Hidden Tea Gems Of York

Hidden gems aren’t always hidden but as soon as you step into the world of the hidden gem you feel it’s magical pull.This hidden gem is hidden just behind York Minster , there’s a bank of tea shops with seating outside.Pay your £2.20 each and you’re given the treasure of tea with perhaps a Golden tea pot. This is how I imagine myself in Indiana Jones Raiders Of the lost Ark.I do love to let my feet just take me wherever they want to go and I often find this the best way to explore as it keeps the adventure alive within my heart and soul

A Book Is Very Much Like A Cat

A book is very much like a cat in such that they’re both gorgeous and demand and they are wonderful to stroke ! there is nothing like the feel and touch of a book and the smell.Though a cat on occasion can not smell as nice as a book they are just as useful sometimes you get what you want out of a book and sometimes you don't.But despite not being in love with a book maybe at the start more often than not you're in love with it at the end.Though sometimes there is that awkward stand off between owner and cat and you never quite understand each other and this is the same for books.There are those books that people rave about the ones that you simply must read the ones that if you haven't read then why did you ever learn to read !

I was really pleased and that is an understatement .. I was ecstatic to receive through a win the shortlist of the Booker prize books and they were all signed ~ how fabulous is this.I immediately ditched a science fiction book that I wasn't getting on with and started with Salmans Rushdie Quichotte and again that describes me a gentle reader grabs my attention immediately.


But a book won't  suddenly dislike the cat food you have just brought a joblot ....

Long Gone

Long have the painted pictures from my son gone from the fridge , long gone are the school projects of yogurt pots , egg boxes and string,Long gone are the party invites , noisy whistles and lego feet traps , long gone is the overflowing laundry basket with its only one minute worn item.Long gone is the wait for the hot water again , long gone is the arrrgh from toilet paper run out or on the wrong way.Long gone is the parents evenings and is this my child I’m hearing about , long gone is the running out of shower gel when you’d just brought it.

Long gone are you now you’re at university ..

But still we keep in touch :-)

Wether it’s blackout blinds or lightbulbs leaving Mr T to wonder if we did too much for you in training you about lightbulbs.Texts fly about lightbulbs and success and we were beginning to wonder how many students it took to change a lightbulb.

How many students does it take to change a lightbulb? 

Six - One to change it and five to campaign to make light bulb changing a new degree subject.

Long gone are you but you’re still there in the corner of your home.

Coconut Carrot Tomato Shallot Soup

Firstly I think I deserve a medal for using my nutri ninja they scary piece of kitchen kitchen that blends and ninja chops it is lethal and even though it has a lid making it tighter than when One Direction were together ..

I used to have a soup maker but that blew up



Ingredients 

Bag of carrots

shallots or onion chopped

Tomatoes Italian or otherwise maybe a shot of tomato puree as well

can of coconut milk

700 ml of stock

salt and pepper to taste




Method

Firstly get those carrots pureed

then add the coconut milk whizz up a bit more

Fry the onions through

Put everything into a big sauce pan

Add the stock and heat through constantly stirring

for about 15 minutes


you could add a little grated toasted coconut on top for that Michelin star approach.

Easy Way To Clean The Mircowave

The inside of my microwave looks like the Valentine Day massacre with splattered sauce and some of these stains do seem to defy the laws of gravity . Every short cut points at the not so humble lemon , oooh but alas I used my last lemon in a Gin and Tonic , such is life. Everyone knows phrase

"If life gives you lemons then first clean your microwave "

All I had was vinegar ! everyone is aware of the cleaning benefits of vinegar .

This cleaning technique was the best 5 minutes of my life except that time when I thought I'd won something on the lottery. Here is the horror scene that was my microwave before I got all domestic and decided to clean , I do apologise if you're getting twitchy looking at this . 

Fill either a microwave bowl or jug with at least 2 cup worth of water

2 Tablespoons of vinegar

A squeeze of lemon juice > the one that's shaped like a lemon ( your lemon juice doesn't have to be contained in a lemon )

Place the bowl / jug in the microwave and shut the door !!

Then microwave for 5 minutes , please be careful when opening the door ! 

You could if you wish let the steam work for a further 2 minutes .

Wash the glass turntable and dry , return the glass turntable to the microwave 

You should then have a sparkling clean microwave .