Thursday 30 April 2015

Cauliflower Risotto

It is some time since I have written a recipe I am pretty sure the you are all wanting one aren't you know , having brought some Ostrich to cook the other day I needed a simple dish to go with it. The Ostrich was not alive can you imagine that trying to get out my catflap oooh it would get stuck. A few weeks ago I went to Berlin and I must admit I got rather used to having the cooking done for me. Though I now back with a vengeance , ps  If you do cook Ostrich then flash fry it and it will only take about 2 minutes in each side , it cooks really quickly.


Ingredients

225g risotto rice 

Red Onion chopped

1 garlic clove crushed

Half a cauliflower broken into small florets

Knob of butter add more if require

Salt and pepper as you like it.

1 pint of Chicken Stock


Method

In a large sauce pan fry the onion and add the garlic in the butter for a couple of minutes.

Next add the risotto rice make sure it is coated by the butter, stir until  translucent.

Add a cupful or ladle of the chicken stock and stir well until the stock has been absorbed , next add the rest of the stock.

In the last 7 minutes add the cauliflower.

Add a further knob of butter and stir through.

Seasonings are up to you but it delightful to add a generous grinding of black pepper and a twist of the salt mill.

Give a vigorous stir and serve .














Tuesday 28 April 2015

Wednesday let's Not Pick On Wednesday

As I come up to a year of my breakdown I did at first with a sense of gut wrenching anticaption as previous to that I had a turbulent time but I am seeing my depression in a different light now . A recovery of light and though the depression will never leave me I have more of a sense of peace , no one telling me how I should feel or what I should do . And if I do feel panicked there are people I can go to , this especially is true if I have a blip.

When I have a blip it feels as if my whole world has caved in and I feel so very deflated the other day

"I described it has feeling flat as a pancake that has been run over by a steam roller"

Quicker Is my mood recovery time now and I love quirk and adventure so I lived my walk the other day.


A person can feel like a Wednesday and have that midweek hump ~

Find something that will build them up and help them build up and not tear them down.

So time we celebrated life more ~ let's not pick on Wednesday !

How could we help Wednesday we could do this by telling Wednesday they do an important job signifiing the middle of the week . And not get me started on what Monday has had to endure if Monday was a person it would feel bullied.

My lyrical thread is back so please weave along me in blog adventures .....

What quirk gets you along in the middle of the week ?

 

Monday 27 April 2015

Glorious Spring With Rascally Robin

Glorious Spring with its whisper cool breezes is here and I am being taunted by the blasted oh so pretty Robin yet again rather like "Catch the pigeon" , today for example Mr rascally Robin  bobbed along the woodland path stopped cocked its head ; the pretty head of a Robin is full of devious plans. Imagine if you saw a whole herd of Robins ; a herd of Robins are not likely to be planning a picnic.



Bluebells sway upon like a lush blue carpet and cuckoo pint hides in the corner a poisonous but beauteous sign of Spring.



This week signals a change of work fur me stepping in outdoor learning for year 1 , I'm full ready to embrace my new intrepid adventure. Two mornings have been freed up and life is too short for housework , so adventurous souls must be worshipped.



Sunday 26 April 2015

Blogging Is A Lot Like Stairs

Blogging is a lot like stairs you go up and you go down.

So when faced with photography opportunities at blog camp I picked my moments they were few and far between as I choose to mingle and listen to the talks most appropriate to me. On occasion in one session whilst I was still listening I was longingly gazing out the window in a frozen in time moment. The wistful gaze was over the undulating chimney pots and pyramid pointy roof tops , this is where I was wishing to take that picture.

So if you see me gazing I'm still listening to you but like Elvis my mind has left the building.

And then on route to another high octane blogging talk , I stop and talk probably what is the obligatory blog photo. Though this time the stairs are akin to blogging ; blogging is a lot like stairs you go up and down.



Moments in photographic times are anchored within time for all to see and sighfully reminisce over ; moments without photos are steadfastly fixed in time eloquently laid down in words.

Bloggers are just waiting to bring out their inner child but without the squabbles ... yep 




Friday 24 April 2015

The Kindness Of Strangers.

 I didn't start getting myself till now , it's as if I've been struck by lightening and I'm finally starting to understand myself. I've done the CBT, tried the depression tablets ( but the tablets don't agree with me ) you see everyone is fighting an unseen battle and depression quite frankly isn't a competitive sport. I might go to CBT but I'll see how I go I'm being mindful and dealing with my sytimn myself , I had a lot  kick off in my childhood and teens and into my adulthood and I'm shaped my it to an extent. I'm not going to let it take me prisoner at all and I have family and friends who like me and I'm not a pity party and neither will I play the victim. You see you'd think all people with depression would get on like it was one big party with streamers and balloons ~ sorry to burst your balloon but sadly not but if life was simple we wouldn't live it as fully as we do.


The highest compassion we can have is understanding and laughter ~ ps I saw that in a quote ohh what a quote.


Empathy I believe in empathy.

I can't hate or even dislike and now I'm settled with friends of mine who get on with people I don't.

C'est la vie.



My fight or flight respond is still there but I am less inclined to take flight or even fight ( non physically ) 

Before I was sleeping now I'm living.

A bounce in my step and I know if I'm feeling angst I can reach out and for help like the other day I was feeling angry for no apparent reason.

I've been housework lapse this week and I need to get back into my cooking but I'll get there and reading I need to read as you see my mind feels like I've got too many windows open. So I'm learning to shut those windows down and accomplish what ~ I need to , like tonight my fit bit was upset I hadn't taken my necessary steps today so I went out . I tried to talk to the local chickens but they were too far away so I shouted how do.

My family and friends are the wind beneath my wings and though I'm coming up to a year of when I finally acknowledged I had my breakdown in~ I see it as a recovery . Depression won't ever leave me but I can shrink the feeling and treat my mind to the beautiful sensory world around me.

My son goes into 6 th form.

My son takes his GCSes this summer.

3 summers till university.

But my son forever.

And my family is what I concentrate on and making memories.

I can't control the descions other people make and let that make me try and try to be their friend, they must live their lives how they see fit.

And looking upon the Internet and seeing my dads eyes staring back from a newspaper article is still disconcerting but I have my family that I'm not turning my back on. 

GCSE 's weren't good for me neither were my A levels  but they will be for my son history won't repeat itself.

I'm living my life for now.

Not reacting as I did who cares if someone won't talk to me in a social media platform there is plenty who well and you know what simple kindness springs from places you least expect it.


The other day I was walking to school and I had on spent half the week getting my days muddied up when a gentleman stopped me asking me what day of the week was I told him Wednesday and that ~ I had got confused in Tuesday thinking it was Wednesdsy. 

You with me so far?

The joke the old gentleman told me was as follows.

"If King Kong went to Hong Kong to play ping pong and died. What would they put on his coffin ?

lid !"

And with that he turned and went back into his house down the lane and I went to school with a smile , the kindness of strangers.

As they say tommorow a mystery yesterday was history.







Wednesday 22 April 2015

Gardening On A Budget

How on earth can you garden on a budget  ?

Gardening even before you have got started the costs mount up with composts,weedkillers, insecticides, twine plant labels , gardening gloves , pots special shoes to garden in - it all adds up and that is before you have even got going with the plants.

It can be done with a few tips to avoid your wallet being walloped and having to eats beans for the next 3 months. It pays to be inventive and savvy , make do and mend and especially keep an eye out for those bargains.

1. Look on your free sites such as free ad s, free angle and so on , I managed to get a bit of railway sleeper for free and place it again my fence and the cat loves sitting on it. The piece of sleep is just right and looks lovely next to the old sink I got off eBay for 99 p , a good tip when you are looking on eBay for gardening items on the left hand side there is a box where you can put in your postcode and pick the distance you are willing to travel.


The sleeper was off freecycle.

See that balustrade I found that under a hedge it was abandoned( blooming fly tippers)


2. Grow from seeds , this can be done even if you don't have a green house and will quite literally save you a packet and you'll see no end of seeds on gardening magazines ( great advice and seeds all in one package )


3. Save your old your old yogurt and cream pots for growing seedlings in , use old wellingtons for plant containers these are especially quirky and add a sense of fun to your garden.




4 Compost bin/heap When my council introduced a £40 a year bin charge I declined to take them up on this unsurprisingly so I brought a compost bin you'll local authority will have links where you can buy one cheaply. Though since my council have offered a baby bin for £15 a year which I am using for all those items that can't be composed and saving on going down to the tip.

5. Finding stuff for example in a skip but please remember to ask permission as it's an offence to take something out of a tip without permission. I found this balustrade in a hedge and it has obviously been fly tipped but I asked the house next door just in case !

6. Swap seedling with a friend or even host a perhaps as PTA event example and sell tea and cake everyone loves tea and cake , cake loves me a little too much nowadays!

7. Get free advice the Internet is a wonderful resource for this with such sites as amateurgardeing.com or rhs.org.uk

8.  You go shopping in the sales for clothes and other essential items so why not plants , those plants you think might be half dead might not be as dead as you think they are !

9. Buy in bulk this is something I have been doing with the Cotswold stone in my garden I know I could have made an even bigger saving by ordering a huge bag but as I am on a tight budget this just wasn't feasible.

10. Look for making your own organic remedies this is something I am going to do as I have a bad case of woolly Aphid , my apple tree that is and not me !


PS that reminds me Aldi have some cracking gardening deals coming up on the 23 April and I need a mini water butt , I'll be sure to pick this up on the way to see Avengers Age of Ultron.


Disclosure All this is all my own work , I am going to Avengers willingly and am in no way swayed by Thor or any other superhero with a six pack but oh gosh wouldn't they be a dream in the garden ( only because they could do the work in half the time )

Tuesday 21 April 2015

Spring Into Adventure

Not sure what it is this week , I feel as if I'm a Groundhog Day .

I spent the whole of Tuesday thinking it was Wednesday.

No matter I am loving the fact it's Spring and my garden is starting to take shape , I've been influenced of late by my Spring walk down the lane at the bottom of my road.





  

Monday 20 April 2015

White Sauce Made Simple

Sauces were once my cooking nemesis , there aren't many of those left now ( well just the Victoria sponge cake.) but I'll deal with that another time. My sauces were once the talk of polite society in terms of that they didn't mention it. They say once you managed the basics then the world is your oyster ?..

Ingredients 
2 tablespoons of plain flour 
2 tables spoons of olive oil 
Half an onion or perhaps a couple of shallots 
500ml milk
2 cloves
1 bay leaf





Bring the milk to the boil with the onion, cloves and bay leaf , leave to infuse for 20 minutes.

Mix the 2 tablespoons of flour with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to form a paste this is called a roux.

Fish out the onion/ shallots , cloves and bay leaf.

Then gradually add the milk to it thickens to a consistency you like.

You can add further ingredients to your sauce , I added cheese. 

My friend swears by a pinch of mustard powder too.


Move over Nigella .... Maybe ?!


Saturday 18 April 2015

Un Comfortable Being Me

No matter what people say I'm uncomfortable being me yet at the same time I'm sort of comfortable being me , slightly odd I know. I really do hate my picture being taken I never in my mind look quite right and make up is something that just looks right on other people rather me. If and when I do wear make up I look like Aunt Sally from Worzel Gummidge.




This obviously is without make up after the annual haircut this default hair cut number 1 as my hair my never ever grow past my shoulders. I'm rubbish at selfies if I tried the duck pout I look like a constipated duck. I'd rather be behind the camera than in front of it , it's where my talents of my minds eye lay and no I will never do a boudoir shoot for one I'd be horrified and I work in a school. 

Since I've always known me I'm uncomfortable being me yet comfortable and do I need the makeup to aids people perception of me.

No .


I'm me comfortable yet uncomfortable.


 

Wednesday 15 April 2015

Win A World Map From Murals Wallpaper

As you will see from my blog , instagram twitter and Facebook I do love my travel , I have an adventuring soul I have just been to Berlin and in August I am off to Washington DC. I am please to tell you in conjunction with Murals Wallpaper  have kindly given me a mural to give away up to the value of £250 including postage. These maps look fantastic and would liven up any wall you have and maybe inspire your next trip.






The maps aren't just targeted for adults but also children too but maps are really ageless and are something they won't grow up out.




I love London very much and always enjoy my time when I am there , If I had to choose a map then I would choose  this London one.



It is a map of London from 1901 the pivotal year as society goes from Victorian to Edwardian , I go just all tingly just thinking about how it would have been back then.



This competition will run for 2 weeks and you can choose any Mural from the site up to a value of £250 including postage.




a Rafflecopter giveaway


Here are the Terms and Conditions.

1. The promoter is Murals Wallpaper 
2. Employees of Wall Mural ,Ninjakillercat blog or their family members or anyone else connected in any way with the competition or helping to set up the competition shall not be permitted to enter the competition.
3. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
4. Route to entry for the competition and details of how to enter are via Ninjakillercat blog
5. Closing date for entry will be 29th April 2015 After this date the no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
6. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
7. The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of a catastrophe, war, civil or military disturbance, act of God or any actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
8. The promoter is not responsible for inaccurate prize details supplied to any entrant by any third party connected with this competition.
9. No cash alternative to the prizes will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
10. Winners will be chosen by the use of Rafflecopter
11. The winner will be notified by email and/or letter within 28 days of the closing date. If the winner cannot be contacted or do not claim the prize within 14 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
12. The promoter will notify the winner when the prize will be sent.
13. The promoter’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
14. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
15. The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by [English] law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of [England].
16. The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current [UK] data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party.
17. Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.
18. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Network. You are providing your information to Murals Wall Paper and not to any other party.

19. Uk only.

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Michael Todd Soniclear Review

Facials is something I only go for once a year when I go for a spa with my good friend and we can escape from the world and catch up , obviously we drink tea. In between times my skin care routine is a bit hap hazard so when the opportunity arose to try the Soniclear cleansing brush I decided to try it.

What is a facial cleansing brush ?

The clue is in the name ! but here is more of an explanation Soniclear is the worlds first antimicrobial brush meaning it stays clean and free of bacteria and build up. It is  cleansing brush that will cleanse, exfoliate and regenerate the skin.



Where can I use the Soniclear ?

You can use this both in the shower and obviously outside of it , for me it was easier to use daily in the shower. The handle is easier to grip so danger of it slipping out of you hand especially as the Soniclear is nicely weighted.


Interchangeable Brush heads why ?

There is interchangeable brush heads as you use one brush head on your face and another on your body.  There is 3 speeds for you to use according to your skin type and the instructions will tell you of this. it is self cleaning though after a year you will need to replace the head and this is cheaper than the rival brands.


How long do I clean my face for ?

A minute that is the recommended time and the clever Soniclear with its intelligent and beep system   will indicate when you have to move to another part of your face. This is like myself and the need for a good cup of tea my body alerts me to the fact I need a nice cup of tea.

How long does it take to charge ?

It will take and hour to charge after which time you will get an hour of use so you can quite happily take it away for a week without having to worry about lugging the charger along.


Will I see immediate results  ?


The honest answer is no if only life was like a Hollywood movie ! it is going to take time after about 7 days + depending how your skin reacts , you will notice a difference , your skin may flare up. Though your skin may flare up this is nothing to worry about as it is all part of the process.


The Soniclear isn't cheap coming in at £120 ( there is 20 % off at the minute ) perhaps if you are struggling to suggest to people for what to get you for your birthday ,Christmas etc. In comparison to what you will spend on exfoliators et then it is worth the inital outlay and even though I have been sent this for review my opinion is honest.













Sunday 12 April 2015

These Are A Few Of My lovely Things.

So it's the end of the Easter holidays.


What have I achieved well the beginnings of doing the garden over which is still a work in progress , we are approaching GCSE melt down I'm sure , I'm sure of this as the sins laptop has just given up the ghost prompting a trip to PC world. You are bambozzled with such a choice as technology is out of date within a nano second so fingers crossed this laptop sees him through the end of GcSes and through 6th form.

Jinkies.


My hair has developed a Farrah Fawcett flick all of its own accord , I should  be grateful as the 1970s are on trend . If space hoppers are not included as a mode of green transport by one of the political parties , I'll eat my hat if I could find it.


You'll not have failed to see that I was in Berlin the first week of the Easter holidays and it was a week of walking and discovery ; grasping opportunities that came my way is very much the order of the day. I find that I need to remember my tea bags next time as my tea levels have only just returned.


Last Thursday saw we geocaching with my bloggy friend Catherine  her son and another of Catherine's friends which was awesome. We went to Calke Abbey and though I've been there so many times but never go off piste into the sweeping grounds. Catherine had a Geocaching app which she had downloaded and we able to use this off line so no wasting any data!





The treasure of the geocache! 

So these weeks I'm loving family , friends , travel and tea.

Saturday 11 April 2015

The Old Man And Me

The old man ooh what a soliloquy


Spoken and reflections not broken


Ticketyboo and Spring not making a Fool


The things you have seen in a thousand years hence


I''ll ponder here a while and give my Tuppence sense meant



The Old Man and me making sense


If you don't see It





HUSH




The Old Man and me breezes blowing through branches of pride





The Old Man listens to what I say


No judging or sneering


The mind set Free



The Old Man and me at one With a Tree






Disclosure : The Old man is a tree at Calke Abbey that is 1200 years old , I did ask his permission but he is the strong silent type so his silence is golden and a  nod of a branch is as good as a wink of a gnarly knot.













Thursday 9 April 2015

Tea And Adventure with Slow Slow Quick Quick Slow Blogging

Slow slow quick quick slow.


What ever happened to slow blogging ? As in you don't have to run with the Joneses but then again they'll have that angle nailed and Google + and Instagram and vlogged it too.

This world is amazing

And we are all finding our way in life and I certainly am.

Life's busy and I'm merely here for a short mortal time but hell I'm going to shake it up and leave it spinning on its axis.

It's hard if I'm honest to deal with things at times without some folk thinking you're playing the victim or acting out a scene from a soap opera. How I write is how I deal with what's thrown at me and I'm certainly not going to stop , there's a new positivity in my writing , if I get sad then I balance with what I'll be doing soon for example I've been Berlin and I've drunk tea.

Tea and adventure.

How amazing is that.


In my 99p sink I've sown some nasturtiums that were given to me as part of a Springtime Project by Capture by Lucy. #springtimesurpriseproject
The surprise package didn't come from Lucy but from Jenni from GingerBisquiste.


Tea and adventure is where I'm at.


Tea is the only thing you should stir up not life and blogging ......

Well mostly that ..... maybe ... but if you do kindness and respect of feelings always.

Wednesday 8 April 2015

Taking A Trip To Berlin




You might say "Why Berlin ?"

I'd say "Why not " 

No travel place is off limits to myself unless it is a no go war zone or warned away by the foreign office. We choose to go to Berlin through Expedia , we had previously used Expedia when we went to New York.

We found the experience easier and stress free , the flights were more than the accommodation but at short notice this is usually the case.

We made sure that the build up to our stay was as stress free as possible from organising the cattery to arranging airport parking and hotel  which we did with APH. The Berlin hotel  we went for was the Movenpick hotel which is in the Postdamer area. 




and is about a mile from the Bradenburg gate and Checkpoint Charlie and the Topography of Terror are literally round the corner.



The hotel had a industrial heart and was a former Siemens building and there is a sympathetic nod to its industrial  past and heritage .



The Berlin Wall divided Germany from 1961 to 1989 and growing up and seeing the end of this era was breathtaking and poignant. Especially so when you go off the grid free stying in Berlin wherever our feet took us was where we ended up.










There's a danger you can overload with museums in Berlin there's no sense in trying usefully there are a plethora of museums on the aptly named museum island ( which sounds as if it is part of a Scooby Doo mystery)  We concentrated on the Germany history museum .


An Enigma machine

Pjamas worn by Jewish prisoners of war.

Which was just to take us through Germany's past in all its various guises.



Who can resist a cute little East Germany car with a happy smiley face! 


And walking back from museum island  towards brandenburg gate keep your eye of for signs of the East Germany.



Bradenburg Gate


Disclosure: Holiday was paid by myself partially assisted by giving up eating so much cheese.