I had to make a copy of this photo when I was housesitting for my parents last weekend. It's my mum in the early 70s, and it made me do a massive grin since, well let's see, cat, sewing machine, fairisle jumper, floral fabric, yes it could be me! I think I'm only realising as I'm getting older what a massive influence my mum has had on me, I'm sure she's the person responsible for all my biggest loves and what I'd like to think are some of my talents, I certainly have her to thank for my enthusiasm for cooking, sewing and all things home made! And she's just pretty gosh darn awesome in so many ways. Hurrah for mums!

I still have to post my recipe for rosehip syrup, I will do that this week. At the moment there just isn't enough time to do everything I want to do, I have about five or six sewing projects on the go and loads more I want to start... This week the theme has been sleep and I've been busying myself cutting and planning my patchwork quilt, making pajamas for a friend and attempting to refashion a charity shop dress into a babydoll nightie, but I'm already losing interest in those and fantasising about woolly skirts, checked blouses and pinafores, I need to learn to finish what I start!

Think the patchwork is going to have to be an ongoing project since there are 324 patches to sew....

Barley Butternut Risotto

Mmmmm, time for warming, hearty meals! I love barley risotto, it's satisfyingly earthy and nourishing and very easy. You can make it vegan, without the butter and cheese and it's just as good, but it's extra comforting with a good grating of strong cheddar. I'm not too sure on measurements since I made this up and don't really measure,and I tend to use whatever veg I have to hand (squash and mushrooms are essential though!) but I think it's about right. Also nice cold for lunch the next day.

Ingredients
Serves 4 (or 2 with leftovers for lunch!)
olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
half a butternut squash/pumpkin, peeled and diced quite small
1 large/2 small courgettes, roughly chopped
good handful of chesnut mushrooms, sliced
1 mug of pearl barley
good big slug of red wine
tamari/shoyu to taste
2 mugs stock/water & bouillon (+more if needed)
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
large pinch dried sage
very generous handful fresh spinach (sometimes I use a whole bag, it's up to you!)
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
freshly ground pepper

Optional:
1 oz butter
handful grated cheddar cheese
extra seasonal veg (e.g. peppers, celery, leeks etc.)
Dried mushrooms, soaked to rehydrate (you can use the soaking water as tasty stock)

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan (with a little bit of butter if you like), and add the onion and garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add the squash, mushrooms, courgette and other veg. The squash can take a bit longer to cook, soI try to chop it quite small. Cover the pan, turn the heat down and sweat for 10 minutes or so (helps the squash get nice and tender).


2. Tip in the barley, and stir to coat with the tasty juices. Slosh in some red wine, followed by the stock. Add the tamari and herbs, except the parsley. Cover, and simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally until the barley has absorbed the stock and turned lovely and plump and tender, with a slightly creamy/saucey texture (you might need to add more stock). Like risotto, you want the barley to be al dente, thick and creamy but not too runny. Taste, and add more wine or tamari if needed.


3. Roughly tear the spinach and add to the pan in a thick layer. Put the lid back on and steam for a few moments until it starts to wilt, then stir into the mixture to cook down. Add a little knob of butter, the parsley and season well with freshly pepper, the tamari is salty so I don't tend to add any more.

4. Serve, with grated cheese and a little more parsley to garnish if you like.

Enjoy!

Hello Autumn! And a seasonal recipe.

It seems that the last post really did signal a 'goodbye' to Summer, and this one a 'Hello Autumn'... There's been a sudden swing towards the Autumnal, leaves on the pavements, windows steamed up in the mornings, blankets on the bed. And this week has been a celebration of the fact, for I have been doing seasonal activities a-plenty!


In spite of my optimistic Monday post I spent most of last week being a grumpy badger for no real reason, but the weekend was just what I needed to fix me up, I visited my parents with my brother and went fruit picking in the field by our house, we spent hours wandering around and ended up with tubs full of sloes, rosehips and blackberries (and scratched hands), there were more than we could ever pick, I think this time of year is when I most miss the country.

SO! The week so far has been a flurry of activity, I've been busying in my kitchen preparing my gathered fruit and filling the freezer for Winter, making rosehip syrup (photos and recipe to follow), and generally feeling very cosy and contented. There is a passage in 'Moominvalley in November' (one of my very favourite books) which sums up perfectly how I feel about this time of year:

"The quiet transition from Autumn to Winter is not a bad time at all. It's a time for protecting and securing things and making sure you've got in as many supplies as you can. It's nice to gather together everything you possess as close to you as possible, to store up your warmth and your thoughts and burrow yourself into a deep hole inside, a core of safety where you can defend what is precious and your very own. Then the cold and the storms and the darkness can do their worst. They can grope their way up the walls looking for a way in, but they won't find one, everything is shut, and you sit inside, laughing in your warmth, for you have had foresight"

(There are so many bits of that book I could quote! Maybe another time.)



That is exactly how I felt on Monday night, sitting at my little table with a candle, listening to records and topping and tailing rosehips to boil up for yummy syrup. Also I have acquired a lovely blanket which makes me feel very snug indeed, though I swear I won't buy anymore and will learn to crochet my own instead. I think I am going to steal an idea from Argyle Whale's beautiful blog and start a To Do list, my brain is full to the brim of plans and intentions that I need to make sure I follow through on.

I have a seasonal recipe to post but I think I'll leave this all for my rambles and make a brand new seperate post.


* blanket picture from ebay, not me. I'll takea picture of my bed soon.

End of Summer

Aah Good Morning, and it is a reasonably good morning, for a Monday. I'm full of plans and good intentions.


Yesterday I took a trip to Weston Super Mare, trying to visit the Mythical Beast Sweet Shoppe which my friend Camilla is running, but unfortunately we arrived just as it was closing so spent the afternoon wandering aimlessly, eating chips on the seafront and having cups of tea and icecream in cliffside cafes. By the time we walked back across the beach the sun was already going down which seemed suddenly so early after long days of Summer, Mike said afterwards that the trip had seemed like saying goodbye to the Summer, and it really did, walking back from the station in the dark, wrapped up in a coat, seemed very Autumnal.


Also recently I've been sewing sewing sewing, lots of boring alterations to revitalise my winter wardrobe, and also practicing following patterns in preparation for my next venture into dress making. Over the weekend I made my lovely friend Polly this apron (modelled by me, George made me do the daft 'beside sewing machine' pose!) which I'm really chuffed with, I've been planning to make her one for ages and it turned out even better than I hoped. It's from the book 'Weekend Sewing' which so far I'd recommend, it's got loads of patterns in and this one was very easy to follow.

As for the plans and good intentions, they're both small day-to-day plans and potential Big Brave sort of plans, which I've been mulling over for a while and am finally starting to put into action. I made the first small step last week and it's given me an appetite for Making Things Happen. More about the small plans later.

Happy Start of Autumn, everybody.

The changing of the seasons

Ha, so after much fiddling around I finally worked out how to change the background, I like having a blog a bit more now! It's still not quite how I'd like it but better than before.

Since I last wrote I've not done much by way of creative stuff but I have a good excuse, that I spent two and a half weeks in China... Actually before going I did loads, made new pajamas, altered and refashioned vintage dresses, and ended up with a suitcase full of pretty summer things to wear on hot days. I promised a picture of my finished dress so here's one my brother took at the Summer Palace, absolutely one of the most amazing places I've ever been in my life, it is vast and incredibly beautiful. I'd like to have spent more time wandering aimlessly around, it was somewhat overwhelming.

Anyways, now I'm back in Bristol and amazing as China was, very glad to be home in my flat with my boy and my sewing machine! From September the first I took the Wardobe Refashion pledge, which means I am not going to buy any new clothes (charity shops still allowed) but concentrate on making new ones and customising old ones, only for two months but I might renew it depending on how successful it is! But the seasons are changing so it is goodbye vintage sundresses and hello woolly skirts and tights, today I've hauled out some of my favourite winter skirts which after creeping further and further up my waist (with each cm it expands!) have become unwearable, but I have unpicked the zips and chopped the tops off to make some cute mini-ish skirts that will sit comfortably on my hips, hurrah.

Also today I plan to make lavender cupcakes inspired by Seahorsetamer's amazing photo, and maybe some scones cus it seems like a nice Sundayish thing to do. Recipes to follow.

Well hello there.

I haven't managed to write anything here for a long while, but this is because I have been busy doing things... Like a camping trip to Cornwall with George and my bro and sister-in-law, and also doing lots of projects and fun stuff. There's loads I want to write about and post pictures of. But first I have to *take* most of said pictures, so for now here are a couple...

I made lemon cupcakes for Jess's birthday, which meant extra special birthday icing. It's good to be baking again, I was on a real roll (oh! No pun intended) with home baking bread, until my granny got poorly and things got a little stressful and it all tailed off.



Also this week I finally finished my sundress! I made it from one of my mum's patterns from the 60s and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, considering I orginally cut it out two sizes too large and ended up deviating from the pattern massively.But it is made! And will be perfect for China when I go later this week. Here's a rubbish picture from the 'nearly finished' stages, I will post a finished picture when I take a decent one.

Hello

I have been contemplating starting a blog to document my crafting and baking ventures, having been inspired by a few lovely blogs from super talented people. I am not super talented but I do enjoy filling my time with projects and pretty things. Anyways we'll see what comes of it! Please say hello if you stop by, I've attempted blogs before but always been a bit hidden away, I'd like to be a bit more interactive this time.

(also if anyone knows how to make custom profiles so I can use some nice pictures of fabric or something as a background, please let me know! I am inept.)

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