Home, Food, Fun

Halloween Ice Cream By Hadrian's Wall

2011-10-27T02:11:00.000-07:00

Hadrian's Wall attracts many visitors all year round and Halloween is no exception. So if you are a Hadrian's Wall walker at this time of year you will be keen to know of good local coffee shops and eating places.

One of the best coffee shops close to the western end of the Wall is Off The Wall in Brampton where you will find delicious food, homemade cakes, a superb variety of teas and coffees and a warm welcome. The proprietors also have a small store next door selling walking boots and equipment so it's a haven for walkers coming up to the Wall.

They are also great history enthusiasts, offering some great local history tours throughout the summer months but right now they are running a Halloween theme. Their Halloween Spooky Tour is already sold out! The coffee shop, walking equipment store are all 'dressed up' for Halloween too with some fabulous window displays and decorations.

So what's the connection of Halloween and ice cream? Check out this great video clip filmed at Off The Wall - a Halloween ice cream sandwich with spiders!

Check out other ideas for Halloween ice cream

Ice Cream Everywhere!

2011-10-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

Ice cream is a subject that has always fascinated me ... hence why I write about it so much! Here are just a few of the web pages and blog posts I've written about ice cream over the years:

Eating Ice Cream In Bed

Demise Of The Ice Cream Truck

Vendée Ice Cream

Ice Cream History

Making Ice Cream Without An Ice Cream Maker

Medieval Ice Cream Poke

There's also now a Facebook page about ice cream recipes. Some interesting ice cream making questions get asked there - check it out!

Caravan Park Cumbria

2011-09-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

Caravans ... there's a word that takes me back to my childhood. The annual holiday in a caravan by the seaside!

Today, however, just as I recently wrote about bunk beds, caravans are quite different. They have come a long way in the last few years. Comfort and indeed luxury are terms that are synonomous with caravan holidays.

Static caravans in particular can be just like a modern, comfortable bungalow and there are many caravan parks where you holiday or keep your own static caravan for those nice, long weekends when you want to get away from it all.

I recently came across a super caravan park in Cumbria. Situated on the edge of the Lake District close to the historic village of Greystoke and just a short drive from Keswick and Derwentwater, Woodside Caravan Park is a wonderful caravan park location. The park owners take great pride in the quality and tranquility of what they have to offer; they even have a super holiday caravan to let that can accommodate up to 7. With 4 bedrooms, oil fired central heating, tv and equipped kitchen, it offers ideal accommodation for anyone wanting to be near The Lakes.

Cantilever Gates

2011-09-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

Gates ... an everyday word. Gates are also something most of us see every day, from garden gates to field gates to security gates. Gates are everywhere these days it seems!

One thing I didn't realise however is just how many types of gates there are to choose from. Here are two examples at opposite ends of the scale:

wooden gates
These are the kind of gates people you find in residential areas - eg. wooden security gates at the end of a driveway or the entrance to a garden.

cantilever gates
These are for industrial use and generally found at the entrance to a materials' yard, factory or warehouse area. You can have manual cantilever gates or automatic cantilever gates.

Sonic Soot Blowers

2011-09-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

There are some fascinating products on the web these days. Here's one I came across recently - sonic soot blowers.

First I found a blog about soot blowers and that in turn referred a lot to sonic soot blowers. Interesting subject .... blowing soot out of boilers using sonic technology. Not exactly household stuff but nevertheless interesting :)

I was then on Facebook the other day and wondered if I might find a sonic soot blowers page there, So I did a quick search and there it was including an interesting video clip that showed just what this amazing sonic technology is all about. It's always fun to learn something new, don't you think?

Julian Bowen Bunk Beds

2011-08-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

I recently mentioned a range of Julian Bowen furniture that I found on the Internet. One of the most interesting things about the range is just how far children's bedroom furniture has come since I was a child! Gone are the days when it was a choice of a single wooden framed bed or a perhaps a simple bunk bed arrangement.

Today's children have a much wider choice and, to be honest, it's so much more functional than it used to be.

Now you can have a bunk bed that has a single bed on top and a double below; called a triple sleeper it's stylish but practical.

Then there's one called the bedsitter bunk bed with room for a desk, chair and even a small wardrobe underneath.

My favourite has to be the pink hideout bed (above) which some people call a cabin bed. So cute!

Julian Bowen Furniture

2011-08-20T06:42:00.001-07:00

Furniture is something we all have to think about - though some people do it more than others! The problem is to find affordable furniture of a decent quality. I recently came across a good range of well priced furniture by Julian Bowen. So I searched Google, found Julian Bowen's website but then realised that there were no prices displayed. They are wholesale only so you have to find a Julian Bowen stockist if you want to buy their furniture!

Not deterred by this I then searched Google a bit more only to find that there are lots of stockists. Great I thought, but then I realised that each stockist seems to have their own price list! I resorted to doing a simple search for "julian bowen store" and came across a stockist who seems to have some of the best prices around.

Here are some examples of what they offer:

julian bowen barcelona
the children's barcelona sleep station

julian bowen bunk beds
a wide range of bunk beds, some more traditional, some modern

julian bowen wendy sleeper
children's sleeper with pull-out desk, shelves, play tent (pictured above)

Ice Cream Sundae - It's The Time Of Year

2011-05-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

The sun shines and everyone seems to want ice cream. Everywhere I go I seem to notice people eating ice cream. Young and old alike, the smiles on their faces tell the story of the simple pleasure it is to enjoy an ice cream cone whilst out in the sunshine and fresh air.

Everywhere I turn on the web I seem to notice something connected with ice cream.

Recently there was a Google Doodle to celebrate the origins of the ice cream sundae.

In the news there was an article about an ice cream van getting stuck on a beach.

Then someone made a special ice cream to celebrate the Royal Wedding.

Now there's a Facebook page dedicated to ice cream recipes.

Soot Blower Blog

2011-05-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

Soot Blowers - Sonic & Steam .... the title of a new blog which aims to explain more about what to most people is a subject way beyond their understanding.

I was recently invited to get involved with a new marketing project so, as success generally only comes from a good understanding combined with enthusiasm, I determined to get to grips with the subject. Thanks to guidance from a sonic horns expert, my knowledge of steam soot blowers and sonic soot blowers is now quite good, although there's a long way to go given how many applications these pieces of equipment can be used for!

If you are interested in learning more there are some great articles on the web such as:

Sonic Soot Blower (Wikipedia page)

Soot Blower (Wikipedia page)

Sonic Soot Blower (Knol page)

Causes Of Boiler Corrosion (WikiAnswers)

Ice Cream For Royal Wedding

2011-04-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

Where would you imagine to be the origin of one of the most expensive (if not the most expensive) ice cream cones? Rome, Paris, New York perhaps? Nope, think again ... Chorley in Lancashire!

An ice cream maker from Chorley has produced a special ice cream cone in honour of the Royal Wedding. Retailing at around £15 and made in part with edible gold leaf, it's obvious why this has caught the imagination of the media.

Read more about this Royal Wedding ice cream.

Lanercost Priory Video

2011-03-25T02:14:00.000-07:00

Having already written about the historic village of Lanercost, its wonderful priory and Hadrian's Wall nearby, I thought you might want to share in this Lanercost Priory video. It offers a taste of the special atmosphere of the place. Centuries may have passed but the sun still sets in the same way, its golden glow reflected from the priory's stained glass windows.

Read more about Lanercost Priory and take note that there are now some luxury cottages on its doorstep, ideal for holiday breaks that offer modern comforts combined with history and enchantment.

Hadrian's Wall Blogging

2011-03-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

There is a new Hadrian's Wall blog which talks about Hadrian's Wall country, the life, the landscape and the history that surrounds it.

Luxury Cottages Hadrian's Wall

2011-03-15T06:39:00.000-07:00

Hadrian's Wall is without doubt one of Britain's most popular tourist attractions and one of the reasons is that it can actually accommodate many people all at once! Unlike a medieval castle or a famous place such as Beatrix Potter's Hill Top Farm, Hadrian's Wall is not restricted to a single site. Stretching for around 70 miles from the west to east of Northern England, the wall has many sites along its length with numerous forts and milecastles.

Towards the western end of the wall in Cumbria, there is Birdoswald with an exhibition gallery and some wonderful excavated remains of the Roman fort that was once so dominant in the area. Nestled just 3 miles in the valley below is a hidden gem - the historic village of Lanercost with its medieval priory.

Lanercost Priory was built, many believe, with stone from Hadrian's Wall and has seen some celebrated visitors over the centuries - from King Edward I who lived here for several months towards the end of his life to Robert The Bruce who came a few years later, to the Victorian artists William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones who were visitors whilst staying as guests of George Howard the 9th Earl of Carlisle at Naworth Castle just a couple of miles away.

Next to the priory a number of stone buildings have been renovated by no less than one of George Howard's descendants and now offer luxury holiday cottage accommodation. Alongside there is also an excellent Cumbrian tea room which people travel to from miles around to enjoy the convivial atmosphere and quality food.

Home Cooking

2011-03-13T13:31:00.001-07:00

There's nothing like home-cooked food. I made a simple but tasty flan recently using cheese, fresh tomatoes and basil and served it with a good, mixed, fresh salad.

Here's a picture of the flan just after I drizzled olive oil over it, before it went in the oven ...

French Bread

2010-12-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

A photo taken whilst in a queue in a boulangerie on the Ile de Re.

The smell as we walked into the shop was wonderful - it made you smile just to stand there and take in the atmosphere. The bread was stacked shelf upon shelf. All sorts of shapes and sizes of bread.

One thing I noticed every day in every village and town we visited was the number of local people walking with a stick of freshly baked french bread under their arm.

Want to try baking some French style bread? Here is a great, detailed french bread page.

Want to read more on the history of bread? Here is a great medieval bread web page.

French Cakes are Ooh La La!

2010-11-27T01:38:00.000-08:00

Took this photograph in a French patisserie in La Rochelle.

The custard topped little cakes with cherries embedded were amongst the simplest yet most appealling in the display cabinet.

NOTE: La Rochelle is an enchanting city - full of charm, character and steeped in medieval history. Some of the greatest medieval kings and queens visited this place - but more of that in another post!

Glaces Maison - French Ice Cream To You & Me!

2010-11-17T13:23:00.000-08:00

I have tasted ice cream in quite a few different places over the years including:

Chicago, London, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Zandvoort, Florence, Pisa, Milan, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt and Geneva

Which was the best is hard to say - freshly made gelato in a Florence ice cream parlour has to be up there as a favourite. However, the ice cream I enjoyed on the Ile de Re in France, whilst on holiday in the Vendée, also ranks amongst the best - photograph right.

La Belle France!

2010-11-07T00:44:00.000-07:00

I have heard the phrase 'La Belle France' all my life - in movies, on tv and in books - but never really understood what it meant ... until now. A recent trip revealed the secret. It's simple ... France is a beautiful place. The scenery, food, weather, history and its people were of a quality that I had not anticipated.

Pictures taken on that trip will tell you far more than I can express in words.

Here is the first ... taken on the Ile de Ré off the coast of La Rochelle. If you have never been to the island (where apparently Johnny Depp has been spotted hanging out!) it is well worth a visit. We ordered lunch at a small restaurant by the harbour in St Martin de Ré. It was so tasty and filling that it became our main meal of the day! Key ingredients were the delicious, locally produced ham with goats cheese and golden potatoes grown on the island - the best I've ever tasted.

Poker At Its Trickiest

2010-10-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

Playing cards is fun. I grew up with card games being a part of family life - birthdays and special celebrations always featured a card game somewhere along the way.

Today, however, people seem to take playing cards to another level. Look at how poker has become popular! Now everyone has heard about poker but not everyone has played it (myself included). We've all seen it featured on tv and in some great movie scenes over the years (more of that in another post later on).

I found a web page with some incredible yet true poker stories. Wild Bill Hicock features in one of them and President Truman in another.

If that's not enough, there's always the glossary of poker terms to set you thinking. You might be a fish or a high roller without even knowing it!

Holdem Poker - Some Great Nicknames!

2010-10-08T08:52:00.001-07:00

For some people, the fun in life comes from playing card games and for many that means only one thing ... POKER.

Texas Holdem poker is apparently one of the most popular poker games. I was interested to read about holdem poker rules recently for an article I was writing (on another blog!) and it was fascinating. I came across some great nicknames for holdem poker hands such as "Pocket Rockets" which refers to a hand of AA (the best starting hand in holdem). Then there is the hand of 99 which has the nickname "Phil Hellmuth" who is an actual real-life player who won the World Series of Poker in 1989 with a 99 hand. The one that caught my eye thought was the A3 hand - nicknamed "Baskin Robbins" because they have 31 different flavours of ice cream. Funny thing is that many poker players over the years have enjoyed ice cream whilst playing the game - here is a great blog post that connects Poker & Ice Cream. Fascinating!

Read this great list of Poker hand nicknames.

Cathedrals to Churches - Medieval Worship Has It All

2010-09-10T12:49:00.000-07:00

Medieval history is fascinating. It has a huge following around the world with people interested in all different facets of the period - from medieval knights to medieval castles to medieval food to medieval music to medieval kings and queens and lots more.

Here in Britain we are very fortunate to be surrounded by tangible evidence from the medieval period - buildings that still exist from the Norman Conquest over 900 years ago. The most common of these medieval buildings are medieval castles and places of medieval worship.

Carlisle Cathedral is a great example of a place of medieval worship. It has witnessed many things including the historic occasion of when Robert The Bruce gave his allegiance to King Edward I in 1297 and it figured in the English Civil War and the Jacobite Rebellion.

Follow the links to read more about this wonderful place of medieval worship.

Ice Cream Fun On Facebook

2010-09-05T12:26:00.001-07:00

Facebook has its friends and enemies ... it has its ups and downs ... but my experience of it so far has been a very positive one. I have found and been found by friends with whom I had lost regular contact and I am able to share my passion for homemade ice cream and medieval castles with countless thousands of others.

There's just one drawback ... it's addictive! You MUST be mindful of how long you spend on Facebook. I find just logging in once a week for an hour works fine - moreover, it's all I have time for!

Anyway, here are some great pages on Facebook you might like to read:

Ice Cream Recipes On Facebook

BBC Good Food On Facebook

Eastnor Castle On Facebook

Northumberland Cottages On Facebook

The Lone Cygnet

2010-08-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

Amongst Talkin Tarn's 'residents' is a pair of swans. Every year they produce a new 'brood' and it is always a delight to watch them as they bring up their youngsters.

Most years, the pair have done well but last year, sadly, only one signet survived.

Here is the cygnet, photographed close to the edge of the Tarn where it had been taking food from passers-by. Notice the mixture of grey and white feathers as it had still to reach maturity. When it did so, however, it was obliged to 'fly the nest', leaving the parents to concentrate on the next season's brood.

The good news is that this year they have hatched 6 cygnets and so far all 6 are doing well.

They grow incredibly fast and I have been taking pictures of them since they first appeared on the Tarn with their parents. Watch out for the series of photos coming next .....

Chocolate Ice Cream Sundae

2010-07-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

Ice cream sundaes come in all shapes and sizes - and chocolate ice cream sundaes are no exception. The link above takes you to a chocolate ice cream sundae made with chocolate ice cream topped with white chocolate pieces, whipped cream with a walnut on top, chocolate sauce and a fan wafer.

This photograph below is of a chocolate ice cream sundae served to us recently in a local pub. My husband asked for it to be 'very chocolatey' - hence when it arrived, the ice cream glass was huge and the sundae was positively swimming in chocolate sauce!

Summer Desserts - Cheesecake & Cheesecake Ice Cream

2010-07-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

Delicious strawberry cheesecake
Served at a local pub we went to for a meal one evening - simply delicious!

Ever had cheesecake ice cream?

Yellow Is The Colour ...

2010-07-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

Another photograph taken in my garden - at Easter .... seems a long time ago already!

Curiosity Of A Very Cute Kitten!

2010-06-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

I recently visited a friend in London and was introduced to her new kitten - Chloe. I had never encountered a Bengal cat before so I had no idea what to expect. Needless to say, I was completely charmed by her! Chloe has a delightful sense of fun, is very affectionate and incredibly inquisitive. She is also the prettiest kitten I have ever seen.

Not having seen my friend for some time, I had taken her a small gift - a wicker basket of Cumbrian local produce (honey, preserves, biscuits and fudge - things that Cumbria excels in!). After unwrapping the gift, the basket was left on the floor. You can probably guess the rest! I grabbed my little video camera and here's the result ...

Chloe even came with us to the local pub where my friend and I enjoyed a delicious Eton Mess.

Snowflakes - In Spring!

2010-06-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

One of the prettiest little trees I've ever seen and it's in my garden! It only flowers for 2-3 weeks in the whole year but well worth the wait. They really do look like beautiful snowflakes!

No Vapour Trails

2010-06-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

Taken on a day when there was the UK was 'no fly zone' because of the volcanic ash fallout.

We are so used to seeing vapour trails in the skies overhead that it was a very strange feeling to capture a sky like this on a sunny day.

Winter Ice To Spring Sunshine - Life On A Lake

2010-06-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy year so far ... so little time for blogging! All is not lost, however, because I have been snapping photos all year long so in sharing them with you, they will be the 'stories' for many of the posts in 2010.

My last post back in February was about a small lake close to where I live. It offers the perfect opportunity to monitor nature and the seasons and here are two wonderfully contrasting photos that show just how different it can be .....

Photo 1 - Sunset Over Frozen Lake
There were some wonderful pink and golden skies tinged with hues of blue. The ice and snow on the ground formed the perfect contrast and a wonderful, wintery atmosphere.

Photo 2 - Spring 'Babes'

One of the numerous 'duck families' that emerge each Spring. Young ducklings, guarded by their ever-protective mother, learn what life in a lake is all about. The warmth of the sunshine clearly encourages new life and the lake becomes 'alive' again.

Proud Parents

2010-02-28T03:47:00.000-08:00

Amongst Talkin Tarn's 'residents' is a pair of swans. Every year they produce a new 'brood' but this last year only one cygnet survived. Swans are naturally protective of their young, but this year the parents have more cause than usual with just the one youngster left to protect. The parents are never very far from their offspring but the cob (father) seems to spend most of his time with his feathers fluffed up and wings semi-arched as he swims ahead and monitors for would-be predators. If he sees another swan (and there have been several that 'drop in' to the Tarn on a regular basis) he picks up speed and swims very aggressively in their direction. I've seen this happen countless times in recent months and it's truly admirable how hard the pair work to protect the one cygnet they have left. Here is a short video clip I took where you the cob's pace visibly picks up ... the pen (mother) and cygnet following a short distance behind.

The Changing Seasons

2010-02-20T15:21:00.000-08:00

Cumbria is a county in which the change of seasons is readily noticeable. Take the change from autumn to winter for example. Talkin Tarn is a small lake near the town of Brampton and is a favourite spot for locals to go walking. The woods surrounding the tarn as well as the tarn itself provide a wonderful haven for wildlife - from swans, ducks and geese to red squirrels and many other animals.

In autumn, the place is awash with colour. Here is a video clip I took in November ....

In winter, however, it can be quite different. When the first heavy snow arrived just before Christmas 2009, we had no idea that it would stay for 3 weeks along with freezing temperatures both day and night. During that time Talkin Tarn became a different place; the lake froze leaving only one small patch of water in the middle. The sounds around the place changed too - the usual noise of birds swimming and splash landing in the water disappeared and on the days when the sun hid behind heavy snow-laden clouds, it was a distinctly black and white scene. Here is a video clip I took on one such day - quite different from the one in November!

Medieval Recipes

2010-02-06T03:13:00.000-08:00

The phrase "Food For Thought" comes to mind with this post. Most of us enjoy food, some of us enjoying cooking it too but how many of us stop to think about the food we eat compared to that eaten by our ancestors?

Reading about medieval food brings home just how different the food was in the past. Our medieval ancestors in England certainly did not know what a tomato was or even a potato and they generally didn't drink water as readily as we do today for fear of bacterial infection. No, apparently they drank ale much of the time and many of them made their own ale.

When you think of meat, you might assume that our medieval ancestors ate chicken as readily as we do today ... but you would be wrong, because although many peasants kept chickens, they generally did not kill them because they needed the eggs and could not afford to replace their chickens.

It was the rich and powerful people of medieval times that ate a rich and varied diet for they had serfs working the land for them, cultivating crops and taking care of livestock. At medieval banquets they would eat swans, peacock and heron as well as beef, mutton, pork and venison and there were even medieval desserts to enjoy such as pears in red wine and custard tart.

Amongst the most fascinating reading is that about medieval herbs.

A Winter's Day

2010-01-28T13:35:00.000-08:00

This time of year we sometimes get to see snow. Here is a photograph I took last February when we had a particularly heavy snowfall in Britain.

It looks very romantic and makes you feel glad to be indoors. Venturing out was another thing!

Mediterranean Pasta - Love It!

2010-01-12T01:30:00.000-08:00

In Cumbria there are lots of good eating places - pubs, restaurants and tea rooms. We have one or two local favourites and here is a great pasta dish that I occasionally enjoy at one of them. Not quite the same as my own homemade pasta of spinach, mushrooms, onion, garlic and fresh tomatoes with thin egg pasta and pesto but a mediterranean pasta using aubergines, peppers, courgettes and tomatoes with melted cheese on top. Nice all the same!

Images From 2009

2010-01-01T01:18:00.000-08:00

In this and following posts I'm going to share with you some of my photographs and video clips taken during 2009. Everything from the seasons to food and of course ... fun!

Here's the first ... a video clip of a tasty meal served in a local restaurant

The Christmas Turkey

2009-12-25T14:52:00.000-08:00

One of the best meals of the year - Christmas Dinner ... provided, of course, we are all well enough to enjoy it. There's so much 'flu around this time of year that you can never take it for granted you'll be able to enjoy Christmas.

If you fall victim to illness this Christmas, don't worry you can always catch up later and have a Christmas Dinner in the New Year if you have to. I'm not joking either - it once happened to my family when my father came down with 'flu just before Christmas Eve. We were determined we would still all celebrate Christmas together even though it was in January! It's the sense of family togetherness and giving thanks for how luck we all are that matters.

Happy Christmas!

A Christmas House With Lollipops!

2009-12-20T14:45:00.000-08:00

Here's a lovely Christmas tree and a special 'Christmas House' display. The lollipops sticking out of the roof of the house reminded me of the ones used in "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" (the 1971 version with Gene Wilder) when the children are invited to go into the factory and they get to see the chocolate waterfall.

Christmas Is Coming

2009-12-13T14:42:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's December and Christmas is just around the corner - again! It's amazing how time flies from one Christmas to the next.

Here is the kind of modern Christmas lighting we now get in shopping malls - such as at the Metro Centre Gateshead.

English Tea & Muffins

2009-12-07T02:35:00.000-08:00

One of the most enjoyable things to do on a winter's afternoon in England is to visit a good Tea Room. Whether it's cake or biscuits, a tray bake perhaps or a delicious muffin like the one in the photo, afternoon tea is thankfully a British tradition that is still alive.

And if you long for some homemade muffins, there are lots of muffin recipes on the web. If you don't like muffins but prefer chocolate ... well, again there are some great chocolate dessert recipes you can try. So if your local Tea Room is closed any time, you can stay home and keep your spirits up with a 'Homemade Afternoon Tea'.

A Lake Sunset

2009-11-30T14:24:00.000-08:00

Autumnal sunset over Talkin Tarn in Cumbria.

More Of Talkin Tarn

2009-11-22T14:19:00.000-08:00

These golden leaves were astonishing to see in real life. Their richness of colour made a truly golden carpet to walk upon!

If you visit Talkin Tarn you won't be far from Hadrian's Wall. Just a few miles away there are some stunning walks to enjoy on the Wall.

Autumnal Scenes In Cumbria

2009-11-16T01:38:00.000-08:00

The autumn is a special time in most places but in Cumbria it is particularly special. The colours enrich the landscape and despite the cold (and the rain more often than not!), a walk in the countryside can be very invigorating.

Here are some photographs of Talkin Tarn in the autumn ....

Lanercost Priory

2009-11-13T05:13:00.000-08:00

Lanercost Priory is a great place to visit if you are interested in English history. The church is still used by the local community for worship and the priory ruins are looked after by English Heritage. A place which has seen both war and peace in its time with visits from King Edward I, William Wallace and Robert The Bruce.

Recipes - From Ice Cream To Thai To Muffins

2009-11-06T15:35:00.000-08:00

This year I have tried to do more home cooking. I have really enjoyed making some Thai dishes and my family (thankfully!) have also enjoyed them.

Finding new recipes is a bit like looking for life insurance - there's such much to choose from that you don't know where to start!

So here are a few pointers ....

Want to try something a little exotic?
Here's a great Thai marinade

Like ice cream and live on the European mainland?
Try this European ice cream site

Want to try something from way back?
Here is a medieval recipes site

Looking for something sweet and indulgent as winter approaches? Try this raspberry and coffee muffin recipe

2009 In Hindsight

2009-10-30T14:27:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been almost one year since I last wrote a post on my Home Food Fun Blog. It's hard to believe! So I've decided to review the year in pictures and videos ... a bit like a pictorial album of things relating to home, food and fun.

Between now and the end of the year I hope to share with you some interesting 'themes' each published in its own post.

Here's the first .... a short video clip of an AVRO Vulcan plane which sadly no longer is airworthy but still remains a great sight when entering the small airport at Carlisle. (Filmed using my incredibly handy and easy-to-use FLIP bought for meby my husband last Christmas).

If you would like to help preserve this plane you can join
the Solway Aviation Museum

Where Food & History Meet - Cumbria

2008-11-17T01:31:00.000-08:00

Cumbria is a place with so much to offer whatever your interests. From walking to sailing, fishing to mountain climbing, birdwatching to biking or simply admiring the wonderful scenery, it's all here.

Cumbria also has some of the best coffee shops and tea rooms in all England where you will find some excellent Cumbrian food on the menu. Such things as Cumberland sausage and Sticky Toffee Pudding but also great, locally produced cheeses and farm produced ice cream. Food is a speciality industry in Cumbria - go to any of the farmers' markets and you will be amazed at the range of what is produced in the county. Apart from cheese, meats, puddings and ice cream there are some great honey makers and jam makers. A high proportion of the food produced in Cumbria is also now organically grown or farmed. Having lived in central London for many years before moving to live up here I can clearly recall only getting excited by food at a speciality delicatessen or a trip to the Harrods food hall - 'local' food just never entered into the equation. So here in Cumbria where it is, thankfully, so very different, the pleasure of seeing so much quality, local food never fades.

If food isn't your passion, then how about history? Well, Cumbria has that in spades too.

Tangible Roman history is on the doorstep here with Hadrian's Wall and various Roman forts. Now a World Heritage Site, Hadrian's Wall attracts people from all over the world. 2,000 years of history that you can touch is not an everyday occurrence.

Then there's medieval history with medieval castles dotted about all over Cumbria. There's Naworth Castle home of the Earls of Carlisle for many generations - they also built Castle Howard in Yorkshire by the way) to Carlisle Castle known as 'the great border fortress' and regarded by many people as the second most important medieval castle in Britain - second only to the Tower of London. English Heritage look after Carlisle Castle and I have to say do a fantastic job of it. I recently visited it with my family again after a gap of several years and it made even more of an impression than ever before. The portcullis towers in an elevated position above your head as you walk through the entrance and imposing keep is one of the best castle keeps I have ever seen - a whole experience in itself. The dungeons where followers of Bonnie Prince Charlie were kept before their execution is an eery place but by contrast on the floors above you can get a feeling of what dining in the Great Hall must have been like for those in power at the castle.

The other significant history in Cumbria is that of the Border Reivers - warring families who fought over land, livestock, strongholds and power for 300 years on the Cumbria/Scotland border. Never heard of the Border Reivers? Well, I'm saving that for another story another day!

Letters From London

2008-11-05T02:16:00.000-08:00

This is a blog I love to read - letters from London written by 'a lady with a Burmese cat'. They reflect not just life in London but life in all its glory - from amusing experiences and strange coincidences to wistful and nostalgic writings. It's all there - what a wonderful way with words this lady has!

I recently wrote a post bringing attention to Orbs and a particular story and set of photos on the LettersfromLondon19 blog. Well, here are 2 more fascinating stories, again with photos all about Orbs in London - from Westminster Cathedral to the New West End Synagogue!

Orbs - Strictly Unorthodox

Orbs - In Search Of The Numinous

To the 'lady with a Burmese cat' thank you for sharing with us these fascinating orb stories and super photographs. Keep up the good work!

Award Success In Cumbria

2008-11-03T03:18:00.001-08:00

Every year there are business award ceremonies up and down the UK but it's always of interest to see what's happening in your local area. I live in Cumbria and knew that last week the CN Group Business Awards 2008 was taking place where some of Cumbria's top businesses were vying for the prestige of one of the category awards.

I was delighted when I heard that not only 1 but 2 people I know well won their respective categories. Donald Cameron's Primasonics International based in Penrith won Exporter of the Year with his 'niche' product for the industrial sector: acoustic cleaners. His company exports these to no less than 45 countries! Read about his acoustic cleaner success.

David Allen won Businessman of the Year - David not only has David Allen & Co, a highly successful chartered accountancy company in Cumbria but he does much to encourage other businesses to grow and recently became Chief Executive of Carlisle United football club.

It's nice to know that sometimes at least people get the recognition they deserve.

Medieval History Books

2008-10-09T02:29:00.000-07:00

Whether you're a college student or just a history enthusiast, there's a vast range of books available on the subject of medieval history.

You might want to look at medieval architecture or medieval religion or medieval art and music; you might just want an insight into what medieval life was like, read about medieval weaponary and swordsmanship or swordmaking; you might even enjoy works of fiction set in medieval times - such as Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. 5 star rated on Amazon, this is one of the best books I have ever read!

Whatever aspect of medieval history fascinates you, it seems you can never read too much and there's plenty to choose from online and I have found that Amazon is a great place to start. You can buy new or used and often there are both hardback and paperback editions available.

I found some great books on medieval times at this specialised online medieval store. One book I'm particularly interested to read is the 5 star rated 'Marriage and the family in the Middle Ages'. I doubt that much has changed in that aspect of life but only reading the book will answer that for me!

Orbs - What Do You Think?

2008-10-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

A dear friend of mine runs her own blog dedicated to life in London - it's fascinating. The sheer variety of subjects she covers never seems to amaze me - from light-hearted articles such as the Tripe 'n Lites story to the more sober one about the unused sketch books.

One set of posts however really caught my attention recently - about orbs. Now the subject of orbs and what they really are receives lots of debate and I'm not about to join that debate but suffice it to say that whatever your view, you should read the series of orb posts my friend has written. It will at the very least make you sit back and rethink whatever you thought before!

Here is a great one to start with, simply called .... Orbs
The photographs that accompany this and the other orbs posts are also fascinating. If you enjoy reading them please pass the link onto others who might be interested. Sharing subjects of interest is so easy these days with the wonderful Internet!

How We Love Our Gardens

2008-09-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

It is said that the British love 2 things above all else - their gardens and their pets. I'm not entirely sure that's true of every Brit but it is probably a reasonable generalisation if you had to make one.

When it comes to gardens, let's face it most of us have watched the BBC's Gardener's World at some point in our lives (though we might not admit to it!) and when Charlie Dimmock talks about the importance of composting or Alan Titchmarsh promotes the need for butterfly conservation many of us take notice and actually listen!

So what is it about gardens that attracts the British?

Do we like to look at them, work at them or just sit in them?

Well, pushing a lawn mower around for hours is not my idea of a good time nor that of anyone else I know, so I think the latter option is the most likely .... just sitting in the garden.

Certainly during the winter months, my sense of longing for warm, summer days increases and I look out onto the garden wistfully wondering when it will next be that I can sit out and relax there with my family. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy tending the garden and growing my herbs and fruits (see photo left of my rhubarb) which I enjoy using in home cooking but that tends to be be for just a relatively small part of the year. The rest is spent trying to deal with weeds, get the grass mowed regularly and the hedge trimmed occasionally. Tedious but necessary. If only next year we could get a sufficient number of warm, sunny days I think many people would spend more time in the garden working to get it ready. I not building up my hopes though ... I'll probably check the long range weather forecast in the New Year and aim to think about it more then!

Eco Shopping

2008-09-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

From kitchen wares to garden utensils, from clothes to shoes and lots more besides - we're all being encouraged to think of shopping for environmentally friendly goods. Online you can search for it all - or so it seems and for when you go shopping in 'the real world' you can even buy an eco bag to bring it all home in!

I had never heard of eco bags until recently. Sounds a little baffling? Perhaps ... but the truth is very simple. Instead of using those horrible, flimsy plastic bags you just buy a hard-wearing and fairly sizeable bag that you can use over and over.

Here's a super cotton eco bag that's cheap but practical - and what's more it has a super 'eco' message ...

"The earth does not belong to us, we belong to the earth".

Biodiesel, Astro Turf & Roller Garage Doors

2008-09-17T02:50:00.001-07:00

A strange title perhaps? Sounds a little like Richard Hammond's new tv series about engineering connections? (Great series, well worth watching incidentally). Well, for anyone who owns a biodiesel engine car that they keep in a garage, this blog post title will either ring a bell of familiarity or, if it doesn't, it might well set them on the path to better care for their car AND reducing their home energy bills.

Apparently biodiesel is susceptible to low overnight temperatures and can become lumpy if the car stands for long at a temperature of below -5 degrees centigrade. So ahead of the winter what can biodiesel car owners do? Quite simply, insulate their garage - but we're not talking about putting any complex panelling up or having to organise cavity wall insulation. You can of course always go that route, but here are two ideas for a DIY fix:

Artificial grass - this grass carpet is far more practical than any standard carpet. You can buy it in rolls or even grass tiles and what's more, you can fit it yourself. The advantages? It helps retain heat, is hard wearing, easily cleaned and gives you a nice, green colour to your garage floor. If you won't take my word for it then ask a Royal - HRH Prince Charles installed artificial grass as carpet in his garage for exactly the purpose I describe: garage insulation to help protect the biodiesel in his Range Rover.

** For anyone not familiar with artificial grass, they may know it as astro turf grass. People use lots of different terms to refer to this product, such as fake grass, artificial turf, synthetic grass, plastic grass and more. In fact, when you read more on the subject of artificial grass (or astro turf) you get to realise it's a whole world in itself. There's a good blog article that goes into some detail on the terminology of astro turf
Roller garage doors - these metal garage doors are insulated so help reduce heat loss from your garage. What's more, they are very effective as security doors to help protect what's inside your garage. They have other advantages too but I'll save that for another post another day!

Romantic Wedding Venue

2008-09-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

My cousin is getting married later this month and I was interested to learn of her choice of wedding venue - a beautiful country house in a rural setting. I'm sure it will be a wonderful day and that she'll be delighted with how she chose to do it.

However, not everyone has the same tastes and it occurred to me just how vastly different the choice of a wedding venue can be. For some people, budgets are tight so their choices are limited. Having said that, there are plenty of people who could afford a lavish wedding but who choose not to. They simply don't feel the need for it. At the other end of the scale, however, there are women who have dreamed of having a fairytale, romantic wedding since they were little girls. Couples (and their parents) are known to have saved up for years because the setting of their wedding day means so much to them that they want no expense spared. For this kind of couple, finding a romantic wedding venue is the key to success for their wedding day.

They might take a recommendation from friends or read a magazine article or even see a tv show such as 'Battle of the Brides' which in August this year had couples enter a competition to win a fairytale wedding. The lucky winners (Caroline and Danny) were over the moon with their prize. They had dreamed of such a wedding and had entered the tv competition because, as medical students, they were had worked out that it would be 2011 (another 3 years) before they could possibly afford it. Their wedding venue was the wonderfully romantic Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire and the wedding was shown live on air on 29 August. Read more about their romantic wedding on tv.

Pool Tables

2008-09-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

If you've only ever played pool in a pub you will have probably only played on a small 8 ball pool table. This was my experience until my husband and son got hooked on 9 ball pool. I went with them to the local snooker and pool hall and watched them on the bigger 9 ball table. After that we got our own table. As a result I have been drawn into the fascination of the game, learned the rules and can even now pot a ball or two.

The hard part about buying the table however was simply deciding on the size, style and colour.

Table Size - we knew that the room size had a bearing to begin with - eg. a standard 9 ball table is 9' x 4'6" which means it has to have a room size of 19’ x 14’6" (5.8m x 4.4m). Luckily for us we had enough space. Even so, if we hadn't we could still have had a table for there are other sizes available too - 6' x 3', 7' x 3'6" and 8' x 4'.

Cloth Colour - I thought there might just be 3 or 4 colours to choose from but I was wrong! There are at least a dozen. We chose green.

Having chosen green for the cloth we then opted to buy a set of overhead brass pool table lights - opting for green shades which set it off the whole colour scheme really well.

Thinking of investing in a pool table ? Follow the link for guidelines that will help you make the right choice. And if you don't want a full size table, you can always try an Executive Billiard Table at just 3 ft x 20 inches x 8 inches high.

Ted Finds A New Home

2008-08-28T03:28:00.000-07:00

Two of our good friends have a couple of Border Collie dogs - in fact they are sisters from the same litter so have grown up together. But how different they are! Meg is the dominant one, confident and cheeky whilst Tess is more subdued - though not when there's football on tv! She adores watching football on tv and watches it with her nose close to the screen as if in an attempt to catch the ball. Our friends tell us there are teeth marks on the tv set! Well the two Border Collie sisters got quite a surprise recently - the arrival of Ted.

The family had heard of a male Border Collie in need of a new home. Ted had been bred as a working sheep dog and lived on a farm, seeing only other dogs, sheep and the shepherd. Sounds idyllic for a keen working dog but unfortunately Ted has a problem - an aversion to wanting to round up sheep. This meant that the farm was not the place for him.

So home he came with our friends to join his new family. Straight away the 'sisters' took to him and absolutely adore him. Adjusting to 'normal' life has therefore been that bit easier. You see, Ted had never been in a car before, never heard a telephone ring and never really been around people and all the noise that goes with everyday life. It's been quite a learning curve for him! However, he's done really well in just a few months. He's still very shy with visitors but hopefully time will help him get over that.

Recently Ted went on his first holiday to the seaside and by all accounts had a wonderful time. Here's a photo of him with his 'sisters' playing at the water's edge on the beach. (Ted is in the background).

Anyway, here's to Ted and his new life. I wonder what he will think of Christmas? Whatever happens, being a male amongst two females, I'm sure he's happy!

If you like collie dogs you'll know they have a very keen intelligence - read about Rico the collie dog and his wordpower that has stunned scientists!

Cool Drinks & Ice Nuggets

2008-08-21T03:05:00.000-07:00

When the weather's warm we all tend to drink more, especially cool or chilled drinks. Many people put their cans and bottles of lager in a beer fridge and their white wine and drinks for the children in their kitchen refrigerator. That's fine but when you have a few people round say for a barbecue it's nice to go one step further and have plenty of fresh ice on hand so they can keep their drinks chilled. I've found that using the ice tray in my freezer just doesn't do the job.

So what's the solution? An ice maker - in fact what they call a home ice maker.

It's not terribly big and it's completely portable. I keep it in one of the kitchen cupboards so that it's handy to bring out whenever I need it. You just fill it up with water to the required level, plug in, select the size of ice you want (there are 3 sizes of ice nuggets to choose from), press start and off you go. In what seems like no time at all you've a try of beautifully formed ice nuggets. If you need more you just fill her up with water again and repeat the process.

It's such a useful little machine; no wonder a some cafes and small bars are investing in one. It's also great for anyone do outdoor catering say in a marquee. Being a portable ice maker it has a lot more flexibility of use than a plumbed in one. Here are 2 sites where you can buy this kind of machine:

UK - http://www.home-ice-makers.com/

USA - Ice Cream Recipes Amazon Store - Ice Makers Section

Fun Food For The Olympics

2008-08-17T16:16:00.000-07:00

With the Beijing Olympics dominating tv screens and the media at the moment, I was interested to read this article.

Basically, it suggests you join in the spirit of the Olympics by eating Chinese food whilst watching the games on tv! Either order a Chinese takeaway meal or be adventurous and try some chinese home cooking.

Seriously though, there are some serious recipe ideas for what they call 'small bites' and Vietnamese Summer Rolls. I'd love to try them out but quite honestly doubt if I'll have the time. Nice idea though.

History Can Be Fun!

2008-08-15T15:19:00.000-07:00

I remember at school thinking how boring history lessons were - only to realise in later years that if I had listened more closely I might have thought somewhat differently. The truth is that history is about people, their triumphs and their troubles; a rich tapestry of human endeavour - and that makes it a fascinating subject.

What period of history doesn't really matter either. It might be that you're interested in ancient history (Greek, Roman etc) or medieval history (Norman Conquest of England, The Crusades etc) or more recent history perhaps (16th-20th century). Whatever period you choose you can then choose from all sorts of areas of interest - eg. daily life, food and recipes of the time, medicine, music and the arts or warfare and weaponry. The list goes on.

In our family there's an interest in medieval history. Weaponry of the time merits close study as it was a time of many battles and any advancement of technology over the enemy often proved decisive. The trebuchet, for example, was developed around 1300 and proved an incredibly potent weapon on the battlefield. There's a super 'mock' trebuchet at Caerlaverock Castle in Scotland and of course Warwick Castle in England houses the biggest trebuchet in the world (18 metres high, weighing 22 tonnes). I've yet to see that but it sounds amazing. Until then we may just make do in the office with a desktop Trebuchet Kit like this one from Amazon.

Anyway back to the point about fun with history .... there are lots of period costumes available today for anyone going to a fancy dress party or special Halloween celebration. So if you think you'd make a good Guinevere or Lancelot, what are you waiting for?!

Alternatively you can always check out the BBC History website - as they say "bringing history to life, for the casual browser and the total enthusiast." That about sums it up.

Hats Off To Wiki - Welcome Knol

2008-08-13T16:05:00.000-07:00

It doesn't matter what element of home, food or fun you're interested in, chances are there's a good page about it on Wikipedia. Most people are now familiar with Wiki, to the point perhaps where some are being cynical and saying it's 'old hat' but I think it should be 'hats off' to Wiki for it's a fantastic resource when you're looking for an introduction to a subject. Long may it continue.

The biggest compliment perhaps and endorsement of what Wiki has achieved is the fact that Google has now launched Knol - their own Wiki-type resource. Except of course that they claim it will be built along different guidelines. Well, I for one will be watching its growth. Hopefully, it won't rival Wiki but actually act as a complimentary resource. Having two great information sources available for free is even better than what we have now. Bring it on!

Here's Wiki's page on Knol
Here's the official Google Blogspot post announcement of Knol

Homemade Ice Cream - What Fun!

2008-08-11T09:10:00.001-07:00

I have met only a few people in my whole life who don't like ice cream - it's an amazingly popular food. These days you can get all sorts of flavours and then there's the toppings and sauces you can add in - not forgetting the cream and cherry on top if you're making an ice cream sundae!

You can go one step better though and make your OWN homemade ice cream. It's not rocket science either. Just be aware though that it's a lot easier with an electric ice cream maker so be prepared to invest in one if you really want to have a serious go at ice cream making.

At one end of the scale there are easy ice cream recipes that are quick to make contrasting with more elaborate custard based recipes at the other end of the scale. More time consuming but well worth the effort! Like this classic vanilla ice cream recipe. I've tried it and it's fantastic. My husband said it was the best tasting ice cream he's ever eaten - and he's eaten a lot in his life!

Remember too that you get to choose your own ingredients so you can avoid any of those 'nasties' that friends and family are allergic to. It's also great fun to make ice cream with your children - what an idea to keep them busy in the school holidays!

So go on ... have a go. Ice cream making is a great way to bring fun and food together all in one activity.