A rainy summer day

Well here in the land of the long white cloud (New Zealand) it is a holiday weekend to celebrate Waitangi Day.  Hubby and I had dreams of doing lots of gardening and getting the broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and leeks all planted (we already have lots of summer veggies in the garden).  Our little son (who isnt all that keen on veggies is hoping the carrots will attract Peter Rabbit to our garden!), but alas the sunshine that was forecasted decided to have a wee holiday too!

Not to be deterred, hubby decided he would do the garden anyway and so the family spent a fun filled afternoon outside, in the rain, enjoying the garden.  To be fair the temperature was very mild and the rain was that light, misty kind that just floats down.  However, Max the dog was not impressed that his favourite tennis ball was all soggy and wet.  Poor pup!

At least all the plants were happy.  The herbs are really thriving this year, especially the sage, which is wonderful as I have discovered the yummiest addition to my cooking – crispy sage!  Oh my goodness you must try this if you haven’t already.  If you are making a roast of any kind, the easiest thing to do is to throw a handful of sage into the roasting dish about 20 minutes before it’s done, and then you just eat it with your food – talk about flavour sensation!  The other way to do it is to fry it in a pan (with a tiny splash of oil) then add it to your dish – it is rather yummy crumbled over pasta, fish or even just on scrambled eggs.

Sage is quite the wonder food.  It is believed to have the following health benefits:

• Sage contains rosmarinic acid, which acts as an anti-inflammatory within the body.
• Sage is a powerful antioxidant, protecting cells from being damaged by oxidation and forming cancerous cells.
• Prepare a little sage tea and use it to gargle with in order to relieve a sore throat and any mouth infections.  
• Sage can help to regulate menstruation and is good for all female gynaecological problems.
• Clary sage is said to ease anxiety and relieve stress and depression.
• Sage is said to help with allergies.
• Sage is also a digestive and can aid digestion, particularly the digestion of rich, fatty foods.
• Sage may help ease colds, coughs and excess mucous.
• Women suffering from excessive sweating due to the menopause should try drinking sage tea several times a day.

To make SAGE TEA just take around 2 teaspoons of dried sage (or 1 teaspoon of fresh leaves) and place them in a 1 cup of hot water (water that has been boiled, but been allowed to cool slightly otherwise the boiling water will vaporise the essential oils of the leaves).  Allow the leaves and water mixture to steep for 10 minutes and then drink. 

I must finish up here by sending a huge big thank you to the lovely Julie over at Toadstool House www.atalefromtoadstoolhouse.blogspot.com for awarding me with a versatile blogger award – what a thrill!  I was so excited to be chosen so thank you so much dear friend.  My understanding is that I have to pass the award on to 15 new blogs that I have come across and to tell you all seven things about myself.  I will get in touch with those bloggers I am passing the award on to and list them in my next post.  So, to close, here are seven little bits of information about what makes me, me:

1.   I have three people that are the centre of my universe; my husband, who really is my soul mate, my darling little son and my dear Mother, who is my best friend.

2.    Baking and cooking are like therapy for me – I read recipes and cookbooks like you would a regular book.

3.   My first two words that I ever spoke were ‘more cookies’…oh dear!

4.   I love to walk – by the sea, through the woods, across the hills or even round the neighbourhood.

5.   I love the words ‘ancient’, ‘cottage’, ‘village’, and ’magical’ and all that they imply.

6.   I will miss my beloved dog Rosy (who died a few years ago) forever.

7.   I love to write and to lose myself imaging the next story I want to bring to life.

Time to close here, but let me just add (below) this lovely quote from Charlie Chaplin that a friend shared recently on facebook...