David L. Atkinson's Blog, page 111
July 28, 2014
Tuesday Recipe - Potato salad with ham and tomatoes
It's definitely summer and in the UK that tends to mean warm and humid. So I never feel like cooking much and the salads come out. But, as I have mentioned before, if I was made to eat green stuff I would have horns and a tail. So it pushes my research skills to find something that is tasty eaten cold and interesting. Potato salad may sound ordinary but I thought this one was healthier and quite interesting.
This potato salad has protein so combining it has to be done reasonably carefully. I served it with pork pie as seen below but I think it would go well with chicken and even some fish.
The dressing was from mum's WI cook book from the 1950s. It is a french dressing and the recipe is below.
French Dressing
Ingredients3 parts olive oil to 1 part white wine vinegarsalt and pepperpaprika
MethodPut the oil and vinegar in a bowl and stir well add the other ingredients to suit your taste.
The recipe for the potato salad is on the appropriate TAB
And as we are talking salads this is a nice easy one that will suit slimmers and vegetarians alike.
This is in the Durham WI Cookbook and is described simply as rice salad. It consists of boiled rice, 1 tomato chopped and peas. This is seasoned with french dressing (see above) and salt and pepper.
God Bless
This potato salad has protein so combining it has to be done reasonably carefully. I served it with pork pie as seen below but I think it would go well with chicken and even some fish.
The dressing was from mum's WI cook book from the 1950s. It is a french dressing and the recipe is below.
French Dressing
Ingredients3 parts olive oil to 1 part white wine vinegarsalt and pepperpaprika
MethodPut the oil and vinegar in a bowl and stir well add the other ingredients to suit your taste.
The recipe for the potato salad is on the appropriate TAB
And as we are talking salads this is a nice easy one that will suit slimmers and vegetarians alike.
This is in the Durham WI Cookbook and is described simply as rice salad. It consists of boiled rice, 1 tomato chopped and peas. This is seasoned with french dressing (see above) and salt and pepper.
God Bless
Writing - Access to true Steele
Steele My hero was created post recession and so has no concept of how 'good' things were pre-2008. In 'I Have To Get It Right' when he began to flex his muscles he was working in an accountant's office. Then after the Gurentai took him under their wing and removed all of his financial worries, it was justice that was his major concern. He did become involved in international relations in 'The 51st State' but it was for the maintenance of a respectful distance between countries, rather than economic reasons. His trips into the USA had repercussions which can be read about in 'The Biter Bit' but then by the time things began to change in 2011 and the recession was really biting, Steele was trying to make sense of the state of the nation in 'A Changed Reality' and coming up against some really nasty people taking advantage of the shortage of money. By the time the USA are out of their recession Steele's steps are still being dogged by an unknown enemy from the same country. In 'Inceptus' we also find out more about what makes the man tick. The most recent Steele book 'Castled' Steele is once again at risk from unseen enemies. It would seem that he has become quite recession proof!
All books are available in paperback or ebook through Amazon, Smashwords and all good book shop websites.
Cessation This is a dystopian story that hinges directly on the state of the nation as a result of fiscal mismanagement. Having said that it is more a story of human relations, privations, love and loss.
God Bless
July 27, 2014
Writing - Authors n Actors cricket match
I re-produced this article and make no excuse. It extols the virtues of a game I love, cricket, with a hobby I love, writing. I find it fascinating that it seems that both activities are rather upper class pastimes!Authors and actors revive cricket rivalryBy Justin Parkinson BBC News Magazine
Two teams of actors and authors are reprising a historic cricket match which died out before World War One. Why?"To bowl fast is to revel in the glad animal action," wrote the 1950s England cricketer Frank "Typhoon" Tyson, "to thrill in physical power and to enjoy a certain sneaking feeling of superiority over the mortals who play the game."
But what if the person you are bowling to is one of the most famous actors in the world? Does the sense of superiority wane in the face of celebrity?
The writer and pace bowler Nicholas Hogg will face this quandary when opening the attack against Damian Lewis, star of the US TV drama Homeland. "It will be a bit unnerving," he says. "But when the game starts, everyone becomes a cricketer. Nothing matters other than what happens in those 22 yards."
Damian Lewis acted tough in the line of fire on Homeland... 
... but CIA interrogations are nothing compared to Nicholas Hogg's fast ball Rivalry between actors and writers is long-established, but it has a special outlet in cricket. In the late 19th and early 20th Centuries a team called The Authors toured the country houses of England. Among its members were Arthur Conan Doyle, AA Milne and PG Wodehouse. The highlight of the season was a game, sometimes played at Lord's, against an Actors XI.
Hogg and current literary stars including novelist Sebastian Faulks and historian Tom Holland turn out for the revived Authors XI. They are taking on the Actors XI, with Game of Thrones' Iain Glen among the players, on Saturday at the cricket-themed Words and Wickets festival at Wormsley, the Buckinghamshire ground built by the late billionaire Sir Paul Getty.
"There's a genuine rivalry," says Hogg." Writers think they create the words and that actors are just the hired hands who speak them. Actors think they are the ones who bring it all to life. There's definitely a level of rivalry there that's always been around."
Game of throws: Iain Glen swaps dragons for ducks Peter Sandys-Clarke, vice-captain of the Actors XI, is less sure. "Actors and writers are frequently at loggerheads about who knows best," he says. "Writers are so bad about admitting when they are wrong."
1903: The Authors and Artists teams, with PG Wodehouse (third from left in back row), Arthur Conan Doyle (back centre) and JM Barrie (third from right in front row) Country house cricket was popular in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. The best of the Authors XI in those days was Sherlock Holmes creator Conan Doyle, regarded as good enough to have played for a county. He bowled out WG Grace in a match at Crystal Palace in 1900.
Wodehouse, who wrote the Jeeves and Wooster stories, and Winnie the Pooh author Milne were also decent players, but JM Barrie, creator of Peter Pan, was not. In 1887 he set up his own side, called the Allahakbarries, to cater for those with similarly limited abilities.
AA Milne, Arthur Conan Doyle and PG Wodehouse were good players. JM Barrie, not so much. Barrie, the son of a Scottish weaver, used the matches to raise his social standing and became a friend of the Royal Family. But his left-arm bowling was slow and unthreatening.
Writers on cricket
"I tend to think that cricket is the greatest thing that God created on Earth" - Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter"Cricket is a game played by 11 fools and watched by 11,000 fools" - Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw"Hail Cricket! Glorious, manly, British game! First of all Sports! Be first alike in Fame!" - British poet and playwright James Love in 1744's Cricket: An Heroic Poem"Cricket remains for me the game of games, the sanspareil, the great metaphor, the best marriage ever devised of mind and body" - British novelist John Robert Fowles"I understand cricket - what's going on, the scoring - but I can't understand why" - American author Bill Bryson"Like the British constitution, cricket was not made: it has 'grown'" - Sir Neville Cardus, writer and critic
God Bless
Two teams of actors and authors are reprising a historic cricket match which died out before World War One. Why?"To bowl fast is to revel in the glad animal action," wrote the 1950s England cricketer Frank "Typhoon" Tyson, "to thrill in physical power and to enjoy a certain sneaking feeling of superiority over the mortals who play the game."
But what if the person you are bowling to is one of the most famous actors in the world? Does the sense of superiority wane in the face of celebrity?
The writer and pace bowler Nicholas Hogg will face this quandary when opening the attack against Damian Lewis, star of the US TV drama Homeland. "It will be a bit unnerving," he says. "But when the game starts, everyone becomes a cricketer. Nothing matters other than what happens in those 22 yards."
Damian Lewis acted tough in the line of fire on Homeland... ... but CIA interrogations are nothing compared to Nicholas Hogg's fast ball Rivalry between actors and writers is long-established, but it has a special outlet in cricket. In the late 19th and early 20th Centuries a team called The Authors toured the country houses of England. Among its members were Arthur Conan Doyle, AA Milne and PG Wodehouse. The highlight of the season was a game, sometimes played at Lord's, against an Actors XI.Hogg and current literary stars including novelist Sebastian Faulks and historian Tom Holland turn out for the revived Authors XI. They are taking on the Actors XI, with Game of Thrones' Iain Glen among the players, on Saturday at the cricket-themed Words and Wickets festival at Wormsley, the Buckinghamshire ground built by the late billionaire Sir Paul Getty.
"There's a genuine rivalry," says Hogg." Writers think they create the words and that actors are just the hired hands who speak them. Actors think they are the ones who bring it all to life. There's definitely a level of rivalry there that's always been around."
Game of throws: Iain Glen swaps dragons for ducks Peter Sandys-Clarke, vice-captain of the Actors XI, is less sure. "Actors and writers are frequently at loggerheads about who knows best," he says. "Writers are so bad about admitting when they are wrong." 1903: The Authors and Artists teams, with PG Wodehouse (third from left in back row), Arthur Conan Doyle (back centre) and JM Barrie (third from right in front row) Country house cricket was popular in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. The best of the Authors XI in those days was Sherlock Holmes creator Conan Doyle, regarded as good enough to have played for a county. He bowled out WG Grace in a match at Crystal Palace in 1900.Wodehouse, who wrote the Jeeves and Wooster stories, and Winnie the Pooh author Milne were also decent players, but JM Barrie, creator of Peter Pan, was not. In 1887 he set up his own side, called the Allahakbarries, to cater for those with similarly limited abilities.
AA Milne, Arthur Conan Doyle and PG Wodehouse were good players. JM Barrie, not so much. Barrie, the son of a Scottish weaver, used the matches to raise his social standing and became a friend of the Royal Family. But his left-arm bowling was slow and unthreatening.Writers on cricket
"I tend to think that cricket is the greatest thing that God created on Earth" - Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter"Cricket is a game played by 11 fools and watched by 11,000 fools" - Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw"Hail Cricket! Glorious, manly, British game! First of all Sports! Be first alike in Fame!" - British poet and playwright James Love in 1744's Cricket: An Heroic Poem"Cricket remains for me the game of games, the sanspareil, the great metaphor, the best marriage ever devised of mind and body" - British novelist John Robert Fowles"I understand cricket - what's going on, the scoring - but I can't understand why" - American author Bill Bryson"Like the British constitution, cricket was not made: it has 'grown'" - Sir Neville Cardus, writer and critic
God Bless
July 26, 2014
Writing - 10 things we didn't know last week
Nostalgia, jealousy and moose spit!
[image error]
1. Moose spit has anti-fungal properties.
And its usage?
----------------------------------
2. Only 10% of DNA is doing something important.
----------------------------------
3. Dogs get jealous.
And as I remember it they are also spiteful.
----------------------------------
[image error]
4. It's possible to charge a Nokia Lumia 930 using 800 apples and potatoes connected with copper wire and nails.
Why would you want to have so much plant residue in your house?
-----------------------------------
5. People are more likely to spend money when they feel nostalgic.
-----------------------------------
6. Some 96% of adults engage in an internal dialogue.
------------------------------------
7. It's against the law in England and Wales to swallow and regurgitate goldfish, even if they survive, but it may be legal to do the same with an octopus.
And probably more difficult to swallow in the first place.
-------------------------------------
[image error]
8. Electric guitarists use the same patterns of sound as the human voice.
-------------------------------------
[image error]
9. Banded mongooses try less hard at motherhood after bringing up their first-born.
In the one above you can she is off with the words 'Its your son' on her lips!
--------------------------------------
[image error]
10. All dinosaurs were either covered with feathers or had the potential to grow them.
---------------------------------------
God Bless
[image error]
1. Moose spit has anti-fungal properties.
And its usage?
----------------------------------
2. Only 10% of DNA is doing something important.
----------------------------------
3. Dogs get jealous.
And as I remember it they are also spiteful.
----------------------------------
[image error]
4. It's possible to charge a Nokia Lumia 930 using 800 apples and potatoes connected with copper wire and nails.
Why would you want to have so much plant residue in your house?
-----------------------------------
5. People are more likely to spend money when they feel nostalgic.
-----------------------------------
6. Some 96% of adults engage in an internal dialogue.
------------------------------------
7. It's against the law in England and Wales to swallow and regurgitate goldfish, even if they survive, but it may be legal to do the same with an octopus.
And probably more difficult to swallow in the first place.
-------------------------------------
[image error]
8. Electric guitarists use the same patterns of sound as the human voice.
-------------------------------------
[image error]
9. Banded mongooses try less hard at motherhood after bringing up their first-born.
In the one above you can she is off with the words 'Its your son' on her lips!
--------------------------------------
[image error]
10. All dinosaurs were either covered with feathers or had the potential to grow them.
---------------------------------------
God Bless
July 25, 2014
Writing - Blowing one's own trumpet
The UK government are crowing about the fact that the UK economy has regained pre-recession levels. They fail to mention that its taken three years longer than most other countries that were affected.
[image error]
So the political in-fighting gets another spur to use by the parties and we ordinary folk sit in our situations thinking - what's different? In fact I don't remember that things were that good before the recession. I think ordinary folk in the UK had a better health service, a better NHS and a better standard of living so what have we to crow about?That is a question that joe public has no access to answer.
Steele My hero was created post recession and so has no concept of how 'good' things were pre-2008. In 'I Have To Get It Right' when he began to flex his muscles he was working in an accountant's office. Then after the Gurentai took him under their wing and removed all of his financial worries, it was justice that was his major concern. He did become involved in international relations in 'The 51st State' but it was for the maintenance of a respectful distance between countries, rather than economic reasons. His trips into the USA had repercussions which can be read about in 'The Biter Bit' but then by the time things began to change in 2011 and the recession was really biting, Steele was trying to make sense of the state of the nation in 'A Changed Reality' and coming up against some really nasty people taking advantage of the shortage of money. By the time the USA are out of their recession Steele's steps are still being dogged by an unknown enemy from the same country. In 'Inceptus' we also find out more about what makes the man tick. The most recent Steele book 'Castled' Steele is once again at risk from unseen enemies. It would seem that he has become quite recession proof!
All books are available in paperback or ebook through Amazon, Smashwords and all good book shop websites.
Cessation This is a dystopian story that hinges directly on the state of the nation as a result of fiscal mismanagement. Having said that it is more a story of human relations, privations, love and loss.
On VG today:
http://venturegalleries.com/serial/targets-bigger-risk/
God Bless
[image error]
So the political in-fighting gets another spur to use by the parties and we ordinary folk sit in our situations thinking - what's different? In fact I don't remember that things were that good before the recession. I think ordinary folk in the UK had a better health service, a better NHS and a better standard of living so what have we to crow about?That is a question that joe public has no access to answer.
Steele My hero was created post recession and so has no concept of how 'good' things were pre-2008. In 'I Have To Get It Right' when he began to flex his muscles he was working in an accountant's office. Then after the Gurentai took him under their wing and removed all of his financial worries, it was justice that was his major concern. He did become involved in international relations in 'The 51st State' but it was for the maintenance of a respectful distance between countries, rather than economic reasons. His trips into the USA had repercussions which can be read about in 'The Biter Bit' but then by the time things began to change in 2011 and the recession was really biting, Steele was trying to make sense of the state of the nation in 'A Changed Reality' and coming up against some really nasty people taking advantage of the shortage of money. By the time the USA are out of their recession Steele's steps are still being dogged by an unknown enemy from the same country. In 'Inceptus' we also find out more about what makes the man tick. The most recent Steele book 'Castled' Steele is once again at risk from unseen enemies. It would seem that he has become quite recession proof!
All books are available in paperback or ebook through Amazon, Smashwords and all good book shop websites.
Cessation This is a dystopian story that hinges directly on the state of the nation as a result of fiscal mismanagement. Having said that it is more a story of human relations, privations, love and loss.
On VG today:
http://venturegalleries.com/serial/targets-bigger-risk/
God Bless
July 24, 2014
Writing - What writers love to hear
Imagine the conversation - 'I've read all six Steele novels! Can you hurry up writing the next.'
What a delightful comment for any writer but particularly for an indie published author.
The comment was from a relatively new acquaintance to whom I gave one of my business cards a few weeks back. I had bought 500 cards a while ago now but the return from them hasn't been great but there has been some and they will have paid for themselves. I actually bought them from Vistaprint and if you are in this business I would recommend you invest a few pounds on your own business cards. One of my writing buddies, Caleb Pirtle , blogs regularly and wrote one recently on getting your name out there. He stressed how important it was to have your name printed large on your book cover. Being very self-effacing I doubted the wisdom of that until I glanced at my own book shelves and the books I'd collected from other authors.
One of the things that Caleb had said was that on book covers you should see the name and somewhere there will be the title. This is a section of my shelves plus a Jim Butcher that I've just finished and it is clear that the author's name needs to be there for all to see. I have been guilty of having my name smaller than the title but no more! In this picture apart from Butcher, Frederick Forsyth (not huge print but in red), Dick Francis and Patricia Cornwell have all ensured that their names are emblazoned on the covered.Thank you for that Caleb.
My current project is another Steele story, Earth Plc. My writing process does not depend on hefty planning - why spend time planning when you could be writing? However I do tend to 'live' my stories as I'm producing them. Not in reality but in my mind! As the characters have developed I have found that I could almost converse with them and that is a signal to me that they are well-formed and believable. So the story is a collection of 'real' experiences that unfold as I write and they take time. To the 'fan' who wants me to write more quickly - I'll get there eventually!
God Bless
What a delightful comment for any writer but particularly for an indie published author.
The comment was from a relatively new acquaintance to whom I gave one of my business cards a few weeks back. I had bought 500 cards a while ago now but the return from them hasn't been great but there has been some and they will have paid for themselves. I actually bought them from Vistaprint and if you are in this business I would recommend you invest a few pounds on your own business cards. One of my writing buddies, Caleb Pirtle , blogs regularly and wrote one recently on getting your name out there. He stressed how important it was to have your name printed large on your book cover. Being very self-effacing I doubted the wisdom of that until I glanced at my own book shelves and the books I'd collected from other authors.
One of the things that Caleb had said was that on book covers you should see the name and somewhere there will be the title. This is a section of my shelves plus a Jim Butcher that I've just finished and it is clear that the author's name needs to be there for all to see. I have been guilty of having my name smaller than the title but no more! In this picture apart from Butcher, Frederick Forsyth (not huge print but in red), Dick Francis and Patricia Cornwell have all ensured that their names are emblazoned on the covered.Thank you for that Caleb.
My current project is another Steele story, Earth Plc. My writing process does not depend on hefty planning - why spend time planning when you could be writing? However I do tend to 'live' my stories as I'm producing them. Not in reality but in my mind! As the characters have developed I have found that I could almost converse with them and that is a signal to me that they are well-formed and believable. So the story is a collection of 'real' experiences that unfold as I write and they take time. To the 'fan' who wants me to write more quickly - I'll get there eventually!
God Bless
July 23, 2014
Poetry Thursday 120 - A News Issues sonnet
Assisted dying, women bishops and more women in the cabinet - what is the world coming too?
Shakespeare by Caroline Shotton
Venusian Issues
Is it okay to help people to diewhen God gave life as a present?To permit the law to posture and lieover the suffering they should prevent.
The old-fashioned laity are now scornedby opening doors to the bishop’s see.No doubt positions will be sternly mournednow that women with power are set free.
Old, stale and grey Tory rulers usurpedby the introduction of petticoats.Countries could be so efficiently workedunder the helm of more feminine notes.
Men are from Mars and used to the powerWomen from Venus - cometh the hour!© David L Atkinson July 2014
I saw a print of Caroline Shotton's work in a gallery and was intrigued by the use of cows as characters. There are also Elizabeth I and Henry VIII to name but two and the one below made me smile also.
Black Udder and Bulldrick
Shakespeare by Caroline Shotton
Venusian Issues
Is it okay to help people to diewhen God gave life as a present?To permit the law to posture and lieover the suffering they should prevent.
The old-fashioned laity are now scornedby opening doors to the bishop’s see.No doubt positions will be sternly mournednow that women with power are set free.
Old, stale and grey Tory rulers usurpedby the introduction of petticoats.Countries could be so efficiently workedunder the helm of more feminine notes.
Men are from Mars and used to the powerWomen from Venus - cometh the hour!© David L Atkinson July 2014
I saw a print of Caroline Shotton's work in a gallery and was intrigued by the use of cows as characters. There are also Elizabeth I and Henry VIII to name but two and the one below made me smile also.
Black Udder and Bulldrick
July 22, 2014
Writing - Being human!
Being human is a complex of diverse behaviours that are at times inexplicable and at times child-like in their simplicity. Yet as adults we pantomime grown up behaviour, even going as far as putting ourselves above the majority as world leaders, but still indulge in violence which is a stage of the early development of children. One of the facets of being a functioning 'grown-up' is responsibility but then we take totally brainless actions!
Children die in cars
This sad photograph keeps happening! Why do functioning, thinking people leave children in cars alone in high temperatures? Yet over the last 10 years there have been an average of 38 deaths each year in parts of the USA. In cooler climates the problems are fewer for obvious reasons but it should be remembered that the internal temperature in a car can rise by 10 degrees in 10 minutes.The worryingly simplistic advice to help prevent these occurrences are below,
Keep a teddy bear in the car seat when it's empty, then when you put your child in the seat, move the animal to the front seatPut a shoe or mobile phone in the seat with your childPut the car seat on the passenger side of the back seatLook in the front and back seats when you lock the carAsk your partner to call to check you dropped your child off at nursery Seriously!!!!!!
I have 3 children and 2 step children and they were just never left alone. If you have a child then your mentality has to be changed from self-centred to child-centred. This type of neglect lends credence to the suggestion that people should have IQ tests before being allowed to breed! (A possible book topic?)
Religion
[image error]
I am not pushing any one religion but rather the need for humans of all races to seek reasons for inexplicable events, to either apportion blame or demand succour. In itself that type of behaviour is quite child-like and as such atheists quite often base criticism of religion on this over-simplification. The fact is that adults are not that divorced from their childhoods and belief in a higher less observable being is almost like belief in a deceased parent. We are constantly reflecting back on our own upbringing so, when there is no longer an earth bound person to go to in times of stress, we look to a god.
Dave Allen
Dave Allen died years ago but had an interesting closing line to his one man comedy programme,
'Thank you, goodnight and may your god go with you!'
I think he was saying that we all worship some higher being but how child-like is that when as children we often worship our parents.
Characters[image error]So when we create characters in our writings imbuing a sense of childishness produces a vulnerability and an opportunity for our readers to love those we have created. Steele has a past that I hope readers will sympathise with when they read my stories. Becoming involved with my character will draw the reader into the actions he becomes involved with and the 5th book Inceptus explores his past more fully. At £2.56 it is available for Kindle or to download to reading apps on smartphones and tablets, and is reasonably priced.
God Bless
Children die in cars
This sad photograph keeps happening! Why do functioning, thinking people leave children in cars alone in high temperatures? Yet over the last 10 years there have been an average of 38 deaths each year in parts of the USA. In cooler climates the problems are fewer for obvious reasons but it should be remembered that the internal temperature in a car can rise by 10 degrees in 10 minutes.The worryingly simplistic advice to help prevent these occurrences are below,
Keep a teddy bear in the car seat when it's empty, then when you put your child in the seat, move the animal to the front seatPut a shoe or mobile phone in the seat with your childPut the car seat on the passenger side of the back seatLook in the front and back seats when you lock the carAsk your partner to call to check you dropped your child off at nursery Seriously!!!!!!
I have 3 children and 2 step children and they were just never left alone. If you have a child then your mentality has to be changed from self-centred to child-centred. This type of neglect lends credence to the suggestion that people should have IQ tests before being allowed to breed! (A possible book topic?)
Religion
[image error]
I am not pushing any one religion but rather the need for humans of all races to seek reasons for inexplicable events, to either apportion blame or demand succour. In itself that type of behaviour is quite child-like and as such atheists quite often base criticism of religion on this over-simplification. The fact is that adults are not that divorced from their childhoods and belief in a higher less observable being is almost like belief in a deceased parent. We are constantly reflecting back on our own upbringing so, when there is no longer an earth bound person to go to in times of stress, we look to a god.
Dave Allen
Dave Allen died years ago but had an interesting closing line to his one man comedy programme,
'Thank you, goodnight and may your god go with you!'
I think he was saying that we all worship some higher being but how child-like is that when as children we often worship our parents.
Characters[image error]So when we create characters in our writings imbuing a sense of childishness produces a vulnerability and an opportunity for our readers to love those we have created. Steele has a past that I hope readers will sympathise with when they read my stories. Becoming involved with my character will draw the reader into the actions he becomes involved with and the 5th book Inceptus explores his past more fully. At £2.56 it is available for Kindle or to download to reading apps on smartphones and tablets, and is reasonably priced.
God Bless
July 21, 2014
Tuesday Recipe - Steak with Italian roast potatoes.
I was racking my brains as to what to cook for the weekend and decided on beef steak.
I am not about to put a recipe on my page for a steak meal because there are so many variables but the Italian roast potatoes are really easy and a tasty change.
Italian Roast Potatoes
A handful of new potatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, a handful of fresh basil, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
It is so simple to produce. Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees C (hot); place the ingredients in a roasting tin and cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes. Give the potatoes a shake and remove the foil return to the oven for a further 10 - 15 minutes. Serve.
I also added haricots to the roasting tin for 10 minutes rather than boiling them. They retain their flavour. I then made a balsamic glaze which is simply done by warming balsamic vinegar until reduced by half (it becomes syrupy) and drizzled that over the potatoes - posh chips and vinegar!!!!
God Bless
I am not about to put a recipe on my page for a steak meal because there are so many variables but the Italian roast potatoes are really easy and a tasty change.
Italian Roast Potatoes
A handful of new potatoes, 2 cloves of garlic, a handful of fresh basil, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
It is so simple to produce. Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees C (hot); place the ingredients in a roasting tin and cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes. Give the potatoes a shake and remove the foil return to the oven for a further 10 - 15 minutes. Serve.
I also added haricots to the roasting tin for 10 minutes rather than boiling them. They retain their flavour. I then made a balsamic glaze which is simply done by warming balsamic vinegar until reduced by half (it becomes syrupy) and drizzled that over the potatoes - posh chips and vinegar!!!!
God Bless
July 20, 2014
Writing - 10 things we didn't know last week
Babies, beards and bubble wrap.
1. Age renders you less certain of whether a badger or a baboon would win in a fight.
Amongst lots of other things----------------------------------
[image error]
2. Babies practise their first word in their heads for months before saying it out loud.
So what changes?
-----------------------------------
3. Until this week, the last bearded Conservative Cabinet minister was the 4th Earl of Onslow, president of the board of agriculture until March 1905.
----------------------------------
[image error]
4. Baby turtles co-ordinate their hatching by talking to one another through their egg shells.
------------------------------------
5. Just 34 people are claiming Jobseekers Allowance in the Staffordshire town of Uttoxeter - population 12,000.
------------------------------------
6. Bubble wrap can be used for blood and bacteria tests - the bubbles are injected with a syringe and can be sealed with clear nail hardener.
---------------------------------------
7. In Seoul, it's common to use your lunch break for a snooze.
---------------------------------------
[image error]
8. Two millennia ago in Sudan people used to munch on the purple nutsedge weed - and it might be why so few of them appear to have dental cavities.
----------------------------------------
9. People don't just walk more slowly when they're on smartphones, their field of vision is reduced to 5% of what it should be.
And their IQ drops by 75%
--------------------------------------
[image error]
10. When given a date far in the future, William Hague can tell you off the top of his head which day of the week it will be.
Like all aspects of his political life - useless information!!!!
--------------------------------------
God Bless
1. Age renders you less certain of whether a badger or a baboon would win in a fight.
Amongst lots of other things----------------------------------
[image error]
2. Babies practise their first word in their heads for months before saying it out loud.
So what changes?
-----------------------------------
3. Until this week, the last bearded Conservative Cabinet minister was the 4th Earl of Onslow, president of the board of agriculture until March 1905.
----------------------------------
[image error]
4. Baby turtles co-ordinate their hatching by talking to one another through their egg shells.
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5. Just 34 people are claiming Jobseekers Allowance in the Staffordshire town of Uttoxeter - population 12,000.
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6. Bubble wrap can be used for blood and bacteria tests - the bubbles are injected with a syringe and can be sealed with clear nail hardener.
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7. In Seoul, it's common to use your lunch break for a snooze.
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8. Two millennia ago in Sudan people used to munch on the purple nutsedge weed - and it might be why so few of them appear to have dental cavities.
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9. People don't just walk more slowly when they're on smartphones, their field of vision is reduced to 5% of what it should be.
And their IQ drops by 75%
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10. When given a date far in the future, William Hague can tell you off the top of his head which day of the week it will be.
Like all aspects of his political life - useless information!!!!
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God Bless
