Bridget McNulty

It’s Arbor Month! Plant a tree!

// September 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // Cape Town, Nature

Seriously.

Everybody knows how important trees are. Need I list the ways they help us out? Let’s start with oxygen, because we couldn’t very well continue without it (ha! Ecological joke!)

But I know how difficult it can be to hunt down a tree and find a spot to plant it, especially if you (like me) live in an apartment in the middle of the city… Which is why I was so delighted to find Grow a Tree (www.growatree.co.za), an organization that sells everything you need to plant a tree, in a bag. Yup. Everything you need, and you grow it from seed in a handy little bag that can quite happily sit on your verandah or window sill. And all the seeds (and, therefore, trees) are indigenous to South Africa! And they come in a cool coloured hessian sack! There is nothing I don’t love about this project.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what I’m going to do this afternoon after work: I’m going to plant a tree!
Why don’t you?

PS: If you want to find out more about Grow a Tree, watch this short video (I made it!)
PPS: I’ll post updates of my tree’s progress from seed to seedling to tree… Apparently it takes 9 months to get to replantable size. Like a baby, only without all that other stuff…

Lemon meringue pie

// August 4th, 2010 // No Comments » // Inspiration, Recipe of the Week, Tea Parties, food

Okay, so this week’s Recipe of the Week is already halfway through the week… Blame my wonderful weekend away, and subsequent need to spend all my spare time potting succulents! Seriously, my succulent garden just doubled in size.

Still, I would like to show off by telling you how unbelievable this lemon meringue pie is. So unbelievable, in fact, that I’m using my own picture! Looks delicious, hmm?

Now I won’t lie, this baby takes a long time. Set aside 2 hours and do it properly – step by step, following the directions. It’s worth it! Here goes…

Lemon meringue pie
Absolutely divine! Don’t be put off by the long method, it will help you to avoid a raw-tasting filling and meringue slipping off and pulling away from the sides.

Crust:
¾ packet (200g) Tennis biscuits
¼ cup (60ml) butter, melted

Filling:
2 cans (397g each) full-cream sweetened condensed milk
½ cup (125ml) boiling water
2 Tbsp (30ml) grated lemon peel
¾ cup (187ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 extra-large egg yolks
Pinch salt
2 tsp (10ml) cornflour

Meringue filling:
4 extra-large egg whites
1 Tbsp (15ml) lemon juice
¼ cup (60ml) castor sugar
¼ cup (60ml) icing sugar

Makes 1 x 24cm pie.
Serves 12

Preheat oven to 170°C.
Use a non-stick spray to coat the inside of a 25cm x 5cm pie dish.
Crush biscuits. Add butter and mix together. Tip into pie dish.
Spread crumbs onto base and up sides using the back of a tablespoon. Freeze for 10 – 15 minutes to firm.

Filling:
Beat condensed milk, boiling water, lemon peel and juice, egg yolks and salt together until well combined.
Carefully pour filling into crust to avoid disturbing the crumbs. Bake pie (without meringue) for 20 minutes.

Meringue:
Beat egg whites in a clean glass or stainless steel bowl until just beginning to foam.
Add lemon juice and beat until mixture forms stiff peaks.
Add castor sugar, a spoonful at a time, while beating fast.
Sift icing sugar over in 3 batches and beat well (meringue mixture must be stiff and shiny and be able to hold its shape).
Remove pie from oven. Sift cornflour over filling (this acts as a ‘glue’ to hold the filling and meringue together).
Spoon meringue over hot filling, working it up and over the edge of the crust.
Make a wave pattern in meringue by swirling it with a spatula. Return pie to oven.
Bake for another 35 minutes.
Open oven door by 1cm, switch off oven and allow pie to cool inside.

As always, recipe courtesy of Fresh Living magazine.

Day 29: Last day…

// July 30th, 2010 // No Comments » // 29 Gifts, Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

So I’ve come to the end of my 29 day giving challenge… And I wanted this last gift to be something meaningful, something that I will carry into the next 29 days, and the 29 days after that.

So I chose something simple but, for me, profound. I have always wanted to be one of those people who really focusses on someone when they’re talking to them. I am, by nature, a little flighty and scatty, but when I speak to someone and I can tell they’re listening, really 100% listening to me, it makes me feel so great. So noticed and validated and wise.

Do you know what I mean?

For my last day’s gift, I really listened when people spoke. And it felt so good to be right here, right now, present. Presence as my last present. I love it!

PS: The photo, of course, doesn’t really have anything to do with presence. I just love succulents (in case you hadn’t noticed…)

Parmesan fish with avocado and watercress salad.

// July 20th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Blogs, Inspiration, Recipe of the Week, food

Time for this week’s recipe challenge… are you ready for it?

I made it last night and it is DELICIOUS. Absolutely yummy, and it only took about 25 minutes to make. My kind of dish!

Here goes… Enjoy!

Parmesan fish with avocado and watercress salad:

* Salt and milled pepper
* 4 (150-200g each) sustainable fish fillets, sliced into fat fingers
* Juice of ½ lemon, (about 2 Tbsp)
* ½ cup (125ml) breadcrumbs
* ¼ cup (60ml) grated parmesan
* Olive oil

Salad:
* Juice and grated peel of ½ lemon (about 2 Tbsp)
* 2 Tbsp (30ml) olive oil
* 2 tsp (10ml) PnP fresh basil paste
* 2 packets (30g each) watercress
* 2 avocados, cut into wedges

Serves 4

Preheat oven to 240°C.
Season fish and drizzle with lemon juice. Place on a baking tray.
Mix breadcrumbs, parmesan and a glug of oil together.
Spoon over fish and press down lightly to form a crust.
Bake fish for 10 minutes or until cooked through.

Salad: Mix lemon juice and peel, olive oil and basil paste together and season well.
Toss watercress and avocado in dressing and serve with fish.
Enjoy!!

(PS: If you want it in less irritating form, just buy this month’s Fresh Living magazine… Which you should be buying anyway, because it’s only like the best magazine in South Africa. And because I work for them.)

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

// July 13th, 2010 // No Comments » // Blogs, Inspiration, Recipe of the Week, food

Raise your hand if you loved the movie Julie and Julia. Really, who didn’t?

We watched it while we were away and it awoke in me a deep desire to cook. Not just to cook boring old regulars (which is what I’ve always done), but to cook wonderful, inspiring, deeply delicious meals. I mentioned before that part of my new job is going to be testing out recipes every week, sort of a Recipe of the Week Challenge. But the blog is taking toooo long to get off the ground, so I’ve resorted to using Facebook to share recipes. And here, of course!

Today is the first day of this cooking challenge, and I wanted to mention a little of why I love to cook… It’s only a recent love, so I’m still learning how it makes me feel and the various pleasures it brings me, but here are a few:

* I love that I can put together raw ingredients, and come out with something warm and tasty, that didn’t exist before.

* I love that when I come home from work and my head is all full of computers and To Do Lists and planning, I can focus solely on the food – on chopping the leeks and stirring the soup – and that moment is all that exists.

* I love that the more you cook, the better at it you get. This might sound obvious, but it’s a confidence thing. Right now I’m not attempting anything too difficult, but I can already tell that I’ll be able to do quite tricky things in the not-too-distant future.

* And lastly, I love that it results in food, and eating. Because really, what greater joy is there than a homecooked meal shared with someone you love? I can’t think of one right now…

So join me! If you please. This week’s recipe is for Broccoli and Cheddar Soup – mine is bubbling on the stove at the moment. It’s really easy to make, and actually pretty good for you (it uses a whole lot of broccoli). Directions below.

I’ll post my photo of it tomorrow – please feel free to comment and post pics of your soup too!

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

Ingredients:
• 2 leeks, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Oil, for frying
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 2 cups (500ml) chicken stock
• 1 cup (250ml) low-fat milk
• 1½ cups (375ml) grated cheddar

Serves 4
Fry leeks and garlic in oil until soft.
Add broccoli, stock and milk.
Bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender.
Add cheese and mix well.
Blitz until smooth using a stick blender.

Photo from Fresh Living magazine.

Day 4: Well-meaning tip

// July 4th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // 29 Gifts, Decisions, Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

We drove to Knysna today, for the Knysna Oyster Festival (we’ll be here for the next 4 days and I am SO happy to be here). The timing couldn’t be better – both my man and I really need a few days out of routine, to catch up with ourselves and each other.

En route we stopped off at the obligatory petrol station for a somewhat crappy lunch (greasy chips and a dry toasted sandwich, yum!) and when I went to the bathroom I saw this sad little tip jar. Surrounded by wilted wet flower petals, I didn’t think there was much chance of the attendant getting any tips today, so I gave her a rather large one.

It’s so funny how knowing you have to give a gift each day makes you more aware of people who might need a bit of cheering up… And this is only day 4! I’m curious to see how my view of the world changes by the end of the month…

Day 3: Samballoons

// July 3rd, 2010 // No Comments » // 29 Gifts, Cape Town, Inspiration, Life (and the living of it), Love

(And, coincidentally, my favourite day of the year).

We went to watch the (thrilling) quarter-final at the Cape Town Fan Park, and I handed out these cool samballoons (filled with shaky stuff) to a couple of very happy kids.

I have had the BEST day! Birthdays are so wonderful, aren’t they? One day that reminds you how lucky you are to have such special people in your life, to be so loved, to get so many presents

It’s been a day of warm sunshine, abundant messages and phonecalls, chocolate cupcakes (that appeared as if by magic) and great fun. And it’s not over yet! Time to dress up to the nines and go to Madame Zingara for a Love Magic show. Yes please!

Day 2: Carrot cake

// July 2nd, 2010 // No Comments » // 29 Gifts, Inspiration, Life (and the living of it)

So I know what you’re thinking – YUM. How could you be thinking anything else?

That, right there, is one delicious-looking carrot cake. I say ‘looking’, because although this is my birthday cake for my work colleagues, it is also the ONLY flavour of cake I don’t eat. *Sigh!*

One of my colleagues has had a tough week or two, and didn’t get to celebrate her birthday. So I offered to share birthday cake with her and let her pick the flavour. Murphy’s Law, she picked carrot. Apparently it was delicious… The icing was some of the best I’ve ever tasted (cream cheese ohhh yeahhh…)

So come on, are you inspired to join in yet??

Day 1: Get Well succulent

// July 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // 29 Gifts, Decisions, Inspiration, Nature, Time

I specially painted a mug to look like the sky (with little puffy clouds!) and put a succulent in it to give to a dear friend. She looked after my succulent garden while we were travelling, and was more than a little sad to say goodbye to it…

She was supposed to come over after work, but was in bed sick, so I scurried over to her house and slipped the succulent under her front gate.

Day 1 of 29. So far, so good!

29 gifts, 29 days

// June 30th, 2010 // 4 Comments » // Blogs, Cape Town, Decisions, Inspiration

It’s my BIRTHDAY on Saturday! And although I am turning all of 28 and should have grown out of such things, I am counting. down. the days. I absolutely love birthdays. Everything about them – celebrating, eating cake, being spoilt, presents (those above all).

But this year, in the spirit of growing older and (one hopes) wiser, I want to spread the birthday love a little further than just sitting back and waiting to receive gifts. I want a challenge.

So when I heard about 29 gifts, 29 days I was excited. Very excited. My mom told me about it, and the idea is that for 29 days you give a gift a day. They don’t have to be expensive (or even bought), they can be small and thoughtful, or homemade, or simply a kind word or an unexpected phonecall. The whole point is that you’re giving something to someone else every day. Making someone’s day, every day for 29 days! I love it.

I’m starting tomorrow, the 1st of July 2010, and as an added incentive to do one a day and not cheat and do five in one day (which, let’s be honest, sounds pretty tempting from here), I’m going to take a photo of each gift, or a representation of each gift, and post it right here, on this blog.

Find out more about the idea, here: http://www.29gifts.org/

Join me in my mission by commenting (and committing) below.

Let’s do it!