Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and…. Let’s have a picnic!?

So, I think you all know by now how much I love a picnic. (in fact, one of my first posts on the blog was to share my recipe for the perfect cake for picnics, which you can still find *here*). So how did I miss that it was National Picnic Week 17th-25th June? Well,…

New month moments.

Yesterday I did something I've never done before: I made pancakes. Yes, although this may sound strange to those readers for whom pancakes are a breakfast table staple, this was entirely new territory for me! I used a recipe I found online for Polish Apple Pancakes, simply swapping out the all purpose (plain) flour for…

Turkey-in-Blankets: Christmas dinner all wrapped up

It's all gone festive in the kitchen. Mince pie and cream is a regular fixture for pudding, everything has cinnamon in it, or chocolate on it. Or cranberries. This week, Meatloaf was on the menu. (If you haven't tried my really easy and super tasty 'Magical Meatloaf' yet, you can find the recipe here: Magical…

The turn of the stew

Following the weekends Mincemeat Experiment, the theme of making something good from very little has continued with this weeks dinners. There is a strong sense of achievement, knowing that I am feeding my household well, whilst making the budgets stretch further. This time it was stew taking centrefold. Venison stew in fact. But it could…

The Mock Mincemeat Experiment

Sundays in October are for two things: blustery walks ending in a pub lunch, or pottering about in the kitchen. Still feeling the lingering effects in the household of a seasonal virus at the start of the week, we decided a quieter weekend was on the cards. The perfect opportunity I thought, to test out…

Autumn Feasting

As the season becomes mistier and mellows into the fruitful bounty of autumn, it is the time to gather and preserve so much produce from garden, field and hedgerow. The last of the summer delights are still be be had (pick your last Blackberries before Michaelmas Day on 29th September, when they apparently turn sour…

The Villages Show

"The Lavant Valley Gardening Club Horticultural Show, Saturday 6th August. Tea and refreshments available. Opens 2.30pm. East Dean Village Hall. All Entry forms to be received by 6pm Thursday 4th August. Entries to be displayed from 8.45am, judging starts promptly at 10.30am. Entry fee per class 50p. Flower, Fruit and Vegetable classes, Handicrafts, and Cookery.…

Happy Birthday Hobbit

One of the best things about the month of June, is that it is my birthday. A good thing that is, if you like birthdays, which I do. However, this year I approached my birthday with somewhat mixed feelings as this year it ended with a big 0. Yes, this year I turned 30. It's…

Slow Sunday

A quiet Sunday morning. Husband was off helping with errands for his Nan and Uncle, so I set the day to spring cleaning, and bread making. Today is May Day. And this weekend has long been celebrated as a highlight of Spring. In 'celtic'/pagan calendars this is Beltane, a time of celebration of the vibrant…

Friday update week 2 – #VictoryRationsProject

It's Friday again lovelies! Anyone have a particularly special 'Friday Feeling'? It's been a beautiful spring day. Well, here we are, the end of week two, and half way through our #VictoryRationsProject 'journey'. I'll admit, it's not all been plain sailing this week, as followers on my Instagram may have seen. Towards the end of…