educate and share what I know, about food, how to cook it, but also how it can heal, soothe nourish. So, the recipe cards include info about some of the ingredients, particularly the more unusual ones that I think people may not be familiar with. I'm working on striking a balance between informing, inspiring & entertaining, without overwhelming!
This afternoon Annie & I will trial each of our recipes, time outselves and work out a running order for the night. I neglected to put a price on the flyers I designed for the first taster night next Wednesday, so we have to do it for free...first step into the world of business and I am already losing money! Oh boy, this should be interesting!
Ruth
The beginning!
15th September
I am sitting here, surrounded by cook books, notes, scraps of paper with scribbled recipes and my 'bible' of ideas & recipes collected since, oh forever...desperately trying to decide what to cok for my first cookery class. It's a taster night, a teaser, something I am doing with my good friend Annie... She has professional chef's training and I am in my final year of graduate studies to qualify as a nutritional therapist. It's really incredibly exciting...but terrifying at the same time! I hope this taster night will work to excite, inspire and also encourage our first 'students' to come back for more. Here's hoping I will say the right things & remember all the ingredients!
Ruth
I am sitting here, surrounded by cook books, notes, scraps of paper with scribbled recipes and my 'bible' of ideas & recipes collected since, oh forever...desperately trying to decide what to cok for my first cookery class. It's a taster night, a teaser, something I am doing with my good friend Annie... She has professional chef's training and I am in my final year of graduate studies to qualify as a nutritional therapist. It's really incredibly exciting...but terrifying at the same time! I hope this taster night will work to excite, inspire and also encourage our first 'students' to come back for more. Here's hoping I will say the right things & remember all the ingredients!
Ruth
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