Forty Three, the final front door: November 2011

Sunday, 27 November 2011

Week 30/52 205-211/365

This week I have decided to run with a theme, which shouldn't be too difficult to guess.

205/365 New Diary

206/365 Teapot

207/365 Watering can

208/365 Breakfast plate

209/365 Casserole dish

210/365 Milk jug

211/365 Mug

But just in case you couldn't guess, its macro blue around the home. Thanks for looking.

Thursday, 24 November 2011

From River Cottage veg every day . . . .

. . . North African squash and chickpea stew.

This looks so delicious I've been really looking forward to giving it a go. First I gathered my ingredients together, I more or less followed the recipe, but I didn't have any tumeric, so I just went without, I used dried chickpeas (soaked overnight in cold water then boiled fiercely for 10 minutes) instead of tinned, I used plain water instead of vegetable stock and I added a tin of chopped tomatoes in place of passata.

The recipe is as follows. Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a large saucepan, add 2 large (I used 3 medium red) onions, chopped, and saute until just starting to turn golden brown.

Add the garlic (I used puree), celery, pepper, tumeric, cinnamon and ginger, saute for a couple of minutes.

Now add the lentils, chickpeas, saffron, passata, parsley and coriander.

Cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and deseed the squash or punpkin and cut into large cubes.

Add to the pan with the stock and bay leaf. Cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

At this stage the recipe suggests that you add some vermicelli, orzo or other small pasta, however I decided to leave that option out and just simmered for another 15 minutes or so, then served with a bread roll. It was, I can assure you, as delicious as it looks, and pretty healthy too.

2/26 Challenge, light

The first part of the challenge is to take 14 photos over a 14 day period, well I failed that one straight away, as I only took 11, the second half of the challenge is to post the first, the last, and your favourite, so here are mine.

This is the first, taken at Weston-Super-Mare, bright sunshine reflected by the wet beach.

This is my favourite, sunlight shining through the blinds onto the wall of my dining room.

And this is the last, the "on" light of my TV, and reflected in the glass table on which it stands

Sunday, 20 November 2011

Week 29/52 198-204/365

198/365 The very day after enjoying an ice cream at the seaside, I am reminded that Christmas is not far off.

199/365 A very enjoyable walk along the canalside towpath on a sunny November day

200/365 Roast cauliflower

201/365 Rog has been dismantling our stereo system ready to pack

202/365 An experimental portrait of YKW

203/365 Up to the top of Roundway Hill for our lunch, and spotted this very old car burning the rubber on the rough terrain whilst being photographed - by others as well as me.

204/365 We've had a hard days packing, time to relax in front of the TV

Friday, 18 November 2011

Baked cauliflower

Not sure which TV programme it was, but I walked into the room just as the Hairy Bikers did this. It looked quite delicious so I looked up the recipe and gave it a go. I have since searched to try to find the recipe again but I cant, so here goes from memory.
Cut the cauliflower into small florets, drizzle with olive oil, salt and black pepper to taste, bake in the oven 180C for 20 minutes.
From my experience you would need to either increase the temperature (I was stepping out of my comfort zone anyway, I always cook everything at 200C!) or increase the cooking time, as although tasty they were still quite a bit too crunchy. Very nice though, much, much nicer than soggy over-boiled cauli. I served mine with chicken cooked in Hunters Sauce, sorry no photo of finished meal.

Tuesday, 15 November 2011

Weston-Super-Mare

Now that our kids are grown-up we tend to avoid seaside towns during the summer months, and go instead out of season. This year for a change from the lovely south coast, we took a trip to Weston-Super-Mare, just a quick whizz along the M4, turned left at Bristol and down the M5, took us about one and a half hours. Neither of us has been here before so it was somewhere new to explore. We were very lucky with the weather, it was almost like a summer's day with bright sunshine and almost warm enough to take our coats off.

The pier had burned down in 2008, but was quickly rebuilt and the new one was open for the 2010 season.

Looking back towards the town from the end of the pier you can see the new ferris wheel being built, ready for next years season.

The lovely Rog, having removed his cap as it was slightly breezy and he didn't want to lose it.

We were there quite early in the morning, so it wasn't busy on the beach, but obviously the donkey owners were expecting a busy day, as they were preparing the donkies for kiddies rides.

It was warm enough for me to have an ice cream

We paid a visit to the Seaquarium. This fish really made me laugh, this is the underside, and the eyes were actually on the top side, but there were corresponding markings underneath which made this look like a face.

Sharks viewed from below

Not a particularly good shot, but very bright and colourful

This tower is in the middle of the shopping area, its quite striking, but we could find nothing to tell us what it was or why it was there.

We sat down on a bench for lunch, and Rog disguised his can of lager, in case he was mistaken for a teenager or a drop-out!

Monday, 14 November 2011

Week 28/52 191-197/365

191/365 On my way back home from Surrey

192/365 Last leaf on the tree

193/365 Kennet and Avon Canal

194/365 Random stuff in my kitchen, out for packing

195/365 We shall not forget them

196/365 All the ones

197/365 Ice cream on the sea front at Weston-Super-Mare, on 13th November

Friday, 11 November 2011

Another Photographic Challenge

I have come across a new Photographic Challenge, which you can read about here. It is a 26 challenge, thats one subject each fortnight, with 3 pictures for each subject, which sounds like my sort of challenge. The first subject is "Backyard". Having exhausted all the possibilities in my own, and recently spending the weekend with my son and daughter-in-law, I made the most of the opportunity to take some shots in a different "backyard". I didn't manage the whole 14 shots, I took only 11, the rosehip is my favourite, I couldn't tell you why, I just like it, the rose was the first shot and the sumack leaves the last.

shot on auto with macro setting, cropped.

as above, auto with macro setting, cropped

as above again, auto with macro setting, enhanced by increasing colour saturation.

I expect you will be able to link up with others if you go to the host blog during the next few days
http://memycameraeye.blogspot.com/2011/10/new-photo-challenge.html