Tag Archives: neighbourhood

W is for WEDNESDAY, half of the week is through

Posted on by
15

Thoughts on Wednesday

Mr FD has left the alarm on despite the fact that he never gets up when it starts.

  How can a man who says he can’t sleep, sleep through that noise? Maybe because he is snoring louder?

 Turn the alarm off, or I will garrotte you with the nearest wire coat hanger. Turn the alarm off now! Who is that screaming in my head?

I should go for a walk, the sun is actually out!

Had a thought about a cake.

 Went downstairs and boiled the kettle to make a bowl of tea to soak dates for the cake.

  I am so wonderful. I am going for a walk and soaking dates in tea at the same time. I am a perfect domestic goddess.

Spring has gone, all the trees have their summer look.

   

 

 

 

Grandma's ashes? Is she enjoying the morning sun too?

Dry run for Santa, in his summer suit?

 

Home again! 30 minutes walking – I am wonderful. Wait until I tell daughters how superior I am!

 

Check tea date mix – looking good!

dried dates soaking in tea

Got distracted by a bee buzzing outside the window. Lalalala

 Had a drink of water and thought what a good girl am I?

 Had a thought that perhaps a. I was spending too much time alone; b. that perhaps I was a tad egocentric. Dismiss both thoughts as blatantly untrue and make mental note to love self more.

 Placed bowl of porridge in microwave.

 Fed our addiction and refilled the tea bag canister.

 Listened to Mr FD coming down the stairs. There goes the neighbourhood!  Prepared a 2nd bowl of porridge.

 We both stand at back door and listen to the pigeon cooing a tune as it sits on the back fence. hello pretty little birdie, oh its a pigeon, hello dull little pigeon.

 Breakfast over, time to bake.

 Muffins in the oven, email daughters how wonderful I am walking today. Daughter2 emails back and says that she also went for a walk and that when she comes to stay over Christmas “we can walk together every day”.  Remember to hesitate when sprouting news of next walk and consider possible repercussions next time; such as having to do it every day.

My muffins are soooooo good. I am so wonderful.

English Tea Date Muffins

Ingredients (makes 12 muffins)

Method

Ingredients (makes 12 muffins)

  • 3 tbs English breakfast (or any black tea leaf) tea leaves
  • 250g  pitted dates, roughly chopped
  • 1 3/4 cups (265g) self-raising flour
  • 1/4 cup (40g) plain flour
  • 3/4 cup (155g) brown sugar
  • 125g butter/margarine, melted
  • 2 eggs, lightly whisked

Butter, to serve

Method

  1. Boil 1 1/3 cups water in kettle and then pour over 3 tablespoons tea leaves (any black tea) in a pouring jug. Could also be made in a teapot with a tea infuser. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes then pour through a tea strainer into a bowl, add the chopped dried dates. Allow to stand at least an hour.

3. Preheated the oven to 200C and the muffins took 20 minutes to bake.

4. Grease muffin tin or use muffin papers

5. Sift the flours into a large bowl, stir in the sugar. Add the date mixture, butter and eggs and stir until just combined.

6. Spoon the mixture into muffin pan. Bake for approx. 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Set aside to cool. Serve sliced with butter if desired.

English Tea Date muffins hot from the oven

About these ads

street walking

Posted on by
8

A lovely spring Sunday morning to walk . Today on my walk I discovered:

  • A fluffy brown persian cat on the footpath sneaking up on two galahs sneaking seeds off the road. The galahs took fright when they saw the cat, and the cat took fright when it saw me, and I laughed in the  warm sunlight with the light breeze.
  • The mushrooms were starting too shrivel and die not that the rain showers are decreasing. I guess that is the cycle of life.
  • I saw some ant trails across the earth footpath near the park. The soft earth had been disturbed as they built tunnels and homes I guess. It looked like a form of ancient writing and I stopped for a moment to see if I could decipher the meaning of life from their work words but nothing came to me. Their secret is safe for now.
  • The spring perfumes of the trees permeates my walk and it is fun trying to guess which particular tree or flower is the source of the joy.
  • I noticed that a practioner of traditional chinese medicine and acupunture has taken up residence in a nearby street. We have quite a few chinese nationals relocating to this area, the majority from Hong Kong. There are a number of such businesses in the area, all run from private homes.
  • I noted that I walked faster today over the same route.
  • I noted that I think I need the rountine of doing things in the same order each day to assist me to achieve them. Both days I have had breakfast and then gone for my walk. One sets in motion the other and so I don’t have to think about it so much and then I don’t have such an opporuntity to procrastinate and that as we know is my achilles heel.
  • I note that I think about what I do, why and how more already. Is this getting into the moment?
  • I am worried that all this is easy when I am on holidays. How to achieve it when school starts again in a week will be the challenge.