>Warming reds
>Red has always been a favourite colour of mine, and at the moment its warmth is particularly welcome:
Fresh tomatoes roasted in the oil of a few sundried tomatoes, with some herbs and a little of this for added warmth:
Later this was blitzed with some cream cheese to have over pasta. Simple but good. Simple is not the word that applies to my Snapdragon flip-top mittens- aargh! I’ve had to redo countless rows to get the cuff pattern correct, but they are looking lovely so far and the Artesano Alpaca is sooo soft.
And of course it’s all fuelled with redbush tea! This is my current favourite mug, as it holds just a little bit more than the others…
>Small pleasures
>
Sometimes at this time of year different factors can conspire to close the world in a little. But rather than mourn this closing in, I choose to embrace the warmth and cosiness of small pleasures.
First the spotlit cauliflower! This is mainly here for the benefit of my oldest best friend Kitty Broon, who was all set to drive a crazy number of miles up the motorways when I told her we were having cauliflower cheese tonight. So glad to hear your good news, Kitty, but good thing you didn’t come- the cauli was delicious but pretty small (we bulked it out with lashings of garlic bread, mmmm).
Next a small but significant addition to the kitchen. I’m rather into loose leaf tea at the moment, but two different tea-ball contraptions both have the same problem that leaves (especially red bush ones) keep escaping and floating about, spoiling an otherwise lovely cuppa. Sometimes simple is just better, so I’ve gone back to the old school and bought a tea strainer from Lakeland Plastics which works an absolute treat. Proper tea bliss restored.
Lastly, a visit to the library today sees me embarking on another Phillipa Gregory novel- The Constant Princess. I’ve just finished The Boleyn Inheritance and I think I’m developing a temporary addiction to her historical fiction, set in the court of Henry VIII. I’ve no doubt some serious historians would raise eyebrows at how accurate they are, but they’re well written and real page-turners as far as I’m concerned- just the thing for a cosy night in.
What are your small pleasures? Do share…