Lovely wedding dresses that are not white. Infertility and a psychic. A food writers idyllic English cottage. St. Rita’s traveling bookstore. 19 things you didn’t know your iPhone could do. Just Watched:The Thursday Murder Club Helen Mirren, Celia Imrie, Pierce Brosnan and Ben Kingsley is the dream cast for the film rendition of the popular book series (although I must confess that I thought Fiona Shaw would have been an excellent Elizabeth). If, like me, you have enjoyed reading the books about a group of old age pensioners who solve cold cases for fun and then become embroiled in a…
Pudding&Mess Posts
A Long Way Down On New Year’s Eve four people from very different walks of life find themselves together on the roof of Toppers Building, a notorious suicide spot. There’s; Martin (Pierce Brosnan), famous but toppled by a sex scandal; Maureen (Toni Colette), a mother with a severely disabled son; Jess (Imogen Poots), heartbroken after a breakup; and JJ (Aaron Paul), an American musician with brain cancer. After much humorous discussion, they come to the decision that they will delay their impending deaths until Valentine’s Day, offering each other emotional support in an attempt to make suicide unnecessary. When the…
Run For The Hills Kevin Wilson On an ordinary Saturday morning, Mad Hill is working on her organic farm when a PT Cruiser pulls up and out steps Reuben Hill. He introduces himself as her half-brother, believing that they share a father that neither of them has seen in decades. He asks Mad to join him on a pilgrimage west to locate two more half-siblings, college basketball star, Pep and eleven year old aspiring filmmaker, Tom, with the intent of proceeding on to meet their father. As they travel, they trade stories of the man who was radically different for each…
A lovely and hearty Nigella recipe perfect for counteracting holiday indulgence. Embracing hygge for the colder months. Ten things to give up in exchange for happiness. Small, cosy cottage bedrooms. Arranging charcuterie. A perfect skill for the holidays. The perfect Christmas present to oneself! For some delightfully fizzy, holiday TV watching try: The Pursuit Of Love This TV show takes the frothy, flippant tone of the book and ramps it up about 358 notches. It follows the story line of the book remarkably closely but in a highly- stylized, over-the-top way (my favorite style of all). It does stretch credulity to…
I have been making mint brownies for many, many years. They are my most requested recipe. They have joined in the fun at classroom get togethers, kids parties, picnics and many a holiday gathering. Wrap half a dozen in parchment, tie with ribbon and you’ve got yourself the perfect little gift card holder. Great for teachers or tucked in the mailbox as a nice little holiday surprise for the mailman. They are a doddle to make, a dream to store in the fridge for days and can be frozen and kept on hand for any and all last minute surprises…
Mr Dickens And His Carol Samantha Silva A fictional account of how Dickens came to write one of his most famous and beloved stories. When Martin Chuzzlewit is a supreme flop, Dickens must face the fact that his financial status is looking bleak. His publisher declares that he must write a Christmas story immediately or he will face financial ruin. His wife, meanwhile, is planning their annual lavish Christmas party and his kids are tugging on his coat sleeves begging to go to the toy store. Feeling decidedly bah-humbugish with all of this stress, he becomes fractious and irritable so…
The loveliest blush pink paint colours. A deliciously colourful house in Chelsea A new Pride and Prejudice starring Olivia Coleman and directed by Dolly Alderton. Yes, please! Traveling the world without getting on a plane. 14 little things people stopped worrying about. The mental health benefits of a social media detox. Particularly beneficial for the holiday season. Just watched: Stonehouse The outlandishly true story of rising Labour MP, John Stonehouse, who in 1974, found himself in a spot of financial and espionage bother. He is blackmailed—via a honeytrap—into spying for the Czechs, but also paid handsomely with large sums of…
These shows have a few things in common. They are neither violent, nor aggressive, nor depressing yet are substantive enough to make them worth watching. They are undemanding, kinda cozy and provide lots of love and laughter with some getting bonus points for exquisite scenery and beautiful settings. Basically they tick all the boxes for enjoyable, bingeable TV. (And yes, I am shamelessly stretching British to include the Commonwealth – two of these shows are Australian. ~Brief Encounters In 1980’s Sheffield, a group of women of all ages and walks of life are brought together when they get into the…
Galileo’s Daughter Dava Sobel Sister Maria Celeste, a cloistered nun, is the oldest of Galileo Galilei’s three illegitimate children. She wrote to her father regularly and her letters set up a nice framework for this book which is, essentially, an account of the trials and tribulations that faced Galileo throughout his life. Maria wrote beautifully and despite the fact that her father’s return correspondence no longer exists, it is clear that the two enjoyed a deep regard for each other and were able to share their mutual love of both science and faith. No need to be a science geek to…
As the cool of autumn collapses into the cold of winter, as the late afternoon sunshine burnishes the remaining stubborn leaves on the tree tops to a gorgeous glowy copper, a world is created where the cosy comfort of an apple crumble is simply divine. While I adore a good crumble with spring and summer fruit, there is nothing quite like the simplicity of the humble apple at this time of year, and apple crumble feels like the crisp white shirt of the crumble world: elementary, yet classic, with hidden depths. You can, of course, use any apple your heart…