Tales of Mrs H

Allotment - first trip of the season!

2012-02-26T10:32:00.000Z

After listening to Terry ( down at the allotment ) on Radio2 on Friday I realised that I am way behind schedule as far as the growing season is concerned and so I vowed to get started!!!
I managed to sneak away yesterday and spend some lovely me time down at the allotment. It was a glorious sunny day and I REALLY enjoyed my trip there!

Before I started

On arrival I viewed my plot - there were canes with all the remnants of last years growth entwined, dried stems of the nasturtiums all over what was the potato area, large clumps of grass and weeds. Even an old cloche frame. I was quite disheartened-Where do I begin?

Lots to do

I decided it had to be prepare the potato section for this year ( seeing as I bought my first batch of seed potatoes for this year on Friday) and so I got going- clearing the patch to enable the digging to begin. I had forgotten how lovely the earth smells as it is dug, clean , earthy and crumbly with the occasional whiff of onion as I found the remnants of last years crop. Absolutely fantastic- with lots of promise for the coming year.

Over half way

Time for refreshments - but forgot the coffee :(

I worked very hard digging for two and a half hours until I could hardly walk properly and a proper refuel was required. How I enjoyed my time so relaxing , almost like a form of medicine, a therapy and I view my stiffness today as a medal of honour .

Spread some muck and compost and its ready!

I can't wait to get down there again. Shush don't tell any one I hope to go again today if things permit so kept your fingers crossed for me!

A bonus crop of parsnips and leeks- so soup and roast parsnips today1

I've been playing- kilt pins

2012-02-23T12:57:00.000Z

I had sometime yesterday evening to have a play. We eat early these days and it does give us an evening - time that we didn't have before. I'm not sure how that works but the evening seemed to disappear when we ate at a later time.
I recently bought a number of kilt pins and thought about making some brooches or bag pins. I have been collecting bits and bobs that might be useful for a little while and I sat down last night and had a play.

I wanted an England / British theme and these are my first brooches. I crocheted the hearts on valentines day- as I just felt that I had to! the lace is vintage and the other bits all just seemed to go together- including the rose! What do you think?

End of half term happenings

2012-02-21T16:21:00.000Z

How lovely it was to visit the cousins. They are always the most hospitable of hosts. The Aunties were lovely as ever and Uncle Hobbit was the skateboarding instructor of the weekend! Not that I was skate boarding- skiing is fine with me as long as the hill is not too steep and I don't go to fast. We visited the pretty village of Olney again but the lovely charity shops weren't open. It was a lovely bright day- great for a walk and for taking the odd snap or two.

Other Aunty brought her lovely pretty dog- I have told her to enter the Joules competition to win a photo shoot with him - came to visit- He is soo lovely but a bit of pickle as far as the cats are concerned - he just couldn't resist the urge to chase them up the tree in the garden! He has been known to try to round up our chickens who were definitely not impressed.

Less than fluffy cat was tempted down in the end with her favourite titbits and the dreaded ladder wasnt needed - much to Other Aunty's relief!

Then on Sunday our Elder son phoned to let us know he was off to A and E. He had hurt his ankle running- getting caught in a rabbit hole and yes he has fractured his fibula -the smaller of the two leg bones! So today a trip to fracture clinic to get the full cast put on! At least an op isn't required!

I think I may be needed for taxi rides etc for the next few weeks! It seems we aways have a full house here at Mrs H's abode- not that I'm really complaining but I just would like an occasional day to myself! Elder daughter is going back to Uni tomorrow- so maybe Thursday?

But in the meantime Younger daughter made me this lovely cake - we have definite liking for brightly coloured icing in this house . This one is a beautiful turquoise colour -so I had better boil the kettle and get cutting! Thank you YD for my lovely cake . :)

Gosh how quickly the week has flown!

2012-02-18T10:49:00.000Z

The week has really flown by. I think it always does when it's half term. I do love having les enfants around but I always forget how messy they are! It has been a good week with trips to the seaside and London -with also a visit to cousins this weekend. I'm not sure how much revision/ coursework has been done as they all seem to be able to multitask - on the computer, watching tv or listening to music at the same time. I must be getting old as I can really only concentrate on doing one or the other.
I think elder son finds all the school holidays strange as its his first year of working but I think he enjoys his new responsibilities and enjoys going out to work every day.
With regards to this week I even managed two days working in Mudeford - down by the sea- I always feel like I've been on my holidays after a visit there. It must be the sea air and the lovely people I work with. My elder daughter made tea for the family on one of the days- it was so lovely coming in the front door to be greeted by the lovely smell of supper. She also baked some valentine cupcakes -aren't they lovely .

I have also been busy on the clearing out front and have a number of bags waiting at the front door to go to the charity shop. I hope they don't wait there too long- getting there is another story, as I have been known to drive round with them in the boot of the car for a couple of weeks. So today's job is to take them down there. Hoping you all have a lovely weekend a wrap up warm as I believe Sunday is getting cooler again.

I think this rose cupcake is calling me ..... coffee and cake time I believe!

London for the day!

2012-02-14T09:17:00.002Z

Having recovered from the shock of the cost of a day return ticket to London, my younger daughter and I set off for the day.

We headed for Convent Garden and I looked forward to visiting all the little shops there. I was disappointed in that they were all parts of the normal chains eg body shop lush l'occitane etc it would have been lovely to find some boutiquey places with lots of lovely treasures. I had forgotten how cold it is there. I think it must be in a cold spot or even a wind tunnel- it was so cold!

We did find the Moomin shop however. Lots of lovely books, bags etc based on the Finnish character.

We also found another shop with some pretty things like these owls:

We headed off for lunch in Starbucks where they tried to tell me that they didn't have any trays for me to carry our lunch and drinks on. Funnily they did find one eventually- the lovely lady on the drinks section was very helpful even if the smiley man on the orders section couldn't be bothered and was too busy to look. Sorry me just having a grump about the service! We did have a lovely lunch tho and we did get to warm up before moving off again.
We found our way to Regent street and had a mooch there and found several lovely shops before having to think about returning to get the 3.30 train (as we got the supersaver day return ticket as I was still in shock about the cost of the ticket).
We are on the hunt for a ball dress for younger daughter and saw several that we may have to return soon to check out properly.
This was followed by the lovely hour sitting taking in the view, people watching, reading an odd page and the occasional fight against heavy eyes on the way home.

En famille once more,

2012-02-12T22:30:00.002Z

My elder daughter came back from uni for the week as its study week. She's come back for home cooking, to have her washing done and to catch up on sleep!

On Friday I had time time to myself and got a couple of projects out. One is a little bag made from felted wool. I had trouble with the vintage fabric lining and also the magnetic clasps and so this project as been put on hold for the moment.

Today we had a day out en famille. Time for us all to catch up with each other. It was lovely being the six of us again -we even managed a spot of shopping( a miracle considering the diverse needs and likes of the group).

We then had a lovely walk down at the sea front - a chance to blow away the cobwebs.

Followed by a cream tea on the way home. All in all a great day!

Did you want salad with that!!

2012-02-09T14:41:00.001Z

I can't believe its Thursday already. I'm not sure I like this cold weather- its making me feel quite lethargic. Not sure that the chickens like it either. Their water was seriously frozen again this morning. Isla Mai seems to have developed a cough- I will have to keep an eye on that. She seems perky enough and went mad for the salad stuff this morning.

We're trying wood shavings in their Eglu and nesting box as we have been using shredded newspaper on its own . I think we stopped using wood shavings once before because they chucked around and made a right mess everywhere. I can't remember if one of the people we obtained our chickens from said that wood shavings was a really bad idea, I'm not sure. Probably a combination of the two may well work- we shall have to see. I need to research it again.

Back indoors making another 12 jars of marmalade and I think that will be it for now- not sure if I have enough of the right jars for any more!

Ooh I almost forgot- I spotted a blackcap in the garden today. We often see him and his missus in spring but I don't remember seeing him this early before. per haps Spring IS on its way.
Thats all for now- Hope you are keeping warm, see you soon!

New linen cupboard

2012-02-08T11:31:00.000Z

I'm still sorting the spare room out. What a lot of stuff we have accumulated over the years. You may have noticed from the previous pictures of the wardrobe that the linen was over flowing in the top section. This was only meant to be a stop gap several years ago when we had to have new tank fitted in the old airing cupboard.
Unfortunately as I am vertically challenged I have never really been able to reach the top part of the cupboard properly to keep it tidy on regular basis, as it always necessitates getting a stool or step ladder. I have to say taking the photo made me feel ashamed and realise how hideous the mess was and that got me thinking.
What I really wanted was an armoire for the linen. However the price was going to be a tad expensive, also we needed something not too big and preferably shelved. So yesterday on my travels I spotted the perfect solution- a lovely (thirties I think) walnut veneered cupboard which met all my requirements. Perfect.

Linen is now put away neatly and I am able to reach it and keep it tidy! I'm not sure my other half is quite so enamoured as he prefers all things modern but I like it . I could however be persuaded in the future to use it for my sewing goodies should the need for something more modern become more pressing -there is method in my madness!

New sewing area!

2012-02-06T11:36:00.001Z

Well the damp and chilly weather put me off going for a walk yesterday and as I said yesterday it was a sort out morning. I have long been bemoaning the fact that i don't have an official are for my sewing/ crafting. With the office returning to function as another family room I had hoped for a little corner but yesterday conceded that there really wasn't any room there. So I put my thinking hat on and thought about our spare room. This room is not a big double room and really there isn't a lot of extra room there. BUT there is a built-in wardrobe that is currently full of everything, old photos and albums, ski kit, linen clothing and children's work from years gone by that I can't be parted from.This is it yesterday morning:

So I had a great clear out and this is my new area, dedicated sewing area:

It is still work in progress but its great to have my own space. I keep going to have a look at it! Now guess what I'm doing today?.Yep I have to clear the mound of clothes off the spare bed and find homes/ or put out all the unwanted items. I can still do that and think of how I can improve my new area at the same time :)

Snow?

2012-02-05T12:34:00.001Z

We were so excited last night. Checking regularly for the snow. The BBC were right we had a tiny flurry at 4 and it was snowing more heavily at 9pm. Lovely great big flakes but sadly wet ones that didn't want to settle properly. I wish I had taken a photo before I went to bed - a white coating everywhere but it wasn't to last! This is my bedroom view this morning - dismal and melting fast.
The family we spotted yesterday, coming out of the hardware shop with sledges under their arm , will be disappointed not to be able to use their new purchases just yet. I hope they get to use them soon . I spoke to my sister today who lives in Kent and they have loafs of the white fluffy stuff but Lent is often badly hit
This morning we are sorting out at home ( spring is in the air) and this afternoon I'm spending the afternoon crocheting and watching girlie films with my daughter with hot chocolate and blankets. Bliss..........

Sent from my iPhone

Snow?

2012-02-05T12:30:00.001Z

My favourite book : Linen and Lace

2012-02-04T11:03:00.002Z

One of my current obsessions is with vintage fabrics- old lace, embroidered tray mats, crocheted doillies, basically any pretty linens with age , with craftsmanship and have had a previous unspoken life. On browsing the craft books this week I spotted this book and this has now become my favourite book. It's written by a french lady Chantal Sabatier and has been translated into English. Its a beautiful book. You can browse the book on Amazon here:http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=linen+and+lace&x=0&y=0

I carry it every where with me so that when I'm waiting to pick up offspring I can immerse myself in the beautiful projects. My mind is a whirl with ideas for all my lovely linens - so watch this space!

Daffodils to remind us that Spring is nearly here

2012-02-03T13:03:00.001Z

I bought these daffodils this week and have truly enjoyed their bright yellow sunshine. Not much to report here in Mrs H's abode as have been busy making another two batches of marmalade and catching up with housework. Have a lovely weekend! whether you get snow or not!

Marmalade Part 2

2012-02-01T14:09:00.000Z

On with the next stage:
5. Prepare the jam jars by washing in hot soapy water and rinse then place in a warm oven 140 degrees centigrade for ten to fifteen minutes and keep warm unil needed. Sterilise the lids in a pan of boiling water . Also sterilise the ladle bowl in the hot water too and the jam funnel in the oven, taking care when removing it- as can burn (I found out the hard way!)

6.Then bring the pan of orange peel, sugar and orange liquid slowly up to a simmer making sure the sugar has dissolved before simmering. Add the thermometer if using and simmer away gently for sometime - it takes longer longer than you think.
Yesterday it was about 2 hours or so (the recipe books always say its a shorter time but I haven't found that in my experience . I did use a thermometer to help and when it reached about 104 degrees C I did check the setting point. This I did by putting a little on a pre-chilled saucer and when the marmalade wrinkled when pushed by my finger it was done.

7. Place the jam funnel over the neck of each of the jars in turn and fill using the ladle. Be careful not to get any on the jar neckar any residue can lead to mould developing during storage. Sometimes I use a jug to help fill the jars.

8.Seal the jars with the lids whilst still warm, to form a vacuum when they cool and then label and store in a cool place. Et voila your batch of marmalade is done!

Marmalade Part 1

2012-01-30T22:44:00.004Z

Every year I forget that marmalade is not a quick process. You'd think I would have learnt by now! So today I started making my first batch for the year. There are lots of different recipes and basically two different methods. One involves peeling the oranges very carefully avoiding the pith ( the bitter white layer between the flesh and the skin) and slicing the peel the then cooking the orange. This process is too complicated and fiddly for me so I prefer the whole orange cooking method. This is my recipe which is a cross between Nigella Lawson's and Pam Corbin's recipes . It can be made all in one day but I find that if I make it in two stages it fits in better with our hectic schedule:

1kg Seville oranges
2.5 litres of water
Juice of two lemons
2kg sugar

1. Wash the oranges and remove the little buttons on the top of the oranges.
2. Place in a pan with 2.5 litres of water , cover and simmer for 2 hours or so until the oranges are tender. Test with a fork to see if tender.
3. Cool and remove oranges. Cut in half and remove pips. ( Do this in container so that you catch the juices and then slice the peel . ( I have in the past when short of time pulsed the peel in the magimix until roughly chopped).

4.Strain the juice and return with the chopped peel back into the saucepan. Add the lemon juice and the sugar. Stir, cover and leave over night.

So this is where I am up to. Part Two tomorrow !

Happy chickens!

2012-01-29T16:15:00.001Z

This weekend has been a sort the teenagers out and catch up weekend. So sadly I haven't started the marmalade yet but I can see a window of opportunity arising tomorrow morning when everyone is back to work and school.

On Friday I had to sort out my son's dinner suit etc for drama award ceremony in the evening. Saturday there was the hockey run and then a trip to Ikea for a mattress for my daughter's room. The store was so busy - note to self don't go on a weekend again! And today we're sorting daughter's bed, dismantling the old and building the new!
As last night's dinner was chaotic and late I thought I would be organised today, so I have prepared all the veg and even made an apple puff pastry tart for tonight's supper. It just needs finishing off for five to ten minutes extra in the oven until its golden in colour and lovely and warm.

Nikki's Apple Puff Pastry recipe

1 block puff pastry ready made
1 Bramley apple large
3 more cooker apples ( I used some we have from a neighbours tree which don't completely cook to mush
Or 4-5 eating apples
Sugar
Golden syrup
Cinnamon

Roll a block of puff pastry which has been out of the fridge for an hour or so. ( I once tried to use it straight from the fridge and found it was impossible to roll out). Roll out to a large rectangle (mine measured approximately 26cm by 33cm). Run a knife approximately 1cm in from the edge of the pastry so that when it cooks the edge will puff up to give a crust.
Peel core and chop the Bramley apple ( you can use other apples but they may need to be pureed if they don't break down when cooked) and put in a saucepan with a little sugar. Put a lid on and cook over a low heat until soft. Puree if necessary.
Spread the puree over the base of the pastry ( within the crust edge). Then peel and slice the remaining apples and layer over the puree. Sprinkle over plenty of sugar if using cooking apples, drizzle with golden syrup and shake a fine mist of cinnamon powder over the top. Brush the pastry edge with a little milk. Cook in a oven at approximately 160 degrees C for 20 minutes or so until golden brown . Keep an eye on it as the sugar can quickly caramelise and burn. Et voila, your tart is ready to eat with cream or custard! My tart will feed 8.

The chickens are very happy ( at last!- you get round to them, I hear you say) as I have boiled up all the Brussels sprout, parsnip, carrot, potato and apple peelings for them. They go mad for the warm peelings. The black chicken is called Edna and the red one Isla Mai. Funnily they really aren't very interested in uncooked peelings, carrots are just about tolerable but cooked peelings- now you're talking!

The postcard, I brought back from the War museum when we visited London last year and I have it posted on the wall in the kitchen. I love the expectant look of the chickens with their beady inquisitive eyes. Now that we only have two chickens, I have to compost some our veggie peelings as I think there is only so much they can eat! I hope you enjoy the photos.

It's marmalade time

2012-01-27T14:28:00.000Z

I thought I was too late for the Seville oranges but found some in a supermarket this week when shopping. I usually buy them from the local greengrocers but panicked that they wouldn't have any left and so I bought these just in case.
Last year I made twenty pots of marmalade in January and froze some whole sevilles and made another large batch in September when space was needed in the freezer. Actually my son removed them from the freezer so that he had space for his burgers and icecreams for his birthday party! A fair enough excuse don't you think? I will post about my method for making marmalade over the weekend . Have a lovely weekend........

Vintage, reclaimed crochet square blanket

2012-01-25T11:18:00.004Z

So here it is - the blanket I started making last summer when we were going through difficult times. It's going to be a longish process as I tend to make the squares when sitting down in the evening, usually when the family are watching something with a bit of suspense. I'm a bit if a wuss these days regarding scary, tense moments and funny enough the more scary and more tense the film is, the faster I work!

I have used mainly natural pure wools but I did use one wool which I am sure has some manmade fibre in it and I think you can tell which one from the photo.

There were several blogs I followed particularly at that time (and still do). They were a source of inspiration to me. One of these bloggers was Lucy at Attic 24. Her crochet projects are so colourful and I used the pattern she used in one of her projects to make the squares. I think she described them as like a garden of flowers. She also has talked about a method where the squares are crocheted together as you go along which means that there is no major sewing together at the end. This I much prefer although I may regret it nearer the end as the blanket gets more bulky.

So lastly here is the back. This is for Christian who kindly posted a picture of the back of his beautiful quilt for me to see. Although I have crocheted the squares together as I have gone along, I haven't tidied up my ends yet on some of the squares. What do the crocheteers among you do.? Do you sew in your ends as you go along or do you have a magic formula? I'd love to hear from you....

Reclaimed, vintage wool- I can't help myself!

2012-01-24T11:26:00.001Z

I have a confession to make - I'm a bit of a sucker for wool. Especially the pure stuff with nothing manmade added. So I have been collecting from charity shops mainly but anywhere where I can find previously loved pure new wool as I have this urge to give it a new home!

I have recently taken up crochet again and I am making a multicoloured square throw for my daughter using my re-homed wool and I just love the idea that I'm making it from wool that has had a previous (if unused) life. I'm sure this must sound odd but somehow I imagine that all these wools will be brought to life again in the lovely multicoloured throw. The colours of the pure wool are softer, richer and have a more natural feel as opposed to the harsher and brighter colours of the manmade fibres.

I got fed up rummaging around in my large bag for the required colour, when I remembered that I had this basket tucked away in the garage and it works beautifully - I can see all the colours easily- as long as I keep the colours in their allocated areas!

One one of my recent purchases was for llama wool- how cool is that!

Tomorrow I will post pictures of the throw I have started. In the meantime its time to get the crochet hook on the move again.

New Blog Format

2012-01-23T21:09:00.000Z

I thought my blog needed a bit of a change so have spent some time trying all sorts of variations and now I am confused so think I will leave it as this one for now. What do you think?. No doubt I will get up tomorrow and change it all again but until then this is how it will be.......

Thomson and Morgan seed bargains

2012-01-22T09:58:00.000Z

These have just arrived. What great bargains . Fiona from Diary of a cottage smallholder posted on her blog about the bargains to be had! We also like Sungold tomatoes and when they were listed for sale at 20p I had to have them . The salad leaves were a snip at 49p! And ihad to have the giant sunflowers as these are my younger daughters favourite.To be honest I didn't need to buy all that I did but I think I spent a total of 6 pounds odd including postage. I love this time of year planning what to grow.....

Allotment view

2012-01-21T09:58:00.000Z

As you can see the allotment is pretty overgrown and neglected . For one reason or another I didn't get down to the allotment as often as I wanted last year. One of my resolutions this year is to visit more often and spending more time there . I feel so replenished when I visit . The atmosphere is calming , the birds singing , and in the past a visit by someone's escaping chickens. There is nothing better than getting your hands dirty in the soil, a getting back to nature a feeling that all is right with the world . No matter how stressed I feel when I arrive, I am at one with the world when I leave . All my troubles being absorbed by the earth and the plants. A happier and calmer me!

Allotment January

2012-01-21T09:46:00.000Z

Well I made it down to the allotment but only to take photos as I had forgotten I had a number of errands to do including a food shop - pretty important if want to have a happy family over the weekend!

Happy cat sleeping on his back - is this unsual

2012-01-20T08:18:00.001Z

Happy cat sleeping on his back - is this unusual?

2012-01-20T07:55:00.001Z

Hi this really is a happy cat! There has been some talk on Radio 2 (started by Steve Wright) regarding the fact that only humans sleep on their backs. I think this photo shows that this isn't the case! I often think that our cat thinks he is human. He is certainly large but is a real softy!
Plans for today?
I think I will pop down to the allotment and start clearing last years mess.Hopefully I will have some photos to post later so see you then. ( I have had such trouble posting today so if this works hurrah!!!!)

Damp day and exercise!

2012-01-18T11:56:00.001Z

I thought I would get some much needed exercise today. The last few days have been caught up with various teenagers needs. So I planned my return to exercise to start today. I have to say I wasnt entirely looking forward to starting as I know the initial stages are very taxing so when I looked out of the window and saw the damp morning I was not impressed . However you will be proud of me - I took the bull by the horns and went out for half an hour. It was more of a walk / trot but at least it's a start! And I am pleased that I braved the weather! So now for the best bit a cup of coffee and a biscuit...

Making a laundry bag for my daughter

2012-01-16T22:00:00.001Z

My daughter and I went shopping recently to Southampton and spent a lovely time in my favourite shop John Lewis? One of my dreams if i won the lottery is to have a spending spree there. The store has so many lovely things and the staff are respectful and helpful, a lovely shopping experience. We visited the haberdashery dept and found some lovely Amy

Butler fabrics on offer. Such fantastic colourful patterns. I had decided that making a laundry bag for my daughter might persuade her to put her dirty clothes in the bag rather than on the floor! We choose three fabrics two for the outside and one for the lining. Aren't they lovely. I used the pattern from the Book 'Sewing in no time' by Emma Hardy. What do you think?

Gardening by the moon!

2012-01-16T09:16:00.000Z

I have often thought about gardening or planting by the moon and thought that at some point I would research and find out more about it. It seems such a romantic and mystical way of gardening , something that Joe from the book Blackberry wine (Joanne Harris) would have incorporated into his magical way of gardening.
So I was really excited to see an article in the Telegraph on Saturday in the Gardening section entitled 'Moon planting: just a passing phase' so I read it with intrepidation. Why? Well the romantic side of me loves the idea of these mystical and magical practises but I am scientifically trained and so there's the juxtaposition. Where's the scientific proof? Well Ken Thompson wrote his informative piece with enticing moonlight picture of an allotment and basically there is no scientific proof to show it works and in fact 'Which' tested planting calabrese, beetroot and lettuce under the optimum days for planting and also on the least optimum days and they found there were no differences in the yield! Disappointing!
Well at least I haven't spent time trying to plant at the 'right' times and at least I don't have to worry about how I have missed the right time for planting with the moon as I think this may be one thing too much for me to have to fit into my schedule. But........ There still is a little part of me that wants it to work just like there still is a little bit of me that believes in Joe's specials!

Mudeford quay

2012-01-12T21:23:00.005Z

Today I was lucky enough to work for the day down near Mudeford. I love visiting there. The light is lovely, often dramatic in winter and bright and almost Mediterranean in the summer.
I always have a lovely day there- the staff I work with are a lovely bunch and we enjoy catching up on news of our craft projects, chickens veggie growing and cooking. We always have lots to talk about!

At lunchtime today I went for walk at the quay and took some lovely photos. Although its seemed reasonably bright, it was a typical wintry day which the photos luckily show. Funnily an hour or so later the sun shone brightly but I think these photos show drama and a certain moodiness that wouldnt have been there later. How I love how changeable the weather can be here. I was able to return to work for the afternoon rather wind swept and invigorated and very happy for my bite of fresh air!

And now for me time!

2012-01-10T09:58:00.001Z

I have finally managed to find time to sit down and restart my blogging again after the Christmas break.
We had a lovely New Years Eve at friends in the local village. It was all the more special in that our younger two came with us and had a lovely time too - even taking a dip in the outdoor hot tub before the midnight fireworks and a torch lit walk back home afterwards.

Every ones out today or still in bed and so a have a few minutes to myself. Hurrah! My other half (OH) has moved out of the home office and set up a new office in the town - still within walking distance but it means we have another family room( desperately needed) and he gets some time away from home ( also needed). Both younger people are back at school where the dreaded pressure is building for their GCSEs. Eldest son has been back at work for at least a week and elder daughter is about to go back to Uni but not sure for how long - that's another story!

What have I been up to? Before Christmas I started making some cushions for one of the shops in our town. I have been experimenting with using vintage blankets and using embroidery to embellish them. These were the first that I made. I also had a commission to make two wool cushions with a London theme and so I made the cushions with images of Big Ben and a London bus what do you think?
I made a number of other cushions as presents for nieces etc and I hope to be able to upload pictures of them as long as I haven't lost the photos.......

So we are into 2012!

2012-01-05T22:02:00.001Z

Apologies for not blogging recently. We had a lovely Christmas and new year and will be back blogging again in the next couple of days! I have been reviewing our year in 2010 and look forward to chatting again to you all......

Homemade sweets

2011-12-27T22:27:00.000Z

We always make homemade sweets just before Christmas. We were a little short for time this year so ended up making peppermint creams, fudge and chocolate truffles. The girls made them and they are very yummy- I am finding it very hard not to eat one every time I pass the dish! Friends gave us a bonbon dish for a present this year. I think we will fill the dish tomorrow.

Weighing the ham!

2011-12-27T22:26:00.000Z

I bought the ham without a) thinking how I was going to cook it
b) without asking what the weight was!
It was too heavy for my electric and also for my old fashioned scales! So we had to resort to the bathroom scales!!It was also to large to cook in my pan. As it was a smoked ham I decided to use my jam pan and to bring it up to the boil and turned it over and brought it back up o the boil again. We then oven cooked it in the style of delia. It turned out really well and was very tasty. We have plenty for he rest of the week!

Christmas gift bags

2011-12-27T22:25:00.001Z

These were the bags I made for the homemade gifts. After a number of different options ,these seemed to be the best in terms of time and design- I think I will make these again!

We got there!

2011-12-27T22:23:00.001Z

So Christmas arrived at last. How did it go for you? My parents arrived on Christmas eve in the afternoon when most of the preparations wre finished. The neighbours loved their gifts. We gave some of the jam and chutneys with a vintage saucer filled eith our homemade sweets. We usually give homemade gifts of one type or another. One year we planted crocus bulbs in teacups! One of the neighbours rang to say how lovely the present was and how much they look forward to their gifts each year.It was so lovely to receive the call as you never know whether the homemade gifts are wanted or indeed appreciated.
Christmas day went well, now the children are almost grownup it was a late start-a far cry from a few years ago when a three o'clock start was the norm! The day was organised with lunch on time which my parents greatly appreciated and then a walk into the local countryside to blow away the cobwebs. I dearly wanted to watch Downton Abbey but that's not to everyone else's taste so I will have to catch up on that as soon as possible.
More family arrived on Boxing day and we had atypical boxing day supper of cold turkey, roast ham, cheeses, coleslaw and new potatoes.
All guests disappeared at different times today and so this afternoon was spent recovering in front of the tv watching films and some comedy. Bliss..........

Gingerbread house! One day to go!

2011-12-24T19:30:00.000Z

Only one day to go! We have had a very busy day starting with other half collecting the turkey at 7 am this morning. The girls have been brilliant finally getting her Christmas pudding made (I know I just didn't get it done for various reasons. Then the Christmas cake was made and iced tonight by younger daughter. The lovely gingerbread was assembled by my eldest daughter having made the components yesterday. Chocolate truffles were made and the sweet presents assembled. The ham was cooked 14lbs in old money so a bit of a beast! I think we are there now . I will post done other photos over the next few days. In the meantime have a lovely Christmas. See you soon .....

Christmas cat and two days to go!

2011-12-23T08:50:00.000Z

On a lighter note this picture of our cat always make me smile !

Mabel

2011-12-23T08:49:00.001Z

Sadly Mabel passed away last night. She was a favourite. She was the chicken that wanted to live indoors with us and watch tv in the evening! We will miss her greatly. We took her out of the run yesterday when she was poorly and after that the other two kept looking for her. She passed away peacefully .

Damson gin etc

2011-12-22T15:58:00.000Z

Three days to go!

2011-12-22T15:56:00.002Z

Its been a difficult day here so far with stressed teenage children and a very poorly chicken!. We finally got the christmas pudding mix weighed out and hope fully will get it cooked tomorrow. Peppermint creams on the go, fudge made yesterday and christmas cake partly made.We've delivered some of the presents and did a little christmas shopping. Further shopping will be done tomorrow and food shopping early Saturday morning. So we've sort of got a plan made!

My mother surprised me this morning by sending me a text to ask what time tomorrow my parents should arrive for Christmas. This sent me into panic mode thinking I had lost a day somewhere- but all's well, she had got her days mixed up! Hoping tomorrow is calmer in Mrs H's household!
On a happier note I hope to post a picture of the damson gin- see if you can spot the deliberate mistake?

Four days to go !

2011-12-21T08:03:00.001Z

We have been very busy here at Mrs H's humble abode in preparation for the big day. My youngest daughter made these gingerbread men using a Swedish recipe . The recipe originally came from my best friend who lived in Sweden for some years. We now make them every year and the house smells of the spices as we make it .
Today I have to finish putting the muslin and ribbons on the jams and chutneys and then wrap them up for our friends and neighbours. What started out as a few parcels has rapidly grown as we remember more people we would like to give to.
I also have to finish wrapping the other gifts for friends and their families. I hope to post pictures at a later date of some other things I have been busy making but this may have to wait until after Christmas .
So job list for today :
1. Put finishing touches on craft presents.
2. Finish putting muslin and ribbon on jars and pack into bags and decorated.
3. Finish wrapping presents for friends and family.

Christmas tree farm

2011-12-18T09:28:00.001Z

Last Sunday we went with the inlaws to help pick their tree. They are very lucky to live nearby the Christmas tree farm at Stoke Goldington, where you are able to wonder through their field and choose your Christmas tree. Once chosen your tree us cut down by one of the farm hands . Mulled wine is on offer to help keep you warm whilst choosing your tree and once finished with the cup is over turned and placed on top of the tree to denote your chosen tree. The small shop also offers slow gin, and other fruit liqueurs for sale as well as Christmas wreaths! We had a lovely time choosing . I wish this farm was nearer to us. I think I will have to do a search for one closer to home ! I forgot to add the farm was used in this winters photo shoot for 'Urban Outfitters' the fashion shop.

Visiting family

2011-12-17T09:15:00.001Z

Last weekend I went to visit family who live near near Milton Keynes . My daughter and I had a lovely time being looked after . We went to finish the shopping for that side of the family and to swop pressies. Shopping is always better when done with like minded people. We laughed a lot and stopped frequently for refreshments and were able to relax a bit from away from the relentless pressure on the run up to Christmas
We went shopping in the lovely small town Olney. It is a very pretty place full of honey coloured old and quaint buildings. There are a several thrift shops ( I think that's the trendy name for charity shops!). One of them was of particular note as it is extremely clean well layed out with very reasonably priced pieces of vintage style bric a brac. The other shop that took my fancy was a new one called "Chic Boutique" . This sells new and used designer and high street fashion and shabby chic and vintage homeware- according to the blurb. In the changing room the cutest little girls dress was hanging up . It was so lovely I had to take a picture . I bought a lovely red lined jigsaw cardigan for £ 10 . It really is very festive- and I know I will wear it a lot over the holidays. Again the china pieces were very reasonable , I cannot wait for a return visit !

Finished jars!

2011-12-12T15:41:00.000Z

Jams and chutneys

2011-12-12T15:40:00.000Z

Over the last few years the jam chutney making bug has gone from strength to strength in this household. In fact so much so my other half usually suggests that's it about time I gave some away as presents. So now each Christmas that's exactly what I do. Last year I made little baskets up lined with tea towels and brown shredding and three jars of my finest together with a couple of Ikea gingerbread nightlights and possibly a small bottle of home made fruit liqueur ( limoncello or cranberry vodka ). The cranberry vodka tasted very festive.
This year I have sorted my jars but haven't quite decided on the packaging but am thinking along a small christmas tote. I will let you know when I have decided. Any other suggestions would be gratefully received ! This year I have made damson gin and crab apple brandy which I am bottling tonight. Pictures of these are to follow . But in the meantime I attach photos of my chutneys before and after dressing!

Christmas tree

2011-12-11T11:39:00.000Z

We thought we would get our tree this week , which is early for us. In the
past we have had difficulty finding the right one. So an earlier trip was planned. My other half and the girls went to choose and spent along time looking for the right shape and height. There was much discussion about which type of tree it would be. In the end cost was a major factor and we went for the traditional Norwegian spruce . Some of the other types were about £ 70 each!
We are so glad we collected the tree on Wednesday afternoon instead of the weekend as there was a fire at the hospital near the garden centre and the road was shut for access . I do hope everyone at the hospital was ok.
These days I leave the girls to decorate the tree and here is a picture of this year's tree. The house smells very Christmassy . Now we just have to remember to water the tree...,,,

My lovely chickens

2011-12-09T08:01:00.000Z

My lovely chickens called Isla mai and Mabel are here catching the last of the winter sun on Wednesday. They were also waiting for their afternoon treats of either corn or warm boiled up peelings. They much prefer cooked peelings as opposed to uncooked which gets distributed all around the run. Edna our black chicken isn't in view but is lurking nearby. She's the black sheep of the trio. I think she believes she is a cockerel shouting early in the morning and jumping on the back of the others and giving them a good peck when we are not looking , she is also the least friendly of my chickens.More photos another day....

Festive preparations

2011-12-07T07:53:00.001Z

Yesterday when chatting to my youngest daughter she let slip that the schools would see breaking up at the end next week,which panicked me, but thinking about it I have more time this year than I have had previously so I'm sure we will be ok but old habits die hard! Anyway I got to thinking that I haven't even made the Christmas pudding yet so I think that is what I should make today. The recipe I have used the last few years is one I have adapted a little from Phil Vickery the chef who appears on Good Morning tv show. The recipe is light , suitable for vegetarians, I can use our homegrown carrots, apples and eggs but more importantly I like to use it as my daughter met the chef when she was smaller. So here is the recipe I use:

Golden Christmas pudding serves 4-6

110g raisins
75g sultanas
1 small apple grated
1 small carrot grated (use a fine grater otherwise you will see largish orange specks in the finished product)
175ml cider
50g runny honey
50g fresh breadcrumbs
50g soft brown sugar
50g chopped dried figs
50g pine nuts ( we leave this out and use more dried fruit instead)
50g chopped dates
50g currants
50g olive oil
50g candied fruit chopped (optional)
35g flaked almonds( again we leave this out and add some different dried fruit)
2 tsp mixed spice
3 medium eggs beaten
Pinch of salt
Soak all the fruit and carrot in cider overnight (or for over 8 hours) Next day mix well and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and pack into a 2lb pudding basin. Cover with grease proof paper and foil and secure well using string, making a handle to ease removal from the steamer. Steam for 4 hours. Remove and leave to cool. Take off foil and leave somewhere cool until Christmas day. When it should be recovered in foil and steamed again for four hours.

Student Christmas decorations

2011-12-05T19:06:00.001Z

My elder daughter is a student away at university and as neither she or her flat mates are flush with money they decided to decorate their flat on the cheap, I thought I would share this with you. She made the snowflakes from paper , folding a circle shape into half and half again until you a flat cone shape. She then cut out shapes along the side. The paper was then unfolded and voila she had a snowflake. All her flat mates had ago but as my daughter was the fastest she was elected to make the most!!! Her snowman was made from cotton wool pulled into ball shapes and built up to form a body and a head and bits of paper were coloured with feltpen to make the hat, eyes, buttons etc and orange string for his scarf. The candy cane Is one of her favourites and is a must for the tree!
I've also attached a picture of the snowflakes too!

Student snowflake decorations

2011-12-05T18:52:00.000Z

Buttonhole and button

2011-12-04T20:43:00.000Z

My hand stitched buttonhole

2011-12-04T20:42:00.000Z

Retro cushions

2011-12-04T20:41:00.000Z

I just loved this retro type fabric . It's shiny in lovely rich colours of turquoise, purples, orange, green and brown. These were my first attempt at cushion covers. They have an envelope backing with hand stitched buttonhole and large brown button. The buttonholes aren't perfect but not a bad attempt seeing as it was a very long time ago when I last had a go at buttonholes! What do you think are they any good? Do you have any tips how to do a neat buttonhole?

Christmas lights

2011-12-04T09:45:00.001Z

Last night my other half and I had our first evening out together in months (all offspring being otherwise occupied). We had a simple supper out in a local town. Lots of the shops and buildings were decorated with small Christmas trees with pretty lights . I thought you might like to see

Sent from my iPhone

Cushions and all that !

2011-12-01T20:40:00.000Z

Just been surfing the net with regards to cushions etc and found this....http://yougogirl.typepad.com/you_go_girl/2010/03/crochet-like-crazy.html
http://yougogirl.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54fdb9f7e88330120a95c5b48970b-pi

What a lovely edging to the pillow casing , I love it and may well be having a go at this very soon! What do you think?

Christmas fragranced bags

2011-11-30T22:26:00.001Z

Christmas is on its way!

2011-11-30T22:24:00.000Z

The chilly mornings this week have made me feel quite Christmassy ! I have recently been collecting seasonal type fabrics and spices to make fraganced bags and have made a couple of different types today. The first batch took quite a lot of time to make and by the end of the evening I managed to shorten the whole process - funny that! I think my favourite are the rectangular ones. The whole house smelt of festive spices , I think everyone was hoping I was make gingerbread men. Perhaps tomorrow. Until the next time..........

Christmas scented bags

2011-11-30T20:54:00.000Z

Allotment November 2011

2011-11-27T20:41:00.001Z

So this is the start!

2011-11-27T20:18:00.000Z

Well this is the beginning of my blog and how nervous am I? I have been so scared of starting to write in case I make a complete fool of myself! I hope to record my triumphs and failures of all my efforts to lead a more fulfilled home life whether it be down the allotment, at home cooking, making things and above all spending time with my almost grown up children and last but certainly not least with my patient husband who supports me in all my madcap projects! I also want to share with you the things that give me inspiration and enjoyment whether it be a link to another blog or something I have read or seen - so lets get going!
I made my first visit today to the allotment since the summer and how the weeds have grown! I shall post a picture as soon as I can so that this can be the baseline as it can only improve. Unfortunately last year I had very little time to achieve as much as I had wanted . I always enjoy my time there and usually want to spend more time than I intended as it really is a calm oasis away from the phone, computer and hectic lives! An hour can help lift my spirits and give more poor brain something to mull over in the small hours of the night when sleep can be all so elusive.
I think that's not a bad start so I will sign off -until the next time!