The woods are utterly magical right now. We went to one maintained by the National Trust at the weekend, somewhere cool for the one with the thick fur coat.
The littlest boy swung on a vine which snapped. He landed literally flat on his back with all of the oomph knocked out of him. He was back up in a trice though, and minutes later swinging on another one. I asked him if he'd learned anything from the falling off moment. He said he didn't think so.
We swung around on a rope swing for a bit and just generally soaked up all the oxygen. I was still decompressing from all the royal wedding television the day before. Honestly, I don't think tv agrees with me, I almost need to detox afterwards.
It turns out that panna cotta is pretty much the same thing as a blancmange. An artisan blancmange if you will. And it has gelatine in it to boot. It turns out it is not the thing for me at all. Remember blancmange? Usually pink, sometimes pale yellow. I ate almost everything when I was little, wouldn't have dreamt of saying I didn't like something, except for broad beans, pears and grapefruit, I was allowed a free pass when it came to them. Anyway, I was never keen on blancmange, but from memory I ate mountains of the stuff. Don't intend to eat any more now, fancy Italian name or no fancy Italian name.
What I did make the other day was Nigella's hazelnut cheesecake. It's an absolute shocker, cream cheese and nutella (I used the Aldi version) and that's pretty much it. It went down a storm. Oh we're classy in this house.
The biggest boy has been playing a little adult cricket this season, which always includes an epic cricket tea. Honestly, you wouldn't believe the amount they feed him. It may be a strategy to slow them down, who knows. It's saving me a fortune in food. Once they're all in the team I'll barely have to feed them at weekends.
Hope you are enjoying the sight of me swinging about in the woods. Someone managed to make the rope spin round as well as back and forth, so that I felt quite ill by the time I got down. I am the worst traveller. Hope all is well with all. CJ xx
I remember a pink blancmange rabbit!
ReplyDeletePretty pretty pictures!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely wood, all dappled shade. Nigella seems to me to be basically about sugar, fat, dairy and a lot of pouting. Well done for not falling off the swing xxx
ReplyDeleteGood post and pictures. I always preferred climbing trees to swinging from them. The mention of blancmange brings back memories of summer Sunday tea in the garden when I was a youngster. xx
ReplyDeleteWe have a swing in the backyard for the little babe and sometimes it feels great to just soar and spin a little bit. And I am a firm believer in the power of nature as a detox.
ReplyDeleteHello ! in fact, the true pannacotta (= baked cream in italian) needs neither gelatine nor agar agar etc... It is cream (real rich cream, not light one)with egg whites, vanilla and sugar and baked slowly in the oven. And it's a treat .... gelatine changes the texture, but is widely used because it takes much less time to make... (sad speeded times...)
ReplyDeleteYour photos are beautiful as usual, thanks for sharing !
More swinging in the woods is required I think CJ! The woods near us are amazing too. Jo xx
ReplyDeleteI feel cool and serene after looking at all your leafy photos. Perfect. Bet you did enjoy the rope swing ride for a bit, it looks fun. Not a blancmange fan either and definitely get irritated with posh French names for the same thing. Funny how boys never learn. Mind you my cats have similar mentalities too. Such is life. B x
ReplyDeleteOhhh what lovely photos! What a wonderful, wonderful place to be able to walk. (And swing!)
ReplyDeleteThe perfect antidote for lots of tv. :-)
I wish i could walk there ...beautiful pictures ...love Ria x 💕
ReplyDeleteLook at you! That must have been so much fun. The woods do look really beautiful right now from your photos. I have always loved that dark, shadowy green.
ReplyDeleteYou are one athletic mama! I used to love swinging and going really high.. but that was a kajillion years ago that I could do that. We have a green forest on our property similar to that.. maybe we should hang some ropes in the limbs for our grandsons! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteI never like blancmange either... like solid custard! Like the sound of that cheesecake though!
ReplyDeleteAs I read I your blog CJ, I think what wonderful memories your boys will have of you and their childhoods. If recently read about an elementary school teacher who gave her students a writing prompt of "If you could do away with a piece of technology of today, what would you choose and why?" Four of her students wrote that they would do away with phones, because their parents were always talking on them. A kindergarten teacher reported that a classroom discussion resulted in many of her students saying that their parents spent more time on Facebook than they did with them. You are one mother who is doing her job right, and I applaud you for it. Now, if you can figure out how to put your magic in a bottle and sell it........
ReplyDeleteMy Mum used to give us blancmange straight out the saucepan whilst it was still hot, like flavoured, colourful runny custard. I used to love it like that, but hated it served all cold and wobbly.
ReplyDeleteYou make me smile every time I visit you CJ. Thank you for the photo of you spinning, we all lose the ability to tolerate that as we turn into adults. Funny how much you can spin when you are young and never feel ill. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteI just noticed I missed you swinging on a vine like Tarzan, it looks like a lot of fun! x
ReplyDeleteThe woods are my favourite place to be, but one with a rope swing?! That would be magical. We are National Trust members but everything is a good drive from the house and I can't drive so I never get enough woods time :)
ReplyDeleteI have never knowingly had blancmange but I have had panna cotta, I don't like it here in the UK but in Italy, they make it differently somehow - lighter and less jelly-like, I liked it there.
Hugs and sorry for long delay in reading your blog x
Is that Leigh Woods, we always stop there on the way to visit our son in Bristol? The Nutella cheesecake looks amazing, I must try it! Sarah x
ReplyDeleteHey CJ,
ReplyDeleteJust catching up with life at yours. We found some woods on the bank holiday. Olly found sticks that became staffs, throwing spears and the rest. He also climbed lots of trees. Honey enjoyed the cool. I enjoyed the jay that flew directly in front of me. I'm not sure who was more shocked to be honest. Never like blancmange; too pale. I like my pudding to have colour. Apart from vanilla ice cream and rice pudding. Or and crème brulee. I just like pudding.
Leanne xx