Yup. Woke up to a white world.
It's lunchtime now, the snow's all gone. You can stand down until the next time.
Tuesday, 27 February 2018
Monday, 26 February 2018
Monday 26th February - The Calm Before the Storm
I expect you think the blog title refers the the incoming weather
but no,
I am thinking of this being my last day off work before I leap back into the fray.
I am starting gently, with a couple of private students this evening. See how that goes.
I tackled an "extreme" killer suduko puzzle this morning with some success, so that is a step up from yesterday. Not this one; I've got it from the internet, and would rate it as heading for "extreme"
I've finished reading "Summer Story" by Jill Barklem, the second of the Brambly Hedge series. Dusty Dogwood, the miller and Poppy Eyebright, who runs the dairy, get married.
"Poppy Eyebright, do you love Dusty Dogwood, and will you love him and care for him for ever and ever?"
"I will."
"Dusty Dogwood, do you love Poppy, and will you love her and look after her for ever and ever?"
"I will."
"Then in the name of the flowers and the fields, the stars in the sky, and the streams that flow down to the sea, and the mystery that breathes wonder into all these things, I pronounce you mouse and wife."
Altogether "Ahhhh."
A shorter and simpler ceremony than ours, all those years ago. Our cake did have three tiers, as I remember...
And a timely reminder that Summer will come again. .
but no,
I am thinking of this being my last day off work before I leap back into the fray.
I am starting gently, with a couple of private students this evening. See how that goes.
I tackled an "extreme" killer suduko puzzle this morning with some success, so that is a step up from yesterday. Not this one; I've got it from the internet, and would rate it as heading for "extreme"
 |
| https://www.dailykillersudoku.com/ |
I've finished reading "Summer Story" by Jill Barklem, the second of the Brambly Hedge series. Dusty Dogwood, the miller and Poppy Eyebright, who runs the dairy, get married.
"Poppy Eyebright, do you love Dusty Dogwood, and will you love him and care for him for ever and ever?"
"I will."
"Dusty Dogwood, do you love Poppy, and will you love her and look after her for ever and ever?"
"I will."
"Then in the name of the flowers and the fields, the stars in the sky, and the streams that flow down to the sea, and the mystery that breathes wonder into all these things, I pronounce you mouse and wife."
Altogether "Ahhhh."
A shorter and simpler ceremony than ours, all those years ago. Our cake did have three tiers, as I remember...
And a timely reminder that Summer will come again. .
Saturday, 24 February 2018
Saturday 24th February 2018 - More news
Did you look up that poem? Jerusalem, by James Fenton?
Well, maybe the discovery of the sound files in the poetry archive isn't as important to you as it is to me?!?
Anyway, that was this morning, and now it is this evening. My news is that I've been up since lunchtime, with no ill-effects, and am feeling considerably brighter than I did at the beginning of the week. A one-week rest seems to have been beneficial
(I wonder if another week, or maybe a month, no, stop it now).
I've another couple of days of taking it easy before I launch myself back into the unsuspecting world on Tuesday. Just in time for the predicted snowy weather?
Well, maybe the discovery of the sound files in the poetry archive isn't as important to you as it is to me?!?
Anyway, that was this morning, and now it is this evening. My news is that I've been up since lunchtime, with no ill-effects, and am feeling considerably brighter than I did at the beginning of the week. A one-week rest seems to have been beneficial
(I wonder if another week, or maybe a month, no, stop it now).
I've another couple of days of taking it easy before I launch myself back into the unsuspecting world on Tuesday. Just in time for the predicted snowy weather?
 |
| File:Free Snow Falling on Blue Sky Unedited Creative Commons (2932693860).jpg |
Saturday 24th February - Important News
(I know the day and date, because they've just told me on the 'Today' programme, on Radio 4. What a useful broadcast that is. However I've switched it off before they start annoying me with too many opinions and speculations. I know shouting at the 'Today' programme is part of my cultural identity but I didn't want to disturb the peace this morning)
The Really Important News is that I have just this moment discovered the sound recordings on www.thepoetryarchive.org
Radio 4 again. This is what we pay our license money for, and what makes it all worthwhile.
I was dipping into Clive James' 'Poetry Notebook' (too many ' ' marks in a row, but I don't know how to do that differently) and came to the chapter called
'Poetry Archive Tour'.
This is a list of poems, and his comments on the poetry, and how the poet reads them, BUT NOT THE TEXT. so, I reached for the gadgetry to find the text, and discovered www.poetryarchive.org
I've given the web address twice. For two reasons. So I don't forget, and to give you a chance to remember it.
So far I've listened to the first four poems in his 'tour' of the archive, and another along the way;
'Mayflies' by Richard Wilbur (which lead to by accident to the - to my mind - even more startling 'Barred Owl' - but who am I to disagree with Clive James?)
'The Whitsun Weddings' by Philip Larkin, which I encountered a few years ago; it reads like the outline plot for a novel or a short story. I'm tempted to have a go.
'A Subaltern's Love Song' by John Betjeman. Joan Hunter Dunn is how everyone knows it - rather charmingly JB can't find it in the book because he can't remember the real title. (Another ready-plotted novel?)
and then I listened to/read
'Jerusalem' by James Fenton, which needs a good deal more reading and thinking about before I go further.
Stone cries to stone,
Heart to heart, heart to stone,
.....
stop me here before I write out the whole poem. But the lines seem to fly off the page with the force of a video documentary or news photography. here come a few more snippets;
.....
this is the cistern where all wars begin
.....
Jerusalem itself is on the move.
It leaps and leaps from hill to hill
....
This is us and that is them,
This is Jerusalem.
These are the dying men with tattooed wrists.
Do this and I'll destroy your home.
I have destroyed your home. You have destroyed my home.
Now I shall go and do something useful about war, or religious intolerance, or poverty, or refugees, or something, anything, because Jerusalem is everywhere, leaping across boundaries, continents, seas...
The Really Important News is that I have just this moment discovered the sound recordings on www.thepoetryarchive.org
Radio 4 again. This is what we pay our license money for, and what makes it all worthwhile.
I was dipping into Clive James' 'Poetry Notebook' (too many ' ' marks in a row, but I don't know how to do that differently) and came to the chapter called
'Poetry Archive Tour'.
This is a list of poems, and his comments on the poetry, and how the poet reads them, BUT NOT THE TEXT. so, I reached for the gadgetry to find the text, and discovered www.poetryarchive.org
I've given the web address twice. For two reasons. So I don't forget, and to give you a chance to remember it.
So far I've listened to the first four poems in his 'tour' of the archive, and another along the way;
'Mayflies' by Richard Wilbur (which lead to by accident to the - to my mind - even more startling 'Barred Owl' - but who am I to disagree with Clive James?)
'The Whitsun Weddings' by Philip Larkin, which I encountered a few years ago; it reads like the outline plot for a novel or a short story. I'm tempted to have a go.
'A Subaltern's Love Song' by John Betjeman. Joan Hunter Dunn is how everyone knows it - rather charmingly JB can't find it in the book because he can't remember the real title. (Another ready-plotted novel?)
and then I listened to/read
'Jerusalem' by James Fenton, which needs a good deal more reading and thinking about before I go further.
Stone cries to stone,
Heart to heart, heart to stone,
.....
stop me here before I write out the whole poem. But the lines seem to fly off the page with the force of a video documentary or news photography. here come a few more snippets;
.....
this is the cistern where all wars begin
.....
Jerusalem itself is on the move.
It leaps and leaps from hill to hill
....
This is us and that is them,
This is Jerusalem.
These are the dying men with tattooed wrists.
Do this and I'll destroy your home.
I have destroyed your home. You have destroyed my home.
Now I shall go and do something useful about war, or religious intolerance, or poverty, or refugees, or something, anything, because Jerusalem is everywhere, leaping across boundaries, continents, seas...
Friday, 23 February 2018
February - another day
It doesn't take long to lose track of date and time without the daily schedule of here, there and everywhere.
I think it is probably Friday, and Wednesday last week was Valentine's Day (and Ash Wednesday) so work it out from there.
I'm still staying in bed; another time I might have got up and gone to work, but luckily I have been prevented from such and excess of Protestant Work Ethic by being signed off. So I am being resolute, and giving the antibiotics every chance. I can measure my progress by Sudoku levels. Yesterday I was only fit for "Mild" and "Medium". Today I have managed several "Tricky" puzzles. I haven't attempted "Extreme" or "Deadly" this week.
I've drunk a few more cups of tea, but this item on the BBC news about the perils of too much is a little alarming. Apparently it's the lemon or fruit ones that do the most damage, so I've only had "detox"; no lemon, no fruit, and not much taste, to tell the truth.
Maybe that's why it is called a "clean" infusion.
Much better than a "dirty" infusion.
What else? Someone on twitter mentioned the book "Ballet Shoes", as in she was having such an irritating day that she was going to sit in the sun and read a few chapters.
I couldn't find my copy. It was an old secondhand one and probably disintegrated; no matter; a few clicks and I was reading it on my kindle. Then I was distracted into watching it on youtube. Oh, the joy of watching films in bed on my laptop. It took me back to having measles as a child, spending the days in my parents' bed watching their ancient and unreliable television.
There are two versions of the film; I've watched both, and read the book. It is interesting to compare the book and the two screenplays. On the whole, the book still wins. I prefer the more subdued dramatic levels in the original story to either of the screen versions. I blame "Eastenders" and the need for every life to be constantly over-full of events and drama every moment of every day
The battery level on this laptop is sinking after all this use; now down to 19%. And it is about 5pm. BB (recovering apace, thankfully, from his op ten days ago) is now able to driven and forage for supplies, and cook them. At the beginning of the week that was still down to me (and probably the tipping point for this current situation, thinking about it).
I shall go and see how he's getting on; and press "publish" before this contraption powers itself down.
I think it is probably Friday, and Wednesday last week was Valentine's Day (and Ash Wednesday) so work it out from there.
I'm still staying in bed; another time I might have got up and gone to work, but luckily I have been prevented from such and excess of Protestant Work Ethic by being signed off. So I am being resolute, and giving the antibiotics every chance. I can measure my progress by Sudoku levels. Yesterday I was only fit for "Mild" and "Medium". Today I have managed several "Tricky" puzzles. I haven't attempted "Extreme" or "Deadly" this week.
I've drunk a few more cups of tea, but this item on the BBC news about the perils of too much is a little alarming. Apparently it's the lemon or fruit ones that do the most damage, so I've only had "detox"; no lemon, no fruit, and not much taste, to tell the truth.
Maybe that's why it is called a "clean" infusion.
Much better than a "dirty" infusion.
What else? Someone on twitter mentioned the book "Ballet Shoes", as in she was having such an irritating day that she was going to sit in the sun and read a few chapters.
I couldn't find my copy. It was an old secondhand one and probably disintegrated; no matter; a few clicks and I was reading it on my kindle. Then I was distracted into watching it on youtube. Oh, the joy of watching films in bed on my laptop. It took me back to having measles as a child, spending the days in my parents' bed watching their ancient and unreliable television.
There are two versions of the film; I've watched both, and read the book. It is interesting to compare the book and the two screenplays. On the whole, the book still wins. I prefer the more subdued dramatic levels in the original story to either of the screen versions. I blame "Eastenders" and the need for every life to be constantly over-full of events and drama every moment of every day
The battery level on this laptop is sinking after all this use; now down to 19%. And it is about 5pm. BB (recovering apace, thankfully, from his op ten days ago) is now able to driven and forage for supplies, and cook them. At the beginning of the week that was still down to me (and probably the tipping point for this current situation, thinking about it).
I shall go and see how he's getting on; and press "publish" before this contraption powers itself down.
Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Wednesday in February - The Teasmade
We bought this I dunnamany years ago, and hardly ever use it.
No, that's not true. I use it every morning and some evenings as a safe place to put my morning coffee or bedtime peppermint tea where it won't get knocked over or mixed up with my pillows.
But just every so often I use it for its real purpose; actually MAKING coffee, or tea. I'm always surprised that it still works... I found that it is best to run through some water first otherwise the tea appears with a surface layer of fine grey. It's an alarming process; the teasmade goes through its sequence of gurgling, puffing and dripping noises, always sounding very reluctant. Then after a series of loud 'pops' (why? how?) the water dribbles out into the cup.
'Teasmade days' are when I'm having a day in bed. Like today. Or rather, this week.
I took antibiotics for two weeks in January because I was properly lurgied, and thought they had done their work. However yesterday morning, while I was making my packed lunch it became abundantly clear that I was back to square one. I phoned the doctor, and he has signed me off.
To give the antibiotics their best chance of doing their stuff, I am staying in bed for most of the day. That effectively stops me from catching up on the laundry, planting out a tray of primulas, putting the kitchen waste into the compost bin, putting the recycling out, and a million other tasks.
No, me and the cat (the cat and I, if you prefer) anyway, us two, we are having a series of duvet days, with endless cups of tea from the teasmade, endless reading of books, endless browsing of internet, endless listening to radio...
Should be wonderful. Have to say that boredom could be setting in anytime soon...
Ah well. The next cup of tea is ready to drink now. Pukka Wonderberry Green; "a deliciously sensual organic blend of luscious berries, spices and whole leaf green tea".
From the 'immune health' range; sounds terribly, terribly good for one. The previous cuppa was this;
The next will be this one.
Surely one of these concoctions (and the antibiotics) should do the trick?
PS I've tried the turmeric flavour; I don't think I'm ill or desperate enough to repeat the experience - yet.)
No, that's not true. I use it every morning and some evenings as a safe place to put my morning coffee or bedtime peppermint tea where it won't get knocked over or mixed up with my pillows.
But just every so often I use it for its real purpose; actually MAKING coffee, or tea. I'm always surprised that it still works... I found that it is best to run through some water first otherwise the tea appears with a surface layer of fine grey. It's an alarming process; the teasmade goes through its sequence of gurgling, puffing and dripping noises, always sounding very reluctant. Then after a series of loud 'pops' (why? how?) the water dribbles out into the cup.
'Teasmade days' are when I'm having a day in bed. Like today. Or rather, this week.
I took antibiotics for two weeks in January because I was properly lurgied, and thought they had done their work. However yesterday morning, while I was making my packed lunch it became abundantly clear that I was back to square one. I phoned the doctor, and he has signed me off.
To give the antibiotics their best chance of doing their stuff, I am staying in bed for most of the day. That effectively stops me from catching up on the laundry, planting out a tray of primulas, putting the kitchen waste into the compost bin, putting the recycling out, and a million other tasks.
No, me and the cat (the cat and I, if you prefer) anyway, us two, we are having a series of duvet days, with endless cups of tea from the teasmade, endless reading of books, endless browsing of internet, endless listening to radio...
Should be wonderful. Have to say that boredom could be setting in anytime soon...
Ah well. The next cup of tea is ready to drink now. Pukka Wonderberry Green; "a deliciously sensual organic blend of luscious berries, spices and whole leaf green tea".
From the 'immune health' range; sounds terribly, terribly good for one. The previous cuppa was this;
The next will be this one.
Surely one of these concoctions (and the antibiotics) should do the trick?
PS I've tried the turmeric flavour; I don't think I'm ill or desperate enough to repeat the experience - yet.)
Sunday, 18 February 2018
Sunday 18th February - Lent Book
Last year, I read "The Wind in the Willows" as my Lent Book.
This year, I have decided upon the whimsical Brambly Hedge Series written and illustrated by Jill Barklem. A friend has lent them to me; I'm not sure what started the topic of conversation as we ate cake and drank tea, but the result was
"Have you NEVER read any of the Brambly Hedge Books? Here, let me lend you mine!"
This week I read the first in the series, Spring Story. I think this may be my favourite illustration;
How idyllic! It is Mr and Mrs Apple's house. She has been woken up early and is making breakfast in the kitchen. Mr Apple is supposed to be still in bed, but I can't see him. Is he in the bath, perhaps? I can't quite make it out.
I think what I took from the first book is the sense of community. They all live close together, and store all their food in The Stump Store, which is looked after by Mr Apple. This is a sawn-off stump of a tree, with a little door, and is full of chambers and store cupboards. Mr Apple's job is to check through everything every day, presumably to make sure that everything is keeping well, and nothing is going "off".
Mr Apple and Wilf in the Stump Store
When it is decided to have a village pic-nic, everyone joins in - the women-folk start baking and making and packing, and then the men help with the carrying all the baskets and rugs and so forth.
How easy life seems - how everyone gets on so well, how happy everyone is - apart from young Wilf, but he is only sad and grumpy for a page or two, and who wouldn't be, having to struggle with such a large pic-nic basket on one's birthday of all days?
Will it be like this forever?
Psalm 133
Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing ,
life for evermore.
This year, I have decided upon the whimsical Brambly Hedge Series written and illustrated by Jill Barklem. A friend has lent them to me; I'm not sure what started the topic of conversation as we ate cake and drank tea, but the result was
"Have you NEVER read any of the Brambly Hedge Books? Here, let me lend you mine!"
This week I read the first in the series, Spring Story. I think this may be my favourite illustration;
How idyllic! It is Mr and Mrs Apple's house. She has been woken up early and is making breakfast in the kitchen. Mr Apple is supposed to be still in bed, but I can't see him. Is he in the bath, perhaps? I can't quite make it out.
I think what I took from the first book is the sense of community. They all live close together, and store all their food in The Stump Store, which is looked after by Mr Apple. This is a sawn-off stump of a tree, with a little door, and is full of chambers and store cupboards. Mr Apple's job is to check through everything every day, presumably to make sure that everything is keeping well, and nothing is going "off".
Mr Apple and Wilf in the Stump Store
When it is decided to have a village pic-nic, everyone joins in - the women-folk start baking and making and packing, and then the men help with the carrying all the baskets and rugs and so forth.
How easy life seems - how everyone gets on so well, how happy everyone is - apart from young Wilf, but he is only sad and grumpy for a page or two, and who wouldn't be, having to struggle with such a large pic-nic basket on one's birthday of all days?
Will it be like this forever?
Psalm 133
Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing ,
life for evermore.
Sunday, 4 February 2018
Sunday 4th February - Sexagesima Sunday and Books
Which doesn't mean what some readers might be thinking it means...
It's the Sunday after Septuagesima Sunday (and before Quinquagesima Sunday) and are the Sundays in the run-up to Lent.
If I'm going to take Lent seriously, then I need to be thinking about it before Ash Wednesday. I normally give up Free Cell (that's actually quite a toughie for me, as it is my main way of unwinding after teaching!) and speeding, by which I mean that I pay close attention to keeping to the speed limit, which then lasts me the rest of the year.
They are the basics; I usually add something else. Maybe, this year, it will be the book mountain. As in, NOT buying books through Lent, and donating the book-budget (an as-yet undecided figure) to charity might be a thing to do.
So, here's the pile of books that I am currently reading;
on Kindle;
The Artists's Way - Julia Cameron, nearly finished. I've found this a fascinating program; I haven't followed it exactly, but have got a lot out of pondering the questions and writing theb'morning pages' most days.
A Far Cry From Kensington - Muriel Spark, halfway through. I started this, my first ever book by Muriel Spark, after reading a blog post which described the book as 'almost a manual on How to Write'. I'm finding it very amusing, in a quiet, 'Barbara Pym' way.
Three Men in a Boat - Jerome K Jerome, part way through. I can't remember why I started re-reading this, oh, yes. It was because a description of 'towing' which I read in 'Country Bunch' below made me laugh out loud.
The Diet Myth - Tom Spector, half way through. Interesting investigation of food, digestion, diet-debunking, speculation, gut microbiology.
Letters to a Young Poet - Rainer Maria Rilke, a 'dip in and out book'
Selected Poems - U A Fanthorpe, 'dip in and out'
Flame and Shadow - Sara Teasdale, 'dip in and out'
and 'real' books;
The Secret Life of Cows - Rosamund Young, part way through. Popular bestseller about - cows. Good bedtime reading. Gently written.
A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind - Shoukei Matsumoto. I'm starting Chapter 2 so it is a bit soon to come to conclusions. The cover is a beautiful shade of blue; a possible contender for the bathroom walls.
Country Bunch, an Anthology - 'Miss Read'. a 'dip in and out' anthology of poems, extracts, diary entries.
On Writing - Stephen King half way through. Fascinating, enlightening, inspiring
And then there's the list of unread books... hey, you might think this isn't such a sacrifice, NOT buying new books for a couple of months. But don't forget, I will have given up playing Free Cell....
It's the Sunday after Septuagesima Sunday (and before Quinquagesima Sunday) and are the Sundays in the run-up to Lent.
If I'm going to take Lent seriously, then I need to be thinking about it before Ash Wednesday. I normally give up Free Cell (that's actually quite a toughie for me, as it is my main way of unwinding after teaching!) and speeding, by which I mean that I pay close attention to keeping to the speed limit, which then lasts me the rest of the year.
They are the basics; I usually add something else. Maybe, this year, it will be the book mountain. As in, NOT buying books through Lent, and donating the book-budget (an as-yet undecided figure) to charity might be a thing to do.
So, here's the pile of books that I am currently reading;
on Kindle;
The Artists's Way - Julia Cameron, nearly finished. I've found this a fascinating program; I haven't followed it exactly, but have got a lot out of pondering the questions and writing theb'morning pages' most days.
A Far Cry From Kensington - Muriel Spark, halfway through. I started this, my first ever book by Muriel Spark, after reading a blog post which described the book as 'almost a manual on How to Write'. I'm finding it very amusing, in a quiet, 'Barbara Pym' way.
Three Men in a Boat - Jerome K Jerome, part way through. I can't remember why I started re-reading this, oh, yes. It was because a description of 'towing' which I read in 'Country Bunch' below made me laugh out loud.
The Diet Myth - Tom Spector, half way through. Interesting investigation of food, digestion, diet-debunking, speculation, gut microbiology.
Letters to a Young Poet - Rainer Maria Rilke, a 'dip in and out book'
Selected Poems - U A Fanthorpe, 'dip in and out'
Flame and Shadow - Sara Teasdale, 'dip in and out'
and 'real' books;
The Secret Life of Cows - Rosamund Young, part way through. Popular bestseller about - cows. Good bedtime reading. Gently written.
A Monk's Guide to a Clean House and Mind - Shoukei Matsumoto. I'm starting Chapter 2 so it is a bit soon to come to conclusions. The cover is a beautiful shade of blue; a possible contender for the bathroom walls.
Country Bunch, an Anthology - 'Miss Read'. a 'dip in and out' anthology of poems, extracts, diary entries.
On Writing - Stephen King half way through. Fascinating, enlightening, inspiring
And then there's the list of unread books... hey, you might think this isn't such a sacrifice, NOT buying new books for a couple of months. But don't forget, I will have given up playing Free Cell....
Sunday 4th February - Cold and Grey
It was cold and sunny this morning, but that has all changed as the afternoon has continued.
Now it is half past two, and the cats have made their feelings abundantly clear. I would have been sitting in comfort at the PC, but one cat, after prowling and meowling for ages, has decided to settle down at last on the computer chair;
somewhere in the folds of the quilt you might just make out her ear.
The other is asleep on a cushion balanced on the radiator.
Now it is half past two, and the cats have made their feelings abundantly clear. I would have been sitting in comfort at the PC, but one cat, after prowling and meowling for ages, has decided to settle down at last on the computer chair;
somewhere in the folds of the quilt you might just make out her ear.
The other is asleep on a cushion balanced on the radiator.
enough about cats.
I am going to have to set a limit on my book and Kindle purchases. So I have. But I'm not saying what it is in case I need to make adjustments. I suppose I could try and give up buying books for Lent? That means I would still have just over a week before Ash Wednesday on 14th February. I've got a fair few stacked up in the 'New Books to Read' pile, and it is not as though we don't have hundreds in the house and access to thousands in the library... and Easter is only a couple of months away.
Chocolate, cakes and biscuits don't usually figure in my 'Giving up for Lent' choices. I did give up biscuits once, and nearly managed it. I ate one biscuit by accident. I was chatting with a friend, and discovered the taste of biscuit in my mouth with no memory of having lifted it from the plate, conveyed it to my mouth, or crunched it up. The other I ate on purpose; 5-year-old daughter appeared with bag of biscuits she had made at school, so of course I ate one. What mother wouldn't have?
I shall be baking biscuits for the upcoming Womens' World Day of Prayer coffee morning which will happen at church on Saturday week. I say 'happen', because I am supposed to be 'organising' it, much against my will (and better judgement). One of the most unlikely things any 'spiritual' person discerned about me was that I my 'gift' was for organisation. Maybe he meant the person next to me?
We will serving traditional biscuits and cakes from Suriname; not as easy as I had hoped. The most popular cake is Bojo Cake, made with coconut and cassava. First catch your cassava - sounds like a long-legged antelope to me. So I found a recipe for...
Traditional Surinamese Custard Biscuits
heat oven to 180C, line two baking trays with baking paper
Melt 100g butter
add 120g castor sugar (I use sugar which is stored in a jar with vanilla pods for baking, so no need for
vanilla extract
add an egg, mix well,
add 200g of custard power, or half and half custard powder and cornflour
mix well, and use spoons to dollop onto the baking trays. I made 16 biscuits the first time, but will make smaller ones the second time. Leave a gap, they spread a little.
decorate with "disco sprinkles" (this recipe came from a Dutch blog, translated by google). They look like hundreds and thousands in the picture on the blog. I've bought gluten-free ones for the next time I make them.
B ake for 25 mins according to the website; I'd check after 15. They are done when they are just beginning to brown round the edges.
They are very sweet, quite moreish, with a strange texture. They taste quite custardy...
So that's my contribution sorted.