Give yourself the horses

Grow. Make. Start.

Just a little one to work myself into some form of phased motivation.

This isn’t a recipe nor is it a particularly informative or insightful bit of script. Perhaps is nothing more than something like a bit of self affirmation which forms part of the process of me taking a little more action than my yesterdays self would have done.

New year, same old me. But, I’v adjusted and improved how much time I spend on things for myself the previous year, taking stronger actions to put myself, or the things that are most important to me, first.

How can I add to that ‘this year’? Go one extra, and build some form of routine around the things that are most important to me.

Extra curricular. Capture, think, write, share. Not that hard.

So there I was out in the rain on a squidgy Sunday doing a few of the garden jobs pressing on my mind, in the window of sleep that I am still blessed to receive from my lovely little boy.

Picked up a few dog poos, moved a dead rat from the chicken house, cleaned them out and gave them new bedding. I was drawn to my ripe patch of horseradish and it just got me very pensive.

I love the idea of gardening and doing much more than I do. So does Rebecca. But it always becomes that burden, the enjoyment often being replaced by the stress of maintenance and addition.

So, whilst hovering around my fairly nondescript patch of horseradish and deciding to dig a little out for the horseradish cream to go into the smoked trout bagel up at the cafe (save me doing it in the dark one evening this week) I just thought. “You know what Edward, this year, you’re going to spend less time thinking about ‘what might be’ or ‘what can you add’ and more time being bold, reminding yourself what riches you already possess and the potential those riches have. Everything is there to be cultivated, processed and enriched further. That has always been one of you many philosophies. But in realising this one, there might just be every chance that the irony isn’t lost in actually achieving it.”

So, a dump of thoughts. We’ll see.

So for my first post of the year, I can use it as a little reflective tool at the end of 2023 or start of 2024 and let that reflection ooze.

Oh, I’ll add a quick recipe.

Horseradish is lush and not just for pairing with beef or smoked fish (but don’t actively avoid those either).

Basic horseradish cream.

Double cream

Fine grated horseradish

Pinch sugar

Pinch salt and pepper to taste

Citrus and/or white wine vinegar - to taste. (Acids)

Whip cream to very floppy peaks(still looking wet and early glossy stage). Add sugar and grated horse.

Whip a little more to desired volume. Add seasoning and the selected acids and stir through. Continue to whip if needed. Ready to go. Store, sealed, in fridge for a couple of days.