Best Thing Since...

Ever since I saw this post over at Nic's Notebook almost a year ago, I've been meaning to have a go at baking my own bread. She very kindly emailed me her recipe and I filed it away thinking it would be something that would require a lot of preparation. I happened upon it this weekend though and after having a proper look at it, went out to buy the bread flour and yeast (the only ingredients not to be found in the kitchen already) and set about.

I was really surprised at how easy it was - the only issue is the waiting around for the dough to prove. It took me four hours in total, but the pure MAGIC of the yeast makes up for it. Just look at this difference after two hours:

And again after a further 30 minutes! So exciting!

It finally came out of the oven at about 9pm looking very much like a loaf of bread, and, I was delighted to find, tasting like one too. I don't think hot buttered bread fresh from the oven can be beaten, do you?

Really pleased I stepped out of my baking comfort zone and tried this, I'll definitely be experimenting with as many variations as I can find. Any recommendations?



Day Zero Watch:
#24: Bake bread from scratch - DONE!
Running Total: 16/101

A Fine Art

Here in the North East we miss out on a lot of the UK’s arts scene, being as London-centric as it is. So when it was announced that the Baltic would be hosting the Turner Prize in 2011 – the first time it’s ever been hosted at a venue other than a Tate - I was determined to go along, not only to see it but to show my support so that more major events might come to the North East in future.

The exhibits were up from 21st October but of course with one thing and another and then CHRISTMAS, we were well into the new year before I remembered about it and checked. It was three days before it finished, so I was lucky to be able to catch it at all. At that late notice I had no-one to go with, so last Sunday I just took myself off to Newcastle for a bit of a treat day by myself. I had lunch, did some shopping, had a MAC ‘makeover’, had coffee and cake and a good wander of the Quayside experimenting with the pinhole effect on my camera before going in to the gallery itself.


There were four finalists being exhibited and there was only one which I didn’t really like (or maybe didn’t ‘get’) – Karla Black. It just seemed like a bit of a lazy old mess, but I did like the smell of the powder paint. My third favourite was the video installation by Hilary Lloyd, which, although interesting, made me feel a bit seasick after a while. I liked winner Martin Boyce’s tree sculpture and the very realistic shadows it produced, but the stand out work for me was that of George Shaw – I loved everything about it: the unusual subject matter; the dejected, apathetic mood; the humourous titles (“Landscape with Dog Shit Bin”…) and the sheer talent it must take to paint like a photograph like that, loved it.

George Shaw - Resurface

Have you had a look at the finalists? Which one should have won for you?

Please excuse the layout of the blog whilst I have a little play about with it - hopefully I'll make a decision soon!

The Finished Article: Oliver Cushion

Well after the success that was the Heidi Blanket (finished in good time, no shortcuts, no mistakes, still loved it even after working on it for weeks...), I reverted right back to form with the Oliver Blanket. If you remember, two friends of mine were due babies within four weeks of each other - Heidi came first and I was all zen about it and her Mammy loved the blanket. Then Oliver arrived two weeks early and I was not at all ready for him, visiting him for the first time almost empty-handed with the promise of something 'on the way'.

The idea of the Oliver Blanket was ten times' ten different coloured two-round grannies edged in cream - blocks of colour seeming more boyish and less flowery than a two-colour two-round square.

I was going like a demon and before long had 50 squares which I tried and tried to arrange into a random-yet-evenly-spaced pattern. In the end I gave up on that as it's nigh-on impossible, and opted for a diagonal stripe arrangement instead, thus:

I was halfway though and had a weekend of crochet madness ahead of me before seeing Oliver for the second time on a Monday off work. It would be hard but doable, and once I had the first half sewn together I felt a renewed passion and was raring to go.

Then disaster struck. Starting square number 51, I looked in my wool bag for some cream and ... I'd run out! Argh, schoolboy error or what?! I was faced with a dilemma - order some more cream (nowhere near me stocks it), tell my friend that Oliver's present would be delayed again and prolong the agony for myself ... or do what I did with the French Blanket and just turn the bloomin' thing into a cushion.

Readers, I chose the easy option. Sometimes you just have to admit defeat.

So here in all its glory is the Oliver CUSHION:

Side One

Side Two

I do like it but I'm disappointed that it's not what I meant it to be. My friend doesn't know about the whole debacle though and was over the moon, she's even put the cushion on her bed "til Oliver's old enough to have it in his room" so I guess it's done its job.

Next on the agenda? A blanket. A granny blanket. A big one. But it's for me, for fun and with no deadline - watch this space :)


Day Zero Watch:
#20 - Make a crochet blanket for two due babies - DONE (sort of!)
Running total: 15/101

Photo Scavenger Hunt: December

Happy New Year! Hope you've all had a lovely break and are feeling refreshed and ready to take 2012 by the horns! I'm back at work tomorrow and of course I've woken up this morning full of cold - woe!

Late as always with the Scavenger Hunt but better late than never! December was hard wasn't it?! A few of mine are pretty dodgy and it really was a scavenge for some of them, and a lot of them have ended up being phone pics, but it all counts doesn't it?

*Obviously I didn't take the couple of pics that I'm in - hope you don't mind :)*

A is for Angel(s) -

B is for Baileys -

Made myself extremely sick on this stuff when I was 16, but still like to have a glass at Christmas.

C is for Cracker -

D is for Dove Decorations -


E is for Elves -

These were the only ones I could find, in my subject for 'M'...

F is for Fancy Dress -

The Annual Santa Run.

G is for Glitter -

My Barry M nails.

H is for Handmade wreath -

As seen here.

I is for Intricate beading on my Christmas party frock -


J is for Joke -

Quite a pertinent one too.

K is for Knitwear -


L is for Leftovers for tea -

I've eaten sooo much cheese over the last couple of weeks!

M is for Memories -

I used to read this book every Christmas Eve when I was little, and still like to have a flick through now, the pictures are so charming.

N is for New Year, New Start, New Diary -

(I have a stationery fetish)

O is for Oranges -

(Well, clemetines)

P is for Presents -


Q is for Quality Street -


R is for Reindeer Run -

In aid of a local children's hospice. It's very hard to run whilst wearing a flashing nose.

S is for Snowflake Socks -


T is for Tinsel -


U is for Underwear -

Hope you don't think less of me for showing you my knickers!!

V is for - Vino

Specifically, wine home-brewed by my Uncle (and see the Orange Brandy at the back? Deee-licious!)

W is for Winter Wedding -

I was bridesmaid for my cousin on the 21st - wonderful!!

X is for XXXs on Christmas cards -

(Bit tenuous?)

Y is for Yule log -


Z is for Zest -

(Another tenuous one, but there is orange zest in this cake mixture I promise!)

Phew! Thanks as always to Kathy for running the hunt - she is continuing it into the new year so why not challenge yourself in 2012 and join us? From what I can tell from January's list the categories are a lot more open to interpretation so I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with!