Sunday 30 June 2013

Whoever said this was very clever...

yesterday is history

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30 June - Solution for the last clue and the next cryptic crossword clue


Surprisingly large one, a country in Africa (7)
Solution – Algeria

Algeria is a country in Africa.
It is also made up of a mixed up letters of "large" plus i for one and a for a.


Today’s cryptic crossword clue – solution tomorrow

Dislike of one rendering (8)
Hint – the last letter is n

Mustard chive sauce


Mustard Chive Sauce on Carole's Chatter


Now this mustard chive sauce is not the sort of sauce we should have often.  It is laden with cream.  But as a special treat with thinly sliced corned beef it was spectacular.  And it was good cold the next day on sandwiches as well.

Corned Beef with Mustard Chive Sauce on Carole's Chatter


So you take half a strained cupful of the liquid you have cooked your corned beef in.  (This has had cloves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, bay leaf, golden syrup, mustard powder and white wine as well as the water).  I would usually add carrots and baby onion as well which would make the sauce even better.

Put it in a pot with a cup of cream (full strength runny cream – the sort you can whip).  Bring it to a boil and then simmer until it has reduced by about one third.  I found this took about 10 minutes or so.  And even then it felt runny – but the next day was quite thick.  I think some of the fat from the corned beef gets into the stock and gives the sauce that extra flavour oomph.

Stir in to your sauce 4 tablespoons of Dijon mustard and 3 tablespoons of finely sliced chives.  Simmer for one minute more and then taste to see how much salt and pepper, if any, is needed.

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Saturday 29 June 2013

James K Baxter




James K Baxter, the best-known New Zealand poet, was born on 29 June and would have been 87 today had he lived past 1972.  Here is one of his poems:

THE BAY by James K Baxter

On the road to the bay was a lake of rushes
Where we bathed at times and changed in the bamboos.
Now it is rather to stand and say:
How many roads we take that lead to Nowhere,
The alley overgrown, no meaning now but loss:
Not that veritable garden where everything comes easy.

And by the bay itself were cliffs with carved names
And a hut on the shore beside the Maori ovens.
We raced boats from the banks of the pumice creek
Or swam in those autumnal shallows
Growing cold in amber water, riding the logs
Upstream, and waiting for the taniwha.

So now I remember the bay and the little spiders
On driftwood, so poisonous and quick.
The carved cliffs and the great outcrying surf
With currents round the rocks and the birds rising
A thousand times an hour is torn across
And burned for the sake of going on living.
But I remember the bay that never was
And stand like stone and cannot turn away.

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29 June - Solution for the last clue and the next cryptic crossword clue


Discipline in class (5)
Solution – order

Order can mean discipline or a class of things.


Today’s cryptic crossword clue – solution tomorrow

Surprisingly large one, a country in Africa (7)
Hint – the solution is the name of a country

Chinon


Chinon, France


Chinon is a lovely town close to the Loire Valley in France. 

Chateau de Chinon, France


It has a ruined citadel on top of the hill. 

Joan of Arc


This is where I developed an interest in Joan of Arc.  It is here in Chinon in 1429 that she was said to have recognised the Dauphin despite him being disguised and asked to head an army.  (long story)

Chateau de Chinon, France


If you love France and history, don't miss it if you have a chance.
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Friday 28 June 2013

Feeling French today!

C'est si bon

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28 June - Solution for the last clue and the next cryptic crossword clue


Excursion abroad in front of galley (6)
Solution – outing

An outing is an excursion

Abroad = out
In= in
Front of galley = first letter of galley


Today’s cryptic crossword clue – solution tomorrow

Discipline in class (5)
Hint – this is a double definition clue

Food on Friday: French food

ON

Bonjour!  Yes, it's French food … or should I say cuisine this time. 

Please look out your French style dishes and link them in.  I am sure there are lots of good ones out there.  Feel free to add links to posts about French cookbooks too.

Just put your name and the name of the dish into the first box and copy the url for your post into the second one.

I'll be pinning the links to this Pinboard  as quickly as I can to make it easy for you to select which links to visit.

Bon appetit!

Ps -  For those that like to plan ahead, you can find the forward schedule in a page at the top


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Thursday 27 June 2013

A recipe for living by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Be silly Be honest Be Kind  - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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27 June - Solution for the last clue and the next cryptic crossword clue


South American republic holding alternative view (8)
Solution – panorama

Panama, a South American republic, is holding or contains "or" for alternative and you get panorama meaning view.


Today’s cryptic crossword clue – solution tomorrow

Excursion abroad in front of galley (6)
Hint – the first letter is o

Julian Barnes – The Sense of an Ending


the Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes


This book is almost impossible to describe.  Certainly to describe in a way that does it justice.  It has been called "a jewel", "clever", "suspenseful", "beautiful" and "at times side-splittingly funny".  All I know is that it kept me fully engaged and I finished it feeling satisfied.  I knew I had read something really good.

It is a reasonably short book and you get the feeling that every word deserved to be there.  You end up thinking about time and how your past affects your present.

Small warning – there is a bit of sexual content – mostly funny if a bit crude.

Don't be put off that it won the Man Booker prize – it isn't all high falutin'.

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Wednesday 26 June 2013

We all need good friends

Good friends are like stars, you don't always see them but you know they are there!

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26 June - Solution for the last clue and the next cryptic crossword clue


Escaped in cab, sodden, unfortunately (9)
Solution – absconded

Absconded for escaped is also made up of the letters in "cab sodden".


Today’s cryptic crossword clue – solution tomorrow

South American republic holding alternative view (8)
Hint – this is a container clue

Need some inspiration – Breakfast Part I




To give you some inspiration for Breakfasts, here are some links I chose from Food on Friday: Breakfast. There were so many good ones that I'll be showcasing some more breakfast ideas next week as well.




We start with Sichuan Hot Eggs by Elisson of Lost in the Cheese Aisle. 



Kaz and Ang over at Melting Moments did this Daddy's Baby Bircher.  Just fab.



I dare you not to get hungry just looking at I Sing in the Kitchen's Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes.



I hadn't heard of Crack Bacon until I saw The Erratic Project Junkie's post about it.  Wow!



Here are some Eggs Newburg from Lost Past Remembered – the recipe is part of an interesting post about Hearst Castle.



Terry from RV Life and Food gave us this terrific dish – Sweet Potato Hash with Spicy Hollandaise Sauce.



How about these Roasted Cauliflower Quiches by Skinny Simple Recipes!



To finish on a spectacular 'bacony' note, here is Radishgirl Thymes' Maple Glazed Bacon Donuts.

If you would like to see more of the links just go to the Pinboard  I made up for them all.

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Tuesday 25 June 2013

Wishful thinking in action...

I lost 5 pounds this week

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25 June - Solution for the last clue and the next cryptic crossword clue


Prophet starts to imagine Saint Augustine is against heathens! (6)
Solution – Isaiah

This was an acrostic clue ie the solution was made up of the first letters of the words in the clue starting with Imagine.  And you then get Isaiah who of course is a prophet.


Today’s cryptic crossword clue – solution tomorrow

Escaped in cab, sodden, unfortunately (9)

Hint – this is an anagram clue

Zingy Orphan Salad – new name!


Name this salad on Carole's Chatter


Update: Thanks to Michelle, Analisa, Kirsten and Lisa for the name ideas – I have combined them to call this Zingy Orphan Salad
The salad was made from diced capsicum (bell pepper), courgette (zucchini), radish, potato, snow peas (or they might have been sugar snap peas) and parsley.

The dressing was an egg vinaigrette.  It was made from:

Chopped hard boiled egg
Dijon mustard
Olive oil
10 capers, chopped
Vinegar (white wine)
Chili flakes
Salt and pepper

Despite it being an orphan salad, it was very tasty.

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Monday 24 June 2013

Capital city of the week: Avarua





Avarua means "two harbours" in English

Avarua

It is the capital of a country which is made up of a number of islands.



Raw fish is a normal part of Avaruan's diet


Church in Avarua


Nearly everything in Avarua is closed on Sunday's – except the churches, of course

Flame tree Avarua


And you can see lovely trees like this in Avarua.

So where is Avarua?













It is the capital of THE COOK ISLANDS!
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