Last week I managed to make great headway on my 52 in 2010 challenge with not one, not two, but three new recipes tried during the course of the week! The first came from the wonderful Apples for Jam and was for a simple beef stew with carrots. Not necessarily the most exciting dish in the world, but a good hearty winter meal all the same. Served up with some home-made mash this was very welcome of a bitterly cold evening. The carrots added a certain something that gave it a slight step up on most beef stews. After being inspired by seeing Nigel Slater's cookery programme on ... read more
NTTVBG: Brodeck’s Report – Phillippe Claudel
Today marks my first venture into book group reading with Phillippe Claudel's Brodeck's Report which I have read as part of the Not The TV Book Group over on dovergreyreader's blog. I wrote last week about feeling like I needed to structure my reading a bit better and I'm delighted to say that I managed to finish this book today in good time to join in the discussion over on dgr's blog.Brodeck's Report is, to be honest, one of those books that I doubt I would have chosen to read if it were not part of the book group's reading list. Set ... read more
Mo
My television watching is often a few days behind when things are actually broadcast, so it was only yesterday when I caught up with Channel 4's drama Mo, which told of the life of the late Mo Mowlem. The film covers not only her time in Northern Ireland, but also her own personal battle against the illness that finally took her life. The acting was fantastic, with Julie Walter's portrayal of Mo as incredibly accurate. The way in which the story was told was beautiful in the way that it combined tender moments of Mo's life as well as the challenges that she went ... read more
Educated reading
I used to think that I read quite a lot. I always have a book on the go and rare is the day when I don't read at least a couple of pages. One thing that I have realised though over the last month or so is that although the quantity I read may be quite high, I do just rad quite a random assortment of what ever is available in the charity shop in the order I pick them up in. Last week I picked up a leaflet in Waterstones advertising a three for two offer on their top 50 books of the decade (2000 - 2009). Now, although a three for two offer is quite good value I know that ... read more
The White Tiger – Aravind Adiga
It's strange how you can first hear about books. About 18 months ago whilst Mr C and I were still house hunting we went to view on particular house where the owners had a very minimalist approach. Downstairs everything was white, off white or clear (glass or plastic). Upstairs it was very similar. The one thing that both of us remember though is that in the bedroom there was a white wooden framed bed, with white cotton bed lined, a white bedside cabinet and on it was a copy of The White Tiger (with a previous cover that was, you guessed it, mainly white!) Things like ... read more
Big Garden Birdwatch – Part 2
Whilst the physical location for my second stint at the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch wasn't quite as comfortable as my kitchen there did seem to be plenty more birds on display down at the WWA today.Whilst others took part in the main working party activity the bird spotting team managed to see the following: Bullfinch Redwing Great spotted woodpecker Blackbird (2) Collared dove (14) Greenfinch Robin (2) Blue tit (3) Dunnock (3) House sparrow Song thrush (2) Jackdaw (20) Chaffinch (5) Goldfinch (1) Long tailed tit (5) Wood pigeon (6) Great tit (2) Magpie (2) Wren Mallard (6) Coot ... read more
RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch
Quite a nice way to start the day. Cup of tea to hand. Seat looking out over the snow covered garden. Binoculars and bird book ready. Cue lots of birds. Or not, as the case may be. The morning I spent an hour taking part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. Compared to when we first moved in here we certainly seem to have attracted more birdlife to the garden. Our results weren't spectacular with eleven different species in total (blackbird, black headed gull, blue tit, carrion crow, coal tit, dunnock, great tit, house sparrow, mapgie, robin and woodpigeon) but I was still more ... read more
Hummingbird Bakery Chocolate Cupcakes
With a craving for something chocolate based I searched all my cook books to find something that would satisfy my sweet tooth. There were plenty of options in The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook but the ones that most stood out were the chocolate cupcakes.I've made the plain cupcakes from this book before, but that time ate them all before getting round to making the icing. This time I was determined to complete them before sampling, and succeeded. The cupcakes are completely delicious; lovely and moist. The chocolate rich, but not too rich. The icing sweet, but not over the top. The ... read more
Ten in the bed
Years ago (circa 1997) I used to buy cross stitch magazines as if they were going out of fashion. At some point whilst moving house at a later date I took out all the patterns that I liked and thought I might actually sew at some point in the future. I still have a whole ring binder full of these and last week vaguely remembered one pattern that I thought may work as something to go on the nursery wall. A good rummage in the attic and hey presto here it is! Ten in the bed is a lovely pattern and should look good on the wall whether Baby C is a boy or a girl. A quick trip ... read more
Suite Francaise – Irene Nemirovsky
Suite Francaise is one of those books that I've been aware of for ages, and has even sat on the book case for a while, but for some strange reason it's taken me a while to actually pick it up and read it. I'm so glad I did though! Suite Francaise covers the lives of ordinary citizen in France as it comes under German occupation during the Second World War. The book itself is split into two parts. The first follows a group of Parisians as they try to flee the invasion that is taking place around them. Different people, with very difference circumstances are all thrown ... read more