Posting has been difficult today!

I had hoped to post pictures from my spring garden to cheer us all up. I don't know about where you are but its bitterly cold here in Hampshire and oh so grey! The sun did shine for a

little bit this afternoon which was cheering.

Every timed a I tried to upload a picture I was told the server rejected it! I'm not really sure what that means - only that you can only have a few pictures today ! and not necessarily the ones I wanted to post, just the ones I could!

  And finally our cat - enjoying the view from the window!

 and looking resigned- not really enjoying having his photo taken today!

Natural dry hair remedies

Ever since I can remember I have been interested in using natural ingredients to make potions for the skin and hair. Ask my Dad- he'll tell you about all  the oatmeal and lavender bags I made when I was a teenager. I'd hang them off the taps in the bath so that the water ran through them releasing the oaty perfumed milk into the bath. Unfortunately he didn't share my enthusiasm for natural homemade beauty products.

The other day my hairdresser lamented the dryness of my hair and suggested a mashed  avocado hair balm and the light began to glow and I remembered how much I loved using fresh natural ingredients. I positively ran home to search on internet to see what I could find and  guess what I found  this 5-hair-conditioners-you-can-make-at-home. This post had a number of easy ( well 5) to make natural recipes for hair conditioners. The avocado recipe sounded interesting!

I popped off into town to buy some avocados - I ate one half for lunch ( they are packed full of vitamins including the  vitamin B's , monounsaturated fats (good for lowering cholesterol), lutein (good for eyes and skin) and much more)  so that I get the benefit internally.

 Then later on  I will mash the other half with olive oil and some essential oils- probably lavender ( for calming and relaxing), and then coat my damp hair with it, cover with  a cheap shower hat ( I use the freebie ones from hotels) and wrap in a warm towel and leave for at least 20mins - probably longer, several hours if I can manage it.

Half for lunch and half for my hair!

If I was clever I would leave it on overnight but I'm not sure Mr H would be very  keen on waking up  next to a woman covered in avocado and essential oils and wrapped in a shower hat, so I think a couple of hours during the day  (when the family are not around- so there are no funny jokes ) will suffice!

 Then another day I  might try the coconut oil recipe as I think have a 500g pot lurking in the back of the cupboard - I just have to find it..........

Its half term again!

Another busy week has passed in the H household with visits to daughter in Canterbury and today I'm off to visit  my son in Coventry! I can't believe they have gone to to places both approximately two hours away from home and both beginning with C. Inevitably as  busy mum  I get them confused( ie son and daughter are in the opposite city!) but as long as go to the right place to visit then things are ok!

This is a very quick post and hope to catch up with you in a day or so... and I leave you with this war time poster- 

This makes me smile and it makes my offspring want to keep some!  .........

Spring is on its way

The sun has finally come out and it feels like spring is on its way.

Its been a funny old week with a light dusting of snow one day. The primroses were smiling bravely!

I finally got round to making a batch of marmalade:

My daughter made some peanut butter cookies_ yummy

 I made some chocolate chip fairy cakes...

 I do miss the chickens- I had to buy eggs!

 and Daughter made a second set of cookies

 and they have all gone- time to make some more munchies I think!

Sunday

It's unusual for Mr H and I to be in the study working together! Coffee and Muse playing - I could get used to this!

The last few weeks have been full of poorly offspring and it looks like we are not out of the woods yet with younger son succumbing this weekend.  Some times I think it would be so much better if it all happened close together and then it would be all over and done with! but then I remember the times when they were little and ill at the same time - exhausting.
I am relishing the time I am having with them and being able to look after them- all though I'm not sure that my patient nurse persona could carry on for ever!

I have been busy - I've made some pickled onions with some some shallots I had in the fridge - funnily enough  it was Janie's post  ( from The Hedge Comber) about the beef and shallots that reminded me about the ones in the fridge.  I had wanted to pickle them before Christmas but just had run out of time!.

So how did I make them? I took the unpeeled onions and popped them in a heatproof dish and covered them with boiling water for one minute. I then strained them and poured cold water over them to cool them. This makes it easier to peel. I top and tailed each one with a pair of kitchen scissors . Peeled them popped each onion into a large china bowl and covered them with table salt. The bowl was then covered, placed into a cool place and left overnight.

 The next day -the salt was rinsed off with cold water. I sterilised my jar ( I used a kilner jar) by putting it into the dishwasher first and then into a hot oven - about 140  degrees Centigrade for 15mins. The rubber ring had been removed before hand and was sterilised by placing in simmering water for ten minutes or so.

 Once the jar was cool - the onions were packed into the jar

 and the topped up with a ready prepared pickling vinegar.

The jar was sealed  and then left for a couple of weeks to mature!

Et voila - homemade pickled onions!

Calling all Bloggers!

 Would you like the opportunity of winning free advertising space for your blog? Janie at The Hedge Combers is offering just that. The blog must be a foodie one or one about country living- so why not pop over have a look and let her know why you want to be considered. I have entered just to set the ball rolling- I know there are some fantastic blogs out there! So what are you waiting for!

Janie's blog is a lovely blog about life on the farm with her ducks, foraging and cooking with lots of lovely photos. She has just completed a mammoth 24 hour blog with lots of giveaways recipes and posts- so do take a look you won't regret it!!!