How to - Cheat's cheesecake - oh yum yum!

Whilst away, I found - be still my leaping taste buds - a cheat's cheesecake - oh my - I can feel the calories as I speak but do I care ? Not one jot, I would make it again (and I will) if my waistline will allow it......

It is a simple and almost instant pudding and one taste is a rich mouthful of instant gratification - stop it! I must stop, my mouth is watering and the weighing scales are trembling but I will reveal this desert this instant, if only to share the pleasure! (***Sensible instructions and ingredients are at the end of this post)

BUT! before I go on, I have to apologise for the quality of some of the photos - something has happened to my flash which I need to sort out but I soldiered on and took photos with you in mind :)

1. Crush digestives and add to.....

2. Melted butter and chuck into the base of a suitable dish (anything is suitable just get it made!) Pop into the fridge and allow to settle into a buttery biscuit base.

3. Whisk together the condensed milk and cream cheese....
4. Until a yummy creamy soft mix is formed.

1. Squish the juice of two lemons into the creamy mix and stir - now the magic begins!

2. The soft creamy yumminess becomes thicker and more 'cheesecake' - ladle this delicious gloop on to the buttery biscuit base.

3. Hull and chop enough strawberries to cover the cheesecake - we ummm, errr, we didn't quite have enough strawberries as there had been an awful amount of quality testing. (By the means of dunking directly into a tub of double cream - but this we will mention no more......)

4. In a microwavable dish add one heaped tablespoons of a suitable red jam (strawberry or raspberry) and one tablespoon of water - soften the jam in the microwave mixing well with the water, toss in the strawberries and ensure they are well coated in this jammy juice. Pour this gorgeous strawberry pile of fruity flavour on to your cheesecake.

Stand back and admire (briefly) then reach for a spoon and tuck in!

Please note distinctive lack of strawberries - already explained, however this deficiency was more than made up for it by the remains of the tub of double cream (mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm)

WARNING: Not only is this cheesecake extremely yummy it is also rather rich - small portions are recommended however, those made of sterner stuff - get in!

Happiness level?        Off the scale
Calorific level?           Ditto!
Alterations and amendments? I didn't use as much jam and added the water to make the jammy glaze softer and easier to coat the strawberries.
Do it again?                Definitely! And that is a unanimous vote from my boys (and me!)

Link for the Strawberry Cheesecake HERE

Lindisfarne - an island love - holiday roundup

Sigh.
Just writing about this sandy little tidal island makes me wish I was back there. Not that I would like to live there, too many tourists (!) but just to wander through the secret dunes or beach combing for choice morsels of shells or sea glass along the huge stretches of sand.

Of course, lots of photos were taken - I am sure my freckles on my nose were multiplying happily.

Eldest reverted from neanderthal teenager to a fun loving holiday lad, using shells to make silly faces.

What a view whilst drinking tea.

Lindesfarne - I love you.

PS. Thank you for popping in and saying hello - I have missed you, 

hawthorn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Guess where we've been? Holiday roundup

It has been a bit quiet on the blogging front - initially due to work, but latterly to a glorious combination of a holiday cottage in a woodland, the nearby sea, miles of pale sand and endless blue skies - bliss.

Last Saturday, we'd set off early in the morning with the idea of having lunch in Northumberland - oh how wonderful that sounds.... Lunch in Northumberland.

What a wonderful setting we had - a deep purple heather covered valley at the foot of the Cheviots. It would be silly not to partake in a post prandial potter over those hills - so guess what we did? Yup, it was wonderful to feel that breeze blow over us and make us so ready to go and find our cottage.

 We drove up to the small hamlet where we found our home from home for a week - a small but perfectly formed wooden log cabin (we found out later that it had been imported from the USA)

We lacked for nothing - every little homely touch had been catered for. (I have taken loads of photos and will share at a later post) We explored each and every room and were delighted with all the extras that were there for us to use. Youngest adored and now hankers for (well - if I am honest I also had a teeny weeny dose of the wanties) for the wonderful woodpecker door knocker. I don't think a day went by without one of us pulling the cord making the woodpecker tap a noisy welcome!

Then, once we'd unpacked our meagre belongings (an exercise in minimalism - another story) I went to explore the garden - a whole acre and a half - just for us! Squeeeee!

Then, just when I thought it could not get better, in the evening when Himself and I took giddy dog for her final evening constitutional walk - we were gifted the most glorious slash of evening sunlight - aaahhh.

What a wonderful end to a wonderful start of our holiday - more to follow :)

love hawthorn xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

PS - good to be back blogging

Ta-da!

It has been quite a while since I have done any crochet, knitting suddenly seemed to take over and work filled up the rest of my time.

Then yesterday evening, I sat outside with Himself in the evening warmth and felt an itch. A crochet itch.

 

 I almost tried to suppress it then I decided that I would give in and soon ruffled around in my cotton yarns and found several shades of blue....an idea began to formulate.  I washed out an olive jar that I had already designated to the recycling, removed its label and lid and started crafting.

The next morning, with help from Pepper, I crocheted a few more rows then it was time to pack up for a walk. Of course I took my WIP with me and when I could, did a row or two more.

Then, on the way home in the car, I finished the last few rows.

 Filled with a sprig of alchemilla mollis and a few sweet peas it make my heart skippity skip 

and I am happy happy happy :)

Oh crochet - why have I left it you so-oo long!?!

Ta-da! A quick how-to and a happy me :)

A little while ago, Jak (aka my mom) sent me an image she had found on the tinter and I was inspired! It was using an old plastic pop bottle and with a snip here and a cut there it makes the most wonderful mini propagator. The picture she sent didn't have any instructions and I am sorry that I can't credit it as I now can not find it - if you know who/where it comes from - let me know so I can link to it and give credit where it is due.

Until then - here is my version!

You will need a large plastic bottle - wash it out and remove all labels and the lid 

including the little secruity band below the lid.

 Once it is clean cut off the top flared piece before it begins to become the main body,

 then measure it against the base of the bottle.

Cut the middle section of the bottle away.

 Insert the 'funnel' end of the bottle into the base and trim until both pieces are the same height

make sure the mouth of the bottle reaches the base.

Pour in water until it fills just the neck of the bottle before it widens out, pop in your cutting making sure it just reaches the water and fairly quickly roots appear. The cutting sits in the 'funnel' part without rotting in the water and the water seems to stay cleaner and clearer for much longer!

I have a row of these mini propagators and they are rather pretty when the sun light shines through it them in the morning. A vast improvement on the motley crew of jars and glasses I used to use.

Happy happy me :)

Today

His eyes were glassy with tears.
She's just died he whispered.
Oh, Oh I am so sorry I managed to say before feeling my throat restricting at his pain. I reached out and briefly touched the back of his sun tanned hand.
He turned gruffly away and stumbled back to the waiting room, only to get up again and say..
My friend, he is coming to collect us, the nurse...his voiced cracked....the nurse is..... wrapping up her body for me...his voice faded to a whisper.

All the time he could not raise his eyes as a lone tear quietly ran down his cheek.

He turned and sat back down in the waiting room.



20 minutes earlier a young man had dashed in, the blood drained from his face, and grabbed my arm
Excuse me, I have just run over a dog - I have it here with his owner!

I looked up to see an older man with a shocked and dazed look on his face. He was struggling to get out of the front seat of the car as he clutched a blood soaked towel to his chest. All I could see was the snout of a small dog poking upward, it's jaws agape as it was gasping for breath.

The vet was soon out and bustling the owner and the towel into the surgery and the young man stood pale and trembling.




The phone screamed an interuption and I was dragged away from this small but intense dama. When I returned the waiting room was empty.

There are good days.

There are bad days.

All days are busy.

All days have mini dramas, incredible highs and moments of tear jerking sadness.

Today was no different.

Sign of the times

When we are out and about, we love looking for odd signs and notices. Some times they are in unexpected places.

 Some are local to where I work

 Others, poignant reminders of others now gone

 In case of emergency - drink wine?

 A lovely 'to the wedding' sign - pointing along a remote and wild flower filled lane - how romantic

 Farmer-made signs, protecting their fields from wandering walkers

A new woodland with a nettle strewn pathway.

In which we go walking...

It didn't have the best of starts, our walk that is.

We'd already set off and been going 15 minutes when.....we had to turn back to collect my wallet. Big sigh from husband. 

Then having returned home, found the errant wallet and had gone about 20 minutes when whilst trundling along a quiet country lane, a large lamb leapt out of the hedgerow. Himself stamped so hard on the brakes it felt as if the car did a nosestand and the sheep disappeared from view. We all gasped and held our communal breath and for a brief moment there was no movement.

Suddenly a dazed but perfectly fine sheep dashed out from beneath the car, ran up the lane and shot back through into the hedge. Phew.

Time for our walk.

 Lunch break

 Spooked highland bullocks

 Just us

 Shades of blue and purples

 Shades of yellow

Locals 

 Another local

Tortie cats and Indian Runners 

Oops - been spotted by one of the cats!

Think that cat has just given us the 'stink eye'!

The problem with working on Saturdays is that your weekend is drastically shorter and as a consequence seem to fly by even quicker that normal.

Still - going to keep a positive lid on things and see it as a count down to our summer holidays!

Woo Hoo here they come :)

Hose pipe pieces in various colours

I have been a bit quiet on the downsize and declutter challenge I set myself but we are still shifting things either to the charity shop or via Freegle.

Have you ever heard of Freegle?

It metamorphosed  from Freecycle into Freegle a few years ago but still is a lifeline for anyone one trying to declutter their homes or have a need but have a very tight budget.

We have over the years managed to rehome a lot of 'stuff' that we didn't need to folk who did.  I regularly get bulletins with the latest wants and offers, some quite legitimate and others...well lets say... a little odd.

For example...
OFFER: approx 2 ton of rubble - can not deliver, come and collect otherwise am taking to the tip.
WANTED: i want a nintendo wii or som otha game plz
OFFER: Got a bag full of pieces of hose pipe, mixed colours - first come first gets.

Some requests seem to have the worst spelling possible...not even text-speak is this rubbish....

OFFER: im looking fore some old glamor magizens for a project im doing. i want old ones becuase they need to be tastfull not shocking. I can collect an dont mind if you only one or a hundred,any will be apreciated thank you

Some requests or offers are very specific -

WANTED: I want an anvil and a vice and a kiln. Look at the back of your shed or your garage and if you want to get rid of them I will make good use of them.

OFFER: 
2 sachets raspberry flavour energy drink
i sachet lemon flavour energy drink
2 sachets hot chocolate drink
4 sachets sugar free chewing gum
4 sachets coffee creamer
3 sachets white tea mix
2 sachets sugar
1 sachet boiled sweets with honey or cough drops


Not sure if I would want to either meet the bloke wanting the anvil or the woman who has had a clear out of her cupboard.....


But, jokes aside, it is a brilliant way of passing on unneeded, unwanted and unnecessary stuff and it is a great service manned by volunteer moderators - you should check out your local branch and declutter your home and if you feel the need - get a bag of hose pipe pieces - in various colours....!

That's it! I've had enough!!

After a fairly stress-filled day, Saturday afternoon suddenly calmed down. Eldest is away for a week on his DofE and we had finally sorted out all his camping equipment and food needs. He, although ready mentally for his expedition, found the actual physical effort of putting together his paraphernalia almost beyond his ability. He languidly slouched about the place having seemingly lost all capacity to speak, his only activity was to check his cell phone or to change his music. Gah! My teeth were beginning to wear away with all the grinding.

Then, I had had enough. 

I dramatically pronounced that I was going to pack a picnic and we were going to eat out somewhere in the cool of the evening air. Initially startled by my sudden demand, Youngest and Himself soon got into the swing of things and joined in. Eldest moved marginally quicker......barely discernable but enough to give me hope!

 Himself brought Gertie out of the garage, she was going to trundle us out on our adventure! He rolled back her roof and the cool air flying over our heads was exhilarating, I could not help but put my hands out and feel the wind flying through my fingers. Eldest seemed to be invigorated by this blast of fresh air and started to take photos and to speak in complete sentences.

 We parked up near the village of Airton and dropped down to the river's edge. Swallows screeched overhead as they hunted for flying insects.

 Eldest and Himself carried the picnic on ahead as I took photos.I smiled as the teenager began to morphose back into my son.

 We ate homity pie (cheese, onion and potato) still warm from the hasty baking, salad and crusty bread. There was a definite congenial air as we chatted and laughed. Eldest relaxed and we spoke about this and that, my heart skipping with joy as whole loquacious paragraphs fell from his mouth instead of the usual neanderthal grunts.

 After we'd eaten, the boys went down to the river to skim stones. Himself and I sat in companionable silence surrounded by buttercups and swallows.

 Then, as the sun faded and the biting midges awoke, we packed up and drove over Malhamdale following the sunset. We stopped just above where I work and revelled in the joy of a warm sunset. Himself and Youngest playing about in the long grass.

I sat in Gertie, quietly enjoying the evening, sad that it was winding down and Eldest seemed to have exhausted his conversation and was beginning to retreat back to his cell phone. Texting his girl taking precedence to talking to his mom, hey ho..... I will just have to treasure those few short hours when he was mine again :)