Award Ceremony

Firstly I would like to thank Penny  at The Hen House for the award. It is my first ever and I am overwhelmed.
Apparently now I have to tell you seven things that you don't know about me (and that you might be interested in). I am sure these should also be clean and suitable for a family audience as well as my dad who occaisionally pops in. Mmmm will have to have a think about this. In the meantime I also have to nominate 5 blogs who I think are deserving of an award too. here goes in no particular order. Hopefully the links will work and you will be able to have a look too.

 I would like to nominate

Lucy over at Attic 24 because hers was the first blog that i ever read having been nosing around the Dorset's Cereals website. Lucy you were and are an inspiration and a very colourful one at that. Thankyou.

Baking Brownies for Motzart is a new blog to me but her baking is fabulous, pop over and have a look.

Just Me, also I feel deserves an award for sheer brillliant blogging.

Hummus Boy Another new to blogging persona

Sue at The Quince Tree that some of you will already know but has given me some of the oomph to try out different pictures, headers and samplers.

Congratulations to you all and hope you get a few more people dropping by.

Now for the seven new things:-...

1. I am really not bothered about milk. A bit of an odd one I know but t means that we do run out sometimes and I don't really care. I take juice on my cereal and hot drinks black so what is the use of milk?

2. I embarass my children, often! Mostly by telling people in shops that their spelling is wrong or, that they have an apostrophe in the wrong place. Coming from me this is not good as my own spelling leaves a lot to be desired.

3. I bite the heads off jelly babies first so they can't scream.

4. I hate toast crumbs left on the work surfaces.

5. I have a Bronze Medalion for swimming am a qualified swimming teacher (lapsed) and once pulled a revolting child out of the pool and then wished I had left him in.

6. I have a motorbike license but am really quite scared of the bike.

7. I love love love new socks. The luxury Mmmmm.

Stylish Blogger Award

I am overwhelmed! I have been given a Stylish Blogger Award by Penny. In fact I am so overwhelmed that I am speechless! I am going to go away and have a think and will post a bit later today, because this award involves some work. And speech writing and stuff.....

Crossing the Border.

I'm writing this as I click clack my way over the border on the way to Aberdeen.


Usually I drive but as this is not an option at the moment I am venturing out by train. Actually I love the train. The steady rhythm and hum from the rails, but often have too many people, too much stuff and the need for freedom at the other end to allow for train travel.
As I write we have crossed the border. The mists are creeping in and Scotland is at her wintry best. It's dreich, it's right. I'm heading for the capital before, how do you say it?, onward transition.


Isn't it amazing how many people have to constantly eat while travelling. Even Scotland can provide food at the other end. And the phone! Surely anyone with a need to know is already aware that you are on the train. It will arrive when it arrives, they don't need to know every small hamlet you have passed and, where the train doesn't stop anyway, honestly they don't.
A weekend away, my parents as yet unaware of my visit, possibly a surprise, possibly a shock as I'm staying in the child free zone that is my sister's.
Maybe I'll see the sea this time, cold but spectacular in the granite city. I've got the camera packed so watch out for the next post.
From abroad, or home depending on how you look at it.....

Cake and Jam

Today has been a cake and jam sort of a day. Well it was really cold and what else is a girl to do?
I started off with the cake, although yesterday I had a go at some dairy free cupcakes as I have been asked to do some for a birthday and wasn't sure how they would turn out, so needed a practice. ...


They look fine and tasted ok but a little bit different in texture to the usual ones. Any tips greatly appreciated.
Today's cake was a birthday present from D to one of his friends. (who happens to be a girl) hence the Red Velvet and Roses job. He has just come back from the party where it seems to be much appreciated....


I tried to do the full presentation bit and came up with this...


Now for the jam. This turned out to be VERY high faff jam. I had been given Tessa Kiros's book, Apples for Jam at Christmas and it has a recipe for mandarin jam. It took ages to prepare the fruit and seemed to take longer than suggested to reach a set. But, this may have been down to Agnes the Aga having been used a lot today. From a first taste it is almost a cross between marmalade and jam, not too sweet and nicely citrusy.


I've used my new Moo Cards as little labels this time as I was sooooo excited when I got them and have been desperate to use them since they hit the doormat.
All of this activity has taken my mind off my arm but I'm getting a bit tired now so may have to calm down a bit tomorrow.

Pleasant, pheasant presents.

Some presents come wrapped and ready to enjoy, this one needed a little more work, the enjoyment being postponed just a little. The anticipation was all a part of the deal.





Some of you, I know would be put off by this whole process but as I grew up watching the real deal it wasn't a problem.
First undress your bird. Actually the recipe called for plucking which I wasn't about to do and opted for undressing followed by using the legs and breast only. (you'd think I was a bloke!)
Add extra ingredients such as these suggestions from "Snow Flakes and Schnapps" by Jane Lawson....





The result a very tasty roast matched beautifully with creamy mash and cabbage. A part of the pleasantness was the fact that I only got one complaint and that was from K, who in the food stakes, doesn't count.
I have sooooooo many recipe books and have decided to actually try out some of the recipes instead of sticking to the same old same old.
All in all a very pleasant pheasant!

Quiet wanderings

This may be something that I haven't mentioned before. Well it is a bit strange but I love wandering around old graveyards or cemeteries. On New Year's Day I went out for a bit of fresh air and ended up in the local churchyard. Everything was very quiet as you might expect. Everything was also very brown or perhaps grey. Indeed with us here in Cumbria the whole week has been pretty grey, the very opposite of the sharp, cold, sunny days in December. There was no one around except for some men digging up the road, ( I suppose you need to get an early start with making more holes in the road), and so, I took the opportunity to take some photographs. If other people are around they think you are a bit mad photographing the graves. Oh well found out at last.....



I think that the general grey-browness added to the atmosphere....



Just as well it was still light or it may even have been a bit spooky....









I think I will try to remember to go back later in the year and see how the atmosphere has changed....


I will try to find some more colourful images for next time.

Hogmanay

This is the Scottish term for the last day of the year, celebrated up and down the country with much revelry and of course booze. When I was a teenager I absolutely hated it. We were inundated by drunk people that we had never clapped eyes on before. The most memorable being the man who fell asleep and dropped his false teeth on the carpet!
However, I have now grown up (usually), and within my own, or friends houses have decided that I quite like it. The booze of course still flows but in a more controlled sort of a way and we can bring in the New Year with friends or family.




Wishing you all a very happy and health New Year

Slant-mhath ( good health)

Christmas Past

I had actually meant to write this during the evening of Christmas day but, well, you know how it is..... lots of very nice food and wine as well as one-armed cooking had taken it's toll. Then yesterday I promised myself that I would get a few minutes, and here we are yet another day gone.
Y and I went out for a bit of fresh air on Christmas afternoon whilst waiting for the goose to cook. (Slightly delayed by the fact that I had stored said bird in the porch which turned out to be a bit colder than I thought it was).
It was still very cold, the frost making beautiful patterns, including these frost flowers under the bridge where the stream runs under the motorway.



The picture doesn't really do them justice but I really wanted you to see them. The little "flowers" were just sitting on top of the frozen stream. The day was still very bright and clear when we set out.....





And I don't think that I have ever seen the M6 look so quiet....




After an hour or so, just as we made a quick call home to discover that D had all goose cooking under control the sun began to set...




Producing some beautiful colours...




Today is much more Cumbrian, wet, grey and in your bones cold rather than frosty, wrap up warm kind of weather.
Looking forward now to a new year which in lots of ways should be better than this one was.

My favourite day.

Thought that would take a minute or two to wish you all a very Merry Christmas on this, my favourite day. The anticipation is at a peak, the shopping is done and it's the start of the big cook in. Guests are arriving later for some festive drinks and nibbles, it's all go.




Last minute wrapping to do... As you can see Suzy the cat has been helping out with the ribbon.
At the moment I'm still cosied up with a cup of coffee and the news but really it's time to get up and on.
enjoy yourselves and have a lovely few days xxxx

The Cure

A few days ago Cath suggested that chocolate was the cure. Now as a decent upstanding professional from the NHS I couldn't believe this. So I kept going with the Brufen and Paracetamol and the sling. Progress was slow( to me anyway). Then a couple of days ago I turned to this.....



The effect was immediate, my arm is starting to get better, I believe...and so I had another look around and found this....



And this.....



And then sat down to this...it even matches my new mug!



Before trying very hard to get a decent photo of this.......







Thankyou Cath

Keeping it Simple

As you might have guessed, icing THE cake one-handed is a bit on the hard side. Time to call in the apprentice! K has done a marvellous job for a first timer...

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

I thought that you might like a little peak! Shhhhhh, don't tell any one what I've been up to! Preparations are to say the least going slowly but at least things are starting to happen. One handedness and Christmas don't really go together but slowly, slowly we are getting there. D has his band concert tonight ( having been postponed due to the terrible weather). On Thursday he has his "formal" which has involved hiring of outfits more of which another time. THEN it's the holidays! In the meantime this is what I've been up to.....


The gingerbread house was made up at the weekend when we had some little people here for the afternoon, we are hoping to repeat this during the holidays, perhaps slightly more calmly though!
Presents are, I've decided very hard to wrap with one hand although it can be done. K is getting very good, sticking the tape and generally wrapping to my picky standards.
Can you see the little glass bird? All the way from New York, there were so many beautiful decorations there that it was very hard to restrict myself to just one or two but the little bird made it.
Once again I have received some beautiful flowers over the last week..


I am feeling very spoilt and beginning to get the Christmas feeling....
Until the next time...

Staying In

Some days you have no choice but to stay indoors!
Today is one of those days. The outside looks very inviting once you get the window clear enough....... This is the view from our living room this morning.....
You can just see the trees over the top of the indoor frost. That's what you get for shutting the shutters. All cozy on the inside, frosty on the outside, just ready to melt into icy pools all over the floor.
On the other side of the house the view is very similar....
Suzy was still keen to get out but as you might imagine it wasn't long before her paws were like little icicles....




We are not the coldest I know but -14* c is plenty low enough for me.
It takes forever to get washed with one arm and icy all the time, just might turn into a hobo and zip in until May!
There are good things too like the postcard / calendar scenery and special cakes made before the big slip......
Sorry I'd wrapped it before I remembered to take a picture....
Or Cranberry Jelly steaming away on the Aga.......
Christmas is just around the corner now, I'm off to try one handed card writing.

Winter Break

Well well this weather really does have it's ups and downs.
The ups of course are the pretty winter postcard scenes...


I have to admit though that they are better now BUT getting out now is too hard. Ventured out on Sunday and took a dive, saved only by my shoulder. This was not good and after spending the night in hospital...( much to the disgust of the A and E staff who thought a couple of paracetamol and Brufen would sort it). I'm home complete with broken arm. The break is up near my shoulder and so cannot be put in a brightly coloured plaster, or be fixed with tape or nails and screws. I have to do the patient bit, have patience and wait for it to get better. Some people will do anything for a bit of time off over the holidays...I'll even have to let other people decorate the tree and cook the dinner. They say a change is as good as a holiday, I'm not so sure. I'm off to learn some patience, could be hard...

Winter Wonderland

We are all pretty excited about the snow here! Ok so I know that most people have had snow this week, some more than others, but although we live at the very northern extreme of England, we hardly ever have snow. Well at least not enough for a snow ball never mind a man. Therefore much excitement when we woke up to this......


Have a look around the rest of the garden....


Just around the corner...


And under the bushes...


Even shivering up against the wall...


Better retire inside for a cup of tea and a piece of cake...

Stone Walled

Sometimes walls just kind of creep up on you. We spent the day wandering around Barcelona, snooping into alleyways and marvelling at vistas. I thought you might like to see some of the walls that I found....




The streets are very narrow around here. The traffic police have to use scooters to get about.
Up towards the castle these bricks are used nearly everywhere.
But on the ground other things are embedded to add interest and texture, or sloppiness if it's wet!!!



Very clever though.
Old fashioned cobbles vie with arty bits on the Chinese restaurant exterior.
Combinations of brick and tile are also very popular.

Or you could go for the really over the top look......



I think I like this one though.....
Or maybe this...
Or even this..
Walls in a nutshell!

The Special Menu

Having never tried one of these types of menu, where you get...
A) What you are given. (Actually this is what we have at home).
B) lots of courses. (Not what we get at home).
We thought it was time to give it a go. And this is what we ate....


A pre starter of Sherry Bloody Mary with Parmesan Lollipop.



An extremely tasty Duck Ravioli, yes kids mushrooms were involved.



Fish, described as "typical Mediterranean" complete with silver guilder violet potato. The waiter was a bit sad that I had realised that it was indeed a potato.



Main course of Duck, easily the best course!


Never had pre-dessert before but here you are, yogurt mousse with red berries.



All rounded off by deconstructed tiramisu. Don't get me wrong dessert was nice but kind of disappointing. I thought it would finish on a bang but more like a banger.
All of the courses were tiny but we finished feeling we had had enough but were not totally stuffed which was good. Back to like it or lump it tomorrow though!!