Thank Goodness for Soup!

Yes, I have been soup making – again. You can expect more of this.

Second soup-making session of the season

I had the sudden desire to make soup again yesterday. Tomato and Basil this time. Even though I say so myself, it was pretty good!

Recipe for Tomato and Basil Soup

(Makes enough to serve 8).

The equipment you will need:

Soup making ute sils — Equipment for making soup

a sharp veg prep knife
a veg peeler
a chopping board
a large soup pan
a wooden spoon
a hand blender

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large or 2 small onions, peeled and chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 large baking potato, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato purée
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Few shakes of ground white pepper
2 veg stock cubes I used https://www.oxo.co.uk/
2 1litre cartons of tomato juice
1 tin tomatoes
Large handful fresh basil

Step 1

Peel and chop the veg

Step 2

Heat the oil. Sauté the onion and garlic for 3 minutes until translucent. Add the diced potato. Cover and cook on a low heat until potato is tender about 5 minutes. Add the tomato purée and white wine vinegar. Crumble in the stock cubes, stir well, cover and cook for 2 further minutes. Add the seasoning. Stir well. Add the tinned tomatoes. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add the 2 x 1 litre cartons of tomato juice. Stir. Cover and cook for a further 15/20 minutes or until all veg are tender.

Step 3

Remove from the heat. Add all the basil (I don’t think it is possible to have too much basil, although it is possible to have too little!) Blitz with a hand-blender. Serve hot, or portion and freeze when cold.

To make it even more heart-warming, sprinkle on grated mature cheddar cheese and serve with crusty bread.

10 October 2018

Still on the run!

Still on the run…

I actually made it. I did run the whole programme of Couch to 5K https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/get-inspired/43501261. Graduated and everything. Running was going to be my new thing to stop me from becoming a blob. But then a holiday got in the way. Yes, that meant not even one run for over two weeks. There was a lot of walking and healthy eating too but no runs. So I should have been right back into it but I hadn’t reckoned on the battering that jet-lag would give me. Many times I was wide awake at 3am and then solid-gone at 8am, couldn’t seem to get back into the circadian rhythm.

Up and running

The jet-lag faded eventually and I made it, up and out at 8am but it was so hard! My legs felt heavy, it was like running through treacle. I managed two runs before I was knocked back again. This time it was the ‘mother and father’ of all head-colds. It robbed me of a week of my life – and running!

Take a step back

Back with the programme again. The run this morning provided me with a moment of clarity. It came to me in a flash. Just start again. Well, not quite at the beginning but right back to week 5 of ‘Couch to 5K’. A major step backwards but it makes perfect sense! Take the pressure off, build it back up again.

Draw up a plan

However, it’s important that I stay focused as it is the local ‘Pilgrim Fun Run’ in six weeks. I rashly suggested to my daughter and daughter-in-law that we all do it together, we might even enlist the grandchildren. There are approximately 50 days to the ‘run’ – it is possible that there could be at least 20 training runs between now and then. This is a positive event to work towards. Although I do have more holidays that ‘might’ get in the way. I must try to incorporate some training into those periods too.

Trainers on — Memories of the first run – three months ago

The Pilgrim Fun Run

The Pilgrim Fun Run takes place in Retford, North Notts https://www.innorthnotts.co.uk/events-this-week/icalrepeat.detail/2018/11/25/79061/-/the-pilgrim-fun-run-2018-in-retford

The Pilgrim Fathers originated from this area and left for America almost 400 years ago. There will be an almighty celebration of that event around these parts in 2020 https://pilgrimroots.org/

3 October 20183 October 2018

It’s Soup Season!

Hurrah! It’s the season for SOUP!

I love to make soup. I find it very therapeutic and relaxing. It’s a good feeling to make it in batches and then freeze for cold, winter days. The only drawback is I probably make too much, the hubster tells me off for filling up the freezer.

First soup of the season

I got the urge to make soup yesterday. Carrot and lentil. I thought I would share the process with you.

Carrot and Lentil Soup enough to serve 12. (Good for a bonfire party or to freeze). Scale down for smaller quantities.

The equipment you will need:

a sharp veg prep knife and chopping board
a large soup pan
a wooden spoon
a hand blender

500g red lentils
1kg fresh carrots
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large or 2 small onions
2 large cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground back pepper
half a teaspoon of turmeric (or more to taste)
half a teaspoon ground cumin (or more to taste)
2 veg stock cubes I used https://www.oxo.co.uk/ made up to a litre with boiling water.

Step 1

Peel the veg and immerse the lentils in cold water

Step 2

Step 3

Heat the oil. Sauté the onion and garlic for 3 minutes until translucent. Add the carrots, stir well, cover and cook for 3 further minutes. Add seasoning and spices. Stir well. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add soaked lentils. Stir. Add stock. Stir. Cover and cook for a further 20 minutes or until lentils are tender.

Step 4

Blitz with a handblender. Serve hot, or portion and freeze when cold.

Carrot and lentil soup — A comforting bowl of carrot and lentil soup

Variation

Add chilli flakes and extra cumin to spice up to taste. Serve with crusty bread and perhaps sprinkle some mature, grated cheddar on top – watch it melt! Delicious.

27 September 2018

Santa Monica – you were amazing!

Visit Santa Monica?

…yes please, I don’t mind if I do! When presented with an opportunity to visit a place not normally on our radar, we leapt at the chance. Santa Monica here we come.

A short break

Just four days – a mere snapshot in time – Santa Monica, a place of iconic signs, dreams and sunshine. And we crammed it all in. On a visit to family in New Jersey, USA we organised an internal flight from Newark EWR to Los Angeles LAX, it took five and a half hours but it was worth it. An economy flight with United Airlines got us there. We arrived in LA at 1.30pm and hit the ground running.

The climate is warm and sunny almost all the time. It is difficult not to fall in love with this place

Sunshade, palm trees and blue skies in Santa Monica

Use the bus

The bags were stashed in the hotel lobby and we caught the Big Blue Bus https://www.bigbluebus.com/ down ‘Santa Monica Boulevard’. Now you’ve heard that name you know you really want to sing the Sheryl Crow song:

‘All I wanna do is have some fun
I got a feelin’ I’m not the only one
All I wanna do is have some fun
Until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard’

Ocean Park Beach, Santa Monica — Ocean Park Beach

We arrived at the beach on Ocean Avenue. Breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and shoreline – and life on the beach. A couple of miles walk in the glorious sunshine and it’s time to turn around. I know it’s not really appropriate but we had heard that the ‘British Pub’ was a good place to go http://www.yeoldekingshead.com/ So we did! The Olde Kings Head was the perfect place to go for great value for money. Good quality food and drink, especially during ‘happy hour’. We returned a further couple of times for the Californian wine.

Pacific Park Pier

Pacific Park Pier is the end of Route 66. A constant stream of visitors take selfies on this spot. Here too are souvenirs and local delicacies such as funnel cake and shrimp. There is all the fun of the fair with the rollercoaster and ‘ferris’ wheel too. Live music, buskers, fishing and ‘illusionists’ add the addictive vibrancy and colour.

Route 66, Santa Monica — The end of Route 66 is on Pier Park, Santa Monica

Hooray for Hollywood!

Hollywood sightseeing tours run from the Pier too. All those iconic sites and signs can be bagged in half a day. Worth it too, it’s the only way to tick everything off in a such a short period of time.

Walk of fame, Hollywood — Avenue of the stars

At the end of the day

There is no finer way to end the day than watch the sun go down over Santa Monica Pier. California Dreamin’ will keep me warm though the British Winter.

Santa Monica Sunset — The sun sets over Pier Park, Santa Monica, Los Angeles

Thank you Santa Monica, you really were amazing.

1 September 2018

A visit to the Houses of Parliament

A surprise invitation

I was intrigued when I received a letter bearing the portcullis logo. I have no real political affiliation, I just know that I must vote whenever there is an election. So, it was a surprise to discover that I had been invited by John Mann MP http://www.mann4bassetlaw.com/ to visit the Houses of Parliament.

An opportunity not to be missed

It was an exciting prospect, especially as I would be in London the day before. (We had tickets for the Paul Simon and James Taylor concert in Hyde Park. But that’s a story for another day.) Of course I wanted to go, this was an opportunity too good to pass up.

Bassetlaw Women

I arrived at the appointed place with enough to time to clear security which, as you can guess, is rigorous. A group of women from Bassetlaw in North Nottinghamshire began to gather in Westminster Hall. The vast, cathedral-style space dated back to the very beginning of our demoncracy.

Votes for Women

Within the Great Hall was an area set aside for a special exhibition https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/vote-100/. The story of the suffragists and the first women in Parliament was completely absorbing. I could have spent a lot more time here but we were on a tight schedule.

Whistlestop Tour

We divided into groups and a tour guide took us, at speed, first to the House of Lords. Our guide was a bit of a character with a lilting Scottish dialect who explained that when seen on TV, the lords were not really asleep but in fact, ‘listening very intently’. From there we moved swiftly to the House of Commons. It was quite busy by now and I saw a few familiar faces in the crowds: Dame Tanni Grey Thompson, Iain Duncan Smith, Dennis Skinner and Diane Abbott.

Full Circle

Before very long we were back in the Great Hall and were taken to the Speaker’s House. This is a great privilege – not afforded to many. Canapés were served and the fizz flowed freely.

The Speaker’s Bedroom

It was a delight to see John Bercow enter the room. He addressed the group and amongst several anecdotes, he invited us to visit the Speaker’s Bedroom which although unused, housed a huge four-poster bed.

Eminent Women

Rose Josephine Hudson-Wilkin, (Chaplain to the Queen) Laura Keunssberg,(Political Editor of the BBC) Yvette Cooper (Labour MP), and Rev Kate Bottley from Bassetlaw, all addressed the group with some inspirational words on the role of women in today’s world.

And finally…

With just enough time to spare, John Mann gave me his last ‘entry to the House’ form. I was in awe. As I sat in the public gallery I saw the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, stand in for the Prime Minister. It was our democracy in action and an absolute privilege to be there, I enjoyed every second… and it all went by too quickly. To cap it all I was caught on camera which was shown in BBC Look North that evening.

It was fantastic!

24 August 2018

How to make a Lavender bag

Capture the smell of lovely English lavender now

Now is the time to harvest the lavender that is probably growing in your garden. If not your garden then someone else’s close by! Let’s make a traditional, English lavender bag together.

Granddaughter Evie came to stay and so she was put to work with the scissors in the garden. A good bunch of lavender spikes later makes a lovely display as they dry out for a couple of days – without water.

Ready to create an English lavender bag

OK so now we have our lavender spikes. Here’s what else we needed:

A meter of netting (cost £1.50 from the local market)
A meter of ribbon (cost .75p from the local market)
Scissors
And of course… lavender spikes

And here’s what we did with the lavender

After leaving the lavender spikes for a couple of days to dry out pull off the flowers into a pile onto some paper

Cut x2 9”/23cm squares of net, lay one on top of the other for double thickness
With the net partially placed under the paper, push a quantity of lavender onto the net as shown

Draw up the corners and sides of the net without letting the lavender escape
My able assistant then tied a length of ribbon around the enclosed lavender – very tightly. Learning to tie a knot in the process.

A souvenir of a lovely summer

We made enough lavender bags to give to Mummy to make her drawers smell nice and even one for Daddy for the car. The smell in the kitchen was just divine. When we learned that the smell is ‘soporific’ and relaxing grandson Jack said that he would like one for his bedroom ‘Because sometimes it’s just too hard to get to sleep!’

20 August 2018

And these are the new shoes!

Continue reading “And these are the new shoes!”

16 August 201821 August 2018

These are the shoes

These are the shoes that have pounded the canal tow-path for the last eight weeks. Three times each week. And here I stand at the foot of week 9. It is the holy grail of Couch-to-5K, graduation week! It is time to consider the awful thought of replacing these shoes with new, running shoes.

Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K has taught me how to run for a period of almost half an hour. It must be stressed that I do not run well. Neither I do not run fast, in fact my speed is extremely slow. However, I do run and that is the important thing. Yes, I have noticed small changes. I’m not a ‘weigher’ so don’t know if any weight has been lost but there is a little less wobbliness.

I sort of look forward to the morning-run with a strange (almost morbid) anticipation. Whilst I am running for that almost-half-an-hour, I scream inside my head. I pray that it will very soon be over BUT then comes the best bit… it does all come to a stop! As soon as I have finished the run I feel euphoric and fit ALL day. So, surely it’s got to be worth 30 minutes of ‘push’? The pay-off is so good and it lasts for so long?

Parkrun is not ready for me yet!

I admit that I am not quite ready for ‘Parkrun’ yet. Parkrun is the place where Cto5Kers go when they have graduated. Although I am ready to keep up with the 30 minutes ‘push’ three times a week for as long as it takes.

As you will have noticed, the weather is beginning to change as we hurtle towards autumn. These shoes will not stand up to the wet grass and mud that comes with the change in season. This afternoon I am off in search of some advice and perhaps even some new shoes for trail running at https://upandrunning.co.uk

Well who would have thought it. Keep you posted!

12 August 2018

The Book Club

A new book shop opened in town just before Christmas last year ‘The Barrister’s Bookchamber’ https://barristersbookchamber.com/ This shop has a very interesting, unique and Dickensian style. It sells all kinds of books: antique, vintage, used, old, secondhand, paperbacks, hardbacks, fact and fiction in fact you name it and they probably have a copy of it… yes, even ‘Fly Fishing’ by J R Hartley.

The shop is Angela Rowntree’s baby, a barrister herself, who wanted to recreate the feel of a genuine Victorian barrister’s chamber just like her own used to be.

The opening of the new establishment was a Dickensian affair too with Ebenezer Scrooge ‘greeting’ the constant stream of intrigued townsfolk. All books very reasonably priced so a purchase had to be made. I knew my son would love the very old and battered copy of ‘A Christmas Carol’.

Ebenezer Scrooge at the opening of the original book shop

The look of the shop has been very thoughtfully put together and the atmosphere is cosy, warm and inviting – particularly as it has a tea room which sells the most amazing cakes. The urge to sit a while to stay and read is irresistible.

A search on Facebook found their page and very quickly the Bookchamber was posting about writing and poetry workshops, children’s book-themed parties, as well as guest author events and eventually the announcement that the Barrister’s Bookchamber was to start its own Book Club. First meeting to be held early in the New Year. Was I interested? Yes, I was.

An all-female group (although a man has subsequently joined us) turned up from diverse backgrounds and with varied tastes in literature. Introductions over, the first book was chosen ‘The Collector’ by John Fowles. I think it would be safe to say that the following month, the group was fairly evenly split on their appraisal of the book, it was a bit – Marmite! We have just had our August meeting to discuss ‘1984’ by George Orwell – it turned into a lively, political debate with some incredible insights and comparisons. In between we have read Oscar Wilde, Gail Honeyman, Clare Douglas, Fiona Barton and Marian Keyes – an eclectic selection. I think the only book we have unanimously enjoyed together is ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine’ by Gail Honeyman, which seems to be every book club’s read of the moment.

It was as we discussed the latter that I came clean and confessed that I had not actually read the book but that I had listened to it on ‘Audible’ https://www.audible.co.uk/ Audible is a guilty pleasure of mine, it means I can ‘get lost’ without having to sit down or go to bed! I can walk for miles, do the ironing, clean the bathroom, cook, bake – enjoy two pleasures at the same time! I had expected hands to be thrown up in horror but they weren’t, in fact it was no big deal. Don’t misunderstand me, I do love ‘actual books’ and I do read ‘actual books’ but ever since childhood, I have loved being read to and enjoy just… listening.

The Book Club has introduced me to new people, new books, new views and even new friends… and a shop full of amazing books, which I can either listen to or read.

9 August 201826 August 2018

All is safely gathered in. (Winter is coming!)

Update: Harvesting in the dark

On the way home from a night out – the farmers are still harvesting.

The hubster and I went out for out for a wander yesterday afternoon. We could hear the distant hum of the combine harvester.

You may have seen a couple of images on Twitter @SavourtheMomen1 and Instagram @Sharon28.sr. Here they are again:

Townies!

We are relatively new to this area. It is still an absolute delight and a wonder to see the continual change in the fields around us. This incredible summer has provided the most amazing fields of gold. Our neighbours might well take this for granted as they have always lived in this environment – but they are far more in tune with the change in the seasons than we are.

Harvest dust gets everywhere

Our bird’s eye view was from the nearby canal towpath. Several vehicles: combines, grain collectors and even bigger grain collectors, followed by bailers, all work together like partners in a dance. The huge expanse of barley (yes I can recognise it now) was ‘done’ in little under an hour. Great clouds of light-brown dust billowed up and made its way across the canal. It left its tell-tale film on the water, to be absorbed overnight to sink to the bottom. We took shelter behind a hawthorn hedge. Even so everything, yes everything, inside and outside the house… and the car, has a light covering of beige dust. I suppose it goes with the territory!

A different way of life

The machine operators certainly know what they’re doing and understand the crops, the land and the weather. At this time of year and in this area, there is no such thing as an eight-hour working day. The headlights of the vehicles in the fields can be seen as they work into the night. At a guess I would say it is probably three solid weeks of working 18/20 hour days. I could be wrong, it might be more.

Then comes the tractor. They pull huge trailers of hay stacked so high they barely make it under the bridges. They shower the roads and paths with yellow confetti.

The harvest is almost finished now and the moon will soon shine on the freshly harvested fields to turn the gold into silver.

It will always continue to fascinate. It really is a spectacle to see. I recommend that you take the time to go and look for yourself, before it is too late.

Hats off to the farmers.