One step forward, two steps back

Oh dear, my blog is starting to sound like a list of my ailments, I am usually fit and healthy.....honest. My sprained knee felt so much better over the weekend that I decided to go for a walk in Tehidy woods.  I have been hobbling around ever since.  It was worth it though, as it is bluebell time.  One of my first posts contained photos of these same woods at bluebell time.  Aren't they just so beautiful, I look forward to seeing them every year.

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We came across some dens in the woods.  I loved building dens when I was little, perhaps I should start building them again.  I could sit in them and read.

There is a little woodland garden in the woods, I would like a garden like this.  It even had baubles in the tree so I'm part way there.

..... and a resident squirrel.  He was not shy at all.

I hope you had a good weekend.  Back to work today boo!!!

Chickpea xx

Bread, Books and Scabby Nose Day

It has been absolutely ages since I made gluten free bread so I thought I would treat myself on this lovely long weekend.  It's not as if I can go out or anything.....but more about that later.

I found the recipe somewhere,  adapted it and it's the one I always use now.  It is so much nicer than the bought gf bread, which quite frankly is pretty disgusting.  Here's the recipe:

Seedy Gluten Free Bread

5 oz/150g/1 cup rice flour
4 1/4oz/120g/2/3 cup potato flour
2 oz/50g/scant 1/2 cup gram flour
2 oz/50g/scant 1/2 cup ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon easy-blend dried yeast
2 oz/50g chilled dairy-free margarine (or butter)
2 1/4oz/60g/1/2 cup  combined weight, of mixed seeds and sun dried tomatoes (the ones that come in oil, I cut them into small pieces) 

Sieve the rice, potato and gram flours together in a large bowl, then stir in the ground almonds.

Add the baking powder, xanthan gum, sugar, salt and yeast.

Cut up the margarine and rub into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs.

Mix in the seeds and tomatoes.

Add 14 fl. oz/400ml/scant 1 2/3 cup of warm water and mix to make a smooth batter.

Cover the bowl with cling film and place somewhere warm for 1 1/4 hours

Pre heat the oven to 200/400/gas 6.

Lightly grease a 1 lb/450g loaf tin and pour mixture into it smoothing the top.

Bake for 45 - 50 mins until it sounds hollow when you tap the bottom and the top is nicely browned.

Leave to cool on a wire rack, do not be tempted to try cutting it while warm, it will end in disaster!

Home made bread, free range eggs and seasonal asparagus, what could be better.


I am loving listening to audio books, of course it is not the same as sitting down with a good book, which I don't seem to have much time for lately.  Having someone reading it to me as I am getting on with other things is a joy!  Of course it has to be the right person reading, someone who will do justice to the book, but so far so good.  You can download a little taster which is useful as you can decide if you like the readers voice, you can also have a 'kindle' version with added audio so you can move between the two options. Isn't technology wonderful - well some of it.  The book I have just started is The Bees by Laline Paull, it is the story of Flora 717 an unusual bee and her life in the hive.  It sounds fascinating,  has been shortlisted for the Baileys Women's Award for Fiction, has had high praise from Margaret Atwood one of my favourite authors so promises to be good.  I'm also hoping to read some of the other books on the Short List

I am also about to start on a 'proper' book, it is very short so hopefully I will have time to read it over the weekend.  I am determined to find some time for 'me' this Bank Holiday.   It is written by Jane Darke, a painter and film maker,  the widow of a local playwright Nick Darke.  She writes about the loss of her husband and how her love of the Cornish coast and her daily walks along the beach helped her with her grief and to discover who she is after so many years as part of a couple.  On the subject of Cornish theatre, I have just read that Emma Rice, the artistic director of Cornwall Kneehigh theatre has been named as the new artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe. Lucky Globe, she was wonderful at the Kneehigh and I'm sure will be much missed.  I had been meaning to go to The Globe for ages, I think I will wait until she makes her mark.

You are probably wondering about the scabby nose.  I have Actinic keratoses on my face.  I've never been one to sunbathe but years of living by the sea, leading to my face catching the sun (all that salty sea air) have left their damage.  Getting fed up with a couple of areas on my nose and one on my cheek that kept scabbing over, I asked my G.P. to 'freeze"  them on Friday.  I now have a very red nose and one huge scab that looks like an alien has taken up residence on my nose,  I'm hiding at home so I don't frighten the horses!

I haven't linked up with 'The Year in Books for ages, so in an attempt to read more I am joining in this month.

Thank you for all your lovely comments on my Five on Friday.  If you missed out on the pepper giveaway, more will be offered by Dawn on her blog Doing it for Ourselves.

Chickpea xx

Five on Friday - Colour

Green

I love eating seasonally, the anticipation while you wait for the food to come into season makes it taste even better than you imagined.  The Cornish asparagus are now available and taste delicious, I look forward to them every year along with the new potatoes which hopefully are growing away in the bags.  What are your favourite seasonal treat?

Red 

 Xmas decorations have become a permanent feature in the garden, they hang like shiny apples from the branches. I'm not sure what the neighbours think of my unusual ornaments, but my garden will never be the manicured soul less suburban plot that many aspire to.



 

White

The vibrant yellow of the dandelions give way to the beautiful white clocks waiting to be blown away and wishes made.  They cover my garden like little ghost flowers.

Blue

Tiny little flowers of blue hide in our overgrown, weed rich lawn.  We will have to cut it soon before we lose our cat in the long grass, but for now I love to see the wild flowers that have found their own way here and are allowed to stay.

Pink

The delicate pink flowers provide a feast for the wildlife. Busy little creatures making the most of every minute to feed, as they almost disappear inside each flower.  They need us to provide bee friendly plants to survive.  If you only have room for one plant in your garden, make it one that the bees can benefit from.



The hedges along the roads are littered with blue, red and yellow signs urging us to vote for political parties.  Do they think we don't realise there is an election going on and need this visual onslaught to remind us? Do they think we will vote for their party because they have littered the beautiful countryside?  The sticker on my door saying 'No Junk Mail' is ignored as day after day more political leaflets are pushed through my letterbox.   How many trees has it taken for them to print their propaganda which in many houses will be thrown straight into the bin?  The politicians bicker about who said what, while across the world peoples lives have been taken and destroyed by an earthquake. They are not winning my vote by their tactics, I can make my decision without the hype.  Why not take all the money they are spending on the election and send it to Nepal, now that might impress me enough to vote for them.

Life is exhausting and hectic at the moment, the insomnia has returned and I feel overwhelmed by my ever growing 'to do list'. Another week has flown by, another month gone, nearly a year since I started blogging,  I can't believe it is May already, where has the year gone?  This is not what I want for myself, this is not the simple life I dream of but I have to get through this to reach my goal. I want more time to create, to read, to listen, to walk, to cook and to grow.  I want life to slow down, to be able to enjoy every minute.  I feel like that busy little bee.   I haven't even had the time for writing blog posts and catching up with my blog friends.  Bare with me, I will try harder.  Have a good weekend everyone.

Giveaway - I have put the names in a bag for the pepper giveaway and drawn out Dawn from Doing it for Ourselves  Congratulations :)  If you go on to Danis' page (the link is in my last post) you can see what you have to do.  

Chickpea xx

Linking up with Amy for Five on Friday

It's a Giveaway Whoop Whoop!!

Well o.k. not exactly my giveaway but Dani from Eco Footprint South Africa  A while ago I was lucky enough to have my name drawn out of a hat for her giveaway of piquant peppers.  The idea is that I keep some and pass the rest along to whoever wins this giveaway, you then keep some and pass the rest on and so on.  If you go to the link for her blog above you will see the rules for the giveaway.  I will make the draw this Friday so you can receive the seeds and get them planted.  It is open to anyone where ever you live, but Dani asks that you link back to her blog.  So If you are interested leave a comment letting me know and I will include you in the draw.  I'm just hoping that as my history of growing things isn't great that I don't kill all mine!  At least the rest will have a chance.

I have had a really busy few days, the band had the first gig of the year on Saturday at a local food and music festival.  Then we went up to Somerset for our granddaughters birthday on Sunday.  She is now three and full of fun, she answered the door to us and asked sweetly if we had any presents, luckily we did, otherwise we may not have been allowed in!  I'm also trying to clear my kitchen, every cupboard is crammed full.  I don't mind but when we eventually put the house on the market I don't think people would like things falling on them if they are rude enough to look in my cupboards.......actually maybe I should leave them full, they wouldn't open any more :)  I am sooooooo fed up with decluttering, tidying, painting, I don't think i'll ever move house again!

I would like to welcome the lovely new readers of my blog, not sure who you are as blogger is playing up at the moment, the numbers increase on the stats but it doesn't show elsewhere.  But I can see Julie and Judith so welcome.

Anyway, as I am not personally giving anything away, and can't think of anything witty or interesting to write about as I am so tired I am practically on my knees, I will play you some music.  (I am not actually going to tell which one I am as I am far too shy)  you will just have to guess which one looks like a Cornish Chickpea.  I hope you enjoy it.

Chickpea xx

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

Working on my List

My 60 x 60 'to do' list has been sadly neglected over winter so I'm pleased to have crossed off another wish. Today I went to St. Ives to visit the Barbara Hepworth Museum, a beautiful, peaceful space full of the most amazing sculptures.

We decided to use the park and ride from Lelant, which must have one of the most unusual views from a station platform and is a haven for bird watchers.  My friend had not been on the train to St. Ives before, it was on her 'list of things to do' and is a beautiful little train journey along the coast overlooking St. Ives Bay.

It is a bit of a photo overload today, but I fell in love with this very special place.  I don't think there could be a better setting for her beautiful work.

Her workshop

After our visit we walked along the picture postcard streets of St Ives to find a place for lunch.

These little birds were scurrying around the rocks, perhaps one of you know what they are?

I  hope you have enjoyed the tour.

Chickpea xx