Feb 28
Asta walked into the kitchen and sniffed the air, taking in the familiar scent. “Ooh, are you making kugelis?!” she asked excitedly. “I am – I’m testing recipes. How do you make yours?”, I replied. Asta wrinkled her forehead in confusion. “What do you mean, how do I make mine? There’s only one way to make kugelis.” Alas, if only it were so. Read more
Winter has been brief in Lithuania this year. We had unseasonably balmy temperatures in December and didn’t get any real snow until after Christmas. We had two or three weeks of what I consider a typical Lithuanian winter, with snowy fields, clear skies and a low sun that highlights the stunning scenery. Fearing it would not last, I got myself stuck in the snow trying to take photos while I could. Read more
The snow has cleared, the days are getting longer and my desire to get back out into the garden is growing stronger by the day. We had some great successes last year and had extended periods where we ate mostly our own vegetables. We also managed to store a large amount of fruit and vegetables for use over the winter. This year, though, I want to do more. Read more
How long does it take to create the perfect snifter of brandy? Based on these photos from my visit to Hennessy House in Cognac (France), the perfect blend can contain brandies that are over 200 years old. Like a child finding their name on a mug, I was delighted to find a barrel with my year of birth, 1974. Later, I spotted a cask from 1874. Before the tour was over, I had seen barrels from as far back as 1800. Read more
I quite enjoy being alone. I don’t think I’m a loner – I love good company. But I am also perfectly content to be on my own. I love to get lost in thoughts and dreams – places I might visit someday, famous people I’d like to meet, foods I’d like to try, books I might write. Silence doesn’t bother me. In fact, I quite like it. Silence is not empty to me, but rather it is peaceful. Read more
They say the camera doesn’t lie. I disagree. Sometimes I capture a scorching sunset only to find later that the photos don’t show the vibrancy and range of colour that my eyes saw. So I’ll admit it – I have boosted the colour in these photos, if only to better reflect my wine-tinted memory of the most romantic sunset I have ever witnessed. Photos taken at Budgewoi Lake, Jervis Bay, NSW (Australia) in the summer of 2012. Read more
It’s been a difficult week. A number of things went wrong in quick succession that have left me a little out-of-sorts. Firstly, my favourite jeans died. You know, that perfect pair you’ve had for years, that fit perfectly and that, between the patches and the fading, are like a diary of your life. If those jeans could talk, what a story they’d have to tell. They’ve been patched and repatched and now the material is so worn that the patches won’t hold. I have to accept that they are no more. I would love to go out and buy an identical pair, but given that they’re nearly 10 years old it’s unlikely they’re still available. Which brings me to problem No. 2 – shopping. Read more
I could watch snow falling for hours. It’s so quiet and soothing, like looking at a lava lamp. Weightless flakes float down and settle on trees, windowsills and rooftops. If the sun later makes an appearance, the whole vista sparkles like diamonds. It’s beautiful and hypnotic. Until, that is, you notice that a large volume of snow has collected on the roof of your polytunnel. It is no longer weightless, but is instead causing the entire structure to buckle and bend. I spent a chilli hour yesterday scraping it off but the damage caused will require significant attention come spring. In the meantime, I am entranced by the snow. Read more
Lithuania is truly beautiful at this time of year. The ground is covered with a fine layer of snow, the skies are clear and the sunsets are magnificent. We can watch the sun setting from the warmth of our conservatory. It happens to coincide with our afternoon coffee and we are both drawn to the rapidly descending circle as it approaches the horizon, steaming mugs keeping our hands warm. Read more
Christmas is over and the New Year is upon us, bringing with it the annual profusion of “healthy” recipes. Clever marketeers prey on your lingering sense of guilt from any holiday over-indulgences with recipes or food products boasting to be gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, low carb, low GI, vegetarian, vegan or paleo-friendly. I have nothing against any of these food types or diets, but it is when people slap the word “healthy” in front of them that I start to get irritated. Read more
“Don’t slam the door!” my mother would yell as I walked into the kitchen. The Christmas cake was in the oven and in the early eighties, when oven seals weren’t quite what they should be, slamming the door could create enough draft to cause the cake to sink in the middle. Or so the theory went. Read more
To all of you who have read, liked, commented, shared, pinned, etc. over the past year – thank you so much for your time and your company.
Wishing you and your families a very Merry Christmas and wonderful things for 2016. Read more
One of the things I most looked forward to about moving to Lithuania was a white Christmas. The Lithuanian countryside is stunning when it is covered in snow – vast open fields surrounded by forests and dotted with deer. It doesn’t get more picture-perfect. This year, though, the weather has decided not to play ball. It was a balmy 9 ˚ C (48 ˚ F) here today – about 15 degrees above what would be expected in mid December. Read more
Grandad tore a strip off yesterday’s newspaper and leaned down to light it off the gas flame. He lifted the burning paper to his lips and lit his cigarette before throwing it into the empty fireplace. It was Saturday, so the fire was not lit. My grandparents always went out for a drink on Saturday night and didn’t waste their time or their fuel lighting the fire when they would not be home. Instead, if it was chilly (as it was today), they would light the Superser. Read more
In our house certain things happen so often that they have been given their own name. One of our most frequent occurrences is “where-is-age”, a phenomenon whereby Arūnas can’t find something he needs, despite the fact that the item is exactly where it’s supposed to be. “Where’s my wallet?” “It’s in the drawer, darling.” (Where it always is.) “Where are my keys?” “They’re in the drawer, darling.” (Where they always are.) You get the gist. Read more
My Food Odyssey 