Cosy in the Warm

Visiting my brother for a family lunch today their cats were enjoying sitting by the fire. 

No such luck for their two hens one of which was keen to join the party.

What will be trumps?

This morning I have been baking in my specially designed tin....

To make a Battenburg cake.

Okay I know it is slightly wonky but it won't effect the taste! I am taking it with me to a friend's house where we have a night of Crazy Whist ahead of us. Never played it? It's great fun with a different quirky change of rules each round. I can't say I am much good at it. One year I won the booby prize, a roll of bin liners because I was rubbish!

Seeing it is Valentines Day I guess we will all be wanting:

Hearts!

I thought the cards would be appropriate ones to take with us!

Street Musicians No.19 Winter Photographic Scavenger Hunt

I have been saving these photos for a while to use for Joy and Eileen's Winter Photographic Scavenger Hunt which you can see the details of here. When christmas shopping in Bristol the Salvation Army were playing in the centre of Broadmead.

      

A cheerful sound of familiar Christmas carols. There was some serious effort going into the playing!

                       

        

Whenever I hear the Salvation Army I always think of my early nursing days at The Middlesex Hospital in central London. They could always be heard playing on a Sunday morning in the forecourt of the hospital. The design of the hospital in an H meant that the music travelled up to most wards and was appreciated by staff and patients alike.This picture is taken fromThe Middlesex Hospital Facebook group page showing them in action.

                                   

The Post Office Tower emerging from the roof gives an idea of the location. Sadly the hospital has been demolished to make room for a shopping and residential area.

 My second street musician was playing in the Abbey Churchyard in Bath a busy tourist area where people are waiting to enter the Roman Baths. He kept me entertained while I waited for my daughter (a story in itself having told her I would meet her by the tree by the abbey I am waiting by the Christmas tree and she is waiting by a Plane tree....)

                                  

I have to confess to not buying his CD! Amplifiers are very popular with the Bath Buskers and this has recently erupted into a large row after Evensong in the abbey had to be halted because it was drowned out by the buskers outside. There is now a call to put a sound restriction on the buskers amplifiers! The row continues....

   

Sausage and Beans Casserole

In the winter weather when it is so cold any farmer is ready by lunchtime to come in out of the cold and we normally have our main meal then. He is ready for something to warm him up! Since returning from New Zealand older daughter has been working at a neighbouring farm with their lambing. She is out from 7.30 till 10 at night so needs something she can either have when she gets home or take with her to warm up in the microwave. I have been looking around for recipies that will warm up easily and give a hearty meal. This little book that I have had since th early 1980s has lots of great possibilities and today I adapted a casserole from there that we have had many times. 

Sausage and Bean Casserole is easy and sits in the oven well until needed. I tend to throw in what I have to hand!

Ingredients 

1lb Pork Sausages 

1 Onion chopped 

1 garlic clove crushed 

1 carrot diced

1 parsnip diced

1 stick celery chopped

1 tin baked beans 

4 fluid ounces approx beef stock

6oz dried apricots finely chopped or (as I used today 1 cooking Apple peeled and chopped.)

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon brown sugar (original recipe had 2 tablespoons!)

Salt and pepper 

Brown the sausages and cut into slices and place in a casserole dish. Cook the carrot and parsnip in a little water until barely soft. Drain and add to dish. (The water can be used for the stock)

Meanwhile sauté the onions and garlic. 

Add all ingredients to the dish, mix well and season.

Cover and cook at 180 C for 30 to 40 mins.

I usually serve it with baked potatoes.

The Story of Bath. Pairs Up and Down

 Wednesday has rolled around again and it is time for Helena's meme Pairs. I am using two photos that I took in December when I was Christmas shopping in Bath. Bath is one of those cities where you can almost point the camera in any direction and come up with a good picture.

 I stopped for a coffee and a quick bite to eat in the Guildhall market. Should you get a chance to visit Bath it is well worth a visit. There is a cornucopia of different stalls. The central dome can be seen from some distance around the city. I however never recall looking up inside before. Probably because I was too busy studying the paperbacks for sale on a very good second hand book stall. Sitting drinking my coffee I had a good view of the inside of the dome.

I was quite amazed to find out that there has been a market here since the 1770s and that the dome was built in 1863. The dome was damaged in a fire in the 1970s and rebuilt 20 years later. I have more photos of it that I will save for another day.

 However when you look down you see something that tells the story of Bath.

The centre of the market has a pig on display which was part of a trail of pig figures around the city in 2008 known as "King Bladud's Pigs". These originate from a story that was very familiar to me as a school child.

 Bladud is reputed to be the founder of Bath. Legend has it that he came to the throne in 863BC. He had as a young man contracted leprosy and was sent to tend the pigs who also then also caught the disease. Whilst working as a swineherd he brought his pigs through the Avon valley. He found that where they had bathed in the muddy water from the hot springs they were rid of their skin conditions. He too bathed in the hot spring water and was cured of his leprosy. He then as king went on to build the city of Bath in gratitude for his cure.

Colour Around the Garden

I was suprised at how much colour there was in mum's garden last week. She has small Iris on the balcony.

Meanwhile there are still berries.

Th Viburnum is flowering.

There are cyclamen in pots.

And tiny ones emerging in the garden.

Crocus in the greenhouse.

Then in a sheltered spot. Violets emerging.

One Photo and Twenty Words Constant Companions.

Today I am joining in with Abi's meme One Photo and Twenty Words

Breakfast time is quiet time. Catch up session on emails and blogs. All by myself! At least I thought so!