Saturday 28 February 2015

Ten Things :: February


:: February has been the month I've been suffering from inertia. A feeling I should be doing something but not knowing quite what that something should be and as such not doing very much at all...at work and at home...until I suddenly think about it or write it all down and realise I've just not been doing anything particularly blogworthy in the ta-dah finished object sense of the word but have actually had a really full month.

:: In February, I finally, finally unravelled the delicious ball of malabrigo sock yarn. It's actually a lovely striping green colour, not that you can see that here. It was definitely a labour of love (with much swearing). I'm planning to make this hat with it, but in the usual way, I now have another project on the go. That project being a scarf for the ABO. I've chosen a simple pattern, mistake rib stitch and thank goodness for that as I've already had to frog back and restart. Maybe that's why it's called mistake rib stitch? The yarn is a beautiful charcoal grey but doesn't look quite right here, i'll blame the electric lighting, Anyway, seems to be going OK...for now


:: February has been the month I've been making bread. Quite a bit in the breadmaker (just a regular white loaf) but also pizza (since discovering that using semolina on the baking tray stops it sticking!!) and this challah. It's a traditional recipe with egg and honey meaning it's really light and tasty.
I was somewhat surprised that the loaf rose to fill the entire baking tray...

:: February was the month of rainy afternoon TV viewing. We watched 'Frozen' (again...and again), 'Cinderella' and 'Room on the Broom' and the girls' favourite....'Four in a Bed' (the show where B&B owners stay in each others' businesses and rate them). They're both really taken with the idea of checking for dust in the bedrooms and giving marks out of ten for the facilities. hopefully they won;'t be looking too hard for the dust here!!

:: February is Christmas all over again. Or that's what the Christmas cactus is thinking.


:: February is actually July. I found roses flowering in the garden! The weather just has no idea.

:: February was the month when my very good friend L, gave birth to her second child. A girl this time round. I'm so excited to meet her. I'm also thinking of what to make for her. When her son was born, I did an embroidery, maybe I will again.

:: February meant that it was half term. BigR had a great week. A couple of 'Daddy days' whilst I worked and LittleR was at nursery. Then some family days out, long walks and a trip to Yorkshire Wildlife Park and ate a picnic outside without our coats! 

:: February was the month of trying a new cake. I (with BigR's help) made an almond, orange and cardamom cake that Jen suggested on her blog. I didn't have a blood orange so just went with a regular one. Yummy.

:: February has been the garden planning month. What to plant, what jobs need doing. We definitely need to make the gate to the garden more secure as the Littlest is planning her escape at any opportunity. The ABO dug up  a dead rose today...you wouldn't believe the roots on those plants! We bought a wendy house for the girls; it's already been put to good use. It's very cosy. I might take up residence if I get badly marked for the facilities in the next game of 'Four in a Bed'.

9 comments:

  1. Hey N,
    I missed out on the wendy house, so I may buy one of my own. All gingham curtains and baby blue. We have watched a lot of Dinosaur Train here. Have you ever seen it? I hope for the sake of your sanity that you don't. Are girls as fascinated by dinosaurs as boys? Olly and me also enjoy a bit of Baking For Comic Relief. We watch it on I-Player after school. Pops loves a bit of baking.
    Have a great week,
    Leanne xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. All the parents of girls that I know have watched Frozen at least five hundred times it seems. No girls here, so I've not even seen it once. I like the sound of a wendy house, I'd really like a grown-up wendy house of my very own. Great tip on stopping the pizza base sticking, I shall give it a try. Wishing you a good Sunday. CJ xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. that charcoal yarn looks a great colour!! it sounds like a busy month, with some wonderful baking included :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've seen Frozen plenty of times and I have a 16 and a 14 year old! great film x

    ReplyDelete
  5. You had a busy busy month! Well done for unravelling your yarn. If you like, I can post you mine to do now..... I quite fancy a bite of the challah, if there is any left. I have never seen Frozen and from what I hear, I must be grateful for it! Have a lovely week. xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Your February's been a really good one I think - baking, family days out and in, knitting. I like that your girls love 'Four in a Bed'. I just hope they don't check for dust when they go round to other people's houses : ) Have a lovely week - and month- ahead! X

    ReplyDelete
  7. You've had such a full month. I loved reading about all of your baking and cooking. I agree, you need something under the pizza dough for it to slide off well. If you ever find yourself out of semolina, you can also use wheat germ. It works well too. I'm very interested in that B&B show, I would love it. I hope they start showing it here too. Have a great week.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Orange and cardamom cake sounds lovely - cardamom's one of my favourite spices.
    I'm hoping that, being a boy's boy, Joe will have no interest in 'Frozen' and all those Disney things. But having to watch endless Thomas the Tank Engine episodes is quite wearing. Ditto engineering ever more spectacular crashes with his toy cars...
    Your bread looks most impressive! Mine's always a bit of a disaster.
    I'm so glad March is here (despite this morning's snowfall). Things will get lighter and brighter and we'll all feel more energised and motivated. That's the plan, anyway.
    Have a good week.
    S x

    ReplyDelete
  9. Great post. A of my days feel like that, today especially. I don't feel like I've done anything at all but I'm absolutely shattered! Your bread is impressive - that Challah, wow! x

    ReplyDelete