For the last three days Zyphrus has roared and the horses of Poisedon have reared over the reef as the tempest raged………… A full-blown North Atlantic gale is best described as a tempest stirred by the wrath of the gods. On the headland the storm force winds have a deep bass roar and as the […]
Croft Gardener
Winter Afternoon
Like languid trapeze artistes the gulls trace celestial arcsas a dying sun tints the clouds with ashes of roses.Effervescent spray breaks over the whale-backed reefas a clowning troupe of ravens tumble earthwardIcarian feathers black as the cold fingers of night.
From Magi to Mummers and Wassailing to Wenceslas
Whether your Christmas is bah humbug! or a childish delight in lighting the advent candles and eating mince pies, it is almost the night before the night before “when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse“. Christmas or the mid-winter festival is a celebration for the 21st century offering the consumer […]
From Kringle Wreath to Bread Pudding
More adventures in the croft Advent kitchenWill the Master Baker come to the rescue? After a course of counselling and esteem building I was ready to open the Advent kitchen again and continue my exploration of Scandinavian Christmas baking. This time I vowed to follow the recipe precisely, and accurately measure and weigh all the ingredients. However, I decided to […]
The Revenge of the Gingerbread Men
The aroma in the Advent croft kitchen is delicious and augurs Christmas treats. There are enough spices to fill a potentate’s bazaar, jars of dried fruit and dark sugars, bundles of cinnamon sticks and piles of gleaming Satsumas and lemons. The Christmas cake is slumbering in a miasma of brandy in the cupboard with the […]