See how many you can find ; )
As you can see, we are still enjoying beautiful, sunny, warm days. I wonder how many of you are under two feet of snow already...
Friday, 11 December 2015
Parrots in a palm tree
I thought I would quickly post a photo of these parrots. I took my mother-in-law to the beach for a walk this morning and there were dozens in this palm tree, thoroughly enjoying the dates. Many flew away as we approached, but there were still a few left.
See how many you can find ; )
As you can see, we are still enjoying beautiful, sunny, warm days. I wonder how many of you are under two feet of snow already...
See how many you can find ; )
As you can see, we are still enjoying beautiful, sunny, warm days. I wonder how many of you are under two feet of snow already...
Tuesday, 8 December 2015
Friday, 4 December 2015
Autumn poem
October's party
October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came-
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses Maple
In scarlet looked their best;
All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky.
Then, in the rustic hollow,
At hide-and-seek they played,
The party closed at sundown,
And everybody stayed.
Professor Wind played louder;
They flew along the ground;
And then the party ended
In jolly "hands around."
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.
The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses Maple
In scarlet looked their best;
All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky.
Then, in the rustic hollow,
At hide-and-seek they played,
The party closed at sundown,
And everybody stayed.
Professor Wind played louder;
They flew along the ground;
And then the party ended
In jolly "hands around."
George Cooper
(1840 - 1927)
Tuesday, 1 December 2015
A few thoughts...
A sinning man will leave off praying
A praying man will leave off sinning
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
Colossians 4 : 2
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.
1 John 5 : 14
[...] ask in faith, nothing wavering.
James 1 : 6
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
James 5 : 16 (b)
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
James 5 : 16 (b)
Saturday, 28 November 2015
Handy household tip
"Maaamaaaaaaa, the stud button has just come off my jeeeeeeans!" My fourth child would sing down the stairs at 7:10 in the morning.
"No problem, I have a spare one in my sewing box. I 'll just come upstairs and find it. You can replace it while I get the sandwiches ready for school."
Three hours and a different pair of jeans later...
With at least fifteen different pairs of jeans of all shapes, colours and sizes I couldn't possibly know from a glance what was what. Do you find yourself in the same predicament? Even if you do have time (lucky you), you still have to sort out which little bag of extra buttons/studs/sequins belongs to which jeans/jacket/dress shirt, etc. This can take up so much of your day that you start to wonder whether it's really worth all the hassle... would be quicker to go buy...just sew anything... nobody's going to look, bla bla bla...
So I have recently come up with a very obvious solution. As you take the bag off the newly purchased item, pop a little note in with the spare parts, mentioning the colour, item, size, brand or store from which the item was bought, add the name of the person to whom the item now belongs and keep it in a safe place.
The only comeback with this, of course, is that you now have to remember where that safe place is! I keep mine in my sewing box which is actually a big tool box. Something big and bulky enough not to lose easily!
You will notice that there is no name on two of the packets. That is because I am the only person likely to wear a black blouse or a dress cardigan in this establishment, especially if it's from Mango!
Have a great day : )
"No problem, I have a spare one in my sewing box. I 'll just come upstairs and find it. You can replace it while I get the sandwiches ready for school."
Three hours and a different pair of jeans later...
With at least fifteen different pairs of jeans of all shapes, colours and sizes I couldn't possibly know from a glance what was what. Do you find yourself in the same predicament? Even if you do have time (lucky you), you still have to sort out which little bag of extra buttons/studs/sequins belongs to which jeans/jacket/dress shirt, etc. This can take up so much of your day that you start to wonder whether it's really worth all the hassle... would be quicker to go buy...just sew anything... nobody's going to look, bla bla bla...
So I have recently come up with a very obvious solution. As you take the bag off the newly purchased item, pop a little note in with the spare parts, mentioning the colour, item, size, brand or store from which the item was bought, add the name of the person to whom the item now belongs and keep it in a safe place.
The only comeback with this, of course, is that you now have to remember where that safe place is! I keep mine in my sewing box which is actually a big tool box. Something big and bulky enough not to lose easily!
You will notice that there is no name on two of the packets. That is because I am the only person likely to wear a black blouse or a dress cardigan in this establishment, especially if it's from Mango!
Have a great day : )
Friday, 27 November 2015
Friday fun fact #10: Chestnuts and conkers
Just two names for the same thing? No, there's a difference. There is one huge difference. Simply speaking, one is edible and the other is not. Take a look at the photographs, both from Google images:
Indeed, they have only two things in common as far as I know - their colour and the fact that they are around at the same time of the year, namely late September through to the end of November, depending on the weather and where you live.
Now the reason for the confusion could be put down to the fact that conkers are also called horse chestnuts. This name probably derived from the fact that, although the fruit is poisonous to humans, due to saponins, it can be given to deer, cattle and horses. Apparently, it gives a horse a lovely shiny coat.
When I was a little girl in short, white socks we used to wait with impatience for conker time to come around. On my way home from school there were a good few conker trees and I managed every year to fill my school bag, day after day, with these lovely, shiny treasures.
What would I want them for, you may be asking. Well, it pleased me simply to admire their beautiful colour and handle them. I used to take a tissue or a clean hanky and 'puff and shine'. Most of all I liked to find the unopened ones and be the first to discover their simple beauty.
But above all, I picked them to have conker contests with the boys in the playground and sometimes even with my brother. I wasn't much of a 'girlie' girl to be honest and this was something I was good at.
To prepare a conker for the fight one had to string it - make a hole through the middle, thread a string and tie a strong knot. You then wound a good part of the other end round your fingers and you were ready for the battle. The opponent had to simply let his conker dangle at the end of the string and inwardly squirm at every hit!
The contest consisted of taking turns in bashing your opponents conker to smithereens. If you missed the opponents conker then it was his turn to bash yours and so on till one or t'other would completely break apart and fall from the string.
If your conker won two battles it was classed as a two-er, if five battles, then you had a five-er, etc.
How did you know if the conker was a good one. Well, before the hole was made one could tell by the weight. The heavier they were the more solid they would be inside. If in doubt, you put it in a bowl of water. If it floated it was no good. Next, if when you made the hole, the skewer went through too easily, then that one was also discarded. Obviously, the best conkers were the heavy, solid ones.
So far this article consisted of refreshing my girlhood memories. But now if you care to look here you will find more information about conkers. If you look here you will find out more about sweet chestnuts, sometimes called Spanish or Portuguese chestnuts (I didn't know that!). Although their names are similar, the two varieties of tree are only very distantly related.
Have a good Friday and a pleasant weekend.
 |
| Chestnuts |
 |
| Conkers |
Indeed, they have only two things in common as far as I know - their colour and the fact that they are around at the same time of the year, namely late September through to the end of November, depending on the weather and where you live.
Now the reason for the confusion could be put down to the fact that conkers are also called horse chestnuts. This name probably derived from the fact that, although the fruit is poisonous to humans, due to saponins, it can be given to deer, cattle and horses. Apparently, it gives a horse a lovely shiny coat.
When I was a little girl in short, white socks we used to wait with impatience for conker time to come around. On my way home from school there were a good few conker trees and I managed every year to fill my school bag, day after day, with these lovely, shiny treasures.
What would I want them for, you may be asking. Well, it pleased me simply to admire their beautiful colour and handle them. I used to take a tissue or a clean hanky and 'puff and shine'. Most of all I liked to find the unopened ones and be the first to discover their simple beauty.
But above all, I picked them to have conker contests with the boys in the playground and sometimes even with my brother. I wasn't much of a 'girlie' girl to be honest and this was something I was good at.
To prepare a conker for the fight one had to string it - make a hole through the middle, thread a string and tie a strong knot. You then wound a good part of the other end round your fingers and you were ready for the battle. The opponent had to simply let his conker dangle at the end of the string and inwardly squirm at every hit!
The contest consisted of taking turns in bashing your opponents conker to smithereens. If you missed the opponents conker then it was his turn to bash yours and so on till one or t'other would completely break apart and fall from the string.
If your conker won two battles it was classed as a two-er, if five battles, then you had a five-er, etc.
How did you know if the conker was a good one. Well, before the hole was made one could tell by the weight. The heavier they were the more solid they would be inside. If in doubt, you put it in a bowl of water. If it floated it was no good. Next, if when you made the hole, the skewer went through too easily, then that one was also discarded. Obviously, the best conkers were the heavy, solid ones.
So far this article consisted of refreshing my girlhood memories. But now if you care to look here you will find more information about conkers. If you look here you will find out more about sweet chestnuts, sometimes called Spanish or Portuguese chestnuts (I didn't know that!). Although their names are similar, the two varieties of tree are only very distantly related.
Have a good Friday and a pleasant weekend.
Thursday, 26 November 2015
Violets in November
Yes, we really do have violets flowering in the garden and yes, it really is the end of November!
Monday, 23 November 2015
Cassie's blueberry tea cake
This is an absolutely delicious cake - one that we enjoyed for dessert yesterday lunchtime! Cassie is a bloggie friend and mother of nine from down under. She posted it on her blog a while ago. I have subsequently tweaked it a little to suit product availability and I've also renamed the cake in her honour.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 lemon, juice and grated rind
125 g butter or margarine
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla essence
1/4 cup dessicated coconut
1 2/3 cups self raising flour, sifted
1 punnet fresh blueberries (or canned blueberries, well drained)
Method:
1. Mix sugar and lemon rind in a bowl.
2. Add butter, eggs, lemon juice, coconut and vanilla essence. Mix well.
3. Add flour and fold into mixture.
4. Pour batter into a greased oven dish, cake molde or similar.
5. Sprinkle blueberries over the top of the batter.
6. Bake at 170º C for 35 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean.
7. Sprinkle sugar over the top of the cake and leave to cool. When cold, remove from dish and serve with cream (optional!)
Notes
# I prefer to use plain or all-purpose flour and add a chemical raising agent or natural yeast.
# I use a sachet of vanilla flavoured sugar instead of the essence, which I
cannot find as a regular product as yet.
 |
| O.K. so I could have made sure the cake was in the centre of the plate before taking the photo... |
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 lemon, juice and grated rind
125 g butter or margarine
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla essence
1/4 cup dessicated coconut
1 2/3 cups self raising flour, sifted
1 punnet fresh blueberries (or canned blueberries, well drained)
Method:
1. Mix sugar and lemon rind in a bowl.
2. Add butter, eggs, lemon juice, coconut and vanilla essence. Mix well.
3. Add flour and fold into mixture.
4. Pour batter into a greased oven dish, cake molde or similar.
5. Sprinkle blueberries over the top of the batter.
6. Bake at 170º C for 35 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean.
7. Sprinkle sugar over the top of the cake and leave to cool. When cold, remove from dish and serve with cream (optional!)
Notes
# I prefer to use plain or all-purpose flour and add a chemical raising agent or natural yeast.
# I use a sachet of vanilla flavoured sugar instead of the essence, which I
cannot find as a regular product as yet.
Friday, 20 November 2015
Thursday, 19 November 2015
Amazing architecture
Look at this photo. This is just how I saw my keys last night, from my horizontal position. I was lying in bed, about to turn off the lamp, when M. came in the room to say goodnight. He said "Mama, look how you have left your keys."
Before I 'grabbed and ran' this morning, I quickly took some photos - one with flash and some without, hence the different colours. But notice one thing. The point of the black ended car key is through the hole of the door key. How did I do this? Is this the result of having a BK for supper??? Maybe I should do it more often...
Before I 'grabbed and ran' this morning, I quickly took some photos - one with flash and some without, hence the different colours. But notice one thing. The point of the black ended car key is through the hole of the door key. How did I do this? Is this the result of having a BK for supper??? Maybe I should do it more often...
Monday, 16 November 2015
Simple Bible verse and yet...
He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.
How many of us try to finish off other people's sentances before giving them time to do it for themselves? How many of us are judging or preparing our replies before we have even heard what the issue is about?
Yes, I'm guilty. I know I have often done this, yet it's a verse which I have read time and time again. This is one more bad habit which I have to try and conquer.
Proverbs 18 : 13
How many of us try to finish off other people's sentances before giving them time to do it for themselves? How many of us are judging or preparing our replies before we have even heard what the issue is about?
Yes, I'm guilty. I know I have often done this, yet it's a verse which I have read time and time again. This is one more bad habit which I have to try and conquer.
Monday, 9 November 2015
From the archives: Black Jack
This is a photo of a rather impertinent Black Jack, a cat we had a few years ago...
Tuesday, 15 September 2015
Monday, 10 August 2015
Thursday, 9 July 2015
Many a true word is spoken in jest!
My daughter sent me this earlier today. We laughed so much I thought I would share it!
Saturday, 13 June 2015
Play dough
This week we made some play dough using the instructions from this video.
It's the best recipe I've ever done. The dough came out perfect but I will add that we had to juggle a little at the end with the water and the flour quantities.
If you have little ones who just want to manipulate, squidge, or at the most make a ball or a sausage, then you need to add a little more water to your dough. If you want a stiffer dough for modelling, I still found I needed to add a little more water but not quite so much.
I also found that, although the recipe is initially for four different colours, you can actually get five. The recipe calls for four cups of flour, but then you add one and a half cups of salt, mix and distribute between the four bowls. This leaves you with at least one more cup of mixture. We made purple.
It's the best recipe I've ever done. The dough came out perfect but I will add that we had to juggle a little at the end with the water and the flour quantities.
If you have little ones who just want to manipulate, squidge, or at the most make a ball or a sausage, then you need to add a little more water to your dough. If you want a stiffer dough for modelling, I still found I needed to add a little more water but not quite so much.
I also found that, although the recipe is initially for four different colours, you can actually get five. The recipe calls for four cups of flour, but then you add one and a half cups of salt, mix and distribute between the four bowls. This leaves you with at least one more cup of mixture. We made purple.
Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Bean bags
I haven't done anything crafty in ages but this morning I found a few minutes to quickly whip up eight little bean bags. Sewn in a jiffy, they were.
Jiffy = a bit more than an hour!
If you want the pattern and very clear, simple instructions then just pop over to this web.
Just a note: when you reach the part where it explains that you "turn the fabric to the right way out, then sew the top edge in by about 1/2 inch", do this sewing over before you turn the bag the right way out. You will find it loads easier.
Oh, and by the way, I didn't use beans. I used little plastic pellets which I bought for a fair price via internet. This way the little bags can be washed.
Jiffy = a bit more than an hour!
If you want the pattern and very clear, simple instructions then just pop over to this web.
Just a note: when you reach the part where it explains that you "turn the fabric to the right way out, then sew the top edge in by about 1/2 inch", do this sewing over before you turn the bag the right way out. You will find it loads easier.
Oh, and by the way, I didn't use beans. I used little plastic pellets which I bought for a fair price via internet. This way the little bags can be washed.
Monday, 8 June 2015
Saturday, 6 June 2015
Thursday, 4 June 2015
Another poem
Time for T.
It's 10 o'clock
So time to stop
For a deliciously cheerful
Cup of T.
Boil the water
Choose the mug
(It has to be Pooh
If the T. is for me!)
Temptation fruits
Or acai berries.
Make T. for two,
Even better for three!
S.J.
S.J.
Tuesday, 2 June 2015
Just over a year ago...
...I was travelling back from Barcelona, on the train. My daughter had her eyes closed and was trying to rest a little, I was looking around at my fellow passengers. I was struck once again by... Well, I suppose I must call it 'reality'. What kind of society were we living in? Some words came to mind, not because I was witness to anyone showing signs of their existence, precisely.
FEMININITY
RESPONSIBILITY
DIGNITY
POLITENESS
RESPECTFULNESS
GRACEFULNESS
SUBMISSION
DISCRETION
DISCRETION
HUMBLENESS
KINDNESS
GENTLENESS
CAREFULNESS
ELEGANCE
HONESTY
SELFLESSNESS
RELIABILITY
ELOQUENCE
ELOQUENCE
TRUSTWORTHINESS
GENTLENESS
INDUSTRIOUS
...
As a friend said just a few days ago - we are losing the human touch. Worse - we are expected to swallow it as a sign of the times.
Saturday, 30 May 2015
How to learn effectively
Here is another very interesting video of a lecture about learning techniques:
Friday, 29 May 2015
Ooh, yummo!
I was alone for lunch today so I made one of my favourite dishes! Prepared in less than 10 minutes, I enjoyed it so much I thought I would share a photo with my fellow bloggers!
If you ever come this way this is something you just have to try. Calamars a la Romana amb patates fregides - or battered squid rings with chips. Just some fruit for a dessert and Bob's yer uncle, as they say.
Have a good weekend everyone :)
If you ever come this way this is something you just have to try. Calamars a la Romana amb patates fregides - or battered squid rings with chips. Just some fruit for a dessert and Bob's yer uncle, as they say.
Have a good weekend everyone :)
Wednesday, 27 May 2015
A poem
A Mother's Life-Work
My
work at home lies with the olive branches
Thou'st
planted there,
To
train them meekly for the heavenly garden
Needs
all my care.
I
may not in the woods and on the mountains
Seek Thy lost sheep;
At
home a little flock of tender lambkins
'Tis
mine to keep.
Thou
givest to thy servants each his life-work;
No
trumpet tone
Will
tell the nations in triumphant pealing
How
mine was done.
But
'twill be much, if, when the task is ended,
Through
grace from Thee,
I
give Thee back, undimmed, the radiant jewels
Thou
gavest me.
Anonymous
Monday, 18 May 2015
To do...
This is my 'to do' for this week. I have found that writing a list like this and keeping to it to be the only way I get the extra jobs done. It's just so warm and sunny outside...
@ Dust and wipe bedroom fans
@ Cut down trees and prepare hole for pond
@ Plant veggies (lettuce, toms., beans, courgettes, onions)
@ Write to cousin J. in England
@ Write to little friend J. in Rumania
@ Give around A & D's thank you cards
@ Clean and sort kitchen dresser
@ Prepare English exam for Wednesday group
@ Wash Toryn
@ Take purple carpet to dry cleaners
@ Pick up jeans from shop in town
@ Start sewing bean bags for fun in the summer
@ Dust and wipe bedroom fans
@ Cut down trees and prepare hole for pond
@ Plant veggies (lettuce, toms., beans, courgettes, onions)
@ Write to cousin J. in England
@ Write to little friend J. in Rumania
@ Give around A & D's thank you cards
@ Clean and sort kitchen dresser
@ Prepare English exam for Wednesday group
@ Wash Toryn
@ Take purple carpet to dry cleaners
@ Pick up jeans from shop in town
@ Start sewing bean bags for fun in the summer
Saturday, 9 May 2015
Another couple of wriggley photos!
I'm afraid that this is all I have time for these days. What with extra English lessons and the exams which inevitably follow, the garden, the summer clothes to dig out for everyone, normal housework and deep cleaning, weddings to attend, people to fetch from the airport, barbecues, suitcases to make up, shopping, visits to the city, little girls to look after, friends to visit, bla bla bla...
I took this photo because I liked the way the silkworms were over the stem. They are so big, I can't believe they were just a couple of millimetres long just six weeks ago! Here's Humperdink with a two euro coin for scale:
I suppose that within the next few days they will start making cocoons.
Hope you all have a great weekend.
I took this photo because I liked the way the silkworms were over the stem. They are so big, I can't believe they were just a couple of millimetres long just six weeks ago! Here's Humperdink with a two euro coin for scale:
I suppose that within the next few days they will start making cocoons.
Hope you all have a great weekend.
Thursday, 30 April 2015
Wrigglies!
Just thought you would like to see once more, how much my baby Wrigglies have grown! There are twenty-two in the end. One was 'mislaid' whilst changing the leaves a couple of weeks ago!
Monday, 13 April 2015
Quote for the week...
O.K. so I admit to being a minion fan. They're so tremendously cute.
Here's a minion quote which I like.
Well, I'm not going to argue with that. It's absolutely true.
Here's a minion quote which I like.
Well, I'm not going to argue with that. It's absolutely true.
Wednesday, 8 April 2015
Yet another wriggley update!
I'm terribly sorry but this will never cease to fascinate me. Look how they have grown in just a few days. Humperdink is already a centimetre long!
Here is a photo of a hatching wriggley (right in the middle of the 'web'):
I now have a total of eighteen.
Here is a photo of a hatching wriggley (right in the middle of the 'web'):
I now have a total of eighteen.
Saturday, 4 April 2015
Wriggley update
There are now 12 wrigglies with an average of two hatching just about every night. Here you can see clearly who Humperdink and Kori are.
Friday, 27 March 2015
Yoohoo!
I am so happy. Today I checked on the silkworm eggs from last year and guess what I found, desperately looking for something to eat. Yes. A silkworm.
Meet Humperdink, the first silkworm to hatch.
Humperdink is that little black, wiggley looking line at the tip of the leaf.
I will be updating periodically, so keep your eyes peeled...
Meet Humperdink, the first silkworm to hatch.
Humperdink is that little black, wiggley looking line at the tip of the leaf.
I will be updating periodically, so keep your eyes peeled...
Friday, 20 March 2015
Happy spring, everyone!
Today is the first day of spring. To celebrate I thought I would post some pieces of music that I like and also have the word 'spring' in their title. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
There were three more but I couldn't find them on Grooveshark. If, however you want to listen to them you will find all three on Youtube.
Here are the titles:
The First of Spring - Acker Bilk
Spring Song - Halfdan Kjerulf
Spring - Brian Crain
There were three more but I couldn't find them on Grooveshark. If, however you want to listen to them you will find all three on Youtube.
Here are the titles:
The First of Spring - Acker Bilk
Spring Song - Halfdan Kjerulf
Spring - Brian Crain
Saturday, 14 March 2015
Pi!
Hi, blog followers from all over the world! This day is unique, like all others, I suppose. But today is the day that the first numbers of Pi coincide - if, of course, you write the date the American way...
E.g. 3 - 14 - 15
Then at 09:26 and 53 seconds this morning it was:
3 - 14 - 15 - 926 - 53
Here you have the first ten digits if the number PI.
This doesn't happen very often. In fact, just once a century. To celebrate, I am going to try and make a lemon meringue PI. My daughter informed me that she was already busy with a PI pizza for their lunch!
I hope you all have the freakiest day possible.
Said pie:
I hope you all have the freakiest day possible.
Said pie:
Thursday, 12 March 2015
Thursday, 5 March 2015
A poem I found...
...whilst sorting out our homeschooling material. This was first to be copied, then to be learnt. I remember it well. It was part of a project about snails that one of my boys did one spring.
THE SNAIL
Where he goes he leaves a trail
When he goes where he shouldn't be
His trail is there for all to see.
Our life is like the little snail,
Where we go we leave a trail.
The things we do and the things we say,
Are the trail we leave from day to day.
Friday, 27 February 2015
Monday, 23 February 2015
Munchy Monday #50: Col de la Iaia Sofia
O.K. folks. I'm sorry to say that this is my 50th and last Munchy Monday post. It's not that I have run out of recipes, it's just that it ties me down too much.
This Munchy is different in another way, too. I am directing you straight over to my eldest daughter's blog for a recipe that my grandson called "Granny Sofia's cabbage".
Why? Because it's purple!
Note: If you can't make head ner tail because it's in Catalan, then drop me an e-mail and I'll help you out :)
This Munchy is different in another way, too. I am directing you straight over to my eldest daughter's blog for a recipe that my grandson called "Granny Sofia's cabbage".
Why? Because it's purple!
Note: If you can't make head ner tail because it's in Catalan, then drop me an e-mail and I'll help you out :)
Monday, 16 February 2015
Munchy Monday #49: No-cook chocolate squares
Very simply delicious!
You will need:
275 dark chocolate
175 butter
4 tblsp. golden syrup
175 Maria biscuits
25 g Rice Krispies
50 g walnuts, chopped
100 g red glacé cherries, chopped
Method:
Place the chocolate with the butter and syrup in a bowl over hot water. Place on a low heat and stir frequently until all ingredients have melted.
Break up the biscuits and add them to the syrup mixture together with the cereal, nuts and cherries. Stir well.
Line an 18 cm squared mold with parchment paper and fill with the chocolate mixture.
Smooth the mixture evenly and leave in fridge for at least two hours.
You will need:
275 dark chocolate
175 butter
4 tblsp. golden syrup
175 Maria biscuits
25 g Rice Krispies
50 g walnuts, chopped
100 g red glacé cherries, chopped
Method:
Place the chocolate with the butter and syrup in a bowl over hot water. Place on a low heat and stir frequently until all ingredients have melted.
Break up the biscuits and add them to the syrup mixture together with the cereal, nuts and cherries. Stir well.
Line an 18 cm squared mold with parchment paper and fill with the chocolate mixture.
Smooth the mixture evenly and leave in fridge for at least two hours.
Friday, 6 February 2015
Lovely song... Oh, so true
Please, dear bloggy friends, pop over to my daughter's blog and listen to the song she posted some days ago.
http://www.dreamymaygirl.blogspot.com.es/2015/01/we-have-this-moment-today.html
http://www.dreamymaygirl.blogspot.com.es/2015/01/we-have-this-moment-today.html
Wednesday, 4 February 2015
More snow
This time it has snowed on our very own doorstep!
Here are some photos I took between 8:00 and 9:30 am. I went for a walk even before breakfast because you have to be quick to catch it here.
Here are some photos I took between 8:00 and 9:30 am. I went for a walk even before breakfast because you have to be quick to catch it here.
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| At 8:00 am |
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| Across the valley |
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| Vineyards in the snow |
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| The woods down the lane a bit |
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| The road out of the estate |
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| The main road up... |
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| ...and down |
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| The mountains - by 11:00 you can see the snow is melting |
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| Harry, the happy snowman (Can anyone smell carrots?) |
Dad's Dictionary...
LURGY
This week's word is one my Dad used frequently. It's also quite a suitable one since we've all had it over the past days to some degree or other!
To have "the dreaded lurgy" seems to have originated from one particular episode of 'The Goon Show' back in the early fifties. According to my Dad, if you had the lurgy you were suffering from a cold or perhaps some 'flu' symptoms but this wasn't the case, it seems, on the Goon show. They used it to refer to some terrible imaginary outbreak of who knows what which could "swamp the whole of the British Isles in Six weeks".
It could well have been linked with an expression from the north of England which originated during WWII - 'fever-largie' meaning a sudden attack of laziness.
Knowing just a little about Spike Milligan as I do, one can imagine him being "tickled by the idea of an epidemic outbreak of idleness".
All info. taken from worldwidewords.org If you like words like I do this is THE web to browse.
It could well have been linked with an expression from the north of England which originated during WWII - 'fever-largie' meaning a sudden attack of laziness.
Knowing just a little about Spike Milligan as I do, one can imagine him being "tickled by the idea of an epidemic outbreak of idleness".
All info. taken from worldwidewords.org If you like words like I do this is THE web to browse.
Tuesday, 3 February 2015
Montblanc and Siurana
The weekend before last we took my husband's sister and brother-in-law to visit this end of Catalonia. It was a very cold day with a biting north east wind making it difficult to stand still for too long! Having said that, we all had a NICE time. Here are some photos that were taken by E. and D. I actually had my camera with me but only realized this once I had arrived home!
We went first to Montblanc. Montblanc has a rich history, starting even before the Ibearian settlers who came during the 4th to the 1st centuries BC. Apparently, Hannibal came through with all his elephants during this time, on his way to conquer Rome, the year 218 BC. In 711 AD it was invaded by the Moors. There is plain evidence of Roman life from 2 BC to 2 AD. Montblanc has very well preserved medieval buildings and can boast of having had three different names over the course of it's history - first Duesaigues, because it lay between two rivers: the Francolí and it's affluent, the Anguera. It was later called Vilasalva because the villagers were exempt from taxes for a time and, finally, Montblanc which refers to the complete lack of natural vegetation in the area!
The first two photos are from internet, the rest are a selection of the ones D. and E. took.
From Montblanc we travelled towards Reus and then across to Siurana for an afternoon visit to the dam and then the village. There were some amazing sights to see: rock formations, birds, vegetation and sometimes simply how the pinkish, late afternoon sun shone on everything. Beautiful.
Hope you have enjoyed this as much as we did... The only difference is that you didn't freeze whilst looking at the post!
We went first to Montblanc. Montblanc has a rich history, starting even before the Ibearian settlers who came during the 4th to the 1st centuries BC. Apparently, Hannibal came through with all his elephants during this time, on his way to conquer Rome, the year 218 BC. In 711 AD it was invaded by the Moors. There is plain evidence of Roman life from 2 BC to 2 AD. Montblanc has very well preserved medieval buildings and can boast of having had three different names over the course of it's history - first Duesaigues, because it lay between two rivers: the Francolí and it's affluent, the Anguera. It was later called Vilasalva because the villagers were exempt from taxes for a time and, finally, Montblanc which refers to the complete lack of natural vegetation in the area!
The first two photos are from internet, the rest are a selection of the ones D. and E. took.
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| The main street |
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| Looking up a side alley |
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| Irresistible |
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| We decided on meringues in the end! Mmmm... |
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| The church facade |
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| The legend of St George and the dragon |
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| Apparently, St George killed the dragon right here! Of course, it wasn't paved over then and the rose grew quickly in such rich soil... |
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| The Siurana Dam - looking right... |
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| ...and looking left |
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| Sorry, no bananas for scale - just our Micra! |
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| The road we came along to get up there |
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| Siurana High Street! |
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| The view over the dam - where we were before |
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| Looking back towards the village, 180º turn on where the previous photo was taken |
Hope you have enjoyed this as much as we did... The only difference is that you didn't freeze whilst looking at the post!
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