turtleknits

You'd never think I was trying to lose some weight, but recently I've taken to baking again. Too much in fact. However the results have been good and you can never have too much of a good thing! Deprivation doesn't help to lose weight so I'll just try to eat a little less. Anyway there are plenty of us in the house to share so it's not so bad. I made some wholemeal scones to serve with homemade soup - really good, and then just needed a chocolate fix and made yummy brownies. Recipe for the brownies is one from a Gary Rhodes book and they are really easy and taste lovely. I had to make soup the last two days. You see the veg on the alltoment are ready each day and so I had to make room in the fridge for the new veg. So I made soup with what was already in the fridge and froze some of it. I made potato and leek soup and some spicy sweet potato and lentil which I served with creme fraiche. Very very good!

This year DH took an allotment and is growing fruit and veg. Plenty of fresh air in a really lovely place and now we have lovely produce to enjoy. Really good new potatoes, plenty of lettuce, some carrots, and the sweetest beets. Also some rhubarb (not in photo). So this evening we'll have roast potatoes with bacon, new potato salad, and some yummy rhubarb with either ice cream or custard, or maybe both.

I recently signed up for a Mix n Match swap. My swap was Erica from Sweden. www.stickis.blogspot.com . A wonderful parcel arrived yesterday as you can see from the following pictures and I am delighted with the gifts. A beautiful pink silk covered notebook, lovely fruity tea, which I will try later, some biscotti style biscuits with a hint of mint flavour, very unusual and delicious, that green cone-shaped package contained delicious chocolate (notice the past tense on the chocs). A lovely pink linen dishcloth, 4 beautiful bluey pink buttons and fabulous coloured what I think is cotton sock yarn. (I can't read the Swedish label) This is the lovely yarn and gorgeous buttons

View from Sacre Coeur, Montmartre over Paris. As you can see the weather was great. Had a great few days in Paris in April. I had not been before although I have been to other areas of France and really loved it. Would really love to go back again. How to advertise!! Le Grand Bistro, where we had dinner. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! And really delicious Cotes Du Rhone wine with dinner!!!!!!!!!!!!! A view of Notre Dame Cathedral in the beautiful evening sun. Funky fashion just inside the door of Galerie Lafayette On Sunday morning we wandered down to the the area known as the 'Marais'. Lovely little streets and plenty of little shops open too. In the Place des Vosges there were a number of little Arty shops and I was really fascinated to see these wonderful sculptures in one of them. You may have to click the picture larger to really see them. La Tour Eiffel at night (obviously) but when the lights all dance on the hour. R...

Happy Christmas everyone! I hope its a great one this year. Have not been blogging since November. Ah well more from me in the New Year hopefully. Have plenty of pictures to post and some knitted projects too. Just taking a little time from preparations now and looking forward to a lovely Christmas dinner with all the trimmings shortly. Got great gifts today and Christmas is just as great as ever.

Just spent last weekend in Gorey in Co Wexford with DH and four friends. We stayed in a great hotel and between great company and great food/drink we all really enjoyed ourselves. Added to that was glorious weather, warm, dry and sunny!! The morning sun on the sea from the little pier at Cahore point. Idyllic. A view inland from the same pier. Could have stayed here for a week. DH's Tart tatin, dessert after a really delicious meal on Saturday night. And my sticky toffee pudding which was absolutely yummy. And what about the presentation? All of our food at this meal was beautifully presented. Overall we had a truly lovely weekend and am looking forward to the next. (goodness knows when)

On Sunday last we had a little bit of sunshine, so we took a drive to Co Wicklow. We visited the lovely Mount Usher gar dens in Ashford, near to Wicklow town. We had a great take away lunch from the little bakery, run by Avoca and it was really delicious. I found this little ladybird basking in the sunshine! Some waterlilies in a little pond to the side of the river In the palm garden, found this 'totem pole'! Because the bottom part of this palm plant had been trimmed, I thought it looked just like a totem pole. Unusual shaped tree with great weeping branches A view up the river from near the bottom of the gardens. Beautiful Acer trees with the red foliage. If you look really carefully to the right of the picture beyond the gate, you might see the artist at work. What a great place to spend the afternoon painting.

On Saturday, my DH ( www.prendoponder.blogspot.com ) (I'm sure he will start blogging again soon now that he has the time) got the results of his Arts degree, which he studied arduously for over a period of 6 years, extracuricularly. And he got a 1st class hons in it too. Well done!!! and Congratulations to you.!!! Yesterday, July 1st was very showery and grey in the afternoon. Spent a lovely morning in the city , having delicious coffee and chocolate and a nice lunch. Then home, intending to sit out in the garden a while, but rain forbade it and so to the couch and some tv. Well a great treat was in store - concert for Diana. While I did not see it all, what I did was really good and uplifting. I really love music. Tom Jones, Bryan Ferry, Take That, P Diddy, Elton John, Rod Stewart were all brilliant. Andrew Lloyd Weber and the excerpts from his many wonderful musicals by artists such as Donny Osmond, Jason Donovan, the new 'Joseph' Lee Mead, Sarah Brightman, Andrei Bocc...

Yesterday spent a lovely afternoon in Powerscourt with my sister M of www.craftydogs.blogspot.com . It must be the most scenic cafe I have ever visited either in Ireland or other places I've been to abroad. These photos were taken from the outdoor section of the cafe. Unbelievable. We had yummy leek and potato soup with cheese bread and salad for lunch. Then after a lovely wander around the shops and garden centre we returned to the coffee shop for some tea and cakes( Strawberry custardy tartlet for me and baked raspberry cheesecake for M) Oh Yummy, Yummy, Yummy! That was Saturday. Today, Sunday, spent the morning in city. Had good coffee at Coffee society in Liffey Street and then on way home met my friend O at Avoca in Rathcoole, where I had a lovely lunch of Cauliflower Cheese soup which was delicious and creamy, followed by Baked Raspberry Cheesecake and Tea. Oh my God, how many miles will I need to walk this week after all this yummy eating?!!!!!!!!!!!

Isobel, this post is for you. I was in Powerscourt yesterday and could not resist taking a picture of this sign on sale there! Sadly, the cakes don't look as yummy as some of the one's posted on your own blog.

Our knitting cafe was closed for the weekend and so we knit in the park. It was a lovely day. We took some food from the Food market in Temple Bar and brought it to a garden nearby in Dublin Castle. I bought a bruschetta at a bakery stall and it was really tasty, with roast veg and cheese, and a takeaway coffee. Spent a really enjoyable few hours knitting and chatting and enjoying the surroundings. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so no photos to post. Still fininshing my Rowan cardi. Cuffs as well as the collar had to be knitted separately and then sewn on. I have one cuff finished and another started, so hope to get them finished and put together today. Then I have lots of little buttons to add as decoration, so it will be a few days yet before finishing. Then I want to start a small baby project and someting portable to take to knit cafe. Yesterday I was out to lunch in my brother's. I bought a carrot cake in Avoca on the way. I have not had this one before so was a little appr...

I've friends coming this evening and have made this mousse. (Notice the lovely new bowl I got for a gift) I've made it before and its really delicious and easy to make. Ingredients: 1 envelope unflavoured gelatin 4 eggs - separated 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup lemon juice 1 tablespoon lemon rind 3/4 cup whipping cream Method Sprinkle gelatin over cold water to soften. Set in a bowl of hot water and mix until dissolved. Beat egg yolks in a medium bowl, gradually add 1/2 of the sugar and continue beating until a ribbon forms. ( I put the bowl over simmering water while beating to cook the eggs a little) Then beat in the lemon juice, rind and the dissolved gelatin. Refrigerate for about 10 mins, stirring every 2 mins until mixture is starting to thicken. Whip cream until stiff. Whip egg whites in separate bowl until soft peaks form, then add remaining sugar a tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until stiff. Gently fold the egg whites into lemon/egg mixture, then gently fold in whipped...

Had a lovely day today.Spent the morning in Dublin city, walked about and then took coffee on the 'Boardwalk' along the River Liffey in brilliant sunshine. After lunch DH and I took a drive to a lovely garden centre in Co Carlow and have now just finished a yummy steak and potatoes from the barbecue along with a glass or two of good red wine!! I now plan to unravel this mess on the table in the garden and sew up the baby sweater and bootees. Am almost ready with the parcel for my 'Treatee'. Hope she likes her spoiling package. Still have a few more little bits and pieces to add to it. I've enjoyed getting it together, as in my family we usually give gifts of lots of little things and its really great to open them. Looking forward to hearing from my 'treater' still, but there's plenty of time . Success at last, have finished sewing up now and have just washed the garments and hope to press and finish off tomorrow. So hopefully more photos tomorrow. Back ...

I've just realised that I have not posted in over a week. Been so busy lately. I'm knitting some baby things at the moment and also have a turquoise cotton cardi on the needles for myself. Off to the same old habit of having a number of knitting projects on the go as usual and finding it difficult to finish one thing before starting another. I'm afraid I'm like that at everyhing else too. A friend of mine became a grandmother for the first time a week ago, so am knitting a pair of bootees and a little jumper which I hope to finish shortly. Just hate the thought of sewing up a project. Last Saturday, I spent the day with two friends wandering around the lovely County of Kilkenny.Firstly, off to visit the Alpaca farm at Hillview Alpacas which is near Castlecomer. The weather was really gorgeous and we found the place easily enough. Gabrielle is just starting our on her venture of Llama rearing/farming for their alpaca yarn. While the little shop is small enough, you can g...

Its my birthday today. Enough to say that the number doesn't matter. Got a gift of a lovely gardening stool complete with tools from DH and you'll never guess what was wrapped with it! Copy of a draft of some of his thesis for proof reading!! on my Birthday!! Needless to say, I haven't had a chance yet to even look at it. I've been so busy going to yarn shop for patterns, (K was in a good mood today) Then I just had to meet a sister for coffee/lunch. After that I took a long walk and on the way to the supermarket to purchase this evening's dinner (an Indian takeaway) so that I don't have to cook. So far have had a really good day, and hope to have a little glass of good red wine later.

Although I don't blog too often, its amazing how much I miss it. This week our computer is completely acting up. Its impossible and I am posting this blog from my daughters account on it. There are five of us listed but only this one works. As I am a complete technophobe, I can only barely post text and cannot upload my photos now. Finished a pair of socks for myself this week and I'm really pleased with them. I used Opal sock yarn in grey, green and a stripe of coral. The colours are a little dull, even for me! But I am going to use them in my gardening clogs as my feet get quite cold in them. I've really had enough of sock knitting for a while. Have started a cardi for myself in a lovely shade of turquoise blue cotton/viscose mix yarn which I purchased in Lidl on one of their specials. Its really soft and I sure hope it keeps its shape. Have you ever had the problem of having tidied up your stash and even putting some in the charity bag, and the trunk lid won't close...