Aaah, simplicity! 😋
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Planned Leftovers
Last night for supper I made cheese sauce with broccoli, onion, and garlic and cooked some wholemeal pasta. I made extra so we could have the same again tonight--just heat and eat.
Lunch will be leftover bean burgers topped with avocado mashed with scallion, tomato, parsley, garlic, smoked paprika and a sprinkle of chilli powder.
Aaah, simplicity! 😋
Aaah, simplicity! 😋
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Growing
We walked up to the garden again this morning to check on things, to water the stuff in the hoop house, and to plant some seeds in pots. The stuff we've planted so far was mostly looking good. A couple of plants were a little battered from being shoved in a bag and carried home from Buncrana, but there is new growth coming, so they should be OK.
Most of what we've planted so far has been in the hoop house. In the outdoor bed, we have some cabbage plants at one end along with a few cauliflower seeds (we will plant more of those next week) and a couple of strawberry plants at the other end. Inside, we have 6 tomato plants, two basil plants, 3 strawberry plants with one more in a pot which will have to go somewhere, a celery regrowing from an end, some fennel that has taken off after wintering on our window ledge at the apartment, and a bunch of parsley, one or two plants of which might be repotted and plunked out back of the house if I end up needing the space in the bed! I've planted seeds in the beds--French breakfast radish, leek, lettuce, and coriander (cilantro) and in pots to start--chard, spinach, broccoli, courgette (zucchini), bell pepper, and jalapeno. The last two will be planted in the hoop house if they come up (I have never had really good luck with peppers). The rest will go in the outdoor bed, but I just left the pots inside for now, hoping they'd germinate faster in the 80 degree heat of the hoop house than they would outside. Also going outside once it is a little warmer will be carrots, beans, and lavender.
The apple trees in the garden area are blossoming--so pretty.
I also have some stuff growing out back of our house. I like having stuff in pots and I have to get some bigger ones and some more dirt. I am also considering trying to lug home a big bag of dirt or two, cutting holes in it/them, and plating directly in the bag, letting the plants cover the bag. I have lupine seeds and want to get more flowers and other plants, but I am waiting until I get some help from someone who knows what they are doing (hi, Karen 😊). I will also plant some of the lavender here. I have oregano seeds to plant as well.
For now, the stuff that is already there is coming along. The wild rocket seeds I planted have sprouted. The chocolate mint and lemon balm which died back over the winter have started growing again. The parsley that wintered on the window ledge with the fennel is growing. My scallions are growing and I have more ends in water inside the kitchen on the windowsill, along with rosemary, another celery, and more parsley, all of which are growing.
When we went to the garden centre a few weeks ago I got a tray of pansies to put in a window box on the front window ledge. I had one that would not fit, so I planted it in a pot out back--I like looking at it as I work in the kitchen. I love that purple!
On one visit to the garden, someone gave us some lettuce. The roots were still attached, so I put them in water, used the leaves, and planted the rest out back. They are growing nicely, as is the parsley. The only available parsley plants at the garden centre came in a pack of 8, so there is plenty. I use it a lot though, so that's OK. Pics are out of focus, but you get the idea.
Growing, growing, growing. Won't be long now before I have a salad made mostly of stuff that has been growing right here in our wee pots and plots.
The apple trees in the garden area are blossoming--so pretty.
I also have some stuff growing out back of our house. I like having stuff in pots and I have to get some bigger ones and some more dirt. I am also considering trying to lug home a big bag of dirt or two, cutting holes in it/them, and plating directly in the bag, letting the plants cover the bag. I have lupine seeds and want to get more flowers and other plants, but I am waiting until I get some help from someone who knows what they are doing (hi, Karen 😊). I will also plant some of the lavender here. I have oregano seeds to plant as well.
For now, the stuff that is already there is coming along. The wild rocket seeds I planted have sprouted. The chocolate mint and lemon balm which died back over the winter have started growing again. The parsley that wintered on the window ledge with the fennel is growing. My scallions are growing and I have more ends in water inside the kitchen on the windowsill, along with rosemary, another celery, and more parsley, all of which are growing.
When we went to the garden centre a few weeks ago I got a tray of pansies to put in a window box on the front window ledge. I had one that would not fit, so I planted it in a pot out back--I like looking at it as I work in the kitchen. I love that purple!
Friday, April 14, 2017
Oatmeal Almond Chocolate Chip Muffins
Last evening, while making supper, I got some jumbo porridge oats (old fashioned oatmeal) soaking in milk. I left this in the fridge until this morning, when I used this to make dark chocolate chip almond muffins. This is simply a variation on the usual soaked oats recipe that I use a lot. The original recipe is called Lynne's Muffins and is found in The New Laurel's Kitchen Cookbook. I first discovered this around 30 years ago (!!!) and have made so many variations since (here's a banana version). I love the recipe because the muffins are great--not greasy and sickeningly sweet, but delicious, full of good stuff, and lend themselves well to so many different additions. They are the kind of food that feels like a treat, but are still nutritious.
For this variation, I put 2 cups of jumbo porridge oats (old fashioned oats in the US) in a container, added 1 1/2 cups of milk, put the lid on, and stuck in the fridge overnight. This morning, I dumped this mixture into a bowl and added 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of demerera sugar (you could use 1T if you wanted less sugar and you can use brown sugar or plain white sugar if you prefer), a little coconut, and a splash of almond extract, all of which I stirred in. Then I added 1 cup of wholemeal flour, 1 teaspoon each salt and baking soda and mixed that in. Finally, some flaked (sliced) almonds and some mini dark chocolate chips were folded in. I baked these at 180C in a fan oven for about 15 minutes, but I should say that every oven I have had here in Ireland (this is my 4th!) has been different, so I adjust temperature and time for each one. When I lived in the US, I baked these at 400F for about 20 minutes.
There were 14 muffins, so Bill and I had to sample them to get it down to an even dozen. 😊😋 Yum! They are so good! We will probably eat these warmed for dessert over the next few days.
Hope your day has some delicious moments! Happy Friday!
For this variation, I put 2 cups of jumbo porridge oats (old fashioned oats in the US) in a container, added 1 1/2 cups of milk, put the lid on, and stuck in the fridge overnight. This morning, I dumped this mixture into a bowl and added 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of demerera sugar (you could use 1T if you wanted less sugar and you can use brown sugar or plain white sugar if you prefer), a little coconut, and a splash of almond extract, all of which I stirred in. Then I added 1 cup of wholemeal flour, 1 teaspoon each salt and baking soda and mixed that in. Finally, some flaked (sliced) almonds and some mini dark chocolate chips were folded in. I baked these at 180C in a fan oven for about 15 minutes, but I should say that every oven I have had here in Ireland (this is my 4th!) has been different, so I adjust temperature and time for each one. When I lived in the US, I baked these at 400F for about 20 minutes.
There were 14 muffins, so Bill and I had to sample them to get it down to an even dozen. 😊😋 Yum! They are so good! We will probably eat these warmed for dessert over the next few days.
Hope your day has some delicious moments! Happy Friday!
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Tuesday in the Slow Lane
Yesterday was one of those days when I was reminded of how amusing life in a small rural area can be and why I love living here.
We went to Buncrana yesterday, leaving on an earlier bus than we usually do. We'd discovered that there is another bus company that goes through Buncrana on the way to Moville and it would get us home at 3ish, so we figured we'd take that one home. On the way, we had to stop for a minute or two on the main road in Clonmany to wait while a frightened cow made her way off the road where she was running back and forth. Fortunately, she was not injured.
I finished the library book I was reading (Lantern Slides--a short story collection by Edna O'Brien) just as we were arriving in Buncrana, so the first stop was the library, where I returned it.
When we'd turned the corner on Main Street to head down a side street towards the library, we passed a window full of delicious looking baked goods, including some blueberry scones. It was not too long before we found ourselves back there buying a couple of scones to eat right then and a caramel slice to bring home. It's a pretty big one, so we will share it tonight. I do not recall seeing The Corner Deli before and it is relatively new--it opened last August and we only went to Buncrana once after that, until last week. We agreed that we will go back again the next time we are in town. As we were leaving with our goodies, the young woman behind the counter called out, asking if we did not want butter and jam. We didn't. She seemed surprised. 'Are you sure?' she asked. Those scones were so good just as they were--they didn't need anything extra.
We called in at the butcher, where we'd gone for the first time last week. We wanted to find some good sausages that were made with good ingredients and not full of a bunch of fillers and stuff. I cooked the chilli coriander sausages we got last week and we loved them. Bill wanted to get more for the freezer, so we did. We were chatting with the young man behind the counter and mentioned that we live in Moville. His face lit up. 'Moville! That's where I'm from. Nice little village. Moville, born and bred.' We told him how much we liked the sausage and he was pleased. He told us that they are made with the butchers own animals and don't have artificial casings or other junk in them.
We did the rest of the stuff we went there to do and we headed back towards what we assumed was the bus stop. We had a little time, so we sat on a wall to wait. We did not know exactly where the bus would stop, since the schedule just said 'at SuperValu.' We knew it would be across from SuperValu, because of the direction of the traffic, but the other buses all stopped down the road a short way and we did not know if this bus would too. Usually there are other people around waiting, but there was no one else there. We were prepared to flag the driver down. As we sat there, a guy came up and asked if we were waiting for the bus. I said we were waiting for McGinley's. He said it came at 1:30. I said the schedule said 2. He was glad he hadn't missed it. He walked further down the road and waited. Other people started arriving to wait. He got tired of waiting and left, saying he'd be back. At about 1:50, a small NW Busways bus pulled up. This is the bus we usually take, but we knew that particular one did not go all the way to Moville. Turned out that everyone else who was waiting wanted that bus, so within a few minutes, we were once again the only ones there. Soon the guy came back and asked where everyone had gone. I told him the NW Busways bus had come and everyone had gotten on it. 'That was probably the bus I wanted,' he said. I told him about McGinleys and he asked if it went through Ballyliffen and Clonmany. I said it did. he kept asking me questions, so I told him what I knew about it--it started in Dublin and ended up in Moville, making some stops along the way. He decided that it probably would not come and if it did, it would not stop for us. He decided to wait for the 4:20 NW Busways. We told him that's the one we usually take. He told us we should go get a cup of tea while we waited for it and he would probably see us then. He was off to kill time. By then it was 2:05. Within 5 minutes, the bus came around the bend. I flagged it down and we got on. There were just a few people on it. Since no one ws getting off at Buncrana, I suspect he would not have stopped if I hadn't waved at him. If the guy had only waited a few minutes more, he could have saved himself a couple of hours!
The last people besides us got off at Carndonagh, a town about 15 minutes away from Moville. The bus driver left the bus running and the door open while he went into a shop for a couple of minutes. Then we were on our way again. Shortly before we got to Moville, we saw cows on the road again. Two large cows and a calf were walking along the road, with a car alongside. The driver had the door open and was waving at them. The bus driver pulled up behind them, diagonally across the road to block their way. The driver of the car, who I assume was the farmer, got out and was able to get them through the gate. Then he gave a thumbs up to the bus driver and we proceeded to Moville. Later I was thinking that if he was the same driver who started in Dublin, he'd had an interesting mix of driving experiences that day, from the crazy drivers and traffic of Dublin to helping herd a few cows on the edge of Moville..
We went to Buncrana yesterday, leaving on an earlier bus than we usually do. We'd discovered that there is another bus company that goes through Buncrana on the way to Moville and it would get us home at 3ish, so we figured we'd take that one home. On the way, we had to stop for a minute or two on the main road in Clonmany to wait while a frightened cow made her way off the road where she was running back and forth. Fortunately, she was not injured.
I finished the library book I was reading (Lantern Slides--a short story collection by Edna O'Brien) just as we were arriving in Buncrana, so the first stop was the library, where I returned it.
When we'd turned the corner on Main Street to head down a side street towards the library, we passed a window full of delicious looking baked goods, including some blueberry scones. It was not too long before we found ourselves back there buying a couple of scones to eat right then and a caramel slice to bring home. It's a pretty big one, so we will share it tonight. I do not recall seeing The Corner Deli before and it is relatively new--it opened last August and we only went to Buncrana once after that, until last week. We agreed that we will go back again the next time we are in town. As we were leaving with our goodies, the young woman behind the counter called out, asking if we did not want butter and jam. We didn't. She seemed surprised. 'Are you sure?' she asked. Those scones were so good just as they were--they didn't need anything extra.
We called in at the butcher, where we'd gone for the first time last week. We wanted to find some good sausages that were made with good ingredients and not full of a bunch of fillers and stuff. I cooked the chilli coriander sausages we got last week and we loved them. Bill wanted to get more for the freezer, so we did. We were chatting with the young man behind the counter and mentioned that we live in Moville. His face lit up. 'Moville! That's where I'm from. Nice little village. Moville, born and bred.' We told him how much we liked the sausage and he was pleased. He told us that they are made with the butchers own animals and don't have artificial casings or other junk in them.
We did the rest of the stuff we went there to do and we headed back towards what we assumed was the bus stop. We had a little time, so we sat on a wall to wait. We did not know exactly where the bus would stop, since the schedule just said 'at SuperValu.' We knew it would be across from SuperValu, because of the direction of the traffic, but the other buses all stopped down the road a short way and we did not know if this bus would too. Usually there are other people around waiting, but there was no one else there. We were prepared to flag the driver down. As we sat there, a guy came up and asked if we were waiting for the bus. I said we were waiting for McGinley's. He said it came at 1:30. I said the schedule said 2. He was glad he hadn't missed it. He walked further down the road and waited. Other people started arriving to wait. He got tired of waiting and left, saying he'd be back. At about 1:50, a small NW Busways bus pulled up. This is the bus we usually take, but we knew that particular one did not go all the way to Moville. Turned out that everyone else who was waiting wanted that bus, so within a few minutes, we were once again the only ones there. Soon the guy came back and asked where everyone had gone. I told him the NW Busways bus had come and everyone had gotten on it. 'That was probably the bus I wanted,' he said. I told him about McGinleys and he asked if it went through Ballyliffen and Clonmany. I said it did. he kept asking me questions, so I told him what I knew about it--it started in Dublin and ended up in Moville, making some stops along the way. He decided that it probably would not come and if it did, it would not stop for us. He decided to wait for the 4:20 NW Busways. We told him that's the one we usually take. He told us we should go get a cup of tea while we waited for it and he would probably see us then. He was off to kill time. By then it was 2:05. Within 5 minutes, the bus came around the bend. I flagged it down and we got on. There were just a few people on it. Since no one ws getting off at Buncrana, I suspect he would not have stopped if I hadn't waved at him. If the guy had only waited a few minutes more, he could have saved himself a couple of hours!
The last people besides us got off at Carndonagh, a town about 15 minutes away from Moville. The bus driver left the bus running and the door open while he went into a shop for a couple of minutes. Then we were on our way again. Shortly before we got to Moville, we saw cows on the road again. Two large cows and a calf were walking along the road, with a car alongside. The driver had the door open and was waving at them. The bus driver pulled up behind them, diagonally across the road to block their way. The driver of the car, who I assume was the farmer, got out and was able to get them through the gate. Then he gave a thumbs up to the bus driver and we proceeded to Moville. Later I was thinking that if he was the same driver who started in Dublin, he'd had an interesting mix of driving experiences that day, from the crazy drivers and traffic of Dublin to helping herd a few cows on the edge of Moville..
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| photo by Bill Burke |
Sunday, April 9, 2017
After the Socks, What Next?
The other day, I finished the second sock of a pair. I'd kept them downstairs by the couch so I could pick them up and work on them here and there.
They're made with a wool/cotton/nylon sock yarn that I got at Lidl last year. I used size 1 (US) needles for the 2x2 ribbed cuff and switched to size 0 for the rest of the sock. I cast on 68 stitches, so instep was worked over 34 stitches in a 4 round repeat--rounds 1 and 2 were purled across the instep needle and rounds 3 and 4 were k1, p1 across the needle. I like the texture that resulted.
Since I finished these, I have been adrift when it comes to my stitching, unsure of what to start next. I hate it when that happens because I end up going through my days with a constant, vague feeling humming away in the background that reminds me that something is not quite right.
I have picked up a couple of ongoing modular/scrappy projects in the past few days and worked on those for a little while, but I really want to decide what the next project is going to be. I made a few starts with some cotton that I have left from another project, but nothing was working out well, and I have started and ripped out a few times with that! I did some tatting last night on a scrappy patchwork piece I am making and that was enjoyable, so I might keep going with that for a while as my upstairs project. I am having a few ideas about some other things, so maybe one of those will work out. I know that if I am patient, inspiration will strike.
Since I finished these, I have been adrift when it comes to my stitching, unsure of what to start next. I hate it when that happens because I end up going through my days with a constant, vague feeling humming away in the background that reminds me that something is not quite right.
I have picked up a couple of ongoing modular/scrappy projects in the past few days and worked on those for a little while, but I really want to decide what the next project is going to be. I made a few starts with some cotton that I have left from another project, but nothing was working out well, and I have started and ripped out a few times with that! I did some tatting last night on a scrappy patchwork piece I am making and that was enjoyable, so I might keep going with that for a while as my upstairs project. I am having a few ideas about some other things, so maybe one of those will work out. I know that if I am patient, inspiration will strike.
Saturday, April 8, 2017
Now the Quiet
This seemed like a busy week, especially the last few days. We went to Buncrana on Thursday. Yesterday morning, I helped someone finish her first crocheted hat at the library--she was so pleased and that made me happy. Last night we went to a party at our next door neighbour's house. A bunch of musicians came over and played for hours. It was a fun evening. I went to bed at 2:30ish, but could not fall asleep until after 4 and then I kept waking up. At 9 I figured I'd better get up and have something to eat and some coffee before we left for the community garden get-together at 11. We met some regulars we'd not yet met, planted a few cauliflower seeds, watered the plants, and chatted over tea and scones. It was very pleasant, if a bit warm.
One woman spotted this rock in one of the flower tubs and she gave it to me.
People are at various stages in their garden plots. Plants are going into some and compost being put on others in preparation for planting. One guy has an entire plot planted with spuds. As you would expect, that is a popular crop here. Onions, leeks, and cabbage are also in many beds. I was pleased to see that the lettuce and coriander (cilantro) seeds I sowed in one of our hoop house beds have sprouted. The fennel that used to live outside the window in the apartment has been transplanted there as well and seems to like it well enough--lots of new bright green growth.
The blueberry bush in the berry patch has little flowers and a pretty companion.
We went out briefly again after lunch and I picked up some seeds for beans and French breakfast radishes. Then it was home for the rest of today and all of tomorrow.
I'd been looking forward to that moment when I knew I was home and did not have to watch the clock and make sure I was wherever I needed to be. There is nowhere I need to be except right where I am. 😀 I have plenty of coffee and tea, a novel that I have only just started, a tatting book I requested from the library, an audiobook in progress, a collection of podcasts downloaded, a few artist talks bookmarked on you tube, and a new stitching project or two to decide upon and start. Those things will keep me happily occupied for the next day and a half.
I am settling into the peace and quiet. Hope there is some of both for you this weekend too.
One woman spotted this rock in one of the flower tubs and she gave it to me.
The blueberry bush in the berry patch has little flowers and a pretty companion.
I'd been looking forward to that moment when I knew I was home and did not have to watch the clock and make sure I was wherever I needed to be. There is nowhere I need to be except right where I am. 😀 I have plenty of coffee and tea, a novel that I have only just started, a tatting book I requested from the library, an audiobook in progress, a collection of podcasts downloaded, a few artist talks bookmarked on you tube, and a new stitching project or two to decide upon and start. Those things will keep me happily occupied for the next day and a half.
I am settling into the peace and quiet. Hope there is some of both for you this weekend too.
Thursday, April 6, 2017
On the Road Again
We decided to head to Buncrana today, so we hopped on the noon bus and off we went. We had not been there in about 6 months, but wanted to pick up some stuff we cannot get here.
It's always a nice view out of the bus window.
I enjoyed the flowers--especially the purple ones!
We had time to stop at the library and look around.
Cute wreath on the door:
It's part of the Donegal system, so we can check things out there and return here.Bill found several that he was interested in, but he did not want to carry a stack of books home. He already had a book from a charity shop in his backpack. So he wrote down titles and authors so he can request them and have them sent here. I could not resist checking out a book.
I am looking forward to learning more about Countess Markievicz, who was an important woman in Irish history. On the back of the book I read, 'Countess Constance Markievicz--one of the most remarkable women in Irish history--was a revolutionary, a socialist, and a feminist, as well as an artist and writer...a woman with a huge heart, battled all her adult life to establish an Irish republic based on co-operation and equality for all.'
How could I resist that? Truth be told, they had me at 'a most outrageous rebel.' 😁
It's always a nice view out of the bus window.
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| near Culdaff |
It's part of the Donegal system, so we can check things out there and return here.Bill found several that he was interested in, but he did not want to carry a stack of books home. He already had a book from a charity shop in his backpack. So he wrote down titles and authors so he can request them and have them sent here. I could not resist checking out a book.
How could I resist that? Truth be told, they had me at 'a most outrageous rebel.' 😁
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