A Dining Room Corner.

On Sunday we finally had our turkey Christmas dinner. (Illness and disorganisation had prevented us having it on 25th Dec).

First of all the dining room needed a bit of a clean up as it was suffering from more than a little neglect.

Houseplants have to be tough to live here, the ones above which live on the dining room window sill have not even been repotted since before we moved in 7 years ago. Just removing the dead leaves though makes a huge improvement to their appearance.

Also on this window sill is another of the stained glass panels that I made at evening class. This one is of a lovely bright sunfower which brings colour to the room even on dull days. It's made using the lead came method.

Before it can be used I have to clear the dining table of the huge piles of clean washing which normally linger there en route to being taken upstairs at some later date.

I then set the table for just the three of us (plus N in his high chair). No guests so stress-free.

It's so nice to see this room finally tidy! I know it won't be for long though but never mind.

A close-up of the picture on the wall - it's a page from a huge M&S calendar that I got framed in return for selling some leaded mirrors through a local gallery.

For Christmas I'd been given this bottle of wine and was told it was a "good" one. I'm not a wine buff by any means, I tend to stick to merlot & shiraz for red and pinot grigio for white. Hubby takes A out for some fresh air, N takes a lovely long nap and I get down to some wine tasting while getting the turkey and all the trimmings ready.

Lovely!

Just as well you can't see the other corner of the room though - I didn't get as far as tidying it!

In Search Of Trolls.

Today I set out for a Saturday morning stroll while "the other three" attend swimming lessons and visit Grandad.

There was quite a hard frost last night and the roads are a little icy for me to risk cycling (6 ft height + large cake habit = a big lass & a potentially sore fall!)

I take the opportunity to walk where I wouldn't normally cycle, it involves a short stretch along a very busy road, there is a pavement but it's altogether rather narrow and even walking this section isn't particularly pleasant as the cars zoom past just a little too close for comfort.

Today it also means descending from sunshine into gloom as there is a little bit of a temperature inversion happening.

I'm not on the main road for long and after a short section along a lane I join the cycle path.

Despite being surrounded by a soft mist the sky above is remarkably blue.

I stop frequently to admire the frosty plant life...

I'm rather taken with the brightness of this ivy/creeper. It's entwining its way over one of the stones on a bridge high above a river beside which is a handy path for descending on a troll hunt...

...no trolls under the bridge today, just a lovely (though drippy!) view from under one of the arches.

Shortly after the bridge I leave the cycle path and head back onto to unclassified roads...

...one of which passes by a cattery, here's a detail from their rather attractive sign.

As I climb further uphill more views appear. The far away mountain on the left is Ben Lomond.

I'm now as high as I'm going to go on this walk. From here you can see how the mist lies on the low ground along where I've just been.

Not far to home now. This fellow is in the field next to the village.

I've just enough time to upload the photos and write this brief trip report before the others arrive back home. Here ends the peace & quiet! Enjoy your weekend.

Good Cheer

Hello.


We had a little trip to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum yesterday with a friend and her children. A really enjoyed it and was most impressed with Sir Roger the elephant. N seemed to be entertained by it all too and was happy to remain in his pushchair for most of the morning - I had been worried he would just protest (very loudly!) till he got out to run around but he was absolutely fine, just me worrying about things which never happen as usual -which reminds me of a quote (I had to look it up as my memory is not good):

"Let us be of good cheer, remembering that the misfortunes hardest to bear are those which will never happen." ~ James Russel Lowell.

So there you go...

The other crochet cushion cover.

This granny square cushion cover has been "in progress" for a few months now and is the first crochet project I started since catching the crochet bug back in the middle of last year. I enjoyed making up the little granny squares (courtesy of the tutorial by Lucy at Attic24) but I haven't enjoyed sewing in all the ends and crocheting the squares together. I'm glad I only did enough squares for a cushion cover and am not faced with blanket sized proportions!

Last night I finished joining the squares and I've just 9 more ends to sew in. I'm still ages away from a "tada" moment though as I need to find something to use for the back of the cover and then join it all together. Hmmm, perhaps I'll attempt a little crochet flower or something for my next project so that I have the pleasure of completing something in under a year!

We just need a pink dinosaur and then they'll match the cushion cover colours!

Taking decent interior photos at the moment is just impossible with the low light levels at this time of year, using the flash just makes colours look wrong...

...so here is the only photo I'm sharing of my rearranged living room. It's the first traditional stained glass piece I made about 15 years ago. It had been languishing in the spare room as it didn't suit the old living room colour scheme, but now I've covered up the faded red sofa and armchair with throws it actually goes quite well.

Bits of the garden are reappearing from under the snow. These lovely deep pinky-red buds of the flowering currant make me rather happy! Soon I'll be able to see how many of the bulbs I planted in the autumn will be making an appearance - lots I hope.

I'm also looking forward to the time when this little fellow decides there are better things to do than stand on my feet whenever I'm trying to make dinner!

Thanks to the most recent post by Cathy of One Pink Goose I was reminded that I had an unopened tin of biscuits in the cupboard (one of those emergency Christmas presents that you'd really quite like to keep for yourself). The tin design appealed to me...

... and the biscuits aren't too bad either. However, I really must get back out on my bike soon!

More Fattie Cutties (with recipe) YUM!

We stay quite close to the airport and today we had a flying visit from my parents as they dropped in on their way to Lanzarote.

It was a good excuse to make some more Fattie Cutties as I knew they were a delicacy my Dad would appreciate.


Here's the recipe (summarised from Sue Lawrence's "On Baking" which I think is an excellent book. It contains lots of recipes from various parts of the UK each preceded by a couple of paragraphs with interesting information about the origins of the recipes. The book was first published in 1996 so predates the more trendy books now on offer but definitely deserves it's space on my baking bookshelf.)

170g 6oz plain flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
85g 3oz caster sugar
85g 3oz currants
85g 3oz melted butter
approx 1 tbsp milk

Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and currants in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the melted butter and just enough milk to combine to a stiff dough. Knead lightly and divide into 2 balls. Flatten each half into a round about 5mm thick and cut into 4 wedges.

Preheat the girdle/griddle to medium hot, grease lightly then cook the fattie cutties for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Again, they were delicious - how could they not be with all that butter and sugar!

I did also make the wholemeal almond honey cake from River Cottage Everyday...

It was also tasty, though given the choice I would take the fattie cutties.

My Mum always brings some goodies with her...

... a few back copies of Country Life, de rigeur reading for Blogland it would appear...

... and some extra edible treats, mmmm.

Hope you're having a tasty day!

Going round in circles.

The last couple of evenings have been spent pleasantly occupied with consuming the last of the Christmas chocolates, ignoring the housework...

...and getting down to some crochet.

My cushion cover is now 16" in diameter. I originally planned to finish at this point but I've decided it could do with being an inch or so larger - an excuse for another couple of rounds tonight.

Also tonight I'm planning to make this cake...

... which is from River Cottage Everyday, one of the books I received for Christmas. It's a gorgeous book and I've already made Hugh's sausage stew (better than the one I normally make) and Artichoke & Nettle Gratin (except I used potatoes and spinach - still delicious). When first reading this book I developed a rather odd desire to move in with Hugh (breakfast at his house sounds fantastic) but this slightly worrying feeling has now passed!

My other Christmas books lingering around the sofa include Red Velvet & Chocolate Heartache which is supposed to be a way of making healthy cakes by using vegetables in many of the recipes. It's a nicer looking book than I expected - plenty of ideas for photographing cakes in your garden, but I'll reserve judgement on the recipes till I've actually made something from it. Lastly there's a Grow & Eat Your Own Veg effort from Delia & Gay Search - I've not looked much at this one at all yet, a pleasure for later.

Weatherwise we're now having a little bit of a thaw. Normally I'd be sad to see the snow go but it has been bitterly cold since Christmas and the warmer air (ie just above freezing!) is very welcome. Yesterday while nipping out to the Co-op and dragging A & N out for some fresh air I took a couple more photos of the village while it was still looking pretty with what snow was left.

Looking South from the railway bridge.

Looking North.

I started this post when I put N down for his afternoon nap which he declined to take. It's now evening and I'm wondering whether I really can be bothered to make the cake, the kitchen is such a tip - N likes to empty the cupboards and I've made a right mess while making tea, anyway, here he is...

...I do wonder what I'd do without bananas - he really is a Hungry Horace and a banana snack has saved us many a time!

Saturday Morning Bike Ride

Ha, I jest!

The roads aren't exactly in a condition suitable for happy cycling so I take a long walk instead.

I do go up my usual hill out the village and I'm pleased to note that it does actually take longer to walk it than cycle it (I did wonder sometimes!). I love how the countryside opens out once you reach the top.

A little group of friendly robins pose in the foreground here.

Compared to some of the country we don't actually have that much snow but what we do have has been here from before Christmas as it's been rather on the cold side since then. We did have another light dusting last night just to freshen things up for my walk though sadly I'm denied the gorgeous bright blue skies of recent days.

The sun rises through the clouds. The little folly can be seen right in the middle of the above photo. At this point I can take a right and turn the walk into a big loop, so I do.

Looking back towards the sunrise. There are lots of pylons around here, sometimes I try to avoid photographing them but they are part of the scenery so they do creep/march into my photos now and again.

I like the landscape layers.

It's pretty much downhill from here all the way home. As the road becomes more travelled it is less pleasant to walk on as the cars expose the ice previously hidden under the snow.

Back home and I manage to finally get a good photograph of "our" robin.

We also have a song thrush and a redwing who visit regularly. They and the robin like to chase each other away from the food. I'd never seen a redwing till this year and had to look it up in my book - he's the one on the right!

Hubby and the children are still visiting Grandad after swimming lessons so I have time to make some lentil soup and have a bash at some fattie cutties. Fattie Cutties? I'd never heard of them either but the recipe was on the opposite page from that for the crumpets I'd attempted to make earlier for breakfast, plus the girdle was still out. They're like flat buttery currant scones and hail from Orkney. And they were delicious, they were all eaten before I could take photographic evidence but I'll definitely be making them again, just need to buy some more butter. I lurve butter, for this I blame my Dad. I thought I spread it quite thick but after visiting the parents again at New Year I realise I'm quite modest in my portion control in comparison. Talk about teeth marks! It has to be proper yellow salty butter too. Mmmmmm...

No wonder I need to get out on my bike more often.