I'm painting the kitchen dresser
:)

Wonder if it'll be done by the time 'The Weakest Link' comes on?
Quite a feat, but not beyond me.

Yesterday's Big Secret

David Coulson, runner-up. Dark eyed, bad haired teary chef who reminded me of John the Baptist. Gentle bear.

OK before I set about today's major works I'll prattle on about yesterday's.
The office/study/Mr H's book and 'puter room was a mess, such a mess in fact that I kept the door closed in case guests thought I was auditioning for the Kim and Aggie show:(

So yesterday I went in at 9, coming out at 5.
I let rip.



The first thing I tackled were the five bookcases, the ceiling high ones being the most problematic but once I'd re-homed some spiders and frightened the living daylights out of a few silver fish I kind of got on a roll.
Next for the treatment were Mr H's piles of letters from service provider people, they soon had me sitting down I can tell you, handful after blasted handful had me wondering if he ever reads any of them. They were dealt with in a calm and serious manner...

By now I was parched so putting Tina Turner on 'pause' I made a nice cuppa, Monty by the way, did his bit by making an appearance at the end!
Standing as I always do to drink tea, I looked hard at what needed my delicate touch, hmmm, the desk and tables:(

Tidy isn't a word in Mr H's vocab, I nearly lost the will to carry on because there was so much dusty stuff to clean and re-house, but after the tea I had a surge of tremendous 'man' strength so got on and rocked. Tina aided and abetted.
It was coming round and that gave me the impetus to carry on regardless of fraying nails... and men trying to sell me cladding.

Tackling cobwebs has always been an issue with me, after all spiders of all colours and makes have spent hours making their nets and here was I coming in like the hand of God...
I couldn't afford though, not this time, to be girly or squeamish so I walked around the tables destroying all:)

Ok. Bookcases cleaned and books stood up, webs down, now walls and floor. An old red rug to cover the cat ripped carpet, a wipe over of the peeling walls and the careful slicing of a bit of loose wallpaper. Yes, very good.

While I was doing the boring stuff my mind focussed on the artistic after work, whereby I arrange in a beautiful manner objects...These would include Mr H's artwork from long ago. Why he hides his talent always baffles me, if I could paint or draw or do things with stencils or cameras, by jolly jingo I'd have it out for all to see. Blasted room would resemble a gallery!.
This was the one area I thought Mr H might bash me over. He didn't:)

So mucky stuff done, bin bags lugged, hoover away and damp cloths in the sink now time to create. The best bit.

All his knick knacks collected over the years and three pieces from his time an art college were now displayed beautifully. I also polished his two tripods and presented them in a new light, they are his, they are part of who is is and he loves them, why keep them under a table? Both now stand guard either side of one of his posters depicting 'Orphee a film by Jean Cocteau'. Too awesome to gather dust.

On top of one of the bookcases is a large drawing done on board in felt tip when he was a student, and in amongst this amazing piece of young man's art is an unbelieveable reproduction of part of Seurat's 'Bathers'.
Why he is working for a living beats me.

I stood back just after five and was satisfied but...

It's strange to think that anyone would want to keep train tickets from 2007.
A tiny silver plastic spaceman
And have hidden in a book, a picture of William Shatner.

But I forgive him.

Today's Big Job is cleaning the garage door and office window (exterior).
Then, as Mr H is working overnight, I'll lock the cracked door and have singular fun.

Time now 12:30...Have just watched Claire win Masterchef, not surprised, she was a revelation. I would have liked David Coulson to wear the big hat but Claire is not only an amazing cook she seems like a great girl too. Well done smiler:)

Me Man Not Woman

Damn fine fellow old Gray!

Decent jalopy

Graham and me after work

Playing in the gardener's Land Rover

Been extra busy today, so much so that the bit between my shoulders aches:) Age? Climbing on tables? Or just a big kid at heart who thinks nothing of doing MAN'S WORK:)
Idiot.
I've done something today which I can't brag about on account of not wanting Mr H to read about it at work. But I can assure you he will be madly happy when he comes in tonight.

Anyway the mighty job is done now and I stand proud. Proud but with lumber issues.

I recorded the final of Masterchef:The Professionals and have yet to watch it so..I'm avoiding anyone who looks like they might know. My money is on David the shaker but Claire is great too, the other one whose name fails me is good aswell.
I've warmed to David on account of his tears, a lovely lovely young fella who gets in a state yet always always delivers.
Claire is a fascinating girl, one who by rights shouldn't be this good at her young age, but a more determined woman cook I've yet to see. Like her a lot.
The other bloke, oh dear, hasn't made much of an impression, and he'll be the one who probably wins!

The programme has me engrossed from start to end especially when the contenders are thrown into the boiling oil of a posh 3 star Michelin restaurant. Scale thirty Red Snappers the judges say and make them look good. Or fry prawns wrapped in shoestring pastry and don't burn them.
Or make a Celeriac jus with just the right amount of squiggle. Love it.

I feel an absolute plank when watching it, makes my pies look like pies from Big Ron's cafe on a rough and dirty road just off the M25.

But cooking is an art and I try to paint my plates well:)

The pics up there were taken yesterday by Mr H, we, that's the three of us had a jolly good time loading up the Landie and trailer with dead vegetation, tons more to go but we're getting there. Bless him!


Cooking tonight:
Sausage with spicy rice and vegetables
followed by coconut and raspberry jam sponge

:)

Ugh my tea's gone cold:(

Glo Glows

I've gone thermometer crazy since finding a recipe for Gateau Moka aux Amandes. The thermometer is needed to make the creme beurre moka (coffee butter cream) I'll need to heat water and sugar together until a temperature of 107 degrees C is reached and then do a load of other culinary stuff before I can present my Gateau... Can't wait to get boiling:)

The pic in the Mary Berry book has made me lunge uncontrollably at the page resulting in the paper becoming wet and eaten. Gross. (Not really)
But oh what a Gateau it looks:)

Thermometers are not so easy to come by I'll have you know. Checked Argos, Waitrose, M&S, Wilkos and Debenhams but no thermo...So went 'old' and...
Ebayed them finding a few, but don't have the patience or strong heart to wait so have found a brand new one in a shop in beautiful far away Maldon so will order it online.

Another recipe I have to try is Chocolatines. These are made with a Genoese sponge and are a pain to make being so fiddly and time consuming but they must be excellent because they are sold in the finest French patisseries. Glo in her bungalow will have a go...

Mokatines are a variation of Chocolatines, being made with coffee and, depending how the Chocolatines turn out, I'll probably have a bash at those too.
What would Queen Victoria say? I mean I'll be dumping her sponge for something French...Disgusting.


Talking of Victoria, her delicate airy cake which I made yesterday, received many Ooohs and OMG's today so I was most pleased and most amused.
Nothing and I mean nothing brings more salivatoring smiles than CAKE.:) Salivatoring IS NOT a true word but as I'm in the word game I can make them up willy nilly.

Today's earlier pics are down to Mr H. His photographic genius at turning the ordinary into the sublime leaves me speechless.
No-one could make a wedge of cake or a middle aged woman look so appealing:)

Now I go to bed to dream of thermometers.
I kid you not;)

More?

Come closer...see my chocolate dust laid lightly on my moist buttercream

Chocolate pudding with chocolate cinnamon sauce. Puds don't come sweeter than this.

You can't say no...

Cup of tea and Chocolate Victoria sponge. Forks and manners at the ready please.

Lamb shanks with root veg and steam.

I love yesterday's photo and here are more photos I love....

Ditzy Twitzy...

First I forgot the marg now I forget the menu...

After chatting to you lot I went kitchenwards to prepare Mr H's tea...
First in the pot were potatoes, )What?) then I cooked leaves of cabbage, (What?) then as the kitchen windows steamed I said "Cabbage?" "Potatoes?"
What was I doing with cabbage and potatoes?
All of a sudden I remembered the bacon and eggs thing, but this wasn't bacon and there certainly weren't any eggs being laid boiled or fried. "What's happening here? " I asked intelligent Monty

"Ok brainless" he said "let's make Rumbledthumps".
(Rumbledthumps is a version of bubble and squeak which has cheddar cheese and chives added or in my case, Edam and six inches of a leftover leek.)
I quickly concocted the mashy green and white meal and left it sitting in a yellow dish by the...lonely eggs.
What were they for again?

I need. in no particular order....
Kiss
Rub
A new Brain
Love emails


;)

Just Waffling On

Made a large chocolate Victoria Sponge today filled with white buttercream and topped with grated chocolate.
It's so fab when cooking goes right and so annoying when it doesn't...
Before the success came the failure...
I'd been half concentrating on cake making and as all cooks know, half concentrating is Death with a capital D, especially when baking cakes......anyway I was in error. The error being I'd forgotten to add to the bowl 8oz of margarine. Only noticing the mistake as I tipped the mix into the tins. "Something not right here" thought brainbox And so after tasting and looking and more tasting and more looking I realized the mixture was marge-less. Blast it I thought so chucked the offending lot down the sink.
And started again...I hate waste.

This is a most unusual occurrence and I put it down to David Cronenberg's exemplary direction of The Dead Zone. Yes I was watching it again. Only this time I couldn't multi-task. Cooking and movies go hand in but not today.
But all is now well, the 8 inch beauty lies chilling in the fridge rather like Johnny Smith in the movie!



Other stuff today:
My mouse is playing up. Cursor getting my blood up.
I love the idea of love. But not the mess.
Oranges are fast becoming the new lemons.


Cooking tonight: For One: Bacon, eggs and chestnut mushrooms, probably with a border of hash browns. All for Mr H. I've had mine.


Joke from mother..
Why didn't the skeleton go to the ball?

Bless.