Monday, January 27, 2014

Mop Philosophy Monday

 How do you like the January flowers?  Aren't they like a bright spot of sunshine?
 MrBP has his own little bit of brightness a couple of days a week: Scotch whiskey.  I always wished I could drink it but no, I've never pushed past the "it tastes like gasoline" phase.
 Keeping a steady eye on your finances?  Me too.  Rather than keep all of those bothersome receipts I am paying for everything on debit and then transcribing the weekly spending by hand into this book, using the wonder that is online banking of course.
 Well I had to get Scout in here, how do you like her favourite toy?  It's an elephant, named Mee-mo.
 Thinking about your changing attitude towards prints?  Me too.  I seem to be drawn to animal prints, art-deco type designs and Liberty picks from Brora.
Liberty prints from Brora
 Speaking of Brora, can we talk about the fabulous winter sale?

 I've invested in a couple of the Cashmere Round Neck Jumpers.  I love these, they are such a great basic and I find the round neck more flattering and comfortable than a v-neck.
After editing my closet I found I didn't have many wearable jumpers... I did have a few that were too small and what good were they doing me?
I also found a few of my silk dresses and blouses for spring had grown too short and ill-fitting, goodbye to them as well.  The remedy?  Not complete replacement of 10 things but one thing in each category seems reasonable.
Silk Tie Front Blouse
 I am going to give these silk pieces a try... this blouse in a "fresco blue" and the silk smocked dress (which is lined in silk as well).

Silk Smocked Dress
It's so difficult to find a nice silk-lined frock anymore!
How have you been?  Any closet edits or replacements?  Anyone drinking Scotch whiskey?
I hope your Monday goes absolutely as well as it can,
xoxDani

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Sunday With Scout

 Well it's official.  We are besotted with our new puppy.  She is all of these things: calm, loving, playful, smart, attentive, sleepy and adorable.
It's been a busy couple of days and I am so taken with Scout.  I was awake most of the night listening for her and just being aware of the change.  Sometimes we grow set in our ways and are resistant to taking a leap, like bringing a puppy home... but I think these changes can be really positive and can bring loads of joy.
 We are crate training Scout combined with "umbilical cord training", basically we aren't letting her out of our sight.
Scout and MrBP
Blue cashmere sweater from Brora! It's MrBP's favourite.
 Well who would want to?  I'll tell you who's really over the moon: MrBP!
I hope you've had a lovely weekend,
xoxDani

Monday, January 20, 2014

Mop Philosophy Monday

 Do you drink this rooibos red tea?  I tried it for the first time just a week ago and I've been drinking it every day since.  I find it delicious and it supposedly has 9 million health benefits.  

I added a couple of items to my Winter Colour Story.  I was saving them for spring but why?  Colour is needed now!
Brora wool dress and skirt.
Liberty wool lined in silk.
 Well it looks like we're going to have a new character on the blog... are you ready...
 for Scout?
SCOUT
We finally found a puppy, Young Rascal has only been begging for a dog for 3 years!  She is a Golden Retriever/Poodle cross (a Golden Doodle F1).  A less allergic dog for some mild allergies in the family and a very smart breed with good temperament.  We pick her up on Saturday.  I'll try to restrict puppy photos to Mop Philosophy Monday updates, but this may be difficult: you can see for yourself that she is highly photogenic!
Have an excellent day Tooties,
xoxDani

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Undine And The Gang

 This is just a little reminder post about our upcoming Book Club selection: Edith Wharton's The Custom of the Country.
We will be discussing it on Saturday, February 1st.  You can find links in this post.
 I am enjoying this book so much, to be honest I am surprised that I find it absolutely riveting!  Undine is quite the singular character.
It's not too late, you still have plenty of time to read it, even quickly, as it is so enjoyable and perhaps a perfect book for dark winter nights.
If I'm late to respond to comments this week please forgive me, my family all have some sort of flu so I'm very busy cleaning everything while making vegetable broth!  Oh, winter...
xoxDani

Monday, January 13, 2014

Mop Philosophy Monday

The Glorious New KitchenAid Mixer
 The mixer arrived and has become The Boss of the kitchen.  Speaking of The Boss, Bruce Springsteen has a new album coming out this week.  Very exciting.

Have you been making some soothing Ovaltine with extra honey as a bedtime snack?  I know the honey seems over the top but I'm pretty sure it's medicinal.  Especially during the gloomy winter months.
 I was just out buying more vitamin D, and as for the vitamin C, well you can see I plonked every bit of citrus in the house on a platter.
Sunny Colour on a Platter
 The sun has been hiding but this morning we were treated to a beautiful sunrise.  Behold:
The view from the Mop Philosophy Kitchen.
 Sometimes buying simple things like fancy-ish salt can offer a real cheer-up.  Attractive packaging doesn't hurt:
 Can we talk about Refrigerator Management?
Nothing upsets me more than a filthy fridge.  I don't care if the house needs a dust and vacuum and is generally untidy but please, please, let's have sparkling refrigerators!
A bottle of Veuve is a very cheering sight inside the refrigerator.
It's like an accessory.
 Once a week food that is past prime should be chucked out of the fridge and then a general wipe-down should be undertaken, I use vinegar and water for this.
Once a month every component should be hauled out and scrubbed down with soap and warm water.   Wipe it all dry and put it back in, then fill with a stock-up from the grocery store.
I'm telling you, this makes me feel quite happy and accomplished.
My neighbour gave me these wonderful beeswax cloths for storing food in bowls.
 I divide the storage into sections: dairy and nuts in one area, cheese in the deli drawer, leftovers on one particular shelf... I bet you do something similar.
 I store jams and syrups together and of course there is the important Shelf Of Booze.
Well you wouldn't want to run out of wine this time of year!
I'm actually in the market for a new fridge/freezer combination.  The unit you see in these photos is all-fridge, we have an upright freezer downstairs.  I'd like to have just one unit as we rarely fill our large freezer and I think another family might get better use of it.  We're also fairly tired of not having ice cubes in the kitchen proper.  I'm sure you can understand how that would be annoying.  Any recommendations for a fridge/freezer combination?
xoxDani

Monday, January 6, 2014

Mop Philosophy Monday

 Have you been organizing your baking cupboard?  Me too.  You know what they say about dividing your kitchen into work zones... it's all true my friends.
Welsh Pie Dragon
My wee bottle of Grand Marnier
I like to cook up an occasional pudding with a dash of Grand Marnier... buying these little bottles keeps me out of trouble.  Of course I get myself into trouble with other things but never mind!  Have you got yourself a Pie Dragon, or perhaps a Pie Bird?  My dragon belonged to Grandma Jean.  She never did go to Wales but a friend did and brought it back for her.  I don't think she used it much as she was never much of a baker, she's more into beer and sausages!

I made a resolution this year to eat more cognac filled chocolates.  Also to bake more desserts and breads for MrBP and The Rascals.
My breadboard at the ready.
 Cinnamon buns are a popular stand-by.
Cinnamon buns.
MrBP loves these with a coffee.
 I like to dress up every day so aprons are a total must.  There's no hardship in that when Williams Sonoma makes them in such fetching colour combinations.
Williams Sonoma apron in gold and grey.
 I baked a sour apricot upside down cake without any flour and it was so delicious.  I made up the recipe as I went along but luckily I took photos for you so I've remembered the ingredients.
 Sour Apricot Upside Down Cake

Boil 1 heaping cup of dried sour apricots with 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of organic sugar for 10 minutes, then set aside...
Preheat your oven to 350 and mix together the following:
1 cup ground almonds
3 medium eggs (or 2 large)
1 cup organic sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 and 1/4 cups of extra smooth ricotta cheese

 Mix the batter ingredients until you get something fairly smooth looking.
 Pour your hot apricots with their syrup into a parchment covered round cake pan...
Careful not to burn yourself.
 then pour the batter right on top before sticking it in the hot oven.

Once your cake is golden looking and cooked through (mine took 35 minutes) remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.  Grab a plate and place on top of the cake, then with a skilled deft motion flip the whole thing upside down.  Peel away your paper and voila!
 It was quite good with a glass of Hungarian dessert wine.  I think this cake could also be done with sour cherries substituted for the sour apricots.

I'm keeping procurement for the household to a minimum this year but one item I have purchased will help me along with my New Year's Resolution (not the cognac filled chocolate resolution... the baking resolution).
 A new stand mixer!  Mine went kaput sometime in 2013 and it's really cramped my style in the old Mop Philosophy Kitchen.  It didn't owe me anything, I used that thing steady for 12 years.
My new one is "Willow Blue".  Do you have one of these deluxe treat machines, and if so which colour?
I hope your New Year is off to a brilliant start.  Let's make 2014 a good one.
xoxDani