 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
I hope everyone has had a great weekend because the week is upon us already! My weekend was filled with interesting tidbits ranging from a crazy and deranged migraine to a mildly sick husband to a then nice visit with a friend from Texas. I know it is a mixture of things but I can say right now that my Sunday is ending on a nice note.
I think I finally figured what might be bringing about these migraines this weekend. I ended up chatting with another fellow blogger who also expressed her migraine woes from this weekend. We finally agreed it had to do with this darn humidity and heat. I know y’all are probably sick of me expressing my migraine woes but I think I have honed in on a nice cure for the meantime. I am totally NOT a pill popper when treating ailments but God reminded me of the Natural Remedies book in my library, so I turned to the migraine page and read on the herbs that are good for migraines. I loved the herbs that they listed because I had most of them in my kitchen. I started with my base tea:
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 tsp agave nectar
And then added the herbs recommended:
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp ginger juice or root grated
I drank this Friday night before going to bed and literally went to bed with NO pain! Praise the Lord. I had also rubbed a Headache Ease Oil on my pressure points which consisted of peppermint, lavendar, rosemary, wintergreen, ylang-ylang, roman chamomile, clove, and jojoba oil. This was and is very soothing!
I know that migraines can be painful but there is a natural solution. Beside the detox that I am currently on, I am taking calcium and magnesium and other minerals. Studies show that migraines are due to an electrolyte imbalance so having a daily dose of minerals is essential.
I awoke Saturday ready to have my voice lesson. Since Ryan had a sore throat, he decided to stay home since it is not good to sing while sick. I had a wonderful lesson vocalizing and sustaining to a high D. I was so happy. I love working on my range for sure! We then focused on an aria from Puccini’s opera Turandot called Signore Ascolta. I had it memorized and performed it for my teacher. We then worked on phrasing and interpretation and sustaining the right high notes. After a few tries I finally got it. I was so happy! Here is what the aria sounds like:
After this voice lesson, I visited Holland’s farmer’s market and found a delicious amount of veggies, ready to be consumed for the week.
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
I decided that dinner had to be surrounded by raw veggies and a new recipe I recently saw on C’est La Vegan. Even though this is a mock pâté, it is, in my opinion, a GREAT vegan version. I hate to admit it but my Chilean grandmother used to serve liver pâté with chilean biscuits at tea time. Egad! I am glad that was just on several occasions and not a regular habit. Anyway, this Mushroom Pâté is very flavorful and is even better tasting the day after.
Prepare the pâté the day before or early in the morning so that the flavors have time to come together. I served it with raw veggies otherwise known as crudités. I used my zucchini, celery and a lemon cucumber that I found. I had never had a lemon cucumber and was excited to try it.
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
I started by using oyster mushrooms and I sauteed them with onions, garlic, and thyme until the liquid evaporated.
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Then I placed them in the food processor with ground almonds and olive oil and a little sea salt to come to this final product. Enjoy!
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Wild Mushroom Pâté
adapted from C’est La Vegan
makes 2 cups
2 cup finely chopped white onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cup finely chopped wild mushrooms (combo of shitake and oyster mushrooms)
1 1/2 teaspoons dry thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup toasted almonds, finely ground
1/2 tsp Herbamare (Seasoned salt)
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Toast the ground almonds in the oven on 400F for 3-5 minutes until golden brown.
Sauté the onion, garlic, mushrooms, and thyme in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until the liquids evaporate. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the almonds and the remaining olive oil. In a food processor, combine the mushroom mixture and the almond mixture, the balsamic vinegar and Herbamare.
Chill and serve with crackers or vegetables.
 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Don’t Forget! You have until July 28th to enter the $50 CSN Giftcard Giveaway!
