my little bird

my little bird. She is wonderful and funny. She is air-bourne with joy, she is happy and gives us love.

A sneaky look....

utility ware @ www.beardogandjoolz.co.uk

kitchen goddess

blue & white pottery

vintage  mirror

utility room shelves

the front hall

my kitchen

the door is always open to guests

a cosy corner of my kitchen to sit and read cookery books

old urn in sitting room: one of a pair

vintage books

Lazing in bed

It is Saturday afternoon, where did the day go, it surely can only be 5 minutes ago that I woke up, went for a pot of tea and came back upstairs and back to bed to switched on my laptop and  browse the web.Now the clock is telling me it is 2.05 pm. Crikey!! However it isn't often that I laze about in bed all day...this will just be my little secret guilty pleasure......better get up now.

sorting the junk

I have too much clothes, and at least 89% of it is either too small or too worn out and ugly to be worn. Yet they are cluttering up my space and making it difficult to just put things away. It is depressing and I tell myself I need to sort it out, but the sheer volume make me tired just thinking about it. In the past when I have attempted to de-clutter I have spent too much time dithering over whether a t-shirt that is a little too tight would be okay for gardening in and I really should keep it just in case. I also tell myself that I'll slim down and be able to get back into those beautiful Miss Sixty jeans that are just too good to give away. Hence the mental torture of 'should it stay or should it go' halts any notion I may have of sorting the junk.

Kitchen Aid

I am a ‘basher’, or ‘a bit heavy handed’ as my mother would say. A trait great for the initial kneading of bread and for digging tree stumps out of the garden; but for anything else it is a liability. So, knowing this about myself, I have always preferred and bought heavy duty kitchen equipment, which can with stand my clumsy bull at a gate approach.

This has worked out very well really, as I have a selection of kitchen apparatus that has withstood the passage of time and my cack handed use of them. Of all the equipment I have, I love my MERCURY cooker and KITCHEN AID mixer best of all, mostly because I use them every day. They are solid and reassuringly heavy. The Mercury cooker is a huge and beautiful beast with a main oven that can hold an 18kg turkey and five powerful gas rings. It is also a thing of sleek beauty, designed to do a job and not over embellished with twiddly bits to impress those impressed by bling. It is a solid piece of kit and worth every single penny. So too my Kitchen Aid mixer....it is heavy and shiny and robust. Every cake, meringue or pastry I have ever made, starts here.

Although these things may cost more, I have had them all for many years and will have them for many more I am certain.

An Age of Austerity

Sunday 24th October 2010

We are in an age of austerity, there are calls for strict budgeting and the tightening our collective belts. The reality is dire for us all and even worse for others who will lose their jobs, incomes, even homes. It is at times like these that we have to become resourceful, to make do and mend, to organise ourselves to use our skills to make the best of what we have. Of course we could easily allow this economic down turn to be an opportunity to practice rigorous asceticism, to deny ourselves even the smallest crumb of comfort. But that I believe would be a terrible shame, a mistake even. Now is a time when we must take comfort where ever we can find it. Now is the exact time when having a welcoming home that excites our senses is of paramount importance. To get through and out the other side of this recession, we need to keep positive, stay optimistic and enjoy our homes and family life. Some things can cost very little to cheer our souls; a roaring log fire, a brisk walk in the autumn afternoon, a freshly baked batch of scones with a nice, cup of hot tea, a favourite tv programme and the Sunday papers or having friends/family over for a simple lunch.

This is indeed a period of financial austerity but it does not have to be an age of creative austerity too.

Windfall Apple Jelly

Everyone can cook. Actually I have to take that statement back straight away, on reflection not everyone can cook, but everyone must eat. Whilst some eat just to live, most of us I think in addition to nourishment, eat for pleasure. I love to cook AND eat and it is something I do every day of course. Epicurus the Greek philosopher said along with many other wise musings, that “one must practice the things which produce happiness,” No surprise then if I tell you I spend many long and happy hours in my kitchen baking, cooking and recently experimenting with recipes. I realise that there are many people who like me love to cook and are fascinated enough by food to find nothing even faintly ridiculous about reading cookbooks in bed or thinking about ingredients or recipes in those spare idle moments. Of course it is often difficult to find any spare idle moment that can't be filled with a must do chore.

Yesterday was one of those days.

Having ownership of an apple tree that feels obliged to produce several kilos of apples each year is, believe me, a chore. How to store them, cook them or dispose of them occupies your thoughts from late August to November. I have tried every recipe going containing apples with the bid to use as many as possible just to stop myself feeling bad about composting the lot. I have attempted to give them away but no takers; everyone I know seem to be trying to force their windfall garden produce on me instead. I have apple trees, so I have to make Apple jelly, it is the simplest way of getting rid of a few kilos of apples with hardly any effort.

Garden produce

For this recipe you need 5lbs of cooking apples, chop them up, but check them first to be sure they have no bruises and blemishes. There is no need to peel or core. Place in a very large sauce pan and add enough water to sit level with the apples in the pan, about 3 pints. Heat up until the apples start to turn mushy. Add 6 cloves, a sprinkle or three of ground ginger and some lemon juice and a cinnamon stick ( the cloves and cinnamon stick should be removed at the potting stage).

This is the moment that occurs at this time every year when I realise I should have bought a jelly bag as I won't be able to strain the mixture over night to capture the pure apple essence. I wonder who actually has a jelly bag apart from say Delia or Gary Rhodes. I kick myself because I don't have one and driving in to town to get one from Lakeland is just not going to happen, can't see myself making that journey. And so a cheap pair of tights ( new of course) are my genius substitute. It does the job!! I tie it to the door knob of a kitchen cupboard and Robert is your father's brother!!

A jelly bag made from a pair of tights!!

Early next morning, measure the juice you have strained and for every pint ( 600ml) add one lb (500g) of sugar. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved, add the chopped tarragon, grated lime and finely chopped garlic. Skim any scum off surface and boil hard to setting point. Pot in warm sterilised jars. Label and store