the life and times of msrobyn

best cookies ever

2009-05-17T21:24:00.004+01:00

behold the glory of the homemade oreo!

thank you lydia (and ultimately smitten kitchen) for the homemade oreo recipe. i've made these 3 times now (well, i should really say 2 times as i left out the egg during one attempt, i think i was sleepy or something) and i want to make these cookies every week.

so good.

my garden is going strong

2009-05-12T18:00:00.003+01:00

it was around this time last year that i planted my garden and i must say that it is looking good. i have orange poppies going crazy, pink and white flowers who's name i do not know and all sorts of other in the way to flower. i have never in my life kept plants alive for so long!

here is my first rose bloom this year! this rose bush was light pink last year, what happened?

what's going on?

2009-05-07T18:52:00.003+01:00

vancouver has had a major segment on the bbc london 6:00 news 2 nights running. that never happens!

both segments have been combined into one short clip here....

both cities are hosting/building for an olympics during a recession. vancouver 2010. london 2012.

recipe of the week: rhubarb fool

2009-05-05T20:34:00.005+01:00

this serves 4 people

6-8 stalks of rhubarb, cut into equal sized sticks
1-3 spoonfuls of sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
splash of water
carton of whipping cream

heat the rhubarb, sugar and water in a pan over medium heat, stir and turn the rhubarb gently and often.
remove 2 sticks of rhubarb per person when they are cooked and soft but are able to keep their shape.
cook the remaining rhubarb until completely soft and gooey, allow to cool.
whip the cream until soft peaks are formed.
spoon in a dollop of the cooked and cooled rhubarb into the cream and fold together.
spoon remaining cooked rhubarb into dessert cups, top with whipped cream and place the 2 partially cooked rhubarb sticks on top.
chill until you are ready to eat.

oh my this is good. i suspect any fruit would work nicely but have only tried it with rhubarb. people will make a fuss over the prettiness and it's really quite simple.

what's in a name?

2009-05-04T20:31:00.002+01:00

look what i found at the shops!

i'm not sure why they have re-branded pocky into mikado but they are delightful nonetheless.

they also come with a fun advert.

so many things to say...

2009-05-03T17:56:00.004+01:00

i've put a batch of new photos on flickr. if you're interesting in what i've been doing while not blogging, i suggest going over there and taking a look.

i will tell you about the amazing sites i have seen that i was unable to photograph though. alex and i were on our way to glastonbury for the beltane festivities one evening last week and the sun was starting to fall in the sky, there were rain clouds passing through and low and behold as we approached the red, glowing, sunset reflecting tor, a large and perfect rainbow appeared and swept it's way over the hill and chapel. what a welcome to the most magical place on earth.

imagine this photo with a huge and perfectly vivid rainbow reaching from one side to the other.

on our way home from glastonbury we saw another perfect rainbow as we were driving along a dreary motorway. i'm surprised i didn't crash as i was swerving to see the magic. 2 rainbows in 24 hours? the universe must love me.

happy beltane.

norway

2009-04-10T15:51:00.010+01:00

for valentine's day, alex bought us plane tickets to norway during the easter holidays. hurrah! we spent 2 days in oslo and 1.5 days in a the coastal town sandefjord and half a day in stromstad, sweden.

View oslo in a larger map

it was like being on the west coast of canada. the scenery, the cleanliness, the friendliness of people, the taste-free drinking water straight from the tap, it was all very canadian feeling.

then there was the price. holy hell, norway (and scandinavia in general i gather) is shockingly expensive. i thought i was prepared for the expense, i had been warned but i didn't truly comprehend what people were telling me. alex and i spent £500 in 4 days and we were not being extravagant in any way. i have 4 pin badges and 2 post cards to show for my share and alex has 8 postcards and 1 flag badge to show for his share.

we shared a £10 basket of nachos (without cheese or other fixings besides a small ramiken of salsa) in a train station for lunch. we were forced to resort to eating a £7 fillet o'fish meal at mcdonalds. our guide book recommended a cheap pizza place that served us up a good sized pizza for £12 each. unfortunately the menu was in norwegian and i ended with an olive, shrimp, bacon and tuna pizza. it was surprisingly good. we longingly walked past a norwegian restaurant that served wonderful sounding food for £40 a head...main course only. we spent £1.50 for a chocolate bar.

*sigh* we went all the way to norway and didn't eat anything norwegian, it was pizza every day.

then there was the transport. £18 for the coach to oslo. £7 for a day pass around the city. £22 for the train to sandefjord. £4 for a train to the airport.

jeepers!

the museums were quite reasonably priced considering, £5 each for entry. the museums were also very unique and interesting and were the highlight of the trip for me.

the fram museum houses the huge arctic/anti-arctic exploration ship *fram*. the norwegians are very proud of their polar exploration exploits.

the kon-tiki museum houses 2 of the reed rafts that norwegian explorers used to prove that early civilizations could have sailed to each other and traded across large expanses of water. i cannot imagine spending months floating along on a reed boat across the pacific.

the viking ship museum was my favourite. i was hoping to learn more about the vikings while in norway but this seemed to be the only museum accessible to us.

we took the ferry from central oslo across the harbour to the suburbs to get the these museums. that was a nice trip.

sandefjord had lovely scenery to walk around and a whaling museum. that was pretty gross and i didn't so much enjoy learning how to catch, kill, and take apart a whale.

there was nothing to do in stromstad. literally nothing. everything was closed so we had to eat pizza at the only open restaurant. the 2.5hour ferry ride there and back was beautiful though.

when i'm a millionaire i will go back to scandinavia and live like a king and i will not eat pizza every day. i'm so used to travelling on the strong english pound, this trip was a shock to the system and bank balance.

scandinavia would be a wonderful place to live, but travelers beware.

check out flickr for all the photo glory.

that's not supposed to happen

2009-02-23T19:57:00.003Z

eeeep! i went out for lunch and when i returned to the school car park this happened....

believe it or not, today was a day of luck.

i was so lucky my key didn't break off in my car door.

i was even more lucky that my key didn't break off in my engine.

i was terribly lucky to find a key cutter willing to cut me a new key using 2 bits. his exact words were *put on your best cockney accent* "alright then love, i'll give it a bash".

the best piece of luck is having a great school caretaker who went out to get me the key cut because the shop closed at half 3 and i wouldn't get there in time after school.

suggestions

2009-02-21T18:09:00.007Z

happy valentines!

1. make this apple puff pastry tart. everyday can be valentines with this treat! this recipe makes 4 tarts.

pack of puff pastry at room temperature
flour for dusting
1 pink lady apple
4t of caramel sauce
1/4t cinommon
1T icing sugar
whipping cream (optional)

preheat the oven to 200C/390F.
roll out the pastry until 4 8x10cm hearts will fit. the recipe suggests making a template but i just guessed.
quater and core the apple and slice each quarter into 6 pieces.
lay out 6 apple slices in a heart shape on the pastry.
cut around the apple heart leaving a good sized (1cm) boarder (repeat for all 4 tarts).
spoon 1t of caramel sauce over each pastry heart and spread around leaving the boarder free of sauce.
arrange the apples on top of the sauce.
dust all 4 tarts with the the cinommon and icing sugar.
place on a large baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

whip some cream and swirl with some more caramel sauce, if you want.

eat warm! yum.

2. if you live in london go and see la clique, a melange of cabaret, new burlesque, and circus sideshow. for your pleasure are the talented..

Captain Frodo, Norway’s outrageously bendy man, hula hoop’s finest exponent Yulia Pikhtina, the PVC-clad Miss Behave who has a penchant for swallowing pointy objects.

not mentioned was my favourite guy, mario queen of the circus. a leather clad, juggling, queen fanatic. and miss behave didn't swallow anything for our show, but she did reveal some lovely crystals she had been hiding upon her person at the end of the act. she was naked save 3 small strategically placed hearts, a treat for the valentine's show. there's also the wet rope dancer as pictured above. yum.

la clique was fantastic! i would like to go again as i think each show is probably a little bit different.

3. if you live in bath go to jamie's italian, jamie oliver's new restaurant. i cannot gush enough about how much i enjoyed this restaurant. it was a tough decision on what to eat as the whole menu made our mouths water. there are a few locations, if you live near one you must go! if you're visiting england factor this restaurant into your plans. check out my flickr for the meal play-by-play.

i woke up to a snow day

2009-02-02T10:04:00.003Z

building a snowman is harder than i remember.

buddy the snowman.

personal crafty time

2009-01-31T13:54:00.005Z

i find that from about october to december, i'm in total craft mode. i can churn out the christmas gifts without thought but i rarely keep what i make.

that's going to change. let the personal crafty time begin!

my new tea towels

3 cheers for sublime stitching for giving me these embroidery designs!

sometimes, my job is not so cool

2009-01-28T17:36:00.004Z

i hate kids. they are carriers of disease.

i am never more than 3 meters away from someone infected with something; ringworm, lice, chicken pox, cold, flu, throwing up, pink eye...

i have ringworm. again. i get to twice daily, slather jock itch cream on a red ring the size of a 20p on my arm.

it was only a matter of time, there are at least 6 children at any one time in my class who are festered with it and i would guess that only 2/6 are actually being treated properly for it. and of course i get it, i cannot get away from the little buggers. 21 four year olds are constantly around me - under me, beside me, climbing me, clinging to me, dancing near me, walking into me, sitting on me, coughing and/or sneezing in my mouth/face. that last one happens more than you'd think.

i count myself lucky i've never had nits, that would be the worst. but ring worm is a close second in the scale of horrible gross-ness.

dive in

2009-01-23T19:29:00.002Z

i am bout to delve into the launch edition of jamie magazine. i feel a little nervous for him, starting a magazine is a big thing. he's a pretty busy chef....or so the tabloids tell me. but i love him. every recipe i have made has worked beautifully. he fights for food in his country. he kills/grows what he eats or at least knows where it's come from. i shop at sainsbury's because jamie oliver endorses it.

i'm excited.

he takes his own pictures for the magazine and funded the whole thing himelf. it's printed on paper that is from sustainably managed forests.

i'm also thrilled about the great britsh food fight that just started on channel 4.

maybe hugh fearnley-whittingstall will start a magazine as well.

jack frost nipping at your nose

2008-12-28T21:35:00.002Z

it's the real jack frost!

recipe of the week: christmas left over pie

2008-12-28T16:22:00.005Z

i love jamie oliver. every recipe i have made of his has been a triumph, i have learned so much from his shows.

here's his recipe for turkey and sweet leek pie, i used the basic principals to make my own christmas left over pie. as jamie says, 'this isn't a pretty boy pie, this is a proper english pie', i've never made one before and i will certainly be trying this one again. it may seem like a lot of work but it's not, not much washing up either.

christmas left over pie

1C left over goose meat
2 rashers of bacon chopped
knob of butter
salt and pepper
sprig fresh thyme, leaves removed
4 small potatoes thinly sliced
handful green beans
1 head of broccoli
4C stock
heaped spoonful of flour
2 heaped spoonfuls creme fresh
puff pastry, thawed
roasted chestnuts
1 egg, beaten
fine strainer

preheat the oven to 190/375 degrees
fry the bacon in the knob of butter until brown, add the thyme leaves and fry for a minute.
add the thinly sliced potatoes, salt and pepper and toss well.
add enough stock to cover the potatoes and allow to bubble away until almost all the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.
test the potatoes with a fork, if they are not soft add more stock and continue to cook until potatoes done and most of the liquid is absorbed.
add the beans and broccoli and goose meat and toss.
dust the mixture with the flour and mix up vigorously.
add the rest of the stock, or water if you've used all the stock and stir it up.
mix in the creme fresh and bring back up to the boil.
place the whole mixture into the fine strainer over another pot and allow the gravy to drip down while you roll out the pastry.

lightly flour your counter and roll out the puff pastry into a large rectangle until it's quite thin.
crush the roasted chestnuts over half of the pastry and then fold the pastry over.
gently roll out the pastry again to a size that will fit your baking dish, don't worry if chestnuts poke through.

place the goose and potato mixture into a baking dish.
cover with the puff pastry and tuck the edges under like your tucking a child into bed.
score the pastry with the back of the knife into a criss cross diamond pattern.
paint the egg over the pastry.
bake for 30-45 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

reheat the gravy. i didn't have enough gravy so i added water, gravy granules and more creme fresh to bulk it up a bit.

serve immediately! yum-oh! it keeps well too. i made a second pie for lunch today and it reheated, covered in tin foil in 40 minutes. it was just as tastey.

12 drummers drumming

2008-12-24T22:51:00.002Z

it's christmas eve! let the feasts begin.

i suggest roasting a ham with a side order of scalloped potatoes.

i have no pictures as we ate it too fast...but trust me, these are winners.

11 pipers piping

2008-12-23T20:58:00.003Z

i have to say that i'm more pagan than christian in my spirituality. but around christmas i can't help but come over all religious. alex and i attended the carol service at st. pauls this afternoon. cathedral choirs give me chills.behold my poor quality camera phone photos.

10 lords a leaping

2008-12-22T18:08:00.002Z

yum yum yum, turn on the christmas carols and make yourself a holiday treat.

mulled wine

2 glasses red wine
1 glass apple juice
pinch of cinnamon or 1 stick
pinch of ground cloves or a few whole ones
small grating of nutmeg
1 clementine cut into rounds

bring everything to a simmer, take off the heat and allow to steep while you prepare the chestnuts.

chestnuts not roasted on an open fire

take as many chestnuts as you think you can eat and cut an X into the skin of each. place in a baking tray and roast in a preheated 200c/390f degree oven for 15 minutes.

reheat the muled wine if it's cooled down too much and eat everything immediately.

9 (pagan) ladies dancing

2008-12-21T18:12:00.003Z

happy solstice!

8 maids a milking (who stop to eat black forest cookies)

2008-12-20T20:59:00.002Z

black forest cookies

3/4C flour
3/4C sugar
3/4t baking powder
1/4t salt
4T butter, melted
1/3C cocoa powder
1 egg
2T coffee or water
1/3C chocolate chips
1/3C dried sour cherries, chopped
some sifted powdered sugar

preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking tray with parchment.
mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
whisk melted butter and cocoa in separate bowl.
mix in the egg, coffee (or water) and blend well.
fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture, do not over mix.
fold in the chocolate chips and cherries.
scoop 1T of the mixture and roll into balls.
roll the balls around in the powdered sugar twice.
place balls on baking tray, 2 inches apart.
bake for 10-14 minutes or until the cookies are cracked yet soft, do not overbake!
cool the cookies on the baking tray for 5 minutes before fully cooling on a rack.

yum! these are great and they keep really well in a tin. have some milk for drinking handy...

7 swans a swimming

2008-12-20T10:54:00.001Z

alex is back.

hurrah!

he's ever so skinny and scabby.

6 geese a laying

2008-12-18T19:48:00.003Z

it's not christmas until little children act out the nativity story. i love my class.

5 go-old rings

2008-12-17T19:16:00.003Z

here's an easy cookie/sweet recipe for children to make this holiday season. chocolate reindeer!

melt some chocolate and spoon it onto grease proof paper in a round shape.

then add a cherry nose, chocolate ears and eyes and licorice antlers.

4 calling birds

2008-12-16T18:25:00.004Z

tis the season for baking.

i ran out of eggs this weekend and looked for an egg-less sugar cookie recipe. if you make sugar cookies without eggs this is what happens....

you'll have to clean your oven and probably hoover around your oven like me. it was a total and complete disaster.

don't believe a sugar cookie recipe that says you don't need an egg. let this be a lesson to you all.

on the bright side i just made some fantastic black forest cookies...watch this space.

3 french hens

2008-12-15T20:00:00.006Z

i have a little tree. i love it! it cost 5 pounds and it's the best fiver i have ever spent. it came with decorations and lights and cinnamon sticks to give it an authentic smell.

i wandered around my neighbourhood last night and i can count how many christmas trees i saw in windows on one hand. i miss the overdone light show that is a north american christmas.

2 turtle doves

2008-12-14T16:04:00.004Z

last weekend was the rochester dickensian christmas fair. i go every year and it has yet to get tiresome. i LOVE it! i'm like a child, giggling and hurrying here and there. what's not to love? people dressed up like dickensian characters. mulled wine. roasting chestnuts on every corner. little old ladies playing jingle bells on real bells. fake snow. carousel rides. parades. christmas carols. i could go on and on.

Credit to ali for these wonderful pictures!

a partridge in a pear tree

2008-12-13T17:47:00.005Z

look what we made!

this is the craft to end all crafts. it took us a full 4 days where we did nothing but this and played with lego...but every one of my 21 kids has their very own snowman sweet jar.

2 balloons, 1 layer of paper mache, 1 layer of plaster cast, 1 super thick layer of pva glue and white paint.

what did you do at work this week? i bet i win!

burn baby, burn

2008-11-05T20:28:00.005Z

it is the week of fireworks

dancing, fizzing lights

saturday, wednesday, sunday

sparkling, twirling bursts

i don't know if this really worked

2008-10-30T20:49:00.006Z

lydia is always posting pictures of her yummy, pastry school treats on her flickr. this lemony pinwheel caught my eye.

i don't think mine turned out all that well. the first major difference is lydia made her own puff pastry and i used the ready made puff pastry in my freezer. lydia made her own lemon filling, i used the blueberry and cherry jam in my fridge. lydia sprinkled hers with course sugar, i had none. my attempt wasn't never going to win out.

i enjoyed making these though, the geometry is pleasing, and by using all the ready made bits these took me about 5 minutes from start to finish.

they could have used a few more minutes on the oven as the centres, under the jam was a little doughy still. and my cherry jam was apparently too runny and didn't stay in the middle. my next try will be more successful...i'll keep you updated.

these were pretty tasty even with the runny jam and slightly under cooked centres.

the festival of lights

2008-10-28T22:00:00.005Z

happy diwali!

i got the joy of fireworks over my house tonight. i love fireworks! it's still odd to me that you can buy them in grocery stores and let them off in your backyard...or the street.

i do believe the credit crunch has hit the firework industry though. usually the cacophony starts about a week before diwali with fits and stops and it reaches a crescendo on diwali. the light displays then slow down before reaching another fevered pitch for halloween. there is another dip in activity before the final climax of bonfire night.

this year, there was no build up to diwali and the night itself has been fairly quiet. i only counted a hand full of small displays. i hope the bonfire night display i'm going to next weekend isn't going to be holding back.

2008-10-20T19:14:00.004+01:00

alex is in peru for 3 months...in case you didn't know and he sent me some pictures. he helped turtles hatch out of their eggs and will help to release them into the rivers in a few weeks (amongst other jungle adventures).

i'm so proud of him.

i won't post the photo of the big hairy tarantula that was found in the toilet as it's freaking gross. check out his facebook page for that little gem.

look what i bought

2008-10-19T16:37:00.006+01:00

this my friends is a spider catcher. i am irrationally afraid of spiders. i cannot even play with fake plastic spiders during the 'minibeast' topic at school. i cannot bring myself to kill them or catch them, choosing instead to quake in fear if a see one. but those days are past me now!

you simply pull the trigger which opens up the plastic bristles at the other end. you place the bristles over the spider and release the trigger. the spider is caught and easily released outside as the bristles hold but don't squish. and it's all at arms length.

they give you a fake plastic spider to practice on, but i threw it out as i didn't like it. so i practised on my snail door stop. luckily i haven't had to use this on a real spider yet but i know there are 3 big ones lurking somewhere in the depths, i've seen them.

another page

2008-10-16T18:03:00.004+01:00

these were pretty good books too. the looking glass wars, frank beddor. these are the 'real' stories of alice in wonderland.

lewis carroll twisted the stories princess alyss of wonderland (user of white imagination) told him. he turned them into the fanciful drivel that sold millions of copies and she never forgave him for it. there is no white rabbit, there is alyss's tutor, bibwit harte. there is no mad hatter, there is the royal bodyguard, hatter madigan. the queen of hearts is actually alyss's black imagination using, insane aunt who tries to usurp the thrown and forces alyss to flee wonderland and take refuge in our world.

these books are not particularily well written but they are an interesting and fun read. they can drag a little bit and don't attempt them if you really love the lewis carroll stories as they'll probably make you mad. apparently this is a trilogy but the third book isn't out or i haven't looked hard enough for it. start with the looking glass wars and then move onto seeing red.

taking a page out of lydia's book

2008-10-14T17:20:00.004+01:00

i recently found a book at the library and i loved it. i consumed it in a week. the book of lost things, john connolly.

it's about a young boy during wartime london who looses his mother. he's angry, sad, a little obsessive compulsive and starts to take comfort in the fairytales that he and his mother shared. through an accident, the boy finds himself in an alternate world where the 7 dwarves are communists, little red riding hood helped to breed a new brand of scary wolf and a valient knight is on a quest to find out the fate of his 'good friend'.

the story is a tad predictable but it's a very enjoyable read. i highly recommend it, if you enjoy grimm-esque fairytales.

left overs?

2008-10-12T16:00:00.003+01:00

i had some left over chili and a half of a butternut squash to make into a dinner. what a happy accident this turned out to be!

roast the squash until soft, top with the chili and put back in the oven until hot, grate over some cheese and serve with a dollop of sour cream. i wasn't expecting to be as tasty as it was...that's why i only have the 'after' picture.

the proof of the yumminess is on the plate.

an interesting read

2008-10-09T18:52:00.008+01:00

UPDATE: the times just won't work as a hyper link so try copying and pasting the full address.

here's a full link for you of a different yet related article, still humourous...

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article4855164.ece

and here's the intended article....

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/carol_midgley/article4909825.ece

jamie oliver has started a new program - jamie's ministry of food - where he wants people to give up the fast food lifestyle and learn to cook basic meals. then those people them pass on the recipes to friends who pass on the recipes and so on and so forth until thousands of people are cooking.

he's been criticised after his first episode for portraying a typical english village as thick and slovenly (this is the same village where mothers were pushing macdonald's into their children's outstretched hands through the school gates when chips and burgers were banned from school dinners in favour of healthy eating - thanks to jamie). this article from the times was a very amusing read. i like how they censored 'wanker' in the opening paragraph.

recipe of the week: squash and prawn stir fry

2008-10-08T18:37:00.004+01:00

half a butter nut squash, peeled and cubed
handful of prawns, cooked or raw
2T fish sauce plus some to splash
1T sugar
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
cooked rice to serve

cook some rice.
boil the cubed squash for 6-10 or until just cooked.
mix the fish sauce, sugar and garlic.
splash some fish sauce over the prawns.
heat the fish sauce mixture in a large frying pan until the garlic begins to sizzle and add the cooked squash, stir fry for 5 minutes or so.
add the prawns and cook through.
serve with rice.

yum.

Noah and The Whale - 5 Years Time

2008-09-17T20:13:00.001+01:00

this is my song of the summer.

whistling? oh yes there is!

hand clapping? indeed!

ukulele? certainly!

back from the void

2008-09-02T19:05:00.002+01:00

erin, i can't understand how you managed to keep us all updated during your european vacation. maybe it helps to be in places that have such a thing as internet. scotland is severely lacking.

my parents came over at the beginning of august and we all went to scotland after some furious tourism of the south west of england.

i have some photos but my camera is still packed.

my parents left yesterday. alex left for his research trip to peru yesterday (he's not back until christmas). i went back to work yesterday. i'm a little sad and lonely.

there will be pictures and more posts to come...

Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip - Letter from God

2008-07-17T18:42:00.001+01:00

this has hit the radio waves recently. i enjoy it but it's a song you have to concentrate on.

recipe of the week: lemonade x2

2008-06-15T13:11:00.004+01:00

when it's hot outside, make lemonade.

basil lemonade

3 lemons, zested and juiced
handful of fresh basil, chopped roughly
2 spoonfuls of honey
2 spoonfuls of sugar
jug of water

pour some of the water into a pot, add sugar and honey and boil for a few minutes, everything needs to be dissolved.
take off the heat and add the zest and basil, allow to cool completely.
pour lemon juice into a large bowl, strain the zesty, sugary water into the bowl and taste.
add more water or sugar or lemon or anything it needs.

minty melon lemonade

half a melon (i used cantaloupe) puree with a splash of water using a hand blender
1 lemon, zested and juiced
handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped
jug of water
2 spoonfuls of sugar

boil some of the water with the sugar until dissolved, take off the heat and add the zest and mint, cool completely.
strain the blended melon into a bowl and add lemon juice.
strain cooled mint water into the melon and lemon juice.
add more water or lemon or sugar to taste.

i'm obsessed

2008-06-14T15:40:00.004+01:00

i love my garden. my turf has taken really well and is growing with gusto. i have some deep blue, hot pink and yellow flowers in bloom. my tomatoes and courgettes have definite buds that are looking suspiciously like flowers...which mean food will be growing soon! my strawberries are flourishing and i have my first pea shoots!

look at my first pea shoot!

i'm so impressed with myself. last year i couldn't even keep a house plant alive and now i have a full on garden as well as 3 house plants thriving. my black fingers have turned to green thumbs.

i cannot wait to eat you.

first recipe using my produce: vegetarian cannelloni

2008-06-07T21:46:00.005+01:00

ok, so it's only using some basil from my garden, but it's basil that i grow. i don't have any measurements for this recipe.

soya mince
bottle of tomato juice, sauce or puree
cherry tomatoes
garlic cloves, finely chopped/grated
grated cheese - i used parmesan and mozzarella
basil leaves, half chopped half left whole
dried cannelloni pasta.

preheat oven to 175C or 350F, bring a pot of water up to the boil.
slit and X into the bottom skin of each tomato and pop into boiling water for 30 seconds. the skin slips right off when slightly squeezed.
fry the vege mince until wamred, add skinned cherry tomoatoes and a sploosh of tomato sauce. cook for a few minutes and then allow to cool a little.
pour 1/3 of the tomato sauce into a deep baking dish, making sure the whole surface is covered.
sprinkle the chopped garlic and basil over the top.
spoon the mince filling into the pasta tubes and lay the tubes into the sauced dish. fill the dish with as many cannelloni's as you can.
pour the remaining tomato sauce over the pasta, ensuring good spreading and coverage.
grate the parmesan over the top and rip pieces of mozzarella over the top.
place the whole basil leaves on top of the cheese because it's pretty.
bake for 30 minutes covered and then uncovered for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is gooey and brown.

my garden: the update

2008-06-06T21:05:00.005+01:00

you didn't cross your fingers and hope for the best did you? the strawberry plants i saved have all died but one so i went in search of living plants that will give me fruit. i ventured out to my school's local garden centre and found the plant perfection i was seeking! i even found a bat box, ladybird house, bee house and a variety of bird feeders...i'll pick up some of those next month.

not only did i get 2 huge and healthy strawberry plants - with flowers and fruit already, far yellow tub - i procured purple sage and moroccan mint to accompany my basil, coriander and garden mint already in my herb tub - far orange tub. i purchased a plum tomato and cherry tomato plant - close yellow tub - along with 2 courgette plants - close orange tub. i also picked up some pea and broad bean seeds - small black tubs - guaranteed to sprout in 7-10 days.

so my garden is now complete. except maybe some mulch or bark for around the flowers to help smother the weeds. i love every aspect of the garden up-keep but i can't say i enjoy weeding.

i cannot wait to eat some of my own fruit and vegetables! i'm so impressed with myself.

busy little bees

2008-06-01T17:38:00.007+01:00

a few weeks ago i decided it was time to attack the over-grown wilderness that was my back garden. i was high on the sunshine at the time.

imagine, if you will as i didn't take any 'before' shots, this mash of tangled weedland covering my entire back garden up to your knees. it was a forest. and old forest. the roots grew deep.

i enlisted some help of alex and his mother as there was no way i could tackle this wilderness on my own but 3 cheers for alex who basically cleared the whole thing by himself! as you can see he and i both gave up towards the back of the patch and laid some paving tiles down to separate the wasteland from the garden. that back patch may be a job for another day.

once everything was cleared we ventured to the local garden centre to pick up some plants. the theme is 'cottage garden'. unfortunately nothing has really bloomed yet so the theme is not obvious. but i have poppies, lupins, lavenders, periwinkle, heathers, clematis, and others i cannot remember. i also picked up some turf so i can have a little patch of grass to lay my head. this weekend i found some dreadful strawberry plants that i saved from the indoor horrors of tesco grocery store and planted in a large tub on my patio along with another tub for herbs *cross your fingers that the strawberries survive*. next weekend i think i'll get another tub or two and plant some vegetables. beans? tomatoes? courgettes? yes i think so. can you grow courgettes in a tub?

i have bumble bees visiting my garden regularly as well as squirrels and a variety of birds. that makes me happy. now i want to get a bat box, a ladybird house and possibly a bird feeder. i could really go crazy. check out flickr for more picture goodness.

i'm not a fan of zoos

2008-05-07T18:31:00.006+01:00

but i sure do enjoy a safari park. who knew lions and zebras and giraffes lived in england? alex and i ventured to longleat safari park on the way back from glastonbury a few weeks ago and i just realised that i didn't tell you all about it.

you basically drive around this HUGE estate for a couple hours and see all the animals. you can walk around a small bit but for the majority you have to drive which is slightly unfortunate. you can have your windows down for everything but the monkeys and big cats. the monkeys climb all over your car *and in your car if the windows are open* and the lions could eat you if your windows are open.

it's really alot of good fun. i'm not sure about the ethical issues behind keeping animals in a colder climate than they are used to but they really have vast areas to wander in and that makes me feel better about it. it's something i suggest you see if you're in england. check out flickr for some more animal photos.

recipe of the week: broccoli soup

2008-05-05T19:11:00.004+01:00

have you ever seen a recipe and thought, 'that could be good, i think i'll try it'? and then you make it and you almost fall over because it's so good. this is what just happened to me. and i'm going to take full credit for this soup...i got the idea for adding nutmeg from a recipe but everything else is me.

broccoli soup
dab of butter
good grating of nutmeg
1 large head of broccoli, chopped (stalks and florets separated)
1L of vegetable stock
lashing of double cream
2 large handfuls of pea shoots (or watercress or some other green leaf/shoot)

optional additions
bacon rashers, chopped and fried crisp
goat's cheese, crumbled
parmesan twists

heat the butter in a large soup pot.
fry the nutmeg and the chopped broccoli stalks for a few minutes until almost tender and slightly golden brown.
add the florets, stock and double cream and simmer for 10 minutes or until everything is tender.
*if you're keeping this as vegetarian soup remove a few scoops of broccoli florets so the soup will have some bite, if you're adding bacon bits later keep all the broccoli in the pot*
remove from the heat and stir in the pea shoots.
blitz with a hand blender until smooth.
serve immediately with some bacon bits and goat's cheese sprinkled in and some parmesan twists for dipping.

happy beltane

2008-05-01T18:19:00.005+01:00

hail thalia, grace of flowering and mirth!

hail to the lord and the lady!
hail to the king and queen of faery, to blessed flora,

and to maia majestas!

hail to the summer! hail to the summer!
the season that drives the cold winter away!
hail to the summer! hail to the summer!
light your bonfires - today is beltane

i also like road trips

2008-04-26T15:56:00.007+01:00

not only do i enjoy creating things on my days off, i also like going places. alex and i ventured to glastonbury (not the music festival - the actualy town) a while back when we both had time off school. it was wonderful, i love somerset. i think i want to live there when i'm old and make cheese. glastonbury is an interesting mix of myth/legend/paganism/chirstianity/old english/and hippy. you should really read the wiki page.

for such a small town there is really alot to do.

glastonbury abbey is apparently the oldest chiristian church in all the world. joseph of arimathea took a young jesus to visit glastonbury and then returned with the holy grail 60 years after jesus' death and built the first church to house the relic. this is all that stands of the abbey now. after henry VIII and the dissolutionment of the monastries in the 1530's the lead roof was probably scavenged away leaving the wooden under-roof which would have rotted. without a roof the whole abbey was subject to the elements and simply crumbled away. in the above picture you can just see a small sign standing in the grass...that sign reads...

glastonbury was also arthur and guinevere's avalon. so paganism and chiristianity both have strong, old ties to glastonbury. there are pictures of the mists of avalon posted to 23 from my last trip to glastonbury for beltaine a couple years ago.

next to visit would be glastonbury tor. another site with pagan and christian roots. st. michael's tower sits atop the hill. the story goes that the christians built a church on top of the tor but the pagan hill would have none of it and swallowed the church whole leaving only the tower. unfortunately this isn't true. alex and i walked up the hill on a ferociously windy day and almost got blown off the side. that was thrilling.

the holy thorn is another thing to see, again related to joseph of arimathea. he apparently cast his staff into the ground upon reaching glastonbury and a hawthorn sprouted in the place to give all the travellers shade to rest under. this type of hawthorn is only found in glastonbury and the middle east. you can see the tor in the background of the above picture. there are many holy thorns in glastonbury and they all generally bloom at christmas and easter (weather depending).

lastly is my favourite place in the whole world - chalice well. the source of the water is unknown and has been unfailing for thousands of years. people have been coming to the iron rich healing waters for centuries to drink and bathe.

i highly recommend everyone visits glastonbury at least once in their life.

not just food

2008-04-24T19:19:00.005+01:00

although most of my creative energies do seem to go into making yummy food, when i get a little time off (like the 2 week holiday i had recently) i like to make other things of the non-edible sort.

i had a large blank wall in my livingroom. blank it is no more as i filled it with a triptitch.

i also stitched me a new tea towel. i'm quite proud if it even though it's simple and didn't take me too long. i haven't kept any of my other embroidered tea towels, so this one is novel.

a little life in my life.

2008-04-21T20:28:00.007+01:00

on the weekend, alex and i went to a garden centre so i could spruce up my flat with some plants. i purchased a lovely trio of foliage.

a tall dragon tree with 3 levels of leaves.

a purple, fuzzy prayer plant. the purple side feels like velvet.

a stripey, green prayer plant.

alex then suggested we go to the pet shop across the way as he wanted some fish and was trying to convince me that i needed some fish. interesting idea as i have been feeling the urge for some sort of pet. we wandered around the shop looking at the various creatures and i made a slightly impulsive purchase.

may i introduce - yin and yang (a.k.a. the babies), they're chinese dwarf hamsters. they are so cute and tiny and i cannot tell them apart as they are exactly the same down to the last spot and stripe.

they truly live up to their name as one is very active while the other is very lazy. they have a little coconut house - which they adore, a hollowed out log, a running wheel and tunnel for their enjoyment. they are truly amusing to watch. one has fallen asleep in the wheel as i type this. so cute! i'm very excited; they may not be cuddly like cats but as least i can hold them, unlike fish. check out flickr for some more photo sweetness.

guess who locked themselves out of the house this morning?

2008-04-14T18:12:00.004+01:00

that would be me. damn british doors that lock behind you.

7:10am i left the house without my keys.

7:14am i call a co-worker for advice as i was all stunned and sleepy.

7:16am i call my headteacher and inform her of my stupidity.

8:27am i finally get through to my letting agent who informs me he has no spare keys to my flat. he tells me to call the landlord. i do not have the landlord's number. he calls the landlord for me. he calls me back to inform that he cannot get through to the landlord, upon giving me the number, he tells me to keep trying.

8:38am i start looking though the yellow pages i luckily left outside for locksmiths. minimum charge averaged 100 pounds. i put the yellow pages back on the front step.

8:54am i call the letting agent to ask for a different number as the one i have does not seem to be getting anywhere.

9:03am letting agent calls me back, he has spoken to the 16 year old son of my landlord. his father has gone to work, his mother has gone shopping, his older sister has gone to university. apparently there is no hope. 'can the boy not look for the keys?' i ask. 'i hadn't thought of that' the letting agent replies.

9:07am after convincing the boy to look for the keys, letting agent informs me the boy will call me when he finds them.

9:12am boy calls me and says his mother has come home, he now has the keys but cannot come unlock the door as he has to have breakfast.

9:13am i throw a temper tantrum in my driveway. i stamp my feet and scream and shake my fist to the sky.

9:14am i call letting agent and rant.

9:28am boy arrives and let me back into my flat.

10:00am i arrive at school, 1 hour 'officially' late but 2 hours later than i like to be.

10:04am my class attacks me with hugs and all is right with the world again.

12:20pm i get a second set of house keys cut and leave them with my headteacher who lives reasonably near me.

picture this

2008-04-08T18:19:00.003+01:00

i went for a swim at my local leisure centre this morning. this was my first outing to ilford swimming pools and it may just be my last. the changing rooms were dingy and when i walked out onto the pool deck, bare footed, i was seized with the sense that i was about to contract a horrible case of trench or athletes foot. pushing though, i quickly jumped into the water and started doing some lengths.

when i rolled over for a little back stoke action, i notice the rusting, peeling, loosely hanging ceiling tiles above me. again i am seized with a horrible sense that a tile is going to fall on my head, killing me instantly. once again i push through the unease i was feeling and decide a breast stroke that keeps the tiles 'out of sight, out of mind' was better suited for the occasion.

3 life guards were on duty and for the 20 minutes i had been in the pool, all 3 had their backs to the water for every minute. each were between 16-19, 2 giggly girls and 1 dopey boy. the thrilling conversion that kept their attention from their responsibility was all about how drunk they were going to get that night. the boy, who had just finished eating a banana, proceeded to throw the banana peel on the pool deck and pretended to slip over it in a comical fashion. unfortunately for him, he left the peel on the floor to resume the banter and then indeed slipped on the banana peel. ass over tits, splayed out on the pool deck. i hope he gets athletes foot on his face.

this was strike 3 for ilford pools. i promptly left.

oooooo

2008-04-07T19:51:00.002+01:00

look what i just stumbled upon! it took me a second to realise why someone would post a picture of crumpled pieces of paper.

recipe of the week: fishcakes

2008-04-07T18:32:00.004+01:00

do you have some left over fish or potato that you don't know what to do with? make fishcakes. ensure everything is cooked before assembling, this way you just need to get a bit of colour on the fishcakes without worrying about getting them cooked through. use this recipe as a bit of inspiration and put anything that you have leftover into them.

1 or 2 potatoes, cooked and mashed with some butter and salt
1 or 2 fillets of cooked fish, flaked (i used a lovely smoked haddock)
2-4 bacon rashers, chopped and fried crispy
handful chives, chopped
2T capers, chopped
1 lemon or lime, juiced and zested

mix everything together, gently.
form into patties.
chill for 15 minutes or overnight.
heat a splash of butter and olive oil in a large fry pan until sizzling.
add the fishcakes and fry for 3-4 minutes a side, ensuring a nice golden brown crust.
serve with a herby, creamy sauce. *add a variety of fresh chopped herbs - like dill, parsley and mint - along with a good squeeze of lime or lemon, plus the zest to some creme fresh or sour cream or mayonnaise.

seriously, what season is it?

2008-04-06T12:40:00.004+01:00

this is my back garden. the snow shows not sign of stopping. i was wearing cropped trousers, flip flops and a t-shirt 2 days ago and i was all hot and sweaty from walking around in the sun. yesterday was 10 degrees.

the saying goes...april showers bring may flowers....not, april snow showers kill may flowers. luckily i remembered to take in my potted plants that i put outside for some spring sunshine yesterday.

this is not right, i should not have woken up to this. as i can tell there was little to no warning for this snow shower either. i watched the news before going to bed and the weather prediction for today was sunny intervals with the possibility of sleety showers. there was no call for big, fat, thick snowflakes falling from large, dense, white clouds.

recipe of the week: pancetta wrapped salmon stuffed with saffron rice

2008-04-01T13:24:00.006+01:00

this amount of effort required for this dish is not justified by the taste. it's very tastey, but you could really avoid stuffing the salmon and just serving the rice on the side. but that would probably effect cooking times, so be warned. and the lovely coral colour of the rice is lost when it's cooked for a second time in the salmon.

saffron rice

400ml of vegetable stock
large pinch of saffron
190-200ml of long grain rice
dollop of butter
pinch of salt
3T chopped fresh herbs of your choice (like tarragon, chives, and mint)
1 lime, zested and juiced

bring the stock, saffron and salt to a boil.
stir in rice and bring back to a boil, stir, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes, still covered.
uncover and fork through butter, lime and herbs.

pancetta wrapped salmon

4 skinless, boneless salmon fillets (pay the extra to have the fish skinned as skinning raw fish is not fun)
14-18 strips of pancetta
some of the saffron rice

preheat the oven to 200C/392F.
lay 5-7 pancetta slices on your cutting board so that they overlap.
place 1 salmon fillet on the pancetta.
place a few spoonfuls of saffron rice on the fillets and press down, top with another salmon fillet.
wrap the pancetta up around the salmon and rice parcels, using an extra pancetta slice or 2 to ensure everything meets up.
bake for 35-40 minutes or until cooked through.
cover in foil once removed from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
cut into thick slices and serve with extra rice.

recipe of the week: coriander and cashew pesto

2008-03-30T16:13:00.005+01:00

lydia provided a great link in a recent post for ideas about what to do with left over fresh herbs. this coincides nicely with my lastest cooking triumph as idea number 8 is to make your own pesto. i saw this recipe on a cooking show the other day. you don't need a blender to make pesto, although it quickens the process. you just need a large shrap knife and my pestle and mortar did come in handy for the nuts.

large bunch of coriander
large handful of cashews
goodly grating of hard italian cheese (i used romano)
splash of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

chop the coriander as finely as you can stand.
crush or chop the cahsews quite finely but leaving some chunky texture.
mix the chopped coriander, cashews, cheese and salt and pepper.
stir in enough olive oil to loosen the mixture without making it soupy.
serve with pasta or grilled fish or meat.

earth hour

2008-03-29T19:43:00.002Z

earth hour, i almost forgot! luckily i read this article about 60 things to do during earth hour with 20 minutes to go...

alex and i think we'll start out with a number 16, followed by number 24...which will lead nicely into number 26 and then we'll finish the evening with number 19.

what are you going to do?

have fun!

recipe of the week: coronation chicken

2008-03-29T18:28:00.004Z

if you ever come to england and see coronation chicken sandwich advertised in a greasy spoon, i'd recommend passing it over in favour of a bacon or chip butty. but if you have some spare curry paste at home that you don't know what to do with then i would suggest making new age coronation chicken. this whole meal took me less than an hour from getting everything out of the fridge to sitting and eating. it's ridiculously flavourful and a meal that will impress anyone you make it for as it seems so much more difficult than it is.

1T medium curry paste (i used a beautiful thai green curry paste)
1 lemon, juiced and zested
8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
enough rice for everyone you're cooking for
2T double cream (or mayonaise or sour cream or creme fresh)
1 to 5 spoonfuls of mango chutney (or as much as you like depending on how sweet you want the sauce)
150g pot of natural yogurt
12 dried apricots, chopped
1/2 apple, cored, chopped
handful of coriander, chopped

preheat the oven to 230C/445F. i know that's hot...but it works.
mix half the curry paste with the lemon juice and toss with the chicken, rubbing in well.
roast chicken, skin side up, for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
cook the rice according to the package.
mix remaining curry paste in a bowl with double cream, chutney and yogurt.
mix cooked rice with lemon zest, apricot, apple and coriander.
serve chicken, drizzled with sauce, and a heap of rice.

this recipe will not disappoint you.

easter appetizer: apricots wrapped in bacon

2008-03-25T20:54:00.003Z

on easter sunday the final episode of the bbc drama 'the passion' was on and i got a little wrapped up in it (jesus did resurrect after all) and forgot about the things in the oven...so some of it got a little over cooked. nothing was burned to in-edible...just pleasantly charred. let that be a lesson to you all.

5 dried apricots per person
bacon rashers cut in half, one rasher per 2 apricots
sprinkling of dried oregano

preheat oven to 165C/325F.
sprinkle the oregano over the apricots.
wrap each apricot in a bacon rasher.
slow roast them in the oven for the last 30-45 minutes of the lamb's cooking time.
crank up the oven to 200C/395F and finish roasting the bacon and apricots for 10 minutes or until crispy.

easter dinner: beans, basil and cashews

2008-03-25T20:48:00.002Z

this can mostly be made well in advance and finished at the last minute.

handful of green beans per person, trimmed
handful of fresh basil, chopped
handful of salted cashews, chopped
knob of butter for frying

steam the beans until tender.
melt the butter in a fry pan, take off the heat.
add the beans, basil and cashews to the pan and reheat for a few minutes when everything else is just about ready.

easter dinner: courgette and potato fritters

2008-03-25T20:38:00.003Z

once again, i got a little distracted while these were in the oven...

1 large courgette, grated
2-3 large potatoes, grated
handful of fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper
lemon. zested and juiced
splash of oil for frying

place grated potato and courgette in a tea towel and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.
mix courgette, potato, basil, lemon, salt and pepper.
form into palm sized patties and fry on both sides until browned.
place on a baking tray and bake for the last 30-45 minutes of the lamb's time.
crank the oven up to 200C/395F to crisp up the fritters for 10 minutes while the lamb rests.

easter dinner: roasted leg of lamb

2008-03-25T20:13:00.005Z

vegetarians look away now. i will admit that i gagged a little when handling the raw leg. it was all too overwhelming to be holding a dead lamb's leg. but the carnivore in me really enjoyed eating the tender and succulent meat.

1 (5 pound) bone-in lamb leg
14 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried sage
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup red wine (plus a little extra)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 lemon for roasting
pinch of salt and pepper

rinse and dry lamb well.
grate 8 cloves garlic and place in a sturdy plastic bag large enough to hold the lamb.
add 4t each of oregano and sage, 1/4 cup of oil, wine, zest and lemon juice.
place lamb in marinade, turning to coat well on all sides; cover and refrigerate overnight, give it a squeeze and turn every few hours.

preheat oven to 165C/325F.
grate remaining 6 cloves of garlic and stir together with remaining 2t of each oregano and sage.
remove lamb from marinade and pierce in several places with the tip of a sharp knife.
rub garlic-herb mixture over lamb, pressing into incisions.
coat with remaining oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan.
pour some of the marinade, splash of wine and more lemon juice into the bottom of the pan...add water if it gets dry during cooking.
roast, uncovered, for 2 hours (25-30 minutes per pound for medium, 30-35 minutes per pound for well done) i went for medium and it was more like medium rare so you may want to try a different time/temperature.
cover loosely with foil and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

the whole meal. remember, don't get distracted by easter tv while cooking as things can get a little charred...

easter dessert: meringue nests

2008-03-25T19:48:00.004Z

meringue is so easy to make! you just need some muscles in your whipping arm. i found this website useful.

5 egg whites at room temperature
spoonful of cream of tartar
pinch of salt
caster sugar to taste (at least 2T per egg white but no more than 1/4C per egg white) i used about 3/4C and they were a little sweet

preheat the oven to 165C/325F and line a baking tray (or 2) with parchment paper (parchment is VERY important), lightly oil the parchment.
whip egg whites until slightly frothy and fluffy.
add the salt and cream of tartar and continue whipping until soft peaks begin to emerge.
add the sugar a couple spoonfuls at a time and continue to whisk vigorously; ensure each addition of sugar has dissolved before adding the next. you can tell if the sugar has dissolved by rubbing a touch of egg white between your fingers, if it feels gritty then the sugar has not yet dissolved.
whip like your life depends on it until you get as hard a peak as you can bear. my peaks were still floppy but my arms were so tired that i gave up.
scoop piles of meringue onto the greased parchment and create a little divet in the middle for the 'nest effect'. there won't be much spreading while baking so you can place the piles a little closer together than you would with cookies. i got 8 good sized meringue blobs out of this recipe. make sure you fluff and ruffle the surface of the blobs, this gives you a variety of crunchy and chewy and soft textures.
bake for 1 and a half to 3 hours, watching the brown-ness factor.
cool on a wire rack and then peel from the parchment.
serve somewhat immediately and fill the nest with mini eggs.

merry christmas?

2008-03-23T13:35:00.006Z

i'm all confused about which catholic feast it is, what with all the snow that's falling. the snow isn't settling in many places but it's surely falling quite thickly.

snow is falling

but not really settling

happy easter anyways.

today truly will be a feast day....it all starts with egg and soldiers...check back for more feasty details.

note to self

2008-03-22T19:02:00.004Z

when grating the ginger for a yummy thai pork burger...keep your fingers clear of the sharp, sharp, metal teeth because grating part of your finger into the mix is not only painful but pretty gross for everyone who is eating your recipe. luckily i was just cooking for alex and i and alex will eat anything, although i didn't tell him i had grated my finger into the burger until after dinner.

don't be fooled by these apparently small cuts. they go deep. my god how they sting!

recipe of the week: thai pork burgers

2008-03-22T15:56:00.003Z

this is the yummiest, quickest and easiest thing i've made in a while.

relish

cucumber, seeded and small dice
avacado, small dice
half a lemon, zested and juiced
small bit of the grated ginger you'll be using in the burgers

mix everything together and allow to sit while you make the burgers.

thai pork burger

400g ground pork
small bunch of corrinader, chopped
1 egg yolk
1T thai green curry paste
other half of the lemon, zested and juiced
thumb sized chuck of ginger, grated
small splash of oil for frying

mix everything (but the oil) together with your hands until well combined.
form into 4 patties.
fry on a medium/high heat in a pan with a small splash of oil, 5 minutes a side or until cooked through.
rest cooked burgers for a minute on paper towel before assembling

i served the burgers with some corn chips and salsa. it was yum.

food loop

2008-03-10T18:14:00.003Z

everyone should order some of these food loops. i use them quite regularly for a variety of purposes; tying together a bouquet garni, holding a stuffed trout closed, keeping a stuffed pork roll rolled...the list is long.

unfortunately the picture of my roast pork from last night somehow disappeared from my camera but didn't appear on my computer, so you cannot see the food loop in action - or the stellar crackling i cooked.

swanage: part 2 - the meal

2008-03-05T18:01:00.012Z

our valentine's meal at ocean bay restaurant was not as good as it could have been but the atmosphere and occassion were perfect. an evening stroll along the beach, me wearing a new dress....alex looking smart in his suit. the restaurant was beautiful and cosy and romantic. the tables were dressed simply with a single red rose and cupid confetti. everything was wonderful...until they showed us the special valentine's menu. i guess it was foolish of me to check out ocean bay's website in advance as i was then anticipating their regular menu, which sounds fantastic!

tuna sushami - pickled beetroot, cucumber & peppers – soy & honey dressing - yes please.

roast fillet of salmon - lobster & shallot potatoes – lobster bisque - tempura tiger prawn - house salad - bring it to me.

rhubarb crème brulee - coconut & papaya shortbread - yum-o.

but none of that was to be.

the menu started out well....complimentary cocktails and hor d'oeurves.

some sort of mouse/pate on heart shaped toast topped with a red current. roast vegetables in a won ton cup. smoked salmon topped with creme fresh and cavier on a cracker. my cocktail was champange and orange juice. it was all very tasty.

alex and i both started with seared scallops on a bed of pureed cauliflower with a balsamic and bacon reduction. balsamic, bacon and scallops? a stroke of genuis. the bitter and too smooth cauliflower puree? blech. the scallops were perfectly cooked, and almost melted in your mouth and the bacon was every so slightly crispy, it was a great contrast. i suppose the bitter flavour of the cauliflower is the contrast to sweet and salty of everything else, but i would have much preferred either no bed or a different bed for my scallops. maybe something with a bit of bite or chunk.

next up was a steak with pureed butternut squash, roasted root vegetables and red wine jus. the roasted vegetables were overcooked to mush and the butternut squash was once again pureed until baby food smooth. it was piped onto the plate in a distinctly 'dog crap' shape. how unfortunate. the steak was cooked perfectly but was a little chewy. everything tasted good but felt the same in my mouth...i'm a fan of texture to my food.

alex picked the better dish....oh why must i hate mushrooms? he had a quail (or was it pheasant?) stuffed with wild mushrooms on a bed of sweet chestnut risotto with a sauce of something and some sort of roasted vegetables on top. sorry i don't remember the details. his dish had contrasting flavours and textures. buttery fowl, slightly spongy and firm risotto with crunchy bits of chestnut and squishy vegetables. it was yummy.

i forgot to take pictures of the desserts. and i cannot remember what alex had, there were many components. i do remember fresh strawberries and ice cream in a crunchy waffle basket. i had the local cheese platter and it was very enjoyable. a sharp cheddar, creamy bree, a stinky blue, and a hard and soft goat's cheese. there was a local ale apple chutney the likes i've never tasted before along with a variety of interesting biscuits. the cheese plate was really the highlight of the whole meal.

it was valentine's day and i was with the man i enjoy most and i can't ask for more than that but the meal was just not as good as it could have been.

swanage: part 1

2008-03-04T20:55:00.006Z

i'm all behind and out of touch with the world of blogging. i want to tell you all about my valentine's on the jurassic coast of england so step into my time machine and let's take a little trip back to the year 2008, february 2008. .:*{""}*:.
alex arranged for us to go to swanage for a few days. it is a beautiful seaside town on the south coast of england. the sun was shining, the wind was not too fierce, the temperate was unseasonably warm, everything was wonderful. can you guess why it's called the jurassic coast?

because of all the fossils! alex and i each found an ammonite in the soft, sandy beach. how exciting!

well we thought it was pretty exciting until we saw bowls of them in the shops on sale for 50p. that's how common they are.

coming tomorrow....the valentine's meal....

recipe of the week: hot chocolate

2008-03-03T18:00:00.006Z

it's cold outside and the weatherman is predicting snow for the 5th of march. what do you do? make hot chocolate. you really don't need me to type out a recipe....but i'm gonna anyways.

enough milk to fill a mug
4 squares of good quality chocolate (i used lindt, with a hint of mint for extra zing)
mini marshmallows or some honey to sweeten

slowly heat the milk on the stove.
break in the chocolate and whisk until melted and heated through.
add the honey if using and continue to whisk.
serve in a mug with marshmallows floating on top.

bundle up in your fluffiest dressing gown and enjoy the hot chocolatey goodness!

spoon the hot chocolate into your mouth if it's too hot.

recipe of the week: roasted vegetables and salmon

2008-03-02T21:16:00.004Z

this is my favourite meal at the moment. one pot, quick, healthy, and oh so yummy.

handful of new potatoes per person, halved
1 courgette, sliced thin-ish
1 salmon fillet per person
1 lime, sliced thin-ish, leaving a small wedge for squeezing
handful of various seeds ( i get a great 7 seed mix that has pumpkin, hemp, fennel, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, and caraway...i can recommend one or all of those)
splash olive oil
sprinkling of salt and pepper

preheat your oven to quite high. 190/200C or 375/390F.
toss the potatoes with some olive oil, salt and pepper in a large roasting tray.
roast potatoes for 20-25 minutes.
flip around the partially cooked potatoes and then cover with a layer of courgette. place the salmon fillets on top of that, lay the lime over the salmon and sprinkle the seeds over everything.
roast for another 20-25 minutes.
serve with a squeeze of fresh lime.

happy pancake day.

2008-02-05T18:47:00.000Z

yes indeed, shrove tuesday is upon us, before you know it will be easter. wasn't it just christmas? i hope you all are eating pancakes for dinner tonight! i have eaten pancakes 3 times today. nice. i'm certainly gaining the taste for british pancakes - bascially a crepe with lots of lemon and sugar.

i have some cute pictures of the kids flipping pancakes...but i left my camera at school, so you'll just have to wait for the cuteness.

the tales of beedle the bard

2007-12-14T19:49:00.000Z

you only need to read this post if you enjoy harry potter.

amazon uk has just purchased (for nearly 2 million pounds) one of the seven, un-published, hand written, hand illustrated copies of 'the tales of beedle the bard' - translated from the original runes - by j.k. rowling. this is the book dumbledore bequeathed to hermione; it contains 'the tale of the three brothers' which is the only beedle bard tale retold in the deathly hallows. there are 4 other tales and now amazon is trying to figure out how to let the world at large hear them. they've given a review of 'the wizard and the hopping pot' on their website.

i enjoy the photography of the book on display.

chirstmas is all about the kids

2007-12-06T18:42:00.000Z

this is the first year i've had my own class for the christmas period (as i floated around the other classes for the first term in past years). so this is the first year where i've been able to decorate my own classroom. my mission: to make it look like santa has thrown up over everything.

this was the first task...paint the windows!

a pot of chicken soup was simmering on the stove

2007-12-04T20:50:00.000Z

i was sad to hear that the urban peasant had died but i was shocked to hear he was 84. i really liked his cooking show and i used one of his cookbooks quite often. when i started getting interested in cooking, he inspired me by the way he cooked nice food from fresh ingredients easily.

edible bonfire; a step-by-step guide

2007-11-06T19:17:00.000Z

happy bonfire night...yesterday.

rip up a bag of marshmallows and break up a pack of biscuits.

talk to the children about what happens when we add heat to a large bar of chocolate, they won't actually listen to you as they are consumed by the task of ripping the marshmallows and breaking up the biscuits.

mix the melted chocolate with the marshmallows and biscuits, ensuring all hands are in laps as the chocolate is hot. allow to cool for a few hours.

be a tricksy teacher and cut up the hardened goo, add some tissue paper flames and viola! you have a chocolate bonfire!

warm your hands on the flames.

or just start eating.

once the sugar is coursing through your system, dance the afternoon away to cbeebies karaoke.

recipe of the week: stuffed squash

2007-10-15T19:04:00.000+01:00

i'm totally proud of this dinner! i invented it all by myself, hence why my quantities are questionable and the oven temperature is british (celsius?).

stuffed squash

2 acorn squash, halved, pulp and seeds removed
olive oil

chicken thighs, cubed
sprinkling of garlic and onion powder
heaped spoonful of mascarpone or other cream cheese

1C cooked rice
hearty shake of breadcrumbs
goodly grating of parmesan
a few shakes of garlic and onion powders
some salt

preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
brush olive oil over the halved squashes and lightly salt.
place face down a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes, or until a knife easily pierces the flesh.
remove squash from oven and turn heat down to 180 degrees.

fry the chicken thighs with a bit of salt and some of the garlic and onion powder.
stir in the cream cheese when chicken is cooked through and remove from heat.

mix the rice, breadcrumbs, parmesan, and seasonings.
add the cooked chicken and cream cheese.
spoon mixture into the cooked squashes.
cover in more breadcrumbs and parmesan.
bake for 10 minutes or until slightly golden and crunchy on top.

recipe of the week: pumpkin cheesecake

2007-10-14T19:15:00.000+01:00

it's really time i give credit where credit is due. i've taken all my pumpkin recipes from joy of baking. 3 winning baked goods in a row.

crust

150g ginger snap cookies, crushed finely
4-5T butter, melted

mix ground cookies and butter together.
press into a 8 inch spring form pan.
chill while you make the cheesecake batter.

pumpkin cheesecake

2/3C light brown sugar
1/2t ground cinnamon
1/4t ground ginger
1/8t ground clove
1/8t ground nutmeg
1/4t salt

454g cream cheese
3 large eggs
1C pumpkin puree

preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place a loaf tin, half full of water, on the bottom shelf to moisten the air during baking.
mix the sugar and all the spices in a small bowl.
beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and soft.
add the sugar mixture until creamy and smooth.
add the eggs one at a time and ensure each egg is well incorporated before adding the next. i found beating the egg in a cup first, helped the mixing process.
mix in the pumpkin puree.
pour the pumpkin mixture over the chilled ginger crumb base in the 8 inch spring form pan.
bake for 30 minutes.
turn down the heat to 325 degrees and continue cooking for another 10-20 minutes, or until the edge of the cake has puffed but the centre is still wobbly when shaken.
make the sour cream topping.

sour cream topping

1C sour cream
1/4C sugar

whisk together.
pour over the baked cheesecake, swirl the pan to ensure even distribution.
bake for another 8 minutes to set the topping.
place on a wire rack, slide a knife around the edge of the cake to release from the side of the pan, cover in tinfoil to ensure the cheesecake cools slowly.
chill for a couple hours once the cheesecake has cooled on the rack fully.

recipe of the week: mascarpone and pumpkin torte

2007-10-13T19:52:00.000+01:00

yes, i'm still on the pumpkin bandwagon. remember when i made a mascarpone and lime torte? well i had a little left over pumpkin puree so i left out the lime and tried the pumpkin mixed with the mascarpone. yum. i only made 2 ramekins worth (in case it was no good) so my measurements were a little random. i'm just going to assume the pumpkin pie spice quantities would work...

watch this space *tomorrow=pumpkin cheese cake*

mascarpone and pumpkin torte

200g pack ginger biscuits, crushed
50g butter, melted
2 x 250g tubs mascarpone cheese
1C pumpkin puree (this is really a guess)
40g icing sugar, sifted
1t ground cinnamon
1/2t ground ginger
1/8t ground clove

18 inch spring form pan or 6-8 ramekins

mix together the crushed biscuits and the butter and press it into the base of your chosen dish.
whip together the mascarpone cheese, icing sugar, pumpkin and spices .
spread cheese over the biscuit base.
chill for 30 minutes.

recipe of the week: pumpkin scones

2007-10-07T17:49:00.000+01:00

i am loving the flavour of pumpkin. i had a little left over pumpkin puree...not enough for muffins, cake or pie...so i decided to make some scones, something i have never tried before. they turned out light and fluffy and crunchy and flakey all at once. wow. i am having a excellent weekend for baking!

pumpkin scone

2C flour 1/3C light or dark brown sugar
1/2t ground ginger
1/2t ground cinnamon
1t baking powder
1/4t salt
1/2C cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3C buttermilk *if you don't have buttermilk follow the recipe below and make your own*
1/2C fresh or canned pure pumpkin puree (if using canned pumpkin make sure there are no spices or sugar added)

topping

1 egg mixed with a splash of milk
brown sugar for sprinkling
whole nutmeg for grating

buttermilk
1C milk mixed with 1T cider vinegar, allow to sit for 30 minutes

preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking tray with parchment.
sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt.
combine, in a separate bowl, buttermilk and pumpkin puree.
cut cubed butter into flour mixture using a pastry mixer or 2 knives. the mixture will eventually resemble course meal. i used my hands a bit as well when i was annoyed with the lack of progress.
combine the flour and pumpkin mixtures and gently fold until just mixed. the mixture will be very crumbly.
pour out onto a floured board and gently kneed until the dough comes together into a ball. do NOT over work the dough!
form the ball into a flat circle about 7 inches across.
cut circle in half and then each half into 3 wedges.
place wedges on baking tray, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with brown sugar and freshly grated nutmeg.
bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top.
cool on a wire rack.
serve with butter.

happy thanksgiving

2007-10-06T18:49:00.000+01:00

think of me at school while all you canadians enjoy your bank holiday.

here's what i made for my thanksgiving dinner with alex.

recipe of the week: stuffed turket breasts

2007-10-06T18:37:00.000+01:00

1 turkey breast per person, butterflied *i could only find turkey breast steaks...so i sandwiched the stuffing between turkey*
cranberry stuffing *i used packaged but added extra dried cranberries*
3 pancetta or streaky bacon slices per breast.

preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
prepare stuffing according to directions or recipe.
stuff the sticky stuffing into the butterflied turkey breasts and wrap back up.
wrap the pancetta slices around the breasts.
bake for 30 minutes.

recipe of the week: thyme mashed potatoes

2007-10-06T18:32:00.000+01:00

5 large mashing potatoes, peeled
1 bunch lemon thyme
1/2C heavy cream
dollop of butter

boil the potatoes and most of the lemon thyme until the cooked through.
strip leaves from the remaining thyme stalks.
drain potatoes well and remove the thyme stalks.
mash the potatoes with cream, butter and reserved thyme leaves.

recipe of the week: beans and bacon

2007-10-06T18:27:00.000+01:00

handful of pancetta, cubed
handful of green beans, trimmed

add pancetta to cold frying pan and bring up to a medium-high heat.
fry until mostly crisp.
add the green beans and continue frying until beans are desired tenderness.

recipe of the week: pumpkin pie

2007-10-06T18:01:00.000+01:00

this a step-by-step photographic guide to making pumpkin pie from scratch. something i have never done before...well, i didn't make it entirely from scratch...

start with an edible pumpkin.

remove the seeds and pulp, lightly oil the edge of the pumpkin, place face down on a baking tray and roast at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (or longer depending on the size) a knife should easily pierce the roasted pumpkin.

remove the soft pumpkin flesh and puree until smooth. place puree in a dish cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as you can. allow to cool before using.

prepare a short crust pastry and place it into a 9 inch pie dish. *i admit that i did not make the pastry, i used a frozen variety.* chill the pie crust for 30 minutes.

whisk 3 eggs in a bowl and then add all the other ingredients; 2C pumpkin puree, 1/2C heavy cream, 1/2C light brown sugar, 1t cinnamon, 1/8t clove, 1/2t ginger and 1/2t salt.

scoop the pumpkin batter into the chilled pie crust and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

cool on a wire rack.

if you have the time or patience you can use the left over crust to make shapes and decorations.

get in some muscle power to whip up some cream. but beware: if whipped too vigorously for too long you get curds and whey. blech.
*erin: please note your tea towel in the background*

serve a slice of pie with a dollop of cream. YUMMY!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

recipe of the week: mascarpone and lime torte

2007-10-05T17:55:00.001+01:00

this is basically a no-bake cheese cake. so quick, so easy, so yummy!

mascarpone and lime torte

200g pack ginger biscuits, crushed
50g butter, melted
2 x 250g tubs mascarpone cheese
40g icing sugar, sifted
2 limes, finely grated zested and juiced

18 inch spring form pan or 6-8 ramekins

mix together the crushed biscuits and the butter and press it into the base of your chosen dish.
whip together the mascarpone cheese, icing sugar and lime zest and juice.
spread cheese over the biscuit base.
chill for 30 minutes.

in rainbows

2007-10-03T20:54:00.000+01:00

radiohead is about to release their new album. you can pre-order it on the internet.

you decide how much you want to pay for the album.

what a freaking brilliant idea.

recipe of the week: squash and chicken curry

2007-10-02T21:11:00.000+01:00

squash seeds

preheat oven to medium-high.
seperate the squash seeds from the pulp.
toss seeds with oil, salt and pepper and any spices you like - garlic powder, chili powder, anything.
toast seeds in the oven until crunchy, checking and stirring them every 10 minutes.

thai-style curry

splash of vegetable oil
skinless, boneless, chicken cut into chunks (or not for vegetarians)
2 red chillies, de-seeded and minced
2inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1-2 stalks lemongrass, chopped finely
big bunch of coriander, stalks chopped and leaves reserved
3 garlic cloves, grated or crushed
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 tins of coconut milk
handful of sugar snap peas
1-2 limes, zested and juiced

heat oil in a wok until slightly smoking.
add the chicken and cook until just coloured (do not cook through!) and remove to a plate.
add chillies, ginger, lemongrass, coriander stalks, and garlic to wok. cook for a minute, stirring continuously.
add squash, cook for a minute.
add coconut milk, cover, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
add chicken back to the wok, simmer for 5 minutes.
add the sugar snap peas and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
remove from the heat, stir in the lime zest and juice.
serve over rice, sprinkle coriander leaves and squash seeds over the top.

i mixed chopped mint into my rice as my mint bush is growing out of control and it was a nice addition.

recipe of the week: lime cupcakes

2007-09-10T21:44:00.000+01:00

UPDATE: these are really quite wonderful. make them.

cupcake

1C unsalted butter, room temp
2C sugar
4 large eggs, room temp
1C milk
2-3 fresh limes juiced and zested
2 3/4C all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
pinch salt

preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin with cupcake papers.
cream butter and sugar and then add eggs one at a time.
stir in the milk, lime juice and zest. don't worry if the batter takes on a curd like consistency.
combine all the dry ingredients in a seperate bowl and add to the wet in 3 additions.
spoon into the cupcake papers and almost fill to the top.
bake for 15-20 minutes.

frosting

1/2C unsalted butter, very soft
4C confectioners' (icing) sugar
1/4C milk
1 fresh lime juiced and zested

combine butter, milk, lime and 1 C icing sugar and beat until smooth.
add more and more icing sugar until you get the desired thickness.
smother your cupcakes in icing!

chivalry is still alive in my bedroom

2007-09-09T13:32:00.000+01:00

how wonderful is my boy?

anyone who knows me is aware of my intense fear of spiders indoors. it's an irrational and overwhelming phobia. alex knows this and he overcame his own shock and horror when faced with an 8 legged monster in the middle of the night. he protected my sleep from the nightmarish reality that a gargantuan spider probably walked right beside my head while i dreamed. i woke up in the end to the whirr of my wind up torch but was truly unaware of his bravery until i saw the pictures last night. read all about it!

who has $200 to spare?

2007-09-01T23:06:00.000+01:00

al gore is going to victoria! i've seen him speak (via tv) in london and i've heard him on the radio. i'm sad i'm missing out, although i couldn't afford the $200 ticket price even if i was in victoria.

thank my lucky stars

2007-08-29T00:39:00.000+01:00

3 cheers for my dad and his insomnia! i left it up to fate as to whether or not i would see the lunar eclipse. and sure enough, the universe wanted me to photogrpah it as my dad woke up me at around 3 am.

here's a picture from the lunar eclipse visible in london back in march.

i forgot my tripod so the rest of my photos from march are all horrible and fuzzy. but i had my tripod last night!

the other reason i came home

2007-08-28T05:35:00.000+01:00

robin and jonathan got married! i am so wonderfully happy (and only partially jealous) for them. i've never been to a more beautiful wedding. unfortunately (for me) they have moved to vancouver so i'm going to be a bit lost this year without them.

robin was absolutely glowing. it was a completely spectacular day!

and the best part? i got to dance around all night with damien, he flew all the way over from australia for the wedding! it was just like old times back at g-a-y in london. he is pictured here with sarah, another candian teacher who found their way to england.

the reason i came home

2007-08-20T22:45:00.000+01:00

my aunt sandra was married to (my new) uncle lloyd! it was all very wonderful. the wedding and reception was a fairly small affair at their home with family and close friends. my mum, darlene, was maid of honour and lloyd's neighbor, ranjit, was best man. my dad gave sandra away and i was the photographer. it was just grand! i'll post some pictures to flickr.

i'm coming home

2007-08-01T22:29:00.000+01:00

i'll be arriving in victoria in about 25 hours...

i'll be in touch when the jet lag wears off....

recipe of the week: butterless brownies

2007-07-31T11:59:00.000+01:00

you can actually use butter for this recipe but i didn't have enough...

1/2C vegetable oil or melted butter
1C sugar
1 t mint extract
2 eggs
1/2C all purpose flour
1/3C cocoa
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease a 9inch square pan and coat in cocoa.
mix oil and sugar in large bowl, add mint and eggs.
mix, in seperate bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
sift the dry ingredients into the wet gradually and mix thoroughly after each addition.
pour batter into baking pan.
bake for 20-25 mins or until brownies start to come away from the sides.
cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

i haven't actually tried the brownies yet as they have just come out of the oven. but smell and look tells me this recipe is a winner. if it's not, this post will magically disappear...

recipe of the week: duck wraps

2007-07-30T21:31:00.000+01:00

i've had so much good food recently...i've just been really quite lame in sharing the joy. here's the first of many to come.

duck wraps

1 duck breast per person
your favourite wrap - tortilla, rice, etc
cucumber sliced long and thin
hoisin sacue - i was lucky enough to use wagamama's spicy cherry hoisin sauce

preheat a grill pan to medium and place duck breast skin side down.
cook for 12-15 minutes, draining away fat when needed (keep the fat and roast potatos in it!).
turn the breast and cook for 5-7 mins.
turn the breast again and crank the heat for 3 mins - or so - to get the skin crispy.
allow duck to rest and cool for at least 10 minutes if not longer and then slice thinly. the meat should be slightly pink.
assemble wraps with duck, sauce and cucumber.

salad dressing

4 limes, zested and juiced
spoonful of powdered mustard
splash of soy sauce
minced garlic
grated ginger
olive oil (double the amount of the lime juice)

whisk the first 5 ingredients and then drizzle in the oil, continually whisking.
toss with favourite salad fixings.

edible seaside: a step by step guide

2007-07-12T18:04:00.000+01:00

i was proclaimed the 'best teacher ever' today all because we made an edible seaside.

we made the blue jelly yesterday and let it set in the fridge overnight....

we crushed up some digestive biscuits really finely to make the sand...

we mashed up the set jelly to give our ocean a 'choppy' appearance....

we carefully pushed our beach to one side and spooned on the sea...

we then squelched the sea into place, with our fingers of course...

we then added jelly fish and jelly people...

some of us had a little difficulty opening our cocktail parasols...

and then we were done...

all that was left to do was tuck in!!