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Thistles and library books

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We saw these fabulous thistles at the Metro link station this afternoon. They are the perfect greens and purples and remind me of childhood when we ran through the woods and fields avoiding spiky thistles and stinging nettles.
This in turn got me thinking that I never have seen nettles while we have lived in the United States.
As we will be spending six weeks in the UK this summer, I will need to introduce (nicely) my boys to stinging nettles. Just in case they come across a patch which will undoubtably taller than they are.

Back to true Metro Link, we were trekking up to the library in Clayton as they often have different books to our local library as well as an abundance of magazines.
The library is the best thing ever in my opinion. Pretty much any book, CD or film I have wanted to read, listen to or watch I have managed to borrow from a library. For free! I like to listen to audio books while I am making jewels and these come from the library too and I pop them into iTunes for future listening.
On the way to the library I bought the new ‘Jamie’ cooking magazine which always makes me a happy girl.
So, a happy Easter Saturday was had, looking forward to an Easter breakfast of sticky buns which are starting their nutty caramelly life right now as a dough in my breadmaking machine.

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Mucky boy cookies

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I do believe I have found my new favourite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I borrow lots of recipe books from the library, copy recipes and magnet them to the fridge.
I picked up Milk and Cookies Bakery and decided to try the classic choc chip recipe with a twist of my own.
I was dubious about the hassle of grinding the oats. It was worth whizzing them into a fine (ish) consistency with my little hand held blender, even though I had to hold a tea towel over the bowl to stop the grinding oats covering the whole kitchen and me!  There are lots and lots of choc chips in here and the more the merrier I say!  I also added 2 Heath bars which I had bashed with a rolling pin into itsy pieces.

I picked up a fabulous cookie making tip from the BBC Good Food magazine, which is to remove the tray from the oven half way through baking and gently drop it onto the work surface before placing back in the oven. This helps the cookies condense their cookie goodness as the air is knocked out of them.

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Mucky Boy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats processed until fine

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup/6oz butter at room temp.

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg room temp.

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chocolate shavings or finely chopped chocolate or 2 Heath bars chopped up (I used the Heath bars after much deliberation over the chocolate counter!)

Oven 350 F.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Mix ground oats, flour, baking powder and baking soda.

In a large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy.  Add sugars and beat until lighter and fluffier.  Mix in the egg and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon.  Mix in the chocolates.

Using a dessert spoon make balls with the dough and flatten them slightly before placing on the sheets.  They spread out, so make sure they are placed about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 15 minutes until golden around the edges and set in the middle.  Don’t forget to turn the trays half way through cooking and remember to drop the trays onto the work top at the halfway point as well.

Cool and share!

Nesting

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Here is the beginnings of a birdie nest in a lantern on our porch.  We have a birdfeeder hanging off the porch and it is attracting all sorts of little feathered friends.

I think the happy couple making this nest are House Finches, very pretty little red and grey birds.

Arizona Grapefruits.

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We were given some lovely grapefruits this weekend, fresh from the fields…greenhouses…suddenly I realise I am not sure where or how grapefruits grow. They are from the warm climes of Arizona, but from a warm tree? Field? Sandbox? I am not sure.

They were delicious especially when sliced in half and covered in sugar the night before. At room temperature the next morning, a fresh citrus treat.

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