The World's Laziest Dessert

So, I had the lamb nailed. (Btw at the moment in the Shires, spring-born lamb is in its peak season, so get it while you can!) Now was the dilemma: dessert.

The thing I hate about dessert is that preparing it takes me away from the conversation. Unless I prepared it the night before, I want it done in an instant. So this leaves me the option of going to Tesco and buying a premade cake. And feeling rather cheated. Not to mention broke. However, there is another way.

One particular family I know seem to be obsessed with anything chilli-tasting. Their kitchen houses plenty of wonderful quirky chilli sauces, and the old favourites such as Tabasco and Encona. You remember that kid you grew up with who had ketchup with EVERYTHING? Their sons regard hot chilli with the same sort of bizarre loyalty.
So I decided I would feed the addiction just this once.

Caramelised Chilli Pineapple
(serves 3-4)

Large-ish tin of sliced (ringed) pineapples, 80-90% drained
2 red chillis (medium or hot heat level), deseeded and chopped finely
50g (or so) caster sugar
Tub of good quality vanilla ice-cream (Devon or Cornish works well here, I used the Kelly's brand)

One or two hours before eating, place the pineapple in a large bowl and mix in with the sugar.
Tip the chillis in and toss, making sure they are evenly coated. Cover with cling film and refridgerate.

10 or so minutes before serving, heat up a saucepan to a hot temperature, and tip all the contents in. Get it bubbling and frothy, and reduce to a medium/lower setting to simmer.

Be warned; it appears the mixture of sugar and chillis cooking can release a vapour that can for some reason, make you want to splutter and choke everywhere. (Best to place a kitchen towel over the lower part of your face, a la Lawrence of Arabia style. Yes you will look stupid.) Not recommended if you suffer with asthma :S

Continue cooking until the pineapple browns in a few places. You may find that there simply isn't enough sugar (I did), so feel at liberty to add some more.

Tip the piping hot chilli pineapples onto serving plates, get the ice-cream out of the freezer at the last minute, and serve with a couple of scoops each.

How Fast Time Goes....

Times and things change in a second. For the the past 2 months, I have been living with my friend Naomi (or The Gnomes) smack bang in the centre of town, yet it only seems yesterday. I have no idea how long I'll be here. I guess up until I start to understand finances and being self-reliant; so by the looks of it, more than a few months!
The biggest shock, most surprisingly, is coming home after work to an empty house. With 5 cats. And a giant rabbit.
Without a doubt, the best thing is sitting down at the table with a few friends and a meal a couple of times a week, glass of wine optional. Then all piling onto the couch with blankets and watching terrible girl-films that aren't funny. Its the simple things that please us the best.

Likewise, as autumn draws to a close and winter settles in, we start looking at our seasonal diet and out we chuck the salad and other 'summery' stuff. Something with a little spice - that subtle hint of warmth - is needed without the blow-your-brains-out heat of a curry. Yes, its lamb again, but lamb is wonderfully versatile and a no-brainer, not to mention incredibly quick.

Pan-Fried Lamb Cutlets
(serves 4)

8 lamb cutlets
A few large spoonfuls of apricot jam
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin seeds
Salt and pepper
Slosh of olive oil
A sprinkle of lemon juice or 1/2 a lemon
Packet of dried or tub of pre-made couscous (maybe x2 if not enough)
Bag of ready-washed salad (the rocket variety springs to mind here)

First is first; open the salad and dump it in a colinder. Rinse and toss. (You can never be too sure). Leave standing in the sink or wherever suitable. You may want to shove a few plates in the oven to preheat to keep the couscous and lamb hot.

Grab a pastry brush, dip it in the jam and coat all the cutlets all over with it evenly.
(If you've got an electric hob instead of a gas one, you might want to preheat the pan with the oil in ready at this point). Tip the coriander and cumin on a plate, with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Roll each cutlet through the seasoning, making sure both sides are coated. No problem if you run out of seasoning...just add a little more.
Throw the cutlets in the pan, (hopefully heated to a medium temperature at this point) and fry for 3-4 minutes before flipping over for another 3-4 minutes. if you don't like it rare, I would guess...7-9 minutes on each side? When at your preference, switch the heat to a steady simmer.

Now to the couscous. Basically just follow the instructions on the packet. Different brands have different ways; however, if you have a tin of chickpeas lurking your cupboard, heat them too and add to it...you might want to sprinkle a bit of dried apricot over it as well to tie in the flavours of the lamb. Go with flow.

Turn your attention back to the lamb and make sure its piping hot. Squeeze a small amount of lemon juice over the sizzling cutlets, and drizzle olive oil over the salad. Or maybe caesar dressing? Whatever you fancy. Load it all up, and serve!


Part 2 dessert will follow shortly....

Baz Luhrmann - you have made my day.

I didn't think I could forgive the maker of Moulin Rouge. Bringing another musical into the world was surely a mistake (I've always found them annoying and pointless) .

But he has redemption in the form of Hugh Jackman, who is starring in 'Australia', set for a December 26th UK release. And its not a musical!

And to be honest, that's all the information I have. I'm not really bothered though. If the film was entirely an hour of Mr. Jackman sat at a desk doing his tax returns, I'd still go and see it. Even the possibility that it will be a chick flick hasn't put me off.

Roll on December 26th!

There is No Point to Matthew McConaughey.

And I don't care if I've spelt his name wrong.

I probably shouldn't admit to this, but I saw Tropic Thunder the other day. (I didn't really expect the language to be so awful btw), and it completely kicked butt (minus the terrible language, of course). Granted, I was the only female in the entire audience enjoying the inpolitically correct jokes....plus, if it was just a film of Robert Downey Jr doing paperwork, I'd still go and see it (common reactions to this included 'EWWWWWW! He's my dad's age!' etc etc from girls, but what do they know? They find Brad Pitt attractive, and he has a face like a semi-melted volcano).
The thing is, the movie was a revelation to me. I realised I don't hate Tom Cruise as much as I thought I did. I've finally seen him in a film that hasn't made me want to walk over the pompous little gits' face. Therefore he deserves some sort of medal. Well done, little chap.

I'm somewhat biased, because Stiller can do no wrong in my eyes (apart from Meet the Fockers, which left me in a constant state of cringe). He's the bloke you meet at parties that keeps you doubled over (laughing I mean, hopefully not drunk) and the evening flowed with his banter as easily as the glasses of wine. Girls hovered around him like hawks, giving each other vicious looks, and the guys looked on enviously. OK, maybe Stiller's a little funny-looking (I don't personally think so, but each to their own) and generally his charisma is enough to carry off a truly awful film through. And he did it again.

All was going well until Matthew whathisname turned up. Like I said, I don't get this guy. His acting has never caught my attention (which according to his filmography, has been made up mostly of chick flicks. Oh dear. There's the problem). He has no charisma or 'pull', only an annoying self-smugness. And not surprisingly, he hasn't won any beauty contests either. So that rules the eye-candy excuse out.

So what exactly do he do?

Wikipedia:

"McConaughey's personal motto is "Just Keep Livin" and his foundation is called JK Livin Foundation. JK Livin Foundation's main purpose is to help young people live "fuller" lives."

Oh like how totally awesome. I love how you like dropped the 'g' of living, so rad. What a drongo.
So how, Mr. McConalot, do you think we should live 'fuller' lives?

Ironically, it goes on at the next sentence:

"On October 24, 1999, McConaughey was arrested at his home in Austin, Texas on charges of possession of marijuana and resisting arrest."

Oh dear.



(Sorry if anybody is a fan, I felt oblidged to replace the wrath I usually pour on Tom Cruise on someone else) :P

Chocolate beer goodness and goodbyes

Well, sunday was rather a sad day for us in Evesham Bengeworth cong. We had to say goodbye to my bookstudy conductor and his wife who have been assigned to somewhere about 25 miles away. Which, let's face it, isn't far, but it will definitely make a difference to us.

As a small 'farewell' do, we had a few refreshments at the hall yesterday. So my (usually distrastrious) contribution had to be a cake. More specifically, a chocolate ale recipe I'd been playing around with recently. Two rather famous British chefs have both made their own version of this recipe; I can only recommend thoroughly researching both and working out which aspects appeal best to you and trial and error. Then maybe adding your own spin on it :)

I've also noticed this is best served at a blokes' get-together; a lot of women aren't drawn to the slightly bitter taste. English 'beer' can be confused with ale. It should be a strong, silky-smooth dark brew that you choose. My recipe uses either London Pride or Jenning's Snecks dark ale. Disgusting to drink, but wonderful to cook with. Guinness can be used, but lacks that bitter aftertaste, although has a wonderful silky texture. (Excuse the pictures, I can't quite get the hang of arranging them on a blog without messing up). Another word of warning; it IS full to the brim of calories and sugar. But is suitable for the teetotal (it's cooked above 70 degrees, the dissolving point of alcohol), so you won't get smashed just by having some :P

Another tip: Make this cake a few days in advance and refridgerate it before icing. Trust me. It always tastes better.

For cake:

250 ml ale (see above)
250 g unsalted butter
75 g cocoa (I highly recommend bournville's brand; very dark and rich)
400 g caster sugar
143 ml sour cream
2 largish eggs
2 - 3 tsp vanilla extract
275 g plain flour (don't do what I did and pick up the cheap one that you use for pastry...not good)
2 tsps bicarbonate of soda

For icing:

300g Philadelphia cream cheese (the full-fat version)
125 ml double cream
150 g icing sugar

You'll need a cake tin roughly 23cm in circum. If you have to squidge it in a different size, be careful. Trust me, rise this cake will. Leave a generous gap between the batter and the edge of the tin. (You could always make cupcakes with the rest of the batter).

* * *

Preheat the oven to 180^oc (no fan), line the cake tin with baking paper. It saves faffing around with butter and stuff.

This is the great bit. Pour the beer into a medium saucepan, chop up the unsalted butter and chuck in. Stir occasionally to aid the melting process. Whisk in the cocoa (you get a good idea of what the cake will smell like at this point) and sugar. Leave on a low heat and keep your eye on it.
In a seperate bowl, combine the sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Use eletric beaters until thoroughly mixed, then add to the beery pan. Put the bicarb and flour together and add gradually to the pan; it can rise quite suddenly at this point, so best to lift it off the heat as you add. Whisk thoroughly. You might want to get the electric whisk out again at this point, to make sure there's no lumps, and the batter is smooth.

Pour the batter in the tin and lob in the oven for 45 minutes. This could take up to an hour though; its a tricky cake to keep an eye on. It's a naturally black-coloured cake, so its a case of trying to work out when it might be burning. Try not to open the oven too much, the sudden whoosh of oxygen might cause the cake to deflate. The best way to see if it is ready is to do the traditional stabbing-in-the-middle test...the cake, I mean. If the knife comes out clean, you're done. If it comes out with bits of cake on it, leave it cooking and check again in a bit. Don't worry about leaving marks and making a bit of a mess; this is why we invented icing ;)

After you've got it out and let it cooled, you may be thinking 'Oh crap, its rock hard around the edges and its sunken in the middle'. Don't worry. As hard as it is on the outside, it will be much more soft in the middle. If its the case that its sunken in a few places, you may have to cheat and do some grafting from the sides of the cake to put on the top. (Take it from places you know will be covered from icing). Or if you've made cupcakes as well, they could come in handy for that.

At this stage, you'll probably want to store it in the fridge for a day or two to 'settle'. Make sure its covered, to lock the moisture in. Dairy goes off quickly, so you might want to do the icing the night before you want to serve the cake.

Icing is easy as trying to find a pub in Ireland. Scoop the cream cheese into a bowl, and whip until smooth-ish. Sieve the icing sugar in, then beat again. Add the cream to make it a more spreadable texture, and beat again for a few minutes. Dollop it onto the cake; don't worry about it being 'neat', aim for a lovely messy, swirly pattern. Refridgerate until needed (the longer you leave it, the better!)

The Ever-Elusive Blueberry Muffin

For some people, its an English roast dinner. For others; the crispy and sought-after pastry that tops the perfect pie. For me, its those damnable blueberry muffins. I am talking about the weakness in the kitchen that you dread preparing, because you just KNOW it will turn out horrifically.

Whenever I shop at Morrisons, I get depressed. Most of their bakery produce is dire; however the lowest shelf in the bakery makes up for this. They ram about 500 bluberries into each case, and it still ends up tenderly moist and spongy. Each one is also big enough to feed an entire family of six. The Times even gave it full marks in a review, beating Marks and Spencer's own for goodness sake. And who ever beats M&S??!

When I first started, I invented my own recipe for the batter. It was 'OK', in the sense that I was sort-of satisified with the texture, until I tried Morrisons'. Then I realised how poor it was. I scoured libraries and the writings of famous chefs. All of which were OK to horrendous. I've only just finished Phil Vickery's take on it, and it seems the poor guy must have confused 'muffin' for 'rock cake' or 'scone'. At a light golden colour, they are easily dense enough to hurl at a passing-by car and cause a dent. And he swears by lemon zest, instead of vanilla essence.
I was prepared to go back and at least toy with my own dire recipe before I forget it entirely, until I realised that I've lost the notes I made. Blast.

I was kind of hoping somebody out there might have the recipe I've been looking for. Spongy, full of fruit, awesome flavour and not a dry area in sight. Comments/hints (or answers!!) very welcome :)

The Old Rectifying House, Worcester

Weekends are incredibly unfair. You've got 2 days (or 1, usually in my case) to cram everything else but work into; so a night on the town is a privledge and a treat.

I used to study in Worcester, and I forgot how atrocious the nightlife was. I learnt one thing however after I returned from the cash machine waiting to meet someone on a street corner; if you are a woman, dressed in stilettos, standing around on your own, men WILL get the wrong idea. You could look like Hulk Hogan in a dress, and men would still get the wrong idea. Just be very careful, ladies. If a man offers you money, don't go "OOOOoo, thankyou! What's that for??" or ask if the 'For Sale' sign on your car is still there. Run. Run screaming.

Anyways, after I was met by a familar face or two, we found the way (quite a way, I should add...in the wrong part of town) to the wonderful Old Rectifying House (see above). Located in the backdrop of Worcester's St. John's, and right by the river, a fabulously restored...house...for rectifying...something or other. I have no idea what. But anyway, the service is immaculate as soon as you step in. The barman knows his wine. The waitress has.....some idea of the food, but she's awfully lovely anyhoo. But I take my hat off to the chef, who obviously views his food as a art meant to be perfected; with careful musing on textures and flavours, then presenting it all in a superb manner. Top marks. He obviously takes justified pride in his work, and fair play to him. His is also the only chef I have seen incorporate chillies into deserts in a fairly non-controversial menu. He has stuck to a good few 'safe' bets, then gone a bit wild in the menu here and there. There's leffe-battered fish, and seared duck breast, all very well...then in a schizophrenic fit of creativity, throws eye-watering chilli into a cooling desert. He pulled it off marvellously, anyway.
My bill for my meal alone (including drink) was roughly 24 pounds. Pretty darned awesome.

Afterwards, we headed over to the Marrs Bar (its a blues club, not a chocolate), to see the very underrated Joanne Shaw Taylor (http://www.myspace.com/joanneshawtaylor). Think Joss Stone with an electric guitar. I've been hunting for one of her CDs for a year or two. A smokey-voiced girl who's been playing since she was about 12, I'm utterly astounded she's not more well-known. What a great end to the evening.

Sunday saw me being dragged with a friend and her boyfriend to see.....urgh...Adam Sandler's new pitiful attempt at the cinema. He was never funny in the first place. And he's proved me right again. Hideously bad. Again.

I heart Wall-E. A lot.

I saw this for a second time last night. And it still made me laugh and cry.

The memories of 80's childhood movies are still very close to my heart, so something that could bring the nostalgic tingly feeling that Short Circuit gave me, still felt very much alive when I saw this. (I have all of the terrible 80's American films hoarded up in my DVD collection...even the dreadful ones like the Mannequin and Police Academy no. 1,560. I shamefully adore all of them)

The fact is, halfway through any film at the cinema, my mind is whirling...is the time up my carpark ticket? Have I got fined/clamped for overstaying? Will the gates be locked forcing me to pay a 40 pound fine to be released? Is the gap by the fence still there, and can I get a Mondeo through it?....the fact is, I was only worrying about this after the film, when I was walking out. The mixture of sadness and elation was taking up too much of my emotions to worry.

Obviously, I can't give anything away but GO AND SEE IT! Kids will love it, nerds will love the '2001: A Space Odyssey' references (I saw this with a computer programer who owns 4 PCS, numerous game consoles, and 'got' all the 'in'-jokes I didn't...figures). Highly entertaining, with a strong sense of morale I hope doesn't go unnoticed to those who watch the little robot with the big doe-eyes....enjoy.

Stew Part 2 - England vs. Wales

Since I've visited our 'next-door neighbours' a few times now, I assumed it was time to start experimenting with their cuisine. When I was younger, my mother did Welsh meatballs (at least, I think that's what they were?), which my sister detested, but I loved.

The Welsh seem bewilderingly proud of their plain, country-fied diet. So cawl Cymreig (or 'Welsh stew') is a typical traditional working-mens' (farmers) dish, very rarely made without lamb (as is 90% of their diet). Its' typically based with leeks (again, a traditional vegetable) and any other stuff they happen dig out of the ground. I've added bacon to this however, which is probably some sort of treason. Ah well. These both serve about 3/4 people. Again, don't feel oblidged to buy the best cut of lamb (neck fillet, or leg or any other cheap one will do)...the cawl was traditionally made by bumpkin peasants to use up whatever they had left at the end of the week.

Cawl Cymreig

500g mutton/lamb, sliced into chunks or strips
5 tbsp (roughly) all-purpose flour
125g smoked bacon, sliced or diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 small swede (the vegetable, not a citizen of Europe), cut into chunks
1.5 onions, chopped coarsely
450ml (thereabouts) vegetable stock
Sprinkling of black peppercorns
3 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
chopped thyme (optional)
salt
350g potatoes, peeled and halved
3 leeks, sliced (discard the green tips)
Cornflour (optional)

Take the sliced lamb, and coat in the flour, making sure its evenly covered. Season with a little salt. Bung in slow cooker.

It's all pretty easy...put everything on 'low' and leave for a few hours (4 is ideal), just remember to remove the peppercorns, cloves and bay leaf before eating. Although the lamb is coated with flour, it might not be thick enough for your liking. 30 minutes before serving, crank the cooker up to 'high' and add a couple of tsp of cornflour. Ideally serve with crusty bread and Caerphilly cheese.


English Version

500g lamb, sliced into chunks or strips
Half a butternut squash, peeled and cubed
Half a sweet potato, peeled and cubed
300ml lamb stock
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 bay leaves
Half tsp of rosemary (dried or fresh, whichever you prefer)
Pinch of mint (again, the format is up to you, although fresh is preferred)
Salt and pepper
300/350 g potatoes, peeled and halved
Cornflour

Optional for dumplings:

50g self raising flour
25g suet
salt and pepper
Sprinkling of thyme


Again, pretty much the same stuff before. The reason I didn't coat the lamb in flour this time is because it seems to be a 'weird' thing to do here - most people look bemused, or ask why I don't just use a bit extra cornflour. However, the Welsh recipes seemed pretty keen on it, so I figured I'd do it their way that once. This is pretty 'rich' stew and only needs crusty bread to mop it up...it fills you up pretty quickly.

Lob everything in on 'low', and 30 minutes before turn it up to 'high' and add a couple of tsp of cornflour (play it by ear, if it doesn't look thick enough, add a bit more by bit). If you're making the dumplings, 15 minutes after you've added the cornflour, chuck them in. They should be done in 10 - 15 minutes.

Dumplings are good, but tremendously fattening. I don't eat them because of that reason, but a lot of English people love them.

To make the dumplings:

Chuck the ingredients in a mixing bowl, adding a little water each time to make a dough (do this in small steps, too much water, and you'll have to start again). Knead, and when thoroughly mixed, shape into two golf-ball sized globs. Throw them in the stew, and wait for 10 -15 minutes. Voilà.

Serve ideally on a blustery weekend, on a sofa, complete with blankets and bad daytime TV (its my ultimate comfort food) :)

I Know Jack About Fashion and 40-something chicks

Thank goodness. The SATC mania has died down. 12 months before the release of the film in the UK, we had endless information on the film in every single female-oriented magazine you could pick up. Everytime I flicked to the film review section, they'd be on about not, let's say, how awesome the new Chronicles of Narnia film is, (and I didn't want that film to end) or even screenshots of the up-and-coming (at the time, and turned out to be a great let-down) Indiana Jones 4, but Sarah Jessica Parker's hair. Sarah Jessica Parker's underwear. The bus she took to work that day. Her burps. I wanted to strangle every film journalist out there.

The fact is, her clothing was really bizarre (see above), I just don't get it. Nobody would wear any of it. Apart from the actual sitcom boring everything lifelike out of me, I can't work out exactly why it would appeal to women. As soon as these outfits hit the screen, we were bombarded with trend after trend. I couldn't shop anywhere without seeing ruffles and bows. I just wanted simple office clothing, but no...that would involve buying a dress that made me look like a toilet-brush holder. I know my clothing is pretty boring, and I spend most of my life in pencil skirts (they went 'out' a year ago, but am I bovvered?) but I don't like the high street dictating what and what I should not be wearing. If I see a weird-looking pair of heels going in a shop that's off the beaten track, I'll probably take them if they're reasonably priced. If I see a very cheap pair of boring heels going....what's to stop me taking them home and re-designing them myself?

I know particularly a lot of women will disagree with my stance on the show. They'll probably disagree with my loathing of Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy and most 'girly' shows, and can't for the life of them understand why I like to watch Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson roaring along a track full of quips and throwing witty banter around. Or perhaps watching 'England Top Gear vs. Germany Top Gear'...or rather, seeing the British presenters meeting in 'neutral Belgium' arriving in no less than a fleet of spitfires. Either way, its jolly good fun, and they should try it.

Oh summer cooking, let me count the ways I hate thee...

Well, summer has reached us in the Shires. When I say 'summer', it means days of alternating between wearing sweaters and vest tops. For days it has been nightmarishly humid, however today I seem to be digging out jumpers from 2 years ago and sipping coffee while it pours with rain (no change there then) outside.

I'm not quite ready to let go of my slow cooker, either. EVERY kitchen should have a slow cooker. You can lob everything in there at 8AM before work, come back at 6:30 and get in. It's the winter meal essential. I'm sick of seeing chewy, bland chicken caesar salads.

One of my favourites is what I call a Spanish stew...(only one ingredient is of Spanish origin, it just sounds more exotic that way). The vibrancy and colours do lend themselves to summer, but I designed and used this as more of a mildly spicy winter-warmer for 2 or more:

2 fresh lamb leg steaks
1 celery stick
Baby new potatoes, about 200g, halved (peeled or not, its up to you)
Handful of black olives (again, personal choice. If they make you retch, no worries.)
Chorizo sausage (one half) (you can buy these from supermarket delis, but DON'T buy the thin, pre-sliced flimsy version in packets. They disintergrate far too easily and make the stew too rich).
Jar of tomato-based pasta sauce (or tomato puree with added capsicums, your choice), about 200/300 g
2 tsp of tabasco sauce (optional)
1 tsp of paprika
Salt and pepper

Cut the lamb steaks into chunks, trimming any excess fat (feel free to leave a bit on, it contributes to the flavour). Lob into slow cooker. Add sauce and paprika. Wash and pat dry the celery, slicing (don't forget to use a different or cleaned knife to the lamb one) in 2cm chunks. Throw in. Tumble in the halved potatoes. Slice the chorizo in 1.5 cm chunks, and lob along with olives (if using). At this point, if the stew is looking too 'stodgy' for your liking (it will get more liquidy as it cooks) you can add a little bit of water. Sprinkle over some salt and pepper (go easy on the salt, the chorizo is pretty rich in this) and turn on the slow cooker at a low temp. Stir gently after 1.5 hours, taste and add tabasco if needed. Leave for another 2-3 hours. Serve with warmed garlic bread and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

Other stew(s) to follow :)

Assembly

Well, I'm still getting over the assembly from last week. Tottering around the car park with refreshments for the brothers on duty in 5 inch stilettos (see pic)...not recommended. But awesome. I could look most people in the eye for once. Also, I tried saying a very basic 'dzien dobry' to some of the Polish brothers (the Polish speaking attendants wore orange jackets) ...not only could I not pronounce it properly, but to my dismay and amusement about a minute later an English brother came by, and the Polish attendant said 'alright mate?' in what I was sure was a Birmingham accent. I must have looked so blank, because the brother just seemed to grin after that. (Lesson: About 80% of the Polish attendants are actually English brothers who are fluent in Polish).

I always hated blogs....

So I guess I'm eating my own words. I always just assumed they were written by emo kids or people who have nothing else to do (well work is desolate...there's nothing worse than being sat by a computer with nothing to do except stare at the sheep and tractors in the fields outside).

Anyways, I'll get the hang of this blog malarkey soon (hopefully).