There have been a couple of frosty morning sunrises this week . I know what the weather is like at night by how many lights are visible on the tall mast by the A140 - it was a Anglia TV mast originally.
Nearly forgot I had this photo on the camera . It's a touch of colour in the garden on a tall shrub in the border - a winter flowering Viburnum? that's what I thought it was last May when I arrived here and it had leaves.
The two different Magnolias are beginning to show buds, but no sign of snowdrops or aconites and the only crocuses are the ones I've planted in pots by the front door. Might need to rectify those absences sometime because I like early signs of spring.
Last weekend I decided to make some plain Suffolk Rusks for a change from rich and sweet Christmas cake. Rolling the mix out I realised I'd used plain flour instead of Self Raising.(Idiot!) So rolled it a bit thinner and used it to line a quiche dish, which was baked blind and then filled with a bit of grated cheese, the last two slightly bendy carrots - grated, and the end of a packet of pine nuts (used in the ricotta and spinach lasagnas made for freezing before Christmas). Which might sound odd but with plenty of pepper in the egg/milk mix it tasted really good and saved the pastry, the carrots and the pine nuts.
This week I've been grateful for
- Some sunshine among the rainy days
- Plenty of good reading
- 2 letters from penfriends - and both have crossed in the post with my letters to them which always complicates things! Whose turn is it to write now? 😃
- Blog friends who send books and give me ideas and information about things I wouldn't otherwise know about.
Have a good weekend - Nowt happening here.
Thank you for the information about Munich. I too am grateful for all I learn from blogfriends. There have been some very lovely sunrises this year. Well done on resourceful recycling of the pastry.
ReplyDeleteNo sun here this morning - very gloomy. I prefer cold and sunny
DeleteI foolishly made my Manderin Orange Cake with plain flour before Christmas - it was very sad and heavy. In my defence I'd already had the plain flour out for pastry and reached for it by mistake . . . You turned a minus into a plus with your little tart. Suffolk Rusks next week perhaps.
ReplyDeleteNew crime author for you - Tam gave me a trilogy by Alis Hawkins. The first is None So Blind, and they are set in the Teifi Valley, largely around Newcastle Emlyn which I know well, around 1850 (and 10 years after the Rebecca Riots which were a BIG THING in Wales at that time). I am really enjoying the first one and I think you will too.
Hopped straight to the library website. They only had one book by her "In Two Minds" so I reserved it
DeleteYou won't regret it!
DeleteWell done for rescuing the dough! My Christmas cake was rather disappointing, it was moist and very good flavour but the texture just wasn't right, too crumbly and I couldn't cut a proper slice. Google says not it enough gluten in the flour, how can I improve on that one??
ReplyDeleteI'm not keen on crime novels so sadly can't recommend but I do love an epic blockbuster and Dana Stabenow's Silk and Song did not disappoint. Marco Polo's granddaughter retraced her grandfather's journey back to Venice and beyond to England. Full of adventure!
That's strange about your cake because crumbly sounds dry but moist And crumbly is a mystery!
DeleteI used to enjoy big epic family type sagas but now don't have the patience
ask the kids if any of them have netflix , we are logged into sons...lol
ReplyDeleteActually, now I think about it, I think youngest daughter did offer and I said "doubt I will ever need it" so will ask her
DeleteYes do it, Alan now has Netflix on his television thank to me logging him in on my subscription. It's just a case of getting value for money. I've been watching some brilliant box sets recently. Stay Close is highly recommended.
DeleteWe are as sick of the C word here in the US as you are. and yes, we did hear about the parties. WE are in the extreme cold right now, so nothing is budding here. the plants have all gone to sleep and I hope they wake for spring.
ReplyDeleteCathy
I think if it wasn't for the staff and money shortages in the NHS we would be now able to get on with life. But NHS under funding is an ongoing problem that's difficult to resolve in a hurry.
DeleteSo far this winter we've had very few cold days but February is a month we often get snow.
Just how many more billions do you believe will do it?
DeleteGawd knows.
DeleteThat picture is amazing! What a glorious sunrise. I am impressed by your improvisational skills with the pastry. What a great save.
ReplyDeleteThere have been some good sunrises this week, can't see the sunset from this new home - sadly
DeleteThose flowers should smell divine...I used to have one in a pot...goodness only knows what happened to it. x
ReplyDeleteI shall go and sniff it!
DeleteI have "Munich" on my library list since I want to read it before I watch the movie.
ReplyDeleteThat is a lovely photo of the sunrise. Thanks for sharing!
It was a very good read.
DeleteHere's a book from your Blog Friend - a delight from beginning to end it is the story of the Iliad. I can't put it down:
ReplyDelete"The Song of Achilles" by Madelline Miller
Somehow it doesn't quite sound like me!
Delete"'An exciting, sexy, violent Superman version of The Iliad' GUARDIAN
'Sexy, dangerous, mystical' BETTANY HUGHES
No, Not for me!
Lovely budded plant. My new shu'getsu flowering cherry tree has buds on it also lilac bushes. They don't open til later. The c word is so overkill again. Chilly days lately. I like writing letters too. I rarely get any now except 2 friends. Both penpals and I've met them both. Have a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteI Love getting letters, sometimes I'm bad about writing regularly as I write so often for the blog
DeleteYour sunrise photo showing brilliant red/orange is beautiful and a very nice way to start the day. It's very cold here but the sky is blue and sun is shining. This is quiet before the storm, a snow storm is predicted Sunday into Monday.
ReplyDeleteI've seen several mentions of bad weather forecast for you , hope it's not as bad as predicted
DeleteOhhh, I hope they have that film here on Canadian Netflix. We usually have to wait awhile before it shows up here.
ReplyDeleteLove the pink flowers.
God bless.
I enjoyed the book so hope I get to see the film sometime
DeleteWhat a beautiful sky! Mum always had such lovely sunsets out of her back window. I love the buds. I can't believe all the flower photos I'm seeing from people back in England. No flowers here. Ice yes, but no flowers lol
ReplyDeleteNot many icy mornings here ...so far, but still time for snow. The grass is long as it's been so mild but much too damp for lawn mowing
DeleteI, too, had no idea No. 10 is so large.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly sounds much bigger than I realised
DeleteThe sky photo is absolutely gorgeous, I can never capture the colours as well as that.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised when it transferred from camera to laptop and still looked the right shade of pink/orange.
DeleteA Viburnum Bodnantense?
ReplyDeleteI have one and, as Winters End Rambler says, the perfume is fabulous.
I was going to say the same. The perfume is amazing.
DeleteRather envious of your spring flowers coming on already. We are smack-dab in the middle of a Prairie Winter. Which means snow, cold for probably 2 more months if not more. We had our January thaw last week and then a winter snow storm this past week. We haven't had tons of snow so far, but I am ready for spring and gardening and warmth.
ReplyDelete