Busy as always...

Well we've been super busy and thought I'd just come on to say I'm still around and all but life at the moment is very hectic.

Usually we are buzzed quite a bit by the helicopters and such but lately our skies have had a number of unusual incidents.  This was back in mid-May and then again in early June (just before the Jubilee weekend) when we saw the Good Year Blimp. 

We've never seen it in America and I think it's rather funny that I first get to see this here in the UK!  What a mind trip.

Then last weekend we had another unusual event with a rescue helicopter this time by Essex Air Ambulance.  A motorcyclist crashed into the barriers in the underpass which surprisingly is a common occurrence because of the way people drive around here (it's sometimes really like boy racers around here!).

   

 

Thankfully he was lucky according to the local newspaper and will have some life-changing injuries but has lived.  But this isn't something you see every day around here even with the number of accidents we have seen over the years with this underpass.  

My next entry will be about our bed saga so stay tuned - it is not to be missed I assure you!  Stay safe and enjoy!

Busy as always...

Difficulties come when you don't pay attention to life's whisper. Life always whispers to you first, but if you ignore the whisper, sooner or later you'll get a scream.
~Oprah Winfrey (1954 - ), Stanford Commencement Address, 2008

I thought this was an interesting quote. Right now I'm very busy with a big project at work so there'll be little on here until I'm done. But don't fret, I'm never far away and always looking out for the reduced items wherever I am! Enjoy!

Some time away...

Sorry for the lack in postings as of late - I've vastly improved I think! =)

However, work is gearing up for me with several projects that I have to implement and I'm also going away on holiday the first week of July. My sister is coming from North Carolina and her daughter (my niece!) and we're renting a cottage down in Dorset. This is a picture of the harbour that we'll be overlooking when there!
So I'm making many preparations and trying to keep the home fires burning. Why is it women juggle several things and seem to be the only ones who feel guilty when they don't get it all done? I am so sure men do not have this complex!

We've also had a run in with our sad Polish vehicle - the FSO Caro - in that the darn thing started a fire in one of the back wheels! I know - if you knew me you would know that my luck is like CRAP! Anyway, we have been looking for a new car. So the silence isn't to be mean but out of necessity. The last thing I want to do when staring at a computer all day is come home and do the same.

As for the reduces aisle lately this too has been sparse. I have found a few bits and pieces but nothing good as I have in past. But we've also been living off of the freezer to get it lower so I could defrost it (yes, oh joy!).

OK - I'm off to do a few things down the High Street. I'll be back in mid-July with more adventures and pictures. I wish there was more time in the day but alas we all only have 24 hours - such a little amount of time! Make it worth it and try to do something different! Enjoy!

Getting busier....

Well life just keeps coming in at a fast pace and life is to be lived! I have a few pictures to post of what I've been keeping busy with...see for yourself.

That was my birthday cake last October (see how often I download pictures!). Then there's this next picture....

No I didn't make the snow but that was what I saw on my way into work (I walk of course) and we had a load of snow - the first big proper snow since I've lived here. Just had to share that one with you. The other weekend I then made this...

This is my poppy seed bread - used a different recipe for the dough (basically the sweet dough from Dough by Richard Bertinet) but also used some of my new starter. I began a starter in March while I was off for a few days from work. I faithfully fed it and kept it warm and it rewarded me by leavening the bread. It was really quite tasty - the flavour imparted from the starter is like nothing else I swear!

Then there were these two pictures...

These two fine loaves are ones I made one - I just made in a regular loaf pan as I would usually do and the other I made in my artisan bread basket I got that's made out of wooden cane. I usually don't go for the foo-foo stuff but oh how the bread now looks like it came from a proper bakery! I have another basket that's oblong too, which I have used but didn't get a photo of unfortunately. I'm rather proud of the loaves!

The starter is still hanging and gets better each week when it comes out at the weekend. I feed it once or twice (depending on if I'm baking a lot or not) and back in the fridge it goes for the week without feeding. So far it's kept for about 8 weeks now. It seems to just get better and adds a depth of flavour to the dough. Tomorrow I'm making pizza....this has been the best thing for us. It's exactly now like any kind of dough you'd get in a restaurant and so pliable that it will be very difficult to live without a starter ever again. Wished I had begun it sooner...but hey better late than never.

Next post is about some vintage cookbooks....oh the things I find. I tell you...

Ooooo...too long yet again

Well again a long drought between posts but life is for living and that is what I have been doing. I've been busy with holidays, work, and Christmas! It's something that rolls around every year but as usual I'm forever trying to catch up and do things.

I haven't been baking much per se - nothing other than the usual for us and some friends especially at Christmas. I have this recipe I make for granola - too addictive for words really - well a friend at work calls it her 'crack cocaine' I'm inclined to agree. One taste and you will never enjoy the stuff that comes from a box. So this year most people got the good stuff....homemade ganola.

I recently made did a Sushi Demo day at the library for a Manga Day that we had. We had about 150 people who all came in costume and did a whole day of Japanese things. It was interesting and great to have people there who were interested in how to make their own Sushi. I must admit I at first was intimidated in making it and thought there was no way I could do it adequately. Honestly, I've only made it about 6 or 7 times before giving this demo! Honest! I'm hardly an experienced Japanese chef but I'm not willing to devote 10 years of my life to making the most artistic sushi either. If it is edible and looks OK then I'm happy with it. I try for the pictures in books but hey they are just a guide. Live in the moment and not for the picture!

That's it for the time being...off to live the life but just had to do the posting. I'll post without my sushi picture but will try to remember to bring one back home to post with this posting soon. Over and out...