Sunday, August 10

Simple cow's simple life and a flu

Um, hi? Is there anyone there anymore? I should have warned you that my last year in high school started some two weeks ago. As to this blog it means I'll be having many important things to do and so I'll have much less time than I'd like to have to write here. No, that's partly a lie, no longer than the day before yesterday morn' I skipped my lessons to sleep. The real reason is that I sleep less and thus am more tired and when I'm tired, my mind wanders so much it's a bit more challenging to concentrate properly. No, not so much that it'd be anything to be worried about or extraordinary or dangerous even, but you know. It's a peculiar thing, but that's what happens to me when I don't sleep enough.

And you say "why don't you sleep more then?". And I say, yes, it's completely my own choice at what time I go to bed. But the main thing here was that I wanted to inform you why have the posts been so few lately, not to complain about not sleeping enough.

These pictures are old. They are from the last weekend before school started. Vilina dear was visiting me, which was most delightful. People only rarely do visit me. We made roasted sweet garlic, thyme and mascarpone risotto with toasted almonds and bread crumbs, and for a dessert we had plum cake. The risotto recipe was Jamie's and magnificent, and the plum cake recipe was Tessa's and was also pretty damn tasty. I even used real dry white wine in the risotto, which I've never done before. It was just as nice an add to the original risotto savour I'm used to as I thought and hoped it would be. God I love risotto.

The next monday school started. Seems like eternity now. I've been trying to study hard for the matriculation exams I'll have this autumn, maths and english. See, I'm practising right now. Writing in english is practising, is it not?

I caught cold earlier this week and now I have a horrible flu. It's taking quite a part of my energy, but I'll manage. Today was a tough one, still. But black currants, oranges and sleep should do the trick. And maybe Strepsils and that Panadol flue medicine I don't remember the name of.

I've always liked berries very much. Although I must admit that lingonberries are yet to impress me properly. More than once I've brought home a litre of strawberries and ate them in an hour or two.

You know what helped today with the flu, too?

Paella. The chorizo I used was extra piquant and thus so spicy that it made me feel less sick for a while. And you know what also helped? Coffee and chocolate. Not kidding.

This is something I bought today. My new favourite toy, the lemon zester I've been breaming of since July! And if you'd only know what wonders one can do to carrots with that thing. I'll have to show you sometime. We also have some other new kitchen utensils, such as the potato brush. He's very cute and likeable, I'm telling you.

Oh, almost forgot. In November, I'm going to the first cooking course in my life. There was an advertisment in some newspaper. It's going to be one weekend long (saturday from 10 to 15 and sunday as well) and someone from Thailand is going to teach us how to make some Thai foods. There was also a course about chocolate, but I didn't fit in it anymore, the group already had their 12 persons. But I'm well satisfied with the Thai food course and I'm looking forward to it. But only secretly, so I don't get over excited and forget the fact that I should be paying most of my attention to school right now.

This here is a caramelized onion and parsnip soup from Bowl Food again. It wasn't quite as good and exciting as I had hoped, but that could be because of this horrid flu I'm having. One of the things in flu I especially dislike is the lost of appetite. I'm happy the today's paella was so spicy.

..No, wait, I already wrote about the flu and the paella, didn't I? Goodness, I didn't think my memory was this bad.

I've been planning to sew a new dress again. If you've seen Becoming Jane, it's going to be quite similiar to the red dress with long sleeves Jane's wearing when doing the reading to her sister. I almost got the dress started this afternoon despite the flu, but then it occured to me that there might not be just enough fabric for the sleeves. So it'll have to wait for a little while longer as I decided to go buy some more fabric tomorrow.

Then something different: Here's the very first strawberry from our garden this year. I picked it two weeks ago. Today I also pulled the first carrot out of the ground - it was Tiny, but tasted exactly the way I expected it to. I Love the taste of new carrots. They're so sweet and fresh and new.

Do forgive me the nonexistant recipes this time. I'm quite tired at the moment because of the flu, so do ask if you'd like to have a recipe for something in this post and I'll put it here later on. Truly I will, I promise. I will if you ask me to.

4 comments:

graffitihead said...

And you say "why don't you sleep more then?".

BECAUSE you need to game to stay sane! Ah har har har!

Also, you sneaky weasel didn't tell me anything 'bout the cooking course! I call this cheating! But in any case, congrats. Finally you start following your ambitions - and I am very pleased indeed to see that. Remember to break the eggs properly, then! I'll invite myself over for dinner on Christmas and analyze what you've learned.

Maaret said...

Well, I was almost going to tell about my new favourite evening pass time XD But I was afraid them others would laugh at me. Do people laugh at those who game?

I didn't tell you about the course? Goodness, I didn't tell you about the course! I was going to tell but forgot or didn't have the time to, yet. It was only yesterday that I noticed the whole thing, you see. Sorry I didn't tell. And it's nearly a shame it's only one weekend long, but surely one can learn a lot of things in a mere weekend if one wants to ^^ and I most certainly do

Anonymous said...

Oh, and in case you haven't noticed, I've come back from Japan! \(ovo)/ Hello Finland~

Just thought to tell that the über special fruit you talked about on the picnic, well, I didn't see anything like that, but that's really because I didn't see that many grocery stores to begin with. >_< Wouldn't have thought I could possibly complain of Akihabara having so many otaku shops, but looks like all the space was reserved for nerdism and normal food shops were either non-existant or very well hidden. In the end found one and didn't see anything more exotic than some bananas.

Of course, had I seen more exotic fruits I might not have recognized the one I was looking for as I never saw a picture and managed to forget the name as well, care to remind me again? XD;

Maaret said...

Kata! <3 Welcome back dear, I hope your trip went well and that you had jolly good time. (which you did, according to your journal entry from the subject. Goodness what odd things you've seen, dear, for example that hotel!)

..You know what. I had forgotten all about me even asking you to really look for the fruit in the first place. XD So it's perfectly fine that you didn't manage to find it, as you didn't even know what you were looking for. XD Oh how stupid of me. But here, have a look. It's called durian. http://www.kotimaisetkasvikset.fi/finfood/kasvikset.nsf/wtuotetietousaakkosittain/567DACAF4670C4BAC225714C0030A615?OpenDocument&View=2&Start=1&Count=90&Expand=4.2