The Very Cusp!

Classy. 

This Christmas has been stupidly decadent. Every single one of my lovely students gave me chocolate and I ate ALL OF THEM. (I shared, don't worry.) It was foolish. And delicious. I also spent a lot of if watching DVDs and meeting friends, recuperating and hopefully getting the coming year's illnesses out of my system. (Wishful thinking.)

Since we hit 2012, I've been on a family trip to Northern Ireland and on a hen weekend. I must say, Miss Estelle (far left) and her friends know how to have a good time. We dressed up in 80s garb and pub crawled in a West Cork village, much to the bemusement of the locals. One of the bars we shimmied into had a 20s theme. That was fun.

A lot of people have been talking about New Year's Resolutions. Bleh.

As much and I have thought and written about it (by hand), I know that nothing is real until tomorrow - the first day back to school!  So it's totally fine that I ate ten Celebrations earlier. And that I've not sung or done any exercise today.

My resolutions are as follows:

1. SING MORE - write and record songs, post them. Singing is the most important thing ever. However, on this, the cusp of the new year, I have a sore throat, so that leads onto...

2. GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK - you don't have to be on form all the time. Sing through the bad times, but don't record them. I just recorded myself singing 'My Funny Valentine' with a chest and throat infection. "Why?!" I hear you ask. Guilt. I felt I hadn't done anything singing-constructive in ages so I recorded some songs. Whatever, it's all a learning experience. I can only improve.

3. EXERCISE - every day. Get toned. Good times.

4. BE MORE POSITIVE - stop talking about situations and people in a negative way. Let it all breeze past you unless really need to get it off your chest.


5. LESS INTERNET - limit Facebook and Twitter. I am just the worst person when it comes to frittering time away online. I never get anything done. It must stop.

PRIORITIES

Dear Amy,

You need to sort out your priorities. What have you been spending your 'free' (non-teaching/event organising) time doing for the last, let's say, four months?

a) Cleaning and decorating a house you don't own.
b) Sewing baubles and soft furnishings.
c) Twitter.
d) Going from infection to 'flu to infection.
e) Being involved in a lame-ass T.V. show competition.
or
f) All of the above.

Oh, Amy. You idiot. You don't need to tell you what's missing here, but just in case you really are that dim, I'll spell it out for you.

M.U.S.I.C.

Yes. That thing you'd like to do as a career. That thing you're massively, overwhelmingly passionate about but unbelievably inferior in. Oh dear.

I feel rather strongly that you should get your backside in gear, get back to studying singing and piano and start writing again EVERY DAY. That malaise you've been feeling; that sort of weird gnawing in your stomach and tightness in your chest? That's all the unwritten songs in you, eating away at your soul, trying to get out. That uncomfortable feeling in your brain? Feels a LOT like a sinus infection? That's the Amy of the future calling to you and really super hating you for wasting so much time and not improving yourself.


Here's what I want you to stop doing:

1.i Spending money.

I'm not actually sure where you're going with this, but let me remind you that you're not very wealthy. That trip to Florida you insisted on taking (though I understand why) was incredibly expensive. You don't need to spend any more money. You're cool. It's cool.

1.ii. Neglecting the dog.

THE POOR DOG. The weather was FINE for the last two days, you neglectful asshole. She loves you. That poor dog just wants you to bring her out so she can smell things. This  refers back to number one. Do NOT join a gym - you can't afford it. The dog is your gym.

1.iii So much crafting.

This is a hobby. You enjoy it. You are not going to make any more from it. Maybe take a sabbatical from sewing after Christmas. Use the time to practice for another piano grade, or to get back into researching opera, or even brush up on your baroque counterpoint harmony theory! You do NOT need to spend money on any more fabric, thread, buttons or anything of that nature. Go to the Saturday morning knitting group. Improve your knitting in that weekly slot.

2. Cleaning the house.

Just pick, like, two days where you do one hour. Stop spending your life tidying and cleaning, it's moronic. If you were practicing or writing, you wouldn't make a mess anyway.


Write songs. Record them. Upload them. Play the piano. EASY.

Quite frustrated and definitely hacked off at you.


Amy~*~

Knitmas

MY KNITMAS PRESENT CAME!! Look at it! Isn't it beautiful?! The postman came at EARLY o'clock this morning - I swear I was transported back to being eight years old on Christmas morning. It was so exciting!!

Here is the artily arranged window photo.

A breakdown of the delights.

LOOK AT THESE HARRY POTTER-INSPIRED CHARMS! LOOK AT THE OWL!! They're Gryffindor colours!! In real life they look soooo pretty. I've been informed that they're stitch markers for circular knitting. (*n00b*) They came with a 'coffee candy.'

I'm saving these for the Christmas holidays and I'm not sharing. x

LOOK AT THIS COWL. LOOK AT IT. IT LOOKS LIKE THE SEA WAS KNITTED INTO A WARM NECK ACCESSORY. I love this. I'm wearing it right now.

In the dark (it was early) I thought this was blue but it's actually a gorgeous shade of teal-blue. It's kind of sheeny like a peacock feather - I LOVE IT! I would never buy yarn this nice for myself! It's made of silk and merino. I'm going to have to do some serious research and thinking before I decide what to do with this!! 

THANK YOU, KNITMAS SANTA! x

The Christmas Cake...

... is out of the oven.

(Contains blueberries, strawberries and macadamia nuts, as well as the tradition goodies!)

Carrot and Almond Soup

This is my favourite soup recipe which I'm posting for Laura. It comes from Gillian McKeith's cookbook "You Are What You Eat," which, actually, there is no point in buying because it only has about three good recipes in it. Though I must admit that those three recipes are AWESOME!

When ever I eat this soup I always feel like I'm putting something really nutritious into my body. It tastes sweet and the ground almonds give it a lovely creaminess. Gillian does some messing around with herb stalks but I'm inclined to ignore anything fussy like that. It's also nice to double the recipe and freeze ahead for ease of access to yummy deliciousness. :)

Carrot and Almond Soup
Serves 4

• 2 onions, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 6 carrots, trimmed, peeled and sliced
• 2 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
• 1 tbsp wheat-free vegetable bouillon powder (I use a stock cube...)
• 2-3 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• 2-3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 100g ground almonds
  
  
  
  

Method:

1. Place the onions, garlic, carrot and celery in a large saucepan. Add 1.25 litres boiling water and the bouillon powder. Bring to the boil and add the herbs.

2. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife.

3. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Strain, reserving the stock. Blend the vegetables with a hand held blender until smooth.

4. Return the mixture to the pan and add the ground almonds and enough of the reserved stock to make a soup-like consistency.

Reheat, then divide between warmed soup bowls and serve garnished with chopped fresh coriander and parsley.

What I said earlier about freezing was true - I always made double to freeze - but everyone always eats at least two bowls in one sitting so the next time I make it, I'm going to do it when everyone's out and not tell anyone what I made...

Hedgehogs

Bonjour, mes amis! My recent absence was due at first to a singing competition and then to the awful, evil flu. I'm better now and ready to blog again -LUCKY YOU, YAY!!

Having literally eaten my body weight six times over in the last two weeks to stay alive, I have now taken up the challenge of losing 7 - 10lbs before Christmas. (I've said it on Twitter now, so it has to happen.) This does mean that my baking will take a step back for a while and the cooking will take a step up. 

HOWEVER! I made this recipe for one of my trips to Dublin two weeks ago and it is so fast and SO EASY and reminds me of being a little person. My sister used to make a variation of this and we always called them 'hedgehogs." 

Hedgehogs:

4 oz butter (at room temperature)

4 oz caster sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten with a dash of milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

6 oz self raising flour

For the top:

150g raspberry jam, heated until runny

100g desiccated coconut

Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius (170 fan)/ 350 Fahrenheit / Gas 4

                                                     1: CREAM THE BUTTER AND SUGAR!

2: Add the egg, vanilla and flour a little at a time, mixing as you go until all ingredients have been used.

 3:  Divide the mixture between 12 prepared lined bun cases.

4: Bake for 12-15 minutes until risen and golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

5: Lightly toast the coconut on a baking tray under a grill or in a frying pan until lightly golden.

6: Spread the jam on top of each cake and dip into the toasted coconut until coated.

EAT THEM.

Autumnal Apple Tart

My attitude to apple tart is a bit 'rough n' ready.' I firmly believe that you should just go with your instincts on this. Here's a rough recipe for my favourite Autumnal twist on apple tart. I used nine apples that varied in size. If you make too much filling for your tart, the left over apple sauce is delicious in steaming porridge on a cold Autumn morning.

In Ireland and the UK we like to use a sharper variety of apple for baking with, commonly called 'cooking apples.' For this reason it's necessary to sweeten them - just make sure you taste your filling as you go along as some apples are more tart than others, and personal preference plays a big part in apple tart. :)

INGREDIENTS:

. 6 med-large cooking apples (approx)

. 50g sultanas (or raisins/dried cranberries)

. 1.5 tsps cinnamon

. 4tbsps honey (approx)

                                                          . 30g walnut pieces

                                                         . 20g sunflower seeds

                                                          . shortcrust pastry

1: Peel and chop your apples into a pan, discarding the cores and skins. Allow enough room for them to expand. 

2: Add in the sultanas  and cinnamon. Drizzle over enough honey to cover the tops of the peeled apples. 

3: Add 2 tbsps cold water and turn on to a gentle heat for 15- 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until most of the apples have broken down into the sauce. 

4: Test for sweetness (be careful not to burn your mouth!) and add more honey if it needs it.

5: Tip the sauce into a pie plate lined with shortcrust pastry. Sprinkle over the walnuts and sunflower seeds before covering with more pastry. Brush with a beaten egg, pierce the lid.

6: Brush with a beaten egg, pierce the lid and bake for 20-30minutes at 180°C/350°F/fan assist 170°C until the pastry is golden brown and firm.