curious trace

2013-03-13T10:23:00.002+00:00

You know what's amazing but really not-so is how time flies when you're having fun...and how it seems to stand maddeningly still when you're not. This last year has had both of these moments / months! Finally, yes, finally, it's time moving forward and onward. These past two years of life has been based on a decision by a government body that's out of my control and with the onset of (I'm hoping!) Spring maybe my new start will be complete and without barriers to living the life I want and choose. Fingers are crossed.

New Day...Where to?

2012-11-08T21:00:00.000+00:00

So. I'm feeling like this bee.

He sees it all but he can't get into it until I open the window and set him free.

Two questions for him: HOW did he get in here when the window's been shut...and WHERE is he going after his manic attempts to get out?!

I've started thinking about where I'm heading, what I'm going to do once I get there and how I'm going to get there!...a few questions are more important than others, I know, but in what order do they go? HOW? WHERE? HOW? WHAT? WHERE? HOW? WHAT?

I'm already on the path and I suppose it's about steering at this stage.
I've got a brain, I've got the heart and I'm ready to go- the winds are blowing up a storm out there.

Also, it's too cold for bees now so I'm hoping he's okay- safe with his hive or at least huddled in a warm bush somewhere. No rain today so outlook is good for us both. xt

baking on a Wednesday

2012-02-15T06:18:00.002+00:00

Lemon drizzle cake from Edmonds NZ cookbook. A sure-fire recipe that has never failed me and can be used a million different ways by substituting the 'lemon' for 'coffee', 'peach', 'nut', 'ginger'...you name it, add as much as you want and VOÍLA! Beautiful cake.

I've altered it slightly with what I put in it but the basic recipe is here- experiment!

Recipe:
1 cup standard plain flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons baking powder

then add you choice of flavour!
lemon juice & rind, pineapple, peaches, nuts, coffee, nuts & coffee, lime juice etc...the possibilities are endless!

Sift flour into a bowl, add sugar, eggs, butter and milk and beat on high for 3 minutes. Stir in baking powder and lemon juice and rind.*

*or whatever you choose to add!

Bake at 190ºC for 15-20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Ice when completely cooled.

I made a quick drizzle with icing sugar and lemon rind and juice for the top, poked holes everywhere when it was warm and used half the drizzle then, the other half when it had cooled a bit.

Here's a photo of the lemon...(I made mini domes!)!

At his request, I made a coffee and walnut cake for Michael's birthday by adding espresso coffee (2 tablespoons in a tablespoon of water) + walnuts...no lemons! I made butter icing and two layers for this special request- icing sugar, espresso, butter- whipped to a frenzy then sandwiched when completely cooled (or else you have just liquid goo). Happy baking to you!

SInce I don't really eat cakes (but I do love making them) I rely on the eaters to tell me their opinion...I am happy to say that both were successes!

Happy baking to you!

strange things...

2012-02-10T14:10:00.000+00:00

sometimes, pictures need no words...

I've been meaning to post this photo since I took it- and then here I am, today, and here it is!

I stalked this item and the aisle they were on for a little while to see if anyone actually bought it...I placed them on the shelf in a funny pattern...and nothing happened. I went back a few days later and they were in the same place I'd put them! So possibly the slowest selling item- perhaps it's something you don't use for everyday cooking?...perhaps not.

Seems a high price to pay for what it says!


(yes, it's a Tesco shelf. No, I didn't buy it.)

(Tesco, again, no, still didn't buy- although am quite intrigued!)

time flies!

2012-02-07T22:02:00.000+00:00

It's always amazing to me that time passes so quickly and here we are in February already- I've barely got all the Christmas stuff tucked away (and then, today, buying a 10 pack of Christmas cards for 89p adds to the sinking feeling of time passing- quickly).

I suppose having snow on Saturday didn't make things slow down- it was the first (and only) snowfall we've had in Richmond this year so it felt like November instead of the cusp of Spring.

My plan for 2012 is endless and limitless. I've set myself some pretty high targets and am striving to reach them everyday.

I leave you with a photo: Richmond Saturday February 4th, 2012.

(thanks Steve, lovely postbox!)

I bought 'the open jar'.

2011-06-17T06:19:00.001+01:00

I know, we've all done it at some stage- for a sniff, a whiff, a quick check or just because we 'think' we know- but want to double check...yes, I'm talking about popping open the jar in the supermarket. Well, tonight I bought that jar (although technically it was a bottle)- silly me, I didn't check. And I always check, believe me.

Yep, you can see it there, the ripped label I missed tonight.

I thought my karma was okay these days...?

In any case, I've used it (yummy blue cheese dressing- a treat!) and I haven't met my maker yet. In fact, I feel fine. I'm hoping that it was a simple open- like I've done before- snap, sniff, secure- but then I usually buy the one I've opened- not put it back and reach for one that's nice and new, pristine and secure. Ah, the brutes in Richmond Waitrose!

I was thinking I could return it for a new one- but then that would've meant waiting till tomorrow and I made a lovely salad that was, quite literally, begging for this dressing. I even put in pine nuts. Plus, I figure enough food is wasted without me contributing more- and maybe in a little way I felt it was penance for my opening crimes in the past.

xt

After-work-on-Friday-because-it's-summer drink

2011-06-15T06:35:00.001+01:00

My new summer after-work-on-a-Friday drink is yummy- moreish and a wee bit of healthy even (well, champagne starts with water, right?!)

Start with:

A lovely long glass so you can see the bubbles
A splash of Pomegranate & Rose Five Valleys cordial
Fill to the top with your favourite bubbly (anything sparkling works- even fizzy H₂O)
...then sit back, relax, sip away and enjoy!

Chinese/Japanese Bubble Tea...Boba Tea dreams

2011-06-12T06:19:00.000+01:00

ooooh, latest discovery alert! Tried one of these drinks after a long day in Soho a few months ago and now every time I'm in town I make a pitstop in Chinatown to get one. This is their latest offering- I think it was dragonfruit and honey and little tapioca pearls instead of the big black ones. At first it felt like I was drinking frog spawn but then I had to chew the 'bubbles' and they didn't squirt open as I reckon tadpoles 'might'- so I drank away! I prefer the cold ones but you can have it hot, with-or-without milk- but the huge straw isn't an option. And it's a HUGE straw. I think that, despite the choking hazard, this (along with a proper dirty, shaken, 3-big-olive martini!) might just well be my favourite drink of all time.

I can't find the Soho shop on a map- but if you're in London it's on Shaftsbury Avenue between Gerrard Place and Macclesfield Street in Soho. Mmmmmm.

Last week I had this one with a starbucks-esque topper on it- but usually after they are made for you the girl puts it into this right smart automatic top-sealer machine and you get it with a flat plastic sealed top that you push your huge straw through. This one spilled a bit when it was in my bag- but not the bubbles- only the lovely sticky pink drink bit- hereby christening my bag with boba tea! Ah, I can't think of a better way to break in a new bag!- although it was an old, ratty bag. Come to think of it, isn't it time for a bit of bag-buying retail therapy? Come on summer sample sales! Roll on July (and not just because it's my birthday month)!

xt

and the next craze is...

2011-06-10T06:00:00.000+01:00

...SKY LANTERNS!

Yep, I've bought some, I've got some and I've given some. I haven't use one myself yet- for fear of this happening! Apparently they won't set fire to 'anything' but who knows. This one has been in a tree down the road for- oh, about a month now. It hasn't set fire to anything but it sure doesn't look too pretty hanging there.

I got the biodegradable ones and I'm looking forward to going to the seaside to light it and set it afloat- it's made with ricepaper (good fish food) and bamboo sticks and has a wool wick and nothing bad. Well, nothing bad but a naked flame. And I'm supposed to call the coast guard to let them know if I let it off at the beach. And not let it go around dry crops (but I thought it wouldn't set fire to anything?) and I'm actually not supposed to look at it so I might just leave it for now.

Why?

I think they are in my life for a tease and a taunt and nothing else. They surely won't do anyone any damage sitting in their wrappers in my cupboard. At least until it's safe to use them. I'm sure I'll get the memo.

xt

ladies in a (big) boat!

2011-06-08T06:00:00.000+01:00

These ladies were making their way up river towards Twickenham at quite a pace- I couldn't get the camera up in time when I first spotted them- so I had to cross the bridge traffic (a feat at noon) to snap this.

The boat looked like a prop from a movie it was so big! Where's the baker?!

these days

2011-06-06T06:00:00.009+01:00

I've been thinking about how much I can- and can't- live without. Do I really need the collection of a dozen vintage glass jelly moulds? Do I really have to have the 9-foot old school bench I got off Freecycle a couple of weeks ago? Is it possible to live without scented candles? Are there times I don't need to have 6 different graters (even if they are Microplane)? And what about the untold amount of books, magazines, papers and scrapbooks? What about the box full of make-up that mum has sent that I haven't even touched the edges of yet? (I don't get time to! It's constantly being filled)!

I've been thinking and the answer is 'YES'! A resounding YES! It's not that they make me what I am- they contribute- but it's the little things that make a house a home. And my house is definitely my home.

I think that you can tell a lot about me by what you see when you come to mine. I like old stuff- I like shiny stuff- and I like nice stuff. It doesn't matter to me if it's been pre-loved or if it's new- and in fact a lot of my eclectic mix is new- although you'd not be bettered if you thought it was not. I do love a good bargain and I do enjoy a good afternoon of shopping...at the local charity shops, that is!

So the jelly moulds can stay, so can the blankets, the books, the pillows, the vintage suitcases (full of other stuff (!), the bags, the pens, the paper and I suppose the make-up.

I can live without fancy wines, fancy clothes and fancy cars. I can (and do) live with the rain and wind and the London tube, the slow buses and driving on the wrong side of the road.

I'm not too sure I can live without my blankets. What else sits nicely on a stool, in a cupboard or on the bottom of the bed, keeps you warm, asks for nothing and smells so yummy without calories? Not a dog, not a cat, not a...hmmm, maybe one thing? ha!

I have a little fridge- which forces me to shop almost daily- and little-to-no freezer space- which forces me to use what I have. I haven't ever had a time in my life when I didn't have 'things'- they might have been second-hand, they might have been gifts, found- or yes, even handmade by me.

I have a friend who used to pack a bag every month or so- and get rid of whatever didn't fit. Now he's got a wife, a couple of children, a big house, a couple of vehicles and a room 'just' for sports stuff. He's succumbed to 'stuff' but I'm not too sure whether or not he's realised that 'stuff' is actually okay.

xt

more birds

2011-06-04T06:00:00.000+01:00

Unfortunately it's NOT the ratbird that squawks outside my window at 4am.

I think everyone on my side of the tracks saw this a few weeks ago. Just thought I'd take a moment to honour it.

ahhh...ohhh...yikes.

2011-06-03T06:57:00.000+01:00

This poor creature.

Imagine, just imagine if someone did this to a human. Just imagine!

For humane purposes I have tried to blur out the actual face (and ears!) of the friends in this photo- an archaic ritual for graduating students at my high school 20 years ago...

Ah, the days.

Life Lessons by my mum

2011-06-01T06:58:00.003+01:00

Things my mother taught me (but yours might not have)

Wear clean underwear when you go out. Anywhere.

Keep your bathroom clean. Always. You never know who might drop by.

Be nice. Especially to those dirty people. (just kidding! She told be to walk fast by the dirty people- being nice sounds better).

Stick nothing anywhere that you can't tell me about. (that one was for peas and beans in ears I think- but still applies!)

Elbows off the table.

Even if you don't think you have to go to the bathroom- try. You might be surprised.

Love with all your heart.

Try everything once. You only have to try it once to know if it's for you.

Learn to do everything for yourself. (this is why I have a toolbag and a drill and several scars)

It's probably better than you think.

Why not?

If you're not five minutes early you're late.

There's always tomorrow.

Learn how to cook. Cooking shares your love with family and friends and brings hours of quiet happiness.

Kitchen gadgets are A-mazing. Gather them around you like diamonds... (I do and she still sends her 'best' gathered ones too!)

Crow isn't just a bird, it's also for eating.

Good stuff can be old or new, used or found- and comes in many forms and packages.

Get excited about the small stuff too. Sometimes the small stuff really is the best stuff.

All that glitters will not pay the rent.

If it looks like shit and it smells like shit then sometimes you've gotta dig for the horse.

Do good things for other people unexpectedly.

'Buy cheap, pay twice'.

'Touch the brakes like you touch your breasts. 'Lightly, little pressure. little pressure. No stomping, my neck can't take it'.

Do nice things for yourself. Wear good fabrics, make-up and knickers.

Don't try to colour your own hair. It's only going to end in green.

Feel blessed for the people you have in your life, they love you.

...and always have a spare roll by the loo.

Now, If you need any further instruction then go here and have a laugh!- but know that it's the only right way- the true way is over, not under.

xt

Welcome June!

2011-06-01T06:57:00.012+01:00

Roll on the 21st and the official start of summer!

(bunny courtesy of the 2007 bumper season on bunnylane, Enterprise Way, in beautiful Kelowna, BC Canada)

Signs on shops...

2011-05-31T06:58:00.002+01:00

I passed this shop the other day on the bus and had to get off so I could take a photo of the sign. I thought it was fab- and I also wondered how many items are 'PLUS'...turns out there were only a few things that were actually 99p- and most ended in 99p! As in 1.99p and 10.99p! How clever!

Then a few days later I saw this shop and thought maybe I need to teach these silly British people a thing or two about expressions that are appropriate for shop names and signs.

Maybe they specialise in those two types of haircuts? Or maybe they're looking for that sort of client? Or maybe...nope, I still think it's a not-so-good decision!

xt

please help me out by 'liking' my page on Facebook

2011-05-30T17:15:00.001+01:00

and back to summer good things...

2011-05-29T06:58:00.000+01:00

...when a good NZSB isn't on the shelf and you're in the mood for something different. Too bad it's not widely available as it should be. My summers won't be the same again.

ttfn

I finally opened the Toffee Apple Cider

2011-05-28T22:31:00.000+01:00

Hmmm.

Brother's Toffee Apple cider reminds me of...cream soda. Sweet but maybe a bit too sweet...?

Still, it's doing it's job and making my head feel a bit light.

xt

crazies on the trains tonight

2011-05-27T19:19:00.001+01:00

So there's two men sitting across from me. One guy's whispering to himself 'lemon, lemon, lemon ORANGE!'... The guy beside him keeps saying 'Herman, now he's funny' and 'I never met a Herman I didn't like'. I don't think I've ever even met a Herman.

And the ticket guy looks like CarrotTop. Seriously, I can't make this sort of stuff up!

And I suppose we've all got our own sort of 'crazy' anyway. I call mine 'vintage' because I can't call it 'Scottish'.

xt

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

the truth

2011-05-27T06:58:00.000+01:00

I couldn't have said it any better myself but some wise person in the horoscope section did it for me anyways.

ttfn

It's Emma's birthday!

2011-05-27T06:00:00.000+01:00

For my special friend
on your Birthday!
Part of me calls you my special friend
because you're special to me.
But part of me calls you that
because it makes you sound 'special'.

Happy Birthday Ems!

I'm going all matchy-matchy

2011-05-26T06:58:00.000+01:00

I love receiving gifts that mean the giver knows me- and I mean really knows me. Knows that I will love their heartfelt sentiment- that they saw something, thought of me and actioned that thought with some sort of trade- be it cash, craft, or trade. Or even made with the giver's hands themself!

This pillow is one such treasure. It flew here in a heavy bag from New Zealand a few Tuesdays ago and I've finally got a fluffy feather pillow for it- now I just need to sew it up and put it into service!

xt

(the blanket on the left is from the Red Cross shop in Timaru- a 'special order' as it's three times the usual size...made just for me! and the one on the left was a bargain find at a local charity shop- £2!).

comments?

2011-05-24T17:46:00.000+01:00

So for the past three years that I have been writing this blog (I know, I know)- it's been moved twice, renamed once and I've neglected it several times...and I'm not too sure who's still reading it - and I suppose, who's not reading it!

I've enabled the comments post- so feel free to leave me a message- tell me if you like it or not, ask me a question- I know a bit about quite a few things!... or just say hi.

xt

community

2011-05-23T06:58:00.001+01:00

you've got to love this- outside a shop and waiting reclamation.

I love living in a community where this sort of thing happens. Hopefully it was found and is happy again with its rightful owner.

xt