Want

Posted on November 19, 2014 by nicdempsey

My life is full of things I really don’t need and really can’t afford but would like anyway. As I’ve apparently hit the difficult to buy for stage of my life i.e. I don’t think I’m hard to buy for but I do have all the essentials, there’s nothing I really need and everything I do want is expensive.  On my wish list currently is a wardrobe, kitchen chairs, a kitchen aid and a new computer. Which are all for me to buy and not anything I would ask for as a present. When asked what I’d like for birthdays or Christmas, I’m pushed to think of something to ask for because I don’t want to sound greedy and because I don’t actually need anything!

However, the world is full of lovely things and I like buying presents for other people. I’m always vaguely horrified to find that lots of people hate buying presents and can’t think of anything to buy others. I can think of loads of things, the only thing I lack is cash! Presents and the buying of them are on my mind at the moment because next Saturday is the beginning of my own personal ‘birthday season’ from now until January – Oli, Christelle, Jane, Ma, Helene and Luc, Ms T, Charles, Jo, Ryan and, Claire. Of those birthdays four, (Christelle, Charles, Ryan and Claire) are landmark birthdays. Oh yeah and there’s Christmas coming too….

So over the next couple of months, I’m going to link to stuff I have seen around and think would make a good gift, some of it I have for me, some of it I’ve been given, some of it I’ve given and some of it I’d like to give.

These boards from Oak and Rope are lovely. You can personalise them too.

If you have a foodie (who isn’t a vegetarian) in you life, then Hawksmoor At Home cookbook is a delight. It’s been well used in my house and it’s worth buying even if you only read the how to cook a steak at home properly and the cocktail section!

While I’m on a food and drink theme, I really like these glasses made out of old bottles. They’re sold by Bottles and Wood  in the US but I have quite a few IBC Rootbeer bottles at home so I might have to try my hand at this!

 

 

 

 

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Thankful

Posted on November 18, 2014 by nicdempsey

Tuesday 11 November

This is Jo’s kitchen shelf. She and I have been friends for 24 years. We’ve changed lots over that time but our friendship hasn’t. I’m thankful for that and for getting to read a bedtime story to ‘Little Miss No’ otherwise called Tabitha!

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Wednesday 12 November

An empty train at Northfields! I got to sit down all the way to Green Park and on Wednesday I was tired and the train was slow, I was so thankful for that seat!

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Thursday 13 November

Thursday was a running about sort of a day. Work was busy and frustrating, then to Ma’s and the prospect of painting. It’s tough to be thankful when your day has been eaten up by petty frustrations. When I first did ‘Thankful’, I didn’t have a job, I was worried about money all the time and I was beginning to think that no-one would ever employ me again. My world felt very narrow and scary.

Now, I go to work, which can be frustrating and tiring and eats into my reading time but I can pay my rent and the world isn’t quite so scary, so I’m thankful for that!

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Friday 14 November

Pizza at Ma’s after Day one of the painting.

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Saturday 15 November

We painted and then it was mostly done. Thankful I could do it, thankful that Ma has a secure place to live, thankful I will never have to do this again!

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Sunday 16 November

Home. To a tidy house, so I didn’t have masses to do. I am always thankful to have this place to be, to rest, to shelter and re-charge. It’s easy to take home for granted but there were times when I nearly didn’t.

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Monday 17 November

I didn’t shop over the weekend and I didn’t shop on Monday and there was still enough food in the house to make dinner. I promise that this was tasty despite how it looks in this picture. I watched this yesterday and Ma volunteers at her local foodbank. I’m thankful that I didn’t need to shop to have enough food for dinner, I’m thankful that I am one of those lucky people that can find some food in a cupboard or freezer. I have noticed this month, that more people are feeling stressed and closer to the edge, it’s a feeling that Christmas intensifies. Sometimes I feel like that, aware of how close to the edge my life is but it’s not that close. Because there is food in the cupboard and I have the ability to cook it.  20141118-091013-33013740.jpg

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Life Happened – Work, Friends and Painting

Posted on November 17, 2014 by nicdempsey

Dinner at Jo’s, where I amused myself taking photos of the things on her kitchen shelf.

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There was the unexpected joy of an empty train on the way to work.

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Coffee with Christelle.

There was painting, lots and lots of painting, if I never see a paintbrush again that’s just fine with me.

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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.

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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!)

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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

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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!

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Thursday

Breakfast – Yoghurt, oats and apple honey

Lunch – Leftovers

Dinner – No plan

Friday

Breakfast – Pain au Raisin

Lunch – Leftovers

Dinner – Friday Night Pizza

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Snacks

  • Yoghurt
  • Vegetables and dip
  • Fruit

Shopping list.

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

 

 

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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.

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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

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How

1. Add ingredients into a glass filled with ice

2. Stir

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

 

 

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Added them to the bottle of vodka

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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!

 

 

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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..

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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.20141103-221657-80217005.jpg

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.

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Friday 7 November

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

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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.20141109-192553-69953304.jpg

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.

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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… IMG_2398

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