Chrissy

My visiting son and heir is apparently planning on doing "something special" with pork chops! I could get used to this!

I am about to wrap a copy of Angie Sage's 'Magyk', the first of the Septimus Heap series. It's a birthday present for my great nephew (he's a great nephew in both senses of the term!). I love those times when you buy a book as a present for someone that you know they will love, and you realise you are helping to open the door to another world for their imaginations. Definite warm and fuzzy times for the present giver!

It was two perfectly cooked thick pieces of eggy bread, sandwiching two perfectly cooked (ie crispy) rashers of thick bacon. It was crispy on the outside whilst remaining light and fluffy on the inside, and the bacon had the best taste ever. I was really not expecting the quantity, nor the high quality. It was a pig filled doorstopper! I enjoyed every little morsel of it, while hubby watched on in amusement ~ I was almost Sally in that infamous 'When Harry Met Sally' moment.

Planet Food. I really like their presenter, Merilees Parker as she has genuine enthusiasm for the people she encounters, and the food she eats. We are about to turn over for some comedy soon ~ the live debate.

Last Thursday morning, hubby and I were sitting outside a cafe in the sunshine under the gaze of Caernarfon Castle. As hubby enjoyed a bacon sandwich, I was tucking (with accompanying MMmmmm sounds) into an eggy bread bacon sandwich. When I had ordered it, I thought it would be 1 piece of eggy bread, and 1 slice of bacon. Sadly I was wrong. Gorgeous castle setting, on a holiday break with the one I love, clear blue skies and outdoor eating of naughty but lipsmakingly delicious food ~ life does not get any better than that. At home I make it like Kell. Soak the slices in the eggy with a dash of milk mixture, having seasoned with salt and pepper. Get the frying pan (any kind is fine, I have cooked this in a light non stick and a heavy skillet) nice and hot and you're away! Enjoy!

Paperplane, they are wonderful photographs.

I think it's this or soda water that should do it. It's pretty much a case of keep treating the area, with these liquids, and gritty soap powder etc etc. The one thing I would say for sure is keep it away from hot water initially, as this might 'set' the stain. Tepid should do.

Alien ~ The John Hurt 'tummy' scene.

Thanks Kylie. I think part of it is that she is best buds with one of the two other people there, so doesn't to interact with me as she might if that were not the case.

Susie, I love your photograph there. It has that "That's a big tree!" wow factor. Paula, two great and very different pics. I especially love the first one.

What really bugs me is dismissive people. You are not relevant to them, so you will just not appear on their radar in any way. I work with a woman in a very small work environment who is a half step away from ignoring me totally. I've hit the stage where I wish she would, at least there would be an honesty to it.

It's a great blog Rose! I love your latest entry on great books.

Cookies. Fluffy Or shiny?

Brilliant, thank you. Ditto! An interesting interview.

Only Connect ~ The Final

John Frusciante Piano Or Guitar?

When I first saw previews for this one, I didn't think it would be any good. I have been pleasantly surprised, it's witty and daft and Courtney Cox's character is really likeable. I hope it carries on as it has started.

It's another Olivia Goldsmith book, called 'Insiders'. Have a look here. Hope that helps. And keep this one away from the birds!

I'll make lots of things, from quick dishes such as lasagne, chilli or spaghetti bolognese, fish dishes, curries and soups through to slow cooking Flemish stew. I rarely make bread as I work in a bakery so I know how good the bread is that my boss makes! I just look at prepared stuff at the supermarket and think that I would make it with less cr*p than they have. I'll buy the occasional pizza, or (a childhood favourite) fish fingers, and have occasionally bought a freezer-oven-plate ready meal, but I have found that time wise there's little in it between preparing things myself and sorting a ready meal. I enjoy cooking most of the time, and the frozen bits cover the times when I just want to throw something in a pot and leave it to sort itself out.

Most of my cooking is from scratch, and I think that after a while it does work out to be cheaper. I freeze a lot of stuff as well, so there's always that aspect to it too. If I am to use a 'new' ingredient I will ask friends and family first to see if I can try and get hold of it that way, or I will buy a small amount of it, even if it is pricier at the time, because unless it's often used my cupboards will also suffer from the fester factor. For me the pay off is knowing exactly what is in a dish I'm eating. I will also have a fairly regular sort out of cupboard held ingredients, and pass things on to F & F. Usually I will know if I'm likely to use something again.

Unfortunately, Christine was not Babe in the sequel, "Babe: Pig in the City", for personal reasons. Unfortunately Christine's go go boots are out of camera range. Unfortunately, Christine doesn't want the two legged knight who covets her, she wants Dylan, the gallant and wonderful merman who escorted her to the shore.

I have read it, and three others of Dan Brown's writings. They are bubblegum reading, read to pass time in an enjoyable but non challenging way. Dan Brown isn't the greatest living writer, but then I didn't expect him to be. If you can suspend your logic and rational side for long enough, they are a comfortable distraction for a time.

Christopher Isherwood

A very sad episode of 'Criminal Minds'.

Catherine Cookson