Hullo Autumn

Have I mentioned before how much I love Autumn? (And gourds?)


Yesterday I popped into the lovely posh toyshop on Gloucester Road to look for present inspiration for my niece, but ended up buying presents for myself, in the form of nine felt Autumn vegetables, to make a seasonal garland for my living room. I might even take down the paper snowflakes that have accidentally been up since last Winter (then I can make new ones this Winter, woop!) Seasonal decorations should not just be confined to Christmas, oh no.


In other news, I finished my patchwork quilt/duvet hybrid! The top is quilted, but it also has a extra back with poppers to put a duvet in, so it can be a duvet cover, or go on its own on top of the bed, clever huh? I finished it at just the right time, when it's suddenly very much AUTUMN. It's really great Autumn weather, golden sunshine and chilly nights - I think the fornight before clocks changing is one of my favourites, not yet having given into the ever-present dark of Winter, but feeling all cosy in my little flat with blankets and candles. Plus I've been rewatching Gilmore Girls from the very beginning, it's the perfect, cosy comforting Autumn viewing... I wish there was Apple Day at St Werburghs this year, I've never felt so much like I could be living in Gilmore Girls at when I went to Apple Day...


Other than that the days have been filled with obsessive watching of Mad Men, Uno paying, baking crumble, parties with bonfires, listening to Nancy Sinatra and planning sewin projects. I keep meaning to do a separate sewing post, but I know I'll never get round to it so I'll squeeze it in here, after finishing this post I'm going to cut out this vintage Maudella dress pattern in lovely bright blue gabardine from John Lewis haberdashery, ooh!

I also got this pattern on Ebay so I can start knocking up lots of lovely gingham shirts for George, my first men's pattern, I'm kind of excited.

Right, Sunday is slipping away and I've got pottering a plenty to do... For tonight's dinner I am planning an Autumnal treat of crepes filled with mushroom ragout... so ta-ra for now xx

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.

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.