Blog-a-long June 2007, Favourite Recipe

Well here we are again, I've left my blog-a-long post until the last day of the month!!!! *rolls eyes*

The reason I've had trouble this month (I always seem to be making excuses).... is purely and simply that I LOVE FOOD!!! and I can't choose my favourite! I love cooking, and I love eating, it's as simle as that! My preference is definitely for main courses, and for fairly unextravagent traditional (ish) food. I'm not very good at making things like curries.... but good "family food" - just show me the kitchen!!!

So I've chosen two recipes.... one is a more wintry one and one a more summery one! I'm sorry I'm not very good at weights and measures I'm afraid I tend to work in handfuls and mugs, but hopefully you'll get the gist!!

Firstly the summer one: Stuffed Marrow: (Should serve 4, but doesn't usually last us that long)

1 Marrow
1 Onion
1 punnet mushrooms - or mix of mushrooms
dried porcini
mixed herbs
approx 1/2 pint milk
good quality long grain brown rice
grated cheddar cheese
1 egg



Make 1 pint of stock using a small handful of dried porcini mushrooms and half boiling water water/half milk. Season the stock with plenty of black pepper and a small handful of mixed herbs Leave to stand and infuse for a while.

Take Marrow, cut in half and de-seed.

Gnetly Fry mushrooms and onion in olive oil until soft then add 1 large mug (approx half volume of liquid stock) of good quality long grain brown rice. (This is important and I would never have known how different rice brands can be - I personally use Infinity Organic rice, which cooks with a lovely nutty flavour). Mix the rice into the mushroom and onion until coated in juices and oil, then throw in the stock. leave to simmer gently for 1/2 hour or until the liquid is fairly well absorbed into the rice. Leave to cool slightly and beat in one egg and a generous handful of grated cheddar cheese.

Heat oven to around 180 deg C. If you like to eat the marrow skin (I do!) then clean thoroughly and rub with a little butter. Lay each half of marrow on its back and stuff with the mushroom rice mixture. If this seems a little dry you can add some water into the bottom of the dish to help soften the marrow during cooking. Top with more grated cheese and cook in oven for around 20 - 30 mins until marrow soft and rice topping crispy on the top!. Enjoy with a glass of chilled white wine!!!!

Winter Recipe: Vegetable Pasties

(Makes one large pasty for 2 people - should have enough filling to freeze half with the other half packet of puff pastry and make another one night when you want home cooked food without the effort)

1/2 pack puff pastry
swede (You'll probably only need half a one)
onion
1 Large leek
2 or 3 carrots
(any other root veg you like)
mixed herbs
Small amount of strong veggie stock - needs to be enough to cook through veg but not leave too much liquid over or pastry will be soggy. I usually use around 1/3 pint. stock can have a little marmite or bovril added if you like these.

Cube up veggies into around 1/2cm squares, slice leeks.

Stir fry all together slowly with large handful of mixed herbs. When softened add stock. Simmer very gently until veggies cooked through (prob about 20 mins) and liquid mostly boiled off a little gravy is ok, but you don't want too much to soak into the pastry - if it gets too dry without cooking through add a little more liquid. Allow to cool.

meanwhile roll out puff pastry to large rectangle on a floured baord (I usually make one large pasty and cut into half each, otherwise I find you end up with all crust and no filling!!) and place on a greased baking tray (do this before you fill it - believe me it's the best way!!) Use half the veg mixture to fill the centre of the pasty, fold over the pastry and seal edges. Brush top with milk or beaten egg to glaze and pop into fairly high over (around 180 - 200 deg c) for 20 to 30 mins until pastry is all puffy and glorious! I serve this with olive oil roasties in chip shapes ('cos I don't deep fry here I can't stand the smell!) mr Noo's favourite!!!!

I should have made these this week then we could have had photos!!! Oh well I'll try to remember to take photos next time I make them!

Blog-a-long May 2007, Favourite Childhood Sweets

It's fitting that this is written on a Sunday, for Sundays are the tale behind my favourite sweets.....

You know the kind of Sunday I mean............ exactly like today............... rainy, dull, boring for a child.............. it was thus the Sunday "Grotty Movie" afternoon was born.

After our Sunday roast lunch, Dad would take us down to a small newsagents that sold sweets by the quarter..... jars and jars of sweets.

My favourites were sherbet lemons, they lasted ages, and made my mouth sore, but I loved them!!! If I was in the mood for more instant gratification then my choice would be chocolate raisins or rainbow drops.... but really sherbert lemons were the way to go.

We'd take our little white bags of delight home, and tune in - probably to BBC2, to find some old ham of a black and white movie! If we were lucky ... and good, the sweets lasted through the film, if we weren't we knew we weren't going to be bailed out by any other family members.... each had their own white bag, and that was that!!! (We did share a little really!) Mum and I would often sit on the sofa and knit whilst watching/scrunching.

So, if we were doing this today what would we find.... Unfortunately, not really a true "Grotty Movie" on terrestrial TV (Mission impossible is on ITV, but that's not quite in the spirit of the theme!)...... but with the benefit of freeview...."The History of Mr Polly" with John Mills on More4 at 16:10 this afternoon............ sherbet lemon anyone???

(If anyone fancies sherbet lemons just the way they always used to be www.aquarterof.co.uk is a site you must visit!)

Blog-a-long April 2007, Three Wishes

I really don't think I can do this...... three wishes........ that there were no genetic terminal illnesses (in other words that children wouldn't be born with a terminal illness before they've even had a chance to live), that everyone who wanted a child could have one, that everyone always gets to say goodbye to the ones they love...... the list could be endless.....

But it's not going to happen, and at the risk of being an almighty spoilsport, it just makes me maudlin to think of it.

You can't change what life is, so I just have one wish, that everyone makes the best of every day. That someone somewhere will make each one of you smile every day, and that smile will come from your heart and warm your soul.

Blog-a-long March 2007, My best holiday ever!

It’s hard to chose a favourite holiday! (hence it’s the 30th March and I’m only now doing my blog-a-long post!) – I’ve been really lucky and had some great hols in my time. I’ve been to Africa 3 times – which I loved, I spent my 21st birthday in Disney World Florida, with all my family. We all went to Australia for my Dad’s 50th and to New Orleans for my Mum’s 50th. I’ve been to Jazz festivals in Scandinavia and lovely Scottish islands, and I’ve had lovely weekends deep in the English countryside away from the rest of the world!!! – It’s all been amazing for different reasons.

But I have to finally admit that my favourite holiday was one, that not only was an amazing trip, but also a personal challenge to me, one which I took on and won!!!!

In 1999 I came out of a longstanding relationship, bought a house on my own, and started to enjoy the single life – not in a drunken orgy kind of a way, but in a “this is me” kind of way!!! I relish my own company, always have done. I am fiercely protective of my own space, and don’t welcome intruders easily!!!!!! After 2 years, and some stressful times at work, I needed a holiday. But whilst being an independent kind of a woman, I’m not independent enough to “go it alone”. I happened upon a travel company called Solo’s – trips for single people. – Not romantic, meet a partner type trips. Just normal holidays where you wouldn’t be set upon for being single!. Good Idea!! So I got the brochure – coughed and spluttered at the prices, and then decided that if I was to do it, I should do it properly! – I chose 10 days walking and whale-watching in the Azores!!!! The final point I should make before going into the actual holiday, is that whilst very independent, and a reasonably strong young (!!!) woman, I am scared to death of meeting new people! – No really!!!! – I would never start up a conversation with a stranger, not in a supermarket, on a train … NEVER!!!! – I hate going to places that I don’t know, and I break out in a sweat at the thought of having to introduce myself to people! – I am, quite honestly, a wimp!!!!!

So before I hand over to my diary of the holiday, and a few snaps, I will remind myself, that this holiday was the best ever, because it was an absolutely amazing holiday, full of sights and scenes that I will probably never see in my life again. But also because it was a HUGE personal challenge to even get to the airport!, and it was worth every bit of the sleepless nights, and the overdraft!!!! I should also remind you that this was the week of 9/11...... a scary time to be away from home, and a frightening time to know you had to get back on a plane!! and a hugely emotional time for the world!

The following is my diary of the holiday – be warned it’s long and quite photo heavy…… you don’t have to read it all – I won’t mind!


Diary of Azores trip September 7 – 16th 2001. Emailed to people I had met on the trip and friends and family.



To friends old and new,


Excuse the "one for all" approach, but just back from holiday and wanted to share with you all.

Obviously being away from home during the last week hasn't been easy. We heard about the tragedy in the States very quickly, and it had a deep effect on us all. I was privileged to be spending my holiday with a wonderful group of people some of whom I believe and hope will be lifelong friends.

For those that don't know - I went to two of the Azores islands. It was a singles holiday - so 14 of us, (11 women and 3 men - apparently usual statistics!!) met at Heathrow Airport a week ago last Friday. I can't say I wasn't apprehensive - didn't know if I'd be younger or older than all the others - if we'd have anything in common, anything to talk about.... a bit like starting a new job really...

I needn't have worried, the whole group were great, all ages, all walks of life, and one thing in common - all single and happy to be.

To get onto the holiday bit. The Azores are just the most beautiful islands. If you intend visiting you must be prepared to walk - there is no other way to see the beauty, and you would miss by far the best bits. Plus the exercise is good for you (or so I kept telling myself when I couldn't get out of bed on the second day!!!) The first day (after the journey from hell from London - at least we all got to know each other well during the various delays and disruptions..), we went on a fairly long walk - about 3 1/2 or 4 hours, round a crater (Sete Citades) on the island of San Miguel. The crater held a azure blue lake and was neighboured by a lake of green, there was a distinct line between the two colours, no merging, it was beautiful. The legend says that a young princess met and fell in love with a shepherd but her father wouldn't let them be together and when they cried, her from her blue eyes and he from his green - the lakes were formed. ..... The walk was long, and although looking back, not too hard it was tiring for our first day. We finished 4 hours odd later in a small cafe (which ran out of tea so we HAD to have a beer!!!!)

The second day was a further taxi ride - about and hour and a half in all, during which we stopped to see a few landmarks, and taste the flower of the Himalayan ginger courtesy of Milton the taxi driver who educated us all in the technique!! Our walk today was shorter, maybe about 2 1/2 hours, round lake Furnas, where we saw the cooking holes and mud geiser where people bury their Sunday dinners at 6 in the morning!!!! (strange lot - i'd rather be in bed!)
We spent the afternoon in a thermal spa and gardens - just what we needed after all the walking!


Dinner every evening was in a different local restaurant - the tour rep (great girl!) thought it a better way to get an idea of local custom - we did get the idea - slow service, and huge portions, but it was a social event and we soon got the hang of it.

On Monday we transferred to the island of Faial, where we arrived (just) in time for dinner at the "hot rock" restaurant where you cook your own food on a heated rock!!!! (funnily enough!) a wonderfully social evening and by this time we all knew each other well enough to have some good serious conversations ( and a good few laughs!).

Tuesday was another crater walk. We set of from the hotel chauffeured by Terry and his crew of taxi drivers, we stopped at the statue of Mary on the top of the hill overlooking the harbour and Terry explained how people come here to make their promises before leaving the island. Promises to return and look after their loved ones. He also explained how the statue was there to protect those travelling the seas - at the time we didn't know the magnitude of his words. 4 of us abstained from the days walking as the heavens had opened and the rain was torrential. We - in our infinite wisdom returned to the hotel for a warm lunch - and talked about the other idiots who were out in it! - we did have the decency to take back some towels with us when we were taken to meet them later in the day. We heard of the tragedy in America almost as soon as it happened..... no words can say how we felt, except that we were all away from home and away from loved ones.... I feel so lucky that I was with this group of people -- we cried together and agonised together..... some had family and friends in New York..........

In the afternoon we went to the site of the latest eruption in the Azores - as recent as 1957. An eerie place - still and quiet and surreal - a time for everyone to gather their thoughts, say their prayers................


Wednesday should have been our first whale watching day - but the weather wasn't good and we swapped our itinerary around and took the ferry to Pico, the neighbouring island. We went to a whaling museum and saw a video on whaling (not nice!) and then went on a 3 hour walk from a crater cave, downhill, back to the port for the ferry. This island was different again - all were green and lush - more than I had expected, and in some ways (with the greatest respect to the Portuguese) very English looking. In Pico the downhill walk was along farm tracks and through orchards of apples and pears. We saw citrus trees (unidentifiable - possibly clemantine) and what we believed to be olive trees. It was a long walk but easy and downhill. Our final walk together for the holiday. We got the ferry back at 6pm, and ate dinner in the hotel, finishing the day off with a quiet cognac in the hotel lounge - Nice!!

Thursday morning we had to be ready to leave for the whale/dolphin watching at 8:15am. (anybody who knows me well will know that a 7am wake up call is not my idea of a holiday - in fact it's not my idea of life at all !!!) The thing was we didn't even know if we would be able to go. The weather had got worse and we had spent most of the night being vaguely aware of a lightning storm around the island. So we got up at 7 - in the dark - and staggered to breakfast. We sat and watched the lightning all with our own opinions as to whether we would go or not, and took sea sick pills just in case. At about 8:05 we were told it was On - at least for the morning run as the weather was not expected to get better over the next few days so it was as well to get some time in straight away. There was a mass exodus from the dining room as everyone rushed back to their rooms to get every piece of waterproof clothing they could carry!!!!

Noberto met us at the harbour and explained that the weather may be around for a while but we would go out for the morning and see how it went. He was a typical sea faring chap - deep suntan - bushy beard, bare feet.... nice man. We were to have been going out in Zodiacs (yes big dinghies - I was scared at this stage!) but a tourist with his previous outing had put her stiletto through the wall of it (!) and it was being mended, so 10 of us got to ride in what we later termed the "gin palace". A proper yacht type affair that at least looked safe!!! - The other 5 had to ride in a smaller dinghy - holding onto ropes at the side - at this stage it might be worth mentioning that we didn't lose anybody!!!!! To be honest that first trip has faded in my memory - the gin palace made me feel pretty sea sick, despite being drugged to the eyeballs, and although we saw dolphin ( a small group of common or bottlenose I think!) the bad weather took away some of the pleasure. We sat through one bad rain storm - and not feeling all that good - I didn't even go inside to shelter - just got wet......

Lunch had been booked for us at Peter's - I haven't mentioned Peter's yet have I. Well, there is this small pub in Horta (actually Peter's is Horta really!) where it seems the whole world goes for lunch and a drink in the evening. It's always busy with people laughing, and most stand outside on the pavement or overlooking the harbour with their drinks. Everything happens at Peter's - they change money and travellers cheques - they sell clothes and souvenirs, they make a mean gin and tonic and they sell the best cognac.... it's just a "happening" place and we all loved it.


So we had lunch and tried to still our stomachs - and some were brave enough to see if the afternoon trip was on. Personally I'd had enough for one day, so bought myself a shirt in Peter's and went back to the hotel for a swim in the hotel pool, in the rain, and a sleep. As it happens the afternoon trip was cancelled anyway.

Friday was the same scenario - early up to wait and see if we were going out - we were!!!! - this time in the Zodiac. My opinions had been wrong - the zodiac was great... hardly any feeling of sea sickness, and a bit like a rollercoaster ride - fast and furious. Somehow I had managed to get the front seat -(You sit in two rows of one behind the other - on a seat that you sit on like horse - looking at the back of the person in front.), along with Matt. - Matt must have friends in high places because when I laughed at him getting wet, the next wave covered me from head to foot!!!! We still got wet, it rained on and off, and we were much more exposed in the zodiac, but it was much more enjoyable. It took about and hour or so to get to where the sperm whales had been seen earlier in the morning. As we approached the area the engines were cut and we just drifted around. None of us really knew what we were looking for so it took us a while to see them despite the valiant efforts of Sarah and the driver. Eventually we all caught site of the blow holes and saw two females blowing several times and then arch their backs and dive. It was amazing - so slow and graceful, almost like a ballet. Throughout the morning we saw three more females dive, and a few dolphin for good measure. I felt very privileged to have been allowed to see something so special. It had a calming effect on me - made me feel quiet inside ... and so close to nature. Amazing!

Again I decided that I'd been lucky in the morning - I didn't feel ill so counted my blessings and decided to stay on dry land for the afternoon. Matt and Sarah made the same decision so we went back to the hotel to get out of our wet clothes and then went for a short, 1 hour walk along the beach and up a hill to a crater lake that led out to the sea. The beach was lovely and, as the sun had come out for the first time on the holiday, we couldn't resist going in for a paddle. Actually i couldn't resist going in for a swim - shorts and all.......



Saturday- our final day. It should have been free but we had one 3 hour whale watching trip to make up from the afternoon of the first day - so off we went again at 8 in the morning - in the zodiac...... Today was different though - the sun was shining , the water was calm and everybody was so looking forward to it. We travelled about an hour and a half full tilt (I wasn't in the front so Matt and Elaine got wet this time!!) to see a male sperm whale. He was bigger (obviously I suppose) and alone but we watched him for about 15 mins, blow and finally dive - his tail was huge - magnificent.


We waited for a while but he didn't come back up. They can stay under for up to a hour and after about 20 mins with no sign of him (and no others around as males tend to be alone) the driver said there had been a sighting of a large school of dolphin and did we want to stay and wait for the whale or go to the dolphin. The dolphin won and off we went. The school was huge, and they were in a playful mood. A large group dived under the boat and we even caught them speaking a couple of times. They gave us plenty of photo opportunities and we stayed with them until it was time go back.

We had lunch in the marina bar and then toddled of to the beach to take full advantage of the weather.

Our final evening started at 6:30 with cocktails in the hotel lounge, dinner down by the sea front, and a night-cap at Peter's.


I hope this gives an insight into my hol. Suffice to say you can't get a week on to a couple of paragraphs, but I really did have a wonderful time. I met some great people, and saw things I feel privileged to have seen. The colours of the Azores will stay in my memory forever. The colour of the sea - the colour of the lakes, surrounded by lush green vegetation. The buzzards, (I saw one hunting, quite close up), the whales and dolphin. And the wonderful people I shared the holiday with - so much fun...

Serendipity

Serendipity
(Blog-along Post for February 2007)

According to http://www.dictionary.com/. Serendipity is an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident. I had to look it up, because I tend to think of serendipity and “Lady Fate” as being the same thing, but as fate is described thus “that which is inevitably predetermined; destiny”, then serendipity has the advantage of our intervention of making the discovery, as opposed to it just happening that way!!

Anyway, I digress!! I have had absolutely no inspiration for this blog-along whatsoever. I mean I have made decisions and discoveries in my life, and I’ve stuck with them and made them work, because I believed them to be right at the time, that’s just the kind of girl I am. But I don’t know that I specifically made a decision or discovery which would be considered to be desirable, and certainly none that were by accident!! – I mean there are the obvious ones – the accidental discovery of the person who will become your partner, (because let’s face it you don’t ever go out with the distinct intention of finding the love or your dreams do you??!), music you love, hobbies, pets, all these things that make up your life, are to a certain extent, serendipitous . So here I was with not a lot in the way of inspiration for my blog……..

Then, this morning, my doorbell rang, and there was a (slightly bedraggled) postman, offering a rather large package (and it must be said a whole bundle of junk mail!) The bundle went straight into the recycler, which stands on the front door step, and I rushed in to devour the package. – I hadn’t ordered anything. . . and it’s not my birthday for a little while yet, so I was confused.

When I opened my package, I was stunned beyond belief. It was full of card-making nibbles from a fellow crafter and blog – reader. (I’m not going to identify you because I don’t think that’s what you’d want – but feel free to admit to it in the comments if you want!) This amazing friend had taken time out to send me an envelope full of different embellishments, some glitter, some brads, loads of backing paper for teabag folding, a handmade card and a hand-made string bag for my groceries. I really couldn’t believe it! I feel so honoured and touched that someone that I have never met would take the time and trouble to sort through her precious stash to send me a very large selection of things to try in my quest to find even more crafts to take me away from housework!!!

So Serendipity was the decision to re-start knitting a few years ago, which led to the discovery of a forum, which led me to start blogging, which led me to a new forum, which has inspired me to start new crafts. . . . all of which have brought me the most precious gift in life. . . . . . new friends!



Here is my part of the bargain, with love, and gratitude for making my day!

Treasure!!

Well here we are at my first “blogalong” post. The blogalong, is an idea pioneered by members of the bloggers' paradise forum. The idea being that once a month we all blog with a pre-determined title. The title can obviously be interpreted in any way to suit the blogger. January’s title is Treasure (as suggested by Knitbert!)

Well now, as it happens I have a real live treasure chest in my spare room. . . . . see. . . .

The chest itself is quite a treasure. I “inherited” it from a Great Auntie. It was in a dreadful state, and I spent weeks cleaning the years of grime off it, sanding it down, and polishing it to within an inch of its life!! It still smells of mothballs (about 10 years later!) and I don’t think I will ever change that, but I have grown to like the smell now!

Inside my treasure chest are all my treasures!!!!! It is a memory box, and within it’s mothbally interior are all manner of things that I have collected that represent stages in my life – or indeed the life of others. . . . . .




For example, this, is the most amazing treasure, and was instrumental in the existence of my own memory box. This is a photocopy of a notebook which was written by my great-great grandfather on a Voyage to India on board the Golden Fleece, in 1865 where he served with the 16th Queen’s Lancers. There had been an onboard publication, but it seems not enough paper was supplied and so he diligently copied each issue into his notebook. I am slowly trying to transcribe the notebook into a computer friendly document for other members of the family, and in order that in years to come when paper is no longer an available medium, it is still available to future generations. Not an easy task as the handwriting is old-fashioned, in ink and the pages were somewhat faded after all these years – and it’s a photocopy. (I should add that my dear Dad has the original, which is a brown paper wrapped notebook)

A couple of final little treasures . . . . . . both by my Dear Uncle Jon, who passed away in 1996. The book was written for my cousins in Australia, but all of us nieces and nephews were given a copy when it was found in his “special box” after he died. It’s really special! The rattle was also made by Uncle Jon when I was born, and I have kept it ever since!!! There are loads of other little bits and pieces that are in my chest and each and every one of them is a treasure. There was one little one that I wanted to photograph but can’t find – I’m sure it’s in there somewhere, but it was a birthday card made by another Uncle, who lives in Australia. It had a self-drawn cartoon on the front of a man juggling a number 9, but has dropped it and caught it on his foot through the hoop of the 9. Inside is a poem, and to this day I can remember it:-

One is the beginning,
Two to show the way
Three the do’s and don’ts of life
Four a summer’s day
Five you play at learning
Six you learn our sums
Seven is skating on the ice
And Eight a new school comes

And Now you’ve reached the age of 9
And many more will rise
So don’t change the way you are
Nor the sparkle in your eyes

What more treasure can there be in life????