The Cottage Smallholder

It’s strange but I always choose what we will eat in the evening. Even when Danny does the big shop. Even when he does the cooking. I wake up and the second thought after”I must have a large mug of tea. Now.” Is immediately, “What will we eat tonight? D is a carnivore with a Read More »

Donagh (pronounced Dunna) is Danny’s youngest brother. He is a superb cook. When we meet the Dublin flight at Stansted he is Talking Food. The journey to the cottage is spiced with intriguing recipes and discoveries. Sitting in the back of the car, I begin to get nervous as I always seem to cook for Read More »

Yesterday Jalopy and I were tootling down to Saffron Walden when I spotted a friend walking her dog. The family used to live next door, moved away about six years ago and we gradually lost touch. Alice is now married and expecting her first baby in three weeks time. When I first met her she Read More »

Ten days ago, Sara from Farming Friends tagged me for seven random facts about my garden. I have lived here for fifteen years now, creating and maintaining my garden is how I keep vaguely sane. When I first moved here it was just after I had been released from a short, unhappy marriage. A marriage Read More »

Mrs Boss is the Bantam heroine of the Farming Friends – Cottage Smallholder Interblog Guinea Fowl Breeding Event. She has been broody more often than not throughout her four summers. As a result, she spends weeks either in the anti broody coop or being bullied by the other hens in our flock. Sara at Farming Read More »

Daisy Beatyl drinking from the large bowl of water in the kitchen is one of the most soothing sounds. This is my Mum’s miniature Daschund. She is on the very largest end of miniature. In fact she seems to be a proper sized Daschund to me. She also has very large, soft eyes. The only Read More »

Having made the mushroom risotto, I finally read Richard’s arancini recipe properly. I discovered that last time I had missed two vital ingredients: the beaten eggs and bread crumbs. I had merely rolled the balls in flour and attempted to fry them. No wonder they fell apart in the pan. Danny ate a strange mongrel Read More »

Despite a few clouds this afternoon it has been sunny all day. Only 12 hours ago I was wrapped up like Eskimo Nell and considering collecting twigs for a fire in the igloo. On a warm summer evening I love concocting a risotto bursting with summer flavours and colour. Last night, I flicked on the Read More »

My sister Seraphina visits a few open studios each year. She always encourages me to do the same. July is a busy month on every front, so until yesterday I hadn’t experienced this pleasure. When I saw that fellow blogger, Celia Hart (Magic Cochin but simply Celia when she visits our blog) had opened her Read More »

Danny tottered in, burdened with two carrier bags of bargains on Friday evening. He had been dispatched to buy a good bottle of vodka. Waitrose had Stoly for ten quid a bottle so he swooped in there and had discovered a small bin of almost-out-of-date fruit and veg. As I poured a vodka, he retrieved Read More »