A good brush

This is Foinn just after we saved him at the pound enjoying a good brush. We must have taken nearly a kilo of dead matted hair from his coat.

The little fella is in great form, he always seems to be smiling & so happy.

It feels great to have saved his life from destruction.

I'm linking up with Kentweakley.com for Sweet Shot Tuesday. Please join us.

That's it for now ...

Nics

Salt & Sparkle = life remarkable

Keep 'er Lit

 

Keep 'er lit is a popular saying in Northern Ireland.  In general it means to keep going.  Keep the fires burning, don't give up, keep the pressure on.  The funniest time it was ever said to me, was when I was driving up a mountain in a tiny one litre car.  The steep incline was more than my little car could take, and as I balanced the clutch and accelerator on a hairpin turn, a little voice piped up from the back, 'Keep 'er Lit, there Nicky.'

These photographs were taken on the set of a cookery programme that I was working on.  The two chefs joined the fiddler's for a little dance.

My photographs today, are from the archive. I make no apology for that because sometimes, there are photos in my archive that can't be shown at the time I took them, but they are pictures that I want to share with you. These are just those shots.  They are off a Fiddle Group from County Down, Northern Ireland who are actually called 'keep 'er Lit' which in this instance means - keep the music playing. 

As always on a Tuesday I join Darcy at the wonderful Sweet Shot Tuesday - I hope you will join us there too!

So tell me, what do you have in your archive, that you'd like to share?

That's it for now ...

Nics

Salt & Sparkle = Life Remarkable

Criticise me ...

 

As you know I love colour but then I shoot constantly especially people in BW.  Today inspired by this post by Joe Bunting, I thought I would post some photographs for your criticism.  The photos are the same, but they are in two formats, BW and colour.  Tell me what you think of them, what photo do you prefer, and what format?  I would love to read some constructive critical feedback, on these images, please feel free to give me some.

As usual on a Tuesday I am linking up with Darcy for Sweet Shot Tuesday - join us?

That's it for now ...

Nics

Salt & Sparkle = Life Remarkable

Robinson's Photoshoot - Sweet Shot Tuesday

Today the Robinson's album arrived.  As I flicked through its pages, I knew that my sweet shots, had to be a selection of photographs from my shoot with them last year.  I hope you enjoy them.

 

 

Today, I have linked up with Darcy's Sweet Shot Tuesday - please join us here let me know if you do in the comments, can't wait to check out your shots.

My friend the wonderful history writer GinaWB has written a profound post on the international community not learning from history, in the Anders Breivik trial.  I recommend you read it here

That's it for now...

Nics

Salt & Sparkle = Life Remarkable

Teabrack

There's nothing quite like some delicious teabrack when your working in the garden, on a blustery spring day. This teabrack is my newest recipe, and it is moist, slightly sticky, and packed full of luscious fruit. This is the kind of cake, that keeps for days in a sealed tin, but its so good, and morerish, it rarely lasts that long.

This is a cake that travels well, wrapped in greaseproof paper - its delicious with tea from a thermos, whilst sitting on a windy beach.

The secret to this cake, is strong tea - builders tea.  Fruit is weighed, tea poured on, the mixture brought to the boil for a couple of minutes, then left to steep overnight.  In the morning, the fruit has plumped up and jewel like.

Look at the yolk in that egg!  Gathered the morning I made the cake from our hens, it would be hard to get anything fresher, or more delicious.  Fresh, organic eggs really do make a huge difference to baking.  

Double line your baking tin with baking paper, because fruit cakes need to be cooked slowly, and are notrious for burning, if they aren't properly looked after, in the over.

Traditionally in Ireland, teabrack is slathered in thick country butter.  It's not my preferred way of eating it, but if you like bread with your butter, then you will be a fan.

Teabrack Recipe

Ingredients

• 700g mixed fruit (my preferred mix is glace cherries, dried cranberries, blueberries, sultanas, dried apricots and raisins)
• 500ml strong black tea
• 215g unrefined golden castor sugar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 dashes of sloe gin
• rind of one medium orange
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 215g wholemeal or plain self - raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

Method

This method is started the night before, as the fruit is steeped overnight in the tea.  This method gives the best results but you can make it just steeping the fruit for the length of time that you have.

The next day prepare a loaf tin, double lined with baking paper. Heat the oven to gas mark 4, 180'C, or 350'F. Aga, with the runner on the bottom of the top oven, place the cold shelf on the third set of runners.  Watch the cake carefully as you may need to cover it with a double layer of baking paper during cooking, to stop it from burning on the top.

1. Cover the mixed fruit with the tea in a saucepan with a lid
2. Bring the fruit and tea to the boil for 2-3 minutes
3. Take off the heat, add the orange rind, and the sloe gin, stir well, then cover with the lid
4. Place the covered saucepan in a cool place, and leave overnight or for up to 24 hours
5. The next day, beat the egg and sugar together, until doubled in size
6. Add the egg mixture, to the fruit, along with the sugar, mixed spice, stir gently with a wooden spoon
7. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until a skewer comes out clean.  Aga usually takes 1 hour, with the tin placed at the front of the oven
8. Sprinkle with castor sugar immediately after taking it out of the oven
9. Leave to cool on a wire rack

Enjoy!

I am linking up with Darcy for her Sweet Shot Tuesday - what have you been cooking or shooting, join us?

That's it for now ...

Nics

Salt and Sparkle = Life Remarkable

iPhone shots for sweet shot Tuesday

I like to carry a camera at all times. As I never know when inspiration might strike and I want to be able to get my shot immediately. Be prepared!

Recently I haven't always been able to have my big camera with me or even my compact. I've had to use what has been to hand - my iPhone.

Camera phones offer a whole different way to take pictures, they are instant- on one piece of equipment I
Can shoot, basically edit, and upload all within moments of each other. Its pretty mind blowing when I think about it. There's no film or chemical to develop, no waiting or thought out editorial process which in turn means, there's not the same control of the end product.

Just sometimes with shots I want to print them up in different sizes I want to live with them, think about them, compare them, work on them a bit more & then decide on the one I want to go for. The instantaneous nature of camera phones means this process does not get the same thought. Of course it can still happen but in reality it doesn't.

So this week my Sweet Shot Tuesday pictures are a little medly from an afternoon walk, with the dogs & my sister, and a funny little shot of the new moon, with venus & mercury. All shot on my iPhone & they celebrate life, the instant moment & using the tools on hand.

Join us at Darcy's blog www.my3boybarians.com to show what you've been shooting.

Happy Tuesday.
That's it for now.

Nics

Salt and Sparkle = Life Remarkable

Crocus - Sweet Shot Tuesday

 Isn't Spring such a sparkling time of year - life that has been growing, and surviving through the winter suddenly shoots through, into the crowing glory of bloom.  

These crocuses really captured my imagination, to the point that I pulled my car over lay down on the grass, and shot them; before heading on to my destination.

They were literally a carpet on the ground measuring a good 30 metres long, and several wide.

Sometimes the journey is stopping to take the picture, when the moment inspires you.

Today I am linking up with Darcy's Sweet Shot Tuesday, what have you been shooting - join us?

Happy Tuesday.

That's it for now.

Nics

Salt and Sparkle = Life Remarkable