Pin it

A couple of weeks ago I discovered Pinterest.  I'd looked at it before, about a year ago,  but couldn't figure out what to use it for.  But, now I'm hooked! I like the fact that it's very visual - its a bit like bookmarking things but done with a photo. At the moment my boards are either a collection of bookmarks of things I like - music, comedians, places I've eaten -  or new things I've seen on web pages and want to to save. Lots of fun things to do with food, recipes and cocktails!  Lots of people seem to use it for collecting "crafty" things to do, and I've just started looking at that.

One thing that has interested me, is if you look at the food related pins, how many of them especially from the US use mixes or processed food. Someone commented on twitter recently that a joint of meat put in a slow cooker with a tin of soup poured over the top doesn't count as the "best recipe ever". I am amazed how many recipes, which look good in the picture, start with "take a packet of cake mix", or cheesecake mix, or ranch mix (whatever that it).

But on the plus side, I've discovered how to make a chocolate bowl using a balloon, how to make a Goblet of Fire cocktail, and some great recipes for parties.

Youlgreave YHA weekend

Last Friday, after the epic 24 hour lecture,  we set off for Youlegreave and our annual Youth Hostel weekend with our friends in Sheffield City Morris. Good meal when we got there - beef stew and mashed potato followed by apple crumble and custard. Just the sort of comfort food you want after staying up all night. Usual session/beer/wine evening followed

 and then off to bed in our bunks with 8 of us sharing. I slept like a log, unsurprisingly and had to be woken up for breakfast and hadnt noticed 7 people getting up and dressed round me.

Beautiful sunny day, and saw the Youth Hostel for the first time - a converted shop:

We gathered by the water butt oppsoite to set off on our 3 different walks.

and we chose the one that went down Lathkilldale and had a pub in the middle. Set off to the River Bradford

 with its swimming area and salmon weirs, and it was a lovely walk along it, past some angry geese who tried to see us off

 and into Lathkilldale - one of my favourite dales - it really is spectacular, especially in the sun.

Loads of spring flowers out, crocuses, snowdrops etc. Then we climbed the valley into Over Haddon, past a house who I think were try to tell us they had a dog in every language:

This was my favourite:

and on to the Lathkill Hotel, where we enjoyed a nice pint, overlooking the valley we'd just walked down

Back down the valley, and straight up the other side. Quite a climb, but worth it when we got into the fields and were able to sit down and eat our packed lunch.

Over some undulating fields, and we were back in Youlegreave in time for a walk round the village.
Normally we're miles form anywhere in our hostels, but those time we were next door to a pub, so time for a pre dinner session where we were joined by a pipe player from a Kletzmer weeekend which was happening in the village and two banjo players who happened to be passing.

 

After dinner, another session, and we had the obligatory  "I wish I'd looked after me t*ts" which Lizzie loves her mother performing so much

Quite a late night, and I think brandy was consumed. Either that or it evaporated as the bottle was empty in the morning.

Another walk inthe morning, along Lathkilldale again, with some amazing colours in the river

Back for lunch in the pub, and off home. Another great weekend.