Random Thoughts: Wealth

I blogged earlier this week that I've taken up a new blogging challenge - the Random Thoughts challenge set by my partner in crime, the awesome Just Frances. So here goes with my first one...

I am challenged to write for you about Cooking up my own 'Get Rich Quick' scheme. Now this is a bit of a hard one for me, in part because I've never yet managed to do it, and in part becauise I'm really not that interesting in getting rich. In fact the whole millionaire celebrity culture that we appear to have created in this country simply turns me off. Don't get me wrong, I like having cash. I like being able to afford to buy the pretty silly things I like, but if I'm honest, I'm really quite happy just being comfortable. I don't crave more, I'm content with what I've got - and I really don't know what I'd spend it on if I had more. Apart from shoes, that is - obviously. And travelling...

But back to the challenge. I've never really been an entrepreneur. As a child, I wasn't the one setting up car washing or gardening businesses. I did have an after school job doing ironing for one of the local shopowners, but that was the scale of my ambition.

My only foray into self employed-dom has been a fairly unsuccessful (financially at least) dabbling in handmade jewellery making. For a couple of years I spent most of my evenings creating 'unique' (ie unsellable) items that I would then spend most of my weekends at craft fairs not selling.

Overall I made a financial loss on the 'business'. Ironically, however, I did make a profit courtesy of HMRC - to keep on the right side of everything I opted to declare myself self employed and as a result was obliged to complete a tax return each year. It seems I was overpaying tax on other aspects of my earnings and as a result for the last few years I've received a rebate.

Not quite get rich, and certainly not very quick, but bizarrely it did bring in additional income. Ho hum, who'd have thought it.

Comfort for the soul

...and for the body.

You know, there's nothing like home cooked food to make you feel good. And, for me at least, nothing like making home cooked food to make me feel good. Honestly, I love it. Cooking really relaxes me. Wait a minute, let me qualify that. Cooking, when there isn't a time pressure really relaxes me. I'm not sure I'd feel the same way if I was having to churn out meal after meal to a schedule, particularly if the diners were fussy or unappreciative. I really do take my hat off to working mums (or dads, for that matter) who manage that particular miracle day in, day out.

But for me, I'm lucky. Generally the only person I have to please is myself - and I'm always appreciative of my efforts! I can pick and choose when I cook, or when I just snack. I can opt to eat in the middle of the day from the canteen at work and just have toast or something similar when I get in at night. My only deadlines are the ones I set myself, and if I'm too tired to cook but am hungry, there's usually something in the freezer that can just be heated up from one of my earlier cooking sessions. (I always make way more than I need with the express intention of freezing the rest for a later date. I know my work/life [im]balance, after all!)

So, last night, after a great day out in Edinburgh exploring what was left of the sales, my relaxation method of choice for a fun Saturday evening was to raid the fridge and get cooking. I confess that I'm not organised enough to plan menus out - unless for special occasions - and my dishes tend to be combinations of what's in the fridge/cupboard and needing to be used up. Years of Protect and Survive from my Mum have left me with a 'nuclear store cupboard' mentality to food shopping, so it's not usually too hard to whip something up from what I can find around and about of an evening.

I'll sometimes buy ingredients with the intention of making a particular dish, but more often I buy things because they look interesting, or I like the taste and know that I'll find something to do with them. As a result, I don't often follow recipes. Generally my dishes are made up, sometimes loosely based on a recipe from a book, but more often just guess work about what flavours and textures will work well together.

Don't get me wrong, I own tons of cookery books, and I love reading them. They generally make my mouth water. I also have a subscription to the ever enticing Delicious magazine. And I wouldn't be without any of them. But they're pretty much just for ideas. My true passion is creating!

And this little lot? Well, it was 2 (3 minus 1 because I had no kidney beans!) and mushroom chilli, and stuffed portobello mushrooms. I ate some of the chilli, which was very good if I say so myself, and the mushrooms have gone into the freezer for another day - probably to be eaten either on their on with a salad of some description, or as a side dish to another main meal. Can't wait!

OK, I did promise the recipes to some friends so here they are - or as close as you get to recipes from me!

Chilli - sweat off some onions and peppers, add chilli flakes and powder, cook off a bit and then add a tin or so of chopped tomatoes (plus any whole ones left in the fridge!). Throw in some quartered button mushrooms and tins of whatever beans you have handy. Cook for about 30 mins to let the juices out and flavours in. My secret additional ingredient for last night was a dash of Jerk Molasses Barbeque sauce, which added a fabulous hint of smokiness. 

A tip from a friend was to make corn bread to go with it. That's a definite for me when the remains come out of the freezer next time!

Stuffed mushrooms - take however many portobello or breakfast mushrooms you have, brush them with olive oil and put in the oven on a baking tray for 4 mins. Meanwhile chop up onions - or in this case, leeks - and sweat in butter. Add garlic if you like, I didn't but I'm sure it would taste good. I had some thyme - which is great with mushrooms - so that went in after the sweating. I also added the stalks from the mushrooms for some extra flavour and to avoid wasting them. Crumble up some cheese, add to the pan together with some breadcrumbs and an egg. Season and then pack on top of the part cooked mushrooms. Put the whole lot back in the oven and cook for another 6 mins or so. Remove, eat, enjoy!

Crafty ways

 I confess, it's quite some time since I've blogged on what this blog is supposed to be about - craft and handmade.

So here, to make up for it, is a picture of my current project - a cute little crochet cardigan made from a gorgeous hand dyed yarn. Hopefully it's going to fit when it's finished. Particularly after the number of times it's been ripped back and started again.

As you can see, Cat isn't too impressed and is making his presence felt. Added cat hair anyone?

Discovery and rediscovery

I realise I have been incredibly remiss in not blogging sooner about my fabulous trip to Shetland at the end of last month. So hopefully this will make amends.

I ended up in Shetland by way of a series of happy coincidences - I made contact with an old University friend through Facebook last year. We'd shared a flat as students for a year and it was only when we got talking some 23 (cough, cough!) years later that we realised what good friends we would have been at the time if only we'd known. By way of explanation, I spent much of my year at the flat, not actually at the flat but instead either at Teviot or my boyfriend's gaff. Not, I hasten to add, at the library. My degree was in reality nothing short of amazing when you consider how little studying I seemed to do!

Anyway, it wasn't so much friends reunited, as friends rediscovered so when I found myself at the end of March with holidays still to take, a long weekend possible and a trip to Inverness for work already in place, it was a simple step - and happy coincidence - to extend the journey up to Shetland to see Diane and her family.

The flight to Sumburgh was as much of an experience as I'd been promised. As we touched down briefly at Kirkwall Airport I realised that when I landed at Sumburgh I would have frequented no fewer than 14 UK airports. Who would have thought there'd be so many?!! And when I landed at Sumburgh I was indeed bemused. It was as miniature as I had expected but I hadn't expected a) the runway that starts almost before the land does, or b) the access road that crosses the runway! As Diane explained, she'd seen my flight landing as she was driving into the airport. It was only on the way out - across the runway - that I realised what she meant.

So Shetland, wow! That's pretty much it, just wow! What an amazing place. I know I didn't see it in the roughest of weathers and I'm sure at times it can be hard living up there, but I fell in love. I now know why my friend Keith blogs incessantly about it. There is a magic and a beauty that is hard to surpass. And the people are a joy - the warmth and welcome I experienced from Diane, her family, her friends and her neighbours was striking. I really did feel like I'd come home, and that to a place I'd never been before.

But what did you do? What did you see? I can hear your questions, oh loyal readers. You shall not be disappointed. Here follows a blow by blow itinerary...

Friday evening - arrive Sumburgh, met by Diane and 2 elder sons, youngest being confined to barracks with Chicken Pox. Drive approx 1 hour to the north of the Mainland to Muckle Roe and my bed for the weekend. Charmed by eldest son en route making my heart swell with his undisguised pleasure at my visit. There followed much wine, seafood chowder with prawns and Shetland bannocks.

Saturday - a refreshing walk on the cliffs at Esha Ness, watching the waves, the birds and the boys not necessarily in that order followed by a couple or 3 lattes at the Esha Ness Braewick Cafe, a hurl along the coast line including a visit to Nibon and what must be the most perfect retreat for (re)born romantics, before heading back across Mavis Grind - where the Atlantic and the North Sea almost meet and a brief visit home to gather strength for Mussels and chips at Britain's most northerly fish and chip shop. Then it was time for a Stampin' Up party and my latest crafty discovery.

Sunday - another refreshing walk on the cliffs, this time at Muckle Roe itself, followed by a trip to the Spring Bulb Show - complete with afternoon tea and cakes, rounded off with a delicious Sunday roast courtesy of Diane's other half. Mmm, it's no wonder I've put on weight!!

Monday - and we girls headed off to sample the shopping delights of Lerwick. And boy were there delights - fudge, smellies, books and more fair isle and knitwear than you could shake a stick at. I was in heaven! Who needs High Street, particularly when you can get it all on the internet these days!? We followed our shopping up with some more seafood at the Lerwick Museum before a quick dash round the exhibits - and more shopping. Back home for a dinner of salmon (yes, I was in seafood heaven all holiday!) followed by a madcap game of Monopoly with the wheeler dealers that are Diane's sons!

Tuesday came all too soon and before I knew it, Diane and I were on our way back to Sumburgh Airport, by way of Bonhoga Gallery and an inspiring exhibition of Urban Baskets, followed of course by the obligatory seafood meal - marinated herrings this time. Then it was time to whisk down to Sumburgh, say (a tearful) goodbye to Diane and jump on my flight back to Edinburgh. And the delights of 'mainland' transport connections.

A fantastic break, all too short, in which I barely scratched the surface of the wonders that make up the Shetland Islands. I don't know what I was expecting - somewhere harsher and more brutal I suspect - but it certainly wasn't what I found. It was a peaceful place, and I loved it. For more photos, see my album on Flickr.

I don't think it will be my last visit. Thanks, Diane. I'm so pleased I've (re)discovered my friendship with you.

Three little birds

I was multi-tasking this evening, making dinner, doing the dishes and listening to the radio when suddenly something made me smile. Get It On was on the radio having a Reggae night. The last track of the show was Three Little Birds by Bob Marley, and it just said it all for me. Gave me hope to carry on and faith that it will be ok.


And it also reminded me that the second half of my delivery from Stampin' Up (courtesy of the lovely Diane about my mini break with whom I've still to blog following my fabulous visit to Shetland last month) had arrived today and I am now the proud owner of 2 punches - birds and flowers. So now I can make my own 3 little birds!


Joy joy, happy happy!

Finding peace

After a busy, intense day at work, how best to relax, recover and find peace? Quite often I'll take the easy way out and collapse on the sofa with a glass of wine and something mindless to watch on the TV*.

But every now and then I'm inspired to try something different, and remind myself that being active in itself can be a relaxation. I've blogged many times before about how much I enjoy cooking, that I actually find it relaxing. So sometimes, like tonight, I turn to cooking as a way of unwinding.

I'll not lie, it's also a way of using up what's left in the fridge instead of having to throw it out. And of having food in the freezer for days when I don't have the energy or the time to make something from fresh.

Tonight's creation was a vegetable and bean chilli - using up the fresh vegetables that I'd bought in a fit of optimism the weekend before last and were in danger of lurking and leaking if left too much longer in the depths of the chill box. I didn't actually eat it tonight, I heated up a pork and cider slow cooked casserole from the freezer instead. So now, I've relaxed, eaten and still have a meal in store for tomorrow night too!

What's not to be happy about?

*As regular Crafty Manoeuvres readers will know, I rarely actually just sit doing nothing. So collapsing on the sofa with a glass of wine usually also involves some kind of yarn project. Another one finished last night - what do you think? I think I have almost enough of these hats now for a different one each day of the week! 

Craft and cunning

I commented in a blog post earlier this week that I didn't really blog all that often about crafty stuff anymore. So I thought it was time I rectified that and shared with you one of the projects I've just not long finished.

This was it just before it got finished and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. It was my second attempt at a moebius loop neck warmer, and I think it has actually worked this time. It was meant to be made from some 4 ply pure new wool I picked up in the Edinburgh branch of McAree's but it wasn't knitting up right, so I raided this Cashcotton from my stash and it worked fabulously well. I was never going to finish that cardigan that had been on the pins for the last 5 years anyway!!

So, rest assured, I am still crafting* - or at least as much as Cat will let me given that he likes sitting on my lap and doesn't like my attention being on other than him. My knitted garments now have an additional layer of added cat fur in their make up, and my wrists bear a few more scratches as a result of impatient and jealous swipes.

*Despite fewer craft related posts these days, the tag 'handmade' is still one of the most frequently used on Crafty Manoeuvres, so I'm not straying completely from my original mission. Just diversifying a bit!

Cooking with gas

Since I came back from my fabulous Christmas holiday with my big sister in Canada, my life has been somewhat hectic and it was only this week that I started cooking again. As regular readers will know, I love cooking. It's one of the things I like to do to relax. So to have been so disorganised and unsettled as to not be cooking, well...

It's not that I haven't made anything to eat - I've been making myself porridge every morning, and sandwiches for supper. I cooked a poached egg earlier this week but it wasn't until Tuesday that I made my first proper dish - mushroom risotto, a recipe I know so well I could make it in my sleep properly.

And tonight I was inspired to make a yummy prawn curry - all from scratch (apart from the curry paste that is) and very good it was too. In fact, I was so pleased that I was inspired to cook that I decided to document it for posterity.

So I started with the chopping:

And then there was some stirring:

followed by some simmering:

 
And then finishing with the eating!

Yum!!

Focused minds

It was Day 2 of my return to work from holiday today. And not just your average post Christmas holiday return. Oh no, mine was also jet lag fuelled. Oh joy!

While it may have looked like I was doodling and not listening in this morning's work meeting, I was in fact concentrating really hard. There is good evidence to suggest that doodling helps with recall of things discussed during even the most boring meetings.

Not that this morning's meeting was boring, I hasten to add. Any signs of dozing off were entirely due to the jet lag.  And I can of course recall every word!

Something new

One of my resolutions for this year was to learn something new. And while I already know how to knit, this definitely counts as a new variation if not a completely new skills.

So what is it? It's Moebius knitting and while it doesn't look like anything special, it's really quite freaky - you knit both sides of a twist at the same time and where you start from ends up in the middle of the piece rather than at an end. I know I'm not describing it very well, but effectively you knit, in one go, a moebius strip - a twist with no end and only one side. Hmm! Maybe you'd better just tune back in to see the finished article in a few days!!

And in case you think I'm neglecting my crochet, I've also started to dabble with freeform crochet - the ruffled items above being exhibits A and B. They're examples of hyperbolic crochet and incredibly easy to create - just keep doubling the number of stitches each row/round until you're happy with the end result. Hours of fun!


And now, time to get up and go snow shoeing! See you later, blog readers.

Look what I made!

At long last, a photo of the coat I crocheted earlier this year. It's made from Rowan kid silk haze, and even though it took 6 months to complete I love it so much that I'm thinking seriously about making another one.

You would not believe how cosy it is for something that is so light and delicate.

A real winner I think.

What's on the pins?

Or more accurately, what's on the hook? Well, this.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that in amongst all my running, writing, working, silliness and other pursuits, I'm also still finding time for yarn. I chose this pattern to take away to Spain with me - partly because, being made of individual granny squares, it was highly portable and also partly because it calls for cotton yarn and therefore was less likely to be hot and sticky to make.

As regular readers will know, it was incredibly hot in Spain and even with cotton yarn, doing much crochet wasn't really an option. So I've been battling on with this since I got home. And it's finally beginning to take shape. This picture is from a week or so back when I eventually got to the stage where I could join the squares together. I've now progressed even further and I'm crocheting the body section on to the joined squares.

As I'm doing this 2 thoughts strike me. Firstly, why on earth did I choose a pattern that involves 40 individual squares - with, of course, 40 individual squares-worth of ends to darn in afterwards, not to mention the ends from joining the damn things - when I just hate finishing off. Secondly, never ever let me choose a pattern with stripes again - what a pain having to change colour every row!

Don't get me wrong I am actually enjoying making this cardigan but I know that when I get to the end I'll be cursing at the amount of darning in I'll have to do. There's every chance as well, that it won't actually look right since I went wrong with the decreasing at some point and while the length will be about right, the armholes might be slightly off. The challenge will be to make sure I make exactly the same mistake on the other side!!

Oh well, onwards. I'll post a pic when it's finished so you can see how it turns out. Nice colours though!

Where does the day go?

And the minutes and the hours and the weeks?

I can't believe it's over a week already since I got back from my fabulous holiday in Spain. (I promise I will stop mentioning it soon) So what have I been doing with my time? Where has it all gone?

Well, a lot of what I've been doing has been working. I sometimes wonder if going away on holiday is a good idea or not, when you end up coming back to all the work that mounts up while you're away. With the added complexity of trying to remember what it is you were doing before you went! I've had some fairly long days since coming back, a completely full schedule and some tricky issues to deal with. I've also had some fun along the way and some (mini) successes - which is always good.

I'll not bore you with the details, but I'm smiling to myself at something I did yesterday - possibly against my better judgement but... As fans of West Wing will know, it's never a good idea in your work capacity to engage with blogs. By engaging I mean responding. Well, yesterday I did a Joshua and responded in my official capacity to a blog post. Today I sat back and watched the fun! Tomorrow I'll probably regret it, but for now, it's kind of fun.

As well as work, I've been cooking, dancing, running and crocheting. I've also been reading, something I managed not to do much of on holiday unusually for me. Inevitably, I'm reading about Spain! What I've not managed to do is write another chapter for my collaborative book project. But give me time!

But I'm also looking forward - not to wish time away, but genuinely excited about a few things coming up - my first competitive race next weekend, Scotland's first Tango Festival next year, hopefully a trip to see big sis and family at Christmas/New Year and maybe another visit to Spain too at some point.

And that's not even mentioning housework, admin, emails, blogging, chatting to friends, catching up, grocery shopping. (Although mercifully not washing the car since the neighbour's kid has very kindly offered to do it for me - I think in return for not shopping him to his folks about the party he's planning for this weekend while they're away!)

So that's where it goes then!

Make do and mend

Apologies, it's going to be a relatively short post today (stop cheering, dear reader!). The heat here in Cordoba has to be felt to be believed and the terrace I'm sitting on has no air conditioning, so even though it's open to the sky and in the shade, the chimney effect of the buildings surrounding it means that every so often I get a down draft of hot (not warm, but hot!) air.

Getting up early today was a real bonus. Not only did it mean I got in free to the Mezquita Cathedral, it also meant that at least some of my wanderings were in the heat (as opposed to the searing heat). By 11 am it was already 35 degrees, and it's been getting steadily hotter ever since. I can actually feel myself shrivelling up as I'm walking around even though I'm walking in the shade. The visit to the Alcazar gardens was an adventure in slow sprinting (I defy anyone to move quickly in this heat) from one piece of shade to the next. Entry to the Alcazar was free too, but cunningly they stop anyone staying too long by closing the toilets - very crafty.

So, the title for this post I hear you ask (above the snoring of my more regular readers that is)? Well, the Mezquita was a 14th Century mosque, the most beautiful in the whole Islamic world at the time beating even Damascus hands down apparently. And it was built on top of the previous Christian church. How's that for domination? Not to be outdone, the Christian Kings (Los Reyes Cristianos of Alcazar fame presumably) when it was there turn, ripped the centre out of the Mosque and built their own cathedral instead. So now you have a strange mixture of styles that all, unbelievably, meld into one stunning building - as you can see from the number of pictures I took. There were more, these are only the ones I thought I'd put on Flickr.

Other than the Alcazar, the rest of the day was spent seeking shade and dipping back to the hotel for a blast of air conditioning every now and again. I even managed to get some crochet done before my hands stuck to the crochet hook.

Seville tomorrow - where apparently it's just as hot, if not hotter (?!). It's also where I'm hoping to see some Flamenco if I can get the nerve up for a sortie out after dark. I happened across a Flamenco exhibition today - inside the most beautifully air conditioned building - come to think of it, I don't know why I didn't just stay there for the rest of the day!!

and for those who like to know these things, this is my current blogging spot

Packed

And packed!

I've now got myself packed for my holidays AND got my big sister's birthday present finished and parceled up to send across. Phew!

Now only one more day at work to get through.

Speak to you all from Spain!

Dreaming of ravelry ...

Well perhaps not quite, but I did pop up to Stirling University campus this afternoon to have a wander round Knit Camp market place and drool over yarn.

And I was by no means the only one either. I hadn't quite appreciated how big a deal Knit Camp was. I was surrounded by hundreds of dedicated (and sometimes frankly scary) knitters, all intent on finding the perfect yarn bargain. And, I'm pleased but nevertheless suprised to say, they weren't all women either.

Perverse as ever I went to Knit camp and came away with crochet patterns. I didn't buy any yarn either! In my wisdom I chose patterns calling for cotton, and there was a definite wool bias in the market place. Apart from the possum fur fibre that is. Hmm.

So for me, it was back on the bus and a stop off at Macaree's on the way home.

And now I have a project for my holiday - and a really bad case of startitis! Watch this space for progress.

The photo? Oh, it's of a world record attempt being undertaken - sheep to sweater in some ridiculously short space of time. Boy, did those fleeces smell!!

And the post title? Anyone recognise it?

Back to basics

To get back to what this blog started as, here's what I'm working on now. Even on holiday!

Happy birthday big sis. Might be a bit late though!

Rainbow monkey

At last I've got a sock monkey of my very own, courtesy of two very good friends.

After years of heavy hinting to my nearest and dearest (subtle hints like, why don't you buy me a sock monkey for my christmas?), I was presented with this little beauty yesterday.

It is of course from the very talented Sunset Girl and now has pride of place sitting on the files in my office.

Heaven only knows what mischief he'll get up to over the weekend. Sadly I suspect he won't do any of the reports that need to be finished!

Home cooked hand made

I'm so glad I took the extra time to cook dinner tonight rather than just slump when I got in (late!) from work.

I'd bought 4 sea bass fillets at the supermarket yesterday as they were on special offer and I vaguely remembered I had a recipe I wanted to try out. Unfortunately I didn't have the rest of the ingredients so it was another quick trip out to the shop for potatoes and mushrooms tonight after work before I could start cooking.

Ever the mistress of multi tasking I even managed to get some chores done while this was cooking.

So now I have a car ready to in to the garage tomorrow, a tidy flat, a full tummy AND 3 more portions to freeze for more dinners in the future.

And yes I am feeling smug since you ask!

Making progress

As you can see, I'm making slow but sure progress with my mohair crochet project.

The added bonus is that it's also helping to keep my lap warm of an evening!