Giveaway Goodies

As promised, here are some photos showing some of the goodies that will be included in my giveaway parcel:

Some Lettuce Seeds for the garden, a Vintage Embroidery Handbag Mirror

...some Buttons & Threads...and one of my Flower Brooches

and some Baking Cases and these colourful Jam/Chutney Pot Covers & Labels

- altogether a parcel which, I think, sums up the kind of things that I blog about quite nicely - I do hope that you will think so too!

There is still time to enter the giveaway by leaving a comment on this post, or 1 today, in response to this question:

• What do you enjoy about blogging/reading blogs?

I have loved reading the responses so far! The lucky winner's name will be drawn on Friday 23rd April. Good luck!

Time now to sit in the garden with a nice cup of tea and make the most of the glorious sunshine - hope the sun is shining wherever you are!

Back soon,

Rebecca

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Busy making...

...new friends, contacts and sales at the weekend at the Wool & Textiles Craft Fair in Sheffield which, combined with a large wholesale order, has meant that I've also been busy making more of these:

Meanwhile, bags of these gorgeous apples and plums are waiting for me in the kitchen so it looks like I shall be busy making jams, chutneys and mincemeat over the next few days too!

My husband returned home from work with a box full of these jars, which were given to him by a work colleague on the proviso that she receives one back full of something!! - I don't think that will be a problem, do you?

I've just been busy making way around the Big Apple...no, not New York...this beauty:

A scrumptious 12oz apple...yes, it really is a standard sized mug in the photo! Delicious and yet another example of fabulous home grown produce that would never make it to the supermarket shelves because of its size!

Well, I should really be busy making more lovely brooches and Christmassy things so I had better sign off for today.....

Back soon,

Rebecca

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Jammy

There was a distinct autumnal chill in the air yesterday morning, so I decided that the time had come to clear the rhubarb patch before the first frost takes us by surprise and ruins what is left.

Time to dig out one of my favourite books:

This year, instead of my usual rhubarb and vanilla or rhubarb and ginger jam, I thought I would try Mrs B's simple recipe:

I love the colour of rhubarb and the way it changes as it cooks!

While the rhubarb bubbles away...time to browse my much-loved, but very tatty, copy of Mrs B's Cookery Book that I picked up for a couple of pounds at The Needlemakers in Lewes a few years ago.

I love to read Mrs B's advice and I am often intrigued and amused by her recipes, such as this one: a Bengal recipe for making mango chetney [sic] .....with no mango!! It is made with sour apples and once blended and in its bottles, Mrs B recommends that you 'tie a piece of wet bladder over the mouths of the bottles' - lovely!

What I also love about my copy of Mrs B is that it has lots of newspaper cuttings and hand written notes and recipes glued into the back....

A recipe for nettle tea, notes on how to clean marble, and Mrs Edward's recipe for sandwich cake...

and how about a recipe for Semolina Snow or Flunnery!!

Based on a lick of the spoon, Mrs Beeton's rhubarb jam gets the thumbs up - deliciously jammy!!

Also very jammy - 7 balls of wool, 100% british wool, at 10p a ball at the charity shop on Tuesday! I'm sure I leave that shop with a huge smile on my face when I've been so lucky with my thrifty finds!

Before I go, I would just like to welcome my new followers and say a huge thank you to everyone who leaves comments for me here. I've not been very good at keeping up with everyone else's blogs over the last couple of weeks, but I've not forgotten you!!

Back soon,

Rebecca

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