Dydd Gwŷl Dewi Sant hapus i gyd

Today G9 went off to school in her Welsh national costume.  What another beautiful day too.

G9 in the Welsh national dress.

Daffodils basking in the early March sunshine.

Snowdrops joining in the spring party.

Happy Saint David's Day to all.

Cooking

Hmmm, I don't.  But G9 wanted to do some baking this morning and I thought why not.  Especially as it was for the dog... what could go wrong?

Now my friend Preseli Mags cooks like a demon, go to her blog Cooking is a Game You Can Eat to see some of her amazing culinary feats.

I thought I'd aim a little lower and picked a recipe from Canine Cuisine by Elaine Everest.

Ingredients

• 6 streaky bacon rashers (you can use bacon off cuts).
• 2 mugs of wholemeal flour.
• 1/4 mug of grated Parmesan cheese.
• 1/2 mug of warm water.
• 1 egg
• 1 vegetable stock cube.

Preheat oven to 190C, gas mark 5.

We actually halved the above as we have a small dog; the quantity we used made 12 heart shaped biscuits.



Grating the cheese.

We fried the bacon in a non-stick pan until cooked but not brown or crispy.



Hey, is that bacon up there I can smell?

Once the bacon had cooled down I blitzed it in the blender.

Then we put the sieved flour (which ended up being strong brown flour because that's what we had in the cupboard), blitzed bacon and grated cheese into a mixing bowl.  We used Cheddar as J thought expensive Parmesan cheese for the dog was an extravagance too far.  We crumbled the stock cube in warm water (chicken in our case) and stirred until dissolved.  G9 beat the egg into submission and added half to the mixing bowl, gradually adding the stock until the dough was firm.

G9 floured the worktop and rolled the dough out to about an inch thickness.  Then she cut the biscuits out in little heart shapes (no other shape will do).


I can smell something, now where are they?

We baked for about 40 minutes on a non-stick tray; or bake until brown and crispy.

We then put them on a trivet to cool, and packed them to store in an air tight container.


The finished product - they look good enough to eat.

Although G9 and J tried one (greedy gannets), I think the dog preferred them....


Please, please... don't tease... gimme gimme!

I quite enjoyed it... but I think I'll still leave the cooking to J.

The Gallery - Togetherness

My first post at Sticky Fingers - The Gallery, inspired by Preseli Mags.  This week's theme is togetherness.

G9 is an only child, so her friendships are extra special to her.  She and H9 are very close... very much together.  Almost joined at the hip.

And at the other end of the age range G9 is striding out with her Grampy. Two peas in a pod.  And to think they may never have met as Grampy was having a triple bypass whilst I was pregnant.  Yet due to his recovery he had time on his hands.  From a babe in arms with G9 in a backpack and Grampy in his walking shoes, they went off on their little adventures together.  They are having adventures still.

Living the "high" life

I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer.  ~Jim Carrey

Maybe it is the little, almost insubstantial things that matter.  And, to boot, they really don't have to cost much.

Thursday I helped out at the local Adran (after school Welsh club) at Maenclochog Hall. I was not being philanthropic, it was just my turn. I did though understand what was going on, a little, which was a minor breakthrough.

Friday night involved a Bingo evening at Maenclochog Hall again, this time to raise funds for the school.  I felt part of the community.  All inclusive.  Warm.  And it was fun.

Saturday Topsy and Scamp (who owns Preseli Mags) are going to get together for their first doggy date and I for one can't wait. It's almost like G9's first day at school. Simply daft I know, but we are taking a picnic and making a day of it. It's going to be a sunny day, so we will appreciate the soft warmth on our faces after such a bitter winter.

Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.  ~Grandma Moses

Scamp; really enjoying the moment.

Just as I was about to publish this post, I learned that a neighbour of ours has a brain tumour.  The outlook is not good.  He does not know yet, but his wife does.  It is so tragic.  It drove home that in life there is nothing so valuable, nor so undervalued, as our health.  Please pray (to whoever you conceive Him to be) for them both.

It's only a number...

I'm going to hit the big fifty this year.  What to do?



Party - or Not?

Do I do nothing and try my hardest to ignore it and hope (forlornly) that it goes away or do I throw a party?

I quite like the idea of organising a party in Peewees (the place of my mis-spent youth) and invite all my (literally) old friends.  Through our beer glasses we could all make believe we are twenty again.

OR do I fly to New Zealand to see my soul mate Alex?  We travelled together around the world after Uni for a year and loved "the land of the long white cloud", Alex so much she lives there now.  We celebrated our twentieth and thirtieth together (I was the 'mature' one even back then).  For four years we were care free students and we had an absolute blast.  I haven't seen her for a decade now and would love so much to visit and instantly sink into that cozy friendship that wraps itself around you.

OR do I hold a repeat and similar party to Gran's 100th held at home last year?  This option would involve more family and be more inclusive.  Would anyone come?  Would it be an anticlimax after Gran's do?  Gulp.

Perhaps I'll do nothing.  I am after all a scardy cat.

Lack of greed.

My daughter, G9 asked for a cup of "Pick 'n' Mix" when we were out in town and only quarter filled it.

"You can fill that to the top you know,"  said the sales assistant at the till.  (This was for no extra cost).

In a tone that suggested all adults must be stupid G9 replied.  "But it's all I want."

We can learn something from the young.

Maybe not, I made her go back to fill it up.  After all I was paying and her Dad would nobly step into the breach and help her out with the eating.

New Year's Resolution

Well here we are again, with the same old resolution (i.e. to lose weight) although this year it's combined with picking up those running shoes again and getting fit.

To this aim I have bought some winter gear and ordered a monthly running magazine which will accusingly or encouragingly (depends on my mood) regularly land on the mat, but I still have not sorted out the new shoes.  And unfortunately after receiving my credit card bill yesterday I am still in deep shock.  I'm not sure the bank balance can withstand another hit.  I even took something back to Marks and Sparks yesterday as it was in the sale, and then re-bought it at the sale price.  Every little helps.

Winter running gear; still with labels intact.

J keeps telling me there is no point hanging on to our savings as they are now depreciating quickly in this economic climate, I on the other hand still like that feeling of a back up nest egg (no matter how small). 

I also worry about things currently in the future and not confirmed; for example how on earth are we are going to be able to afford to send G9 to higher education (if she chooses to go) if we don't save a little beforehand.  Currently Wales is subsidising the fees for Welsh residents wherever they may choose to study, but a week is a long time in politics, never mind 9 years.  I know these tuition fees are supposed to be down to the students to pay, but between that and trying to afford a home at these ridiculous prices in the UK we'd really want to help G9 out at the beginning of her independent life - if at all possible. 

Watch this space though, where there is a will there is a way - hopefully.  Car boot with unwanted Christmas presents here I come!

HAPPY NEW YEAR - BLWYDDYN NEWYDD DDA