You are currently browsing the monthly archive for January 2007.
Tuttut was in trouble. Poor dear. Two weeks of life, never without mum, meant she was certainly not prepared for life on her own. The old woman was nice enough, and Tuttut enjoyed the attentiveness, the endless treats and the back rubs while the two of them sat and listened to the most glorious music. 
Life had changed very quickly and abruptly. First mummy took the nipple away. Every attempt to get back to suckling was met with a sneer and a swat from mum. Tuttut was not sure why. She had done nothing wrong, and at other times mum would lavish her with attention. The very same treatment was given to her two brothers Inky and Jeepers. to read the rest: http://sparrows.wordpress.com/
http://murmuringwoods.wordpress.com/2007/01/05/tuttut/
Mrs. Deacon – life and Death of the Midwife and Substitute Teacher
Mrs. Deacon has lived her entire life in the valley. As a matter of fact, she lives in the very house she was born in. She sleeps in the same four poster bed her mother gave her life in as her own drained away in a sea of pain and red. Her own baby’s cries drowned out by the impassioned cries of her father. Cries brought out by tremendous loss of his only love, and also the fear of having to bring up little Barbara all by herself.
Mrs. Deacon herself remained a childless war bride. As a rambunctious child herself, she matured into a strong headed young lady off to see the world. She met Mr. Deacon high atop a mountain in the Himalayas where both were learning the basics of Eastern mysticism. The walked hand in hand through the greenest of the world’s pastures in the plains of Golok.
read the rest at
Mumuring Woods
and
Sparrows
intext:
My recipe for Oliebollen:
– finely chop two or three apples (about 1 and a half cups)
– soak a half cup red currants in hot water for 10 minutes
– prepare a quarter cup of fast acting yeast in one cup of warm milk and one packet of vanilla sugar (or one teaspoon sugar) let sit for about ten minutes (enough time to prepare the apples)
– to the milk mix add one egg and flour until a smooth thick consistency which is shiny is reached, don’t overwork the dough but do make sure there are no lumps
– to the dough add the fruit (if apples and currants are not to your liking try something else my sister uses raisins and my mother used red and black currants)
– let it sit in a warm draught free place (like an oven with the light bulb on) until the dough doubles in size
– preheat oil or lard in a deep fryer or deep pan to about 170 degrees Celsius
– drop rounded spoonfuls in the oil, they should turn themselves over when browned but it’s best to stand by and check that they do, remove from the pan when light golden brown
– dust with pastry sugar (mix vanilla sugar packet to two cups of sugar and run through a coffee grinder until very fine but not quite icing sugar)
– present guests with small bowls containing more powdered sugar for dipping and present large plates heaped with oliebollen
Traditionally made New Year’s eve to be shared with great numbers of friends and neighbours (where we lived in the Netherlands New Years was a spontaneous street party complete with fireworks). My recipe makes about 30 oliebollen at about 3″ (7cm) diameter.
and for the visually challenged, in plain text:
Happy New Year!
As days come to the end of the year
This milestone we hold dear
Weight of time, events have us tire
All at once the sky lights up with fire
Expunged, delivered to a clean slate
Inspire to start over on this date
So drink up, eat well, make a toast
To all, whatever we need the most
aletta mes
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