the tales of beedle the bard

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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.