in the last couple of months...

Our niece was born.

We went to a wedding.

Our other niece won the fancy dress contest at her first gymkhana.

I've been bringing strange combinations of things home from the grocery store (this was actually a happy accident--I have been looking for dill pickles forever and lo and behold, they can be found in the Polish food section at your local Tesco. The fact that ice cream also sounded good on this day and that I happen to be pregnant are mere coincidences.)

A garden is growing. Sadly this is not ours but Sam's parents, however, we do benefit from a lovely organic veg box delivered on a weekly basis:)

I got to see my Mom and we spent a hot sunny day by the sea in Devon.

Friends came to visit!! Leah and I lived a lifelong dream of ours, having tea in England together, which we have been practicing for since we were 10.

It's been a good couple of months!

The Day of Love

For our first V Day as a married couple Sam built me a table (well put it together).

And I built him a lemon meringue pie.

Isn't it great how well the two went together? I say went because that's what the pie did.

I am so fortunate to be married to a very romantic person who planned a fancy 4 course picnic in the car (it's dang cold still) at a beautiful spot overlooking Wales with candles, wine, music and blankets. And when it got dark we lit some big lanterns and watched them float away over the hills. So sweet. So perfect.

Okay, back to the table. I am so pumped about that. The first day it's over 40 degrees F we are having a bbq for sure. I can't wait for the long summer days of England to enjoy sitting outside surrounded by all of the beautiful flowers that I'm determined to grow. Come over and enjoy it with us!

Thanksgiving and Beyond...

I had the pleasure of making Thanksgiving dinner for my new family and some friends this year--their very first one!  Since I was sort of homesick at the time, and I wanted to do something a bit different, these little guys were part of the feast:

The apple pies were a big hit, but unfortunately the pumpkin one wasn't so good this year.  I made it from a whole pumpkin which I've never done before, and it just wasn't quite like Mom's.

Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and discovered the beauty of Thanksgiving.  I already have people asking to be invited next year.  I do have to mention that my M-I-L made the turkey and it was gorgeous.

We had a hail storm last week which was exciting.  It's the closest we've gotten to snow so far.

This is the hail from our kitchen window.  Please excuse the blurry pic.

We also finally got a table and chairs last month.  It's an old farmhouse style kitchen table, and it has lots of character.  

Making Apple Butter

Apple butter is such a misleading name for the delicious spread isn't it?  It isn't butter at all, but a glorious topping for biscuits and scones.  And pancakes.  And toast.

Last week Sam came home with a giant bag of apples that he received from one of his co-workers.  The next best thing to actually having an apple tree in your own garden is knowing people who do.  I couldn't justify making more than one apple pie (which I only justified making anyway because it was experimentation and research for the Thanksgiving meal I will be making for my first-timer English family members in a couple of weeks), so I had a little thinking session about what else to do with the heap of apples I had left.  It didn't take long to settle on apple butter as the correct route to go with these puppies, so I did a little of my usual online research and came up with this method which is a combination of several and a lot less work than some:

-Peel, core and slice the apples (I had about 12 giant ones)

-Put them into a slow-cooker on medium heat overnight

-In the morning add a reasonable amount of sugar, cinnamon, and cloves (about 3/4 cup, 1 TBSP, and 1/2 TBSP respectively, in my case)

-Turn the slow-cooker on low and leave it all day

I would stir the concoction whenever I happened to be in the kitchen, and by morning it was an incredible dark color which only became more rich as I added the spices and let it cook all day.

I also used a non-traditional way of canning them, and I hope it works.  I always save jars these days, so I chose a few that had lids and put the jars in the oven at a high temperature for about 20-30 minutes, and boiled the lids.  Then once I had filled the jars and put the lids back on I boiled them for an additional 5-10 minutes.  I used a set of sterilized silicone tongs to remove and attach things and to save my fingers.  I have no idea if this is in any way a good way to jar things, but I figured they are sterilized enough right?  Uh...

**By all means, do not follow my canning method if you are at all uncomfortable with it, I am just relaying what I did:)**

Anyway, the apple butter turned out wonderfully, and I'm so glad that I tried it!  It's so exciting to make things myself and to learn how things are done.  I have been inspired lately by Jimmy Doherty who is a farmer with a tv show on the BBC.  His programs are so interesting to watch.  He has this new one where he has designed a "food factory" (which is actually just a barn on his property) and he makes all kinds of things that are mass produced and sold in supermarkets, just to see how it's done, like  corn flakes, instant coffee and even coca-cola--the sorts of things that you would never ever think of making (and also probably shouldn't).  Anyway, it's so cool!  

Say "YES!" to Risotto

Getting married has certainly broadened my culinary repertoir. Sam enjoys a range of foods different from what I am used to making, so it's been great to learn new recipes and techniques--my tastebuds also aprpeciate it.

I recenlty started making risottos every other week or so because, dang, they are TASTY. Not to mention warm and comforting and DELICIOUS. I began by doing a little online research, and found that Jamie Oliver really had a good recipe going on. I love Jamie Oliver. I want to own all of his books and also be his best friend because it would be awesome to be invited over for dinner. Anyway. Luckily you can get his recipes online, and instead of copying it all down here I will share the link to his basic risotto recipe. Please please please try it. You can add all kinds of things to this recipe; mushrooms, pesto and pine nuts, artichokes (YUM), asparagus, you name it. Once you get the hang of it it's pretty simple--and I know how much simple meals appeal to the modern chef/cook/housewife/food eater. Let me know how this works out for you and how much you LOVE it.

Here's a picture of Jamie just because he's a genius and he loves gardening and he taught me how to make a risotto so that my husband would stop asking me why we haven't had it for dinner yet. Also because he's cute for a chef. Here's to you Jamie...

I've had A LOT of time on my hands

With Sam back at work, and being unemployed myself, I have had almost two full weeks on my own. Even though I am able to drive around on my own now without screaming and swearing (most of the time) I have mostly stayed around the house. It has been a good bonding time for me and the little cottage, it's starting to feel like my own now. It has also been a great time to be out exploring my surroundings--and oh what a joy that's been!

I started off last week by painting the bathroom. There is still some work to be done in that funny little room, but it's work I look forward to.

before

after

I was sick with a stomach flu or food poisoning or cat scratch fever or something last week for 3 days, which was annoying because I haven't been stay-in-bed sick for about 10 years and it just had to strike during a time when I was so excited to be out and about. But by the weekend I was back in action, and went berry picking with my mother in law. Sam and his brother and dad went to play golf, and my m-i-l went along to forage the course. Holy moly did we ever, may arms were sore the next day. We walked along with the men from hole to hole and picked like crazy, each of us exclaiming over how many berries there were. We came away with purple hands and pounds and pounds of berries. We also picked pounds of sloes wich were used to make sloe gin (will be ready in time for Christmas). This whole berry thing is new to me, but there are millions all around so I'm getting loads of practice--it's very addicting. I keep hearing that there are an unusual amount this year, which I am thankful for because it's been so much fun. I have made 3 blackberry crumbles, blackberry and sloe jam, and sloe gin--it's been fun to learn how! And of course the best part, the part that puts a sly grin on my face, is that it's all for FREE!

These are some berries I picked on a short walk around the village.

One of the yummy crumbles about to go in the oven.

Like I said before, I have gone for lots of walks. The weather has been so nice! It's wonderful to discover new walks and paths and little places to sit and read--I've also found some GREAT pic-nic spots:) On my walk yesterday I met an sweet older couple from the village (who told me of some other "lovely" routes) who asked me to "call 'round for tea" which I think is so great! Totally melted my heart. I wanted to follow them home then and there!



This nice view is from up the hill above our village--which you can see in the right of the photo. Such a great spot to sit and take in the magic. You can actually see almost to Bristol up the coast on a clear day, and all the way to Minehead and North Hill to the left. Also, there's Cardiff, Wales across the estuary there...














In other news, we've had our new wood-burning fire place delivered, and hopefully it will be installed really soon. These are commonly used in houses here as opposed to open fires because they generate so much heat. We should be able to heat our entire house with this little stove, and we can even cook on top of in the event of a power outage. I plan to put a kettle on top so I'm ready for when visitors call 'round for tea:)

Not much else to add to this update except that I am enjoying learning about life in the country--the English countryside at that. It's all so exciting and new. Oh, I did have a meeting at the college in town and it looks like I will probably be working there in the next couple of weeks which is great news. Fingers crossed! I am now going to go sit on our deck in the sunshine, listen to the stream trickling by and peel a bunch of apples that we picked over the weekend. They will be boiled, frozen and saved for future apple pies and apple butter! YUM!

I <3 Shipleys

I'm probably the only bride, about to be married in two months, who still eats donuts. I should be avoiding these foods, that have been proven to be fattening and horrible for you. I should have the motivation to cut these things out of my diet because I will be wearing a wedding dress soon in front of my family and friends. But I can't resist the donuts. They appear by magic every Friday morning in the kitchen at work. I tell myself each time that I will not eat one next week. That next week I will begin my bridal-starvation-diet. But I know better than that.

Sangria

As a relatively new fan of sangria, I am excited to share what little I know about it, and to urge people to discover, or rediscover, the magic.

My love for red wine dates back only a few years, to the college days when I lived with my cousin Laura, my friend Laura, and a girl named Crystal. My friend Laura was a very inspirational and beautiful girl, and she taught me the ways of wine--she was basically my wine guru and our roach infested apartment her ashram. There was rarely an evening in that apartment when wine did not grace us with its glorious presence. If I may steal the words of my friend Ashley, we probably could have saved the planet by recycling all the wine bottles we went through. Needless to say, I like wine, and I have grown to thoroughly enjoy it in it's natural form.

Enter: Sangria. According to legend (history actually), Sangria originated in Spain and Portugal, although it is also commonly served at Mexican restaurants. It is basically a wine punch with endless variations. The word Sangria means bloody, and it's not hard to imagine why. Sangria is typically served as a casual, refreshing drink in the summer--it is simply the perfect to sip on a patio.

The beauty of Sangria lies in it's endless potential to become whatever the creator imagines. The alcohol content is up to you! Typically, a bottle of red wine is used; you may decide whether to use merlot, a cab sav, shiraz and so on. You also can choose how much brandy to add--some people use gin! The truly exciting part, in my opinion, is the fruit. When it comes to adding fruit to your sangria, the options are basically as endless as there are types of fruit. The most common, however, are oranges, lemons and limes. My friend Emily made some wonderful Sangria in Taiwan with peaches and apples as well--but you can really use anything, and it would be hard to ruin it. So go ahead, toss in some mango chunks, some kiwis, a nectarine! Pineapple? Sure! Go bananas--literally!

Here is a basic sangria recipe, but like I said before, experiment away!

- 1 bottle of red wine (or more)

- 1/3 cup of sugar (optional)

- 1/3 cup of brandy (or more)

- 1 lemon, sliced crosswise

- 1 orance, sliced crosswise

- 1 medium pear, diced

- 2 medium peached, peeled, pitted and sliced

- 2 cups of sliced strawberries

- 1 can of ginger ale

You can use lemon-lime soda instead of ginger ale if you prefer, you may vary the amounts of the ingredients above, you may add flavored vodka, you may even use white instead of red wine if you wish. Sangria is tastier if made in advance so that the fruit can soak up the flavors. Knock yourself out! I recommend tripling or quadrupling the recipe and substituting sangria for water. 8 glasses a day baby.

Sangria is typically served in a pitcher with a wooden spoon to be used for scooping out the wonderful infused fruit pieces. This is a sangria pitcher I picked up in Barcelona--I am so looking forward to using it!

Bee Pollen

While escaping Hurricane Ike back in September, my mom and I spend a fantastic week with my Aunt Diane in Beeville, Texas. One day we went to visit an Amish community--YES, shockingly enough, there is a settlement of Amish in south Texas. I was shocked and also most pleasantly surpised. It was so surreal though to pull up in front of a little shop in my Aunt's hummer and park beside a row of carriages.

I was instantly enchanted--it was like taking a step back in time. There were no electric wires attached to the houses, and we passed several horse-drawn buggies on the road. Too cool. I made a mental note to learn more about the Amish, but so far have not done so. One of the tiny shops was full of handmade goods and a vast array of herbs, spices, jams, honey and soaps. What caught my eye were the jars of bee pollen. I did not realize that this was something people consumed--silly me. So I bought a jar. Unfortunatly I left this jar in Beeville.

While perusing the honey selection at HEB about 2 months ago I was so excited to see a little jar of bee pollen! I bought it and went home to do a little online research on the stuff. I can't say that I found any extremely helpful information about it, but according to my aunt (who knows stuff) it is very nutiritous and is believed to help balance things within the body. For two months I have been eating about a teaspoon full every morning, and have been pleased with the results I have seen... in my fingernails! For at least the past year my nails have been weak, brittle and have had ridges in them, but the new nail that has grown these past two months has been smooth and my nails have been so much stronger! If nothing else, bee pollen is a good source of vitamins and minerals, and just like honey, it can help with alergy problems. I think it's worth trying out, but you should be careful if you are allergic to pollen, I'm pretty sure if you are it's a bad idea to try. I like the taste--it's very earthy.

I would very much welcome and thoughts, comments, information on bee pollen, as most of the information about it online seems to be written by people who probably look into crystal balls.

Scooter and Soup

I had two horrific realizations today. The first was while I was making my 50 minute commute to work. I realized that this time last year I was still in Taiwan enjoying a 3 minute "commute" on my beloved scooter; Scootlydoo. Emily and I shared this scooter and it went everywhere with us--well it had no choice really. I so miss the crazy Taiwan traffic, and taking my life into my hands every day, and whizzing around every obstacle, and driving the wrong way down one way streets, and driving on sidewalks, and paying $5 for gas every other week and the wind in my hair (the hair that wasn't under my helmet of course). So I spent the rest of the day in a nostalgic stupor thinking of all the other things I miss about Asia, but aching for my scooter the most. So I came home and began looking through my 9,000+ photos I took during that year and this was the first I came to of Scootles, which just so happens to be a very special picture to me because Emily is in it, and this was taken during one of our first exploring adventures our first month there. See how cute Emily looks as she browses the map? Gosh I miss her, I miss her even more than I miss my scoot. Sigh.

The second realization was over dinner, when I looked at the clock and calculated that in 12 hours time I will already be in my car driving to work again behind a long line tail lights. Which lead to the ultimate horrifying discovery that I work more than I sleep each day. Is that even morally correct? How I never realized this before I will never know, it's sort of amateur math too, and totally obvious now that I think of it: approximately 8 hours of sleep is less than (<) 8 hours of work plus (+) lunch. Wow.

Anyway, on a more positive and not so mopey note, I made soup tonight. This is a "recipe" that I created in England a few weeks ago when I was cooking for Sam and his parents. Since they use crazy weird measurements over there I had no idea how much of anything I was adding to the pot, and therefore I wanted to try it again and see if I could duplicate the tasty effect. Gail said that it was "some of the best soup" she's had, which was an extravagant compliment to me because she is a Master Chef. At least I know she would kick ass on the show. And I think my mom is happy to see I am not totally useless in the kitchen as she's always feared:) Anyway, this is what I did tonight, and it was quite tasty, but 3 weeks have fogged my memory as to how the last batch tasted, but at least now I have some reasonable measurements to work with.

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

1 butternut squash

2 med. sweet potatos

3 cubes of chicken bullion

4-5 C of water

3 TBSP butter

3 cloves of garlic

3/4 C of onion

1 TBSP brown sugar

8 oz. cream cheese

Fresh ground pepper and cinnamon to taste

Cut the squash in half, scoop out seeds, and peel and chop the sweet potatoes. Combine on cookie sheet (squash facing down) or baking pan and bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until soft. Once this is done you can easily scoop the "meat" of the squash out.

Melt butter in stock pot and add minced garlic and onion. Sautee until onion is soft and garlic is browned (about 1o minutes). Add bullion cubes and 5 cups of water. Add squash, sweet potatoes, cream cheese and brown sugar bring to a boil for about 10 minutes. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. You can use a regular blender and do it in batches, or use an immersion blender which is a bit easier and less messy--no transferring of liquids. Put back into stock pot and warm, adding pepper and cinnamon to taste. Go easy on the cinnamon and taste it little by little as a little goes a long way here and you don't want to over do it. This should make about 8 servings.

I have made a similar recipe before using an acorn squash instead of sweet potatoes, and using thyme and a dash of ginger instead of cinnamon and it's delicious too. Prepare the acorn squash the same way as the butternut squash. You can also use chicken broth if you prefer, use two or three cans and add some water until you get the texture you like. I have found that soup-making is very forgiving, and you can always add more liquid to thin it out if that's what you prefer.

I also made some yummy bread to go with this soup:

1 loaf french bread

3 TBSP butter

1 TBSP thyme

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 C grated gruyere cheese

Slice bread into about 1/4 inch this slices. Melt butter in a bowl and add chopped thyme (lemon thyme tastes good in this too), brush or spoon butter mixture onto each bread slice, then top with cheese. Place on cookie sheet and broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is slightly browned. YUM!

I think I like this soup because I love the colors of the ingredients. If I could I would peel sweet potatoes and halve squashes all of the time and set them on my mantle as decoration. They're just so warm and lovely. It makes the corners of my eyes sting a little. It is weird to get choked up over gourds? Yes. Yes it is.