Wednesday, 16 July 2014

Gallery My View Right Now



This is always my view , admitly I have to step out my front door but it's 2 minutes away! I have ponies and horses trotting down my road , tractors and combine harvesters.


I'm very lucky I have one half of me in suburbia and the other half in the country. Instead of the sound of cars , I have the sound of sheep , chickens , horses and Shetland ponies and dogs as there is a rescue sanctuary nearby as well.

I 'm surrounded by lanes , that is why you are always seeing me photographing them. Despite having photographed the same scenes before , it doesn't matter to me as each picture is unique , the sky , the season , the mood the company.


So many combinations collide to result in the pictures I take , please do enjoy my Instagram if you wish.

Tuesday, 15 July 2014

Morrissey Goes to The Shops

Morrissey.

I mean who's have thought Morrissey would have got me going of a morning ?


I am , not one for listening to music on the move, in fact the last tune I listened to as I amble alone the country lane to Grammar school was "November Spawned a Monster" which is obviously a Morrisey track in fact that might have been the last tune I listened to on my walkman before it broke.

So the other morning whilst listening to the incredibly fashionable radio 2 ,  where the folks of the 80's go to wallow in memories and power slides  awwwh. My ears pricked up to the sounds of the new album , love him , hate him , opinions left right centre I know what I like and today it was this.

Being late to the Morrissey party sums me up , I am unique have never done things by halves so me walking to the shops gently humming the Spanish undertones of "World politics is none your business"







Now where are my IPhone headphones ?

Sunday, 13 July 2014

Strawberries And Cream Fridge Cake

Usually I buy flapjacks or other assorted cakes not all the time but on occasion as a treat but more and more recently I have been making my own cakes and there assorted tray bakes. And a fridge cake in particular is great to make with children as it doesn't require any baking. The only question is one square or two ? where do you stop as it quite addictive  making you nibble furiously. You can use any combination of chocolate but milk chocolate on its own may be too sweet, I 've yet to meet a fridge cake I didn't take to. And in a nostalgic twist to your school days why not add rice crisps instead of digestive and for the ultimate adult edition add booze.


Ingredients

  • 250g/8oz digestive biscuits
  • 300g/10z of chocolate (I did an equal  milk and a dash of dark that was lurking in my cupboard.)
  • 100g/3½oz unsalted butter
  • 150g/5oz golden syrup  (though certainly reduce according to taste)
  • 100g/3½oz mini marshmallows.
  • A punnet to strawberries stalks removed and chopped ( save for topping )

Method
  1. Use cling film to line a square shaped tin, a brownie tin is ideal for this.

  2. Place the biscuits in a bag and tie then furiously bash.
  3. Melt chocolate, butter and golden syrup together in a heatproof pool over a ban Marie stirring occasionally.
  4. Take the bowl from the heat and this is where you add your ingredients for  this recipe it contains the biscuits and mini marshmallows.

    Spoon the mixture into the tin. Level the surface by pressing it down with the back of a spoon.Press the chopped strawberries into the mixture.
  5. Leave to cool, then put the chocolate mixture in the fridge for 1-2 hours to set.

Turn out the cake and peel off the cling film. Cut the cake into 12 squares and enjoy!






Serve with cream or eat with your fingers or go posh and eat with a cake fork.

Casa Costello

Thursday, 10 July 2014

Mortica Moggy Mafia

A cat that most aloof of pets, you tickle it belly as it ensnares you in a grasp of loving pain  ,yet despite this little nuances with we keep faith with our furry friends, reading yesterday about a cat that held a family captive in America, I can quite quite believe this, I am unsure of what spooked or triggered the cats behaviour but I hope they either welcome her back with counselling or the cats finds another family.

I am thinking of a cat on a doctors couch as well ...

Once when go to picking a cat at a  shelter, I saw a cat that was hugging the fencing , we didn't choose that cat as I couldn't quite face hauling it off the light fitting, instead we choose a big big black fluffy cat who was a powderpuff on legs and so purry and cute . We quite simply had to have her , my husband went to pick her her she was  yet unnamed , The alarm bells didn't trigger of in my husbands head when they asked him to step out off the room to box the cat up.

It still didn't register when he was bringing the cat home that the box was shaking round like it was possessed. So upon open the box out leaped a hissing bowl of fury a very very angry powder puff, we really did try make "Mortica" the devil  feel at home but herding a cat with a broom is not the way to go and drawing short straws at night to see who would go lion taming at feeding time.

It was neither far to "Mortica" the devil  or to us so we arranged for Mortica the devil to go to live on a farm this is not the  muggy mafia and us issuing "Mortica" with the feline equivalent of concrete paw boots  but more simply she deserved better.

Sadly we have pictures of Mortica   the devil ....


Mortica   the devil was so named after the Adams family.





This is Jack


*Names have be change to protect the innocent


Wednesday, 9 July 2014

Gallery : The Great Outdoors



The great outdoors is a place that I feel very much at home, for there is beauty upon my doorstep , a stone throws upon where I live. I can be in the middle of a field with corn bending and waving in the wind within 2 minutes , though the time I stay in the countryside is considerably longer.


The great outdoors never judges you .




You can wander down it's lanes and streets of your own free will , I feel as if I am a mere guest in the fabric of its time. I find that being outdoor frees my mind and soul and when I came upon the river I saw the swans gliding down with their young cygnets. I get asked why go back and photography it again and I say





"Why not, the light is different the time , sky, sunlight, clouds the season the mood everything is different "







I always spot a lane or path I have yet to travel or a footpath , indeed the other week I was hot footing back over the fence literally pole-vaulting as a herd of angry cows trotted towards me.






I enjoy photography in the outdoors I like to think of my picture taking as object watching much akin to people watching. I take pictures of the magnificent houses and cottages and think I would very much to live there an lollop out on the lane to find my little row boat tied up to row merrily down the river.






In the great outdoors always look forward and then again look back you will see and hear a world that you never knew about , like a flight of dragon flights whizzing past my ear.





If you are weary would you like to rest a while and take tea upon the lawn in the great outdoors.