The end is nigh!

This week is going to be crazy....

There are dress rehearsals and performances of the school play ~ A Christmas Carol.  I am providing live music and moral support for the Drama team on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.  We're doing the RSC version but I'm not sure that we've achieved RSC quality yet!

I wanted to manage my energy levels so I decided to stay over-night on Tuesday in Solihull, rather than doing a late night drive back to Worcester.  As a result I have a room in a mildly posh hotel... a bargain from laterooms.com.  Lovely husband is 'holding the fort' (and feeding the cat!!) in Worcester.

On Wednesday I'm attending a Heads of Music training session.  I also have to squeeze in a Btec Internal Verifier assessment with my Head of Faculty, c.45 Year 10 Btec coursework assessments and a departmental Health and Safety document before Friday.  Oh yes ... and a little bit of teaching!

HOWEVER... Friday is the end of term in Solihull. Woop, woop!!!!!

I didn't believe this but...

Here's a 'top tip' from 'Helen Hair' (the wonderful lady who keeps my grey hairs at bay).  Moroccan Oil is more than a fantastic hair product...  it's also brilliant as a moisturiser for hands and face!  She first mentioned this a few weeks ago and I was really sceptical.  I had indestrutible skin when I was younger and could use pretty much anything without problems.  In the last few years areas of my face have become 'super-sensitive' and I didn't really want to suffer some kind of dramatic allergic reaction.  Anyway, she mentioned it again a couple of weeks ago while I was having my hair 'done' and I decided to try it out...

She's right.  It may have been designed as a hair product but it's amazing on your skin too.  I've been sponging my face with cold water then applying a very small amount over my face, neck and chest.  I do this just before bed and first thing in the morning.  Husband says that he can really see the difference - my skin tone is more even and the redness seems to be healing. 

All in time for the Christmas party season!

Syllabub - the Crabtree and Evelyn way!

Last night I was browsing my Crabtree and Evelyn cookbook (bought in Pershore a couple of weeks back) when this particularly rich version of syllabub caught my eye..

2 lemons
5 1/2 tablespoons white wine
1 to 2 tablespoons of brandy
5 1/2 tablespoons of castor sugar
250 ml of double cream

Carefully remove the zest from the lemons.  In a bowl, combine 4 tablespoons lemon juice with the zest, the wine, brandy and sugar and set aside for at least 3 hours.
Strain the mixture through a sieve into a larger bowl and discard the zest.  With a wire whisk or electric hand mixer set at low, beat the lemon mixture while slowly pouring in the cream and continue beating for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the syllabub is just thick enough to hold the marks of the whisk.  Divide the syllabub among four bowls or glasses, cover with cling film and refigerate.
Eat on day of making.

This is far superior to my previous syllabub recipies!  Apparently you can also substitute sherry for the white wine.  I'm not a big fan of Christmas pudding so this would be a lovely dessert for Christmas Day.

Frugal living

Since I started my blog I've been reading lots of blogs on frugal living and people's motivations for keeping control of their spending.  I was lucky enough to be brought up in a frugal - but amazingly happy - home and I think it's given me good spending habits that have lasted all my life.  I still joke with my mother about 'the great Rivita scam'... 

Basically Mum was fantastic at making simple things into 'events'.. a picnic of squash and a biscuit in the park on the way home from school;  cheap favourite foods that rarely appeared on the table so acquired cult status; and Rivitas and jam in Debenhams in Oxford!  This was Mum's skill - we rarely went shopping in the city so eating in Debenham's first floor cafeteria was way more exciting than buying clothes or the trip to the dentist.  I know now that the double pack of Rivitas and the single portion of jam was probably the only thing she could really afford, but we loved them!

The funny thing is that me and my sister still love Rivitas.  To everyone else in the world they are a boring, dry old cereal biscuit associated with diets.  To us, they are the delicious base to a world of toppings beyond jam!  You probably can't imagine our delight when they broadened the range beyond 'original' and 'wholemeal' in the 1990s!!!!

As I'm writing this I'm pondering the point that I'm really trying to make here.  I always seem to end up feeling more nostalgic than festive at this time of year. That's not necessarily a bad thing.. I guess I'm lucky enough to have fabulous memories to get nostalgic about!

We've booked a holiday!

This is the little cottage above Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons that we've booked for our next walking holiday in the Spring.  I finally managed to get my lovely husband to make a commitment to our holiday plans and he said that he wanted to do some more walking in the hills.  That suits me just fine!

There's a kitchen diner with an Aga, which is perfect for our long, boozy, cooking sessions..

There's also a nice deep bath to rest those aching muscles after some serious walking..

There's also a patio with an epic view if it doesn't rain... Perfect!!! 

I know it's a few months away - and the weather has to do some serious warming up - but I can't wait!

What housework?

I couldn't resist the call of the outdoors again this weekend and spent the best part of Saturday and Sunday walking.  OK - I didn't do half the housework that should have been done and my ironing pile is planning a bid for mountain staus.... but I do feel immensely better in myself.  We stayed locally on both days and on Sunday did a pretty epic hike round the area (a few country lanes, some field paths, a stretch on the path by the River Severn and home by the canal bank).  At the furtherest point this walk takes in the great little cafe at the Pump House Environment Centre.  They make the most amazing cakes - undoing any weight-loss properties of the walk - but who cares?

The best thing about all this walking is that is also kept us away from all the Christmas Madness in the shops!  Worcester had a Victorian Fayre on this weekend, which draws visitors to the area from miles around.  I know that it's an important part of the economy for this time of year but it does make the city even more chaotic than usual. 

The only problem is that I still haven't tackled the ironing... now I'm blogging instead!