Received my lovely Seasons Table swap - a pretty mobile which is hanging up in the living room. Only trouble is, I don't think I want to take it down once Autumn is over!! My photo doesn't do it justice I'm afraid. Thank you Gina. Gina also sent a couple of choccy bars and I could have photographed myself devouring them, but that wouldn't have made a pretty sight.



I had my first request for a GP Lets item the other day, so, without revealing too much, here is my first little make - a blanket to keep a little dolly warm! Going to make the other bedding soon!! It's such a great idea and really fun too. So much of the day is filled with the usual stuff, so it's really lovely to be able to 'connect' with someone and produce something that somebody else will find useful, even if you never meet that person. I think that's what I miss sometimes about being a SAHM, the connection with the 'real world'. So yes, "One small blanket for dolly, one giant boost for Mummykind!"



Out in the garden, lots and lots of interesting things to see. A bug box bursting with earwigs, a Grey Dagger moth caterpillar enjoying the Silver Birch leaves and Hunca Munca and Tom Thumb, enjoying the bird food!! I know they are thieving rodents and DH thinks I'm soft, but they are just too cute to dislike aren't they!! Just keep away from the house, mousies!!!































On the home front, Minnie is now crawling and so now she can not only eat Mr Men books, she can get to the office and chew up bank statements!! It's easy to find her when she crawls out of the room, you just follow the trail of paper mush and dribble!! Right, blogging off now!!

Wodgehog

Beauty in the veg box

mama4
x

I made chutney!

This weekend I made chutney.

I feel particularly pleased as I'm a bit of an 'ideas' person. I'm full of lots of ideas; many of which seldom ground into reality.

However, I am now the proud owner of 10 jars of marrow chutney. I've been doing a 'zero waste' journey with my family and this is a great step to further reduce food waste. It also helps us to avoid buying food that might get wasted too.

All the jars were old honey and jam jars which we had kept. The marrow and apples came from the garden. Next year I hope all the tomatoes and onions will as well. Cider vinegar came in glass jars, sugar in paper and spices I tied together in one of Dh's old holey t-shirts that I cut up LOL!

The only 'waste' was the packets from the sultanas. Given notice (I kinda had a 'I'm making chutney and I'm making it now' moment) I'm sure I could get around that.

It was frugal too. Between six and seven pounds for ten 440gm jars. As half the ingredients were organic, I felt this was a bargain.

So my chutney is sitting for 2 months and I promise not to peek, stick my finger in or lick. But I wanted to share my first adventure into real earth mama preserving with you all!

I followed the aptly named 'Glutney' recipe from River Cottage.

posted with love, by Starchild xx

Sunset

My son's first birthday sunset .. perfect.

mama4

x

Being very creative!

Eek, this is the first time I've ever blogged, so bear with me!!

I've been very creative lately, making little cloth dolls for the children and another for a friend's little girl. After a few worries over whether their faces were too creasy, I'm quite pleased with them. Also, I managed my very first knitting project since learning to knit little hats - a pair of baby bootees. Unfortunately, as in a lot of things in my life, I failed to stick to the instructions. I chose my own wool and needles and thus the bootees came out far, far too big for my little 6 month old to wear! So, her big sister benefits and I am going to knit more bootees, this time following the instructions to the letter!!!

Finally posted off my hats to the Save the Children Fund appeal. I think there might be some more to come, but I just like sending parcels!!

Hope this blog entry makes sense as well as history (for me).

Wodgehog

A new winter hat

This morning, while everyone here was asleep I finished off a hat for my little man. Its knitted in Noro Kureyon, from a free pattern I found on Ravelry and fell instantly in love with. I had to alter the pattern a bit to fit a 2 year old head, and to be honest it is still a bit too big for him, as you can tell from the picture (it actually fits me but he won't part with it!). We decided it looked a bit like a beehive so T has decided he is "The Beeman" and spent the morning wearing it while looking after his imaginary bees.

It was really easy to knit and used just over one ball of wool so I have some left. What to knit up with it? Maybe I should buy a third ball and make another!

Posted by sparky

Jam!

My first solo attempt at Jam making and in keeping with the season of free hedgerow fruit: blackberry jelly.

Not so many blackberries this year but we scoured the hedgerows near our home and have these lovely black-ruby jars now of the most lovely tasting jam - ever. It was so easy to make and I have put it off for years thinking it must be tricky what with needing a thermometer and all (although I found one in the draw from a session of attempted marshmallow making some years ago, one is not necessary for jam making - the marshmallows? If you were wondering, they were sickly sweet and very very sticky, liquidy almost, gah!) and so it was with some trepidation but determination that I tried out The Art of jam making. A doodle! I have the bug now, seriously and wish to make masses more but for lack of free fruit I'd be doing it now.

Bramble Jelly (courtesy of the River Cottage website)

Ingredients:

Pick as many blackberries as you possibly can! (absolute minimum, I kilo).

Weigh them, put in a large heavy pan, and for every kilo add a chopped apple (including skin, pips and core), the juice of a lemon, and 250 ml of water.
Bring to the boil and simmer gently until the fruit is very soft and pulpy. Mash to extract maximum juice. Strain through a jelly bag (do not force through, but allow to drip — takes ages!)

Measure the resulting juice, and add 750g organic granulated sugar for every 1 litre. Return to a low heat, stir to dissolve sugar, then bring to a fierce boil.

Boil hard until setting temperature is reached (112 C) – or until a little of the mixture, dropped onto a chilled plate, sets with a slight wrinkle.

Pour into still hot sterilised jars. Allow to cool slightly and start to set before topping with a disc of waxed paper (if you like) and screwing on the top.

This is delicious on scones or freshly baked bread, still hot from the oven, so the butter melts before the jelly goes on.


Posted by mamauk