Monday 6 February 2017

Valleys of Decluttering and Miracle Meringue


 New Zealand. February 2014.

 3 years ago we charted this plane in Lake Tekapo and and flew over the Makenzie Mountain Range. The summit of Mount Cook was under cloud but it was a breath taking experience I'll never forget. And one of Robin's dreams come true. We nearly didn't go because I didn't think I could manage it - with Robin's dementia and all. But thank goodness we did go. Something not to regret.






























All weekend I climbed the mountains and dipped into the valleys of decluttering the dining room  and utility room with my sister. Who would have thought that an excess of old mayonnaise jars and a vast CD collection would be so emotionally  triggering. So disturbing. I'm not good at making decisions at the best of times. But now I have some space in the cupboards and some space in my head.

 And a place to put things....putting my fear in its place....in the open where I can see it.


On Sunday an old friend who we haven't seen for several years came to supper. My sister made this pavlova for dessert. It was supposed to have a top layer but we overcooked it - being so distracted by weeding out the CD collection and it cracked. But no matter -  we crumbled it on the top of the cream and fruit - banana, glace ginger, sharon fruit and granadilla and it tasted wonderful.

The most wonderful  thing about it though is that it is made without eggs. And the cream isn't cream but coconut milk. A vegan Pavlova - how about that! I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it. Instead of egg whites you use the water from a can of chick peas. Whisk it like you would egg whites  for 10 minutes - it becomes a fluffy white cloud -  and then add the sugar like you would for a meringue and bake it in two circles for about 2 hours. And hey presto a miracle vegan Pavlova.

The recipe is from the totally inspiring Irish twin brothers in their book The Happy Pear.
You can find it here....

(but I'm not sure the link works so you may just have to google  Egg Free Pavlova at the Happy Pear.)

VEGAN MERINGUES | The Happy Pear https://thehappypear.ie/recipe/epic-vegan-meringues/






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