New Year, New Start

I think I am back at a place where I can write again. I need to record thing past and present, to contemplate, pause and understand. So ..... Let's start with the simple things. A new recipe:

Pear and Raspberry Loaf

Pear and Raspberry variant.

Pear and Cranberry Loaf.

This can probably be made with any mix of softish fruits, (photo above - pear and raspberry, rather on the tart side). Incredibly easy. Great the next day for breakfast, takes about 10 minutes to make.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup fresh or dried cranberries
• 1 cup fresh or dried pears, diced
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Use greased 5 x 9-inch loaf pan.


• 2. Put oats and milk in a bowl. If you are using dried pears put them in the bowl to soak and plump up before baking. Do leave for plenty of time at this stage.


• 3. Stir remaining ingredients into the soaked oat mixture. Mix together well and spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.


• 4. Bake for 45 minutes, ( check after 35), until the top is golden and toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to
• cool completely.

What has changed? Really not a lot. We still live in the same place. I still work at the same place and I still knit, read and play inane games on an iPad.

Daughter number 1 has very nearly finished her clinical psychology training, and has a new job lined up for October in central Scotland. She will probably live in Glasgow. So, no more excuses for trips up to Lossiemouth. Of course, that doesn't mean we won't go. Still plenty of distillaries to visit, plenty of planes to watch and plenty of wool.

Last week we went up for 3 days,

• Visited Glen Grant Distillary - slightly disappointing tour although a interesting different shape of copper stills.
  
• Sat on the side of Duffus castle and watched planes. In between the roars beautifully peaceful, birdsong and wild meadows. Over the trip saw Tornados, Eurofighters, Hawks (both plane and bird varieties) and BAE164s (a smallish transport plane).
• Went to Knockando Woolmill, restored to full working order, and acquired some spun wool and a glorious tweed wrap in lovely autumn colours.
• Ate lots, the Bakehouse at Burghead did a lovely supper, pizzas and mushroom and venison stroganoff
• Ballindulloch Castle grounds not as good as expected, but an attractive duck pond sans ducks!

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Rainy days and Wool Shows

The following day at Harrogate the rain was absolutely torrential. We went for the indoor option, which meant the National Media Museum at Bradford.  Of course, as fate would have it, they did not have a photographic exhibition on at the time, but it was still fascinating. There was an exhibition on photography and equipment, old and new, cameras though time with added bits. There was an exhibition on animation, especially of children's stories, we saw a Wallace and Gromit set, a Wombles set and a Dalek. We also played with a lot of equipment, I read the news, then Jenny bore the camera!  I ran way from the Tellytubbies, and William waved at dolphins. Child's play, in the best sense. Food was good too.

The final holiday day we went to the British Wool Show at the Yorkshire Exhibition Showground. Lots of wool, well there would be, sheep as well, a very sheepy  smell, and plenty to buy. Poor William and Jenny, they spent most of the time in the cafe while I acquired a suitcase full of wool. It might have been worse, I took the precaution of working out what I needed (well, what I wanted) in advance, and  more or less stuck to that. We also splashed out on a wool downie. Magic. Very settling, keeps me warm and William cool.