Busy Doing Nothing

Yesterday I took Mr P's lovely Mum to Dobbies Garden World In Liverpool, as I felt she could use a little cheering up. I'd spotted it on my way to a school one morning and instantly thought, Angela would LOVE it there. So yesterday I dropped Mr P off to go to the pub with his Dad to watch the match and Angela and I set off with the children in tow. The garden centre is huge with so much more than plants and gardening items. There were crafts and gifts, candles, furniture, all kinds of fish in the aquatic section and best of all a farm shop. This consisted of a butchery section, a deli counter, a bakery and shelves and shelves of really lovely produce. In one corner they had specialty oils and vinegars with baskets of bread so you could try before you buy. The children loved that and tried all 8 vinegars! I tasted a few and decided that the Blackcurrant Balsamic was my favourite so asked the assistant to fill me a small bottle.

We stopped in the cafe area had had a drink and cakes and managed to spend over three hours in Dobbies World!

I decided that today would be a lazy day. I planned on doing noting much at all, until I found myself wide awake before 8am!
Rather than lay in bed not sleeping I got up, showered, got into clean Pj's, loaded the washing machine, tidied the kitchen and started cooking. I cooked apples and plums ready for our crumble later and made the almondy topping to go on top of the fruit.

Next I got out the Filo pastry from the fridge and made the fillings for the little parcels I'd decided to make for lunch.

Feta, Mint and Pea

Feta, Sundried Tomatoes and Black Olives

I had some Filo left over so made some sweet Apricot and Almond parcels.

These were a light bulb creation, not sure where the idea came from but they worked! I crushed some Amaretti biscuits and mixed with ground almonds finely chopped dried apricots and some double cream until it formed a thick almost moldable paste. I layered four squares of filo with a ball of the paste in the middle scrunched to make a parcel and baked for about ten minutes. They were delicious.

I also popped some peppers stuffed with couscous in the oven to bake, while I made my 'new' favourite salad.

Beetroot and Orange Salad

This is a combination I love and only discovered last weekend while out to lunch with friends.
To make the salad you need -

1 Large orange
1 medium fresh beetroots, cooked
A bag of mixed salad leaves (baby spinach, rocket etc)
Honey and black pepper or
Blackcurrant Balsamic Vinegar

Put the salad leaves into a bowl. Remove the orange peel with a knife and slice segments from the orange, making sure you have no pith or tough skin, you just want the juicy flesh. While cutting, hold the orange over a small bowl to catch all the juice. Scatter over the salad leaves and squeeze out any extra juice from what you have left of the orange. Slice the beetroot in wedges to reflect the shape of the orange segments, dip in the saved orange juice and scatter over the salad leaves and mix. Either drizzle over the blackcurrant vinegar OR make a dressing from the left over orange juice. Simply add a teaspoon of honey to the orange juice and a good grinding of fresh black pepper and mix well. Simply delicious.

Lunch is served

So much for not doing anything today! As soon as this is posted I'm logging off and starting my book for the new reading group and I will not be moving off the sofa until tea time! (unless I need a cup of tea!)
I really am rubbish a 'not doing anything' a trait I get from my Mum. My Dad used to say to her "If you sat still  long enough your backside would be making buttons!" I really have no clue what that means, but it used to make me giggle!
I hope you're all having a lovely weekend