Comic Con

Met these lovely girls in the queue to go to Granite City Comic Convention. Can you recognise who they are dressed as? (I only recognise the one on the right). Sadly the queue was in fact so long we didn't get in, there were thousands of people all dressed up, really wonderful. Enjoyed seeing all the outfits...lots of Judge Dredds, Iron Men, Captains America, Batmen, Spidermen, characters from Avengers, Japanese Manga, Adventure Time, Sandman...

As we didn't get in we went for lunch in Bella Italia instead which was really nice.

Stonehaven Getaway

This weekend we had a night over in Stonehaven. Our hotel, the Ship Inn, is the white building on the harbour. We went for a fantastic seafood meal in the Tolbooth which is just round the harbour to the right. Wonderful weather and we struggled up a precipitous path to the hilltop on Sinday morning, to look over the village and the spectacular clifftop castle of Dunnotar.

Bagel Bash

I made bagels! They are topped with nigella or black onion seeds for the look of the thing. Bagels are fun to make, the dough is like playdough which you handshape into rings and then boil. Nice arty food pic...

Local Colour

As I drove home, I was struck by the lovely colours of Spring. These are the colours of Aberdeenshire...do all places have their own colour scheme? Pink and Grey stone, yellow flowers, fresh green for deciduous trees new in leaf and dark green for pines.

Brilliant Bread

One of the few good things about my enforced time off with my foot was the opportunity to try breadmaking. I am using the book Brilliant Bread by James Morton. James was a finalist on British bake off and was robbed, in my opinion. Does it always have to be about cake?

So far, I have made a sweet fruited loaf, a bread with walnuts and today am on a rye with raisins. James favours a very wet sticky dough which is hard to knead as it goes everywhere and three resting periods. Takes about three hours from start to finish. It is very absorbing and relaxing. I have yet to move on to the world of sourdough although I am trying to get a starter.

I would be interested to know about how anyone else makes bread? Wet or dry dough? Rest before kneading? Sourdough starter cultivation...
Any tips...

Bennachie

This is Mither Tap, the tallest of a range of hills known as Bennachie, which I drive past on my way to work. They are spectacular and exposed to shifting weather. I liked the colours with the gorse in flower and the rain coming.

Mither Tap means mother top and was a sacred hill in ancient times due to its breast shape. There is an iron age fort on the summit.

Summer Ball in the Spring

Mainly for Leen, who I couldn't email this too. The PWC Ball was this Friday at the Chester Hotel in Aberdeen. Cue dinner suits, glamour and in our friend Nana from Hana's case, national dress. Among the attractions was a giant photo booth and props. See Alistair's Blofeld and cat impression. Below, new dress, chosen to avoid visibility of comfy shoes. Love it so much. I always look really weird and tense in photos though.

Yummy Yorokubi

Finally went for a birthday/ 19th dating anniversary lunch at Yorokobi by CJ, a great Japanese/ Korean restaurant in Aberdeen. I love their bento boxes, a carefully arranged lunchbox of different foods.

A: rice, b: miso soup with seaweed and tofu bits, c: soy sauce d: salted edamame beans e: grapes f: varies, this is marinated beef, Alistair had sushi and chicken skewers.