Puff pastry

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Ever since my local bakery incident last year ‘nobody likes a mouldy turnover‘, I have taken it upon myself to be a bit more proactive in the kitchen and try not rely on the high street for things – even before everything went into lockdown.  A few incidents in recent years made me realise it was on a declining path and they had already lost my business mostly through their own doing – Death of the High Street

I make my own short crust pastry for things now and again, but have never attempted puff. I have seen it done on the TV and to be fair, and thought I might get round to it one day, but since discovering the pre made packs, have to admit that I probably never will make it myself now.

I am getting to enjoy all my favourites again and I know how fresh it is and what went into it. Makes a difference.

So far we have apple turnovers – 

Apricot Danish

And now have got the hang of corned beef pasties.

You may think that the pasties look suspiciously like the same shape as the turnovers, because they do. I didn’t see the need for the pasties to be round and it would waste some of the pastry. Waste not want not as they say.

I am aware though that suddenly upping your pastry intake can have a detrimental effect, so am trying to hold it down a bit, not bake constantly because then that means lot smore eating. So a bit more walking and a few more salads and I can justify it over the winter months.

(c) K Wicks

I’m not sure what… (poetry)

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I’m not sure what

We can achieve

If there’s no way

To ever believe

What’s being said

And being done

It’s been a debacle

Now it’s begun

Breaking down

What once there was

To create a new

Just because

This is what

The powers that be

Have now set forth

As reality

Sunset at Stonehenge, Wiltshire

Rhyme and Reason

(c) K Wicks

Robin

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Not so much now, but previously was lucky enough to live in a property that had a great garden, with hedges instead of fences and even had a small pond. The amount of wildlife that passed through was much greater than any other fenced garden I have known. I managed to capture a fair few different things in our brief year there.

The birds that visited took much of my attention (as did the squirrels), and I couldn’t help but put food out for them. They had the pond and plenty in nature, but a helping hand here and there doesn’t hurt does it?

The robins seem to get the hint that they should hand around for some photos, and wonderfully a baby robin dropped by as well.

I even caught him having an early bath one day. The blackbirds and sparrows also frequented the pond, it seems they all got along quite well.

Having the time and such a great garden at my disposal was a real treat. It’s not the same going out and about to try and find wildlife. Being able to see the same things and set up in different weathers and conditions was great. It changed every day and each time there were different flowers opening, or different bugs and insects. There isn’t enough available out and about for a photographer like me, I don’t always get the time to stand around waiting for the perfect shot or to get the angle I might like. And I end up feeling self conscious in public when I should be concentrating on the photo. I have a small garden now and have been treated to butterflies, caterpillars and one dragonfly whizzed through, but nothing like a less restricted garden would bring. So I dream of having a nicer garden again so I can capture the awesomeness of nature.

(c) K Wicks

Found a geode

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Fossil hunting was something I had always wanted to do and it wasn’t until mid 30’s I got round to it. For my birthday my husband took me on holiday to the Jurassic coast, where despite the choppy weather we took to the beach. It was Spring so not too choppy, but not calm or warm by any stretch.

There were a couple of great finds that day and one of them was finding a massive geode. I didn’t think I would ever get to see a real one in situ. I have an ornamental one my husband gifted me which is marvelous and polished up all nicely. But this one was sharp, gnarly and where it was mean to be. I was overjoyed. Only one problem, in the stone it was unbelievably heavy so would not be coming with.

Geode on the beach

A small piece was taken instead as a keepsake, so I can touch a piece of the geode we discovered thinking just maybe mine are the only human hands to have ever touched that piece.

Keepsake piece

I will also share the lovely amethyst one I have because it’s still one of my favourites. In fact I think they are all my favourite, it’s hard to choose when you see the beauty in so many things.

Amethyst Geode

(c) K Wicks