Sarah Walker The Curated House, Author at The Curated House

The Curated Collection | Matthew Schofield

I believe that good art is a filter to the world. It gathers and collects the memories and emotions and experiences that are difficult to shape and gives them form and meaning. Good art distills life and makes it somehow more palatable or beautiful or comprehensible or sane. Good art makes us feel something.

And that is how I feel about the work of Matthew Schofield. Matthew’s work makes me feel something. For me, it is a sense of being transported back into childhood memories, even though the images he paints are from a childhood not my own. There is something about the ordinary, everyday-ness of the scenes and moments and details he captures that reminds me of my former child-sized view on the world, and somehow this is comforting.

I first came across Matthew‘s work with the collection of pieces you are seeing here. Making the most of Snap Decisions was an exhibition of paintings created from the 4 x 6 inch photographs taken by Matthew when he was young; accidental compositions unwittingly created at various stages of his youth that he had collected and kept over time. Random moments captured in youthful photographs now translated by the adult Matthew into these beautifully detailed paintings. As he calls it, “the ordered outcome of the cumulative imagery.”

{Admit it, you just “roared” like you did when you were a kid playing with your plastic T-Rex.}

My absolutely favourite painting from this collection was and is the one above. It is in fact carefully installed in my home in a secret place of honour where I get to engage with it daily. I see something of my son’s childhood and mine all wrapped up together in it, and I experience a joy, curiosity and freedom each time I linger.

I am entirely smitten with images from his latest collection as well – a continuation of my own childhood memories as seen through the lens of Matthew‘s. Memories of picnics and driving through The African Lion Safari in our sweaty car one summer and guests gathered around our dining table in the dim light of the evening. To me, Matthew elevates ordinary moments and reminds us that they are the canvas upon which we paint our lives.

What memories have you collected, that – if pulled together and considered for their potential – might just be beautiful? Wishing you a day where even the ordinary reveals it itself to be extraordinary when given the chance to really be seen. Thank you, Matthew, for the reminder and the inspiration.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|January 21st, 2013|0 Comments

Foodie Fridays | Mediterranean Lamb Meatballs with Grilled Vegetables + Quinoa Pilaf

As the colder weather settles in, the chill in the air makes me long for comfort food. You know, the “stick to your ribs” kind that satiates the appetite and warms the soul. I’ve experimented with today’s recipe a couple of times before sharing it with you and it has fast become a family favourite. Our son could probably eat his weight in these lamb meatballs if I let him!

Lamb has oft been called the Healthy Red Meat. Something you may not know about lamb is that it has incredibly high protein content – 28g of protein in every 4oz – which is actually 55% of our recommended daily intake! The protein in lamb is nutritionally complete, containing all 8 essential amino acids in perfect balance. It’s also very high in B12, niacin and riboflavin which help with metabolic function and the nervous system.

{source}

Because lamb is raised on pastureland, the sheep graze on grass making it a very clean meat to eat. In fact, I once had a naturopath put me on a cleanse eating nothing but lamb and pears for 3 weeks! {Needless to say, that cleanse was not for the faint of heart.}

Not quite simple enough to be cleanse-worthy, this treatment of lamb is all about Mediterranean flavours in the form of fresh herbs, red onions and feta. Here’s the recipe:

MEDITERRANEAN LAMB MEATBALLS

THE INGREDIENTS

2 lbs lean minced lamb

6 Tbsp ground flax meal mixed with 12 Tbsp boiling water {soak 5 mins or longer}

1 large red onion finely diced

4 cloves of garlic, smashed + finely chopped

3/4 c. parsley, finely chopped

1/4 c. mint, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp oregano

2 tsp whole cumin seeds

2 tsp whole coriander seeds

8 oz light feta cheese

2 tsp flaky sea salt {such as Maldon}

Cracked black pepper to taste

4 Tbsp ghee or coconut oil

THE METHOD

Start by combining the flax meal and boiling water and set them aside so they can become gelatinous {you can 2 eggs instead of the flax + water if you prefer}. Next, dry roast the cumin and coriander seeds in a hot pan until the aromas release and they turn golden. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush the cumin and coriander to a fine powder. Finely chop the parsley, mint, onion and garlic and mix together with the cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, pepper and feta in a bowl.

Next, add the minced lamb and mix very thoroughly so the flavours are evenly distributed. I then used a cookie scoop to evenly measure the size of my meatballs {approximately the size of a golf ball each}. Roll them between both hands to make them compact and neatly round.

* At this point you’ll notice my photo-journaling of the process tapers off…my hands were a serious mess! *

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the ghee or coconut oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Quickly sear all sides of the meatballs and then transfer them onto a cookie sheet. You will want to work in batches and carefully loosen them from the pan as you turn them. This part will require your patience-hat. Once they have all been browned in the pan, place them in the oven for 8-10 minutes to finish cooking.

Makes approximately 36 generous sized meatballs. You can either cut this recipe in half or do what I do and freeze some for future meals. I like having them on hand for busy nights when there’s no time {or energy} to cook, and they freeze quite nicely.

OK, so what to serve them with you might ask? Don’t worry. I won’t leave you hanging. I’ve got a couple of simple and delicious sides that compliment the lamb perfectly.

First, thickly slice 2 red onions. Slice 2 zucchini length-wise and drizzle all of these veggie with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and sear on a grill or in a grill pan.

QUINOA PILAF

Meanwhile, put on 2 cups of quinoa with 4 cups of water to cook. Fluff with a fork when it is done cooking and add the following:

1/2 c. pitted Kalamata olives, finely chopped

2 green onions, finely chopped

4 oz feta cheese, finely chopped

1/2 c. cucumber, finely chopped

2 Tbsp lemon juice

4 Tbsp olive oil

As a very important side note, I read this article this week and will only be buying Canadian or North American quinoa from today forward. Will you join me in this? We can choose health for the communities of South America at the same time as choosing health for ourselves!

And last but not least, a fresh little sauce to pull it all together:

MINT YOGURT SAUCE

2 c. fat free Greek yogurt

4 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped

juice of 1/2 a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

I love the art of plating food. I try to plate dinner every night to make our meals appealing. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just intentional. For this meal, I started by creating a bed of the Quinoa Pilaf.

Next, I built a nest out of the grilled red onions and added a neat row of grilled zucchini to the side.

I followed that with a generous dollop of the Yogurt Mint Sauce, topped with 3 lamb meatballs and a sprig of fresh mint, and voila! A totally delicious winter meal with the summery fresh flavours of the Mediterranean to bring it to life!

I hope this inspires your winter cooking this weekend! Keep each other cozy with lots of snuggles and warm socks.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|January 18th, 2013|1 Comment

Beauty Find | How to Get Your Winter Glow On with Tata Harper

OK, so it’s no secret by now that I am a HUGE fan of Tata Haper – both the woman herself and her beautiful line of organic, natural skincare products. So much so, in fact, that I’ve dedicated a whole series of posts to the renovation of my morning routine.

Well, just when I thought I’d discovered all the goodness Tata had to offer, I was given the opportunity to try another one of her amazing products: her Resurfacing Mask.

Now that I’ve experienced it and had a chance to play with it myself, I’ve got a new Nightime Routine to share with you for a once-a-week skin-treat that is totally refreshing. This, my friends, is my new secret to an amazing glow despite the drying and dulling effects of harsh winter winds.

It starts with a herbacious, delicious blend of natural detoxifiers for your own homemade Facial Detox Steam Sauna. Once again, I have Tata to thank for this as she posted the idea a few months ago on her blog. Think of this as a steeped tea steam bath for your skin.

Here’s what you’ll need:

*A large stainless steel bowl
*A loose-leaf tea bag
*A mixture of detoxifying herbs such as: peppermint leaf, sweet fennel, eyebright, elderflower, nettle, chamomile, calendula, rosemary + thyme
*A fresh bath towel

To prepare my own detoxifying herb blend, I simply raided my own herbal tea + spice cupboard, choosing from the loose-leaf teas + herbs I already had to source these soothing and cleansing ingredients. I mixed them in the loose-leaf tea bag, knotted the bag and poured about 6-8 cups of bowling water over it in a large stainless steel bowl.

First, cleanse your skin to prepare. Next, tent the towel over your head, careful to tuck it in around all of the edges of the bowl and your neck to trap the steam. Set your kitchen timer for 10 minutes before you start so you can just relax while the steam opens up your pores. I use this time to do some relaxing breathing exercises while I watch the swirls of patterns created by the steam and steeping tea. It’s a bit like finding shapes in the clouds as they drift by. If you find it hard to be still for 10 minutes in silence, this is a great way to get better at it! Think of it this way: uplifting thoughts will uplift your face! Good for the mind as well as the body.

After 10 minutes of steaming, you’re ready to move on to the magical {and most important} second stage in the process of getting your glow on. Slather a generous layer of Tata’s Resurfacing Mask all over your face, neck and decolleté and choose a relaxing activity to dive into for the next 30 minutes. Read a great book. Listen to your favourite new album. Soak in an Epsom Salt bath. Take a power nap with this amazing, physician-created nap CD {laying on your back, of course!}. Make the most of that decadent and healing half hour.

While you are relaxing, pink clay and witch hazel will both be reducing your pores while white willow extract will be gently but effectively exfoliating your skin. Aloe vera will be stimulating healthy cell regeneration while working together with beet extract to hydrate your skin. The pink clay will also be working to detoxify and tone the skin while the witch hazel will be reducing inflammation with its powerful antioxidants. This treatment is 100% natural and less abrasive than beta hydroxy with the same results – amazing!

After 30 minutes, gently remove the mask with warm water. Follow with your favourite serum and moisturizer {plus a little icing on the cake} and then head for bed. You will wake up in the morning with invisible pores and a gorgeous glow. Make this your Friday night wind-down routine and you’ll head into your weekend looking fresh and gorgeous, like you just finished a week of vacation instead of a week of real life and hard work! {Don’t worry, it will be our little secret.}

Needless to say, I am so happy tomorrow is Friday! In the meantime, Happy Thursday!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|January 17th, 2013|1 Comment