Magnolia petals and london riots

A domestic beginning, with shopping and mowing the lawn the mundane order of the day.

A neighbour as a magnolia tree that is beginning to bloom, its inflorescences of white  chalices delicately tinged with pink. According to Mrs Kabitzsch, their petals are edible and this initiated a minor culinary experiment with one of her recipes - sugared flowers.

The procedure is remarkably simple; the petals are brushed lightly with egg white and then liberally dusted with sugar crystals. The excess sugar is shaken of and the petals are then arrayed upon a wire tray in a warm kitchen to dry until set hard. No sooner said than done on three magnolia flowers harvested with the neighbour's permission.

As I write, I could not resist testing one of the still drying petals - a slight crunch, then a delicate sweet flowery flavour lingering on the palate!

Todays news was completely dominated by the protest march in London against the financial cuts imposed upon the country in the Tory austerity program. More than two hundred and fifty thousand people descended on London for a giant peaceful, if vocal, demonstration that began at the Embankment and ended at Hyde Park.

Unfortunately the major event was overshadowed by a small breakaway group of organised rebels. Initially peaceable, they began damaging shops and matters came to a head when they arrived in Trafalgar Square, where major tussles with the police ensued.

The pictures spoke for themselves, pointing largely to the confrontation and damage being initiated by the breakaway group. This contrasted markedly with the spin that various interviewed members of the group attempted to give, shifting the blame to the police. This situation was so reminiscent of the statements by Colonel Gaddafi in the current Libyan conflict, where again the visible evidence did not match the rhetoric.

Cambridge's sorry defeat in the boat race by several lengths was mercifully pushed to the back of the news.