Great to hear that you’re out the other side of treatment. Look after yourself. Such a very lovely post; I always love your shots of hillside houses. And HOWARD’S WAY 🙌 I flipping loved it too - the theme tune was the best thing I ever mastered on the piano. Played it to death. And my husband’s Jack Rolfe impression is second to none “I won’t have fibreglass boats in this yard!” 😆 Thanks for the memory lane. We’re about to rewatch The House of Elliot! 😍
That’s so funny - the theme tune has completely ear wormed me and it’s there in the middle of the night 😆 Jack Rolfe’s hilarious. My old science teacher (Mr Colbourne, he detested me) at high school was Tom Howard’s cousin in real life. He spent most of lesson time sneaking off to the fume cupboard for a crafty fag.
I’ve only ever caught a few minutes here and there of The House of Elliot, and I always remember wishing I could pull that hairstyle off (Louise Lombard)…
I'm glad you're feeling well, the treatments being in the past.
After 25 years, I am putting my Kitchenaid mixer to use baking bread. While winter is still among us, I will remind myself of the smell of bread fresh from the oven, the first warm slice slathered with melting butter.
Any recommendation for a bread recipe book for the beginner?
Interesting question! For focaccia I just used the BBC Good Food recipe online. It’s the easiest thing to make. Sourdough is a lot of effort, so I abandoned that. We have a lovely looking book at work called The Dusty Knuckle, I’ll have a look and let you know what I think.
I have ‘Turkuaz Kitchen’ by Betül Tunç - she’s based in the US and makes a lot of dough recipes (her Instagram is beautiful) including basic breads. Here in the UK, I always find Nigel Slater and Nigella Lawson pretty foolproof.
Do you have a local library? It’s worth a look there to road test a few books, as I find recipe books can be expensive mistakes sometimes.
Paul Hollywood also has a few books out - he’s big on bread, and I’d imagine his recipes will be easy enough to follow. Good luck - and I envy you that Kitchenaid!
This is helpful. Thank you. Slater is my favorite and I love Lawson as well although I don't own any of her books. Sometimes her recipes are in the New York Times. I have the two small seasonal vegetable books by Slater, which don't include bread, but are fabulous for vegetarians. As an aside, I also adore "A Thousand Feasts" and fell in love with a podcast of him in his garden. He's a fascinating person.
He’s my favourite, too. I have all of his cookery books - and am using two of them this afternoon (one for a cake, one for flatbreads). I read his autobiographical books and enjoyed those (‘Toast’ and ‘Eating for England’). So I’ll probably end up buying them again as I think I gave my copies away…
His writing has a very comforting feel. If you can access him on the Observer website, he writes a weekly recipe for them.
Glad you have completed treatment, reading between the lines I think your journey matches mine ( also treated at Jimmies but finished radiotherapy in September). I think it has more impact than you initially recognise I have kept in touch with someone from the surgery day who has needed chemo so have that reminder if the path I could have been on. It's great we aren't but it's still a huge life event to process. Xxx
Yes, it is. I think that coming from a family of stoic women, my default is just to ‘keep calm and carry on’. But sometimes these things catch up with you. It’s a bit like grieving: you get all the practicalities out of the way and then when everything stops, the realisation hits.
I’ve been very lucky - like you - to not need chemo. That’s a really tough thing to go through. Everyone at the hospital was great, but I sincerely hope I don’t have to go there again!
We had a flurry yesterday and I was excited, but we’re back to rain again now… It’s very windy (which I like) but we’re having to go out and find where the recycling box has ended up!
I remember being on holiday on the Isle of Wight as a child and they were doing Howard's Way tours!
Oh, I would love that! 😆
Great to hear that you’re out the other side of treatment. Look after yourself. Such a very lovely post; I always love your shots of hillside houses. And HOWARD’S WAY 🙌 I flipping loved it too - the theme tune was the best thing I ever mastered on the piano. Played it to death. And my husband’s Jack Rolfe impression is second to none “I won’t have fibreglass boats in this yard!” 😆 Thanks for the memory lane. We’re about to rewatch The House of Elliot! 😍
That’s so funny - the theme tune has completely ear wormed me and it’s there in the middle of the night 😆 Jack Rolfe’s hilarious. My old science teacher (Mr Colbourne, he detested me) at high school was Tom Howard’s cousin in real life. He spent most of lesson time sneaking off to the fume cupboard for a crafty fag.
I’ve only ever caught a few minutes here and there of The House of Elliot, and I always remember wishing I could pull that hairstyle off (Louise Lombard)…
I'm glad you're feeling well, the treatments being in the past.
After 25 years, I am putting my Kitchenaid mixer to use baking bread. While winter is still among us, I will remind myself of the smell of bread fresh from the oven, the first warm slice slathered with melting butter.
Any recommendation for a bread recipe book for the beginner?
Interesting question! For focaccia I just used the BBC Good Food recipe online. It’s the easiest thing to make. Sourdough is a lot of effort, so I abandoned that. We have a lovely looking book at work called The Dusty Knuckle, I’ll have a look and let you know what I think.
I have ‘Turkuaz Kitchen’ by Betül Tunç - she’s based in the US and makes a lot of dough recipes (her Instagram is beautiful) including basic breads. Here in the UK, I always find Nigel Slater and Nigella Lawson pretty foolproof.
Do you have a local library? It’s worth a look there to road test a few books, as I find recipe books can be expensive mistakes sometimes.
Paul Hollywood also has a few books out - he’s big on bread, and I’d imagine his recipes will be easy enough to follow. Good luck - and I envy you that Kitchenaid!
This is helpful. Thank you. Slater is my favorite and I love Lawson as well although I don't own any of her books. Sometimes her recipes are in the New York Times. I have the two small seasonal vegetable books by Slater, which don't include bread, but are fabulous for vegetarians. As an aside, I also adore "A Thousand Feasts" and fell in love with a podcast of him in his garden. He's a fascinating person.
He’s my favourite, too. I have all of his cookery books - and am using two of them this afternoon (one for a cake, one for flatbreads). I read his autobiographical books and enjoyed those (‘Toast’ and ‘Eating for England’). So I’ll probably end up buying them again as I think I gave my copies away…
His writing has a very comforting feel. If you can access him on the Observer website, he writes a weekly recipe for them.
Glad you have completed treatment, reading between the lines I think your journey matches mine ( also treated at Jimmies but finished radiotherapy in September). I think it has more impact than you initially recognise I have kept in touch with someone from the surgery day who has needed chemo so have that reminder if the path I could have been on. It's great we aren't but it's still a huge life event to process. Xxx
Yes, it is. I think that coming from a family of stoic women, my default is just to ‘keep calm and carry on’. But sometimes these things catch up with you. It’s a bit like grieving: you get all the practicalities out of the way and then when everything stops, the realisation hits.
I’ve been very lucky - like you - to not need chemo. That’s a really tough thing to go through. Everyone at the hospital was great, but I sincerely hope I don’t have to go there again!
Here’s to good health, and a great year ahead xx
Its good to make time and mental space to process, rest and restore balance.
Here's to a positive year ahead and good health for us both.
So good to hear that your treatment is done… here’s to proper spring happening soon and sunshine returning in every way xx
Your photos are so beautiful, and so evocative of time and place 🌱
Thank you.
So pleased your treatment is done and thst you are looking to the future.
Down here in Beds we did have snow last night but it was gone by this morning and we've had a sunny day. Take care.
We had a flurry yesterday and I was excited, but we’re back to rain again now… It’s very windy (which I like) but we’re having to go out and find where the recycling box has ended up!