The mystery Christmas card
It happens every year. We are sent a Christmas card and cannot decipher the signature. I did it myself one year and everyone wondered who Frank was. A mystery card arrived yesterday. We started to look for clues. “This is an older person’s hand writing.” “Yes definitely a hand that has written Christmas cards for years.” “It’s a charity card for Parkinson’s Disease – not a fashionable charity. So a kind person.” Then we examined the picture on the card. Who do we know who would choose that sort of card? We had no idea...
read moreHot Spiced Cranberry and Apple Sauce recipe
When I worked out how much money I was making from the jars of cranberry and clementine sauce on my gate side stand I found that I was barely breaking even. Cranberries are expensive in the UK – as most of them are imported from America. I love the intensity of my quick cranberry sauce but surely I could come up with something a little bit different that would pad out the cranberries and make a delicious ‘have with anything’ thick fruity sauce. I don’t know which inspirational angels were floating in the kitchen but this sauce is a...
read moreSnow
We woke to snow. I knew immediately I saw the light streaming into my bedroom. Snow light has a vibrance and intensity that’s not even matched by the sunniest day. I carried Dr Quito down the stairs and paused at the little window so he could see the snow but elderly Min Pin eyesight is not very sharp and when I opened the back door he halted on the doorstep to survey the new white world. The snow was so light and soft that even the tiniest twig supported two inches of snow flakes. I like the crunch and creak underfoot of freshly fallen...
read moreHot apple and chilli jelly recipe
Danny doesn’t like things to be too hot but strangely the combination of sweet and heat in this jelly gets the thumbs up from him. Apple chilli jelly is brilliant with sausages, pork, lamb or any rich meat. Pork chops baked with a few tablespoons of this jelly are yummy. In fact it’s a very versatile preserve and well worth making. I’ve even added a little to winter salad dressings to give them a bit of a lift. The health benefits of eating chillies are amazing. I thought that I’d written up this recipe and spent ages looking for it...
read moreGarden porn
“Have you got a list of the props that you want for Christmas?” Danny’s words had me switching on the laptop in a trice. Danny calls my gardening tools props as he doesn’t really believe that I use them all. He claims that they are mostly there for show. I must admit I do have a weakness for gardening tools and equipment. And have been known to splash out on something that was never really used – like my beautiful topiary shears. One of my favourite 2009 tools is a border edger that I bought after John retired. It has a good old...
read moreParis and Preserves
Danny has gone to Paris on business this week. I drove him to Whittlesford station yesterday afternoon and drove home feeling a bit mumbo. The cottage is very quiet when he’s away – not that he stomps about but there is no conversation, or rustle of another life alongside. I find myself talking to the Min Pins and the chickens. The Min Pins miss him too and tend to get a bit clingy. Everywhere I go they want to go too. During the morning I’d watched the occasional person stop and examine the gate side stand. But business was...
read moreSmall is Beautiful
Well the little gate side stand is up. It’s made from an old wooden box that originally held three jeroboams of champagne. Unfortunately not drunk by me. The grand opening was a little later than anticipated as it took a while to screw the box to the fence. The whole process was monitored by two Polish builders who were cleaning out the guttering of the house next door. Once the umbrella was in place I was protected from any stray splashes. The umbrella is attached to the other side of the fence with wire clips and the cash box is...
read moreNothing to write about in particular
It’s one of those days when I can’t think of anything to write about! Things move pretty slowly around here. But I’ve discovered that I can watch telly on my laptop and, even better, look at the archives of River Cottage that I’ve missed since we gave up watching TV three years ago. So this morning I decided not to panic and watch the episode that everyone else enjoyed on December 3rd. – I might find inspiration. And Callooh, Callay Pam was making marron glacé – crystallised chestnuts. You don’t know but I’ve actually...
read moreMushrooms braised in butter and red wine recipe
At the moment we are flat out making jars of chutney and Christmas relishes for our garden gate stand which hopefully will be up and running this weekend. So supper has to be quick and easy. The slow cooker is busy bubbling away with meals which are frozen in portions so we can eat well with the minimum palaver. I’ve discovered that freezing in portions of about 2 centimetres deep means that these meals can be heated from frozen very gently in a sauté pan with a lid. We quite often eat steak and kidney pie filling without the pastry...
read moreDrying your own herbs
The cottage is filled with the sweet aroma of coriander/cilantro. Later there will be wafts of mint, oregano, marjoram, lemon balm and sage. Tomorrow it will be garlic. It has suddenly got much colder here but there are still herbs to harvest to add to hearty winter dishes and give us a hint of summer again. Needless to say I’m using the dehydrator to do this. It makes quick work of the drying process which is good as J.P. gave me a sack full of coriander. We will return half of the dried coriander to them. A good swap in my book. We...
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Recent Comments
{ I was thinking the same as Magic Cochin but then like you I don't have my phone attached by an umbilical cord wherever I go.... } – Wed 8 :47 pm
{ Good point but I don't tend to take it about with me everywhere 
} – Wed 7 :25 pm
{ Doesn't your mobile phone have an alarm setting? C x } – Wed 6 :32 pm
{ I would put it towards a bbq, it's just a shame you can't purchase some sunshine from b&q } – Wed 12 :04 am- { Hi Lesley The clucking means that she is brrody also plucking her own feathers is a sign too. } – Tue 11 :58 pm
- { Hi Lesley They have to stay in the broody coop 24/7. Could you put in a garden shed or garage? } – Tue 11 :57 pm
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