Let the Summer Begin

I hope you are having a wonderful Jubilee Weekend. This week I decided to take the week off and not do any dog training sessions as there were so many things happening.

On Wednesday I had one of my best friends from the South East visit with her husband. We go way back and as soon as we got together it was as if we had seen each other just a few days before. Do you have friends like that?

I had prepared a simple afternoon tea style lunch and the weather was perfect for Al fresco dining out on the patio. Afterwards we had a little wander around my tiny town and down to the Taw river which is part of the Tarka Trail.

Inspired by the route travelled by Tarka the Otter, this 180 mile, figure eight route traverses unspoiled countryside, dramatic sea cliffs and beautiful beaches. The southern loop incorporates the longest, continuous off-road cycle path in the UK.

In the evening we had the first BBQ of the year and New Orleans Hurricane cocktails which are

2oz light rum
2oz dark rum
1oz passion fruit syrup
1 tbsp grenadine
1oz lime juice
Topped up with orange juice

We finished the evening with Mudslide Martini

1 oz Baileys Original Irish Cream
1 oz vodka
2 oz cold coffee
2 oz single cream

I have finished digging my new flower bed and decided to create a small water feature. I can now sit and listen to babbling water whilst drinking my morning coffee.

I used 2 different sized frost resistant ceramic pots. These were on half price at my local garden centre, I also used a plastic upturned pot to stand the smaller pot on. I filled the drainage hole with expanding foam. The bottom pot is filled with soil and planted with nasturtiums seeds around it. The orange and yellow flowers will look lovely against the blue.

I also got a floating solar fountain off Amazon which is floating in the top pot.

Total price around £50.00

For the Jubilee Weekend we have had various festivities and events happening in the town, starting with a parade down the high street and tonight finishing with a play at the town hall ‘Into the Woods’ which apparently is a take on Babes in the Wood.

Next week normal life will resume but until then enjoy whatever you are up to.

Chris x

Chores can be Fun!

Creating a weekly blog takes effort, no one wants to read about the boring everyday things you got up to. Everybody has to do the cleaning, washing and cooking. Coming up with content means you have to do things that you would not normally do or are not a chore or do I?

Here are a few natural cleaning products and tips that you can use around your home to ditch some of those chemicals.

Wood cleaner and polish

½ C White Vinegar (just plain old white vinegar, or you can use ACV for darker woods, if you like)
¼ C Olive Oil (organic, extra virgin olive oil)
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Vegetable Glycerin (optional, but a really great addition – non-GMO, organic vegetable glycerin)
20-30 drops Lavender Essential Oil (organic lavender essential oil)
Instructions
Mix all ingredients in a glass spray bottle. Shake well before each use.

Spray on wood and rub with microfiber or other soft cloth.

Toilet Cleaner

1 cup vinegar (just plain old white vinegar)
7 drops each ginger essential oil, helps reduce campylobacter strain, cinnamon essential oil, clove essential oil are effective at killing E. coli, staphylococcus, salmonella, and streptococcus.
Glass spray bottle

Instructions

Combine the vinegar and essential oils in the glass spray bottle.
To use, shake vigorously before spraying on the sides of the toilet bowl and under the rim.
Take the top off of the spray bottle and dump the rest of the contents into the bowl. Let the vinegar soak in the bowl for an hour before scrubbing thoroughly with a brush and flushing.

Drain cleaner

Baking Soda – ½ cup
Distilled White Vinegar – 1 cup

Instructions
Pour the baking soda over the drain followed by the vinegar. Let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes and then flush with very hot water.

This last one makes me happy every time, no not because it’s cleaning my drains but just watching the chemical reaction. Simple things! 😂

I was talking about school dinners recently with some friends, the ones we loved and those that were awful. Pink Fluff was one we remembered enjoying and I decided to make it for Sunday Dinner dessert. Just raspberry jelly and evaporated milk, simple but oh so good! 😋

Dissolve the jelly (I used raspberry) in half the amount of boiling water suggested.

Whisk a tin of evaporated milk until frothy and then add the slightly cooled jelly and continue whisking until fully combined.

Pour into serving dishes and chill for at least 2 hours. You can add fresh raspberries as a garnish to make this simple dessert a little more special.

What school dinner or pudding do you remember?

This week I have had fun joining in with #StylecraftBlogstarsGardenParty event. I have so far made two of the three cute tin covers. #Stylecraft have a lovely selection of coloured organic cotton yarns. The pattern designer for the tin covers was Lucy #Attic24

Here is the link to the pattern https://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/2022/05/stylecraft-blogstars-garden-party.html

These will be great for my summer dining table to pop some wild meadow flowers in and cutlery and napkins for all our outside dining I hope we can have.

So yes this week the Spice/herb should have been ‘P’ but I have not got around to making the Lemon and Poppyseed Butter Biscuits but will be making today ready for tomorrow’s Craft Butterflies Meeting where we will be making Shaker Cards. Therefore I will post on next week’s blog.

The next couple of weeks are looking super busy, youngest daughter coming home from University for the Summer, friends and relatives visiting, a friend’s wedding and the Jubilee Weekend. This should give me some good content for the next couple of blogs 😂

Have a great week and thanks for dropping by.

Chris x

M before L

Big news I’ve started, well not exactly a diet but more a way of eating. I have read a lot about fasting and how not only does it help with weight but can also have great health benefits.

So last Sunday evening I started the 16:8 way of eating, which means I fast for 16 hours and have an eating window of 8 hours. My window is from 10.30 till 18.30. Lots of people do 12.00 till 20.00 but I felt really fuzzy headed not eating breakfast the first couple of days, so decided to break my fast earlier and I can just eating my dinner earlier. I therefore have a cup of black coffee or apple cider vinegar in hot water at about 07.00 and then do my morning dog walk and any little chores to keep me busy and then have breakfast at 10.30.

Obviously you still need to eat sensibly but I don’t have to restrict what I eat. It was a little hard to start off with but I am now on day 7 and it is really not too bad. I have so far lost .8 kg which is about 1.7 lbs.

Yesterday morning I had a very naughty but yummy breakfast of mini cinnamon rolls. These were so easy to make and took no more than 30 mins. I have to thank @fitwafflekitchen for the recipe the link is https://fb.watch/cIKkJODfoL/

When I moved into my house the previous owner had left a very ugly, plastic garden storage chest. I have just stored old pots and various rubbish in it. It stood in the place where my new garden shed now stands. I was going to take it to the tip but then suddenly had a brilliant idea to repurpose it.

I cleaned it, rubbed it down with sandpaper and then painted it with some chalk paint I had. I then bought two posts and an expanding trellis for a backing and filled it with soil. I used 3 X 40l bags and only half filled so will head back to garden centre this week to get more to fill. I can then plant my tomato plants in it, which can then be secured easily on the trellis as they grow and pop some French Marigolds and basil in front of them to keep bugs away.

It is placed in front of the compost heap to act as a screen.

I did find another great walk to take the dog’s on with an amazing field full of dandelions. I will head back there this week and pick some so I can have a go at making dandelion honey.

This week the letter for the herb or spice is ‘L’. As I don’t like lemongrass very much I thought about using Lovage. It has been long cultivated in Europe, the leaves being used as a herb, the roots as a vegetable, and the seeds as a spice, especially in southern European cuisine. Also known as sea parsley, the leaves and stem of the lovage plant add an intense celery-like flavour to soups, stews and stocks or pork and poultry dishes. It can also be used to enhance the flavour of potato dishes. Unfortunately I have so far not been able to source any 😢 but as soon as I do this is one recipe I will be doing which uses lovage oil.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/clementine_gin_salmon_37829

Instead I have hopped to ‘M’ and a little used spice Mace. It is the spice made from the reddish seed covering (aril) of the nutmeg seed. Its flavour is similar to nutmeg but more delicate; it is used to flavour baked goods, meat, fish, and vegetables, and in preserving and pickling.

I made this yummy risotto for my Saturday night dinner for one, as my eldest daughter was at work. A creamy amalgamation of chestnut and porcini mushrooms, goats cheese, cream with a hint of mace.

https://delishably.com/grains/quick-easy-mushroom-risotto-recipe

That’s all for this week I’m off on a hunt for lovage, whether the actual plant or oil.

Enjoy your Bank Holiday.

Chris x

Nearly Forgot A Title!

Hello again, after a lovely Easter it’s time to take my daughter back to University so off to Plymouth today. We have done a couple of lovely new walks this week. The granite way which runs from Okehampton to Lydford but I only walked to Meldon Viaduct and turned around, my daughter on the other hand cycled all the way to Lydford and back.

We also did a new local walk which showed it followed along the edge of the stream but for part of the way it looked like we were walking along the actual stream.

This week’s spice is ‘K’ and I used Kaffir lime leaves . In South Africa, the Arabic kafir was adopted by White colonialists as “kaffir,” an ethnic slur for black African people. Consequently, some therefore some people switched from calling it “kaffir lime” to “makrut lime”. Their distinctive citrus flavor can overpower milder herbs so it’s best to use these leaves in moderation when recipes call for them.

I decided to make an ice-cream.

Serves 4-6

2 cups (500ml) full-cream milk

1 cup (250ml) thickened cream

⅔ cup caster sugar

1 tsp fresh lime zest

1 tsp of dried Kaffir leaves powder I used whole leaves and ground to powder in a pestle and mortar

6 free range egg yolks

Small punnet of Raspberries, mash and put through sieve to form puree.

Combine milk, cream, caster sugar, kaffir lime zest or powder, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, egg yolks and strips of kaffir lime leaves in a large glass heatproof jug. Whisk well to combine. Cover jug with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Pour mixture into a saucepan and cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches simmering point. Remove saucepan from heat. Pour custard back into cleaned heatproof jug, through a mesh strainer. Cover jug with plastic wrap and refrigerate until custard is thoroughly chilled.

Pour custard into the bowl of an ice-cream machine and churn until mixture is thick and creamy. Transfer ice-cream into a container, use the puree to create a ripple effect in the ice cream and freeze overnight, until set. Just before serving, remove ice-cream from freezer and allow it to soften a little.

I also made a lovely veggie dish for Mia’s last night. Carrot Fajitas with Mushroom, peppers and I added courgettes too. The Carrot tortillas were made using 100g grated carrots, 1 egg, 30g grated cheese and about 2 tbsp of plain flour. Cook the carrot in a bowl with a splash of water and cover with cling film and pop in microwave for about 5 minutes. Strain through a sieve and get as much water out as you can. Then mix with rest of ingredients and spread two rounds on baking sheet that has greaseproof paper on and cook at 220° for about 10 mins.

I topped them with mushrooms, peppers, courgettes, garlic and fajitas spice. Then popped some Tzatziki and feta on top.

We finished the beach hut shed and cleared the space and popped down some stones.

Let me know if you make any of these recipes, I’m off now to pack the car with a bike and hamster, oh and few clothes 🤣

Chris x

Mushball Disappointment!

I hope if you are a mother that you had a lovely Mother’s Day last Sunday. I got taken out fro a very yummy brunch by my eldest, unfortunately my youngest was still at University.

After the glorious sunshine of last week we are back to chilly weather again but it did not stop me having a very productive Monday. After walking the dog’s, I got the washing done, washed the mud off my car and edged all the flower beds. Then back inside to make some tasty treats.

I first made this version of a samosa using puff pastry they are like veggie sausage rolls without sausage and a nice variety of spices. I adapted this recipe.

https://www.mobkitchen.co.uk/recipes/spiced-pea-and-potato-rolls

I only used half the filling and have frozen the rest, I will be getting it out on Monday to make some more to take to my line dancing evening as we are having a dance night. I only took up line dancing last year to get to know people and it was the best thing I could have done as not only have I made some amazing friends but it is an activity that works the body and the mind.

I traveled down to Plymouth to pick up my youngest at the end of the week to bring her home for the Easter holidays. She spent a few days home but I have just dropped her off at Exeter station with her bike and very heavy rucksack and she is off to Sheffield for 5 days to do a short course, as she says playing with bones! Whilst there she is hoping to cycle into the Peak District. She is quite adventurous and have to say takes very much after myself 😉

This week’s spice is Harissa or Rose Harissa which is what I used for my mushballs as we decided to call them. I cannot say they were that amazing and will definitely be playing around with the recipe as in theory they should be a great veggie alternative for meatballs. They definitely looked the part!

It was a pretty tame week so just a short blog. Look forward to more adventures next week.

Chris x

Taking a walk on the Wild Side

This week we have had some glorious sunshine and it definitely is looking more like Spring with wildlife bursting forth from everywhere.

I did a couple of new walks with the dog’s and found a super place for a picnic on a hot day with its own plunge pool, although it’s a bit chilly at the moment.

I also did my first foraging and will definitely be doing more of this during the coming months. I was told where to find wild garlic and managed to find it and pick a good amount.

The first thing I made was wild garlic and cheese scones. I found the recipe here

http://www.lavenderandleeks.co.uk/wild-garlic-and-cheese-scones/

I have blitzed up the rest ready to make wild garlic ravioli this coming week, so check out the blog next week. It will be my first time in making pasta!

Crafting wise I ran the first North Tawton Crafty Butterflies night. We had a go at creating the sea glass jars and crocheted bunny. It was a really fun night and there of course was cake!

My daughter asked me to make a hamster taming pouch. Yes there is such a thing 🤣. Basically it’s a pocket which is warm and cozy to help them feel more comfortable being held.

I also started to crochet Mollie flowers which I am hoping to make enough of to create something, not sure what at moment as will depend on how many I make.

https://littlegreen.typepad.com/romansock/2009/04/mollie-flowers-the-tutorial.html

Following on from last week’s ‘D’ it should have been ‘E’ but the only thing I could find was Elder and it is not the right time to use any part of the elder. So we move onto ‘F’ and I chose –

Fenugreek a clover-like herb native to the Mediterranean region, southern Europe, and western Asia. Its seeds, which smell and taste like maple syrup, have been used in cooking and as medicine. Fenugreek is used as an ingredient in spice blends and a flavoring agent in foods, beverages, and tobacco. Fenugreek extracts are also used in soaps and cosmetics.

I created a blend of spices to cook the chicken in which whilst mild in heat had plenty of amazing flavours. I ground together

Seeds from 2 cardamon
Half tsp tumeric, ginger and fenugreek
Quarter tsp cumin, garam masala

First I sauteed onions and peas in butter. Then added the chicken, I use thighs as they have more flavour, along with the ground spices, 3 cloves of chopped garlic and salt and pepper. Cook until chicken has changed colour but not cooked through. Add half a tin of chopped tomatoes and half tin coconut milk and then put in casserole dish and leave for at least 4 hours to allow flavours to be absorbed. Cook in oven for 40 mins on 180 degrees. Serve with rice.

The weather is beginning to improve and therefore I hope to get out in the garden more, tidy up the beds, freshen the gravel areas I created last year and plant up some hanging baskets.

Until next time, keep finding new experiences and challenges.

Chris x

All about the C’s

I had a lovely visit with my daughter down in Plymouth last week, the sun shone and everyone and their dog was out enjoying the day. I took our two littlies Mouse and Adira and our house guest Sunny. They were all extremely well behaved and nice and tired by the end. We had lunch in a fab cafe called @rocketsandrascles where I had an amazing chicken, avocado and pesto toastie on sour dough bread. They are located by the marina in the barbican area. Well worth a visit.

This week was a crafting and cooking sort of week.

Easter is fast approaching and last year I made crocheted bunny bunting, one of which I actually sold! I found the pattern and refreshed my memory to make some more. The pattern for these can be found here

http://lovethebluebird.blogspot.com/2012/04/spring-bunny-tutorial.html?m=1

I also created a very cute egg cozy bonnet the pattern is on my crafting page here
https://www.facebook.com/542220883361347/posts/814134786169954/

My spices and herb feature has reached ‘C’ and this week I decided to use capers.

Capers are the immature, unripened, green flower buds of the caper bush (Capparis spinosa or Capparis inermis). The plant is cultivated in Italy, Morocco, and Spain, as well as Asia and Australia. It’s most often associated with Mediterranean cuisines, but enjoyed worldwide. Brined or dried, the caper is valued for the burst of flavor it gives to dishes. It adds texture and tanginess to a great variety of recipes, including fish dishes, pasta, stews, and sauces.

I decided to make salmon burgers with a remoulade sauce for a couple of friends who came to dinner. I actually remembered to take a picture! The sauce I adapted by adding some Cajun spices, just enough to give it a little kick. The burgers held together really well and would probably work quite well on the BBQ. You can find both recipes here
https://www.acouplecooks.com/remoulade-sauce/

My friends A and S asked me to add my recipe for the dessert which is a variation to a lemon cheesecake.

250g digestive or gingernut biscuits
100g butter
300 ml double cream
395 ml can condensed milk
3 lemons grated peel and juice

Crush the biscuits and melt the butter and mix together. Whip the cream until stiff and then add the condensed milk and mix. Finally add the grated peel and juice and mix together. You will notice the mixture thicken up.

I then divide the biscuit mixture into about 2 with a little saved for the top and then layer up in a dish and chill for a couple of hours.

I hope you are encouraged to do or make something a little different this week and until next time I’m leaving you with this piece I saw which sums up my feelings now I’m Sixty.

I am no longer waiting for a special occasion; I burn the best candles on ordinary days.
I am no longer waiting for the house to be clean; I fill it with people who understand that even dust is Sacred.
I am no longer waiting for everyone to understand me; It’s just not their task
I am no longer waiting for the perfect children; my children have their own names that burn as brightly as any star.
I am no longer waiting for the other shoe to drop; It already did, and I survived.
I am no longer waiting for the time to be right; the time is always now.
I am no longer waiting for the mate who will complete me; I am grateful to be so warmly, tenderly held.
I am no longer waiting for a quiet moment; my heart can be stilled whenever it is called.
I am no longer waiting for the world to be at peace; I unclench my grasp and breathe peace in and out.
I am no longer waiting to do something great; being awake to carry my grain of sand is enough.
I am no longer waiting to be recognized; I know that I dance in a holy circle.
I am no longer waiting for Forgiveness.
I believe, I Believe.
-Mary Anne Perrone

Chris x

Thereby Hings a Tale

Well I suppose the big thing that happened this week is what everyone was talking about – Eunice “a female given name: from a Greek word meaning “good victory”. Well if your view point is devastation is victory, then for some places in the UK she did her job.

For myself she was more of an inconvenience. I did not get to take the dog’s out for a walk and my garden will need a little tidying up of general debris, but on the whole we survived. It did mean I got to do a bit of cooking.

A new little feature for this blog and out of my comfort zone is cooking using ingredients I have never used or in some cases never even tasted.

Taking a leaf or in this case a rhizome out of http://carolcooks2.com I have decided to try finding out about and using new spices or herbs that I have either not encountered or used before. My first is

Asafoetida also known as Hing which is the dried gum from the rhizome of the species Ferula assa-foetida, a perennial herb from the arid regions of Afghanistan, Iran, and India.

When cooked, apparently its flavor is suggestive of garlic, leeks and onions. I personally found the smell when cooking to be like this but not so much the flavour once cooked. Although it definitely had a distinct flavor which was a slightly bitter taste but not bad.

Facts:

1. Improve digestion: Hing removes all the toxins from the body and cures any issues related to indigestion. It helps in regulating the digestion process

2. Helps in weight loss: Drinking hing water increases metabolism and keeps the bad cholesterol at bay with which we feel active and hence helps in weight loss.

3. Reduces blood sugar levels: Consuming hing regularly can relax your blood vessels. Hing helps in secreting more insulin and thus decreases blood sugar levels.

4. Relieves from menstrual pain: Hing acts as a blood thinner and helps. It helps in the smooth flow of blood in the body and hence relieves from any menstrual cramps.

5. Reduces headache: Hing has some anti-inflammation properties which help in reducing headache. Drinking hing water as mentioned above can work.

You can get it in major supermarkets.

I decided to make a recipe I found on www.saltandtamarind.com/hing-chicken-chicken-cooked-in-asafoetida-sauce/

I also adapted a side dish of http://www.saltandtamarind.com/namkeen-chawal-vegtable-pulao-recipe/

I not add the potato but did add a half tsp of asafoetida

I also have been doing more of my macrame wall hanging for my lounge. After numerous un-picks I have finished the shell pattern. I now need to make a flower for the center.

With work (I run my own dog training school), this week I added an extra class to my sessions. I now do Smart Skills, a step up from Beginner Skills. You never know how a new thing will work but I have to say within days of launching this I was fully booked and had a waiting list. The first session yesterday was great fun. I have in the past tried various things only for them to have very little interest but I don’t give up and either try in a different way to incorporate it into my sessions or look for new things to try. As you have probably gathered I like finding and trying new things in my life 🤣

I’m off to find a herb or spice beginning with ‘B’, there are many but I want one that I have not used or not thought about using in a particular way. Any ideas gratefully received.

Until next time step big, step small but take that step forward as life doesn’t go backwards!

Chris x

Stepping Out Of Fifty

So as I sit here on what is a pivotal day being the day after New Year and the eve of my 60th Birthday ( how the hell did that happen)! I’m wondering what this year will bring and what new things can I do. I have decided I want to step out of my comfort zone.

Now I’m not a novice to doing that. At 20 myself and my childhood friend Paula left England and went to LA with the plan of either a long holiday or hopefully finding work. Paula found work and her husband that first night. I on the other hand did a few weeks of traveling, then opened the LA times and found a nannying job in Redondo Beach. I returned back to England a year later having had an amazing time.

In my 40’s my husband at the time and two young children sold up everything and moved to Southern Spain. Unfortunately the marriage went from bad to worse and myself and my two girls packed up my car with what we could and left and drove from Southern Spain back to the UK and I then had to rebuild my life again!

A year and a half ago my brother and I sold my parents and grandparents family home, where I had been living and I made the move from Oxfordshire to Mid Devon where I knew no one!

Despite being in a pandemic I threw myself into starting a new business, creating a new home and joining some new groups. I have made wonderful new friends and probably have more of a social life than I had previously.

So as you can tell I’m a pro at stepping out of my comfort zone but each time it has made me grow as a person.

This year I’m not going to do anything near as drastic as the above (well not as I write this)!

Stepping out of your comfort zone does not need to be a grand gesture it just needs to be something that tests you or gives you that little butterflies feeling.

For some of you it could be to start a new fitness or crafting class or try a brand new recipe that stretches your skills. Other might set a goal to reach by running a half marathon or just go for a jog once a week. It doesn’t matter what it is.

So what am I going to do?

Follow me to find out.

Chris