Good bye, summer!
The last two weeks of summer were a bit of a turmoil. I was parenting solo for most of that time, and it wasn't easy. My dear husband returned home last Thursday, and off he goes again on Monday. Deep sigh.
Most of the snaps I have taken are of food, either what I saw in the shops, bought or cooked.
Shopping for groceries after our return from Cornwall, I spotted two new chocolate bars in Waitrose, Danny's Dubai style chocolate (£12 each).
They couldn't shift Lindt Dubai, as nobody was buying £10 bars (apart from a few simple souls, like us. I did buy a bar, and resented every penny of it). And instead of lowering the price to a less money-grabbing level, they introduce an even more pricey chocolate. Thanks, but I won't be buying it.
Would love to know, if you have tried it, and what did you think?
Jolly sunflowers in town...
Another novelty product in Waitrose - Tyrrells Honey glazed glorious gammon flavour crisps, with the Downton Abbey crew on the packaging. As if Lady Mary is partial to crisps, "Pass me that bowl of crisps, Carson".
They were OK, but I won't buy them again. I prefer Co-Op Sea salt & Chardonnay vinegar crisps, they are superior.
Eddie and I watched Wednesday season II, and were slightly less enthusiastic about the kooky family. In comparison with the first season, it seems to have lost its allure.
Wednesday's one-liners are not very funny, and she doesn't look like a schoolgirl any longer. We're still going to watch the second half of the season, when it comes out in September.
Just before we left for Cornwall, I had an email from Steenberg's, saying that I won their prize of a trio of spices and Naturally Vegan cookbook by Julius Fiedler.
I love this brand of spices. Their Mild Curry spice mix is my favourite, and there are many others that I use in baking and cooking.
The book looks good. None of us are vegans, but I do cook a lot of plant-based dishes, and there are quite a few recipes that I have bookmarked.
With plenty of windfalls in the garden, this is a season of apples in everything. Baked a simple apple cake Sharlotka, using Steenberg's cinnamon. Apples and cinnamon are made for each other.
It's probably one of the first recipes I have learnt as a young girl, so easy but tasty. It's just eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon or vanilla and apples. No butter or oil. Lovely with custard, cream or ice cream.
I have a shallow bird bath on the stone ledge outside the kitchen window, and often see birds taking a bath, like this fluffy-feathered chap.
In summer I top it up daily on hot days.
Last week was very wet, we had rain almost every day.
Last week's Penandinkchallenge on Insta was all about recipes. This is my page with Spaghetti Bolognese recipe and a quick sketch of little Eddie. I remember the days, when he couldn't pronounce the word spaghetti and called them sghetti.
On Saturday we went to Oxford to do some last minute shopping for school trousers and shoes. Walking in Oxford, we saw this unusual plant with enormous leaves. I have no idea what it's called, but it is impressive.
Ooh I hated show shopping with my kids, what they were allowed to wear and what I was prepared to pay never matched their ideas. I finally tried the Dubai Chocolate, it was the Lindt one and given as a free sample, it was really sickly, no idea what all the fuss is about, especially with the price.
ReplyDeleteOoh I might look up and try that apple cake. I've got apples coming out of my ears at the moment, and no room in the freezer. Shoe shopping was painfree here thankfully - small town near us, they only have limited choices, he preferred the 1st pair he tried on. Unlikely bags/pencil cases which after me asking multiple times and days when I'm going into town including today whether he needed anything (I bought stationery just in case), he announced this evening that as the remains of the mucky white gum he got stuck on his bag at Drayton Manor hasn't come out in the wash, and his old grey bag is wrecked, he needs a new bag, and a new pencil case - even though he just uses his pocket. I'm back at work tomorrow, and out in the evening, so he won't be getting that sorted. Sigh. Driven me mad this summer because he just won't do anything other than farming, so I can't get him to actually think about other stuff that's just as important or maybe even more so.
ReplyDeleteI've not tried the dubai chocolate - I refuse to pay that much for chocolate
Oh no! Sorry you have had a lot of solo parenting. Sending love and hugs.
ReplyDeleteI have seen so much of that Dubai chocolate, it really isn't all that! It's not disgusting but not the nicest I've ever tasted.
I liked the first season of Wednesday better than the new one, I am hoping the 2nd lot of episodes are better.
What a beautiful rainbow! x
Such delicious food pics this week, they are making me very hungry indeed.
ReplyDeleteI only ever make apple crumble I really should be more adventurous.
Well done on the win, that's a lovely prize.
I would check on that mushroom on the tree, it can mean the tree isn't in the best of health.
I did like seeing all of the fantastic food pictures you have taken - lots of snacks and good meals. It has been raining almost every day here too, but I do love hunting for rainbows. It must be hard solo parenting so much :( Hope that you are all together soon...
ReplyDeleteParenting solo can be so tough at times, hope the last couple of weeks have been a little easier. I’ve not tried any of the Dubai chocolate so far although I’d quite like to (if it wasn’t so pricey!) What a beautiful photo of the sunflower in town. That apple cake looks delicious. Love the little sketch of Eddie with the spaghetti. Those leaves on that plant are huge! Mint tea and milk is a very weird combination.
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