Friday Links

Posted on November 15, 2013 by nicdempsey

Happy Friday.  Today is a lovely sunny day in London, it is chilly but that doesn’t matter when the sun is out!

Not many links this week, the 8.30pm computer cut off is really playing havoc with my ability find interesting stuff to read!

1) John Green on perspective. We all need the reminder.

2) The problem with care for the elderly and inheritance.

3) Review of the National Theatre’s 50th anniversary show. I caught it on iplayer and it was great. We are so lucky to have such great theatre.

4) Where to chill drinks before a party. At my 21st birthday party, Ma hid the champagne I was given in the washing machine because “no one looks there”, so this would put a dent in that habit!

5) Zoe Williams on energy supply and bills. I’ve had a much better understanding of how the electricity market works in the UK over the last 2 years and really, something needs to change.

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Brain Dump

Posted on November 14, 2013 by nicdempsey

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Today, I will be mostly fuelled by coffee and willpower. I had a late night and a busy day ahead, as of tomorrow I am covering for a colleague while she is in Vegas (yes, I am disgustingly jealous!) but I have to start doing some of that work today because it stretches across her leave. I am being incredibly grown up and even though I’m tired (I’m always tired but today I’m working on 5 and half hours sleep, low even for me!), I dragged myself out of bed early, washed my hair (work today is customer facing) and caught the train at 7:19. I got a seat at Northfields, which is the London example of ‘the early bird catches the worm’ and here I am.

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However, if proof was even needed that I remain a child with issues, I rang my mother to tell her and get my required ‘mummy is proud of you for being a brave girl and getting to work early, even though you are tired’ praise. Although given the hour, the speech was considerably shorter than that!

The reason for the late night was Richard II. The RSC did it’s first ever live-to-cinema broadcast and as tickets for this production are like gold dust, we went to see it. I’ve seen Richard II a couple of times and this was a great production, the acting was amazing, standouts for me were Michael Pennington at John of Gaunt, Oliver Ford Davies as the Duke of York and Nigel Lindsay as Boilingbroke. David Tennant was good, but I’ve seen him better. Ma liked him but I must confess that I was distracted by his hair extensions, in fact it felt at times like I was watching a man in drag, he didn’t seem comfortable in his clothes, I’ve been thinking about how to describe it and the best I can come up with was that it was awkward. Later on, I as Richard unravels, I felt that he was Richard.

Anyway, I’m at work now so I’m going to finish this and start working!

 

 

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Bread Pudding

Posted on November 13, 2013 by nicdempsey

The most popular post on this blog is the one about my Grandad and his recipe for bread pudding. I’m not surprised, it’s a good recipe!

I always think more about Grandad around Remembrance Day, partly because he’s the only person in my immediate family that fought in WWII and partly because Friday is his birthday, he would have been 99.

At the weekend, I had some leftover Milk Loaf, so I made some bread pudding, which is a good way to remember him.

Bread Pudding close up

I bake a lot and this weekend I made a carrot cake and 2 batches of bread pudding (one to take to Jane’s who is always asking if I’ve made bread pudding). Both are very different cakes, both are good. Bread pudding is easier to make though and more special. It is a sentimental thing, but I have a hard time believing that my grandparents would have eaten much carrot cake, but I know that they ate bread pudding and my granddad taught me how to make it.

When I was staying at Ma’s in October, a coffee cup caused me to wax lyrical about how special it could be to use things that were used by your parents an/or grandparents. This recipe provokes that same sentiment in me. This is a family recipe, handled down by my Granddad (which he probably got from his time in the army rather than his parents!) and I made it in my kitchen while talking to my mother with pictures of my grandparents and my great-grandmother on the kitchen wall.

Granddad died when he was 83, nearly 16 years ago but this is how he survives, in photos and family recipes and the left handedness my brother and I inherited from him.

What about you guys? Do you have family recipes that have been handed down? What’s the most popular post on your blog or the one that people ask for?

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50 Days Challenge – Update

Posted on November 12, 2013 by nicdempsey

I was supposed to write this update on Sunday, in case you’re wondering, this is the last post that will mention my being ill last week. However, it is fair to say that it put a dampener on my good intentions! This is how I did…

Spirit

I’ve signed up to Thankful in November with Krissie.

The emails have been coming every day and I’ve spent 10 minutes or so thinking about them and so far it has been good for me and helped to get my head in the right place, in fact see the post this morning as an example.

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Mind

8.30pm cut of for laptop/ipad/iphone usage on school nights.

I’ve been doing this with bells on. Last week, I knew I was proper ill because I didn’t want to be anywhere near a screen, so it was accidental rather than deliberate. Yesterday, I found the 8.30pm cut off really useful, it was good to put the laptop down and go and do something else, yesterday that was tidying the kitchen, making today’s lunch and taking my makeup off. I would normally do those things before bed but at 10pm, when I should be in bed!

Bed by 10pm on 30 of the 50 days.  Getting up by 6.30am on workdays and 8.30am on weekends.

So I did this Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and then pretty much didn’t get out of bed until Saturday. So being in bed by 10pm not a problem, I was lights out at about 8.30pm but getting up times, that just didn’t happen at all! Sunday night I started again so I can’t tell you anything about it based on 2 mornings this week. What I have noticed is that I have the to have the wake up light set for 6am and the radio alarm set for 5.45am, to make 6.30am out of bed work. That’s ok, I’m quite keen on Farming Today.

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Body

Sit-ups/push-ups/squats 10 a day, adding one each day

Started fine, didn’t do anything Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun or Mon. Started again today with 19 of each. Not pleasant but done.

Stretches

Missed Wed, Thurs, Fri completely but started again on Sat, needed to as 3 days pretty much lying down, does nothing for your mobility!

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Four Things -Thankful

Posted on November 12, 2013 by nicdempsey

Last week, I was sick and I went back to work yesterday. I am mostly better, the only thing I’m struggling with is the dark mornings and waking up in the morning feeling rubbish. This morning, I have a headache, a stuffy nose, a sore throat and I feel a bit sick. Now, I know that after I drink some water, eat breakfast and have coffee, I’ll jump into the shower and I won’t feel so awful.

However, knowing that and understanding it are two different things. A part of why I feel rough is about not feeling 100% well and another part of it is about winter and dark mornings and how much I would like to hibernate. What I’m saying is that I struggle about this time of year and I’m really struggling this morning. Rather than give into my morning gloom and spend the rest of the day in a slough of despond, here are four things (in no particular order) that I’m grateful for and give me a reason to be happy…

Somewhere to live.

Having a roof, even a leaky and expensive roof is a good thing (two more weeks ’til it’s fixed!). I’ve written about it before but this place, my living here, how I live here is down to more people than just me.

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Which leads directly to the people that I love.

We don’t really achieve anything but ourselves. The people in my life are the reason I have such a good life. They cheer me up, keep me sane and make my life meaningful in all the best ways. People are great, my people are amazing (and for the guys not in these pictures, doesn’t mean that I’m not grateful for you too!)

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My ability to make cake

This weekend, I decided that the blessing I could give my friends was cake. It is hard to be miserable when there is cake!

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My bed

There are lots of other things to be thankful for but right now, first thing in the morning, I’m thankful that however bad the day might be, tonight I will go to bed and sleep!

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Of course there are lots of other things to be grateful for, these are just off the top of my head!

What are the things that get you through a bad morning? What are you thankful for?

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Weekend Task list update

Posted on November 11, 2013 by nicdempsey

So last week, I spent 3 days in bed, hackling up my lungs and sleeping a lot. Yes it was delightful, no I really don’t want it again! Being sick had two consequences, the first being that the house was pretty tidy as I wasn’t really using it much. The second was that I really didn’t do much housework on the weekend. So what did I get done?

Kitchen

  • Clean the oven. Again because it cleaner but not exactly shiny!
  • General clean (sort out the recycling and rubbish, mopping the floor and general cleaning)

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Cooking

  • Food prep for the week, breakfasts and lunches
  • Sort out the ‘disaster bread’ recipe so it works
  • Make chicken stock

Bathroom

  • General clean (mop floor, change towels, empty bin, clean bath, sink and toilet)
  • Sort out and clean bathroom cabinet

Bedroom

  • General clean (mop floor, change bed, dust, general tidy)
  • Sort out jewellery drawer

Living Room

  • General clean (sweep floor, dust, tidy sofa, put things away etc)

Hall

  • Hoover

General House things

  • Washing (clothes wash, white wash, towel wash)
  • Ironing
  • Wash make up brushes
  • Water plants
  • Shopping
  • Back up laptop
  • Charge kindle and camera batteries

Well mostly, I cleaned the rooms that I was in most last week. So the bedroom got the most attention and the bits of the kitchen and bathroom that were the most used got attention but the living room was completely neglected and I hate mopping floors and hoovering so I just didn’t do that this week! As a result the flat isn’t perfectly tidy and clean but it’s liveable in.

What’s the bare minimum for cleanliness in your house? The stuff that you get done even when you’re ill?

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2013 Christmas Songs

Posted on November 11, 2013 by nicdempsey

Because I was sick from Tuesday and had a very quiet and boring weekend. With the exception of the Grace@xx service and Ma coming over for lunch I did very little so a weekend update seems silly.

While Ma was here on Sunday, she reviewed (and approved) the 2013 Christmas CD. The Christmas CD started in 2010, when godchildren 2 & 3 found the tapes that their uncle and father used to make. We made one in 2010 and now we make one every year and inflict it on the people that we love.

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This year we’d like to inflict it on more people, it’s what Stef and Keir would have wanted!

Would you like a CD of Christmas music? If so, you can let me know in the comments or email me at nic06dempsey@gmail.com and we’ll get a CD to you. If you actually know me in real life and don’t already get a CD and want one, now is the time to let me know!

 

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Sunday Music

Posted on November 10, 2013 by nicdempsey

Haim – The Wire, so 80’s..

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Weekend Task List

Posted on November 9, 2013 by nicdempsey

Saturday, time to sort myself out so I can do very little during the rest of the week! This weekends jobs are:

Kitchen

  • Clean the oven. Again because it cleaner but not exactly shiny!
  • General clean (sort out the recycling and rubbish, mopping the floor and general cleaning)

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Cooking

  • Food prep for the week, breakfasts and lunches
  • Sort out the ‘disaster bread’ recipe so it works
  • Make chicken stock

Bathroom

  • General clean (mop floor, change towels, empty bin, clean bath, sink and toilet)
  • Sort out and clean bathroom cabinet

Bedroom

  • General clean (mop floor, change bed, dust, general tidy)
  • Sort out jewellery drawer

Living Room

  • General clean (sweep floor, dust, tidy sofa, put things away etc)

Hall

  • Hoover

General House things

  • Washing (clothes wash, white wash, towel wash)
  • Ironing
  • Wash make up brushes
  • Water plants
  • Shopping
  • Back up laptop
  • Charge kindle and camera batteries

What’s on your to-do list this weekend?

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Milk Loaf

Posted on November 7, 2013 by nicdempsey

I wanted to make an easy soft white loaf that I could use for sandwiches etc. A ‘normal’ loaf. This is another recipe from Dan Lepard and fits the bill perfectly.

I used semi skimmed milk because it’s what they had at the supermarket, the rest I turned into yogurt and I’ll talk a bit more about that later!

Milk Loaf

Now I’m into the groove of sourdough and it’s very slow rise (I started a sourdough loaf on Saturday night and finally baked it on Monday morning!) this loaf with yeast rose really quickly by comparison and took about 2 and half hours from start to finish. It’s really lovely, tastes amazing and makes brilliant cheese sandwiches!

Milk Loaf sliced

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