Knitted Acorns and a Sweet Potato Meal

Been knitting those little acorns I mentioned last time. It’s a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. I hope to make an autumn wreath of leaves, berries and fruits. This is just the beginning and is prompting ideas for how it might look.

Only one small problem. I used the colours suggested by the pattern but when I looked later at photos of real acorns they are not like this at all! The cups are beige and the acorn nut is a warm orangey brown. May make some more and use these for something else. At least I’ve got the hang of it now.

I’m happy with the oak leaves though and the three shades of colour to give them an autumnal look.

I bought a new book for small knitted novelties and toys. “100 Little Knitted Projects”. Some lovely ideas which I hope to make in due course. I love the toys so I might make some of those. There is a little monkey, a teddy and a cute Humpty Dumpty which I will have a go at.

Balls of wool in beautiful colours are like artist’s paints. So tempting and inspiring. Who couldn’t resist those colours and the promise of happy hours with busy fingers?

We’ve had a few welcome days of good weather. The birds are singing and I think they’re searching for mates. The garden certainly seems busier. There have been beautiful Bullfinches visiting the feeders. Such a gorgeous shade of deep pink. I haven’t managed to take a photo yet. They’re not regular visitors so they are very nervous and don’t linger.

Managed to do some gardening. Cut back the scruffy perennials and tidied the borders so the Spring bulbs will be on show in a few weeks.

I brought in a few flowers for a vase. They looked wonderful but sadly they didn’t like the warmth of the house and were flopping by the next day. For a brief moment I had the intense pleasure of their beauty.

I am so glad of a warm house though and satisfying winter meals. I did another of my one-pan meals using sweet potatoes. It was easy to do and tasted really good.

I put a small amount of water into a deep frying pan with half a vegetable stock cube and a crushed clove of garlic. I added chunks of sweet potato, sliced carrots, frozen green beans and diced kohl rabi. Brought them up to boil, then turned the heat down to a simmer for about 15 minutes, with the lid on, until the vegs were tender.

While this was cooking I grilled bacon rashers to serve with it. Then when the vegs were ready I took the pan off the heat and stirred in some sour cream to make a tasty sauce.

For a vegetarian option I could have added chickpeas or cashew nuts for protein. I often do this for meatless meals. Ground cashews are especially useful as an ingredient. They make the sauce as well as adding protein.

I have been trying to provide more vegetarian meals. The thinking now is that we should all reduce our meat consumption to help with climate change. I’ve also been trying to reduce our use of plastic. It’s alarming to think how many products are wrapped or contained in plastic.

With that in mind I tried some shampoo bars. These are locally made by a small company called Greenfinch Naturals. I had them delivered by the lovely lady who makes them because I live nearby but they are also available from Etsy.

Fabulous! I couldn’t believe how easy it was to use. Lots of lather instantly and so easy to rinse. Lovely scent too. My hair felt nice afterwards. Will definitely ditch the plastic bottle in future.

I’m never keen on advertising on my blog because I don’t want it to be in any way commercial but if I’m pleased with something I point it out. I never intend to get involved in advertising though. I write this blog for my pleasure and I hope others enjoy it too. No profit involved and none intended.

Talking about plastic, I was also becoming concerned about using teabags. I used to think they were made of paper until I saw that when I composted them the bag didn’t break down. I found them scattering around the garden. Very annoying. I realised then they were plastic.

So I changed back to loose leaf tea. So glad I did. It’s lovely tea, smells wonderful and I can now use my beautiful old spoon for measuring it out. The spoon belonged to my husband’s grandma. It’s so nice to have pre-loved items about the house and especially when you can use them.

I can’t leave you without mentioning the progress of the garden flowers. The snowdrops are prettier by the day and more hellebores are showing their delightful faces. The sunnier days this week have brought them on and I love walking around to check how they’re doing. Here are some shots I’ve taken. I should wait until there is more of a show but I can’t resist.

I hope you have flowers of your own to enjoy and if not I would like to think you can share my pleasure here.

With you again in a few days. Bye for now. Stay safe and enjoy your home comforts.