#blogjune Day 14: In which I begin a shopping list

This is the beginning of my shopping list:

Kebab sticks
laundry powder
muesli bars
crackers
Little Rippers

What is on yours?

#blogjune Day 13: In which I try out a new app

Today, @lyndelleg tweeted about this post in the SMH about the future of libraries.  The article refers to the launch by the British Library of it's new iPad app featuring access to over a thousand scanned 19th Century books.

Way cool!

I eagerly downloaded it. I like the quality of the scanned books - in some you can even see squashed bugs!  I do however wish for a search function within the books.  Call me geek but that's how we librarians roll. :-)  Also, I do object to the kangaroo featured on the front page of all Australian/NZ/Pacific books.  Don't get me wrong.  I like kangas, but there aren't any here, nor in the Pacific Islands. Perhaps something more ..um.. ubiquitous would have been better.  Don't ask me what though.  Vegemite perhaps?

Anyhow, it is neat to be able to read publications by the Rev. Richard Taylor about early New Zealand.  Incidentally I feel quite friendly towards old Rev Rick - because I spent a summer photocopying transcripts from his diaries.  I feel I got to know him a bit as I read his musings in between passes of the green photocopier light, surrounded by the stink of toner and heat from the cooling vent.  Those were the days before scanners were any good.

And it is curious to see the books they've chosen to scan too.   

Sacred songs for British Seamen? Check.
The London Burial Grounds: notes on their history from the earliest to the present day? Check.  (The which has a chapter entitled Private and Promiscuous Cemeteries - I did read the chapter but didn't see what was promiscuous about them.)
The book of the cheese: being traits and stories of 'ye Old Cheshire Cheese'? Check.
The children of the mist; or, the Scottish clansmen in peace and war? Check.  (This title slightly disconcerting in the light of a modern day title, "Gorillas in the mist")

If you have a Pad of I you may wish to try it out :-)

#blogjune Day 12: In which I get creative

Although it won't be of much interest to most #blogjune-ers I actually got to do some scrapbooking (and I made 2 cards).  It's been a while since I did any paper craft so I feel quite happy about that.  Well, apart from the odd card made in a rush that is!

Bad photo this one - the light had gone by the time I finished it. Will take another.

I did make creme brulee and used my blow torch on it, but no photos because both my cameras had their batteries on the charger.  And now they are eaten.  But I did learn that despite the recipe I used, brown sugar is not a good option, white sugar is better and preferably caster sugar (which I didn't have).  So... more learning but nevertheless tasty.  I know there are more people wanting to eat creme brulee so there will be further opportunity for perfection!  Ha!

Mr7 got creative too.  He wanted to make a movie of his creation so here it is.  It is also the reason my cameras are now needing their batteries charged.

#blogjune Day 11: In which I try out my new blow torch

My day has been mostly good and even though I did quite a lot I didn't feel stressed like I've been these past few weekends.

I picked up some half price polyprop thermals for the whole family for our trip South later in the year, plus some boots for the kids.

I managed to take some photos to get printed so I can do some scrapbooking. I did make a bit of a boo boo with the colour management settings when I exported from Lightroom to my USB and thus when I got them printed they aren't as vibrant as I expected, but they look alright. At least, not bad enough for me to go back and get them all done again. I've usually printed stuff at home but a) DH has the matte black ink in the printer and b) we had no suitable paper and c) it's no longer economical for us to do our own printing for my needs. So off to Hardly Normal I went only to discover there was a huge queue and 2 hour wait for pick up. So I went to the WheroWhare instead where there was no queue and I only had to wait 30 minutes!  So what to do while waiting? Wander round the mall!!

I went into Stevens to ogle at the cast iron casseroles they have on special,and discovered they have a Creme brulee set reduced to $29.99 - 4 ramkins and the blow torch. Thank you very much serendipity! So I am now the proud owner of a blow torch. Tonight I used it on some crepe suzette, tomorrow I shall make creme brulee attempt two.



Delicious!



Now, if Mr7 stops puking, I shall be quite upbeat about the day.

#blogjune Day 10: In which I indulge in some escapism

It's Friday night and there is a pile of books under my bed that require my attention.
Puttin' a lid on the day :)

#blogjune Day 8: In which I do yoga & find a wig

It's been one of those days.  You know the kind.  So tonight I looked on Youtube for some yoga sequences to help me loosen up, relax and get that nice "well-being" feeling back.  I found Yogatic which suited me well tonight.  Routines for anxiety, bad days and a bit of mediation and I feel a bit better.

DH came home to say that many of his work mates are off on a retreat to Linderman Island.  He, the boss and his colleague are holding the fort.  His boss told him he should wear a dress tomorrow because they'll be doing the receptionist's job too! I know, I know, terribly sexist and all but sorta amusing too.  I offered my bra to him but he declined.  I did find this wig he could use....



Mr7 saw me and said, "No Mummy I don't like you looking like that!"  Miss4 just laughed and wanted to try it on.

#blogjune Day 8: In which I link to my Prezi

Today I had to present to senior management some of the things we're doing with elearning in the library.  I was nervous about it, mainly because there was a bit of a subtext to promote what we're doing in order to give support for further funding for our efforts.  I always feel a bit on the left foot about doing this kind of thing because some of the other presentations are so "wow" in terms of cool elearning teaching in content based courses.  Our experience of elearning in the library is different to that of a course teaching languages or construction for example, and although I feel what we're doing has value and merit, it doesn't especially have the "wow" factor.  Elearning in our library runs in parallel with what teachers are doing in their courses and compliments what they do.

elearning & the library on Prezi

And that is all for today.  I am tired and a bit emotional about some other stuff, so time for shut down.  Dee-do-dadum *shutdown sound*

#blogjune Day 7: In which I blether on about elearning, technology, libraries and pedagogy

over at TROID...

and just for Janine and anyone else who is keen, here is the link to the Dahl recipe I mentioned in the previous curry post.  It's quite a soupy one so serve it in separate bowls. :)

#blogjune Day 6: In which I bite a caterpillar's bottom and share a recipe

Spent the day with a whole lot of others, gathering for fellowship and inspiration and faith renewal. The children were pretty good through the long services.

Came home and did housework, DH mowed the lawn.

Miss4 rediscovered this wretched toy yesterday.  In case you didn't realise, it drives me nuts eventually.



Janine asked for this recipe so here it is :)  It is a great vegetarian recipe.  I add chickpeas or kidney beans to bump up the protein factor if I use it as a vegetarian main.


Batata Nu Shak ( Spicy potatoes with tomatoes)
(from Flavours of India / Madhur Jaffrey (1995) London: BBC Books, ISBN: 0563370777, pg. 69)
Serves 4-6

4 Tbsp vege oil
1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 dried hot red chillies
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp gr. asafoetida (hing)*
10 fresh curry leaves if available**
4 small potatoes (450g) peeled or unpeeled, cut into 1cm pieces
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp gr turmeric
2 tsp salt
2 fresh hot green chillies
2.5 cm piece fresh ginger peeled and finely grated
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh green coriander
2 med sized tomatoes chopped into 2.5cm dice (I use a can of chopped tomatoes)
1 1/2 Tbsp desiccated coconut
1/2 Tbsp jaggery or brown sugar
3/4 Tbsp thick tamarind paste ***

Heat the oil in a large, wide, preferably non-stick pan or wok over medium high heat.
When hot, put in mustard seeds.  As soon as they pop, a matter of seconds, add the cumin seeds, red chillies, bay leaves and asafetida.  Stir for 4-5 secs and add the curry leaves.  Stir once and add potatoes, cayenne pepper, turmeric, salt, green chillies and ginger.  Stir to mix.
Add 150ml water.  Cover and simmer for 10 mins over low heat.
Now add the fresh coriander, tomatoes, coconut, gr. coriander, jaggery or brown sugar and 350ml water.  Stir to mix, then cover again and leave to simmer for a further 10 mins.  Add the tamarind pastes. Simmer for a further 2-3 mins.  Remove from heat.
Serve with Indian breads as part of any Indian meal.

* Asafoetida is a strong smelling spice that replaces the use of garlic/onion in some Indian dishes.  I don't mind the smell, but some people find it very pungent.  Keep it in a sealed container.  It can be obtained from any Indian spice store.  It smells very strong when you use it but when cooked has a mellow flavour.

**Curry leaves are often sold in my PakNSave near the vermicelli in the vege section.  Also obtainable from Asian and India stores.  They freeze well and I have them in the freezer, helping myself when needed for curry dishes.

*** You can buy tamarind in a couple of forms from Asian stores and Indian food stores. I usually buy the dried cake form which I then break a piece off and reconstitute it with boiling water.  I then press it through a tea strainer to get the paste and strain out the seeds.  You can get it in concentrate form too, which is more convenient since you don't have to get the seeds out, but be careful to get the dilution factor correct.  Too much will overpower the dish.  You can use lemon juice if you don't have any on hand as tamarind is a souring flavour.

#blogjune Day 5: In which curry is made and consumed in large quantities

My sister had a GF visiting who had heard about our curry feast and wanted to experience them.  She is vegetarian so Indian food is an easy option.  I did have to cater to my dedicated carnivore husband though, so I made:

• Vindaloo
• Tamarind fish
• Batata Nu shak (potatoes in a spicy sauce - I also included chickpeas in it)
• Bhindi (okra or lady's fingers) with a garlic/seasame seed/coconut/poppy seed coating
• Saag paneer
• Mango lassi
• Semolina firni

My sister made:

• Aloo ghobi
• rice
• A dahl from Uttar Pradesh

Dad made:

• pooris

and P bought indian sweets from the sweet shop.



While we were at Mum & Dad's, Mr7 got out the didgeridoo to play with. He used to be terrified of it, but now he's embraced his Australian heritage. (My parents are originally from NSW, Australia).

Day 3: social media catchup

There are heaps of posts from the #blogjune participants.. it's hard to keep up with them all.  I'm not succeeding in commenting on many this time around.

Day 4: Hat #blogjune

I spent most of the day at a class making a felted hat. The class was good and the hat successful, though the kimono silk didn't felt in as I hoped.  I will have to use it differently to what I imagined.  I feel guilty for leaving DH with the children though.

Dinner was a failure.  The only person who liked it was me.

Day 2: Diligent Room Tweetup

Owing to some sharp monitoring of tweets I noticed a southerly Diligent Room blogger was in town so a tweet up was in order!

Thanks to some willing grandparents we were able to get together sans sproglets - a rare treat for some of us ;-)

A night of conversation ranging from phenomenology to converting the entire NZ library nation to Koha, laughs and dessert.

The obligatory photo in which we all look like nutters, including the dude with the saxophone... and so to bed.

Did you notice?  My eyes are flashing!  *gasp* eyemote alert!

Today is the day! #blogjune

* x-posted from TROID*

It is June 1st and today we’re launching blogging every day for June  (#blogjune).  Gird your loins bloggers, because we’re in it for 30 days of blog writing!

Last year, a bunch of librarians & others on Twitter decided to challenge themselves to blog everyday for the month of June.  It was a challenge, but the participants enjoyed it so much that we have decided to do it again.
Blogging as a practice, appears to be slowing down for many people including myself.  I am reluctant to give it up entirely though.  I think it is because I’ve made some valuable connections with other people through my blog, it is my space to talk about my interests and let’s face it, 140 characters and Facebook statuses are limiting when you have a lot to say.

So here we go – hold onto your cardies because the wild ride is about to begin!  My Google reader subscriptions just got bigger.

I'll update this post will be updated later in the day with a link to an OPML feed/netvibes page of all the June bloggers.

Edited to update: OMGoodness - there are fifty-flippin'-six of them! WOW!

Blogging, every day of June

Last year, a group of us decided to blog every day of June. This is a heads up to say we're doing it again this year, though some days I'll be blogging over at The Room of Infinite Diligence about library related stuff.

Over the weekend I made two nuno scarves for two different people.

"Blue skies and flowers"


"Breath of winter"


You can click through to my Flickr to see the details if you're interested.

I also made some booties for Miss4. I liked how these turned out but it was a learning experience for me. There were 4 layers of wool in this project which I found difficult to work with in terms of feeling the resist and eliminating seams. I ended up with a ridge along the edges of the resist because the merino inner felted a bit faster than the outer. I managed to work it out a bit but not entirely. Shrinking the boots to Miss4's feet was hard work but fortunately she was willing to sit there and let me use her feet as the "last". She was giggling away as I was rubbing the soles - I think it tickled a bit.  I sewed some leather on as soles to help prevent slipping.



I found a place online that sells vintage kimono silks (www.cherryblossom.co.nz ).  I ordered some remnants. They arrived the other day - I'm excited to try them out as embellishment for felting, but also think they will work for card making and scrapbooking. 

Weekends with felt

With this autumnal weather it seems appropriate to be thinking of warm woolly things.

I picked up some alpaca wool the other day and decided to try it layered with some of the merino wool.  It is a different texture to the merino.  Not sure if it's clear in this picture, but the fibre in the lower left is the alpaca wool, the darker in the top right is merino.  To me, the merino feels fluffier but with shorter fibre length.  The alpaca is lovely and soft and has a longer fibre length. 



I purchased the alpaca wool from Craftworld. I really love this marketing ploy - a photo of the alpaca from which the fibre came from! Very sweet.



I started with the merino layer. I wanted to see if the wool "prickle factor" would be decreased if I mixed the fibre. Not sure that it does but I've yet to try felting just the alpaca. Merino's prickle factor isn't too bad for me but others find it uncomfortable.



Here it is with the alpaca layer. The rovings for the alpaca were very fine.



I found felting the two fibres wasn't as simple as using solely merino. It took a while for the alpaca to felt and fuse with the merino. In fact I was starting to get concerned that I might have two separate layers happening. But after working on some areas more vigorously it did finally merge. The alpaca fibre did seem to make the over all effect more fluffy than I expected. I think it would be better if the two were carded together rather than placed in layers perhaps.

Here is DH modeling it for me. I gave it to my Dad since he wears scarves. I like the embellishment on this one - simple but effective. It reminds me of stones that you see on the beach or some streams that have stripes of different minerals in them.



Then I decided to make MIL a scarf for mother's day. Here it is laid out before wetting.



And after being felted. With a felt flower on a pin for decoration. So tempting to keep it for myself.



I also made one for my Mum.


Close up of the silk chiffon embedded in the scarf.

Hoping to attempt some 3D stuff soon.

Please sign this petition

On March 7, 2011, the publisher HarperCollins instituted an expiration policy on eBooks that are licensed to libraries. Under this new arrangement, eBooks would "self-destruct" after being checked out 26 times. This would require libraries to re-purchase the eBook if they wanted to continue to make it available. [Read More]

I don't agree with their assumptions and attitudes.  I hope you'll join me in petitioning this practice to stop.

March-April Reading Round Up

Indian takeaway : one man's attempt to cook his way home / Hardeep Singh Kohli.
"Hardeep Singh Kohli loves many things in life - but none more than food. He loves to eat it, he loves to cook it. So when he decided to travel round India in search of his roots, what seemed the obvious thing to take with him? It was shepherd's pie and Yorkshire pudding." "Indian Takeaway is the hilarious story of Hardeep's attempts to cook his way round India, dishing up very British meals for the people he meets. How will a Goan garage mechanic, a Delhi socialite or a Mysore hippy cope with fish and chips, or a Full English Breakfast? What will they make of his madcap quest? And will Hardeep find a kitchen to call home?"--BOOK JACKET.
Funny, interesting and made me hungry.  Tries to be introspective but doesn't really succeed.

The Holmes affair / Graham Moore.
As the world mourns the demise of Sherlock Holmes at the foot of the Reichenbach Falls, Conan Doyle has a new preoccupation. A chance encounter sets him on the trail of a brutal killer targeting suffragettes. Together with Bram Stoker, he roams the streets of Victorian London searching for clues. And in present-day New York, Harold White's lifelong obsession with Sherlock Holmes turns into something far more sinister. The world's leading Doyle scholar is found murdered in his hotel room, and only Harold is familiar enough with the Holmes novels to recognise the clues the killer has left. Clues which will lead him not only to a murderer, but also to Conan Doyle's missing diary - and a secret that Conan Doyle, a hundred years earlier, risked everything to hide.~from the blurb
Two parallel stories - one from Conan Doyle and the other from modern day.  An interesting tangled web of deceit and lies.  Well written.

This body of death / Elizabeth George.
"While DI Thomas Lynley is still on compassionate leave after the murder of his wife, Isabelle Ardery is brought into the Met as his temporary replacement. The discovery of a body in a Stoke Newington cemetery offers Isabelle the chance to make her mark with a high profile murder investigation. Persuading Lynley back to work seems the best way to guarantee a result: Lynley's team is fiercely loyal to him and Isabelle needs them - and especially Barbara Havers - on side. The Met is twitchy: a series of PR disasters has undermined its confidence. Isabelle knows that she'll be operating under the unforgiving scrutiny of the media, so is quick – perhaps too quick – to pin the murder on a convenient suspect. The murder trail leads Lynley and Havers to the New Forest, and the eventual resolution of the case. Its roots are in a long-ago act of violence that has poisoned subsequent generations and its outcome is both tragic and shocking."-- Publisher description.
I had to get over my pique that George had killed off Lynley's wife in the prequel to this.  George always writes comprehensively and with great skill to weave a multiplicity of threads through her books.  


Persona non grata : a novel of the Roman empire / Ruth Downie.
Gaius Petreius Ruso and his companion, Tilla, become embroiled in a family scandal when Severus, the family's chief creditor, winds up dead.~ from the blurb
Another in this series that I enjoyed.  I seem to be reading a lot of mysteries lately.  Must be in that sort of mood.


Twitterature : the world's greatest books in twenty tweets or less / Alexander Aciman and Emmett Rensin.
 Famous literature presented in Tweet form.  Mildy amusing.  You do have to be a Twitter user to really appreciate it I think.


Blackout / Connie Willis.
When a time-travel lab suddenly cancels assignments for no apparent reason and switches around everyone's schedules, time-traveling historians Michael, Merope, and Polly find themselves in World War II, facing air raids, blackouts, unexploded bombs, dive-bombing Stukas, rationing, shrapnel, V-1s, and two of the most incorrigible children in all of history--to say nothing of a growing feeling that not only their assignments but the war and history itself are spiraling out of control.~from the blurb
All clear / Connie Willis.
When three Oxford historians become unexpectedly trapped in 1940, they struggle not only to find their way home but to survive as Hitler's bombers attempt to pummel London into submission. Meanwhile, in 2060 Oxford, the historians' supervisor and seventeen-year-old Colin Templer are engaged in a frantic and seemingly impossible struggle to find them.~from the blurb
It's been a while since Willis wrote the first book in this series (The Domesday book).  These sequels have been worth waiting for.  I found them gripping and couldn't put them down (managed to muck up dinner a couple of times because of it). I do recommend them.  They are classified as sci-fi but I think if you're a fan of historical fiction you'd find them good too.  Especially if, like me, you have fantasies of travelling back in time to experience what it was like.


The scarlet contessa : a novel of the Italian Renaissance / Jeanne Kalogridis.
Daughter of the Duke of Milan and wife of the conniving Count Girolamo Riario, Caterina Sforza was the bravest warrior Renaissance Italy ever knew. She ruled her own lands, fought her own battles, and openly took lovers whenever she pleased. Her remarkable tale is told by her lady-in-waiting, Dea. Dea reviews Caterina's scandalous past and struggles to understand their joint destiny, while Caterina valiantly tries to fight off Cesare Borgia's unconquerable army.~from the blurb
Kalogridis has written about this era before and she doesn't disappoint with this one.  Good writing, suitable amounts of conflict and relationships will appeal to many.


Passage / Connie Willis.
A clinical psychologist obsessed with near death experiences, Joanna Lander joins forces with Dr. Richard Wright, a neurologist who has come up with a way to manufacture NDEs in the laboratory with the help of a mind-altering drug, but the experiments may yield far more than she ever anticipated.~from the blurb
Set in modern day and somewhat different in style to her time-travelling sci fi, this book explores the experience of death in quite an imaginative way.  I didn't like it as much as her time travelling series.


An empty death / Laura Wilson.
This is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed 'Stratton's War'. It is summer, 1944: London's exhausted inhabitants are living hand-to-mouth in a world of dust and dereliction, and war-weary DI Ted Stratton is no exception. In this novel he must investigate the suspicious death of a doctor.--Publisher.
Another mystery!  Good stuff, classic crime with a psychological twist.


Scapegallows / Carol Birch.
A convict colony in New South Wales, Australia, is the setting for Birch's new novel, based on real events. Margaret is stranded at a settler's homestead as the floodwater draws in and she finds herself facing death, as she has several times before.~from the blurb
I liked this book and found it engaging.  I enjoyed the historical aspects to it (as usual) and also the Australian links in it.  Based on a real person and their letters back to the old country it explores the themes of justice, truth and law.


The lovely bones / Alice Sebold.
Susie Salmon looks down from a heaven which looks a lot like her school playground. There are counsellors to help newcomers adjust, and friends to room with. Everything she wants appears as soon as she thinks of it - except the thing she wants most: to be back with the people she loved on Earth.~from the blurb
I've resisted reading this one for a while, purely because I thought it might be too gory and distressing.  As it turns out, I was wrong and the bit I was scared of wasn't at all as bad as I thought.  I liked the story and thought the approach to be quite original in many ways.  I wasn't so sure about one part close to the end where Susie returns to earth briefly in someone else's body - that didn't work for me.  But overall, it was a good read.


The river knows / Amanda Quick.
Teaming up with wealthy and handsome Anthony Stalbridge, who suspects prominent society figure Elwin Hastings of hiding dangerous secrets, Louisa Bryce of late-Victorian London investigates her beliefs about Hastings's criminal activities.~from the blurb

Lie by moonlight / Amanda Quick.
Hired to tutor four orphaned girls at remote ramshackle Aldwick Castle, Miss Concordia Glade is pleased to find her pupils both eager and bright. Indeed, they are bright enough to have noticed some oddities about their situation. Provided for by an unseen benefactor, they are surrounded at all times by hard-eyed guards in the guise of gardeners - and their previous tutor, she learns, disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Stepping into this uncertain atmosphere, Concordia sees at once what must be done. Of course, even the best-laid plans can go awry... and even the most independent, strong-minded lady must occasionally accept an offer of help.~ from the blurb
These two were a bit of fluff, suitable camping reads. :)  Nice to have some unchallenging romance now and again.

March and April in pictures

For want of a blog post I did a mosaic of some of my daily photos from March and April.



This project has been very interesting and somewhat challenging.  A lot of my photos are of what I'm doing at home since that is when I'm mostly able to think about taking a picture.  Must try for some more work related photos to better reflect what my life is like at present.  Also, food features a lot.

So, stuff that has happened:

• baked some afghans
• got a new car (and sold the other older one.. it has retired to the country)
• managed to fall over and twist my ankle again, not quite as bad as last year
• made a heap of quince paste
• sewed up a monkey's bum
• Also sewed a dress for me but am not happy with it so it'll probably go in the rag bag - very disappointing.  The pattern looked good, but once again I discover that my bust size is not accounted for in the sizing of these patterns. Meh. 
• cooked multiple dinners
• read some books
• did housework

Stuff that hasn't happened:

• felting
• further fleece sorting, washing etc
• scrapbooking (well, not for me anyway)

Hoping my holiday is going to revive the creative side of me... I desperately need some time and space for it.

Quince paste

Quince paste in the dehydrator
Originally uploaded by pdugmore2001.

I am fond of quinces. They look so bohemian and old but have lovely flavour - a sort of cross between plum & pear. I really like quince jelly but this year when Mum turned up with some I decided to make quince paste.

I used a recipe from an ancient (1970s! ha ha - I was born then so makes me ancient as well) paperback of Elizabeth David's French cooking book :) It's an easy recipe even though I've written a lot of words here.

Rub the down off the quinces and put in a pot and cover with cold water. Heat until the water is almost at the boil. The book says you cook them till soft but don't let the skins split.. however, mine started splitting before they were totally cooked.

Take out the quinces and let cool enough to handle. Peel off the skins and core the fruit, put skins/cores/pips back into the water you used and bring to boil. Reduce the water to about a 1/3 of the original amount. You should start to see the carnelian colour of the quinces coming through.

Remove the cores/skins from the water. Chop up the fruit left over from earlier and weigh it. Now weigh out the same amount of sugar. Put the fruit and the sugar into the water and bring to a slow boil. I used a stick blender to puree the fruit once it was soft enough.

Keep boiling, stirring regularly until the fruit starts to come away from the sides and bottom of the pot. (Mine didn't get that far because I was afraid of burning it. However, it was definitely thickly coating the spoon and very thick! Towards the end you have to watch it closely so it doesn't burn and be careful of it spitting and getting your hands).

Pour into a prepared pan. I used a lamington pan lined with foil. Let cool overnight. The book then advises you to dehydrate the paste in a plate warmer section of the oven (she refers to an Aga oven I think). I have a dehydrator so I just plunked in squares of it onto the fruit leather liner and put it on low. You dehydrate it until it is firmer. Though I have to say mine was already pretty firm!