Lentil and rosemary… perhaps not the most obviuos combination, but a deliciously nourishing soup! It travels well in a flask for a warming mountain lunch, and it’s great for a hearty lunch at home. Continue Reading
When you’re too worried to think straight
One of the arsey things about worrying is that you can feel too panicked to think straight: You’re imagining an unpleasant result in the future, and thinking about that sends you into a spin in the present. Coming up with a solution feels unreasonably hard, that feeds your worry too and – urgh.
Here’s a set of questions that lead you from your worried state into a clearer understanding of the problem that’s bugging you, and then helps you equip yourself and suss out steps you can take.
So. Next time you’re feeling worried, grab this set of questions and answer them one by one. I use them often, in all kinds of different situations, and I always find them helpful. Don’t take my word for it though – try them out for yourself!
- What exactly are you worried about?
- How long have you been worrying about it?
- What started you worrying?
- Who caused this worry?
- Who is responsible for addressing it?
- What’s your worst experience of this worry?
- Why haven’t you stopped worrying yet?
- What do you want to happen instead?
- How will you know when you’ve got that?
- What else will improve when you get it?
- What resources do you already have which can help you achieve this?
- What is something similar which you did succeed in doing?
- What is your next step?
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These questions are based on an original set by international Trainer and Coach, Ian McDermott: Highly recommended!
Aunty’s Homemade Beefburgers
Quick, easy, tasty…. These beefburgers are simply minced beef and a little seasoning. They’re ideal for a barbecue, and equally good rustled up for an indoor feast. I’d like to dedicate this recipe to two of my nephews, David & Ben who are big fans of these burgers, and delightful contributors to my cooking confidence. Thank you, fine nephews!
Aunty’s Homemade Beefburgers
750g minced beef
4 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
2 tbl double cream
2 tbl finely chopped curly leaf parsley
salt & pepper
Serve with:
Tomatoes
Creamed Horseradish sauce
Mayonnaise
and/or
Sesame bun
Mayonnaise
Tomatoes
Gherkins
Crispy lettuce
Firstly, a word about mince beef. Do not buy the extra lean mince, it just doesn’t do the job, and you’ll get leathery, tasteless beefburgers. Buy the best quality good old standard mince you can find, ideally local meat from your local butcher: Then you’ll get tasty, soft burgers.
The rest is really simple: Peel and crush the garlic, dice the onion and finely chop the parsley.
Mix everything together – you’ll be shaping the burgers by hand, so you may as well mix them by hand too. Give the mixture a few squidges so it sticks together but don’t work it too much. You just need the cream, parsley and onion nicely dispersed amongst the mince.
For bun-sized burgers, grab a hand full of burger mix. Roll it into a ball, then flatten slightly and put on a plate. You can of course make any size burger you like… for picnics (or quicker cooking!) I make half size burgers. The quantities above will make about 4 large or 8 smaller burgers.
You can leave the burgers in the fridge till you’re ready, or carry straight on:
To cook, fry for a few minutes on each side or until just cooked (still juicy and just a bit pink in the middle). No need to guess with this – just cut one of the burgers open and take a look at its centre.
I love eating these with a bit of horseradish tomato salad – slice some tasty tomatoes, sprinkle with a little salt, and add squidges of mayonnaise and creamed horseradish. The combination of creamy sauces and these burgers is fabulous.
Alternatively, serve with traditional bun, lettuce, gherkin, mayo, cheese etc. … and chips (or saute potatoes) would seem likely too.
Happy eating! :o)
Drooling, but feeling too busy to cook? Take some time for yourself
and have these and other lovely homemade meals cooked for you!
Wisdom from Mary Poppins
I watched Mary Poppins for the first time in years yesterday… some of the lyrics jumped out in ways they didn’t when I was a kid! So here’s selected wisdom on work, life & fun, courtesy of a bit of Disney 😉
In every job that must be done there is an element of fun: You find the fun and snap, the job’s a game. And every task you undertake becomes a piece of cake, a lark, a spree, it’s very plain to see…”
Chim chimeny chim chimeny chim chim cheroo, I does what I likes & I likes what I do
Happiness is blooming all around us, the daffodils are smiling at the dove
I love to laugh loud & long & clear…
… and the more I laugh, the more I fill with glee & the more the glee the more I’m a merrier me
Farmhouse Mountain Retreat Holidays
(Mary Poppins not included)
Pictures from the Beautiful Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons National Park
Accompanied by Nana’s Bread Pudding