Feeling better

So I am starting to feel more back to normal. Very tired but at least my brain feels like the neurons might be firing.

I hate being stuck indoors and so yesterday I risked going up to Balgay Park. It is just up the road so figured if I started feeling unwell I could make it back to the flat. It was a lovely sunny day and just sitting on the bench in the sun for half an hour really boosted my mood.


This image comes from the weblink if you click 'Balgay Park' above and isn't my own photo

While I was there a man sat on the bench and we had a wee chat - just a meandering out-in-the-sun chat and it was really lovely. Usually people who start speaking to you have no idea of boundaries or of being respectful that you might just want to sit in peace, but this guy was really sweet. He had travelled all over the world and he talked about how he goes out for a walk every day, no matter the weather. For someone who is retired and getting on in years I envied his fitness levels! I was tired afterwards and had wobbly legs but it was worth it - and it reminded me that there are good people all around and to not fall into the trap of viewing people you don't know with suspicion. It was a great wee moment to have had and cheered me up a lot.

Interiors

Because we will be moving house at some point and I like to day dream! I have been picking up wee idea-inspiring notes from magazines, blogs, newspapers, TV etc on housey type stuff. So will be posting up what I find!

Cool ideas for plates etc
http://www.rustdesigns.com/

Banana Sandwiches

Banana sandwiches are one of my favourite things. They are great for a quick snack and if you are feeling poorly and they are a good snack on the run too - grab a roll and a banana and you can make a sandwich out the back of your cycle bag. Essentially you just need bread and a banana but when I am making one at home and at my leisure it is made in a particular way.



scottish plain bread
one banana per sandwich - must be yellow with no green or black bits on the skin
brown sugar

take out two slices of bread.
remove the skin from your banana and place in a bowl
mash the banana using a fork
spread the banana evenly over one slice of bread
sprinkle brown sugar over the banana - it will dissolve slightly in the banana mush
top with the second slice of bread and cut in half

Serve with a hot piping cup of tea and a wee square of Fry's Cream to follow. Delicious!



If you are using 'normal' bread I would cut it diagonally so you have two triangles - but with plain bread you cut it into two squares.

Poorly

The past few weeks have been fun (weddings etc) but also have been difficult cause I have been poorly. I was run down anyway through working a wee bit too hard, then caught my Mum's cold at the wedding and, just as I had got over that, caught a stomach bug. The tummy bug was the last straw for my poor body! I managed to do my London trip (which was to meet our new Director of Operations so felt that was important)and just managed to make it back to Dundee before the bug really kicked in. Since then I have been stuck in the house and feeling quite sorry for myself.

The reason I feel so sorry for myself is partly because to me food is such a central thing and so to not be able to, or want to, eat my favourite things, do some cooking and baking, and share meals properly with my husband is very upsetting. I don't see Andy enough as it is and one of the ways I like to make up for being away so much is by making him all the dinners he likes - I am sure he doesn't mind me doing that either! And chatting over dinner is one of our ways of keeping up with each others news.

My favourite things though to eat when I am poorly and that I think - rightly or wrongly - to be good for poorly folks are:

Banana sandwiches
Original Lucozade
Tea - lots of it
Ginger biscuits
Soup
Toast and honey

And, when you are feeling like you could cope with a proper meal...

Shepherd's or Cottage Pie!

Mind you, I was barely managing to eat any of these things at all. One thing I didn't reckon on as being good for you is live yoghurt - the idea of yoghurt being something you want to eat when you are not well seemed weird to me but when the cramps got really bad Andy made me phone NHS 24 and the very kind nurse suggested this. She also advised I take rehydration salts as the reason I was getting worse and not better was due to eating too little and the increasing cramp pain suggested I was pretty dehydrated. And I am usually so good at keeping my fluids up - as the child of a nurse I was mighty embarrassed!

So - live yoghurt and rehydration salts were bought and consumed and while I feel like a rung out rag and am not quite ready to trust to being more than a room away from a bathroom, I am beginning to feel more human. I am just hoping that in a few days time I can get back to what I love best - eating!!!

Afternoon Tea at Ballathie House

A week after Emma's wedding and I find myself out to afternoon tea in Perthshire! Two afternoon teas in such quick succession is a treat! We went along to Ballathie House with James and Alison - Alison is also a fan of afternoon tea - and spent a happy couple of hours drinking tea, munching on sandwiches, scones and cakes and putting the world to rights. Including a discussion on the difference between afternoon tea and high tea. It was a nice afternoon tea but it didn't come near Emma's! I think next will have to be the But 'n' Ben high tea in Arbroath - I have heard it is very good so will be finding an excuse for that soon.

My sister's wonderful wedding

My wee sister - now Mrs Weir!

Two weeks ago my sister got hitched and she went with an afternoon tea themed reception. During planning, it became clear that the man who runs Blairquan Castle where she was having the reception didn't entirely approve and saw the whole affair as being rather unorthodox. By the end of the tea though he was thoroughly convinced that afternoon tea is a great way to celebrate a wedding - or indeed anything.

I love afternoon tea - I think it does a good job of suiting everyone - with different sandwiches and savoury bites to choose from in quantities that match your appetite and appeal to old and young alike. As for being able to try out several types of cake and sweet treats I much prefer that to agonizing over the pudding trolley.

For Emma, we handmade her invites and place settings with cupcakes fashioned from Laura Ashley patterns and my Mum sources different styles and designs of bunting and cake-stands.


The beautiful cake-stands my Mum found.


My sister Alice and my Mum hard at it pinning bunting to the tables.

My Mum also made the wedding cake - a three tiered stand of vanilla iced cupcakes topped with two pink hearts cut from sugar paste.


Emma's cupcakes awaiting transportation!


The finished wedding cake!

We all went along to the castle the day before to decorate and set everything out and Emma's friends (and my Glasgow flatmate!) Ailie and Alison both came along too to help out.

It was great fun decorating the rooms and it really felt like a true family wedding with everyone doing their bit.


Making the wee pink hearts for the cakes.


More cakes!

On the day Emma looked amazing - her dress was just perfect and she looked beautiful and so grown up which is strange for me as her big sister. Of course, the vows are very important, and the Mass was very moving and my Dad singing the psalm was very special. But, also very important, is feeding all of the guests! And the afternoon tea was just amazing. I have posted previously of Betty's in York and their afternoon tea but I have to say Emma's afternoon tea beat Betty hands down!

After the wedding my Mum asked each of the bridesmaids and Emma's friends to choose a cake-stand and because they were all different designs we each got one that suited our personalities and styles. Mine is a two tier silver art deco-ish stand with glass plates with a star etched in the middle. So now I can't wait to have my own wee afternoon tea!

Strawberries and Balsamic Vinegar

These are really yummy - I first had them at my Aunt Sheila's and while I was a bit wary I like to give everything a go once. Well, once I had tasted them I fell in love with them! If you have had quite a heavy main, perhaps with red meat, they act as a very good light pudding that cuts through the palate nicely. And leaves you very ready for some strong coffee and a slice of tablet or square of dark chocolate!

Punnet of strawberries
Balsamic vinegar - go for a good one for this
Sugar

Top and hull your strawberries and cut in half. If some of the berries are small leave them. You don't want sliced and diced - you want big pieces to sink your teeth into.

In a large bowl, combine 2-3 tbsp of vinegar and 1-2 of sugar. I used brown but not sure if it matters.

Mix in the strawberries and leave for at least 30 mins but not longer than about an hour. Have a wee taste and add more sugar if you need it.

Serve either with creme fraiche or with a suitable cake - something not too sweet and gooey - my Aunt serves a lovely almond tart alongside.