Self-Harming

Today, I look as though I have been slashing my arms and legs with razor blades.

The abrasions are raised and inflamed.

The real culprit is the pampas grass in the front garden.

I decided  to give it a hair cut.  It decided to fight back.

Filed under: Garden, New Home

Cheesy Tikka

Writing about Indian Food Made Easy

I remain to be convinced about buddy food programmes – Tony & Giorgio didn’t work but Neneh and Andi is much better – probably because they are very obviously genuinely friends and comfortable in front of the camera.

Anyway, I’ll give Anjum & Panthea a go…

But what intrigued me most was the addition of grated cheddar to the tandoori marinade!  I understand the logic (increased moistness, lardings of fat) but it seems so wrong – I have to try it.

Perhaps for Nan and Grandad’s annual BBQ this weekend?

Filed under: Essex, Family, Food, Garden, Recipes, TV

The Little Things

I’m always most pleased with myself when I remember to do the little things in life.

This morning I remembered to put the bins out.

Filed under: Garden, New Home

Who Killed Cock Robin?

Sprackle did. She’s been on a bit of a killing spree.

She killed a robin last night and three sparrows this morning – all of which were brought into the house.

The
robin was taken to the upstairs landing (under the cover of the
Middlesbrough vs. Steaua Bucharest game) and shredded. Blood on the
skirting boards and everything.

The sparrows this morning were accompanied by a mostly unharmed sparrow which we managed to liberate.

I
am very cross with her – not least because the robin was one of a pair
that had been nesting in the back garden for a fortnight or so.

Unfortunately
I have to hide the fact that I’m cross because it’s not her fault that
she’s a predator and she wouldn’t understand.

Nonetheless certain procedures have now been put in place – she doesn’t understand these either:

1. An embargo on unsupervised visits upstairs (aided by a door at the foot of our stairs)
2. Liberty
   of kitchen only during the day (I filled the kitchen with her toys and
   things this morning sto try and prevent her getting bored and scaling
   the cupboards)
3. The cat flap will be sjut at dusk and dawn (prime hunting times)
4. The back garden has been rearranged to try and create an obstacle course in front of the ivy where the birds seem to nest

In the mean time I think we just have to wait and see.

Bad puddy tat!

Filed under: Cat, Garden, Sprackle, The Drawer

Round Up

This
might be the longest length of time that I haven’t blogged for since
starting my blog – and actually it’s for no particular reason…

So a round up of things from the last fortnight:

• Redoing our front garden – it’s now a vision of purplely slate and lavenders and grasses
• Visiting Costco – and coming home with more pallets of food than we can eat in a year (hey, it all seemed like such a bargain!)
• Easter Sunday lunch at Himself’s parents
• Re-joined Weightwatchers
• Green & Black Easter Egg
• Watching some comfortingly rubbish TV: Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Cats and Dogs and Tomb Raider!
• Sammy’s party
• Meeting new people
• Invitation to Trace & Nath’s Eurovision party
• Attacking Yvonne’s house House Doctor-style
• Trying to guard the robins in the back garden from Sprackle
• Collecting unwanted Eucalyptus and Ceanothus from Trace & planting in back garden
• Interviewing Becca for a podcast on her Wanton Nights conference
• Meeting Domna Lazidou
• Having three days off work – in addition to the Bank Holidays
• Talking lots about HR

And a top secret thing – all may be revealed in a few months.

Filed under: Family, Food, Friends, Garden, New Home

Purple Glittery Plant

This morning I impulse-purchased a 97p Tradescantia Zebrina from Tescos.

It
is absolutely beautiful. It has dark green leaves with silver and
purple iridescent streaks. It’s so perfect it looks like silk.

Now – how do I keep it alive?

It
says it’s a houseplant, but much more than that I couldn’t tell you.
When I google it it comes up as a South America outdoors plant, I don’t
think it’s up to an Earlsdon winter!

On another note, this line-spacing issue with the formatting is making me grumpy.

It makes my blog look scruffy.

And means that I have to type more text than I want….

Filed under: Garden, New Home, Plants

Grandad Beans

Writing about web page http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/tomabbott/

Thanks to Tom for last night’s tea – we had runner beans from his garden with Belgo Centraal mash.

Belgo Centraal Mash a la Case

Ingredients

• Carrots
• Potatoes
• Tinned peas (french tinned veg is great)
• Leeks
• Onions
• Garlic
• Cabbage
• Vegetable Stock
• Butter
• Milk
• Salt & pepper

Method

1. Boil carrots and potatoes and whole garlic cloves
2. Chop and brown onions and leeks in a seperate pan
3. Boil shredded cabbage
4. Drain carrots, potatoes and garlic
5. Add peas and mash with milk and butter
6. Season to taste
7. Add drained cabbage
8. Add onions and leeks
9. Beat with wooden spoon

Serve with runner beans.

Which brings me to my next point… As I was preparing the runner beans I was reminded of two things:

I
prepare beans the same way as my Nan, holding the bean in my left hand
and a small (not very sharp) knife in my right hand I strip a narrow
section off each long side of the bean. Next I slice the bean
diagonally towards me so that the knife slices just underneath the
thumb of my right hand.

My Nan slices very few things using a chopping board.

Seeing
her slice bread is scary. She clamps the loaf vertically against her
right side and slices towards herself holding the breadknife with her
left hand. It looks like she could give herself a mastectomy any moment.

The
second thing is a memory of scarring and searing embarrassment from my
very first year at primary school. The teacher was holding up flash
cards of vegetables for us to identify and I proudly announced to the
whole class that runner beans were called Grandad Beans.

My Grandad produces a glut every summer.

Filed under: Family, Food, Garden, Recipes

The Good Life

Last
night I felt very virtuous, so in the breaks between the showers I went
out and harvested our tomatoes from the hanging basket. Thanks to Mum
& Dad for planting them up and giving them to us – all we’ve really
done is water them.

Then I roasted them in olive oil^*
and freshly ground black pepper for 15 minutes and served them with
cubed feta, handfuls of fresh basil (also from the garden), pine nuts
and bucatini

Gorgeous. The feta melted into the tomato juices and the pine nuts added texture.

Just call me Barbara Good

^{*(Next time though I think I’ll take them off the vine before roasting them!)}

Filed under: Food, Garden