Lavender's Scarce (Dilly Dilly..)

A plea went out on my local lets scheme from me for lavender to make lavender bags for elderly aunties christmas presents (this year it going to be a homespun yule!) but no-one has much to offer seems to been a bad flowering season for local lavender...

I'll be making the bags to this pattern - http://bp0.blogger.com/_fdnFINgKGRg/R4sXslS9jyI/AAAAAAAABoI/fxowthsYGC4/s1600-h/panty+card+template.jpg - with a few adjustments, as this is a card template. My aunties are all young at heart and I'm sure they'll see the fun in adding these to their smalls drawers....

The Great Outdoors

Well, what with that glowing orb in the sky over the weekend, we thought we'd venture out as DD2 wouldn't have a pool forming in her sling, or buggy (she's getting heavier now, and carrying is sadly getting painful, 'cos of the back injury.) - unless of course it was of her own making!

So off we adventured. 1st to Willen Lake, which is a very nice stroll, and home to the peace pagaoda, pictured right. Peacefull, apart form the call of an irrate goose, who had discovered someone fishing on her patch of bank.

After this we took a stroll round the lake, with a brief stop on DD2s part for 'refreshments' and then on to Willen Old Village... And the church. It seemed to be a day for religious structures..

Victoria Beckham has cut her hair

And the funny thing is the papers think I care, nay I am supposed to be interested.
I so love being the house popular culture forgot. Doesn't make for great light conversation at mums and tots though.

Well, the world hasn't ended.

So, we've re-created the big bang. And the world hasn't ended.
Treated myself to a coffee with DD2 while DD1 was at school today, and had a brief chat with owner/another customer (we're in there a lot, they do a lovely cappuccino, and an even lovelier apple slice!) and came to the conclusion we could very well be in an alternate reality, and there's only one small difference which no-one has discovered yet...

I'm hoping that its the fact the rain appears to have stopped, for the time being at least.

Love Your Leftovers

http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/food/mealideas/leftovers/leftovers.htm

Parsnip & Chickpea Curry

Ingredients
Serves 4
2 medium parsnips 1 medium onion, peeled, halved and sliced 200g chick peas, cooked 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed ½ inch fresh ginger root, peeled and grated 1 fresh chilli, deseeded & chopped (or equivalent dried chillies) ½ teaspoon cumin seeds ½ teaspoon coriander seeds ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds 1 tin tomatoes, chopped Handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Method
Heat a large pan with no oil. Add the cumin, coriander and fenugreek seeds and cook for about 2 minutes, until they start to "pop" and "jump". Remove from the heat and crush in a pestle & mortar or grinder.
Heat the oil in the pan and gently sauté the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli until soft (about 10 minutes).
Add the ground seeds and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Scrub or peel and chop the parsnip into ½ inch cubes. Add to the pan and stir well to coat. Cover and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and chick peas, stir well. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, until the parsnip is tender.
Remove from the heat and stir in the coriander leaves.

School: the report.

DD1 had a great time, and drew the promised pictures, and also learnt how to spell the number seven and the number ten. She learnt a counting ryhme and then asked the teacher 'if letters are different from numbers, how do you spell a number?'...

Her 'special needs' seem to be being provided for, too - I'm glad she's being challenged, as we strive so much to keep her enquiring at home.

DD1s first day at school.. today!

Well, dropped my dd1 off for 9am (got there at 8.45 to help with settling in, and so she could find coat peg etc,etc) and by 9.01 I'd been told by my daughter, to leave. apparently she'd draw me a picture, I wasn't to worry - she'd make loads of friends - and that she'd see me and dd2 when we picked her up at 'half an eleven' (11.30am)

*sigh* its nice she fits in so easily, but it be nice to feel like she needs me.. occasionally!

Oh, Look, It's Raining...

Nasty weather all round today. Doesn't help DD1 is scared of thunder storms... we've been cuddled up for quite a bit of the day, as we've had flashes and bangs overhead...

At least there have been some interesting snails to spot, when we had to go out in the insessent rain to run an errand. Puddles are highly underrated too... gave me an excuse to wear my animal print wellies ;)

Maraschino Choc Truffle Cups.

Yum!
bases:
100-150g plain chocolate cake flavouring, melted.
filling:
142ml Double cream
100g bar plain chocolate
8-10 maraschino cherries
paper sweet/mini cupcake cases
piping bag, or plastic bag with corner cut

1
brush the inside of cases with chocolate cake covering
chill the cases for a bit, to make sure chocolate is firm
remove from fridge and peel off peper cases.
2
bring the cream to the boil
remove from heat & add plain chocolate
stir until chocolate dissolves, and wait for it to thicken, stirring every so often
when cooled, chill in fridge till firm enough to pipe
3
cut cherries into small pieces, pat dry with tea towel
keep single piece for every cup you've made, and scatter the rest at bottom of cups.
4
pipe from bag into chocolate cases, top with cherry peice.

will keep for 4 days in cool place.

Nana has landed..

To cuddle her 2nd grandaughter, and play with dd1, obviously.
She also turned up with some very cute frilly overpants for dd2s terries.. call me old fashioned but they look so cute under dresses!