Do what you love & a little Charcutepalooza

This photo has been making the rounds on Facebook and really they are such wonderful words, positive words, words to live by, words to take a moment and think.

This is your life, DO WHAT YOU LOVE and do it often. If you don't like something change it. If you don't like your job, quit.  If you don't have enough time, stop watching TV. If you are looking for the love of your life, STOP. They will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love. Stop over analysing, all emotions are beautiful. LIFE IS SIMPLE.  When you eat, appreciate every last bite.  Open your mind, arms and heart to new things. And people, we are united in our differences.  Ask the next person you see what their passion is.  And share your inspiring dream with them. TRAVEL OFTEN, getting lost will help you find yourself.  Some opportunities only come once, seize them.  Life is about the people you meet,and the things you create with them. So go out and start creating.

LIFE IS SHORT.  LIVE YOUR DREAM AND SHARE YOUR PASSION.

My first mousseline!

I love the positivity.  Of all the things I don't like, negativity would have to be top of the list.  I always recall what my mother used to say.  "If you have nothing nice to say then don't say anything at all".  More wise words, but then Mum's are often full of wisdom.  I hear a lot of negativity around social media and twitter.  Mainly from people that haven't ventured forth in to the twittersphere.  Why would we want to know what people are eating for breakfast?  Well if you are a food blogger or a on obsessed foodie you actually do!  

And I think that's where many people miss the point.  If you can connect with a like minded people it opens up a whole new community and new friendships, on and off line.  18 months ago I knew hardly any NZ food bloggers.  Now we have our small, but growing community, even our own association and our inaugural NZ Food Bloggers conference to look forward to, where we will most definitely be focusing on the the social of social media.

I have made friends around the globe, we chat regularly, we know what is going on in each others lives, the ups, the downs and I find they are often there with a kind word or a positive thought that can make me smile or even make my day. I have found so many people with a way with words, they can make you laugh, make you cry, make you think or inspire you.  The power of the online community, in no small part thanks to twitter, can be very powerful indeed. It has certainly been evident this week when sadly a food blogger I follow suddenly lost her husband.  I didn't know her personally but have chatted and tweeted over the last 12 months or so and I know that she is warm, funny and generous of heart.  The offers of support and well wishes from the online food blogging community have been quite incredible.  This past weekend there were creamy peanut butter pies being baked all over the place by way of a gesture of support and goodwill. These are most certainly the kind of people I would want around in a crisis and I am certainly thankful and glad to have met so many lovely people and to be part of this community.

Another online community I have become a part of this year is Charcutepalooza...again I have met some great people and learned how to make bacon, hot smoke, brine, make sausages and now I can also make a mousseline!  It has been a busy couple of months so sausage making took a back seat to life.  This month I felt it was time to get back on track with charcutepalooza, and in the spirit of doing what I love that is exactly what I did this weekend.

This month's challenge was mousseline.  To me mousseline sounds very old worldly, a throw back to the grand dining days of Victorian times with all sorts of weird and wonderful towering aspic jellies, terrines and mousselines.  Mousselines are similar to pate but use egg whites or gelatine to bind and stabilise.

This particular mousseline is salmon wrapped in a mousseline of shrimp, spinach and mushroom.  Full of the flavour of the sea and what could be one very pretty and elegant entree.  Sorry folks no recipe, but if you want to learn about all things mousseline, smoking, brining, curing and sausage making please check out Michael Ruhlman's Charcuterie and come join our Charcutepalooza community.

Enjoy!

If you like this you'll like this - Salmon and Dill Tart 

Last year - Sunday Roast