There is no Cosmetic for Beauty Like Happiness

Essentially I am a massive history geek. Once I get my teeth in to a subject I read everything and anything I can get my hands on about the subject. In the past my small obsessions have been on topics such as the Waitangi tribunal (a tribunal set up to consider the rights of the Maoris in new zealand following a treaty in the 1800s that left things more than murky) the abdication crisis which has become very fashionable recently what with the kings speech and  madonnas new  film w and e, the history of local asylums and the guards regiments who used to be based in Caterham, where my museum was last year.

My current obsessions are the history of fundamentalist polygamous sects in America following my interest into the Sister Wives programme and as of last week a little known suffragette I m researching for work.

 Friday found me   in the National Archives in Kew and the Womens Library  in Aldgate both fascinating places in their own rights and ones I had never visited before. During my degree nd my masters I used the British newspaper library at Colindale, senate house library which is the main uni of London library and the British library itself. I am sad I never ventured to Kew before but even sadder I  never discovered the womens library. It consists of a selection of books on subjects related to women from the suffragettes to mother and baby homes and womens rights. Along with an archive put together from numerous private collections.

 There is nothing better than the feeling of finding a personal letter or piece of information about someone or something you are researching that hasn't been uncovered for years.

I realise this probably makes me a bit boring but i care not...anyone else willing to share their obsessions
.
Even if they aren't like mine....,

Recently I have been trying to sell a few things, to get ready for the move, ie to condense and also to make a bit of moolah. I came across two websites I wanted to share with you.

The first www.mazumamobile.com is a website which essentially buys old mobile phones, I sold an old HTC phone on there £18.00 it was not working anymore, but it would have been £40.00 working….worth a look if you are holding on to old phones!!!

The second is www.greenmetropolis.com its a second hand book selling site, that takes 75p of every £3.75 book sold, you can sell for charity and it tells you how much each book should cost to post. I have been selling my old history textbooks from my undergrad on there. Its a really interesting site and though there is that charge for the book I have had way more success than when I tried to sell on Amazon.

Anyhew…..just thought I would share them!

My dad makes this and its sooooo yummy!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Low fat cooking spray

6 shallots or 1 large onion chopped

1 garlic clove sliced thinly

200ml reduced fat coconut milk

1 veg stock cube dissolved in 425ml boiling water

3-4 teaspoons of thai curry paste (green or yellow)

350g butternut squash peeled de seeded and cut into chunks

1 red pepper de seeded and cut into chunks

125g fine green beans halved

2 tablespoons coriander(fresh , half if dry)

1 tablespoon Thai Fish sauce

1 teaspoon ready prepared ginger

1 teaspoon lemon grass

1 fresh green chilli sliced thinly

200g white fish (haddock or cod)

200g cooked large tiger prawns

salt and pepper

Instructions:

Heat a large wok and lightly spray with cooking spray. Add the shallots or onion and garlic and cook over a medium heat for about 4-5 minutes until softened

Add all the remaining ingredients apart from the haddock prawns and coriander. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 20-25 minutes until the butternut squash is tender.

Add the fish to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the prawns and cook for 2-3 minutes. Check the seasoning adding salt and pepper if needed.

Ladle the curry in to four bowls and serve garnished with fresh coriander if you have it.

Remember curry is to your taste so you might want to add some more paste! But add what we say so far and then add extra if you need it.

so….enjoy and sorry for the lack of photos, he hasn’t made it for a while!