You certainly know this inspirational exercise of picking three words for this new year 2016 that will guide you in your motivation, decision and action. I first encountered it years ago on Chris Brogan’s blog and have done so ever since. This year I will share with you what I have come up with.
Chris Brogan recommends picking three words: “The idea behind there being three words (and not five or seven or one) is that you can create a kind of “triangulation” between three words, such that they can stand alone and work together.”
I think that it is important to spontaneously come up with the words, I did not have any problems in the past years for choosing three words but to my surprise this year I came up with one word (it, however, works on three levels):
PEACE
Peace for myself as a person, accepting myself the way I am and liking myself. Daring to speak up for myself and not giving in to that life long habit of wanting to please everybody.
Peace for all my friends and people I connect with throughout the year, being mindful, observant and listening rather than forging ahead and speaking without thinking.
Peace for all the people who are suffering, the refugees who had to leave their homeland and hope to find a new home separated from their families; peace that will feed all the hungry people and give shelter to the homeless, peace that will give jobs to the unemployed. I know, I know this is a wish and you can well ask me what can I (or you) contribute to achieve this? Maybe by donating something: money, material things I do not need in overabundance and can give away to keep somebody warm, volunteering for pro bono work.
When I am watching the news I am shocked by the reaction of politicians and the vox populi: a tendency to lean towards right wing thinking and introducing shady new laws like in Poland, a mentality of “the boat is full, we cannot accept any more refugees”. I want to speak up and be fair to counterbalance all the negativity, I will do it in my small world, creating small waves, and if by doing so I can induce some more to follow we could certainly contribute something towards a better world.
Normally I abstain from voicing any political opinions and actually I have not done so, have I? The current spiteful and toxic atmosphere threatens human values and we have all been either witnesses or learnt from history where that leads to.
After all these heavy thoughts we deserve some time out with this new recipe:
My New Favourite Beverage
I crave fresh vegetables, preferably with lots of herbs and spices, and non-alcoholic drinks after all the festivities of too much heavy food and wine. My favourite beverage at this moment is a tea that tastes lovely when either enjoyed hot or cold.
I first had it in India in 2007 and fell in love with it! It goes well (of course!) with Indian food but also with anything else.
Easy to prepare and you only need three ingredients: water, saffron strands and cardamom.
Saffron and Cardamom Tea
Ingredients
Water 3 cups
3 – 4 saffron strands (or more)
3 small green cardamoms (slightly crushed)
(optional) 6-7 blanched almonds cut into small pieces
(optional) cinnamon stick
(optional) sugar
Only use green cardamom
Saffron strands
Method
Pour water in a pot and add saffron strands and green cardamoms. Heat till it begins to boil.
Decrease the heat and allow simmering for 30 minutes
Simmering helps bring out the flavours of the spices
Saffron tea typically is amber coloured. Check the colour of your tea by pouring it in a white china cup or a glass (I use the double walled Bodum glass
Optional
Add a cinnamon stick together with the saffron and cardamom
Split blanched almonds lengthwise into thin slices and add them to your tea
Add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar per cup, or as per taste. A little bit will enhance the flavour.
Tip
I can tell you from my own experience (I got cheated more than once!): saffron is not always saffron! Make sure you buy good quality saffron, it should have a strong scent when opening the jar (insist on smelling it before buying) and a distinctive red colour. Saffron is the most expensive spice and costs from $ 7.00 per gram onwards.
Enjoy your saffron and cardamom tea
Comments 8
Hi Barbara! Your tea sounds wonderful – may I come over for a cup 😉
I love the practice of choosing a word for the year. I haven’t done this in a few years and now you’ve got me thinking about it again. I’ll have to sleep on it .
Thanks for the inspiration!
Lori
Author
Come on over, Lori, we will enjoy it inside – too cold and wet on the porch!
Remember when you wrote out the three words in calligraphy for me? I framed it and had it on my bookshelf for this year. I have to take a picture and send it to you.
Let me know what you come up with. I was thinking of you when I wrote about the third level (peace and the world), it is all about community building.
Happy to have inspired you, Lori!
I have my word for 2015!!! It’s hope, which is also the theme of my book 🙂
Author
Wonderful, Lori, I love your word. I think we needed 2015 and its experiences to prepare us for great times!
What a great exercise to concentrate on only three words! I love the sound of the Saffron and Cardamom Tea – something I could make to enjoy cold in the heat we are experiencing 🙂
Author
Hi, Tandy, thanks for stopping by. The saffron and cardamom tea is lovely in any season but quite frankly I’d rather swap places with you. It has been raining for days and there’s snow predicted in the coming days – not my cup of tea!
Hi Barbara, That sounds so refreshing and natural, will have to see if we get that over here living in Durban the 2nd largest Indian population in the world, it should be available.
Author
Lovely to see you, Joan, thanks! I am sure you will get both green cardamom and saffron in Durban. I seem a little bit obsessed with the GREEN cardamom as the white is chemically bleached and contains toxic stuff. Also, I brought saffron back from India and to my surprise it was grown in Spain.