Recipe Time

When I started blogging, I had imagined that I would post about some of my adventures in the kitchen, and the recipes resulting from these adventures. So far I have not...not for any reason than I have not got round to it yet.

So here it is, my first recipe post. I had wanted to make gnocchi for quite a while. And last week, I tied on my Cath Kidston pinny, got out the potatoes, and went right ahead. Rather a yummy dinner as a consequence...although I did cheat slightly and use shop bought arrabiata sauce. Most exciting of all is that when you cook the gnocchi, you can tell they are done as they start to float in the water! This recipe makes enough for two, and creates little in the way of washing up.

250g potatoes (I used maris piper)
half a bunch of basil (how big was the bunch? The smallest one Tesco does!)
100g plain flour (I like to use Marriages as they are local, but really any would do)

1 small tub arrabiata sauce, or make your own if you are feeling adventurous!

1 small ball mozarella

First peel and boil your potatoes until they are soft. Then mash them well- they need to be really smooth. I have one of those stick blenders that came with my beloved Mulitquick set which does a good job. Don't add any milk or butter here. Then, tear the basil into small pieces and stir in. A touch of salt and a grinding of black pepper would not go amiss here I think.

Now add the flour, starting off with a wooden spoon, then knead to get a stiff dough. Cut into pieces about the size of you thumb nail joint, and roll them into a little ball shape. This is quite theraputic, perhaps because of the repetiveness, or perhaps because it reminds me of playing with play dough!

Have ready a large saucepan of boiling water, and drop in the gnochhi, about ten at a time. They sink at first, and then float joyously to the surface when done. Remove with a slotted spoon once they are floating, then lightly drain on kitchen paper. It is a matter of minutes before they start to float, to give you an idea of timing.

When they are all cooked, stir them into the sauce, and divide the saucy gnocchi between two oven proof dishes. Top with slices of the mozarella (or at least the slices that you have resisted nibbling on while the gnocchi was cooking if you are like me!) then bake for around 20 minutes at 175oC or thereabouts.

When I try a new dish, I always ask Carl if it is a 'make it again' dish. This one passed- although I rather think he would prefer to do the rolling of the gnocchi rather than the washing up of the mashed potato pan this time!

Scrumptious, Scrumptious Day

Today has been one of those unplanned but scrumptious days. Tomorrow would normally be my day off, as I am working Saturday, but as I am needed at work tomorrow, I have today off instead.

Now that Carl is working in the same town as my parents live, it means I can hitch a ride in with him so I can pay a visit, rather than trundle in on the bus. It means being up bright and early (think just after 6) but it meant that I got to see a beautiful sunrise, and the day seems so fresh and new, in that early grey light.

Mum and I like to go out and have an adventure, usually involving a craft shop or two, but today we had nothing planned. I like these spontaneous days though. We went to a craft shop in Tiptree for curtain rings (Mum has been making me fabulous curtains, green with orangey oak leaves. They are much prettier than that sounds!) and then went on to a nursery, where we had a wonderful lunch and bought some plants. They have a kind of conservatory you can sit in, and look out over a slight valley. All the food is home made, and we shared an odd but delicious collectin of a sausage roll, a cheese scone and a piece of walnut coffee cake with lots of coffee. As we ate, the sky turned the most wonderful slate grey and it rained. Once we had picked up some lovely plants (I was treated to a wonderful little pot plant, who scrunches up her leaves in protest when you stroke her) we drove out and followed the dark clouds and rain. It was amazing driving through the countryside, turning one corner to see brilliant blue blue sky, and another to be under the deepest slate grey. It is scenes like this that make me wish I could paint.

On the way home, Mum pointed out a patch of snowdrops that have been coming up on the same bank since she was a little girl.

Now we are at home, so cozy in the living room. I have just borrowed the internet, visited some favourite blogs and thought I would post a little. We were saying earlier, all the beautiful things we have seen today have been free. Isn't it amazing how much beauty surrounds us?

Ohh, and also, a wonderful new magazine, Living and Gardens we discovered. Very Shabby Chic, and with a free cook book magazine. It featured beautiful Cath Kidston-esque bedding from Marks and Sparks...after pay day I do believe I shall be indulging!

Another thing- I dropped my purse while paying for a new candle for my chamber stick in the craft shop, and later on discovered my cash card was missing. A lovely boy had picked it up and handed it in, but not left his name so I could not say thank you. But I am definitley sending out thankful thoughts!

More thankful thoughts due to the lovely people who are kind enough to stop by my blog, and leave such delightful comments as I have just found.

It might be raining, but maybe because it is raining even, it is a glorious day.

A tiny step closer

I once read that in order to become something, you had to act in that manner. So, if you wanted to become a writer, you had to adopt the habits of a writer. Make regular uniterrupted time for writing, keep writing supplies handy and so on. In the same way, to become thin, or more healthy, you should copy the habits of those you hope to emulate, by eating an apple for a snack and so on. And all of a sudden, it should click, and you will be there.

What a ramble that sounds, doesn't it? What I was coming to is that this morning, we had a little Valentines Breakfast. And on the glass topped coffee table, there was my beautiful Royal Doulton Country Chintz Roses Tea Set (mouthful! But beautiful!) some little candles burning, a pot of hyacinths and deep purple polyanthus on my glass cake stand, and little heart shaped scones that I baked, with jam out of my little jam pot decanter. And when I stepped back to look, I realised that click! Click! It fell into place. And here I am, in my delicious little flat, and I have become a Vintage Housekeeper. Of course it has always been inside me, but I have been slowly excavating this part of myself over the past few months.

I am not sure that this post sounds at all like I wanted it to. All I am trying to say is that since over the last few years, I have come to know my authentic self better (readers of Sarah Ban Breathnach will understand!) and I feel I am really being this authentic self right now. I feel like I have got there somehow. Like I have stopped wanting to be a Vintage Housekeeper, with that look and atmosphere to my home and self, and suddenly, I am.

The post bought me a wonderful Valentines Swap with lovely Shell from Australia. How clever and wonderful people are. A beautiful handmade card, and a wonderful Queen of Hearts Paper Doll, and some special little bits besides. I gave a very happy contented sigh at just how wonderful people are.

I hope everyone out there has a great many reasons for many happy sighs of pleasure today!

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

Spring Cleaning!

Blame me! Blame me for spring promptly disappearing and the showers coming. You see, because I had my idea of having a little display shelf on my bookshelf, I had to tidy it up. And before I knew it, this weekend, I had spring cleaned. I tossed out bag upon bag of stuff that had accumulated, and many piles of books for the charity shop. I hoovered, I turned out the kitchen cupboards. Every book came off of the shelf, the piles of books were sorted into piles and reshelved....Oh boy did I spring clean, and I, and the flat feel so much better for it.

But now of course, that I am prepared for spring- it has turned gloomy and started to rain! So blame me!

Not that I really mind of course, as I am merrily working my way through all of the puttery treats for February at Brocante Home, and it somehow feels better doing them when it is gloomy and rainy outside!

Now, what else? Oh yes, the postman bought me the most lovely parcel from Fairycakegirl, who is quite wonderful. The lovely girl has sent me her copy of Memoirs of a Geisha to read, and a lovely vintage valentines card for me to send, and a beautiful stuffed fabric heart as well. How kind, and how much it has brightened up my weekend. Its not that I dont love cleaning and throwing out, but it is so draining sometimes, and to have such a lovely parcel- well, I feel thoroughly spoiled.

In celebration of having our heating and hot water back, I also squeezed in a two hour bath...well I was dirty from all the cleaning!

Last night I did my favourite thing in cooking at the moment. I like to roast a free range chicken for dinner, and serve it with root vegetable mash. Then today I had cous cous chicken salad for lunch, and for dinner tonight I am making chicken soup, with the last of the left over chicken, and the stock I made from the bones. Then I also stirred a tin of skinless boneless pink salmon and some cheese into the left over root veg mash, and, voila, fishcakes for tomorrow night!

And then I went to bed to read Nigella, and feel blissful in my newly beautified flat.

More sunshine!

Perhaps it the Simple Abundance principle, of attracting what you concentrate on, but, joy, joy, Carl phoned me at work to tell me he got his job, and he starts next Wednesday!

I had a dream Tuesday night, where I went to Scotland (where the head office of his new company is) and told them off for keeping us waiting for a decision, so they said he could have the job. Then Wednesday I had a feeling like butterflies- then the call at lunch time! I am so happy, and, almost ridiculously excited at the thought of making little packed lunches up for him again!

So much other goodness- we went to a tea shop that I have known about for ages but have never got round to going to before, and had lovely lunch. Wonderful sandwiches, and tea that came in a pot, with matching cups and lovely silver spoons, and real fresh flowers on the tables. Such bliss! Then home to my Mum and Dads for a hot bath- hopefully our new boiler will be installed by the time I get home from work today!

Oh yes, and I went for a quick walk at lunch time, and found a lovely little glass dish with a little domed lid in a charity shop, which is perfect for putting a few pieces of turkish delight (yuck!) in as a treat for dear Carl, or a few violet creams (yum!) for me.

I am also planning a little 'spring is nearly here' display, but tomorrow I must first clean off a bookshelf for this. I have a little garland of felt flowers, and I think I shall put on a pot plant too, maybe a hyacinth? And the supermarket has these wonderful pastel coloured eggs on offer, so I may blow some of those and put in a dish too.

Sunlight

Oh it has been a rough, rough few days for me. You see, our boiler died last Wednesday, and since then we have had no hot water and no heating. The heating I can almost live without, because it has been fun to layer the blankets on the bed, have hot water bottles and candles gleaming.

It has been the lack of hot water that has really, really dragged me down. Having to wash your hands in icy water, and boil kettles for a wash in the morning, or drive ten miles to my dear Carls family house so we can have a shower before work. Dreaming of a long hot bath and a cup of tea, and it being so very near, yet so very out of reach. Having to cook dinner by what creates the least washing up rather than what my heart tells me to cook.

I know I should not complain, as by the end of the week I will have hot water again, and there are many people in the world without water at all, but it has just bought me down. And we have been waiting a week to hear if my lovely Carl got the job he went for and wants so much.

The last few days have been dark, which is part of why I have not blogged so much. I don't want people to read my words and feel dragged down. But today, today, they phoned and said the boiler is being put in on Friday. The job people phoned and said there would be a decision by the end of the day. I am going to Carls parents tonight for a long hot shower. A book I have been waiting for arrived at the library. And, today, our pet snake did basking under his new light for the very first time!

Today feels like we have turned a corner. That there is a cool spring breeze blowing, and soon daffodils will be nodding in the breeze. I feel like I have found a corner of sunlight, and I am basking in it just like our snake. I have a day off on Thursday. I am going to go to a bookshop-cafe to potter.

It feels like I have been clenching all my muscles with all my might, and suddenly....I can let go.

Anyone else ever feel like this?

I am so glad I have found my patch of sunshine again!

Candle Light

I had planned on February 2nd to have a candlelit breakfast to celebrate Candlemas. It was not to be, as we were not home for breakfast. (Doesn't that sound decadent! In fact, we stayed with my lovely fiance's parents that night, as it was his sisters birthday, and we wanted to be there for her birthday breakfast!). Then I thought of candlelit dinner, but, we were out for her birthday dinner!

In the end, nature stepped in, or else some higher force, and our boiler died, and we were without heat or hot water. So when we got back from the aforementioned birthday dinner, we had to light a table full of candles to keep warm by!

To begin with I thought this was a nice thing, that I still got my candlelight, but now, six days after our boiler departed this life, I am beginning to tire of being cold. I still love the candles, but wish they were just a whimsical loveliness rather than necessity!

On a happier note, while I was having a potter and a breath of fresh air at lunch time, I discovered that for £1 you can fill in a paper heart with a message, and the British Heart Foundation will display it in their window. So I did a valentines message for my lovely Carl. He is coming to meet me in the library this afternoon, to use a computer, then we are going to walk home together. I have a feeling we will be walking past the British Heart Foundation shop!