Good morning to my gentle readers. After a cool night, it is still a bit chilly this morning but they say it's going to warm up and turn into summer over the next few days. I hope so - the tomatoes could do with some warmth and sun. I haven't heard any rumours of the dreaded B but one always worries a bit when it is cooler and damp.
Well, yesterday turned into a busy day! Just homey pottering about things and very pleasant it was too.
By the time Beth came to pick up Alex I had used up some yellow plums I had bought at half price and made four and a half pots of yellow plum jam. Plums do jam very easily and it always looks gorgeous. The colours are so radiant - yellow, green or reddy-purple - and the taste is great. One pot went straight home with Beth, of course!
I blogged about it on Teacher's Recipes.
I had also made a quick loaf as I was out of bread. For speed's sake I didn't do two risings, just popped the dough straight into the loaf tin and let it rise once there. It worked fine, the crumb is fine, the flavour, as always, is great - I mean was great! It was only a little loaf after all! I shall remember this when I need bread in a (comparative) hurry.
My parents make their own bread too, using a bread maker though, so not so much fun (sorry, Dad). The loaf Dad makes is a half-and-half - that is, half wholemeal flour and half granary flour. Granary flour is very seedy/'lumpy', of course, so I've never made it in Thermione because I would have thought the action of the blades would chop the bits too fine. However, the flavour is to die for so I decided to have a go and see. I was wrong, there are still 'bits' in the loaf and the dough was beautiful to handle. I shall be making this on a regular basis from now on, even though it ups the price of the loaf.
After Beth and Alex had gone I brought the first load of washing in and started ironing. That's something new too - usually the ironing sits in the basket until I need it and then it's hard to iron! I'm not sure what I am turning into at the moment but not only did I do several loads of washing, I did all the ironing too. A habit worth developing, I reckon!
And that was it yesterday, more or less. I watched a Harry Potter film on DVD in the evening as I finished the ironing.
Today is a day to myself. The big target for today is to clear the other big cupboard which sits the other side of my desk. Then I can put my remaining papery things in one of the cupboards and devote the other on to crafty things. That is the idea anyway! Fingers crossed.
Food for today (I must get back to this now)
Breakfast: toast and jam, fruit yogurt
Lunch: Ham salad with lettuce, tomato, red peppers, cucumber from Dad's garden, coleslaw, potato salad followed by apple and melon (that's my five a day in one fell swoop!)
Dinner: Ham, egg and oven chips, peas, fruit salad. Or maybe more ham salad, depending . . .
(lots of ham because I came home with some that Mum boiled - most for the freezer and for Alex but I will indulge today)
Sunday, 2 August 2015
Friday, 31 July 2015
Saturday
Good morning, gentle readers, and welcome to the definitive version of this morning's entry. Those of you lucky enough to read it last night would have seen a most fascinating list starting with 'ouchy toe' and ending with 'laptop. Yes, you have discovered my system. Notes as I think of them to help my ageing memory, posted in error!
Anyway! Apologies for that and off we go.
There was a gorgeous moon overnight. Did you see it? It's still there, in fact, but has less impact now that light is dawning. A blue moon, they call it. An interesting term, like 'harvest moon', one that is rather mysterious and romantic although, in reality, quite ordinary!
OK, so - ouchy toe. I've been away this week, staying with my parents. On Thursday, somehow, I bruised a toe - I know where and when (after all, it hurt) but I'm not sure how. The fact remains that I had a toe that turned an interesting black and blue and hurt! It still does, on and off, but, like any bruise, it's fading now. It is just ouchy when I forget and step out carelessly!
It's been a lovely week, full of goings out, lazy food and chatting. I have a few photos but haven't been able to upload them yet! Soon I will be able to repay the compliment in term time when places to visit will be less crowded and the roads easier outside milk run times.
Now I am home and MUST get on with the big sort out. It is a most discouraging mess in here at the moment. The new PC is still in a pile of boxes and will stay that way until Eddie can come to make some sense of it. There's stacks of card for the recycling sack but I missed the card pickup as I was away so I have to hold on to it for a fortnight. The bottom of the stairs is full of stuff that needs to go up and the top is full or stuff that needs to go down. There's piles of stuff everywhere I look and it is unwelcoming and discouraging.
So guess what I am doing today!
But first - no, not coffee! First I have to out some washing out on the line FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. I've had the new line up for over a week but last weekend was rainy and then I was away. I feel like there ought to be a fanfare of trumpets but as there isn't I will just get on and do it! Then I need to get the bread on and start the day's work.
Have a good one!
Anyway! Apologies for that and off we go.
There was a gorgeous moon overnight. Did you see it? It's still there, in fact, but has less impact now that light is dawning. A blue moon, they call it. An interesting term, like 'harvest moon', one that is rather mysterious and romantic although, in reality, quite ordinary!
OK, so - ouchy toe. I've been away this week, staying with my parents. On Thursday, somehow, I bruised a toe - I know where and when (after all, it hurt) but I'm not sure how. The fact remains that I had a toe that turned an interesting black and blue and hurt! It still does, on and off, but, like any bruise, it's fading now. It is just ouchy when I forget and step out carelessly!
It's been a lovely week, full of goings out, lazy food and chatting. I have a few photos but haven't been able to upload them yet! Soon I will be able to repay the compliment in term time when places to visit will be less crowded and the roads easier outside milk run times.
Now I am home and MUST get on with the big sort out. It is a most discouraging mess in here at the moment. The new PC is still in a pile of boxes and will stay that way until Eddie can come to make some sense of it. There's stacks of card for the recycling sack but I missed the card pickup as I was away so I have to hold on to it for a fortnight. The bottom of the stairs is full of stuff that needs to go up and the top is full or stuff that needs to go down. There's piles of stuff everywhere I look and it is unwelcoming and discouraging.
So guess what I am doing today!
But first - no, not coffee! First I have to out some washing out on the line FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. I've had the new line up for over a week but last weekend was rainy and then I was away. I feel like there ought to be a fanfare of trumpets but as there isn't I will just get on and do it! Then I need to get the bread on and start the day's work.
Have a good one!
Friday
Good morning again! Amazing how quickly Friday turns up each week, isn't it? And wht a pleasant day it looks like being too. Clear blue skies, a freshness in the air, the sun shining . . . excellent!
We did manage to get toWrest Park yesterday and had a very pleasant time although the WW1 convalescent home exhibition was a bit disappointing. It was fascinating, full of information but very, very small and cramped. Given that it was in a big room with lots of spare space, it really could have been spread out more. There was also a video which basically reproduced the visual displays but the sound was too low for me. It was good but, with a bit more thought, could have been a lot better.
It was an amazing use of the Hall in very difficult times. So sad, though, that such a successful and well run venture should be finished by a bad fire! http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/wrest-park/history/wrest-park-first-world-war/
While we were there, there was some filming going on. We asked and it was for a programme called 'The Royals'. Have you every watched it? I hadn't, so I looked it up on Google and - well, I don't think so, is all I can say!!! Prince Liam?????
When we arrived they were filming close to the house and when we got back from a wander around the grounds they were filming outside one of the other houses in the grounds (I think it is called the bowling green house). This was obviously going to be a wedding scene with two 'Beefeaters' (I have photographic proof), rows of posh (plastic) chairs, bottles of what was supposed to be champagne in ice tubs and hundreds of glasses, a rather nice looking posh car (that, at least, was real) and some gorgeous flower displays. And so much clutter!!!
When we got home we were zonked so decided to get a Chinese takeaway which not only made the making of the evening meal a doddle, it also cut down on the clearing up afterwards.
I seem to have done a lot of eating out this week. We had lunch at the eating place in the park too. A very easy day, culinarily speaking!
As for today - the weekly shopping calls and I must make a list!
We did manage to get toWrest Park yesterday and had a very pleasant time although the WW1 convalescent home exhibition was a bit disappointing. It was fascinating, full of information but very, very small and cramped. Given that it was in a big room with lots of spare space, it really could have been spread out more. There was also a video which basically reproduced the visual displays but the sound was too low for me. It was good but, with a bit more thought, could have been a lot better.
It was an amazing use of the Hall in very difficult times. So sad, though, that such a successful and well run venture should be finished by a bad fire! http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/wrest-park/history/wrest-park-first-world-war/
While we were there, there was some filming going on. We asked and it was for a programme called 'The Royals'. Have you every watched it? I hadn't, so I looked it up on Google and - well, I don't think so, is all I can say!!! Prince Liam?????
When we arrived they were filming close to the house and when we got back from a wander around the grounds they were filming outside one of the other houses in the grounds (I think it is called the bowling green house). This was obviously going to be a wedding scene with two 'Beefeaters' (I have photographic proof), rows of posh (plastic) chairs, bottles of what was supposed to be champagne in ice tubs and hundreds of glasses, a rather nice looking posh car (that, at least, was real) and some gorgeous flower displays. And so much clutter!!!
When we got home we were zonked so decided to get a Chinese takeaway which not only made the making of the evening meal a doddle, it also cut down on the clearing up afterwards.
I seem to have done a lot of eating out this week. We had lunch at the eating place in the park too. A very easy day, culinarily speaking!
As for today - the weekly shopping calls and I must make a list!
Thursday, 30 July 2015
Thursday
Good morning. It's nice and sunny outside right now but it was a pretty chilly night requiring a good snuggle under the quilt. Will it stay nice? Goodness knows; fingers crossed!
The weather was responsible for a change of plan yesterday. Wrest Park didn't come off as the forecast was a bit dodgy although, typically, it ended up nice and we could have gone. However, it sounded as if it would be a bit cold with sudden showers and we didn't fancy being caught out.
So instead we did little things. First of all we went to a local health food shop as I needed instant yeast, dried cranberries, etc . . . I ring the changes with yeast, using instant (breadmaker friendly) yeast, the dried yeast you have to activate (I love watching it foam up) and fresh yeast. I had run out of the instant and, while you can get it in sachets, I refuse to buy sachets as they are so wickedly expensive. Dove does little bags of it but you tend not to see them in supermarkets so I was glad to be able to stock up.
Then we went to a local butcher and I stocked up with meat, mostly to keep Grandson full up!
Finally, after that, we stopped off at a garden centre and had a very nice lunch. I had toasted sandwich with cheese, bacon and caramelised onion chutney and it was gorgeous. Must make some onion chutney now I have the time. After we had eaten a full sufficiency we wandered around the plants as I have some garden vouchers, very kindly given to me by my children and their parents at the end of the school year.
I was surprisingly organised about it, for once. I think I have mentioned before that when the crocosmia flowering is over I am having as many of them out as I can manage. They're just not quite right there - wrong height and wrong colour and too invasive. They won't be wasted as some will go into a container for future years and the rest will go to Beth who said she will be able to use them.
Anyway, the point is that I will have gaps in the middle of the flower bed. I have that delphinium to plant and need a couple of other things, medium height, not too spready or invasive and must be pink, lilac, purple or white.
So after much deliberation and tooing and froing I bought a deliciously named Veronica Purpleicious (yes, really) which looks as if it will fill the bill perfectly, being long flowering (if one dead heads), about 40 to 50 cms high and not too spreading.
Here's a picture, borrowed from Google.
Then my eyes lit upon a very pretty little bell shaped flower called platycodon grandiflora and I just had to. As we said, at that price it's no great loss if it doesn't last, although it is also a perennial so fingers crossed. I got a pink one but I think I will go back and pick up a purple and a white plant too. I am not 100% sure where to put them yet so I will do the usual and leave them in their pots (or maybe pot them on) and see where they look best.
As we wandered around, I spotted some tayberry plants, much further on than the little bush I have at present and, lo and behold, there was one ripe fruit on it. I'm afraid I was very naughty. I've not tasted a tayberry before, just read about how delicious they are. I reckoned that this fruit, which was calling out to me, truly it was, would only shrivel and die on the plant so I picked it, gave it a surreptitious brush down and ate it. Oh, my, it was very tasty indeed - sort of sweet and spicy, like a raspberry but different and very juicy. Now, even more, I want my plant to produce at least a little fruit next year. Fingers crossed!
Today we are hoping to get to Wrest Park. The forecast is better and it seems that the sun will shine on us. Fingers crossed!
The weather was responsible for a change of plan yesterday. Wrest Park didn't come off as the forecast was a bit dodgy although, typically, it ended up nice and we could have gone. However, it sounded as if it would be a bit cold with sudden showers and we didn't fancy being caught out.
So instead we did little things. First of all we went to a local health food shop as I needed instant yeast, dried cranberries, etc . . . I ring the changes with yeast, using instant (breadmaker friendly) yeast, the dried yeast you have to activate (I love watching it foam up) and fresh yeast. I had run out of the instant and, while you can get it in sachets, I refuse to buy sachets as they are so wickedly expensive. Dove does little bags of it but you tend not to see them in supermarkets so I was glad to be able to stock up.
Then we went to a local butcher and I stocked up with meat, mostly to keep Grandson full up!
Finally, after that, we stopped off at a garden centre and had a very nice lunch. I had toasted sandwich with cheese, bacon and caramelised onion chutney and it was gorgeous. Must make some onion chutney now I have the time. After we had eaten a full sufficiency we wandered around the plants as I have some garden vouchers, very kindly given to me by my children and their parents at the end of the school year.
I was surprisingly organised about it, for once. I think I have mentioned before that when the crocosmia flowering is over I am having as many of them out as I can manage. They're just not quite right there - wrong height and wrong colour and too invasive. They won't be wasted as some will go into a container for future years and the rest will go to Beth who said she will be able to use them.
Anyway, the point is that I will have gaps in the middle of the flower bed. I have that delphinium to plant and need a couple of other things, medium height, not too spready or invasive and must be pink, lilac, purple or white.
So after much deliberation and tooing and froing I bought a deliciously named Veronica Purpleicious (yes, really) which looks as if it will fill the bill perfectly, being long flowering (if one dead heads), about 40 to 50 cms high and not too spreading.
Here's a picture, borrowed from Google.
 |
| Pretty! |
Then my eyes lit upon a very pretty little bell shaped flower called platycodon grandiflora and I just had to. As we said, at that price it's no great loss if it doesn't last, although it is also a perennial so fingers crossed. I got a pink one but I think I will go back and pick up a purple and a white plant too. I am not 100% sure where to put them yet so I will do the usual and leave them in their pots (or maybe pot them on) and see where they look best.
 |
| It's a campanula, of course |
As we wandered around, I spotted some tayberry plants, much further on than the little bush I have at present and, lo and behold, there was one ripe fruit on it. I'm afraid I was very naughty. I've not tasted a tayberry before, just read about how delicious they are. I reckoned that this fruit, which was calling out to me, truly it was, would only shrivel and die on the plant so I picked it, gave it a surreptitious brush down and ate it. Oh, my, it was very tasty indeed - sort of sweet and spicy, like a raspberry but different and very juicy. Now, even more, I want my plant to produce at least a little fruit next year. Fingers crossed!
Today we are hoping to get to Wrest Park. The forecast is better and it seems that the sun will shine on us. Fingers crossed!
Wednesday, 29 July 2015
Wednesday
Good morning to you all, gentle readers. Welcome to Wednesday. I loved Wednesdays in this last school year because it was my 'different' day - violin lessons, library times, PPA in the afternoon. A day with a different pattern. I think I will have to plan something 'different' on Wednesdays in my new life!
Yesterday was lovely. Not quite the lazy day I had anticipated but still lovely. We (some friends and I) took a trip up the A1 to Boundary Mill mainly because we love looking round there but specifically to look at yarn, patterns and all things knitty. My friend got her yarn and I very nobly resisted the impulse to buy up the whole department although I did get some little buttons for the cardigan I am making for the grand total of just under a pound! Then we went downstairs to Downtown which is a sort of factory outlet place for clothes. Just for once (seriously just for once, I don't normally) I found some clothes that will fit if I stay on the healthy eating. So now I have two new fully lined skirts and a new top which I will be able to wear when the weather gets cooler (as long as I remain motivated and eat properly).
Apart from the clothes and buttons I am pleased to announce that I walked through the kitchen area without buying anything! That's right. Not even a wooden spoon. That's not to say I wasn't tempted, I was, greatly, but I was good!
Once home again I then got on with my knitting before we had fish and chips for tea - deeeelicious. Oven baked so dead easy and not terribly calorific either.
In the garden the tomatoes are doing extremely well and I shall have to pinch out the tops soon. I forgot to feed them this weekend, so that's on the list of Things To Do. The runners are doing great on one side but very poorly on the others. I've put down the slug pellets so fingers crossed!
Today we are hoping to whizz along to Wrest Park to see a new exhibition which tells the story of Wrest Park as the first WW1 convalescent home in the country. It's a lovely place to visit and I know we will have a good time. Well worth a visit, if you can. Several, in fact!
I won't post menus this week as it's all rather gung ho, but they will be back by the weekend!
Have a wonderful day and may the sun shine on you.
Yesterday was lovely. Not quite the lazy day I had anticipated but still lovely. We (some friends and I) took a trip up the A1 to Boundary Mill mainly because we love looking round there but specifically to look at yarn, patterns and all things knitty. My friend got her yarn and I very nobly resisted the impulse to buy up the whole department although I did get some little buttons for the cardigan I am making for the grand total of just under a pound! Then we went downstairs to Downtown which is a sort of factory outlet place for clothes. Just for once (seriously just for once, I don't normally) I found some clothes that will fit if I stay on the healthy eating. So now I have two new fully lined skirts and a new top which I will be able to wear when the weather gets cooler (as long as I remain motivated and eat properly).
Apart from the clothes and buttons I am pleased to announce that I walked through the kitchen area without buying anything! That's right. Not even a wooden spoon. That's not to say I wasn't tempted, I was, greatly, but I was good!
Once home again I then got on with my knitting before we had fish and chips for tea - deeeelicious. Oven baked so dead easy and not terribly calorific either.
In the garden the tomatoes are doing extremely well and I shall have to pinch out the tops soon. I forgot to feed them this weekend, so that's on the list of Things To Do. The runners are doing great on one side but very poorly on the others. I've put down the slug pellets so fingers crossed!
Today we are hoping to whizz along to Wrest Park to see a new exhibition which tells the story of Wrest Park as the first WW1 convalescent home in the country. It's a lovely place to visit and I know we will have a good time. Well worth a visit, if you can. Several, in fact!
I won't post menus this week as it's all rather gung ho, but they will be back by the weekend!
Have a wonderful day and may the sun shine on you.
Tuesday, 28 July 2015
Tuesday
Good morning, everyone! It's lovely and sunny at the moment and my fingers are crossed that it will last the day out today. Let's face it, my recent forecasts (hopes) have been a dismal failure and this week isn't supposed to be all that great really.
With sadness I popped into school yesterday and handed back my laptop - well, not mine really but you know what I mean. Before then I spent some time clearing off a whole lot of stuff, some school related, that had built up over the years. A bit like my cupboards really only easier. Some photos went onto memory sticks and some I just deleted.
While I was there I signed off the class camera that I had left in a class cupboard, having cleared the card first. This 'clearing' might be easy but it's a huge tearing away of the past, probably a very Good Thing but quite painful.
I bet you're thinking 'here she goes again' and I'm not complaining, honestly, just pondering, really!
Moving swiftly on, I've started some knitting after buying a couple of pattern books from eBay (thanks, Tracey) and really enjoying it. Knitting is (usually) so restful and if you go wrong it is an easy matter to pull it all undone and start again! It can mostly be done while watching telly too, which makes it doubly restful. I've started with a little cardigan and feel like working my way through the book because the photos are so enchanting and the patterns so straightforward. And let's face it, I have so much yarn it is not going to mean any extra expense. My younger teaching friends who have recently had babies will soon have toddlers and I'm hoping a handknit or two will go down well both now and in the next year or so.
Well, I had better go and get going on something. Coffee, bath and knitting, probably, as I think today is likely to be a lazy day with lots of chat and little substance! Sounds great, doesn't it? I love the summer holidays.
With sadness I popped into school yesterday and handed back my laptop - well, not mine really but you know what I mean. Before then I spent some time clearing off a whole lot of stuff, some school related, that had built up over the years. A bit like my cupboards really only easier. Some photos went onto memory sticks and some I just deleted.
While I was there I signed off the class camera that I had left in a class cupboard, having cleared the card first. This 'clearing' might be easy but it's a huge tearing away of the past, probably a very Good Thing but quite painful.
I bet you're thinking 'here she goes again' and I'm not complaining, honestly, just pondering, really!
Moving swiftly on, I've started some knitting after buying a couple of pattern books from eBay (thanks, Tracey) and really enjoying it. Knitting is (usually) so restful and if you go wrong it is an easy matter to pull it all undone and start again! It can mostly be done while watching telly too, which makes it doubly restful. I've started with a little cardigan and feel like working my way through the book because the photos are so enchanting and the patterns so straightforward. And let's face it, I have so much yarn it is not going to mean any extra expense. My younger teaching friends who have recently had babies will soon have toddlers and I'm hoping a handknit or two will go down well both now and in the next year or so.
Well, I had better go and get going on something. Coffee, bath and knitting, probably, as I think today is likely to be a lazy day with lots of chat and little substance! Sounds great, doesn't it? I love the summer holidays.
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