It's strange how there are some names that you forget that you know. Until recently, Hannah Hauxwell fell into that category for me. As soon as I read in a discussion forum someone talking about how amazing this woman's life had been I instantly could put a face to the name. Yet I also realised that I knew far less about Hannah Hauxwell than I felt I should. Found in the seventies by the makers of a Yorkshire Television documentary it could so easily have been the case that people never found out about Hannah Hauxwell. In fact it was Hannah's solitary way of life that made her so ... read more
Pork Stroganoff
Less than 24 hours into the new year and my cookbook challenge seems to be going well - even if I did start it last year! Mr C was responsible for cooking up the pork stroganoff from Gary Rhodes' Keeping it Simple even though some of the recipe wasn't quite as simple as the book's title suggested. Our brandy just didn't want to flambe no matter how much Mr C tried. A shame as otherwise it was quite tasty and relatively simple to make. It did remind us a fair bit of the paprika pork recipe from one of the 101 books, but the mushrooms did add a certain something ... read more
Mustardy Toad
I realise that we're still in 2010, but I've already started my 2011 cookbook challenge - I figured that seeing as I invented it I could write the rules, and bend them as I need to! There are two cookbooks on my shelf that I use more than any others - 101 simple suppers and 101 cheap eats. Both contain a fantastic mix of tasty, easy recipes that form the main part of our regular dinners. Tonight's dinner was one that we had done before, but enjoyed so much that it was time to do it again - a mustardy twist on toad in the hole that can be found in 101 cheap ... read more
cookbook challenge
Christmas has been and gone in a mass of laughter, tears, food, wine, wrapping paper and new toys. Thoughts are therefore turning to the new year and the ups and downs that it may bring. Resolutions are being planned and it's fair to say that most of mine centre around family and home. The kitchen has to be at the heart of most family homes and this one is no different. I may not be anywhere near as domesticated as I want to be, but that doesn't stop me imagining I am. I love looking through new cookbooks and planning what to make. The only problem is that I'm very poor at actually ... read more
Cheeky Beret
Some say that it's impossible for a girl to have too many hats. In this cold weather I definitely agree with them. This lovely little beret is the Cheeky Beret from Sublime #612, The Third Little Sublime Hand Knit Book. Made using up some James C. Brett pure merino that I bought from a closing down sale years ago it was worked on 3.25mm and 4mm needles over just a few evenings. Nice and simple and so stylish that I'm looking in my stash to see if it's possible to make another one in different colours to match one of her outfits! ... read more
A finished blanket for baby
What now seems like a lifetime ago I started knitting baby blanket for the little girl that was simply then known as Baby C. As we celebrated Little Miss C's six month half-birthday last week I was delighted to have finally finished! Admittedly there is still some blocking to do and a couple of loose ends to weave in, but the majority of the work is definitely complete and you have no idea how relieved I am to say that. The excitement of also being able to start new knitting projects is also a lovely feeling that I've not had for a while now. A perfect excuse for staying in warm and ... read more
Handle with Care – Jodi Picoult
I have read several Jodi Picoult books over the years and it is fair to say that there is a certain formulaic element to them, but at the same time Picoult's attention to detail is also common across all of the books. Handle with Care is no different. This time the main theme is the question of whether or not a mother would abort an unborn child if they knew that there was something wrong with them that would change their lives. Willow suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta which means that her bones break incredibly easily. Many were already broken before she was ... read more
The power of tea!
Coming from Yorkshire, I've always believed in the power of tea. Finding this message inside a new box of Twinings Earl Grey tea bags made me realise that I'm not the only one. "If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm ... read more
The twelve days AFTER Christmas
I think Muddling Along Mummy is actually quite right when she says that there are far too many blog posts that are all the same at the moment. I did struggle for a while with the question of whether or not I should jump on the reviewing bandwagon, but I'm afraid that the mortgage and desire to stay home with my daughter a little bit longer made that decision for me. True it does seem that the Next 12 days of Christmas campaign is all over many UK based blogs at the moment, but I thought I'd go slightly off on a tangent and remember what happens when the festive ... read more
A morning in the kitchen
My whole morning has been spent in the kitchen today, sadly not baking, but instead coming up with meals for Little Miss C. Pureed vegetables are nice and simple, but today I branched out a bit and tackled my first Annabel Karmel recipe: Apricot Chicken and Sweet Potato. I'm beginning to wonder if I should have bothered though. LMC is currently teething and while her front bottom two teeth have come through the gum, I'm pretty sure there's more going on in that little mouth of hers. Not only is she chewing everything that comes into her hands, but she also has moments where ... read more