Thursday, 21 January 2016
What`s for dinner Clarey?: War and PeaceThis week my beautiful twins James ...
What`s for dinner Clarey?: War and Peace This week my beautiful twins James ...: War and Peace This week my beautiful twins James and Lily turned 15. Their birthday always brings some necessary sunshine to what is that ...
War and Peace
This week my beautiful twins James and Lily turned 15. Their birthday always brings some necessary sunshine to what is that awkward thunder cloud third week after Christmas when you have to get real and knuckle down to some proper work!
We were given a glimpse again of seasonal joy , real snow, wrapping paper strewn everywhere, red velvet cake for breakfast and bottles of Champagne popping as the glass half full mentality was restored.
They are so alike and so different at the same time my twins. A real Yorkshire concoction , half me which equals Yorkshire pudding , half their yummy Dad aka The Viking and ta dah we have bred supermodels!
They are thoroughbreds though. Tall and blonde and kind and useful- an irresistible tag team and a couple of winners. I won the gene pool lottery when I spied and snared their handsome father. When I like millions of others watched "War and Peace" this weekend and the divine Natasha and delicious Andrei waltzed off with the nation`s hearts it reminded me of that moment of falling in love.
Some people find love after a long slow burn, others say they have never experienced the feeling of "the fall" but I did.
We were watching a football match and the mounted police were called in for crowd control and there was danger in the air. Matty took my hand and I felt I was home at last and that was 25 years ago and wherever he may be is home to me. I am so grateful for all this Love and our children, James and Lily and Jemima are the glue in our love sandwich.
It is like War and Peace in our house most days, lost keys, teenage broken hearts, "tidy your room" spats and table tennis domination always give way to the impromptu Beatles sing songs at the dinner table, warm fires, warm hugs and that unbreakable belief in family.
Cooked tea
When it is the twins birthday they always ask for curry followed by this tea which our beautiful Usma Pasha makes for us as her daughter Saffyr shares their birthday with them.
5 tea bags
5 cardomon pods
full milk
boiling water
sugar
Coming from York we always use Yorkshire tea, boil up some water and equal amounts of milk in a pan with the cardomon add the tea bags and "cook" until syrupy and the cardomon has had chance to infuse, serve with sugar - better than pudding!
This week my beautiful twins James and Lily turned 15. Their birthday always brings some necessary sunshine to what is that awkward thunder cloud third week after Christmas when you have to get real and knuckle down to some proper work!
We were given a glimpse again of seasonal joy , real snow, wrapping paper strewn everywhere, red velvet cake for breakfast and bottles of Champagne popping as the glass half full mentality was restored.
They are so alike and so different at the same time my twins. A real Yorkshire concoction , half me which equals Yorkshire pudding , half their yummy Dad aka The Viking and ta dah we have bred supermodels!
They are thoroughbreds though. Tall and blonde and kind and useful- an irresistible tag team and a couple of winners. I won the gene pool lottery when I spied and snared their handsome father. When I like millions of others watched "War and Peace" this weekend and the divine Natasha and delicious Andrei waltzed off with the nation`s hearts it reminded me of that moment of falling in love.
Some people find love after a long slow burn, others say they have never experienced the feeling of "the fall" but I did.
We were watching a football match and the mounted police were called in for crowd control and there was danger in the air. Matty took my hand and I felt I was home at last and that was 25 years ago and wherever he may be is home to me. I am so grateful for all this Love and our children, James and Lily and Jemima are the glue in our love sandwich.
It is like War and Peace in our house most days, lost keys, teenage broken hearts, "tidy your room" spats and table tennis domination always give way to the impromptu Beatles sing songs at the dinner table, warm fires, warm hugs and that unbreakable belief in family.
Cooked tea
When it is the twins birthday they always ask for curry followed by this tea which our beautiful Usma Pasha makes for us as her daughter Saffyr shares their birthday with them.
5 tea bags
5 cardomon pods
full milk
boiling water
sugar
Coming from York we always use Yorkshire tea, boil up some water and equal amounts of milk in a pan with the cardomon add the tea bags and "cook" until syrupy and the cardomon has had chance to infuse, serve with sugar - better than pudding!
Tuesday, 5 January 2016
What`s for dinner Clarey?: The cure for the pain is The Cure.I`m so sad th...
What`s for dinner Clarey?: The cure for the pain is The Cure.
I`m so sad th...: The cure for the pain is The Cure. I`m so sad that Christmas is over and that to eat Ferrero Rocher for ones breakfast at 3pm in your PJs...
I`m so sad th...: The cure for the pain is The Cure. I`m so sad that Christmas is over and that to eat Ferrero Rocher for ones breakfast at 3pm in your PJs...
The cure for the pain is The Cure.
I`m so sad that Christmas is over and that to eat Ferrero Rocher for ones breakfast at 3pm in your PJs is no longer allowed.
Christmas and New Year was spent with my favourite people and for a few days we feasted and forgot our worries. Suddenly we are propelled back to reality with the pressures of work and school, packed lunches to make, shirts to iron and this awful British weather to endure.
The first day back at work is always pretty hard to enjoy. Loss of liberty keenly felt by pupils and teachers alike! Whilst driving to work in my car yesterday I stumbled upon a cure for the post holiday pain- The Cure.
Volume blaring , I was transported back to the 80s when I had no troubles to speak of and worked on York market at the weekends selling fruit and vegetables. What a lovely job that was. Trimming cauliflowers, making beautiful displays of carrots and bananas eating grapes for lunch with The Shambles as the backdrop to my working day.
Youth is wasted on the young , I`m sure I took for granted all the fun of the market and the fact that my wage packet was all mine and wasn`t for paying bills with! No, I spent my money on clothes from Top Shop and Fry`s chocolate, taxi rides from nightclubs and Earl grey and cinnamon toast at Betty`s of York.
Music is so evocative of the ghosts of holidays past and I instantly felt better and happy after "Boys don`t cry" sped me on to work. When I was young and fearless and Robert Smith lived on my bedroom wall, I didn`t stop to see any obstacles in my way I hurdled over them and life seemed so easy.
I listened to the echoes and deduced that Life is like an echo. Whatever you do will come back to you. If you smile, smiles will be returned x10. If you cry and moan the pain revolves. So there I was this morning listening to The Cure driving to the swimming pool, a grumpy pool attendant said I couldn`t get in the pool as I was early, so instead of running back to the changing rooms (which is what my 44 year old self wanted to do) I sat politely on the side , resplendent in my swimming cossie, like a rather Reubenesque marooned mermaid, like my teenager self would have and I got in and swam 20 lengths effortlessly.
So the cure for the post party pain is The Cure for me. Let your life this year echo with a play list of happy days always.
Lamb hotpot
6 lamb leg steaks cubed
6 banana shallots sliced
4 cloves garlic
1 pint lamb stock
sherry
2 carrots sliced
brown sugar
1 stick celery chopped
6 large potatoes sliced thinly
Fry the lamb in a little butter, add the shallots, garlic,carrots, celery until browned. Add the stock and a glass of sherry and a tbs of brown sugar. Place in a large oven proof pot and layer the potatoes on top, scatter the top with a little butter and plenty of salt and pepper. Cover with foil or a lid and bake for two hours on a medium heat until the potatoes are soft and cooked through.
Eat in a warmed bowl by the fire with red cabbage and a glass of red wine , comfort and joy even after the Christmas lights are put out
I`m so sad that Christmas is over and that to eat Ferrero Rocher for ones breakfast at 3pm in your PJs is no longer allowed.
Christmas and New Year was spent with my favourite people and for a few days we feasted and forgot our worries. Suddenly we are propelled back to reality with the pressures of work and school, packed lunches to make, shirts to iron and this awful British weather to endure.
The first day back at work is always pretty hard to enjoy. Loss of liberty keenly felt by pupils and teachers alike! Whilst driving to work in my car yesterday I stumbled upon a cure for the post holiday pain- The Cure.
Volume blaring , I was transported back to the 80s when I had no troubles to speak of and worked on York market at the weekends selling fruit and vegetables. What a lovely job that was. Trimming cauliflowers, making beautiful displays of carrots and bananas eating grapes for lunch with The Shambles as the backdrop to my working day.
Youth is wasted on the young , I`m sure I took for granted all the fun of the market and the fact that my wage packet was all mine and wasn`t for paying bills with! No, I spent my money on clothes from Top Shop and Fry`s chocolate, taxi rides from nightclubs and Earl grey and cinnamon toast at Betty`s of York.
Music is so evocative of the ghosts of holidays past and I instantly felt better and happy after "Boys don`t cry" sped me on to work. When I was young and fearless and Robert Smith lived on my bedroom wall, I didn`t stop to see any obstacles in my way I hurdled over them and life seemed so easy.
I listened to the echoes and deduced that Life is like an echo. Whatever you do will come back to you. If you smile, smiles will be returned x10. If you cry and moan the pain revolves. So there I was this morning listening to The Cure driving to the swimming pool, a grumpy pool attendant said I couldn`t get in the pool as I was early, so instead of running back to the changing rooms (which is what my 44 year old self wanted to do) I sat politely on the side , resplendent in my swimming cossie, like a rather Reubenesque marooned mermaid, like my teenager self would have and I got in and swam 20 lengths effortlessly.
So the cure for the post party pain is The Cure for me. Let your life this year echo with a play list of happy days always.
Lamb hotpot
6 lamb leg steaks cubed
6 banana shallots sliced
4 cloves garlic
1 pint lamb stock
sherry
2 carrots sliced
brown sugar
1 stick celery chopped
6 large potatoes sliced thinly
Fry the lamb in a little butter, add the shallots, garlic,carrots, celery until browned. Add the stock and a glass of sherry and a tbs of brown sugar. Place in a large oven proof pot and layer the potatoes on top, scatter the top with a little butter and plenty of salt and pepper. Cover with foil or a lid and bake for two hours on a medium heat until the potatoes are soft and cooked through.
Eat in a warmed bowl by the fire with red cabbage and a glass of red wine , comfort and joy even after the Christmas lights are put out
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