Willow

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Macdonald-Cartier punch

Dad created this and makes it each year on Canada Day, which is July 1.
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Sugar mountain, Dad's 80th birthday

My Dad turned 80 on Saturday, June 25, 2011.

On his actual birthday we went for dinner with family at Grappa Ristorante on College Street in Toronto.

On Sunday, we had a party for him at my sister's place. About 20 people attended the party.

We served potato, cheddar and spring onion quiche made by my sister.




I barbecued hot dogs and asparagus. For dessert we had chocolate cake made by my Mum.

Here is the asparagus recipe. I hope you enjoy it if you make it.



Lisa Allen
Good Food magazine, May 2011
Sesame grilled asparagus rafts


- serves 4
- preparation time 30 minutes
- cook 20 minutes


Griddling or barbecuing asparagus individually can be fiddly, but it's much easier cooking them like this, plus it looks impressive. The rafts go well with chicken or fish.


16 - 20 asparagus spears, about 500g/1 lb, 2 oz
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp sesame seeds


1. With one hand hold an asparagus stalk at its base. Bend the stalk over with your other hand -- the asparagus will break where the woody part ends and the tender part begins. Discard the base. 





Place 4 or 5 asparagus stalks next to one another. Skewer them crosswise in two places -- just below the tips and 3 cm from the bottom -- with slender bamboo skewers. You will end up with something that looks like a raft.





2. In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and sesame seeds and stir with a fork to mix. Brush this mixture on the asparagus rafts on both sides. Season the asparagus with a little salt and lots of pepper.


3. Grill the asparagus on a barbecue or in a griddle pan for 4 - 5 minutes per side, turning with tongs. Sprinkle with sesame mix as they grill.





The British asparagus season is very short -- it starts in mid-May and is over by the end of June. Look for freshly cut asparagus, as it doesn't last long once harvested. The skin should be firm and the points tightly closed and dry to touch.


When buying asparagus there are many different sizes, ranging from the pencil-thin fine tips to the better-value jumbo size. Asparagus that has been cut early to thin out the crop is sometimes called sprue.

Toy

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My boudoir

In Toronto
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Lynx graduate gifts

Awarded this for taking 8-hour training session on new publishing platform at work.

Canary Wharf cameraman

Wonder if the Canary Wharf police brigade know about this. He's waiting to film a marathon.

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Paper waste

Why does each business card have a protective piece of paper on it?
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On Watling Street

Debbie looking towards St Paul's Cathedral on Watling Street -- a Roman road.
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Insert with pin

St Mary le Bow Church

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Cheapside

St Mary le Bow church with the bells that called Dick Whittington back from a London departure.

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Westferry DLR station

What a fantastic view

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The discounted bill

Debbie's Taste card gave us a discount

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Taste card

Debbie has this card, which means our supper was half price.

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La Tasca, West India Quay

I am here with Debbie
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Put on a happy face

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Gift from colleagues

Got back to my desk after lunch and two of my colleagues gave me this candle.

They said it was for my work on the Reporting on International Security and Terrorism seminar last week.

Totally generous, but undeserved I am sure :)


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U.S. Coastguard visit

There is often a frigate or other large seagoing vessel docked here in the South Quay in the docklands. A couple of months ago HMS Westminster was here.

I wander over to see what might be here when I decide to take a lunch break.
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Caught napping

Came upon these ducks roosting in the sunshine in Jubilee Park in Canary Wharf.

I am sure they haven't been noticed by the Canary Wharf police brigade who probably have rules against wildfowl sleeping in public.
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Belated Yarnbombing

 
A little impromptu yarnbombing two days after International Yarnbombing Day in Southwark across from the site of 18th century author Mary Wollstonecraft's home.

She wrote "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" and died giving birth to Mary Shelley, who wrote "Frankenstein".




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Tube journey

This morning the journey from Southwark to Canary Wharf was miraculously low stress. It always seems odd that some days are frenetic and others quite calm.

Felt fortunate to get a place to lean by the door. No newspapers or books shoved in my face as is so often the case.

Looking forward to my 3-week holiday, which starts on Friday.
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Train to London

I ordered a car from Sapphire taxi in Maidstone for 1940 BST so I could go to Maidstone Barracks train station for a train departing at 1955, but it never showed up.

When I rang the cab company, the dispatcher said it wasn't his fault I had missed my train.

I asked for a free taxi journey to compensate me because now I have to take the train from Maidstone East to London Victoria instead of from Maidstone Barracks to London Bridge and arrive later.

It also means more time wasted travelling home from the station on a day when I am desperate to get home and lie down.

The dispatcher said it wasn't his fault and refused. Then, after I insisted he said I could have a half price taxi fare, which I agreed.

However, I will not ring Sapphire again. I will have to switch to a new company.

It was not a great weekend as I was tired and didn't feel well.

The weather has become autumnal. I didn't take warm enough clothing and Auntie Lily's house is really cold.

Today it was really rainy.

It is good that it is raining because some parts of England have declared drought conditions, but not good because it ruined today.

I leave for Canada on Saturday, so this week will undoubtedly be busy.
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Rainy day

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Strawberries from Kent

I went upstairs at Auntie Lily's to figure out train times from Maidstone to London and when I came back downstairs she had started preparing our supper.
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Yarnbombing Day

My yarnbombing in Barming has survived for almost 24 hours now.

Here is a story I wrote: Graffitti knitters to hit streets on Yarnbombing Day


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Southbank Lion

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Flutterguys

Preparing for International Yarnbombing Day by making flutterguys designed by @deadlyknitshade

A baking triumph (or, Too hot to handle)

 With a deadly new strain of E. coli racing about in Europe, the usual cleaning and cooking of vegetables seems almost inadequate -- if not downright risky.

As a result, I decided to "double cook" some Spanish courgettes (zucchini) I bought at a Marks and Spencer Simply Food shop last weekend.

I thought the act of grating and baking would pulverize any germs or disease, so I made a courgette loaf from a recipe in "Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook".

Unfortunately, due to a mishap while testing to see if the bread had finished baking, I lost my grip on the baking tin momentarily and it crashed cake side down onto the floor. Some of it remained stuck in the tin, so I carefully put it back together and set it back in the oven to let it continue baking.

It looks a bit of a mess, but it is delicious. I am sharing the recipe (below).

I think the amount of sugar could be cut, but I am no expert on these things, so I am not sure by how much. I would start by using 200g instead of 250g and see what it is like.

Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook 
Courgette Loaf

Cuts into 12 slices 

- 250g (8 oz) courgettes
- 2 eggs
- 125ml (4 fl oz) sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
- 250g (8 oz) caster sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla essence (optional)
- 375g (12 oz) self-raising flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 60g (2 oz) walnut pieces, coarsely chopped
- 1 kg (2 lb) loaf tin

1. Coarsely grate the courgettes, put them into a sieve, and leave for about 30 minutes to drain.

2. Beat the eggs until light and foamy. Add the sunflower oil, sugar, vanilla essence (if using), courgettes and mix lightly until combined.


3. Sift the flour, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle, pour in the courgette mixture, and stir to mix thoroughly. Stir in the chopped walnuts.


4. Pour the mixture into the greased loaf tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C (350 degrees F, Gas 4) for about 50 minutes until firm. Turn out and cool.


** General (relevant) tips from the book about baking, testing and cooling cakes. When cooked the cake will shrink slightly from the side of the tin. To test, lightly press the middle with a finger tip; the cake should spring back. Rich cakes should feel firm to touch. Set cake tin on a wire rack and leave to cool for about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the side of the cake to free it from the tin. Hold a wire rack over the top of the tin, then invert the rack and tin so that the cake falls onto the rack. Lift the tin from the rack.