Beautiful Goose-day

Hello beautifuls!  blessings from Archangel Michael and All Angels on their celebration day today!  Here's a link back to his healing for Healers.

 Remember that a Goose is the traditional way to celebrate on Michaelmas?  But we don't have to eat these beautiful creatures... just contemplating their meaning will bring us purpose & prosperity these coming winter months.

When the goose appears in your life, it is a reminder of your life's quest.  
We often follow the same stories since our childhood... stories woven into the tapestry of our lives which replay themselves, over and over...
What were the favourite fairytales from when you were small? 
Do they play out in the drama of your life today?  
Do they remind you of your sacred quest or journey your life calls you to travel on?


(thank you to the absurdly fantastic Sarah Bamford Seidelmann for an introduction to the Beasties that change our life~ do visit her website for an extraordinary glimpse of another earthly dimension!)

To celebrate to-day, I have a lovely angelic gift for everyone who shares a sacred healing story with me.  Have you been touched by the angels or know someone who has?  Please add your comment here!



"Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--
over and over, announcing your place
 in the family of things."
~mary oliver, wild geese

Calling all angels to add your comment here... 

Archangel Michael's Day & how it can help you.

Calling all Angels!  Tomorrow marks the feast of Archangel Michael & all Angels ~ celebrating the day Michael triumphed Lucifer in heaven, banishing him to earth, and leading to Michael's role as Chief Angelic Protector and dispeller of Darkness.


Here's how it works for you:  Call upon Michael either silently or aloud tomorrow to protect you and all you love from negativity in any of it's forms in the coming months.  Have you been suffering any anxiety, fear, sadness, anger or resentment now the warmer sunnier days are fewer?  Tomorrow, especially, is an opportunity for us to ask Archangel Michael to protect the beauty we have in our life we treasure so dearly.


Did you know that as a healer or health professional, Archangel Michael can assist with protection against draining people (my hairdresser calls them "Energy Vampires"!) ?  A technique Doreen Virtue teaches is at the end of the day, closing one's eyes and asking AAMichael to, with silver scissors, "cut the psychic cords" these individuals have plugged in to us to drain off our positive energy.  


Angel blessing and beautiful good health to you!




P.S  An old saying goes that to eat a goose on Michaelmas (tomorrow, feast of Michael & All angels) and you'll be prosperous all winter through.  We have some beautiful semi-wild geese living near our home, and I love the strength and beauty of these creatures- we won't be eating one.  However, the GOOSE has amazing messages for us when it appears in our life (like, when we spot one) as an animal totem.  Tomorrow I'll share just what it means and why meditating on the image of a goose is a powerful way to divine your own future.

Your life by the Sea... Raquel "Wildflower" Jajeda

I believe this came from the very cool Karey M

Happy Friday, beautifuls!  and happy first day of Autumn!  Images of falling leaves whooshed around by darting winds are in my mind, and here I'd love to share with you the very personal and special journey of a fellow classmate at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, Raquel Wolf-Jajeda.  In reading Raquel's lovely words I get a sense that her life never stands still for very long!  Not only is she working full-time in the field of emergency management in New York, but she is devoted to spending quality time with her family, learning more everyday about holistic nutrition and health studies, and nurtures her dream to help underpriviledged children and their mothers in India.

I love Raquels story and am deeply grateful for her generosity in sharing it.  Do check out her website , where she urges us to Dare to Dream and Connect within.  On her facebook page often shares interesting international links and thoughts. So, here's her life by the sea- Manhattan is an island, after all!- Raquel W. Jadeja – Happy & Healthy Naturally

1.What have been the highlights of your career so far?

I am fortunate to have an extensive and varied professional background yet this is still a very hard question to answer! First and foremost, a major highlight for me was starting my own business at the age of 22. At that time, my husband and I opened our first restaurant in NYC called WildFlower. This 45 seat bistro and wine bar taught us countless life lessons, shaped our characters and gave us a community – truly the experience of a lifetime! I am honored to say that even though we sold WildFlower 5 years ago, we still maintain many of the friendships born out of that restaurant and are reminded by those friends (once fans) how special that time was. 

A Magnolia Bakery cupcake thanks to k. Raquel's "moment in time" bistro, Wildflower, was also in Greenwich Village NYC 

Fast forwarding, I had the privilege recently of sitting on a speaker’s panel at a conference organized by Columbia University School of Public Health confronting what Day 3 following a Hurricane in our region would look like. The other panelists included heath officials from Long Island and Connecticut!

2. What are you looking forward to having happen next?
I am most looking forward to unraveling the many layers of being a Holistic Health Coach and the many lives I have begun touching. Our planet is experiencing a shift in energy right now; creation is happening all around us. Holistic health, nutrition – this thought process – is all a part and I’m thrilled to play a role in that!

3. Have you ever experienced an interaction with the spirit world? What was this like for you?
YES.  The first and most brilliant was following the death of my grandfather when I was 5 years old. While spending the night with my grandmother, I went down the stairs before anyone else in the house was awake. When I reached the bottom, my grandfather’s spirit was sitting in a chair looking at me – a second later he smiled. Frightened, I turned around and ran back upstairs! For several years after that, I felt my grandfather with me, watching over me – serving as an invisible friend. 

4. Describe your dream day... tomorrow; and 5 years from now

Tomorrows goals include:

• traveling with my family
• finding greater time management balance

When looking ahead five years, I see myself fulfilling my dream of working to feed malnourished children and women in India. 

India is a place that is home to the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor with a great acceptance for the hand life has dealt you. Child labor laws do not exist and millions go hungry. I hope to make a difference one community at a time and create change that will affect future generations. So when I look ahead, I see myself with these children and their mothers - helping, celebrating one another and rejoicing.

How does Raquel's time line of past accomplishments, present challenges and future dreams help you consider your own journey?  I'd love to know!


Do you have any words for Raquel?
... please share, below!

Are you an Angel, too? Join FREE for regular doses of Light!

Natural ways to heal your aching back

www.samanthahoney.com

Dear beautifuls ~


Are your Wings too heavy?
.
Back-ache is one of the common issues that I'm asked to help with in my six month health coaching programme.  If you've ever experienced its debilitating effect, take a little comfort in knowing you are not alone.  Through my experience as a fitness trainer and massage therapist, I see common traits- as all illnesses carry common traits- in the sufferers of back ache.  Here's help.




1.  The sufferers of backache- especially pain of the lower back- have, like most of us, under-developed core and abdominal muscles.  The abdominal muscles are helper muscles for the back, absorbing strain and giving strength as the body lifts, pulls and turns.  When the abdominal muscles aren't toned, the weaker muscles of the back have no support to do a job too strenuous.  Over time this will lead to damage and pain.


2.  At best, your doctor will provide a prescription for strong pain relief and the unhelpful assurance that your back ache will disappear as quickly as it arrives.  This is true. I encourage my clients to turn to nature's painkiller which has no side effects and is deeply nourishing and relaxing for the muscles- Heat.  


EXTERNALLY:  in the form of a hot water bottle, hot baths
INTERNALLY:  sips of hot water & hot tea regularly, and foods which warm the body such as curries, baked root vegetables, soups, stews and spices such as ginger, turmeric, nutmeg & cinnamon. 


3.  The benefits of massage are huge at this time.  Massaging the lower back, buttocks and the deep gluteal muscles brings fresh oxygen to these areas which speeds the healing process.  Natural oils like Bergamot, which is a mood-enhancer as well as warming, or Eucalyptus, with it's properties as a game-changer, add to the effectiveness.


4.  Finally for now, Creative visualisation to replace worry is recommended.  I've noticed many lower back pain sufferers have fear or nervousness about the future, specifically fear concerning income, sustainability, and career.  This observation is supported by Louise Hay's discoveries in You Can Heal Your Life.  Finding peace with your plans and your path is a vital step to minimise back-pain attacks long term.  I help my clients with positive visualisation and dream-building.


Depending on your personal needs, herbs and supplements can also be helpful.  
When you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders and desperately are seeking relief, may the above recommendations help you find it.




Be well,
 with love,

Get in touch with me here to book massage or a free trial health coaching session
Tel 07624 455666

At home, abroad.

You know you're an expat when...


And it's not just ex-pats.  Us in LDRs (long distance relationships); who work away on contract or those-oh-so-lucky-ones- MHFJ's  (multiple-homes-frequent-jetsetters) will feel some synergy here too.


There are many more funny and well-thought out expat posts than this, but on this grey, cold, summers-end day when our minds and conversation turn to sunnier climes, here's what springs to mind...





You know you're an expat when..

• You see a familiar face on the street and struggle to remember which country you last saw it in...
• You know what time it is Right Now in three or more time-zones...
• Your cravings never get the better of you... because they don't make that in the country you're now in!  (gettin' personal...  from the middle east I crave moutabel and paper-soft pita bread, real tabbouli, & omm ali... From the caribbean; "Doubles"- that's channa in a chickpea flour pancake; the world's best crab cakes, and carib beer... From Australia, mangoes the colour of sunset and ginger gummy bears... which expat food do you miss the most?)

• Your expatriated home phone still has on speed-dial  restaurants and pizza delivery you may never eat from again...
• When you get a lovely email message to pass on to your most treasured female friends, your list spans the globe...

this post was prompted by a bathroom cabinet clear out and finding the same brand of sunscreen with different price labels:  from Blue Bayou pharmacy, 14 .... Trinidad & Tobago dollars?  US dollars? Pounds sterling?
from (no name) QR41 (qatar riyal)
from Pattisons The Corso, $8.95 (aussie dollars)...
blessings on your journey!


Are you a frequent traveller with far-spanning Wings?
Do you often feel expat in your own home?


If you're in the mood, please share your favourite foods and funny feelings about being "at home, abroad", below!

Autumn Equinox: Celebrating the harvest

via www.cocodot.com

Join me dear friends, to celebrate the abundance we've enjoyed this summer on a powerful day of the year:  Autumn Equinox.  The Autumn, or September equinox ; marks the changing of the season from Summer to Autumn here in the northern hemisphere, and from Winter to Spring in the southern.

When does it occur?

On Friday, September 23, at 10.04am in London and all British Summertime zones;

19.04pm Australia East coast time

5.04am US East coast time

2.04am US West coast time

1.04pm Middle East time

Why is it so especially powerful?

At this time, the length of night and day are equal in the world.  It's also reputed that an egg can stand balance upright, unsupported, for an hour each side of the Equinox.

I'm making a fuss of this day because I'm an advocate that life is easier when the universe is supporting us.  When your kitchen pantry is full of staples with which you can whip a delicious meal up so simply if friends drop by unexpectedly; and your home is relatively clean and arranged with the touch of feng shui; you're more able to adopt opportunities as they arise and re-discover inner balance when outside effects rock your boat.  Awareness of the moon and it's cycles, and the energy of the seasons, guides you towards spontaneous right action. 

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under the sun."  Ecclesiates 3:1

How to celebrate

This day- and perhaps Thursday evening, if it is happening very early Friday morning for you, is a time for psychically "taking stock" of all you've gathered this season.  Think back to June.  What have been the changes of place, mood, the ebbs and flows of people in your life?  Pull out your journal, diary or calendar, and just look at the important occasions and milestones you've experienced since then!  Consider how the season has led you further along your path.

Whichever hemisphere you're in, the Equinox calls us to welcome the new into our life.  It's a time for beginning a project that will inspire and nourish us in the months ahead.  Here in the northern hemisphere it may be a nurturing past-time enjoyed indoors in the warmth.  In the Southern hemisphere, arranging a regular outside picnic in the park with friends could become a way to lead you on a joyous path of growth.

More traditional ways to celebrate include Feasting with friends and family on local, seasonal foods, or weaving or purchasing a basket to use in the coming season instead of shopping bags (this is a nod to the Goddess Demeter, whom the Ancient Greeks believed blessed their crops and harvest with health and abundance).  You could light a candle, fill your basket with fresh picked local flowers, fruit and veg, and ask Demeter, any divine Goddess, the Angels or Spirit to gift it with abundance for the coming season.  It would be beautifully auspicious to keep this basket at your workplace for others to share, or to gift it to a friend who struggles to make ends meet.  Giving thanks with a gratitude list, meditation or day-dream session are also powerful activities.

One more thing I wanted to share with you; whether you choose candlelight, feasting or gratitude; prayers and the identification of new desires and dreams is essential.

Do you feel the need to connect a share in beauty and love at this time?  Wherever we are in the world, as we experience an equal length of day, you and I are closer than ever in our collective experience.  Below is a channelling of St Germain by Alexandra Mahlimay; I will be including it in my prayers for our collective harmony, this Friday, and you may like to, too!

"Enough of you value harmony and flow now, that you will find it easy to come together. You have reached a critical mass. Soon, this will allow you to build a world that is supportive of your needs, without having to struggle to do it. But first there is a clearing away of that which no longer serves you, and this can be disconcerting. When this happens, don’t be fooled. Be patient, instead. 

Whenever you fall into doubt, remember the orchestra and ask yourself this: When one musician meets another who values harmony as much as the first – is it not natural for them to unite in their love of music and create something together that neither could do separately?If your answer to this question is “yes,” then know that this response will serve you well – for this is the spirit that will build your New World. "

Do you have a "Seasons change" ritual?

What special offering will you make to bless & honour your journey in the months to come?

Do share below!

The Heart Breathes ~ a visualisation to stop negativity in it's tracks

I am a big fan of Jena La Flamme,  director of Jena's welless centre in New York City and founder of Pleasureable Weight Loss.  Just recently on her site here, I found an inspiring visualisation I'm so looking forward to sharing with you.  

When could you use this?

Jena and her mother-in-love talk here about using this visualisation en-route to the refrigerator to stop cravings in their tracks.  I'd like to ask you to use this anytime you feel drawn to your negative habit, whether it's physical or emotional.  

If we could, in the split second before getting upset, yelling, closing down, or slamming that door... turn inwards, towards our heart.

Perhaps adding the beautiful colour in nature of green, in any or all of it's healing hues, feeding & feeling the heart chakra...

We will connect once more to the gentle wisom and infinite love that supports us all, and guides us to better choices.

I wish you love today.

Have you ever experienced an open-heart moment that completely melted anxiousness, fear or negativity for you?  Do share, below!

Lighten Up Whisper: Choose your "Big Yes"

You can. Say no. via Kate Spade

Here's your Lighten up whisper this Wednesday, beautifuls!  (what, it's Thursday already? oh but I know you'll find this worth waiting for...)

Have you heard the saying, “it’s easy to say No when there’s a bigger Yes inside of you”? Really absorbing this gorgeous truism means you will never, ever be tempted by a food you really don’t want, again.  Because what's your bigger yes?  A body you love.

It's like the saying, "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels". Someone offers you chocolate cake. Or a fudge-y, steaming sticky toffee pudding covered in double cream. Or a lick of Rum'n'raisin/Banoffee/Strawberry cheesecake icecream. Or a cream-filled profiterole. Or a mini hot-dog. Or french fries. “No, thanks,” you say, instantly. Your host pouts. It’s a personal rejection for them. You smile, reach over, and give them a big hug. “Looks delicious, though,” you say.

Feels good? This is where you’re choosing your big Yes. And it’s easy to say no. Why?  I’ve always got a million reasons, if I'm put under pressure. You can have any number of excuses, too.  My very favourite is, “Well, doesn’t that look delicious. But not for me.”

When we say, nothing tastes as good as thin feels; I'm not saying one must be thin to be happy. I'm saying, nothing on earth can possibly masquerade anymore as the one thing you truly desire. So substitute the “thin” for whatever it is you truly want when faced with temptation. Choose your “Big Yes”.

How does connecting with your big Yes help you say "No" where you need to?  Try it and share, below!

Autumn's healing prediction~ lemongrass

Following the path; this morning I want to share with you inspiration stemming ;) from a fresh Crate & Barrel newsletter which announces the 'colour of the season' as Lemongrass.  There's something important here regarding the way we are thinking in the world right now.  

from Designer's Guild

Remember back, when we discovered- ages ago now! here- that the colours of a season reflect mood, feelings and thoughts from our collective unconscious? 

How wonderful that the 'colour of the season' is also herbal remedy, a grass for healing.  


In traditional medicine, lemongrass is used for relief of headaches and migraines and staving off colds & flu; one study shows when taken as a herbal tea - wonderful on these blustery days- it's as effective as aspirin.


Lemongrass aromatherapy oil  soothes muscular aches and pains, and is an antidote for boredom, overwork, nervous exhaustion and sulkiness.
Mummies and mommies, sounds like just the tonic after storms and fretful school holidays!


In feng shui,the dull chartreuse resonates to the North-East, knowledge direction, promising that this autumn could bring hard work, as well as few learning curves, but health and communication are strengthened by it's positive, grounded energy.

What emotion or feelings does the colour Lemongrass stir in you? 

to me... it cheers no end, and promises that the cooler months ahead can be fun, too. This autumn, I'm going to make it a touchstone of my cooking, in fragrant curries, creamy chicken & fish stews and bracing vegetable stirfries.  Not naturally local to this chilly British Isle, I'll call up the lovely Dot Price, treasurer of our Farmer's Market, on 470 507; who grows most everything one could wish for, here.

What can the energy of Lemongrass help you with, this Autumn?

Sunday share: the 3 Spice Friends that saved me from Sugar

Happy Sunday, beautifuls!  I hope you are somewhere the sun is shining, or you are enjoying being cosy.  Today, this is the view from my window~ of a stormy Irish Sea; it's greedy teeth snapping to take a bite of the Lifeboat station. 

On the way to see a client, I watched the mist rolling over the hills and down to meet that wild ocean...

Is it any wonder we crave warm and creamy things to make us feel safe and soothed this time of year?  Yet the weather's not so cold that it seems appropriate for roast meats and pureed root vegetables just yet...

Sunday lunch today: fresh local prawns, garlic and onion, tomatoes, broccoli and red pepper in what started out as a stirfry...

I love to serve sliced cucumber with spicy or creamy dishes, it's not as fiddly as a salad to make, looks so pretty, lightens the palate and is so much healthier to munch on as a side dish, instead of pappadoms or bread!

and part 2 of this sunday share (because the above paragraph I hope you will find as helpful in practise, as I do!) is the secret sauce recipe to the juicy, soupy texture of pictured dish- it's more a laksa or asian-inspired stew than a stir-fry, and just the texture our bodies are nourished by in Autumn.

Here's how it came to be.  Wanting to add peanut butter to the stirfry, I noticed n the jar there was only a tablespoon or so left.  So I made a cup of stock using hot water and vegetable bouillon, and added it to the peanut butter jar.  To jazz it up, I also added 1/2 a teaspoon of curry powder.  Then, we all danced around the kitchen shaking it.  Tipping it over the sizzling pan, it became a fragrant stew-y business.  YUMMO.

But here's the thing-  so many asian foods use sugar in their cooking.  Sweet chilli sauce, for example, is 95% sugar.  Laksas and curries in thai and malay dishes are sweetened with brown sugar, and the dish above just didn't take any good without... WAIT.  I reached for the honey, and decide to pull out a carrot instead.  I  added it, grated, and although it now looked more like an Asian curry- it didn't seem any sweeter.  Sigh.  So I reached for the honey (wait...) and my hands rustled over the spice rack.  Turmeric, it's rich gold beckoned me.  So did Cayenne pepper... and it I was going to go all Ayurvedic then hey- the Cinnamon wanted in, too.

Turmeric added richness and thickness.  A woody density that made me forget to think that the dish needed sugar.  There was something else going on now, and I didn't want to miss the taste.

Cayenne Pepper added brightness.  Often now when it's a dark or gloomy day, I'll add cayenne pepper to a cup of soup.  It's lift is positively amazing.

Cinnamon added fragrance.  And in a world where we wolf down our food without any thought to it's subleties, I am so glad my three spice friends sat up and asked to be included.  The honey stayed on the shelf (for now :).

wherever you come from

however you are here enjoying this with me

I wish you a warm healthy body and too many hugs to handle today, and everyday this coming week.  

Do You have favourite spices you use instead of sugar or salt?  Please share, by leaving a comment, below!

Now We Are Free.

now we are free.


Now we have a Clean bathroom, a few dust-free pretty trinkets, quality products and nothing.we.don't.need (except more toilet paper).


Now the shower is scrubbed to an inch of it's life, the plug-hole is de-icked, a towel system is in place. Mini-toiletries from luxury hotels line up like little soldiers in the orderly vanity, all ready for the fight against personal grime. And I. Have structure. And a cleaning schedule. And fresh, unstreaky mirrors and polished tiles. Reed diffusers filled to the brim and only one fresh soap gracing the bath edge.


Now we are free.

Free from that big dark cloud hanging over my head. The little voice that said I could never expect to succeed working from home because I wasn't organised enough. I couldn't even keep my bathroom clean, for goodness sake! Well, I showed her! Now, how you going to make me feel I'm not good enough? (The little voice is clever. It'll be that my oven's not sparkly enough next.)


One day soon- perhaps instead of fighting the fight over and over in your own mind, "I don't need to do (X) to be (Y)!" I hope you get tired of feeling stupid shame as I did, and by doing X, you discover your Y is just asking what took you so long.




happy weekend, beautifuls
with love,
Samantha.


p.s  if you are inspired by Hannah Marcotti and her brilliant personal programs... i hope you like her share here, celebrating my journey with the Joytribe.  

What's a "simple" you could do today, that once completed, will free you up no end?

Autumn Inspiration- oh, the places you could go! (events!)

What's new and good with you this weekend?


here... I'm watching the Rugby World Cup as Summer's gone and the sky won't be comforted. Sloppy wet velvet ribbons from the heavens... such a lovely day to be indoors...
 and, a little later, bracing the beach for the benefits of barefoot running!  


Feeling in need of some autumn inspiration, yourself?  You could be with amazing people and places to join hearts and entrepreneurial, healing spirit with.  Yes, you could.




For energy that could shift NYC to a new level, hang out at the Jarvitz Center on Manhattan the weekend of 17 & 18 September.  FallIINto action, the beautiful Institute of Integrative Nutrition School conference is taking place, with our guru leader Joshua Rosenthal and the eternal Deepak Chopra in residence.
and in the same building the same days (SPOOKY):  ICANDOIT New York, offered by the beautiful Louise Hay and earth angels Wayne Dyer, Marianne Williamson and Doreen Virtue to name a few.


October 23 sees something, amazing I would love to attend:  Rich Happy & Hot with Marie Forleo.  These women!  Want to be there!  Even if just to experience Danielle LaPorte holding court with her white hot truth... because self-realisation rocks.


For all of this, living on the other side of the pond and wishing I could flit like a butterfly across the Atlantic to meet all my heroes, and sit cross-legged in front of them for even just 20 minutes... I WILL be rocking it with the girls at Holistic MBA in Philidelphia November 3.  A knock-your socks off opportunity to Step Into Your Spotlight.  World, is that you a knockin' on my door?  I'm... almost... ready!


Inspired by these crazysexy opportunities (oh, btw, the magic Kris Carr will be at RHH with Marie and Danielle too!) I thought any of us, any at all, with an interest in holistic health and healing should meet.  This side of the Atlantic.  


So... Our autumn event... It's London, IINit?  Are you a student, graduate or business-owner in the UK from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition?  We'll be hanging out on a Saturday afternoon in October at Wholefoods Kensingtons raw food bar, Saf.  You could be with amazing people and places to join hearts and entrepreneurial, healing spirit with.  Yes, you could.  Come meet up in London!  Details, RSVP and please add a comment on our facebook page, here!




love,
Samantha
xo

shhh... a midnight snack.

Shhh, shhh. Such a calming noise.  It's the sound of waves lapping the salty sand, reminding us that gentleness is our home.  Hush now.


Hush now.  It's a midnight feast.  I eat too much when Husby's not here, filing the empty space that can never be satisfied a-lonesome by wine, food or heartfelt telephone calls.  I want to cook for you, and let us eat together.

egg white smoked salmon, greek yoghurt,shallot on cucumber. with pepper. 12am ~s.

This, earlier.  we have a tiny health food store in port erin, and it's not pretty, but it's yields can be glorious: local tomatoes, gomasaio (is that how you spell it, Andrea Beaman? gobsmacked to find it here!) and laksa paste- in a commercial, processed way yes; oh but how long has it been between laksas?- too long, it was never time ago, in Neutral Bay, was that authentic deliciousness.


not wanting to tempt fate.  never do I do this.  I created a Chicken Quinoa Laksa.  You don't want the recipe.

she wasn't Laksa.  ~s.

Laksa should be smooth. velvety. languishing over a bed of noodles like a supermodel drenched in creamy, lengthy asian sunshine.  This beauty was an isle of man bit o'pretty trying to soak up the last of the summer rays.  I did admire her gentle warmth.  Her hope and sustenance.  But she wasn't Laksa.  






Yet oh.  midnight and a feast of leftover bits-on-cucumber discs.  At midnight, alone, fork in hand, I like to pretend I'm sophisticated, oh so thin, and that a properly glamorous life is still just softly, gently, waiting in the wings.

Sunday Share & recipe- Being Gwyneth

So we had a beautiful walk and took this gorgeous pic- who would know it is only 16 degreesC?  sure looks tropical! 

 Then I, with basket on arm, in floaty skirt went to the market to recreate, for a delicious, end-of-summer Sunday lunch, this:  Gwyneth Paltrow's Lobster Club Salad.

Gwyneth's Lobster Club Salad, recipe and picture from Red

Tiger Prawn Club- Samantha Honey-Pollock :)

I don't have Gwyn's gorgeous children but I do have some gorgeous ways to improv. (that's improvise, darlings!) on her recipe.  The pic above, from Red magazine, doesn't look to contain bacon. It does in Gwyn's recipe.   Do you see any up there? it's not that dark purple stuff, is it?


In my version here   --> and I know, yes, of the delicious marriage which is soft white seafood and crispy, salty bacon, but you know it's not really a recipe until you make it your own, is it?- I've ditched Gwyn's bacon and onions and instead completed my salad with sliced beets and grilled fennel.


I like to think that the crunchy astringent taste of the fennel and the soft sweet bitterness of the beets gives a main-course like feeling to a very prettily arranged salad... but it doesn't.  The show-stopper here is the bite of lobster (or tiger prawn, flash-fried- sorry, but the lobsters all looked sad today at the store) and avocado.  Both spritzed with lemon juice, and there's definitely the hint of garlic about it...these two bits were chased right off the plate, leaving the char grilled fennel, beets- and probably bacon, if we'd gone that way- behind.


What do you think about Gwyneth Paltrow's identity as a lifestyle maven?  Here's a nice piece and a sarky piece with their views.  Do you think lobster is an extravagant food?  And did you know if you're not eating lobster two or three times a week, you should make sure your salt contains iodine... iodine deficiency is becoming more common and can lead to thyroid issues.  Sea vegetables are another good source in our diets.


Be well!
with love,
Samantha.