All posts filed under: Food

‘I like’ Friday. The Pumpkin Spice Syrup Edition.

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I do like a nice Autumnal coffee, a spot of flavoured syrup and lots of frothy milk. What I don’t like is commercial sweeteners or creamers or even flavoured coffee. This syrup is way better than the alarmingly orange Pumpkin Spice Latte at a certain coffee retailer in my opinion and won’t set you back $5.00 a coffee! So, what to do? Make your own flavoured syrup of course! I don’t have any fancy coffee equipment, I use a Chemex and this coffee frother, all low tech, and that’s how I like it. This syrup keeps in the fridge and I use about a dessertspoon full in a regular coffee mug, but you add what you need. Pumpkin Spice Syrup. 1 cup water A good handful of mulling spices 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger 1 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree from a can (measure carefully and save the rest for pumpkin bread) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Bring the water and spices and ginger to the boil and heat gently for 5 mins to …

Things to do with a cauliflower

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Today I am linking up with Heike to have a little chat as part of her ‘But it Tasted Good’ series.  I picked on the cauliflower to see how it tastes good and what else we can do with it! Cauliflower is an ace vegetable, it looks cool and to think of all the things you can do with one. Cauliflower and cheese. Always a good dish, with slightly crunchy steamed cauli and a lovely cheese sauce made with flour and butter and milk and cheese. Extra cheese on the top with a few sliced almonds and a good toast to get the top all crunchy.  This is definitely going to taste good. Raw with dips. I like the sound of raw crunchy white mini trees to dip in some home made salsa or a yoghurt dip, but raw cauliflower really isn’t often a good option for me. I don’t dislike it, but I think it dislikes me as it gives me a stomach ache. So even though it tastes good, we can’t be veggie …

What have I been looking at this week?

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I have been looking around at some marvellous stuff  this week, take a look- I am writing the weekly grocery list and looking here for meal ideas. Read anything good lately?  I have just finished this and want to read this . Do you watch lots of TV or just a bit?  I am liking these guys, they crack me up and this was rather interesting and a bit of a shame. A  weekend photo project, sounds fun. I want to go here and collect shells and walk on that beach. This recipe looks yums, rice and lentils aplenty. I almost gasped at the yellow field photo in this gorgeous portrait taking guide, it is so ace and there are some good tips too. I am trying trying and trying to learn crochet, so I have sought help here I want to wear this dress in the Spring with ballet flats (not loving their styling with socks and shoes to be honest) and a freshly made frothy coffee in hand. And in my snow free garden, …

Nonpareils and Through the Lens Thursday #7 Dull.

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No, you are not a day adrift, and amazingly nor am I. I  decided not to post my Through the Lens Thursday yesterday or it would have given away my Valentine treat for my husband and he looks at my blog, so that would not have been much of a surprise! So here is the photo and how I made the Valentine chocolate treats. This week’s theme was ‘dull’, so I snapped these sprinkles which are dull in comparison to the usual garish coloured and shiny versions.  I took the above photo with my Canon, the rest are taken on the iPhone. I still call these itsy bitsy sugar balls  ‘hundreds and thousands’ and I love them!  They are called  ‘sprinkles’ here in the States, what do you call them? Crunchy teeth breakers? Teeny coloured balls which look pretty on cupcakes and trifles for a few minutes then melt and bleed a tie dye effect all over the treat? Fairy balls? Nonpareils? Whatever you call them, I like them best with chocolate on,  so I …

Photo a day 2014 January

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1. Lunch 2. Begins with G.  Gloves. 3. My town 4. Word to live by 5. Found.  A snow covered path. 6. Happens everyday.  Something gets made. 7. Upside down 8. Lucky number. Warmer temps. 9. Natural 10. Man made.  New CatsEatDogs necklaces. 11. Looking down 12. Colourful 13. Makes me smile. Rescuing a discarded Poinsettia. 14. 3 Things 15. Black and White 16. Sun 17. Tiny 18. Happy place 19. Breakfast 20. To do list 21. Blue 22. Nice!  Nest by CatsEatDogs with rose quartz. 23. Bedtime 24. Your space 25. A taste of summer/winter 26. Fun stuff 27. I bought this 28. Dinner 29. Window 30. Best invention ever. The iPhone and hair dye! 31. Polka dot January saw the Polar Vortex and we still have some snow melting very slowly in our front garden.  I started reading ‘The Flamethrowers’ and stopped and I started reading ‘Life after Life’ and stopped.  I need a book I like!  Maybe I will find one in February. I ate Dim Sum which is my absolute favourite …

3/52 Weekly Photos 2014

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I didn’t take many photos this week, the photo a day prompts and a few randoms. So here are the randoms! This was one of the choices for the ‘black and white’ prompt for Wednesday’s photo. I used a different one, but I like the sun flare in this one. Talking of the sun, here it is rising through the trees on our way to school. The sewing machine came out this week to try out a bag pattern I have designed. It has given me lots more ideas for bags now!  Sew sew sew. Yesterday I tried out a S’mores Brownie recipe which is  yums!  It made more than I thought it would, I wonder if it will freeze?  Can you freeze cooked marshmallows?  I might be about to find out. Both of my kids have the flu, so today has been filled with watching ‘Wild Kratts’ and ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’, drinking lots of water and moaning and groaning.  I hope everyone in your house is healthy.

Six Word Saturday

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What did you do today? I have been inside with a flu ridden child, but he is getting better, so I tried to give myself a little vitamin boost with this smoothie which was surprisingly tasty! To make it I put a banana, a handful of baby spinach, some blueberries, a drizzle of honey and splash of water into a jug and whizzed it all up. I don’t have a blender, so I used an immersion blender which worked fine.

Rosemary and orange syrup

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I like flavoured syrup for coffee or ice cream, even better home made syrup. That way I can put my own flavour in like rosemary and orange. I have been making rosemary syrup for a while, but for this one I thought orange would be a welcome addition. Recipe 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup water Zest of 2 oranges Rosemary sprigs (I use about 6) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Heat to melt the sugar and continue to heat gently for 15 minutes, turn off the heat, add the vanilla and leave for a further 15 minutes. Strain into a sterilized jar with a fresh sprig of rosemary or two. Makes about 1 cup. Add to coffee and impress your friends with a fancy frothy coffee!

This happened this week.

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I am going back to compiling a selection of weekly photos rather than taking a photo a day. I found myself taking any old nonsense just to get a snap taken. Usually I do end up with a photo a day, but not always a share worthy one! So here is this week’s round up. I found an icy heart, clear reflections, made mince pies, it snowed, Mr.Y chatted to Santa and we built a snow fort. What will this week bring I wonder?