ALL IN A NIGHT

The wind was rough here last night and this morning barely a leaf was to be seen on the old lime trees in the lane and the garden pathways were invisible,buried under a thick carpet of rich autumn colours. All in a night winter had arrived.


I could not help thinking about the people of New York who are coping with the horrendous aftermath of “Sandy” and how difficult it must be to live in a city without electricity.

In the countryside where I lived much of my life when the power failed, and it often did, we would fetch out the candle and the storm lanterns for light and cook our meals on the open fire. In 1963 we lived like that for almost three months.

How much more difficult in a city where most people live in apartments,with no power and the lift s out of action how do people cope especially those with small children ,elderly of disabled people such as myself,it must be very difficult.

Central heating is very convenient but one cannot cook on a radiator,and of course if there is no electricity there is no central heating. If one lives half way up a high rise in a large city it is not even possible to set up a barbecue in ones garden or back yard.

So much damage and at such a time of the year is impossible to contemplate and yet the folks in New York are having to deal with all of this and my heart goes out to them.

Our friend Coxie remained in the city ,we know he is OK but life is going to be tough for a while

It's Halloween and our Pumpkin mask is presiding over the festivities, a bowl of lollipops and a big dish of cookies await any hardy trick or treaters although I doubt it we shall have any visitors this year; it is pouring with rain and very windy also.

Later I shall perform my own ceremonies,nothing dreadful or sinister as some would have you believe. There are good and bad witches,black and white if you prefer,just as there are good and bad people in any walk of life. The church itself is not immune from evil as we have seen these past few years. When Christians talk about holding a festival of light at Halloween calling it a positive celebration,what do they suppose we do to mark the occasion ?

People who still worship in the old way are not bad and they never were,they are caring,tolerant and have a great love for their fellow man. There are those who profess to worship Satan ,in doing so they seek power for themselves and their people , they share this desire with half the world and a great many faiths including Christianity for who can deny the great power wielded for centuries by the church;even over kings? Not always for good!

I wish a safe night and a quick return to normality for the people affected by the great storm and to you all everything that you would wish for yourself, as we prepare for the dark months ahead.........

AVIES HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS CAKE

Actually the original recipe is quite a lot older than I am , I have modified it slightly as we all detest currants,nasty bitter crunchy little things,the recipe contains 32oz of fruit , so long as the amount remains the same you can add more or less of the main ingredients to suit your families taste...even the dreaded currants!


8 oz butter

8 oz soft brown sugar

1 tablespoon of black treacle

grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

9 oz plain white flour

1 level teaspoon of baking powder

1 level teaspoon of mixed spice

a little grated nutmeg

a pinch of salt

8 oz sultanas

8 oz raisins

8 oz mixed peel

6 oz glacé cherries halved

2 oz crystallised ginger chopped

2 oz chopped whole almonds

2 oz ground almonds

5 eggs

Line an 8” square or a 9” round baking tin with a layer of foil and a layer of greaseproof paper lightly oiled on both sides,line both the bottom and the sides of the tin and cut the paper 2” wider than the hight of the tin. Tie a double thickness of brown paper round the outside and secure with string.

Heat oven to 325oF

Cream the butter,sugar treacle and lemon rind together.

Sift the flour,mixed spice,nutmeg and salt,then beat the eggs until frothy.

Add half of the beaten egg five tablespoons of the flour and half of the fruit and nut mixture and beat in.

Add the remaining egg and the rest of the dry ingredients together with the lemon juice,this time stir in thoroughly, do not beat!

Spoon into the tin and smooth the surface of the mixture, then with the back of a tablespoon make a shallow well in the middle of the cake,this will ensure a flat topped cake which is easier to ice.

Place in the oven and reduce the temperature at once to 300oC and bake for one and a half hours.

During the next 30 minutes gradually reduce the temperature by degrees to 275oC and cover with a piece of foil. Cook for a further 2 hours then using a metal skewer check to see it the cake is done ,if the skewer comes out of the cake sticky give it 30 minutes more cooking time.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool overnight in the tin.

Next day wrap the cake in foil and store. If you wish you may feed the cake with a small glass of rum,brandy or scotch every three weeks by pricking the cake with a cocktail stick and pouring the spirits over the top of the cake then wrap in foil as before. This recipe is not as complex as it sounds,and is wonderfully moist. Decorating the cake comes later,good luck.

UNDER STARTERS ORDERS

I spent most of today preparing my kitchen for the onslaught to come,I like to have a very clean oven at this time of year,no burnt grease to spoil the smell of the Christmas baking. For the next few weeks my oven will be working overtime as I bake cakes for friends and fill hampers for charity raffles,it keeps me busy but \I would not miss it for the world.


Of course it can be difficult when my hands are painful but now I have a mixer things are easier about the baking. I hope to start the ball rolling tomorrow by baking our family Christmas cake,a large boozy confection stuffed with 32oz of assorted fruits,if all goes well I shall publish the recipe tomorrow.

I have been watching the situation in the U.S.A. with mounting concern,I never heard before of a hurricane in New York or Washington D.C, we have friends in New York on 32nd Street which makes it personal somehow. I wish everyone in the hurricanes path a safe passage through it,good luck and God bless you.

Here the weather has turned cold as I mentioned yesterday,now I go about swathed in woolly sweaters,fleeces,fingerless gloves and the sort of furry bootees which I used to laugh at my granny for wearing, as one becomes older comfort becomes the prime object when buying footwear.

A recently purchased pair of winter boots are my pride and joy at the moment, they have toggle sides and are very easy to get in and out of,a plus when one has arthritis,they are so thickly lined with fleece that
I no longer have to struggle to put on socks when I go out and although they look exactly like Ugg boots the only cost twenty five pounds..hoorah for warm feet!

The cats are ignoring each other at the moment and the new cat seems to prefer to sleep outside,although she does come in for her meals ,Twiggy is standing on her dignity and the new cat Moth just howls like a banshee when food is required....often.

My son returns to work tonight and has the appearance of one going to the gallows,it seems such a pity, he used to love his work...not any more...one thing is certain,he has far more patience than I,in his shoes I would have told the company where to get off ages ago,and the managers as well,praeter te of course

FEELING THE COLD

Being a northerner I have always prided myself in (Not being nesh) as they say in my home county, twenty years of living in the much more temperate south seem to have taken their toll. Of course it could just mean that I am getting old,in either case I am most seriously displeased!


For the past couple of nights I have covered my bed with two fur throws and a patchwork quilt,in the past this amount of top dressing would have stifled me...not last night. Oh I was fine whilst I remained in bed but on the several occasions when I was obliged to leave this haven of warmth I returned chilled to the bone.

I sourly contemplated the next few months while listening to the wind thrashing about in the trees,with the punctuation of the occasional loud crack it was sufficient to keep me awake,even if twiggy had not insisted upon kneading the bed covers every five minutes!

Even the extra hour in bed did not make up for the sleepless night and it was a very yawny company that assembled for a breakfast of porridge. Twiggy and the new cat moth continued to spar throughout the day,as the house was full of my sons friends both cats preferred to be outside,I do hope that they will sort out their differences soon as having to keep leaving the doors open is rapidly becoming a pest.

During the afternoon I threw on a slanket and spent a couple of hours catching up with my correspondence,really I think it is time I hired a secretary to deal with this mounting pile of unanswered letters e mails and cards. I try to prioritise but that can never work as everyone feels that they are important and should be answered directly and quite right too. Sometimes I long for the days when our only means of communication with the outside world was a party-line shared with a neighbouring farmer.

I wrapped a few Christmas gifts and wrote out some cards but my hands were so cold that I have up,filled a small hot water bottle and cuddled up in my easy chair,I was asleep within seconds.

I feel very lazy today but my son tells me that I have earned a break from housework shopping and baking and I agree. There is just one slight problem,if I don't do the ironing,baking and housework who will? Perhaps I need a cleaning lady as well as a secretary, now where is that lottery ticket?

DISORDERLY CONDUCT

Having two cats at daggers' drawn with each other can be rather difficult, to say the least! An airlock system, whereby at least two doors are between the cats at all times, has had to be instituted. Even then, the howling of the 'intruder' is enough to send our 'cat in residence' into paroxysms of rage. If looks could kill, we should all be laid out upon the carpet end to end. She does rather resemble the Medusa, and is very, very scary.

can quite appreciate why the new cat turns tail and runs for it, I feel like doing exactly the same thing myself – but I stand my ground as the alpha female, and bribe Twiggy with endless treats – which does seem to work.

Moth has visited us twice today, and on both occasions been very well fed, but seems content for the moment to live in the shed. I presume that a cold shed is better than a hot reception from Twiggy! Of course, all the extra messing around means that everything runs late, including my blog, which is why this one will be short and sweet. As long as the cats' conduct continues in this fashion, I'm afraid we will all be disorderly until further notice!

CAT WARS !

In spite of the unpromising title a little progress has been made and the two combatants shared a room foe about half an hour this afternoon. Twiggy cursed like a sailor and howled like a banshee and although The much smaller Moth was obviously petrified she stood her ground . Eventually Twiggy stalked off upstairs in high dudgeon and Moth,having finished her dinner went out in to the front garden. I must say that twiggy in a temper is a fearful object,stiff legged,arched back and a tail like a Christmas tree. Her expression is evil,and the noise,very much in keeping with the time of year.


I missed all the fun as I was trundling around the supermarket in search of fresh vegetables (a Fools errand) I had to settle for what passes for fresh,waxed apples,carrots and parsnips so well scrubbed that they looked as if they had been grown hydroponically; and a bag of allegedly young salad leaves......hummmm!

This week has flown by and I find that there are,(as the Bible says) many things I have not done that I ought to have done) gone I an afraid are the days when I have done that which I ought not to have done...pity..it was much more fun!

Next week,unless some cataclysm occurs I shall be making my Christmas cakes and shall publish the recipes as a part of my Home Made Christmas ,all the recopies are tried and tested and I hope they will inspire you to have a go. Shop bought Christmas cakes all taste the same ,and think of this,even if the worst befalls and your cake sits down in the middle,a bit of clever trickery with the icing can turn such a cake in to a triumph.

I always make my cakes at the end of October although as long as they are made before the middle of November all should be well, a few weeks are needed to feed the cake with the alcohol of your choice. This year our family cake will be laced with brandy the other two with ginger rum. I can't wait .

OF CATS AND COOKIES

Pheeeeew! Another day spent fizzing about, how does it always came about that everything happens at once? The day began propitiously with a nice breakfast cooked by my son,it was afterwards that things got hectic.

Firstly the little cat whom we have called Moth arrived famished and was fed at once,disposed to be a little more friendly and far more venturesome she came in to the kitchen ans after exploring a little ,sat down on the kitchen rug.

She is a talkative little soul and every time she is spoken to she answers with a meeeooow,which is both plaintive and loud. W e were certain the this would wake Twiggy,who was asleep on my bedroom chair but we need not have worried for she slept all day until seven thirty in the evening!

Pa went to buy more cat food ,my son to write and I remained in the kitchen with Moth to begin a marathon baking session which was to last all day and began with a large game pudding. A basin lined with suet pastry, filled with a mixture of venison,rabbit and pheasant,topped with a hand full of sliced onion,topped up with water and then covered with a suet crust.

I covered this monster with a pleated sheet of tin foil,tied it round tightly with string and the set it in a pan of water to boils gently for six hours.

Pa had not returned so I made four dozen spiced caramel cookies, these are a real favourite as each cookie has a whole caramel sweet set in to its centre, I filled the oven three times.

While this was happening the little cat went off for a walk, I kept the kitchen door open for her, cleared up the mess and them wet on to make three dozen Halloween cookies the recipe for which proved tricky.

Pa had not returned so while the cookie dough was chilling I went out for a buggy ride and to breath some air that did not smell of baking! On my return Moth was sitting happily upon a pill of Hessian shopping bags and
Diamonds, a notorious local Tom cat was emptying the dish of food which I had left for Moth.

I ordered Diamonds to desist,rolled out and cut the cookie dough and while the first batch were in the oven managed to gain Moth's confidence so far that she allowed me to stroke her pretty fur and my how she purrrrrrrred! Just then Diamond appeared and chased Moth on to the shed roof,after much howling and scuffling both cats disappeared and \I returned to my baking.

At five Pa had not returned,I began to think of calling the police when he strolled in as if he has only been go for half and hour, history shall not record my remarks at this time!

With all the cookies baked we finally sat down to dinner, the pudding turned out beautifully and was served with a rich dark gravy and a selection of root vegetables.....yum. I was by this time shattered.

Now we discovered that Diamonds had chased the kitten in to next doors yard,the gate was locked, the walls were high,her wails of distress were heart rending. Diamonds,who was picketing our yard was scooched of and as soon as they arrived home the boys went next door to ask the neighbours to open their gate. While they were doing this I was doing the washing up...alone.

After a while I persuaded the boys to position a step ladder against the wall so that Moth could come back whenever she felt it safe to do so. Twiggy who had slept all day came to the kitchen for some food...it was just like
goldilocks and the three bears.

“Who's been sitting in my chair.” She searched the kitchen with a face like thunder, I left, feeling like Judas.

We did discover that the neighbours too have been feeding the new cat .however since they both work all day they do not want a cat and so it is down to us.

How al this will work out I cannot tell,for now,with throbbing feet ,aching legs and the Grandfather of all backaches I am off to have a very hot shower,after which I intend to fall in to bed and wait to see if Twiggy will forgive me and spent the night with me.

We have made faster progress with the new cat than we could have hoped and I am sure that had Diamonds behaved she would have spent tonight indoors.....ho hum

A CLOSE CALL AND A CALICO CAT

Yesterdays problem with the electrics in my sons bedroom turned out to be worse than we thought and we were really very lucky to be at home at the time. When we attempted to fit a new part we discovered that the entire holder was burned out,I decided to call in the electrician and it seems that the cable was burned through up to and beyond the ceiling rose.....scary stuff!

He fixed it of course .but what worries me is the fact that the fuse box did not trip out,that is a real worry so it seems we shall need another visit from the electrician to check things out.

We all overslept this morning and the meat delivery arrived while I was still in my nighty. Once it was packed away we had a breakfast of bacon rolls and then I did all the prep for tonights meal of guinea fowl with all the trimmings,Twiggy was delighted as guinea fowl is her absolute favourite meat.

Much less to her liking is the fact that a very pretty little stray cat has moved in to our garden shed. At first we were not sure that it was a stray and for several days we did not offer food,then we observed it eating the bread put out for the birds and it almost broke my heart to see the poor little mite eating meal worms and suet.

Pa gave it two sachets of cat food which it wolfed down and then some crunchies which again vanished very quickly. Twiggy is very territorial and howled around the back gate swearing a vengeance upon all concerned.

Twiggy has ruled the roost here for some time but today I was obliged to remind her who the real Alpha female is around here. The stray cat is a female and so pretty, I am not going to rush things for the sake of Twiggy's pride so I have installed a very warm and comfy box in the shed and will continue to feed the newcomer until Madam gets off her high horse. This is not the first time we have had this situation and it will probably not be the last, Twiggy will come around in time,they always do.

In the mean time we will make even more fuss than usual of our lovely Twigs lest she become jealous,perish the thought.

ROUND AND ROUND AND ROUND SHE GOES,WHERE SHE STOPS,NO BODY KNOWS

Oh what a day I've had! I was up early to see my son off to a dental appointment,unfortunately I had messed up the dates and he had to make another appointment,he was very forgiving about the fact that he had been dragged out of bed at the crack of dawn and sent off on a fools errand by his dotty mama.

This débâcle was followed by the fastest breakfast in history after which I was obliged to go out and buy a new lampshade,having sat down with a bump upon my old one whilst attempting to make the beds.

I raced back as we were expecting the grocery delivery and the asbestos man to check the sheds and fireplaces,while we waited for the expected visitors we received five parcels all from different couriers and a friend who called in for a chat . The groceries arrived, so did the asbestos man ,complete with the facilities manager......a real bonus!

Through out the course of the morning a strange smell have been drifting around the upper floor of the house,it was particularly bad in my sons room, after a fruitless search for the source of the pong I lit incense and went to the kitchen.

Tonight dinner was to be a rare Staffordshire delicacy known as Lobby. Not to be confused with the famous Liverpool dish Lob Scouse,although I am sure that they must be related in some way. I had just put the Lobby on to cook when my son appeared in the kitchen brandishing a burnt out light bulb.....this ,and the fact that the light fitting was badly burned had been the cause of the strange pong.

Back on the buggy and back on the way to Home base again I began to feel that I had not stopped moving since dawn,I purchased a new fitting and a new bulb and fled homewards.

Now comes the sad part of my tale,as I reached home I was met by a dear old gentleman ,a long time friend. He and his daughter had recently moved to the seaside and had been looking forward so much to their new life, only three weeks after the move his daughter died suddenly.

I was grieved for my old friend and for his daughter,a lovely selfless lady who had always time to help any one in need in spite of that she was already caring for her ninety year old father.

H ow he will miss her,as will we all, and, to make matters worse his son is dying of bowel cancer, life is a bitch sometimes! Thankfully he has another daughter to help look after him,how my heart went out to him as I watched him walk away,shoulders hunched as if from a blow and mopping his eyes with a handkerchief,life is a bitch.

We all enjoyed the Lobby in spite of everything but I was so tired I was obliged to leave Pa to help my son with the washing up.

Life, kind and cruel in the same breath, tragic and comic all at once,it seems strange and yet how could we bare it if it were otherwise. “After the sun the rain,after the rain the sun as the song says.

Joy and sorrow follow us throughout our lives tempering each others effects. I hope with all my heart that my old friend can find comfort in his remaining daughter and a little happiness at least in the knowledge of how much he is loved.

A GREAT DAY FOR SILVERHALL PARK

Many months of persistence and hard work were rewarded today when members of The Friends of Silverhall Park met with Head of Parks ,Andy Smith and Laings new ecologist Chris (sorry I didn’t catch his surname). Richard Tongue (Chairman) and Brintha Mahalingham (Treasurer) of The Friends were accompanied by a member of I.S.C.A.G. The umbrella which shelters a number of groups and which assisted in the setting up of the Friends of Silver hall as an independent body.


Under discussion was the wanton slaughter of young riverside birds by Laings contractors in the spring of 2012, the forthcoming tree work to be carried out by Raymond Bennett,Laings new Arbouriculturalist and his team, Management and maintenance of the riverside and the new play equipment soon to be erected in the park.

Both Chris and Andy were helpful and most important were willing to listen to the concerns of the Friends Group. The plan to begin work on the trees this week was suspended while a proper survey of the park as a whole has been carried out. It is hoped that this will prevent any further inroads in what is left of the shrubbery by the line cutters used by Laings.

There will be consultation as to what play equipment will be installed and feed back from local parents is welcome.

New trees will be planted to replace those felled and the possibility of planting suitable wild flowers was disused.

Laings spokesman informed the Chairman that Silverhall was to become the model for the future co-operation between Laings,Friends groups and the Local Authority in other parks and green spaces in the borough.

It is hoped that this new understanding between all parties will mark an end of several years of bad management and loss of habitat in this area. Well done all concerned.

SUCCESS

I am delighted to report that the feedback from my panel of expert cookie tasters was very encouraging. I must admit that I wondered while they were in the oven if perhaps I had gone a little too far,thankfully all is well. With a little fine tuning the new cookies will be added to my recipe file. Incidentally the recipe was published in Avies Small World on Wednesday 0ctober 17th 2012.


I have a few new ideas which I hope to try out over the next few weeks and a few old favourites which I have not made for some time,by Christmas I hope to have a wide selection of old and new cookies for the festive biscuit tins.

My hands are considerably improved today and although still painful I can at least move my fingers and can grip quite well.,long my it last!

Next week I shall be very busy,beginning on Monday there is a meeting with some Council Officials concerning forthcoming tree work in a local park,can you believe that they actually ask us for our approval these days.

Tuesday will bring the estate manager and his side kick the Facilities Manager along with “an Expert” to take sample from the various asbestos sites around the house and grounds. This is to be preceded by a visit from the Head Gardener, who is what I call a “Paper Horticulturist”,he know the Latin name of every plant which any fool can learn...even me...what he lacks is the soul of a gardener,nor is his heart at all involved in what he does,to him it is just a job ,and one he does badly to boot.

Talking of gardens,my own is in need of attention and this week my son has offered to give me some help in moving the container plants to shelter and pitting the gardens to bed for the winter,a job which,sadly, I can no longer manage alone. I do not want to take up too much of his time as he is writing this week and that must come first .

There will be little leisure for me next week but I am happy for the tasks ahead are joyful ones, wrapping Christmas gifts for friends far away writing cards, making Christmas cakes and bottling cordials and liqueurs for the holiday.

There will also be some special Halloween baking for friends and trick or treaters, all happy tasks which are fun to do, we may even have some fireworks if the weather holds.

Right now though it is time for a hot shower,a hot drink and hot water bottle,in that order.....night night.

SOUP ECONOMY

When you have lovely home made bread,and plenty of it, soup is never a second best meal,in fact the boys make a fuss if I do not make a soup meal at least once a week. The great thing about soup is that you can make it out of anything you happen to have in the refrigerator,vegetable box or store cupboard. It can be as rich or as light as you please,it can be a labour of love or a quick blitz in the liquidiser,and if you think that your family may feel that soup is not a sustaining main course you will have loads of time to make an economical pudding for afters.


AVIES SATURDAY SOUP

1pt beef stock,fresh,frozen or cube.

2 carrots

1small onion

1small leek

1medium sized parsnip

1small turnip or about 2oz diced swede

a hand full of frozen peas or a few left over beans French or Runner

1 stick of celery

2 or 3 cabbage leaves or the stalks from a cauliflower or cabbage

1 tin of tomatoes(optional)

pinch of dried coriander

salt and pepper

a handful of soup noodles

1 veg stock cub

half a pint of water

a splash of balsamic vinegar (optional)

Pour the stock and the tomatoes in to a large pan,mix the stock cube with the water and add to the pan. Peel all the vegetables and dice very finely and chop the cabbage leaves so that they resemble chopped herbs. If cabbage stalks are used dice finely and mix with the other vegetables.

Add all but the cabbage leaves to the pan,bring to the boil and simmer for fifteen minutes then add the remaining ingredients and simmer for a further ten minutes. Check the seasoning and adjust to suit your families taste. Serve with fresh bread and butter.

If you like spicy food add a little curry paste,leave out some of the ingredients,add others,with soup you are the boss.

AVIE DOES A BIT OF ADVERTISING.

Thank the Gods for a sensible G.P. One who does not clutter ones social calendar with a motley assortment of Hospital Consultants,Physiotherapists,and other assorted medical types. He knows that I have not the leisure to flit from consulting room to consulting room for endless pointless tests,he is a practical man.


I explained my difficulty,he took a look and prescribed the necessary pain relief so that I can keep going, and a new type of anti inflammatory drug as my old one seems to have ceased effective.

I expect the time will come when I will have to resort to more drastic measures but not yet! For now I should be able to soldier on,high as a kite but hey,what the hell!

My landlord,dear sweet natured soul that he is (note the heavy sarcasm) ha decided to search my whole house for asbestos. He does this thinking that we shall be upset by the disturbance,had I asked him to check the whole house the answer would have been a loud emphatic NO!

Since he believes that I do not wish it no stone will be unturned in the search for asbestos,sine our house has six old fireplaces,one of which was modified to save fuel during the Second World War,another which used to house a kitchen range and now provides and alcove for the electric cooker,and a further flue which belonged to the old copper boiler:it is certain that asbestos will be present.

Indeed it is plainly visible in the living room fire surround. Better safe than sorry.

I have not forgotten about the Home Made Christmas blogs and as a beginning I shall do something I would never do as a rule, I shall give you the address of a brilliant butcher whose meat and poultry are second to none and whose prices are excellent,especially for those of us who are paying the exorbitant amounts charged for very indifferent meat in the supermarkets of southern England.

Yesterday I ordered not only two months supply of meat ,game and poultry,I also ordered our Christmas turkey and a whole ham. All of this will be delivered to my home free of charge by courier. Guinea fowl,chickens rabbit,skirt beef,steak mince, pork,oxtail,and a host of other wonderful meats.

Further more I shall not have to pay for the Christmas meats until they are delivered on the 21st of December,or if I choose by invoice in January.

The name of this paragon is John Pettit Butcher and you can find his excellent web site online,or if you wish you can phone in your order with specific instructions.
I must stress that I am receiving no reward for this endorsement ,I do feel that their service has a better chance of continuing in these troubled times if more people use it.Have a look and see what you think.

TWIGGY AND SPATS

A very hansom Tom cat had been visiting My Lady Twiggy these past few days,he is huge and his black fur is very long except for the white tip to his tail,the white muzzle and four perfectly matched white feet, so of course we have Called him Spats.


How I should love to make this gorgeous creature welcome,madam has other ideas. Whenever he appears(and I give him top marks for perseverance) she goes off like a firework,all claws and teeth,hiss fizz and spit, and poor old Spats sails over the wall or through the gate with the dainty claws of our ladylike puss planted firmly in his rump.

Twiggy now spends hours picketing the front gate, when she is not picketing the orchard wall and her temper is ,shall we say uncertain. I tried to stroke her this morning and was clawed for my pains,the next moment she was begging for a cuddle but before I could pick her up she had changed her mind.....I have the marks to prove it!

Having been out for most of the day I have not seen as much of the pantomime as usual but I do know that she kept Pa every bit as entertained today as I was yesterday with her strange antics.

She now has three suitors, all hansom and all out of luck for she has not looked at another cat since the day Tom left. Well he was spectacularly beautiful,super intelligent and sweet natured into the bargain. Please come home Tom,we all miss you.

Experimental

With less pain in my hands today, I decided to cheer up both myself and the boys by baking an experimental cookie, something I have had in mind for some time and which I hope, if successful, would make an acceptable addition to the Christmas cookie jar.

12 oz. Butter

12 oz. Plain Flour

6 oz. Caster Sugar

4 oz. Cinder Toffee

Cream the butter and the sugar together, then add the flour and mix well. Put the cinder toffee into a stout freezer bag and bash with a cutlet bat until you have a bag full of small pieces, add this to the mix and blend thoroughly. Shape into walnut-sized pieces and place on a baking tray, leaving room for the cookies to spread a little, press down gently with a fork dripped in hot water, then bake for 12-15 minutes at 360 F. When they are cooked, remove from the tray carefully and cool on a wire rack.

The first batch left the over golden-brown, and speckled with melted cinder toffee; as they cooled they became very crisp. The second batch were, after a slight adjustment to the temperature, even better. Having tried a couple of three I have to say that I like them very much indeed, and although they may not be the prettiest cookie in the jar, they are certainly one of the tastiest. The quaintly rustic appearance is charming, and I shall certainly make them the next time we have a fund-raising event.

I shall try them on my expert cookie-tasting panel, my son's work colleagues, and if they pass that test they will be made quite often, I suspect. One thing worth mentioning is that it is much better to buy a bag of cinder toffee, or even make some yourself, than it is to purchase the small tubes of crushed cinder toffee you get in the supermarkets; you would need lots of tubes, one of which costs as much as the cinder toffee costs to buy – and for a good deal more of the product.

BURGERS AND A FUNKY SORT OF DAY

After a lot more sleep than usual,thanks to a large dose of Tramadol and a couple of codeines things looked and felt a little better this morning. The floaty effect of the tablets is not unpleasant,it does however hamper any serious work,or though if it comes to that.


Felling really funky I rolled downstairs after my toast and coffee with my son and made breakfast for Pa,before he set of to the see one of his Consultants, I took another couple of codeine and then set about making some burgers for dinner.

Pork and Tomato burgers stuffed with Brie

1lb lean pork mince

4 oz fresh white bread crumbs

4 oz sun dried tomatoes and about a tablespoon of the oil they are soaked in

half a teaspoon of onion salt

a good grating of black pepper

1 desert spoon of Dijon mustard

6 small cubes of Brie

Mix all the ingredients together except for the Brie, squeeze and squish it together until all the crumbs are well mixed an the tomato broken to small pieces.

Divide in to six equal pieces and form on to balls ,make a hole in each and carefully push in the
Brie. Seal the hole then form in to burgers on a flat surface ,ensuring that both sides are quote flat and the cheese sealed in side. Chill for several hours.

Shallow fry or grill for about six minutes each side. Serve on toasted burger buns with lots of caramelised onion, jacket wedges,dips and salad.


Dip 1 three tablespoons of mayonnaise

1 dessert spoon of your favourite mustard.

Mix the two together then chill.


Dip 2 1 small tub crème fraich

small bunch of chives

salt and pepper

Chop the chives ans mix with the crème fraich,season to taste then chill


Dip 3 three tablespoons of mayonnaise

half a teaspoon of garlic salt

half a teaspoon of Italian herbs

Mix all the ingredients together then chill.

Make a dressing for your salad using some of the tomato oil mixed with cider vinegar and a little pepper and salt.

This low preparation meal was perfect for today and caused little pain on bother.

Tomorrow will be more of a challenge as it is a bread making day, still Pa is off to St Tommy's Hospital so shall have the kitchen to myself.

I tried some Apache potatoes today and very good they were,small but very tastey.

HOBSONS CHOICE

By fair means and foul I have for a long time evaded the visit to my G.P which I have been obliged to make for Friday morning this week. I have reached the stage where I have had to admit defeat as my hands are now so badly affected by both rheumatism and arthritis that I am fast becoming dangerous,to myself and others.


Smashed crockery,broken glass and spills of all sorts are daily occurrences now ,even lifting a teapot to pour is almost impossible ,I am unable too put on my socks and am unable to use a walking stick as I can no longer grip the handle,the list goes on

Perhaps I should have done something about it sooner but of course with Pa so ill and myself his carer I did not feel inclined to give anyone the impression that I could not cope with the day to day things.

I have had problems with my right hand and wrist for many years due to a series of bad breaks when I was a child, pain would come and go away again now it is almost constant.

I hope that perhaps some effective pain relief can be found ,something which will not make me fall asleep,for obvious reasons. One thing is absolutely certain, I shall never give up baking and cooking

Perhaps I might need a bread making machine,perhaps make smaller batches of jams,but with the aid of my food mixer the steady flow of cakes and cookies will I hope remain undiminished.

Looking on the bright side there is something to be thankful for, I always hated the idea of growing old and sitting in a corner knitting everlasting scarves for church bazaars,now I shall be unable to knit !!!!!!!!!!!!

AT EASE

No,mail,no callers,no weekend game, no housework just the loveliest,laziest day we have had in ever so long. We lazed about drinking coffee until eleven and then we had a leisurely breakfast of bacon sandwiches,washed down with lots of strong tea and orange juice.


There was not a great deal of washing up and my son and I cleared the kitchen in record time,after which he went to sort through the new books acquired while on his trip,Pa went out to feed the birds and I went on a private errand. Sorry to disappoint ,it was nothing mysterious,I had seen the ideal frame for a portrait of out little cat which I gave to Pa last Christmas; unfortunately I had not enough money in my purse to purchase the item. Today with more than enough I went back to the shop hoping that they still had the frame in question.......they had,

I purchased the lovely polished beech frame without checking the price and behold it was now being offered at half price, providence again ! Pa was delighted with the frame and so was I for I had enough money left over buy a new collar for Twiggy.

Even dinner was easy today as I prepared a pot roast of beef,which, after being browned in hot fat and submerged in water with the addition of a couple of onions ,requires absolutely no attention until the time comes to eat it. Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes and mushy peas completed the meal which we all enjoyed very much,including the cat. There is enough meat left for sandwiches for lunch tomorrow or perhaps a pie.

We got together during the afternoon to decide out meat order for the next couple of months including the Christmas meats. Our last order was a small one as the Game was not all in stock so this time there will be pheasants,venison, partridge and pigeon as well as steak mince,pork and so on.

Of course the Turkey and the Ham will not arrive until a couple of days before Christmas but it is nice to know that the festive meats are ordered,it is one less thing for me to worry about.
I expect I have said this before by ordering our meat from a butcher on the north of England not only guarantees us meat of the best quality but is does so at a price much less than we would pay in London for
supermarket meat,which is usually dreadful rubbish.

Now,with the day almost over, Pa is taking a shower,my son is writing,and as for me, I have Twiggy for company and as soon as I have finished writing she and I will snuggle up together.

It has been a perfect day in my small world and I am so thankful for it. Night might.

HOME AGAIN

My son arrived home this afternoon and brought the sunshine with him, he lights up the whole house with his presence and his sense of fun. He looked wonderful as he walked up the garden path in his reefer jacket, the new one I bought last spring, he looked a little less tired and was full of travellers tales. I cannot begin to tell you how much I have missed him and I would rather he did not know.


I spent the entire morning preparing for his homecoming and of course I cooked his favourite pasta meal to welcome him home.

He brought with him two rocks from Peveril Castle and the most beautiful onyx candle holder I have ever seen, which now has pride of place on my desk.

I am so very happy to have him home again, so for today I shall say no more.

ARTHRHITIS SUCKS!

By dinner time this evening the pain in my hands was so bad that I actually cried while washing up. Today has been a tough one as this morning there was the bread to make and lots of cleaning to do,now just typing is a challenge.


During the course of the day I have managed to break several items of crockery and a bottle of garlic powder,clouds of which drifted about the kitchen and now the house is redolent of a French market!

I am profoundly thankful that my son,who has spent the week in Derbyshire, will be home tomorrow,a week with no help at all has taken its toll with a vengeance. It has also made me realise that something must be done as I have no intention of becoming dependant upon him,his life must be his own to life. I will not allow him to waste his precious life looking after us. Who better than I knows what that does to a person?

It may well be time to ask about a home help,although I hate the whole idea of it beggars can't be choosers after all. It is surprising how difficult many simple tasks become when ones hands do not function correctly,and hurt like hell besides.

Enough of this self pitying bosh! I have been asked if I could do a series of blogs in the run up to Christmas
including recipes and money saving tips, a sort of realistic “Kirsty's Home Made Christmas”. I have agreed to do this to the best of my humble abilities and I make this promise,I shall not spend half an hour telling you how to make Christmas tree decorations on the cheap and then rock off to an exclusive glass blower for an afternoons play before ordering two dozen at forty pounds a pop! If you saw the series you will know what I mean.

I have also been asked why my blog pictures do not always relate to the blog? The answer is simple, time and energy and the fact that I am a contrary baggage at the best of times, and besides it is all a part of my small world .you see?

Twiggy is asking for a cuddle,she too is missing my son,poor old puss,I had better oblige,after which a very hot shower and a nice warm bed is my aim, and a large cup of steaming hot coffee with a whisky chaser........and after that,with luck,a few hours of oblivion.

WHAERE DID THE DAY GO?

Today I kept my appointment with the dentist.....actually all went reasonably well and after 20 minutes of extreme discomfort I found myself ,to my relief back on the street and heading for home.


The good news is that I did not have tom pay any more as the payment is a one off thing, for which relief much thanks.

The morning had already disappeared in a muddle of visitors, breakfasts and long....long.... telephone calls from all and sundry who ,in the space of a couple of hours realised that they had not heard from me in weeks and rang to see how I was. As far as I was concerned they could have left it a lot longer for my comfort! Late I rushed off to the dentist and rushed home again as I had left Pa tottering about the garden attempting to feed the birds,thankfully all was well on my return.

I spent the remainder of the day playing catch up and as a consequence I had not time to write the intended blog.

I thought instead I would regale you with a few pictures of my adorable Twiggy,who is, I am told,what is known as a calico cat,whatever that means.

BARLEY SUGAR TWISTS

Every ones favourite sweet and a handy source of energy on a long hike or just on a busy day,it certainly tastes a lot better than those awful energy drinks that are so popular at the moment.


The ingredients are so simple that most households would .I feel sure have them in their pantry or store cupboard.

1lb granulated sugar

quarter of a pint of water

quarter of a teaspoon of cream of tartar

1 tablespoon of golden syrup

juice of 1 lemon.

Put the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed pan and heat very gently,until all the sugar has dissolved.

Remove from the heat then stir in the cream of tartar and the golden syrup, Boil until the mixture forms a hard ball when dropped into cold water,119oC on a sugar thermometre. Reduce the heat and boils gently until a little of the mixture dropped in to cold water forms a (hard crack) 154oCon a sugar thermometre.

Remove from the heat and place the pan in to cold water for 5 seconds to cool the mixture then carefully stir in the lemon juice and pour the mixture in to a greased Swiss roll tin.


When firm enough to handle cut in to strips, twist and place on a cold oiled surface to harden.

Wrap in greaseproof pare and store in an air tight tin.

Smaller sweets can be made by cutting the twists in to pieces before they set hard.

OATMEAL (MEALIE) CANDY

This recipe is Scottish and very old indeed,I first came across it while staying in the Highlands many years ago. He old lady who made it also kept a tiny post office /general store where she not only made and sold her sweeties but a rather wonderful heather ale,those were the days.


Mealie Candy is a rich dark and spicy confection and perfect for a winters night of fire side story telling.


2oz medium oatmeal (not porridge oats)

1lb granulated sugar

half a pint of water

4 0z black treacle

1 dessert spoon of ground ginger

Spread the oatmeal on a baking tray and toast until golden brown under a hot grill. Put the treacle and sugar in to a heavy bottomed pan with the water ,stir over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved

Now bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes or so stirring all the while. Remove from the heat and stir in the oatmeal and ginger,the beat with a wooden spoon until thick. Pour in to a greases Swiss roll tin, mark in to squares and cut when cool.

Tomorrow's sweet treat will be barley sugar sticks.

PEPPERMINT CREAMS

I well remember as a small child making these with my mother in the days before Christmas,money was never plentiful and we made almost all the gifts given to friends and relations. In these times of “austerity” it may be that the old way of gift making will come back in to fashion once again,for me ,and for my family it never went out of style.


This recipe has the advantage of not needing to be cooked and so it is ideal for children to make while mum is getting on with other kitchen tasks.

1lb icing sugar

4 tablespoons of condensed milk

A few drops of peppermint oil

Sift the icing sugar in to a mixing bowl and add the condensed milk. Mix well until smooth and creamy,Now add he peppermint oil and work the mixture with the hands until the flavouring is evenly mixed in. roll out on a board well dusted with icing sugar to a quarter of an inch thick,cut with a small round cutter. Lift with a palette knife and leave to set in a cool place.

Alternatively shape in to small balls and roll in chocolate vermicelli

Colour can be added to the mix at the stage where the oil is added, divide three and using a cocktail stick sparingly add a few drops of red or green food colouring,leaving one third of the mixture white ,then proceed as before.

If you do not care for peppermint try adding a few drops of rose water or orange flower water to the mixture instead, raspberry flavouring can also be used. Take things a stage further if you like by half dipping the cut out sweets,once they have dried out a little in dark chocolate. This recipe can be as simple or as sophisticated as you like. Have fun

Tomorrow's sweetie recipe will be an old fashioned Scottish delicacy, unusual in so far is it is actually good for you, Oatmeal Candy.

BUTTERSCOTCH

There is nothing quite like Butterscotch with its creamy sweetness loved by adults and children alike it is perfect for Halloween trick or treat, bonfire parties or nicely packaged ,a most acceptable Christmas gift.


1lb demerera sugar

4 oz butter

half a pint of milk

half a teaspoon of vanilla essence

Place the sugar,butter and milk in a heavy bottomed pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil until a little of the mixture forms hard threads when tested in cold water. If using a sugar thermometre the temperature should be 140oC.

Remove from the heat add the essence then pour in to a buttered shallow tin.

Mark in to small pieces and break when cold.

It is worth a little forward planning at this time of year,home made sweets as gifts not only save money, they are always welcomed as I thoughtful present. Make some now for bonfire night as a practice run for Christmas.

Tomorrow, something that even children can make,no cook Peppermint Creams.

BONFIRE TOFFEE

With Halloween and Guy Fawkes night romping rapidly towards us I thought that perhaps a few recipes would be timely. As children we were always given a bag of Bonfire Toffee as the grown ups considered it good for us,it is still a favourite although now it plays havoc with my fillings.


8oz Demarara sugar

8oz Black treacle

4oz Butter.

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan and add the treacle and sugar. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, then simmer for about 30 minutes. Test for set by dropping a little of the mixture in to cold water,it should separate in to hard but not brittle threads. Using a sugar thermometer takes away the guess work in which case the mixture needs to be at 140oC.

Pour in to a buttered shallow tin,a Swiss roll tin is ideal and mark in to squares.

Break in to pieces when cold and wrap in greased proof paper. Store in an air tight tin.

This toffee can be made in advance and I can personally vouch for its popularity on a charity sweet stall.

Tomorrow Butterscotch.

GUNMAN AT LARGE IN ISLEWORTH

OK,I admit that the title is a little sensational, maybe even alarmist,unfortunately it happens to be true.

My home is very close to the old graveyard at All Saints Church, a lovely spot which is home to a diversity of wildlife species. You may be aware that ISCAG has for some time been lobbying the Local Authority in an attempt to prevent the destruction of this rich and beautiful spot,not only by the councils own contractors,Laings, but,I am afraid to report,locals living nearby.

For some time now we have been aware that shooting has been going on in the grave yard,the unmistakable sound of air rifles during the day and at dusk,and a steady stream of dead birds of all species all with the same tell tale injury. Squirrels too have been targeted in the most cruel way imaginable having been left to die slowly of horrific injuries as few of these kills are clean.

Presently it is not know who is responsible for these atrocities but with patience and vigilance it is only a matter of time before we find the culprit or culprits and see to it that they are punished.

The graveyard is not only home to a great deal of wild life,it is used by the playgroup at the church, on summer evenings the local Guides and Brownies use the site? People drive through,walk through and often linger to read the old stones or to watch the birds.

All of these groups are at risk until we find and stop this appalling crime,for crime it most certainly is. Even those walking on the causeway or sitting on the benches could be in danger.
This is why there are laws to prevent the discharging of firearms so close to a highway ,public building of residences.

Whoever is doing this is breaking the law in a most irresponsible manner, the shooting of wild birds is a serious enough offence, imagine if these irresponsible people kill or blind a child,we need to stop this now before it is too late.

THE DENTIST LAYS SIEGE!

At the appointed time I trundled my way nervously to the village where doom awaited. From the number of forms I was required to fill out you would have thought that I was a total stranger to the practice, about the only questions they did not ask was what I ate for breakfast and the name of my cat!


I did my best having arrived sans spectacles and was ushered ,all too soon in to the room with,THAT CHAIR! I was told to make myself comfortable.............no comment..........then after being given a pair of bright orange spectacles to wear the dentist did a stock take of my teeth.

It sounded very grim as the number of missing molars was documented and the description of the remaining teeth, of which I understood not a word never the less sounded extremely dire.

X-rays came next and then I waited to hear my fate...............deep joy,no yawning cavities........woe and thrice woe ….gum disease was the verdict. So now what? Several more appointments,that,s what and today's little excursion cost £48.00! Apparently the fact that Pa and I are both invalids,with Pa receiving disability allowance and neither of us able to work does not count,it is ,I was told the wrong type of benefit, how tiresome and how typical.

I have no idea how much the treatment will finally cost and I am equally uncertain how I shall pay for it since I am told I shall need to attend weekly for several weeks,Since my total income is the fifty five pounds I receive in carers allowance I an destined to be stony broke for quiet some time.

It is difficult to make ends meet under our present circumstances but we manage and further more we have no credit cards,over draughts or any other debts,but it is easy to see how people do fall in to debt when faced with such anomalies as this.

To make matters worse the news this morning carried an article about N.H.S tourists free loading on our health service,if any one out there knows how they manage it please let me know. .

TWIGGY AT HOME

Today for the first time our little cat at last took possession of her newly appointed room. A tiny room off my own bedroom had been made in to a winter haven for a peace loving kitty of a certain age and mighty pleased she seems with it.


Twiggy is a cat who like things just so and needs a quiet corner to snooze away the cold and rainy winter days in absolute luxury,now at last she has just such a room all to herself. It has a window which over looks the orchard so that she can observe toe comings and goings of the birds,foxes and other users of the garden. On the floor there is a very thick fur rug on which stands a pine blanket chest topped with soft cushions ,at the side is a small radiator (above all she loves to be warm) and there is a small holly basket which serves as a step up to her new roost.
The look of pure bliss on her dear little face when I found her there this afternoon was more than payment for the small effort involved in creating her new winter quarters. The days of the tree house are numbered and even her weather proof garden house will soon be too chilly for anything but a brief visit on a sunny day.

I expect some might think that we go to ridiculous lengths to please her but oh how we love the little madam, she is worth all we do for her and more,may she live forever.

THE DENTIST BECKONS

Oh dear, a faint niggling in one of my remaining teeth has prompted me to seek a dental appointment. I hate dentists! In my case it is not an irrational fear but the absolute certainty that whatever they find will involve a great deal of pain ,anguish and much time spent sitting about in a waiting room.


It is my great misfortune to have teeth with roots that would make a wolf howl with envy,it was also my misfortune to have had four more adult teeth than is the custom,not counting wisdom teeth!

Whenever I visit a dentist they are invariably reassuring as they poke about in my mouth, it is only after the dentist has seen the x-ray that I end by having to reassure them. I an almost always referred to hospital which involves at least two visits before the job is done.

Thursday at two in the afternoon is the appointed time and oh,how I wish that what ever is wrong, could be put right there and then,unfortunately experience tells me that this will not be the case.

At least,for the moment a slight discomfort is all I have but as we all know this can ,in a matter of seconds become a rending ,tearing ,unbearable pain. As I said at the beginning, oh dear!!!

I shall eschew all sweet things for the next few days,avoid crunchy items and cold drinks and hope for the best,teeth are,in my opinion, a blessed nuisance!

Changing the subject,I read today in our local newspaper how our daring local authority are planning to ignore the governments new housing legislation on the grounds that it will encourage people to build willy-nilly on every garden and green space in the borough. I have news for this well meaning chap...it is happening already.

I wrote a polite e mail to the councillor who wrote the article informing him of the deficiencies of the planning department and asked him to take a look at our on going problems.

I will wager that he will find it no more expedient to oppose the Brothers Barclay,or the
Duke of Northumberland than the toadies in the planning department.....a fiver says I’m;, right!

RABBIT AND BACON PUDDING

With the arrival of October and all the pleasures and pitfalls of the Autumn season yet to come I thought that perhaps I should dwell today on one of the very real pleasures of this time of year, the start of the game season.


We eat a good deal of game of various sorts,coming as we do from a very rural part of England we became accustomed to eating game from a very early age and we still love its unique flavours.

Game has less fat than farmed meat which makes it a healthy choice and do not worry about all the tall tales you may have heard of hanging rabbits for weeks on end . I will only caution you to ensure that you buy wild rabbit and not farmed bunny,in other words eschew your local supermarket and try the farmers market instead,or an online butcher of repute such I we use ourselves.

1 rabbit skinned boned and cut up in to chunks(ask the butcher for the bones you will need them for stock)

8 rashers dry cured streaky bacon cut in to small pieces

1 large onion sliced into rings

1 large sprig of fresh thyme and 1 bay leaf.

12 oz self raising flour

6 ozs beef or vegetable suet

salt and pepper to taste

2 oz plain flour in a large plastic food bag

1 oz dripping or lard

Place the rabbit bones in to a saucepan and cover with water then add the herbs, bring to the boil and simmer for an hour. This can be done the previous day if you wish.

Melt the dripping in a large frying pan and gently cook the bacon pieces until the begin to brown ,remove and set aside then cook the onions in the same pan with the remaining fat until soft.

Remove the bones and herbs from the stock and thicken with a little cornflour and season with salt and pepper

Put the rabbit pieces in to the bag of flour and shake until all the pieces are covered.

Sieve the flour with some salt in to a mixing bowl and add the suet with just enough cold water to make a stiff dough.

Grease a 1 and a half pint pudding basin, take the ball of dough and cut off about a quarter the roll out the larger piece and line the bowl making sure there are no holes. Tip the bacon in to the bag with the rabbit then empty both carefully in to the lined basin and top with the fried onions.

Spoon on about three tablespoons of the rabbit gravy.

Roll out the smaller piece of dough and then wet the top of the pasty lining and carefully place the

smaller piece on the top and ensure a tight seal.

Cover with a double piece of foil pleated in the middle to allow for rising then tie around tightly with stout string making a handle as you do so.

Place a saucer or a trivet in to a large saucepan and place the pudding on top of the trivet then add enough water to come two thirds of the way up the pudding, cover with a lid and bring to the boil.

Once the water is boiling lower the heat until a gentle simmer is reached and cook for five hours,topping up the water as necessary.

At the end of cooking time remove the pudding from the saucepan with your string handle and turn out on to a hot plate, serve with mashed carrots and swede and the remaining rabbit gravy. If you feel up to it buy your rabbit whole and bone it out yourself, as I child it was my job to skin and clean the rabbits caught by my father,these days it is unusual to find rabbits sold in the skin.

You may find that cooking the rabbit bones in apple cider adds a better flavour,try both ways and then decide for yourself.