More on Teenagers

11 years ago, when Horace was the age Mavis now is, Whizz and I moved to this village of Pebbleditch we now call home. Mavis knew nobody so I decided, as newly appointed editor of the Pebbleditch Parish Post, to appeal in the magazine for volunteers to start a youth club. Four people eventually turned […]

On Birthday Cakes

I pride myself on being rather a good cook. I wouldn’t be contemplating entering a partnership in a cookery school otherwise. I am the family Christmas Pud maker and always make my girls their birthday cakes. I do it almost with my eyes shut and the ingredients are always in the cupboard….or they usually are. […]

25 Things About Me

I saw a tweet by Michael Todd that sent me to his blog and this post: http://www.michaelqtodd.com/25random . I don’t know why but I thought I would give it a go too. These points are in the order in which they popped into my head. I don’t know that they are necessarily in order of […]

Child Quote 10

Teacher ‘The colour of the wood louse gives a clue that it lives in a dark habitat.’ Child ‘Or on a pigeon.’

Child Quote 9

Teacher ‘Can anyone give me an example of a traditional tale?’ Pupil (aged 5) ‘Pin the tail on the donkey?’

Sponge Cake

8 oz SR flour 8 oz soft margarine 8 oz sugar 4 eggs a dash of vanillla essence Put all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until light in colour. If it curdles just throw in a handfull of flour. Turn into 2 greased 8″ sandwich tins and cook in […]

Plain Basmati Rice

Fill a pan one third full of water with half a tsp salt and bring to the boil When it is boiling hold your bag of basmati rice about a foot above the water and pour it in a stream into the middle of the pan until the peak just breaks the surface of the […]

Yellow Basmati Rice

Fry half a tsp cumin seed and a tsp black mustard seed in oil and when the mustard seeds stop popping throw in a chopped onion and stir. Cook gently until soft then add a large mug of rice and stir again. Add half a tsp turmeric, a cinamon stick and a few cadamon pods […]

Quick and easy Chicken Korma

Start the night before In a food processor or with a stick blender puree together: 1 tsp ground ginger 3 cloves garlic 150g thick natural yoghurt half a fresh chilli, including seeds 2 onions 1 tbsp ground corriander 1 tsp turmeric 175g creamed coconut grated quarter tsp salt 2 – 3 tbsp ground almonds juice […]

Sausage Casserole

Ingredients 8 or 9 good quality sausages tinned tomatoes glass of red wine cooking oil large onion 1 green pepper 2 cloves garlic good slug Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp granulated sweetener tabasco sauce to taste Salt and pepper Method Heat the oven to gas 5 etc In an oven proof saucepen brown the sausages a […]