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!

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Aristotle

Spent the whole day today taking Becki and Nick back to Swansea University. Roads were fine, much less snow in Swansea than at home. Becki's house is quite nice (for a student house) had a cup of tea before heading home, sad not to spend any more time there. Shall miss them both also, after having them home for a whole month. Although I have breathed a small sigh of relief having a quieter house for a short while at least.....!

Meetings are indispensable when you don't want to do anything.

Decided not to brave going out Thursday morning, Nick pushed me onto the lane and I just about got onto the main road, and en route to Birmingham. Met up with the team, and then went out for dinner at Jimmy Spices, which was OK. Not amazing, the curry was really hot and spicy and we all had Masala tea, lovely!!
Friday had a meeting all day, got away fairly early, and so picked Andy up from school. The pavements in Worcester are lethal, there is about 2 inches of slippery ice on them! Got to the lane at home, attempted to drive up it, got stuck, rolled back, parked car, guy in Z3 comes past, offers us a lift home, we accept, phew!! I hate BMWs....

“Here we are, trapped in the amber of the moment. There is no why.

Felt trapped in two ways today. First of all we are trapped by the snow and ice, more during the night. Secondly I went back to work today after nearly a month off :( Some dogs are not made for snow, after Archie went out this morning and when he came back in he had loads of mini snowballs hanging off his legs! It took a hairdryer and some effort to get them off they were really solid. The burly teenagers with a day off school made a sleigh from an old working top and then spent about 1/2 an hour sledging then went inside again!
Made some sourdough loaves today, not happy with the smell of the sourdough - smells too acidic, bit like sick. They look ok anyway! After my enforced holiday from Bread making I am doing bread this Saturday, the special is 'Detox Bread' (Brown and lots of seeds) Hope I get some orders....

“The future lies before you, like paths of pure white snow. Be careful how you tread it, for every step will show.”

Cold and cloudy for a change this morning. Andy's first day back at school, dropped him off at school at 8.30, went shopping, by 9.45 it was snowing very heavily and so I went to pick him back up and go home! Roads were getting worse and worse and we got stuck near the bridge on the way home. Waited for Steve to do his Sir Lancelot bit and he came and rescued me,managed to get my car going again and got almost all the way home, had a couple of skids on the lane - Andy thought it was exciting! Went playing in the snow later, such a shame we haven't got a sledge.

Icy Blasts

Up late this morning, Steve overslept! Walked dogs, another lovely day, the sticks I was trying to pick up for them to chase were frozen to the ground! Spent 3 hours of my day ferrrying Andy to his friends house, the roads were so icyI had to make a detour and drive really slowly. Couldn' get up the hill and manged to skid the car round the corner as well, got out of it OK but it is a bit skittish - wish I had a 4x4! Don't think he appreciated my efforts, he still managed to go to bed in a strop, although he had got tonsilitus today, so I may let him off. Made Leek and Potato soup this afternoon, and don't seem to have done much more today really. Finished my bread leaflet, going to get it printed up tomorrow. Making the most of the last two days of my holiday really. Watched the film District 9, which was quite good, in a strange way. Part documentry, thought it was probably how we would treat aliens if they pitched up on Earth, so they are well advised to stay away I reckon! After dinner we started watching Kill Bill, good film, but had forgotten how bloodthirsty it is, have to half watch it at some points!

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome

Quote by Anne Bradstreet, an American Poet. Blinkin heck it's cold, about 3 degrees today. Got in at 3am last night... (I know!) Up at eight with dogs, and getting on with stuff. We all went to meet some friends and their children and dog for a walk in the woods at lunchtime. Lovely day again, sunny and cold but not bitter, watched the gulls landing on the iced over lake perfectly, no skidding or slipping at all! Went back for late lunch with them and then spent a quiet evening back at home, last night catching up with us finally....

You don't get to choose how you're going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you're going to live. Now

A fairly uneventful day, cold and frosty again, the ground is far too hard to dig or do anything useful. So I spent most of the day ordering all my veg seeds for the year from Real Seeds and Marshalls. Looked at fruit trees, but haven't bought any yet. We read in the paper that John Cushnie the Gardener died suddenly last week. Unfortunately the same paper had published his New Years Resolutions in the Gardening section - pretty horribly ironic I thought, hence todays quote. Live for now and all that.
We are going out tonight for dinner, so no cooking - looking forward to it!

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them. The book is Opportunity and its first chapter is New Years Day

So begins another year, welcome 2010, the next decade of the noughties! Last night was fun - a race night with some friends, by some fluke I won overall by backing a horse at 33-1 and practically breaking the bank! Fireworks and a Skylantern followed at midnight with texts and phonecalls being exchanged also.
It was a beautiful morning, crisp, bright and frosty, so I steeled myself and walked the dogs with a bit of a hangover while everyone else slept. There are so many birds in the hedgerows at this time of year, Jake doesn't know which one to chase first.

That was me finished off until the afternoon, I just dozed on the sofa and dreamt about my 2010 resolutions;
1. To expand the self sufficiency
2. To increase the amount of bread I make in a week and do a farmers market.
3. Go back to Yoga!
4. Keep this blog up..
5. Eat wholefood/vegan 2 nights a week

Think that is probably enough....Not sure which one will be the hardest to follow

This afternoon I have made a wheat starter as my other is smelling a bit disgusting. I have also made a starter for a semolina bread, an overnight sponge for some brown rolls and finally later this evening will make some white bread for proof in the fridge overnight, to see how viable it is to make bulk batches in this way.
Looking forward to a curry with all the family this evening, and choosing some veggie seeds.

Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to. ~Bill Vaughn

Well, yet another year comes to an end, as they have a habit of doing. Went for a walk this afternoon with Steve and mulled over what kind of a year it had been.... Conclusion was that we had learnt some new skills - Steve became a Bee Keeper and I started learning how to make bread and even started selling some of it! Work doesn't really deserve a mention....although we are lucky to have decent jobs, so musn't grumble. We have acquired another dog, Archie and one of the offspring has gone of to University, two down one to go!
Little else of note to report in and we will spend the evening with some friends staying up too late and drinking too much no doubt!

“It is only our bad temper that we put down to being tired or worried or hungry; we put our good temper down to ourselves" C.S. Lewis

Oops, it's been a while, I am trying to become a better blogger....too tired tonight though. Excited about going to see some land tomorrow, possiblity of keeping some animals!

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" A cold in the head causes less suffering than an idea"

Back to work today, feeling quite lethargic and headachy! Nick seems to think he has Swine flu tonight and has taken to his bed.....hope it's just a cold. Even the dog has no energy, we were wondering if he is ill as he has slept constantly since coming back from the kennels on Sunday morning. Have decided that was the last time we are sending him away like that, hate the thought of him being there and he looks quite thin as well :{
Picked quite a few shallots today and some ginormous gooseberries, then planted some cabbage type plants that were malingering in a seed tray and mithered over my toms in the greenhouse that might have blight, or alternatively might not - picked the leaves off either way!
Incidentally, the quote I borrowed for today is by Jules Renard, who I had never heard of until about a week ago when reading a book by Julian Barnes a distant relative of his. The quote caught my eye, and then I recognised its author - small world!