I thought I had best do a quick post as I have had friends getting in touch asking if I'm alright! Yes, I am, only the 3rd week of January rarely has exciting things happening during it, and this week has been Somewhat Dull, and I have lost my blogging mojo rather. In fact, I think my brain generally has been turned off. Yesterday I checked to see when Ludlow Antiques Market was on next, 23rd January I read (it trades on 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month.) So we got up early this morning and set off across country to Ludlow, only to find the Fair WASN'T on! I was SO cross with myself, as we were both pretty tired from our early start - we haven't had one of those in a few months now. Indeed, I checked the dates when we got back and it said it was last weekend, 16th! So I don't know what the heck I read to get it so wrong.
Anyway, we stopped here on the way back, by way of a booby prize. It's Aardvark Bookshop in a barn on a farm near Bucknall in Shropshire. (Leintwardine is the next proper village). Sadly the 2nd hand books were not the sort to take our interest, but we didn't come out empty-handed as we bought these:
The Castles one is very good, mentioning castles we've not heard of before, and the book about the Mortimers was one which Ragged Robin mentioned on her blog, and I had put on my wish list. Well, my wish came true a little sooner than I'd expected!
Frosty January days (and nights) just call for comfort food, so I set to earlier in the week and stewed up Blackberry and Apples, using some of my carefully-hoarded local blackberries. Oh my, the fragrance of those cooking took me right back to autumn. I wanted to use up half a loaf of stale home-made bread too, so cut it into cubes and crumbed it - most going into what I shall call Friday Pudding (to fool Keith, as if I said it was bread pudding he wouldn't touch it - FATTENING!) Anyway, it was a recipe on Jack Monroe's blog I got THERE because Thelma on her North Stoke blog had mentioned Jack Monroe ranting about the price of food staples shooting up - well of course, there is less margin for keeping prices low when the selling price is closer to the buying price. Expensive M&S meals don't go up because that margin is so much bigger. Anyway, I HAVE to recommend this pudding - and even Keith is really enjoying it!! I have told him it is simply fruit with a few breadcrumbs mixed in, so SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I used frozen raspberries I had in my freezer, plus a few spoonfuls of the blackberry and apple I had stewed along with the half a pint of water to bind it together, and then I pushed lots of big blackberries into the top and gently smoothed the breadcrumb mixture over. This is the first time in this house that I have seen a recipe and been inspired to make it straight away! I think I am rather down because of worrying about Keith's health - he saw the GP last week and had some blood tests, so we'll see what they say.
With electricity prices heading for the moon, I am trying to make the most of the oven when I have it on, so here we are - blackberry and apple pie slung in a dish, Friday Pudding and a good tray of breadcrumbs made from the stale crusts.
Keith with his personal lap warmer, Alfie.
Progress has been made on my Widecombe picture. Now I am on some slightly longer runs of the same colour whilst I am working on the church - known as the Cathedral of the Moor. It dates from the 14th C and is dedicated to St Pancras, so always makes me think of the railway station of that name! It also makes me think of The Great Thunderstorm there in 1638, when it was struck by ball lightening which struck through the roof and rolled down the aisle, killing several of the parishioners worshipping there.
Well, having written that I am going in to relax and sew some more whilst watching the Sunday afternoon racing.
The only reason I didn't check in with you via email was that I could see you were commenting on other blogs, so knew you must have been okay. Don't blame you for taking an (unintentional) blogging break. You've been working very, very hard lately and I suspect you just needed to have a well-deserved rest.
ReplyDeleteBless you Mary, though I don't think I have put my email address on the contact me bit. Glad you saw me commenting elsewhere.
DeleteGosh, I could spend all day following up one interest or another, so sometimes have to take myself by the scruff or nothing would get done here!
I don't think I have seen a photo of your husband before and what a magnificent looking cat, nothing quite like a cat to be a lap warmer. We have our Smokey who has to be on my lap just as I sit down to read a book !! He sits on the pillow/cushion that I use to support the book on.
ReplyDeleteHe's really aged the last couple of years - until his late 70s he always looked about 10 years younger. Steroids and illness have a bad effect on a body.
DeleteWe have 4 cats here - Alfie and his brother Little Whale are the Biggest!
It was lovely to see a picture of Keith with his loyal lap warmer. We are so sorry that you are going through a worrying time about him. What a shame about getting the dates mixed up - you deserve the 2 books to make up a bit for the disappointment. Am obviously loving your Widecombe cross-stitch.
ReplyDeleteWendy (Wales)
Thank you Wendy. You certainly know when you have Alfie on your lap!
DeleteThe books were certainly worth buying. What price knowledge?
My goodness your oven was put to good use.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy those books.
God bless.
I try not to use the main oven at all and only have the top one on. Books are being enjoyed.
DeleteFascinating Story about the fireball. I remember my grandmother telling me a story about being a little girl and having one come through her bedroom window and shoot down the hall. Alfie appears to be an ample lap warmer.
ReplyDeleteGood grief Debby, your grandmother was lucky it didn't head her way.
DeleteAlfie takes up a LOT of room!
She was a child in her bed. She never said that anyone else saw it, a detail I never thought of until this very minute. I found the story very exciting, mostly because I'd never heard of a fireball before. I read some of the background of your story, which described that ball as 8 feet tall (!!!!). My grandmother's fireball was much smaller, the size of her kitten.
DeleteA kitten sized fireball is more easily coped with. One 8 feet tall shooting across the bedroom would have been absolutely terrifying. Bad enough in the Church, where it took no prisoners.
DeleteGood to read your post today. I like the bookstore you found on the farm and the two books you purchased look fascinating. Alfie looks like a nice soft lap warmer for sure.
ReplyDeleteHi Terra. It's good to be back in action. When I sit down, there is a battle between the two stripey boys to colonise me!
DeleteDoesn't he just?!
ReplyDeleteGawd I'm losing it I don't remember mentioning Jack Monroe recently, but coincidentally she is all over the news today AND on the Lorraine show this morning (my Mum rang to tell me she was on, as I don't usually watch the tele that early far too much waffle). She is saying it like it is and it really needs saying!!
ReplyDeleteI can understand why you thought it was still the third weekend of the month, this month has gone by SO quickly, it's very disconcerting. Alfie is a lovely and very large lap warmer, I bet you know he's there when he's there. Oh and yes, it's all on a name with a new recipe if you're serving it to husbands or children isn't it.
Sue - I'm sorry - just gone to check and it was Thelma over on North Stoke, and not you. Sorry. I know you used to follow Jack Monroe's blog and have some of her books - now I know my brain is addled at the moment!! I've changed it anyway. I'm not surprised she's been on tv, I bet she is livid over the cost of living shooting up.
DeleteHeaven knows where I got the 23rd from - I went to several sites mentioning the Antiques Fair.
You're right, you know when you have Alfie on your lap! He is SOLID. His brother, Little Whale, is the same, but Alfie's the rabbit hunter and is pure muscle.
Someone on Twitter has mentioned Aardvark books to me and I'd love to visit. I am SO pleased you managed to buy "On the Trail of the Mortimers". I hope you enjoy it as much as I am. The castles one looks good too.
ReplyDeleteThe pudding sounds delicious. I wish I still had some blackberries left in the freezer.
I was actually rather disappointed by the selection of books. Many seemed very old and outdated, and there was nothing there to tempt us until we got to the new books.
DeleteI think, like me, you will need to pick more blackberries next autumn.