As you know, I am utterly devoted to my cup of tea, but for today, for my catch up, I think that perhaps a cup of vanilla coffee is in order instead. As much as I love tea, sometimes I like a little change, and nothing goes quite so well with shortbread as a cup of vanilla coffee!
Recently, I feel like I am suffering from skitter-brain. Skitter-brain is when you can’t get your mind to rest gently on any one thing. You feel almost in a flurry the whole time, and like you need soothing. I blame the weather, mostly- my mind tells me it should be cold and frosty, and it just doesn’t seem able to decide what it wants to do. The bbc told me it would be warm today, so I abandoned my winter coat in favour of my flowery raincoat- and by lunchtime, I was freezing! Also, I find myself between books, almost. I have been reading The Gentle Art of Domesticity, which is just the most inspiring and beautiful book ever, but you can’t rush it. You need to take it in little doses to really appreciate it. While I have been reading this I have run out of fiction…I always like to have some fiction on the go. There is a bookclub book that I should be reading, but cannot drum up any enthusiasm for, and there is just too much choice on the shelves. There are lots of titles I have thought ‘ooh, I must read!’ but can I think of a single one when I need one? I have ‘I Capture The Castle’ waiting for me on tape, but I want something else, too. A book to tuck in my handbag and take on the bus with me, pull out in the post office queue, and be reassured by, because it is there.
Now if I am not careful I am sure I am going to sound discontent, when really, I am quite merry. But I was just wondering, if I described the symptoms of skitter-brain to you, if any of you know the cure?! I am hoping it might involve hot cups of rose tea drank sitting in a violet scented bath!
One of my dear work friends is expecting her first baby, and has been having soup for lunch a lot. I have been following suit, and finding it really filling and comforting. The benefits of buying some soup for lunch are that I don’t have to make it, transport it to work, or have a whole vat left to eat up. The negative things are that it is expensive (I worked it out to be £40 a month if I had soup and a roll every day!) and I don’t have a vat left to eat up! So I have decided to compromise. I will treat myself to soup and a roll out once a week or so, and buy a few tins from the supermarket for standby, and also experiment with making lots of different soups and breads.
I was chatting to my Monday-Night-Friend about my newfound passion for soups, and she told me about this lovely book… http://www.amazon.co.uk/Soup-Bible-Soups-Inspiring-Collection/dp/075480240X/ref=sr_1_1/026-0260340-2518074?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193759671&sr=1-1 it makes me want to cook my way from cover to cover!
Now then, what else? Well I am still knitting my pumpkin tea cosy. I am halfway up the second side, then it just needs sewing together, and a stalk and some leaves knitting…or maybe crocheting! Pictures will follow!
I have been baking. I love to mark the seasons and days, and so last night I cooked batch after batch of Halloween Cupcakes. I wanted to make some for Carl to take into his work and share, and considerably more for my work friends (there are only 3 other people in his department, and there are lots of us)! The recipe said it would make 14 cakes per batch of mixture, but it was closer to 9. I am using a chocolate cupcake recipe, and baking them in gold foil cupcake cases. Tonight I am going to slice off the peaked tops, and ice with chocolate icing, and sit one of those pumpkin-foil-wrapped-chocolate-balls on top of each. Oh yes, it is chocolate all the way!
My other Halloween plans include the carving of a pumpkin, by the light of which we shall watch The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I am going to use the flesh of the pumpkin to make pumpkin fritters with, and I want to find a few quiet moments to tonight to make a little card for Carl. It is going to be very simple- a blue card, with a white circle for the moon, and a black bat stuck on top. Inside? ‘I’m Bats About You!’ and it will be slipped into his lunchbox.
I also want to enter the puttery treat challenge at http://brocantehome.typepad.com/brocante_home/the-puttery-treats-challe.html my main problem so far is choosing which treat to post about! I have incorporated so many into my daily life, and they are all so scrumptious!
I am really looking forward to Spooks tonight! Captain Wentworth....sigh...I mean Adam Carter! I don't think I would make a very good spy, but I like to think of the spy-gadgets I could have! Knitting needles as defensive weapons? My kettle could be a secret radio transmitter, and my cake tin could hold all my essential spy gear....as long as there was room for my cakes too, of course! My masterly disguise would be a slick of red lipstick and a pair of high heels. Actually, talking of spies, I was working on the enquiry desk the other day, when a customer asked me about the next level of Pimsleur french course on tape. Sadly for him, it emerged that he had borrowed everything published, but when I checked the Pimsleur website, it said that spies use these language courses to prepare for posting abroad, so they can merge in with the locals! How exciting! Sadly my customer did not seem quite so excited as I was about a beckoning career in spy-dom!
Now I find myself with so many letters to write (I haven’t forgotten you Tash!) and so many blogs to go visit that I shall say good evening for now, and wish you all the most scrumptious Halloween in the world!
Tuesday, 30 October 2007
Monday, 29 October 2007
Cup of Tea and a Catch-Up
Gosh, it has been so long! A week or go I was musing on a post about how a week changes so much, about how a week ago I was looking longingly at my winter coat, and now I really need it, and suddenly I realise that was nearly a fortnight ago!
Mostly I have just been run clean off of my feet in the library with half term busyness. My lovely friend Anna has had her baby boy, and all sorts of little things have been going on that seem to take up an inordinate amount of time.
So by way of making it up to you, here is my recipe for carrot and lentil soup, and I promise a proper cup of tea, sit down, catch up with cake tomorrow!
And for now, tie on your aprons, and prepare to make the most comforting (and healthy, bonus!) soup in the world...
Grate (or whizz in the blender chopper thing) about 600g of carrots, don't bother to peel them.
Toast 2tsp cumin seeds, and a pinch of dried chilli flakes in a large pan.
Throw in the carrot, 140g split red lentils, a litre of vegetable stock, and 125ml of milk. Use more liquid if you have used more carrotts, and simmer for about 15 minutes or so.
I like to add a bit more than a pinch of chilli, and to whizz it with a stick blender at the end, but it is a very adaptable recipe!
It reheats really well and is just scrumptious with sourdough bread or naan.
Oh, and one last thing, you know how I adore pumpkins? Go have some fun with this website! I will be carving mine for real on Wednesday while watching 'Sleepy Hollow'!
http://www.theoworlds.com/halloween/
Mostly I have just been run clean off of my feet in the library with half term busyness. My lovely friend Anna has had her baby boy, and all sorts of little things have been going on that seem to take up an inordinate amount of time.
So by way of making it up to you, here is my recipe for carrot and lentil soup, and I promise a proper cup of tea, sit down, catch up with cake tomorrow!
And for now, tie on your aprons, and prepare to make the most comforting (and healthy, bonus!) soup in the world...
Grate (or whizz in the blender chopper thing) about 600g of carrots, don't bother to peel them.
Toast 2tsp cumin seeds, and a pinch of dried chilli flakes in a large pan.
Throw in the carrot, 140g split red lentils, a litre of vegetable stock, and 125ml of milk. Use more liquid if you have used more carrotts, and simmer for about 15 minutes or so.
I like to add a bit more than a pinch of chilli, and to whizz it with a stick blender at the end, but it is a very adaptable recipe!
It reheats really well and is just scrumptious with sourdough bread or naan.
Oh, and one last thing, you know how I adore pumpkins? Go have some fun with this website! I will be carving mine for real on Wednesday while watching 'Sleepy Hollow'!
http://www.theoworlds.com/halloween/
Monday, 22 October 2007
Loving Homes Wanted...
I have some beautiful Vintage Stitchcraft Magazines~Beautiful little magazines with lovely colour covers, patterns for all manner of knitting and crochet and stitching. Fabulous 40's fashion, wartime advice, adverts and more
Jan 1943- Blackout material apron, bookends, slippers & more.
Mar 1943-Dig For Victory Belt, jumper, socks, baby clothes & more.
Nov 1942-Underwear, hot water bottle, stockings & more.
Jun-Jul 1944-Summer jumper, sunsuit, sandals & more
Feb-Mar 1945 (cover loose)Gloves, pinafore, tablemats & more.
They need loving homes as I am running out of space in my little flat! Would any of you care to take them off of my hands? Would £1.50 each be to much to ask?
If you fancy giving them some bookshelf space, leave me a comment with your email address and which magazine you fancy and I will email you!
Jan 1943- Blackout material apron, bookends, slippers & more.
Mar 1943-Dig For Victory Belt, jumper, socks, baby clothes & more.
Nov 1942-Underwear, hot water bottle, stockings & more.
Jun-Jul 1944-Summer jumper, sunsuit, sandals & more
Feb-Mar 1945 (cover loose)Gloves, pinafore, tablemats & more.
They need loving homes as I am running out of space in my little flat! Would any of you care to take them off of my hands? Would £1.50 each be to much to ask?
If you fancy giving them some bookshelf space, leave me a comment with your email address and which magazine you fancy and I will email you!
Today I Am Wearing...
...A wrap dress which a dear friend (she of the sourdough bread!) brought with her to Brunch Club yesterday. She had decided that it was not quite right for her colouring, and perhaps it would be better for me. It is divine and I adore it. It has a black background but the print is so dense you would not register it as a black dress. The print is a tiny motif that William Morris would draw if he was crossing a fleur de lys with an oak leaf, with a suggestion of a feather. These are beautiful browns and almost burgundy, and it is so comfortable. I have taken time to make-up this morning, and am wearing browns on my eyes to echo my dress.
Vexatious
Why must it be that when I have the means and inclination to shop, the object of my desire eludes me? It being payday, I decided that I will take my cue from nature, and turn over a new leaf when it comes to my underwear drawer. I was going to cast out almost everything, and purchase two or three sensible bras (oh I do love frivolous undies, but what I really need is a bra I can put on under a t-shirt or little jumper and not have the embroidery, lace and fripperies showing through!) some knickers to go with said bras, and an abundance of tights so I am not forever rummaging for a pair without a ladder. Although I keep a collection of shoes under my desk (all sky-high heels, peep toes, some with bows, all utterly unsensible!) I wear ballet pumps for walking to-and-from work, and most of my away-from-work life. So, a new pair of these was in order, too. Full of thoughts of an abundant underwear drawer, I set off on my lunch hour, full of anticipation.
But sometimes, it just isn’t going to go your way. There were lots of sensible bras that I liked, but only two in my size, so it was those two I had to have. There were others I liked more, and these will do….but it takes the fun out of the choice when the choice is ‘this…or nothing’! The shoes were successful…I managed to get exact replacements for the ones I was wearing. I like my play shoes to be varied, but once I find a comfortable pair for everyday, I want to stick with them! And the tights, alas, were a complete no-go. There is only one shop in town that sells tights that fit me (no sagging, wrinkling, or inching down during the day) and I like the shade ‘natural’ and take size 1. They had none on the shelves, and none in the stockroom. And, had no idea when they would get a new delivery. And no size 1 tights in thick black opaque to keep me warm under my jumper dresses.
I felt pretty vexed on the way back to work, until I remembered what I had waiting for me for lunch! Nothing soothes the soul quite like a bowl of home-made carrot, cumin and lentil soup, with home-made sourdough bread. The soup I can take credit for, and give you the recipe for, but the sourdough bread was made by a sweet friend who visited for brunch club yesterday. The soup and bread together were really quite delicious. Sourdough bread is something I am going to try my hand at one evening. Nestled in my handbag is one more culinary treat, waiting for afternoon tea break- a drum of peppermint hot chocolate powder from Whittards. Bliss!
But sometimes, it just isn’t going to go your way. There were lots of sensible bras that I liked, but only two in my size, so it was those two I had to have. There were others I liked more, and these will do….but it takes the fun out of the choice when the choice is ‘this…or nothing’! The shoes were successful…I managed to get exact replacements for the ones I was wearing. I like my play shoes to be varied, but once I find a comfortable pair for everyday, I want to stick with them! And the tights, alas, were a complete no-go. There is only one shop in town that sells tights that fit me (no sagging, wrinkling, or inching down during the day) and I like the shade ‘natural’ and take size 1. They had none on the shelves, and none in the stockroom. And, had no idea when they would get a new delivery. And no size 1 tights in thick black opaque to keep me warm under my jumper dresses.
I felt pretty vexed on the way back to work, until I remembered what I had waiting for me for lunch! Nothing soothes the soul quite like a bowl of home-made carrot, cumin and lentil soup, with home-made sourdough bread. The soup I can take credit for, and give you the recipe for, but the sourdough bread was made by a sweet friend who visited for brunch club yesterday. The soup and bread together were really quite delicious. Sourdough bread is something I am going to try my hand at one evening. Nestled in my handbag is one more culinary treat, waiting for afternoon tea break- a drum of peppermint hot chocolate powder from Whittards. Bliss!
Upon Posting
I rarely sit down at my keyboard and just type out a post. My posts are fairly spontaneous in that I don’t agonize over them…but they are percolated in that thoughts bubble through my mind for a while before I swirl them round and tip them out upon the page.
The advantage of this is that when I sit down to post, I have something to post about, rather than logging on and thinking ‘ummmm’. It also means that I use my morning walk to work to good advantage. This is my time to mull things over, turn over thoughts that have gathered, spot things that inspire me, and test out flavours of ideas.
Sometimes I even find a sentence forming, which, if it pleases me, will be tucked away safe so I can post it here. But, there is a downside. You see, sometimes, because I have had a thought, and turned it over in my mind for a little while, and perhaps even found a few words to phrase it…somehow…I think I have posted it!
And although I read through my posts before I publish them, I don’t often read old posts. When I do, I sometimes find that I have forgotten to mention the very thing that sparked the idea for the whole post!
So it was with my post about my trip to the Knitting and Stitching exhibition. I was going to start by asking you to imagine: what if, when someone is staring at you, you KNEW it was because you look great, and not because you have a ladder in your tights or a stain on your top?! What if you just walked round as sure in the knowledge that you are lovely to look at as you are in the knowledge that you have blue eyes, brown hair and size seven feet?!
Because at K&S I saw a lady, and although I know it is rude, I could not stop staring at her because she was so lovely to look at! She was one of the exhibitors, and I really must go through my show guide to work out just who she was, but she was lovely. She was sitting in her booth, knitting. She was a young lady, I suspect in her twenties, but she could have been in her thirties, and she was wearing a tailored suit. The pencil skirt showed her knees, and the jacket was really nipped in at the waist, and it was made of dark material patterned with tiny cherries! Her hair dark hair was pulled back, and perched on top was a pert little black hat, with a veil! She had cherry red lips and nails, and was wearing nude fishnet tights. Fascinatingly, she had a large tattoo on one of her shins, but it looked very lady like. She looked like she had stepped out of a fashion plate from a 40’s magazine, and all I could think was that she must know the pleasure of having people stare at you, and knowing it is because she looks great!
The advantage of this is that when I sit down to post, I have something to post about, rather than logging on and thinking ‘ummmm’. It also means that I use my morning walk to work to good advantage. This is my time to mull things over, turn over thoughts that have gathered, spot things that inspire me, and test out flavours of ideas.
Sometimes I even find a sentence forming, which, if it pleases me, will be tucked away safe so I can post it here. But, there is a downside. You see, sometimes, because I have had a thought, and turned it over in my mind for a little while, and perhaps even found a few words to phrase it…somehow…I think I have posted it!
And although I read through my posts before I publish them, I don’t often read old posts. When I do, I sometimes find that I have forgotten to mention the very thing that sparked the idea for the whole post!
So it was with my post about my trip to the Knitting and Stitching exhibition. I was going to start by asking you to imagine: what if, when someone is staring at you, you KNEW it was because you look great, and not because you have a ladder in your tights or a stain on your top?! What if you just walked round as sure in the knowledge that you are lovely to look at as you are in the knowledge that you have blue eyes, brown hair and size seven feet?!
Because at K&S I saw a lady, and although I know it is rude, I could not stop staring at her because she was so lovely to look at! She was one of the exhibitors, and I really must go through my show guide to work out just who she was, but she was lovely. She was sitting in her booth, knitting. She was a young lady, I suspect in her twenties, but she could have been in her thirties, and she was wearing a tailored suit. The pencil skirt showed her knees, and the jacket was really nipped in at the waist, and it was made of dark material patterned with tiny cherries! Her hair dark hair was pulled back, and perched on top was a pert little black hat, with a veil! She had cherry red lips and nails, and was wearing nude fishnet tights. Fascinatingly, she had a large tattoo on one of her shins, but it looked very lady like. She looked like she had stepped out of a fashion plate from a 40’s magazine, and all I could think was that she must know the pleasure of having people stare at you, and knowing it is because she looks great!
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Everywhere!
I love pumpkins. Adore them! I have so many pictures of pumpkins that I have torn from old magazines or newspapers, squirreled away in the pages of other books. I love it when they print a picture of a whole wheelbarrow full of nobbly oddly shaped squash, in a myriad of shades of orange. Every year we have a pumpkin carving party, and every year I am sad when I finally have to throw mine out.
I love how cool they are to the touch, and I find it so hard to choose which ones to take home. They all call to me, and they all seem to have their own personalities somehow.
Imagine my delight, when ahead of the shelves-crammed-with-pumpkins season, I discovered an unprepossessing box of petite pumpkins with dull orange mottled skins, rather than the bright crayon-orange that you usually see; the box was labelled ‘culinary pumpkins’.
For reasons I cannot quite put my finger on to explain, this tickled me immensely. And it got me thinking…although I do love a handful of pumpkin seeds to snack on, and I do make a nice pumpkin and sage risotto, I don’t really cook with pumpkin. And really, I should.
Perhaps it was serendipity then, that at the food fair at Cressing Temple this weekend, I walked into a little room all draped with black cloth, and filled with pumpkins, and tasters of delicious treats such as scones and muffins…there in the middle of all this pumpkin-ness was a table of pumpkin recipe books, and the author there to sign them!
Even better, the recipes were all in English measurements…perhaps it is unspeakably lazy of me, but I always find myself daunted when I have to convert from cups to ounces!
I snapped one up and the lovely lady signed it for me, then I took it home to dream of all the pumpkins I shall be cooking. Pumpkin scones are a must, I think, as well as Pumpkin Juice, straight from the pages of Harry Potter!
As I re-read this post, I feel that I have not properly described pumpkins. Smooth, but gnarled is perhaps one way of sketching them for you, but I feel sadly let down by the thesaurus when it comes to their colour. It suggests ‘apricot’ ‘coral’ ‘salmon’ and ‘tangerine’ as alternative words for orange. Not one of those is even close! Perhaps ‘pumpkiny’ is the best word of all?
In the continuing spirit of all things pumpkiny, I have nearly finished one side of my pumpkin tea cozy. When it is finished, I shall post pattern and pictures, and be sitting down to a nice hot pot of tea, and a plate of pumpkin scones.
Before I must say goodbye for the evening, I must tell you how utterly scrumptious it was to pop out at tea break time this afternoon, and scrunch and scuff my way through a whole pile of fallen leaves that were all dry and brittle and gloriously autumnal! The scuffling-scrunching reminded me of the sound the chocolate chips made as they were stirred into the cookie dough on last nights Nigella Express!
I love how cool they are to the touch, and I find it so hard to choose which ones to take home. They all call to me, and they all seem to have their own personalities somehow.
Imagine my delight, when ahead of the shelves-crammed-with-pumpkins season, I discovered an unprepossessing box of petite pumpkins with dull orange mottled skins, rather than the bright crayon-orange that you usually see; the box was labelled ‘culinary pumpkins’.
For reasons I cannot quite put my finger on to explain, this tickled me immensely. And it got me thinking…although I do love a handful of pumpkin seeds to snack on, and I do make a nice pumpkin and sage risotto, I don’t really cook with pumpkin. And really, I should.
Perhaps it was serendipity then, that at the food fair at Cressing Temple this weekend, I walked into a little room all draped with black cloth, and filled with pumpkins, and tasters of delicious treats such as scones and muffins…there in the middle of all this pumpkin-ness was a table of pumpkin recipe books, and the author there to sign them!
Even better, the recipes were all in English measurements…perhaps it is unspeakably lazy of me, but I always find myself daunted when I have to convert from cups to ounces!
I snapped one up and the lovely lady signed it for me, then I took it home to dream of all the pumpkins I shall be cooking. Pumpkin scones are a must, I think, as well as Pumpkin Juice, straight from the pages of Harry Potter!
As I re-read this post, I feel that I have not properly described pumpkins. Smooth, but gnarled is perhaps one way of sketching them for you, but I feel sadly let down by the thesaurus when it comes to their colour. It suggests ‘apricot’ ‘coral’ ‘salmon’ and ‘tangerine’ as alternative words for orange. Not one of those is even close! Perhaps ‘pumpkiny’ is the best word of all?
In the continuing spirit of all things pumpkiny, I have nearly finished one side of my pumpkin tea cozy. When it is finished, I shall post pattern and pictures, and be sitting down to a nice hot pot of tea, and a plate of pumpkin scones.
Before I must say goodbye for the evening, I must tell you how utterly scrumptious it was to pop out at tea break time this afternoon, and scrunch and scuff my way through a whole pile of fallen leaves that were all dry and brittle and gloriously autumnal! The scuffling-scrunching reminded me of the sound the chocolate chips made as they were stirred into the cookie dough on last nights Nigella Express!
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