So, just for the record, since April, i've been cycling to work.
Via my Cardio Trainer we recorded:
Sunday 27 Feb. through to Monday 4 July = 851.71miles
I then changed to the Endomondo tracker and clocked:
Tuesday 5 July through Thurs 22 Dec = 1636.93 miles
So that's 2488 miles recorded this year.
A wheely HAPPY NEW YEAR all!
Christmas Eve, (Annie’s) Mini Meat Pies!
It seems every Christmas I remember from Cornwall included these mini marvels! But take my word for it they don’t hang around, soooooo morish – ansome me lover! From what I recall, this is me mum’s recipe with a few twists.
– Pastry, whatever you fancy either shortcrust, flakey or puff (above’s with Short and Puff mixed! ‘cos we ran out). Sorry, didn’t make me own, it’s too easy to take of off the shelf.
Easy…
– 1 large finely chopped onion.
– 6-7 mushrooms, finely chopped.
– pack of mince 500g.
Lea and Perrins.
Balsamic Vinegar.
1 Oxo Cube.
1 egg.
(i) with a yummy knob of butter fry onions, mushrooms till browning.
(ii) remove the above to a bowl.
(iii) in same pan fry mince (with a touch of salt and a good grind of pepper) till browning, then add the fried onions and mushrooms.
(iv) add to the pan, a shake and a bit of Lea & Perrins, a shake and bit of Balsamic Vinegar and sprinkle on one Oxo Cube. If too dry add a splash of water.
(v) fry till mixed and cooked.
(vi) Roll out your pastry and cut out appropriately sized circles with top of a glass/cup and place into greased pie/muffin/tart trays.
(vii) Cut out circle lids from same cutter.
(viii) put filling mix onto pies.
(ix) brush the inside edge of the lids with egg and place the tops on the pies.
(x) I use a smaller egg-cup to push down the lids on the pies to ensure the egg ‘glues’ the edges.
(xi) brush the tops of pies with egg.
Cook for 20mins in a 200deg oven.
Eat! over the coming days, warm or cold. But to be honest they’ll be gone in a few hours.
Here’s the recipe for Great Nana Daisy’s
Gingerbread Biscuits
from Porthleven Cornwall.
1 pound plain Flour
half a pound Butter
half a pound Sugar
1 desert spoon Baking Powder
1 desert spoon Bi-carb
Half ounce Cinnamon
2 teaspoons Ginger
A pinch salt
7oz warmed syrup
– Mix dry ingredients.
– Rub in marg.
– Add warmed syrup
Latest recipe pimp is add chopped up crystalised ginger bits to the mix! Boom!
Form into walnut sized balls and dab top into sugar.
Bake in a hot oven 10-14mins.
Enjoy!
(There's a new 2020 post click here with a free to download do-it-yourself template!)
2011 – I’ve produced some artwork recently for a project portraying people from a local village in Leicestershire and relating them to characters in ‘The Christmas Story’.
The local church identified 9 nativity characters and 9 corresponding pictures of people from contemporary village life. An interesting piece of creativity!
It’s to be on display in a shop window in Sibson Road in Birstall, for shoppers and passers by. Ordinary people, ordinary place, extraordinary story.
 |
| Extraordinary Story |
It caused me to ponder various things… the obvious: ‘what if a God was one of us?’
The seasonal: Immanuel, ‘God is with us’?
“The Christmas Story” a curious story that I’m told differs in each gospel account and has had heaps tagged onto it over the years… to the point that I wonder if elves and reindeer were present in the stable? Oh and coke cola and red stuff.
God became man… ? We can wonder at the significance of the prophesied birth. Light and angelic hope…
I dunno…
The project above asks, if it happened today, “where would you (and I) be in it”?
Hummm… I can’t imagine…
I’d like to think that I could sense the majesty and grace of such a prospective happening, but can’t see myself as the chosen host, the visitors, the authorities or the worshippers… but I guess I am still one of the ‘us’.
Immanuel, ‘God is with us’?
Check it out anyway, it’s produced by the Methodist Church in Birstall all credit to Rachel Parkinson and her team. It’s on Sibson Road Birstall – from next week.
Ordinary people, ordinary place, extraordinary story.
(Note: images shown here in here have blurred faces to respect individuals identity as this project is dated 2011)
(There's a new 2020 post click here with a free to download do-it-yourself template!)
After unsuccessfully visiting two larger city cycle shops this morning, I popped into the ‘small on the outside, big on the inside’ local town shop. I was after a quality chargeable front light for my bike – for commuting daily using unlit country lanes.
It’s fine immersing yourself in the supposedly ‘this is what you need, ‘cos this is want everyone else has’ on the interweb, but perhaps ‘real’ life is more… real, amenable, alive…?
They were welcoming, knowledgable and helpful.
The Serfas ‘True 250’ is just what I was looking for.
The spec and the price was just right – and having compared it’s credentials further I’m very pleased with it. It was a great to be able to see and try a range of options before I bought.
Thanks Cyclops, I had little faith but next time ‘Cyclops Cycles’ Cyclopscycles.co.uk in Syston will be my first choice.
With the challenge set after tweeting GBBO’s Holly a fellow Leicestershirianite(?), I set to bashing some dough round!
A good old crusty loaf!
As I pummelled the dough I was reminded of the muppet in the white van that terrorised me on the way home the other day.
I was in ‘my space’ on the road, with a car in front of me, and they (the white van) seemed to have had a bad day and were not happy (i guess) that I was in front of them? Sor-rry! Revving their engine and blasting their horn behind me, they followed me for a good 900 yards unable to get by. They did eventually overtake me when there was room, and broke infront of me as if to make a point. It left me a tad shaken and seriously wondering if all this cycling malarky was worth it!?
Yes, on the way home a few dozen drivers race-off accelerating away like missled lemmings after being inconvenienced for 10 seconds! Oh I do hope they get there in time!!
But cycling IS worth the occasional encounter with a ready-sliced roadster! Life is worth living. Breath is worth breathing! Time is worth spending! Bread is worth cutting!
I do wonder why so many people are in such a rush to get somewhere? Life’s too short to get their early!
Driving home from work used to take me 25 minutes. Riding takes me 35.
OK some may think I’m a bit of a crusty old loaf for cycling to work but take if from me – it tastes good!!!
Ta Holly!
But I don’t know what to say about today’s experience.(forgive me, I am not familiar with the technical terms of the attempted cycleinfrastructure)
In January the idea of it was simply crazy and i though it was just “not an option”!
The proposition of Cycling to work once a week? Seriously never in a month of Sundays!
Seriously not an option:
(i) I’d get wet and cold and be a gibbering wreck when I got to work.
(ii) I really don’t fancy the ride home after a day at work.
(iii) It’s too far.
(iv) It would take too long.
(v) The traffic would be a nightmare.
(vi) I like my podcasts in the car.
(vii)…
After a few months and a transition to cycling daily.
(i) Buzzing! and ‘UP FOR IT!’ when i get to work. (weather not an issue if right clothing worn).
(ii) Take it from me, surprisingly the ride home is a great tonic!
(iii) 7 miles is a breeze!
(iv) On an average day, car takes 30mins and bike takes 35mins.
(v) The traffic is surprisingly courteous to cyclists. It is not an issue in the city or on the Barkby lanes. Your’ll always get occasional ignorant vans, BMercW drivers and daydreamers. Claim your space, be aware and courteous.
(vi) Podcasts on the bike are good (low volume), and when the right track’s on and you reach the top of a country incline there’s nuthin to beat it.
(vii) …
05/07/11-29/09/11 804miles, recorded on CardioTrainer
27/02/11-04/07/11 851miles, recorded on Endomndo
Total recorded miles 1656.44miles March-Sept Cycling Records
Jules P Richards 