Martha's Marvellous Munchies

Well, what is a blog?  And why am I asking the question now, after seven years of writing one?  You'd think I might have worked out the answer already.  But there's nothing like meeting hundreds of other bloggers to start you wondering again... Of course, the first shock is that there actually are hundreds of other bloggers.  And that they make so much NOISE!  As I descended the escalator to the venue for Mumsnet Blogfest 2015, the clamour of dozens of voices rose up to meet me.  There was no one in the crowded hall that I knew; but although many others had also come alone, you couldn't have told it from the level of conversation. Panel session with live link to Margaret Atwood It quietened down once we had drunk our coffee and entered the auditorium.  The speakers covered a wide range of the writing world; from authors to agents, columnists to comedians, and brand experts to bloggers.  Every discussion was very entertaining, with plenty of humour and some thought

This is one of those scrappy puddings that I conjured up out of a bit of leftover pastry and whatever I could find to throw into it.  Traditional treacle tart is composed of golden syrup and breadcrumbs, which is precisely as sickly sweet as it sounds.  When I spotted a recipe which included grated apple, it sounded as if it might cut the sweetness quite nicely.  So I gave it a try. Apple Treacle Tart pastry made with 2 oz butter and 4 oz flour 1 large slice of bread, made into breadcrumbs 1 eating apple, peeled, cored and grated juice of 1 lemon 3 tablespoons of golden syrup Roll out the pastry and use to line a flan dish or other shallow dish (I used a lid from one of my Pyrex casserole dishes).  Mix together the breadcrumbs, apple, lemon juice and golden syrup.  I had a whole lemon that needed using, but that did make it quite lemony; try half a lemon if you prefer.  Taste and see if you like the sweetness, and add a bit more syrup or lemon juice if it needs it.  Spread

In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace. These words are read every day in the Anglican service of Morning Prayer.  They speak of the coming of Jesus at Christmas, as foretold by Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist.  They speak of the hope that we hold, that there can be light in the darkness, peace in troubled times.   And today, many times, they have been spoken by Christians around the world. Yet there are times when to profess religion seems to make a mockery of life.  There are times when speaking of the tender compassion of our God sounds like a cruel joke.  There are times when each day dawns darker than the one before, the shadow of death overwhelms us, and the way of peace has vanished into quicksand.  What does it mean, in those times, to continue to say these words? It means nothing if they are merely an incan

A mixed month.  We enjoyed visits from Graham's sister, Graham's parents, and my parents (not quite all at once!).  We suffered with lots of night-time waking, and sick boys during half-term.  We celebrated Toby's birthday .  I finished work, which made me happy and sad at the same time.  And we put the clocks back, which means it really does feel like winter. Toby Look at those cheeky grins! - learned to ride his bike without stabilisers! On the Tissington Trail - is learning phonics with sign language at school.  He regularly gives us demonstrations. - got a remote control car for his birthday, and got the hang of driving it straight away. - loves to chat, but sometimes gets a bit stuck while he remembers what to say next: "Well... I mean... well... the thing is..." Theo - can sing "E-I-E-I-O" at the right time in "Old MacDonald had a farm". - dances along to "Gangnam Style" (Oh yes!). - loves