... this week

This week has, on the surface, been an average week for me - work,friends,husband gigs,friend gigs, family dinner. Amongst this though, has been the joyful world of job and flat hunting.

I am hugely excited to move back to Dundee. I loved my life there,and it will be a fun place to live with my lovely husband, and he will have a job he enjoys. One of our friends is moving with us, which will keep costs down a bit, and provide me with company when Dave has to go to work in the middle of the night, which is also exciting.

The downside is that I am now in Paisley, trying to find a job (and a flat) half way across Scotland, and with a month till we move, I don't really have any idea what I will be doing. I feel a bit disjointed, and I don't like it. I like certainty and solid plans. If i can't find something, I will have to commute between Dundee and here a couple of times a week on the Megabus(which my freind Pepe correctly describes as soul destroying), which can be done, but isn't ideal.

I've applied for various support roles in schools, and am now applying for support roles in hospitals. I am considering doing nursing degree, as it's one of the few other things I think I could spend my life doing,and the course starts around the time that we move. I am at the stage of things where I have to just wait and see, and I am not loving it!

This week,I have another three days of work, punctuated by a trip to see Macbeth at the Botanical Gardens tomorrow(wooo), and going to Dundee on a Road Trip with my freind Kyla to see my girlies and look at possible flats.

I have to look at this from the point of view that even with the possible commute, we will have a more stable life, and we will be taking a step into the grown up world, which is both comforting and exciting.

...onion tart for a rainy Saturday

I've been on holiday from work for a week now, and have been busy throughout. Yesterday was my first day of having nothing planned. Dave is writing up his EngD, and so we were having a stay at home day. At lunch time, it began to pour from the heavens, giving me the perfect excuse to spend lots of time in the kitchen(not that I need one). It it just me, or does everyone want to cook comforting things more on rainy days? I made bread using our shiny breadmaker (I heart it!), and then made Smitten Kitchen's Brown Butter Bars, only I used raspberries and raspberry jam (and it turns out, the wrong kind of flour). I would really recommend them, the recipe isn't as difficult as you might think from reading it!


Tea time approached, and I decided to conquer my puff pastry fear, to make an onion tart. We had tea with Dave's parents on Thursday, and his dad gave us some of his home grown onions, so I felt this was a worthy way of using them. Everything I used, we had in the house already, due to my 'cupboards have to be full' obsession.
Onion Tart
(pastry recipe from 'Delicious Pastries by Love Food,
topping by experimentation)

For Puff Pastry
175g plain flour
pinch of salt
175g unsalted butter
150ml chilled water

For Onion Topping
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil(or what oil you have)
1 large yellow onion
1 medium yellow onion
2 small red onions
2 shallots
( roughly 3 large onions worth of what onions you have)
1tbsp caster sugar
1tbsp herbs (I used dried oregano)
1tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
100g(ish) cream cheese( I used low fat own brand stuff)

To make pastry

• preheat oven to 190c/375f/gas 5
• sift flour and saly into bowl
• rub in 25g of butter
• gradually add water(i used just less that amount given) to bring pastry together- mine was a slightly sticky dough.
• wrap in clingfilm, chill 30 mins
• wrap remaining butter in clingfilm, shape into regular rectangle 1inch thick(mine was about 3x4inchs in size), i did so by squishing it with my fingers
• remove dough from fridge, turn onto floured surface roll into rectangle 3 times length and 2 inches wider than butter
• place butter in middle, fold over wings to cover butter, press edges to seal
• turn short side toward you, roll pastry to original length. repeat folding and rolling x3
  
• Chill for half and hour, and repeat rolling and folding - do this twice (chilling included) as you roll, sometimes butter will come through a little, it doesn't seme to have done any harm to mine.
• finally, roll pastry into a large rectangle(go crazy and do a circle of you want), put on floured baking tray and pinch the edge with thumb and forefinger to make a ridge(for holding in filling).

For filling
(adjust cooking times for your hob, mine is gas)

• Chop onions till fairly fine (half a cm thick at most)
• heat oil in pan over medium-hot heat
• cook onions, stirring occasionally till see-through and golden brown(8 mins). at this point, spread cream cheese onto pastry base(take care not to break through pastry).
  
• add herbs and sugar, stir well to coat onions, cook(2mins)
• add in balsamic vinegar to de-glaze, stir well, cook (4 mins)
• spread evenly over cream cheese on base
• brush visible pastry with egg/milk(I forgot this, it turned out fine)
  
• bake in oven for 20-25 mins, till pastry is puffed and golden and filling is hot throughout
  

This worked well, but the onions could have done with a little more moisture, perhaps a bit of red wine during cooking, or a few dots of butter during baking. We had a quarter each with Cumberland sausages(whilst watching Friends), but it could easily serve 6-8 people as a starter, or an accompaniment to something bigger. I reckon it would also make 8-10 little tarts, if cooked for 15 mins instead of 20. We are going to have the leftovers today with pork belly(mmmmmmmmm).

... saw Springsteen Last night!

Yesterday, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band hit Glasgow for the first time in almost 30 years, and I was there!

My husband is a HUGE Springsteen fan, and through becoming his girlfriend, and then wife, I have become a fan too. Our Springsteen expereince began on Monday, with us watching 6 hours of Springsteen DVDs!

Yesterday. we walked to Hampden (Scotlands's national football stadium), getting there about 2.30. Gates opened jut after 5.30, but we wanted to be there early to be at the front of the queue(Dude, Scottish people like to queue)! 3 hours of playing '20 questions', eating hot dogs, and doing show songs in s Scottish accent followed.

We got in, to find that the pit, was open, and to get a pit pass, we had only to go into the pit, get a wrist band and go back in (or to the loo, and the bar, then back in in my case).

It promptly began to tip it down, meaning I spent a large part of the concert being drenched, though not caring!


THe concert was excellent, Springsteen, at almost 60, and the E Street Band, some of them even older, Gave an electric performance. One of the things I love about Springsteen shows is that the audience exudes joy, with none of the posturing of many other gigs.

I shall be at the next concert of theirs I can attend, but until then, I leave you SPringsteen doing it as only he can!







Enjoy!

... and the great bake swapperoo!

Yes, That is an Emma Bridgewater Cake Tin!
Thank you Charlotte!

Around a month ago, I completed a secret questionnaire to take part in the lovely Vonnie's Bake Swap. I love the idea of this, that lots of people in the blogosphere take the time to make some baked goods and send some gifts to someone else! Thank you for organising it Vonnie!

On Thursday, I sent off my package to Becca, and yesterday morning, the nice post man brought me mine! I have been reliably informed that my benefactor was the rather thoughtful Charlotte, and I have to say, this parcel could not have been more to my taste, it is about as 'me' as anything could be!




The baked part of my gift included 10 of these lovely fairy cakes - chocolate peanut polka dot cakes. Now, I'm fairly certain that I didn't mention my love of Reese's Pieces in my questionnaire, and yet the cake version of them has been sent to me! They are heaven in a polka-dot cake case, and they have a lovely spotty topping too!

The second part of the baking(yes, Charlotte sent me two kinds of lovely baked things!), was Maidstone's Biscuits, which she also sent me this BEAUTIFUL recipe card for! When I have made them myself, I shall share the recipe. They are the perfect biscuit, with cookie softness, and almond crunch.

The cakes were housed in that beautiful Emma Bridgewater tin in the first photo, which matches the tray I already have(I LOVE MATCHING THINGS!). You can all imagine my glee at receiving it I am sure!


I also received the cute and kitsch cupcake stand above! Ruffles, polka dots and cupcakes, as well as its mini size make it the cutest thing ever! I think it may become a tradtion to have special occasion cupcakes on it!

I was very curious about a tiny, inch squared package, and delighted that it contained this cupcake ribbon!


Last, but not least, I received this lovely knitted cupcake - it has sparkly bead sprinkles and a knitted cherry! It's home will be the cupcake stand, when there are no real cupcakes to be held!

I want to thank Charlotte very much for sending me such a generous, thoughtful and fun package. I was exhausted, a bit hungover, and dreading the prospect of a day in work when it arrived at my door. It truly made my day, and made me feel an awful lot better! Thank you so much!

... has some exciting news!

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but my husband is an EngD student (an EngD is a PhD with added industry stuff), and is in the process of writing up, in the hopes of submitting in September. Since just after Christmas, he has been taking quite a large part in the application for RA position process. Since most research jobs are funded by banks, there has been a shortage of them, meaning that we have been worried about the future, especially for the last couple of months. Not sleeping, what are we going to do kind of worrying.

Yesterday, I got home at 6.30 to the phone ringing, my husband saying "finally I've been trying to get through to you all day!" * ,and then "I got the Dundee job!".

Dave's sister and brother in law brother-in-law brought some
champagne over as a surprise to celebrate. My in-laws are lovely.

Needless to say - though I'll say it anyway - this is VERY good news! Financially, we will be fine. I went to Uni for the first 2 years of my degree in Dundee, and have a lovely group of friends there, and Dave has lots of contacts from his music stuff in the area, so its all good.


As well as being relieved, and excited I am VERY proud of Dave. Science research positions aren't easy to come by, and he has worked really hard for the last four years, so it is fitting, I think, that he is rewarded in this way.

Now, I am flat and job hunting!


*I plugged my mobile in to charge, only realising when I was leaving for work that I plugged it into the earphone bit. Yes, I am that person.

...pepper soup for a summers day.

Yesterday, I had planned to pretty much do nothing all day, as I occasionally do on my day off. This plan was scuppered but the husband saying he was going to do 'a bit of gardening'. Obviously, I felt I should help!

After the gardening, we sat on the small patch of lawn we have, Dave doing some writing for his EngD, and me reading the Guardian. We sat this way until 6 o'clock, at which point I realised we had nothing for dinner, except a bag of peppers and some vegetables. I decided to experiment with making roast pepper and tomato soup, and it worked!


This soup is refreshing, and yet has a bit of a chili kick, which is quite satisfying. It tastes good both warm and cold, which makes it perfect for a summers day.
Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup
(made up by me)


5 peppers, Halved and de-seeded( I used 3 green and 2 red, use what you have)
4 tbsp Olive oil
2 medium carrots (chopped roughly)
2 small onions (chopped roughly)
2 pinches dried red chili flakes
quarter tsp mustard seeds
450g chopped tomatoes (tin)
700 ml stock (I used chicken)
1 tsp sugar

Is it just me, or does this look like Australia?

• pre-heat oven to Gas 7

• put peppers in an oven dish, drizzle with 2 tbsp oil
• bake for 25 mins
  
• meanwhile, fry onions and carrots in oil till onions soften - about 10 mins
• add in chilli flakes and mustard seeds, stir well, and cook till mustard seeds pop- about 3 mins
• add tomatoes and sugar and stock, bring to the boil, simmer 5 mins
• remove peppers from oven, add to soup - I didn't remove the skins, and also threw them in still just halved, as I knew I would blend the soup(and because I am lazy). If you like chunky soup, cut the peppers into chunks before adding to pot
• simmer for 10 mins
• blend until fairly smooth.

This is a nice summer soup, but i think for winter, the addition of some chorizo sausage would add to the flavour and make it a bit more hearty.