Dear “the Spanish”,

            
This week when I took the dog to have her ear stitched, (yep it was a bad weekend at Howe towers) I wore socks inside my shoes and a cardie as befits this time of year. Yesterday I was back in shorts and flip-flops. Thank you, thank you for sharing your weather with us. It is such a treat to be out in the warm sun. I do hope you have not left yourselves short and that you have enough sunshine left to ripen those oranges that keep me going through the winter.
OK so the sun has caused fog to form in the mornings and yes my hair does look like Crystaltips after the morning walk, and yes I had hoped not to have to paint my toenails or shave my legs until the festive season, but hey.

This is Crystaltips for all of you who aren’t british or over40

Perhaps we could make this a regular thing. Like when we have had snow since October (as I believe we are due) and February and 2 burst pipes comes around and It has been dark for 17 hours every day. Perhaps I could give you a call and you could arrange our weather systems into an optimal channelling arrangement? Could I also book 2 weeks at the end of July/ start of August? Its my wedding anniversary you see and I fancy a barbecue.
There will be some who complain and say that it is too hot but I urge you to take no notice, they WILL get used to it.
Well its lovely to chat but I must get out in the garden and build up the vitamin D stores before the big freeze. Thank you once again, I very much look forward to working with you again in this matter.
Your friend
Louise.

We plough the fields and scatter……

Chutney week has now drawn to a close. I am now asking permission to go and scrump as well as offering to pick for wronged neighbours and giving jars of “I’m sorry” chutney. Karma restored? I do hope so.

I have added ketchup to the list of preserved items after I picked what must be the last of the tomatoes. I cut them in half and marinated them overnight in balsamic vinegar and oil along with thyme and tarragon s&p. I then slow roasted them for 2 hours in my fan oven at 120. I then ate some smooshed on lovely bread for lunch. There are no photos as I fell on it like a woman possessed. This might work with out of season tomatoes and make them taste better. (not the nasty pappy pink ones that you get in pubs as a garnish that are never EVEN DRESSED!!!!!!!!!!) Sorry, pet hate of mine. Undressed salad, even if it is only a garnish, is unforgivably sloppy and very probably the cause of tonnes of food waste. Well would you eat it? Me neither. Woo, went off on one there. I’m going to give it some thought and do an entire post about pet hates. I have a birthday coming up and as the years go by I feel the grumpy woman catching up with me and like nothing better than a good moan from time to time. Not all the time I’m mostly sunny really.

So, no more chutney, we move on now to crab apple jelly of the mint and chilli varieties so watch this space.

Bad wind

Woo that got your attention! Truth is I find myself in the tail end of a one time hurricane. I felt the need for distraction from what's going on outside. So here I am!!

Firstly can I say a huge thank you to all those who comment or read. I am always amazed by the generosity of bloggers. Free knitting advice, inspiration and encouragement with the running, heaps of delicious food, someone even liked my hair. Cue Snoopy style skippy dance

I say blogging is distracting me from the weather but fact is the kitchen is distracting me from that.

Today I am dealing with windfall pears, tomato and chilli's.

Chilli Jam, quite pokey.

Pear and walnut chutney

Its all leading to a life of crime however as I needed 8 oz of cooking apple that I didn’t have but that my neighbour who is on hols does have. Yes friend I’ve been scrumping.

I now need to get rid of some of my preserves as I am drowning in them. I love making it (eating it too) but there is only so much a girl can get through.

Sharpen your hooks! Ponchos are IN.

While shopping in town today I have seen ponchos on sale in at least 2 different retailers. Why am I excited about this? Well as a woman in posession of a large stash of yarn and in need of a new project what could be better?

I was given my first poncho in 1973 (hand crocheted by my Grandma) and I am fairly sure I was still wearing it in 1976 with my hot pants whilst toting my clackers. My hot pants cut me in half but my faithful poncho kept me warm as toast and was amazingly resilient when I was car sick on it.

I remember making myself a grown up one when Martha Stewart (whoever she was) left prison wearing one. I wore it as  Spring outerwear and felt like a proper Charlie. Oh my goodness how embarrassing. Still I think the young people may look ok in them. There are so many lovely ones on Rav.

I like this one very much, the construction is simple yet has impact. Granny stripes would work well too I think.

This is my effort, now consigned to the “what was I thinking” file.

Oh dear maybe not then.