Different creativity

In the first year of my blog I revealed my appalling failure as a gardener with the above picture..

These are the easiest thing in the world to grow ..nasturtiums ...and I had failed. 

But this year I have determined to have a better go at it.

 I think I gave up on gardening when we had dogs running all over the flower beds, so felt doomed to failure. 

Now, with a new, possibly chemically induced optimism...(Yes the pills are working) may I present the instant-tetris-bookshelf-raised-garden?

 Yes these little units were once my sons bookshelves made in tetris modules shapes.  I have asked for raised beds for the last six months. 'I'll have to look for some wood' came the reply.  

See if we have some wood?!!!!!

You can't look in our garage without getting splinters.  

So I went in the garage and saw these and knew they would work. They are only MDF so won't last long, but have had a coat of 'Ball green' inside and out and are sealed along the bottom edge with duct tape.

I have to admit that B&Q grew the chard and the strawberries..But I grew the broad beans from seeds.

 Impressed? I hope so. I am. I have a chair right next to them so I can sit and watch them grow, and listen to the army of slugs gnashing their teeth at the edge of the gravel. 

 Just pass me my  lace up wellies , an organic hemp smock, and a trug, and there's not much between me and Sarah Raven. Well, except about a foot in height and few acres.

 I know that in the south and east, broad beans are bearing fruit now,  and mine may seem pathetic, but its cold here, and often dull. Believe me this is a triumph in these parts. 850 feet above sea level and on the moors, clay soil, in the shade.

I've been creative in the kitchen too. (Oooh just call me Nigel Slater, what with the Swiss chard and everything)

Chocolate covered crinkle cut ready salted potato crisps .

One of my gifts for my friends 60th birthday after a conversation where they cropped up as a joke. 

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients: 4 bars of Cadburys Dairy Milk Chocolate

I bag of milky bar buttons

2 bags of Seabrookes crinkle cut ready salted crisps.

Method: Eat one of the bars of dairy milk.

Melt the other three.

In another bowl melt some of the milky bar buttons. Eat the rest.

Empty out the two bags of crisps and eat all the broken ones.

Dip the round ones in chocolate and put onto waxed paper. 

If you don't have waxed paper use a yard of bondaweb wrong side up with the adhesive bit peeled off.

Dribble with some milky bar chocolate melted.

Put in the fridge .

Try one.

Then another.

Just to see if they are ok.

And another.

Quality tested by me.

Yum.

I think.

Marrakech in March 8: A Typical Meal.

These pictures have just been acquired from a fellow traveller, so I have shoe horned this post in by backdating it.

Above the carpet warehouse in one of the souks was a roof terrace where we enjoyed a 'typical' Moroccan Meal .
We started with a large central plate of salads which were all delicious. Then came the main course of food cooked in' Tajines'.


Under the very hot conical lids were extremely hot dishes containing (clockwise from the top) chicken with lemons and olives, large beans in tomato sauce, meatballs in tomato sauce, lentil stew,and cous cous with vegetables, all very bland surprisingly.

There was plenty of delicious flat bread, freshly squeezed orange juice


Followed by sliced oranges sprinkled with cinnamon.


With musicians.

Marrakech in March 7: Eating out. (not for the squeamish)

These little pastries and sweets are nothing to do with the general thrust of this post but they are so pretty aren't they?



In the evenings we ventured into Djemaa el Fnaa, the central square of the old town.

Water sellers approach to pose,


The noise is cacophanous. There are stalls selling everything from Henna tattoos to false teeth.

Snake charmers, belly dancers, and fortune tellers all vie for attention.

But beware, they can spot a camera at a thousand paces, and every photo has to be paid for.

Dozens of stalls squeeze oranges and sell juice. Dozens of others are piled with dates nuts apricots and figs.

Rows of tables covered in white cloths wait for customers from the food stalls, all shouting words of encouragement to attract diners to try snail soup, meat on skewers and lentil stew.

'Come on ladies, we are air conditioned'

I ask if these are sheeps heads.

The reply

'Yes madame..and sheep bollock, very good'

We decline their offers and move into the souks and on to our meal in the Riyad Monceau,

which is the ultimate in luxury, having a golden hand basin.

No water comes out of the tap..and the food is bland...but its sooooooo stylish.

Its Morrocco.