It seems wrong to be thinking about a month of Springtime activity when the weather has been so unkind to us. I always seem to be talking about the weather but small children do make you very weather-focused. Like dogs, they need a daily "run" and lots of fresh air. What shoes/wellies/coats do we need for the school run? Rain cover on the pushchair or take the car? Is the park an option? The garden? No? Well it's another morning of jigsaws and books and cbeebies.
Yesterday the sun ran away and the rain came back. The heating was switched back on. It was John's day off and a day of cooking ensued. I made tea loaf and my first sourdough loaf (the flavour! I am converted.) John made a tomato and rosemary risotto with meatballs for tea, followed by white chocolate vanilla custards. I felt like we were wintering, hiding away in the warm kitchen, pottering quite happily.
But I have hope that Spring will come back and so, to give me some focus, this month I plan to...
- Bake a lot more sourdough bread, including a rye loaf.
- Plant sweetpeas.
- Paint the bathroom yellow.
- Celebrate lots of birthdays - Angus, my Dad, my Grandma and two friends.
- Make some birthday presents (better get cracking!).
- Read The Restaurant of Love Regained by Ito Ogowa for book group
- Practice my crochet.
Here's hoping we get some sunshine soon! Have a great day everyone.
i really dislike when it turns cold enough to switch back on the heating. that's too much! lol
ReplyDeleteyour bread looks amazing, like from the store! i've never tried sourdough, i will one day, when i return to the land of proper bread flour (don't get me started!).
hope May treats you wonderfully and warm.
No proper bread flour?? How awful! You'll have to stock up when you come to England!
DeleteThe weather is pretty rubbish at the moment, isn't it? Every day's different. Lovely photos - your posts always make me hungry! :)
ReplyDeleteThey make me hungry too and that is why the sun must come out so that i STOP EATING! x
DeleteJohn can cook for me any time - you are lucky to have him! Mind you, he is lucky to have you too if you just whip up such lovely looking loaves of bread! xxxx
ReplyDeleteI did not "whip it up"! You make the first bit, leave it overnight, add flour and knead, leave for HOURS, knock back and leave to prove for yet more hours, then finally bake. Good lord it was like a marriage. xxx
DeleteThat loaf looks scrumptious! And yes, plant lots of sweetpeas, that's on my list too :D
ReplyDeleteThanks Annie! I am pleased with the bread - the first loaf I've made that did not taste stale the next day. Good for toast and sandwiches - yum!
DeleteOh my goodness, that bread looks amazing! I've always wanted to try baking a bread but never seem to get around to it... x
ReplyDeleteTry, it's so much fun! I would not recommend starting with a sourdough as there is a lot of faffing and waiting but you can't go wrong with a plain white loaf. Delish straight out of the oven with lots of butter and jam. x
DeleteThat risotto looks amazing. I think I make our risottos too dry, going but how yours looks. I made that tea loaf again last week and I devoured most of it by myself.
ReplyDeleteThe trick to a good risotto is to put a huge knob of butter and a lot of grated parmesan in at the end, then it always tastes good! x
DeleteI've always been put off by the sourdough name ... but I might try it now! ... have to admit though its the custards I would most like to try. The book sounds interesting - hope you will be giving us a review. I'm always looking for a good read and my book club has folded! Lets hope we have a sunny, but more important happy May. xx
ReplyDeleteI started the book last night and so far am really enjoying it. I was put off by the sourdough name, but it doesn't taste "sour" at all!
DeleteOh my YUM! Sometimes there's nothing like a rainy day full of baking, eating, cooking & more eating... with lots of tea throughout of course ;-)
ReplyDeleteYes, always with many cups of tea, whatever the weather!
DeleteThe bread looks delicious...I could seriously eat bread all day long!! Really hoping Spring returns for you soon! Sounds like you have a lot of birthdays to celebrate this month. My birthday is tomorrow...May is a great month for a birthday!!
ReplyDeleteMe too Julia, bread and butter is one of my many weaknesses! Happy Birthday, hope you are having a great day. x
DeleteIt is freezing here today. We are at BANG goes the theory live at Sheffield on Sat, but think the rest of the weekend may be spent a similar way. That bread looks rather marvelous
ReplyDeleteThanks Jen, i will be making more. Have fun at Bang goes the theory!
DeleteMaking sourdough has been on my list of goals this year, but it's so intimidating! It was chilly and rainy here too and now it's...hot and muggy. So it goes :)
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah, thanks so much for stopping by. I only attempted the bread as a friend had some spare "starter" mixture, which you need to start the bread. Otherwise I too would have been put off! Gillian x
DeleteJooles, the noisy small people might put you off! You can come and live here if you show me how you sew your lovely things! x
ReplyDelete