Typecast

I'm very much a ''throw it all in and hope for the best" type of cook. I sort of follow recipes but always experiment and attempt to try out adaptations.  I recently had a whole load of vegetables that were about to become past their best and needed to use them up so I had a glance at a recipe online, took note of what I had, threw it all in a pot and kept my fingers crossed.  It was one of the best things I've ever made and has become much-requested in this house. If you have ever followed any of my other recipes , you'll know that I don't do much measuring so everything is adaptable.  This recipe makes six to eight large portions and is ideal for lunch with a crusty loaf or as a starter for a main meal.  Video : How To Make Vegetable Soup in 18 seconds Ingredients 4-6 carrots 2 sweet potatoes 2 peppers (any colour) 2 sticks of celery 1 large leek 6 smallish potatoes 2 small onions (I used red onion) ¼ celeriac 1 litre of ...

Keeping up a monthly series is Hard Work .  With all the good intentions of doing this monthly round-up (which I love pulling together) I didn't bother in November or December so you didn't get the promised learning experiences including: My disappointment when my doppleganger didn't contact me (see October's 'Things I Learnt In...' ) but she was probably too freaked out at the message she received via Facebook. The full rundown (no pun intended) of the two 10k races and a 5k Santa Dash I participated in. A mention for ' Girls Against ' - a group of young women who are campaigning against groping at gigs. The time I learnt that your quiz book won't fend for itself on Amazon. That you can make a London Undergroup map from Quality Street chocolates . Grandchildren will say the best part of Christmas dinner is sitting at the big table and not a separate 'children's table' Getting Danny Boyle and Quentin Tarintino  in an interview t...

As I sit and type this, I can hear the rain battering the lounge window. All day at work I have been facing the window, watching the heavens open and deliver yet more water onto an already sodden ground. I don't remember a winter like this in recent years; it's just so... wet! In some respects we are very lucky where we live - at the top of a road that leads downhill. We aren't really at risk of flooding however, two streets in each direction were on red warnings over the Christmas period for flooding because of the way the rivers flow through the town. I'm so used to watching news reports of flood victims further down the country that to have severe warnings so close to home made us rethink a number of things such as our contingency plan for living arrangements, what we would have to move upstairs in order to save precious items and what our insurance would cover! It's not just us that have been thinking about the long-term effects though. Simpson Millar...

When you start any new hobby it's important to have the right tools for the job. Last year I filmed a little video which showed you what I wear when I go running (you can watch it at the end of this blog post) and whilst the basic tools and rules are the same, I'm a little bit more serious about the whole running thing now, having upped my distance and having set a few long term goals. I have winter and summer variations but the basics are the same, so here are my top tips for clothing and accessories for when you are running or jogging. 1.  High Visibility Outerwear There is a reason that a lot of running clothes are available in garish neon colours - it's so you can be easily seen day and night by other road and footpath users. I really recommend wearing something with reflective strips too if running in the dark (or early morning/late night). My jacket is bright yellow and is from  Ron Hill (via SportsShoes.com) . 2.  A Hat I favour a lightwei...

I have always been a fan of having scents wafting gently around the house to get rid of all the boy smells . My husband likes to burn incense/joss sticks and I've always been a fan of scented candles, wax melts and diluted essential oils.  First a little background. What is Aromatherapy? Aromatherapy, also referred to as Essential Oil Therapy, can be defined as the art and science of utilizing naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants to balance, harmonise and promote the health of the mind, body and soul. It seeks to unify physiological, psychological and spiritual processes to enhance your innate healing process. Prior to Christmas I was trying out some new essential oils that had been sent to me by Becky at  Essence of Arcadia  along with a 'recipe book' which explained what each oil was to be used for and how to mix different oils to create different moods. First of all, Essence of Arcadia is a British company - and you know how I feel abou...

Pippa is one of the old crew... one of the 2009 squad of bloggers that I'm privileged to call my friends. I love that I know I can tune into her blog and be treated to positive reading material that will encourage me to eat healthily, give me great ideas for fun with the grandchildren and inspirational updates to make me re-engage with life with a more positive outlook.  I adore every single one of the songs that she chose for her Soundtrack To My Life (and even the ones she didn't choose - you'll see what I mean when you reach her final choice) and the memories she shares.  I know you'll enjoy them too...  ¨¨°º©©º°¨¨ Always a A Woman - Billy Joel I love this song. I first heard it when I was working in a Children's Boutique when I was about 17. I sold suits to babies. Anyway. There were maybe four CD's that the owner allowed to be played and a Billy Joel album was one of them. I knew a few of his songs, but it was this song, Always a Woman , th...

I am in a really fortunate position to be able to come home from work and have a freshly cooked meal waiting on the table most evenings, as my husband is at home. We have recently been trying out a recipe box from Riverford  which has been a convenient and enjoyable experience. Using a subscription service, Riverford deliver a box to your door each week which contains three meals for two people and includes all (yes, ALL) the ingredients and three easy-to-follow recipe cards to create these meals. The only store cupboard additions you'll have to supply are salt and pepper for seasoning and oil for cooking.  These boxes are great for a few reasons. All the products are fresh, organic and locally produced or sourced and they come with full unpacking and storage instructions (i.e. a bag of products for the fridge, measured ingredients for the store cupboard, fresh produce either insulated or wrapped in a cool pack). But what impressed me the most was the way in w...

Image Credit : Rolling Stone Today I was going to publish another edition of Soundtrack To My Life but that was put on hold as soon as I woke up and I saw that all my social media timelines were full of the news that David Bowie had died. I don't normally get upset when I read of a 'celebrity' death (but I do usually check the Deadpool forum to see if anyone has scored points *waves to the people judging me right now* ). Of course I lament a little as it's sad when someone's life comes to an end, however life goes on in so many more ways. Musicians leave a legacy. Music, to some extent, is timeless. Yes, certain styles of music will fit into a certain era, but that doesn't create a reason for it not to be heard. And, just as I say to potential contributors to Soundtrack To My Life , music will transport you back to a time or a place in your life even by just hearing a the opening bars or a line from the middle of a verse. Or it used to... ...

Recently I shared my own planning system for 2016 - you can read the blog post here and watch the video here on Facebook - and I mentioned that I also have another two planners for different uses which help keep me and the rest of the family organised in different ways. Both of these planners use a week-on-two-pages style of layout however they do differ slightly. ¨¨°º©©º°¨¨ Stick To Stigu The Stigu planner is slightly bigger than A5 size and spiral-bound so it lies flat on your desk.  It is marketed as a 'rest and zest handbook', incorporating a desk calendar, a notebook and a to-do pad. It opens with an explanation of how the planner can be used and introduces the monthly themes. Next is a full year planner over a double page spread and then we move straight into the weekly spread. As previously noted, each month follows a theme; for example, Restore, Meditate, Breathe, Let Go - with each weekly spread having a note to help you achieve this theme.  The we...

Karen is a rare blogger breed - she's a fellow Northerner who writes about family time, days out and general adventures. She is also admin on a great Facebook group for bloggers in the North of England. Here's Karen's Soundtrack To My Life with the story behind each tune. ¨¨°º©©º°¨¨ Jimmy Sommerville: Read My Lips This song reminds me of my lovely mum. I remember sitting in the lounge, aged 8 or 9, listening to my mums records and tapes. This was always one of my favourite and I loved singing along. I think she has pretty good taste in music, my mum! The Carpenters: Top Of The World My parents split up when I was very young and my dad lived quite far away, so The Carpenters remind me of those long car journeys to and from his house. Top of The World remains one of my favourite sing-a-long songs to this day. Bon Jovi: Bad Medicine Through those angsty teenage years I developed a deep love for Bon Jovi's music. Bad Medicine fro...

I’m always looking for new activities to keep me occupied, especially now that I have the evenings to myself. There’s nothing wrong with following your favourite series on the TV or getting hooked on the latest boxset on Netflix however I try not to sit and watch television all night and I’m also trying to use my laptop time more effectively. In the new year I’m planning on picking up my Open University degree again but I found these three online activities which I’ll be trying out in 2016. Shopping Online shopping is always a winner. You can find some great deals online - especially on Amazon or Ebay and with walmart ca coupons , you don’t have to battle against the post-Christmas sale crowds in the town centre and all your goodies get delivered straight to your door!. Apparently around 50% of people shop online so the theory that retail therapy is good for you must be true! Online Gaming Online gaming for real money is hugely popular at the moment. As long as you f...

Christmas and the New Year always brings new gadgets and gizmos to our lives, most areuseless and simply a bad buy, while some can enhance your life. We discuss the fact that smartphones and the Apple Watch have made keeping up to date with our personal data far more achievable. Tablets are now far more powerful and transportable so we look at how gaming has moved on in these platforms. Despite this let’s present a cynical eye on this technology as it can also be a vacuum of our time of they don’t operate normally. There are many new apps and packages which allow the user to be aware of their personal footprint at all times. These apps include fitness apps as they provide real time updates to your exercise routine or activity you do outside of work - these apps incentivise you to do more and persevere. A big player in the market is FitBit and although it sounds like something a teenage lad would say it’s actually a useful piece of kit. Tablet computers themselves have also s...

I adore watching 'What's In My Bag' videos on YouTube (I've filmed a couple of my own in the past too) however after receiving a lovely new bag for Christmas and treating myself to a new purse with a gift vouchers I thought I'd give you a sneaky peek into I carry around with me on a daily basis. It also gave me a really good excuse to have a tidy up and sort through all the Christmas present receipts that I needed to put away in a safe place that I'll instantly forget the moment I need them . The bag is from Atmosphere at Primark. Not a hugely expensive brand but this shape, size and handle size is perfect for me for every day use at work. It has one large front pocket and inside the bag there are two small pockets and zipped pocket. It's in a gorgeous burgundy colour which I would probably never have bought for myself but I now love it! ...watch the video here... If I'm going out at weekend I tend to move my purse, keys and phone ...