A Cat In Time

Cats can be moody and irritable just like us humans at times and this morning as I entered the kitchen to make my essential cup of morning tea the cat exited through the cat flap. I’ve not had the best few weeks myself with anxiety and perhaps the cat has picked up on that. It is not a quick fix for myself and I’m sure the cat and I will be in tandem again tomorrow.

Tomorrow in cat terms is the rustle of a food pouch and there your friend appears all purrs and smiles . Do cats smile , I do know that they smirk especially black cats as you can’t see their mouths.

Black cats are a rip in time as they look like a hole to another dimension perhaps that’s where they go and get the positive energy from. I am no cat professor but I think that’s a pretty sound theory not in the realms of the late great Stephan Hawking but somewhere on the scale maybe ?!

I can’t find my cat again today do I’m guessing he’s on a mission for positivity and I’m all up for that.

Basil Oil with Tomato Risotto And Mozarella

I’ve not been feeling very well this week and I had a whole 24 hours without sleeping earlier in the week which was not fun but onwards and upwards .And although I am off with stress you've still got to eat and that's half the battle and I need to be my own hero . SO simplicity is the key in recovery your appetite and there is nothing more satisfying and simple that a lovely Risotto and also we have the teen at home for a week before he heads back for the summer term of his Archaeology degree.


Ingredients

1 tin of chopped tomatoes ( if you want you can use 500g of fresh tomatoes peeled deseeded and chopped )
1 red onion
3 cloves of garlic
some chilli if you want 
A bunch of fresh basil of teaspoons of dried Basil
125g Mozarella or sprinkle or a generous amount of Parmesan 
1 vegetable stock cube
15ml red wine vinegar or a glass of dry white wine
150g Aborio rice
pinch of sugar 
Optional Bay leaf which you could use at the start  for a few minutes just to infuse ( remember to take out ) 




Method

Boil the kettle and dissolve one vegetable stock cube

Peel and dice a red onion finely

Peel and grate/chop a garlic finely

Fry the onion in a tablespoon of  olive oil for 2-3 mins until soft sprinkle in some salt

Next add the arborio rice and chopped garlic to the softened onion.

Mix well to make sure the rice is evenly coated in the onion and oil

Add the chopped tomatoes and stir continuously until the rice has absorbed most of the tomato 

Slowly add the stock a little at a time stirring all the time for around 20-25 minutes or till all the vegetable stock is absorbed 

Chop the all the  basil finely ( and yes that includes the stalks )

Or if you don't have fresh basil then you can use 2 teaspoons of dried basil
In a pestle and mortar grind the basil with a pinch of salt to form a paste then add 3-4 tbsp of olive oil this is then your basil oil.

You can either add the chillis to the risotto or perhaps make a chilli oil instead of the basil ( just to change the recipe up a bit )

If you don't have a pestle and mortar just use a sturdy cup or little bowl  ( a teeny tiny one )

Just before the Risotto is finally cooked stir in the red wine vinegar along with a pinch of sugar and then cook for a couple of minutes more.

Drain and pat dry the mozzarella then cut them in half.

Or sprinkle over the Parmesan 

Then drizzle over your oil of choice ( either bail or chilli ) 

Crack out the salt and pepper and enjoy 

On A Mission To Relax

I’m on a mission to relax I’ve just got to which is hard and you can imagine I might be anxious in writing this . I was lucky enough to win a lovely Spa in a box hamper and there are various items in the hamper which I’m working my way through. However I’m stumped with the fascination of bath bombs I thought I’d try the one I got in the spa in the box prize . I lobbed into the bath like a relaxation grenade ( good name I think ) and it was labelled hypobath so I thought yes yes it’s going to hyponise me with all matter of magic and colours but it just fizzed and fizzed and that was it.

And also the word could doesn’t mean you actually should when it comes to chocolate I said to my husband “ you could take the last bit of chocolate “ the word could in my mind implies he could but shouldn’t as it was mine.

Tenpin Bowling Derby

I have all the grace of a giraffe trying to bowl but bowling is top family entertainment and I even had the bumpers off when I went bowling with my family. Myself and my family were kindly invited to the relaunch of the Tenpin bowling at Foresters Park Osmaston Park Derby.

Tenpin Derby has gone through a £270,000 refurbishment introducing new flat screens, arcade games and bowling machines. I love the fact that the flat screens were above the bowling lanes and showed the scores ( well when I eventually got on the score board that is ! ) Along with showing the scores the screens also show music videos. 

I effortlessly glided down the bowling alley or in the words of Mr T

“ Barns Wallis had nothing on you “

Mr T of course was referring to my bouncing bomb technique and it seemed to work ; yes I came last but getting on the scoreboard was victory enough for me.And I love that new bowling bowls have been brought and there’s no need to worry about dodgy bowling shoes as now you wear your own, just make sure you wear grippy shoes !

The bowling machines are more reliable so there’s less chance of breakdown.

There’s also laser quest to have a go with and this is immensely popular with everyone and I remember my son enjoying many a party running round doing this.Add into the mix of this mega family entertainment new pool tables,table tennis tables,and arcade games then you’ve a very family friendly trip out.And of course no trip to bowling is complete without a burger and fries reasonably priced.

Gloucester and Croome Park (National Trust ) an Ideal break for adults and families

The city of Gloucester welcomed myself any my husband this weekend gone and we thought it was the perfect place for me to recover from a throat/ear sinus infection while the penicillin did its work.

Any trip to Gloucester is not complete without a trip to the 11th century Gloucester Cathedral, resting place of King Edward II, also the home of the the  majestic Great East Window>The Cathedral is a popular film and television location having been used in such films as Harry Potter and television series such as Sherlock,Wolf Hall and Doctor Who a hugely popular film and television location. As you explore the magnificent fan-faulted cloisters you can imagine yourself in Harry Potter.At the historic Gloucester Docks which is only just a short walk and has been used in an Alice Wonderland film : Through the Looking Glass. The water front is an ideal place to relax with many bars and restaurants it is lovely to wander round the Gloucester Docks and Gloucester Quays. 

The Tailor of Gloucester Beatrix Potter Museum and Shop is located in the original building used by Beatrice Potter in her story The Tailor of Gloucester – a real-life mystery based on the city’s John Pritchard.

We also visited the remains of a secret wartime air base, now a visitor Centre, where thousands of people lived and worked in the 1940s and enjoy a visit to our new wartime museum. We love our walk through through a masterpiece in landscape design, which is 'Capability' Brown's very first. It has been painstakingly restored what was once lost and overgrown 18th century parkland and this valuable  work today. 

Find the beautiful Croome Court, the home of the Earls of Coventry, at the heart of the park, which has been patiently waiting for its revival. There is a beautiful walk around Croome and what ever the time of year it is a breathtaking property then we will revisit.