Exercise is good for you? Really?

I’ve recently begun running again and despite various aches and pains, have enjoyed the experience in a masochistic way. I enjoy being out of doors and on a work day, when the alternative is being closeted in front of my computer in a stuffy office, even when the weather is cool or windy, it’s always preferable.  Sadly, I don’t ever seem to get the post exercise high that many other people enjoy, so I’m probably not pushing myself enough but try telling that to my brain as my aged pelvis, hip and knee joints protest.  Now where are my trainers?

World Earth Cache Day

I was very pleased with the Earthcaching event that Andy and I hosted in Carlisle on Sunday in celebration of World Earthcaching day.  3 newish cachers and I added to the “enjoyment” of the event by undertaking a 3 mile Earthcache run, before meeting up with the other local cachers who were collectively tucking into home-made cake. Sadly, geo-dogs were in short supply apart from 3 Kinnear’s beautiful terrier, as the event was in the town centre outside the Cathedral but we were all entertained by a splendid yellow Labrador who gatecrashed the party, attempting to rob us of cake!

Loving London

London is such a vibrant city with a rich and enthralling history that I could never be bored.  Shopping doesn’t interest me, although the prices in a Marylebone bakery window caused me to stop and take a second look. I’m drawn to the eclectic mix of ancient and modern; the dominant presence of tangible relics of a bygone past clinging precariously to the fabric of modern life. Best of all are the secret places known only to locals (or geocachers!), the interesting street names, the hidden squares or the curious sculptures on buildings and walls. They completely enhance my visits!

A river of poppies

 

Being a resilient and fairly unemotional type of person, I surprised myself at how moved I felt during my recent visit to the Tower of London. The swathes of ceramic poppies filling the moat like a red river of flowers was a beautiful but  tangible reminder of the thousands of people who died an untimely death in defence of our country during WW1. Although I err towards peaceful solutions rather than combative approaches to issues, I remain hugely appreciative of the ultimate sacrifices that so many people have voluntarily made over the years to safeguard the freedoms we enjoy today

 

Pear preserves!

Disappointingly, the two fruit trees in our garden haven’t been overly prolific with produce since we planted them three years ago.  Having picked a “bountiful” harvest of just 1.5lb of small, very hard pears at the weekend and with several jars of chutney in the cupboard already, I decided to turn them into a conserve with ginger and lemon.  Yesterday, I turned to an old WI recipe which required the fruit to be layered with sugar for 24 hours before cooking, thwarting my plans to have it bottled by tea time.  Clearly patience is required in the world of preserving

 

Green Tomato Chutney

When we returned from the States, our triffid like tomato plants were laden with fruit. A lot of them were ripe so I soon converted them into tomato sauce, but a good quantity were green and unlikely to redden. It was clearly time to initiate Operation Green Tomato Chutney. I used an amalgam of an ancient recipe that my Mum used (as dad always had lots of unripe produce) with one of Nigel Slater's  and I think the results were excellent, particularly as the white wine vinegar is a less dominant flavour than the malt vinegar mum used to use. 

Ingredients

1kg green tomatoes 

350g onions

100g raisins or sultanas

250g light brown sugar

1 medium sized, hot red chilli

1 tsp salt

2 tsp yellow mustard seeds

300ml white wine vinegar

Method

Halve the tomatoes. Put them with the peeled and roughly chopped onions into a large stainless- steel or enamelled pan with the raisins, sugar, chilli, salt, mustard seeds and vinegar. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and leave to simmer for about 2 hours giving the occasional stir to reduce the risk of the chutney sticking. When the chutney has thickened and the fruit is soft, spoon into sterilized jars and seal.

Comfort food

Last week I was home alone and, not having anyone to feed other than myself, I decided, purely on the spur of the moment,  to make a rice pudding. As instant foods go, it's hardly an ideal choice item, taking about 2 hours to cook, but as a comfort food, it is one of the most wonderful. I followed my mum's ancient recipe substituting semi-skimmed milk for the full fat she used. While it was cooking, filling the house with a nutmeggy fragrance, I stripped wall paper, knowing  that my reward would be a delicious, creamy pudding once I'd finished 

Ingredients

60g/2¼oz pudding rice

600ml/20fl oz semi skimmed milk

2 tbsp caster sugar

freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

15g/½oz unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

jam, to serve

Method

Preheat your oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.

Wash then put it into a wide ovenproof dish

Pour in the milk. Add the caster sugar and stir together. Grate some nutmeg over the top and dot with the butter.

Place in the oven and bake for 2-2½ hours, or until the pudding has a golden-brown skin and the rice is tender and creamy (the longer you give it, the more thick and sticky it will become).

Serve warm, with a spoonful  of jam