Followers

Showing posts with label Crufts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crufts. Show all posts

Monday, 10 March 2014

Purple Porridge Oh My!

Yesterday while blog hopping I read that someone ( I am so sorry I did not take in who's blog, it was early) had added brown sugar and coconut to their porridge and made it with milk.
I love porridge and have it for breakfast most days, I make mine with water and a good pinch of salt. It is lovely but a bit boring this morning I rebelled, I used half and half milk and water, a pinch of salt and 2 Tbsp of desicated coconut, half way through the cooking time I added a handful of blackberries that I had defrosted and a grated  apple, oh boy was it LOUD. Now I have to 'fess up that I did not stop to take a photo (I will tomorrow). It was delicious, I am also going to try it with some of my lovely pink rhubarb. I do like to eat a rainbow every day and purple is an expensive colour to buy, think plums, blueberries and cultivated blackberries, good job I have lots in the freezer. This will also help towards eating my way through the chest freezer.

On  different note, did you see Crufts last night? Ricky was a star performer, his personality shone out plain and clear to see. I did think that Colin was a cutie and my personal favourite was the little American Cocker, I have met the breed many times and they are hard working little dogs, of course only the show dogs have that amount of coat, think of getting mud and brambles out of that after a days work. Just like their bigger English cousins they stop for nothing, if they can not get through the tangle of undergrowth they just back up and take another rush at it.

All the dogs were superb and I am looking at Ben and remembering that not that long ago I had 3 ESS, a puppy of dubious ancestry and 2 cats. I have to add that all but my very first ESS have been rescue dogs.
Oh and what about the Collie dancing, I love that part of Crufts equally as much as seeing the dogs.

I spent most of the morning out in the garden clearing and digging over a large raised bed, this is in the shadiest part of the garden and the soil is wonderfully friable.
Of course Ben and I managed 2 walks as well, by lunch time I had most certainly worked off my porridge. I had the last of a batch of soup in the fridge so heated that up and threw a couple of lumps of frozen spinach in.


It was very tasty and just what I needed . I am making Felafels tonight, not the standard recipe though. I will be using a Tomato, Red Pepper and Quinoa mix from AF, I do like Quinoa and thought it would make a change. I have salad and wraps to have with them.

Reasons to be grateful.

1. I gardened in bright sunshine.

2. The soil was lovely and crumbly.

3. Ben had fun playing while I worked.

4. My washing whirled round and dried in 2 hours.

5. The ironing is done and put away.

I am hoping to spend most of my mornings this week out side, it feels as though I have sat in and watched the rain for ever. I am sure that most people feel the same. I need to sort through my seeds
tonight and make a list of anything that I ought to buy. I will only be growing for the summer as I hope to move by October. 
I started to crochet another hat but half way through decided that I didn't like it and unraveled it. I will have to look for a pattern book I think.

The sun has just burst through the clouds so I think Ben and I will make the most of it for a quick walk.

                   TTFN                                    Pam



Sunday, 9 March 2014

A Glorious Finish to A Glorious Day

I had to take Ben out a little while ago, we had both been vegging out since our walk at 2 o'clock. I was happy to have my little camera in my pocket to capture the sunset.


As I was walking back the sky was changing continuously and by the time we got home it was a soft Apricot. I have seen dramatic sun sets in this country, North Africa and Australia. This one is special because it is March and I just slipped a cardi over my tee shirt and was very warm. By the time I got back I was most certainly glowing!

I got comfortable on the sofa last night to watch Crufts, and I was not alone in my enjoyment.



Ben scarcely moved while the dogs were on, when it went to people chatting though it was a different story.


Total switch off., You will notice that he rearranged the cushions to give him the most comfort.
I love Crufts and was more than happy to watch 2 hours of it, lovely. It is a good thing that I have given up chocolate for Lent otherwise a mountain may have been nibbled away.

My lamb joint made dinner for 2 and there is plenty of meat for another 4 meals at least. Ben will have the bone but I will freeze it till next weekend as he had a big knuckle bone from the butcher on Friday.

Reasons to be grateful.

1. A glorious sunny day.

2. A very good dinner without breaking the bank.

3. The weather forecast is sun, sun and more sun for the rest of the week.

4. I am all set to get stuck into the garden in the morning.

5. I have a potential purchaser for the cottage.

One of my friends in the village tells me that her daughter will finish her training in August and she and her boyfriend want to buy in the village. They will be in a position to buy in September/October and if I am willing to wait they would like the first refusal. That fits so well with my plans, but I will not be counting my chickens just yet.

I have made 2 apple crumbles, 1 for Neville, as I found 4 apples that needed using when I checked my store over this morning. I still have enough for 2 months, if they last, and then there are the jars of puree and the boxes in the freezer. I know that they will run out before I have apples in the garden, but I hope to be moved before they need picking.

 I am having a shop delivered from Asda tomorrow, the main road to Wisbech is being resurfaced, causing major delays. Wisbech town bridge is closed for repair work so once you battle your way to the town you then have to sit in more traffic for ages. I have better things to do than seethe for hours in a hot car. The delivery charge is £3 and my coffee of choice is on offer at less than half price, and so is my tea. I will save more than £3 on a jar and I am buying 10. I did not plan it but almost everything that I ordered is on offer. win win.
On that happy note I am off to put the kettle on for tea and make some custard, you just can not have crumble without custard.

                TTFN                                            Pam