The Funky Kitchen

I’ve been sidelined the last little while by a nasty lingering cold.

This is a magical concoction that has been making me feel a lot more present, and a lot more well, so that most of day to day life still gets managed even though I’m not feeling my regular bubbly self. Last week was extra yucky because the cold came on the same day as I hurt my knee. I was a hobbling, coughing mess and felt pretty darn pathetic. With lots of rest, ice for my knee and a sweet Mr to help me feel better, I’m certainly mostly mended now.

Hopefully all my regularly planned for events: work, wedding planning and ahem… blog posts will go back to their appointed schedules!

This steamy cup of pick-me-up includes:

• Echinacea, a common herbal remedy used for fighting colds.
• Lemon for Vitamin C to improve immune function. Yay citrus!
• Honey, which is full of antioxidants and antimicrobials,  soothes a sore throat.
• Ginger to reduce fever, soothe the throat and help you rest.
• Cinnamon as an additional antioxidant, used in China as a remedy for the cold.
• Cayenne, a stimulant, to warm and ease pain.

It all comes together to make a heady cup of tea, but a potent treatment is what you need for a potent cold.

Cold Conquering Cordial

1 bag of echinacea tea (echinacea tea might be difficult to find, if you can’t get it try camomile!)

2 C boiling water

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp honey

1 tsp grated ginger

pinch of cinnamon

pinch of cayenne

Directions

• Use the boiled water and the tea bag to brew a pot of echinacea tea, allowing it to steep for five minutes.

• Assemble the remaining ingredients and stir them together.

• Pour the prepared tea over top.

• Sip your cold away. Fantastic.

Cups of this have been keeping me moving this week. It helps a craggy, froggy throat feel more like itself. I’ve got a rather high up, squeaky voice. When I’ve got a sore throat I sound ridiculous, my voice cracks and pitches something awful. Anything that helps with that situation is really appreciated. The heat from the cayenne and the steam from the tea help unplug your nose too!

If you’re having some trouble conquering your cold, you should try a nice warm cup of cold conqueror. Every little bit helps!

This time last year: Fudge Drop Cookies

And the year before: Cinnamon Bacon Buns

And the year before that: Buckwheat Honey Madeleines

Do you ever get stuck?

There are quite a few other things to do, but all that you can muster is hunkering down with a blanket and a book. Or maybe an episode of Doctor Who or two, but definitely still with a cozy blanket.

My mental to-do list whirs in the periphery: there are cases of tiny jars that need filling with tasty things, the dishwasher needs unloading, I should get in touch with that DJ we talked to, Trooper always likes a walk, sewing and knitting projects to finish…

But I’m stuck. Like baked on lasagna to a dish, I just don’t want to come off.

It’s one of those weeks I guess. Not a good time for layer cakes, I don’t have the gumption for whipping eggs or cream, or making filling and stacking the whole thing together. It’s the type of week for muffins. Mix until it just comes together, anything more will make them get hard like stones? Sounds like a plan.

Blueberry Lemon Thyme Muffins

2 Cups rolled oats

2 Cups soured milk

2 1/4 Cups flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/3 tsp salt

1 Cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/3 Cup melted butter

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 Cups blueberries

the zest of a lemon

1 tsp thyme

Directions

• In a bowl, pour the soured milk into the rolled oats. Set aside to soak.
• Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar.
• Separately, combine the eggs, butter and vanilla.
• Stir the egg mixture into the soaked oats.
• Toss the blueberries through the dry ingredients, this will help keep the berries suspended in the batter.

• Bring the wet and dry together, stirring minimally, until they just come together.
• Spoon into muffin tins, so that the wells are about 3/4 of the way full.
• Bake at 400° for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops start to go golden (~10 minutes for mini muffins).

A blueberry muffin will always win in my books, especially when brightened up with lemon. And the little bit of thyme thrown in for good measure adds a subtle herbaceous feel to the background flavor. Overall quite a nice muffin; I find the texture you get from a muffin batter started with soaking rolled oats in milk is hard to beat.

Mr says muffins are tastier when they’re mini.

This time last year: Mushroom Cranberry Pilaf

And the year before: Pear Upside Down Brownie

Growing up I wanted to be my cousin, Ginger.

She was the greatest thing since they discovered chocolate, I kid you not.

Almost a decade older than me, she did a lot of babysitting in my early years. She was interested in marine biology, so I was going to grow up to be a marine biologist. She liked the Lord of the Rings, so I tackled them too. To this day it surprises me that I made it through them on my own so young, those books are not the easiest reading material, especially when you’re in elementary school. She liked mushroom soup, and even though I was pretty decided that I didn’t like mushrooms, I liked mushroom soup too.

Besides her being awesome, which made her special as it was, I think what made her extra endearing to me was that even though I was so much younger, she took me seriously and wanted to spend time with me. It wasn’t a case of, “Ugh, I have to hang out with my little cousin again?” Or, if it was, I never saw it. She would listen to my much younger ramblings, listening to what I had to say and giving me her sage, decade older, advice.

I don’t see her as often as I’d like anymore, she’s got two little ones that fill up her time, as they should. And while the flat out idolatry is no longer what it once was, she’s still one of the people who I hold as really special in my life. I didn’t have the good fortune to have a sister, but I did have the luck to have a Ginger.

Love you! xoxo

P.S. – Along with mushroom soup, she was also the one who got me to try out olives. Thank goodness!

This recipe is another one for those of you who love to dip, see: hummus, pico de gallo, Thai peanut sauce, or caramel sauce for other lovely things to dip into!

Tapenade

(Recipe adapted from Jo Cooks)

1 Cup of pitted Kalamata olives

6 cloves of garlic

1/2 Cup parsley

2 Tbsp olive oil

the juice of a lemon

1 tsp capers

1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

• Put all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and process until almost smooth but still a little chunky.

Tapenade is great to dip veggies, crackers, or pita into. Or, as an awesome spread for a sandwich! A thin layer adds a whole world of flavor. As per usual, the people of Provence were spot on when they came up with this dish.

This time last year: Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

And the year before: Apple Pie with Streusel Topping