Author Archives: Earthy Homemaker

It was the Vernal Equinox on March 20th, so Spring has officially arrived. The sun has been shining on the garden and flowers are bursting out. The bumble bees are busy and taking advantage of the Crocuses. The Hyacinths are opening but some are not quite there yet. I’m looking forward to their wonderful scentContinue reading “Things in Progress”

Spring is definitely in the air! The birds are calling, the frogs are spawning in our pond and the pear trees have lovely fat buds. More Daffodils are appearing with their glowing yellow or orange trumpets. Perky little “Tete-a-tetes and “Jetfire” are the earliest to appear in my garden. The Crocuses keep surprising me althoughContinue reading “Spring Inspiration and Creative Urges”

With the cost of living rising so dramatically I’m more than ever glad that I invested in my thermal cooker. It saves so much on fuel for cooking. It will take a small, whole chicken, a meat joint or a ham. A few minutes of simmering on the hob then the pan is placed insideContinue reading “Turkey Burgers and Simple Pleasures”

The weather has been a little kinder the last few days. The return of sunny spells is very welcome. The Crocuses have flourished, offering up their faces to the sun and looking very beautiful. Their satin petals look like they have been painted with the most delicate strokes of colour. At last the Daffodils haveContinue reading “Inspiring Flowers and Tricky Knitting”

What a week it’s been! Extremely wet and windy. The Clematis arch blew down and a storage trunk which holds wire netting had its lid ripped off. Fortunately, we were able to re-erect the arch and the pretty flowers seem undisturbed. It’s amazing how flowers withstand the storms and are still beautiful. The Snowdrops areContinue reading “Stormy Weather and Meaty Treats”

These are difficult times for many of us. We need to hold on to the things which make our lives meaningful. For most people that means the love of family and friends, the small comforts of home and the pleasures of a garden. If we’re fortunate to have those we can retreat from the worldContinue reading “Garden Notes and Parsnip Cakes”

At this time of year a warm kitchen is the best place to be. Often called “the heart of the home”. I love it on a Winter day with rain lashing the window. I had some parsnips to use up so I thought I’d try them in my cake squares. These are not guilt-laden cakes;Continue reading “A Warm Kitchen and Spring Flowers”

The Snowdrops are increasing by the day. Such a welcome sight. Winter so far has been kind and new activity in the garden spurs me on, knowing life out there is going on apace. My collection of oriental Hellebores are so pretty. They look delicate and yet they flower despite the cold and lack ofContinue reading “Filling Food and Misty Mornings”

It’s been an exciting week. We had some much-needed work done in the garden. When we moved here 20 years ago most of the garden was covered in concrete, much of it old, broken crazy paving. Over the years we removed a lot of it to produce growing areas. Some of the ground though wasContinue reading “A Garden Miracle and Nutty Cakes”

Halfway through January and time to use some of the stored fruit and preserves. I brought some apples from the shed and made my apple and cinnamon squares. These make a lovely pudding on a wintry day and freeze well so there is always cake available. Although the apples look blemished they are good underContinue reading “Preserves and Painting”