We had a day out yesterday, and headed for Malvern Antiques Fair. It doesn't start till ten so we didn't need to leave till 7.15 and just had a slow wander round, chatting to friends and making some new ones.
A little late for Halloween - some unusual bits of Taxidermy and similar stuff . . .
A little child's "tackety boot" - a witch device often found in chimneys in old houses (as one was here). This offered for sale at £75. Ours comes free with the house, as it belongs here.
A little fun piece - wee moosie has the edge over the kitten . . .
With a price tag in the region of £350, I could only admire and ask to take a photo of this gorgeous Arts & Crafts hand beaten copper charger . . . At least photos are free!
This stall is run by a lady who stands at some of the Fairs we do. She has lots of French things, and some Scandinavian bits too. We had a nice chat and once again I removed myself from the proximity of a little Scandinavian metal wild berry picker . . . Wanted but not needed!
These have a rather Ruskin look about the glaze - especially the mulberry coloured vase on the back left. Such pieces don't turn up in our neck of the woods, sadly.
A slightly blurry photo of a Deco bowl I fell in love with - the dealer gave me a good discount, but I couldn't blow £60 on something for me. Have other things I need to spend my money on.
This lovely brass Indian bowl DID come back with me though (for stock).
The old dressing table is one we bought for Gabby, who asked us to look out for one. Now to be rubbed down and painted white . . .
Sorry, this came out very dark. Elephants in the jungle and man being attached by a pair of lions. Currently researching this design.
Trading up - we bought this little child's Windsor rocker for our collection, and will free up two more child's chairs to sell. It just needs a good polish now.
Plus a little costume jewellery brooch to put some colour into my display box of jewellery bits.
Photos of the scenery tomorrow - feel too shattered today to write much.
Grrr. Back on the steroids again. I was trying so hard NOT to be but I've been on a downhill path since Monday when I did a walk up the valley and must have inhaled some spores (made smaller by that Biblical weather on the Friday/Saturday. They get deep into your lungs then. )
We went to Gloucestershire again on Thursday, intending to go to the Cathedral and see the Moon display there as an early birthday day out for Keith, but it soon became obvious that my breathing was getting worse and worse and once we had picked up something from the auction, we started to head back. Some fresh air in Wotton helped, and staying off the motorway made a big difference - must have been particulates in the diesel fuel from the many heavies about then which made me worse.
I went straight on the steroids when we got back, and I saw the GP yesterday, but today I am worse again - which I put down to deciding to light the woodburner. Wrong move. Ah well, another lesson learned. No lighting it again until I'm back to "normal".
I have been resting, but yesterday made up my Apple, Pear, & Ginger Mincemeat - easily done as you just stick it in the oven for 2 1/2 hours to slowly cook. I had sat on the sofa a couple of days before, "resting" but cutting up fruit for the Mincemeat. Here are some photos - it made 6 1/2 jars.
And below, here it is about to go into the oven:
Recipe:
Let me know if you can't read it and I will type it out for you. That's the main recipe, and here is the variation I made as I have loads of windfall apples and pears.
Finally, as I'd heard good reviews of this book, when I saw it on offer in paperback in Tescopolis, I treated myself yesterday and am finding it hard to put down.
It had me in tears though . . .
Right, off for a bath now and an early night as I was awake until 4 a.m. this morning - the steroids do that every time. Every other night I am wide awake. Still, without them I would be in a very bad way - they are a necessary evil.
The Northerly wind had changed to the South-West on Sunday and after 26 hours of Biblical deluges we had clear skies and sunshine. It was too good an opportunity to miss and we decided to go for a beach walk at Pembrey, on the Blue Flag Cefn Sidan beach. Here is the view from the top of the dunes, looking towards Rhossili and Worms Head.
This happy chap photo-bombed me!! He was having such fun,bless him! There were lots of people exercising their dogs.
Looking S-W, and although it looks near enough to walk to, I am sure this is the Preseli hills in the far distance - I have a good zoom on my camera. Without the zoom you can see the pyramid shape more clearly. They would be a good 50 miles off . . .
This is the wreck of the SC Paul, originally an American ship, who ran aground here in 1925 with her cargo of timber which she had loaded at Halifax, Newfoundland. She was bound for Dublin but on 30th December 1925 she lost many sails and anchors in severe gales and unable to avoid it, ran aground here. Although most of the timber was recovered,it is rumoured there are some very smart garden sheds in the Gwendraeth valley to this day!
Worms Head at the very end of the Gower. It is possible to get across to it when the tides are right - get it wrong and you're marooned for a few hours!
I tried to have this photo as a header, but resolution not good when blown up.
These are the dunes - devastated and stripped during a huge storm surge around 2013.
Sea Buckthorn. Can be made into juice, jam, and tea etc. LINK here.
PEAR AND ALMOND CAKE
75 g (3 oz or 1/3 cup) butter, softened
75 g (3 oz or 1/2 cup) caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
100 g (4 oz or 1 cup) S-R flour
125 g (5 oz or 1 1/4 cups) ground almonds
1 tsp almond essence
450g (1 lb) pears, peeled, cored and halved
Beat the butter and sugar together. Gradually add the eggs along with the flour and almonds. Beat in the almond essence. Pour the mixture into a greased 23cm (9 in)cake tin and arrange the pear haves over the surface. Bake in the oven at gas mark 4, 180 deg. C or 350 deg. F for 40 mins.
Taken from The Autumn Fruits Cookbook by Charlotte Popescu.
CHOCOLATE AND BLACKBERRY BROWNIES
3 eggs, beaten
6 oz or 175 g or 3/4 cup caster sugar
6 oz or 175 g or 3/4 cup plain semi-sweet chocolate (I use Lidl Raspberry 70% Equador chocolate)
5 oz or 150 g or 1/2 cup & 2 tablespoons baking margarine
4 oz or 100 g or 1 cup plain flour
8 oz or 225 g or 1 1/2 cups ripe blackberries, hulled (I use mine straight from the freezer)
4 oz or 100 g or 2/3 cup chocolate chips
Grease a 16" (40 cm)square tin (I line mine too). TBH, a 14" tin would do. Beat the eggs with the sugar in a bowl and melt the chocolate and margarine in a bowl over pan of hot water or in microwave.
Mix the egg and chocolate mixtures together thoroughly. Add the flour and mix in. Mix in the blackberries and chocolate chips (I don't normally use chocolate chips too). Put the mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake in oven at 180 deg. C or 350 deg. F or Gas Mark 4 for 25 - 30 mins. Cool on a wire rack and cut into squares. Remove from tin when cold. Makes 16. (Then HIDE them!!)
No photo as I sent these back up to Yorkshire with my daughter. Oh my goodness, but they are GOOD.
With apologies to your waistlines . . .
Today I decanted my Hay Car Park Small Plum Gin into its original bottle. It smells divine. I also got some Vodka last week and using the huge Morello cherries I'd got a 7 lb box of back in the summer, I made Cherry Vodka, which is still being stirred daily. Both will be ready in time for Christmas. You can of course use Brandy with the cherries.
Over the weekend the torrential rain made me disinclined to venture out (apart from a brief dash to pick up yet more windfall apples and pears). Then I peeled, cored and chopped the apples, mixed them with spices and dried mixed fruit and voila, one earthenware jar of Mincemeat. Next I shall mop up a few of the windfall pears and make Apple, Pear and Ginger Mincemeat. At this rate I will have to go back to wine making again as I have such a surplus of fruit . . .
Ah yes, that torrential rain - something like a month's worth in about 36 hours. The river rose and rose (of course) and took that dead sheep walkies (or should I say, floaties). However, it had dropped a good four of five feet overnight but the poor souls in Crickhowell didn't fare so well - the Bridge End Pub flooded and lost thousands of pounds worth of stock in the cellar.
Time to go and relax. Happy baking from the Cake Whisperer!
We were due two viewings this week. One had been carried over from last week, when a second viewing was put back a week. The other were new viewers, who booked for yesterday. Lovely people (extended family) who liked the house. It seems to suit them. So we will have to see.
Today's 2nd viewing lady was unable to turn up due to sudden illness. Having had the extra viewing yesterday, I am glad I didn't do 12 hours' housework and gardening for nothing. It was over two days - 8 hours one day and 4 the next. I always do the windows, paintwork, etc apart from the usual tidying up and cleaning. I even bought myself a bunch of flowers to enjoy and to make the room look extra pretty. Apparently I am strange like that, wanting to prettify the house with flowers, but there we are, I know it isn't going to make them buy the house but it does make the house look homely and cared for.
I know one thing, I have aged in the past year - last year I could do a flat-out 14 hour day, this year I am slower and have to stagger it. I will put it down to age. I like to have everything pristine - though I am not house-proud for everyday living.
Anyway, yesterday afternoon I actually sat down and RELAXED. We put on an old favourite DVD of ours, The 13th Warrior, with Antonio Banderas in the lead role. Good eye candy (and that's just his horse!) Today we watched Casablanca, one of my old favourites.
I have also awarded myself the weekend off and hope to get some quilt-making done . . . if we haven't floated away!
This morning's sunrise. Just so beautiful and it reminded me of Gone With the Wind. I am having to rest a bit this afternoon - my poor brain just keeps saying "sleep" but I am listening out for lot numbers at an on-line auction. The first lot went over what we wanted to pay, but the lot WE were selling, failed to make the reserve. Sod's Law at work!
Husband has taken daughter to the GP as she is unwell (on two fronts - such a worry) and to collect her car which had to be rescued with steering issues on Friday. 'tis an "intermittent fault . . ."
So apologies for being quiet - a busy weekend has caught up with me. Off for a nap now and hope to post something more exciting later.
Nap interrupted before it started, by the Agent booking in another viewing for this week - so we have one on Thursday and one on Friday now. I have been cleaning windows, touching up paintwork, tidying things away etc. Please send positive thoughts our way please - for poorly daughter.
This is my walk in reverse. I didn't go far - just up to the junction and back. The river is dropping back to usual autumn levels, though it's been up and down with all the rain we've had.
I quite liked the foreground in this, with the river hurling itself seawards behind the ferns.
Betony, still blooming in October.
Above - our version of Nessie!! This tree has been jammed in the bottom of the river for several years now. Below - the sheep that was washed down in the flood before last - it's been there about 8 or 9 days now, gradually blowing up with gas .. .
It was about this point that I felt a leaf fall on my hair. I put up a hand to waft it off - and was promptly stung by a bee on my scalp. My golly gosh it HURT. Fortunately I had already asked Tam to come and pick me up at the bottom of our hill as I didn't want to push my luck after being off colour all week. When we got in she looked up bee sting on Mr Google, removed the sting (on my hairline) with a credit card, and then it was washed with soap and water, had a cold compress on and I took an anti-histamine and some painkillers. I know, it sounds like I'm a right baby! I shall never understand these people who have deliberate bee-venom injections for medical reasons . . . they must be tougher than me.
It has finally calmed down now but occasionally primps itself up and it feels like I've been stung all over again. I feel sorry for the bee, as they die once they sting, but it shouldn't go about doing leaf impressions . . .
