Five Out Of Hundreds

Hi everyone, I thought I would be back earlier than this but the week sort of got away from me and I might have got a bit side tracked doing some crafty stuff. Also I needed a bit of a computer break. I find that if I sit down at the computer I get sucked into looking at different things and before I know it hours have gone by and I haven't accomplished much so I find it easier to avoid it altogether. Anyway I'm back now.
This post is a reply to an invitation from Pip Lincolne from Meet Me At Mikes. I/we, her 'Blog With Pip'(BWP) students (I mentioned the course here), have been invited for a virtual cuppa at her blog to share five things we love at the moment and add a link to her blog post.

So I have a dilemma.
I don't have to worry about what I'm going to wear, something comfortable is fine.
I know what I'm going to drink, green tea.

I've even made a batch of macaroons to have with the tea.

(I have included the recipe at the end of the post)

No, the dilemma is
How do you choose only five things you love out of a hundred possibilities?
I could choose the five members of my family, but that goes without saying, they are always on top of the list and anyway they're people not things. Plus I don't know that they want their mother/wife raving about them all over this blog, that could be embarrassing. Anyway after much pondering over a few of days I have come up with five things I am loving right now.

FEELING COSY.
As I mentioned last time the weather has been pretty foul here lately but I have been warm and cosy in our little house with the fire burning away. I love hearing the rain on the roof and the wind whistling around knowing that I'm safe and snug where neither can get me. And even when it's not wet or windy but it's frosty or foggy I can look out the winder and thumb my nose at the cold.

SOUP.
I am loving soup, which is something I tend to make only in the winter. I haven't always been a soup lover but since my conversion, I eat it nearly everyday in the winter. Some of my favs are UNnoodle, Pumpkin/Sweet Potato, Pea & Ham, Thai Style Tomato, Chicken & Corn, and my all time favourite Minestone (or Mine Strone as we call it in our house). I particularly like Minestrone the next day when it becomes Minestewy, but I reckon most soups taste better the next day, don't you?
I'm feeling another soup recipe post coming on. Which one should I do? Maybe you could pop over to the Facebook page here and let me know.

BOOKS.

I am not a bigger reader of fiction but not because I don't like it. I love novels but they are a bit like the computer, once I start a good one I can't drag myself away and then I don't get anything else done. So fiction reading is a holiday activity.

I do however have A LOT of reference books, gardening, cooking and craft mainly, with a few human interest ones as well. I love flicking through the pages being inspired, learning new skills and coming up with new ideas. They are my main source of learning along with the internet.

I get most of my books online, only because we don't have anywhere to buy them in our small country town. I do love browsing in book shops though, if I get the opportunity, and always try to find something buy to support them.

BEING CREATIVE.
I'm cheating a bit here because being creative includes, craft, gardening and cooking (3 favourite things). I love making stuff and can't remember a time when I didn't. It's essential for me, up there with breathing. I have gardened, in one form or another, since I was a teenager, cooked from whenever I was allowed (probably 7 or 8), but craft has been my main creative outlet since I was very small. My favourite day on 'Play School' was always Monday because it was 'Useful Box Day'.
At the moment crochet is the thing, mainly because that is what we have been doing at craft group and because it's winter and I only crochet in the cooler months. (I have a crochet post in the pipeline and will have it up here very soon)

YOUTUBE SATURDAY/SUNDAY.
This might seem a little strange. You're probably wondering what the heck is that. Well it started a year or so ago when RC(hubby) discovered music videos on YouTube. On Saturday or Sunday morning or sometimes both, when he doesn't have to rush off to work, RC sits with computer at kitchen table and selects music videos to play while we have breakfast. It started out as an occasional thing but has now become a regular weekend activity. He plays DJ and I dance around the kitchen. Yep, I probably look like an idiot but who cares, I love it.

There, five of the many things I love. Do you share some of the same loves or would you chose totally different things?
If you like you can pop over to Pip's blog and check out what some of the other BWP bloggers have written about.
And as promised below is the recipe for the macaroons. They are really yummy.

Until next time

 TOODLES

 

Orange Almond Currant Macaroons

2 eggs
½ cp sugar
1 teas orange rind
½ cp chopped toasted almonds
½ currants
2 cps desiccated coconut
60g dark chocolate

Beat eggs and sugar together on a high speed until really light, fluffy and pale.
Mix through the rind, almonds, currants and coconut.
Put spoonfuls of mixture on a tray. If the mixture is a bit dry you may need to push it together with your fingers.
Bake at 180c for 10 -15 minutes or until partly golden brown.
Cool a little on tray before removing to a cooling rack.
Melt chocolate in bowl over simmering water.
Spoon melted chocolate into a small zip lock bag, cut a small corner off the bag and drizzle chocolate lines over the macaroons.
I dare you to stop at one.

©Michelle Collins – 18/6/2014

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