Skip to main content

Monthly Munch: February

Sunset at Kedleston Park

Toby
We went out and forgot his jacket, so he had to wear Graham's fleece!

- likes kissing and holding his new baby brother, and gives Theo his comfort blanket when he cries.

- is getting tired of everyone asking, "Is this your baby brother, then?"

- can read quite a few words now.  I have found myself saying, "Don't read too long, now," as I put him to bed.
Megabloks creation

- quotes of the moment: "What do you do if you don't like duck?  If you don't like duck, you're rather stuck!" from that classic of British comedy, Fawlty Towers.


"Come on, old buddy!  You can do it!  Suck up that water, take in that sunlight!" which is Papa Bear talking to his giant pumpkin in The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin, but is adaptable to a surprising number of situations.  The car has been exhorted to "suck up that diesel", and Theo to "suck up that milk".


And from the same source: "Get me my pitchfork!"

Theo

- is no longer a bump, but a happy and healthy baby!

- has been showered with clothes and cuddles from many adoring fans.

- appears to be training for some kind of hiccup championships.


Thankful for:
- the safe and timely arrival of Theo.

- so many friends, family and neighbours who have provided food, sent presents and looked after Toby.  Your generosity is amazing!

- longer days and spring flowers.

Recipe of the month: Coconut Cookies

These are quite a plain cookie - effectively coconut shortbread - so I'd recommend butter rather than margarine for flavour.  If you wanted to get fancy you could top just half with the coconut, and sandwich them in pairs with raspberry jam.

2 oz / 1/4 cup light brown sugar
4 oz / 1 stick lightly salted butter, cubed
6 oz / 1 1/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
1 oz / 1/4 cup desiccated (flaked) coconut plus extra for topping
1-2 tbsp milk

Place sugar, butter, flour and coconut into a food processor and whiz to combine.  Add milk one tbsp at a time and pulse until it starts coming together.  Tip out onto a work surface and knead to form a firm dough.  Roll out to 3mm / 1/4 inch thick and cut out with a 6 cm / 2 1/2 inch round cutter.


Place on baking tray and top each cookie with a generous pinch of coconut.  Bake at 180C / 350F for 8 minutes until coconut is toasted and cookies are just golden, being careful not to overcook.  Cool on wire rack.  Makes 24.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Trent Valley: the march of the pylons

In the 1980s, the River Trent supplied the cooling water for fifteen coal-fired power stations, each one gobbling up coal from the local mines and quenching its heat with gallons of river water. The area was known as Megawatt Valley . As the 20th century gave way to the 21st, the mines closed, the coal trains stopped running, and the iconic cooling towers, one by one, fell to the ground. The high-voltage electricity lines which connected the stations to the grid are still there, however, and they dominated the walk I did today. The stately silhouettes of pylons stalked across the landscape, carrying fizzing power lines which sliced up the sky. At one point, I was within view of two of the remaining sets of cooling towers. Diving further back into history, I parked by Swarkestone Lock on the Trent & Mersey Canal, walked past St James' Church, and arrived at Swarkestone Bridge, a 14th-century causeway which still, remarkably, carries traffic today. It was famously the southernmos...

The Churnet Way: a wonderful walk

The loop from Oakamoor to Froghall and back was one of the most enjoyable walks I've done in a long time. It had a bit of everything: woods, ponds, rivers and railways; steep climbs and sweeping views; an unusual church, an ex-industrial wharf, and, as a final bonus, car parks with toilets. Of course, the sunny weather helped too. I parked in Oakamoor and set off along a quiet lane called Stoney Dale. This is the route of the Churnet Way, which deviates away from the river for a couple of miles. After a while I turned right and climbed up through the woods on a gravelly path, then dropped down to the B5417. a spring in Oakamoor   Crossing the road, I entered Hawksmoor Nature Reserve. It has some fine gateposts commemorating John Richard Beech Masefield, "a great naturalist". I found a photo of the opening of the gateway in 1933; unsurprisingly, the trees have grown a lot since then! A track took me down through the woods to East Wall Farm. Lovely view! Nice duck pond as ...

Theo Alexander

The due date was fast approaching, and, having had Toby five weeks early, this pregnancy was feeling like it had dragged on far too long.  On Sunday morning, two days before D-Day, we went to church, wearily confirming to eager enquiries that yes, we were still here, no baby in tow yet.  And then, at 3:30 am on the morning of Monday 10th February, my waters broke and things began to get moving.  Fast. Yes, I know I had to apologise to you ladies who have gone through long-drawn-out labours last time , and I'm afraid I have to do it again.  The change in the midwife's attitude when we got to the hospital was almost comical; she breezed in and put the monitors on and said, "I'll just leave those for a few minutes, then".  Back she came for a proper examination, had a quick feel, and: "OK, we'll get you to the delivery room RIGHT NOW," followed by a mad dash down the corridor in a wheelchair!  Our new little boy was born at 5:16 am. You...