This is another one I got from Cat over at The Strawberry Post. You can find her post for it here. As with all the other tags I've done in the past, feel free to join in if you want, but let me know if you do, so I can read your answers.
This one is a 90s tag.
1. Favourite Disney film?
These days it's a tie between Frozen and Moana. But from about that time it would have to be Bambi. My brother and I could literally quote the movie from start to finish. We haven't done it in years, but probably could still do so if we tried. I also loved Lady And The Tramp, Fox And The Hound, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty And The Beast. Still do, actually.
2. Favourite music artist?
My favourite band in the 90s was Boyzone. My favourite solo artist was Jason Donovan, since Ronan Keating wasn't doing anything solo at that point, and he's my absolute favourite. There were very few others I even took enough notice of to recognize them, though I listened to a lot of music, since my Mam had it on a lot. I just never really started paying attention to bands and artists properly until we were heading out of the 90s, and one of the support assistants (teaching assistants) I had started making a concious effort to broaden my musical horizons.
3. Favourite sweets?
Back then it was the pick'n'mix Woolworths used to do. It was like you get in the old sweet shops, where you have scoops of sweets, and the weight of what you have in your bag when you're done scooping sweets decides the price. Getting a bag of that when I went in to town with my Mam on shopping day was one of the biggest highlights of my week. Since Woolworths closed, I haven't been able to have them. Wouldn't eat most of them these days anyhow, but still.
4. Favourite game (board game / school game)?
I didn't join in much with games at school. I joined in better with my Girl Guides group, though most of what we did was crafts, learning survival skills, or learning life skills, rather than actual games (we played some games just for fun, but mostly the games were to teach us the skills in a fun way). Mostly I prefered jigsaw puzzles, or to be quietly colouring, reading, or writing. That or playing tetris, watching TV, or playing on one or the other of my games machines. I also did ballet at one point, as well as Judo and horse riding, and enjoyed those a lot.
5. Favorite McDonald’s ‘Happy Meal’ Toy?
The only thing I loved about McDonalds was the chips (fries) and the toys. They do great milkshakes too. But I did get happy meals for the toys... Didn't know until years later you could just buy the toys separately. Anyway, I had some great toys, but I think my favourite was a plastic kazoo I got one time when I had McDonalds during a trip to London to see my Grandad. Couldn't play it, but I could make noise with it, so thought it was great. I was about six or seven at the time, so this was only just in to the 90s.
6. Favorite Book?
I was already loving any book I could get my hands on by the 90s. As it happened though, it was the early 90s when I first read A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, which I maintain to this day is my favourite book.
7. Favorite Clothing Store?
I hated clothes shopping then, and still do. So I didn't have a favourite. Clothing stores were just annoying places I had to put up with going to from time to time as far as I was concerned. Nothing's changed there.
8. Favorite TV Show?
I had two favourite TV shows, which I used to watch before school. Mrs. Pepperpot and Lampchops Play Along. I know at least one of those isn't actually from the 90s - Lampchop was definitely on reruns, and I can't remember about Mrs. Pepperpot (and don't feel like looking it up) - but I still loved them. My Mam used Lambchop and Mrs. Pepperpot to get me to get ready for school quickly. It's not that I didn't want to go to school, but that I was slow getting moving in the morning. So she bribed me with telling me I could watch those if I got ready quickly enough.
9. What Show Would You Watch After School?
I always watched Blue Peter, Art Attack, and a few others. I actually tried out several of the craft projects from Blue Peter and Art Attack, and used to get the Art Attack magazine... My Dad used to buy it for me when they went shopping every week. Plus, I entered something on Blue Peter where they wanted suggestions for things to put in a time capsule, and I suggested a brailler, because technology was starting to take the place of the old braille machines (I only learned later just how much that was true) and sent in a drawing I'd done of my own red brailler. They liked my suggestion, and I got a Blue Peter badge. I still have the brailler the drawing was based on, but the badge unfortunately got lost over the years. Such a shame... It would have been cool to still have that.
10. What was Your Favorite 90s Game Show?
I didn't really watch them much at that time. Though I'd sometimes watch Countdown with my Nan (Dad's Mother), and Catchphrase with my Mam, so I guess that would make those my favourites.
11. Did You Own A Virtual Pet?
Yes. It was one of the few trends I really wanted to be a part of. So when my Mam found one with a bigger and clearer to see screen, I was thrilled. Even got Micky old enough that I could say he "died" of old age a couple of times. Every single incarnation of my little virtual dog was called Micky. I have no idea why. I'm also not entirely sure why I never then ended up using it for a real pet, since I obviously liked the name a lot. It's not like I haven't had enough of them to have the opportunity to use it. Maybe I just haven't found the right real life Micky yet? Or maybe Micky will forever just be my virtual pet's name? Only time will tell...
12. Favorite Video Game And System To Play On?
You might be surprised to learn this, given that I had sight problems growing up. But I did have sight until my early 20s, and have had several games machines and computers over the years. I had an Atari I used to love playing space invaders on, which my Dad had given my older brother, and he passed on to me when he got his first Nintendo. I also later had both a Playstation and a Nintendo. My favourite was Mario on the Nintendo. I can't remember if Spyro was out in the late 90s or early 2000s, but that was my favourite Playstation game, along with a Casper game we had, Crash Bandicoot, a Rugrats game I had for it, and Bust-A-Move. I also used to love playing tetris on my PC, or on my Dad's gameboy. Plus, Mam would let me play Sonic The Hedgehog on her SEGA sometimes. I know that's more than one system, but I played on them all a lot... Especially the Nintendo and Playstation.
If I had to pick a favourite system though, I actually prefered the Nintendo system. I never upgraded my Playstation, but I did upgrade my Nintendo to first the SNES, and then the GameCube. I also had a Game Boy Advanced, and a Game Boy SP. Once the Pokemon games came out, those were the main things I played. Those and a Tetris Advanced game Kelly got me during the time we lived in Canada (though that happened in 2003). I was rather adicted to tetris, and would play that for hours. Managed to complete the game once too.
13. Weirdest Fashion Trend?
I've never paid attention to fashion. Not back in the 90s, and not now.
14. Favorite Toy?
My absolute favourite toy ever was the doll I got for my second Christmas. His name was Jo-Jo, and I still have him (though he spent some time in the attic). For those who might be new here, you can read about him in this post.
Also, Puppy In My Pocket and Kitty In My Pocket were favourites of mine. Since they were just little animal figurines, you're probably not surprised to hear that. I loved playing with Lego too.
15. Favorite Nickelodeon Show?
Rugrats. Still love that show, and don't care who knows it.
Showing posts with label Girl Guides. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Girl Guides. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 06, 2019
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Weather Updates, Buzzers, Cards, #HarryPotter Boxes, And #Crafting
Still no sign of my snow. Plenty of wind and frost. A fair amount of rain too. But still no snow. Some places not too far from us - though a bit more inland - have had snow, but the closest we've had has been a thick frost. I'm keeping my fingers crossed my snow comes soon. Maybe it will come this week? I really hope so! They do say it might. But they've been saying that all month, so I'm not holding my breath. Hoping, and crossing my fingers, of course. But not holding my breath.
In other news...
The intercom buzzer thingy still isn't fixed. Turns out the repair guys hadn't even gotten around to asking the landlord and neighbour for access to the other apartment to be able to work on the buzzer issue. I only found out about the message not getting passed on when we were arranging for everyone to be around so someone could come to do an inspection to make sure the fire alarms are working. Kelly saw the downstairs neighbour, and he knew nothing about the situation, other than that the buzzers haven't worked properly since he was here. I spoke to the landlords when we were arranging for the fire alarm guy to come, and they were under the impression the buzzer had been fixed the day the guys were here. They actually asked me if the buzzer works fine now, and when I told them it didn't, seemed surprised. So I told them what the repair guys said. Hopefully, now the neighbour and the landlords are aware of the situation, the buzzer will finally get fixed. I think I'm going to have to send the landlords a message to tell them what the repair guys say in future. Maybe then things will actually get done.
Anyway...
I got a couple of late Christmas cards. One came nearly the middle of January, and the other came at the end of last week. One is from my Nan (Dad's Mother) and the other is from Deanna. Here they are:
I also got a thank you card from Rita, which I mentioned in an earlier post, but didn't get around to sorting a photo of until now. So, here it is:
Also, my January Harry Potter box arrived. I missed the December one because of a payment glitch we didn't notice in time (the money was there, but for some reason their attempt to take it failed... We were a day late fixing it). But my January box came right on time... I got it on the weekend. So, here's what was in the box this month:
A Hogwarts print t-shirt:
A Harry Potter themed cushion cover:
A pendant that's a frog - looking something like the frogs on the chocolate frog cards I have a collection of, so I'm calling it a chocolate frog - on a chain:
A wintery owl pin:
A little snowy owl figurine:
A "three brothers" movie print:
And some tea, which is made of apple, rosehips, and a few other fruity and herby things I don't remember (Kelly did read the packaging to me, and it is all natural ingredients, so I'm looking forward to trying it... Good thing I have one of those thingy's you can use for loose tea):
Not a bad haul, in my opinion. Apparently... According to a note that was in my box this month... Starting from next month, they'll be personalizing the boxes better, and they'll include more "handmade items" too. I like the sound of that. Not that I have any problem with the contents of the boxes I've received. But handmade and personalized sounds even nicer still.
Anyway, speaking of things I got in my subscription boxes...
Guess what? I finally finished the Autumn themed table runner kit I got in October's SewMine box. So, at long last, here's the finished table runner:
Here's a close-up of the edging of the leaves, so you can see it in more detail:
Please forgive any sloppyness in the stitching. I haven't done the kind of stitching needed to do the edging for the leaves since I was making my camp blanket when I first started Girl Guides. That was about 23 years ago, when I was about 11. So, I'm a bit out of practice with blanket stitch, and I personally think it shows in some cases. I did my best though, and feel good for finally being able to say it's done.
I haven't decided which of my kits I'll work on next.
By the way, for those who happen to be interested: My January Makerly box contained two kits. One was a kit to make a heart rag rug decoration, and the other was a cardmaking kit for a Valentine's Day card. I'm rather behind on making the kits, but never mind. I'll get to them when I get to them.
That's all I have to say today, since the only other things I've done during the past week involve my share of the household chores, caring for and playing with the furkids - especially Lilie, who loves regular games of fetch, and Maizie, who's been really cuddly during this past week - and all of those other things I do every day (like reading, sorting eMails, etc).
Before I end this though, here's a random photo of Lilie... Just because:
In other news...
The intercom buzzer thingy still isn't fixed. Turns out the repair guys hadn't even gotten around to asking the landlord and neighbour for access to the other apartment to be able to work on the buzzer issue. I only found out about the message not getting passed on when we were arranging for everyone to be around so someone could come to do an inspection to make sure the fire alarms are working. Kelly saw the downstairs neighbour, and he knew nothing about the situation, other than that the buzzers haven't worked properly since he was here. I spoke to the landlords when we were arranging for the fire alarm guy to come, and they were under the impression the buzzer had been fixed the day the guys were here. They actually asked me if the buzzer works fine now, and when I told them it didn't, seemed surprised. So I told them what the repair guys said. Hopefully, now the neighbour and the landlords are aware of the situation, the buzzer will finally get fixed. I think I'm going to have to send the landlords a message to tell them what the repair guys say in future. Maybe then things will actually get done.
Anyway...
I got a couple of late Christmas cards. One came nearly the middle of January, and the other came at the end of last week. One is from my Nan (Dad's Mother) and the other is from Deanna. Here they are:
I also got a thank you card from Rita, which I mentioned in an earlier post, but didn't get around to sorting a photo of until now. So, here it is:
Also, my January Harry Potter box arrived. I missed the December one because of a payment glitch we didn't notice in time (the money was there, but for some reason their attempt to take it failed... We were a day late fixing it). But my January box came right on time... I got it on the weekend. So, here's what was in the box this month:
A Hogwarts print t-shirt:
A Harry Potter themed cushion cover:
A pendant that's a frog - looking something like the frogs on the chocolate frog cards I have a collection of, so I'm calling it a chocolate frog - on a chain:
A wintery owl pin:
A little snowy owl figurine:
A "three brothers" movie print:
And some tea, which is made of apple, rosehips, and a few other fruity and herby things I don't remember (Kelly did read the packaging to me, and it is all natural ingredients, so I'm looking forward to trying it... Good thing I have one of those thingy's you can use for loose tea):
Not a bad haul, in my opinion. Apparently... According to a note that was in my box this month... Starting from next month, they'll be personalizing the boxes better, and they'll include more "handmade items" too. I like the sound of that. Not that I have any problem with the contents of the boxes I've received. But handmade and personalized sounds even nicer still.
Anyway, speaking of things I got in my subscription boxes...
Guess what? I finally finished the Autumn themed table runner kit I got in October's SewMine box. So, at long last, here's the finished table runner:
Here's a close-up of the edging of the leaves, so you can see it in more detail:
Please forgive any sloppyness in the stitching. I haven't done the kind of stitching needed to do the edging for the leaves since I was making my camp blanket when I first started Girl Guides. That was about 23 years ago, when I was about 11. So, I'm a bit out of practice with blanket stitch, and I personally think it shows in some cases. I did my best though, and feel good for finally being able to say it's done.
I haven't decided which of my kits I'll work on next.
By the way, for those who happen to be interested: My January Makerly box contained two kits. One was a kit to make a heart rag rug decoration, and the other was a cardmaking kit for a Valentine's Day card. I'm rather behind on making the kits, but never mind. I'll get to them when I get to them.
That's all I have to say today, since the only other things I've done during the past week involve my share of the household chores, caring for and playing with the furkids - especially Lilie, who loves regular games of fetch, and Maizie, who's been really cuddly during this past week - and all of those other things I do every day (like reading, sorting eMails, etc).
Before I end this though, here's a random photo of Lilie... Just because:
Saturday, May 12, 2012
J is for Juggling (FD)
No, I don't mean the kind of juggling where you throw balls or something up in the air and juggle them about without dropping them. Apart from anything else, I've never been able to do that. Heck, I can't even catch one ball, let alone three! I did used to do a trick with a hula-hoop where I spun it on my hand using my thumb to stop it from sliding down my wrist or whatever; people seemed to think that was a clever enough trick to have me do it as part of an act when we did a circus show during a camp with Girl Guides. One of the girls in that act could juggle. That was a pretty good weekend actually; we had a circus theme going on all weekend... We were even grouped in tents based on our acts. I was part of the acrobats. We also had our own amusements where teddies did things good teddies should never do, but the Guiders never knew about that one. But, I digress, LOL!
So, juggling... Right... Yes. I'm talking about the kind of juggling where you juggle all sorts of responsibilities. Where you have all sorts of things you want/need to get done each day, and have to juggle your time to make them work.
I've been doing that a lot lately. I'm not doing too badly with it though. Things are getting done, and I'm even sleeping quite well, which is awesome!
I was going to do a full list of what I've done today, but I've just been fighting my laptop to persuade it not to turn off every time I come to work on a post, and now I really can't be bothered. Plus, I want to get on with doing the rounds on the blogs I follow. So I'll just tell you I've done housework (including doing laundry by hand), baked bread, worked on crafts (mostly organizing my messy craft box, but still), walked Kero, phoned my Grandma, played with Kero and Willow, and worked on some writing a bit. I even managed to find time to watch "Leeroy And Stitch"... Though admittedly that was while sorting my craft stuff out. Not a bad day, if I do say so myself; and it's a beautiful sunny day too! :)
I may be rubbish at the kind of juggling with balls and things, but I guess I'm getting pretty good at the kind where the thing being juggled is time. I still need to work on it a bit, but I'm not doing too badly...
So, juggling... Right... Yes. I'm talking about the kind of juggling where you juggle all sorts of responsibilities. Where you have all sorts of things you want/need to get done each day, and have to juggle your time to make them work.
I've been doing that a lot lately. I'm not doing too badly with it though. Things are getting done, and I'm even sleeping quite well, which is awesome!
I was going to do a full list of what I've done today, but I've just been fighting my laptop to persuade it not to turn off every time I come to work on a post, and now I really can't be bothered. Plus, I want to get on with doing the rounds on the blogs I follow. So I'll just tell you I've done housework (including doing laundry by hand), baked bread, worked on crafts (mostly organizing my messy craft box, but still), walked Kero, phoned my Grandma, played with Kero and Willow, and worked on some writing a bit. I even managed to find time to watch "Leeroy And Stitch"... Though admittedly that was while sorting my craft stuff out. Not a bad day, if I do say so myself; and it's a beautiful sunny day too! :)
I may be rubbish at the kind of juggling with balls and things, but I guess I'm getting pretty good at the kind where the thing being juggled is time. I still need to work on it a bit, but I'm not doing too badly...
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Meat-Free and sweet recipes I've tried (LBE and FD)
Celticspirit asked about the recipes from my blog I have ttried. I immediately said I hadn't tried any of the newer ones, but I then realised that I had tried aversion of the bagel pizza (though not the actual recipe). I think I just had cheese on mine though.
I have also tried the following sandwich options:
Jam
Peanut butter
Cheese with onion
Cheese with tomato
Cheese with salad
Cheese with ketchup
Egg with mayo
Egg with cress
Egg with ketchup
Egg with salad
Cream cheese with onion
Cream cheese with tomato
Cream cheese with ketchup
Peanut butter and jam
Peanut butter and raisin
Lemon curd
I often have cauliflower cheese, which is basically the Cauliflower And Broccoli Cheese only without the broccoli.
My Mam makes Bread And Butter Pudding, and my Nan makes a version without buttering the bread. Out of the two I prefer the bread and butter version rather than just the bread pudding, because the bread pudding is a bit dry. But I'm not a huge fan of either, really.
I tried the Cheesy Rice And Eggs recipe soon after finding it. It's not bad, but a bit dry. I think it's better if you add some kind of proper sauce, or some beans. Sweet And Sour Spuds And Sprouts are really nice just as they are though.
I did try Cucumber Boats. too, but I wasn't too keen on it. Too much cucumber for my liking. But, if you love loads of cucumber, it's great!
Plus, I tried a sort of cheating version of Smurf Ice-Cream, which involved adding blue food colouring to mint choc chip ice-cream.
The Veggie Cassarole is something I have quite often in some shape or form. It's a good "grab what veggies you have, and chuck them together" type recipe.
I've used the White Sauce recipe too. My Mam and Nan use it all the time.
Mam and I made the Ginger Carrot Cake (or, a version of it, anyway) and the Carrot Cake too. Both are really nice! I think I like the ordinary one best though, even though I do enjoy ginger cake.
The French Onion Soup is quite nice. As were the Tortilla Pizzas both with and without the "topping of your choice" option. And Eggs In Overcoats are nice too.
Chocolate Nests I've had several times growing up. They're nice!
I've tried the Pumpkin Pie and Halloween Biscuits, which were baked during the same Halloween cooking session. And enjoyed both. Everyone else seemed to too.
I've made the Peppermint Patties, because we used to make them at school to bring home for our parents around Christmas in boxes we'd decorated ourselves. They're nice, but SO SWEET! They're great plain, and great dipped in chocolate.
I highly recommend my Mam's Mince Pies, which I have every year at Christmas time.
I also tried the Corn Cobs With Soft Cheese And Chives, and they were very tasty. I recommend these too!
I've eaten the Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie on several occasions. It's another that's really nice, and really easy to adapt to personal preferences. And I've had the Glazed Carrots with Rosemary Potatoes a few times too, and they are also nice.
I've eaten Welsh Cakes on several occasions too. They're fantastic as they are (with, and without butter) and also nice with blueberries in instead of raisins.
And I once tried Devilled Eggs, but I wasn't all that keen on them. I think I put too much pepper and paprika though.
I made the Honey Cake one day "just because" and enjoyed it. I once made some Apple Butter too. That was nice too, but I got bored of it after a bit... I think I made too much! Actually, I did a blog post about them at the time they were made.
One Christmas, I made - and enjoyed - the Alternative Wassail and Mam enjoyed it too.
I used to have the Traditional Waffles regularly for breakfast. I don't so much now, but that's partly because I'm trying to eat healthier, and partly because I gave Mam the waffle maker, so need to buy a new one.
The Beany Melt was nice.
I made Pumpkin Spice Muffins this past Halloween, and they were really nice.
My Mam often makes Fruit Scones and Cheese Scones. And I enjoy both. Especially the fruit scones! She also makes plain scones, which you can probably guess is the fruit ones without the fruit added.
I tried the Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, and they were "OK" but just OK... Not great. And I tried the Berry Cobbler, which was VERY nice!
I think most people have tried the Yule Log Cake in some shape or form. Especially those who love chocolate. It's really nice, but I don't eat much chocolate cake, so Kelly enjoys this more than I do.
The Eggy Bread And Eggy Mushrooms was one I made up myself. And, it's very nice... If I do say so myself! As is the Cheesy-Chip Toast, which came from my Grandma, and after trying it - and deciding it was nice - I put it on my blog.
Mam and I tried the Apple And Banana Fritters and we tried the Cheesy-Beans And Herby-Mushrooms On Toast the same day. They were both really nice. So are Cheese Fries.
The Lemon Roll-Up and Egg Roll-Up were favourite lunches of mine for a while. The lemon one in particular I really like.
When I was younger, we often made Sherbert Punch, and it's nice. Especially if you have a sweet tooth.
I think everyone's tried Pancakes at some point too. But, in case you haven't, here's the recipe. :)
The recipe for Cookies is the one I used while in Girl Guides, which I enjoyed both making and eating, so since I still had the recipe, I posted it on my recipe blog. And I absolutely love what my Mam calls Proper Porridge.
The Non-Alcaholic Egg-Nog is really nice. So is the Baked Apple. And Filled Skins make great bases for dinners.
We often have Cheese Straws at buffets, and anyone who likes cheese loves them.
I often make versions of Trail Mix, which you can have fun doing, since the options for ingredients are infinate! Well, OK, not quite, but there are plenty of options for what you can put in your trail mix.
And, yesterday, I made some Brownies, which I think are quite nice, and Kelly definately seems to be enjoying. I gave some to Eleri and Faye too, and they absolutely loved them, apparently. :)
Oh, and I made an apple version of the Berry Cobbler too. Just a small one, and I didn't serve it with anything. I did, however, enjoy it though.
I haven't included the meat and fish recipes, so if anyone wants to know which of those I have either tried when I was eating meat, or been around when a family member has tried, then feel free to ask. But for now I was only asked about the meat-free ones, and think this post is probably long enough without the meat and fish ones. Like I said though, if you want them, ask, and I'll do them in another post some time soon.
I have also tried the following sandwich options:
Jam
Peanut butter
Cheese with onion
Cheese with tomato
Cheese with salad
Cheese with ketchup
Egg with mayo
Egg with cress
Egg with ketchup
Egg with salad
Cream cheese with onion
Cream cheese with tomato
Cream cheese with ketchup
Peanut butter and jam
Peanut butter and raisin
Lemon curd
I often have cauliflower cheese, which is basically the Cauliflower And Broccoli Cheese only without the broccoli.
My Mam makes Bread And Butter Pudding, and my Nan makes a version without buttering the bread. Out of the two I prefer the bread and butter version rather than just the bread pudding, because the bread pudding is a bit dry. But I'm not a huge fan of either, really.
I tried the Cheesy Rice And Eggs recipe soon after finding it. It's not bad, but a bit dry. I think it's better if you add some kind of proper sauce, or some beans. Sweet And Sour Spuds And Sprouts are really nice just as they are though.
I did try Cucumber Boats. too, but I wasn't too keen on it. Too much cucumber for my liking. But, if you love loads of cucumber, it's great!
Plus, I tried a sort of cheating version of Smurf Ice-Cream, which involved adding blue food colouring to mint choc chip ice-cream.
The Veggie Cassarole is something I have quite often in some shape or form. It's a good "grab what veggies you have, and chuck them together" type recipe.
I've used the White Sauce recipe too. My Mam and Nan use it all the time.
Mam and I made the Ginger Carrot Cake (or, a version of it, anyway) and the Carrot Cake too. Both are really nice! I think I like the ordinary one best though, even though I do enjoy ginger cake.
The French Onion Soup is quite nice. As were the Tortilla Pizzas both with and without the "topping of your choice" option. And Eggs In Overcoats are nice too.
Chocolate Nests I've had several times growing up. They're nice!
I've tried the Pumpkin Pie and Halloween Biscuits, which were baked during the same Halloween cooking session. And enjoyed both. Everyone else seemed to too.
I've made the Peppermint Patties, because we used to make them at school to bring home for our parents around Christmas in boxes we'd decorated ourselves. They're nice, but SO SWEET! They're great plain, and great dipped in chocolate.
I highly recommend my Mam's Mince Pies, which I have every year at Christmas time.
I also tried the Corn Cobs With Soft Cheese And Chives, and they were very tasty. I recommend these too!
I've eaten the Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie on several occasions. It's another that's really nice, and really easy to adapt to personal preferences. And I've had the Glazed Carrots with Rosemary Potatoes a few times too, and they are also nice.
I've eaten Welsh Cakes on several occasions too. They're fantastic as they are (with, and without butter) and also nice with blueberries in instead of raisins.
And I once tried Devilled Eggs, but I wasn't all that keen on them. I think I put too much pepper and paprika though.
I made the Honey Cake one day "just because" and enjoyed it. I once made some Apple Butter too. That was nice too, but I got bored of it after a bit... I think I made too much! Actually, I did a blog post about them at the time they were made.
One Christmas, I made - and enjoyed - the Alternative Wassail and Mam enjoyed it too.
I used to have the Traditional Waffles regularly for breakfast. I don't so much now, but that's partly because I'm trying to eat healthier, and partly because I gave Mam the waffle maker, so need to buy a new one.
The Beany Melt was nice.
I made Pumpkin Spice Muffins this past Halloween, and they were really nice.
My Mam often makes Fruit Scones and Cheese Scones. And I enjoy both. Especially the fruit scones! She also makes plain scones, which you can probably guess is the fruit ones without the fruit added.
I tried the Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, and they were "OK" but just OK... Not great. And I tried the Berry Cobbler, which was VERY nice!
I think most people have tried the Yule Log Cake in some shape or form. Especially those who love chocolate. It's really nice, but I don't eat much chocolate cake, so Kelly enjoys this more than I do.
The Eggy Bread And Eggy Mushrooms was one I made up myself. And, it's very nice... If I do say so myself! As is the Cheesy-Chip Toast, which came from my Grandma, and after trying it - and deciding it was nice - I put it on my blog.
Mam and I tried the Apple And Banana Fritters and we tried the Cheesy-Beans And Herby-Mushrooms On Toast the same day. They were both really nice. So are Cheese Fries.
The Lemon Roll-Up and Egg Roll-Up were favourite lunches of mine for a while. The lemon one in particular I really like.
When I was younger, we often made Sherbert Punch, and it's nice. Especially if you have a sweet tooth.
I think everyone's tried Pancakes at some point too. But, in case you haven't, here's the recipe. :)
The recipe for Cookies is the one I used while in Girl Guides, which I enjoyed both making and eating, so since I still had the recipe, I posted it on my recipe blog. And I absolutely love what my Mam calls Proper Porridge.
The Non-Alcaholic Egg-Nog is really nice. So is the Baked Apple. And Filled Skins make great bases for dinners.
We often have Cheese Straws at buffets, and anyone who likes cheese loves them.
I often make versions of Trail Mix, which you can have fun doing, since the options for ingredients are infinate! Well, OK, not quite, but there are plenty of options for what you can put in your trail mix.
And, yesterday, I made some Brownies, which I think are quite nice, and Kelly definately seems to be enjoying. I gave some to Eleri and Faye too, and they absolutely loved them, apparently. :)
Oh, and I made an apple version of the Berry Cobbler too. Just a small one, and I didn't serve it with anything. I did, however, enjoy it though.
I haven't included the meat and fish recipes, so if anyone wants to know which of those I have either tried when I was eating meat, or been around when a family member has tried, then feel free to ask. But for now I was only asked about the meat-free ones, and think this post is probably long enough without the meat and fish ones. Like I said though, if you want them, ask, and I'll do them in another post some time soon.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
50 things I've done
Kati did a "100 things" game on her blog a few days back. I wanted to play too, but after reading the list I realised I'd end up saying "no" to most of them. So I've turned it in to a "50 things I've done" game instead. I used the things I would have said "yes" to from the list to start me off, and just added more things I've done to it in place of the things I haven't done.
1. Started my own blog (in case you didn't notice, lol)
2. Been camping (LOADS of times)
3. Played in a band (I played recorder and cornet in bands when I was a kid... I wasn't all that good though... Plus, my brother, a couple of friends and I had a band where I was a back-up singer)
4. Had a pillow fight (who hasn't?)
5. Held a lamb (I've bottle fed one too)
6. Seen a total eclipse of the Sun
7. Watched a sunrise or sunset
8. Taught myself a new language (it's just a shame that most words didn't stick)
9. Gone rock climbing (and absailing)
10. Sung karaoke
11. Walked on a beach by moonlight
12. Been transported in an ambulance (way too many times, thanks)
13. Played in the mud (who hasn't?)
14. Taken a martial arts class (it was Judo)
15. Saved a favourite childhood toy (well, sort of... He's safely in the attic at my parents' place)
16. Seen the changing of the guards in London
17. Had my picture in the newspaper
18. Had chicken pocks
19. Met someone famous (a couple of people, actually... But I was too young to remember properly)
20. Owned a cell phone (owned several at different times)
21. Been stung by a bee (and by a wasp)
22. Read an entire book in one day (on more than one occasion)
23. Picked blackberries
24. Got a tattoo that carries more meaning to my life than simply "it's cool." (this applies to both my tattoos)
25. Visited Cyprus (twice, in fact)
26. Recited poetry in front of a crowd (on at least three occasions)
27. Ridden a horse (I have a 3rd place rosette from the only compatition I ever entered)
28. Ridden an elephant
29. Ridden a camel
30. Gone barefoot in the snow
31. Made a daisy chain
32. Milked a cow
33. Bottle fed a goat
34. Visited Canada (and lived there for a few months)
35. Grown a plant or flower from a seed
36. Helped out at a retirement home (did this a few times while in Girl Guides)
37. Learned first aid (was taught by a member of The Red Cross while in Girl Guides)
38. Baked "cookies" for charity (for Childline, to be exact)
39. Stayed up all night to raise money for charity (we did a couple of sponsored stay awakes when I was in Girl Guides, and I went to all the ones they did while I was still in Guides)
40. Used chopsticks (I can use them, but not very well)
41. Gone swimming in a thunder storm (in an outside pool)
42. Been fishing (but we never ate the fish... They had to put it back, because I got too upset when I realised we were intending eating the fish we caught that day. We ended up having from the chippy instead)
43. Been on TV (OK, it was just clips of me wandering about when they were filming the opening of the place I did my classes at - and I was at the opening - but I was still on the TV)
44. Played on a local sports team (only the school's netball team, but still...)
45. Learned to dance (I did some ballet when I was younger... Probably couldn't do even half of it now though)
46. Built a computer from scratch (OK, I just helped my Dad, but he says I built it too, so I'm putting this one down on my list... So there!
47. Been to France via the channel tunnel (only to the duty free shops not far from where you get off the train, but I've still been... On at least two or three occasions)
48. Had some of my work published (I've had a couple of poems published through "The International Library Of Poetry"... One day I'm hoping to have my work published properly though)
49. Listened to a real harpest play (it's a very soothing experience, which I highly recommend)
50. Knitted a blanket from scratch (I've knitted a few baby blankets, and knitted squares to make a couple of those patchwork knitted blankets as well)
So... What have you done?
Tori
1. Started my own blog (in case you didn't notice, lol)
2. Been camping (LOADS of times)
3. Played in a band (I played recorder and cornet in bands when I was a kid... I wasn't all that good though... Plus, my brother, a couple of friends and I had a band where I was a back-up singer)
4. Had a pillow fight (who hasn't?)
5. Held a lamb (I've bottle fed one too)
6. Seen a total eclipse of the Sun
7. Watched a sunrise or sunset
8. Taught myself a new language (it's just a shame that most words didn't stick)
9. Gone rock climbing (and absailing)
10. Sung karaoke
11. Walked on a beach by moonlight
12. Been transported in an ambulance (way too many times, thanks)
13. Played in the mud (who hasn't?)
14. Taken a martial arts class (it was Judo)
15. Saved a favourite childhood toy (well, sort of... He's safely in the attic at my parents' place)
16. Seen the changing of the guards in London
17. Had my picture in the newspaper
18. Had chicken pocks
19. Met someone famous (a couple of people, actually... But I was too young to remember properly)
20. Owned a cell phone (owned several at different times)
21. Been stung by a bee (and by a wasp)
22. Read an entire book in one day (on more than one occasion)
23. Picked blackberries
24. Got a tattoo that carries more meaning to my life than simply "it's cool." (this applies to both my tattoos)
25. Visited Cyprus (twice, in fact)
26. Recited poetry in front of a crowd (on at least three occasions)
27. Ridden a horse (I have a 3rd place rosette from the only compatition I ever entered)
28. Ridden an elephant
29. Ridden a camel
30. Gone barefoot in the snow
31. Made a daisy chain
32. Milked a cow
33. Bottle fed a goat
34. Visited Canada (and lived there for a few months)
35. Grown a plant or flower from a seed
36. Helped out at a retirement home (did this a few times while in Girl Guides)
37. Learned first aid (was taught by a member of The Red Cross while in Girl Guides)
38. Baked "cookies" for charity (for Childline, to be exact)
39. Stayed up all night to raise money for charity (we did a couple of sponsored stay awakes when I was in Girl Guides, and I went to all the ones they did while I was still in Guides)
40. Used chopsticks (I can use them, but not very well)
41. Gone swimming in a thunder storm (in an outside pool)
42. Been fishing (but we never ate the fish... They had to put it back, because I got too upset when I realised we were intending eating the fish we caught that day. We ended up having from the chippy instead)
43. Been on TV (OK, it was just clips of me wandering about when they were filming the opening of the place I did my classes at - and I was at the opening - but I was still on the TV)
44. Played on a local sports team (only the school's netball team, but still...)
45. Learned to dance (I did some ballet when I was younger... Probably couldn't do even half of it now though)
46. Built a computer from scratch (OK, I just helped my Dad, but he says I built it too, so I'm putting this one down on my list... So there!
47. Been to France via the channel tunnel (only to the duty free shops not far from where you get off the train, but I've still been... On at least two or three occasions)
48. Had some of my work published (I've had a couple of poems published through "The International Library Of Poetry"... One day I'm hoping to have my work published properly though)
49. Listened to a real harpest play (it's a very soothing experience, which I highly recommend)
50. Knitted a blanket from scratch (I've knitted a few baby blankets, and knitted squares to make a couple of those patchwork knitted blankets as well)
So... What have you done?
Tori
Friday, August 17, 2007
Choosing my path
ChicagoLady said...
One more question I have not been able to find the answer to by reading your posts or profile...when and how did you decide to be Wiccan/Pagan?
The main reason I have never mentioned this before, is that nobody asked me. So, since I am, once again, having trouble sleeping, I thought I would answer ChicagoLady's question.
It was, I suppose, a slow process. Unofficially, my journey on to my current path began when I was about seven. But, at that point I didn't know where my path would take me, nor did I fully understand why I chose to follow it. Because of this, I was not entirely sure where I should begin. But, after some consideration, I have decided to begin with the events that happened when I was about seven. The same events that, I believe, were responsible for my first tentative steps along the path to the Pagan religion of Wicca.
And so, my story begins when I was, as I have already mentioned, about seven years old. I had, since I was about five years old, been in a Sunday School, along with my brothers, Carl and Wayne, and a few family friends. One of which was my best friend (at the time) Pia. Another of which was one of my Mam's Goddaughters, Leighann. At this point, it is important that I tell you that Pia is a year younger than I am, Carl is a year older than I am, and Wayne is about four and a half years older than I am. And, Leighann is about two or three years younger than I am. You will see why this is important very soon. It is also important to make sure that you are aware that my brothers and I have disabilities. They are only mild disabilities. Wayne is almost completely deaf (and has been since birth), Carl is completely blind (and has been since the age of two), and I myself do not have particularly good eyesight. Again, you will soon see why it is important for me to point this out.
The Sunday School was divided in to classes. One for children under five, and two or three others dividing up the older children (I'm not sure how they worked, but that doesn't matter).
I had never given the fact that my siblings and I were never moved into the higher classes a single though. When Pia was moved up in to a higher class, I guess I probably assumed that the Sunday School teachers were fed up of us messing about and not listening to them (which was what we usually did when we were together) and wanted us separated. But then, Leighann was moved up too, and we still were not. Of course, this prompted me to question their actions. As many seven year olds will do. The response to my question was that my siblings and I were an exception because of our disabilities. Now, this, of course, was not an acceptable answer. Especially to a seven year old who had been taught that not only should disabilities make no difference, but that 'God' treats everyone as equals. I voiced my objection and was told that sometimes even God will make exceptions. My reaction to this prompted them to suspend me from Sunday School for several weeks (oops!)
Upon my return, they had obviously been told to not treat us differently, because Wayne and Carl had already been placed in the classes they should have been in, and I was to be placed in the correct one for my age. I ended up still with Leighann, Pia and Carl, but was no longer with Wayne and all the very young children.
But I still wouldn't go back, because when they began reading to us from the bible, and didn't take too kindly to my constant doubts and questions, well, I decided Sunday School wasn't for me, and refused to return. It had been fun while all I did was play with toy arks and hear about the man who is said to have built an ark to save animals from a flood. But, once the true religious education began, I knew it wasn't for me. I don't know how. It just felt wrong.
I have been to a church only three times since. Once was when my parents married. The second time was when I was part of a show we were doing when I was in Girl Guides. And the third time was when I carried the 'colours' (which, for those who don't know, is the name given to the flag) for my Girl Guides troup on Remembrance Sunday, the last year I was in Guides (I was the oldest guide, so it was my duty to carry the colours).
Anyway, I have always loved to read, and so, after my refusal to return to Sunday School, I began to read. I'm not sure exactly what I was looking for, but I was sure that somewhere among one of the books that would one day come my way would be the answers to all the questions that the bible had failed to answer. And, I was right.
Just after I turned twelve, my R.E. (Religious Education) teacher at school set us an assignment that ended up leading me to the answers I needed. Of course, as she was a devout Catholic, I don't think she would have set such an assignment if she had known I was searching for such answers. LOL! The assignment was entitled "The Origin Of Christmas" and the topic was, as you can probably guess, the origin of Christmas and the symbols we associate with it.
Everyone else began to write about the story of 'baby Jesus' and how he had been born on Christmas day, etc, etc. I'm sure you all know the story. But, I refused. I couldn't accept that this was truly the origin of Christmas. Besides, if it was, there were some symbols that weren't explained (like the trees, the mistletoe, the holly... etc). So, since I was one of those children who was more than happy to miss breaks in order to study in the library, I decided to do a little research.
At first, I found nothing. And, I was becoming frustrated. I knew the answers were out there. Somewhere. And, it just happened that I mentioned the assignment in front of my Dad, and also mentioned my doubts in the whole 'baby Jesus' story to him. He told me that most of the stuff was taken from "some Pagan festival" but that's about all he seemed to know on the matter. So, realising the school's library wouldn't hold the answers, I went to the local library to search. This time with at least some idea of what I was looking for. Sure enough, I found the answers I had been looking for.
I did my assignment and presented it to my teacher. She wasn't impressed. She gave me an F and called my Mam to the school informing her that I wasn't doing well in her class, and that I was "interrupting the education of the other students" with all my questions. In other words, she didn't agree with my beliefs and wanted my Mam to make them go away. Even if she'd wanted to though, Mam couldn't, because she knew nothing of them at the time. Even I didn't really know at this point what I believed in.
Anyway, the information I found while doing my assignment was the beginning of many other pieces of information that I gathered over the next couple of years. Some of it I still have, but with moving around a lot, a lot of it has been misplaced. But, that doesn't matter. What matters is that the stuff I read while researching the Pagan religions - and, for those who don't know, I say 'religions' for the simple fact that Paganism contains many paths - seemed to make sense to me. It answered my questions, and made me feel like there were others out there who felt the way I did about the world. If that makes sense.
I'm not entirely sure what made me choose to be an Eclectic Wiccan though. There are many Pagan paths that I could have chosen (as I've already mentioned) but something made me choose this one. I don't even remember when I decided it was the right one for me. I was just talking to some people on a web site I used to visit, and when asked found myself saying that my chosen path was that of an Eclectic Wiccan.
So, that's the story as I remember it.
I was just about to turn seventeen when I admitted my beliefs to my parents. I remember when it happened, because it was because of the name I chose to give the pitch black, Lop-Mix rabbit that they'd got me about a week before Samhain (Halloween) that triggered the discussion. I called him 'Samhain Magik.' You may have seen his photos in my photo albums, and/or read about him on our pets' page. I think, to some degree, I did it on purpose so that the discussion would have to happen. But, the name also just seemed right for him.
It was about six months later (maybe a little less) that I first found myself admitting my beliefs to people outside of the family (apart from online, where people had known for about two years by the time I told my parents). And, I did it via a project I did in a computer class. A project containing the main points of the information I had gathered over the past five years. I'm sure I have it somewhere. If not the printed out version, then I'm sure the files from it are saved on one of my backup disks.
I hope I've answered your question, ChicagoLady. But, if you - or anyone else for that matter - have any more questions, feel free to ask, and I'll do my best to answer them.
Tori
One more question I have not been able to find the answer to by reading your posts or profile...when and how did you decide to be Wiccan/Pagan?
The main reason I have never mentioned this before, is that nobody asked me. So, since I am, once again, having trouble sleeping, I thought I would answer ChicagoLady's question.
It was, I suppose, a slow process. Unofficially, my journey on to my current path began when I was about seven. But, at that point I didn't know where my path would take me, nor did I fully understand why I chose to follow it. Because of this, I was not entirely sure where I should begin. But, after some consideration, I have decided to begin with the events that happened when I was about seven. The same events that, I believe, were responsible for my first tentative steps along the path to the Pagan religion of Wicca.
And so, my story begins when I was, as I have already mentioned, about seven years old. I had, since I was about five years old, been in a Sunday School, along with my brothers, Carl and Wayne, and a few family friends. One of which was my best friend (at the time) Pia. Another of which was one of my Mam's Goddaughters, Leighann. At this point, it is important that I tell you that Pia is a year younger than I am, Carl is a year older than I am, and Wayne is about four and a half years older than I am. And, Leighann is about two or three years younger than I am. You will see why this is important very soon. It is also important to make sure that you are aware that my brothers and I have disabilities. They are only mild disabilities. Wayne is almost completely deaf (and has been since birth), Carl is completely blind (and has been since the age of two), and I myself do not have particularly good eyesight. Again, you will soon see why it is important for me to point this out.
The Sunday School was divided in to classes. One for children under five, and two or three others dividing up the older children (I'm not sure how they worked, but that doesn't matter).
I had never given the fact that my siblings and I were never moved into the higher classes a single though. When Pia was moved up in to a higher class, I guess I probably assumed that the Sunday School teachers were fed up of us messing about and not listening to them (which was what we usually did when we were together) and wanted us separated. But then, Leighann was moved up too, and we still were not. Of course, this prompted me to question their actions. As many seven year olds will do. The response to my question was that my siblings and I were an exception because of our disabilities. Now, this, of course, was not an acceptable answer. Especially to a seven year old who had been taught that not only should disabilities make no difference, but that 'God' treats everyone as equals. I voiced my objection and was told that sometimes even God will make exceptions. My reaction to this prompted them to suspend me from Sunday School for several weeks (oops!)
Upon my return, they had obviously been told to not treat us differently, because Wayne and Carl had already been placed in the classes they should have been in, and I was to be placed in the correct one for my age. I ended up still with Leighann, Pia and Carl, but was no longer with Wayne and all the very young children.
But I still wouldn't go back, because when they began reading to us from the bible, and didn't take too kindly to my constant doubts and questions, well, I decided Sunday School wasn't for me, and refused to return. It had been fun while all I did was play with toy arks and hear about the man who is said to have built an ark to save animals from a flood. But, once the true religious education began, I knew it wasn't for me. I don't know how. It just felt wrong.
I have been to a church only three times since. Once was when my parents married. The second time was when I was part of a show we were doing when I was in Girl Guides. And the third time was when I carried the 'colours' (which, for those who don't know, is the name given to the flag) for my Girl Guides troup on Remembrance Sunday, the last year I was in Guides (I was the oldest guide, so it was my duty to carry the colours).
Anyway, I have always loved to read, and so, after my refusal to return to Sunday School, I began to read. I'm not sure exactly what I was looking for, but I was sure that somewhere among one of the books that would one day come my way would be the answers to all the questions that the bible had failed to answer. And, I was right.
Just after I turned twelve, my R.E. (Religious Education) teacher at school set us an assignment that ended up leading me to the answers I needed. Of course, as she was a devout Catholic, I don't think she would have set such an assignment if she had known I was searching for such answers. LOL! The assignment was entitled "The Origin Of Christmas" and the topic was, as you can probably guess, the origin of Christmas and the symbols we associate with it.
Everyone else began to write about the story of 'baby Jesus' and how he had been born on Christmas day, etc, etc. I'm sure you all know the story. But, I refused. I couldn't accept that this was truly the origin of Christmas. Besides, if it was, there were some symbols that weren't explained (like the trees, the mistletoe, the holly... etc). So, since I was one of those children who was more than happy to miss breaks in order to study in the library, I decided to do a little research.
At first, I found nothing. And, I was becoming frustrated. I knew the answers were out there. Somewhere. And, it just happened that I mentioned the assignment in front of my Dad, and also mentioned my doubts in the whole 'baby Jesus' story to him. He told me that most of the stuff was taken from "some Pagan festival" but that's about all he seemed to know on the matter. So, realising the school's library wouldn't hold the answers, I went to the local library to search. This time with at least some idea of what I was looking for. Sure enough, I found the answers I had been looking for.
I did my assignment and presented it to my teacher. She wasn't impressed. She gave me an F and called my Mam to the school informing her that I wasn't doing well in her class, and that I was "interrupting the education of the other students" with all my questions. In other words, she didn't agree with my beliefs and wanted my Mam to make them go away. Even if she'd wanted to though, Mam couldn't, because she knew nothing of them at the time. Even I didn't really know at this point what I believed in.
Anyway, the information I found while doing my assignment was the beginning of many other pieces of information that I gathered over the next couple of years. Some of it I still have, but with moving around a lot, a lot of it has been misplaced. But, that doesn't matter. What matters is that the stuff I read while researching the Pagan religions - and, for those who don't know, I say 'religions' for the simple fact that Paganism contains many paths - seemed to make sense to me. It answered my questions, and made me feel like there were others out there who felt the way I did about the world. If that makes sense.
I'm not entirely sure what made me choose to be an Eclectic Wiccan though. There are many Pagan paths that I could have chosen (as I've already mentioned) but something made me choose this one. I don't even remember when I decided it was the right one for me. I was just talking to some people on a web site I used to visit, and when asked found myself saying that my chosen path was that of an Eclectic Wiccan.
So, that's the story as I remember it.
I was just about to turn seventeen when I admitted my beliefs to my parents. I remember when it happened, because it was because of the name I chose to give the pitch black, Lop-Mix rabbit that they'd got me about a week before Samhain (Halloween) that triggered the discussion. I called him 'Samhain Magik.' You may have seen his photos in my photo albums, and/or read about him on our pets' page. I think, to some degree, I did it on purpose so that the discussion would have to happen. But, the name also just seemed right for him.
It was about six months later (maybe a little less) that I first found myself admitting my beliefs to people outside of the family (apart from online, where people had known for about two years by the time I told my parents). And, I did it via a project I did in a computer class. A project containing the main points of the information I had gathered over the past five years. I'm sure I have it somewhere. If not the printed out version, then I'm sure the files from it are saved on one of my backup disks.
I hope I've answered your question, ChicagoLady. But, if you - or anyone else for that matter - have any more questions, feel free to ask, and I'll do my best to answer them.
Tori
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