Thursday 26 September 2013

BLOGGING & LUNCHING


What a wonderful day out in town.  I met up with a fellow foodie blogger - Foodie Quine - for lunch.  We went to a neat wee cafe in Little Belmont Street, called Cup.  So fine ... They had this magic offering of a small bowl of soup, small roll & fine piece ...


The teas were to die for ... An astounding long list of flavours ... This one was coconut chai latte ... The smell was divine ...


Foodie Quine and I had so much gassing to do in between the fine feast - her cheese board platter with soup and oatcakes looked the business too, as did the macaroons.  It's a wee treasure - check it out if you get the chance!

Tuesday 24 September 2013

ONE SUPERB SUNNY DAY


Yesterday was such a fantastic day ... Gloriously hot (for late September - 24 degrees!)

As The Fall invite us to 'Hit the North', that's what I did (shame I only have the vinyl of that tune ... Don't think record playing car stereos stand a chance!) ...

I went on the road to Inverness to try to find some new bread outlets.  It was really fun to do - driving solo without my wee darlings in the back was such a breeze - groovy juke box on my phone.

Made it as far as Brodies Country Fare - what a great place that is.  I can thoroughly vouch for their splendid ladies toilets, where I did a wee sneaky shift into my party frock and heels, before heading off to the Glenfiddich Distillery.  It was just a beautiful warm night ... I managed to sneak a few pics ....



The occasion was a Grampian Food Forum Dining Club - really superb dinner and lots of interesting foodie folks to chat to.  We had a tour of the bonded warehouse which smelled divine with the ageing malt in oak casks and cosy lighting.  After a wonderful feast we got to 'nose' the amazing two 21 year old malts - Balvenie & Glenfiddich ... So different - the Glenfiddich got my vote.  I felt it was a cardinal sin to leave the Balvenie, as my husband would have died and gone to heaven drinking that one!  If only I'd had a chauffeur booked for the long foggy drive home!


This big jug is wonderful ... I would love one like this!



Sunday 22 September 2013

BIRTHDAY LASS





This week I have turned another year older ... 44 - there's a symbolism in that number combination - yes, I am most very definitely a middle aged wifie (if I am lucky!!)

But rather than get maudlin I just get busy!  My week kicked off with my upholstery course which was just fab!  To spend 6 hours hammering away was great - a wee tonic for my soul.  I took a few pics of the deconstruction of my stool ...


Led to this ...


Collection of vintage leather and horse hair ... Lots of dust & mega sneezing ...  Foosty is the only word for this war-time creation of rusty tacks!


Then to the rebuilding of layers of wool, horse hair, hessian, more layers, cotton, more layers, then finally my tweed cover ... Led to this ...


I was tickled pink by the result!  The only drag was the long drive back up north but it was most definitely worth the petrol  and hammer time!




Saturday 14 September 2013

HAPPY HAIRY HARRIS TWEED


Harris tweed is one of those fabrics I absolutely adore ... It just says something about Scotland - beautiful, cosy, tactile and marketed in an amazing way.  I have been so lucky to get my hands on a huge  bag of scraps from a former Loaf Face baker who hails from the wonderful Isle of Lewis.  Her cousin makes delectable handbags and she has given me this wonderful stash of material.  The plan is to make a wedding present for my nephew who is getting married - he hails from Edinburgh but lives in Canada so I thought a Scottish present would be good.

Another wee passion of mine is crafty projects ... My Granny was an upholsterer and I've had a notion to learn the trade for ages.  This was one baby chair project in the making earlier this year ...


Well my lovely husband spotted an upholstery course this weekend.  With my birthday this week that was it - present solved!

Yesterday I scoured Ellon's Indoor Market - a treasure trove of tat and wonders from a bygone era!  I spied 2 stools lurking around.  It was then time to load up the car and head south, hoping to find a bed somewhere in the direction of Crieff.


After a wee detour to a NEOS art show at the Waldorf School, where a friend had an exhibition, I arrived at Montrose to my brother's beautiful new pad ... Here he is getting ready for winter with his saw table looking dangerous ... (Do not cross this man - brings visions of horror films from my ill spent youth!)


I hadn't seen his house since Easter - it's so transformed - especially the garden which now has grass and paving stones. The amazing thing is it's a 'passive house' with no heating, just mega insulation and solar panels.  He's an architect and this is his baby ... Time for a classic bit of sibling rivalry - I want one too!!!  (Just thinking of saving on oil bills!!)


Anyway, I digress  ...  Back to the tweed ...  So I spent all day colonising his table, getting out my Mum's sewing machine and getting the fabric for my stool sorted out ...  This was the amazing bundle of tweed from Morag's cousin ...


And this is my stool getting a wee try out for colours ...


And this was my colour selection ...


So then I became this really unsocial guest sewing away all evening.  And now the sky is starting to lighten up, so I'd better get up and on the road to Crieff ... Can't wait!


The autumnal view to the sea and Montrose, as a new day dawns ...

Tuesday 10 September 2013

COSY ...


The fire has come back into action, as the nights have shortened and the temperature has begun to drop.   It just seems like a good idea to get baking ...  I'm not sure whether there is some latent need to compete with the Great British Bake Off, if only by myself in my home kitchen ... whatever is going on in my mind!?



Tonight it was time to try a Raspberry Lemon Torte & judging by what's now left, it's been a hit ...


(As has the vino .. A 2012 Pinot Noir from South Africa ... takes me back to my lovely honeymoon way back when in the dinosaur era!)

Oh my, war on the home front (2 ranting daughters needing their bath and bed). .... Plus a bomb of a kitchen, better get on ....


Friday 6 September 2013

TIME FOR TEA?



Today's been a busy one at home in the kitchen ... Up at 7.30 and straight to work with a courgette cake ... Check out the beauty of the eggs in sunflower oil ... Looks like a scene from outer space ...


Next up was a tea loaf - the cranberries & apricots were soaking in Earl Grey tea overnight.  My only mistake here was to take leave of my senses & totally misjudge the volume of fruit required ... 


Instead of the 2 cakes I was after I got 4! Whoops - must remember to use home quantities not Loaf Face quantities while cooking for friends!



Still, I always have lots of friends to say thanks to so a cake pressie never goes astray!  This week it's to Andy at work - a numerical genius who helped me create a bar chart for a report - Andy you are a star!