Krog s piko A circle with a dot

Miro je tokratno, svojo drugo potico pehtranko vseh časov, sestavil iz dveh receptov, ki ju je nekje izbrskal, pa še téma je sestavine prilagodil malce po svoje.
 
Kar se tiče okusa, se je posrečila, zelo bolj kot prva, bila je ravno prav sočna in rahla, glede videza pa ne popolnoma, ker si je na vsak način želel, da bi se videla spirala, ampak važno je, da se je malo zamislil in da že zdaj ve, kje iskati napako [oblikovalsko-tehnično menda :)] in kako jo odpraviti, tako da lahko naslednjič spet pričakujemo izpopolnitev. :)

Testo: polnozrnata pirina moka, kvas, jabolko, sol, rjav sladkor, riževo mleko in olivno olje.

Nadev: skuta, rjav sladkor, rum, beljaki in pehtran.
 
Mimogrede, nekomu je pri prejšnji objavi v oko padel tisti sredinski stožec v pekaču za potico (bolje se vidi v prejšnji objavi kot zgoraj) in ja, je res fina zadeva, samostojna, ki se jo lahko uporablja v kombinaciji s katerokoli posodo. Babičin, zdaj od moje mami. :)

This time Miro made his second ever potica, also the tarragon one. He made it from two different recipes and still adjusted the ingredients a bit.
 
Regarding taste it turned out as we have wished, but he wasn’t completely satisfied with the looks since he wants the spiral to be seen. But the important thing is that he already knows where he made a mistake [a design-technical thing, apparently :)], so we can expect nothing but perfection the next time. :)
 
Dough: whole grain spelt flour, yeast, apple, salt, brown sugar, rice milk and olive oil.
 
Stuffing: cottage cheese, brown sugar, rum, egg whites and tarragon.
 
By the way, in the previous post someone noticed that cone in the middle of the pan (it is better seen in the previous post than above) and yes, it really is great thing, a separate part that can be used in combination with any pan. From my grandma. Now it is my mum’s. :)

Imate raje orehovo ali pehtranovo? Do you prefer the walnut or tarragon one?

Prihajajoči praznik, ko se že od nekdaj slaví prihod pomladi in zelenja, imam zelo rada. Z najlepšim simbolom, s simbolom novega rojstva in popolnosti, z jajcem, ki s sklenjenim krogom podarí nov začetek, nov popoln krog. Narava se ne moti. In čaščenje narave je tisto, ki je najbližje mojemu srcu.
 
In ko smo že pri naravi, pri usklajenosti z njo in pri simboliki in če se osredotočimo na ta in še na en pomemben praznik na nasprotnem koncu kroga, ki mu pravimo leto, in ki so ga naši predniki tudi že od nekdaj častili, Kristjani pa so jima kasneje nadeli svoji imeni, ki ju zdaj veselo uporabljamo kar vsi, je zelo zanimiva razlaga nekega etnologa, mislim da Bogataja, koga pa, na katero sem naletela že pred leti, kjer je razlagal o tem, da so naše babice v velikonočnem času pekle pehtranovo potico, v božičnem pa orehovo.
 
Seveda, zelo smiselno! Spomladi se častí vse novo, sveže, zelêno, zato se v potico da zelišča, pozimi, ko tega ni pri roki, pa oreške. Sem si prebrano zelo zapomnila, ker sem velika zagovornica simbolike in mi je všeč, da stvari ne ponavljamo kar tako v en dan, iz navade, ker pač so, temveč da imajo globlji pomen, še posebej pa se mi je vtisnilo v spomin, ker je bila to voda na moj mlin, namreč, ni skrivnost, da nisem ljubiteljica potic, peciva, tort in kar je še tega, sem pa, za razliko od večine drugih, ki običajno raje pikirajo na orehovo, če ne celo še na kakšno drugo, kljub temu vedno najraje poskusila prav babičino pehtranko.
 
Bogataj v svoji knjigi Okusiti Slovenijo omenja, da je izvor potice iskati v krogu prazničnih in obrednih kruhov, kolačev, z verjetno eno najstarejših ritualnih in božanskih oblik, podobo kroga s piko, na častno mesto prve med poticami pa postavlja, kljub vsesplošni razširjenosti in priljubljenosti orehove, »mojo« pehtranovo! :)
 
Tale na zadnjih dveh slikah izpred treh let je tudi pehtranova, poleg tega pa prva izpod najinih (khm, se pravi - Mirovih) rok. Prvi posnetek pa je iz februarja istega leta, vendar bi, glede na sneg in sonce, mirne volje lahko bil današnji.
 
Aja, tule je pa en filmček, ki prikazuje, kako se naredi pehtranova potica.

The upcoming holiday that glorifies the arrival of spring and the green all the way from ancient times already, I like it very much. With the most beautiful symbol, a symbol of a new birth and perfection, with an egg, that gives a new beginning, a new perfect rounded circle. Nature is never wrong. And worshiping of nature is something that suits my heart most.
 
Speaking of nature, of being one with it, of symbolism and if we concentrate on this and one other feast that is on the opposite side of the circle called a year, which was also worshiped already by our ancestors and the Christians later gave them their names that we all use now; so, it was very interesting to read once how our grannies baked potica - the tarragon one in the Easter time and in the Christmas time they baked the walnut one.
 
Very reasonable, of course! In the spring it was all about welcoming new, fresh, green, so they put herbs into potica and in the winter time, when there weren’t any, they used nuts. I have remembered this explanation very well since I am a big supporter of symbolism and I don’t like to do things just because, out of the habit, I like things to have a deeper meaning. Because of that and because, unlike majority of people that adore potica, especially the walnut one, I am not a big fan of all sorts of cakes on general, but the tarragon one that my grandma used to bake – that one I did like.
 
Our ethnologists say that the origin of potica, this culinary treasure of Slovenia, is to be found in the circle of breads and cakes that have an image of a circle with a dot, probably the oldest ritual and divine shape of all. Unlike the popularity of the walnut potica and widely spread opinion of its primacy, the first among all of them supposed to be “mine”, the tarragon one! :)
 
This one in the last two pictures above from three years ago is also made with tarragon and at the same time the first one made by us (khm, that is - by Miro). The first picture is from February that same year, but it could easily be taken today, as it was sunny winter day.
 
Want to make it yourself? I found this video with instructions.

Mačja televizija A cat's television

Road movie Klatež Dlesk     [klik]     Road movie Hawfinch the vagrant

Muzikal Detel bobnar, detel jedec     [klik]     Musical Woodpecker drummer, woodpecker eater

Kriminalka Niste mi kos     [klik]     Crime The Blackbird's rules

Ljubezenska drama Taščica in Vrabec     [klik]     Love drama Robin and Sparrow

Komedija Gugajoči vrabci     [klik]     Comedy Sparrows swinging

Ja, vse to in še več je na sporedu zimske mačje televizije. :)

Yes, all that and more is on a schedule of the cat’s winter television. :)

Sklenjen krog A rounded circle

Nedaleč za kočo v Kamniški Bistrici stoji spomenik planincem, ki so se borili v NOB. Okrogel lesen steber z izrezljanimi in pobarvanimi ornamenti zaključuje strešica v podobi Triglava, nad njo žari peterokraka zvezda, na steber pa so pritrjene štiri plošče z motivi vojne.

Obeležje je zasnoval Vlasto Kopač, arhitekt, oblikovalec in planinec, ki je bil pred vojno kratek čas zaposlen kot glavni risar pri Jožetu Plečniku.

Mimogrede, kakšen življenjepis! »Če je med vojno ponarejal izkaznice, ki so omogočale beg iz z žico obkrožene Ljubljane, je po vojni uredil pot, ki stoji na mestu, kjer je bila nekoč žica.« [vir: Mladina]. Če to ni popolno sklenjen krog, ki govori o življenjskih protislovjih, dobro-zlo, jing-jang, kar hočete!
 
Berem tudi, da je bilo pri nas med vojno od 69 planinskih koč, kolikor smo jih takrat imeli (zdaj jih je seveda mnogo več) 49 požganih, preostalih 20 pa je bilo izropanih in/ali poškodovanih.

Not far behind the mountain hut in Kamniška Bistrica there is a monument to mountaineers that fought in NOB [=national liberation front] against occupying forces in the 2WW.

The round pillar with carved and painted ornaments and four war-motif panels has a little rooftop in a shape of our highest mountain Triglav [=three heads] with a red star at the top of it.

It was designed by Vlasto Kopač, architect, designer, illustrator and mountaineer, who was falsifying documents that enabled crossing the barb-wired capital during the war and after it he arranged the memorial path in that same trail. How impressively perfect this circle is rounded up; I am talking about life contradictions, the good and the bad, yin and yang or whatever you want!
 
I also read that of all 69 mountain huts that were at that time (now there are many more of course), 49 of them were burned and the rest 20 were plundered or/and damaged during the war.

Dva norca ali A mi je tega res treba! Two crazy people or Do I really need this!

Takole sva naredila, da se je ja vedelo, da imava resen namen in da ne bi bilo kakšnih izgovorov: v nahrbtnik sva spakirala brisačo, ja, na včerajšnje zgodnjespomladansko popoldne, ki pa se je vse bolj prevešalo nazaj v mrzlo zimo; s ciljem, da porušiva najin rekord, ki je bil hkrati tudi edini dotedanji poskus in se je zgodil pred leti, na en podobno hladen, a vendar že poznoaprilski dan.
 
Ja, gre za hojo v tisti ledenici od Kamniške Bistrice! Jaz svojih nog stopal nisem potunkala niti do gležnjev, v njej sem zdržala komaj toliko, da je Miro pridobil dokazni slikovni material, in niti toliko, da se ob tem ne bi pačila od bolečine.
 
Naprej me je gnalo le to, da je občutek v nogah po tem, ko si spet obuješ tople nogavice in čevlje, zares prijeten, mravljinčast in žgoč. Za par minut. A že samo zato se splača stisniti zobe. Pa tudi zato, ker se na krilih lastnega poguma potem samozavestno primerjaš z onimi, ki v Sibiriji sredi zime skačejo v vodo v odprtine v ledu, no, ali pa vsaj s tistimi, ki se tu pri nas na novega leta dan mečejo v morje. :)
 
[Še opomba samo zame, da se mi bo kdaj kasneje, ko bom brala tole, še bolj fino zdelo: kasneje tega dne je začelo snežiti in še ni prenehalo, ko to pišem!]
 
:)

This is how we did it, just to be completely sure our intention is real and that there would be no excuses: we packed a towel to our rucksack, yes, on yesterday’s early spring afternoon that was more and more sliding back to winter; with a goal to improve our record which is at the same time the only attempt so far and happened years ago on one similarly cold day, but in the end of April.
 
Yes, I am talking about walking in that glacial spring water of Kamniška Bistrica that is ice cold even in summer. I didn’t sink my legs feet even to the ankles. I managed to hold my breath hardly enough for Miro to take some picture evidences and not even enough not to hold my face still without making strange and funny faces due to the pain.
 
The only thing that was pushing me forward to do this is that pleasant, tingling and burning feeling you get in your feet after you put your socks and shoes back on. For a few minutes. This alone is worth enough to do it. And the feeling of flying on the wings of your own courage when confidently compare yourself with those people in Siberia that jump into water through ice-holes, well, or at least with the ones that throw themselves into the sea on a New Year’s day in our coast. :)
 
[And just a notice to myself, so when I will read this in the future I will find myself even more amazing: later this day started to snow and it still snows even as I write this!]
 
:)

Zamislite si ... Imagine ...

Dokler je popolnoma ne zapacamo, lahko ob današnjem svetovnem dnevu vode še nazdravljam s kozarcem tiste izpod pipe. Kljub temu, da to lahko počnem že vse svoje življenje, se zavedam, da to ni samoumevno in čutim veliko hvaležnost.

Kar poskusite si zamisliti, ko pijete vodo, da imate ob vsakem požirku opravka z eno največjih dragocenosti na svetu. Ker to dejansko je. Zamislite si. Čisto zlato. Ki prinaša dobro počutje, prinaša nasmeh, prinaša zdravje.

Ob vsem tem ni potrebno dodati nič več drugega kot to.

Until we totally pollute it I am saying cheers, na zdravje! [=to health!], to today’s World Water Day with a glass of the one from a tap. In spite the fact I have been doing so for all of my life I don’t take this for granted and I am so grateful for this.

Just try to imagine, when you drink water that you are dealing with one of the world’s biggest treasures, at your every sip. Because this is what it really is. Imagine. Pure gold. It makes you feel good, it makes you feel smile, it makes you feel healthy.

There is nothing else to add than this.

Dragi gozdovi Dear forests

Danes je mednarodni dan gozdov.
Gozdovi so ena od reči, ki jih imam najrajši.
In v Sloveniji jih je veliko.
Skozi tegale na posnetku sva,
kot mnogokrat, v vseh njegovih slikah,
enega večera to zimo vstopala v Logatec.

Today is The International Day of Forests.
Forests are one of the things I like most.
And there are plenty in Slovenia.
I often post about them.
One evening this winter,
as so many times, in all its season’s colours,
Miro and I were entering Logatec
through the one in the picture above.

Evo jo, pomlad! Here it is, spring!

No, vsaj na koledarju tako piše in tudi dan je bil presneto spomladanski, tako da bo prihajajoči konec tedna, ko napovedujejo še eno pošiljko snega, prav težek.

Že do zdaj nam ga je to zimo v Ljubljani v seštevku navrglo menda že, ohoho!, 2 metra in 13 centimetrov, ponekod drugod po Sloveniji pa celo 5 metrov, izvzemši hribe seveda.

Se mi zdi kar pravšnji dan za tale bučkin stolpič, eno od lanskih pomladnih predjedi po mamino, ki naj nam, zdaj pa čisto zares, prinese pomlad. Zima je bila krasna, ah, krasna (vključno z dosežki Tine Maze, kakšen navdih!), zdaj pa dovolj, gremo naprej.

Well, at least the colander says so and today was so freaking springy it is going to be quite a hard weekend – the prediction says snow again.

Till now the sum of fresh snow heights this winter is already, ohoho!, 2 meters and 13 centimetres only in Ljubljana, in some other parts of the country (mountains excluded, of course) there were even 5 metres.

So I believe this day is just the right for this zucchini tower, one of my mum’s starters last spring, to celebrate and to call spring, this time for real. The winter was gorgeous, ah, so gorgeous (including Tina Maze's results, what an inspiration!), but enough now, let’s move on.

Sobotno razkošje Saturday luxury

Zelenjavno-sadni napitek, ki ga je nasočil in začinil oči,

ter sveže pečen, še topel ajdov kruhek izpod Mirovih rok.

Zajtrk, narejen v moški navezi, dostavljen naravnost v mojo posteljo! Ahhhh! :)

Vegetable-fruit drink, juiced and spiced up by my dad

and still warm buckwheat bread baked by Miro, served with a slice of pršut.

An all-men-made breakfast delivered straight to my bed! Ahhhh! :)

Ko ptički frfotajo When birds flutter

Ta konec tedna, v času poslavljajoče se, a vztrajne zime in sredi meglenih, sivih ter deževnih dni, na pragu gregorjevega, je skozi le za trenutek odprto okno prifrčal tale kos.

Na posnetku izgleda posrečeno, vem, vam pa povem, da je dokaj strašljivo tisto brezglavo frfotanje v krogih, ki mu ne znaš pomagati. Sem se pa ob tem spomnila (zdaj) zabavne anekdotice z morja. :)

This weekend, in the time of persisting winter saying goodbye and in the middle of foggy, grey and rainy days, at the threshold of gregorjevo, this blackbird flew in through an open window.

I know, it looks cute in the picture, but I tell you it is quite scary, that panic fluttering in circles that you don’t know how to help it. This made me remember of (now) funny anecdote from holidays. :)

Sladko me pokliči Call me sweetly

Ne trdim, da to drži stoodstotno, takega spomina pač nimam, a res ne pomnim, da bi v zadnjih desetih letih na Gregorjevem sejmu v Logatcu deževalo. Tako, kot je danes. Zato sem bolj kot na stojnice gledala, da mi v tisti gneči kdo ne iztakne očesa z dežnikom. :)
 
In Miro je tako sladko zašepetal [bêri: pojedel nekaj piškotkovih delov za želen končni rezultat] moje ime! :).

I am not saying that this is absolutely true, my memory is just not so good, but I really can not remember rain in the last ten years on Gregorjevo fair in Logatec. But it rained today. This is why my eyes paid more attention on being safe among those crowded umbrellas instead of what was on the stands. :)
 
And Miro whispered [read: ate some cookie parts to get the missing letters] my name so sweetly! :)

Slavímo, ocenjujmo, negujmo Celebrate, evaluate, treasure

Obožujem naša mala srečanja, ko se nam vsem trem puncam uspe zbrati na kup in kot veverice prinesemo vsaka nekaj sestavin iz svojega brloga, potem pa za uvodno božanje brbončic, oči in dušice med čvekanjem nasočimo okusne napitke iz sadja, zelenjave in zelišč, ki jih začinimo vsakič po sprotnem navdihu. Največja mojstrica je seveda moja sestra, zato je to delo največkrat prepuščeno kar njej. Mmmm, ni ga slastnejšega uvoda v nadaljnje dobrojedstvo! (kot ni primernejše besede za opis dobrega jedenja kot ta, ki sem jo pred nedavnim nekje zasledila)

Jaz te sokce že dolgo delim na tri vrste, oranžkote, rdečkote in zelenkote, ha, na semaforne barve!, in čeprav imam zares vse tri rada, za umret rada, kot se reče, so mi, če jih že moram razvrstiti, v vrstnem redu, v katerem sem jih pravkar zapisala, najbolj všeč.

Na zgornjih slikah ni zelenkotov, zgolj po naključju, zato pa to barvo povsem dostojno zastopa v primerjavi z običajnim, nasočenim zelenkotom sicer dokaj bledo zelena krema, ki jo je sestra ob enem naših srečanj namesto sokov namešala (mislim da) iz avokada, pomaranče in nekaj t. i. superživil ali kakorkoli jim že pravijo.

Punce, to je dan, ko lahko slavimo pogum naših predhodnic, ocenjujemo dosežke ter negujemo naša mala ženska zavezništva! Na zdravje! :)

I adore our little meetings when we girls manage to gather and, like squirrels, bring each some fruit, vegetables or herbs and then, while chatting, we make the most delicious eye, taste and soul tempting juices, spiced up by a current inspiration. The biggest master is my sister, so we usually let her do it. Mmmm, there is no tastier appetizer!

I divide them into three groups, orange, red and green ones, ha, the semaphore colours!, and if I have to rank them, this would be it. But I like all of them very much, to die for, as they say.

In the pictures above there are no green ones, but this is just a coincidence. A proper substitute, even though quite pale in comparison to our usual juiced green drinks, is a cream that my sister once made of avocado, orange and some so-called superfoods instead.

Girls, this is the day when we can celebrate the courage of our female predecessors, evaluate the achievements and treasure our little woman-alliances. Cheers or, as we say, na zdravje! [literary: to health!] :)