Autumn Sun

Its been a funny few weeks since I last wrote a post.  I've been working hard at putting together my new business.  Been on a half day blogging for business workshop in an attempt to get my mojo into gear on the blogging front.  Gone to a few networking events and been seriously inconvenienced with a reoccurring back problem.  But at least, in the last week or so the weather has given us a few beautiful days.

On one of these I was having a few moments relaxation with a glass of elderflower liqueur (if you haven't tried it do - comes under the trade name of St Germain in a very beautiful bottle, not too sweet and fab mixed with sparkling wine!) when I noticed this butterfly enjoying it too!

Sorry about the grubby table it's beginning to show its age so I usually cover it with a cloth when we are using it - much easier than keeping scrubbing it down particularly as its covered with silver spray paint from an old craft project.

We took further advantage of the lovely weather last weekend and went to Whitby for the day on Saturday.  It was warm and sunny although a little windy.  We did our usual things, walked along the beach to Sandsend and rewarded ourselves with tea and cake and a visit to the art gallery there, although this time we didn't buy anything.  Then walked back into Whitby along the beach before the tide came in.  It was made extra special because youngest daughter was up for the weekend and she came along with us.

We also walked up to the abbey, exhausting but so worth it for the view.  It's lovely to walk round the outside but if you're ever up that way do go in it's well worth the visit.  You can find out more about it on the English Heritage site( http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/whitby-abbey/).

I've been editing my wardrobe and made a few purchases to fill the gaps as well as compiling my wish list for the winter but more about that next time.....

Bye for now xxx

Jams - Sweet and Savoury

Well its been that time of year again, when I get the urge to make jam.  Its been a good year for berries and our blackcurrant bushes have done us proud despite the heavy snow in March (remember that?) bringing the cast iron guttering down from the garage against which the bushes grow and flattening half of them.

This year I made blackcurrant liqueur from half of the berries and jam from the rest.  The liqueur will be ready by the end of the year so its good to have the jam to enjoy now.

I have also bought chilli plants from the supermarket the last couple of years which keep me in chillies for most of the year.  They dry really well and I make an amazing Chilli Jam courtesy of a recipe from Nigella, whilst they are fruiting at their best.

I bottled some of it up in these small jars which are perfect as gifts.  It tastes really good with meats and is particularly good with cheese.

The blackberry's are abundant this year so as soon as the apples get a little bigger there will be pies and of course more jam!!  The pears are pretty abundant this year too so I'm looking forward to finding interesting recipes for those too - although I'll have to get in fast as there are some rather large black birds enjoying them at the moment......

Well enough of all this domesticity I really must see what the shops are offering in the way of Autumn fashion, see you soon, thanks for reading.

Wonderful Lake Garda

This summer we holidayed at Limone on Lake Garda in Italy.  We have enjoyed a number of holidays in the region but last visited about 14 years ago. I was a little apprehensive, its always a bit scary revisiting somewhere you loved after such a long time - will it have changed for the worse?  Well I'm happy to say it was just as beautiful as we remembered it.  Fabulous scenery, amazing food, and real Italian ice cream in every flavour under the sun!  Our hotel was in the perfect position, about 25 minutes walk from the centre of Limone, on the edge of the lake with its own private beach.  The picture below is the view from our balcony.  It was wonderful to wake up to such a fabulous view every morning and to know that you have nothing to do all day but enjoy the beauty of your surroundings and no decision harder than what to have for your next meal!!

Not a bad view to wake up to hey!

The Hotel was called the Panorama and you can see why.  It was really comfortable and our room was probably the cleanest I have ever stayed in.

  

We took a couple of trips on the lake to other towns but mainly just chilled as we really needed the rest.

It will not be another 14 years before we visit again thats for sure.  Meanwhile we are living on the memories.

Have a great day x

Best of Intentions!

Well, after a long break, I confidently said I would be back to regular blogging.  Ha! I was immediately struck down with the worst virus I've had in an age. So after surfacing from under the covers I am now giving myself over to the gentle ministrations of those caring gents Ben and Jerry.

And found this great container on Anthropologie which I think will enhance the experience even more.  It's a bit pricy, but perfect for enjoying your ice cream a tub at a time - yes I know I'm greedy.

So I'm hoping that I will be able to get back on track soon x

Long time coming!

Its been almost a year since I posted on my blog.  It was originally started as a companion to my online store, but my career took a change of direction and I sort of didn't know what to do with it.  However, I did enjoy blogging about things other than my business and have decided that it would be fun to continue.

I'm not sure how it will develop, but there will be fashion, food, travel and the musings of a woman not ready to retire!

Jo Malone at the V&A

I had a few days in London last week and one of the things I did was go to the V&A to listen to a talk by Jo Malone.  It was an interesting insight into a woman who seems to live fragrance. Having sold the Jo Malone brand to Estee Lauder some years ago, and left the company in 2006.  She is about to embark on a new fragrance journey by launching a new brand called JOLOVES, with the first store opening in London in the Autumn.

She was asked what drove her to go back into business, after all, she is a very wealthy woman who has fought breast cancer - some may say she deserves to take life easy.  She answered that 'the first thing she thinks about when she wakes up in a morning is fragrance'.  It seems that to her it is her life and not to be involved in the creating and producing of it leaves a gap that other things cannot fill.

For those of us who love the Jo Malone fragrances, it will be interesting to see where this new venture takes us on our scent journey.

hot chilli and garden flowers

We have been eating quite a lot of spicy food recently as a result of this.....

Of course, as with all produce all the chilli's have ripened at once so I am trying madly to incorporate them into everything I make.  They are also really hot, I suppose its because they are fresh - all fruit and veg tastes so much better picked straight from the plant. So yesterday I took a few off and had a go at drying them.  I put them in a roasting pan and put them on the top of the aga for 24 hours and this is what I have..

they seem to have dried pretty well so I am going to put them in a bag in the store cupboard and see how they keep.  I will also be making chilli jam and infusing some oil.  You can tell I'm a good Yorkshire lass and hate waste!

After the hideous weather we have been having of late I went into the garden and rescued some of the most battered of the peonies.  We have loads of flowers this year but the weather has not been kind to them and the very heavy heads have been forced downward, so I thought better in my dining room than  as food for the slugs!

I don't know the variety as they were in the garden when we arrived, but they have the most heavenly scent, and some have either a pale coral, or pale pink centre.  I adore peonies, I just wish they lasted longer.

I also picked a few of the climbing roses that grow along the side fence.  They look really poorly this year - I think the mildew has got the better of them and when the flowers have gone I thing a good prune is in order, although my record with pruning roses is really bad - in that usually I manage to kill them - but as this is a climber I'm hoping I'll have a bit more success.

Well this seems to have turned into a bit of a gardening post today, maybe its because so far today its hasn't rained, so I'd better scoot out there again before it does, bye for now!!

baking the easy way

I love baking muffins, they are so easy.  You just throw everything into a bowl, give it a quick mix, load your muffin cases, bake and 14 mins later you have a fab tray of yummy muffins ready to eat!  I often make them first thing for breakfast they are that fast.

I made these the other afternoon when I had a sweet craving but nothing in the cupboard to satisfy it.

All the ingredients in one bowl

That after a quick mix look like this....

Fresh out of the oven....

...and ready to eat!!

They are fruit muffins made with the only fruit in the house a couple of very ripe nectarines, which to be honest could have done with being a little firmer but still tasted delish :)

here's the recipe:

2 cups (300g) self raising flour

3/4 cup (150g) firmly packed brown sugar

2 nectarines, stone removed, chopped - skin on

1 egg lightly beaten

3/4 (180ml) cup plain yoghurt + milk mix (about 1/2 and 1/2)

1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil

Put muffin cases into muffin tin.

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl, stir in other ingredients.

Spoon mixture into muffin tin.  

Bake in moderately hot oven for approx 20mins. (I have an Aga thats why they cook quicker!)

Remove from oven, leave in muffin tin for a few mins to cool a little then either put on cooling rack to finish cooling or eat warm from oven ENJOY.....