Recipe: Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 6 potatoes
• 1 onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 fennel
• 300ml stock
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 4 slices bacon
• 2 spring onions
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• Seasoning

Instructions:
1. Chop the potatoes, onion and fennel.
2. Brown the onion in the olive oil, add the potatoes and fennel and fry for two minutes.
3. Add the stock and if necessary water until the vegetables are covered.  Cover the pan and simmer for thirty minutes.
4. Chop and fry the bacon and spring onions.
5. Add the remaining ingredients to the soup, puree with a mixer and serve with the bacon and spring onions on top.

Make it Monday: Crochet Ladybird

 At the weekend I finished this little guy. I got the pattern and wool on special offer when I was ordering some other wool earlier in the year.

I chose the ladybird because Joshua is in the ladybird group at nursery and I've got something else lined up for Isabella.

The pattern was straight forward for a relative beginner like me. It took me a month but it was a busy month and I hope my new commute will help me find more time for crochet.

My first crochet animal! Both kids love her already.

Weekly Wisdom

Be strong, you never know who you may be inspiring.

The Saturday Update

I definitely could have done with another week off to get over the holidays. As it is, I'm exhausted after the first half week of work.

I started my new job on Tuesday. We had a day and a half of meetings and training. I got to know my colleagues and the school a bit better which was really nice but I'm still fighting my way through the paperwork and red tape - wish me luck with that next week!

Wednesday afternoon and Thursday saw me back in my old jobs after the holidays and both went well. It was good to be working again even though it's all change soon.

Yesterday we had a playdate with Isabella's Kindergarten friend. The weather is still nice but slightly cooler after a big thunderstorm so they could play outside. 

We're getting some little jobs done today and celebrating a family birthday tomorrow before another chaotic work week. 

Links!

This really freaked me out.

Really enjoying series 2.

Good advice for difficult situations.

Help with one of my worst habits.

Sad but true.

Self help around the world. (I want to move to Canada)

What an adventure!

Constantly find inspiration here (usually while procrastinating).

Reading Review

Simple Genius - David Baldacci

An older murder mystery with links to the CIA, WW2 and code breaking, I quite enjoyed this novel. It wasn't extremely unique but it did keep me guessing.

Two private detectives travel to a research facility in order to investigate a death which has otherwise been ruled suicide. I liked the historical link and the odd twist in there.

Midwives - Chris Bohjalian

Another novel from my free 200 collection, this one was very different. It told the story of a midwife who faced a manslaughter trial in the 70s and is told from the point of view of her teenage daughter.

This one was a real page turner, very emotional, and it had a few twists in there. I liked the depth to this story and the character development.

The Man from St.Petersburg - Ken Follett

I love Ken Follett even though his early works don't live up to his more recentcontributions.

This story was set in the run up to the First World War and follows the attempts of a Russian anarchist to prevent his country being dragged into the war.

There are many complications and twists and I really enjoyed this one.

Home Grown Grapes

 Last year, Nico planted a lot of vine around the garden. They have been growing like crazy and last week, we enjoyed the first harvest. They taste so different to the supermarket variety and all of us enjoy them.

Looking forward to an increasing harvest over the next years.