Wednesday 28 October 2015

A random ten for half term

 

Our coats, the camera and the dog lead are lying redundant on the stairs. Every time I declare this to be the moment to venture out of doors, the heavens open. I don't mind the rain. But walking the dog and the boy in a torrential downpour I can do without, frankly. It really doesn't make for a harmonious household. And anyway, Olly is engaged with old toys that he found in the attic yesterday. Sam's old Robot Wars toys. A programme from a time when my eldest was about the same age as Olly is now. It's lovely to just let him be. Engaged in imaginative play and chattering away to himself. And I'm not feeling the need to fill his days with me and him stuff. I'm learning to let my children be. It took long enough, mind.

Inspired by Annie (Is there anyone out there not inspired by Annie?)

  1. Olly was given the choice of three small pumpkins for a pound each, or one big one for three pounds. He chose the latter, but then decided to hide it in his bedroom. He has wrapped it up in most of my tea towels, and has told me that he won't be carving a face into it. I'm not sure what he plans to do with actually.
  2. I am going on some sort of detox, starting Monday. In an attempt to kick start my return to the healthier lifestyle that was abandoned during the summer holidays. What is it about old habits? They are tenacious little blighters, aren't they?
  3. Happiness reigns here once more. We are a contented household, I think. I am feeling balanced and calm. The scales are not tipped too much one way or the other, and whatever life gives us at the moment we are coping with.
  4. My friend Liz, spoke of the wonders of upper thigh gap last night. This means nothing to me. Nor does a cleavage. I have to push both of mine together to make one good one. Without a bra, it's like two golf balls in a sock.
  5. I am lately enthralled to Liza Tarbuck on Radio 2 of a Saturday evening. I listen to her show while I am pottering about in the kitchen. Totally my kind of woman. And I bet she doesn't give two hoots for upper thigh gap.
  6. Yesterday I read 'George's Marvellous Medicine' to Olly. I though I'd try out books with more words than pictures. He was enthralled to the story, hence the trip up into the loft to find his brothers collection of Roald Dahl books. Next up, 'The Twits.' I am struck by how his understanding and enjoyment of stuff is changing. All of a sudden he is growing up. We still wrap him up in cotton wool a bit though. Marc and I are holding on to his littleness in a way that I don't think we did with Sam and Alf. To us, he'll always be the baby. Does anyone else feel that way about their youngest?
  7. I don't like Halloween. Plastic masks, and trick or treating leave me cold. I don't get the idea of dressing up in order to look gruesome. Why? If I dress up, I like to think I look better than I did before. And don't knock on my door after 8pm, because I won't answer it. It's usually only a group of teens with one Scream mask between them, hands outstretched for a fistful of sweeties. I can be a bit bah humbug like that. They'll bang on my door, and I usually shout 'Bugger off!' Sometimes they respond in kind.
  8. I wrote my first Christmas 'to do' list this morning. I'll say no more on the matter.
  9. Like Annie, I am perplexed by the continued flowering of plants in the garden. Snap Dragons in October? What's going on?
  10. I have a recipe for the easiest, and possibly the loveliest biscuits ever. Store cupboard staples, cheap as chips and you can dunk them in your tea! I cook and bake loads, but don't share on here because I don't photograph foodstuffs very well. However, you really need to try these:

    Sunshine Shorties*

    125g butter
    125g sugar (any kind you have. It's not a fussy biscuit)
    1 tsp golden syrup, although I usually slosh in more. Actually, can you slosh golden syrup?
    1 tsp bicarb of soda
    1tsp boiling water
    125g porridge oats
    125g self-raising flour

    Put butter, syrup, bicarb and water into a large pan and melt. Take off the heat, add the flour and oats, stir to combine.

    Place teaspoon sized balls on a baking tray, leaving space between to spread out. I have made them bigger than this, and they work just as well.

    Bake in the oven (160) for about 0-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

    Enjoy!

    Leanne xx



*Taken from Lisa Faulkner's book 'Recipes From My Mother To My Daughter'
  A surprisingly good cook book.







46 comments:

  1. We left our dog's lead out in the rain yesterday. And his collar. Don't ask. Small daughter has loved playing with big daughter's toys which have been safely stored away in the attic. I was hoping that there would have been more in my Dad's attic but he's been on a bit of a clearing spree over the last few years and there's nothing left, which is a shame. Good luck with your detox. Do the biscuits count towards it? :-) xx

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    1. I shall prepare for my detox by making sure there are no biscuits available;)
      L xx

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  2. it is pouring with rain here too. and there is the thickest fog you ever did see. actually you can't see.
    I think I may make cookies!
    I do love random. and yes my youngest will always be the baby, even though he's almost 6'3......

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    1. I'm a fan of random, too. Just as well really...
      Lxx

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    2. I made the cookies. I even blogged about them. and now they are all gone...........

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    3. I saw your post! They are good, aren't they?
      L xx

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  3. It's fairly miserable here too, but as I'm effectively chained to the desk by virtue of not being able to walk it's not so bad. I do share your thoughts about halloween but thankfully being in the middle of nowhere we get few visitors. It doesn't stop Mike buying those mini mars bars though "just in case.." You can imagine where they all end up. I'm putting him on detox.

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    1. I've bought mine online. Or rather my niece did. I'm a bit scared about it. She called it 'radical'
      L xx

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  4. I love your ten things. It's raining here loads! And it's foggy! The girls were singing "it's raining it's pouring" (badly, and out of tune) this morning. I was thinking about getting some Roald Dahl books for BigR. There's something about his writing that children (and me) engage with. The biscuits sound good - even if I don't drink tea! Good luck with your detox - nothing like that will ever happen here :) Here's to less rain!! xx

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    1. You must get your girl some Dahl! And the biscuits don't necessarily rely on tea ;)
      L xx

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  5. The hidden pumpkin wrapped in tea towels made me laugh out loud! Boys eh! You're right about hanging on to the littleness of the youngest child. We were exactly the same, moreso as she was female after 2 males. The youngest also gets away with murder!

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    1. Well hello to you! I've got a feeling he's drawn a face on. And yes, Olly probably gets away with more than the other two. He's got no-one to set an example to. And I'm more knackered.
      L xx

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  6. I came here via driftwood, and am so happy to have ended up here. I laughed out loud while reading #4. My brother used to tell me that I was a carpenter's dream.."flat as a board". I spent years trying to get in touch with the boob fairy. Obviously, she just ignored me. Now at my ripe old age I am very grateful that she never gifted me with a set. I never have to worry that my breasts will spend time chatting with my knees.

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    1. Lovely to see you here, fellow mammary challenged chum.
      L xx

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  7. I think you show off to your mates, Sue. I've never liked a show off.
    L xx

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  8. If you ever want more cleavage, let me know. These things are just getting in my way. I think it's strange that people are all of a sudden discussing thigh gap like it's a new concept. I remember my mother telling me, in the 80's, about when she was a teenager in the 60's and everyone wanted a thigh gap because Twiggy had one. Twiggy must be in her 70's by now. She's probably a bag of bones altogether, ha.

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    1. Twiggy has reinvented herself here. She looks rather good. Without thigh gap though. And please send son my way; I'd happily share.
      L xx

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  9. Hideous new fat levels here, have declared an emergency diet forthwith. Too much sitting around and pudding. So I need not say, no upper thigh gap to be seen. I think you probably already know that my littlest boy is very much allowed to be the baby all the time. And he plays up to it beautifully. (Ie. gets away with murder). Because he's only little. When do I have to stop saying that? I can't stand plastic Hallowe'en masks and treat or treating either. I do like to go down to the castle Hallowe'en party and have a roam around though. It's the only time I get to go to a luxury hotel (it's free) and I refuse to miss out. It's genuine built-in spookiness there though - suits of armour and long ago executed Dukes. The price of a room sends shivers up the spine. I hope Olly enjoys his big pumpkin. CJ xx

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    1. I like the idea of a mooch in a posh hotel dressed up as a legitimate Halloween outing. Even better free. Our youngest have it made don't they? I was the eldest, so no cossetting for me. I think I would have enjoyed it though.
      L xx

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  10. Fun post, Leanne. And yes, Annie is very inspiring! I'm with you on Halloween. It makes my dogs go crazy every time the doorbell rings, and by the end of the night I'm ready to go crazy too. Smart me though. This year I will be down at my mom's and Jay will be left to deal with it. :-)

    Thanks for the recipe. I might try it with gluten free flour and see if it works.

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  11. We're big Roald Dahl fans here too; I'm glad that Olly is discovering them. I've copied the recipe down for the Sunshine Shorties - it's gone on my 'to do' list for today, so thank you. I do have an upper thigh gap but frankly would rather not - I think my legs look too skinny and any fat tends to accumulate round my waistline. Pity you can't redistribute the damn stuff! Hope Olly enjoys his pet pumpkin! xx

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    1. I have a thickening waistline, and there seems to be little I can about it. Very perplexing.
      L xx

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  12. Hi Leanne. I had no internet yesterday afternoon, what a disaster. It was lovely to read your post. No thigh gap here, that's for sure (except when I attempt the splits). Roald Dahl is fun to read for adults and children, we just finished 'Danny the champion of the world'. What I like is that the books are a little bit naughty but in a fun way of sorts. Halloween is not my thing, I shall be hiding under my duvet and let Richard deal with it all. Have a lovely rest of the week. x

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    1. I'll was relieved that George didn't actually kill his granny, however horrid she was.
      L xx

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  13. I LOVE The Twits. So silly, but so funny and those Quentin Blake illustrations - perfect.
    Just letting Joe be would be great at the moment as his new hobby seems to be pushing my buttons. Repeatedly. In a few more years, maybe... It's great to hear you sounding so relaxed and happy (despite the weather). And as for thigh gaps - oh dear. There really is more to life. My approach to the cleavage thing is to wear what I like, and I don't suit low-cut anyway. Good job.
    S

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    1. I dress like the Amish, so bosoms would have been wasted on me
      L xx

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  14. Thanks for the yummy recipe they look good. I wholeheartedly agree about Halloween. I will be closing the curtains and turning off the lights on Saturday..how mean! As for the youngest child syndrome...I'm sure I don't spoil my youngest son now a strapping 23 year old but according to his two elder brothers he gets away with murder! Ho hum....

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    1. Ah us older siblings are bitter about spoilt younger ones ;)
      L xx

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  15. Well, I hope that the pumpkin issue resolves itself! As for the "callers" if they are little they usually come early - when we are trying to eat generally! - and then the older ones come later so I turn off the light. I have had a suggestion as to what to do with them - when they say trick or treat say oh I will have a treat please. Not sure that I am brave enough for that one though!! xx

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    1. My door and windows were pelted with eggs, and the lit pumpkin outside the door was stomped on one year. Helpers, Amy. I'll give them treat!
      L xx

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  16. Your biscuit recipe sounds remarkable like one I use for what we call (in Australia) ANZAC biscuits. They are yummy, aren't they? I'm totally with you on Halloween. We usually turn all the lights off and keep the tv down low and pretend we're not home, although in yesterday's mail was a note with a black balloon attached; if we want to participate, blow up the balloon and attach to the front gate. Needless to say, the balloon shall remain deflated.

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    1. Maybe that's where the originated. They are brilliant biccies.
      L xx

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  17. Roald Dahl is the kind of thing you miss when your kids grow up, and my baby of the family is definitely grown up.

    Not bragging or anything but I actually used to have a thigh gap, years of horse riding does that to you. Now I have a thigh overlap. Years of too much chocolate does that.

    You're reading Rising Ground I see, good isn't it?

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  18. Rising Ground was wonderful. I'm off to the bookshop in St Ives this morning to find some books on west Cornwall heritage.
    L xx

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  19. Just saying, I like your blog x

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  20. What a lovely post... I found you via Christina. I'm a mother of boys too (four of them) and yes, wanted to hang on to the littlest. They are all grown up now.

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    1. Hey Gina, thanks for dropping by. I'm feeling the loss of my eldest to Uni quite keenly this weekend.
      L xx

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  21. Oh my goodness, you have just reminded me that there are Dahl books in our attic somewhere from when my boys were little. Time to get them out for the grandchildren :) I loved his wicked sense of humour. Great random ten Leanne, you always make me smile :)

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  22. I've got the exact same duvet cover. And I also am a bit humbugish about Halloween too. No rain here but lots of flowers defying the season. Glad all is tickety-boo with you all XX

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    1. Hey CT,
      I love my duvet cover. Bit old now, but lovely and soft. Sort of like myself ;)) lovely to hear from you.
      L xx

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  23. Fabulous post. I love that photo, it looks familiar, the small hands gripping a small screen. I hold on to Angus's littleness so tightly, it worries me. I dreamed I was was pregnant the other night! I too can't get excited about Halloween. If it was more aesthetically pleasing then I might be persuaded but fake cobwebs all over the house? No thanks! I am equally irritated by the bah humbug parade though and if others want to celebrate it then good luck to them,. Live and let live, except no trick or treating after 8pm. ;-) xx

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  24. Olly loved the Halloween party he went to. I don't like fancy dress in any form. It makes me feel awkward and uncomfortable. It's a pity I've moved to the fancy dress capital of the world. St Ivers love a bit of dressing up. And yes, live and let live. I'm all for that. Honest ;)
    L xx

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  25. Ooh Rising Ground! Loved it. Love finding other people loving it. I do like these random posts. I might have to do one. And thigh gap? That anyone takes the idea seriously terrifies me.

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