Sunday, April 8, 2012

Bathrooms and kitchens

We're repairing a paint-blister in the bathroom ceiling. It has been there for MONTHS, and bugging me every morning (and slowly growing because of the moisture from showering). We've checked - it was an issue with the initial paint job (thanks, builders!) and not a leak from above. Phew. 

I'd forgotten how dusty everything gets when you're sanding and scraping and painting. Ugh. At least it will be done. I'm SO not a DIY person - both of our parents renovated houses extensively while living in them, usually without contractors (except for really big stuff), and frequently while working full-time. 

I can't even work up the energy to paint a wall, much less replace some windows or re-tile the bathroom. I've been enthusiastically pinning kitchen tiles on Pinterest, but there will definitely be a Person Who Knows All About Tiling coming over to do the actual tile/grout/etc once we finalise the plans. Our house is the same colour as when we moved in (cream with white trim, thank you). I have decided that it's because it's bright, calming, and minimalist, and shows off our photographs, paintings, and other assorted bright accessories. Someone I know was talking about how plain white walls drive them crazy. Not me.

We were picking up a few miscellaneous things (including a snazzy new shower organiser) in Ipswich yesterday, when I spotted these at Lakeland. Too funny. Can I have one of each, please? I've checked their website and they only sell selected ones online, in sets of 4. Bah. I may have to go back to the store in person. 4 rows of 3 at £1.49 each is £17.88, which seems like kind of a lot to spend on coasters. Especially since I already have plenty. Sloe Gin Square and Ealing Broadbean? Where did they think of these? I really like Baking Street, Charing Cross Bun, Shepherds Pie, Piccalilli Circus, and Hollandaise Park, too. Oops. I guess that's only 7...out of a possible 12. But John likes Oxtail Circus. We could make it an even 8 and never need to buy coasters again. Ever.


When we got home, I roasted some cauliflower with cumin, from a Smitten Kitchen recipe. It was delicious - sweet and crunchy and cumin-y. We put some chili flakes on, too. Delish.


I served it with rice and with Mark Bittman's slow-cooked spinach with coconut milk. Needed a little more spice (and used more coconut milk than recommended because I had a bigger can, and didn't cook it for long enough because the cauliflower cooked faster than expected), but overall, a success.


See? Multi-coloured, vegan, Indian spiced yummy supper.

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