Thursday 18 May 2017

My favourite things . . .

  


 These are a few of my favourite things.  Maybe some of them are yours too  . . .


 Lemon Curd.  I could eat it with a spoon.  Especially if it is homemade.  I have a super recipe that I use.  You can find it here.  Once you have made your own, you will never want to settle for store bought again.  Seriously.




Hydrangea.  I love Hydrangea.  There used to be a whole hedge of brilliant blue ones at the Manor.  She had two pots in the Conservatory that she always kept potted up with hydrangea.  I had to remember to water them every day.   This year we have a lot of dead stick in ours, so we are going to cut it back and hopefully that will help.  I mostly only get Natural Pinks, but there is an unsual one that is pink and purple.  I love Hydrangea.


 Opening my back door in the morning and letting fresh air flow through the house.  I just love the early morning coolness. Of course in the winter I cannot do this because it is too cold, but when the weather starts to warm up a bit, I love letting the outdoors in!


Cannelés de Bordeau. I love them. French Pastry cakes flavoured with rum and vanilla, with soft, tender custard like centres, and dark thick caramelised crusts.

  

I tasted my first one when we were in the South of France in the town of St Emilion.  I fell in love.  They are not cheap, but worth every penny. I wish I could afford to buy the little copper molds so that I could make my own here at home, but then again . . . it is probably better for my hips that I can't!

They are gorgeous!


Trying new things.  I used to say that I would try anything once.  I have revised that and in my old age have gotten a lot pickier.  There are many things I would not try, even once!  Old age is a great leveller!  However, I do like trying new things within reason.  Life would be so limited if you were not willing to push the boundaries every now and then, and take a bit of a step out beyond your norm.

Don't worry I am not about to 
jump out of any planes
or off of any cliffs
just yet.
...

 

I love learning and I try to pick up something new every day. I have an inquisitive mind. Sometimes it drives Todd crazy. I am still one of those kids that wants to know  . . . "But WHY?"  I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing, but then I am not on the receiving end of my whys, lol.


I love playing word games, although I am not necessarily very good at it.  I do love words however.  When I was a child I used to read the Dictionary for fun. I think it is sad that there are not really any more Dictionaries these days . . .  you can find out everything online. Myself, I love to go through the pages of a Dictionary and discover new words and new meanings.  When I was a child, and I wanted to know how to spell something, my father would always tell me to look it up.  Perhaps that is where my love of words began.  I don't know.  I would like to learn a new word every day, but alas, I think that and then I do something different.


Inspirational Quotes.  I have several notebooks that I have filled with quotes that I have copied down.  I love quotes.  You never know when one is going to come in handy.  Words that inspire are the best kinds of words of all.

 

Nuts, especially if they have been toasted.  Not so much salted, although a pinch is alright.  I hate it when they are over-salted. I am just nuts about nuts!  Especially if they happen to be covered in chocolate.  Bad me.  Its that sweet and salty thing, which is another thing that I love!


People watching.  I love watching people.  Everyone has a story.  You are never bored if you are a people watcher.  I love to watch them and then try to figure out what their stories are.  I find people fascinating.  We are all individuals and interesting.  Not two are absolutely alike, even so called identical twins.  There is always something to tell them apart, however minute it might be.  People are just interesting, even the so-called boring ones. In fact, I would go so far as to say there is no such thing as a boring person!

And those are my favourite things for this week!  What are some of yours?

A thought to carry with you through today . . .

.° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~\。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ | 田田 |門 ★

 *.˛.° F.E.A.R has two meanings ...
Forget everything and run,
or, Face everything and rise.
You choose.
~Unknown  •。★★ 。* 。

Spiritual Enlightenment


In The English Kitchen today  . . . . Apricot Bread and Butter Pudding.  Simple and delicious.

Have a great Thursday!  Don't forget!


═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
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And I do too!


9 comments:

  1. I love lemon curd too and can eat it with a spoon. I've been meaning to make some for ages. Maybe now is the time.
    And hydrangeas!! Mine always goes back to 'dead' sticks in the winter but in spring starts sprouting buds and it will be flowering soon. Apparently the colour of the hydrangea depends on the Ph of the soil. Mine changed to a beautiful pinky mauve from plain pink.'
    And people watching , well I live in the ideal place!! Ispend a lot of time with a long coffee and a parade of people to watch. So interesting

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  2. Oh, I bet you get some great people watching where you live Linda! Great weather to do it in as well! You need to make your curd, now IS the time! Beware however, its dangerous! Love and hugs! xoxo

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  3. Oh Marie I am yelling BINGO. My aunt used to have her own lemon tree and she made the most beautiful curd. She doesn't make it anymore and it is one thing I should not eat so I guess that is to be consider a good thing. I love hydrangeas. I must try and plant some more net time they are in season. I love them as they dry. I don't know about people watching but I love to sit in a cafe, with a fine cup of coffee, knit or doodle.

    I pray that you all have a blessed day. Lots of love.

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  4. Many of your favorites are also my favorites. I've learned that the older I get the more there is to learn and thankfully I do learn something new everyday. Hope you have a great day !

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  5. The LITTLE things are indeed the big things!!
    I love quotes and crafts and learning new things..!
    Baking and seeing sweet pretty little towns more that big fancy cities..
    I love CHILDREN.
    So forthright and honest..all different..♥
    I love IG:) LOL and my fave blogs..

    loads of things you love!

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  6. Mary and I love love love lemon curd we have it every morning spread on a slice of Sainsburys 5 seed bread, it's delicious. I have made lemon curd a couple of times but it doesn't keep.....not that it would last long ! We buy the one from the National Trust shop, it's the nearest I have found to home made, it's not cheap but it's the one thing we don't care about, when Lura was here she wanted a jar as well so we came out the shop with 5 jars !..Luras case was too heavy after that so she had to rearrange some things to get both cases just on the right weight !!!.....what's your recipe Marie ? Just a thought you might have put it in your other blog, I will nip over to see. Mary has just gone to the kitchen to bring us a bake well tart...Kiplings make...another sinful like !! Night night. God Bless xxx

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  7. Thanks Suzan! You are a woman after my own heart. Love and hugs! xoxo

    I hope your Thursday was equally blessed Pam! xoxo

    We are a LOT alike Monique! Not surprised! xoxo

    Oh, that sounds lovely Sybil! I love 5 seed bread, but we don't get it as Todd can't cope with the seeds, and I shouldn't eat it with my Diverticulitis. I do have the recipe on my blog Sybil and I give the recipe link up there under my saying I love Lemon Curd! Ohh, Mr Kipling does make sinfully good cakes. lol God bless! xoo

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  8. Oh my, I haven't ever had Lemon Curd; but it sounds so good. I should try the recipe. I love the flowers and I think maybe I will get some this year; just lovely! I am just happy that warmer weather is almost here. We actually had a touch of snow this week. No open doors for me right now.
    I like to try new things too. I have always wanted to increase my vocabulary and I think learning a word a day would be awesome.
    I loved the quote. I too love nuts and especially nuts and chocolate. I love to watch people too. I like to wonder what their story is. I am pretty good at reading their emothions sometimes.
    Sending loving thoughts your way dear friend! Hugs~

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  9. We are probably a lot more alike than we know LeAnn! I am sre we were great friends in the pre-existance! Love and hugs! xoxo

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