It was lovely to see sunshine and blue skies here on Sunday and we made the most of it by spending some much needed time in the garden.  All of the shrubs seem to have rocketed sky high with the all the water they've been getting, but the vegetable beds are not thriving as they should be.  I admit we were a little late with some of our planting, but we were picking peas, beans and carrots from the garden at this time last year. The peas have not come through at all,the beans look very sorry specimensand the green, feathery carrot tops are only just nudging up slowly from their rain-soaked bed.

Poor borlotti beans, but lovely looking lettuces

A clump of parsley has bolted, but I have to say I rather like the flowers! I will collect the seeds from them when they are ready as this variety has done really well in our garden and survived all through a Yorkshire winter!

The rhubarb has loved all the rain so I was able to cut quite a lot on Sunday to try out Nigella's recipe for rhubarb fool and to make a batch of rhubarb and vanilla jam, which is our absolute favourite rhubarb jam recipe!

Here it is releasing all its lovely juices into the sugar and taking on the flavour of the vanilla pod and seeds.  Old-fashioned I know, but I do love making jam!

I've been blocking some of my granny squares...yes, I am slowly, but surely, making a blanket for home.  An old foam seat cushion covered with a beach towel has made a perfect blocking board for my little 4" squares and, in a sunny bay window,it seems that it makes the perfect cat bed too!

Cheeky cat!

I needn't worry about the lack of peas for the time being...look what the boys brought back from rugby last night:

a huge box of full of peas from our kind farmer friends

 Delicious!

Rebecca

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We've been having a rather lazy Sunday, making the most of the last day of the holidays, with breakfast at 11 o'clock - scrummy smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. This afternoon I ventured no further than the back garden to top up the bird table...

and then I had a little walk around. Despite bright sunshine, the temperature has hovered around 0 degrees all day...

leaving gorgeous frost patterns and icy droplets on the broccoli.

I love the rich, russet stems of the philadelphus against the green conifer and blue sky.

There are signs of life as the daffodils begin to push their way through the solid ground.

I was being followed as I wandered around...

and, just as I was about the take the 'Christmas card' photo of the robin on the holly, he popped through the trellis and onto next door's bird table!

Back in the warm, the mission to return the house to normal mode continues - all the boxes are down from the loft and piles of Christmassy things wait to be packed away for another year.

I've made a start on the ironing that had begun to take over a corner of the kitchen. As I ironed...and ironed...and ironed a little more, I was able to look out onto the garden and watch the birds visit the freshly stocked bird table and drink from and splash around in the bird baths that I had defrosted.

The ironing's not over yet...but Christmas is definitely over for another year in this house - hubby's just poured the last of the sherry and turkey curry bubbles away on the stove as I type!
Back soon,

Rebecca

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It's beginning to look...and smell...a lot like Christmas!

Over the weekend I have been working on Christmassy things!



These crocheted Christmas pudding earrings will end up here. I am pleased with how they've turned out so shall be making some more to take to Christmas fairs and markets.

On Saturday the house was full of the spicy, vinegary aromas of this apple chutney bubbling away on the stove. By Christmas time, it'll be ready for a chunk of mature cheddar and a slice of home cooked ham...delicious!

And, yesterday, cinnamon and spice wafted from the kitchen as the mincemeat cooked in the oven - mmm, I love Christmassy smells...in fact, I love Christmas!

Back soon,

Rebecca

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