So much to do...

So why I wonder am I procrastinating in front of the television again? Okay so the answer to that is I’m a sucker for a hospital drama and ridiculously easily distracted at times. Ridiculously easily distracted on Sunday at any rate – I set off into town in search of another Gladys Mitchell. It wasn’t available (poor show on behalf of the high streets only remaining dedicated bookseller) but they did – and still do – have the penguin decade’s series in a three for two offer which changed my dilemma from the normal ‘can only find two books’ to the still overly familiar one of ‘too much choice’.

I was sorely tempted by a Julia Childe cookbook until I worked out (by reading the cover, but it took a lot longer than might reasonably be expected) that it was volume 2. No volume 1 being available I went back to the penguins and dithered for a very long time. Choice finally made I set off for home again full of good intentions regarding ironing and hovering, and then got waylaid by a bench with an attractive view. In my defence I don’t have a garden of my own, and the park is on the way home, and it was far too nice and sunny to be doing housework anyway.

In the park (okay in park number two – it’s a leafy area) I was utterly sidetracked by a huge quantity of wild garlic, I’ve seen it every year for the last five years and every year swear I’m going to pick and cook some – it’s taking such a long time because I want to identify a patch which hasn’t been visited by dogs/cats/foxes/tramps and a time when passing youth won’t laugh. Sunday afternoon wasn’t quite the time. Besides which why do when you can read about doing? (A lot of good answers to that question which I will probably be ignoring.) So it was home for a good browse on things to do with wild garlic – at this point I had every intention of going back to gather some but ended up distracted by something in River Cottage Everyday... Apple and Almond Pudding Cake. It was very good, and yet again I ended up going to bed wondering how it is that I do so few of the things I mean to do on a day off. I still need to hoover.

3 or 4 good sized apples

25g unsalted butter

1 heaped tablespoon granulated sugar (I prefer golden sugars for apples)

¼ teaspoon of cinnamon

150g soft butter

125g sugar (I mixed golden castor sugar with a spoon of muscavado – because I could!)

1 teaspoon of Almond extract

75g of self raising flour

75g of ground almonds

2 eggs

20cm springform tin, lined and greased

Peel core and cut the apples into chunky slices, melt the butter and sugar, add the cinnamon and cook for about five mins until the apples are getting just soft. Put to one side and heat the oven to 170°C gas 3

Mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add 1 egg and beat some more, add egg 2 along with the almond extract and a spoon of flour to stop it curdling. Fold in the rest of the flour and the ground nuts and spread onto the bottom of the tin. Arrange the apples, complete with any juices, on top of the cake and bake for 45 mins. Good hot or cold – that Hugh knows his cakes.

What do I think I know?

I’m procrastinating tonight – I should be preparing for being trained about training in Colchester on Tuesday, but having finally had a look at the homework I’m having a sulk instead. The trip to Colchester is to take place immediately after work tomorrow which calls for a degree of orgonisation and packing which is encroaching on my day off (worked on Saturday, working tomorrow, don’t want to think about work At All today) and which is also threatening to take a big chunk out of my week. Next week I’m being sent to Reading for two days which I’m equally enthusiastic about.

The sulk is because I have to be prepared to train on a non work related subject – a hobby is suggested, I need to be prepared to do it twice and provide my own props. Props? What do these people think I do with my spare time? And of course now I come to think about it I’m wondering what I do in my spare time (not really aware of having any spare time but theoretically...) that I can demonstrate. I read, and then I write about reading, and then I read other people writing about reading, then I have a look on amazon. When I’ve done with that I cook – so I know when a proved loaf is ready for the oven, and when a cake is baked from the sound it makes – but these aren’t really the sort of things I can demonstrate on the spot. I can identify several different sorts of bird, tell you it will inevitably come on to rain when you go for a walk in Scotland – unless your dressed for it in which case the sun will blaze down.

I can, and do, draw a bit, I can explain the social significance of an enfilade of state rooms, and take a stab at decoding a fourteenth century altarpiece – I don’t have one I can take along though. I can (sort of) assemble flat pack shelves but that doesn’t seem appropriate either. Normally I would have gone down the wine tasting route which is a hobby, but is basically also my job so presumably not allowed. I’m not sure how much the trainer would appreciate hard liquor being introduced to the group either.

Eventually I came up with an explanation of how hallmarks work. This is the best I can do. The Scottish one can tie knots as befits a sailing enthusiast, and talk Swedish – at least enough to impress me – he makes great scones as well (though I did teach him to do that). I clearly watch too much trashy television and don’t get out enough, but seriously – what would You talk about?

I also take picture's of road signs with Otters on...