Cakey Biscuity Object

This is what my latest baking creation looked like 

before it went in the oven. 

It's biscuit batter with some artfully arranged brownie 

mixture added for contrast/texture. 

And the brownie I made is below it.

Few And Far

Here are some photos of Few and Far in South Kensington. I'd been meaning to go and take a look inside for a while.

The shop has a very calm, airy feel to it with a birdsong soundtrack playing in the background. (I liked this idea alot and think I might try it at home.)

Despite the fact that pretty much everything in Few and Far was highly desirable - and some of it was also on sale - we decided to be cautious with our spending and left only with four 10p Chupa Chups lollies. (I was there with two of my children who deserved a treat for following me around the V&A and very kindly carrying the bags whilst I'd been giving a tour at the museum just before.)

But as someone who is always drawn to blue and white, the ceramics in the bottom picture by Sue Binns were right up my street - those elegant vases and jugs would definitely be something I would save up for.

Pond Skating

Okay.

Since I'm bobbing about on the surface, I may as well go with it. It's probably my natural home anyway. So, dear reader, I'll probably remove all words entirely and just go with pictures. Will try to find some nice ones.

Foam

Currently I can't do 'depth'.

Nothing is happening in here. Wit or thought where are you?

It appears that I am froth.

Less than that - I am sprinkles on froth.

Bowling Smash

........... is a game invented by a seven year old boy.

These are the rules we played by today:

(Subject to change depending upon location, weather or anything else.)

1. Find a willing opponent.

2. Pick your team from the selection of small, toy figures you may have.

In this case pirates, knights, damsels, and 'various'. 

3. Arrange your units as illustrated in the photographs above and
top image below. 

4. Assume the 'attack' position to the side.

5. With your ball - rubber/ping-pong/golf even - take
turns to roll it towards the figures in the opposing team.

6. Out of three or five rounds, the one who knocks down 

the most members of their opponents team

is the winner.

7. Break for elevenses.

C.F.T.C.A.B.S.S

Despite the name of this blog I really am no expert on footwear. But in the shoe department (of my mind) there is something that's been taking up thought time recently:

Casual Footwear That Could Also Be Sporty Sometimes 
(or Sporty Footwear That Could Also Be Casual Sometimes)

Now the shoe that immediately comes to mind in this category would have to be Converse All-Stars.

Let me say that I like them. I know that they come highly recommended and tick all the practicality/style/colour choice boxes. And they sure look nice on the small feet of the little people I know and also on the not so little feet of some of the big people I know.

However I'd like to offer up an alternative here. It's the B2 (or any other style really) by Spring Court.

Now I actually own a pair of these (in grey) and I like them alot. Mine are a bit worn in (out?) now and could probably do with being replaced but they are just so comfy. They truly are. Honestly - I almost bounce in mine and I can walk for miles in them. Here is the reason:

Spring Courts Have Arch Supports.

Yes sir, they do.

And it's that one, thoughtful little detail that not only gladdens my heart but adds brio to my step and could also potentially prevent all kinds of foot/ankle/leg/back related nasties. Hurrah.

Now - if this is of interest to you, have a look here and then here.


Above photos found on the net. I'm sorry I can't remember where exactly.

Back-Up Post

Right.

So I was hoping to post some photos of 'What I Baked Today'. However, what I baked today didn't turn out to be as photogenic as I'd hoped so I've replaced it/them with a picture of something entirely different and much prettier.

.... It crept over from next door's garden and is about ready to reinvent itself as a fruit.

Incredible.

Things Found

Here are some oddments found amongst my Dad's photograph collection/suitcase of 'stuff'. There are some very lovely messages on the packaging. Click on the images for a closer look.

Coming across these little packets, which mostly belonged to my Grandma, has reminded me of having to wait - sometimes for as long as a whole week - for photos to be developed at the chemist. Seems unthinkable now doesn't it?

I love this last sentiment (pic above) and have taken it quite to heart.

(Lack Of) Weather Report

I know that today's almost over and we're nearly at tomorrow but I'd just like to remember this day as the one when there wasn't any weather.

It's true.

For most of this day - Tuesday 20th July 2010 -  in this locale - Bermondsey, South East London -  there was little (if any) meteorological activity

All weather related features including wind, rain, sun, snow and cloud - I'm sure there are others - were absent. We just had heat.

And I don't believe that that - on it's own - counts.

This Is Ludlow

We went to lovely Ludlow for the week end. The flat we stayed in was an ancient and very individual place but absolutely perfect for us.

Sleeping Quarters

The compact kitchen - which was in the main bed/living room - had been fashioned out of an antique three-door wardrobe. I would have taken a photo of the outside but the mirrored middle section reflected the incredible mess we managed to make within minutes of arriving. 

The little oven on the right of the picture below is a 'Baby Belling' and the sink on the left was equally petite at about 20cm square - very sweet. I was glad I hadn't planned on making anything more demanding than a cup of tea here though. 

We didn't really spend any time in the little walled garden but it was a beautiful space to gaze upon first thing in the morning when I photographed it.

Out and About

This first image is the window display of Material - a gallery/shop I've mentioned before. The one below it is the postage stamp machine my seven year old became intrigued by. He was desperate to pop a fifty pence piece in the slot for a book of stamps but sadly it was out of order. However, he was thrilled when he discovered I'd taken a photo of it.

The three jugs in the bottom photograph are by Andrew Crouch of The Marches Pottery in Mill Street. At the back of his shop there's a window where you can see him producing these pieces at his wheel. It's mesmerising to watch him at work.

The River Teme at Dinham Bridge

This is a great spot for skimming stones or resting for a bite to eat at the cafe. Whenever we come to Ludlow we spend ages here duck watching, people gazing or just sitting. We were in need of the restorative power of 'green' as we'd not been out of the city for a long while.  

...... Needless to say we weren't really ready to come home. 

F.Y.E.O

DRAFT MEMO (CLASSIFIED)

TO:        'C'
FROM:      OPERATIVE CONTROL
SUBJECT:   SURVEILLANCE REPORT 

TIME:      8.34PM         
DATE:      12/07/2010      
LOCATION:  S.E LONDON


THERE WERE EIGHT (8) INDIVIDUALS PRESENT AT THE RENDEZVOUS. ONE (1) 'HOST' AND SEVEN (7) 'GUESTS'.  

TWO (2) ARRIVED AT 8.30PM. THREE (3) MORE AT APPROX. 8.42PM. ONE (1) AT 8.53PM AND THE FINAL ONE (1) AT 9.17PM.  

ALL (APART FROM 'HOST') LEFT BETWEEN 10.30PM AND 01.00AM. 

THEY CALL THEMSELVES 'THE BOOK GROUP'. 

(THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN FORWARDED TO B-DEPARTMENT FOR VERIFICATION AS IT IS UNCERTAIN WHETHER, IN FACT, LITERATURE IS ACTUALLY DISCUSSED.)

FULL TRANSCRIPT UNAVAILABLE.

KNOWN INFORMATION:

SET-UP IS 'FLUID': THEY CAN OPERATE AS A WHOLE, IN SPLINTERS OF TWOS AND THREES OR SOLO. ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO NAMED LEADER AND THE ROLE OF 'HOST' APPEARS TO CHANGE MONTHLY, GROUP MEMBER 'A' IS THOUGHT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMMUNICATING DETAILS OF MEETINGS.


(BOOK CHOICE - SIGNIFICANT?)



OPERATIVE CONTROL BELIEVES THAT SOME - IF NOT ALL - OF THIS GROUP MAY BE SUITABLE CANDIDATES FOR EMBEDDING. SEVERAL HAVE LINKS WITH KNOWN ORGANISATIONS. 


SUREVEILLANCE/DECODING TO CONTINUE - 'C' TO CONFIRM BEFORE RELEASE OF MEMO.

Water Therapy

I'm after something that mimics the reviving sensation of paddling in cold sea - that wonderful shock you get when you dip your toes into the water and it laps back and hits your ankles. As I'm currently too far away from any coast I'm going to plunge my feet into a bucket of cold water.  And then I'm just going to sit. I will do this not now - but tomorrow afternoon at around 3.30pm.

Gallery Guide: Horrockses

After reading Bermondsey Mum's post about Mary Portas, I'm reminded to remind you that there's an exhibition opening this week at The Fashion & Textile Museum in Bermondsey Street London SE1.

Horrockses was a British fashion house that produced distinctive ready-to-wear outfits during the 1940's and 50's and were known for their full-skirted dresses, high quality fabrics and colourful prints. Here's an example of one of their lovely frocks.

Via here

A Book About Baking

At the Summer Fair for which the apple muffins (previous post) were baked, there was a ton of old books on sale. The ones that hadn't sold by the end of the fair were offered for free to anyone interested and - amongst a bunch chosen by my eldest daughter - was the book below which she very kindly gave to me. Seeing as I love old books and know others that do also, I wanted to share the find.

This book was first published in 1956 and tells the story of how the authors, George and Cecilia Scurfield, began baking their own bread and selling it from home after getting fed up with shop bought varieties. Their passion for bread and yeast cookery inspired them to write this book which is still in print today (although redesigned) and contains not only recipes for bread but for other kinds of baked goods too. 

At the beginning of each chapter are these lovely pen and ink drawings. Sadly I could find out nothing about the illustrator, Nora Kay. 

'Introduction'

'Wholemeal Bread and Rolls'

'Gilding the Loaf'

'English Tea Breads'

'Coffee Breads from Abroad'

'A Miscellany'

The Scurfield's follow-up book to this one was 'Home-Made Cakes and Biscuits' and was reviewed in the Spectator by the British cookery writer Elizabeth David who wrote,

'...as one would expect from the author of Home Baked .... the recipes read as if they would work and produce cakes tasting as they should.'

On A Roll With Baking

More muffins - apple this time. 

Three Chairs

I like chairs. I have alot* of them. I will probably have more.

Here's one of my favourites - upright, simple, sturdy and very useful for hanging a jacket on. This chair is typical of a kind of country chair made in Wales in the early to mid 19th Century.

Now the next one is fairly utilitarian looking and typically 1930's in style. Although not conventionally pretty, it's probably the most comfortable dining chair in the world - in my view. Once you're in - you're in - there's no squirming about here and it doesn't dig into your spine at just the wrong place. And the seat can accommodate the more generously proportioned without fear of any uncomfy thigh overflow.

My garden chair of choice would be the Luxembourg chair - the Low Stackable I like alot. It was originally produced in 1923 for Les Jardins du Luxembourg in Paris. This distinctive chair was redesigned in 2004 by Frederic Sofia and is now made from aluminium instead of steel. It comes in lots of nice colours and probably ages well too.

Luxembourg Chairs via here

* Most are hand-me-downs.