We've been helping with the children"s group for over a year! This term there were just 4 children in the first session of the activity group. With 3 helpers this was brilliant! Each child and each adult is making a "Bonjour" plaque. The children loved working with the salt dough and next week we shall paint and decorate the wooden plaques.
Renaissance and Traditional French dancing has started. We danced for several hours on Saturday afternoon and were rewarded with gateau to celebrate Hannah's 17th birthday.My piano teacher wants me to learn a piece by Scarlatti and also a piece by Beethoven. I'm still practising pieces from the film "The Piano", composed by Michael Nyman. I just get lost in the sounds and wish my piano was better. I would love to have a Steinway grand piano placed by white voile curtains against a window from which there is a view of the sea or the mountains! Dreams! Her children are learning English and have made a lot of practice and enjoy correcting our French.
As I write this I'm listening to a discussion about Chopin's Ballade No 1 in G Minor being played on the BBC and I'm in tears!! My piano teacher has a recording of that and other pieces on her new CD for sale at 12 or 15 euros
RADIO 4
Chopin's Ballade No 1 in G Minor
Tuesday 7 October 2008 13:30-14:00 (Radio 4 FM)
Repeated: Saturday 11 October 2008 15:30-16:00 (Radio 4 FM)
It's a programme called SOUL MUSIC. It is a series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal. The pianist Peter Donohoe explains how he practices sometimes 8 hours a day on attempting to perfect this technically demanding and emotionally turbulent piece of music.
After our arrival at the Salle des Fêtes and drinking morning coffee or fruit juice we walked 14km uphill, through the forest of Lesigny to the Chateau d'Alogny and downhill to an aperitif. Others stayed for lunch but I don't care for Choucroute and Charcuterie! At mid point on our walk we enjoyed a Casse-Croute (literally to break the crust). The tables were laden with a variety of pork patés, brie cheeses, baguette, broyeau biscuits, dried figs, apricots and prunes, chocolate, coffee, wine, fruit juices, and water.
After our own lunch and a rest/sleep we ventured out again into the wind and rain to the Garlic Festival. Most of the "car booters" had gone home but we listened to a brass band, and bought some garlic and onions. The ground is so hard that I'm not sure if we'll be able to plant any! Evidently garlic should be planted on the shortest day and harvested on the longest!
As I write this I'm listening to a discussion about Chopin's Ballade No 1 in G Minor being played on the BBC and I'm in tears!! My piano teacher has a recording of that and other pieces on her new CD for sale at 12 or 15 euros
RADIO 4
Chopin's Ballade No 1 in G Minor
Tuesday 7 October 2008 13:30-14:00 (Radio 4 FM)
Repeated: Saturday 11 October 2008 15:30-16:00 (Radio 4 FM)
It's a programme called SOUL MUSIC. It is a series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal. The pianist Peter Donohoe explains how he practices sometimes 8 hours a day on attempting to perfect this technically demanding and emotionally turbulent piece of music.
After our arrival at the Salle des Fêtes and drinking morning coffee or fruit juice we walked 14km uphill, through the forest of Lesigny to the Chateau d'Alogny and downhill to an aperitif. Others stayed for lunch but I don't care for Choucroute and Charcuterie! At mid point on our walk we enjoyed a Casse-Croute (literally to break the crust). The tables were laden with a variety of pork patés, brie cheeses, baguette, broyeau biscuits, dried figs, apricots and prunes, chocolate, coffee, wine, fruit juices, and water.
After our own lunch and a rest/sleep we ventured out again into the wind and rain to the Garlic Festival. Most of the "car booters" had gone home but we listened to a brass band, and bought some garlic and onions. The ground is so hard that I'm not sure if we'll be able to plant any! Evidently garlic should be planted on the shortest day and harvested on the longest! We took Anthony a home-made chocolate birthday cake and encouraged him to blow out the candles! He's 23! Here's the recipe:
PARTY CAKE adapted and simplified from
.JPG)
a recipe by Jamie Oliver3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
200g castor sugar
200g butter
3 eggs
3 eggs
200g self raising flour
1 teaspoonful baking powder
200ml double cream but I used crême fraîche
How to make it!
Preheat oven to 180°C
Prepare two 20cm cake tins. Spread a little margarine, butter or oil on the tins.
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Mix the cocoa powder with a little warm water.
Add it to the butter and sugar. Add the eggs. Add the flour and the baking powder. Beat altogether. If you wish you can add a handful of flaked or ground almonds.
Divide the mixture into the two tins. Bake for 25 minutes. Leave to cool. Remove the cakes from the tins. Spread crême fraîche onto the inside of each cake.
Scatter fresh raspberries onto one side and sandwich together. For Anthony's cake I used home made cherry jam. Yummy!!!!! Thanks Jamie!
Preheat oven to 180°C
Prepare two 20cm cake tins. Spread a little margarine, butter or oil on the tins.
Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Mix the cocoa powder with a little warm water.
Add it to the butter and sugar. Add the eggs. Add the flour and the baking powder. Beat altogether. If you wish you can add a handful of flaked or ground almonds.
Divide the mixture into the two tins. Bake for 25 minutes. Leave to cool. Remove the cakes from the tins. Spread crême fraîche onto the inside of each cake.
Scatter fresh raspberries onto one side and sandwich together. For Anthony's cake I used home made cherry jam. Yummy!!!!! Thanks Jamie!
If is not all eaten then keep it in the refrigerator.
We made green tomato chutney using 2kg tomatoes, 1kg onions and 1 kg apples and unfortunately burnt batch 2! Silly me!! Captain Sensible also made some onion chutney.
We also collected more apples from a friend's garden, so now we'll have to make some jam or more chutney, bottle purée and cook cakes and pies because they will not keep through the winter and we still have not got a freezer!
We also collected more apples from a friend's garden, so now we'll have to make some jam or more chutney, bottle purée and cook cakes and pies because they will not keep through the winter and we still have not got a freezer!
SWEETPEA'S SPECIAL GREEN TOMATO CHUTNEY
2kg chopped green tomatoes 1kg sliced white onions 1kg peeled and chopped apples 1500ml red wine vinegar 1500g sugar (a mixture of muscavado, soft brown or white sugar) 2tsp salt 2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp nutmeg 1tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp allspice.
Put all ingredients into a preserving pan (not an aluminium pan) and boil then simmer until reduced by almost half then boil rapidly until thicker. Fill clean, dry, warmed jars to the level of the rim of the jar. Stir to remove bubbles from the jars. Put lid on and seal tightly. Keep for several weeks or months before you eat with cheese or patés.
NB. This makes a very large quantity. Adjust the amounts of fruit according to the size of your pan!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment