Peppermint Slice

Ingredients
250g digestive biscuits
50g butter
3 Tsp golden syrup

500g icing sugar
5Tsp water
peppermint essence
green food colour

100g chocolate

Method

Crush the biscuits. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the syrup. Boil for 2 minutes. Add the crushed biscuits. Flatten into a buttered swiss roll tin. Do not remove from the tin until the peppermint slice has been fully assembled.

Mix the icing sugar with the water to make a stiff paste. Add a few drops of peppermint, and as much or as little green colouring as you want. Spread over the base and leave to set for 1-2 hours.

Melt the chocolate and gently pour over the peppermint layer. When the chocolate is cool, but not completely hard, cut into squares or slices. Alternatively, add a little cream or butter to the melted chocolate to prevent it hardening completely. This gives a softer topping and allows for easier cutting.

Notes

This can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free digestive biscuits. Other biscuits of a similar texture can be used, eg shortbread.

Decluttering Recipe Books

At the end of January last year, the decluttering task was to weed out the unused recipe books. This was done, but I suspect I may have some more that can leave the house. There are a few books I haven't touched since completing the task last year. 

I'm a good home cook, and I don't use recipes a great deal. Generally, I use recipes for baking (apart from pancakes, sponge cakes and shortbread). Getting the proportions right is vital for good baking, although I do experiment quite a bit. When it comes to savoury dishes, the exact amounts aren't generally so vital. The last time I used a recipe for a new savoury dish was a month ago, and it wasn't from a book, but on-line. 

Way back in 1991, I start compiling my personal cookery book. Twenty seven  years later, the book is falling apart. Some of the tried and tested recipes of a quarter of a century ago aren't tingling my taste buds in the way they were. There was a lovely dish, Orange Glazed Chicken, which used marmalade as the basis for the glaze (with added orange juice, garlic and ground coriander seeds). Sadly, it's too sweet now. It's time to edit and purge my collected recipes and move them on-line. It is also time to have a look at my recipes here and on Pintrest and whittle out the ones I don't want any more.

Zig Zag Blanket: Progress Report

A progress photograph of my Optical Illusion Zig Zag Blanket. I bought the yarn on Saturday and played around with various ideas. Then on Monday I actually started work on it. 

I'm working at about 5 rows per day, and this takes me through one cycle of colour. This is pace is to protect my shoulders, hands and wrists from being over-used. 

Each row is made of but one colour, and every tenth stitch dips down to two rows below. This gives a rather interesting optical illusion of zig zags where there are none.

When I started this blanket it hadn't fully clicked that I would only be working from right to left, and the yarn would be cut at the end of each row. This results in a huge number of ends. Thankfully, I've found a way to crochet in the starting end at the right hand side, so there's now only one end per row to deal with.

Mistakes from the past have been noted, and I have learned! The ends are being woven in very promptly. Three cycles of colour have been crocheted through, and there's only one end to be woven it. It will be easier to do this when it isn't the top row. I'll weave it in tomorrow when I've worked a few more rows.

Licorice Allsorts

On Saturday, we took a small jaunt to Laxey and visited the lovely JJ Ribbons.  In addition to the yarn, I bought half a metre of licorice allsorts fabric, and two metres of 20mm black satin ribbon. 

The results are a large drawstring gift bag, a handkerchief and a small gift bag. All of the ribbons and fabric has been used. 

Parli Italiano

Last week, I started learning Italian from a native of Rome. The approach to learning is quite, quite different! Instead of "Hello, my name is..." we learned about the sounds 'c' and 'ci' make. The sounds are different depending on the vowel that comes next. If 'c' is followed by an 'a', 'o' or 'u', then it makes a hard 'c'. The way to remember is 'cat, cot, cut'. With 'ci', there's a softer sound, like the start of 'church'. There's similar rules for 'g'.

Next, we learned of Italian genders, everything is either masculine or feminine. Usually, masculine words end in 'o' and feminine in 'a'. But, 'usually' don't mean the same things as 'all the time'. 'Problema' is masculine singular, but ends in 'a'. 'Foto' is femiinine singular - it's a contraction of 'fotographia', which is feminine and ends in 'a'. 

In English, a huge number of words can be pluralised by adding an 's'. In Italian, the general rule is words ending in 'a' are pluralised by changing it to an 'e' (if the word if feminine'. If it's masculine, it becomes 'i', along with the word ending in 'e' or 'o'. There's also a rule for when a word ends in a stressed vowel.

It was all feeling to be rather like decryption algorithms. In addition, I've started learning an Italian alphabet song. It starts "Cari bambini come sieta la lettra A". I've been listening and singing along morning and evening. When out walking the dog, I go through the alphabet and try to find a word for each letter. I'm trying hard not to use the same words over and over, but as I learn new vocabulary to include these new words in my alphabetic walk. As might be anticipated, I am desperately in need for new X-words and J ones too!

It's great fun to be out meeting some new people, and learning something fresh!

Goodbye Dead Trees

As a child I was taught to be very careful with books. Some children might tear pages, or scribble with crayons, not me. Never were pages dog eared. Books were almost sacred objects, treated with reverence and care.

When the Elder Offspring was in school, she had an art project to ... now I'm having problems, the only way I can describe it is 'deface a book'. It was cut, painted, moulded, scratched and abused. 

Eight years later, I'm still thinking in the same words, but my reaction is 'It's just an object, and something without intrinsic value.' We're not talking about first editions, but mass market, mass produce books. They are as unique as a bottle of Coke. I'm happily giving away my paper books (dead trees), and using e-books instead. It's not the object that's important, but the ideas contained within.

The books pictured above are rather lovely to look at. They are lovely in the same way old bobbins are lovely, or other antiques are lovely. There role is not functional, but to be beautiful and convey a sense of age. 

For me, e-books win hands down over paper. The typeface and size can be changed at will. The book can be read to me, or I can read it in the dark. It's so much simpler taking a library of books (a Kindle) on holiday than packing several kilos of paper. 

Optical Illusion Zig Zag Blanket

Yarn: Red Heart Lisa DK
Composition: 100% acrylic 
Colour: Violet (08303)

Colour: Glacier (08363)

Colour: Petrol (08195)

Colour: Pink Marzipan (08367)

Colour: Lilac (05691)
Pattern:  Groovy-ghan
Size: 1m sq
Hook: 5mm 
Amount used: 
Started: 10th March 2018 
Finished:  25th May 2018

My Mam and Grandma taught me how to knit when I was 4 years old. Everyone in my family could knit, and I do mean everyone. It seemed like an interesting thing to do, and obviously (well 'obviously' to my 4 year old brain) it was something I'd need to learn at some point. I would describe what I wanted to do, and my Mam and Grandma would teach me how to do it. It wasn't until I was about 12 or 13 that I learned to use a pattern.

Surprisingly, I was not taught to crochet. I'd pick up a hook and yarn, wibble things around, and make it up as I went along, and this worked rather well for me.

A couple of years ago, I tried to follow a crochet pattern, but it proved to be rather tricky as I didn't know the name of the stitches, and the one that fell under my fingers was a very rarely used stitch. Instead, the pattern of increases and decreases was explain and I ploughed on making a star-shaped baby blanket.

This is the very first crochet pattern I have followed. Through the wonders of youTube, I have learned single crochet (US) and double crochet (US).  It's working! The hardest part is counting to 10.

Lemon Chicken with Broccoli

Ingredients

Broccoli

head of broccoli

Chicken

2 tsp rice wine or cider vinegar 

1 egg white 

1 Tsp cornflour

1/4 tsp soy sauce (I used gluten-free)

2 Tsp oil
500g cubed chicken

a little additional oil

Sauce

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup of lemon juice

a little less than 1/2 cup of sugar 

zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup of cornflour

1/4 cup of cold water

Method

Cut the broccoli into small florets and par boil. Set to one side.

In a large bowl, mix the vinegar, egg white, cornflour, soy sauce and oil. Then add the chicken. Coat the chicken well. Add the additional oil to a heavy bottomed skillet and cook the chicken. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and made the sauce.

Bring the chicken stock to a boil and then add the lemon juice, sugar and zest. Return mixture to a boil. Blend together the cornflour and cold water and stir into the lemon sauce. Stir until the sauce is thick. 

Add the chicken and broccoli and heat in the sauce. Serve with rice and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

International Women's Day Inspiration

The question was asked, "Who inspires you?"

It's the young woman above, Mhairi Black, the youngest MP in Parliament in a 130 years. She won her place in Westminster whilst studying for her finals in Politics and Public Policy, and gained a first class honours degree.

She is a woman who speaks clearly, in a strong voice and with authority. She explains the realities people live with, and works for a fairer, more equitable, more compassionate country. 

The world desperately needs more Mhairis - people who can point out the blinkin' obvious to those who have been trained not to see. 

A Blizzard of Hair!

This is not Ava, but a random Huskie and his 'shadow'.

Oh my! When I was growing up we had dogs, and I thought I knew that I was in for with regards to shedding. And I was wrong, totally and utterly wrong!

It started with a few more hairs than normal, then tufts started coming away. Currently, Ava's thick winter undercoat has mostly been shed, but it is being held in place by the longer guard hairs. Today, I have groomed her four times, and had to stop, not because the grooming had been completed, but to give her a rest from all of the physical attention. Each time there was the equivalent of a football-sie cloud of Ava-hair. Some of this has been stuffed into a net (formerly used to hold lemons) and it's now outside, ready for any nest-building birds to come and use for nest lining.

Tomorrow we start again. 

Writing Exercise: Painting

The task was to find a painting I wasn't familiar with, and then create a story around it. The idea is to take the image as a snapshot or a single still from a film. Then you start asking questions like "What lead to the moment? How is the person feeling? What's going to happen next?". 

The painting I chose was Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by CD Friedrich.

Working simply from the image, and without reading any of the analysis of this painting, I came up with the following story ideas.

Setting 1830s, Robert, a Scottish laird, out walking, trying to lose himself, contemplating his life, make sense of it. He is considering the option of throwing himself off the rocks. 

He had been married for 4 years, and his wife, Lizzie, died in childbirth, mother and baby dead.

His emotions reflect the blackness and greyness of the painting. He has climbed from darkest black, through the white fog, and is now standing in the clear air

The only sound is a mistle thrush singing in a minor key. It is a winter visitor in to these high hills. It's song is disjointed, halting, and seems to speaking of loss and sadness, but expressed in such crystal clear tones. Perhaps like this bird, he could be a visitor in this place of darkness and shadows. Perhaps he could be a visitor in the land of the shadow of death. 

----

I started writing and ended up in floods of tears thinking about the depth of his pain. I will write the story, but not today. I need a little bit of time to let it sit.

Another Black and Green Hat

Yarn: James Brett Top Value  DK
Composition: 100% acrylic 
Colour: black
Yarn: random DK 
Composition: 100% acrylic 
Colour: green
Pattern: Super Chunky Hat 
Size: Adult 
Needles: 10mm 
Amount used: 
Started: 2nd March 2018 
Finished:  5th March 2018

Yet another super chunky hat. This time I used 1x1 ribbing for 10 rounds, then stocking stitch for the rest. 

To Buy or Not to Buy

In the Christmas sales I was able to buy a beautiful, soft, wonderful cashmere sweater for around £35, half its usual price. I have worn it and worn it, and it is so wonderful to wear.

The opportunity to buy one for £60 has arisen this weekend. Do I need a second one, and a second one at that price? My merino sweaters are now getting rather old, and all have been darned. I have been wanting to replace them, but at this price?

I keep looking at new clothes, but do I need them, or am I simply lusting after something new? Is the cold weather turning my thoughts to spring clothing?

One of my birthday presents last year was a fantastic Le Creuset skillet. It was very expensive, but it has been used, and used, and used. And, I can see myself using it almost every day for a very long time. 

"Buy once, buy well" keeps running through my head. Although, when I was looking at some clothes on-line, I used the "Price: Low to High" option. After years of very little money, it's hard to get used to the idea of buying more expensive items. 

It comes back to the standard three questions, "Do I need it? Do I want it? Do I love it?". It would be so much easier if I could answer with a wholehearted'yes' to at least one of these questions. "Need" is too strong a word. My current supply of sweaters and cardigans is sufficient for my needs. "Want", again too strong. I've having some lustful thoughts. And "love", again we are back to lust.

The Beast from the East

The Isle of Man is taking rather a battering from 'The Beast from the East' (a polar vortex) and Storm Emma. Here's a few of my favourite images from around the island.

And one from Rome.

Back to the Isle of Man once more, and also back in time, to 2010.

Spring Cleaning

March is here, and it's time for spring cleaning. The snow is also here, and it feels very un-spring-like. However, I'm inside in the warm and dry, and spring cleaning it is.

This list is adapted for my needs from the one at Stain Removal 101. The website it run by the same person who runs the Decluttering 365 one. I am not planning on doing all of these tasks in order, and it doesn't matter if it is all completed within the month of March. Some tasks are larger than others, and I will do them as and when I have the time, non-creaking joints and the weather allows. 

Kitchen 

(✓) cooker

2. kitchen cabinets 

3. small kitchen appliances 

4. fridge and freezer 

5. worktops and sink 

6. pots, pans and bakeware 

7. drains 

Bathroom 

8. sink and tiles

9. lavatory and drains 

10. shower and bath 

11. bath mats and shower screen

Whole House 

12. windows 

13. ceilings 

14. walls 

15. skirting boards 

16. curtains 

17. blinds 

18. dusting 

19. clean upholstery 

20. vacuum and shampoo carpets 

21. wash floors 

22. wash rubbish bins 

23. electronics screens and door nobs

Bedroom 

24. vacuum mattress 

25. wash duvet 

26. wash pillows 

27. soft toys 

Laundry Room 

28. washing machine and dryer 

Entrances 

29. front and back doors 

30. front vestibule 

31. back vestibule

March Goals

My goals for March are to:

• re-start cycling and squats from the beginning
• start Nine Patch Madness quit
• learn to render an external wall
• start Italian classes
• spring clean the house

February Craftings

Ribbed Wrist Warmers 

Start: 1st February 2018

Finish: 18th February 2018

Super Chunky Hat
Start: 18th February 2018

Finish: 18th February 2018

Colinette Hat
Start: 19th February 2018

Finish: 20th February 2018

Colinette Hat
Start: 21st February 2018

Finish: 22nd February 2018

Red and Black Hat
Start: 26th February 2018

Finish: 28th February 2018

------

Items made this month

5 knitted

Items made this year

2 sewn, 7 knitted

Yarn this month

bought: 1 (100g of black DK)

finished: 6

Yarn this year

bought: 1 (100g of black DK)

finished: 6

De Quervain's Syndrome

After just a few days, my thumbs and wrists have improved!  My back has not though (time for a sports massage)!

I have been following some of the exercises for De Quervain's Syndrome as shown by Doctor Jo. They are really helping. I need to do more of them, and increase the repetitions.

Red and Black Hat

Yarn: random acrylic DK
Composition: 100% acrylic 
Colour: black
Yarn: random DK 
Composition: probably acrylic with wool
Colour: red
Pattern: Super Chunky Hat 
Size: Adult 
Needles: 10mm 
Amount used: 
Started: 27th February 2018 
Finished:  February 2018

Start off with 4 rounds of rib, and then switch to 2 rounds of rib, alternating colours. After 35 rounds, start the decreases for the crown. 

Cooking and Cleaning

A friend is coming round for lunch tomorrow. The idea was to have a little gathering as a couple of other friends are having a rather hand time just now. However, those two can't join us, for different reasons. But, we are going to have a lovely lunch.  We'll start out with tomato and bean soup, served with cheesey-chivey scones, salad, cheeses and prosciutto. For pudding, we will have chocolate pots. 

The soup can be made today, as can the various elements of the chocolate pots. Tomorrow I'll make the scones, and assemble the chocolate pots. The family liked the wibbley-wobbley chocolate pots the first time around I decided to buy some ring moulds I could use to make the chocolate collars. Hopefully, this time they will be rather less wibbley.

----

Ah! B has just been in contact to say she is still full of the cold, and has suggested we meet on Friday instead. The ganaches can safely be stored in the fridge for over two weeks. That's 'safely' from a food safety angle. Whether they will be safe from family members dipping spoons in the bowls is another matter. Time to be lay down the chocolately law!

----

And a further update, family circumstances have developed, and B needs to be off-island at the end of the week. That's a bit of a bummer.

Ah well, the family will have to put up with some chocolate pots this week. A bit of practise is not going to do any harm.

Ta Da!
make milk chocolate ganache
make white chocolate ganache
wash dishes
wipe down worktops
sweep hall floor
sweep sitting room floor

Magic in Movement

So many exercises to do just now. There's a dog to be walked, cycling to be done, squats, body twists, pelvic tilts, and physio for my hands. I'm having a hard job remembering to do them all. Thankfully, Da Hound is rather good at reminding me when she needs to go outside! 

The good news is there's a little improvement in my back, and greater improvement in my hands/wrists. The worst thing I can do for my body is to remain still. Movement (controlled movement) seems to lubricate things. It reduces inflammation and pain. I just need to be careful about what I do, and when I do it.

Calling Dr Frankenstein

My body is falling apart, and I need Dr Frankenstein to put me together again! The bits that are annoying me the most are the pains in my hands, and the muscles in spasm in my back.

My hands were really sore about 20 months ago. Then, any pinching/holding movement was too much for me. The physio was less than helpful and told me the problem was I was knitting too much, and that if I stopped it might sort itself out, but until then, they couldn't do anything to help. It was a load of rubbish. Some time spent on the internet revealed a whole raft of exercises I could do that would ease the pain, and improve the situation. Needless to say, I'm back to those exercises again.

There's a muscle in my back, one of the long ones that curves from the back, round the side and to the front, that's causing problems. It's not behaving itself, and is tense so much of the time. It likes warmth. It like massage and it likes slow, gentle twists. However, it doesn't like many other things, and shouts and moans when it's not happy. The gentle rocking movement of cycling helps once I'm doing it. 

I wish Doctor Frankenstein could come work his science on me, and give me a better body. I'll keep my brain though.

City Slicker Quilt

A while back, I tried to make a Jelly Roll quilt in blues, with a block of sunshine yellow between the strips. It was an attempt at letting go of my need for control. However, the need for control won out! 

The stitching is being unpicked, and I'll re-assemble it into the City Slicker quilt. At the moment, the plan is to put a yellow block at the centre of each block. This will give a very well organised quilt.

Five Monthly Minimalist Tasks

I was reading a list of nine month minimalist habits. Almost half of them weren't applicable to me. Here's my list of minimalist habits I want to do at the start of each month.

1. plan my goals for the month ahead

2. empty out my handbag

3. clear out the unwanted food from the fridge and pantry

4. delete from my phone the photographs I don't need 

5. get back to inbox zero

A Little Excitement in Life

It was getting way too boring to be posting near-identical lists of the things I have been doing around the house. Thankfully as routines become established the need to think about them becomes less and less.

Instead, I'll speak of today's excitement. It is a striped chocolate cheesecake. The recipe is a variation on my vanilla cheesecake. Everything proceeds as normal until the cheesecake mixture has been made. Split the mixture in half, into two bowls. Add powdered drinking chocolate to one bowl, and stir really well. Next, pour some of the chocolate mixture onto the centre of the biscuit base. Then some vanilla, and alternate between the two until it has all be used. Bake for 35 minutes. Let it cool for a while, and top with chocolate ganache. I used 170ml of double cream, and 170g of milk chocolate. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. 

The other tiny bit of excitement is I have started my preparation for IronMay. This year, the whole family has decided to join in. We will be entering the team category. Previously, I have been entered as an individual. The Elder Offspring regularly walks a couple of miles each day to and from work. The rest of us are walking more since the arrival of Ava.  The Younger Offspring and I will be responsible for the cycling portion. I have done no cycling in months, and a plan has been devised to prepare my 'little botty' for the hours I would be sitting cycling. I started off with one minute of cycling, morning and evening, followed by one squat. Today is the 5th day, and both are getting easier, and botty is not complaining. At this rate, I'll be cycling 42 minutes (morning and evening) each day by the the end of March. According the IronMay organisers, 4 minutes equates to 1 mile. This will give me 21 miles each day! I don't know if I'll be able to keep this up, but I'm going to try. April will be the swimming month. I'll see about going swimming twice a week, and build up to swimming one mile at a time. The Elder Offsping regularly swims about half a mile a week. She is going to try to increase this to a mile a week. My goal is for us to be able to complete 4 slow triathlons within the month.

Colinette Hat

Yarn: Colinette Yarns Point Five

Composition: wool

Colour: greens
Amount used:  50g
Yarn: King Cole Pricewise DK

Composition: probably 100% acrylic

Colour:  black (48)
Dyelot: 616689

Pattern: Colinette Hat

Size: Adult
Needles: 10mm

Amount used:  

Started:  19th February 2018

Finished:  20th February 2018

Holding the black yarn tripled, cast on 48sts. Work in 2x2 rib for 10 rounds.

Switch to Colinette yarn and work in stocking stitch for 13 rounds. 

Decrease for crown:
1. K6, k2tog, to end.
2. K5, k2tog, to end.
3. K4, k2tog, to end.
4. K3, k2tog, to end.
5. K2, k2tog, to end.
6. K1, k2tog, to end.
7. K2tog to end.

Break off yarn leaving an end. Draw through the remaining stitches, making them secure. Weave in the ends.

Make a pom pom in black, and attach it to the hat.

Super Chunky Hat

Yarn: random acrylic

Composition: 100% acrylic

Colour: green
Yarn: King Cole Pricewise DK

Composition: 100% acrylic

Colour:  black (48)
Dyelot: 616689

Pattern: Super Chunky Hat

Size: Adult
Needles: 10mm

Amount used:  

Started:  18th February 2018

Finished: 18th February 2018

Holding the yarn tripled, cast on 48sts. Work in 2x2 rib for 35 rounds.  Switching yarns every few rounds as it pleases the knitter.

Decrease for crown. 
1. K2, p2tog, repeat to end.
2. K2tog, p1, repeat to end.
3. K2 tog, repeat to end.
4. K2 tog, repeat to end. (6sts)

Break off yarn, and draw it through the live stitches. Weave in the ends.

First Yarn Purchase of the Year

Here is my second craft purchase of the year, a 100g ball of DK yarn in black. It was needed to complete a pair of ribbed wrist warmers for the Beloved. He has a pair of black wrist warmers in the pockets of his every day jacket. When he was called out to help with a search for a missing person, he retrieved the wrist warmers from his jacket, and popped them in his kit bag. I suggested he might like a second pair that he could keep in his kit bag. This was met with approval. The wrist warmers will be finished later today. 

My next project will be a charity hat, and this black yarn will be used to make the be ribbed band. 

And on the Seventh Day, Maghouin Rested

Nah, not really. Life continues, a dog still needs to be walked, everyone needs to be fed, and laundry needs to be dealt with.

To Do

• quick tidy of the kitchen
• take dirty mugs, plates and glasses through to the kitchen
• quick tidy of the sitting room
• fold laundry
• put away laundry
• declutter/organise for 15 minutes
• prepare dinner
• lay out clothes for the morning
• get in pjs
• put dirty clothes in laundry basket, and air clothes that can be worn again
• sit in bed and craft whilst listening to an audio book

Ta Da!

• get dressed
• make bed
• walk Ava
• make breakfast for Ava
• put on a load of laundry
• dry laundry
• check the menu to see if action is needed for dinner
• check my calendar for upcoming events
• plan menu
• make shopping list

Day Six!

Look at me! I've made it to Day Six! 

TA DA!

• get dressed
• walk Ava
• make Ava's breakfast
• put on a load of laundry
• hand laundry on line to dry
• check the menu to see if action is needed for dinner
• check my calendar for upcoming events
• make bed
• quick tidy of the kitchen
• take dirty mugs, plates and glasses through to the kitchen
• declutter/organise for 15 minutes
• decluttered handbags
• decluttered scarves
• frogged yarn
• lay out clothes for the morning
• get in pjs
• put dirty clothes in laundry basket, and air clothes that can be worn again
• sit in bed and craft whilst listening to an audio book