Antony Gormley and 2 modern icons (or maybe its 4)
on Nov 19, 2009 in Economic & political Ethical living Local interest Steenbergs Angel of North Antony Gormley art Blog climate change green blog green way of life lifestyle rural I have just been for a short family visit to Corbridge which is from where I hail.  I am born and bred in Northumberland and have Northumberland, the Tyne and the North coursing through my veins and deeply embedded in my psyche.  I love the North a...

Keep Governments out of saving the world
on Nov 17, 2009 in Economic & political Ethical living Steenbergs Blog climate change Copenhagen deforestation environment ethical green blog green way of life Ostrom political blog Steenbergs spices tragedy of commons UN Climate change One of the areas of society that is exercising my thoughts at present is how societies organise themselves, are governed and whether we (as citizens) are actually free … or just whether we are being told that we are free, but in reality are all...

Quince & ginger steam pudding
on Nov 15, 2009 in Ethical living Food & recipes Spices & herbs Steenbergs baking Blog cooking Fairtrade blog Fairtrade spices foodie foodie news pudding quince recipe Recipes spice spices Steenbergs spices vegetarian vegetarian recipe A good friend of ours – Jane – gave us 8 large quinces the other day and I have been racking my brains as to the best way to use them.  They have a gorgeous light green-yellow colour and an almost eye-like shape, but finding recipe idea...

The best Christmas cookery books
on Nov 10, 2009 in Food & recipes Spices & herbs Steenbergs Blog Christmas Christmas food Claire Macdonald cook book cookery books cooking Delia Smith Elizabeth david foodie foodie news organic food blog Steenbergs spices As part of our occassional series on our favourite books, I thought I would give you some of my favourite cookery books for the festive season.  The first one is a secret, and we all have these, because it’s the family recipes that have been h...

Steenbergs in the press
on Nov 9, 2009 in Ethical living Food & recipes Spices & herbs Steenbergs Blog eco environment ethical Fairtrade Fairtrade blog Fairtrade spices green blog green way of life organic organic food blog spice spices Steenbergs spices Steenbergs Organic is in the press again with some nice articles.  At the weekend, we were in a beautifully photogenic piece the The Mail on Sunday’s magazine for our organic rose water; amusingly we were also in the same article for Renaissan...

Why not try making your own Christmas pud?
on Nov 8, 2009 in Ethical living Food & recipes Spices & herbs Steenbergs almond extract baking Blog Christmas Christmas food Christmas pudding Christmas pudding recipe Christmas recipe Fairtrade Fairtrade blog Fairtrade spices Food foodie foodie news green blog green way of life organic organic food blog recipe Recipes sea salt spice spices Steenbergs spices vegetarian vegetarian recipe We have had a brief hiatus from Christmas preparations with Halloween and Bonfire Night, but this weekend I’ve got back to the task of preparing for Christmas.  This weekend was the turn of the pudding. I started making my own Christmas puddin...

Give a Christmas present today
on Nov 7, 2009 in Economic & political Ethical living Steenbergs Blog charity Christmas eco environment Fairtrade blog green blog lifestyle peace Samaritan's Purse It’s the end of the ancient British year as we move from the bright, warm summer period into the winter period.  It’s a time to reflect on where we are.  As we move into the colder, winter months, it is a time to be thankful for what we...

Bonfire Night and Delicious Parkin
on Nov 6, 2009 in Food & recipes Local interest Spices & herbs Steenbergs baking Blog Bonfire night Fairtrade Fairtrade blog Fairtrade spices foodie foodie news green blog Guy Fawkes organic organic food blog recipe Recipes Steenbergs spices vegetarian vegetarian recipe Another symbol of the passing year.  Another memory of cold, dark evenings.  Another thread perhaps back to simpler times, perhaps even to pagan times.  Bonfire Night has a special place in our annual celebrations, even though I know it’s not ve...

Autumn poems
on Nov 5, 2009 in Ethical living Local interest Steenbergs Autumn Blog environment ethical green blog green way of life leaves poem poetry Steenbergs spices wildlife Yorkshire Perhaps Autumn is a time for poetry.  So here are a few poems that conjur up the period for me.  I found the poem by Keats in an ancient copy of “The Golden Treasury” inscribed by my great aunt with the words “Elfie Steenberg Ju...

Autumnal leaves falling
on Nov 4, 2009 in Ethical living Local interest Steenbergs art Autumn Blog environment ethical green blog green way of life Millais paintings rural Steenbergs spices summer weather wildlife Autumnal leaves are falling everywhere.  They have hung on in there for quite a while longer as we have had a short spell of decent warm weather and very little wind.  But even so, nature cannot be stopped and even the delicate finger-like leaves o...