Feel-good Friday

There's some brightness on the horizon, today.  It may be close to freezing-point but the sunshine has helped to make my heart sing (a little)... along with the deliciously scented panoply of pink roses, enjoying pride-of-place in my living room.  What has made you smile this Friday?

Tree of Inspiration

Autumn sunshine dappled through this beautiful tree, in Wisley's glorious gardens, on a happy Sunday afternoon...

You're having a laugh...

If you're anything like me, then you'll have been a happy bunny over the past few days - enjoying the gorgeous late (very) summer weather, in London.  I was beginning to think that the s(ummer) word no longer had a place in our vocabulary.

Well,  September was also back-to-school time.  Even if that no longer features significantly in your life, think again... It can prove great fun and a brilliant source of autumnal/winter inspiration, to take a step back and consider (that old cliché) evening classes.  There's so much to choose from... 

An option I can heartily recommend, is to go for a stand-up comedy course.  I signed-up for classes, a few years back, at Richmond's Parkshot with excellent tutor, Tony Kirwood.  We were a very diverse bunch of students, ranging in age from 17-70(!); every class was a great laugh (combined with some high anxiety levels...).  It was a brilliant way to inject some sunshine into the grey winter months. 

Although I never had any intention of going on the circuit (oh no - not for me - I'm far too much of a 'corpser') I wanted to try my hand at topical comedy writing and I loved it...  The class put on a very well-received end-of-term show and one of the group - Jude Mahon - made it to the finals of that year's Funny Women competition.

sunny sunday afternoon...

Hooray!  It's been blissfully sunny here for the past few days - didn't take long for the cricketers to come-out... or for me to visit the garden centre... (top pic shows the scenic view - from their car park!)

adopt a smoothie:-)

When the weather is fine, or at least clement, what better way to start the day than with a delicious - and easy - home-made smoothie! For a sunny, vitamin-infused, anti-oxidant-packed breakfast, there's little better.  The berry variety used to be my favourite until I experimented today and made a new discovery: mango spice! 

I set the scene, yesterday, when, for the first time, I bought a large pack of frozen mango cubes. This morning, all I needed to do was to throw a large handful into the blender, with half a large sliced banana; half-a-cup of apple-juice-sweetened, organic, soya milk and a (very) generous sprinkling of ground cinnamon.  Whizz-away, until smooth, and you're guaranteed to launch the day with a smile and a healthy burst of energy...yum!

bring me sunshine, or... move over Darling!

The weather and Darling's Budget have pretty much been the predominant themes in the UK this week. Yawn! After the strong winds earlier in the week, the sogginess (and flood warnings) are back, so... conducive to a quiet weekend enjoying the pleasures of home. Still, that doesn't stop my mind wandering to warmer climes. In case you could do with an injection of sunshine too, I thought I'd share a recollection (and some healthy, tasty, sun-inspired recipes) from a blissful visit I had to a wonderful, authentic, family-run restaurant on the water's edge on the pretty Ionian island of Zakynthos.

Picture the scene. You're walking along the harbour, inhaling the ozone and enjoying the sights. Fishermen are still hauling in their catch; in the background you can see the white-washed villages, nestling in the pine-scented hills, as a picturesque backdrop to the elegant yachts and cruisers. The sea is a beautiful, soothing hue, serene as the most inviting swimming-pool, with crystal clear blue waters. The sky is deep unbroken blue. To your right is the celebrated church of the island's patron saint, Dionysos. To the left, perfectly placed to take in the blissful panoramic vista, is an elegant taverna with its pretty stained glass windows concealing the tables inside. For a real treat you can opt for a table at the sea's edge and bask in the water's reflective glory while you eat.

Komis Fish Taverna is not just another Greek taverna. You'll probably realise that as soon as you walk in and are welcomed warmly by Yiannis or his brother, Stakis. If you're in the mood for fish you can check out the catch of the day, in the refrigerated cabinet, which will then be expertly cooked by the third Komis brother, Nikos. As a vegetarian, you'll also have many tempting dishes to choose from. If you're anxious about the language barrier there's no problem here, Yiannis, a former frogman in the Greek Navy, is fluent in five languages and very charming. If Yiannis' English wife, Linda, is on-site you'll be in for a truly holistic experience as she is a Reiki master, spiritual healer and yoga guru.

As soon as your order has been taken, you'll be brought an elegant wooden breadbasket filled with delicious local village bread. But first you'll relish the taste of oreganopsoumo, the mouth-watering Italian-influenced appetiser presented to each diner before their meal. The recipe follows together with their delicious house salad.

Oreganopsoumo
1 thick slice of dense, country-style bread
1 ripe medium-sized tomato, skinned and coarsely grated
half a garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon capers
1 teaspoon baby black olives
oregano
extra virgin olive oil

Grill the sliced bread. Top with the tomato, garlic and capers. Sprinkle over the olives and oregano. Season lightly. Serve and enjoy!


Garden Fresh Salad
1 handful of rocket
1 handful of purslane leaves (or lamb'slettuce)
1 ripe beef tomato, cut into eight
1/4 ripe avocado, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/4 cucumber, peeled, seeded and thickly sliced
1/2 small red pepper, chunked
50g red cabbage, sliced
2 teaspoons capers
50g large butter beans, cooked and cooled
2 teaspoons sunflower seeds
2 teaspoons pumpkin seeds
small handful baby black olives
oregano
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar
sea salt

Don't be daunted by the list of ingredients - they almost take longer to read (and write) than the salad does to prepare.

Place the salad leaves and sliced cabbage in your favourite salad bowl (wooden, preferably). Add the tomato, avocado, cucumber, pepper and beans. Sprinkle in the seeds, capers, olives and oregano. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar, to taste. Season lightly with freshly ground sea salt.


This sunny blog item is partly reproduced from a feature previously published in LiveWell, a healthy lifestyle magazine, I used to edit. ©amethyst