Things that made me smile this month ….

….. beautiful sunny weather, and lots of BBQ's in the garden. Here cooking Barbecued Pineapple from the 'River Cottage Fruit' cookbook, dusted with a dry marinade half an hour before cooking - the pineapple is really fragrant and caramelised when cooked mmmmmm.

….. taking lots of sunset walks, as it was too hot during the day to walk the dog. Looking out towards the south lakeland mountains.

…… finding yet more bottles and pots in our house renovation project garden!

…… C and her boyfriend home for a long weekend. Again lots of walks and good food!

….. visiting 'Potfest' on the Lawn, at Hutton-in-the-Forest and buying a new mug! This coming weekend is 'Potfest' in the Pens at Skirsgill Auction Mart in Penrith - over 130 potters will be showing and selling their work.

…… having M home again for a few days at least, after her Summer School course at Amsterdam University. She bought us back these lovely Delftware hand decorated tiles.

…… waking up this morning and seeing a new born foal in the field behind our kitchen - just magical!

……… not so smiley, running out of yarn with only a few more rows to go :( and unable to get any more yarn to finish. Fyberspates have been so helpful, but unfortunately they are not hand dying any more - so if anyone has any Marino Twizzle in colour way denim, I would be so pleased to hear from you!. If not, I will have to pull my jumper back to the yoke and take a little from the length. So close, but I knew it would be…..

Quick supper

I'm always on the lookout for quick evening meals, especially after a day working at the house renovation project! We have worked hard all day and then drive home and usually, but not always, haven't prepared anything to eat. This is one recipe however that is quick and easy and takes only a short time to cook.  It is a Delia recipe - Caribbean Chicken with Salsa. It actually comes from the Delia how to Cheat at Cooking book, but I tend to use the fresh ingredients, as it really doesn't make that much difference to time it takes to make.

I have changed the recipe a little bit, I tend to cut the chicken into strips or pieces rather than leave on the bone so it cooks a little quicker.  I also make the salsa with a mango and chop it up myself, and roast my peppers in strips under a hot grill, rather than buy them ready prepared. I can now pick coriander fresh from the greenhouse as well!

The tastes are lovely together - the salsa so fresh and fruity and zesty and the chicken delicious!

Eaten with some fresh 'Artisan' bread made by the recipe suggested by Lucy at Attic24 (which does take a while to make in advance) - a lovely fresh evening supper. One that I go back to time and time again. 

What quick and easy meals do you use? I could do with some suggestions!

More old glass bottles found

We were up at the house renovation project again over these past few days, making the most of the lovely weather. We are mainly working in the garden at the moment before the building work begins. J has been digging a trench along the back of the garden so that we can build a little retaining wall - I have been shifting all the rubble that has come out of the trench! Anyway, this area at the bottom of the garden has obviously been a dumping ground for all sorts of things and we have found several more old bottles. 

You may remember me talking about a find last year - a small bottle with 'Crosby's Balsamic Cough Elixir' on the side

Now we have added a few new ones to the collection - I'm still trying to get the dirt and stains out of the bottles. We had to throw away quite a few that were cracked or broken, but a couple of the ones below are quite interesting.

This is a beer bottle that came from Iredale's High Brewery in Carlisle. The Brewery started in 1876 and was in existence for 50 years and produced a Pale Ale. The Brewery was beside the railway and apparently had its own sidings for bringing in coal and hops. I found this out by reading a review of a book called 'Carlisle Breweries and Public Houses1894 - 1916' written by Steven Davidson. I may investigate this bottle further when I have more time.

The next bottle is tiny, only 5cm high and 2cm across and has 'Roger and Gallet Paris' on the side. It looks as if it is a little bottle for perfume and may have been one of a sample pack with different scents. I found a little about the company here and  here

This bottle, I suppose is a medicine bottle of some sort as it has table spoon markings along the side - I wonder what was inside???

I can't find out much about this one, but it has me intrigued. 

 I wonder if we will find any more as we still have a way to dig along the fence?

Summer garden tour

I was very undecided about what to do with the garden this year. Should I plant vegetables or not? as we are still all up in the air with the new house renovation project, not knowing if we would be here or moved. As it is we are still here in our little cottage in the country. In the end I decided that I would plant seeds - so now everything is a little late - but is catching up with all this beautiful weather we have been having. So this is a little tour of the garden….

 The veg plot first, we have runner beans just coming into flower…..

…… french beans, just about ready to pick (you can just see one peaking at the bottom of the photo)...

 

…… butternut squash, just flowering so I'm hoping they will fruit.

 In the greenhouse we have cucumbers……..

…… lots of big beef tomatoes. I grew these last year and they were so good to eat. I have also planted lots of herbs and some purple sprouting broccoli seeds and leeks.

 

My fig tree, a present for my birthday last year, is now outside and is really enjoying the sunshine...

 

look, just one of many figs!!

 I didn't grow any bedding plants from seed, but bought some as bedding plants this year, so the baskets and pots around the house are all very similar looking.

 I love the blues and whites as they are so vibrant around dusk when they show up really well.

I'm glad I did made the effort, as it would have been so bare without the bright flowers, and it's so good to be able to pick fresh veg from the garden. 

Little update - how my knitting project is going…..

…..slowly!!! However, I have now finished both arms and the body and have joined it all together at the yoke.

I am now starting the decreasing stitches up to the neck. I have quite enjoyed the challenge of knitting this jumper, bottom up on circular needles - and at least I won't have to join all the pieces together when it is finished.

Nearly at the end now - just hope I have enough wool left to finish, it will be touch and go!