Homemade Tortillas

It was my first time at making these and I was pleasantly surprised. They were so easy and they tasted good. I don't think I will bother with shop bought again. I reckon they'd be fun if you were getting the whole family involved in cooking the meal or if you were cooking with friends :)

We filled them with chilli con carne. They got a thumbs up from everyone so it looks like they are going to be making a regular appearance at the dinner table :) I just wish I could have served them with a home grown side salad...I grew the salad and it was doing brilliantly but the wild birds have been having a great time shredding the leaves and just leaving me with stalks!!!!! Oh well at least someone enjoyed the salad lol

Dox

Sharp End update

An aging but distinguished looking Sharp End

I thought after posting about Elliot it was only fair to give you an update on how Sharp End is doing...here is his latest pic...yes I know he's not really allowed on the furniture, and yes I know he is lounging on a leather armchair, but when you get to his age you've earned the right to bend the rules a little...and Sharp End if you are reading this, I said "a little" lol.

These days he is wobbly and on medication but he is still enjoying life. His body is covered in fatty tumour-like lumps but the vet says they are the least of his worries. Sadly he has Chronic Nerve Degeneration. Sometimes he cannot get up straight away and there are times when he drags one foot but he doesn't seem too frustrated by it. If he cannot get up he will bark to let us know and we give him a helping hand. He is still eating very well, both the food we give him and the food he manages to steal when we are not looking lol.

"Mmm, looks good enough to paddle in"

 We didn't think he'd make it but amazingly last month he went on holiday to Wales with us. In this picture he is contemplating going for a paddle in a Welsh river :) His body looks a barrel shape but that is because he has one lump the size of half a football on his shoulder/side and another not far off that size on his undercarriage on the opposite side...this is in addition to all the other various sized ones he has dotted around. The vet says they are not causing him distress and any kind of operation most certainly would, so it is best to leave them well alone. He is now by far the oldest of his breed the vet has treated and so we are counting our blessings that he is still with us even though he does look rather lumpy and bumpy!

He is unable to get in the Doxiemobile these days but we have a ramp that allows him to get into Mr D's car albeit it with a shove and "heave-ho!" from us. Mr D also made him a ramp to help him up the steps in the garden, he tried to step up the side of it first and had a couple of tumbles but now realises that if you start from the bottom life is much easier lol. When he is 'warmed up' he can still do a half run / trot,  it doesn't last long but it is perfectly adequate for chasing a ball. He does fall over a fair bit but he just shakes himself and gets back up, often looking at us as if to say "Did you push me?" lol

"Alas poor Bonio I knew him well"

He recently decided to get a bit too involved with some crafting I was doing...making flowers out of paper doilies...somehow he ended up wearing a homemade 'Shakespearian' doily collar...The rather fed up look was not because of the collar, he's always been okay with having hats and things put on him lol...but he was most dis-chuffed because he didn't want to sit still for the photo...his favourite visitor N was sitting to one side of him and he was desperate to go and lay on his feet lol.

So there you have it, that's what an aging Sharp End looks like. He is 14 now which is not the norm for a dog of his size and breeding. He comes with all the problems of old age that humans have ( I am always handy with my bucket and mop ) but we love him just as much as we ever did!

Dox

New addition to the family...

Introducing Elliot....

"Hi I'm Elliot"

"

"My Mum thinks I am the prettiest birdie in town"

"I'm just over 8 weeks old"

Isn't she an absolute darling? I've been liking the idea of having a pet bird again for quite a long time. For most of the 20 + years we've lived in this house we've had birds, but the last of the original gang passed on about 18-24 mths ago and we had been birdless since that time. I had my heart set on a blue budgerigar and a boy but when I saw Elliot she seemed so perfect in temperament that it didn't matter that she was not a boy. I hadn't originally wanted a girl as I was not keen on the 'egg' issues, but I guess we'll deal with that if and when it occurs.

All the information I read said leave the bird to settle for a week before you try and tame it, but she looked so chilled and relaxed I thought I'd make a start on getting her used to me the day she came home...in just a couple of hours she was sitting on my finger! I do think leaving it a week before you put your hand in the cage is a little foolish because surely then the bird would have started to think of the cage as THEIR territory and not yours????...thus giving you trust and territory issues to deal with. I don't know what other people think about that? If Elliot had appeared terrified then of course I wouldn't have pushed her, but she seemed to take it all in her stride so I guess I read her correctly. Last night she let me tickle her under the wing  which seems like a big step in trust. I won't let her out of the cage until she is perfectly happy with me stroking her back and neck...then if she gets into difficulty when she's out she won't feel stressed by me rescuing her from the back of the sofa or whatever.

I hope you are all well and happy.

Doxie :)

Happy Christmas everyone

Hello! If you celebrate Christmas I hope you are enjoying the festivities :)

I blew up my computer so just when I thought I'd be getting back into blogging I had to go AWOL. I have no way to upload photos at the mo so things may be a little dull for a while.

I've Been a busy bee but have been trying to spend more time with friends too.

Massive new flash is that I've taken up climbing as a new sport!!! We hope to get our own gear soon as hiring it each time is proving to be expensive. This new interest is all down to my friends J and N who are VERY into the sport. They'd been threatening to take me for some time and one day after a spot of Christmas shopping and lunch together they announced that that very evening they were gonna take me for my first try at it...what a thrill! I am not good with heights so this is another way I hope I will 'evolve' and move forward :) Thankfully DH and DS are just as keen to join in so it will become a family activity!

happy Christmas everyone

Doxie x

Teaching myself how to make better pastry

I bought myself some loose bottomed tartlet tins and they called for a better pastry than my usual shortcrust, so I tried my hand at Sweet tart pastry French style. I am very pleased with the results, the  crust has a hint of vanilla and a more biscuit-like texture than the shortcrust, 'yum!' I just can't stop baking at the mo, it's addictive, and yes I have started to put on weight, 'ahem!' I'm telling myself I need a bit more fat to keep myself warm through the Winter lol!

Doxie



Owl always love you!

A cushion cover I made for DH the other day. Okay the colours are not very masculine, but he can't complain at the message lol.

Doxie



Ivor's apples

I've never met Ivor but I am fortunate enough to be given some of his lovely apples each year...it is something I look forward to. This year instead of making large apple pies I thought I'd try individual tartlets. I didn't cook the apples first,, just chopped them up into small pieces and added a blob of blackcurrant jam.

...a light dusting of icing sugar and they are ready for lashings of double cream, yum!

Thankyou Ivor.
Doxie, who can't wait until tea time! x