From the archives: Bicycle soup!

During my forty odd years of eating I have been served many different kinds of soup: veggie soup, soup with meatballs and rice, shark fin soup, soup with farm animals, dinosaurs, smurfs, stars, etc. Never in all my living days did I think I would get to taste bicycle soup!

Well, here is a photograph of just that:

If you have sharp eyes you will be able to see that on this particular day we were running short of matching cutlery!

Mince pies

As I said in a post a few days ago, I do like mince pies. I made some at the weekend, not without problems! My fluted pastry cutter had gone rusty so I had to use a glass to cut the shapes out. The glass was the biggest I have but still a little too small for the purpose and the cut pastry stuck in the glass each time!

Still, they taste delicious, it seems. I haven't tried one yet but there is always a self - appointed official taster on hand to make sure the goodies I cook are O.K. before they are served!

Actually, these are mince tarts, not pies, as they don't have a lid!

Reading the Bible

Every Christian should read their Bible on a daily basis. Some people read before the rest of the house is awake, some choose to wait till the other end of the day and others find a few minutes after lunch when the babes are napping.

Sometimes life gets chaotic and you can never keep a real routine. It is often difficult to find a while during the day to sit down and spend some time with the Lord. It is then when it becomes useful to be able to "keep tabs" on what and where you are reading.

I found this link at the beginning of this year and it truly has been very useful. Now I know exactly what I have read and don't waste precious moments trying to find where I left off last time. It also helps one to see which are the less read books, and to read those, too, especially if you don't follow the "beginning to end" order of books.

It can also be very useful for you to keep an eye on what your younger ones are reading. It is encouraging for them to be able to slash what they have just read but they must understand that they are not reading their Bibles just to be able to have more slashes than their siblings.

I would like to insist that it is far better to read three or four verses and understand them, than to read five chapters and have no idea of their message.

Here is the link:

http://blog.betterthansacrifice.org/?s=reading+chart&submit=Search

From the archives: Autumn

Neatly pruned vineyards and a typical hamlet in the distance.

Where God is

Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.  Deuteronomy 4:39

Where is God? Unbelievers sometimes ask it contemptuously, while believers ask it when overwhelmed by tragedy, trial and sorrow. Where is God? Let the Bible tell you:

God is above His people:  "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler."  Psalm 91:1-4

Beneath His people: "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them."  Deuteronomy 33:27

Before His people: "And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night."  Exodus 13:21

Behind His people: "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left"  Isaiah 30:21

 Around His people: "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."  Psalm 34:7

With His people: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."  Isaiah 41:10

"(...) and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."  Matthew 28:2

And within His people: "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."  John 14:23

Be assured that whatever your circumstance God is above, beneath, before, behind, around, with, and within you.   W. Ross Rainey

Through days of toil when heart doth fail,

God will take care of you. -Civilla D. Martin

Borrowed from this blog with permission:  http://www.dreamymaygirl.blogspot.com.es/

Munchy Monday #25: Profiteroles

A week ago today Hubby turned half a century old! We celebrated the occasion, due to circumstances, on the Saturday before.

Here is the menu:

1st course:
Tomato soup with crisps, peanuts, pistachio nuts, roasted broad beans and a green salad in the centre of the table

2nd course:
Roasted pork cheek served with steamed broccoli

Dessert: 
Profiterole birthday tower, made with 50 profiteroles!

Nobody thought of taking a photo of the whole meal, just the dessert.

Here is how to make them:

For the pastry:
50 g butter/margarine
150 ml water
65 g plain (all purpose) flour, sifted
2 medium eggs, beaten

Chocolate sauce:
175 g plain cooking chocolate
150 ml water
1 tsp. instant coffee granules
125 g sugar

Filling:
1 tblsp. icing sugar, sifted
2 - 3 drops vanilla essence
170 ml whipping cream

Method:

Preheat oven to 220º C.
Melt the fat in a large pan, add water and bring to boil. Add flour all at once and beat until the mixture leaves the side of the pan. Cool slightly, and add the eggs, a little at a time, beating vigorously. Put the mixture in a piping bag with 1 cm nozzle, and pipe small mounds on a dampened baking sheet. Gently press down the "crest" of each mound using a dampened knife.
Bake for 10 mins. and lower oven temp. to 190. Bake for a further 20 - 25 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, gently melt together the chocolate, instant coffee and 2 tblsps. of water in a small pan. Add remaining water and sugar and heat gently until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 mins. and leave to cool.
To prepare the filling, just whisk the cream until stiff, adding icing sugar and vanilla drops. Pipe a small quantity of cream into the centre of each profiterole, pile them on a serving plate and pour chocolate sauce over the top.

This recipe will make 20 profiteroles. 

A luverly cup o' tea

There is nothing more cheerful than a "luverly cup o' tea" on a frosty morning like this morning.

I don't like real tea. I'm the black sheep of the family. My parents used to drink tea by the gallon! My husband likes his morning cuppa, too.

I prefer fruit infusions as long as they don't contain rooibus! These are my favourites:

Lipton's summer fruit temptation

Then, when my sister came she brought these two with her for me to try:

Sensational! (And purple! What more could one want!)

I pop just one tea bag in my little pot for two and it "does just right" as Mum would have said!

Want to share? There's enough for two!

Mmmm, absolutely marvellous! (Just practising my British!) Now I have to get on with things! I hope you have a happy day.

Note: Just right for elevenses. Posted on the dot!

Look what I found the other day...

I am rather partial to mince pies so imagine my delight when I found this in  Carrefour in Tarragona.

Guess who's going to be doing some baking...

Coughs, colds and other bugs Part 2 - Cure

What you can do if the germs do strike. You can't avoid them altogether and there really is no cure so the best thing is to grin and bear it.
Here is some advice on how to make your grinning a little easier and the bearing more bearable.

# Once you start feeling the sneezes , STOP ALL MILK AND OTHER DAIRY PRODUCTS for at least 2 weeks. Milk irritates mucous membranes in normal circumstances and you will find that this dramatically reduces the quantity of catarrh your body produces. Don't worry about the calcium - it is an element that your body stores. There is calcium in many other foods. Water contains large quantities of calcium, too.

# Drink plenty of water or water - based drinks

# Eat what you fancy. Soups and pureed foods are easier to swallow, cold jellies are soothing for sore throats. Don't let yourself get hungry.

# If children are vomiting, DO NOT GIVE PLAIN WATER. Liquids such as FLAT coca-cola, Aquarius, herbal or lemon teas can be administrated in small sips 1 1/2 hours after the last "session". Water will activate vomiting once more.

# Get as much rest as possible.

# If you can handle the possible headache and creaky bones that come with a fever it is best not to take any medication. The high temperature is there to kill the germs which have entered your body. If you take the temperature down these germs will live longer. Take  paracetamol or ibuprofen only when you can't stand the pace any longer, or if you want a good nights sleep.

# Don't run to the doctor at the first signs of fever. Let at least 24 hours go by and then he/she will be able see a reason for your fever like a throat or an ear infection, bronchitis, etc. I usually wait three days.

# Don't wait to blow noses. Catarrh is a mixture of germs and your body's reaction to them. If you "bubble" all day long, you are giving the germs time to multiply. Cover one nostril and blow through the other, then visa versa. Not such a good idea to blow through the two, squeezing at the same time, which is what many people do. Apart from being almost ineffective, the raised internal pressure can be irritating if you already have a headache.

# Herbal remedies are much safer than chemical ones. Here are two which have been life-savers with our family:

The contents of one capsule on a cloth by the bed will give you the best nights sleep you've had in ages (especially if it's one of the children with the cough!)

Not completely herbal, as such, but still good for stuffed noses and coughs

# A cough, in itself, is not a bad thing. In fact, quite the contrary. It is the body's way of clearing your lungs of unwanted mucous and germs. Having said that, it is much better for your muscles and your throat to "huff" instead of coughing. A dry cough is a complication which can be helped by drinking warm drinks and treating yourself to some steam inhalations, with maybe a little eucalyptus oil in the water.

# Make sure the air in your house is not too dry. A room burner with some drops of essential oil in it is ideal. (Keep out of reach of small children) We use a mixture of eucalyptus, rosemary and pine.

DISCLAIMER
I am NOT a doctor. I am a certified children's nanny (N.N.E.B.) and the above information is the result of more than 30 years of experience working with children and bringing up 5 of my own. If you are in any doubt whatsoever concerning your health or that of your family, see a doctor immediately.

This week's menu

Mon.
(L) Spaghetti fried with garlic and parsley, with cheese. Fresh salad.
(S) Potato, green beans and chicken "soup". Fresh baked semolina bread.

Tues.
(L) Tuna and lentil salad.
(S) Pasta and rice soup, mushroom omelette with tomato bread.

Wed.
(L) Roast pork hock with mixed vegetables and gravy, plain couscous, fresh lambs lettuce salad.
(S) White haricot beans with leek, potato and carrots, pureed

Thurs.
(L) Cuban rice (arròs a la cubana)
(S) Pumpkin and potato puree, oven baked panga with broccoli.

Fri.
(L) Stir fry chicken with vegetables and whole wheat grains.
(S) Fresh bread, cold cuts, olives, asparagus, gherkins, pickled cabbage, etc.

Tuesday is the "no meat" day.
At the moment, all desserts are mandarin based!

Fancy fruit

Give it a missed call...

In our house at least, there is a phrase that we use maybe too regularly. It is usually said in answer to the question "Does anyone know where (whatever) is? The answer "No idea. Give it a missed call." is just too common! Obviously, it originally referred to a particular mobile phone, but now it's gone on to be the answer to "where is/are the car keys/computer/jacket/new packet of toilet rolls/slippers/matches/the children, etc."

This morning I wanted to start the hoovering but I couldn't find the stick brush. Of all things to lose. I mean, it's not small. So, after searching the house high and low for 10 minutes or more, I was on the verge of giving it the said missed call when I found it. It was where it should have been! In the right place! Of course, that is the LAST place anyone would think of looking for something...

Bessie, my best friend - Dyson DC 19

Munchy Monday #24: Anzacs

Although comparatively speaking we do not eat many sweet foods, there are a number of things I do like baking for the family. One of those things are these biscuits, which disappear within hours of cooling!  The recipe is from an American cookbook and uses cups as a measure. If, like me, you don't have a standard cup measure, use a normal drinking glass. Make sure you use the same glass for all the ingredients, however. Makes 50 biscuits.

You will need:

1 cup oats
1 cup plain (all purpose) flour, sieved
1 cup sugar
150 g margarine
3/4 cup shredded coconut
2 tblsp. golden syrup
2 tblsp. boiling water
1 1/2 tsp. bicarbonate of soda

Method:

Mix oats, flour, sugar and coconut in a bowl. Gently melt together in a small pan the margarine and golden syrup. Dissolve the bicarb. of soda in the boiling water and add the solution to the margarine and syrup mix. Make a dip in the dry ingredients and add the syrup mixture. Stir well. Start warming the oven up to 150º C. Meanwhile, place teaspoon quantities of the mixture on a greased baking tray. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden. Remove biscuits from baking tray as quickly as possible and lay them on a cooling rack or clean tea towel. When cool, keep in air tight tin.

Special note: If you would like some with your mid morning cuppa the next day, you had better select a few and hide them under the bed.

Coughs, colds and other bugs Part 1 - Prevention

As soon as there is a chill in the air, children seem to "go down with something". It's automatic, to be expected. However, this is something that our family has never had much of a problem with and over the next couple of posts I will tell you how we manage to avoid serious issues as a family.

Here is an anecdote: a few years ago, while we were homeschooling, my youngest was so long without going to see the paediatrician that, when I finally needed to make an appointment, I had to re - register him! They thought that we had moved away or something of the sort.

Anyway, this will be a kind of "how we do it" series of posts.

Here are some steps which can be taken which I am convinced help us to avoid infection:

Food and diet
# Eat well and include lots of fresh fruit and veggies in your diet, all year long.
# Drink at least 1 1/2 litres of water, or water based drinks, a day.
# Always prepare meals from scratch, so food dyes, preservatives, "e" numbers and other unnecessary product ingredients can be kept to an absolute minimum.
# Prepare your own bread, cakes and cookies, yogurt, etc. This way you can control what you and your family eat.
# As winter creeps in, increase your intake of vitamin C. I also like to give the really active members of our family a twice daily capsule of brewers yeast.

One weeks shop of fruit and veg.

# Keep intake of sugar, sweet food and drinks also to a minimum.
# Keep fast - food and deep fried food as a treat.

Hygiene and general, daily health rules
# Fresh air and exercise should be daily, even if it is just a wizz around the block.
# Quality sleep is essential, even if only just for a few hours. Remember everybody has different sleep needs, however.
# Everybody coming into the house should wash their hands.
# Wash hands and face also before meals, regardless of when the last time was!
# ALWAYS wash hands after using the bathroom.
# Check finger nails regularly for length and cleanliness, once your kiddos are seeing to this for themselves.
# Never share face cloths, spoons, soothers, toothbrushes, etc.
# As a general rule each member of the family should have their own bath sponge,towel, etc.
# Avoid unnecessary visits to the doctor/paediatrician. The waiting room is a bug breeding centre.
# Avoid medication as a general rule. It is much better to let your body do its thing. Herbal remedies are helpful for many aches and pains. 
# Using paper tissues to blow noses is more convenient and they are easy to dispose of. I buy ones which are impregnated with aloe. They are much softer on sore noses.
# When shopping, avoid peak hours (even more important if you have little ones with you). This means you don't go to Ikea on a Saturday afternoon!

Laundry
# Wash all laundry as soon as possible, especially if clothes or bedding are soiled.
# Hang laundry outside, whenever possible. Fresh air, low temperatures and sunshine are powerful germ killers.

# Use a good squirt of vinegar as a clothes softener in your machine. It is a natural disinfectant, both for your machine and for the clothes.
# Try, as far as possible, not to leave damp laundry hanging around the house.
# I also like to make a point of washing the soft toys and cuddlies from time to time. The special Mr. Can'tsleepwithouthim should be washed even more regularly.

House hygiene
# Air your house, especially beds and bedrooms, at least 2 or 3 times a week.
# Don't keep your house too warm. It is healthier (and cheaper) to wear another layer than to put the heating up. Between 20º and 22º C is said to be enough for daytime and a little less during the night.
# Keep kitchen and bathrooms as clean as possible.
# Cats and dogs should be kept outside. Animals are a constant source of germs which your body will be continuously fighting against.

Erik Satie

Erik Satie was a French composer and pianist during the late eighteen hundreds. One of his most famous works was the "Trois Gymnopedies" which most people who play the piano will have heard.

This is a composition which is not half as famous but I'm having great fun trying to learn how to play it. Have a listen:

Munchy Monday #23: Turkey and lentil curry

I understand this is by no means a real Indian curry, how it might be served in India or in a specialized restaurant. It is a recipe which I have invented for our family. We just love it and it can be made tasty or hot or anything in between, just by adding more or less curry powder. I  serve it with Basmati or long grain rice, "tortes" or pita bread, heaped on a jacket potato or even (horror of all horrors) served with chips, like I used to eat it in the college canteen! Serves 6 - 8 adults.

You will need:

1/2 kilo turkey or chicken pieces
Grated flesh of one big tomato
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium courgettes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 kilo green beans
150 g peeled orange lentils
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, grated
1 heaped tsp. Sharwood's hot curry powder
Flour for frying
Salt
1/2 glass sunflower oil or similar
Water

Method:

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker, coat the meat in flour and gently fry for a few minutes. Add garlic, onion, curry powder and salt and stir fry another couple of minutes. Add tomato, carrot, courgette, green beans and lentils and stir fry again for another couple of minutes. Add enough water to almost cover the ingredients, cover and bring up to pressure. Simmer in pressure cooker for 12 minutes.

Note: Curry is much tastier if prepared some hours in advance or even one day for the next.

Another note: this can be adapted and made wheat free just by frying the meat directly without flouring.

"To do" list

This week's "to do" list seemed to stretch like gum, in the sense that I kept finding more and more things to add to it. I have managed to do everything but the ironing : )

# Sew colour identity marks in new socks
# Clean up three top patches in garden, weed and prepare for rotavator
# Bring ironing up to date
# Sort out woodshed, prepare for new load (order new load!)
# Clean lounge windows
# Clean and sort fruit drawer in fridge
# Hoover and tidy kitchen dresser shelves
# Sort out plastic bags bag
# Hoover, tidy and mop solarium floor, sort desks and wipe all surfaces
# Deep clean boys room, bleach mould on two outside walls : (

It is no secret - Stuart Hamblen

Stuart Hamblen was an American singer and songwriter who confessed once to be in danger of becoming an alcoholic. A friend asked him how he broke the habit, and Hamblen replied: "I didn't do it. The Lord did it. He can do the same for anybody who'll let Him. It's no secret what God can do."

 

The chimes of time ring out the news:

 Another day is through.

Someone slipped and fell.

Was that someone you?

You may have longed for added strength, 

Your courage to renew.

Do not be disheartened, 

For I have news for you:

It is no secret what God can do.

What He's done for others 

He'll do for you.

With arms wide open, 

He'll pardon you.

It is no secret what God can do.

There is no night, for in His light

You'll never walk alone.

Always feel at home, 

Wherever you may roam.

There is no power can conquer you

While God is on your side.

Just take Him at His promise,

Don't run away and hide.

It is no secret etc.

Munchy Monday #22: Cabbage and potato stir fry

I post this particular "munchy" out of popular request from the family. The other day I made it for supper and they enjoyed it soooo much.

You will need:

Smokey bacon pieces
Cooked boiled potato, chopped small
Cooked boiled cabbage, chopped small
Small clove garlic, crushed (or equivalent)*
Salt and pepper
Oil to fry

Method:

Gently fry the bacon pieces until they are beginning to crisp. Add crushed garlic, stir and then add the cabbage and potato. Gently fry for 5 to 7 minutes, turning regularly. Season to taste.

Serve on it's own as a starter or accompanied by meat or fish as a complete meal.
 

When I was small my Mum used to prepare something similar. It was called "bubble and squeak" for some reason, but it did not have the bacon or garlic. This dish should also include white haricot beans, but as we eat plenty of pulses already I did not include them in this recipe.

* I buy garlic in trays of frozen cubes, each cube represents one clove. You can also use garlic powder but this hardens very quickly here and so I tend to stay away from it.

Haiku

Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry. It is supposed to have nature or emotions as a theme and should be 17 syllables long. These syllables are normally divided between three lines to a rhythm of 5 - 7 - 5. 

This is very easy in Japanese but can get a bit tricky when tried in different languages and so the rules tend to bend.

Some time ago I challenged the family to a haiku competition. Any theme, whatever came into their heads to write about. The results were amazing, to say the least, and haiku poetry took off. For some days it was all we used to communicate to each other. All instructions, news, anything, was given out in haiku form. It got our brains to work and we had such fun.

I thought I would publish some examples here on my blog (but I'm not going to publish who all the authors were!):

This is a haiku
It doesn't make any sense
Refrigerator.

P. saw his neighbour.
Guess, then, what he said to him.
He said, "Oh, hi Q".

Early one weekday morning...

Anna you must rise,
It's time for school, you realize,
Please, don't make us late.      

To which Anna replied:

No, no, no, no, no,
No, no, no, no, no, no, no,
No, no, no, no, no!

Onomatopoeia

What are onomatopoeic words? They are words which describe a noise. An internet definition put it this way: "onomatopoeia is when a word's pronunciation imitates the sound it is describing". Have you ever thought how many words there are which describe the noise of water moving in some way or other?

Last weekend with Monday included, it rained almost non - stop. Here, where we live, this is a real rarity and we enjoyed these three days so much. Rain is so soothing, so relaxing. I love to lie in bed at night and listen to it. One evening the children dressed up in their waterproofs and went out for a walk! It was just teeming down!

With last weekend and this home-schooling family's latest project also in mind, I thought I would put together some onomatopoeic words which have something to do with water. Here is my list, with a few photos included of the images which come to mind when I think or say these words:

bloop, bubble, burble,

dribble, drip, drizzle, drop,

gargle, glug, gurgle,

lap, murmur,

pling, plip - plop, pitter - patter,

ripple, rush,

slosh, slurp, splash, splat, splatter, splish,

splosh, spray, squelch, squirt, swish,

tinkle, trickle, whoosh.

Oooh, I've had such fun composing this post! I like water. There's something about it that I find very... uuuhhmm,well... wet  ; )

(All photos are taken from Google images)

Lunch maths - fractals

My daughter and I were eating our lunch together one day at the end of last week, when suddenly I noticed that A. had stopped eating and was looking intensely at her food.
"Is everything all right, dear?" I asked.
"Mama, this is amazing," she replied.
"Well, I'm glad you like it" I said, pleased.
"No, well yes it IS delicious, but look, there's a fractal on my pickled cabbage!"

So what are fractals, you may be asking. This is how my daughter described them in her research project:

A fractal is a mathematical object of great complexity defined by simple algorithms (a collection of instructions or steps used to solve a problem or carry out a task.) It’s a semi geometrical object of which the basic structure repeats itself on different scales, partially or irregularly.

She continues to explain a little history:

Fractals first appeared because of the need to find a geometry which could describe natural objects.

The mathematics behind fractals was first studied during the 17th century by Gottfried Leibniz, who considered the recursive self-similarity. He was followed by Karl Weierstrass in 1872, who gave an example of a function which was everywhere continuous but nowhere differentiable; Helge von Koch, who in 1904 gave a more accurate geometric definition of a resembling function (the Koch curve or snowflake, a mathematical curve and one of the first fractal curves to have been described); in 1915 Waclaw Sierpinski constructed his triangle (one of the basic examples of self-similar sets, that is, a pattern that can be reproducible at any magnification or reduction) and one year later his carpet; Paul Pierre Lévy took the idea of self-similar curves further in 1938 with the Lévy C curve; and Georg Cantor explained the Cantor sets (constructed in the unit interval [0, 1] by deleting successive middle thirds of intervals) which are also now recognized as fractals.

In the 1960s, Benoît Mandelbrot, a mathematician born in Poland to a Jewish family who later went to live in France, started investigating self-similarity and studied fractals thoroughly. He illustrated the mathematical definition of fractal with striking computer-constructed visualizations. The term fractal comes from the Latin word “fractus,” which means “torn,” “fractured,” “irregular.”

Even today, in 2013, there is still no exact and generally accepted mathematical definition for the fractal concept.

Here are some of my favourite fractals, taken from Google images:

Here is a  link to a maths web which simplifies pretty much the whole concept, and if you have a look here, you will find 17 more fractals which appear in nature. Interesting stuff.

Munchy Monday #21: Rainy day biscuits

This biscuit recipe comes from a book we borrowed once from the library. The books' title was something like "101 rainy day activities" - hence the name of the biscuits. We only make them when it rains and as it has been doing so practically all weekend (and still is) I thought it would be a good moment to post the recipe.
The recipe makes about 20 biscuits so usually I make two batches.

You will need:

300 g plain (all purpose) flour
200 g margarine
100 g sugar
Decorations ad. lib.*

Method:

Mix all three ingredients together to form a pliable dough. Grease an oven tray. Start heating oven to 190 º C. Form little balls, a little smaller than a table tennis ball and place each ball on the oven tray. Gently press dough with your fingers, making sure you keep the round shape, until about 5mm in thickness. Decorate however you fancy and bake for 12 - 15 mins. Remove from tray after 2 or 3 mins. of cooling (they have a tendency to stick on) and place flat on a clean tea towel or cooling rack.

The chocolate ones

When I make these biscuits with children I let them indulge their artistic talents, but this time I kept away from food colourings just to show that the possibilities of decoration are practically endless.

The nutty ones

Here I have used walnut quarters, toasted almond chips, pine nuts and candied orange. The more rectangular shaped ones are made with desiccated coconut, already added to a little of the dough. To distinguish them from the others I press them with a fork instead of using finger tips.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Nuts can cause choking. Children should be under complete supervision both whilst making these biscuits and again when eating them.

Poem time

Autumn fires

In the other gardens

And all up the vale,

From the autumn bonfires

See the smoke trail!

Pleasant summer over

And all the summer flowers,

The red fire blazes,

The grey smoke towers.

Sing a song of seasons!

Something bright in all!

Flowers in the summer,

Fires in the fall!

Robert Louis Stevenson

Lob alob

Today is my big sister's birthday so I thought I would post something that especially reminds me of her.

Relax and enjoy this fun video about Bill and Ben the flowerpot men having an adventure with their friend Weed, straight from the 1950's.

These past days...

...in photos!

Still warmer than usual (10.00 am)

Firey sunset

Strong winds brought piles of autumn leaves...

...and lovely waves

"Panallets"

Garden goodies (and toes)

Two pots of olives already in brine

Thanks to my sister for the first two photos  :)

Bread machine book

As I promised way back in the summer, here is the recipe book which my sister gave me so that I could make good bread in my new machine.

Without these recipes I would have been somewhat lost, as the recipe book that came with the machine was confusing, to say the least.

I know that there are other, similar books but this one was already tried and tested by my sister - a big advantage.

The recipes are clear and precise, and there are also lots of coloured photographs, recipe variations, hints about how to bake and use the different machine programmes available.

I would fully recommend it to anyone starting out with a machine for the first time, or to the more experienced amongst you who would like a change.

Munchy Monday #20: Pumpkin cake

This is a very filling cake made with pumpkin and dark chocolate polka dots. It contains no eggs and no dairy and so is ideal for people with these diet restrictions.

You will need:

Dry ingredients
3 3/4 cups plain (all purpose) flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 cup of dark chocolate polka dots

Wet ingredients

2/3 cup sunflower oil
2 tsp. vinegar
1 cup cooked pumpkin*
3/4 cup water
1 tblsp. golden syrup

Method:

Sieve together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and ground ginger into a bowl and then add salt and sugar. Set oven to warm up (180º C). Mix all the wet ingredients together with a stick blender and add the mix to the dry ingredients. Stir well, add chocolate polka dots and stir until well mixed. Grease an oven dish or similar and spoon batter in, making sure that it is of an even thickness all over. Cook in a medium oven for about 30-35 minutes, maybe a little longer. (The oven does not need to be pre-heated, just warming up. The cooking time will vary according to the type of oven you are using.) The cake is cooked once you can poke a toothpick in it and bring it out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the oven dish.

* The easiest way to obtain cooked pumpkin is this way I learned a long time ago from my Canadian sister-in-law. Cut your pumpkin into three or four pieces and steam them for about 30 mins. in a pressure cooker. Leave the pieces to cool and then peel. Then measure out the exact quantity you need for your recipes and freeze it in bags or plastic containers.

My week

Last week was  a very busy one but I have had so much fun. Here are some photos to show just what I've been doing.

On Monday I managed to get most of the week's general housework up together. Then I started sewing...

Lavender cushions

Tuesday was quite an ordinary day. I worked in the afternoon, and my two extra little boys, as usual, came to stay over night. One thing I did do today was pick olives and sort through the ones my daughter picked in over the weekend. I began the preserving process with maybe a couple of kilos only. This summer has been a very damp one and the olives were rotting already.

On Wednesday I accomplished more specific housework + shopping and, as always, laundry... then in the afternoon, teaching. After all that, I made some forty pork and turkey burgers. Some we ate for supper and the rest I threw in the freezer.

On Thursday, my afternoon nanny job was lengthened to a full day one :) because the teachers were on a one-day strike. We made 3 batches of rainy day biscuits.  (It rained for 10 mins. or so, late Tuesday evening, so I felt authorized to make them!  Recipe to be posted soon.)

Friday, hubby and I went to "chill" in Tarragona for the morning. We walked around the port, the area of the indoor market and the back streets of the lower part of the city. I left my camera at home so there aren't any photos of this :(

On Friday afternoon I gave my English lessons, we packed a picnic supper and then we went to see a rally - the R.A.C.C. through Montmell - the mountains just behind where we live. The first car went through a little after 8:45 pm, the last at just gone 10:00 pm. Awesome.

(Photos from internet)

On Saturday morning I spent five hours working very hard in the garden weeding, watering, sweeping and tidying. Just look at those cabbages! (The favourite food of caterpillars, slugs and snails!)

In the afternoon Hubby and I went for a walk around the centre of Reus. Here are some photos:

I am also trying to concentrate more on my piano practice. I found a new piece to play which is taking up some time. (Will post details soon.)