The Beast from the East

We've recently been potting up some Spring plants - more especially Primulas and Cyclamens to pretty up a weary looking garden but with the onset of the "Beast from the East" I have just come in from moving them to a safer environment underneath our pergola and covered them with a protective fleece. Hopefully they will survive the extreme weather conditions that have been forecast.

We've had snow flurries all day but evidently tonight's the night when it all happens. I'm guessing most schools will be closed and public transport will come to a halt and supermarkets will sell out of their produce, mainly bread and milk, after panicky customers buy all they can stuff in their car boots!! I do get cross, don't you. Other countries seem to get by without all the faffing and panicking.

Anyway, the forecasters are telling us that we should be prepared for extreme weather conditions and so that's what we'll do.  Hopefully they've got it wrong and it won't be as bad as they are banging on.

So, while I've been having a whinge, my Soda bread has just come out of the oven.  Hoping it's okay as I've never made one before.

So, Mary Berry said turn it over and knock it - if it sounds hollow then it's done. Watch this space!

Bye for now and keep warm. P x

Saying goodbye to January

February, for me this year is the new January! To say that January was a bad month is an understatement. I won't go into the finer details but suffice it to say I'm quite glad it's behind me now.

So, I don't as a rule make resolutions but this is the year that the hubster and I reach a certain age ending with a 0.  I've decided, in view of recent happenings and events that life is too short for faffing around and not doing anything positive. No I'm not going to do a wing walk or jump out of an aeroplane, in fact as yet I haven't thought of anything that could be that adventurous but .... who knows?

 Happy February friends

Spring is on the way!!

Px

A stroll through the woodland and country park

Last weekend we took a stroll through our local country park which we frequent quite often.  The weather was sunny but very cold so we donned boots and thick coats and spent a pleasant afternoon taking in the nature around us.

The walk took us through this wooded copse and out onto the open woodland and Hadleigh Castle that overlooks the River Thames.

I wonder if anyone's at home?

It didn't take long before a light mist started enveloping the surrounding 

hills and the sun was beginning to lose its strength, so no river view today

We are so fortunate to live where we do. Ten minutes away from the coast and downs, and yet only about 15 minutes from open countryside. Plus the added bonus of only being a 45 minute drive into London.

This pond was completely frozen over

As we came away the sun was just going down

So homeward bound for a well deserved hot cuppa.

Hope you all have a great weekend. P x

It's all about books

Sitting here at my desk, keyboard at the ready, I'm looking for inspiration for my first blog post of the year which has been a long time coming. So, I'm glancing at my book case, crammed with all manner of reading matter. I love books, can't get enough of them. The trouble is there's only so many you can house at any one time.

This is just a small bookcase, there's another much larger one in my sitting room, one in my entrance hallway, one in the kitchen, one in my study upstairs and various nooks and crannies. Not forgetting those on my my bedside table and a great pile of books dying to be read on the floor beside my bed.

If on occasion I do take the trouble to go into town to dispose of a few books in the local charity shop - guess what - I bring another armful home with me!!

Well that broken the ice for my long awaited (by me) fingers on my keyboard once again. I must say it is very relaxing and a lovely way to spend time on a damp and foggy afternoon.

Back again soon folks.  P x

Evening sunsets and early morning frost

Yesterday late afternoon, armed with my Canon camera we took a walk along the cobbled streets of Old Leigh - our nearest fishing harbour about ten minutes drive away. It was a gloriously sunny afternoon and always in search of a good sunset we hung around to snap up the panorama.

By the time we got home the sun had gone but it had left some beautiful red skies behind so stopped off at our churchyard at the top of the hill to snap a few more

This morning's walk was bright and crispy under foot and took me across some local common ground. Everything was coated in this beautiful frost - I believe it's called a hoare frost. My camera phone came in useful here

 Mother nature at its best eh?

 See you soon 

P x

Snowy walks

Well - it finally arrived yesterday, even though it looked like sieved icing sugar falling from the sky all day long and eventually gave us about 4/5 inches. I must admit I do like a good snow shower of large snowflakes which can mesmerise you as you gaze out of the window. But I'm not complaining. We took a walk to our daughter's Sunday afternoon through the woods with my camera in tow.

 

It was quite magical

 

 

 

  

 

 

 and so still - just the occasional bird tweeting

 

 

I don't drive in the snow and ice so this morning's school run was of the more

 healthier walking kind.

 

 



 

which took us up a pretty steep hill  through the woods

 

 

 

towards the church at the top  

 

 

and up through the churchyard 

 

 

A bit out of puff when I got to the top  (must get fit) - but the view was stunning

 

 

 

 Dropped L off at school and then did the return trip which was much kinder on my legs!  

 

 

 

Not sure why I don't do this more often. The excuse normally is that L, at eight years old might not be able to manage to walk the hill whereas in actual fact it was ME that was getting left behind and L that kept saying "come on Nan". So - after I get fit, watch this space!

 

Finally,  I would like to thank all my blogging friends for your wonderful comments recently. I apologise that I haven't replied to them all but revision is getting in the way at the moment. I do appreciate all the lovely things you have to say and they certainly lift my day.

 

Have a good week

 

 

 

A Yuletide message - peace on earth

Yuletide greetings to you all - don't you love this old card?  I'd forgotten that this was among my collection of old postcards which was sent to a lady in Lincolnshire in 1912. The postage stamp with King George V's head cost one halfpenny - a tad different from today which I believe now costs about 48p for a second class stamp. Anyway I thought I'd share it with you.

We had a very sharp frost last night and together with the freezing fog this morning created some very stunning pictures. After returning from the school run, I grabbed my camera and went over to our local common to capture the following photos:

This really is Peace on Earth

 



 

 



When I came home I found these in my back garden

 

Aren't they gorgeous?

It's still pretty cold out but oh so pretty - the sun is shining too and everything is glistening.

 

Hope you're all having a great week - keep warm and enjoy!

Time for comfort food...

Well it's that time of the year again when the old stews and casseroles come to the fore and in these days (mine anyway) of rushing around - school runs, food shopping, coffee with friends and blogging as well as spending 15/20 hours a week studying, there's not a lot of time left for anything else.

So my trusty Slow Cooker comes to the rescue. I use it regularly, at least twice every week and it comes into its own with the casseroles. 

I don't really stick to a particular recipe but generally make my beef casseroles with the following:


500 g stewing steak - diced
A few carrots, sliced
Turnip, chopped
Some chopped swede
4/5 mushrooms sliced
Large onion, sliced
Bay Leaf
Mixed Herbs
Dash of Worcester sauce
Beef Stock Pot
Enough water to cover the meat and veg
Squeeze of tomato puree
Salt and pepper
Gravy granules to thicken at the end of cooking

Sometimes I squeeze in some HP Brown Sauce with Guinness - very tasty

I don't fry off the meat first but I throw it all in and add the boiling stock over the meat and this just browns it quickly. I normally switch on about 20 minutes beforehand and then turn up to High and there it stays for four or five hours - or more.  If I'm going to be out all day, then I leave it on Low. This recipe made enough for two good servings and then I froze the rest.

I bought these Soup/Stew freezer bags from Lakeland and they are excellent for fitting into a freezer if you haven't much room for a plastic or china dish. You just take them out to thaw and then re-heat in the microwave or tip into a saucepan.

Today we had Beef and vegetable pies for our dinner using bought puff pastry and the de-frosted casserole mix, served with mashed potato and Brussels sprouts and a touch of English mustard on the side..

A big welcome to my new followers Greenthumb, Macha, Karen and Tammy - it's lovely to have you on board.

Have a good weekend