This morning I was reading an article by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall about cooking with children. Please put that old joke down! I know we all like children just couldn’t eat a whole one! Anyway now that that’s out of the way – cooking with the aid of children – when I was little or younger (which ever term you prefer) Nan-nan (my grandmother) was always baking apple tarts. There was nothing I loved more than getting the remaining core of the cooking apples and dipping them in sugar to make them yummy and slightly crunchy. One year I insisted on getting a rolling pin – I don’t know if it was for a birthday or christmas present – because I tend to have cold hands a lot of the time it means I’m a dab hand at pastry. So to have my very own rolling pin was just wonderful! When I moved out of baking and home the rolling pin magically disappeared. I was living in a flat but I still wanted a rolling pin – it could come in handy!!! but I couldn’t find one that was just like the one I had – still handles and a rolling middle/barrel – no the one I got was an all in one 😦 Don’t get me wrong it worked it rolled out my shortbread biscuits to a treat but it just wasn’t the same. Anyway yesterday we went to Ikea and as we were walking around down stairs there was a random rolling pin lying about in the pictures section – I don’t know where it came from originally but I just had to have it.
So now I have my rolling pin and Hugh is cooking with children there is something that is telling cook an apple tart – all I need now is a tart dish and I shall be away in a hack.
Sorry but now that I mention the plate – I’ve just remembered the thrill of shaving off the excess pastry from the edges – I loved doing that. Ok my mission is now to get that plate and put it all to good use – I’ll post pictures if it doesn’t get eaten before I find the camera.
Category: Food
December 8th
Ok so the making a post every day isn’t really working out. There have been two reasons for this – the minor one is that I was away over the weekend doing my Christmas Visits and the major reason is that our internet at home is on the blink. Right now I’m on my lunch typing this on my little net book
So festively speaking what has been happening the last post? The houses on the bus route are finally lit up. OK maybe not as much as last year but there is a recession going on. Speaking of lights I put up some lights around the fireplace on Friday. They are really pretty so I plug them in first thing in the morning so I can look at them as I potter about getting ready for work. I have to say it works really well ’cause they are white lights against black marble so there is an element of reflection going on.
My mother, sister & myself were off for the weekend visiting and delivering cards & presents etc. However when we went to visit my aunt on Sunday I realised it was the first decorated house I’d been in and there really is something about it that makes you break out in a big smile. After that visit we had the 2.5 / 3 hour drive home so I spent the evening in a daze – recovering from the journey and also trying to figure out where will I put the Christmas Tree next weekend? I’m still not sure I have a feeling that it is going to be a case of putting it together and then seeing what will fit where!
The one thing I was looking forward to when I came back from my travels was the Christmas edition of The Radio Times! According to a previous edition it was due out on Saturday but no joy – perhaps it will be in on Tuesday?! I popped my head in the door of the news agents this morning – no joy 😦 However I’m hoping for the edition that has the two dancers on it and not the dalek. I’ve gone off that stuff and Dr Who doesn’t exactly scream Christmas to me. On the other hand we’ll be getting 2 copies of it – one for me and one for himself (don’t ask!)
Speaking of Radio Times that leads me nicely into the topic of seasonal viewing 🙂 Who was watching Delia? I only want a small part of her house – boy was it fabulous! and as for the food – I think there will be one or two of those recipes experimented on over the next while. Tonight I’ll be watching Kirstie’s Homemade Christmas. Mind you I think I’ll be recording it as I’m going out tomorrow evening and will miss it – so record them and watch them as I decorate the tree!! That is a plan I’ve just come up with as I’m typing. Now I really am looking forward to Saturday 😀
Well I must go as I have to clock back in and dedicate myself to the company for the afternoon ;P
A Taste Of Your Life
I’ve watched this programme and I’ve often wondered what would mine be.
While the programme seems to have dishes for me it’s single things –
Fry’s Chocolate Cream and After Eights remind me of my Granddad on my fathers side and Apple Tart, a fry for your tea and most importantly Christmas Pudding remind me of Nannan (grandmother on dads side)
Bourbon biscuits remind me of my other Granddad on my mothers side and egg in a cup makes me think of Nanny (mothers mother)
What reminds me of my parents is a little more difficult. Â It’s grapes for Dad. Â He’d always get grapes when we went shopping and would sit chomping on them for the evening and we of course would try to help ourselves. Â When it comes to Mam it gets very general. Â It’s mainly baking especially boiled fruit cake. Â I think it’s the licking the bowl and the putting everything together. Â I also associate Christmas Pudding with Mam to but not in a good way. Â I did breadcrumbs every Christmas but I always thought it was for the stuffing not realising that it would be a lot of stuffing! Â I never knew that was what went into the pudding – I was devastated. Â Mind you it didn’t put me off and I love it.
On a minor subcategory of Christmas Pudding. Â Nannan always made it. Â Granddad loved it fried & my mother told me what was in it.
Anyway time to go but just one quick question:
What would be A Taste Of Your Life?
Weight Watchers
Myself and my mother went back last week. Â I weighed in 2st 2.5lbs above my goal weight. Â I can confirm that the majority of that is chocolate and for the most part I enjoyed every last mouthful. Â Anyway after a week of pointing (I can almost do this in my sleep) and tracking (this I can’t do in my sleep and rarely did in my waking hours) we went back for our second weigh in – actually I like to think of it as our first. Â Anyway I was 3lbs down! Â and so was my mother – so I have to say between us we are fantastic. Â I doubt I’ll have another week like that but I’ll be happy with anything from .5lb on. Â So I have my goals planned out. Â I want to be half a stone down by Easter and hopefully I won’t do too much damage at Eastercon. Â I want to be a stone down by our holiday to Paris in June and I want to be free or within screaming distance of goal for my cousins wedding in August. Â It’s not asking for a lot but there’s a lot to be done in order to attain it. Â I will get there I know that so it’s back to tracking tomorrow morning.
Ooops!
This is the post were The Vintage Kitten will kill me hence the Ooops! Â When I last posted we were off to my sisters for dinner as it was my mothers 60th. Â For starters we had scallops on a bed of parsnip (i think) with a mixed leaf salad and here it is: 
It was absolutely gorgeous. For our main course we had baby potatoes with thyme and chicken breast stuffed with spinach & goats cheese covered in a chorizo sauce. It was fantastic! The dessert was supposed to be birthday cake but somebody forgot to collect it from the bakers (don’t ask!) so we had profitta rolls. At this point I remembered that I was supposed to take photos – palm/forehead – doh! So apologies but the food was just to good and besides my pictures wouldn’t have done it much justice.
On the other hand my BUNNIES! arrived let me introduce to my little ladies.
Ava & Little Rosie:
This is Little Rosie:
I plan to have her on my locker to keep an eye on me
This is Ava:
I only have this one on loan as I will give it to my niece when she is a bit older. Her name is Aoibhe but pronounced Ava.
I have to admit I’m absolutely enchanted and smitten by them both – I might even be naughty and keep both! Oh decisions decisions.
I must say a huge Thank You to The Vintage Magpie for making these little ladies you and they have made me very happy!
Dinner
Last Friday was my mothers 60th Birthday and tonight we’re all having dinner out in my sisters new house. I have to admit I’m looking forward to it. Â Her boyfriend (sisters) is going to be doing the cooking and rumour has it that he is rather good at it too. Â I promise I’ll take pics and post them.
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