Xmas wrapping, Rickshaws, experimental gin and more videos

Today has been pretty productive- this is the first weekend this month I've spent in my own home! so that has to be a winner!
I also had my first saturday lie in in 3 weeks, So I had loads of energy for all my brilliant ideas today!
And the not so brilliant.
Nothing is done by halves.

I've been properly on one all day- somewhere between well rested and hyper- I managed to fall and twist my ankle on the way into town, Tidying up I managed to hit myself in the face with a box of photographic paper and sterilising my gin jar I managed to pull the lid off and pour hot water all over myself.
I had to re-attatch the lid with an adjustable spanner so there are questions about it's leakproof ness.

Traff went to the gym this morning so I walked into town to get some fruit for my gin infusion before I lose enthusiasm for it and use the jar for something else.
I had wanted to make cranberry and orange gin, but cranberries are summer fruits- so I'm well and truly out of luck for getting hold of them- I had a long conversation with Helen last night on the phone- she seemed to thing maybe rehydrating dried cranberries might work. I'm dubious.

I just went to the market to se if any fruit combinations took my fancy.
So in the end I've made peach and pomegranate infused Gin.
I made the recipe up all by myself. I suspect I needed to put more pomegranate in as the flavour is more delicate- I used 3 large pomegranates and 3 large peaches and 100g sugar in the end- but this is an experiment and it might pan out well.
I'll let you know at christmas!




I also added a little more sugar to my blackberry baccardi- It's looking pretty good! the colour is incredible and it's gone quite syrruppy. like grenadine. I can't believe it's only 1/3 rested- one month down 2 to go!
The real question will be what to mix it with?
I suspect apple juice will make an interesting cocktail type drink.
I think for the Gin, it might need lemonade or bitter lemon for the sharpness to combat the sweetness of the fruit.
Maybe next time I have a freebie bottle of gin I'll try infusing it with some herbs instead.


Whilst I was mooching around the market I also bough Traff a new hot sauce- Called "satan's shit".  he seems pleased with it.
I'll keep you posted on what he does with it now- although hopefully it's not spike my food!

Opposite the market a new chinese restaurant has opened- and I really love their on street advertising!
Traff was whinging to takes up the majority of the pavement but I think it's worth having to dodge into the road for.



On the way home I popped into Wilkinsons- I was after wrapping paper as some of my friends from Cardiff are here next weekend and one of them- Hayley- Has just had her birthday so rather than post her present I'd kept it here- I also thought I could probably give them some xmas presents to take back- saving me a bit of time and stress in a month or so, As we're not planning to go back to Cardiff before xmas.
What I ended up with is far more amazing than wrapping paper:

These are marketed as "lanterns" you're supposed to put a candle in them.
I can see no possible danger in putting a lit candle in a paper bag.
O_o

I think they make awesome wrapping paper- OK, I grant you they're not super festive but I like them better than christmas paper- And I'm sure people will easily be bale to guess who their present is from!
I just have family presents left to get now, and I'll be all ready for Christmas!

I know this seems way to early to be this organised- but of all the presents on my sofa only one of them will take less than an hour in the car to deliver- I don't want to be driving the length and breadth of the UK in December when the weather is awful- I'd rather give people presents early and avoid the christmas crush when shopping too!

I do get excited about everything quite early, I've been excited about christmas since August- so I've held out well.
I am also very excited about my brithday. Bonfire night, Fireworks, Sparklers and anything shaped like a toadstool.
I am unbearable to spend any length of time with at the moment. Everyone else seems to have grown out of being SO EXCITED THEY CAN'T SLEEP FOR BEING EXCITED years ago. My family think it's hilarious. There is a strong possibility it just does everyone else's heads in.

I plan to spend this evening watching the lion king and looking for recipes in the internet for culinary wednesday to help me use up my 4 peaches and 3 pomegranates I have left over!
I got all my fruit for £4, which I personally think is a bargain!

Market people, you have won me over with your thrifty excellence!

I might use the pomegranate to make a kind of grenadine with real fruit in it.. or perhaps I can just juice them and add that to the shop bought juice.

Shirley temples all round until the infused alcohols are ready!

Ingredients

• A 32 oz.bottle of pomegranate juice*
• 2 cups sugar
• Food coloring (optional)**

Instructions

1. Bring 4 cups of pomegranate juice (the whole 32oz bottle) to a boil.
2. Lower heat and simmer until it reduces in half. You can let it reduce more that half if you want it to be a bit thicker. This process took about 15 minutes.
3. Add sugar and let it dissolve.
4. Chill.

Read more at http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2008/01/how-to-make-grenadine-and-why-you.html#1yb5VMyfPruochpW.99

And this could be a good use for the peaches- or perhaps some kind of upside down cake along these lines (obviously I'll make my own cake better- I'm not a heathen!

Recipe: Easy Peachy Dump Cake submitted by Joyce H.

• 1 Large Can Peaches (I used a 29 ounce can and did not drain the juice)
• 1 yellow cake mix
• 1 stick butter

1. Grease bottom of a 9×13 pan.
2. Pour in yellow cake mix (dry).
3. Pour can of peaches over cake mix.
4. Melt butter and pour over the top of the peaches and cake mix.
5. Bake in a pre-heated 350° for 40 minutes or until bubbly.

Gin Infusions

At the weekend- whilst persuading my parents to at least part with SOMETHING because they're supposed to be downsizing- We cleared out the alcohol cupboard.

In it we found an unopened bottle of gin, possibly from the 80s- which came from my grandmother's house in the early 2000s.
Somehow I have been gifted this.
So, with the overwhelming success of my blackberry bacardi, I'm now going to make a gin infusion too! (I do have a clippy lid jar left over. it needs alcohol in it!).

Looking at recipes I've found some awesome ones- One was for tea infused gin which sounds like my bag entirely!
however, I accept that this will be served to my festive visitors, who may not feel the same way about earl grey.
And I'm not sure what you'd mix it with....

Anyways, these are my current recipe contenders:

Cranberry Gin Recipe

400ml gin
250g fresh cranberries
A couple of slices of orange peel

1. Stab the cranberries with a knife or skewer to pierce the skins.
2. Remove the flesh and pith from a small wedge of an orange, and slice into thin strips.
3. Fill an empty gin bottle with the cranberries and orange peel.
4. Pour in gin (using a funnel) to fill the bottle.
5. Store in a cool spot, shaking the bottle once or twice a day to stir.
6. After 2 days, my gin was already a gorgeous pink shade, with a delicate cranberry flavour. By 2 weeks, it was very drinkable, and I rebottled it into two 200ml bottles.

- See more at: http://blog.rachelcotterill.com/2013/09/infusing-cranberry-gin.html#sthash.IuX3zhH5.dpuf

ooorrrrr

Apple and pear Gin:

Ingredients:

• 1-750ml bottle premium gin
• 4 red apples
• 1 pear (red is recommended)
• 1/4 lb dried pears
• infusion jar with tight sealing lid

Preparation:

1. Cut the pear and apples into slices.
2. Place all pears and apples in the bottom of a clean mason jar or similar jar with a tight sealing lid.
3. Pour the gin over the fruit and shake a few times.
4. Seal the lid tight and store the jar in a cool, dark place for about 1 week.
5. Test the flavor of the infusion daily.
6. Once the flavor is to taste, strain the fruits from the gin.
7. Wash the jar and return the flavored gin to it.
8. Store as you do other liquors.

Working late, Dim sum, the Circus, the house move and why my sister may be an important impressionist/surrealist artists. or perhaps I've spent too long at the tate.

It has been a busy week.
Very busy week.

On Thursday I had to work late- I started work at 7:30am and left at 10:30pm. with very achy feet.
Working late had a very specific purpose- We have a prospective student evening- so we got out all of our favourite things and set them up next to each other to show them off- very impressive!
I think you'll agree:

With all that foolery out of the way, I headed home on Friday evening for the very last time! My parent's have now moved out. No longer to they live in Didcot.
Or OXfordshire, for that matter.
I started packing boxes on friday night- went to bet at 11 and started again at 7 on Saturday (although I was rewarded with crumpets for all my hard work!) Dad and some of his old workmates filed up the van and took all the boxes and furniture- I was let behind to pack more boxes. It turned out to be quite a good system.
I did the same thing on Sunday.
Although my thighs hurt from all that lifting!

I was allowed a little break though- On Saturday Afternoon Kirstie and I went to London to see Circus ID (If you get the chance- GO! It's brilliant!) -Thank you Kirstie for a lovely day! :)

We had lunch in China town first- Which was awesome.
:)
I love Sushi- and in the summer discovered that I eat cooked Salmon and Smoked mackerel. I was planning to show off my fish eating excellence- but it was too cold for sushi. So we had Dim Sum.
Dim Sum is like cold weather sushi!
(although, I still don't like the texture of prawns).

We went to Covent Garden to get some afters but we were both waaayyyy too full so walked to Holborne to the theatre instead.

After the show we had Gelatto on Drury lane- It was yummy :) I had chocolate had hazelnut with chocolate and hazelnut sauce- Kirstie had bitter cherries and chocolate sauce.
I was sad there wasn't more of it.
It seemed too early to head back so we went to the Tate modern via the embankment (for future reference the nearest tube station to the Tate modern in blackfriars. not embankment.)

We looked at their poetry and Dreams exhibition- I saw some Picasso paintings! I've never seen any in real life before!
They're better than they look in books.
I liked them better than I thought I would.
I also saw (And photographed) some cool soviet propaganda photos.. now, I just need to learn Russian.

On the way to the tate we got lost and ended up walking down the back of festival hall- where we found a cheese and wine festival.
After the tate we were both hungry so we walked back that way and got a glass of prosecco each and some sauteed potatoes with french sausage and french cheese- the man on the stall said it was a regional delicacy, Although I don't imagine it's traditionally eaten sitting on the steps to the hayward gallery whilst drinking fizzy wine!
We had cake for afters too.

On Sunday, I was clearing out under the stairs and we found loads of mine and my sister's childhood "works of art".
I think she is a secret artist.
Maybe.
We couldn't stop laughing at some of them- I'm amazed the photos came out!

This is a portrait of my mum, by my sister.

This is a picture of a mole. every time I look at it I start laughing! It's soo hairy! with its helicopter arms!

And I quite like this rather rude looking giraffe- this is the only point where there was any developmental similarity in our drawing- as you'll see when you look at my beautiful green flamingoes...

This is a painting of Bras.
Children are fascinated by some weird stuff.

This is one of my sisters earlier and more impressive works entitled "rainy day"

And this is another painting which reduces me to hysterical, tear inducing laughter- "Night time". Why did anyone feel it was important to keep these for over 20 years!

My flamingoes.

You will notice that my seahorse drawing follows a similar pattern to my flamingo drawing. just with spirally bits.


This one makes me laugh too!
Bananas.
I hate bananas! they're gross!

Ray's Dircles.

And I leave you with my personal favourite! My juggles, with his balls on his head.
Traff and I spent about 10 minutes yesterday crying with laughter at this.

More halloween crafts- this time for grown ups.

As you all know this is my favourite time of year-First of all, I love it when the leaves change colour.

And I like that if it's cold and not cloudy you can see the stars.

Then it's my Birthday. Then Halloween and then bonfire night. All super close together.

And you get to have sparklers.

And now, I get to have a gingerbread house too!

Gingerbread houses aren't just for Christmas anymore! 

Using melted bark coating or candy melts makes this craft simple enough for kids.

A black cat peeps from piles of pumpkins. Orange and black gumdrops light the path on Halloween night. Spiders creep and bats flap.

Don't miss our friendly ghosts!

Materials and Ingredients

• 1 recipe gingerbread house dough

• gingerbread house mould

• 1 12-ounce package orange sweets

• 1 package orange-colored sugar wafer cookies

• Assorted harvest candies: 

• mallowcreme harvest mix candies (including pumpkins and candy corn)

• black rope licorice

• small black licorice "bits"

• chocolate bar

• orange and black gumdrops

• orange and black cake decors (from the cake decorating section)

• candy bats and/or spiders (from the cake decorating section)

• Marshmallow Peeps® Ghosts

Use rope licorice to reinforce roof line and joints between walls.

Using orange candy melts, apply sugar wafer cookies to the roof in staggered rows, resembling shingles. Overlap cookies about 1/4-inch. Cut cookies to size where necessary.

Create a "chimney" by cementing small licorice bits in "rows" to resemble brick masonry. Use orange candy melts as "mortar". Allow each row to harden before building the next one.

Decorate house using remaining candies.

This website also has printable masks and sweetie boxes and "boo" glasses- perfect for unexpected dressing up events!

http://www.allcrafts.net/crochetsewingcrafts.htm?url=www.mrprintables.com/printable-halloween-decorations-candle.html

Annnddddd- 

Instructions for making pumpkin candles- which could be quite cool if you're going the pinterest route this year...- I read online (I haven't attempted this as I only have plastic cookie cutters so if it doesn't work don't come crying to me!) that if you have metal cookie cutters and a rubber mallet (RUBBER! not anything more heavy duty!) you can gently tap the cookie cutter into the pumpkin and cut out designs.

This would be pretty cool to do in the bottom of the pumpkin if you cut out the shapes from the top- especially in coloured wax!

Materials and Tools:

acorn and hubbard squash (and others, if available)

beeswax or regular paraffin candle wax (allow about 1/2 lb. for each candle)
melon baller
double boiler
yellow, orange, coral and/or purple wax color tablets
candle wicks
wick tips

Steps:

1. Cut off the tops of the squash and hollow out the insides. For hubbard squash, scrape out the seeds with a large spoon. For acorn squash, use the melon baller to scoop out the flesh, following the natural grooves of the squash. Make the grooves as deep as possible and smooth them with the back of a spoon.

2. Melt the wax in a double boiler over boiling water.

3. Add color tablets as the wax melts. For different color candles, melt the wax in batches, adding various color tablets each time.

4. Meanwhile, cut lengths of wick a few inches longer than the squash are tall. Attach the wick tabs to the wicks.

5. When the wax is completely melted, carefully pour into a squash. Drop in one wick tab, with the wick attached, and let it settle to the bottom.

6. Lay a pencil across the top of the squash and drape the end of the wick over it so it is as centered as possible. Repeat, in batches if you like, to make more candles.

7. Let the candles harden completely — about five to six hours — then peel the outside of the squash away from the wax.

8. Trim the wicks before lighting the candles.

The Dictatorship (Only kidding Mum), New cars and House moves... And Cauliflower cheese reloaded.

I went to my Parent's house on Friday night in order to be there and ready to help them pack and do anything that needs doing before they have to move out entirely next Monday.

My Mum has just had her hip replaced- So she can't stand up for very long and she can't bend down either- incase her new hip dislocates.
She is supposed to be taking it easy- but she's fighting that all the way! I can tell she's really bored because she wants to help direct you do to everything.

I got there on Friday and helped my Dad (who's culinary experience extends-and is limited to- Frozen pies which go in the oven with chips) To make a version of shepherds pie which has cauliflower cheese on top- I know it sounds weird- They assure me it's really nice (But I can't stand Meat and potato together in dishes).

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 450g/1lb beef mince
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 200ml/7fl oz stock (veal, game or beef)
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

For the topping

• 450g/1lb floury potatoes
• 75g/2½oz butter
• 750g/1lb 10oz cauliflower florets
• 150g/5oz crème fraîche
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 free-range egg
• 150g/5oz strong mature cheddar

To serve

• green vegetables

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. Heat half of the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over a high heat. Add the mince and fry until browned all over. Remove with a slotted spoon.
3. Add the remaining oil to the pan and gently fry the onion, carrot and garlic for eight minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
4. Return the mince to the pan with the tomato purée and cook for a further 6-8 minutes.
5. Add the stock, bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Stir in the parsley, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
6. Meanwhile for the topping, boil the potatoes until soft. Drain and mash in a saucepan with the butter.
7. Blanch the cauliflower florets for one minute. Drain, refresh in iced water and pat dry.
8. Beat together the crème frâiche, mustard, egg and cheese in a bowl. Fold in the cauliflower.
9. Spoon the mince into the baking dish and top with the mashed potato, then spoon over the cauliflower mixture and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
10. Preheat the grill to high, then grill pie until the top is golden-brown and bubbling around the edges.
    
    

I helped my Dad to make it- and Then I just had a massive plate of Cauliflower cheese for dinner- with creme fraiche and cheese and dijon mustard and eggs added to thicken the sauce whilst it's in the oven rather than the usual white sauce. It's really nice.
I've had a craving for macaroni cheese all week- and that has pretty much done the trick with eliminating it.

After dinner Kirstie came over which was lush as we got to catch up- I always feel bad when I go to my Parents but am too busy too see my friends- which as been an awful lot lately with hospitals and house moves.
Ray Turned up just before Kirstie with her new car- She's bought a massive new volvo! She insists it's no bigger than her old car. It's like a bus.

On Saturday we all got up early as Mum was crashing about from 8am. So we were all dressed fed and ready to go by 9- which was rather impressive.
I went out with Ray to do the last of the paperwork for her car in Oxford- and on the way back I persuaded her to stop in a Milletts Farm.

They already have a christmas section.

It's not as big as nottcutts but they have more pretend geese suspended for then ceiling so I'm under the illusion that their christmas display is more impressive.
They also have masks.

We did manage to be productive even with all our christmas excitement- We bought lunch for everyone from Milletts Shop and we persuaded the shop staff to give us loads of boxes.
After gotten home and we'd served everyone lunch we started to pack the boxes- Ray had been off all week and has managed to pack lots of books and ornaments so now the front room and bedrooms are empty of bits and bobs leaving just empty shelves and cupboards. We also packed all the good china from the dining room which took forever.
We emptied the airing cupboard and some of the drawers in the kitchen.
Which doesn't sound like much- but was enough to fill two cars entirely (and no, one of them wasn't my 'box on wheels' I mean real sized cars- like my sisters Volvo bus).

On the way to Chippenham she pulled into services for fuel- she pulled up by the pump and started laughing followed by "I asked the man at the garage how the bonnet opened- I forgot I'd need to open the fuel cap!"
We consulted the handbook.
The first instruction in big red letters was not to put fuel in your eyes.

After that it told us how to remove the petrol cap.

The new house is starting to look like a home now finally- Ray took my mum out last week to buy lamp shades which her boyfriend and my dad have fitted- Dad's got his man shed now too- and a kettle and mugs to make tea.
I unpacked the airing cupboard into the new airing cupboard and the plates into the cupboard my mother selected as the most appropriate in the kitchen for crockery.
It is slowly getting there.

I still can't believe that my childhood home will soon belong to someone else! It's so strange! I've given my parents my house keys- the green ones- that used to be chained to the inside of my school bag at DGS.
Next week they will be someone else's keys for my old house. I know this has happened a million times before with keys for houses in Cardiff. But somehow this is different.

In exchange They have given me a new key for their door in Chippenham, So I can get in! But it's just one key! I feel shortchanged as I handed back 5.

shopping for bras. (or why Bra shopping is a dramatic and draining experience. Mostly for the sales lady.)

OK, I'm not quite down off my soap box yet.

But I bet this is a post every women can relate to- your arch nemesis might be shoe shopping (I advocate Clarks) or  shopping for Swimming costumes or winter coats but you will understand where I am coming from.

Being as I had time to kill, I thought the very best thing to do would be to nip to Debenhams and get some new bras, as I can't remember when I bought these ones, but 2 have already lost their underwires and the other two are looking a bit sad.

Now, This is not a rant about Debenhams- I hold them in very high esteem- Unlike some other bra selling chains which I will not be rude about on the internet.

In order for you to understand my distress at shopping in general- but especially bra shopping- I will now have to share with you some vital statistics.
Don't judge me.

I'm 5.5"
I wear a 34FF bra.

That means that in dress terms my measurements would be:
42
34
42
(so, technically that makes my bust projection a UK size 20, my waist a size a UK 12 and my hips a UK 14)

Now, I always am ready for disappointment when I go shopping because I am a funny shape- not a tall willowy boyish model as clothes designers would assume- trousers will always be too long, or too baggy on the thigh, Skirts which should be mid length reach my feet and forget buying a top with buttons down the front. Coats always swamp me- and to get the bust big enough I have to venture into the "normal height people" range. Even though I am technically "petite". I have given up attempting to define my waist and you can piss off if you think I'll ever get into a dress with a side zipper- I can't even see my armpit to do anything with the damn zipper!
I expect this to be a nightmare.
That is why when I go shopping I usually return with some earrings and a coffee.

Bras however present a new dimension of shopping hell (swimming costume shopping comes a close second).
Whoever it is that makes bras seems to assume that because I have a FF cup that I am a tall amazonian looking woman, who needs enough shoulder strap to moor a barge with. and some elastic in those straps, just incase they weren't long enough.
In reality this means the bra may be a beautiful fit everywhere else, but the straps just will not go small enough to even reach shoulders, rather than my elbows.

Now lets assume the poor long suffering bra sales lady (who is still demonstrating good humour and sound advice despite looking exhausted and bewildered) has finally found a bra with straps which meet with my shoulders and can be adjusted.
She looks triumphant.
you look in the mirror and realise the reason this bra feels so odd is because the same idiot who's assumed you're 6 feet tall has also bestowed upon you imaginary broad shoulders.
The straps teeter dangerously on the very edges of your shoulders.

Often at this point I give up, buy the bra and donate it to charity 3 weeks later when I've gotten fed up of having to constantly prevent shoulder strap escape.

Let's pretend that today we're playing hard ball. We point out that this bra is designed for a cage fighter, not a woman, and request something a little more delicate.
Let's pretend the bra lady delivers this (usually by returning with one of everything you haven't already tried including a nursing bra and those ones made of soft fabrics with a front fastening designed exclusively for Nans to wear with their panty girdle).

We are all now smiling, you in the mirror and her over your shoulder cooing about the beautiful fit.
Then you feel it.
Zigzag sewn seems over the nipples.
Yes, I know this is to give "a lovely shape and better support" but if I spend all day looking like someone's spiked my undergarments with itching powder I'm going to get fired.
What is wrong with lining the bra over the seams?!
It's not like we're buying a cheap throwaway product.

The sales lady looks ruffled, but she's feeling confident. She returns with a T-shirt bra in a shade of nude which is nude on no-one.
straps for a woman not a wrestler? Check
good cup fit? Check
Back fit? Check.

You move to adjust it and get stabbed in the armpit with some spikey lace trim.
Yes, we know our arms look slimmer and more lovely if we keep them away from our bodies, but we don't need negative reinforcement from our underwear to encourage beautiful arms.

She Goes to find a similar style "without lace". with a fixed smile. possibly if she stopped smiling she'd cry and tell you to just throw yourself into the nearest display and buy the bra you land on.

You feel sorry for the sales lady and buy the "without lace" offering. immediately.  In 4 colours (Today the 4 colours were white, black, purple and black with spots- thankfully Debenhams does its T-shirt bras in a 2 pack for £16 in a range of colours- for £8 each I can deal with "closest fit" rather than "no bra and a sales lady with a nervous breakdown")
And a bra with houses on it so that you don't look too desperate.

And of course, buying 5 bras at a time means you don't have to go back so soon. :)
Bonus.
It lets the sales lady have a chance to recover before you go back again.

This is why whenever anyone tells me they wish they had boobs like mine I raise my eyebrows and say "oh, would you now?"

Ah well, I suppose I should take solace that no-one cried (I'm not a crier, but sometimes I get someone who's on their first day and they get upset after an hour and a half) and I didn't have to be cut out of any dresses (this has yet to happen to me, but it seems to happen to some of my friends with alarming regularity).
So all in all we have to call this a shopping win.