Magical Window Sill

Some time ago I was browsing the ever wonderful Purl Bee blog when I saw this and thought it was the loveliest idea. My sister, who has two very wordy daughters, has a white board covered with the most brilliant and hilarious quotes from both of them. You sometimes have no idea what the thought process can have been, but that's half the fun. Then, last night, at some ridiculous time I asked a very sleepy husband to pass me a pillow that had gone walkabout whilst we were sleeping. When I asked where it was, he replied 'Between two values.' He was still asleep and dreaming about work. This of course set me off into a fit of giggles.




So this is the first thing that has gone into our own Jar of Magical Thinking, which takes pride of place on my kitchen window sill along with a Cath Kidston mug full of paintbrushes and a card that my friend sent me. I read that quote* everyday and love it more and more. The mug itself has a small fissure running through it and can't be safely used for tea but I cannot bare to get rid of it and I rather like it like this.


And of course, this whole process involved the buying of a jar (always a joy) and then making a label (more joy). In fact I was going to use this jar for one of two things; notes or oats, after my argument with a box of Quaker Oats this morning. It's not 'easy open' when it vomits oats all over your feet as you try and wrestle with the 'easy open' tab.
The deciding factor about what would go in the jar was entirely random or should I say, esoteric; the label for the notes would be more fun to make. Therefore I got to play with one of my new favourite things: Sharpie marker pens. I hope I'm not alone in the world in having irrational preferences for certain pens in the pen pot. Even when I have to write a quick note or a shopping list I always spend more time that I should selecting a nice pen. And it has nothing to do with price or quality. Maybe I'll sit down one day and write down exactly what it is I like in a pen. Maybe on that day I'll realise I have too much time on my hands.

*It's not too clear in the photo what the quote is:

To see a world in a Grain of Sand,
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

William Blake (1757-1827)
English engraver, illustrator and poet

I felt the earth move...

As always, without fail I get to February and start yelling at the outdoors. Mainly things along the lines of 'Oh can you just warm up a bit please!' and 'Alright, it's cold I get it, stop showing off!' By now I've just had enough of winter. Being bundled up in hats and scarves and gloves and ear muffs and coats and ponchos and wellington boots and vests and jumpers and tights since November is starting to grate a little. Now, I'm not asking for hot weather, Lord no. I've a whole litany of complaints about the hot weather too, just you wait. What I'm asking for is some light at the end of the tunnel. Preferably some light that will promote lots of lovely Vitamin D in my body, leading to much better skin. Which is whole 'nother raft of complaints. Well, as the outdoors seems to be plodding along with it's season at it's own rate I decided to inject some colour into my word through the medium of brooch and badge making. Hmm, diverse. I'm not entirely sure what on earth I'm going to do with these, but if there's anyone that thinks that they'd like one, let me know.

The first design is slightly South East Asian in it's shape, but very stylised. I think they're really fun, and I love the way the colours play with each other. My personal favourites are the red/white colour way, which is very Maltese. Probably why I like them.


This next one is from a fantastic brooch kit I bought on this 'ere tinkleweb. This website is yummy and I bought rather more that I should have. But I don't think you can have too much ricrac, yes? The design is a pansy and I love how they come together. You look at the petal pieces and just think 'How the Bejeesus does that work then?' Once you start playing with them, it all comes together. It's so fun.


The last badges were just me playing about with scraps whilst watching the most amazing documentary about nuclear fusion. 'Er, really?' I hear you ask, but yes really. It was presented by a rock star sort of physicist driving a bright red Mustang around California and saying complicated things and trying to make BIG ideas seem like normal size ideas. Such ideas were:

1. Temperature on the surface of the Sun: 6000 degrees Celsius
2. Temperature at the core of the Sun: 15 million degrees Celsius
3. The amount of energy released by the Sun in a single second could power the United States for 100 years
4. They can create stars in a lab.

Now, why this made me want to create badges I have no idea, but there it is. Maybe I could sense that it was probably something that Mr Brain-Box Physicist wasn't able to do, at least not without a lot of theorising, hypothesising, mathematicising and probably some cursing about felt/thread vectors. I however just jump right in, get the felt and the thread and go nuts.


Oh and just in case anyone was wondering, that's reading as in the verb, to read. Not the town in Berkshire. Which is not sexy. These went down very well with my coworkers and I think I may begin a range of '...is Sexy' and ' I heart ...' badges. A selection of dork like statements including

• Quantum Mechanics is Sexy
• Indexing is Sexy
• I heart Beethoven
• I heart Folk

All suggestions gratefully received. The more dork like the better.

Pea and Pesto Soup

I'm hoping, once he gets my nice letter and the extra special yummy chocolate brownies (no, not special like that, that is just wrong) that the Pope is going to say yes to my suggestion of beatifying Nigella. I'm not asking for sainthood for her, just a constant halo about her at all times to remind everyone that she is, in fact too marvelous for us mere mortals and should be treated as such. With this in mind, His Holiness will surely say something along the lines of 'Yes, well I've always liked that Mairi, and she does have nice collection of rosaries and a Handsome Catholic Husband, go on then, give Nigella a halo. In fact she can have Delia's, she's just taking the pi...' And then he would walk about getting crumbs down his vestments and groaning over the extra special yummy chocolate brownies in a distinctly un-Papal way. Saint Peter would look on scornfully, and those fellas in the stripey suits would have dares to try and steal one of the extra special yummy chocolate brownies from the Popes cake tin under his Papal throne. Where he also keeps a Thermos of tea.

So without further ado, Pea and Pesto Soup. This is so stupidly simple that you'll wonder what the hell happened to your brain that stopped you from coming up with it.

Ingredients
750ml freshly boiled water
375g frozen peas or petit pois
1 sping onion
0.5tsp lime juice
4 tsp fresh pesto (from a tub, not a jar)
salt

Bring the water to the boil on the hob and add the salt. Once it is boiling add the peas and cook for about 6 or 7 minutes with the spring onion and lime juice.
Once the peas are cooked, remove the spring onion and add the pesto, then liquidise. I have a handheld blender, but otherwise put everything in a liquidiser and blend until smooth.
Done, finito, fini, fertig. Eat it and be merry.

Something for the Weekend

Valentine's Day is upon us soon and I thought it'd be a good chance to show you lovelies something that has been making me laugh all week. Click here and enjoy...

Coming soon, pea and pesto soup and lesson on snow shoveling for beginners. It would appear that a blizzard has just hit Oxfordshire so I'm getting the huskies all harnessed up and off we go! Or at least that's the Nordic dream I have in my head.

Queen of Hearts

Well, isn't this weather just the absolute thing for sewing mindlessly and covering yourself in a million blankets whilst drinking hot chocolate?

Here are the first batch of hearts, which had to be altered slightly when the pinking shears I had point blank refused to cut through felt. They are craft ones rather than dressmaking ones which just goes to show that sometimes it is crucial to have the right kit. Usually my attitude is more along the lines of 'Oh it'll do/give it a whirl/press all the buttons until something happens.' 99% of the time this gets me through, but sadly not in the world or scissorage.

This also gave me an opportunity to use the entirely while canvas in my garden to highlight the colours, although I have discovered that felt is really difficult to get in focus, it's sort of naturally unfocused. Much like myself. Of course going in the snow means breaking out the wellies (never a problem) and that means using my new Peter Storm wellington boot socks. Oh now I love that these exist. They go on over your trousers, then put on the wellies, folding the remaining sock over the tops. Just fabulous!

Tonight we are going to have a classic toad in the hole, stick to your ribs sort of food that makes it worth having three inches of ice dumped on your world!

Oooh Lordy that's rather a lot of snow

Well, it's snowing, a lot and Britain has ground to a predictable halt so it's time to make lentil soup to make me feel warm and coddled. It's also the time to find something lovely to do whilst watching some old rubbish on telly, so I've decided in the spirit of Valentine's Day, which is soon to be upon us, to make something for Husband and also perhaps for Niece One and Niece Two.

So, I've got felt, pinking shears (I love them so much) and more embroidery thread than you can shake a stick at. Time for a lovely evening in...

Raisin the Roof Muffins

Because it's always preferable to have a ridiculous pun that anything else, I have gone with sister dears suggestion for a name. Obviously our genes have some sort of pun hungry chromosome, I just can't resist them, much like these cakes.

These are just stupidly simple and almost criminally delicious. All it really consists of is a basic sponge mixture with some spices and dried fruit thrown in. I also make a little crunch topping for them using crystallised sugar and cinnamon. I have been using a sugar called Plantation Reserve, made in small batches in Barbados and it is delicious. I know it sounds a bit odd to say that sugar tastes anything but sweet but this has the most amazing flavour. Syrupy and rich and with a mouth pleasing crunch. Obviously you don't have to use this, any sugar would do really or you could forego the whole topping. The Husband did say this morning (whilst eating a cake and driving the car) that he liked the cake and the dried fruit but he could do without the sugar topping. I asked who he was and what he'd done with the real Husband as he was clearly an imposter. Husband doesn't like dried fruit, especially not dried cranberries. Further investigations will be made into this imposter's behaviours.

Ingredients
125g soft butter
125g caster sugar
2 free range large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
125g self raising flour
1 tsp ground mixed spice
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
50g raisins
50g dried cranberries
Optional topping
3 tbsp crystallised
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6

Line a 12 hole muffin pan with paper cases

Cream together the butter and sugar until it is pale and moussey. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix together. I use a set of electric beaters because I am too weak and lazy to beat this stuff by hand and life is just too short. Once it's all mixed add the flour and spices, folding them in with a wooden spoon, then mix through the fruit.

Divide the mixture between the cases. In a small bowl mix the cinnamon and sugar then sprinkle evenly over the tops of each muffin. Bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden brown and your kitchen is filled with an aromatic cloud of gorgeousness. Cool on a wire rack as much as possible before devouring them all.

Variations
I think it would be impossible to give you a definitive list of possible variations, given the cacophony of dried fruitage around but I would say to steer clear of currants. They are great in themselves but you want something hear that will be plump and luscious and currants ain't it. Cherries would be wonderful as would blueberries if you like them, I am still vastly underwhelmed by them, but they do seem popular. You can buy semi-dried strawberries and raspberries which I have used before and they become almost jammy when cooked, which is a nice change of pace. And I think if you wanted to ramp up the topping a bit, you could throw on some chopped nuts (N.B. Oh God please for the love of all that is holy do not buy chopped nuts. Buy whole nuts and chop then yourself. Chopped nuts should be banned and sent to hell.) or make up a mixture with oats, sugar, butter and spices for a crumble topping. The world is your oyster, or in this case your muffin case.