Books Read or Listened to in June 2026

 The End of Magic by Mark Stay

This is a very different type of story, and writing style from "The Witches of Woodville". It's also being presented to me in a very different way. As there is no audiobook, the Beloved is reading it to me as a bedtime story, one chapter per night. 

"Going Postal" by Terry Pratchett

Richard Coyle reads this audiobook, and he was the protagonist in the film version too. As Richard read, scenes from the film come crashing into my brain, like undelivered letters cascading down the grand staircase of the Post Office in Ankh Morpork.

In this story, a con man is given the chance to redeem himself. After a false start, he manages to do that, and earn the respect of a good woman, well a woman you would not wish to speak ill of. Moist von Lipwig take the gargantuan task of restoring the Post Office. He does, but meet challenges along the way.

The main commercial competitor of the Post Office is the Clacks (a network of semaphore towers). It has elements of telegraph stations and the early internet. It's wonderful looking back at the early days, and thinking of the great hackers I knew.

Goals for June 2026

Last months goals were written in my journal, and came to absolutely nothing. My health has been 'blergh' since returning home from holiday at the start of May. I seriously wish this month is much better.

Goals for June:

write every day

craft every day

exercise three times a week

Will these be achievable? Well, I've tried to make them so, just to boost my confidence. Then next month I can become a little more adventurous.

Roasted Cauliflower Cheese with Pepperoni

 

Ingredients

800g of cauliflower, cut into medium pieces

3 tbsp of olive oil

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

salt and black pepper

1 onion finely sliced

120g sliced pepperoni cut into slithers

50g  gluten-free plain flour

600ml milk

150g grated cheddar cheese (100g for the sauce and 50g for topping)

50g fresh spinach

Method

Heat the oven to 200C

Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the curry powder, cumin and paprika in a large baking dish approximately 32cm x 22cm. Add the cauliflower florets and mix well. Add salt and pepper. Then roast for 20 minutes.

Whilst the cauliflower is cooking, make the sauce by heating 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan. Add the onion and fry on a medium heat for about 3 minutes. Stir in the pepperoni, and cook for a futher 2 minutes.

Add the milk and bring to a simmer. Make a slurry from the flour and some water. When the milk is at a simmer, slowly pour in the slurry, stirring continually.

When the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat, and stir in 100g of cheese and the spinach. Continue to stir until the spinach has wilted.

Pour over the roasted cauliflower, coating each floret. Cover with 50g of grated cheese and cook for 25-30 minutes until the top is a golden brown.

Spanish Chicken

Ingredients
1 Tsp olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
150g chorizo, cut into cubes
500g chicken breast, cut into cubes

1 tsp paprika
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
400g can chopped tomatoes
400g can butter beans, drained and rinsed
small handful of flat-leaf parsley

Method
Heat the oil, and fry the onion and the chopped chorizo for 5 minutes. Then add the cubed chicken and cook until everything is a golden brown and the chorizo has released its oil. 

Add the paprika and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and butter beans. Cook for an additional 10 minutes on a low simmer.  

Serve with chopped parsley and  boiled rice.

Notes

The original recipe called for the inclusion of  two bell peppers. We do not like them, so have omitted them. Olives can also be added.

Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients
100g minced chicken

1 egg

1 tsp Worcester sauce

85g dried breadcrumbs

50 grated parmesan cheese
3tsp garlic, minced
1tsp onion powder
1/2tsp  dried oregano

2tsp dried basil
2tsp dried parsley

salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C. Line  baking sheets.

Mix the Worcestershire sauce with the egg, and then include the chicken. 

Mix all of the dried ingredients. Then add the chicken mixture. Combine well, without over working.

Split the mixture into 32, and make into meatballs.

Cook for 20 minutes.

Notes

The meatballs are great served with spaghetti in a carbonara sauce, or cold at a picnic. 

The meatballs can be frozen before or after cooking. If freezing raw meatballs, open freeze on a lined baking sheet, and transfer into a ziplock bag. Defrost before cooking.

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Ingredients

Cake

125g chocolate broken into pieces

125g butter, plus extra for greasing

200g light soft brown sugar

100g caster sugar

1 tsp glycerine

2 eggs 

100ml natural yogurt

1/4 tsp vanilla

200g gluten-free SR flour

1tsp xanthan gum

2 eggs

Ganache

175g chocolate

250ml double cream

Method

Cake

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease two 20cm cake tins.

Melt the chocolate, and allow to cool.

Cream the butter, sugars and glycerine until fluffy and light. Slowly add the eggs. Add the yogurt, vanilla, and the cooled yogurt.

Fold in the flour and xantham gum. Add a little warm water if the mixture is too stiff.

Divide the mixture between the tins, and bake for around 30 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 30 minutes, then removed and finish the cooling on a wire rack.

Ganache

Grate the chocolate. Heat the cream on the stove. When the cream starts steaming remove from the heat, and pour it over the grate chocolate. Leave for 2 minutes. Stir well to melt the chocolate and mix it well with the cream.  Leave to cool at room temperature.

Spread half over the bottom layer of cake,Add the top layer. Spread the remaining half on top.

Notes

The cake keeps in an air tight container for 3-4 days. It can also be frozen. 

Chicken Kebabs

 

Ingredients

1kg minced chicken

2 tsp onion granules

2 tsp garlic granules

2 tsp paprika

4 tsp parsley

2 tsp coriander

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp medium curry powder

salt

pepper

Method 

Pre-heat the oven to 200C.

Mix all of the ingredients, and transfer onto a lined baking dish, 20x30cm.

Press the mixture down into the dish, making is smooth and level. Use a knife to form into 12 pieces. Score the top.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Notes

Serve with pita or wraps, mayo and salad.