Photography, Recipes, Travel & Nature / Maria's space

Good Morning from beautiful, sunny Wales

 

Summer is finally here and the weather is just fantastic. Yesterday we took a stroll down to the beach with Odin and Banshee. They just loved splashing in the cool sea water. What a joy to watch them play. Getting down to the Promenade was a bit of a struggle though. Being Huskies, Odin and Banshee love to pull, making no difference between a sledge or a human...lol. Who's walking who? Honestly, my hand hurt when I got home, from the constant strain of keeping Banshee in check.  But apart from that we all had a great time down on the beach. Whilst Odin and Banshee were playing quite boisterously, we suddenly noticed that Odin had come off his lead....well, that could have been a disaster but Odin was really good and came straight back to have his lead re-attached. Phew.!..that was lucky... Neither of them have ever been off the lead, apart from when they are indoors. Huskies apparently are notorious for running off, never to return so to speak. Well, so far so good.

Looks like another fantastic day, so we will probably go down to the beach again later. Can't wait...

Here are just a couple of pictures from yesterday's fun in the sun...

 

 

Finally, spring is here and the first flowers of the season are displaying their most colourful blossoms. How I have missed the sight of these beautiful creations over the dull and grey winter period. You can probably guess, this is my favourite time of year, nature at it's best I think.

This is also the time when I will dig out my walking boots and venture out to explore again, as soon as the sun is out.

For now, I hope you will enjoy my latest nature shots. I am particularly proud to have found the rare and beautiful cowslip. In my childhood, these little beauties grew in abundance, everywhere you looked but over the years they seem to have declined vastly and I find it very difficult to find them these days.

 

 

                      Cowslip

 

 

          

                                          Bluebells

 

    

 

Snow in Wales

 

On looking out of the back door, yesterday morning I was amazed to see everything covered in a layer of pure, white snow. Odin and Banshee were truly surprised and immediately started to investigate the ' white stuff'. They just kept licking and tasting the snow, giving each other bewildered looks. It was so cute to watch.

I didn't have much time to spend with them in the snow because yet another dental appointment made me hurry up, in order to catch the train. Looking back, I was quite lucky to have made it to Chester. On my return I found that many trains were delayed, due to the poor weather conditions and I was forced to spend an additional 30 mins in the freezing cold on the platform. I was glad to get back and thankful at the same time because it could have been much worse. I am pleased to say, that this was my last appointment and I will only have to return for the 6 monthly check up. Work done....hooray!

 

While I was out, I took a couple of pictures of our village in the snow and in Chester, I discovered the walk along 'The Wall', which I had missed on my previous visits.

 

Here are Odin and Banshee, licking the snow from the table in the back yard. I am hoping for some further snow fall, so I can take them out in it...after all, that's what Huskies are all about and this is the first time they have ever experienced a white winter.... 

 

 

 

The village streets were covered in a layer of snow yesterday and with a bit of luck, there will be more to come. It's just beautiful...

 

 

This is a view through the arch on 'The Wall' in Chester. It leads you to The Mall and I can't believe I didn't see it before....

 

 

Good Morning Everyone

 

This is my 1st Blog Entry of 2009. It's been a while, since Christmas to be exact and I have no real excuse, apart from the poor weather which has prevented me from venturing out with my camera. I can't take pictures in the rain and the dull and wet weather conditions do not exactly inspire me to go on a photo shoot. Since I bought my new camera last year, I have been getting very frustrated because of the weather. I know it shouldn't let me stop doing what I love doing, but it has done. I don't mind the cold, but when it constantly rains and the light is just dull and grey, it doesn't make for good pictures if you know what I mean. 

 

 Anyway, enough of my moaning....there were some nice days where I did manage to take a few nice shots. I have also added some more images to my little website: www.abracacamera.com , although I am experiencing some minor problems there too. The pictures take a long time to load and this may put some people off. I have been given some advice on the subject but unfortunately, the way 'pagebuilder' works, there is nothing I can do about it, apart from asking my visitors to be patient and don't be put off by it. I welcome your criticism and look forward to your visit.

 

Since Christmas, I have been on a couple of Day Trips, to the village of Llanfairfechan and to Chester. Chester Cathedral is very impressive and I took pictures from all angles. Unfortunately I didn't have time to see the interior and I am not sure if they permit taking photographs inside, but I will find out at my next visit. At the moment I travel to Chester quite frequently because I visit the dentist there. Finally, I have found a dentist....

 

Well, if all goes well, we are planning a nice long stroll with Odin and Banshee later on today. Should be fun and I'll keep you posted on it.

Banshee has been with us for a year now and it only seems like yesterday when we brought the little 8 weeks old puppy home. She has grown to be a lovely little Husky and she certainly gives Odin the run-around. They get me up early every morning and take some time to settle after their morning toilet and feed. Right now they are both fast asleep and I can finally do a little work on my PC....bliss....

 

By popular demand I have been thinking of new recipe ideas, amongst which I am planning to add recipes for Coeliacs but this new 'Spaces' format and the new way to upload pictures, will make it a little tricky. I have noticed that once you upload pictures, you can't change their order....or is it just me, that I haven't worked out how to do it yet? I'm not sure... we'll see.

 

For now I would like to wish you all a very nice week-end and a big thank you to everyone who enquired about my well-being over the past few weeks.

Thank you very much for your concern, my dear friends.

Looking forward to hear from you in time to come....all the best for 2009...

Kind regards, Maria

 

 

Day Trip to Llanfairfechan

Last night I was alerted by a massive drum roll, whilst out in the garden with Odin. Then I remembered, it must be the start of the parade, with drums proclaiming the opening of the Village Christmas Fair. I quickly strapped my boots on and grabbed my camera to see if I could capture some of the action. I hurried down the street where the sound of the drums became very intense. As I reached the end of the lane, I could make out  various groups getting ready and preparing for the parade. I had been told that up until last year, the Christmas parade used to be quite spectacular, including big floats but for 'Health and Safety' reasons, those had to be abandoned. What a shame... Nevertheless, the children were very excited and looked absolutely gorgeous in their beautiful dresses, decorated with glitter in the glowing light of the lanterns they carried. I watched Santa leading the parade, after the first 'Drum Band' had opened the ceremony. An 'Army Cadet Band' followed and lead Santa and his pixies, accompanied by  the children to the Fun Fair, where a large group of onlookers were greeting the parade. It was quite a spectacle for this usually very quiet village. The Fun Fair was already in full swing and peoples laughter and enjoyment could be heard all around.

 

Yesterday afternoon I went down to the beach to observe the sunset, although the sky was covered in a blanket of clouds...not the best of weather conditions but nevertheless well worth the trip. On reflection, I was a bit disappointed not having brought my tripod. Never mind, that will be my next project, to set up my equipment in a certain spot and just take captures at 1 or 2 minute intervals. Kind of what I was trying to do yesterday. I didn't choose my spot very well as I was forced to move frequently due to the incoming tide. The pictures I took aren't specatacular but the whole affair was well worth hanging around for. I know what to expect next time round if nothing else. The beach at 15.15 GMT was quite deserted, just the odd dog walker in the distance and the weather was very kind if very cold. I was frozen by the time I set off back home at around 16.30 GMT where I had a lovely, hot cup of tea waiting for me.

 

I have just uplaoded the accompanying album to this blog and here are  just a couple of pictures from it:

 

                  

 

            

                                   

 

Yesterday I travelled to the beautiful City of Chester. My purpose was an appointment with the dentist but you know me, never without my camera... 

 

Whilst waiting for the train, I spent some time exploring the City's architecture, parks and met some very nice people in the process, who have very kindly given me permission to add their photographs to my site. I met a Balloonartist who delighted mothers and children alike with his skillful sculptures of colouful balloons, a street preacher spreading the word of Jesus and a musician, entertaining the passing public. Herewith I would like to thank you gentlemen, for adding a little touch of magic to my site and I would be very pleased to send you copies of the photographs via email. You can contact me at: info@abracacamera.com

 

Photographs of Chester's architecture and riverside, will be added to www.abracacamera.com in my next update. Please feel free to visit from time to time....

 

Wishing Everyone a very nice day...

Kind regards, Maria

 

                     

 

 

 

                                    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Wishing Everyone a very nice week-end....

 

My walk to the Druids Circle

 

A glorious October day, beautiful sunshine and clear skies. I took the opportunity and prepared myself for a brisk, steep walk up the mountain and visit the Druids Circle in the Snowdonia National Park, Wales. What a pleasure it was, being out all afternoon, rucksack on my back, containing a flask of good, english tea and a couple of sandwiches as well as my new camera. I took photographs all the way and my new camera did me proud, considering that all the photographs I took today were being exposed with only one battery charge. I am so chuffed.

The steep walk up the mountain was quite exhausting, but well worth it. It's a different world up there, where you get the feeling that the quiet atmosphere and mystical landscape give you a feeling, never experienced before. There aren't many places with this kind of idyllic sense. Magical. Along the route, sheep and welsh ponies are roaming freely alongside the footpaths. It took me 1 1/2 hours to get to my destination, the Druids Circle. Fantastic view from up there. The panorama is spectacular. Once I had taken a series of shots of the ancient stone arrangement that is known as the Druids Circle, I settled down for a little break, enjoying  a lovely cup of tea and a sandwich. Then I slowly made my way back down, which was a lot easier on the leg muscles than the steep climb earlier. Quite a number of visitors were on tour today, all equipped with rucksacks and cameras it seemed. (I was amazed how many people had the same idea.... ) I will definitely go again but choose a different path next time. There are several footpaths, leading to villages and other sites, which I haven't explored yet. Well worth another visit I think. I can't wait to go again.

 

 

                                              

Good Evening Everyone

 

I am so happy. Finally I have been able to purchase my brand new Digital Camera. The latest of the Kodak Z-Series. It's taken me quite some time to save up for it . I had to wait for Kodak to eventually release it onto the market, after I was made aware of it by their very discrete advertising campaign. I just hope it was worth the wait. At the moment I am still trying all the functions and settings but overall I am very pleased with it so far. The Z1015 Model is a fair bit larger than the Z710 I used in the past but it is just as easy to operate. The only thing I am a bit disappointed about are the batteries. Where with my old camera I was able to use most rechargeable batteries, my new camera will only take the specific Kodak rechargeable batteries. They are about £20 each, which I find quite expensive. But then again, they are rechargeable and will last a fair while.

 

                                           

 

Yesterday and today we have been very lucky with the weather for a change, so I took the opportunity to go on a little photo spree. After my appointment early this morning I purchased a daily Bus Ticket and hit the road for most of the day. I took pictures everywhere I went, playing with settings and functions. I loved it....

 

I went from:

Outer Conwy

 

                              

 

To:

Llanfairfechan

 

             

 

Back to:

Conwy

 

                          

 

I spent the whole day out galavanting, taking pictures, enjoying the scenery and.... I loved every minute of it.  Mind you, it's nice to be back and enjoying a nice cup of tea at last. I was so excited to get these photos onto the computer and see how they developed first hand. Well, I think I need a lot more practice but on the whole they aren't too bad for a first attempt.

 

The main thing I am having a few problems with, is the Panoramic view....here are my poor attempts of today...lol. I need a lot of practice I think.                                                   

 

Well....., all in good time.

 

Wishing everyone a very nice and relaxing evening....

Kind regards, Maria       

 

                                                                          

 

                                                                                                                           

Macaroons

 

This is just a recipe idea which uses 2 egg whites that were left over after I made the Mayonnaise for which I used only the yolks. I kept the egg whites in the fridge and used them the next day for this recipe.

 

I could have just made little Meringues, which are very easy to do. All you need for Meringues is 2 egg whites, 150g of icing sugar, 1 tablespoon of cornflour and 1 teaspon of cold water. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, add Icing Sugar, Cornflour and water and fill your little baking cups with this mixture. The secret is to bake them on the lowest heat in your oven for at least a couple of hours so they dry out very slowly. You don't really want to brown your Meringues, just dry them out.

 

For my Macaroons I have chosen ingredients I like: Desicated Coconut, Almond Flakes and Almond-Vanilla-Rum Flavourings. These ingredients are optional but I find they go very well together. I have also allowed my Macaroons to brown but plain Meringue should be baked on an even lower heat for quite some time, in order to stay white.

 

I have tried a variety of Meringue ideas but unfortunately didn't photograph the process which is something I will be working on very shortly. The nice thing about Meringue is that it provides a nice treat also for people with Coeliac Disease as this little tasty number doesn't contain Gluten. I have looked into recipes for Coeliacs and will be putting a few recipe ideas together for anyone with this condition.

 

Meanwhile, enjoy my Macaroons and have a wonderful week-end everyone.

Kind regards, Maria

 

 

Recipe 11 - Macaroons

 

 Mini Apple Pies

 

Good Morning everyone

Yet another dull and rainy day. Too dreary to go out so I thought I would stay in and launch another recipe instead.

I love Apple Pie and I tried my hand at creating the Mini-Version, just like Mr. Kippling. Well, maybe not quite as good but the attempt was worth it. They tasted gorgeous. In my recipe I used Cinnamon Sugar to sweeten the apple pulp but you can just use plain sugar instead. I like Cinnamon, especially at this time of year. It has a flair of Christmas about it. Cinnamon stimulates the blood circulation and alleviates cold during the winter season so it is very beneficial as a spice. It also revives the digestive system, helping with stomach upsets, soothes fevers and controls bleeding and high blood pressure. All in all, it is very good for you, particularly in the winter season.

I tried this recipe last year, after I was given some cooking apples from a friendly neighbour and I thought that rather than preserving them as Apple Sauce, I would do some baking instead. So here is my easy to follow recipe:

 

Recipe 10 - Mini Apple Pies

 

                                 

                           

What a fantastic September day we had yesterday. I thought it was perfect for Banshee's first experience to taste the sea water and run along on the beach. She loved it and ran around with complete excitement. It was such a joy to watch her. She didn't like the taste of the salt water but digging in the sand and chasing the seabirds was great fun...

We might go again later today and take a few more pictures if the weather holds out....

 

Meanwhile, I would like to wish everyone a very nice and enjoyable week-end....

Kind regards,

Maria

 

 

                            

 

 

 

Good Morning Everyone

 

I was just browsing through my photo albums and came across some pictures I took last year at Temple Newsam Leeds. We had a fantastic day out and last summer wasn't great weatherwise, but nevertheless much much better than this year's. As we got to the majestic Temple Newsam House, we were greated by some Morris Dancers who put on a very entertaining performance for us. Temple Newsam consists of a very large Manor House and a vast estate, with gardens, woodlands, farms and also boast a small Rare Breeds Farm. It bears an array of history and is well worth a visit. You wouldn't think to find this gem of country living on the outskirts of a major city.

Fantastic!

 

                          

 

 

Later on today I have an appointment at the hospital to have my eyes tested. I expect to be there for several hours again so I won't be able to spend much time on the computer. The tests they do are quite extensive and it involves putting several types of drops in my eyes. Last time I went my eyes became very sensitive to daylight and I ended up having to buy some sunglasses to stop the glare. Partially blind, I made my way home....it was awful. This time I'll be prepared and I shall take my sunglasses with me. Now I know why they warn you not to drive after this kind of treatment. Public transport is excellent here and I will enjoy the bus ride. Hopefully there'll be an opportunity for some snapshots on the way, so I'll keep you posted.

What ever you tend to do today, enjoy the day. Take care...

Good Morning Everyone

Thank you all very much for your kind comments to my blogs and photos yesterday. I appreciate it very much and I will try to respond to your individual posts shortly.

It's been a long day....I have spent most of my time, updating Abracacamera.com. I very much enjoy working on my site but it is very time consuming. The pagebuilder freezes now and again and I have to log out of everything and get back into it all, which all takes time. Inbetween I have to see to the dogs, cook dinner, make tea (.. lots of it...) and many other things that distract me but I got there in the end. I have updated Categories: Seascapes, Landscapes and Insects.

Please feel free to visit:

 

www.abracacamera.com 

 

 

 I have also added a blog which leads to another spaces site, so you may leave a message or a comment.

 

Looking forward to your visit and feedback and wishing you all a wonderful start of the week, Maria

 

                    

 

 

Yesterday was a wonderful autumn day and I was out walking all afternoon. First on my own and later I took Odin and Banshee for separate walks, up and down the village. I really enjoyed it and took pictures on every corner. Odin and Banshee just loved being out after such a long time of having been cooped up inside. I did take them out during the doomy, gloomy days but not for extensive walks like yesterday.

At the moment I am waiting for my new camera. It has been advertised but is not yet available in the shops. I can't wait. It took me a while to save up for it but now that I have the cash, I am getting very impatient. Let's hope it comes on the market soon.

I wasn't going to add anymore photographs to my website until I got my new camera but I have decided to use some of yesterdays pictures for my site. I have chosen 14 Landscape, Seascape and Insect pictures which I will add during the course of the day. It will take me quite a while by using the Pagebuilder, adding individual pages one by one. For each picture I have to create 2 new pages as well as a new homepage, so I will be very busy today. I shall catch up with you later and post the link when I have completed todays task....

Meanwhile, wishing you all a lovely and sunny day....., Maria

 

                           

 

 

 

After many days of torrential rain and extremely bad weather I took the opportunity to go out for a stroll yesterday. A brief break in the weather allowed me to take a few pictures while I strolled down the deserted streets of our little village. The rain has left it's mark in certain places but overall we were very fortunate and don't seem to have been affected by flash floods like so many unfortunate people, up and down the country. This year has been a complete wash-out in all of it's seasons.

On my walk I noticed that many berrries are only just starting to appear where under normal conditions, they should have been ready to harvest at this time. Especially Blackberries are affected. Where last year they were growing in abundance and offered very rich pickings, this year they are rather scarce and looking very sorry in comparison. I blame it on the poor weather conditions, too much rain and not enough sun.

I also went down to the beach where on many previous occasions I have taken some fantastic pictures but not so yesterday. The scenery was just grey and dull, doom and gloom. So I didn't bother.

Apart from that I really enjoyed my little outing on my own, without the dogs or my partner. It was just nice to be alone for once, after having been cooped up in the house for so long. I had forgotten how beautiful our countryside can be and today I will take the dogs with me for a well deserved outing. They have been bored in the house and really need a good run. Let's hope it doesn't pour down with rain again.....

 

                      

 

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is very easy to make and it will only take a few minutes. For my recipe I used Vegetable Oil rather than Olive Oil because I found that Olive Oil is too rich for this recipe. I have also added Mustard Powder, which is optional. Most types of vinegar can be used instead of Malt Vinegar, but remember to choose a mild vinegar so as not to compromise the taste. It took me a few attempts to get it right as it can be a bit tricky. Once you have beaten the egg yolks, add the vegetable oil very very slowly, a trickle at a time and keep whisking. The mixture will slowly thicken. ( If you add too much oil too quickly, the mixture will become runny and will not thicken, no matter how much you whisk it). When you add a little vinegar, the mixture will become smooth and shiny. Only add a small amount of vinegar otherwise it will become runny again and the taste would be awful. You may not get it right for the first time but be patient and try again. It took me a couple of attempts too...

As for the Mustard Powder; it says on the packet that the Mustard Powder requires approx. 10 minutes to devlope it's full flavour, so don't worry if your Mayonnaise seems to have a little after-taste.  Just wait a little while for the flavour of the Mustard Powder to settle.

 

2 egg yolks are needed for this recipe but do not discard the wonderful egg whites. You can use them for other recipes like, Macaroons, Meringue etc. I will give you recipes for these at a later date. I have a habit of never wasting food and try to find a use for almost anything. For the time being, you can savely keep your egg whites covered in the fridge for a few days.

 

Recipe 9 - Mayonnaise

 

 

Apple Sauce & Jam Preserves

 

Last year I tried my hand at making all kinds of Preserves for the first time in my life and I was amazed how easy it was. I had bought a couple of books on Food Preservation from a Second-Hand Shop and gave it a go.

We used to live on the outskirts of a major city and the wild growing fruits and berries were just heavenly. The city park had numerous Cherry Trees in full fruit and Blackberries were growing just about everywhere, as well as Elderberries. Mind you I did avoid the Blackberries growing by the roadside and obted for the ones in the fields around. They just tasted better. I found an apple tree growing on some wasteland and kept going back to check if the fruits were ripe. I found all these natural delights on my ventures while walking the dogs and it was a real joy to harvest  from nature itself, all for free. It was like paradise. I got to know the area very well and found all the best spots for rich pickings.

The jars I use for my Preserves are also for free as I have a habit of keeping all glass jars from other products we occasionally buy in the supermarket, like Honey, Pasta Sauces, and many other things that are being sold in glass jars. The lids are re-sealable on most jars and by putting the jar upsidedown for approx. 5 mins towards the end of the filling process, it releases the excess air and forms an airtight seal. This is shown in my photographic recipes, in case you were wondering why I place the jars upside down at the end.

 

 

Recipe 7 - Apple Sauce

 

For this recipe I have picked Wild Apples from a tree that was growing on some wasteland, but you can use any type of apple to make apple sauce. Depending on the natural sweetness of the fruit, you can alter the amount of sugar added.

 

                               

 

 

 

Recipe 8 - Jam ( Blackberry)

 

For this recipe I used Blackberries, but you can preserve just about any type of fruits or berries. At this time of year, Blackberries are growing in abundance just about everywhere. I always soak my freshly picked berries in cold water for a couple of hours in order to drown any little insects that might be hiding amongst the fruits. They usually swim to the top. After that, give the berries a good rinse and start the preserving process:

 

 

                                            

 

 

Wine

 

Wine-Making is a prolonged procedure and takes time and patience, but once you've done it it's well worth it. We made Blackbery Wine and Cherry Wine last year and they were both absolutely gorgeous. Especially our Cherry Wine, ...better than any other.

My recipe shows us using freshly picked Blackberries, but which fruit you chose to use is entirely optional. Almost any fruits or even vegetables, can be used for wine-making. We stuck to a ratio of 1kg of fruits to 1 kg of sugar and it has worked very well, every time.

My photographs show the whole process of wine-making in detail. The last picture shows the wine left to rest for clearing, so it's basically done. Once it has cleared it will be ready to drink but with most things, the longer you leave it the better it wil be. Unfortunately I haven't been able to show further photographs of the cleared wine and the bottling stage because we moved home in that time. Needless to say, it never got bottled. We had a great time enjoying the finished wine straight from the decanter..., it was wonderful...very tasty and very potent.

 

Recipe 6 : Wine ( Blackberry ).....

 

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Yoghourt

 

Last year I discovered a recipe for yoghourt making without the need for any expensive appliances. I was very surprised as to how easy it is. The only thing you need is a small pot of live bio-yoghourt to get you started. After that you will be making your own live bio-yoghourt so there is no need to buy yoghourt ever again, if you keep making yoghourt on a regular basis. I usually make a batch of nine 150ml portions which will keep refrigerated for up to 7 days. You can make less of course, just alter the recipe according to proportion. I love my yoghourt and use it in everyday cooking all the time. For instance in dips, salad dressings, refining sauces and gravy but mainly to eat as a snack with a nice dollop of fruit sauce. In my recipe I chose to add Double Cream because I like it very creamy but for the calorie conscious amongst us, you can just leave it out. So all you need is Whole Milk (full fat) and a couple of Tblesp. of live bio-yoghourt.

A word of Warning: During the 'Setting' Process, do not be tempted to open the lid in order to check for firmness. You would be disturbing the process and the yoghourts will not keep, once the lid has been opened. This is something I found out by accident...

 

Recipe 4 - Yoghourt

 

                 

 

 

 

 

Fruit Sauce

 

Fruit Sauce is also very easy to make. I usually make my fruit sauce alongside my yoghourt as I love the combination of both and I truely enjoy fruit yoghourt. The fruit sauce can be served hot over ice-cream and is absolutely delicious or it can be served cold with yoghourt.

For this recipe I used 500g of frozen fruit, but you can use fresh fruit all the same, especially now that the harvest season is upon us. This recipe works best with berries but other fruits can be used alternatively.

 

Recipe 5 - Fruit Sauce

 

               

 

 

 

As I mentioned before, the Harvest Season is upon us and in the next few days I will show you how to make 'Preserves', like Apple Sauce, Jams and Wine.

You will be amazed how easy it is to make your own jams. Wine making is a bit trickier but still, not Rocket-Science.

I shall look forward to your visit and hope you'll enjoy my little collection of easy to follow recipes. Please let me know how you got on, if you decide to try them out yourselves and please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or queries. Most of all, have fun and enjoy the satisfying feeling of achievement, when you've made your first jar of home-made jam.

Good Luck and enjoy....

My last recipe for today will be home-made, freshly baked bread. From a 1500g packet of Strong Bread Flour I can make 4 loaves of approximately 600g each ( due to the water added during the mixing process ). I love baking my own bread and the smell in the kitchen is devine....

 

In the past I have made all sorts in the kitchen, from home-made wines to jams, yoghourts and cakes and I will add my photographic recipes as I go. The recipe for home-made yoghourt is especially good because once you have bought your first pot of live-bio yoghourt to get started, you will never have to buy yoghourt again, if you keep on making it on a regular basis. Mainly because your own yoghourt has turned into live-bio yoghourt, which is what you use for your next home-made batch. I just love trying all these things and they really work.

 

Thank you for your kind comment John. As far as breads go, I will show my recipe for a normal white loaf today but I have made naan bread and also chinese fried bread in the past, but unfortunately I didn't photograph the process.

My parner is a lover of indian food so I will try my hand again at Pakoras and Samosas shortly. They've turned out really well in the past and they are very easy to do. I will just have to remember to keep my camera handy.  Watch this space.....there's much more to come.

 

I hope you all enjoy my little Recipe Collection...

 

Recipe 3 : Bread

 

                          

My 2nd recipe today belongs to the category 'Food'.

Paneer is a type of cheese and very commonly used in Indian Cooking. I was amazed how easy it is to make and in my very own recipe I have added a little double cream to the milk, but this is optional. Paneer is made from whole milk, or full fat in other words. I tried it with added cream and found that it made it a little softer. In vegetarian dishes, Paneer is very often used to substitute meat where in indian cooking it is mostly deep-fried and very delicious I may add.

 

Recipe 2 : Paneer - Indian Cheese

 

                              

Over the past year I have tried out a number of unusual and useful recipes, which are very easy to follow and I thought it would be nice to share them with you.

My first recipe belongs to the category 'Herbalism' and it shows how easy it is to make your very own and very effective Herbal Hair Rinse Tonic for next to nothing in cost. Most of us have some White Wine Vinegar or Cider Vinegar in the kitchen cupboard and the main ingredients, the 'Stinging Nettles' are freely available in abundance all around us. 

I will display my Photographic Recipes with captions alongside my Albums.

 

Recipe 1 : Herbal Hair Tonic - Stinging Nettle Rinse

 

                   

 

                                     

Well, we are approaching the end of August now and still no sign of summer. I can't tell you how disappointed I am in this year's summer season. The weather just seems to be stuck on 'autumn mode'. It's rather depressing...but, that is something nobody can do anything about. I can only hope for an 'Indian Summer'. Wouldn't it be nice...?

 

In spite of the weather, the Beijing Olympics have been fantastic to watch and the celebrations were fabulous and very spectacular. So sad it's all over. I really enjoyed watching the action. I thought it was a shame though, that the BBC coverage didn't show more of China and it's people, apart from the Olympics. Such a beautiful, vast country and such wonderful people. I really would have liked to have seen more of China.

 

On a different note, I am pleased to announce that Odin ad Banshee are back to normal. The heat if off. Goodness me what a nightmare it has been for the past 4 weeks, trying to keep them separated. So glad that's over and we are definitely making plans for the next seasonal occurance, now we know what to expect. It's all been a bit of a shock this time round but I dare say, we've learnt a valuable lesson.

 

Yesterday was just another dull day of this disappointing summer but in spite of it all, I ventured out with my digital friend to try and capture some nice pictures. It was too windy and too rainy for anything worth while, but I managed to capture a couple of flowers of the season, even a little Greenfly.

 

I hope you all had a fantastic Bank Holiday Week-end and I would like to wish you a wonderful week ahead.

Kind regards, Maria