Flowers

Having spent most of Saturday in the kitchen I yet again find myself in the kitchen. No it's not to do any cooking but rather clear up my mess and clean it - especially the floor.




                                                           BEFORE

                                  AND AFTER

As you can see a much needed improvement.

I just love the colour this brings to my window sill.
























Sunday I couldn't face starting anything new in my crafting world so carried on with some crochet flowers. Hopefully by next week all will be revealed.

I just love piling them up in this gorgeous dish.

Even like piling up all my cut off bits - always seems such a shame to bin them.

This morning woke up to a dusting of snow and somehow the snowdrops looked even prettier covered in a dusting of snow and ice.

Don't these flowers look lovely. This coming Saturday we are planning on visiting a proper garden to see a display of snowdrops - maybe some more pretty photographs.

Finally one lady came to the craft group tonight and bought her finished lap blanket. I just love this pattern. She used up lots of her leftover sock wool. She knits fantastic socks for her family for Christmas presies. Lucky relatives.

Saturday Kitchen

Been a rather trying work week and yesterday it was so good just to immerse myself into cooking and forget all the trials of the week. Sometimes I think my challenge is crazy but then as I get absorbed in cooking I realise how good it is to do this. So here goes:

This book was my mums and I have never used it before, but I do like the title and it somehow feels an appropriate book to be using with the miserable cold wet weather. I'm not convinced my mum had used the book as all the pages seemed in rather pristine condition.

Well this is rather another version of a cottage pie and I thought would be nice for Sunday dinner with some Yorkshire puddings, lashings of gravy and veggie troubles. Decided to double up on the mixture so that I could freeze some individual portions for later on in the week.

Sorry but they are not browned in the oven yet - but evidence that I have prepared them.

Also out of this book I found another rather warming comforting pudding to have at this time of the year.

Golly cottage pie and rice pudding bring back so many childhood memories.

Unusually in this recipe the rice is baked with a lid on the dish so there is no skin. I think Mr P was rather disappointed not to have any skin, as I believe when he was a child there was always a fight for the top! A while ago I ate rice pudding in an Indian restaurant and they made it with the addition of rose water and pistachio nuts - it was divine. I must find a recipe for that version.

Saturday's dinner came from another cookery book that I have used quite a lot and the pages are well thumbed and used.

It's not written by anyone famous but it is a useful cookbook to own.






















Decided seems as we have not eaten pasta for a while to look for something in that line.

Maybe I like this book so much because it is laid out clearly and using ingredients that are readily available.

Sorry the picture doesn't do much justice but it was well yummy and the smells from the kitchen were the sort to make one salivate in anticipation. We had this dish with pasta and some yummy bread. Oh by the way it is tomato halves in the picture not apricots!! Oooh also it had some garlic but don't tell Mr P!

Final bit of baking were some more muffins - this time they were filled with blueberries and a few cranberries. I like the way that some of the blueberries burst open and run - looks artistic.

 127 cookery books     13 recipes completed        115 books to go.


Look I know the maths don't add up but that's because I used 2 recipes from 1 book! 

.Well it's time to change the subject from food to WINE! I have now been a "dryathlon" for 37 days! No more Fridays to go without wine - whooppee! Next weekend being my birthday weekend sees the end of my wine less challenge. Golly it's almost like doing lent early.

 Yesterday one of my recipes called for a small quantity of white wine for cooking (I do not consider cooking with wine breaks my challenge as the alcohol content is destroyed) and I had to buy one of those wee small bottles! But on my way down the aisle I saw one of my favourite wines on offer so I got it ready for next weekend - yaay!


















Lets move away from the kitchen, finally! No 3 posted a photograph of herself on our family facebook. Can't believe this is my daughter - it doesn't seem that long ago I was making her packed lunches for school (oh can't seem to get away from the kitchen!). The bump is called "Nemo" and is due July 22nd - but knowing there is a family history of us all giving birth well after the date it seems unlikely it will arrive on time.

Well I'm finished writing - time for some hooking (that's crochet before anyone takes the mick).

Just Words and smiles.

It's a bit of a Mr P week. Yesterday was his birthday but he had to spend most of it on his own as I was at work. So he took himself off to the motorbike museum at Meridan. Think he felt a little embarrassed going on a German bike and parked it rather carefully so as to avoid the eyes of the owners. Poor Mr P didn't even get his main present due to us both not being around to sign for it from the delivery company - so today I have to drive over to Coalville to retrieve it. In fact poor Mr P did not get to open his cards and presies till 18:45. Following a rather yummy Chinese take away we headed off to Market Harborough theatre to see The Anastasia Files, performed by the amateur players. They were really good and it has made us want to answer more questions and do some research, into this topic.

Watching the weather forecast I find rather amusing - as some of the phrases seem rather crazy:-

"Lot of weather"
"Busy weather"
"Weather front"
"Organised showers" - sounds as if the showers are ganging up on us!

Continuing Richard III theme read a few comments on twitter (well actually I do not know how to use Twitter but found these in a newspaper - help always welcome)

The Wurzels : Richard III has finally been declared 1485 Hide and Seek champion.

Gary Lineker: Richard III found under a Leicester car park? Doesn't matter who you are up there, they won't let you out without a ticket.

Jeremy Vine: Verdict on Richard III's remains - serious trauma to skull, bent back. Atos confirms he is fit for work.

Unknown author: Daily rate for NCP car parks is £18.50. Richard III has been there 192,649 days. He owes £3,564,006.50.

Sitting With Royalty

Mr P is having a very varied week. He's running around like a headless chicken. He has masses of work to do. Sadly three people have died in the last few days and he has been asked to do their funerals, which is a real privilege. His birthday is this Thursday, so he's swapping his day off for then. But yesterday was a superb treat for him. He was invited to sit with royalty! Yes! Yesterday the world was rather interested in Leicester with the announcement at Leicester University as to whether some bones hidden under a car park where those of Richard the third. Mr P and another clergyman were asked to sit with the coffin whilst the press conference was happening. So for two glorious hours he was able to absorb history in a unique experience. Sadly no photographs were allowed but I've got two of the literature he received.

 

Apparently there are numerous historic clubs just interested in this king and lots of disputes as to the history of him.

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There's a great photograph on facebook but I daren't publish it here. But I'll explain the picture:-

It is a road sign saying "This is a pay and display car park. Please pay at the ticket machine. No burying of dead monarchs"!
























Well Mr P's birthday has given me another excuse to accomplish another recipe from another book. Mr P adores fruit cakes and now that all the Christmas cake has gone this seemed an appropriate thing to make for the big day.

I have used this recipe many times and it always seems to come out well.

Well if I ever got sent to a desert island and was only allowed 10 cookery books then this would be one of them. I have used this book so much. Her recipes are so easy to follow and usually successful.  The pages are covered with splatterings(think I've just invented a new word!) of cake mixture and grubby fingers trying to turn the page whilst preparing a cake. If you do not possess a cake book then I can recommend this one.

Oops put a hole in the middle -  couldn't find my usual skewer to test it was baked.

127 cookery books     10 recipes completed        117 books to go.

Even Later Posting

Just a quick post after a rather full weekend. Mr P is currently watching the super bowl and somehow has to stay awake till 2.30am - think this is rather unlikely given his current lying position on the settee!

Thought I'd show you my raspberry muffins - worth spending the money on these delightful fruits.

There's only a few left from the weekend - gave some to dad to take home.

Flowers still doing well. Yesterday our home felt so lovely and warm that I almost went out to the shops without my coat. But as soon as I got outside I realised that I was going to have to scrape the ice off the windscreen. Think the warmth, the sun shining and the flowers made me hopeful of warmer days.

Tried a new recipe but it was from Nigella Lawson's "Kitchen" so can't claim this as part of my challenge. But I didn't like this dinner. I made it with the turkey mince and as soon as I opened the packaging I just knew I was not going to enjoy it. Even as I was cooking the turkey with all the sauce I could still smell the meat - yuk! Mr P found it too spicy! Not sure what I'm going to do with the leftovers. Probably not a good idea to feed it to the chickens!

The rice, coriander and peshwari naan bread was good.

Finally finished my first embroidery since I was probably a child. Mr P thinks my lace butterfly is rather dodgy and would likely fly in a circle! The seed stitching took me all night to complete. Mr P also said I looked like something from Jane Austen - sewing with a hoop.

Very Late Posting

This week has been rather busy at work with lots of people wanting to stop smoking cigarettes, rather sadly I have seen a few men who have recently suffered a heart attack and they are only in their 30's! Scarey!.

Ratty has found his food! Lets hope this is farewell to him.

But I have also been rather busy at home, in the kitchen and playing "hookie"!

After reading a blog by Meme Rose I was rather inspired to bake some pear and cinnamon muffins - especially as we have a few old pears sitting in a fridge drawer. They were very yummy and am planning on making some tomorrow with raspberries.

Amazingly there are just a few left.

Now to the hookie. What have I been making?

Clue one - involved a glue gun (wonderful devices).

Clue two - involves pegs and small crochet flowers.










This is for you to guess. Hopefully when I have made some more flowers I will show you the result.

Tonight we have had some lovely visitors and of course I have managed to use 2 cookery books for the meal. One of the guests has far more cookery books than me! Has about four or five Billy Book cases full of them! Wow would really like to see this collection. She is very interested in having cook books from around the world. What a great idea - mmmm set me thinking about my collection.

Dinner came from a Nigella Lawson book - it's a book that I have used often.

I find the layout a bit confusing but enjoy the recipes.

Think Mr P rather enjoys watching her on TV as she cooks rather sexily!

The recipe is rather similar to something I've made fairly recently but it's a good one to do in order to prepare a day in advance. The smell of it slowly cooking last night was rather tempting not to pick at it. Nearly forgot to take a picture of the casserole - this picture is just what is left (which will be enough to give my dad to take home tomorrow).

Doesn't look very appetising but it was a great recipe to dunk French bread into.

Pudding came from the latest cook book that I sneaked in over the Christmas period. I know my sister loves this author.

Lorraine looks so pretty - doesn't look as if she eats any of her own puddings, with that figure!

I have never ever made this pie before. It was the first time I have ever cooked a tin of condensed milk in a saucepan for two hours!

It was rather yummy but I would have like to have had more gorgeous caramel and it was also hard to taste the bananas that had been cooked in rum. Maybe some of the flavour was lost because I partly made it last night. Shall certainly have another go at making this pud.

127 cookery books     9 recipes completed        118 books to go.

Pic N'Mix

Mr P has now caught my cold - but instead of a cold he has man flu! So just as I am feeling back to normal and returned to the swimming pool today bugs are still floating around here.

Every Monday a craft group meets in my home and there are some very talented ladies. Thought I'd show you a little of some of their work.

This lady has just learnt to crochet and look how well she is doing. The granny squares are to cover a cushion - hopefully I'll be able to show you a photo when she's completed it.

One lady has started making some 8" squares for a charity. The squares get posted to South Africa where some prisoners sew them together for orphan babies to lie on. Here's a link if you are interested in contributing some squares. knit a square  As you can see the square has been knitted so that you start with one stitch and then increase at the beginning of each row. This way saves you having to worry about how many stitches you need to cast on to make an 8" square - instead you just stop increasing at the desired width and start decreasing.

Here's a rather beautiful tapestry in the making.

Another lady has just knitted a couple of mug hugs for another charity.

A cardigan for a much cherished grand daughter.

 A prolific card maker who came tonight for the first time without her baby - hubby babysitting and there was no phone call for her to race back home.

For quite a long time I have been making this rag rug on Monday nights. Looking at this picture it looks as if it's almost complete but when you see the back then you can see just how much more I have to do.

Well time for Bedfordshire and three very busy days of work ahead. Good night.