Sunday 29 January 2012
Thursday 26 January 2012
Blackcap and Spring Flowers
I visited my aunt today - lots blooming in her garden, even fuchsia and one lone stem of myosotis. These poor camellias will likely feel the cold and suffer, judging by the forecast for the next few days, but they were beautiful!
Before I left I spotted the blackcap in the tree. It was drizzly rain here and I had to take the photos through a window, but little by little I'm working my way up to getting a really good one.
Before I left I spotted the blackcap in the tree. It was drizzly rain here and I had to take the photos through a window, but little by little I'm working my way up to getting a really good one.
Tuesday 24 January 2012
Birds
We are regularly having two robins together these days - one still a bit of a dimwit, and one who knows that when it hears the door open it's likely to get food.
Redpolls on the feeder. They're quite feisty little birds - while there may be six or more around, they don't seem to tolerate more than three at a time on the feeder.
Still getting regular visits from the female blackcap, though I haven't seen a male yet. And we had long-tailed tits on the fat-ball feeder the other day too - a real treat!
Redpolls on the feeder. They're quite feisty little birds - while there may be six or more around, they don't seem to tolerate more than three at a time on the feeder.
Still getting regular visits from the female blackcap, though I haven't seen a male yet. And we had long-tailed tits on the fat-ball feeder the other day too - a real treat!
Sunday 15 January 2012
Dublin
Today is my sister's birthday. As she was up in Dublin we met for lunch on Friday. It was a beautiful morning - if I hadn't been meeting her (and looking for a present before) I'd certainly have gone to the park.
We had lunch in the Silk Road Café at the Chester Beatty library, so most of the photos are around Dublin Castle.
As I wasn't working we were able to meet early, thus ensuring a table in the atrium, which is a bit quieter without the noise of the coffee machines. This was looking in to one of the inside rooms.
There was quite an interesting looking exhibition but I'd walked too far and had too much to carry. I might try to get back in before it's over, especially as L told me there were some lovely Chinese robes as well as the photographs. Success in present-buying, I managed to find a book I didn't even know was on her Amazon wishlist, and I bought a lovely new frying-pan which the security guard came over to admire.
We had lunch in the Silk Road Café at the Chester Beatty library, so most of the photos are around Dublin Castle.
As I wasn't working we were able to meet early, thus ensuring a table in the atrium, which is a bit quieter without the noise of the coffee machines. This was looking in to one of the inside rooms.
There was quite an interesting looking exhibition but I'd walked too far and had too much to carry. I might try to get back in before it's over, especially as L told me there were some lovely Chinese robes as well as the photographs. Success in present-buying, I managed to find a book I didn't even know was on her Amazon wishlist, and I bought a lovely new frying-pan which the security guard came over to admire.
Monday 9 January 2012
Sunday 8 January 2012
Blackcap
Well - if this had been a male the cap would have been black. The female is more of a chestnut colour.
It's about the first time in three years I've seen one in the garden, and along with the redpoll it's another bird that C had never seen before.
They're meant to have such a melodious song that they have been nicknamed "the northern nightingale" but I'm afraid that with the door shut all I managed to capture sound-wise was C!
It's about the first time in three years I've seen one in the garden, and along with the redpoll it's another bird that C had never seen before.
They're meant to have such a melodious song that they have been nicknamed "the northern nightingale" but I'm afraid that with the door shut all I managed to capture sound-wise was C!
Saturday 7 January 2012
Seen around town
Haven't had time yet to upload any photos from our walk in the park last Monday, but at least there are so few of these snaps from around town that it didn't take any time to copy and edit them.
We have, to go with the rowing Santa from Christmas Eve, a biker Santa. Well, not what C would call a real biker, but he certainly caught my attention on the way to work the other morning.
As did a welcome ray of sunshine lighting up this building. It's been so, so grey these last couple of weeks.
On Thursday afternoon there was some respite from the gale-force winds, and the sky brightened up too around lunchtime, so I walked into town after work to get some wool for a couple of projects. This is the Christmas "tree" on O'Connell Street.
This scarf was a last-minute idea for a Christmas gift for my aunt. Had to phone the wool shop to make sure that they'd have two balls of any of the nice colourways in stock, so as not to waste a journey in to town if they didn't.
We have, to go with the rowing Santa from Christmas Eve, a biker Santa. Well, not what C would call a real biker, but he certainly caught my attention on the way to work the other morning.
As did a welcome ray of sunshine lighting up this building. It's been so, so grey these last couple of weeks.
On Thursday afternoon there was some respite from the gale-force winds, and the sky brightened up too around lunchtime, so I walked into town after work to get some wool for a couple of projects. This is the Christmas "tree" on O'Connell Street.
This scarf was a last-minute idea for a Christmas gift for my aunt. Had to phone the wool shop to make sure that they'd have two balls of any of the nice colourways in stock, so as not to waste a journey in to town if they didn't.
Monday 2 January 2012
Happy Bird Day
Well, today was the first day that the weather was good enough to tempt us out for a walk in the park.
It also seemed to bring a veritable menagerie, as C said, to our feeders. And we definitely have a pair of robins now. As well as the dimwit one who flies away when I put worms and suet pellets on the wall for it, we have one flying to the back door. So I wonder is the tamer one perhaps one of the young ones or even the adult female from last year, which Mr. Dimwit is now letting into his territory as a prospective mate.
We've been having a pair of blackbirds moseying around the patio recently - here they both are in next-door's mahonia tree.
And of course a robin. We were hard pressed to find a good picture from last January to print a calendar page for our notice-board (in fact we cheated and took one from last February instead), so I've decided to leave my robin as the blog header for this month.
Sunny it may have been, but it was also very windy which wasn't ideal for taking pictures of birds perching in the tree.
And here's a photo of the Moravian Sugar Cake which we had for breakfast on Christmas Day:
It also seemed to bring a veritable menagerie, as C said, to our feeders. And we definitely have a pair of robins now. As well as the dimwit one who flies away when I put worms and suet pellets on the wall for it, we have one flying to the back door. So I wonder is the tamer one perhaps one of the young ones or even the adult female from last year, which Mr. Dimwit is now letting into his territory as a prospective mate.
We've been having a pair of blackbirds moseying around the patio recently - here they both are in next-door's mahonia tree.
A sparrow in the mahonia
Goldfinches
Redpoll
Great tit
Coal Tit
Blue tit
And of course a robin. We were hard pressed to find a good picture from last January to print a calendar page for our notice-board (in fact we cheated and took one from last February instead), so I've decided to leave my robin as the blog header for this month.
Sunny it may have been, but it was also very windy which wasn't ideal for taking pictures of birds perching in the tree.
And here's a photo of the Moravian Sugar Cake which we had for breakfast on Christmas Day:
Saturday 31 December 2011
New Year, old photos
Wishing everybody a happy, healthy and peaceful year for 2012.
One of my holiday projects has been scanning some old slides for my dad and transferring them to CD. It's amazing how many things are familiar - there are blankets and counterpanes I remember, and there's even a skirt my mother is wearing in one of them that I remember wearing myself at one stage! Those old tweeds certainly lasted and lasted...
We've had a lovely restful week. A large pot of ratatouille provided several meals, and the leftover beef from Christmas Day was enough to make a bobotie and a shepherd's pie to eat plus one of each for the freezer. But the weather has been awful - wet, grey, cold, windy...C has gone to (hopefully) help his friend fix the last major issue on the car, but it started raining a while back and I hope they're not getting too wet!
I'm amazed at how new and fresh the wood looks in the photo with the trailer! I remember it well as we used to love riding in it to the dump to see what we could find to bring home with us, and on summer holidays the crates with the dogs were always packed onto it as well as all our bits and pieces. But I never remember it looking as fresh and pristine as it does in that photo - I guess it was very soon after Dad had made it!
One of my holiday projects has been scanning some old slides for my dad and transferring them to CD. It's amazing how many things are familiar - there are blankets and counterpanes I remember, and there's even a skirt my mother is wearing in one of them that I remember wearing myself at one stage! Those old tweeds certainly lasted and lasted...
We've had a lovely restful week. A large pot of ratatouille provided several meals, and the leftover beef from Christmas Day was enough to make a bobotie and a shepherd's pie to eat plus one of each for the freezer. But the weather has been awful - wet, grey, cold, windy...C has gone to (hopefully) help his friend fix the last major issue on the car, but it started raining a while back and I hope they're not getting too wet!
I'm amazed at how new and fresh the wood looks in the photo with the trailer! I remember it well as we used to love riding in it to the dump to see what we could find to bring home with us, and on summer holidays the crates with the dogs were always packed onto it as well as all our bits and pieces. But I never remember it looking as fresh and pristine as it does in that photo - I guess it was very soon after Dad had made it!
Sunday 25 December 2011
Happy Christmas
I was feeling lazy on Saturday and didn't make my usual cinnamon buns for Christmas breakfast.
Instead I made this Moravian Sugar Cake - it's been a while since we've had it.
Moravian Sugar Cake: 2 large or 3 medium sugar cakes
2 medium potatoes
1/3 cup lard
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 tblsp dry yeast (I used between 1/2 and 1/2 an ounce fresh)
1/2 tsp sugar or honey
approx 6 1/2 cups flour
For topping: butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, cream.
Cook the potatoes till soft, reserve 1 cup of the water and mash the potatoes.
In a small pan heat the reserved potato water with the butter and lard till they are melted. Add the honey, salt, and mashed potatoes and mix well. Cool to lukewarm.
While cooling, activate the yeast in the 1/4 cup warm water with sugar or honey. You can do this in a large mixing bowl ready for the next step.
Add the eggs and potato mix to the yeast. Add 2 1/2 cups of flour and beat for about two minutes with an electric mixer.
Gradually add more flour as needed till you have a soft elastic dough.
Turn into a buttered bowl, cover and leave to rise.
Knock the dough down, turn onto a floured board and knead lightly. Cover and leave to rise for about 10 minutes.
Butter shallow baking pans.
Pat or roll the dough out to fit - it should not be more than 1/2" thick. Brush the top with melted butter.
Cover and leave to rise till almost doubled in size.
With your thumb, punch little indentations over the surface of the dough and fill with dots of butter.
Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and liberally with brown sugar, and then dribble heavy cream over it.
Bake in a preheated oven 400F / 200C for about 15-20 minutes till golden brown.
Serve warm.
To freeze, wrap tightly in foil. When ready to use, heat in a moderate oven still wrapped in the foil.
This comes from The Bread Book: A Baker's Almanac by Ellen Foscue Johnson.
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