Sunday 27 November 2011

Advent Sunday - time to make the cake


Cake day - Thankyou Mama Syder for the recipe! It's in the oven now, smelling lovely! I made a big square one from which I'll make two baby square ones and an oblong. Marzipanned but not iced; with nuts and apricot glaze, fed with rum once a week. I'll show you when they are ready.

Monday 21 November 2011

Jungle Meme

Mama Syder tagged me with this meme - I haven't done one on my blog before; so here goes, for a bit of fun!



The Mission:
1) Answer the 10 questions and consider the mission.
2) Tag a blogger or two or more to do the same
3) Come back to my original blog post and tell me you have done the questions and answers.
The questions are OK for those who watch the television programme and those that don’t.

1. What one thing about being a parent makes you scream “Get me out of here!”
Answer: Not a parent, but substitute the word "teacher" as we are in loco parentis at school:

Dinner duty in the dark and dingy basement dining room - how they can enjoy eating their lunch there I don't know! It's the worst half hour of the week!

2. What skills, if any, do you have that would be useful in the jungle?
Answer: Everything would come down to many years as a teacher: I'd get everyone singing to keep our spirits up, I'd encourage negotiation and good team work, reward those who do really well with gold stars, elect a new team leader every day in the spirit of democracy, and ask everyone to work on a presentation / performance for a Talent Show! Also, I don't mind spiders and bugs and I'm calm in  a crisis.



3. How are you likely to annoy people in your were stuck with them for 3 weeks?
Answer: Probably by being too cheerful and optimistic.

4. What is the worst thing you have ever eaten?
Answer: A Spam fritter many years ago that was just oozing oil when you bit into it. I was at a party and didn't know what it was. Being polite, I didn't spit it into a napkin, but kept eating it.

5. What luxury item would you take into the jungle with you?
Answer: knitting


6. What is the most daring thing you have ever done?
Answer: Abseiling down a 100ft cliff in a howling gale and pouring rain was for me quite a daring thing to do.

7. Who would you miss most if you went into the jungle with a bunch of strangers?
Answer: Sean


8. What celebrity alive or dead would you like to have with you in the jungle?
Answer: Stephen Fry for his elegant wit and sparkling conversation, Oscar Wilde for the same reasons

9. What would scare you about being in the jungle?
Answer: The noises at night when you can't see. I don't sleep well at the best of times!

10. After leaving the jungle, you go to a luxury hotel. What would be the first thing you did on reaching your hotel?
Answer:  Hot bubble bath and a cup of Earl Grey.

11th mission should you choose to accept it is to tell us why the person who tagged you is a star. (For the uninitiated, stars play a big party in the television programme) 
Answer: I always enjoy reading Mama's blog and  hearing about her and her lovely family - I don't know how she finds the time to post daily. Being a girl who loves a bargain and her vintage, just like me, I know we'd get on really well if we met in the flesh!

Pippa - I tag you to have a go - I know you'll have great answers; and enjoy the fun. Any one else who passes by - you are more than welcome!



Wishing you lots of love, flowers and rainbows in this dreary weather - yes,  found these on the pavement too!

Sunday 20 November 2011

Stir-up Sunday 2011

This post is more or less identical to last year's corresponding one! I sang for the Patronal festival of Christ the King at Peter's church, and had a delicious shared lunch afterwards. This year I stopped by the Ideal Home Christmas Exhibition at Earl's Court (I had a comp. ticket - Thankyou Sarah at ReVampt - ) and bought some more gifts.

Then home to make the puddings. A slightly different recipe this year, that involved soaking the fruit in the Guinness and rum overnight - it smells scrummy!


Also, added a carrot and banana, so we'll see how it turns out.


 Three puddings steaming away on the stove now and the kitchen smells lovely! Nest Sunday I'll make the cakes (again with a new recipe thanks to Mama Syder at thesyders.blogspot.com/search/label/christmas)  and will make some Christmas Pudding vodka as well.

Saturday 19 November 2011

Teddy Axtell goes to school again

Teddy Axtell came to school with me yesterday for Children in Need. He's been following the adventures of Grayson Perry's Alan Measles in Germany enviously and is looking forward to seeing the exhibition at the British Museum.!
We had some enormous ones as big as the children themselves, and some dressed up for the Best Dressed Teddy competition. We raised 300 pounds - a great effort.


Ready for school


Studying and enriching his vocabulary!

Teddy enjoyed all the attention - he's quite tired today! He is over 70 after all.

Monday 14 November 2011

Thankyou flowers

I played the piano for Bernadette Farrell (composer of lots of the music we sing for Mass at school) last Wednesday evening at an Assembly at Battersea Arts Centre, for London Citizens, in which some of girls are involved, as the person she had asked pulled out at the last minute. I had this beautiful bouquet as a Thankyou!


Lovely colours too!

Monday 7 November 2011

Pumpkin



This handsome pumpkin became a cassarole with lentils and sour cream from a recipe by Nigel Slater, and also a Pumpkin and Coconut Loaf - lovely with a cup of tea!

Sunday 6 November 2011

Gunpowder .....

.......but no treason and plot!

Lorna and Richard hosted a great November 5th party last night. Wonderful food and mulled wine and good company, with plenty of fireworks to make the evening go with a bang!