Living a contented creative life.

The merry month of May! Such a lovely time of year with longer days and more sunshine. So much to enjoy with blossom, birdsong and Summer yet to come. Lots going on in the garden and kitchen.

Delicious mint was ready to use. I love  mint so I made five small pots of mint sauce and froze them. Easy to do in my food processor.  I normally just use apple mint. It has a sweeter taste than spearmint but I hadn’t quite enough so I used a mixture of the two.

I just wash and strip the leaves from the stems, dab them dry, put into the processor, cover with malt vinegar and sugar and whizz them until the mint is thoroughly chopped and flavours combined. Fabulous taste to have with new potatoes and lamb in Spring and just as delicious with old potatoes and bacon in Winter. It’s just like fresh when it thaws.

The apple blossom has been wonderful. I think, of all the fruit blossom, it’s the loveliest. Sadly, it doesn’t last for long. The petals are scattering like confetti around the garden. Not a problem, they soon disappear.

My Clematis montana “Elizabeth” is sprawling around the tops of the fruit trees looking romantic.

Underneath the fruit trees this year a lot of self-seeded Campion, a wildflower, have sprung up and are looking so lovely right now. Such pretty flowers. The little orchard looks like a woodland garden.

At Christmas my son gave me a bag of mixed bulbs. By the time I could plant them I thought it might be way too late but I put them, pessimistically, into the ground. I needn’t have worried. They have come up beautifully. Lovely tulips which are now in flower and some daffodils which are still in bud.

These warmer days and damp evenings are ideal for growing. The broad beans are flowering well and promising to produce some tender beans in a few weeks. The blueberries have lots of blossom so will provide some delicious berries later on. The little wild strawberries which grow all over the garden have pretty flowers and will bear tiny red strawberries for the birds and mice to enjoy. We will have plenty of cultivated berries for ourselves.

A few more beauties which caught my eye.

On a very wet day I baked a new cake recipe which came to me one night when I couldn’t sleep. Here it is.

Sweet Apple Squares

2 Sweet Apples
4 large Eggs
200g Caster Sugar
225g Self-raising Flour
2 rounded teaspoons Baking Powder
20g Bran
200g Sunflower Oil

Grease a large baking tin. I use a roaster, 30 x 25cm (12 x 10")
Peel and core the apples.
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan oven.
Grate the apples coarsely into a mixing bowl.
Add all the other ingredients and mix well.
Put mixture into the tin and bake for 25-30 minutes.(It took 27 minutes in my oven.)
Cool and cut into squares.
They make lovely puddings either warm or cold with custard, cream, yoghurt or ice-cream.
Even better when they're a day or two old, if you can resist them for that long. They also freeze well.

More of my Sweet-Treat Squares are in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook. All very easy to make and very satisfying.

I hope you’re enjoying the season with lovely flowers and birdsong. Bye for now. With you again in a couple of weeks.

April is a busy time in the garden with seed sowing, planting and cutting back. I’ve sown French beans, kohl rabi, carrots, parsnips, celeriac, peppers, radishes and Spring onions. Enjoying fresh cabbage and kale. More about the garden later.

You may remember I’ve been experimenting with making homemade yoghurt and was deciding whether to buy a yoghurt maker. I was reluctant because I like to be self-sufficient if I can but began to wonder if it would make it a bit easier. The milk has to be brought to the boil, then cooled to about 43C. It’s a bit of a faff, to be honest, so I thought perhaps there might be a better way. So I gave in and bought a yoghurt maker.

Unfortunately, to my dismay, when I read the instructions the heating of the milk still had to be done in a separate pan beforehand! The so-called yoghurt maker simply holds the temperature throughout the hours it takes to develop. It doesn’t make the process any easier, after all. Plus it didn’t improve on the quality of the yoghurt I made with my own method.

Perhaps there are extremely expensive machines that do all of it. I don’t know but I’m not prepared to fork out that amount of money and have another large gadget cluttering the kitchen. Not to worry. I shall probably carry on making it now and then.

A few sunny days soothed my disappointment as I could work in the garden and enjoy lovely flowers.

Apple blossom is opening on the trees. My favourite fruit blossom. Rosy buds opening to a beautifully delicate shade of pink.

My clematis “Freda”, a kind gift from my sister, is opening her lovely flowers.

The hellebores are still producing a few flowers and the self-seeded wallflowers have been such a pretty sight.

The berberis has grown tremendously and is putting on a wonderful show. It grows a bit too fast and it’s extremely prickly but it looks so fabulous in Spring and it’s evergreen so I forgive it and enjoy what it has to offer.

Here are some more Spring delights.

Wildlife is busy in the garden. Tadpoles are whizzing about in the pond, ladybirds are mating, shield bugs around on the leaves and bees buzzing everywhere.

My “Roma” tomato plants were growing like mad in the windowsill but the nights have been very cold so I was wary of putting them in the greenhouse. My husband came to the rescue and fixed up a heater to prevent frost damage. So I planted them in the greenhouse bed where I hope they will thrive and produce their delicious tomatoes for us later in Summer.

We’ve had some atrocious weather though. One day it was far too wet to work outside so I gathered up all my bits of frozen fruit to make jam. I had strawberries and plums which I’d harvested from the garden and frozen and some blueberries I’d bought which were disappointingly tough.

Weighed them, stewed them and added an equal amount of sugar, stirred to dissolve then boiled rapidly until it was setting. Apples would have been a useful addition because they’re rich in pectin which helps jam to set. I couldn’t find any but I suspect there are some lost in the mysterious depths of the chest freezer! It took a while to reach setting point when a spoonful on a cold plate begins to wrinkle. Got there in the end.

Jam may not be a nutritious food but one of life’s real pleasures is a slice of freshly baked bread, slathered with butter and homemade jam. Delicious!

Not much I care to watch on television these days so I painted another picture. This one is “Sunlight and Shadows”. When I saw the photo I’d taken in the garden I loved the way the sun was highlighting the poppy petals but the camera gave intense shadows among the leaves. I’ve tried to capture that with my painting. Drawn first in pencil then painted with gouache.

Let’s hope the weather will now improve and we have many enjoyable days in the garden or out and about. With you again in a couple of weeks. Bye for now.

April showers! Feels more like a monsoon at times but between the downpours there are moments with bright blue skies, pure white billowing clouds and welcome sunlight.

As I write the wind is whipping the house walls and the trees are swaying. The pear and plum blossom has been lovely but is now falling like snowflakes.

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Insects are busy. Ladybirds are visible all over the garden and very welcome because they eat aphids. I found two different kinds of caterpillar in my anemone flowers. I photographed them and left them in peace. I don’t mind sacrificing a flower or two.

Sadly, the only butterfly I’ve seen for a couple of weeks was dead in the greenhouse. They fly in through the roof vent but can’t find their way out and flutter about until they die of exhaustion.

My Spring cabbages are growing well. These “Hero” ones form a ball head in two or three weeks time but I usually end up with too many to use at once. I decided to start using them while they’re not quite mature. This year the leaves are enormous. Allan took a photo of me bringing one in from the garden. It was nearly as big as me and filled the sink.

I steamed it over boiling potatoes. I had plenty for two servings so the first day we ate it with mashed potatoes, bacon and mint sauce. I made and froze the mint sauce last summer. Just like fresh when it’s thawed, and delicious. I popped the extra cooked cabbage in the fridge.

The next day I made my cheesy potatoes. I boiled potatoes, mashed them with Cheshire cheese and added a little soured cream. While the potatoes were cooking I softened chopped onion in a little olive oil in the microwave. Then I added the cabbage and topped it with the cheesy mash. I baked it in my tiny airfryer for about twelve minutes at 173C until nicely browned and heated through.

Lancashire cheese is good for this too. Or Cheddar, if you prefer a stronger taste.

This is such a satisfying and homely meal. Very tasty with some ketchup or chutney. It can of course, be cooked in the conventional oven. My full instructions for this are in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook. Here’s the link if you’d like to see this and my other recipes.

https://geni.us/eANQu

The tomato plants are coming along nicely. I potted them when the true leaves had formed and I’m keeping them on a warm windowsill for a while. Too cold at night in the greenhouse just yet. I have to turn the pots a few times a day to even out the light from the window or they will stretch too far towards it and become leggy.

As my regular readers know, I love surprises in the garden. This year I found wallflowers growing under the bird feeders which hang in the pear tree behind the house. Perhaps the seed was in the bird seed mix but it might have blown around the corner of the house from a border in the front garden. Wherever they came from, I’m well pleased. Such beautiful colours and fragrance.

So much to do in the garden now so baking needs to be quick. I made my super-quick brownies. Easy to do and only take 20 minutes in the oven. A sweet treat full of chocolate flavour. Really nice just as they are but extra good with some icing. They freeze well too. If you have my cookbook you’ll find the recipe under Sweet-Treat Squares.

While I’m relaxing I love to paint. I have a challenging new work in progress. Two glorious poppies with the sunlight shining through the petals. Difficult to capture but enjoyable to try. More of that next time.

And finally, a few lovely things in the garden at the moment.

I hope you’re managing to dodge the downpours and enjoying every minute of Spring sunshine. With you again in a couple of weeks. Bye for now.

March 20th is an important date on my calendar. Not only is it the Vernal Equinox and therefore the start of Spring but it’s also our wedding anniversary. The day of the wedding it rained, snowed, hailed and blew a gale! 59 years have passed since that day. Much to be thankful for and hopefully, still much to look forward to.

So, here we are at last, with true Spring! Longer days and a few more opportunities to work outside with a bit of sun on our backs. More glorious colours appear all the time. Here’s a selection of what there is to see in my garden right now.

I planted a marsh marigold (Caltha pulustris) in aquatic compost several weeks ago. Allan placed it in the pond in a perfect spot and just the right depth with the few little leaves above the water. It grew well and now it’s a blaze of bright yellow flowers. So lovely.

Our neighbours asked if I would like to see their big pot of Spring flowers and perhaps take a photo for my blog. What a pleasure to see! It’s so beautiful. A mass of brilliant blue muscari and anemone blanda. My photo really doesn’t do it justice.

Their camellia was a picture too, covered with perfect crimson flowers. I think it must be in an ideal position because camellias need to be out of the early morning sun. If the flowers are frosted in the night they need to thaw slowly. If the morning sun warms them rapidly the flowers go brown and the buds fall off. Not a problem with these, as you can see from this one.

I planted out the lovely broad beans I bought from our local nursery. They are a variety called “Bunyards Exhibition”. I kept them in the unheated greenhouse until they were a few inches high and looking sturdy. I think now they will withstand weather and pests. A couple of leaves have been nibbled by slugs already but it’s not substantial damage. They’ll be fine. As a precaution we scattered some organic pellets around.

I really don’t like to kill things though. Most of the creatures in the garden do no harm. I found lots of lovely snails this week as I tidied the borders and among the branches of my clematis “Freda”. The shells are striped in cream and brown and in the clematis they are pale yellow. I will leave them to get on with their lives.

I took out the last of my celeriac crop and weeded the tunnels. I sowed “Katrin” carrots. Not grown these before so I don’t know yet whether they will be good. The tunnels look tidy now and have lots of new seeds waiting to spring to life. Lettuce, spring onions, carrots, parsnips and kohl rabi will germinate soon now that the soil is a little warmer.

Indoors, some of my tomatoes are giving me trouble.

I’ve grown “Roma” many times. They’re a favourite big plum tomato which we thoroughly enjoy. This year I thought I would also try a variety called “Italian Plum” from Garden Organic’s Heritage Seed Library.

I sowed both types in my homemade seed compost and kept them on a warm windowsill. Both varieties germinated and started to form true leaves after a few days. The “Roma”. on the left of my photos, are looking good but sadly the “Italian Plum” have curled leaves and don’t seem to be thriving.

Garden Organic have told me that this isn’t normal. They advised me to keep them separate and they will replace the seeds if they continue in this way. It’s a disappointing setback because it takes a long time for tomatoes to fruit in my greenhouse.

I love the little surprises which a garden brings. There’s always something of interest at any time of year. I found this little poppy seed head lying on the soil. It’s a lacy skeleton and beautiful in its simplicity.

Plenty to do indoors, while the weather plays havoc with garden plans. I enjoy being in the kitchen when I can’t be outside.

I’m still attempting to make yoghurt. I bought a thermometer and was very careful about the temperature of the milk but for some reason it didn’t set quite as firmly this time. It tastes really good though and keeps well, if we can resist it. Two pints (just over a litre) of whole organic milk fills three of my small preserving jars and they fit together in my thermal cooker to keep warm overnight.

I might buy a yoghurt maker but I’m dithering on the decision. I really like to be be able to make things myself using simple techniques, under my own steam. It goes against my inclinations to give in and have a machine do it for me. Not that I’m against gadgets, I appreciate them and have various helpers in my kitchen. It would be so easy with a machine though to warm the milk to the correct temperature and hold it for the time it takes for the yoghurt to set. Still considering it because with the price of organic yoghurt the machine would pay for itself in no time at all.

With Easter about to happen I’ve made my Iced and Spiced Squares. These are so much easier than baking hot cross buns. They have the same spicy warmth and fruity goodness to enjoy. A lovely crumby texture with a layer of fruit at the bottom. The lick of icing at the top is a sweet treat.

The recipe is in the cakes section of my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook. By the way, if you have my cookbook, in my list of ingredients I include dried milk. I feel it adds to the recipe but it’s not strictly necessary if you don’t have it handy.

They freeze well if they’re not all needed at once and I think they taste even better when they’re a day or two old.

I painted a picture of one of my “Buttercup” winter squashes. I grow these during summer. Drawn with pencil from my photograph and painted with gouache. Not colourful enough for me though. Next time I must paint something with fabulous colours. This monochrome painting doesn’t satisfy my soul.

I hope you have a lovely Easter and your days are filled with sunshine. With you again soon. Bye for now.

Although I don’t want the year to rush by I’m really glad it’s March. In a couple of weeks Spring will be in full flow and the drabness of winter will burst into colour.

Time for using up the winter supplies and make way for fresh new vegetables. I’ve almost finished off the parsnips and celeriac. The winter squash which I kept stored in the house were delicious but the last one has been eaten and enjoyed. Roasted in my little airfryer for a few minutes, the orange flesh was sweet, tender and tasty.

New parsnips have been sown in the polytunnel ready to start them again for next winter. They need a long growing season. Not sure if they’ll germinate as I had the packet of seeds for a while. I’ll wait and see but parsnips don’t always do well with old seed. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Now enjoying the cauliflowers. They don’t look posh but they taste wonderful, full of flavour and very good steamed. Spring cabbages are not far behind. Peas are about an inch high so will be a while yet. The new shoots look promising.

I sowed tomato seeds in trays of my own sowing medium, made from leafmould and homemade compost. They’re now tiny plants and have just developed their true leaves. Time to pot them individually in small pots and will keep them warm in the house until the risk of frost is over. “Roma”, my favourite, on the left and “Sugar Italian Plum”, a new one for me, on the right.

A few pretty flowers are giving me pleasure here and there in the garden. Lovely soft pink bellis daisies, vibrant crocuses, cherry blossom, hellebores as black as night, the creamy bells of clematis cirrhosa and delightful corydalis.

Some lovely fat rose hips are hanging from my “Handel” climbing rose among the winter clematis. At last the frogs have spawned and I found a lovely magpie feather on the grass.

We have two enormous conifers. We were afraid they might topple onto a neighbour’s house in a storm, so reluctantly we had them cut back. Very pleased with the job done by a local tree surgeon and his assistant. Best tidying up afterwards we’ve ever had.

Saddens me to think of what the birds will make of it but it had to be done. A weight off our minds.

While I’m not busy in the garden I love to bake. I have a new recipe to share. Here is my version of coffee and walnut cake. You will need a large baking tin. I use a roaster, 30 x 25cm (12 x 10 inches).

Coffee and Walnut Squares

50g Walnut pieces
1 heaped tablespoon Instant Coffee granules
175g Demerara Sugar
4 large Eggs
200g Self-raising Flour
2 rounded teaspoons Baking Powder
20g Bran
200g Sunflower Oil
2 tablespoons Milk

Grind the walnuts in a food processor or nut mill.
Mix the coffee with 2 tablespoons of boiled water.
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan oven.
Grease a large baking tin.
Put all ingredients including the made coffee and ground walnuts into a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.
Spread the mixture in the greased tin.
Bake for about 20 minutes or a minute or two longer.
Press the centre to see if it springs back. If it does, it's done.
Allow to cool.
Cut into squares and ice.
To make the icing: 
In a jug or bowl, mix 1 teaspoon of coffee granules with a few drops of hot water until dissolved. Add icing sugar until it forms a thick but spreadable icing.
Spread on squares and top with a walnut half.

Lovely crumbly texture, taste good and very more-ish. Add this one to my cookbook if you have it and let me know what you think if you try it.

I’m experimenting with making yoghurt. My first attempt was a bit runny but tasted good. Doing a bit more research I realised that I hadn’t heated the milk to the correct temperature so it hadn’t set properly. I’ve since bought a food thermometer and I intend to try again. I’m using organic whole milk and organic yoghurt as a starter. It has to have live culture to activate the process. I don’t want to buy a yoghurt maker with more plastic and another gadget to store in the kitchen. I intend to use very clean, hot jars and my thermal cooker to keep them warm. The cooker doesn’t heat up, it just maintains the temperature. I’ll let you know whether I succeed or not.

All the joy of Spring is ahead of us. I hope you’re enjoying daffodils and sunny days wherever you are. Bye for now. With you again in a couple of weeks.

This time of year is what old gardeners call a “fool’s Spring”. Flowers appear and people insist that Spring has arrived. Not yet, it’s too early for Spring.

The beautiful Winter flowers, like snowdrops, crocuses and very early daffodils are very welcome and brighten the dreary days, but the Vernal Equinox isn’t until March 20th. That’s when Spring really does begin with much more to follow. Meanwhile let’s celebrate these glorious colours and enjoy the show.

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I know I’ve mentioned hellebores before but they really are a wonderful plant for the worst months of the year. There are many beautiful variations in the oriental varieties. The arrangement of the petals, the colours and the centres are very different. Here’s a selection of mine.

I love the little surprises in a garden. I found a pretty pulmonaria flowering despite having dug it out (or so I thought) a couple of years ago. The leaves suffer in the summer in my poor dry soil so I decided to remove the plants and find something better. Then a few days ago up popped these lovely blue flowers to defy my intentions! Enough to melt any old gardener’s heart.

Now that February is bringing longer days and a few sunny spells, the vegetables in the polytunnels are putting on a spurt of growth.

The Spring cabbages look healthier after suffering early attacks by slugs and caterpillars and in a few weeks they’ll form delicious ball heads. No need to spray and overfeed plants. They usually recover with a little care.

I’ ‘ve had a problem with my cauliflowers. Last year they were perfect. This year they have less than perfect heads. Some developed brown spots. I asked Garden Organic about the cause and they said cauliflowers are notoriously difficult to grow. They may lack boron which is not present in good amounts in poor sandy soil like mine. So at least I know that despite my efforts it could still go wrong. A few are ok so I’m hoping to enjoy some later on.

I leave most of my sowing until mid March but I thought I’d pop a few mange-tout seeds in the polytunnel and see if I can have an early crop. They’re just peeping through the soil so at least they’ve germinated. I also put some “May King” lettuce seeds in but they haven’t made a showing yet. I shall keep checking.

I need to use the parsnips soon because they’ve been in the ground for many months and will go woody if they’re left too long. Older gardeners insist that parsnips are sweeter when they’ve been frosted. I grow mine in the polytunnels so I don’t know if the frost penetrates enough. They’re still deliciously sweet so I wonder if it really makes any difference.

I made my creamy parsnip flan. I halve my recipe to make it in my tiny airfryer. After pricking the pastry all over with a fork to stop it bubbling up, I bake the flan case for eight minutes at 170C. Because my little flan tin only just fits in the airfryer basket I leave the pastry case in the basket after pre-baking. Then I make the creamy parsnip filling with the pre-cooked parsnips, cashew nuts, egg, onion, a bit of chilli and some soured cream or creme fraiche, whizzed together in my food processor. It’s easier to spoon the filling into the pastry without having to lift it out and replace it. I baked it for fifteen minutes at 170C.

It’s a delicious and satisfying meal served with a green vegetable. Really tasty, hot or cold. The original recipe for baking in the conventional oven is in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook. It can be found with this link.

https://geni.us/eANQu

I find it interesting to think of tasty ways of using leftovers. For example, when a bit of cooked chicken is left in the fridge, it can be stretched with a few additions to make a delicious alternative meal. A food processor is useful for this. I put in the chicken, add onion, bread pieces, apple slices, egg,  salt and pepper, with any herbs I might have such as basil, and mix thoroughly. I make the mixture into flattened rounds like burgers and fry in a little hot oil until browned on both sides. So tasty and filling, with vegetables and chutney.

Regular readers know that I love pottery whether old or contemporary. Some of my favourites are in Art Deco styles from the 1930s. I picked up bits and pieces many years ago from charity shops and vintage markets. Often, I only paid pennies for them. I love the shapes, colours and decorations. Here are some of my treasures.

Looking forward to warmer days and Summer when roses will bloom beautifully so I painted a picture of some my “Golden Showers”. Drawn from my photo on a day with a blue sky, then painted with gouache.

Longer days are coming and the sun will shine on us. Meanwhile there is much to enjoy and I hope you find many pleasures to fill your time. Bye for now and I’ll be with you again in a couple of weeks.

Longer days and a few lovely sunsets lift the spirits. The drab brown-ness of the garden is punctuated here and there with the vivid crocus colours, pure white beauty of snowdrops and the elegance of hellebores.

The weather is topsy-turvy. One day it rains, then it snows, then the sun shines and I rush out to catch up with some necessary work. Lots of tidying up to do. Cutting back dead stems refreshes the scene and prepares for the Spring show. The dry woody stems make very good kindling for starting the log fire so they are saved in the wood store.

In the polytunnels I sowed some “Sugar Ann” mangetout seeds, a few “May King” lettuces and some “Vit” corn salad. With a bit of luck and some milder weather they might come up and give some tender pods and fresh green leaves.

The winter lettuces in the greenhouse have finished. A few salad leaves are still growing but not many of them. In April I will top up the bed with home-made compost to nourish the tomato plants.

I need to use the rest of the parsnips soon to make way for new crops like carrots and kohl rabi. I will also be sowing spring onions, lettuces and radishes in the tunnels every two or three weeks, when it’s a bit warmer, for a steady supply. These are a world away from the ones in the shops. The radishes I prefer are ” French Breakfast”, long, red ones with a white tip. I saw them once in Paris in a street market arranged in tiers of wonderful perfect bunches. I wish I’d taken a photo. The salad onions are best eaten while they’re tiny and sweet. Such a treat snipped onto a sandwich or a salad.

I don’t sow too early for most things with the exception of tomatoes which I start in the house in late February. I can’t see the point of producing leggy seedlings with nowhere to go while the outdoor climate is still risky. Sowing seeds in March and April gives the best results. The plants romp away with the longer days and greater chances of warmth from the sun.

The birds are already calling around the garden. A friendly robin joined us as we worked and the collared doves have been regular visitors to the bird table. I think collared doves might mate for life because they always turn up in pairs. Such lovely birds.

On cold, wet days I’ve occupied my time with knitting and sewing. An appeal was made for knitted or crocheted poppies for a D Day exhibition to be held locally, later in the year. It was ideal as I wanted something simple rather than knitting a jumper or big item. Of course, very few things turn out to be simple in reality and these proved to be a bit trickier than I expected. A bit fiddly and hard on the fingers. No pain, no gain though! So far I’ve done two. I will do a few more.

I had a bigger project which was on my mind for some time. I’ve intended to re-cover an armchair in the bedroom for quite a while. It stood by a south facing window for many years and the strong light rotted the fabric. I had an old bedspread which I loved and saved with the intention of using for something. The frill was faded and thin but the main part was useful and I liked the roses printed on it very much. I suddenly thought it might do the job for covering the chair.

I hadn’t enough fabric to do the thorough job I did last time when I piped the edges, buttoned the back and used good quality material, but I thought it would be a good way to spruce up the chair and make use of existing resources. As my regular readers know, I do love a bit of “make do and mend”.

I’m never going to pretend it’s easy to make and mend things but it’s so satisfying and when you pull it off it makes you feel good. It’s something I have always done. To begin with, when we were young, a lack of money encouraged me to be resourceful but it became a way of life. It now comes naturally to work out how I can do something myself and I have a very able spouse who does exactly the same. People who are creative by nature will fully understand this but I recommend anyone to give it a go. Experience is the best teacher and there are lots of ways to learn, from books, courses or working it out for yourself. It’s not just a way of saving money. It is profoundly enjoyable and makes you feel self-sufficient.

Of course, plenty of chocolate is required to fuel such efforts! Still finishing the Christmas supplies.

I need to top up the cake supply so will be baking soon. I have been making bread though but not by own blood, sweat and tears this time. Although I have often tried to make bread it’s something I’m not good at. I started using my bread making machine again and the loaves are really good. So easy. I was never any good at kneading, no matter how hard I tried, but the wonderful machine does that for me while producing a lovely loaf without the additives and plastic packaging of a bought one. It’s just yeast, flour, a teaspoon of sugar, a teaspoon of salt, a bit of butter and water. Pure, nutritious ingredients. And I can time the machine to work overnight so we wake up in the morning to the smell of fresh bread. Lovely.

What could be nicer than a slice of fresh bread covered in butter and homemade strawberry jam? Takes some beating.

I hope you’re finding lots to do to pass the winter. Spring is just around the corner and we’ll soon be surrounded by daffodils and bright sunshine. Keep that happy thought in mind! I’ll say bye for now. With you again in a couple of weeks.

Halfway through January. Real winter! Time for cosy cushions, blankets, hot drinks and daydreams about Spring.

Some cold grey days but dry enough to work outside. I did some tidying in the greenhouse. Far too many plastic pots and plug trays. They tend to pile up whenever I buy plants. Sadly, the black ones can’t be recycled so I try to re-use them. I’m pleased to see my local nursery is now supplying light coloured ones so I will be able to put any I don’t need in the recycling bin.

The polytunnels need weeding. I pulled out most of the carrots and stirred up the soil in the gaps. At the end of the month I might try a sowing of mangetout. I especially like “Sugar Anne”. They produce lots of tender pods, then any which mature are filled with lovely peas.

The cabbages have been very nibbled. I found several caterpillars. Green ones and brown ones. Not sure which moths or butterflies they belong to but they’re not welcome when they’re munching our food. Surprising that they found their way into the tunnel, especially during Autumn. We keep the mesh doors closed at all times except while we’re watering. Must have sneaked in! I fed the cabbages with comfrey pellets to revive them and also the cauliflowers. Worked them into the soil for extra, organic nutrition.

I was delighted to find the caulis are already forming lovely white heads. Didn’t expect them for months yet. I sowed the seeds in late Summer. I think the variety is called “Maystar”.

Outdoors, the Kale had been thoroughly pecked by wood pigeons. They’re covered with nets now so I’m hoping they will recover. It’s a constant battle against pests and the weather but it’s well worth it in the end. Homegrown food is so delicious.

In the tunnels I have seasonal veggies for soothing soups and satisfying meals. Parsnips, celeriac and carrots have done well. Boiled and mashed with a spoonful of soured cream, they are delicious. In the house I still have a couple of my favourite “Buttercup” squashes to use. Good for soups or roasting, these are a real treat with their sweet orange flesh.

The garden has a few treasures at this time of year but they are more subtle than summer flowers. Here are some little pleasures I picked up as I looked around.

Our neighbours have a corkscrew hazel. I could just see the lovely catkins over the fence.

Home comforts are so necessary in winter, especially if you’re unlucky enough to catch a cold as I did just after Christmas. I don’t take much in the way of medicine for a cold but here’s a little tip you might not know about. If you have a cold your nose can become sore and inflamed. Keep a lip salve in the house and if you have a cold rub the salve around your nose each time you’ve blown it. It will stop it from becoming sore. One less misery to put up with.

On cold days I enjoy being cosy in the kitchen and making jam always seems a good thing to do in Winter. I froze a large bag of strawberries from the garden last Summer so I thought it was time to get on with it.

Jam making is easy if you follow a few simple rules. Only use sound fruit, nothing mouldy. Keep everything clean. Wash and rinse the jars before you begin cooking. Put them in the oven and heat gently until the jam is ready to fill them. Dry the lids with kitchen paper and put somewhere warm to finish drying but not in the oven as some lids have a plastic coating inside. Keep a cold plate ready for testing a spoonful of jam now and then until the setting point is reached. The surface of the jam should wrinkle as it cools. This is so easy that I’ve never used a thermometer. Keeping it simple seems to work well.

Strawberry jam is difficult to set as the fruit has very little pectin. Apples are rich in pectin so I added three small, peeled and cored, cooking apples cut into tiny pieces, to the stewing strawberries. You can buy bottles of pectin to add, or jam sugar which has added pectin, but as I have a few of my apples leftover from Autumn I preferred to use these.

When the fruit had cooked I stirred in an equal weight of sugar and mixed well before bringing to a rapid boil. The smell of strawberries was wonderful as the steam sent it around the kitchen.

Once setting point was reached I stood the jars, one by one, on a board covered with kitchen paper to prevent the hot glass from touching a cold surface and, using a funnel, I ladled the hot jam into each jar and screwed the lids on tightly. It’s important to leave a gap at the top rather than filling right up. This helps the jam to form a vacuum as it cools and seals the lid on.

More tips for jam making are in my Earthy Homemaker’s Cookbook.

Winter can seem long and dreary. Gardeners, like me, are eager to start growing again. When I look back at my summer photos I can hardly believe the glorious colours and abundant produce in my garden but Spring will be here before we know it and it will all begin again.

Last May I painted a picture of a pot of pansies and although I showed it at the time, I think it’s cheerful enough to show again. So, here is my painting, done with gouache from my own photo.

With you again in a couple of weeks. I hope you have happy moments, stay warm and keep well. Bye for now.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you’ve had a happy Christmas with good food and pleasant company.

Our family Christmas get-together was a little delayed but a happy event in the end.

Now it’s over, it’s time to think ahead. Another year begins with all the freshness and good intentions. Much to put behind us and many things to look forward to.

Although the garden is looking drab, here and there winter flowers are beginning to bring a little brightness to the dullness of the season. The hellebores have fat buds with one or two already putting on a show. These are valuable plants to have in the winter garden. Generously flowering in all weathers and very lovely.

I have a few snowdrops out although the main display will not be for a few weeks yet. Slightly mud-splashed with the heavy rain we’ve had. Lovely to see new life in the garden. The Garrya eliptica has beautiful catkins and the conifers stay green and fresh looking whatever the season.

Winter pansies add a little colour and a self-seeded cyclamen has popped up by the side of a path.

The garden looks sad with so many dead stems but it’s a good idea to leave some until Spring because insects shelter in the curled leaves. I noticed, for example, a ladybird nestled into a seedhead when I went around the garden with my camera. If you look closely it’s just visible among the dried fronds.

I love buying new seeds for Spring and Summer sowing. New life is always a thrill. Got out my seed boxes and sorted the packets to see what I have already, then ordered a few items to fill in the gaps.

I can’t buy them now from the department store I used to and packets are so expensive from garden centres but I’ve found a company online. They supply smaller packets if you want them. It means you don’t end up with lots of surplus old seed. Although some seeds last a long time, I find it’s better to have fresh seed as often as possible. Besides, I love buying new seeds. It’s like buying treats.

I will definitely grow “Roma” tomatoes again. Delicious big plum ones with thin skin and few seeds.

I’ve also saved some St. Marzano tomato seeds from last year’s crop so I’ll sow them and see what develops.

About the end of February is a good time for me to sow tomatoes in a warm room. It’s important to give the emerging seedlings as much light as possible. Turning the trays or pots a couple of times a day helps to stop them stretching towards the light if they’re in a windowsill. This is important to prevent them from developing thin, “leggy” stems which will delay the growth of sturdy plants. I can put the plants into the greenhouse sometime in April if the weather permits.

I do buy tomatoes in winter but they are so disappointing compared to home-grown. I wish I could grow them all year round but they are sensitive to cold and need plenty of sunlight.

Talking of food, there’s always something to use up after Christmas. I had ham and sausages so I put them in the food processor with bread, sliced onion and a few sage leaves from the garden. Whizzed them together and formed sausage and ham burgers which I fried in a little olive oil until they were browned on both sides. Very tasty and made a nice change from cold portions.

The birds who visit the garden need feeding too. The bird table blew down in one of the storms we’ve had recently. The post had rotted at the bottom and the strong wind toppled it. Another job for my very practical spouse. The collared doves were very puzzled by it’s absence but a scattering of seed on the ground settled them down.

The smaller birds take mixed seed, peanuts and sunflower seeds from the feeders hanging in the pear tree behind the garden room. We have a lovely view of their antics. Of course the squirrels want more than their fair share and there’s a lot of hanging upside down to catch the seeds which fall out as they shake the feeders.

Plenty to look forward to in the garden. Meanwhile, planning and day dreaming during the worst of the weather. I’m sure I’ll also be knitting and painting again until the garden tempts me out.

Here’s a little painting from a previous year to remind us of the pleasures of the Spring garden. Drawn from one of my photos and painted with gouache.

Wishing you all the very best. I hope we all have a great year with good health and happiness and much to enjoy. Bye for now. With you again in a couple of weeks.