Nic Dempsey

Sunday Music

Posted on November 16, 2014 by nicdempsey

I’ve spent the weekend with Ma, painting it’s been hell. This is one of the songs we agree on.

Posted in Music | Tagged Always Something There to Remind Me, repeat, sandy shaw, sunday music | Leave a comment

Food This Week – 15 to 21 November 2014

Posted on November 15, 2014 by nicdempsey

I ended up spending £57 last week, but I did buy 12 bottles of wine so I’m feeling good about that! I have wine for Christmas! I didn’t eat as much as I’d planned because I ended up at Jo’s for dinner on Tuesday. This week’s plan is based on a busy weekend and being fairly anti social for the rest of the week because it’s another busy weekend!

Saturday

Breakfast – No plan

Lunch – No plan

Dinner – No plan

I’m still at Ma’s on Saturday although plan to be home on Saturday night depending on how the painting goes. I’ll probably pick something up on the way home or eat toast!

Sunday

Breakfast – Waffles

Lunch – no plan

Dinner – Pork and spaghetti (Tina used to cook this and it’s good and I just fancied it!)

Monday

Breakfast – Yoghurt, oats and apple honey – this is the ugliest breakfast but it’s really good for keeping the snacking at bay!

Lunch – Leftovers

Dinner – Taco chilli

Tuesday

Breakfast – Yoghurt, oats and apple honey

Lunch – Leftovers

Dinner – Chickpea cakes. I’ve been reading some recipes, I’m going to have a play!

Wednesday

Breakfast – Yoghurt, oats and apple honey

Lunch – Leftovers

Dinner – Halloumi and lentils. I didn’t eat this last week and the halloumi is still good!

Thursday

Breakfast – Yoghurt, oats and apple honey

Lunch – Leftovers

Dinner – No plan

Friday

Breakfast – Pain au Raisin

Lunch – Leftovers

Dinner – Friday Night Pizza

Snacks

Yoghurt
Vegetables and dip
Fruit

Shopping list.

I haven’t done one yet so no list this week!

Posted in Food, How I Live | Tagged Food for the week, how I eat, menu plan, shopping list, what I eat | Leave a comment

Friday Night Cocktail

Posted on November 14, 2014 by nicdempsey

In my family, I’m the odd one out. My Ma and brother (and sister-in-law and nephew) are numbers people. I’m not. If we are going out to dinner, Ma and Ben will check the menu and have decided what they are going to have before we get there. I just wait until I’m there. Ben is a black cab driver and it takes a lot of determination to learn all your runs and have huge maps of London memorised in your head and he definitely gets that from Ma’s side of the family. When Ben is interested in something, he learns a lot about it (he memorised all the bus routes in London when he was 11). I joke that Ma and Ben and Oli are ‘on the spectrum’, they get very into what they are into. That is not me.

My attentions and enthusiasm are more broad based. This means that I know a little bit about a lot of things but I’m not really an expert at anything, I lack the ability to really focus on one thing to the exclusion of all else, which is why this blog isn’t a food blog although there are recipes, or a drinks blog although there are drinks, or a DIY or craft or knitting or music or stationary blog although I like all of those things and sometime those things feature. My attention isn’t deep enough and neither is my knowledge.

Which is a way of explaining why inspiration for this week’s cocktail, The Fourth Degree comes from another, more expert blog, Putney Farm.

They are experts and I dabble.

The Fourth Degree is clearly somewhere on the way from the Martinez towards the Martini. Gin, both types of vermouth and absinthe. Except I don’t have absinthe so I used Pernod. For vermouth, I used the open bottles, Noilly Prat blanc and Dolin rogue. (Open bottles of vermouth should be kept in the fridge and used within a couple of months so I only have one of each on the go at any time.). For gin, I went with Plymouth. This one is open to so much variation, if you don’t like what you use the first time around try a different combination.

What

3/4 oz. gin

3/4 oz. dry vermouth

3/4 oz. sweet vermouth

1 teaspoon absinthe or pastis

How

1. Add ingredients into a glass filled with ice

2. Stir

3. Strain into a chilled glass, garnish with a lemon twist.

Posted in Booze | Tagged dry vermouth, FNC, Friday Night Cocktail, gin, pastis, Pernod, Putney Farm, sweet vermouth, The Fourth Degree, vermouth | Leave a comment

Friday Links

Posted on November 14, 2014 by nicdempsey

Happy Friday! How happy my Friday will be really depends how well the painting goes today, I’d love to revel in a day off work but I’ll be working today but for my mother rather than in the office!

Here are this week’s links….

1. How many benefit cheats are there? Worth pointing out that the cost of tax evasion is higher. Also as someone who has claimed benefit, it’s not an easy option.

2. Introverts. These are my people!

3. Aditya Chakrabortty on Richard Benyon and the New Era estate and housing in general.

4. I love the effort that goes into designing fonts. Dyslexie font.

5. This just made me really cross. I used to judge child-free women. I just people who don’t have any sensitivity and assume that their choices are the only ones worth making.

6. I really need to keep up with what Ealing Council is doing. I didn’t know they planned to sell off the Town Hall.

7. The Philae lander has sent back pictures. It’s an amazing thing. I can’t quite get myself as worked up about it as everyone else seems to be. ‘Cause yes is it an amazing thing, like landing on the moon, but if we can do these things, why can’t we sort out pollution, why are children still dying from polio? I know, I’m being a downer but wish as a species we could spend time solving things here.

Posted in Links | Tagged Aditya Chakrabortty, benefit, benefit fraud, dyslexia, fonts, housing, Introverts, Katherine Sacks-Jones, New Era, Richard Benyon, Slate, The Guardian | Leave a comment

Apple Honey

Posted on November 13, 2014 by nicdempsey

I eat a lot of plain yoghurt and I wanted something sweet to go with it but I wasn’t sure what. Sugar gets a bad rap nowadays and I try to avoid hidden sugars which is fairly easy to do if you don’t eat a lot of processed food but sometimes you need something sweet, especially with plain yoghurt and provided you don’t go overboard I don’t think it’s an issue.

I saw this recipe for pear honey and it seemed like it would do! Having looked on the interwebs for pear honey recipes, it seems that this is a less traditional version than the American version but I really liked it. It’s called ‘honey’ because of it’s texture but it’s really a smooth, runny jam really! The recipe, made 3 x 250ml jars and I’ve been eating it with my yoghurt for the last month.

I had 6 very sad looking apples in the fridge so I decided to adapt the recipe and this was the result. It’s more like applesauce but with sugar and cinnamon but it tastes good.

What

6 apples

200ml water

275ml golden caster sugar

1/2 heaped teaspoon of cinnamon

How

1. Sterilise 4 250ml glass jars (I ended up using 3 but a spare just in case is always useful), I sterilise by putting washed jars in the oven but if you boil the jars do that. If you want to keep this out of the fridge, then use Kilner jars and process using the method they recommend here.

2. Peel, core and chop your apples.

3. Put apples in a pan and add the lemon juice and 200ml of water.

4. Put pan over a medium heat and cook apples for 15 minutes or until the apples are soft.

5. Use a blender to puree the apples. (I used an immersion blender)

6. Measure the volume of the apple puree, I had 600ml, which was lucky because you need to use 275g of sugar for every 600ml of the apple puree. Which works out as about 46g per 100ml).

7. Add the apple puree, cinnamon and sugar back in the pan and heat. Once it gets to a simmer keep it there for 10 to 15 minutes.

8. Take off the heat and put into warmed jars. At this point you can keep in the fridge or process it as demonstrated in the video above.

Posted in Cooking, Food | Tagged Apple Honey, apples, cinnamon, jam, preserves, preserving, sugar | 1 Comment

Vanilla Extract

Posted on November 12, 2014 by nicdempsey

A couple of years ago, I made vanilla extract using some vodka someone had brought to a party, I’ve been using it ever since and recently ran out (and ended up accidentally putting peppermint extract in my pancakes – not my finest moment!).

Because it’s been a while since I bought vanilla extract I was a little surprised at how expensive it was. £6 for 118ml.

It was time to make some more. I was given some vanilla pods ages ago (if you don’t have any they are easy enough to buy on Amazon). I bought a bottle of vodka (this one was on special offer) and sliced down the middle of 10 vanilla pods.

Added them to the bottle of vodka

The bottle is in the cupboard (sitting next to the not quite ready damson gin) and according to everything I’ve read should be ready to go in 1 to 2 months time and I won’t have to buy any for a good long time but I will have to plan better so I never run out!

I mention this now because you could, if you were so inclined make some to give as Christmas presents, maybe if you have the time and inclination, you could make some other extracts and put it in pretty bottles too!

Posted in Booze, How To | Tagged Homemade Vanilla Extract, How to make vanilla extract | Leave a comment

Thankful

Posted on November 11, 2014 by nicdempsey

Tuesday 4 November

Today I’m minus a tooth and in more pain than the tooth caused. So I’m grateful for painkillers and that I live in a world where antibiotics still work. Also not pictured ice! I’m grateful for ice to put on my sore face..

Wednesday 5 November

This is a repeat photo because I called in sick on Wednesday, I thought that I was going to work from home but the reality of sore face, sore throat and feeling like I’d been whacked with a brick, meant that I spent the day sleeping and resting. So thankful to have a understanding manager and team at work and thankful that it only took one day to recover.

Thursday 6 November

Ok this is an odd thing to be thankful for but issues with the train meant that I had to work from home and that was actually quite nice. The delays were caused by a person on the line, which is usually code someone who jumped in front of a train. So I’m thankful that things have never been so bad that jumping in front of a train seemed like a solution and I’m thankful for the people that keep me anchored in the world.

Friday 7 November

It’s is impossible to be uncheered by time with friends and martinis.

Saturday 8 November

I used to go to church every week and while I gave up doing that a while ago, I need my faith community more than I realise sometimes. So I’m thankful for Grace and the chance to share food and communion with them.

Sunday 9 November

Lots to be thankful for but I was very taken by the beautiful sky on the way home from Ma’s. I don’t like November but sometimes it reminds me that there is beauty even in the darkness.

Monday 10 November

Monday was a good day, nothing major, the trains were still packed, there was a lot of work but I was happy. I got home, ate dinner, sorted out the recycling because it’s Tuesday is rubbish day, tidied the kitchen and got ready for bed. I’m thankful for this day, for time to prepare for tomorrow and time and space to rest. The picture is the wall in the kitchen and sink and drainer empty of dishes…

Posted in Photos, Thankful | Tagged cheering the hell up, Good things, November, photos, Thankful | Leave a comment

Life Happened – Toothless Hag, Martinis and Grace

Posted on November 10, 2014 by nicdempsey

Last Tuesday, I had that tooth removed. It was not pleasant, not at all pleasant but the dentist was pretty happy with how well I coped with the actual extraction, she did warn me that I would fill much worse the next day and yep Wednesday was pretty awful.

Thursday was a work from home day due to issues with the tube. On Friday I was back in the office and pretty much back to normal. On Friday night Ma and I went for drinks at Christophers with Maggie and Jem.

Martinis were drunk

Saturday started with coffee in bed and reading. I eventually got myself out of bed, into the shower and then I got to work, I finally swapped from winter to summer wardrobe, tidied up and did the ironing.

Lis and Dwayne came around with the last of my camping kit and the delightful Lincoln and we caught up and had nibbles. Then we all headed off to Grace.

All church should be this good!

I was primed for a busy Sunday, I knew I had to be up to meet Kathy and Adam to hand over their small boy’s birthday present, but I managed coffee, some reading, two loads of washing and changing the bed before I met them. I can’t believe how much both of them (the children not K&A have grown). They headed into church and I headed home to start the work of the day. Getting the packing boxes out of the loft and the camping stuff into the loft!

Ma arrived when I was halfway through and we loaded a car with the boxes, paint and some painting things that I thought would come in handy. We then headed off to some shopping, Ma and I bought the Christmas wine and we bought even more paint.

We actually have a more paint than is pictured but Ma’s new flat is going to need a lot of paint before the carpets go in!

Then a trip to scope out new cookers and fridge freezers and then back to my house. It was a good days work but there are miles to go before Ma is ready to move and time is short!

I had dinner and shower and an early night

This week is a short week at work but that doesn’t mean a long relaxing weekend as I’ll be spending Friday and Saturday painting the new flat. I’m catching up with Kathy on Tuesday and Christelle on Wednesday so it’s a busy time!

Posted in How I Live | Tagged church, good daughter, grace, how I live, weekly recap, what I did | 1 Comment

Food This Week – 8 to 14 November 2014

Posted on November 8, 2014 by nicdempsey

Last week’s shop was the beginning of the month and I stocked up on meat for the freezer and did a bigger shop, in total I spend £39.87. Which is a big shop for me. Unfortunately, the trip to the dentist on Tuesday lead to me eating far less than usual (no bad thing) so I didn’t stick quite to plan. This week will be much less spendy, partly because I have full cupboards and there’s nothing to plan from Thursday to Friday because I’ll be at Ma’s.

Saturday

Breakfast – Yoghurt and granola (I like this one from London Bakes)

Lunch – no plan

Dinner – I’m at Grace on Saturday night and that service is a meal for which I’m making Cous Cous Salad. Dwayne, Lis and Lincoln are coming around before the service for drinks and nibbles so I won’t starve!

Sunday

Breakfast – Toast

Lunch – No plan, I’ll be hauling boxes out of the loft for Ma so she can start packing

Dinner – Sausage pasta

Monday

Breakfast – Yoghurt and granola

Lunch – Leftovers

Dinner – Greek turkey burgers and roasted vegetables

Tuesday

Breakfast – Yoghurt and granola

Lunch – leftovers

Dinner – Aubergine Stew

Wednesday

Breakfast – Yoghurt and granola

Lunch – leftovers

Dinner – Halloumi and lentil stir fry

Thursday

Breakfast – Yoghurt and granola

Lunch – Leftovers

Dinner – No plan because I’m at Ma’s on Thursday night for most of the weekend. We are going to paint her new flat!

Friday

Breakfast – no plan

Lunch – no plan

Dinner – Friday Night Pizza – well I’m going to take pizza dough to Ma’s anyway, we’ll see how knackered we are after all the painting!

Snacks

Yoghurt
Vegetables and dip
Fruit

Shopping and cost

This is the list and I reckon it’ll cost about £13.50

oats

mixed seeds

onions

aubergine

passata

carrots

peppers

mushrooms

flour (which I forgot to pick up last week)

yogurt

Posted in Food, How I Live | Tagged Food for the week, how I eat, menu plan, shopping list, what I eat | Leave a comment

Friday Night Cocktail

Posted on November 7, 2014 by nicdempsey

This is from My Daily Cocktail, and apparently made to ‘celebrate’ American Football coming to London. Apparently, the Atlanta Falcons played the Detroit Lions last weekend and there’s another game on Sunday at Wembley, home of actual football. I’m still not convinced (although Friday Night Lights makes a good case) that American Football isn’t just the bastard son of rugby but this cocktail is pretty good.

I found that it worked better with a peatier whisky than a lighter one. It’s a boozy cocktail so one is definitely enough but it may work for cocktail drinkers who like strong drinks but aren’t sure about whiskey (they do exist – they just are me!)

Blimey
1 1/2 oz bourbon
1/2 oz scotch
1/4 oz amaretto
1/4 oz creme de cassis

How

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. Shake. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Posted in Booze | Tagged amaretto, Blimey, bourbon, creme de cassis, FNC, Friday Night Cocktail, scotch, whiskey, whisky | Leave a comment

Nic Dempsey

Sunday Music

Food This Week – 15 to 21 November 2014

Friday Night Cocktail

Friday Links

Apple Honey

Vanilla Extract

Thankful

Life Happened – Toothless Hag, Martinis and Grace

Food This Week – 8 to 14 November 2014

Friday Night Cocktail

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