This was previously published in The Wokingham Paper on Friday 29 May 2015.
Half Term is here
By 4pm last Friday my house was full of my children, their PE kit and homework and I could be heard saying how much I was looking forward to half term even though the house was devoid of food by 430pm! It was my plan to get the school uniform washed, line dried and put away by Friday bedtime, and hurrah that went according to plan! Half term is the time to recharge the batteries, delay the alarm clock and catch up on family time. We’re not gripped with exam fever this year which is a bonus but there has been homework to be done and fun has been had. The weather leading up to half term had been really odd so I hope that it bucks up its idea and gives everyone a decent summer of dry weather and warm evenings.
In the garden
The sound of the mower is becoming a more regular occurrence in gardens everywhere and plants are beginning to sprout and flower which is always lovely and means that there will be fresh home grown flowers in the house. We’ve found lots of nests in the hedges which we have left well alone and will look forward to seeing more birds in the garden soon. I have supported Georgie Newbery’s Plant Sale in aid of HeadSmart in Somerset for a few years now so my borders are full of beautiful flowers that are grown not flown. What isn’t so lovely is the return of the vile weed Mare’s Tail which is a paint to dig out so if anyone has any helpful suggestions do share!
Books
Much excitement as Rachael Lucas’ new book Coming Out Roses was recently published and it’s really rather good, her first book Sealed With A Kiss was superb so if you are looking for a good book to get your nose into then I can highly recommend both of those titles. I got The Greens Cook Book from Chapter One in Woodley which has some amazing recipes so we’re all eating well!
In the kitchen
I’ve recently made Split Green Pea Soup from The Greens Cook Book which was easy to make and with the left overs I added some lentils and curry powder to make a Dhansak sauce. Next on my list is sorrel quiche and as I have sorrel growing in the garden all I need is some eggs, flour milk, cheese and garlic to make a tasty meal served with salad and freshly baked bread. We’ve got salad growing in the garden so I can always grab a few leaves for a garnish or handfuls to make a big salad. As ever I am making up recipes and concoctions and my favourite salad dressing at the moment is a mixture of Balsamic Vinegar and chilli infused oil, which gives a tasty kick.
Half term fun with the family
There were loads of activities happening over the half term which my lot expressed an interest in, the internet and paper were a great source of inspiration as ever. Whatever your plans are for the half term I hope you had a lovely break and the batteries are refreshed for the last part of the school year!