Wednesday

 . . . and just about half way through the break!  Time does rush past at an alarming rate sometimes, doesn't it?

Well, yesterday was a lovely day, albeit rather rushed at times.  To start with I got going on some of my rather neglected moderater duties and sorted quite a lot of stuff out.  Then I checked the time my visitor was due to arrive and it's just as well I did.  I had it in my head as 11:00 but we'd set it for 10:30.  After that it was all a bit of a rush.  I'd promised muffins so I set to and mixed up my simplest (but tasty) recipe and popped them on to bake, during which time I had my bath and washed my hair, which was sadly yucky!   I got there - just!  Phew.

After that it was all rather pleasant.  Pippa came, we talked over coffee and warm muffins (mmmmmm) and she went, and then not long after that around came Beth and Alex, the latter lugging his suitcase along behind him.  Al and I went out to the Flyer for tea and then we had a pleasant, relaxing evening together.  I had to laugh this morning though.  I gather Al is slow to wake at home but here he's down not too long after I am - which is very early.

Today I have nothing else planned apart from Alex being here until Beth picks him up, so I must get on with just a little bit of school work, some more moddy stuff and some washing, drying and ironing.  And a lot of resting and relaxing!  Sounds good, doesn't it?

Tuesday

Another dull and grey day, damp and dismal right now and looking as if it is set for the day.  never mind, it may be Tuesday and playground duty day, but it's HALF TERM (just in case any of my lovely readers hadn't realised!).

As I mentioned before, after making the plaited loaf on Saturday I had another go on Sunday, this time using the actual recipe from Paul Hollywood and instructions for four and five plaited loaves (or large rolls, as I decided to go with).  The plaiting turned out well and was a lot easier, but you know what - I didn't like the taste of the bread nearly as much as the recipe I use normally.  Basically, it is too salty, way too salty.  I've been cutting down gradually on the amount of salt that I use so the impact was perhaps all the greater because of that, but even so, 10g of salt is a lot!!
The web site where I got the plaiting instructions has some likely looking recipes but they are all in American and I cannot be having quantities like one package, a packed cup, etc . . . I think I'm too old!
I think what I'd love to do now is something like brioche or croissants so I feel some research coming on.

I've become a right gadabout this week - for me, that is.  Yesterday a friend came round for lunch, today another friend is coming round for coffee, then Alex is round to stay the night, tomorrow he stays until late morning, Thursday I'm out to the Hare `with Julie and Linda, Friday . . . oh, you get the message.  Suffice it to say I'm doing something organised every single day!

I was reading the new Which? last week where it reviews kettles and thinking smugly how well my kettle is lasting.  It's been going for years and years.  I should have known better.  Yesterday when I turned it on, the light that lights up the water level bit started flashing, then went off.  Today it did the same thing although later on yesterday it was working fine.  Now, the kettle is still working fine, the on/off light works but I'm starting to wonder if it is getting to the end of its natural life.  I guess I will see, won't I?  There's always something!

I'm off for my second coffee of the day!  Have a great day yourself.

Monday morning

Every morning, as I stagger down stairs still half asleep, I always stop at the 'landing' window to open in and peep out onto whatever the weather has done with my little world.  It isn't really a landing window, it's halfway up (or down) the stairs and for some reason, today it reminded me of an AA Milne poem which went something like this:

Halfway up the stairs is a stair where I sit
There isn't any other stair quite like it
It isn't at the bottom and it isn't at the top
But it is the stair where I always stop.

I bet half of that is wrong.  I shall have to Google it now, of course. (goes off to Google)
I was right - half of it is wrong.  Here is the proper version:

Halfway down the stairs
is a stair
where I sit.
There isn't any
other stair
quite like
it.
I'm not at the bottom,
I'm not at the top;
so this is the stair
where
I always
stop.

Lovely, isn't it?  And such a great way of organising the lines so that it is just like a child laboriously climbing down the stairs and stopping right in the middle.  So I was sort of close . . . sort of.  And the results of my investigation - warmer than yesterday, no frost, no rain - yet.

After that bit of culture I am very happy to report that the two potato topped pies were lovely.  The mash was great tasting and great textured and I suspect instant is in its way out now.  I made enough for four or five and there was none left.  The best sort of statement!
And after the main course there were cupcakes.  Birthday cupcakes, seeing as it was Beth's birthday on Friday.  Special cupcakes made by JustJules Cakes.  I've mentioned Julia's business before - if you live local, Google for her web site - she is a genius!

I discovered a blog yesterday.  I think many of us will have heard of the 'Mom' (sorry) who went on strike.  I rather enjoyed reading her funny and perceptive comments but couldn't help thinking that I missed an opportunity when my two were young.  I've never been too fond of housework so 'striking' was a regular occurence for me and mine.  Such a shame blogging hadn't been invented (I think) or maybe I could have made a fortune!!

I'm afraid I slept most of yesterday afternoon away.  Tiredness is never that far away at the moment and it's all too easy to give way to it - after all, there's not a lot stopping me!  I did intend to give downstairs a little bit of a tidy up as I have a friend round for lunch, but snoozing seemed the more pleasurable option.  Ho hum.
With this lunch in mind, I made a batch of biscotti - cranberry and almond biscotti and they are rather tasty.  They'd be even nicer with some white chocolate zig-zagged actoss, but they won't get that today!  I've put together what I hope will be a nice enough lunch - home made rolls, cold meat, cheese and chutney, followed by coffee and biscotti!

And now I'd better start tidying up a bit.

Sunday



Autumn colours.  A neighbour's wall was covered with these glorious leaves.  No longer though - the strong winds have seen to that!



Welcome to GMT!  The clocks going back meant that I didn't sleep in.  Waking just before five would have translated into just before six yesterday and that's late for me to wake.  The holiday must be biting!  And yes, I know that to any sensible person, it's still ridiculously early but there you go!

My no-work day turned out surprisingly busy but it was all productive and jolly good fun.  My frolics with the potato ricer as mentioned yesterday, plus some creativity with some veg in the freezer, some canned mixed beans and a carton of chopped tomatoes ended in a most delicious looking 'gardeners pie' and for Alex, who likes his meat, I used three single portions of the Hairy Dieters filling (originally made for their skinny pie) to make a cottage pie.  I will have a bit of each, as is my right, being the cook!

Confession time - when I'm doing potatoes for this sort of thing where I want it totally smooth I use instant mash!  Shocking, I know, but I do and you know what?  It's not all that bad really.  So I am keen to find out how the real mash compares in terms of taste and texture.  I shall be most disappointed and surprised if the former isn't better, but the latter . . . well, we will see.

Also as described yesterday, I had great frolics with the plaited loaf which looks and tastes scrummy.  I'm having a friend round for lunch tomorrow and am wondering if I could do some individual ones with very thin strands of dough.  The nice thing about dough is that if it doesn't work you can always bash it all back together again and have another go, so if it doesn't go right there's no loss!

The onion gravy also worked out well although at first it tasted much too sweet.  However, after standing for a while it became more savoury so fingers crossed that it will be OK.  The recipe made loads so there will be some to freeze: I'm pleased about that because bisto gravy just doesn't wing it for me and making a proper gravy just for one, always assuming I have the right stock, is a bit of a nuisance.



After they've been tested properly (i.e. eaten) I will post a few recipes in case anyone is interested.

Wasn't it cold yesterday?  We did have some snow, I gather, but earlier than when I looked out and it didn't settle.  This was followed by driving sleet/rain in a wind that was bitter interspersed with glorious sunshine.  And now there's a frost.  I gather that it's going to warm up soon, but it's very early for this sort of weather and I do wonder what winter has in store for us this year.

I notice that my visitor counter is nearly up to the next thousand.  That makes a lot of visitors, some very regular, some who catch up now and again and some, I am sure, who arrive here via a Google search result, read incredulously and pass on quickly!  I am very grateful to all you lovely readers who stick with this rambly, inconsequential, meandering effort.  May I encourage more of you to leave a comment now and again, please?  I love reading your comments, they put a smile on my face, and I do my best to respond to each one.

eight strand plaited loaf

Not as hard as I expected.  The trick is to re-number the strands each time you move one - so if strand 8 moves over 1, it becomes strand 1.  However, I didn't plait tightly enough.  Next time I will . . .

As dough:

After baking:

. . . and it tastes wonderful!

Contentment

I now have a bowl of gorgeous buttery, cheesy mash.

I LOVE my potato ricer!

Saturday

I got a shock when I opened iGoogle this morning.  The weather forecast thingy said it was snowing in Chelmsford.  Well, I don't know which bit of Chelmsford it is thinking of, but I rushed excitedly to the window and opened it, to be greeted by a rush of extremely cold air but no snow.  No hopping out to the shed in my slippers and nightie this morning, that's for sure!  Shame about no snow though!

Well, it's 6:44 am and I'm not rushing to finish anything, I'm not thinking that I must have my bath soon or I'll be running late, I'm not checking my planning in case there's anything I have forgotten.  I'm sitting here, idly pondering over what I can do today that doesn't involve work.  I stayed late at school yesterday to get the new display up for after half term (it looks really nice too), I am up to date with marking, etc, and the planning is virtually done.  Bliss!

I think I want to have a go at the eight strand plaited loaf that was shown on the Bake Off programme.  I will cheat, of course, and make the dough in the breadmaker.  It's the actual plaiting that fascinated me and once you've got the sequence sorted it's not actually too difficult - or is that famous last words!  We will see. 
Also I have to pick up Beth's birthday cupcakes and sort out a nice dinner for her.  I want it to involve use of my potato ricer so I guess it will be gardener's pie with a lovely cheesy mash topping - naughty but very nice.  Alex can have a savoury mince base.  I might set to and make a really tasty onion gravy too.
Having said no work, I do rather fancy trawling some sites for resources, etc.  It doesn't count because it's fun and I choose to do it for fun.  :-)

I have to do some tidying up, of course, but in my own time.  Today is going to be a lazy day!!!  So off I go to start off the dough!

There's still a few splashes of colour in the garden.