What shape am I then?

I've always found Trinny and Suzannah a bit of an inspiration so I decided it was about time I read their book about body shapes. However, I found it very difficult to decide what shape I was. Then I thought that maybe I had a skewed idea of my assets and faults and that was causing me to fail to fit into any of the ten different body types.

So I asked Dear Heart to have look. He was very good when I was undecided over my face shape. He immediately told me that it was obviously square. So we went through the book and he kept saying 'no' every time I asked if I was this shape or that shape. Eventually we got the end with no decision reached. the best we could come up with was that I was some kind of mix between a skittle and an hourglass.

I am now tying to feel good about having a unique body shape and thinking may be this is why I used to have such problems getting clothes to fit (which was what inspired me to start making my own in the first place).

Rather sad that I'm not actually an hourglass (sounds so glamorous), but I am the same shape as before I read the book so I am still divinely glamorous ( inn my mind anyway).

Recent web wanderings

I thought I'd share with you a couple of websites I've wandered across recently.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/thread/ I'm not quite certain about this effort from the BBC. It looks interesting but I find the video format rather annoying. Still it's good to know that the BBC are taking an interest in such things. Guess this is a watch this space.

I've suggested this one http://www.mealopedia.com/ to friend who wants to shift (quite) a few pounds, isn't terribly experienced in the kitchen and is cooking for one. I'm disappointed by the lack of vegan options. However, I thin it could provide real inspiration via the random menu selection.

I've spent the last few days trying to find a cannelloni recipe that doesn't include spinach or mushrooms as Dear Heart isn't keen on either of them. I'm not terribly keen on simply pumping pasta tubes full of cream cheese (vegan or otherwise) so this has been a bit of struggle. I finally decided to just make a really thick tomato and soya mince sauce to stuff the tubes and to top it off with white sauce. I hope it comes out OK.

Colour therapy

This is what I simply love about the Internet. Yesterday I mentioned that was feeling drawn towards the colour red and I was going to do some research on colour therapy to see what it meant. then I checked my emails this morning and discovered that I had a comment from a colour therapist. She explains what feeling drawn towards red means and has her own blog http://rainbowrevolution.blogspot.com/ It's totally gorgeous and just the thing to look at on grey UK days. Thank you Leanne.

I extended my salad experiences today. I sliced some fennel yesterday, tossed it in a tiny bit of oil and popped in the oven for a bit while some bread was baking. Today I had it mixed with spinach, walnuts and raspberry vinegar. total yummy.

Random thing - I keep typing 'missed' when I mean 'mixed'. Is this something Freudian? Or just my brain being a bit rebellious?

What to wear this week

I’m still getting into my stride as regards summer clothing. I really like to plan in advance what I am going to wear so that I don’t have to waste time in the morning. Last week I had a few days where I was very uncertain so I am going to lay it out here. I’ve checked the weather for the week and it doesn’t look very good. I may however utilise a tip I read somewhere about wearing a summer dress but carrying tights and a cardigan in your bag.

Monday – Black and white floral skirt, green top, linen jacket and green shoes

Tuesday – Jeans with red dress and white sandals

Wednesday – Black linen skirt and red sleeveless t shirt and thongs

Thursday – Jeans with white blouse (this is one of my home made, pattern free efforts) and black velvet jacket in case the temperature plummets

Friday – I will be at an exhibition so I will wear a linen skirt and jacket with a scarf. My DM sandals broke last week (I have had them for years) so if I haven’t managed some kind of repair I’ll need to think of something else to wear.

Saturday – Usually I wouldn’t worry about what to wear on a Saturday but I will be at work doing a summer reading promotion. This will require me to dress like a holiday rep/travel agent. I think I need some extra research for this

I‘m intrigued that I mentioned red several times here and that I am wearing red today (my red ‘in cahoots with the sun’ dress – Yeah I made it myself by Eithne Farry). What does a craving to wear red, when green is my colour of choice mean? I think I need to browse a few colour therapy websites

I do hope the week turns out warmer than predicted. I really crave a few lunch times in the park and dinner consumed ‘al fresco’.

Right said Fred

I spent Saturday helping my sister move into her new flat. She hired a van which Dear Heart drove. Dear Heart and I are rather experienced when it comes to moving house and we always relieve any boredom (or worries about the crashing, breaking and grinding noises coming from the back of the van) by doing rather clichéd impressions of removal men. I always think of the song ‘Right said Fred’ about removal men attempting to move some unspecified item and drinking lots of tea.

You can enjoy this rendition of the song with an amusing lego animation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhIFfasz6Ec

Twitter

I have signed up to Twitter and you can find me at http://twitter.com/midorigreen

I have mixed feelings about whether this was actually a good idea. On the one hand it's a like the best bit of Facebook with any annoying applications. However, I'm rather uncertain as too why anyone would actually be interested in odd statements confirming that I'm eating lunch or listening to music or have just seen someone in a pink hat.

Is this the shape of things to come? Will we all sit in our houses in years to come (apart from some kind of service class who will be actually doing stuff like growing food and removing waste) just updating our activities moment by moment?

I do hope that doesn't sound too depressive. I iced the cupcakes last night and consumed quite a bit of icing while trying to get the correct consistency. I don't usually eat much sugar so I think it might have disturbed my equilibrium today. Note to self: do not consume cupcakes (even if vegan and homemade) for breakfast.

Lovely lunches

I've been having the most delicious lunches this week Yummy salads with lots of spinach. Then for dessert a tub with a layer of cooked rhubarb (from the allotment), sliced strawberries and topped off with shavings of home made melon sorbet.

Tomorrow I'm going out for lunch because our staff sports and social club has a new chef. I ran into him on the way to my yoga class on Wednesday and he told me about the yummy stuff on the menu including three meat free salads. I thought it would be rude not to give it a try.

Other exciting lunch based news is that I've joined force with a couple of the girls at work and we are going to take it in turns to make each other a packed lunch on a Thursday. Results will appear on our new blog http://librarylunches.blogspot.com/ No entries yet but do visit it in a few weeks once we've got going.

Now I'm off to ice the lovely vegan cupcakes I made last night following (very loosely) the recipe from galadarling.com I think mine will be somewhat less colourful!

A state of constant change

I tend to forget that the Internet is changing all the time. That just because something isn't on the Internet doesn't mean it will never be. And just because something isn't there doesn't mean it will never be.

It's only when I look through and update the bookmarks on my Google homepage that I truly realise the state of change. I've deleted a number of blogs from the list because either they have disappeared themselves (ton of bricks on blogger - not updated for at least 18 months), the blog has vanished (sewing my shadow on - this was a terrific blog where they author recorded her impact on the environment day by day. She now writes Life in Elgin which I find a little too local to be of interest), or they have moved to new blog (Primary consumer).

I think it's inevitable that bloggers go through ups and downs just like any one else. They will have times when they blog three times a day but there will be times when other stuff comes first. I must remember this and then I won't be disappointed when blogger vanish!

Happily Vegan lunchbox is back for a few posts, Gala Darling is settled in NY and posting daily and even Cooking Cute have managed a few posts. Brocantehome, Little Sips of Tea and Wardrobe refashion are daily visits I'm still hoping Kenny at Vegan lunchcast will pick up again.

I'm sad to see that Everything Vegan is up for sale. I always found something useful when ever I visited. I'm intrigued to see that when I search for dead blogs I have visited in the past the names have often been picked up elsewhere and they are alive under new owners. So I'm optimistic for the future - who knows what great blogs or websites are waiting just over the horizon?

Am I there yet?

As my regular readers know(and my stats suggest there must be some of you) I try to walk a couple times a week for my health (physical and mental). One morning a week I usually get off the bus part of the way to work and walk the rest of the way. However I have been mystified by the distance recorded on my pedometer and how this compares to the time it takes me to walk.

So I decided that I needed to know exactly how far it was. I did consider finding a paper map and measuring the route with a piece of string, but I decided to try the Internet first. This lead me to discover an amazing site http://www.mapmyrun.com/ There is also a .co.uk version of the site but it doesn't seem to have quite the scope of the .com for some reason.

Basicallly you draw a line showing the route of your run (and you can add points of interest) the site will then calculate all kind things including the distance. The run can be stored against your profile (useful should you decide to make use of the training log). You can also search for runs other people have entered.

As it turned out my pedometer is not measuring the distance correctly. What's more puzzling is that it appears to be doing fine on my Saturday walk. Still with this new site I won't need to worry too much about using the pedometer to calculate my distance. Which also means I won't be buying a new pedometer every couple of years.

On the subject of exercise I see I haven't yet mentioned the amazing Pilates class I'm taking on Monday lunchtimes. Prior to this my only experience with pilates was trying an video version of it with a friend aged around 13. We got bored after 3 minutes. So either I've matured, require less demanding exercise or it's just the amazing instructor because I'm really enjoying the classes and I feel fabulous after.

However I've had to jiggle my exercise routine around a bit as a result. It would appear the Pilates and Yoga use the same muscles. Hence Yoga on Tuesday lunchtimes was a teeny bit painful. So I 've shifted my morning walk to Tuesday and Yoga to Wednesday and that means I can sit in the park and eat my lunch today.

Summer must be here

How do I know that summer must be here? Because last night I put my winter clothes away and got out my summer ones. I'm really thrilled (as usual) to discover that I own so many lovely things. however, I am slightly surprised at the vast quantities of shoes that I have unpacked.

Quite frankly the weather has been so changeable Iwas begining to think that I would just be in my winter clothes right through to October with the odd day here and there taken care of with a few pieces I have made. I am slightly nervous about the chilly temperature predicted for the end of the week but who knows wth weather. It's all chaos theory anyway and sometimes you just have to take a chance.

I am thinking that while delighting in my summer clothes I may plan in advance a few combinations for chillier days.

I'm also going to try and look after myself this week. I seem to have had a few very busy weeks with work and other things. I feel exhausted, am fretting over small things and just don't feel right. My puff pastry wouldn't puff. My eating habits are all over the place (either nothing or too much). I've missed a number of exercise opportunities. A friend suggested that I check my biorhythms and rather amusingly they do seem to be on a downward spiral at present.

Last week I purchased some delicious looking spinach at the market. Then on Saturday when I popped to the deli to do our grocery shopping I discovered raspberry cider vinegar and lemon infused olive oil. So I am planning lots of delicious salads. I simply can't decide which dressing to enjoy first.

So here's to a week with lots of salad, exercise and early nights followed up (hopefully) by lashings of blogging, creativity and cupboard clearouts.

I'm so looking forward to sharing my adventures with henna, updates on allotment and share the joy that having a study slowly emptying of clutter bring.

the Icing transformation challenge and my week so far

In Monday's post I refered to the Icing Transformation challenge (ITC). This is from the amazing galadarling.com site which I've raved about before. This post http://galadarling.com/article/icing-transformation-challenge-announcement
gives you an idea of what it's about. Essentially choose a couple of things you want to comitt to doing for a month to improve yourself physically and mentally.

My diet is pretty good, especially now that spring produce is arriving at the market. I'm doing fine exercise wise although I must start going to lunchtime yoga now classes are running again. I've decided to do facial exercises and use EFT to work on my fears and worries.

I saw Eva Fraser do a talk and demonstration at the Vitality show and am interested in the idea of exercising facial muscles to stop them sagging. Alas there is a long waiting list for her book at the library and I'm not certian if I should buy it instead. In the meantime, I've found another book on the library shelves. It still about facial exercises but by a different author. I'm giving it a try and doing the excercises daily as sugegsted. They only take about 5 minutes so I should be able to fit them in although you couldn't really do them in public unless you wanted to look very odd. Wonder if I should do before and after pictures?

I want to try EFT for various things that I get worked up about. I also want to see if it will help with my fear of dogs. I often come across dogs when I am out walking. The trail is also jsut the kind of place that dogs are let on their leads and run around. I just freeze when I see them and think that they will attack me. I also don't like walking past places where there is a barking dog even if it behind a high fence. Clearly if I got to grips with this fear then my walks would be stress free without me scanning the horizon for potential threats!

Joblist wise I am doing very well. I took photographs of some more Sindy stuff on Monday. Tuesday I uploaded to my computer. Last night I edited the pictures and wrote the descriptions. I also cleaned the bathroom.

So all in all things are progressing well. My seeds (planted Saturday) are sprouting. I even used up the last portion of cauliflower and millet mash last night (I used vast quantities of chilli powder to mask some of the taste). Feel I should make cupcakes this weekend to celebrate!

May the tofu be with you!

I made it!

Last week, I was worried about not managing to complete tasks I set myself and thought the reason might be because I was setting too many. I read The Tipping Point this week and it really bears out that humans just can't manage too many things at one time. I found the book amamzing and am now telling Dear Heart to hurry up and finish it so that we can discuss it!

So I set myself 3 things to do (buy a birthday present for Dear Heart's Dad, sort out my seeds for planting and clean the bathroom). I'm happy to report that I did all of them. The present took no time to order from Amazon. The bathroom cleanng was also quick to do thaks to the wonders that are e-cloths. However, I need to do it weekly and then it will take even less time.

I got very inspired about seeds and found a way of making pots from newspaper using an origami type method. I made up a load on Saturday and planted out in them things like tomatoes and aubergines. Sunday, I did a long session at the allotment. I planted half of my seed potatoes (rest next week). I also planted out my Pumpkin and Courgette seeds. I marked where they were palnted with wine corks. This is a really good way of making use of the cork and helps with spacing and weeding in weeks to come. I must take a photo as they look very cool.

In addition to my three tasks I also sorted out some of the Sindy stuff I have and put some of it on eBay. I also stayed on schedule and walked on Wedneday and Saturday and I've been eating really great food. The mushrooms I bought from the market this week were amazing. I had the last few with some watercress, cos and little dressing for lunch yesterday. In fact it was such a nice meal I had the same thng for breakfast today with radish slices instead of mushrooms. My belly feels very happy.

So tasks for this week are to clean the bathroom, sort out another chunk of sindy stuff and take part in the Icing Transformation challenge (ITC). A seperate post will cover the ITC!

This week I will...

When we last met I was perplexed that jobs seem to hang around on my joblist for a week or three before I do them. I think I worked out part of the reason why and it's very simple. I'm scheduling lots of things for me to do. Far too many. My average weekend job list contains between 13 and 20 items. So I need to firstly concentrate on core jobs and then add in maybe one or two extra things every week. I've got a jobs to do now and a long term jobs list so if I have space I can simply add one (or two at absolute max).

The other thing is that I'm not certain having jobs on a list actually motivates me to do them. I write shopping lists but I can walk around the market and pick up what I need without looking at it. It's simply there for reference. It's the same with jobs I set myself to do. I know what needs to be done. Maybe I need to listen to myself more.

So this week I've got a order a birthday present for Dear Heart's Dad, clean the bathroom and sort out the seeds for my allotment. I've very excited about planting the seeds and think there will be a post about this, maybe with a plan of where they will go, coming in the near future.

I'm also sorting out some Sindy type dolls and accessories ready to list on eBay. I've got 2 Sindys, a Farah Fawcett Major, a Covergirl Darci and various clothes and accessories. But I'm only going to do this if I have time.

Heres to a productive week!

Could do better...

If my weekly resolutions were graded like a school report, this week's would definitely read 'Could do better'. Last week I set myself three very simple tasks and pretty much failed to do them. It's not that I've been doing nothing. However, I failed to decide which item to put on eBay, only managed one and two half present bags and haven't been anywhere near the curtain. I forgot to take a picture of the bag I did make with a little heart and gingham ribbon.

Reading through the daily/weekly/ongoing job lists in my daybook I can see that often a task will appear for several weeks before I actually do it. Does this mean I need a warm up period? That I'm not really serious about carrying out the tasks I set myself? That I'm setting too many jobs? I think I'll monitor this for a bit and read up on effective list making and task scheduling.

It was a pretty good (and busy as ever) week.

Friday I went to the Vitality show where I indulged in a few eyebrow wax (with scary lady who told me in NY accent that my brows were very bushy), found out about facial exercises (Eve Fraser certainly does not look her age) and got a water filter in a goody bag!

Saturday Dear Heart picked up his new car. He asked me to go with him which meant I had to sit around in the show room for a couple of hours while the salesman went through various checks. However, there was a copy of Vanity Fair in the waiting area. I've always thought that VF was way too high brow and high fashion for me. When I actually began to look through I was pleased to see more text than pictures and proper articles. A new discovery for me to indulge in occasionally!

Sunday, some chums came over for lunch. Much wine (and quantities of vegetables) consumed. Much laughter. They were also happy to take the goody bag water filter off my hands. I rounded off the evening with a delightful chat with my folks.

And finally I'm still completely obsessed with Gala Darling and iCiNG. Makes me think about baking some vegan cupcakes and trying out the icing tools I've never used. Wander across for a peek yourself and don't forget to sign up for cupcake.

I resolve

Inspired by Galadarling.com my three resolutions for this week are:

• To put at least one item on ebay - that pile of stuff that came from my parent's house has gotten smaller but there is still a way to go.
• To make 2 present bags - I've got an idea about dolphins, waves and desert islands that I want to try out.
• To repair the curtain in the front room - it only needs a few stitches!

Etsy and Easter

I've had a lovely Easter weekend. I've worked on my allotment (chilly but bracing!). I've been busy sewing while the snow fell outside. I finished off a skirt, turned a top into a sort of jacket for summer wear and put the finishing touch to a bag or two.
I was quite pleased to find inspiration to sew returning. Last week it took me three attempts to do a present bag, although I did finally come up with this. It doesn't show up brilliantly in the photo but it's a cocktail glass. I've also finally got around to putting some of my stuff on Etsy (Do feel free to visit http://www.prettylittleparcels.etsy.com/).

My sister came for a late lunch on Saturday so I had a go at the pot roast from vegan lunchbox. As I followed the instructions exactly and didn't make any changes as I'm prone to do, I'm mystified by the result. It was delicious but it served two with a scrap barely big enough for a sandwich over, not the serves 4 with left over for lunch as the book claims! Pity as it really was very tasty.

I'm feeling quite refreshed and ready for a new week at work. Let's hope there's some sunshine so that I can give one or two of my new wardrobe items an airing!

Trying to stay on track

I didn't post an update to my weekly tasks on Monday and there was a good reason.

I had a hectic week, as I was quite busy with a big event for work. It all went splendidly. One glorious bit was Mimi, knowing that I'd been in really early and running around, bought me in a smoothy. I hadn't had time for breakfast so it was just what I needed. It made me feel really special and supported. Thank you Mimi. If I compile a list of the nicest things that have happened in my life I think that will be on it.

I planned to spend part of Sunday writing letters and catching up. I got up early, made a good start on some paper work when we heard from one of Dear Heart's sisters. She was coming up to London for the day and did we want to meet up for lunch? We rushed around, leapt on a load of buses and trains and had a marvellous lunch on Gerrard Street. I got to visit one of the Chinese supermarkets and bought many delicious things.

However, it also meant that I didn't get all the stuff I wanted to done. I couldn't face the thought of posting and adding the same tasks to my week list. So I made sure that I left work on time to put a dent in my tasks.

I pleased to report that I published one of my draft posts (Talking books), made start on the tie pouches and finished the top.

I dyed some of the t-shirts. However, for some reason we don’t have a plug for the sink in the utility room. I had to produce a complicated arrangement of plastic tubs and weights to stop the dye draining away. The colour of the t-shirts is a lovely olive green and covers the staining, but it's not even. However, this gives the garments a designer, Per Una kind of look. I think with a bit of appliqué and beading it could even look intentional!

Here are my Mother's Day creations. I put a poem inside the card that I found here http://www.thetoymaker.com/Holidays/MothersDay/1Mothers.html This is great site and find it very inspiring.



The flower on the front of this card is actually a brooch. I was really pleased with the way this turned out.

And I have laid out paper, envelope and pen on my desk so that I can start on my long overdue letter to a friend as soon as I get home tonight. It’s been on the job lists in my notebook for way too long.

I’m not setting any new tasks as such this week, although I anticipate sorting through the seeds for my allotment, a second round of dyeing and running up a skirt and a few other bits.

Talking books

This is one of the posts I began writing after I had a few days at home in January. I don't listen to talking books very often. Although I like the concept of putting them on my ipod, the whole thing of having to put them on my computer and then transfer is not something that I'm likely to do. Not when I could just rip open the covers of the print version and begin devouring the words straight away.

However, occasionally the library has a title that I want to read only in audio format. This has been the case with 2 titles by the wonderful Laurie R. King. In fact, I must say here that if you haven't yet discovered her Mary Russell series stop reading this and log onto the website of your local library instead.

Anyway, I decided that I would enjoy a talking book while I was at home for a few days anyway. I had plans to do house work type stuff so a talking book seemed ideal to make the tasks more interesting.

It actually proved to be more of a challenge than I thought and is clearly a skill I need to develop. First of all I had to remember to actually listen to the story and not just filter it out and think about other stuff. This was particularly difficult when I was doing something like washing up. I began to realise how noisy my home is and how noisy many of the activities I undertake in my home are.

Sometimes I'd run out of tasks but want to get to the end of the disc before moving to another area of the house. No problem, I thought. I'll just sit here at the table and listen to the last few minutes. I then realised that I find it very difficult to do nothing. I picked up magazines and papers to flick through. Examined plants. Picked at my nails.

It took my much longer than usual to get into the story. However, once I was into it I wanted to just carry on listening. As discs had a running time of about 14 hours, there came a point when Dear Heart arrived home that this just wasn't going to be possible.

So all in all, I think I need to practice listening to talking books. I think this will generally will help me to become a better listener. I'll be better at paying attention to everything that is said. I won't be so impatient if the story doesn't come to the point straight away. Maybe I can listen to some of my favourite books in audio and appreciate them even more!

Did I do what I said?

Of course I didn't. Despite resolving last week that I would publish posts that are currently in draft form, write a long letter to a friend and take the bags under my desks to a charity shop, my actual completion rate was very poor. I did manage to drop the bags off at a variety of charity shops. However, the letter remains unwritten and despite posting several times last week none of the posts were actually ones that I had begun and abandoned.

So this week I am going to sort out those posts, write the letter and post photographs of my mother's day creations. I might also figure out how to use the weekly resolution logo from Icing who inspired this weekly thing in the first place.

I did do loads of sewing. I made it to the sewing shop last week and got some dye and some zips. so over the weekend I refitted a pair of trousers and put a zip in. then I cut out a top and got about half way through it before I ran out of time. this week I want to finish the top, dye a load of t shirts, make some pouches out of ties and turn an old pair of trousers into a dress. Will I get it all done? I intend to give it my best shot!

Vital Wheat Gluten

I've often read about vital wheat gluten in American cookbooks. It seems that rather than knead a ball of flour in a bowl of cold water for hours to get seitan, you simply mix the powder up with water and you're good to go.

You can buy it online, but it would mean ordering a load of other stuff to make the postage worthwhile. Then today I wandered over to the market to purchase some oats and noticed they had gluten powder! I can't wait to give a go. I'll be able to make loads of recipes I've dismissed in the past. Yippee!

I tried the cauliflower and millet mash again last night. This time I dipped it in flour prior to frying ass suggested by Rose Eliot. It ended up being more like a hash and actually rather reminded me of my Dad's corn beef hash. This was probably due to the large quantity of veggie Lea and Perrins added. It was certainly more tasty then the original but still not something I'll be breaking my neck to produce one the two tubs in the freezer are gone.

Cauliflower and millet mash

I bought some millet a while back for making a lemon tease cake. It turned out OK but not something I'm rushing to make again. I was flicking through Rose Eliot's Fast, fresh and fabulous last week when I spotted a recipe for cauliflower and millet mash. Cauliflower is in season so it seemed the ideal lunch solution.

Alas I had a portion for lunch today (and there are 3 more in the fridge) and it wasn't very nice. It was edible but not something I'd want more than a small portion of. It's left a funny taste in my mouth.

I take great pride and pleasure in lunch preparation so I really dislike this sort of thing happening. The other three portions will be going in the freezer (think it might be OK as a shepherds pie topping on night's Dear Heart is out) and I need to think of something I can eat for lunch for the rest of the week. I have two frozen portions of nice soup so I'm half way there.

The moral of this tale is never cook huge portions of a new recipe. Maybe it's something about millet? I've still got a bit left so I shall be visiting vegweb in my ongoing quest to discover a way to make it tasty.

Unfinished thoughts

I've gotten into the bad habit of getting an idea for a post, adding it as a post and then saving it as a draft to polish and post later. But, and this is the problem, I don't. I let the idea sit there idling. I dislike this and want to clear up the unfinished ideas in the same way that I like to use up abandoned packets at the back of the cupboard.

I've had a very good couple of weeks. A few days at home making a top from scraps of fabric. A visit from my grandparents which included a huge bag of fabrics and trimmings they were clearing out. A sample of hair conditioner given to me while buying new soap in Lush. An afternoon at the Theatre (The Vortex -must add some Coward songs to my ipod). A lovely new green coat from Dear Heart's mother. Very garlicky home made spread.

My new favourite blog is Gala Darling's Icing. I love the weekly resolution that she is currently posting. I write my jobs for the week in a little notebook (often sprayed with perfume). These posts have made me think a bit more about my list and to move on from simply listing dull routine tasks. It's nice to be able to tick off having done the washing but better still to tick off written letter to friend or repaired boots pushed to back of cupboard.

I think my first resolution for the week is to complete at least one abandoned post. I also want to write a long letter to my friend Sean and take the bags of stuff under my desk to a charity shop or two.

Have a marvellous Monday, dear readers.

Happy Birthday Dad

This is the present bag I made for my Dad's birthday. It's his birthday today so I'm not spoiling the surprise. I tend to find it quite difficult to work out what to buy for him as he seems to want for nothing (which can only mean he's very content?). Here are the back and front views of the closed bag.

Here is the open bag. It contains a couple of pairs of trousers (a sort of cross between jogging bottoms and pyjamas). Just the thing for wearing on the days he works from home. In the smaller pocket is a Starbucks - for the days he has to leave the small town in the country he resides in and venture into big smoke.

I usually make up present bags for specific people or occassions. However, I've had a little time recently and made up these two that I have no immediate use for.

There's this drawstring bag with three hearts.

And this little yellow bag which has turned out to be exactly the right size for a CD.

I'm thinking of putting them on Etsy. It's a bit scary though. The first few sales on Ebay were a little worrying but once one has picked up the form and knows the procedures it's OK. Selling sometjhing you've made yourself is putting your work (your art?) up for public discussion. It's good to do thing that frighten you though so I'll give it a go in the near future.

Are you getting enough?

Sleep that is. Every time I look at a newspaper or magazine there seems to be an article on sleep. The quality of my sleep seems to go in cycles and it has little to do with how tired I am. Sometimes I go to sleep as soon as I go to bed, sleep deeply all night and wake up just before the alarm. Sometimes I can't get to sleep and have disturbing dreams when I do . Then there are the nights when sleep doesn't leave me feeling at all refreshed (often rather disturbed in fact!).

One thing the articles all go on about is that you need a routine (no long lie-ins at weekends) and you need to start winding down before you go to bed. This weekend I made an effort to get up at 8.30 a.m. on both days. OK so it's not 5.30 a.m. as it is during the week but it's not that much later. I certainly felt tired by about 8pm on each evening and going to bed around ten was not too much of a struggle. I read a few pages as I usually do but couldn't manage more than that because my eyes were closing. I woke up this morning before the alarm feeling refreshed and cheerful.

You need (so one article suggested) 1 hour of sleep for every 2 hours you are awake. I shall keep this little formula in my head over the next few weeks and see how well it applies over time. It worked out fine for this weekend. It's also a useful reminder that tiredness is often about dehydration, low blood sugar and boredom as much as a need for actual sleep.

If anyone does like the idea of getting up at the same time every day (which if you work full time is probably going to be very early) Steve Pavlina wrote this great piece on it. It's true that early rising does give you more time. I got lots done this weekend. I've got a few days off at the end of the week and I intend to get up early and make a good start on the day. Of course it's much easier to get up of bed when Dear Heart has already turned on lights and the radio and crashed his way around the bedroom before departing for work!

Froth on the Cappuccino

I'm having one of those great weeks where you keep discovering new things. I can't walk around the library without finding armfuls of stuff I want to read. I love discovering new authors. I've also found a load of new blogs that I've added to my bookmarks. It's tricky to know if a blog will be a continuing pleasure. sometimes bloggers cease to blog or they begin to write about topics that you're not very interested in. We'll have to wait and see.

One of the books I picked up to enjoy was Froth on the Cappuccino: how small pleasures can save your life by Maeve Haran. I've read this kind of book before. It's the same kind of thing as Wear More Cashmere: 151 Luxurious Ways to Pamper Your Inner Princess. What marred my enjoyment was the way in places the book seemed to encourage wastefulness (e.g. clutter so that you can declutter and then clutter again). Where green suggestions were made they were often followed by very non-green ideas. For example, a piece on the joys of recycling was followed by one on the joys of takeaway coffee in a styrofoam or cardboard cup with plastic lid. the section on 'buying yourself flowers' did mention fake flowers, but cold have gone further by suggesting that you buy them during the winter when real flowers are imported or grown in hot houses. Just because supermarkets sell cheap flowers doesn't make it right to buy them.

Maybe I'm taking it a little too seriously.

My photos

I just find it so hard to believe we are midway through January. Time to start blogging again on a regular basis!

Once again January is an alcohol free zone for me and Dear Heart. I've been taking the opportunity to set in place routines that I want to follow over the year and have been trying to spend more time working through my sewing to do pile. After a few weeks break over Christmas I'm now walking again on Saturday mornings. However bits of the trail have been rather soggy. Last week part was even flooded, luckily it was just before my turn around point. I'm now wearing wellingtons when I walk on this particular trail.




I'm making good progress on my fabric sewing to do pile and once that's sorted I'm going to start making gift bags to use up my fabric stash. Here are some pictures of present bags I made around Christmas.

Jingle bells and let it snow bags used snowflake sequins that were a table decoration (and destined for the bin) at a party and a bell from a long ago eaten chocolate reindeer.

I was also quite pleased with these gift tags made from magazine cuttings and fabric scraps. I couldn't find (until it was too late) where I'd put the Christmas cards from the previous year to make tags from.

and more Christmas bags...

Just for variety a few birthday bags

Here is the apple pie I made for our Thanksgiving themed dinner in December. I veganised Linda McCartney's recipe that uses cream cheese. I was delicious and there was enough left over for me to enjoy some for lunch the following week. One the subject of food, my lovely sister bought me a stick blender a a Christmas present. She didn't think it was a particularly great thing to give me but shrugged as it was on my list. I love my stick blender. No more batch blending of soup which resulted in soup dripped all over the work surface. Dear Heart will eat almost any soup as long as it is blended. He claimed the simply lovely carrot soup (from the garden of Vegan) that I made last weekend was the best soup I had ever made. Pretty high praise for a few carrots, some stock, dill and soya milk. I did make home made bread to go with it as well. the really easy bread recipe takes so little time and it's so nice to have fresh hot bread with home made soup.

That's all for now but more photos soon of some sewing projects I'm working on.

The trials of technology

I've got a number of photographs that I want to share and have planned an entry including them as they also illustrate what I've been up to lately. Alas every time I've sat down with my computer to sort it out something crops up. It's either a Norton update and scan, or a a software upgrade or not being able to find pictures that I'd edited on Picasa or blogger refusing to let me log in. Then the machine runs very slowly and I always seem to think that 9 p.m. is a good time to start doing these things.

I shall have to make a rule (similar to one I have for new sewing projects i.e. not after 7 p.m.). If all goes well tonight might indeed be the night that I get my pictures online. Watch this space!

Clothing I bought in 2007

1. 1 pair tights - following boot sole crisis - new


2. 2 pair socks (came as a two pack) - for the moonwalk with lovely padded bottoms - new


3. Gold shoes (for hen party) - second hand


4. Thongs (sandal type things, not knickers) - secondhand


5. Boots - from Bourgeois Boheme - new


6. Necklace - From the Vintage Fair - new


7. Jeans - From Oxfam. Old ones had actually worn out. - secondhand


8. Sequined dress - Christmas party dress crisis - new


9. Black velvet dress - Further panic over Christmas party - new

I didn't think I'd actually bought that much, but listed here it seems like lots. Also the ratio of new to secondhand was 2:1. I'm going to try and make it less then 9 items this year. However, I must confess I bought a new dress today. This is a further consequence of Christmas party panic. I saw the dress prior to Christmas and when I saw the price was much reduced bought it.

I'm going to buy less in 2008. Surely I must have everything I need...

Advance planning

In previous years I've spent a bit of time every week wandering around the shops looking at clothes. I'd see what was new in, try on an item or two and plot what I might buy.

This year I'm trying to only buy things I really need and that I cannot make myself. I've been wearing the clothes I already own. As a result I've haven't been planing what I might wear because I know it's going to be something from my current wardrobe.

Tonight is the work meal and rather than planning what to wear well in advance I only started to give it any real thought last weekend. I think on reflection this has been a mistake. Apart from anything else my body shape has changed slightly as a result of more exercise and better diet. Alas this means I'm not as curvy as I used to be and so some of my slinkiest party wear doesn't look quite so hot.

I had a panic at lunch time and ran around the shops trying things on. However, I couldn't help but think that I could have replicated many of the effects I admired. What I need to do in future is have a look around a month before an event that I want to dress up. This will give me time to make alterations and additions.

I'm wearing a little black dress that I bought when I was 16. I hope it works out OK. I need to wear it with attitude! I'm considering adding a floor length net skirt for future years. I'm also very keen now on the idea of making some slim satin trousers in dark grey. I've heard satin can be difficult to sew with though.

Next week I will post pictures of my latest present bags. I'll also try and get my head straight and embrace the festive season!

P.s. This is post 100!

Leftover carrots

What to do with leftover cooked carrots? Soup would have been the obvious answer, but since I'd just made a huge pot of rustic lentil and tomato from The garden of Vegan (only minus the pasta and blended so that Dear Heart would eat it), I needed something else!


Dozens of food/vegan blogs later I came across this post.

http://www.shespillsthebeans.com/kitchen/2006/05/chard_fritters.html


Inspiration struck. I had a go with carrots and ate them zapped in the microwave for lunch with a little tub of vegan mayo. Very nice. I was thrilled when a co-worker spied them on my desk and commented on how delicious they looked! She probably didn't know that they were carrots dressed up to look fancy! I should have taken a photo, but I'm sure this won't the last time I make this.

Great to have something go well today. I went to renew my bus pass and realised that I had forgotten my photo card. Then I went to the market to begin purchasing items for this weekends Thanksgiving themed brunch club. As I got close to the vegetable stall I realised that my carefully drawn up shopping list (highlighted and all) was still sitting on my desk.

Think I need an early night.

Use it up...quick

Every so often I am gripped by an urge to use up all the foods that are in the freezer and the pantry. I can see that at one point this probably prevented the cupboards from over flowing. I did have a tendency to pick up new and/or interesting looking products while wandering around the supermarket. I'd buy just in case the shop never ever had it in stock again (that's logic, right?).

However as I've moved away from shopping in supermarkets I tend to buy stuff as I plan to use it. I impulse buy less. The types of food I'm buying have also changed. The pantry is much more likely to be stuffed with dry goods than anything else.

However, I'm still feeling that I need to use up stuff. This ranges from the last spoonful in the jar to any unopened packets (why aren't they opened? I can't have needed to buy them that much). The freezer is quite full at the moment with frozen beans, blackberries and peas.

Then I spotted an item that I could use up and satisfy my urge (for the present anyway). I bought a load of bananas really cheaply at some distant point in the past. I prefer my bananas green instead of ripe so I froze the lot. I'd eaten most of them but there was half a box just waiting for me to get the urge to eat them. Trouble is where the weather wasn't too warm this summer the urge for frozen stuff wasn't too strong.

I put them to defrost and then made banana choc chip bars from one of the Sarah Kramer books. 4 minutes in the microwave and - yum!

My busy weekend

Dear Heart’s mother and sister were visiting on Friday night. I made my completely fail safe leek and cider casserole. I can’t actually remember where I got this recipe from. I’ve also made a number of alterations to remove the animal products. It always disappears whenever I serve it. Essentially, you chop and fry and onion, stir in a spoonful or so of flour, add most of a can of cider and a cup or two of stock. Let it cook for a few minutes and add some kind of chicken substitute, a peeled chopped apple and a sliced leek. Cook until the leek and apple are tender and serve.

I served it with mashed potato and Really big bread. The bread recipe is astoundingly easy and I suspect I will be making regularly. I got it at the marvellous vegweb.

Saturday was my day to be a rock chick as I had tickets to see Alice Cooper. It was completely amazing. Dear Heart and I had a really great night. It's ages since we've been to see a band and we've decided that we must do it more often.

What a show it was. I've wanted to see Alice Cooper from years but I've never had spare money for tickets during previous tours. It was fun watching the crowd too. It used to be cigarette lighters that appeared in the dark at concerts. Instead one could see the lights of mobile phones appearing among the crowd. They looked like constellations.

I got a t shirt which I intended to cut a v-neck into and make more fitted. However, I was delighted when I tried it on at home to discover that it fits perfectly and doesn't actually need any further alterations. Only snag is finding something suitable rock and roll to wear over the short sleeves during the winter months.

We got home around lunch time on Sunday and chilled out for the rest of the day. I finished reading Set this house in order by Matt Ruff. It's a great novel about Multiple Personality Disorder. I made some Hearty Winter Potato soup for dinner. Then we watched another couple of episodes of Lost. It's probably this combination that bought on such strange dreams.

The BrocanteHome Puttery Treats Challenge

Today my blog is inspired by Brocante home the source of all delicious, cosy and wonderful in vintage housekeeping. If you haven't yet discovered Brocante home do visit at http://brocantehome.typepad.com The puttery treat challenge asks for a post inspired by a certian puttery treat. I have chosen this puttery treat about vintage fabrics to start me off.

Use the stacks and stacks of vintage linens I know we are all hoarding. Stretch scraps of vintage embroidery over canvas and prop them one leaning against the other on your mantelpiece. Cover a pinboard in a tablecloth. Peg a line of pretty hankies across your kitchen window. Use crocheted table runners to scoop back your curtains. Decide to have a fresh pillowcase daily. Just for the hell of it. (It will be a teeny bliss you will come to adore). Use your bestest teatowels till they are threadbare because that is what they are for- to bring pleasure to something dull...

I rarely buy material and when I do it tends to be an end piece in the sale that has caught my eye. What I have been blessed with in abundance over the past few years is vintage fabric in various forms. Much of it came from my grandparent's house. My grandmother worked in a clothing factory for a while and used to bring home offcuts. When I see these I am transported back to afternoons at Nanny's making clothes for various toys while sitting in front of the gas fire. A plate of homemade buns and a cup of tea usually featured as well.

I've also inherited lots of curtains. Some are pairs in beautiful condition that I feel the urge to tuck away until I have somewhere to hang them. There is a pair in magnificent shiny green that have a gold sheen when viewed from the right angle. Some curtains have been damaged (one has a large round hole in the middle!). I also have pillow cases and antimacassars, often with beautiful embroidery.

The cupboard that I have designated for fabric storage is usually over flowing with bundles of fabric, ribbons and jars of buttons. To overcome this I have paper carrier bags. Only really lovely ones are permitted. I have a Kew one and two deep, dark blue ones from a charming home and kitchen accessories store called 31st of August. Into these I pack projects that are in progress.

Of course, progress doesn't always mean that I have begun the project, merely that the fabric has been designated for a project. I take a Saturday afternoon. Chilly Saturdays are best, but summer days when it is too hot to be outside are also pleasing. I will already have visited the High Street and purchased bread and other supplies for the week ahead. Dear Heart and I will have had a light lunch and he will be lighting a fire (unless it is summer) in the living room and settling down to play with this friends on Xbox Live.

I go up the stairs to the room I grandly call my study, mug of tea in hand. I close the door to block out the electronic beeps from below, disturbing the wind chimes hanging from the door handle. I might play music but not always. It's good to enjoy the small sounds of the house. I begin to unpack the fabric from my cupboard and from the bags. I examine each piece in turn seeing how it speaks to me. Sometimes a piece of fabric is clearly wanting to be made into a bag or a wallet or a dress. Sometimes when I sort through my designated projects I discover that the fabric has changed its mind and wants to be made into something else.

I fold the the fabric with a pattern if appropriate and any trimmings that I have to hand. Then it goes into the paper carrier bag ready to begin. Often a piece of fabric knows what it wants to be so much that I must begin to cut and sew immediately. A beautiful green and white curtain spoke to me this way in the early summer and I made a kind of wrap dress which I wore with white linen trousers all summer. A crocheted doily that wanted to be part of round drawstring bag.

Maybe I'll cut out the pattern. Or pin it to the fabric. Or decide to wash and iron a new piece of fabric. Or look through patterns and sewing books for inspiration. Or change the lace pinned up at the window.

When I've finished I pack all of the fabric back into the cupboard and bags. Maybe I'll leave out on my desk something that is actual work in progress. A piece of fabric with a needle and thread resting in it looks so pleasing lying on the wooden surface with light coming in from the window next to it.

Then (wearing my new creation if possible) I'll venture down stairs to Dear Heart and the fire. He'll hopefully admire my new work of art. I'll top up the mugs of tea and put some more wood on the fire. Then I'll curl up with a book on the sofa, pausing in my reading occasionally to admire my handiwork.

Lots to be grateful for

According to the always interesting Sewing my shadow on, it's gratitude month. Bloggers are encouraged daily to add an entry about something they're grateful for. I'm not sure I can commit to daily blogging. However, I do count my blessings most mornings and evenings either before getting up or going to sleep.

I have lots to be grateful for. Here are the first few that skittered into my head:
Dear Heart
Lovely friends
comfortable bed
My cat
beautiful house
breakfast
lunch
dinner
the colour green
my sister
tofu
kale
hot water

bread, boots and Lost

I think I've made progress with my sourdough. I've been making my dough too dry and the result is a very heavy bread. This week I made sure it was still capable of sticking to my hands before I began the second proof and it's much lighter with a chewy crust. I used rye flour and sunflower seeds for a change. The starter is doing amazing well and is happily bubbling away.

I'm getting in the mood to see Alice Cooper in Saturday night. I 'm so excited. I've wanted to see him live for well over a decade. I was really tempted to buy a new pair of boots f0r £20 from a cheap shoe shop. They weren't leather but I'm betting the glue was probably made from boiled up animals. they were probably made in a sweatshop as well. I resisted and got the glue out on my old boots. I don't very often get dressed up in rock/goth gear so a new pair of boots seems largely pointless. I am saving up for another good pair from www.bboheme.com

And finally, Dear Heart and I have been watching lots of episodes of Lost. Oh, wow. Every episode gets more mysterious. We're on the third series and I'm no closer to figuring out what's going on. I have to stay about from Lost websites, message boards and forums because I fear that I will be sucked in. On similar lines I've just finished a fascinating book on the Voynich manuscript. I suppose it would be the low tech version of Lost.

Tempeh

I love tempeh. However, it's quite difficult to buy (generally only independent health food shops stock it) and then it needs to go into the freezer (which means trips to purchase it need careful planning and cool bags). Hence I was delighted when Dear Heart suggested that I should consider making my own.

The only snag seems to be purchasing the culture. The closest place I've found it for sale is Belgium! However, I've signed up for the yahoo Tempeh group so maybe they will be able to direct me to a UK source.

Apparently Tempeh used to be widely available until the growth of the vegetarian foods market which saw a much greater variety in a wider range of locations. Thinking back I used to buy Tempeh 'bacon' at University, only I didn't know it was tempeh I just called it 'the bacon stuff with grains in it'. It was actually much nicer than the stuff that is just about everywhere now. You know the stuff I mean - it turns into cardboard in the microwave!

I'm still wondering what's going on at my local Holland and Barrett. Their chiller cabinet is empty most of the time. I'm eating less tofu than I have for years because they simply don't have any in stock most of the time.

This weekend I'm going to have a crack at making some cookies from The everyday Vegan. I've also purchased some rye flour and I'm planning on using that with my sourdough starter. I've got a new leek and potato soup recipes to try (Dear Heart has revealed it's the chunks he doesn't like in soup and that practically any flavour would be OK if it was blended). I've begun work on the Christmas present bags so I am also looking forward to a few hours of sewing.

Have a splendid weekend and enjoy the nip of winter in the air.

Casserole or stew?

I'm much perplexed by what the Americans call a casserole. To me a casserole is a load of vegetables (and meat if you are inclined to eat such things) in some kind of gravy like sauce. An American casserole seems to run something along the lines of mixing grated vegetables in mayonnaise, adding some grated cheese and topping with breadcrumbs or crushed crisps. Not that American style casseroles aren't delicious, just that I would call them a bake.

I certainly can't grumble as I've tried some delicious recipes from American and Canadian cookbooks recently. My (almost) father-in-law kindly gave me lots of produce from his allotment when we saw him last. Hence I've enjoyed a variety of salad leaves, cucumber (great with peanut butter), aubergines, beetroot and chillies.

The beetroot I used to make Garden Vegetable Borscht from How it all vegan. It's utterly divine. Such a shame Holland and Barrett are out of Better than sour cream because that would really set this off a treat. It would also go nicely with tonight's tortilla chip soup (from the same source). The fresh chillies were marvellous in this. Just the thing to eat as the cold begins to set in, here in England.

Other 'interesting' cooking was Cobb nut and spelt fairy cakes. I shelled and roasted the nuts a few weeks ago. I was expecting friends for Shepherd's pie and mulled wine after fireworks on Saturday night. I needed to get organised on Friday night as I was expecting to spend most of Saturday carting wheelbarrows of manure around my allotment. Friday night I rolled up my sleeves ready for a few hours in the kitchen. I whizzed through the preparation for the Shepherds pie, stuck the oven on to bake some potatoes for dinner when it occurred to me that I needed to make some kind of dessert. I had a quick rummage in the bottom of the newspaper box and dug out this recipe. They didn't turn out quite perfect (I'm useless with desserts) but I renamed them chaos theory butterfly cakes and enjoyed icing while listening to Alice Cooper.

My preparation paid off and I was able to enjoy fireworks and serve dinner to my lovely friends despite spending all day behind a wheelbarrow. Next project: preparation for a Thanksgiving themed lunch.

Have you been on holiday?

I haven't been away (accept for the briefest of visits to Dear Heart's lovely family), but I've had a lovely week and a bit at home. It's ages since I had more than I couple of days off in a row so I've been looking forward to time at home.


I finished work on the Thursday and Dear Heart and I went for dinner at the Italian near our house. We sometimes go out for a bottle of wine on a Thursday and then have a takeaway but we thought it would be good to try and have a meal with wine rather than a takeaway from time to time. I had the Caponata salad as usual but they make it so well.


Friday morning, I attempted to dye my hair green with Kool Aid while I sorted out my wardrobe. I seem to far fewer winter clothes than summer clothes. It was so nice to have the time to sort through and pull things out that needed washing or repairing. The dye didn't take which actually turned out to be a good thing when we went to watch the rugby the following night. I had no idea that South Africa played in green! I felt wonderfully domestic and autumnal pinning my clothes onto the line with scrunchy leaves at my feet and the sky a bright cold blue.


Wardrobes also featured on Saturday when I cleared two and a dressing table out of a storage unit. They came from my grandparents house and are Victorian/Edwardian. A lovely lady who I found through staff adverts at work was going to take them home and use them.


Sunday was brunch club and it was a truly lovely day. I so enjoyed spending such quality time with my friends. The food was lovely with much cider to be drunk (the hardship!). While everyone watched the motor racing I read through The gentle art of domesticity. If you haven't read the blog by the author, Jane Brocket, do have a at Yarnstorm. with so many family changes this year (relatives moving house and moving on), I really do appreciate my friends and what an important part of my family they are. We've got a few more things planned for the coming weeks which I am anticipating with delight.


I always feel that when I'm not at work I should be doing all kinds of useful things and worry that I'm not be effective enough. However when I look back on what I achieved in between a few lovely pub lunches I've actually done loads (ordered composter for my allotment, dug part of allotment, repaired clothes, made sourdough bread, vegan brownies, chestnut soup, shelled and roasted hazelnuts, made a curtain for the utility room , ordered 90% of Christmas presents, ordered seeds for allotment, found new second hand jeans, dyed hair purple to cover grey, cooked a new courgette/carrot casserole recipe, sorted out more boxes from my parent's house to list on Ebay). I do really do want to clear all of the boxes cluttering my study though.


The end of the week was great as Dear Heart and I went to the Midlands to visit his Dad, Stepmum, brother and sister. It's been an age since I've seen them and it was such a nice visit. I really feel like one of the family and time just flew by as we chatted, ate and drank. Lovely stepmum also sorted my hair out for me. I just didn't feel entirely happy with my last cut - it was sooo nice and I don't want my hair to be nice, I want it to be funky. It's now the shortest it's ever been and I love it. She also told me the right way to apply Henna so watch this space for further adventures with dye.

And now it's back to usual routines for a month or so before seasonal festivities begin to interrupt. I've pulled wads of fabric out of the cupboard to begin making bags for Christmas presents to go in. I've made weekly and monthly job lists using the planner at Brocantehome. November here I come.

Soup and sourdough

I made some bread from my sourdough. I was really worried that the starter wasn't actually ready because the bread was didn't seem to rise very much, but then I popped in the oven and it began to swell. Next time I need to put it some where warmer to prove. It tasted good anyway. I always thought that tang it had came from rye or something. I now realise that is the taste of sourdough.

Dear Heart has been reading Bad Food Britain. It appears to be having a bit of an effect on him. Often we have a takeaway on Friday and Saturday night. This week we enjoyed stir fry and pizza - both totally homemade. Sunday I wold normally make a big chilli or stews that we can eat it over two nights. Dear Heart suddenly announced he fancied soup. What kind?, I inquired. Potato he stated. Well, I have lots of potatoes because they are the one thing that grows well on my allotment whatever. I suggested the hearty winter potato soup from How it all vegan. So that' s what we ate it was delicious. I hope this will be the start of even more home cooked meals.

Food is a simple pleasureand since we have to eat we may as well enjoy it as much as possible. We're eating the other half of the soup tonight. Yum!

Why do these things only happen to me? - enter Cinderella

I usually get off the bus about three miles from work on Wednesday morning and walk in. I pack my clothes into my rucksack and, if there is no room for my shoes (as often there is not), I pack them in another bag. I have been using a sort of drawstring carrier bag (I got it years ago when I bought some dresses in Elle). It seemed to make sense to use it until it wore out.

Well, I think I can conclude that it has worn out. I arrived at work this morning, changed my clothes and then went to retrieve my shoes from the bag. However, there was only one in there and a big hole in the bottom! I clearly didn't hear the other fall out as I was listening to MCR as I walked (nothing like some angry rock to start the day).

So it will either be go barefoot for the rest of the day, buy some new shoes or hope that people think my my pairing of slightly grubby trainers with grey linen trousers and a lilac cardigan is a fashion statement.

Furthermore, what on earth should I do with the remaining shoe?

Nasty 'n' nice

I have a horrible secret. I like sweet and sour sauce. The nasty type that's all sugar and colouring and cools to a kind of gel. I ordered a pot on Friday night to go with my boiled rice and tofu.

It's been a while since I've ordered it but a book I was reading made me crave it. Amusingly the book was Bad Food Britain: how a nation ruined its appetite by Joanna Blythman. The left over sauce took revenge on me this morning when the polystyrene container it was in split on the bus and smeared itself all over the inside of a cotton bag.

So let me whisk you away from orange coloured nastiness and instead tell about my Sunday afternoon. I often cook on a Sunday afternoon and just as often feel that maybe I should be doing something more important instead. Blythman's book points out that in Britain we are taught to worry more about the cost of food (it's got to be cheap) than the what it actually tastes like. We are taught (by adverts and marketing campaigns) that cooking is something difficult that we want to avoid doing if we possibly can. But an afternoon of cooking delicious things to consume over the following week should be something to celebrate, not seen as a time wasting eccentricity.

So here's what I cooked on Sunday afternoon:

• I made a big pot of popcorn.
• I started my sourdough (which looks marvellous in one of the kilner jars from my Grandma's).
• I made caraway crackers (following Hugh F-W's recipe in Saturday's Guardian).
• I whipped up some fruit and nut bars. I've done these several time now and have started adding a variety of fruits.
• I also had a go at classic white uncheese (the shop I buy canned tomatoes from most unexpectedly had agar on the shelf). It didn't come out as firm as I expected. Maybe I need to add more agar. It tastes delicious anyway.
• Then I made a big vegetable casserole with lots of herbs for flavour and mashed potatoes for dinner.

Next weekend I hope my sourdough will be ready to make bread with. I'm also planning to make some digestive biscuits. If they turn out OK I'll use them as a base in future for lime tease cake.

so, dear readers, respect yourself, rise above the hype and adverts and cook yourself food from scratch at least once a week. Cherish time preparing and eating. Food is a necessity, so it may as well be a pleasure.

You can't park there!

One of my pet hates are people who park in bus stops. As some one who makes extensive use of public transport I find it really annoying when the bus has to let people off in the middle of the road. It also makes it difficult for people with buggies and the less mobile. No point in having buses that can lower themselves to the kerb if the bus is nowhere near the kerb.

I also find it quite annoying when people park on double yellow lines. I see the on the narrow High Street of our town quite often in the evening when people just can't be bothered to park in the car park and walk a short way to the bank or to collect a takeaway.

This morning as I waited for the bus I saw not one, not two but three vehicles all parked on double yellow lines on the High Street. One was using the cash point. One lorry was unloading. Two men with high visibility vests labelled GWC where doing something around water mains (and dropping their cigarette butts on the pavement!). I'm hoping that they were unaware of the car park just behind where they stood.

It's obviously the day for it. The poor bus driver after navigating his way around this lot, then was bought up short by another trade van on a country road.

I got off the bus at the hospital (one of my days to walk in to work) and was forced to take a detour because someone was parked across the 'ambulances only - do not park here' area and obstructing the footpath to boot. If it was A& E they were after the entrance and drop off point was just round corner.

This has been a really grumbly post so I'm going to finish by sending out waves of good thoughts to all those people who make my easier by driving around doing deliveries and providing services. Next time you pick up a newspaper or switch on a tap remember that in order for you to do that someone drove van somewhere and send a happy thought to the driver (wherever they are).

Where did it go?

It's just really hit me that summer is gone. This isn't a couple of days of rain in August. I can't assume that normal summer service will be resumed soon. It's October. It's Autumn proper. It's serious.

Things that have made me realise this:

• I'm wearing my new winter boots and thick tights.
• I've been cooking cold weather dinners for a few weeks.
• I've planned 90% of my Yule shopping.
• Manure day at the allotment is a month away

I've also looked at my entries for last October and realise that I changed my wardrobe over on 10th October last year.

Time to accept it's not going to get any warmer for a least 5 months and start taking action to take advantage of this.

Bliss is...

I seem to have had a very busy weekend what with one thing and another. I'm not quite sure that I am fully ready for the coming week. Last week seemed to be crammed with activity as well.

However, let me tell you about Wednesday night. I arrived home as the rain started and it was cold and grey outside. Dear Heart had gotten home before man and had made a fire (the first of this autumn). He insisted that I sit by the fire and warm up while he made me a cup of tea. It would have seemed rude to refuse so I did just that until he went to his Round table meeting at 8.30 p.m. I read the marvellous Bread Alone by Judith Ryan Hendricks and felt inspired to start making my own bread again ( I want to play with sourdough).

Anyway after Dear Heart had gone I needed to make myself some dinner and sort out some lunch for the next few days. I had a look in the fridge because I do like to see what I have in the way of leftovers and create from them. I found 2 rather dried out sweetcorn cobs, some melty pizza uncheese and a spoonful of chillies. So I boiled the sweetcorn until it looked a bit fatter, let it cool and then sliced it off the cob. I made a batter from gram flour and water and added in my leftovers. Ideally this batter would make little pancakes but mine always break up so I go for something that looks more like scrambled eggs. With lunch for the next couple of days sorted I popped some gnocchi from the freezer into some boiling water and enjoyed them with a splash of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Feeling blissfully warm in my belly I washed up and headed off to bed where I feel asleep with a contented smile on my face.

Here's to the week ahead.

No longer blue

I'm happy to report that I've solved my BSOD problem. I learned a lot more about my laptop and computers on my journey there and felt so satisfied when I resolved things.

So often in life we don't take care of things or notice them until they stop working. I hope I can pay more attention to the things that help my life to run smoothly. The old saying 'A stitch in time saves nine' is still relevant.

BSOD

My laptop keeps displaying the BSOD. Just when I wanted to get back to EBay.

I'm thinking optimistically. I've already learnt a lot from reading various things about dealing with a BSOD. I'm more likely to back up carefully and store photographs in other places. If I have to call in an expert I'll be allowing a professional to exercise their skills and might pick up some tips.

I'll be working on it this evening. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Vintage stuff

I'm completely thrilled to discover that a vintage fair is coming to town at the end of the month. After reading about such things in It's vintage, darling!, it will be marvellous to actually attend one. I doubt I'll actually buy anything though (although I do rather like the idea of a cloche hat).

I've become rather good at not buying things (particularly clothes). My purchases this year add up to tights, socks, flip flops (second hand) and boots. But part of the trick with this is not looking. Casual browsing of clothes, even when you have no intention of buying anything lead to spotting items that you might consider buying, even though you don't really need them.

I wandered into several charity shops last week. Partly because I wanted to try out some of the things from It's vintage, darling!, partly because I'm starting to think about Christmas presents (dear heart's music stand came from a charity shop and he was thrilled with it) and partly to visit the newly refurbished Heart Foundation shop.

I found myself seriously considering a pair of grey trousers for winter - this despite the day being sunny and my winter wardrobe not lacking grey trousers. If you don't look you can't want!
With Christmas on my mind, I'm planning on getting back on EBay and shifting some of the stuff taking up space in my study. I'll need to store the Christmas presents somewhere!

P.S. I visited Holland and Barrett midweek and they had Pure on the shelf. By Friday afternoon, there was only one tub left. It's obviously more popular round here than I ever realised.

Pure

What's going on with Pure margarine? I used to buy it from Holland and Barrett every week or two depending on how much baking I was doing. A couple of times they were out of stock, but it was the end of the day so I didn't think much of it.

I'm now struggling to recall the last time I saw it actually on the shelf. The Coop don't stock it (not sure if they ever did). The only alternative with no dairy is Vitalite (which only some Coops stock)

When did marg become a rare and exotic item that needed to be carefully sourced?

Something old, something new

I've got my new winter boots from Bourgeois Boheme and they are gorgeous (and they sensibly have adjustable straps to make them fit around my calves). I definitely needed new boots following the loose sole incident earlier in the year (see Pride comes before post in March).

Not only is the product really good, so was the service. This company has tried to make the experience as lovely as possible. When I needed to exchange ,because the boots I'd been eyeing up all year didn't actually fit me, it was no problem.

I'm thrilled to hear that Bourgeois Boheme will be at the Christmas without Cruelty fayre and have told Dear Heart that we need to go so that he can buy my Christmas present. Amazingly he agreed!

That being the new out of the way, I've been using something old - my Popeye lunchbox. It still has a label stuck inside with my name and class. I've used an insulated bag in the past but I like the more rigid metal container as it means things are less likely to get squashed. The flask is proving great for carrying soups without leaks.

Life is grand. I've had a marvellous week of early starts, evenings with cups of tea and early nights. Tonight I'm looking forward to a Whisky Sour (tried one at a barbecue last weekend- yum), but only one. I want to walk on Saturday morning and then engage in autumn type activities!

September

Isn't September a totally amazing month? You get the new start buzz of January but without the grey skies, depleted bank balance and general sense of gloom. There's enough of a nip in the air to make PJs, baked potatoes and hot tea an option. Yet it's still warm enough to venture for a walk without a jacket. The last of the summer fruit is still available but the first of the autumn stuff is coming in too.

The summer after I graduated I ran a B&B in a tiny isolated village in France. I had a marvellous time. However, I began to long for Autumn and particularly autumn in England. There were a stack of old glossies magazines and I lingered over recipes for stew and autumn fashions from a decade earlier. I also discovered an old paperback copy of September by Rosamund Pilcher.

So I'm happily cooking potatoes from my allotment, making soup and sorting out slightly warmer clothes to wear (not that this summer allowed for much skimpiness!). I'm happily snuggling on the sofa of an evening reading It's vintage, Darling! by Christa Weil and looking forward to my new boots arriving from Bourgeois Boheme. I'm considering the possibility of taking a days leave in October just to sort out my winter clothes. I can't decide it's a terribly sensible idea or totally friv. Would I be better spending a day making soup?

Just when you think you've seen it all online...

You discover the amazing Street Sensation which shows you shop by shop what's on some of London's most popular streets! Check it out!
http://www.streetsensation.co.uk/

Apologies for my recent lack of posts. I've been very busy indeed selling my childhood toys on eBay, getting the bride box page ready (do have a peek!), walking, allotmenting, cooking, reading and seeing friends.

I began to feel I was doing too much so I'm taking a break from eBay for a while. Sitting in the sunshine reading is so nice and makes me feel all relaxed - I don't want to approach autumn a worn out wreck!

Consequently this weekend I looked at my long job list and decided:

• I would eat up the veg that was in the fridge and if we were out I'd eat something else.
• I'd stop panicking about getting things of eBay and have a summer break
• I'd read in the sunshine if I felt like it - I can clean the house when the weather gets bad
• If it's too hot to go outside, it's too hot to work on my allotment
• There's no need to rush if I'm not due anywhere
• News of guests will be welcomed by expressions of delight over their arrival, not by working out bedding and catering options.
• A week of early nights increase optimism about the day ahead

So dear readers, don't put yourself through the grinder, be thankful you are alive and while the sun shines only do what you must!