Cauliflower Risotto

It is some time since I have written a recipe I am pretty sure the you are all wanting one aren't you know , having brought some Ostrich to cook the other day I needed a simple dish to go with it. The Ostrich was not alive can you imagine that trying to get out my catflap oooh it would get stuck. A few weeks ago I went to Berlin and I must admit I got rather used to having the cooking done for me. Though I now back with a vengeance , ps  If you do cook Ostrich then flash fry it and it will only take about 2 minutes in each side , it cooks really quickly.


Ingredients

225g risotto rice 

Red Onion chopped

1 garlic clove crushed

Half a cauliflower broken into small florets

Knob of butter add more if require

Salt and pepper as you like it.

1 pint of Chicken Stock

Method

In a large sauce pan fry the onion and add the garlic in the butter for a couple of minutes.

Next add the risotto rice make sure it is coated by the butter, stir until  translucent.

Add a cupful or ladle of the chicken stock and stir well until the stock has been absorbed , next add the rest of the stock.

In the last 7 minutes add the cauliflower.

Add a further knob of butter and stir through.

Seasonings are up to you but it delightful to add a generous grinding of black pepper and a twist of the salt mill.

Give a vigorous stir and serve .

Wednesday let's Not Pick On Wednesday

As I come up to a year of my breakdown I did at first with a sense of gut wrenching anticaption as previous to that I had a turbulent time but I am seeing my depression in a different light now . A recovery of light and though the depression will never leave me I have more of a sense of peace , no one telling me how I should feel or what I should do . And if I do feel panicked there are people I can go to , this especially is true if I have a blip.

When I have a blip it feels as if my whole world has caved in and I feel so very deflated the other day

"I described it has feeling flat as a pancake that has been run over by a steam roller"

Quicker Is my mood recovery time now and I love quirk and adventure so I lived my walk the other day.

A person can feel like a Wednesday and have that midweek hump ~

Find something that will build them up and help them build up and not tear them down.

So time we celebrated life more ~ let's not pick on Wednesday !

How could we help Wednesday we could do this by telling Wednesday they do an important job signifiing the middle of the week . And not get me started on what Monday has had to endure if Monday was a person it would feel bullied.

My lyrical thread is back so please weave along me in blog adventures .....

What quirk gets you along in the middle of the week ?

 

Glorious Spring With Rascally Robin

Glorious Spring with its whisper cool breezes is here and I am being taunted by the blasted oh so pretty Robin yet again rather like "Catch the pigeon" , today for example Mr rascally Robin  bobbed along the woodland path stopped cocked its head ; the pretty head of a Robin is full of devious plans. Imagine if you saw a whole herd of Robins ; a herd of Robins are not likely to be planning a picnic.

Bluebells sway upon like a lush blue carpet and cuckoo pint hides in the corner a poisonous but beauteous sign of Spring.

This week signals a change of work fur me stepping in outdoor learning for year 1 , I'm full ready to embrace my new intrepid adventure. Two mornings have been freed up and life is too short for housework , so adventurous souls must be worshipped.

Blogging Is A Lot Like Stairs

Blogging is a lot like stairs you go up and you go down.

So when faced with photography opportunities at blog camp I picked my moments they were few and far between as I choose to mingle and listen to the talks most appropriate to me. On occasion in one session whilst I was still listening I was longingly gazing out the window in a frozen in time moment. The wistful gaze was over the undulating chimney pots and pyramid pointy roof tops , this is where I was wishing to take that picture.

So if you see me gazing I'm still listening to you but like Elvis my mind has left the building.

And then on route to another high octane blogging talk , I stop and talk probably what is the obligatory blog photo. Though this time the stairs are akin to blogging ; blogging is a lot like stairs you go up and down.

Moments in photographic times are anchored within time for all to see and sighfully reminisce over ; moments without photos are steadfastly fixed in time eloquently laid down in words.

Bloggers are just waiting to bring out their inner child but without the squabbles ... yep 

The Kindness Of Strangers.

 I didn't start getting myself till now , it's as if I've been struck by lightening and I'm finally starting to understand myself. I've done the CBT, tried the depression tablets ( but the tablets don't agree with me ) you see everyone is fighting an unseen battle and depression quite frankly isn't a competitive sport. I might go to CBT but I'll see how I go I'm being mindful and dealing with my sytimn myself , I had a lot  kick off in my childhood and teens and into my adulthood and I'm shaped my it to an extent. I'm not going to let it take me prisoner at all and I have family and friends who like me and I'm not a pity party and neither will I play the victim. You see you'd think all people with depression would get on like it was one big party with streamers and balloons ~ sorry to burst your balloon but sadly not but if life was simple we wouldn't live it as fully as we do.

The highest compassion we can have is understanding and laughter ~ ps I saw that in a quote ohh what a quote.

Empathy I believe in empathy.

I can't hate or even dislike and now I'm settled with friends of mine who get on with people I don't.

C'est la vie.

My fight or flight respond is still there but I am less inclined to take flight or even fight ( non physically ) 

Before I was sleeping now I'm living.

A bounce in my step and I know if I'm feeling angst I can reach out and for help like the other day I was feeling angry for no apparent reason.

I've been housework lapse this week and I need to get back into my cooking but I'll get there and reading I need to read as you see my mind feels like I've got too many windows open. So I'm learning to shut those windows down and accomplish what ~ I need to , like tonight my fit bit was upset I hadn't taken my necessary steps today so I went out . I tried to talk to the local chickens but they were too far away so I shouted how do.

My family and friends are the wind beneath my wings and though I'm coming up to a year of when I finally acknowledged I had my breakdown in~ I see it as a recovery . Depression won't ever leave me but I can shrink the feeling and treat my mind to the beautiful sensory world around me.

My son goes into 6 th form.

My son takes his GCSes this summer.

3 summers till university.

But my son forever.

And my family is what I concentrate on and making memories.

I can't control the descions other people make and let that make me try and try to be their friend, they must live their lives how they see fit.

And looking upon the Internet and seeing my dads eyes staring back from a newspaper article is still disconcerting but I have my family that I'm not turning my back on. 

GCSE 's weren't good for me neither were my A levels  but they will be for my son history won't repeat itself.

I'm living my life for now.

Not reacting as I did who cares if someone won't talk to me in a social media platform there is plenty who well and you know what simple kindness springs from places you least expect it.

The other day I was walking to school and I had on spent half the week getting my days muddied up when a gentleman stopped me asking me what day of the week was I told him Wednesday and that ~ I had got confused in Tuesday thinking it was Wednesdsy. 

You with me so far?

The joke the old gentleman told me was as follows.

"If King Kong went to Hong Kong to play ping pong and died. What would they put on his coffin ?

A lid !"

And with that he turned and went back into his house down the lane and I went to school with a smile , the kindness of strangers.

As they say tommorow a mystery yesterday was history.