New Year's Eve viewing is a Wallace and Gromit feature
which I haven't seen before. Aardman have produced some of the funniest animation videos ever, and this will be a nice finale to an iffy year.
Then peaceful reading, Angela Thirkell, a writer I used to have no patience with, thought she was snobbish and Not Funny.
Now I get her better and really enjoy her sending up of snobbish people. I understand she's not poaching on Trollope's settings or characters, but respectfully extending them. So I'm set for a marathon
And I'm revisiting Watts Towers, the solo work of visionary folk artist, Simon Rodia, now a national landmark.
Created from scrap materials, broken dishes, glass, shells, wire, over years, it was his dream to make something big.
I like to go back and revisit his ideas now and then, and this book, intended for young readers and perfectly fine for all of us, is a great way to do it.
Talking of building, remember the fire I missed over Diwali, which wiped out the dumpster enclosure?
Today is the rebuilding. Just a day's work.
Nice to watch a crew working flawlessly together, knowing what they're doing.
And comfort food is important to close out a stressful year. I've been vaguely thinking about milk puddings, as in childhood, and since I didn't have macaroni, my first thought, it having all gone into soup, I remembered my mom used to make vermicelli pudding.
I sort of remembered how it went, looked up the time and temperature, and went from there.
So, I have some good Italian pasta, and next thing, this was happening.
Cooked pasta, added into a milk, egg, sugar, golden raisin, vanilla mixture, knob of butter, then all baked for an hour at 350°f.
Pretty good. The new napkins in action already.
That should round out the year. Laundry done, bed changed, next, garbage out, and I'm set. I won't be too sorry to wave goodbye to the old year.
Neither will I be sorry to say goodbye to the old year! Blessing to you this coming year, Boud.
ReplyDeleteThank you. And to you and your family, too.
ReplyDeleteThat reminds me of the several puddings and custards my grandmother made. Same ingredients, or and/or variations.
ReplyDeleteI think these are very old ideas. Digestible nutritious and cheap. Also they don't need a lot of attention from the busy mom.
ReplyDeleteYou've got lots of enjoyable artsy plans for the New Years holiday! Yes, let's hope 2022 is a better year for everyone and that Covid will FINALLY end!
ReplyDeleteYou have wonderful plans for the new year. The books all sound good and who doesn't like Wallace and Gromit. We have snow coming in for our New Year's Eve and day. I will enjoy watching it from a warm house. I plan on making homemade chicken noodle soup for the cold days. Happy New Year my friend!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have a plan, too! Happy new year, Bonnie! I'm so glad you're back.
ReplyDeleteThat dish looks unusual, but I do like pasta, so it would probably suit me.
ReplyDeleteThe New Year means little to me except for the need of a new calendar which I have. We're going to have three grandchildren here for most of the day and I think we will be quite content to just have our regular Friday night martini's tonight, eat something simple for supper, and go to bed early.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year's, dear lady!
Good ole Wallace and Gromet. I've a couple of Thirkell books not yet read. Brought them back from the UK in Jan 2020. Love the art in the Dream Something Big book. Will have to see about getting it for the grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteMy British mother used to make a delicious creamy rice pudding. I remember nutmeg figured in it, but she never had recipes--mostly just kept them all in her head. She also made Tapioca pudding...haven't had that in decades.
Happy New Year to you and your family, Ms Moon!
ReplyDeleteAnd anyone with grandchildren might really enjoy the book. It has a section on how to build your own Watts tower, also great tips on why, and how to get in the right frame of mind.
Your mother sounds like my no recipe mom, Mary. I think she'd have liked this milk pudding. She did a lot of them.
Happy New Year to you, Boud. Let's hope 2022 is a lot better than this one.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bill and so say all of us!
ReplyDeleteNever let it be said that I'm not constantly learning something from you! I had no clue that you could make a dessert using pasta, but why not. We make rice pudding from rice, so it stands to reason that pasta would be a good substitute. Just one of those things that hadn't occurred to me.
ReplyDeleteI bet resident chef could figure it out easily if you fancy trying it.
ReplyDelete