Now Wearing Purple

THE STAFF OF LIFE...AND LENTILS! I found this lovely recipe for very easy artisan bread  that I've been itching to make. I love that there are so many pictures to guide you,  as I tend to think I may not be doing things quite right. Got everything ready and realised my bread flour and instant yeast was out of date...aaargh. Well, never one to be put off by minor issues (won't kill us will it?) I made the dough.  You're supposed to leave it to for 12 to 18 hours. Mmm.. it says it's a very forgiving recipe, this is mine after 10 hours! Mmm...I have 24 hours before it hits the bin.  I will try this recipe again though, but with new flour and yeast. On another little browse of various blogs, I found a recipe for a lentil and veg loaf which appealed as Lesley gave so many variations on a theme with it.  The picture doesn't look too appetising, but it does taste good and you can change it up to use  whatever  you have available. ...

A MIDWINTER ENTERTAINMENT It takes a lot to get us out on a winter's evening, but before Christmas,  Aunty A had booked tickets for us to see Murder on the Orient Express at the Electric Palace in  Bridport.  Now,  I meant to visit this beautiful old cinema many times, but never managed to and I have to say it was an utter treat! I didn't take any pics, but thankfully, found these online. I can still remember going to the 'pictures' when a lady led you to your seat by torchlight (Yep,  I'm that old!). In the interval,  they had those back then,  an usherette would appear with a tray of various iced confections and plastic cartons of equally plastic tasting juice. There was a sense of occasion that you just don't get with modern multiplex cinemas. Oh, and the huge swishy curtains,  that would glide apart when the film began, let's not forget those. This lovely old picture house has  character in spades and watching an Agatha Ch...

BATTLING THE BERNAT Having found the first Bernat dog coat pattern too taxing (couldn't fathom out the leg holes!)   I looked on You Tube for assistance and found a tutorial for another Bernat dog coat pattern, whoopee!  I would happily have paid for a pattern if I could have found one that floated my boat, but nothing took my fancy.  The only ones I liked were being sold as the finished item, but I really want to make my own. Anyhoo, here is the new one, although I'm not doing stripes as I feel it just looks too blankety. The tutorial totally helped me to get to grips with the project and I'm almost finished!  I took pictures in order to make it easier if I decide to make another one (my memory for these things is pretty bad). Those little squares are the leg holes.  I know, they look a bit odd, but there are bands to put around them that will hopefully round them out. I'm feeling miffed that I  frogged back the first coat I...

HUNKERNG DOWN This is what we do at this time of year, in the evening, always have, way before hygge became the watchword for this kind of thing. Twinkle lights on the hearth. Fire lit. Candles lit. One of many Moon gazing hare  illuminated, just because. The shutters are closed and we're snuggled down for the evening, watching Timeless on Netflix. Well, I'm actually typing this and also browsing around for book recommendations to lighten the mood for the latter winter months.   Any suggestions, most welcome.

ENTERTAINING CATCH-UPS Last Thursday  morning, the weather was glorious so  I took Elsie for a lovely walk in our village  wood. It isn't large, about four acres, but is a great place to take your dog, or to visit for a bit of quiet contemplation.  Sadly, it's situated next to the village primary school which is oversubscribed and has parking issues.  There are plans afoot to take some of the wood to create extra parking, which I think is very sad and short sighted.  I've signed a petition to stop it happening, but I'm not optimistic. Talk about 'paving paradise and putting up a parking lot'. We were the only ones there and Elsie could run off lead for a change, which she thoroughly enjoyed. The wind caught my dog treats bag and all the goodies fell out onto the grass, but she shot over and hoovered around for about five minutes, so I guess she got most of them. On Friday, Mr. and I met up with friends for lunch at our  local smokery re...

HELLO 2018 Well, I'm glad I got that out of the way.  We're just going back to our pre-festive ways of eating and drinking, with me hitting the smoothies again. Unbelievably, we  managed to see in the New Year last night instead of our usual 'off to bed before the countdown'.  This was due to the fact that we found the series Travellers on Netflix and binge watched  to keep us awake for a special anniversary. Twenty years ago, at about a quarter to midnight, we met for the first time.  Twenty wonderful and amazing years with my gorgeous, kind, sweethearted man. I feel blessed. We were going to open some bubbly, but were too knackered, so hit the hay instead. Yep, we're definitely twenty years older! Yesterday morning, I made the turkey soup, which Mr. confessed to be the best yet. To be honest, and I know you shouldn't blow your own trumpet, but I think it was. My recipe is another memory recipe, but one essential ingredient is to use t...

FACING THE AFTERMATH Feeling decidedly pants today, due to festive over consumption of Twiglets, nuts, Quality Street, Roses,  Lindor, etc, etc, and lets not forget vast plates of Mr.'s excellent bubble and squeak.  I also appear to have consumed quite a lot of wine, who knew!  It's just so easy to start the day with a couple of pieces of Scottish all butter Shortcake and a cuppa, snatch the odd chocolate or nibble a few nuts throughout the day, but it all adds up.  A lot of it would have been eaten by people dropping in over Christmas, but due to Mr.'s lurgy, here it sits. I'm now looking at my not so lovely post Christmas belly in disgust.  I've tried telling it it has to go.....it's not listening! To remedy this, I will be making a big pot of healthy turkey soup tomorrow.  It is one of our Christmas traditions and one of my favourites.  Family members know to save their turkey carcass for us as we freeze them for stock making. Mr. has ...