It's nearly Spring! Saw my first blackthorn blossom this morning. I think that warm bit at the weekend has prompted it, after the snow has long gone. Well, a couple of weeks gone. The snowdrops are doing their thing, crocuses are happening (though not abundantly yet). And it's light when I get the kids up (7am) and when leave work (5.30pm ( Read more... )

Mmm, treacle tart.

I posted about Heston Blumenthal's treacle tart recipe some years ago. Given that near-disaster, I've not attempted the pastry since, but the filling is very fine. (The recipe I refer to is more or less this one, but I notice he also put his name to a simpler versionHad it today with cheater's readymade pastry from the Co-op and ( Read more... )

Today is a good day. I've come out in the same rash that **FIXME did after his fever, which suggests that it's the same thing and that I'm going to be feeling better from now on. (This is a bit weird - I've not had an illness with a rash since I was a kid myself, and thought I'd had the lot.) And the crocuses are abundant, the daffodils and ( Read more... )

Much cheered by seeing early Spring flowers starting to show up. It was lovely to see snowdrops actually poking their heads through the snow last week, and now the aconites are going crazy, the crocuses are coming out, and the daffodils are well on the way. And there is noticably more and better daylight around (on average; today is a bit ( Read more... )