lifes-a-bitch

Copied from La Spice Who pinched it from HERE (I've adulterated it by adding a link to each of the songs, just click on my answers to see )

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, answer the following questions. You can't use the band I used. Try not to repeat a song title. Repost as "my life according to (band/musician name)"

Pick your Artist:
CLIFF RICHARD

Are you a male or female
Devil Woman

Describe yourself:
Lucky Lips

How do you feel?
Wired For Sound

Describe where you currently live:
Spanish Harlem

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
Sea Cruise

Your favourite form of transportation:
Flying Machine

Your best friend is:
Gee Whiz it's you You

What's the weather like?
Here Comes Summer

Favourite time of day:
Early In The Morning

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called?
A Voice in the Wilderness

What is life to you?
Where do we go from here

Your fear:
Please Don't Tease

In about half an hour I'm off out to go to a 40th birthday party! I'm just soooo behind on reading everyones blogs, cos as soon as I catch up on them something else comes up, and then I have to catch up on everything all over again. So I'm really sorry lads and lassies if I haven't been visiting your blogs much of late, but Hey Ho there's no rest for the wicked.....
and I'm just SUCH a BAD BAD girl

But I didn't realise that till the evening! I think I lost a day somewhere because I did an extra stint at my voluntary job the day before (to cover for someone's holiday leave) and that wasn't the day I usually go in, so I got all mixed up somehow, and so did Hubby! We'd decided the day before that we'd go out for the day, while the weather was still reasonable, and we'd decided to go to Longleat Safari Park. Hubby even said it could be a "pre-birthday treat" I did notice in the morning that there seemed to be a fair bit of mail, and that several of the envelopes looked like they might be Birthday cards, but I just thought people had posted them off early to make sure they got to me in time! So, I left them unopened, and we set off for Longleat.

Took loads of photos, but a lot of them weren't much cop, because the animals were too far away, and of course while we were in with the lions and tigers etc we couldn't open the car windows, so a lot of them were blurred by glass and reflections. Still, I managed to get a fair selection, and here they are.

If you hover over any picture you will get a description, and you can click on any of them for a bigger picture

Sorry about the quality of the last two, but it was the best I could do in the circs.

When we'd finished driving round the safari park, we went in the butterfly house, and they were HUGE! This one's wingspan would have covered my hand from fingertip to wrist.

We also found these little chaps in the butterfly house - I found them fascinating!

On the way home we stopped off at a pub for something to eat - They had a special price on some of the meals, and you could have any two of the specials for £4 each. Hubby had fish and chips with peas and a glass of beer, and I had steak and kidney pudding with mashed potatoes carrots and peas, and a half of cider. It may not have been cordon bleu cooking, but it was very palatable plain fare, and at those prices really excellent value!

When we got back I made a cup of tea for myself, and a coffee for hubby, and logged on. OMG!! There were so many emails and PM's, and I noticed the date on them, and said to hubby "What's the date today?", and he said "The 19th" so I checked my computer clock........and the penny dropped Hubby was watching as I did it, and he said "Oh my god!" and rushed out of the room and came back with my pressie, and the stack of cards, and a bottle of port and two glasses, and we had a jolly good laugh about it

I opened all my cards and pressies, and then spent the rest of the evening eating birthday choccies and getting pleasantly squiffy on port while catching up on the numerous birthday greetings from all you lovely people. So thank you one and all for your super blog cards and birthday greeting pm's, and I hope you enjoyed hearing about my super (nearly forgotten) birthday.

Our runner beans are producing loads this year! (Click on any pic for bigger image)

and there's lots of flowers still, so there'll be even more.

Hubby picked these this morning. We've had this many every day for quite a while now.

We can't eat them all straight away, so I freeze the surplus. These are some I've just cut into inch long pieces.

The bowl was full by the time I'd finished

Then hubby bagged them up for me and popped them in the freezer.

There's several bags this size in the freezer already. By the time they're finished cropping there will be enough to last us right through till next season, and all for the price of a packet of seeds!

We've already got lots of home-grown asparagus, raspberries, blackcurrants, gooseberries and rhubarb in the freezer
and there's a nice crop of leeks coming along too.

We went to Hughenden Manor in Buckinghamshire Here's a few photos I took.

Hover over them with your cursor for a brief description.

Click on any image for a full screen view

It was lunchtime when we first arrived, so we started off by having some lunch in the restaurant in the old stable block.

Then we headed for the house itself....

We had a wander round inside, but weren't allowed to take any photos, so here's some links I found for you that shows Benjamin Disraeli's study, and a detail of his robe that he wore when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Then we wandered round a bit more outside.

All in all it was a very nice day out!

Jenray burnt her fingers yesterday, and when I was reading her blog I suddenly remembered years ago there used to be special ointment for burns that looked like babies poo in a tube.....I wonder if they still make it? Haven't seen it around for yonks, but then again it's not the sort of thing you think of adding to the shopping list is it?......Especially if you can't remember what it's called!

Pint of milk
5lb potatoes
1/2 doz eggs
Washing powder
Tube of baby poo

I think if I burn myself I'll just do what Jen did and get the Savlon out!

This is really good fun! Take up the challenge of the Summer Athletics 09 Mini games for a chance to win a Wii and other great prizes. Just click the following link to play

www.duracell.com/uk/game

Hola mis amigos encantadores
Hallo my lovely friends
It's Blog Shades Day, so here's mine!

I bet you couldn't wait to see what I look like!!
Well now you know Click on pic for full-screen image

This is as good as it gets for now.

Maybe I'll be a bit braver sometime in the future, who knows........

Carrot and Coriander Soup

Ingredients

675g (11/2lbs) carrots (peeled and chopped into chunks)
3 Tbs vegetable oil
1 large onion (sliced)
2 medium potatoes (peeled & chopped)
2 tsp ground coriander
6 cups (3pts) vegetable stock
1 cup (1/2pt) fresh coriander leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crème fraîche for garnish.

Method

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, and cook the onion over a low heat until soft.
Add the chopped potatoes to the pan, cook for a few minutes, and then add the carrots and ground coriander, and cook over a low heat for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently.
Cover the pan and sauté for 8-10 mins, stirring now and then to prevent sticking.
Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for another 10 mins, until the vegs are tender.
Finely chop the coriander leaves, set aside about 1Tbs for garnish, add the rest to the pan, stir, and remove pan from the heat.
Liquidise the soup in a food processor, or whizz with a blender. (If soup is too thick add a little water until you have the desired consistency.
Return the soup to the pan, season to taste with the salt and pepper, and reheat over a low heat.

Serve with a swirl of Crème fraîche, and a sprinkle of chopped coriander.

Ingredients
(serves 2-3)
2 large potatoes,(washed and sliced unpeeled)
2 carrots (peeled and sliced)
1/2 medium sized swede (peeled and diced)
2 leeks (sliced)
125 ml (1/4 pint) stock (use a vegetable stock cube, or a little vegemite dissolved in hot water)
Salt and pepper to taste
50g (2oz) breadcrumbs
50-75g (2-3oz) grated cheese

Method

Grease a 1.5 litre (23/4 pint) casserole dish
Arrange vegetables in layers in casserole, beginning and ending with a layer of potatoes.
Pour stock over vegs.
Cover with tight fitting lid or kitchen foil.
Cook at 180C conventional oven (fan oven 155c) Gas Mark 3, for 1-11/2 hours.
Uncover, mix breadcrumbs and cheese together and sprinkle on top of casserole.
Return to oven (uncovered) and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until topping is crisp and starting to brown.

(Milly - if you don't fancy the cheesy topping, try mixing the breadcrumbs with some fried onion and herbs, and just enough water to bind it - or use some stuffing mix - and spread that on top instead, brush with a little oil and brown off as above)

Tortolan

Ingredients

8 oz digestive biscuit crumbs
1 oz Sultanas or mixed fruit
1 Tbs Cocoa
3 oz margarine or butter
1 Tbs Golden syrup (heaped)
1 Tbs Sherry
4 oz chocolate (or cooking chocolate)

Method:

Crush biscuits.
Melt margarine or butter with syrup, cocoa, dried fruit and sherry.
Add biscuit crumbs and mix thoroughly.
Press mixture into Victoria sandwich (or other suitable sized) tin.
Melt chocolate in basin over hot water (do not let water boil).
Pour over biscuit mixture.
Refrigerate.

Enjoy!