Hopefully once I am installed in my new location there will be more from me.
Until that time I leave you with a picture of a strawberry. Because it's summer.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Normal Service Will Be Resumed Shortly
Once again I am surround by boxes and bubble wrap (well, actually less of the latter than the former, because it's too much fun to pop) hence the lack of recent posts.
Hopefully once I am installed in my new location there will be more from me.
Until that time I leave you with a picture of a strawberry. Because it's summer.
Hopefully once I am installed in my new location there will be more from me.
Until that time I leave you with a picture of a strawberry. Because it's summer.
Monday, June 25, 2012
I Asked The Lord...
This hymn by John Newton exemplifies how we can pray in complaint to the Lord, and His wonderful answer.
I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek, more earnestly, His face.
’Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer!
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.
I hoped that in some favored hour,
At once He’d answer my request;
And by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.
Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in every part.
Yea more, with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.
Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,
Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?
“’Tis in this way, the Lord replied,
I answer prayer for grace and faith.
These inward trials I employ,
From self, and pride, to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”
John Newton, 1725-1807
I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek, more earnestly, His face.
’Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer!
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.
I hoped that in some favored hour,
At once He’d answer my request;
And by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.
Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in every part.
Yea more, with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.
Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,
Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?
“’Tis in this way, the Lord replied,
I answer prayer for grace and faith.
These inward trials I employ,
From self, and pride, to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”
John Newton, 1725-1807
Friday, May 25, 2012
Gratitude
This is a new song to me, but the Computer Geek was listening to it and I was struck by the lyrics. How few of our songs and hymns acknowledge that God knows best and that sometimes He says "no" to our requests because He has something better, and we must give thanks in that.
Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case;
We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain
Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case;
We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead
And if we never taste that bread
Oh, the differences that often are between
What we want and what we really need
So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case;
We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace
But Jesus, would You please?
Nichole Norman
Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case;
We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain
Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case;
We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead
And if we never taste that bread
Oh, the differences that often are between
What we want and what we really need
So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case;
We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace
But Jesus, would You please?
Nichole Norman
Friday, May 18, 2012
Beauty From The Leftovers
This Flickr group has been making me smile today.
All sorts of exciting items made from the bits of fabric we normally throw out. Less waste, more useful, more gorgeous.
All sorts of exciting items made from the bits of fabric we normally throw out. Less waste, more useful, more gorgeous.
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
Happy Hexagonal Hooking
Most of my recent posts have been rather cookery heavy, so I thought I'd take a break and show you something different.
Pattern from Lucy at Attic 24
Very pleasing repetitive motion to use up all the scraps left over from this
Pattern from Lucy at Attic 24
Very pleasing repetitive motion to use up all the scraps left over from this
Monday, April 30, 2012
Two More Ways With Sourdough
The loaf.
Half the Fabulous Baker Brothers recipe with twice as much salt (their recipe has so little salt it tastes a bit odd), in a little non-stick loaf tin. The tin belongs to the Wildlife Photographer. It is excellent. It does not need greasing. Not all tins are like it, as I discovered when trying to repeat this loaf for my mother. 30 minutes later I managed to get a squashed, cracked, but almost intact loaf out of her tin. Hmmmm.
The breadsticks.
Same basic recipe as the loaf, but knead in an extra 150g of plain flour. Then coat hands and dough with 2tsp of olive oil and knead through the dough. Taking golf-ball sized pieces roll out to roughly 1cm diameter breadsticks (don't worry about making them too even, the knobbly bits add rustic charm!) Brush lightly with water, sprinkle over coarse salt, pepper, grated cheese, smoked paprika, rosemary, or whatever takes your fancy. Bake at 210C for about 10-12 minutes until desired colour (I like mine a little underdone and chewy still). Leave to cool slightly on a wire rack, then consume. If using coarse salt this is about the only acceptable time to make an unsalted dough - the coarse salt will help make up for it.
Yum!
Half the Fabulous Baker Brothers recipe with twice as much salt (their recipe has so little salt it tastes a bit odd), in a little non-stick loaf tin. The tin belongs to the Wildlife Photographer. It is excellent. It does not need greasing. Not all tins are like it, as I discovered when trying to repeat this loaf for my mother. 30 minutes later I managed to get a squashed, cracked, but almost intact loaf out of her tin. Hmmmm.
The breadsticks.
Same basic recipe as the loaf, but knead in an extra 150g of plain flour. Then coat hands and dough with 2tsp of olive oil and knead through the dough. Taking golf-ball sized pieces roll out to roughly 1cm diameter breadsticks (don't worry about making them too even, the knobbly bits add rustic charm!) Brush lightly with water, sprinkle over coarse salt, pepper, grated cheese, smoked paprika, rosemary, or whatever takes your fancy. Bake at 210C for about 10-12 minutes until desired colour (I like mine a little underdone and chewy still). Leave to cool slightly on a wire rack, then consume. If using coarse salt this is about the only acceptable time to make an unsalted dough - the coarse salt will help make up for it.
Yum!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Spicy Speedy Salmon
This is not speedy in the "reach into fridge and consume" sort of way, but in the "Jamie's 30-minute meals" sort of way - you have to do a bit of work, but less than you'd expect. I have done the recipe to serve one, as that's how many I made, but it can easily be scaled up to the number required.
Ingredients:
For salmon:
1 salmon fillet
1/4 pot of peri-peri humous
For accompanying veg (inspired by Jamie Oliver):
8 stalks asparagus (British asparagus currently coming in to season - very short season, get it while you can!)
2 tomatoes (British tomatoes also coming into season)
about 10 olives (I had a pack of basil and garlic olives from Graze (nice little website, sends you healthy snacks - 4 portions for £3.79, delivered through letterbox - link will get you a free trial box if you've not had them before - also gives me a £1 off my next box (for the sake of full disclosure))
splash of olive oil for pan
salt
pepper
1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Smear top of salmon with humous - a nice even coating is all that matters, this is never going to win prizes for how it looks)
3. Wrap hummus smeared salmon in foil or greasproof paper, and shove in oven for 15-20 mins (until cooked through)
4. Chop tomatoes into quarters, then each quarter into half crosswise (or chop tomato in half and each half into four... whatever)
5. Chop asparagus into roughly 2 inch pieces.
6. Heat frying pan, splash in olive oil, add a couple of pinches of salt and a few twists of freshly ground pepper.
7. Add asparagus and tomatoes to pan and fry over medium heat for about 5 mins.
8. Add olives to asparagus and tomatoes and stir over medium heat for another 5 mins.
9. Reduce heat to low and leave to stew gently - stirring occasionally, until salmon is ready. The tomatoes will break down to make a sauce.
10. Serve the vegetables topped by the salmon.
Incidentally, when uploading the photos for this post I discovered I did take a photo of the sourdough loaf, but I think I have bored most people enough about Sourdough for the moment, so will post about it at some other time.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
More Thoughts On Sourdough
Firstly (and off the titled topic) I am happyified (yes, I am aware that's not a word, but for some reason "pleased" didn't convey the meaning I wanted) to read that you're interested in hearing more from me. Right now I have so many ideas stewing in my head they might suddenly explode into hourly posting, but I will try to ration them out! So, thank you for your vote of confidence (mind you, if you don't like it, you can always remove me from your blogroll/RSS feed/Kindle/print out delivered by your online neighbour).
But now, onto the main topic. Pigling Bland (can I call you that? Should it be Tales of Pigling Bland?) requested more information about the Sourdough. So I shall oblige.
Almost all my information about starting a starter, baking sourdough breads etc came from Sourdough Home, the method I used for starting a starter was this one. However, I am a stubborn, obstinate (hmmm, tautology), proud individual who believes I can generally make things better, so I did do a little fiddling.
For example - instead of starting with half a cup of flour plus a quarter cup of water I started with a half tablespooon and about three-eights of a tablespoon of water (because it was so thick that i could roll it into a ball otherwise!). And I used very cheap, plain, white flour (not even bread flour) from the start, not rye or wholewheat. Mostly because I only had white flour.
The starter should be stirrable but thick - probably equivalent to "ribbon" consistency, or a little thicker - that is, when stirred, a clear track should be left behind which slowly closes up.
It then really does need a lot of love. Warm room. 12 hourly feedings (as long as it is active). And patience. Lots of patience. Do not even think of using it to bake bread unless it is rising on its own - doubling in size between feedings (which you may not always see if it has already collapsed by the time you come to feed it again, but when feeding it should still collapse a little, and you must see plenty of bubbles on the surface). My initial error was trying to make bread with a not-quite-ready starter. My starter also seemed to improve after I fed it, put it in the fridge for 3 days (no feedings during this time) then removed a bit (about half a cup) and fed it up to full size (each feeding used about half the volume of starter in flour - i.e. for half a cup of starter, quarter of a cup of flour and between an eighth and a third of a cup of water to gain consistency described above)
It will smell a little like fresh yeast, or a mild beer, slightly fermented.
My loaf recipe (which I have not posted about yet) was the recipe from The Fabulous Baker Brothers. This produced a lovely loaf, dense, a little sour, but with a good, even texture. I did experience some crust lift off, but this was due to not properly knocking down my dough before shaping. I did not turn the loaf out, but baked it in the tin. I also turned the oven down to 210C and did not add the water, as the crust was breaking teeth when I cooked at 240 and used water.
If you're not interested in Sourdough, I very much doubt you have read this far, but if you have, my apologies for a dull post. I shall tell you about something different next time. Maybe.
But now, onto the main topic. Pigling Bland (can I call you that? Should it be Tales of Pigling Bland?) requested more information about the Sourdough. So I shall oblige.
Almost all my information about starting a starter, baking sourdough breads etc came from Sourdough Home, the method I used for starting a starter was this one. However, I am a stubborn, obstinate (hmmm, tautology), proud individual who believes I can generally make things better, so I did do a little fiddling.
For example - instead of starting with half a cup of flour plus a quarter cup of water I started with a half tablespooon and about three-eights of a tablespoon of water (because it was so thick that i could roll it into a ball otherwise!). And I used very cheap, plain, white flour (not even bread flour) from the start, not rye or wholewheat. Mostly because I only had white flour.
The starter should be stirrable but thick - probably equivalent to "ribbon" consistency, or a little thicker - that is, when stirred, a clear track should be left behind which slowly closes up.
It then really does need a lot of love. Warm room. 12 hourly feedings (as long as it is active). And patience. Lots of patience. Do not even think of using it to bake bread unless it is rising on its own - doubling in size between feedings (which you may not always see if it has already collapsed by the time you come to feed it again, but when feeding it should still collapse a little, and you must see plenty of bubbles on the surface). My initial error was trying to make bread with a not-quite-ready starter. My starter also seemed to improve after I fed it, put it in the fridge for 3 days (no feedings during this time) then removed a bit (about half a cup) and fed it up to full size (each feeding used about half the volume of starter in flour - i.e. for half a cup of starter, quarter of a cup of flour and between an eighth and a third of a cup of water to gain consistency described above)
It will smell a little like fresh yeast, or a mild beer, slightly fermented.
My loaf recipe (which I have not posted about yet) was the recipe from The Fabulous Baker Brothers. This produced a lovely loaf, dense, a little sour, but with a good, even texture. I did experience some crust lift off, but this was due to not properly knocking down my dough before shaping. I did not turn the loaf out, but baked it in the tin. I also turned the oven down to 210C and did not add the water, as the crust was breaking teeth when I cooked at 240 and used water.
If you're not interested in Sourdough, I very much doubt you have read this far, but if you have, my apologies for a dull post. I shall tell you about something different next time. Maybe.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Further Adventures in Sourdough
Really, this adventure was what all the other adventures had been leading up to. You see, ever since I had wonderful, Kosher, bagels in New York (no, I cannot remember where, I shall ask the American School Friend at the next opportunity) I have had a hankering to make my own. So, I did.
Granted, I generated so much steam that I set the fire alarm off (at 3am - it's a long story) and gave myself a free sauna. Plus, they're not exactly normal bagel shaped, but they were the best thing ever to eat. All crisp crust and chewy bagelly yumminess. Smothered in cream cheese and thick cut smoked salmon. It was all I could do to not break out in song with pleasure.
The next sourdough adventure was a pizza base (with topping, so really, a pizza).
Both recipes were from Sourdough Home
As an incident point, I currently average 3 blog posts a month, and am unsure of my readership (my stats are currently overrun by search-bots) - so I shall conduct a poll (respond in the comments, I'm too lazy to set a radio-button one up):
Should I blog more often?
a) no - we hear more than enough from you
b) a little more often would be nice, sometimes I like to hear your voice
c) at least daily, possibly hourly, please
d) other - please specify
Granted, I generated so much steam that I set the fire alarm off (at 3am - it's a long story) and gave myself a free sauna. Plus, they're not exactly normal bagel shaped, but they were the best thing ever to eat. All crisp crust and chewy bagelly yumminess. Smothered in cream cheese and thick cut smoked salmon. It was all I could do to not break out in song with pleasure.
The next sourdough adventure was a pizza base (with topping, so really, a pizza).
Both recipes were from Sourdough Home
As an incident point, I currently average 3 blog posts a month, and am unsure of my readership (my stats are currently overrun by search-bots) - so I shall conduct a poll (respond in the comments, I'm too lazy to set a radio-button one up):
Should I blog more often?
a) no - we hear more than enough from you
b) a little more often would be nice, sometimes I like to hear your voice
c) at least daily, possibly hourly, please
d) other - please specify
Sunday, April 08, 2012
Resurrection Sunday
"Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee"
Matthew 28 v 5-7
"Posterity will serve Him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn - for He has done it"
Psalm 22 v 30+31
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve"
1 Corinthians 15 v 3-5
"I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes - I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!"
Job 19 v 25-27
"The word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10 v 8 + 9
Matthew 28 v 5-7
"Posterity will serve Him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn - for He has done it"
Psalm 22 v 30+31
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve"
1 Corinthians 15 v 3-5
"I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes - I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!"
Job 19 v 25-27
"The word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10 v 8 + 9
Friday, April 06, 2012
Good Friday
"But He was pierced for our transgresions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to His own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all"
Isaiah 53 v 5+6
"From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani'"
Matthew 27 v 45+46
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?"
Psalm 22 v 1
"At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split."
Matthew 27 v 51
"Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the Ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place"
Exodus 26 v 33
"Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away."
Matthew 27 v 59+60
"We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will turn Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day He will be raised to life."
Matthew 20 v 18+19
Isaiah 53 v 5+6
"From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani'"
Matthew 27 v 45+46
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?"
Psalm 22 v 1
"At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split."
Matthew 27 v 51
"Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the Ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place"
Exodus 26 v 33
"Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away."
Matthew 27 v 59+60
"We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn Him to death and will turn Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day He will be raised to life."
Matthew 20 v 18+19
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
Adventures in Sourdough
I have a habit of becoming fixated on one thing for a while, obsessed, almost, before something new and exciting catches my attention. This month my obsession has been sourdough.
Ignoring all advice about new sourdough creators getting a culture from a friend, or not starting your own culture until you know enough about sourdough, I ploughed straight in. I used SourdoughHome a great deal, though I must admit, despite no experience in the issue, I still did a little experimentation. I started with very small proportions, and fed the culture up, over a week, so that I had to throw out less.
Turns out that sourdough is quite demanding. It needs feeding at least every 12 hours, a warm room, changing of the dish to avoid mould, and lots of love. (Okay, I made the last one up.)
But then, joy of joys, it was time to try it.
I grant you cannot really see the sourdough element of this meal. But that is a sourdough French Bread roll, topped with melted cheese, and chicken wrapped in bacon, marinated in barbeque sauce and oven cooked, with a side of Peashoots and Baby Leaves to make the ultimate chicken barbeque burger.
Then came sourdough chocolate cupcakes. These ended up a little drier than I intended, but I topped them with creamcheese icing (as used on Red Velvet Cakes) and they ended up alright.
As an incidental point, I am a big fan of Asda pastel coloured cupcake cakes - unlike some baking cases I've used, they came out looking fresh, and the colour was not influenced despite the chocolate batter. And they are very good value (48p for 100)
There are two more sourdough adventures to document, but since this post is already too long, I shall post them another day.
Ignoring all advice about new sourdough creators getting a culture from a friend, or not starting your own culture until you know enough about sourdough, I ploughed straight in. I used SourdoughHome a great deal, though I must admit, despite no experience in the issue, I still did a little experimentation. I started with very small proportions, and fed the culture up, over a week, so that I had to throw out less.
Turns out that sourdough is quite demanding. It needs feeding at least every 12 hours, a warm room, changing of the dish to avoid mould, and lots of love. (Okay, I made the last one up.)
But then, joy of joys, it was time to try it.
I grant you cannot really see the sourdough element of this meal. But that is a sourdough French Bread roll, topped with melted cheese, and chicken wrapped in bacon, marinated in barbeque sauce and oven cooked, with a side of Peashoots and Baby Leaves to make the ultimate chicken barbeque burger.
Then came sourdough chocolate cupcakes. These ended up a little drier than I intended, but I topped them with creamcheese icing (as used on Red Velvet Cakes) and they ended up alright.
As an incidental point, I am a big fan of Asda pastel coloured cupcake cakes - unlike some baking cases I've used, they came out looking fresh, and the colour was not influenced despite the chocolate batter. And they are very good value (48p for 100)
There are two more sourdough adventures to document, but since this post is already too long, I shall post them another day.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Yale University vs. Coney Island
The second set of photos from my trip, (there are many more, but I'd rather tell you about things in the present next time, rather than nearly a month ago!) to make things more exciting, I have decided to only show you black and white ones.
The Old School at Yale University.
The "unofficial" motto - the "official" motto is "Lux et Veritas" (Light and Truth)
One of the colleges - all built in the Gothic style, but ever so slightly more modern.
Now, onto Coney Island. The American School Friend was a little concerned that so little was open and thought I might be disappointed. I was not. I was delighted. No crowds, and empty, "dead" rollercoasters to photograph.
Cyclone - a rollercoaster, which originally opened in 1927
Wonder Wheel price board
Landmarked Pavillion
Boardwalk, pier and shelter.
Thus concludes the American Holiday of 2012.
Now, onto Coney Island. The American School Friend was a little concerned that so little was open and thought I might be disappointed. I was not. I was delighted. No crowds, and empty, "dead" rollercoasters to photograph.
Thus concludes the American Holiday of 2012.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Radio Silence
It has been rather quiet around here, as I was away visiting the American School Friend in Brooklyn. Then, as so often happens, life suddenly took over on my return.
I thought I would entertain you with a few highlights from my trip (there are many, you may have to endure more than one post on this matter).
Purl Soho - the knitting and stitching shop of my dreams.
Look at all that yarn. (Please excuse interior bluriness, I didn't want to disturb others with the flash, and I was using the point and shoot)
And the wall to wall fabric selection. Oh, be still my beating heart.
And the SoHo architecture. I love fire escapes. I am weird, I know this.
Wait! There's more. Flags, outside the United Nations Headquarters.
A giant Scrabble Board.
And a sad looking horsey outside Central Park. We didn't ride. They looked too sad and were far too pricey.
Next post, we'll compare and contrast Yale and Coney Island.
I thought I would entertain you with a few highlights from my trip (there are many, you may have to endure more than one post on this matter).
Purl Soho - the knitting and stitching shop of my dreams.
Look at all that yarn. (Please excuse interior bluriness, I didn't want to disturb others with the flash, and I was using the point and shoot)
And the wall to wall fabric selection. Oh, be still my beating heart.
And the SoHo architecture. I love fire escapes. I am weird, I know this.
Wait! There's more. Flags, outside the United Nations Headquarters.
A giant Scrabble Board.
And a sad looking horsey outside Central Park. We didn't ride. They looked too sad and were far too pricey.
Next post, we'll compare and contrast Yale and Coney Island.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Cheese Scones
A few years ago, at a wonderful National Trust property in Cornwall, I had the most amazing cheese scone. Ever since that time, I have been trying to find one to match it. Sadly, I have been unable to replicate it in it's pale golden, soft, buttery, lightness, but I have formulated this recipe which sort of comes close.
Makes 15 x 4.8cm (1+7/8 inch) scones (don't ask - that's the size printed on my scone cutter)
120g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
50g butter, cut into 1cm cubes
80ml milk
1 tsp lemon juice
80g mature cheddar cheese, grated
1 + 1/2 tablespoons of poppy seeds.
Preheat the oven to 170C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
1. Mix the milk and the lemon juice together in a jug and leave to stand. (The milk will curdle. That's the point)
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, into a large mixing bowl. Add the poppy seeds and stir well.
3. Rub in the butter, until it looks like coarse sand. (Oliver Peyton in his Peyton and Byrne Baking book advises mashing the butter in with a fork. I found this a most unsatisfactory way of doing it. Although less messy it is less effective and more lumps of butter remain, but I digress)
4. Stir in the cheese, then add the milk/lemon-juice mixture to the flour-butter mixture and stir well with a wooden spoon, until the mixture comes together.
5. Handling the mixture as little as possible, bring together into a ball. Rest in the fridge for 5-10 minutes
6. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1 to 2 cm thick.
7. Stamp out scone shapes using circular cutters. (I used the ones with fluted edges as there is less temptation to "twist" the cutter. If the cutter is twisted, it ruins the layers of the scone dough and causes a poor/uneven rise)
8. Bake the scones on the prepared tray for 15-20 minutes until just starting to brown.
9. Serve warm with plenty of butter.
Please note, these are in no way a health food, and should not be treated as such.
Friday, February 17, 2012
An Aran Hat For A Little Head
The Excellent Host and Hostess had a little boy. Since I have established a trend with them of knitting for their offspring (their oldest, Master Incredible, received Raja, and a rocket (not pictured), I produced a little something for this New Little Head.
Travelling cables on a moss stitch background.
Rib fold back edge.
With a little pointy top.
And, more excitingly, apparently it fits! (Although the Excellent Hostess declares it is not big enough for her head.)
Travelling cables on a moss stitch background.
Rib fold back edge.
With a little pointy top.
And, more excitingly, apparently it fits! (Although the Excellent Hostess declares it is not big enough for her head.)
Monday, February 13, 2012
Respice Finem
That was my school motto. Keep The End In View. Slightly strange for a school, I always felt... "Don't worry folks, you'll be out of here one day."
Yes, I am aware that it can be more profound than that, and if one is more Christian than most of my schooling was, then one can see it as keeping the end of this life and the start of the next in view. Although I think I'm struggling to spin this one, so I shall leave the motto aside and return to the point of this post.
The long game. A blanket. At least 10 years in the making.
Please ignore the garish colour scheme,
and the distinctly erratic tassels,
and enjoy with me (well, if you come round, and are very good, I might let you literally enjoy it) the warm cosy goodness of a finally finished blanket.
Pattern here, or for ravelry users, here.
Yes, I am aware that it can be more profound than that, and if one is more Christian than most of my schooling was, then one can see it as keeping the end of this life and the start of the next in view. Although I think I'm struggling to spin this one, so I shall leave the motto aside and return to the point of this post.
The long game. A blanket. At least 10 years in the making.
Please ignore the garish colour scheme,
and the distinctly erratic tassels,
and enjoy with me (well, if you come round, and are very good, I might let you literally enjoy it) the warm cosy goodness of a finally finished blanket.
Pattern here, or for ravelry users, here.
Monday, February 06, 2012
Better Late Than Never, Better Never Late
I was busy, then the Computer Geek was busy, then I was busy, then the Computer Geek was busy (you get the gist). Aaaaaanyhoo, these are the photos of the presents I wrapped and the cake I made this last Christmas.
I made myself very happy - all in brown paper (recyclable, unlike normal "christmas" paper which often contains gold/silver/sparkles which can ruin an entire batch of recycling if they are included)
But to make them pretty, each one had a different colour curling ribbon round it (colour coded to recipient)
But in case the recipient did not understand the coded colours, they also had vintage-looking luggage tags.
The cake is a little special - we don't like icing in our family (but we do like marzipan) and we don't like artificial colours, so it's a neutral marzipan cake... mmmm, you kind of have to be there I suppose.
All photos: The Computer Geek
I made myself very happy - all in brown paper (recyclable, unlike normal "christmas" paper which often contains gold/silver/sparkles which can ruin an entire batch of recycling if they are included)
But to make them pretty, each one had a different colour curling ribbon round it (colour coded to recipient)
But in case the recipient did not understand the coded colours, they also had vintage-looking luggage tags.
The cake is a little special - we don't like icing in our family (but we do like marzipan) and we don't like artificial colours, so it's a neutral marzipan cake... mmmm, you kind of have to be there I suppose.
All photos: The Computer Geek
Monday, January 30, 2012
A Cabled Jumper
The Typographer and the Wedding Dressmaker had a little baby boy (I have not met him, so although his parents have given him a name, he does not have a blog name yet.)
To celebrate his arrival into the world, I made him a little jumper.
Sailor buttons, because they are "in" at the moment.
Navy and cream, because I think it will look sweet.
However, he is quite a big lad already, so I shall wait and see if it fits. If it does not I shall make another.
To celebrate his arrival into the world, I made him a little jumper.
Sailor buttons, because they are "in" at the moment.
Navy and cream, because I think it will look sweet.
However, he is quite a big lad already, so I shall wait and see if it fits. If it does not I shall make another.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
A Profitable Day (With Only Minor Hiccoughs)
Like so many profitable days, this one started with oatmeal.
That the oatmeal was past its best and rather bitter was neither here nor there, it was improved with cranberries and golden syrup (the topping of champions).
The next step was making Turkish Delight. From the recipe in Gifts from the Kitchen.
Turkish Delight mixture looks like wallpaper paste and smells like a pig farm. (Just so you know!)
Looks very much prettier once set and covered in icing sugar and cornflour.
Unfortunately it suffered some what from syneresis (no, I'd never heard of it either) and it had to go back into the pan, be melted down and have 1/8th of a teaspoon of xanthan gum added to control this.
The Computer Geek (for whom this was a Christmas present) has not yet reported back on whether it is acceptable.
The day improved markedly, though, with the creation of much candied peel.
Orange, lemon and grapefruit. I followed the recipe given by Mary-Anne Boermans on her blog for this year's Candied Peel, and it turned out rather well. It had the honour of garnishing my mother's chocolate cassata bombe at Christmas Dinner, and will keep my father happy for many days, maybe even weeks, to come.
And finally there were the Lebkuchen, thanks to The Pink Whisk.
And that was the profitable day... minus the very squishy fudge.
That the oatmeal was past its best and rather bitter was neither here nor there, it was improved with cranberries and golden syrup (the topping of champions).
The next step was making Turkish Delight. From the recipe in Gifts from the Kitchen.
Turkish Delight mixture looks like wallpaper paste and smells like a pig farm. (Just so you know!)
Looks very much prettier once set and covered in icing sugar and cornflour.
Unfortunately it suffered some what from syneresis (no, I'd never heard of it either) and it had to go back into the pan, be melted down and have 1/8th of a teaspoon of xanthan gum added to control this.
The Computer Geek (for whom this was a Christmas present) has not yet reported back on whether it is acceptable.
The day improved markedly, though, with the creation of much candied peel.
Orange, lemon and grapefruit. I followed the recipe given by Mary-Anne Boermans on her blog for this year's Candied Peel, and it turned out rather well. It had the honour of garnishing my mother's chocolate cassata bombe at Christmas Dinner, and will keep my father happy for many days, maybe even weeks, to come.
And finally there were the Lebkuchen, thanks to The Pink Whisk.
And that was the profitable day... minus the very squishy fudge.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)