Monday 17th July - blogs and blogging (and other stuff)

Today I went on facebook for the first time in - I don't know - maybe getting on for a year? Who knows, I may even post something on it!

What brought this rush of blood to the head?

While scrolling aimlessly (again) through a news feed on my phone, I came across this recipe on a Surrey Live article, and they had taken it from a facebook post by CakeOnTheRun. I was intrigued by the recipe and by the website, so clicked...

Recipe; 'you can make a delicious lemon cheesecake for 1 with yogurt' (oooh, looks interesting, tell me more!)

They appear to be reusing a glass GU desert pot.

Crush three digestive biscuits into crumbs; tip into a mini dish and pour in 1 tsp melted butter. Mix to combine.

Top with 2 heaped tablespoons of lemon yogurt and 2 heaped teaspoons of whipped cream.

Looks good to me....

image from cakeontherun via Surrey Live

I haven't tried it yet... already wondering about ginger biscuits, or strawberry yogurt... the Crafty Chef (remember him) says you should make your own plain yogurt, then if you want it fruit flavoured beat in some 'good quality jam'. He's not wrong.

I remember, decades ago, we were staying with my parents. My mother came in absolutely furious that friends of friends had somehow managed to invite themselves to supper (clearly expecting something more than fish and chips) at a time when life was hectic and fraught. She produced a superb meal, wine, candles, the lot. Her revenge was saved for desert, which was brandy snaps biscuits from a packet, filled with 'milky bar desert' which she had bought for the grandchildren, decorated with a thin drizzle of neat ribena, also bought for the grandchildren.

'Delicious,' they said, 'you must let us have the recipe.' Somehow my mother forgot to send it on.... 

Anyway, I appear to have lost the thread... oh yes, going on facebook. I found a blogger who stopped (not without warning, I might add) a number of years ago, and now has started a new blog. I really missed her sideways look on life so am delighted to have found her again. So my foray into facebook was worth it for that alone.

It set me wondering - why do we - or more specifically I - blog? 

I think one reason is that I enjoy other blogs so much. So I want to contribute to this little world of people somehow connected, but not connected to each other; to hear their views which I might not agree with, get ideas for - oh, gardening, recipes, things to do and make. I like to think that we are a sort of little village; perhaps in the tradition of Fairacre of Thrush Green, but not too much like St Mary Mead or any place called Midsomer I hope!  

Other stuff;

I had an urge to paint, after scrolling through youtube (Voces 8 singing beautifully, recalctrant dogs and horses, drawing and watercolour ideas, 'look what you can make with scraps of fabric', and 5-minute-crafts).

I set out a tray of paints, books, brushes, water mugs and an extra travel mug of water WITH A LID for drinking from and took it into the garden. (why the lid? to thwart absent-minded self who tends to clean the paintbrush in the coffe/tea/water)  

 I made a start, then brought it all indoors again as it was beginning to rain. Once I had resettled myself, the weather changed back to sunny. That's how it goes.

I'm quite pleased... I wasn't 'drawing from nature', just random leaves, a kind of rose and some clematis type flowers (I think I've done too many petals). The video I had watched was about starting by making a very wet outline of the shape in pale-ish colour, and then introducing more concentrated colours and letting them mix on the page. I have to say that I love the randomness and lack of precision. Worth pursuing.