Home alone

Home alone and not really getting to grips with it............

Things have taken a strange turn.For the first time in many [ way too many] years I reluctantly find myself a ' housewife ' or as I read somewhere ' house engineer' . I guess I  could revert to what I call myself normally... Jack of all trades master of none. Yes , that sums me up. Over my, and I hate to say 'many' years ( I'm getting to that age when I really must accept at least some of those years...) I have done umpteen shall we say, jobs, pastimes , projects , hobbies and quite honestly never stuck with any for long. Looking back I do recall my mother using that phrase ( Jack of all trades...) a lot in our house. I think it started way back when she sent me to ballet classes.

Cute hey?

 That didn't last long. Then tap classes.Same there. Then finally ballroom dancing classes when I was about eight or so. Her final words as I recall were ' you stick this out or else' and when you heard the 'or else' you got a little panicky in our house. A real Yorkshire woman my mother. Had a voice on her like a fog horn they use to say. 'they' being anyone who ever heard my mother raise her voice that is. My mother could call me in for tea when I was playing in the school yard a good three blocks away and everyone would hear her including me. Didn't need a cell phone when you had a voice like my mother.

My boredom threshhold continued  through into adult hood as many of you will know but my repertoire of jobs and hobbies would take too long ................ oh, hold on a minute. I feel another blog coming on!

Anyway I really have digressed this time so, back to the plot. The plot being..... housewifey things ?

I find myself cooking again. It has been awhile. I mean I can cook but once out of the regular habit I find myself forgetting the simplist of things.... like how long does it take to cook a pork chop or roast a chicken or bake a piece of fish and how can I make vegetables more interesting. Thank goodness for Google.Oh I forgot to mention that just because I didn't cook didn't mean that we didn't eat. It's just that Stephen has always done most of the cooking, much to his Mother's chagrin might I add. Mainly because it was easier as Stephen was always the cook in the business we have had and he said it was easier to keep track. He's a real picky fridge monitor. He always says that I never get around to eating anything until its out of date .I do have a constitution of an ox which helps with the sell by dates.Unfortunately Stephen only has to read an out of date sticker and his stomach does summersaults . Agh, C'est la vie!

Small loaf rising.

So cooking ? coming along.What I really like is baking but there's a downside to that.You cant really just make an individual portion can you? it's always a 'batch' of something and of course you end up eating the lot. Not good for the figure. I mean, I may as well cut out the middle man and throw it on my hips. I am however a bread maker. Hand made, none of your fancy breadmaker stuff. I have discovered Artisan bread which I am still experimenting with but is turning into one of my favourite things, You make up a batch, no kneeding involved ( which is a little sad, I did like the kneeding process) and stick it in a plastic bag in the fridge until you need it. From one batch you can make, baguettes ,naan,pita breadsticks and even focaccia with rosemary. The focaccia was amazing.

Bacon, cheese and aubergine quiche.

Sundried tomato and herb scones and
an individual apple pie which as
it happens was enough for two.Ah well.

Our latest edition to the kitchen is a Keurig machine ( single serve brewer) it not only does coffee but tea and hot chocolate too. We first saw one in action at Raquel and Bobs in Massachusetts where we stayed on our way back.Now one thing I don't have to worry about getting in our house is gadgets. Stephen loves gadgets. Not silly useless gadgets but the good household type gadgets, So although we had not long since bought a great coffee machine ( and found two more when we unpacked) the Keurig was on the list. So if you are thinking of buying a coffee machine, we have four. No seriously get a Kuerig they make great coffee and you don't have to waste a whole pot to get just one cup and each one is fresh.

So,my life is taking on somewhat of a pattern. Albeit a little abstract at the moment but it's coming along.