Going for the good stuff
and a recipe for speedy blinis to eat with gravlax or caviar
This week our storage locker was burglarized.
After the initial shock and anger at seeing the havoc wreaked on our personal belongings, we realized that it could have been worse. It turns out thieves aren’t really interested in boxes of books, fancy Christmas ornaments and heirloom china after all.
As we sifted through the debris of upended bins, scattered shoes and emptied garment bags, we tried to assess what was taken. Looks like the thieves will be staying warm in our winter coats while they drink our peach Scnapps and rum.
The lesson here may be to learn to go for the good stuff.
Keeping what matters most
There’s also a more fundamental takeaway. In the end, it’s all just stuff. And while the things we own can seem to be the sum total of our lives, they do not make our lives. I actually couldn’t remember everything that was in those garment bags; now I officially know I have too much clothing to keep track of.
I was having this conversation yesterday with someone whose father is in palliative care. Although his father’s working days are far behind him, his dad still can’t say goodbye to the tools of his trade. That makes the emotional burden of saying goodbye doubly difficult.
In the midst of dealing with our mini break-in this week, we also happened to take possession of our new condo. An emotional and exciting time, full of possibilities for a future life not yet imagined. And a clean slate, free of the detritus of our past lives.
The Swedish Death Cleaning way
And so begins the task of really deciding what stays and goes. In trying to determine the worth of things, we would do well to start the severing of our emotional ties to the stuff of our lives as soon as possible. Swedish death cleaning may be the place to start.
A term coined by Margareta Magnussen in her 2017 book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter, its concept is a simple one. Instead of your own emotional attachment to your things, think about what those things might mean for your loved ones. Do they really want your clothes, your books, even your artwork or jewelry?
Decide now. While you may not hear their thanks from your perch in the afterlife, it will be heartfelt. And what they’ll be left with are the memories of how you lived your life, and how they dearly love you still.
Breakneck blinis
from A Matter of Taste, Lucy Waverman and James Chatto
makes about 40
The closing of our condo possession took way longer than originally anticipated, as will the move into our new home. Still, getting that key was something we wanted to celebrate in style. We went high/low with pizza and Champagne, and made it really special by starting with caviar and blinis.
These delicious blinis are called breakneck for a reason. They can be made in a fraction of the time of traditional yeast-based blinis for celebrating spur of the moment. You don’t need to splash out on caviar to enjoy these; they’re great with smoked salmon or mackerel, seafood paté, or even just sour cream and chives.
Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
⅓ cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
Pinch of granulated sugar
1½ cups whole milk
3 tablespoons plain full fat yogurt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, more as needed
Combine all purpose and buckwheat flour, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to blend
With a fork, lightly stir together egg, salt, sugar, milk and yogurt in a separate bowl.
Using a handheld mixer on low speed, or a whisk, beat egg mixture into flour mixture. Let stand for 20 minutes.
Heat butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spoon batter into skillet in half tablespoon portions. Cook for about 30 seconds or until Blinis bubble and the bottoms are golden and flecked with colour. Turn and cook second side for 20 seconds or until golden. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more butter in skillet if it dries out.
Blinis are best served warm. You can also freeze them. Cool, then layer them in a container with waxed or parchment paper in between layers. To serve, defrost and microwave briefly to reheat.