Living a contented creative life.

We had some snow again. Not my favourite thing but I have to admit it does look wonderful and remains a mysterious phenomenon no matter how old you are. I wrote another poem about it.

Snowy Night and Morning

The powdered snow lay all around.
Flowers drooped their frozen heads,
The wind had dropped, there was no sound
And people sheltered in their beds.

Flakes floated down and dropped
And glistening white lit all.
The wintry shreds of grasses flopped
And birds refused to call.

But the black night gave way to day
And sunlight burst upon the scene.
The shimmering light began to play
Where only ghostly forms had been.

The beauty of the snow was all around,
Elusive, fleeting, bright and pure.
Every undulated mound
Preserved only till the melting thaw.

Since then we’ve had extremely low temperatures and icy winds. Far more damaging to plants than snow. Looking around the garden at first I only saw a scene of devastation. I don’t think my lovely Hellebores will survive this freezing blast. They look very sad.

I went around with my camera and was cheered to see a few hardy plants holding their own.

I spotted a few Ivy berries which the birds had missed and the scarlet Skimmia berries still glowed. The Hydrangea has lovely faded flowerheads which I leave until the Spring.

With all this cold weather we need comfort food. I made some sausage and apple patties for a simple, satisfying meal. I mixed sausagemeat with finely chopped onion which I’d softened first in the microwave oven, then added a chopped Cox apple. Formed them into flattened cakes or patties. ( Never know what to call these!) Cooked them in the oven at 190C/170C fan oven, with foil over the pan. Served them with baked beans. They are brilliant with beans.

For a crispier patty, they brown more if the foil is removed before the end. They also go well with sweet potatoes and vegs. If there are any left over they are delicious cold.

If the pan has fat stuck to it after cooking I just put a little warm water into it and sprinkle it with soap powder (clothes washing powder) and leave if for a few hours or overnight. Comes off like magic without all that scrubbing and rubbing.

I have knitted all (I think) the acorns and leaves I want for my autumn wreath. Not quite sure of the final arrangement yet but I laid them out to get an idea of how they’ll look.

It’s been a pleasant way to spend a few hours during the winter, when I can’t do any gardening and has made a change from painting. Here’s a peek at what I’ve done so far.

I have to decide how to make them into a wreath. I can probably buy a form to attach them to and I will perhaps cover it and stitch the bits onto it. No hurry. Winter isn’t over yet.

Then it’s the problem of where to put it! I have a house full of paintings, pottery, books etc. No doubt somehow I’ll find a little space to do it justice.

I hope you’re finding lots to do and enjoying the warmth of home. Even if you enjoy spending time outdoors it’s good to have simple pleasures when you’re back inside. Stay safe and well. Back with you again in a few days.

We had a powdering of snow again. Barely covering the ground but enough to look pretty. The flowers were a little bowed but still giving me the utmost pleasure.

Definitely not gardening weather. I thought, what could be nicer than baking in my warm kitchen? I had some dates to use up and a couple of lemons so I got my thinking head on and invented a recipe. Always a gamble of course but when you’ve been baking as long as I have you have a pretty good idea of quantities and flavours.

This what I did. I’m pleased with the results so I’m happy to share the recipe.

Date and Ginger Squares

You will need a large baking tin. I use a roaster.
200g chopped Dates
100ml boiling water
juice of a lemon or 2 small ones
4 large Eggs
200g Caster Sugar
275g self-rasing Flour
10g Wheat Bran
2 heaped teaspoons ground Ginger
2 heaped teaspoons Baking Powder
200g Sunflower Oil.

Grease the baking tin. Put 100ml of boiling water
into a heatproof jug or bowl. Add the chopped dates
and the lemon juice and leave to soak while you mix
the rest.
Beat the eggs and sugar to mix.
Heat the oven to 180c/160C Fan oven.
Add flour, bran, ground ginger and baking powder.
Then add the oil. Pour in the dates and soaking liquid.
Mix well. Put into the baking tin.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly then cut into squares.
They freeze well.

A little tip here if you grow tomatoes. Don’t throw your eggshells away when you bake. I learned this a few years ago from someone else. Bake them in the oven while your cake is cooking. When they’re cool, put them in a bag and smash them up. The finer the better. Then you can sprinkle these in the soil around your tomato plants for extra calcium.

Seems to work for me. My plants have looked healthier since I’ve been doing it.

Talking of plants. Have you ever used the leaves from the top of homegrown sprouts? If not try them. They are so deliciously sweet and tender. I picked some of ours the other day and steamed them. I put them as a layer under my cheesy potatoes. Really tasty.

As we’re all confined to home it’s so important to enjoy our surroundings. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a garden or be able to enjoy the satisfaction and hard work of looking after one. I hope my garden photos will give you pleasure, either as a gardener yourself or as someone who enjoys looking at other people’s gardens. Here are some more of mine.

Here’s a painting I did of poppies in the garden. They had raindrops on them. One of my favourite flowers, especially when they are fresh from the rain. Their petals are like crushed silk, shimmering and delicate with the most beautiful colours. I tried to capture the light coming through them. Sadly, the petals fall all too soon but that brief life is so beautiful.

That’s it for today. I hope you stay safe and well. With you again in a few days.

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.

Although more snow is forecast the flowers continue to appear. I spotted my first crocus of the year nestled among the old aster stems. So cheerful. Despite looking so pure and delicate it must be very tough to shine on such a cold day.

I know I keep banging on about Hellebores but they are so very beautiful at the moment. I have several different ones and if you look closely at the photos you will see how different and interesting the centres are. They vary quite a bit.

The lovely black grass ( I think it’s Ophiopogon) has shiny black berries. It’s a favourite plant of mine and looks good all year round. The skimmia berries are brilliant red.

The Snowdrops are better by the day but there are many more not yet out of the soil enough to flower. The Cyclamen have been pretty even with the snow on them and more flowers have yet to unfold.

There are signs of wildlife out there too, like this spider I spotted on the outside of the house. Interesting one I thought. Bit different in shape but still has the eight legs.

I still have plenty of food in the polytunnels. Carrots and turnips, leeks and parsnips. My crop of garlic is growing well for harvesting in Summer but my stored garlic which I’m currently using for cooking is beginning to sprout. Bit of a nuisance because it will be a while before the new crop is ready.

We have some help in the garden now to cut the hedges, prune the trees and those jobs which we find difficult. It gives us mixed feelings though. After a lifetime of being as self-sufficient as we could be it feels wrong not to do the work ourselves. There is no satisfaction like there is when you have completed a difficult task and accomplished something. On the other hand it’s also a relief not to be struggling and worrying over the state of the garden and putting ourselves at risk doing jobs we’re no longer capable of. We still want to get out there though and get cracking on those things we can do and still enjoy doing. The garden is a vital ingredient in our recipe for a happy life.

Birds feature very much in our gardening activities. They are welcome friends in an organic garden but they are also wonderful entertainment. The Robin is probably the loveliest little garden bird in Britain. Here’s a poem I wrote about it.

The Robin

A ball of feathers with a red breast,
The Robin is our favourite bird.
When frost bites they puff out their chest
Looking as if they're undeterred.
The sweet notes of the Robin's song
Are often heard in the early hours
When they proclaim that they belong
Among our garden trees and flowers.
With perfect symmetry they stand,
So pert, so elegantly placed on branch or twig,
Their breast the colour of a firebrand
They dip their tail in a little jig.
A garden companion so often seen,
Their cheeky ways such a delightful sight,
With their plumage so perfectly pristine
And their beady eyes so clear and bright.
Long live our favourite little creature.
May it always remain a pleasing feature.

I had an urge to knit again but I didn’t fancy a big project like a sweater or blanket. I’ve been knitting cherries again. They’re quick and fun to do. The stems are little knitted cords done with only three stitches. Very clever idea.

Now I’m doing acorns. Very easy to do. Not too many fiddly bits where I lose my concentration. I might do some autumn leaves to go with them. Will show them if I manage to produce something worth looking at.

Whenever I knit or crochet I find my old sewing box which belonged to my husband’s grandma. It’s nothing fancy but I love it. Hand made by Granddad it has happy memories built into it and holds my embroidery wools and cottons as well as a few items original to the box.

At the top, on the lift out shelf, it has tools for making rag rugs and my crochet hooks, needles and scissors. At the bottom along with my own materials is Grandma’s darning tool. This is shaped like a mushroom and is made to hold a sock while mending a hole.

I have used the mushroom. It’s lovely to hold, sits in the hand so well. I often think of Grandma using it before me. It’s lovely to have family treasures.

In these difficult times the little things matter so much. Enjoy your own treasures, make the most of each day with tasty food, interesting projects, home comforts and remember to stay safe. With you again in a few days.

We’ve had our first dose of the Covid vaccine. So impressed with the organisation. Our local doctors and numerous volunteers were amazing. So glad to have had it done, we’re so lucky. I hope the second dose will be very soon.

Meanwhile Winter is up to it’s old tricks. We have had snow on and off for a week. Not my favourite thing. My poor plants are scrunched up trying to keep warm and their heads down from the wintery blasts. They surprise me though by their resilience. By noon on a good day they’ve perked up again, standing proudly and showing their flowers. The tiny Snowdrops are splashed with mud but still manage to look lovely.

When the sun is shining it’s such a welcome sight and the house is full of a golden glow. A brief shower of rain has washed away the early morning sprinkle of snow and things look more hopeful out there. I need to clean the greenhouse and polytunnels so I’m hoping for a few good days to get on with it.

I have winter lettuces in the greenhouse now but in the Summer I grow Tomatoes, Basil and Chillies. I have only just finished using my baby plum Tomatoes. Kept them in the house in a basket. No need to keep them in a bag or with a banana. The last few were not fully ripe but red enough for cooking in a drop of olive oil in my little cast-iron frying pan. Very nice with some bread to mop up the juice.

Longing for Spring and Summer. It was a nice reminder of the fruitful months when I opened a jar of plums the other day.

During the Summer I like to preserve fruit in various ways and one way is to seal them in jars. I won’t pretend it’s easy! It’s a lot of hard work but the satisfaction I get from having those fruits to use in the Winter is immeasurable. You’re probably thinking,” You can buy tins of them” but tinned fruit doesn’t taste like this. Having fruit in the garden gives you a completely different taste and texture and even bought fruit tastes far more delicious when it’s preserved at home.

Seeing my cupboard full of beautiful preserved fruit gives me so much pleasure and we enjoy the “fruits of my labour” during the cold months. Not only good things to eat but a pleasant reminder of when the garden looked like this.

I have some white china bowls to serve fruit and puddings. White dishes set off the food so well and make it look it’s most appetising.

I love all pottery though whether it’s fine bone china, good solid earthenware or contemporary studio pottery. I wouldn’t describe myself as a serious collector but I have picked up lots of pieces over the years from charity shops, eBay, online sellers or direct from potters. I admire the skills involved in producing pottery. Factory pottery is perfect and very functional and living around the famous Potteries area of Stoke-on-Trent has given me an appreciation of it’s history and importance.

When my brother was an international sales representative for one of the pottery firms he gave us a tour of one of the factories. Fascinating! The levels of skill were breathtaking and the technology was impressive too.

Although I love many forms of pottery, especially bowls, I have a particular fondness for jugs. They are such simple and yet clever objects with a shape which to my eye is very pleasing. Just a handle and a lip make them so easy to pour from. A very clever idea and so nice to look at as well as use. Here are some of mine.

I have more than I realised! I’ll show some more another day. It’s obvious I have a weakness for them.

Something else I love is a good brush for my paintings. They don’t need to be expensive. After all, I’m only an amateur artist. There is no market out there for my paintings. But as a painter I can appreciate a good brush, one which holds its shape and carries the paint well.

I find them aesthetically pleasing too. They’re good to look at. I’ve just done a painting of my acrylics brushes in their stand. It was difficult to draw and to paint and I’m not completely happy with the picture I produced. I got easily confused by the arrangement of them as they jumbled together. I persevered though and this is the result.

I made a pencil drawing to work from and painted it with gouache. I like working with gouache. It allows me to paint details and small areas and gives a nice definition which I prefer. I can’t do loose paintings and I don’t really want to. If anything my paintings are not as crisp and well defined as I’d like them to be. I enjoy doing them though.

A new week ahead. Who knows what the weather will bring. We must all stay safe. The health workers don’t need broken legs, sprained ankles and fractures to deal with at this dreadful time for them and neither do we. So stay at home and enjoy being in your own creative and comfortable environment until the storm blows over.

With you again in a few days. Please feel free to comment. Not enough content or too much? I welcome your feedback.

The Hellebores just get better by the day. I took a few shots before the snow came again. So pretty and so welcome in the winter. A few early Snowdrops are opening their flowers too.

We have lots of birds taking advantage of the handouts we provide. This garden is especially good for seeing a variety because we have plenty of trees and shrubs to give them protection as they flit about. We are so lucky to have them. We have all the common garden birds for our area and plenty of woodland birds like Wood Pigeons, Nuthatches, Tree creepers, Jays and occasionally a Great Spotted Woodpecker. We even have Herons visiting the pond. I try to catch them with my camera but they are so quick. Here are some I have managed to capture from time to time.

And I was so lucky to snap this Heron from the landing window as it perched on top of one of our conifers. Fortunately that day the sky was bright blue even though it was December. Made a perfect backdrop to the shot.

I think being able to watch birds and squirrels helps me to get through the winter. Connecting with the natural world, however brief, helps us all and sometimes it’s good to really notice the things we might usually just take for granted. Life is going on all around us if we take a moment to observe it.

We have had snow again. It melted very quickly but in some areas of the country people have suffered terrible flooding. I’m so grateful that we don’t experience that here. Our house stands on a small hill so water drains away from us. Of course, I was out with my camera before the snow disappeared.

Definitely parsnip wine weather so I pulled out a bottle of 2017 vintage and poured a couple of glasses to enjoy with our evening meal. I made one of my favourite one-pan meals. So easy to do and quick but very tasty.

Haddock in a creamy sauce.

I put a small amount of water into a deep frying pan, added half a Kallo vegetable stock cube and a crushed garlic clove, potato cut into pieces, with frozen peas and sweetcorn. When it was boiling I added frozen haddock fillets, placed on top of the vegs. Once the heat came back up I turned it to simmer and put the lid on and cooked for 20 minutes.

Just before it was done I mixed a spoonful of cornflour with a little water to make a runny paste then stirred it into the pan, stirring well to thicken the stock. This made a lovely sauce. Then it was ready to serve. Chopped parsley and a little milk or cream can be added at the last minute to make it a bit more special. Nutritious, easy and tastes good.

Here’s one of my poems to finish off today. I hope you like it. I’m sure you will recognise the feelings I express.

The Sounds of the Night

With the absence of light
Sounds seem different at night.
A soft call, perhaps an owl,
The strange cry of cats on the prowl,
A car door's muffled thud,
Are sounds I might consider good
But when things go bump
And sudden noises make me jump,
A dog's bark pierces the night,
Disturbs my dreams and gives me a fright,
I lie restless, tense and full of fear
- And yet, so many sounds I hear
Are friendly, gentle, reassuring.
Some are positively restoring,
Like the rhythm of the landing clock
Dependably beating out tick-tock,
The creaking of the wooden stairs,
The settling of the old oak chairs,
The breathing of my sleeping love
- The best sound of all above.
With the absence of light,
Sounds seem different at night.

I hope you are all well and withstanding winter in your favourite ways. I’ll be with you again in a few days.

The days are lengthening, just slightly but even a bit is welcome. Even though the garden is damp and dreary there are signs of life. Snowdrops will be in flower in about a week and the birds are singing. Looking for mates and anticipating Spring, no doubt. Bulbs are peeping through the soil. I have seen a few Ladybirds about too.

I intend to sow some broad bean seeds in the greenhouse soon. They are very hardy. Some people grow them outdoors through the winter months after an Autumn sowing but I haven’t tried that. I usually buy some plants and put them out in April but this year I will grow my own. I have always grown runner beans and French beans from seed so why not the broad beans? Not sure why I’ve never done this. New year, new ventures!

I’m fancying a bit of knitting again. Before Christmas I made a few little things. Some of my regular readers will remember the crackers I knitted and a pair of cherries with leaves and stems which will make a nice brooch.

I enjoyed these small projects. The book is enjoyable to browse and the patterns are easy but very clever in the way they shape the flowers or fruit. I made two flowers; a rosebud and a carnation. A very relaxing hour or two to take my mind off the worries of the world.

I’m thinking of trying to do some snowdrops and a spray of lavender flowers. I will put some photos on to show them if I succeed.

I finally got round to bottling my parsnip wine. It’s been in the demijohn for two years so I thought it was about time. Homemade wine does improve with age so no harm done but it’s the time of year when I usually make some more.

Although I do all the winemaking myself I have a bit of help from my husband to cork the bottles. It takes a hammer, a corking tool and a bit more muscle power than I’ve got.

Slightly disappointed with my new wine. It’s usually a glorious golden colour but it’s paler this time. Tastes fine though. Perhaps the parsnip juice was not as colourful to begin with. When it’s first fermenting it looks extremely cloudy but eventually it ends up usually looking like this. It tastes absolutely wonderful.

I keep the wine in a cool dark place for a year or more before opening and drinking. Something special to enjoy in the winter months.

So looking forward to daffodils and tulips again. I put a lot more bulbs in during Autumn and it will be a lovely surprise when they all pop up. A few years ago I saw some pretty tulips for sale at Attingham Park in Shropshire. The arrangement in a basket was so pleasing that I took a photo and later painted a picture from it. Here it is.

Although tulips never seem to last in my garden they are a beautiful sight in their first year. I’ve had some pretty ones in gorgeous colours. Here are some which I grew over the last few years.

As much as I love flowers my mind is never far from food so I also enjoy growing fruit. I’m using some gooseberry jelly I made a couple of years ago and it’s so good with a bit of greek yoghurt. When gooseberries are made into jam or jelly they turn red and look wonderful.

If you’ve never grown gooseberries you’re probably thinking of those hard and sour green things from the shops. The ripe fruit in the garden is so different. Picked at their peak they are softer and really sweet and tasty. When I was washing and topping and tailing them last summer I ate loads as I worked because they were so tempting.

When we bought our house we were lucky to have fruit trees already in the garden. I have added gooseberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and rhubarb. Freezing them or bottling and storing apples means we can have fruit throughout the year.

Cooking apples store well but any blemished ones rot pretty quickly so if I can catch those in time there is still plenty of good apple to cook. When I peel and prepare them I slice into salted water. No need for lemon juice. Salt water works well to stop them from browning before you cook them. Stewing is simple and delicious when there’s no time to make a pie. Also brilliant with pork or chicken as apple sauce.

Enjoy your winter treats, whatever they may be. Please feel free to leave comments. It’s so nice to hear from you. With you again in a few days.

Most trees are completely bare now. The leaves have fallen and have blown away to lie in heaps until the earth reclaims them. But how beautiful those trees are without their green foliage.

The little painting above is one I did of a favourite tree at Dudmaston Hall in Shropshire. The structure of the branches and the sturdy trunk are clearly defined in the colder months. Here’s a poem I wrote about winter trees.

Winter Trees

The naked trees stand proud and tall,
Dark silhouettes against the sky.
The rooks gather and loudly call
From their vantage points on high.
Every branch and each little twig
Is stiffened for good reason,
Matured from Summer's sappy growth
And fit for Winter's season.

Assailed by frost, rain and snow,
Pounded by every stormy wind
That through their branches often blow,
Their gaunt forms are stripped and thinned.
And yet stripped back and laid bare
Their beauty is so outstanding.
It makes me want to stand and stare,
The view is so commanding.

The snowdrops are pushing up and little white flower buds are just peeping out. The hellebores are opening their beautiful flowers, so delicately pretty and yet as tough as old boots. The frost, rain and snow have not bothered them at all.

The hellebores I show here are old favourites but I have some new ones I planted last year which I’m looking forward to seeing. They have a few buds but might take a while to mature.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been thinking ahead to the new year’s planting. Mostly tried and tested vegetables, ones we especially enjoy and which seem to thrive in our difficult conditions. The soil is poor and sandy and the bottom of the garden slopes slightly to what gardeners call a “frost pocket” so no fuss-pots allowed here. Anything exotic can be left to southern gardens with plenty of sunshine and a long season.

I might try celeriac again though. I did grow some years ago and although they were tiny it was encouraging. They are a lovely celery flavoured veg which are nice raw or cooked. Our soil has had a lot of pampering since then and I’m a much more experienced gardener than I was the first time around so who knows? Might get better results.

At this time of year I often make jam. It’s the best time to do it when it’s cold outside and the kitchen is a welcome retreat. I save any excess fruit throughout the summer and freeze them. Strawberries, apples, plums, redcurrants, gooseberries and blueberries. Then I mix some together to make a really tasty jam.

Sometimes I make crab apple jelly as in the photo above, but that’s another story.

My favourite jam is strawberry but a close second is my mixed fruit. You simply can’t buy that. It’s unique. Commercial jams are usually separate fruit flavours so the combination of garden fruit is deliciously different and the texture is so much more substantial. The apples help the setting process because they have a lot of pectin.

It’s easy to make jam as long as you’re organised before you start. I weigh the fruit and add roughly the same weight of sugar. Apples help it to set but you can also buy jam sugar which has pectin added. Don’t believe anybody who tells you to add lemon juice. There is no pectin in lemon juice however nice the flavour may be! You can of course just use ordinary granulated sugar but you might have to boil a bit longer to set it.

The fruit needs to be gently stewed in a small amount of water so that you draw out the maximum amount of juice and soften the skins.

While the fruit stews and before the sugar goes in it’s a good idea to assemble all the equipment. A large stock pan will do if you haven’t got a jam pan. Mine will take about 3 and a half pounds (about 1 and a half kilos) of fruit and corresponding sugar.

This makes about 5 jars of jam so I wash 6 just in case and I rinse thoroughly then place them in a cold oven and switch it to a low heat. The lids need to be dried on kitchen paper and put somewhere warm while the jam is cooking. Luckily I have a heater in the kitchen which is ideal for this.

I place a large wooden chopping board next to the hob with a layer of newspaper and some kitchen paper so that the hot jars won’t be shocked by a cold surface when I ladle in the jam.

When the fruit is ready stir in the sugar until it has dissolved. Bring the sweetened fruit to the boil and allow to boil rapidly until it’s beginning to set. This might take 20 to 30 minutes so needs a stir now and then to stop it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. A very long handled spoon is a help with this as the jam spits and bubbles vigorously. Hot jam on the hand or arm is a serious business.

From time to time, after 10 to 15 minutes, place a small amount of the jam onto a cold plate and allow it to cool for a minute. When the surface begins to wrinkle the jam is setting and ready to put into the jars. A funnel which fits into the mouth of the jar helps to keep the side of the jar clean.

Keep the jam warm and stir any air bubbles back into the jam. No need to remove what’s often described as the scum. It isn’t scum, it’s air and will disappear as you stir. Ladle the hot jam in, leaving a small space at the top and screw the lid on firmly using a cloth to protect your hands.

As the jam cools in the jars you should hear a pop as a vacuum is formed which seals the lid. If this happens the jam will keep indefinitely because air can’t get into the jar.

Perhaps these photos of my strawberry jam will explain the process.

I hope you feel inspired to have a go if you have some fruit in the freezer. Apple and plum is a delicious combination and sets well. Strawberry is superb and any mixed fruit is yummy and satisfying on some hot toast or with some yoghurt.

With you again soon. I hope the snowdrops will be almost in flower by then. Whatever you will be doing I wish you well. Stay safe and warm and enjoy your home comforts.

We’ve had snow, frost , fog and rain during the last week. Slippery paths in the garden, frozen puddles and frost-rimmed plants. Had a walk around the other day when a frosty morning tempted me out with my camera.

I love the way the frost outlines the edges of the leaves and fragile petals. Surprising that a few flowers are hanging on despite the cold and I even saw a ladybird. I hope it managed to survive the low temperature.

Christmas treats are dwindling now and the winter demands comfort food. If you find yourself craving for satisfying things to warm your tum and make you feel happy try my easy pudding. I call it Apple Pobs Pudding. When we were children, if we were unwell, we were given “pobs”. This was a dish of bread soaked in sweetened warm milk. My pudding is a version of this. Like a bread pudding but with the addition of apples for extra flavour and a lighter texture.

I use a white bloomer from Tesco for this. I’ve no doubt other bread can be used but the white bloomer makes it especially good.

Apple Pobs Pudding

2 cooking Apples
300 ml of milk
4 tablespoons Sugar
1 large Egg
Half a White Bloomer Loaf
Butter

Peel and slice apples into salt water
until needed.
Warm milk a little. Beat in egg and
2 tablespoons of sugar.
Put half the bread, broken into 
pieces, into a baking dish.
Gently pour half the milk onto
the bread to soak it.
Arrange rinsed apple slices on top.
Sprinkle the other 2 tablespoons
of sugar over apples.
Put the rest of the broken bread
on top and carefully pour the
remaining milk and egg mixture
over.
Press down gently to ensure the
bread takes up the milk.
Dot with butter.
Bake at 190c/170 C fan oven for 25 - 30 minutes. 

Really good hot or cold, either as it is or with cream, greek yoghurt or custard. If you like cinnamon with apples just sprinkle a little over the apples when you’re making the pudding.

Things don’t always go to plan in my kitchen. I bought some plums for stewing and I washed and stoned them, then placed in a pan to cook with a drop of water. I set them on the hob and turned the heat up to get them going. Went to sit down for a minute.

You guessed it! About 15 minutes later I thought I could smell something and heard a noise. I’d completely forgotten about them. The plums were burning! Luckily I could tip out the top ones and they were perfectly good to eat. However the pan was a burnt mess with plums stuck to the bottom.

So I did what I usually do. I learned this trick many years ago. If you put a small amount of water in the pan and sprinkle in some soap powder (laundry detergent) and leave overnight, the burnt-on stuff comes away cleanly. So no harm done. Just a wash and thorough rinse and good to go again.

This works beautifully on a roasting pan. No amount of rubbing will bring off the burnt-on fat after a roast has cooked but this little trick works like magic. Also good for burnt potato pans if you forget and let them boil dry.

Away from the kitchen, I haven’t done much on my latest intended painting yet. I have almost finished the drawing but it’s really difficult to draw lots of paintbrushes crowded together. I mustn’t hurry it though. I’ll try to make a good drawing before I apply the paint.

Here’s an old painting to be going on with.

Summer flowers are lovely to paint but so are Still Life subjects like this. I particularly like trying to capture reflections and shadows like on these kitchen storage tins. I have photographed so many things around the house and painted them. Sometimes I use gouache, as I’ve done here, with an underlying drawing to get the shapes. Other times I use a big canvas and acrylics to make more of an impact.

The only problem with being an amateur artist is that our house is full of paintings taking up room. Although we have many on the walls the supply keeps coming every time I’m in the mood to paint! There are worse problems! Nice to look through them now and then to refresh my memory.

While we’re all confined to home it’s perhaps a good time to look at and renew our pleasure in the things around us. Things that make a house a home. It might be a treasure you were given as a wedding present or just a piece of pottery picked up for pennies at a charity shop. I have many things I’ve picked up over the years and they contribute a lot to my feeling of home comfort. Here are a few of mine.

It’s so easy when you’re leading a busy life to take your home for granted and not to notice the little details which make your home unique and special. It bears the stamp of your personality. It reflects your tastes and what is important to you. Now is a good time to take stock and to appreciate the little things which give you pleasure.

Stay safe and well. Keep enjoying the simple pleasures and the bigger picture will fill out as you go along. Feel free to share your own treasures and comments.

With you all again in a few days.

The snow has been falling for the last few days. On Saturday it fell silently in huge lacey flakes covering everywhere in a silent blanket. I didn’t venture out into the cold, preferring to stay warm and dry but I took some photos through the windows.

I wrote a little poem about the fascination which snow has for us all, no matter how many times we’ve seen it.

Snowfall

Snow lies low upon the ground,
Just a sprinkle, nothing more.
The snowflakes fall without a sound,
Melting fast against the door.
A zillion crystals light and bright
Drift earthwards, dancing on the breeze,
Illuminating ink-black night
And clothing fast the naked trees.
A beautiful vision, white and pure,
Covering everything in its way.
Winter's cruelty we must endure
But thrill each time to its display.

Since Saturday the snow has been melting and I ventured outside to catch a few glimpses of the shining drops and to see how the plants were doing. A few nice flowers brightened the garden, despite the weather.

Although I find winter very hard I try to appreciate as much as I can. Taking photos is one of the things which makes me look, to see the beauty around me, even though its cold and the garden is looking very drab.

Being in the warmth of the kitchen cooking and baking comfort food is another pleasurable way to pass the short dark days.

I made another one-pan meal at the weekend with lamb cutlets and vegs. I added some of my parsnip wine to tenderise the cutlets and add a little extra something to the rich stock. Cooking them all together in a small amount of water and adding an oxo cube makes a strong and delicious gravy.

I love one-pan meals. They’re not only easy and economical but they taste so much better than plain boiled vegetables. When I do cutlets like these I simmer them for 45 minutes before I put in the vegetables so that they are tender. A dash of wine helps too.

Years ago I used to go every Wednesday morning to a boot sale. It was really what might be called a fleamarket. Mainly commercial traders selling everything from tins of old buttons to vintage furniture. I loved it. You never knew what treasures would turn up. I enjoyed haggling and paying pennies for nice bits and bobs and I had lots of lovely pottery from there which I now treasure.

One of the things I spotted in a tray of old cutlery was a small teaspoon with a little figure on the handle. Later, I discovered these are known as “apostle spoons”. I bought two, simply because I liked them, along with some other old teaspoons.

But then I discovered that the apostle spoons were really useful. Have you ever noticed that recipes which include spice ask for teaspoon measures, only to discover the teaspoon won’t fit inside an average spice jar! The smaller apostle spoons slide in perfectly so I’m so glad I bought them.

I have to give them a little shine with some silver polish now and then but that’s a pleasant job so I don’t mind.

We haven’t started on the Christmas cake yet. With so many treats on the go we thought we’d hold back. Today might be the day though! A slice with a glass of sherry. Festivities prolonged in our house. I still have some mince pies and Christmas puds in the freezer so the treats will get us through the winter.

The chocolate log has been enjoyed but I think next time I will use whipping cream. I usually do but for some reason I used double and I found it a bit stiff. It needed extra cream to go with it. Small portions though with all the chocolates being eaten!

The sun is shining today. It seems warm and bright but it’s actually very cold outside. I went down the garden to fetch carrots, a leek, a turnip and some parsley. Glad of a breath of fresh air but happy to be back in the warmth. The sun is flooding the living room and highlighting things in a golden light.

I hope the year has started well for you despite the difficulties we’re all experiencing. Stay warm, safe and healthy.

Back with you again in a few days.