mhoulden: (Default)
2010-01-11 12:01 pm

Quack and, er


Swan and Duck
Originally uploaded by mhoulden
What noise do swans make? Went out for a walk on Saturday to try out the new camera. After about 3 miles it was so cold that the batteries stopped working, but I did manage to get some photos of rather chilly looking waterfowl.

Trying to summon up the energy to write a long blog post about training and plans for the year. Various things including the weather mean I'm not entirely sure what they'll be yet, but I want to put something down now kind of as a marker. I'm also seriously beginning to think about writing that book, not just as a diary of my weight loss over the last 3 years or so but also to include my take on things like nutrition, motivation and weight loss. I'm guessing the next steps would be to draft a sample chapter and find a publisher. I could probably get an idea of who to contact by having a look round the health and sport sections of Waterstones next time I'm in town. Dunno how many people would buy it, but I daresay it would be more interesting than most of the risible "new age" ones there are out there.
mhoulden: (Default)
2009-11-15 07:46 pm
Entry tags:

Swanning Around


15112009189.jpg
Originally uploaded by mhoulden
Another Creative Commons photo taken when I was out on the bike. I stopped when I saw some swans swimming on the canal and got the camera out. One swam past but there was another one behind it. When it saw me it started posing for the camera (probably expecting some food) so I got a couple more of it.

Also, quick recipe for gingerbread coffee syrup. In lieu of getting to Starbucks to have one of their gingerbread lattes or buying some from a shop I thought I'd try making some. Very easy to do but a little goes a very long way (2 teaspoons is more than enough for a standard cup of coffee).
8 fl oz demerara sugar
8 fl oz cup boiling water
3 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix sugar and water in a pan over a low heat
Add flavourings
Stir constantly until reduced by about a quarter in volume, for about 5 - 10 mins. Watch it doesn't get overdone and starts turning into toffee. The sugar will be partly melted so it'll still be quite thin
Remove from the pan and leave to cool. It should thicken up as it cools