Diary of a Suburban Squeen

So, in light of this meme, let's hear it for me talking about things I don't usually talk about.

It was a short list.

1. Lightbulbs (kathrynw)

I do, in fact, have an opinion on lightbulbs. I am all for energy-saving lightbulbs. Energy saving is a good thing. It helps save the planet (I know, I know: what, at this juncture, does that expression even mean any more? Well, actually, in this instance, they use far less electricity to run, which means less energy has to be produced which means burning fewer fossil fuels (a) which are not a renewable source and therefore likely to run out at some stage and (b) the burning of which produces by-products that have a detrimental effect on the environment - I assume everyone knows that; I don't even know why I even bothered to type it out) and also save us money on our electricity bill. Woo. Everyone wins. However, sadly, energy lightbulbs also suck. They take forever to turn on properly and they aren't as bright even then. Also, the design is ugly. I love the old standard lightbulbs - there's something so iconic about them. I have a standard lightbulb in the lamp on my bedside table, mostly because I'm not sure energy ones would fit with the lampshade without making it look like the lampshade was giving birth to plastic intestines.

2. The Future (megaleena)

The future. Oh, the future. That's a pretty wide remit to ask someone to LJ about, Mog. In terms of the general future, mostly I think it's going to pobble along much as it has already. Maybe in a few years there'll be another massive leap forward in technology and we'll have flying cars, but to be completely frank with you, I don't think Britain's transport structure is up to the challenge (Britain: the country that didn't bother rebuilding and expanding on its Roman roads until the eighteenth century), so I don't really see that happening. Ditto also living on Mars; living in underwater towns; shuttle services to the moon for £37.99 (+ booking fees) with easyShuttle; Vulcans deciding we're technologically advanced enough to contact; Vogons deciding to destroy the planet to build a new hyperspace bypass; world peace. I do worry that this country is becoming increasingly authoritarian (though welcome the news that ID cards are off the agenda for the time being), but mostly I trust that the political pendulum will swing back the other way.

Alternatively, of course, we will have an actual apocalypse (likely causes: massive climate change [cf The Day After Tomorrow]; alien invasion (OK, that's less likely); massive collapse of financial systems; meteorite hitting the earth and Bruce Willis not being available to DRILL INTO ITS CORE to save us; zombies), in which I will soon die due to frequently mentioned inability to fight to the death for scattered remnants of Waitrose inventory.

For my own personal future: who knows? As Anne said, the future is a bend in the road up ahead. Maybe Captain Kirk will come through a time vortex, fall in love with me, and give me an alien STD. Maybe not. Maybe Chris will win the lottery and Katie and I will have a bookshop-cum-tearoom. Maybe I will die tragically young and everyone will weep at my funeral. Maybe I will stumble across the path of a stockbroker or doctor or Waterstones employee or IT advisor or something and get married and have generally neglected children. Maybe I will just chug along as I do now and have my little jobs and Katie and I will indeed end up as old women with scanty pensions and ceramic cats. Who knows? Or dares to dream? /Percy voice.

3. The Great Cooking Challenge 2009 (katherinea)

Shut up, Katherine! Actually, I've done a recipe or two that I haven't LJed about, but I can't remember them now! Maybe I will try again through the Autumn...

4. Are there really things I don't LJ about? (ungratefulwench)

Actually, I don't think this counts as a topic under the meaning of the act but I DON'T CARE; I will treat it as such. No, there aren't really things I don't LJ about. Basically, as everyone has doubtless noticed by now, I like the sound of my own voice (or the look of my own words - whatevs). I have lots of thoughts and they are, naturally, all AWESOME, and I like to share them, whether they're on religion or politics or books or TV or my hair or Jim Kirk and his tiny broken psyche or Spock and his emo life now that I've left him. Actually, you know what I don't LJ about? Other people. I should probably stop being so self-centred, but what is the diary concept about if not being self-centred? Answers on a postcard...

In the end, I was brave. Nay, valiant. And it was SO COLD and I got stuck at the level crossing both ways FOR SO DAMNED LONG, that I feel my Captain Oates quote was only too appropriate. Apart from the part where I nobly commited suicide in a desperate bid to save my comrades. Which I didn't do so much. Meh. It's a Saturday. You can only expect so much.

So I had my little trip to Sainsbury's at the bottom of White Hart Lane (the controversial one, which is trying so ridiculously hard to prove that it's as chock-full of community spirit as any old local shop, it's hilarious). I bought (just so you're fully up-to-date on Fangirl Towers' recent purchases) some parsley, a strudel, and a bottle of wine (unlike katie__pillar, I did not get IDed, which is almost a shame as I had composed a splendid diatribe on the subject in my THREE HOURS FREEZING TO DEATH AT THE LEVEL CROSSING, WITH NO TRAINS AT ANY TIME ON THE HORIZON, which would culminate in my imperiously summoning the manager and slaying him with my lorgnette, a plan only minimally hampered by the fact that I am not in possession of such an eye-piece). And in browsing the shelves, I saw this:



WTF? What is it with people? White sauce is made using margarine, flour and milk, and costs about tuppence ha'penny. Why in the name of all that is sparkly would anyone buy a jar of the stuff costing £1.90? Pah, I say. I pity the fool.

Anyway, enough of other people. What, I am sure you are all anxious to know, have I been doing today? Well, I didn't get dressed, that's for damn sure as mustard. I do see some kind of washing in my future, though. Tant pis. I made some tomato and onion bread, which bizarrely exploded in the oven, but which seems reasonably tasty. Then I made some broccoli and stilton soup. Also made pollo alla cacciatore (which was actually quite tasty, though not sure about the inclusion of beans, at least when combined with rice) from my Nigella Express cookbook, which was going to be my challenge recipe, but then I made chocolate macaroons from the same book, and ACTUALLY TOOK AN ACTUAL PHOTO, which struck me as a fine plan, so will be endeavouring to do that in the future. Oh yes. Multimedia is the future. Maybe one day I'll make Katie film me cooking something. How exciting would that be, huh? Huh? I know, you can all barely think from the glee...

Cookery Book: Nigella Express
Provenance: Christmas present from Chris in 2007
Picture Level: I salute you, Nigella. Nice, pretty pictures for everything

Recipe: Chocolate macaroons
Ingredients: Ground almonds, cocoa powder, icing sugar, egg whites
Why Chosen: Um, it was a pretty picture? Also, we have about fifty eggs to use on account of that whole Abel & Cole thing
Outcome: Mmm, tasty. I had one with a tiny miniature glass of milk: I would highly recommend that manner of consumption
Mess Created: Not so much, really. Go me!



And we watched the most recent episode of Supernatural (which, admittedly, is from a little while ago), about which the less said the better, I think. ( Spoilers. ) And then we watched the first two eps of Wonderfalls. And I made the macaroons, and have come to bed with the intention of reading a bit of trashy romance. Yay.

Gather ye round, my pretties, for I have a tale to tell.

Ooh, look what a liar I am! It's not really a tale. More of a... thing. So. New Year's resolutions. Load of bollocks, as any fule kno. Still, I have never been one to let something being a load of bollocks stop me from doing it. Thus (as you may have deduced, from my terse prose and no-nonsense sentence structure), I have fashioned for myself a New Year's resolution. And not that I want to brag or anything, but it's a beauty. Forget that losing weight malarkey, or not spending loads of money on tat and books, or going vegan, or not saying bad things about weirdos, or keeping one's finger on the pulse, as 'twere, of celebdom. These are games for schoolchildren.

Here is mine.

::drum roll::

::retract drum roll::

Actually, a little background info might be pertinent at this point. I have a weakness for cookery books. I do so love them. They're all pretty and colourful and have nice food in them. Mmm. Food. So, I have quite a lot of them (and acquired two in the past week: a Gordon Ramsay one from my cousin for Christmas, and Delia's Frugal Food, which arrived today from Amazon. I paid for it. They didn't send it as a gift. More's the pity), but rarely do I ever actually cook anything from them. I either cook spag bol (natch), or something my mother used to cook, or something random that I think might use up some ingredients (mmm, tuna lentil spectacular...). And it's a shame. And a waste of a shelf.

::drum roll::

So in 2009, I will attempt a magnificent feat. A feat, I think I can confidently claim, unmatched by any person living or dead. A feat of such magnitude it will be spoken of in hushed whispers and awed murmurs.

::another drum roll, as I got a bit carried away there::

I will make a recipe out of each of my cookery books.


WOOO!! How exciting is that?!!!! I know!!! *makes I-know face*

And I don't stop there. Oh no. I've actually STARTED this amazing quest! (OK, I know it's not quite 2009 yet, but whatevs, live with it.)

Cookery Book: Katie Stewart's The Times Cookery Book
Provenance: My mother's favourite; I have an old, decrepit copy that she gave me.
Picture Level: Shit: none at all! I don't understand why cookery books don't have pictures! Why, Englebert? Did they not read their Alice?

Recipe: Kedgeree
Ingredients: Smoked fish, rice, eggs, onion, lemon, seasoning
Why Chosen: Smoked fish was dead cheap in Tesco, and wanted to try kedgeree. This seemed like the best recipe.
Outcome: OMG, that was delicious!! I have actually given myself indigestion! Will definitely be cooking this one again.
Mess Created: Well, I used quite a lot of stuff, but it's quite staged, so I had time to clear up after myself a tiny bit. I mean, it's still a mess, but it could have been way worse if I'd just left everything out.