Kit Kats, Humility, Awards and Yorkshire puddings . . .

I want to relate to you this interesting little story I heard the other day about this lady that worked in a high rise building in the centre of London. Each day for her elevenses, she went downstairs to the first floor cafeteria to the vending machines and purchased the exact same thing . . . it never varied . . . . a "Kit Kat" chocolate bar and a cup of coffee.

On this one particular day she decided to sit down at a small table in the area and enjoy her purchases. She leaned over to search for something in her purse and as she did a gentleman sat himself down and across from her at the same table. He sat there with a coffee and a doughnut and he appeared to be chewing on her "Kit Kat" bar. With no word of apology or explanation, he ate the whole thing while she watched.

She was gobsmacked, to say the least, quite surprised and not a little irritated, but she decided to say nothing. She sat there trying to drink her coffee as quickly as she could, but the more that she thought about what had just happened, the angrier she became. Finally she just couldn't take it anymore and, as she stood up to leave, she reached over and grabbed the remnant of his doughnut and stuffed it into her mouth. "There!" she mumbled through the crumbs . . . "How does that feel??" Sticking her haughty nose in the air she stomped off and back upstairs to her office, where she again opened her purse. Much to her horror, sitting there on top was . . . you guessed it . . . her "Kit Kat" bar!



You can well imagine how she must have felt. How humiliating and how horrible. She had grossly misjudged the poor man and come off looking like a real prat! I'm afraid we've all been guilty of that on one occasion or another . . . misjudging others and acting on it, then looking the prat . . . how much better it would be to just graciously keep your mouth shut and just let things be, even if you do think you have been wronged. Nine times out of ten, you will find, in the end, that you haven't been wronged at all. I have always felt it is better to give the other person the benefit of the doubt, at least that's what works for me!



My friend Maddy from Maddy's Glass House saw fit to give out a Lets Give Thanks award to all her readers the other day. This is a special award designed and begun by Maddy as a way to promote thankfulness. What a wonderful idea Maddy! The idea is that you give thanks on your blog for one or two wonderful things in your life, with or without photos, remember they can be as big or as small as you like. You then pass the award on to three people via email or a comment on their blog.

I have so much to be thankful for that it's hard to only pick a few things, but I'll try. I am so blessed to be living in the country that I live in and the life that I am living . . .

I am ever thankful for all the blessings in my life. I go to bed each night in a comfy, warm bed, next to someone who loves me and cares about me. I have a cosy little home, that, while it may not belong to me, it gives me shelter and comfort and a place to hang my hat and heart, for home is truly where you hang your heart. I do not know what it is like to be hungry, truly hungry. I have a larder full of good things to eat as well as a refrigerator and freezer. Compared to some 90% of the world, I am wealthy. I may not have the most expensive clothing to wear, but I have a choice each day of what I want to put on my body and what I want to wear on my feet. Most of the world do not have that choice . . . I am healthy, I am strong, I am loved and safe and warm, I live a very blessed and abundant life . . .

Now, I am going to do a Maddy and pass this award on to any of you who wish to take it. It's now yours to do with as you wish. Post about it on your own blogs, take a moment to reflect on all the goodness that life has passed your way in whatever way . . . large or small. Take a moment to feel blessed . . .

I rarely have a chance on Sunday's to cook a Sunday Roast dinner, which is a big thing over here. The British surely love their Sunday Roasts! Quite often though I will cook a big meal on Saturday night when I do have the time and then we will just have the leftovers on Sunday after we get home from church. Because Todd is on the Bishopric that can mean that we don't get home until quite late in the afternoon some weeks, so leftovers are always welcome and the quicker I can get them onto the table the better. Yesterday I decided to go all out and I cooked Todd a lovely Roast Beef dinner, complete with roasted potatoes, vegetables and these delicious little babies . . . "Yorkshire puddings!" What is a roast dinner without some of these . . . nothing I say . . . nothing! These are wonderful and so very easy to make! Light and fluffy and crispy little bits of batter waiting on your plate to be filled with a lovely delicious pool of gravy . . . yummy!




*Killer Yorkshire Puddings*
Makes 12

I wonder who it was that discovered that with just a little flour, milk and eggs you could create something that was so crispy, light and delicious??? Sunday lunch just wouldn’t be Sunday lunch without a couple of these on the plate. This was my late Father-in law’s recipe and it’s the best! I’ve tried others . . . but always return to these. They turn out perfect . . . every time!! He was a cook in the Canadian Military and as you know all armies march on their stomachs, so you just know this has to be good!


2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups milk, at room temperature
1 cup plain flour
A little oil or dripping

Beat your eggs together in a large measuring cup until very light. Stir in the milk. Sift the flour into a bowl along with the salt. Make a well in the middle and pour the liquid into this and then whisk it in, slowly incorporating the dry mixture from the sides until you have a smooth batter.

Now this is the important step….cover it and let it sit on the sideboard for one hour.

Pre-heat your oven to 230*C/450*F. Place a small amount of oil or dripping into each cup of a 12 cup muffin tin. Place it into the hot oven until the fat is hot and sizzling. Remove from the oven and quickly divide the batter amongst each muffin cup filling each about 2/3 full. Return to oven and bake for 20 minutes, until browned and crispy, reducing the oven temperature by 10 degrees every five minutes. Serve hot with plenty of gravy!

*NOTE: I Like to place the muffin tin on a large baking tray as the fat quite often will overflow the pan and this helps to prevent a huge mess in the oven and a lot of agro!



PS - I picked a winner from all the comments that were left last week in my art giveaway and Gloria from Chili, you were the winner!!! Let me know which prints you want and send me your address and I'll pop them into the mail this week! I'm so excited, just think . . . some of my art will be residing in Chili! Pinch me for I must be dreaming!



I did a little painting yesterday afternoon while the roast was in the oven. This was a piece that I'd had mulling over in my mind for a number of days. I call it "Sometimes In The Rain," and like the others, prints are available in my Etsy Shop.