I'm always thinking about creating. My future starts when I wake up every morning... Every day I find something creative to do with my life - Miles Davis

 I have been busy knitting a Gansey style jumper recently - I am getting close to completing it now, and am thinking about what my next 'creation' will be.  In between knitting I also completed this cushion cover for my daughter as a house warming present.  This is from the Rowan 'Winter Warmers' book and is knitted with some oddments of Lima wool that I had left over.

One advantage of the awful weather recently has been the opportunity to take some interesting photos...

 Great panoramic taken in the snow, plus a stile on the Worcestershire way where the blizzard had caused huge pile ups of snow at the top of the hill, there was also an 8 foot cornice next to this picture...

Makes you just want to curl up in front of the fire!

To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

The weather of late has been atrocious - so have been in hibernation....
Now it is April 1st, so I feel compelled to emerge, even though it is still sooo cold, only a small amount of snow is now left on the ground!!

These birds were snapped enjoying some sun recently.....












We took a lot of lamb photos a few weeks ago - but I like this one the best


There are some signs that spring is arriving!

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” ― Robert Louis Stevenson

The propagators are warm, and have recently received their first batch of seed trays.  Last week I  planted Chillis, Peppers, Leeks, Parsnips, Sweet Peas, Statice and last but not least Lettuce - which incidentally is the only plant brave enough to poke its head out to see what the weather is like! They are straggly due to not great lighting on my windowsill, so they have been transferred to the greenhouse to see what happens next. I have also begun gardening outdoors a little and onion sets and more Garlic have been planted and are well protected from the Chickens...

I am continuing to make regular Rye bread, and this week a slight variation to the recipe - fennel seed, molasses, walnut plus mixed seeds.  The aroma when slicing it up for the freezer was heavenly!

Also made some Granola bars this week. I try to convince myself they are healthy, but deep down I know they aren't really!  See my recipe below, modified from an Ottolenghi cookbook, they are so good they never last more than about 24 hours in our house......

GRANOLA BARS -Makes 6-8

Oven 160c
45g Hazelnuts
45g dried apricots (chopped)
45g raisins
45g pumpkin seed/sunflower seeds
15g poppy seeds
190g porage oats
20g dessicated coconut
tsp cinnamon/mixed spice
pinch salt
optional - 50g choc chips dark/milk or white
95g unsalted butter/soya margarine (or 50/50)
85 g honey
95g soft brown sugar

1. Pour nearly boiling water to cover the raisins and apricots and leave for 15-30 mins
2. Line a 15-20cm tin with baking parchment
3. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl
4. Place the Butter/honey and sugar in a pan and bring to a low simmer, leave until a light brown colour, don't let it boil or darken much.

5. Pour the caramel over the dry ingredients and mix together, spoon into the tin, add some muesli or oats to the top and put in the heated oven for 25-30 mins.
6.  Leave to cool a little as they will be too soft when hot to cut up, divide and enjoy! Will keep for about a week - if you can save them that long!

You can pretty much use anything to make these bars, sometimes I use muesli instead of porage oats and any nuts go well in it - whatever is hanging around in the cupboard!

We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732

Stormy skies and ferocious winds have battered us at times this week.
Most days I walk to a small wood through which runs what used to be a tiny brook.....over the past six months it has waxed, and then waned repeatedly. For now it cascades merrily removing the water from uphill to down unceasingly.

On Monday I was saddened to see at least three trees just lying prostrate on the floor, completely uprooted - I think the softness of the ground has given them nothing to anchor to, and a few strong gusts of wind is all it took to bring them crashing down to the ground.

All Heaven and Earth flowered white obliterate... Snow...unceasing snow” ― Japanese Haiku

                                   

Wow! What a week of snow, more snow and freezing temperatures!
This is Jake my Border Collie, rolling and enjoying the deep snow up on the fields, it has been pretty deep in places, I'm not complaining as it gave us a breather from the constant mud and my wellies were clean for once!




Our White Sussex cross hen who lays lovely Blue eggs is laying again, in fact all the girls are laying nearly every day, so no more egg shortages for the forseeable future....

Early morning, fresh snow

Do more, See more, Be more......

I have had some experiments with bread this week, made some sour dough boules from a Rye mother which came out well, if not a little puffed up in places (should have proved them a little longer!) Plain Rye which I make most weekends, with a little white flour added to lift the texture a touch.  I also have made some  Rye Bread with Raisins with added seeds and nuts, which has quickly become the new favourite in our house! It has an amazing texture and taste, as do all the bread recipes I ever make from this lovely blog/website.


On the crafting front I have completed an ongoing project from the Rowan 'City Retreat' book (Whitney) it has been nicknamed the 'scumper' by my family, as it looks a bit like a cross between a scarf and a jumper - but I love it, it is very warm,  and the colour is fab too!

“What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives?” (E.M. Forster)

Colder this week, it is snowing a little this evening as I write.We are wondering if we shall be snowed in by morning.....unlikely I would think, as it is just  a light dusting so far!










Some interesting scenics this week, fog in lower areas has given the eerie feeling that you are above and beyond everything a few mornings, and clear, cold nights have also given way to sunny, cold sunrises.










All sorts of birds are regular visitors to the garden at the moment, and today we managed to capture some great pictures of a Nuthatch at the bird feeder enjoying the nuts and a bit of sun! This weekend is the first time this year we have seen this bird, it is often in the garden in the spring eating insects from the crevices in the ancient Pear Tree.

Work is a necessary evil to be avoided. (Mark Twain )

Welcome to 2013!

The sunshine on New Years day was pretty fleeting....  fantastic however to be able to walk down onto the beach at Three Cliffs Bay in the Gower, blowing  the cobwebs and drinking in the pure Vitamin D.  Lets hope we were topped up enough to combat the inevitable winter blues. 

Work began again the next day (deep breath!) but it was a quiet week which seems to have rolled languidly to a close, echoing my sentiments of extending the  festive period and the serenity it seems to bring before we get back to the usual rat race pace

Never Underestimate a sunrise!!

Have been out walking earlier this week and some of the sunrises have been amazing - worth getting up for!