First Advent 2014

Sunday is generally a good day to get your ducks (geese) in a row. I love how

these beautiful birds are so evenly spaced. I think when we think about our priorities, the things that really matter to us, everything falls into place. If we hold what matters to us in a moment of calm consideration, we too will naturally find this even space between the "things" in our life, a good pace, in a good place.

Peace, rest, nature, love, and enjoying the daylight hours. Happy first Advent!

Here's last year's thoughts on first Advent (in Latvian).

Thank you for stopping by Pieliekamais!

Eglites ir klat!

Shovakar pie veikala briinums -

klaat Ziemassveetku egliites! :) Es veletos Pieliekamajaa ielikt egliishu smarzhu.

Svetdien pirmaa advente. Iedomajos, ka diezgan daudziem cilvekiem ir iestiklots balkons, kuru ziemaa izmanto par tadu kaa ekstra aukstuma kambari (saliek visu ko, ko vajag turet aukstumaa, kam nav vietas ledusskapii). Esmu redzejusi egliiti shados balkonos, varbut to uzliek uz pirmo adventi, lai varetu priecaties visu decembri.

Paldies, ka ieskatiijies Pieliekamajaa!

A walk in the woods

An update on what's going on in the woods at this time of year:

it is still relatively warm out (but do layer!). I tasted a lingonberry - it looked and tasted soggy. I saw some blueberries too, but I figured they'd be soggy also. Then I discovered this -

a tree stump covered in very apricot-yellow mushrooms (fungi), brighter than chanterelles. The above picture is to show the surrounding flora and general conditions. Here is a closer look:

What's interesting is that the mushrooms seem to start out from a kind of "sprinkling", see below:

like a pinch of course sea salt or something on a chopping block, and from there on it turns into the bigger mushrooms. As you can see, the mushroom is growing both on the stump and between the layer of bark surrounding the stump.

The bright color just stood out between all the greys and browns, and the greens. It would be very neat to take a similar walk with a biologist. Why that particular stump, "out of nowhere"?

Where will you notice nature today?

Thank you for stopping by Pieliekamais!

Vistas čili pret iesnām / White Chicken Chili

Ja izdodas noķert to mirkli pirms iesnas tā riktīgi sākušās un atņēmušas visu spēku, tad šis "ugunsrijēju mikslis" būs sildoša, sātīga, un ļoti garšīga maltīte, un man no tās paliek labāk. Vajag gatavu, grillētu vistu no veikala. Recepte no bloga Brown Eyed Baker, šeit.

Par balto čili (white chili) pirmo reizi lasiiju shogad, ziemas beigaas/pavasara saakumaa, izrādās, tas ir čili bez tomātiem. Loti, loti garshiigi.

Sastāvdaļas:

1 grillēta vista
2 vidēji sīpoli
2-3 halapeņjo (jalapeño) pipari
2 paprikas, būs skaisti, ja būs viena dzeltena, viena sarkana
2 garie sarkanie pipari
2 ēd.kar. olīveļļas
nepilna ēd.kar. malta kumīna (! ļoti svarīgi, tās nav ķimenes. Malts kumīns, ir, piemēram, Santa Maria sortimentā)
nepilna tējkar. paprikas pulvera
0,5 tējkar. kajēnas piparu
1 tējkar. sāls
6 daiviņas ķiploka, sasmalcinātas vai izspiestas ar spiedi
2 ēd.kar. miltu
1 litrs vistas buljona (jeb ūdens un buljona kubiciņi)
3 konservbundžas cannellini pupiņu
1 laims
1,5 dl saldā krējuma
gatavā čili vēl var likt:
sarīvētu sieru
pētersīļus
krējumu
un klaat eest tortija chipshus (nachos vai doritos)

Darba secība:
Ja ir kāds palīgs, lūdz palīgam, lai nolasa no grillētās vistas visu gaļiņu. Vai arī to dara pats. Būs smuki, ja gaļu plēsīs mazākos gabaliņos, bet var arī sagriezt ar nazi.
Nomizo un sīki sagriež sīpolus un visus piparus un paprikas.
Lielā katlā uz vidējas uguns uzsilda olīveļļu. Kad silts, liek klāt sīpolus, piparus un paprikas, kumīnu, paprikas pulveri, kajēnas piparus un sāli, un sautē minūtes 7.
Tad iemaisa izspiestus ķiplokus un pasautē vēl pus minūti.
Iemaisa miltus, tā, lai miltus vairs nevar redzēt, un sautē apmēram minūti.
Pielej klāt vistas buljonu.
Ņem 1 bundžu pupiņu, nokāš un noskalo, pupiņas ieliek katlā un ar kartupeļu stampu sastampā, lai dotu čili tumīgāku konsistenci.
Tad liek klāt atlikušās pupiņas (nokāstas, noskalotas) un saplucināto vistas gaļu.
Pārgriež uz pusēm laimu, katlā pieliek pus laima sulu. Otru pusi sagriezh daivinjaas un noliek malaa.
Uzvāra līdz burbulim, tad nogriež mazu uguni un vāra 20 minūtes.
Iemaisa saldo krējumu un silda vēl 5 minūtes.
Katrs savaa shkiivii liek laima skeeli, un ja grib, sieru, petersiilus, kreejumu, un ed kopaa ar doritos chipshiem.

Notes:
Garšīgākais ēdiens, ko pēdējā laikā esmu ēdusi - tik piesātinātas garšas. Silti iesaku. Visas ekstras (siers un chipshi) galiigi nav vajadzigas, tapat ir loti garshiigi.

Vel viena recepte pret iesnaam sheit:
Kiploku kremzupa

Paldies, ka ieskatījies Pieliekamajā!

Mārtiņdiena 2014

Mārtiņdiena - loti lielas puules virtuvee ar zosi? Nee, miilie! :) Visi shodien var svineet, jo izradas, ka Martindiena ir

ziemas sagaidiishanas sveetki, simbols daliishanaa ar citiem, un viena tradicija, ko shovakar ieverot var visi (faktiski es ljoti biezhi sho tradiiciju trennejos dariit):

"Mārtiņu vakarā vajag atstāt visus apģērba gabalus,

kas bija to dienu mugurā, uz grīdas; kas naktī tos

pacels, būs īstais brūtgāns." - Latviesu tautas ticejums 

"Mārtiņu vakarā vajag atstāt visus apģērba gabalus, kas bija to dienu mugurā, uz grīdas (...)"  - that is not going to be a problem.

Ko darit tiem, kuriem iistais jau ir?

1. Galvenais, neadiit - "Mārtiņa vakarā nedrīkst adīt, jo tad rodas ragaini jēri".

2. "Mārtiņa vakarā jāpiebāž istabas sienas ar sūnām, lai ziemā turētu siltumu." (optional)

3. Ja nepatiik ziema, tad priecaaties, jo "ja Mārtiņa diena miglaina, tad ziema būs silta" - pie mums shodien ir silts un apmaacies.

Visi shie ticeejumi un veel vairak, ja vajag ekstra smaidus, no shii avota. Kodoliiga un interesanta informaacija par Martindienu no shiis Wikipedia lapas latvieshu valodaa.

Shodien veel iipashi piedomaju par visiem tiem, kuriem gribas vairaak mezha, lauku, pljavu.

Lai visiem jauka, miila Martindiena!

Paldies, ka ieskatiijes Pieliekamajaa!

Pirmais sniedzins!

Ir klaat, ir klaat! Pirmais sniedzins ir klat! Shorit ara bija spalgs vejs, un ap pus desmitiem no rita saka snigt. Sniga, sniga, laikam visu dienu,

un es loti priecajos! I love winter!

Pagajusha gada pirmais sniegs shaja ieraksta.

Paldies, ka ieskatijies Pieliekamaja!

31 Days: Celebrate!

Hello, and welcome! Please join me in celebrating the close of this 31 day writing project, 31 Days to More Abundance.

Some notes -

The hardest part
The hardest part was letting go of my original plan. The willingness to make peace with the fact that a post will end up nothing like I had imagined was what helped me the most to get a post out every day.
Once I hit "publish", I was usually too tired to reply thoughtfully and "properly" to comments from you, my lovely readers, and that's one thing that I did not like.
I also had to let go of reading other 31-dayers "properly". Some days, I just took a quick glimpse at two or three other 31 day writers, but didn't read the entire post. That was the biggest difference from when I was "just" a reader of 31 days. As a reader, I could not get enough of my favorite bloggers' posts. This time, when I was one of the writers, I appreciated brevity.
Practical tip for next time: keep it short!

The most fun part
The most fun part is right now, when the project is done and I have this experience under my belt.
Practical tip for next time: enjoy the journey more!

The most surprising part
During this month of October, many things happened. Not a time to continue with a blog project, right? Wrong! The most surprising part about this challenge was that it gave me a constant. A feeling of "I've got this". This is something that I never expected. Thank you. I am grateful.
Practical tip for next time: Trust that something new will come out of going through a process and sticking with it.

Another plus
Another gain of this project is that I found two very neat series and actually learned something new: I read Amanda Bacon's 31 day series on Alaska (ever wondered what "termination dust" is?), and I also found what must be one of the coolest 31 day topics ever, "31 days from a tractor seat". I did not know that there are girl farmers who bring their kids in the tractor with them during harvest time. I am amazed and humbled, and thank you, Val, I really learned from your posts.
Practical tip for  next time: good graphics do sell. I clicked through to Amanda & Val's blogs because they had cool "buttons".

I'd like to thank the Nester for creating this tradition of writing for 31 days in October.

Thank you for following along!

You can read the entire series, 31 Days to More Abundance, here.

Note: This is not a sponsored post.

Thank you for stopping by Pieliekamais!