Okay, first of all here's a recommendation for a good read. This anthology's been around for a while, so it's very likely you'll find it in a library or 2nd hand. 'Woman's Hour 50th Anniversary Short Story Collection', edited by Di Speirs. It's a beautiful selection of stories, and I don't think there's even one story that seems out of place.
It includes better known writers like Elizabeth Taylor (no, not the diamond encrusted film star!) and Margaret Atwood. Also stories by Annie Proulx, Helen Simpson and Lynne Truss. My fave has to be Amy Bloom's stunning 'Love is Not a Pie'. Oh, to be able to write something as perfect. I can dream ...
On to sewing. I've been continuing with various patchwork projects. I wish I could be utterly focused and work on one thing at a time, finishing it before moving on. But that's not me. So I've moving from small hexagons to larger hexs, from making a quilt to making what I think will be a bag. A roomy kind you could throw your groceries in. These red hexs will form one side of the bag.
It includes better known writers like Elizabeth Taylor (no, not the diamond encrusted film star!) and Margaret Atwood. Also stories by Annie Proulx, Helen Simpson and Lynne Truss. My fave has to be Amy Bloom's stunning 'Love is Not a Pie'. Oh, to be able to write something as perfect. I can dream ...
On to sewing. I've been continuing with various patchwork projects. I wish I could be utterly focused and work on one thing at a time, finishing it before moving on. But that's not me. So I've moving from small hexagons to larger hexs, from making a quilt to making what I think will be a bag. A roomy kind you could throw your groceries in. These red hexs will form one side of the bag.
I've had a go at baking too, using a recipe from Jack Monroe's budget busting cookbook. There's a recipe in it for Mandarin & Poppy Seed loaf. I had poppy seeds, thriftily gathered from those growing on my allotment last year, and bought tinned mandarin segments from Sainsburys value range. The recipe stumped me a little as I used the required 160ml of liquid, but the dough was way, way too sticky. I ended up adding a large quantity more of flour to get a dough-like consistency. Instead of having the oven on for ages I followed Jack's suggestion to make small scones instead of a big single loaf. A better option with my erratic oven! The resulting scones were a tad too heavy and I'd need to make them again, trying to decrease the amount of liquid rather than add more flour. Even so, the mandarins were a good addition, and the poppy seeds look attractive when you cut the scone open. Definitely worth another attempt. Have you tried any of her recipes? If so, what worked or didn't work for you?