Author: Rachel

I'm a happy linguist. :) I am a linguaphile, a former translator, a tango dancer, and an expat living in the UK.

Homemade ravioli

Today I decided to try my hand at making homemade pasta. We don’t have a pasta machine or other special tools, and it was my first attempt, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect.

I used Ottolenghi’s lemon and goat’s cheese ravioli recipe, but I’m not a huge fan of tarragon so I made a sage brown butter sauce instead. Ottolenghi also assumes you have a pasta machine, so this recipe is light on (read: says nothing about) details like how thin the pasta should be, how large a sheet you should have, or even how many ravioli to expect. So … as you can imagine, or perhaps see in the photos, the result wasn’t perfect. The pasta ended up a bit on the thick side, especially on the edges (which I’d also make smaller next time). But all in all, tasty and a decent first try!

A brand new craft project

I just started a new embroidery project:

I’m super excited about the black fabric! And I’m finding that embroidery kits are the most relaxing craft for lockdown, because they require basically zero decision-making. The pattern, all the supplies, the stitches … it’s all there for me, ready to go.

And if you remember my previous posts about embroidery and are wondering what happened to that project, I actually finished! I’m fairly pleased with the result, given it was my first embroidery attempt:

Living room dance parties

I have been hearing about Ryan Heffington’s Instagram Live dance classes since the lockdown began in the US, but today was the first day I tried one. Lots of fun! I always enjoy living room dance parties — this was a fun way to do it alone (self isolating! no self consciousness!) but also with thousands of other people.

My first Christmas tree 🎄

Well, not my first … but my first, as in the first Christmas tree I have put up in my own home.

Sitting in a dark room with a twinkling tree might be my favorite Christmas mood. But I find I also enjoy sitting at the piano, playing Christmas music next to the tree with all its lights and decorations:

A spa day

For our anniversary, my husband organized a spa day, complete with saunas, full body massages, and sitting around drinking tea and coffee in big fluffy bathrobes. The fact that the weather had turned a bit chilly and cloudy just made it feel that much more cozy inside. 😍

Walking

I find the simple action of putting one foot in front of the other, and the rhythm of that action, incredibly therapeutic. It wakes me up, unscrambles my sleep-fogged head. But it also gives me a sense of immersion, of being rooted somewhere, makes me feel part of where I am, a sensory and physical connection to the bit of the world I find myself in.

Kate Humble, Thinking on my Feet