COWSHED

Monday 30 May 2011

Weekend


Friends. Wine. Vodka. Cosy fire. Lazy brunches. Long late suppers. Blustery walks on the beach. Browsing in second hand books shops. Drinking coffee. Lazing over the Sunday papers. Cupcakes. Candlelight. You would have thought it October half term, not May, except that it was light til after 9pm and light again at 5am. A wonderful weekend which I did not want to end.

The perfect lazy anecdote to a long week which included an unexpected drive to Exeter to collect the husbabund when a First Great Western failure meant he couldn't get off at Taunton, being a very busy bee at work and starting a new ballet class to bookend my week of dancing.

(photo by me)

Tuesday 17 May 2011


I will be back oh so very shortly with tales from the baby shower for sister in law last weekend, including finally sharing the hand painted invitations that we made. But, in the meantime, I have a favour to ask.

I am currently putting together a present from husband and I to the baby and the parents. We have bought a few things for the baby, including the rattle/teether above*. But, baby has a lot of presents (seriously, a whole basket full of clothes and so on and baby's not even here yet. Baby's sleeping basket has 3 or 4 rabbits already). I would like to get something for baby's mum and dad too. Which is where you guys come in, specifically those of you that have had babies. Please suggest present ideas [and not, cook them dinner, or watch baby whilst it sleeps - those are great ideas but given I will be baby's Auntie, we will be doing plenty of that anyway.] I want the material shit you can't live without when you have a week old which won't sleep. (Or whatever). If no-one suggests anything good, then they'll be getting the Snotsucker I found on Amazon a while back.

Seriously, Nosefrida The Snotsucker Nasal Aspirator had the best review

"if i was a professional booger sucker...and it was my job to suck the snot out of noses 8 hours a day, i would insist on using this thing. but i would want a longer tube, and a holster. "

but they might already have one.



*baby is due in 4 weeks. I am wondering which will arrive first, baby or the rattle...
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Photo by Little Alouette

Monday 9 May 2011

Weekend



I'm back. Briefly.

Spent a wonderful weekend on the Devon/Dorset border at my sister's hen party with my two sisters (we were all wearing mad sunglasses) and a bunch of the bride to be's friends. We drank lots of champagne, ate many cakes and sat down to a Mad Men inspired afternoon tea, laughed lots, told tall tales and ate a picnic lunch at the beach. We made A a veil which made her look like a nun at a rave and I won the hula-hooping contest.

Photos to follow soon but both my camera and my phone batteries are dead.

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Photo via East Side Bride (it reminded me of a *much* better dressed version of me and my sisters this weekend) of Cacharel Spring 2011 via Sara Williams via seesaw via The cherry blossom girl)

Wednesday 4 May 2011

Pea and Mint Soup


R [by text] "Your soup was way better than mine"
M [telephoning, laughing] "what did you put in it?"
R [sadly] "peas and mint. chicken stock."
M "where did you get it?"
R "Tesco"
M [smiling] "should have gone to Waitrose"

M made fabulous pea and mint soup at the weekend. I thought it was the answer to all my evening meal dilemmas. I bought the ingredients and set to work. My kitchen is covered in green puree from the blender where I tried to pour it into bowls. And it tasted *nothing* like the soup M made. I blame Tesco. Come on Waitrose, open a supermarket down in Somerset. Or at the very least, offer home delivery.

I had thought about serving this at my sister's hen party this weekend. On the basis of my efforts this evening, no bloody way.

[image from Tesco. Of course]

EDIT. Turns out once it was chilled and seasoned, it tasted great. Who knew.