Vive la France!

July 14th is the French national holiday, la Fête du 14 juillet. It commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, an act of open rebellion against the monarchy that is considered the flashpoint of the French Revolution.

French cuisine was only for the rich, as the poor and working class were stuck with potatoes, onions and whatever game they could catch.

Crepes were a staple of the lower class, as well as rice, bread and fish. So, when there is talk about traditional Bastille Day foods, the people refer to the foods that the peasants were forced to live off of. During this day, Paris is flooded by Crepes-stands.

Instead of storming a Parisian prison, march into that kitchen and get cooking.

Normandy crêpes and galettes

Crêpes recipe: (makes about 24)

250g flour

3 eggs

250ml milk

250ml water

2 dessertsp. oil

pinch of salt

Sieve the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add eggs and salt. Mix well. Whisk in milk and water. Add oil and leave to stand, at room temperature, for at least an hour.

Galettes recipe: (makes about 24)

500g buckwheat flour

4 tsp plain flour

1 egg

40cl cold water

1 cup of milk

2 tsp oil

A generous shake of salt

And for the Norman bit... 2 tbsp Calvados!

Make as for savoury crêpes, adding the calvados at the end. And after all that beating the batter needs a good rest so, leave it for 24 hours.

Savoury or Sweet filling suggestions 

Forestière

600g mushrooms, chopped

60g butter,melted

1 onion,chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tbsp chopped parsley

4 tsp cream

salt/pepper

(Filling for 4 hot crepes)

Melt a little butter in a pan

Add onion and sauté for 5 mins

Add mushrooms and garlic and continue cooking until mushrooms are cooked

Add the parsley

Spread the rest of melted butter on the galettes

Add the mushroom mix and a tsp of cream

Fold the outer parts of the galette into the centre, forming a square

Et pour dessert... 

Flambéed crêpes à la Normande

40g butter

2 apples, chopped

40g caster sugar

1 dessertsp. crème fraîche

6cl calvados

(Filling for 4 hot crepes)

Melt butter in a pan

Add apples and cook over a high heat

Add sugar and mix until dissolved

Add crème fraîche

Garnish the crêpes

Heat the calvados

Pour over the crêpes and light a match to it!

And what does one drink with these specialities? 

Cider, traditionally, in cups that also, traditionally, were never washed - everyone had their own little cider cup! You'll still find them today in 'épiceries fines', they're usually an off-white colour with a red line under the rim). However, today, as fillings are often of varying flavours, a light red wine, a fruity white or a nice rosé does the job too!

Enjoy!!

Marilyn x

Swatch Youth World Championships

Where : Finikoudes Beach 

When : 11th -14th July 

 LARNAKA CYPRUS 2012  

Cyprus will welcome the biggest beach volleyball event in the country's history when it hosts the FIVB Beach Volleyball SWATCH Youth World Championships in Larnaka later this year. It will be the first time in the tournament's 11-year history that the Mediterranean island will stage the competition.

Thought Dissapearance Meditation

One of the primary reasons for doing Mediation is to get your mind out of the way, to let your inner healing and heart come into play – hence why we have done a Heart Mindfulness Meditation last week.

As you may, or may not be aware, there is such a thing as ‘group harmonics’ (as verified by Quantum Physics) whereby if a group of people do something together, the strength and benefits of that experience is multiplied exponentially. For example, if you are invited to a sports event, which you are not particularly interested in, you are just going along with your friends, only to find that soon you are cheering a team on, being ‘caught up’ in the feeling. So it is with Meditation, when you practice in a group, the benefits of Meditation are augmented, but in a more profoundly peaceful way. With this weeks Meditation being the most powerful Meditation you can do on your own, whereby you lose all thoughts, becoming still and silent. This might take you some practice, but it is worthwhile pursuing this ideal (of course, some may attain the ‘state of Nirvana’ or pure peacefulness the first go). Do let me know how you get on.

Today’s ‘Thought Disappearance Meditation’ you are given the technique how to:-

Let go of any thoughts you have whirling around your mind, able to expand into true joy and freedom.
Let go of any reminders you may constantly be repeating to yourself so as not to forget them (don’t worry, guaranteed in Meditation, if you do have a reminder ‘pop up’ you always instantly remember it on stopping the Meditation).
Allowing your creativity to be fully present in your life
Allowing solutions to problems to miraculously ‘appear’ , through linking and harmonizing both hemispheres of your brain.

Unless you have already printed out the previous weeks ‘Tips for Meditation’ please refamiliarise yourself with them again, before starting this week’s Meditation.

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THOUGHT DISSAPEARANCE MEDITATION 

Make yourself comfortable, closed eyes etc. Visualize/ feel yourself in nature, at the top of a mountain, lying down. The special place in nature your choice, a Peruvian mountaintop, an Andes ranges, or a forested Amazonian hill, whatever you feel comfortable with. Maybe you already have a favorite place in nature you wish to use? Simply look up at blue sky overhead and the lovely, floaty clouds passing lazily by.


Take leisurely deep breaths in and out, breathing in tranquility, breathing away any thoughts, noticing how as you do so just how close you are to the clouds. Plus how as you breathe in you seem to draw the clouds closer towards you on your in breath and conversely breathing them further away on your out breath.

Focus on simply this, breathing towards you the clouds then breathing them away, totally lost in this wonderful process.

If any recurring thoughts pop up or persist, you can simply and easily exhale this thought onto a nearby cloud, to simply observe it drift away, its size and form fading with the heat of the sun, becoming nonexistent, removing your thought completely, absolutely.

Absorb yourself totally in nature with this exercise, with any thoughts of ‘shoulds’ and ‘must do’s’ entering your consciousness being exhaled onto a passing cloud, to float irrevocably away.

Give yourself as long as you want with this Meditation, feeling the freedom and lightness of being this gives you.

For further Information or Questions on this weeks Meditation please contact Kara on: 97-743357

Guided Group Meditation & One to One classes are also available.

MAMMA and ME exercise classes

For more information please contact Angela on 97610998.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

This weeks recipe is in honour of our American friends, who will celebrate Independence today :)

Each year on July 4, Americans celebrate freedom and independence with barbecues, picnics, parades, fireworks, and family gatherings.

Hope you will all give this recipe a try, it sounds delicious :)

Bourbon-glazed sticky ribs with coleslaw and baked potatoes

Ingredients

For the ribs

1.5kg/3lb 5oz beef fore ribs

1 tsp whole black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

1 small bunch fresh flatleaf parsley, leaves only

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 carrot, chopped

For the bourbon sauce

175g/6oz tomato ketchup

150g/5oz chipotle chilli ketchup

110ml/4fl oz dark soy sauce

175g/6oz clear honey

4 tbsp ready-made teriyaki sauce

4 tbsp bourbon whiskey

For the coleslaw

2 free-range egg yolks

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

pinch salt

200ml/7fl oz rapeseed oil

90ml/3½fl oz olive oil

2 tbsp cold water

½ lemon, juice only

salt and freshly ground black pepper

250g/9oz carrots, finely shredded on a mandoline

300g/11oz white cabbage, finely shredded on a mandoline

1 sweet white onion, finely sliced

For the baked potatoes

4 large baking potatoes, washed and pricked all over with a fork

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp Maldon sea salt

To serve

250ml/9fl oz soured cream

4 tbsp chopped fresh curly parsley leaves

Preparation method

For the ribs, place the beef fore ribs, peppercorns, bay leaves, flatleaf parsley, onion and carrot into a large pan. Cover with water and bring to the boil.

Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering.

Simmer for 1½ hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

Meanwhile, for the bourbon sauce, place the tomato ketchup, chilli ketchup, soy sauce, honey, teriyaki sauce and bourbon into a separate pan, stir well and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 1-2 minutes, then remove from the heat.

When the ribs have simmered for 1½ hours, dip them into the bourbon sauce, then place them onto a roasting tray, reserving the remaining sauce. Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes, then spoon over more of the bourbon sauce. Continue to roast for a further 10-12 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside on a warm plate.

For the coleslaw, blend the egg yolks, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and salt in a food processor until smooth and well combined.

With the food processor motor still running, gradually pour in the rapeseed oil and the olive oil in a thin stream until the mixture thickens to the consistency of thick mayonnaise. (You may not need all of both oils.)

Transfer the mayonnaise mixture to a clean bowl. Gradually add the cold water and lemon juice in a thin stream, whisking continuously. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Place the carrots, cabbage and onion into a large mixing bowl and add enough mayonnaise to coat the vegetables. Stir until well combined and set aside.

For the baked potatoes, rub the baking potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle over the salt.

Place the potatoes onto the top shelf of the oven and bake for one hour, or until tender (allow more time for larger potatoes).

To serve, divide the sticky ribs among four serving plates and spoon a portion of coleslaw alongside. Split the potatoes in half and place one onto each plate. Top with a spoonful of soured cream and garnish with the chopped curly parsley.

Enjoy!

Marilyn x