It's been a little while. The last couple of weeks have felt like an uphill struggle and I've neglected this little space as November began to take its toll. A combination of dark, damp days and various other trivial issues have left me feeling just a little disillusioned and low in spirits.
I'm happy to say there's nothing serious, and some of the issues which are troubling me don't even affect me personally - my tendency to overthink and dwell on things does nothing to help in this situation. I have been making sure to take more time for myself and focus on the positives, which has helped enormously. I've also managed to continue running several times a week and I am finally noticing some improvement.
I find that getting outdoors always has a calming and restorative affect, so with this in mind, at the weekend Lily and I went for a walk through the fields and into the woods. The trees are looking rather bare now and I'm sure the recent frosty weather will have since seen off many of the remaining leaves. Dampness hung in the air and I could feel the chill rising up through the earth. A brief pause for some chocolate and a decision was made to return straight home into the warm rather than visiting the nearby café for a hot drink.
In the afternoon we baked biscuits. At Lily's request - gingerbread, and definitely heart shaped. Simple, delicious and all gone now! I think I will use this recipe for our Christmas gingerbread house this year. Yes, I've allowed myself to start planning ahead for the big event and there is a gentle simmering of excitement here. This week I've been browsing magazines and I've sourced the ingredients for my Christmas cake. I might also have watched a cheesy Christmas film (or two).
Gingerbread Biscuits:
75g butter
60g light brown sugar
3 ½ tablespoons of golden syrup
175g plain flour
pinch of bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
Put butter, sugar and syrup in a pan and heat gently until sugar is dissolved. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix well together to form a dough. Chill in the fridge for half an hour then roll out to around 4mm thickness between two sheets of greaseproof paper and cut into shapes.
Bake at 150° for approximately ten minutes. This makes around 18 biscuits.
J. X
