Friday 31 October 2014

Sleeping Choices Of a Ninja Cat

I'm beginning to feel the fun again.

Though I have a burning problem and that is Rollie 'Ninja' cat he isn't normal ,after all what is normal and normal can be boring., heavens if I was normal wouldn't your life be dull. Just to clarify a burning problem isn't that he tries to set fire to the house although he has been known to turn on the gas on the cooker.

As the song goes "Where ever I lay my cat is my home "

There could have been a slight change on words there , possibly who knows. All I do know that my cat Rollie fights authority every step of the way so much so it hinders my very need to wash up. I watched that rather good program on BBC about the life of cats about how they time phase so they avoid each other, us human beans do that as well except we block on twitter . Thus achieving the same self pleasing satisfaction when we have avoided a social pariah or other one very annoying, and so and so forth.

We tried to give Rollie security by giving him an igloo bed where he had feel all safe, snug and secure and avoid the tweets about how evil he is and the Facebook notifications of life hacks , and you won't believe what he did posts. He killed the bed.




We tried to appeal to his inner cuddly kitten that he must surely have and show us he is not all pet cemetery cat , so we were given a heated igloo cat bed  this is now for sale and as the housing market is up and down, we aren't sure if this is going to sell.



We tried playing classic FM at Rollie to calm the inner beast but I think he prefers Motor Head , Alice Cooper and ZZ top , and if he ever hears of you mentioning to anyone or cat that he hums along to" inch inch worm inch measuring the marigolds" OH * Rollie is gesturing a claw across his throat , I think it means he is hungry * bless

Above all else Rollie love sleeping either on the edge of the sink , in the sink or on the sink rack.





"Normal."


You need cats to be normal haven't you not learnt that us cats us training you , you think the bond villain was in charge oh no my friend it was the cat , anyhow I must go my 1.30 claw manicure will be  here  soon" clears throat  "laugh with me '


"My word is law paw"

Thursday 30 October 2014

The Benefits of Soft Play Mission Wraps

Mission wraps have launched their new super soft wraps and in conjunction with this we were sent a bean bag of giant proportions. Just like Mission wraps you are encased in a softness , so much so I'm super relaxed about my house as I'm now even more due to resting in the bean bag.





Now when you mention soft play to it can conjure up a hellish play centre which is the lament of many a harassed parent throughout the land, now not all soft play centres are like these. Now when my son used to go to play centres, I enjoyed going down the slides whilst I was looking after him , it was when ! * it really was.

Now he is older I no longer going down slides and jump into big beans or jump from giant soft  frog to giant soft frog that was until I got a giant bean bag than I could leap into. leaping into a giant bean bag I feel like a kid again and it is really important me for to relax as I work in a school and sitting on small chairs can leave your back somewhat creaking.  I come home sometimes feeling like the tin man out of the wizard of oz with my joint needing oiling but screeching out on this and sinking into the softness soothes all my aches, creaks and pains away.

OnAMission  from Mission wraps is to  to show the UK how important soft play can be for adults, not just kids.

Soft Play is important whether you are 4 or 94

Why soft play?
Somewhere along the road from childhood, many of us have stopped playing and it may be more likely that you’ll find us watching TV or playing on a tablet. With the hectic lives we lead, we need to find a way to take our minds off work and family commitments and have fun!
Existing research shows that play can be an important source of relaxation and stimulation for adults. It can also be a fun way to fuel your imagination, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and improve your mental health.


In conjunction Mission Deli wraps as well as the bean bag , I was also sent some Mission Deli wraps which were delicious!  You can find lots of exciting recipes on the Mission Deli website here.  To keep up to date with all of the latest news from Mission Deli you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter.



I always like to have Mission wraps in for an enjoyable tea , an amazing meal at anytime of the day from breakfast to supper, I like to sneak hidden goodness into my wraps ! sash don't tell







Wednesday 29 October 2014

Gallery Lead Me To The Light

You'd have suspected this week to lend itself to the lighting of Halloween pumpkins , but no so here! This week is also about the shafts of autumn light for me.



The trees are natures canvas and I love to see the changes , the beautiful light always about the light. The dabbled light , the sun flares and so forth.

Light gives and it also takes away but light comes to reveal again.

Perhaps a leaf has taken a journey downwards , fluttering, spiralling, twirling leading a butterfly dance.




What light do you see objects and people in ? 


Sunday 26 October 2014

First The Tea Then You're Flapjacked


Friday I was free it was an inset day , I am a creature of habit when it comes to the necessary social niceties ~ that of the cup of tea. 


All hail.


The cup of tea , trouble is that it can lure you into a flapjack , the scandal, you purely go into for a cup of tea and wham bam ~ you are flapjacked.


Awwh.

It's a crime.

My reckoning is tea is a cunning fox , educated at the university of cunning ( Blackadder interlude ) when you have tea then you are a bunny in the headlights. You are sitting quite innocently and then next thing you know a wedge of cake is in your hand.

So next time you reach for a cup of tea , beware ~ 

I'm off for a dangerous cup of tea ~


Saturday 25 October 2014

Must Have Gift Set Anniversary Flowers From Debenhams Flowers

The I was ectastic when last week Debenhams contacted me and asked would I like to review some flowers from their luxury anniversary flowers range, I said "yes, i would be delighted to. This was excellent timing as last week was my actual anniversary and I celebrated 17 years of being married 17 years I can't believe it. And my house looks very much like a florist with all the flowers that are about. I eagerly awaited my flower delivery from Debenhams 

I like being treated and when flowers come with an additional gift of a spa set then it allows the specialness of the occasion to continue on. I selected the  bouquet 'Must Have Gift Set'  and to my utter delight this arrived promptly on Saturday 25th October. 



A beautiful display which came via the postman in a special box, the flowers were adequately secured and were wrapped with one of those damp wraps around the stems instead of an aqua bag filled with water which I would have preferred to see. I had to revive the roses using the boiling water method but this was no hard ship as cut flowers are prone to this and i can look to a beautiful elegant display for many days to come. I would have like to seen the round bowl on offer that you see in the picture , the flowers you see in the picture on the website are the extra large size , the size I received was the standard.



Debenhams flowers have kindly allowed me to offer you my dedicated readers a discount code which is:

 DFBLOG25 


This entitles your readers to 25% off a luxury bouquet. The only bouquets exempt from the discount is the Flowers By Post range. However, this is only a small range. Debenhams are 100% happy for this discount code to be published on social media and my blog post. 


  
My cat Jack doesn't like to feel left out so he helped be unpack the roses and is utterly delighted with his gift of the cardboard box and doesn't he look fetching with the addition of the ribbon, the must have accessory for cats this season.





Product - Must Have Gift Set - http://www.debenhamsflowers.com/occasions/flowers-by-occasion/anniversary-flowers/must-have-gift-set these flowers are £39.99




Disclosure I was sent these flowers in exchange for a review :My review is honest and all opinions are my own , I wasn't told what to write.

I have been asked to add this by Jack the cat


"Many thanks to the humans of Debenhams for my cardboard box to sit/sleep in, the box was  sturdy and it was top notch and purple is very much on trend. And to include ribbon for me to play with as well stroke of marketing genius "

The cat is also unbiased in his opinion : his word is the law  paw.

Gin And Marmalade Cake

This is not a cake that the children can eat , we will leave the little angels to to their fairy cakes which are lovingly iced.





Ingredients


110g/4oz unsalted butter, softened
110g/4oz caster Sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp baking powder
175g/6oz plain flour
30ml of a good quality gin

4 tbsp of marmalade ( one that doesn't set your teeth or edge.Adjust quantities to suit.


Method 


Preheat the oven to 160c or gas mark 4 . You can either grease and line a 2lb cake tin with baking parchment or as I did use cake release from Lakeland.

First mix the sugar and butter together till fluffy .


Add the plain flour , gin and marmalade  and baking powder, 

Next mix in the eggs.

Pour the mixture into your prepared loaf tin .



The bake in the oven for around 35 -40 minutes adjust your cooking time if you have a fan assisted oven.


Turn out the loaf , leave to cool.

Then decorate as you wish .


Thursday 23 October 2014

The Mind Forgets The Heart Skips

I am recovering from depression whether I ever get over it is another story I would like to but we will see , I will strive to do my best in the endeavour I truly will. I have a resolve to no longer please other s I do not need the acceptance of all. I struggle day to day on occasion with my memory and I am not talking about forgetting to buy milk I am talking about naming objects.

Depression it is depression .


Compassion yes I would like you to have compassion but that is ok if you don't I am dealing with that now, if you can message me and tell me that I have a good soul then I know that you are my friend, fat beyond the swirling social media hamster run.


Depression needs to pick me up.

Depression needs me to pick you up.


At the end of the day I am a person with a beating heart, I am a wife and a mother and my family make me proud.

I am proud of what I have achieved in social media , how have I done it I have no idea , no I have not won awards ~ not sure I ever will but none of that matter compared to knowing you and you and you. When I hear my friends have my back then I know they mean it and I won't ever let them done.

Depression but you have depression.

Well it's not like I have to ring a bell shouting " hear ye hear ye I have depression"


I write lists not * bullet journals and I have my friends to thank for that.


I want to be confidant, I don't want my anxieties to hamper him and this is why I  push out of my comfort zone like going to London for a blogging event . they say do one thing a day that scares you and I do from washing up  to going to London.

Never do I want my son to experience what I did at school from me being bullied and polls being done to see who liked me.

Adventure starts here will reading my blog be the one thing that scares you today ?


To my true friends I salute you as captains of my soul.





Relax With Hallmark


There are just times when you have to just pull the curtains shut , lock the door, take the phone off the hook and relax the world is a pretty busy place and we all need a time out. There is nothting better than baking some chocolate cupcakes with melty mashmellows in them combined with a cup of tea.




And when you decorate the cupcakes you'll feel all the more special , the range is perfect also if you want to hold a special tea party or a birthday tea perhaps. Make sure you have your cup of tea in this fine bone china mug by Lucy Cromwell ~ that you can use in the microwave as well! Why not make a cake  in a mug in it by using the cup in the microwave! Go on treat yourself.


This beautiful mug is £8.00
So pop over and have a look at the Hallmark site you are bound to find something you can squirrel away for Christmas or treat yourself : go on you know you are worth it.

Disclosure : I was kindly sent these items by Hallmark and I wasn't told what to write and all opinions are my own.

Wednesday 22 October 2014

Malmaison Birmingham The Mailbox Special

Ever the travel blogger I am reporting to you live from the scene, I am staying very near to this to amazing place that is going under a transformation. I am in the Malmaison Birmingham, I think this is an amazing hotel chain that panders to the inner architecture and historian than lies within me.

I feel like Stuart Little crossed with crocodile Dundee but instead of the knife scene mine would be :

"Call that a light , nah this is a light "





The times I have to come to Birmingham are on the increase due to one factor or another , gone or going are the gritty building front once blighted by the industrial age., we are now seeing Birmingham as our forefathers saw this wondrous city. Birmingham is going under more than just a transformation from the cleaning process , there is regeneration going on , shops being built. So much so that I hardly recognise the place when I come, though once I see the iconic Bullring then all is settled.

The modern city metropolis of Birmingham is altruistic in its state, the Mailbox though is being done up still delivers stylish shopping dining and lifestyle, and lifestyle doesn't mean you have to spend money though the shop keepers and restaurent owners would rather you do that. The lifestyle you can have is just to be of the moment and despite many of the posh shops that will inhabit the mailbox , everyone yes everyone is equal.

I find it so very hard to shop for myself and let my family do it themselves and even when face with the free run of a shop like Harvey Nichols I can not bring myself to get some gloves for £65 I work in a school so I need to be practical. Earlier this year a fox managed to run off with one of my Mark Todd leather gloves and I don't even rides horse I am highly allergic to horses and not Mark Todd , I have met him and he is a gentleman.

I did manage to get some Benefit makeup to which the makeup lady did state.


"Madam it takes a lot to stay beautiful" ~ right 







Mr T got a watch it tells the time and links to his iPhone and all sorts of other stuff , Mr T has a watch problem and is addicted to watches. Don't ask me why but we also managed to get a bottle of Vodka for when my son is old enough it has gold leaf floating in it and has a glass sculpture of a dragon inside.

Indulgence does us good , but what I am essentially getting at is indulgence doesn't have to cost the earth and this is what you can have at the mailbox. The surrounding are stunning particularly of a clear evening when the lights are glimmering on the canal, a city doesn't metropolis that doesn't make me want to bolt on this occasion and this is coming from a rural person.



Monday 20 October 2014

Review Of The Eye-Fi Mobi Wireless Memory Card

It is no secret that I love my photography, every waking moment I am snapping away , I am that person ( sorry) who will suddenly stop dead to take a picture I have seen. My minds eye is important to me and this is why I feel the need to snap away , if it looks right to be then 9 times out of 10 it will be a stunning shot. Capturing pictures of moments are important to me and what pictures I do take are reflected in my blog posts , I love to have a snergy flow in my life  so a dual purpose is always in hand.




My photographic essential 'tools' are my Nikon, Panasonic Lumix instagram and my IPhone , I must admit to lately having a modicum of guilt having used my iPhone so much recently so the other day I ditched it. And used my Panasonic Lumix and my photographic harmony was restored for the time being. I adore instagram it allows me to see photographic styles and influences from all over the world, the power of connecting with other like mined people must never ever be under estimated.

I am multifarious, I once thought of myself as niche ,perhaps I am a little but I am always willing to push the boundaries and very happy to come out of my comfort zone. My dropbox is stuffed to the hilt as till recently I was awful at deleting pictures , Mr T had to upload before our holiday, 10 squillion of my photos that I needed to the cloud storage device that we now have, well perhaps it wasn't 10 squillion but it felt like that to Mr T.

Saviour has come to me in the form of the Eye ~ Fi Mobi wireless card.

Here is the magic technological bit ~ that is straight out of a science fiction film.





The Eye-Fi Mobi memory card lets you transfer your photos and videos from your camera to your smart phone or tablet. The Mobi card creates its own Wifi network which your mobile device is then able to connect to. The Eye-Fi Mobi is available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities priced £30 - £50.




  • 1. Put the Eye-Fi Mobi card in your camera. Your Eye-Fi card is ready to use - just like any SDHC memory card.

  • 2. Install the Eye-Fi app on your mobile device - Download the free Eye-Fi app to your iPhone, iPad or Android mobile device. Launch the app and enter the code ( which is a 10 digit one)found on the back of the SD card case. 

  • 3. Take your first photo - Watch the magic as your photo appears on your mobile device, in full resolution. Now your best photos & videos are instantly saved and ready to edit or share.
I can not imagine a life where in some instances I wouldn't share my photos right here right now as I have to convey what I am feeling straight away. the feeling might now always been happy ones but this card give me the power to share my life where appropriate with you even though I may be deep in the middle of the countryside.




And this is a photo I shared instantly of me being happy as the sun was out , my photography is therapy for my soul and is a domino effect for others , my photo could very well make someone say "

"Hey I want to go out and achieve that"


So if you are tired of always snapping away with your phone ( and believe me there is nothing wrong with that) but if you want to have the freedom to share there and then with A DSLR quality image then you can achieve this with having the Eye-Fi Mobil Wireless card in you camera.

Thursday 16 October 2014

Autumn Skies



Upon the dabbled shades of Autumn I do wake,

Looking up,

A kaleidoscope I spy,

Pressed delicately upon ,

A china blue sky,

I step up.

To the challenge astride,







Untold happiness inside.

Monday 13 October 2014

Fall Leaves Us Wanting

I'll let you into a secret, I am only just getting into me being myself again , I have had some right horrible knock backs and I was in a horrible dark place a few weeks ago.This was despite coping with my depression , what I need is empathy , I need understanding. We can't all be friends ,I truly get that now but I think we can politely tolerate those around us , we are all perhaps fighting a battle we don't know about.

I love Autumn and kicking the leaves , and in the quiet and still before my son's football game begins I go explore the village again. Time and time I have explored  the village, in fact I know more about the village than some of the villagers, it is truly a beautiful haven by the river.




This is the photography , I am known for this is who I am ~ I run separate from others , I really honestly don't run with the herd, yes occasionally you will see reviews on here but I really love to have a purpose to my blogging . What I do has to add a string to my blogging bow also it has enrich my life, I have turned down so much as I can't simply do it all, yes I even turned down wine.


Adventure is where I am seeing the magical in the everyday , I can get twitchy if I can not go out. I apologies if my photos have not been the usual quality I know they have still been good( but I know they aren't quite 100 percent)



When I have gone that extra mile then you know that I am truly coming back, Some doors have been slammed in my face but to be honest with you that has widened my horizons, I am not a glossy magazine type of blog and there are some very beautiful, journalistic quality ones out there which are superb.

I am all about what you see is what you get and I will never blog an un truth I will be as diplomatic as I can possibly be.

What can't I do ~

I can't ever hate anyone.


Take a punt on me I won't let you down ~



Sunday 12 October 2014

Welcome Autumn

I will be honest when the cold starts to hit, I go absolutely freezing, I am chilled to the bone and this is not as I am sun seeker. I do like the sun on my back and face and yes it brightens my mood but when the colds strikes it can leave me in pain.



The pain can be crippling on occasion and I do have to ensure that I am wrapped up to the eyeballs think the invisible man then you are on the right lines. The cold doesn't stop being doing what I enjoy and love but it does hamper me and it turn that will make me sad,  whilst I have a SAD light, it is the cold that is my enemy. This is what having Raynaulds is like which is a circulation problem ~ cranks up heating again.



I find nowadays there is no longer the cold snap , clear winter days so much as there used to be , my mind goes back to the snow of the 1970's when the snow was really deep, this could have been as I was small.


However I will be popping to the woods next week ~

For now ~

The world is still ~



Siloutte Sunday

Friday 10 October 2014

Oven Chicken Pilaf

The nights are most definitely  drawing in and I want my family to be able to come home to a dish that is both healthy and satisfying. And as my son is always popping out in the evening for sport I want to ensure that he gets the nutrition he needs as he is at a high sporting level. It is important to eat the same as a family , it drives me crackers if I have to cook separate dishes for everyone and when i had a rare cooking failure over a fish pie the other day I was most put out !



Ingredients

4 chicken breasts or 8 chicken thighs
1 small onion chopped
4 tsp curry paste
1 mug of basmati rice
1 mug of chicken stock
1 mug of frozen mixed veg ( I had carrots , broccoli and cauliflower in mine)
or indeed use fresh
optional if you wish to put in a quarter of a mug of frozen leaf spinach


Method

Heat the oven to 200c

Soften the small chopped onion with a small amount oil 

Brown the chicken in the same pan adding a little more oil

Transfer to an oven proof dish with a lid

To the chicken and onion mixture add the mug of basmati rice

Add the curry paste to your taste

Next the mug of chicken stock

Then add the mugs of frozen veg and if you desire the frozen/fresh flat spinach

Cook in the oven for around 40 minutes







Disclosure: I was send Co op vouchers in order to develop this recipe



Thursday 9 October 2014

Cat Treat Tin From Presents For Men

"Le cat chic has hit my kitchen , but as ever the maverick my human bean doesn't use it for the intended purpose , I say caviar or ice cubes so then I can chill my Bollinger"


"I give you the treat tin from Menkind ... plays excitement music "




"The human bean stores the food pouches in there , as I am precious so much SO that you can judge the weather by me if I am in then don't go out , if I am in out then fine go out"


The enamel treat tin is priced at £14.99 an ideal gift for a cat lover or some where crafty to hide your sweets !

"In fact my human being is going to have to cordinate their new kitchen with me , can you imagine anything not matching with me "





"I have been asked to point out in way of disclosure  * contractual shaking of paw agreement that other gifts for men are available ( said in a masterful voice)"




Wednesday 8 October 2014

PurrBoxes A Review

With PurrBoxes, every month you will receive a box in the mail with four or more carefully selected products and presents for your cat – specially selected toys and treats along with a month’s supply of cat grass and catnip!
Whether you’ve been living with your pet for years or have a new special feline in your life, PurrBoxes are the unique new way to keep your cat or kitten entertained, happy and feeling loved.

The cost now this is £9.95 a month but you can do a one of payment .

Useful as an alternative to the cat Christmas stocking or an occasional treat .

I think owner s of indoor cats would find this find this beneficial.

The boxes are made up in accordance with the details you provided ie their age so if you've got a kitten again, this would be ideal for a one off or how ever long you wish.




So for a happy puss cat give them a treat of a PurrBox


Rolllie say "I very much enjoyed the surprise of the this arriving , sadly Jack got to the catnip first and was rather spaced out for the rest of the day , I give this 9 paws out of 10"


Review Of Degustabox September

I do enjoy a monthly surprise  from Degustabox this September was a right corker as the nights turn darker there is plenty with the box to keep the cool Autumn nights at bay. Each month Degustabox with send around 9-14 different products to you for £12.99 the price of this is much less than you would pay in the shops. It is a great way to try some new bespoke products in fact at this very moment I am baking a Gin and Marmalade cake which I hope will be ready by the time I have finished writing this blog post.



Jordans Simply Granola £2.69
Ideal for my husband he loves granola you can enjoy this not just with milk but why not try it with almond milk or yogurt. I topped mine last week with bananas and blueberries to make a really healthy start to my week, the size of the bag was good as well at 750g. My T though the granola could have been more clustered , he said a granola should be clustered!

La Viveja Fabrica £1.59

I SO enjoyed the marmalade and it wasn't the sort of marmalade that sets your teeth or edge either by being too bitter. I found the marmalade particularly scrumptious on toast and I am using the last of it as previously mentioned in a Gin and Marmalade cake, which still has about 10 minutes left to cook, though by the time you have read this I will have eaten it all ~sorry




Righteous recommended price 75p


There are 3 Righteous dressings: Lemon and Mustard Seed, Raspberry and Sweet Basil, & Mild English Blue Cheese & Cider - My husband took 2 of them with his salads , he like only the Lemon and Mustard seed and I was left with the raspberry and sweet basil which I didn't enjoy.


Elizabeth Shaw RRP £2.50


This is a brand new Dark chocolate mint thin from Elizabeth Shaw coupled with delicate layers of quality dark chocolate with mint, luxuriously decayed with crunchy mint sprinkles. Ideal to share with friends over a coffee ,this is what myself and Mr T did . This would ideal I think at Christmas and is a break form the norm from the bog standard mints you can get.





Burts RRP 69p a packet

Burts Lentil Waves are available from Waitrose in three tantalising flavours; Sour Cream & Chive, Thai Sweet Chilli and Lightly Salted. We all enjoyed these as a family and were gently surprised by their lightness.


Little Miracles RRP £1.39 per bottle

I was really looking forward to trying these energy drinks , I rarely drink energy drinks but these piqued my interest as they are sweetened with agave. They were a nice pick up on an hot day when Autumn was getting confused ! and I was sweltering in the heat. They are less than 90 calories and are free from colure,flavours and sweeteners.



Crabbies Zesty Lemon RRP £1.50

Well it was lemony not in such a way that your lips form an "O my goodness that is a tart lemon taste" , but more of a "O how refreshing". I would gladly buy these all year round * adds them to this weeks shopping.


Pick Me Up RRP £1.69

Who doesn't love a chocolate biscuits that is individually wrapped ~ not that these made it out of the house I have to tell you, they are a very luxurious biscuit which is fair on the price you pay for it.

Carnation Cook With It £1.65

We were unsure on this ~ it might have been down to the fact that I had a rare cooking fail and my fish pie looked liked prison slops. I am willing to give it another go and try it in another recipe with the remaining one I have left, the price seems a little on the high side in comparison to the milk you buy for your family.

If you want to find Degustabox then you can find them on Twitter 

Sunday 5 October 2014

You Got The Look ~ Indignant Cat



The look that says " you want to go upstairs you go past me "

For 2 weeks I've been trying to brush my silver tabby , it is like to trying to groom a hedgehog. Rollie is a medium to long hair cat, his fur is dense, he never stops fluffing.

Aloof and strong willed is Rollie , where ever he lays his paw he sleeps. A wise person will wear slippers in this household whilst vacuuming just in case there is a lurky beastie.

Saturday 4 October 2014

Fava Bean Soup




SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS


300 dried fava beans
1 can tin of chopped tomatoes
1 clove garlic, chopped

1 large small onion, chopped
Himalayan pink salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ tsp. ground cumin

Method

1. Bring the fava beans and 4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered and stirring, until tender, about 40 minutes. Do check . You might no need as long as 40 minutes.

2. Heat oil in another large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion till it is softened and add the can of tinned tomatoes stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the softened onions and tinned tomatoes to the the fava beans add one close of crushed  and cumin. Heat through the stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Then use a hand blender to purée . Serve with crusty bread.





This was my first ever attempt at soup , my only other foray into soup was using a can opener. So another first accomplished in the kitchen !! one day master chef might beckon.




Please pop over to the Credit Crunch Munch pages on Helen’s  and Camilla’s sites.

Friday 3 October 2014

Travelling places to visit before you die ~ assisting the grim reaper

There are lists that scream at you to travel here and there before you die , I'm not sure about you but I don't want to feel like I'm travelling with the grim reaper.

I would much rather compile a list of where I wish to travel in my lifetime.

And why when I'm finally left this mortal realm , can't my son and subsequent heirs travel in my memory, adding their own adventures as they go  . Life is all about adventure , and I'll never stop thinking about the next adventure.


And I do adore travelling so very much.

Of course you don't have to get on a plane to travel not all us can or want to, but I do. I am not showing of saying I have been here and there. Next year I am going to Washington DC I will be seeing the White House , also standing on the steps where Martin Luther King gave his "I have a dream speech" Arlington cemetery you name it.

So many places and I don't want to think of it as so little time as I am now a single over 40.


Rome I will meet you one day.

Berlin you as well.

India your colours will take me on a novel throw back of Passage to India.

Jordan Petra.

Iceland.

The cherry trees of Japan.

Boston

New Orleans

New England , colour my world with your shimmering shades of Fall.

Kenya

New Zealand

Australia


Easter Island


WHO knows, who knows if I will achieve all of these but I jolly well tell you , I am going to live my life and not worry about my mortality. Now please excuse me whilst I pick up my leaflets that have fallen from my WI magazine offering me life insurance, and a rather fetching cover for my sofa and my goodness I need those fluffy sheepskins slippers.




Wednesday 1 October 2014

I'll just miss

I'll just miss

I'll just miss the tooth paste round the bowl

I'll just miss fetching you your drink 

I'll just miss you

The door closing as you go to school

Fetching you your ice cream 

Buying that one brand of cereal 

I'll Miss

The leave the cat alone 

As you approach adulthood 

I Miss you