Friday 24 April 2015

Five on Friday - Simple Pleasures






I am stupidly busy with work and home at the moment and feeling like I'm swimming like mad and getting nowhere.   I wanted to share my Five on Friday along with Amy at Love made my home.   It's such a good way to look back on my week and get some perspective on what I have actually been up to, what I have achieved and what has brought me joy.  Looking back on them, perhaps I won't be so hard on myself and not feel like a week has gone by with nothing done.




Cook



I love creating simple food in my kitchen, feeding the soul and the body.





I saw this recipe posted by one of my friends on Facebook so gave it a go

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

1 cup of cauliflower florets
3 cups mozzarella grated
1 tsp dried oregano
1 crushed clove of garlic
1 tsp salt
1 Egg

Topping of your choice

Place the cauliflower in a food processor until chopped into tiny bits (like cauliflower rice)
Microwave the cauliflower for 8 minutes
Mix in the egg and seasoning and 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella
Spray oil onto an oven tray, then tip mixture onto it and make into a pizza base shape
Brush top with oil
Place in oven 200 fan oven for 15 mins
Remove from the oven and cover with the rest of the cheese and the topping (I pre grilled mushrooms and peppers)
Place under the grill for 2 - 3 mins.


No carbs, but LOTS of cheese which I will cut back on the next time I cook it.  I don't eat a lot of dairy so will experiment with the recipe to suit me.  A good gluten free option.





Sew


Making something for my family brings me great joy.





I have been working on our new grandsons quilt over the last couple of days, I need to finish it before he grows up and leaves home!




Listen

A good book


Reading Christina's Blog A Colourful Life, a few weeks ago, she was discussing the books she had 'listened' to.  In the past I had bought a few books on tapes to listen to on long car journeys, but never thought about listening to books any other time even though I enjoy listening to them on the radio.  Having already dipped my foot into alternative ways to read 'books' on the iPad, I thought 'what the hell, be adventurous and downloaded one. It was so easy!  I could even listen to it on my phone as I moved around the house and garden. Of course it will never replace sitting down with a good book, but I will be getting through a lot more books I had been meaning to read.  Have you joined the book listening revolution or are you firmly a traditional book reading person?  This is the book I listened to, So You've Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson. It is a very thought provoking and in places a shocking look at how your life can been ruined by making one stupid remark and photo.  Social media at its worst.  I've also just downloaded a book by David Sedaris, I needed something light and fun and David Sedaris always makes me laugh.   Now at least I can 'read' some books while still working.




Grow

Growing and eating my own produce.






It is lovely to see my little veg patch springing to life, I'm looking forward to the new potatoes, freshly picked spinach and kale, and tomatoes that actually smell and taste like tomatoes.  How does your garden grow?




Sleep





Shhhh I don't want to jinx it, but for the last couple of weeks my sleep patterns have improved.  Now I only wake up a couple of times a night.  I can live with that.  I'm sure my insomnia will return but I will enjoy the sleep while I can.

I hope your week has been kind to you,

Chickpea xx








41 comments:

  1. Thanks for the cauliflower base recipe :)

    Chickpea - did you every received the parcel? I hope it hasn't been confiscated / lost...?

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    1. Hi Dani, no they haven't arrived yet, I pounce on the poor postie when he calls!

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    2. Chickpea - To put it politely, bother!! RMan did the deed (went into the post office with the envelope) so I don't know how he has sent it (sea or airmail) hopefully the latter, but he can't remember - Grrrrr

      Can we give it another week or so? If it doesn't arrive I'll send another lot off. Please - drop me a line if there is any news...

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    3. Yay!!! :) No rush - just glad they arrived. How did RMan send them - surface snail??? Literally? ;)

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  2. I've tried "listening books" too as a way of reading more but something about being read to always makes me sleepy (probably associate it with bedtime stories as a child)! Is a good cure for insomnia for me although Mr C does not appreciate listening to stories in the middle of the night!

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    1. When I listen to the books on the radio at night I drift off and miss half of it, so this way I don't miss it :)

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  3. Your beautiful veg patch is looking a real delight and so much further on than mine. I love the quilt, the fabrics are stunning.

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    1. Thanks mamasmercantile, I couldn't wait to get things planted :)

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  4. What a fab week, don't be hard on yourself. Love the pizza idea. Your sewing is incredible, am jealous and yay! to potatoes, we are growing some in a bag for the first time too as well as in the ground

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    1. Thank you Selma, I love new potatoes and so easy to grow :)

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  5. It looks like a very productive week to me. X

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    1. It must have been, I'm feeling so tired today!

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  6. I agree with you about getting some perspective - sometimes I can't see the wood for the trees. It seems to me that your wood has been full of creativity. Wonderful. Have a good weekend. x

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  7. My, you have been busy creating some lovely things. What an ingenuous idea to use the potting soil as a container! Your garden looks like it's coming along beautifully. My best to you :)

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    1. Thanks Lilly's Mom :) The tomatoes are in individual grow bags which I haven't seen before, first time using them.

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  8. Gosh that pizza looks good!! How great is your veggie patch too, so much growing already!!!! I bet that you cannot wait to get eating can you. Your quilt looks fab too! Thank you so much for joining in. I hope that you have a great weekend and lots of sleep! xx

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    1. Thank you Amy, hope you have a great weekend as well m'dear xx

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  9. Great news about your sleep! The pizza looks delicious and your garden looks magnificent, I'm a bit embarrassed now at being so pleased with my home grown Sage. Have a great weekend x

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  10. When I used to drive long distances or on flights I always have a book on tape.
    I am using my cauliflower as a rice substitute and it is working out great.
    I like your pizza but maybe too much cheese for me.

    cheers, parsnip

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    1. It was a bit too much cheese for me, I will try to adapt the recipe I think

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  11. The garden is looking good especially the potatoes, what variety are they?

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  12. Thanks Anne, they are Anabel and Foremost

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  13. Vegys are looking great :o)

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    1. Thanks, hoping they survive my lack of gardening skills :)

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  14. Sleeeeep - I love it. Glad yours has improved Chickpea - there's nothing worse than sleep deprivation. x

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    1. Thanks Em, I'm hoping to get a few good nights x

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  15. What a lovely Five on Friday Chickpea. Audiobooks are fab and I am glad you now have entertainment whilst cooking your delicious looking food. Thanks for the mention of my blog, this is very kind of you. The quilt you are making is beautiful and I bet it will be well loved. x

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    1. Thanks Christina, I'm glad you got me on to listening to books :)

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  16. That cauliflower pizza recipe sounds amazing! Simple pleasures? It's a lovely afternoon, and I am at work- after I fed our cats (the Rodent Abatement Team), I wandered the site munching on Japanese knotweed (it has a nice tart flavour, contains lots of resveratrol and our site isn't sprayed- I have a love/hate relationship with this noxious plant) and playing with my feline buddies.

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    1. Sounds like a good afternoon, not sure about the knotweed though, I'll still to nettles :)

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  17. I've not tried listening to books. I fear I will become so absorbed I put everything else down so I might as well be reading one or I'll become distracted and find I'm not listening... Which is what happens when I listen to plays on the radio!

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    1. Yes my mind does wander off sometimes so I replay it, something I can't do with the radio :)

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  18. Chickpea, I just found your blog and enjoyed it immensely. You spent a very lovely and productive week, especially with that quilt....wish my points would come together so nicely! I love listening to books, in fact I keep one going in the car all the time. I find I am a much calmer driver that way and do not get as irritated with traffic and all of those other lovely drivers out there. As I was reading through some of your older blog entries I came across the discussion about cornbread. As a life-long Southerner let me assure you that cornbread is indeed bread! We serve it with a meal rather than rolls or biscuits. It's just that some people add sugar and make theirs sweeter (not me). All of the suggestions that were made about additions are great in cornbread, plus many others. Some folks serve their cornbread as muffins and others bake it in square or rectangular pans and cut it into squares to serve. Cornbread is terrific with certain foods but you will not see it on the menu in a 5-star French restaurant! That's probably more than you ever wanted to know about the subject! Have a great weekend!

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    1. Thank you Julie and welcome. Thanks for the tips on cornbread :)

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  19. I enjoyed your Five on Friday post, Chickpea! I make the cauliflower pizza too, and we like it almost as much as the regular kind. Is that a tomato plant stuck right in the bag of potting soil? If so, do you put it in a planter when it gets a bit bigger? I'm intrigued!

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    1. Thanks Kristie, they are individual grow bags which I had not seen before so decided to give them a go. The plants just stay in them, easy peasy :)

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  20. That was a lovely five! The cauliflower pizza sounds great - haven't tried it yet. Mr D and I listened to Lord of the Rings on cassette. We would doze off, then wake with a nasty start every time the orcs arrived!! Hope your sleeping continues to improve - it makes all the difference even if only for a short while! X

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    1. mmmm I might fall asleep to Lord of the Rings :)

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  21. A great way to look back on your week. The cauliflower pizza looks good and I am also a big David Sedaris fan. I'm intrigued by the Jon Ronson book, that sounds interesting. I'm really glad to hear your sleep has improved and long may it continue. x

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I love reading your comments and will try to reply to all you lovely people xx Spam will be deleted so don't even bother!