These days...

So I hadn’t intended to take such a long time to blog again. Life happened as it usually does but this time it was mainly good things. And spring has definitely arrived!

:: We had a superb few days in Whitby and surrounds over half term. Highlights included fish and chips and ice cream. LittleR decided to take a fully clothed (including her coat), impromptu dip in the sea. Oh how we laughed. Not. But we did eventually once she was dry again and I’d gotten over dragging a screaming 3 year old up about one billion steps!

:: Actually she did look hilarious. Bone dry on the back and soaking wet on the front. When we took off her clothes she was covered in gritty sand on the front but nothing on the back!! After a quick hose down in the bath (her) and an ice cream (all of us) all was well with the world. 

:: We’ve worked on the garden. The daffs are out and the grass has had its’ first cut. I fall back in love with being outside again in spring. We’ve had the front  garden ‘remodelled’. Basically some men show up and cleared the bed, dug up a load of bamboo, a huge euphorbia and anoth massive shrub, took the rubbish away and dumped tonnes of top soil down. On closer inspection they’d left the difficult bit (the 2 shrub stumps) so the ABO and I took 5 hours (mostly him) digging and sawing  them out. Then yesterday we lugged them into the car and off to the tip. Now comes the fun bit…replanting. I’ve fallen prey to child pressure (similar to peer pressure but with added whining occasionally in stereo) and added a plum tree to the new forsythia (nearly out), the magnolia (buds!!) and the hydrangea (currently just some sticks but I live in hope).  

:: This has actually meant I’ve legitimately been able to break out a new note book for the front garden exploits. I do love a good notebook. And a good garden diary.

:: I’ve enlisted my dad’s help on providing he summer bedding. He has 2 greenhouses (!) and has sown seeds a plenty for both our gardens….mostly petunias and geraniums I think.

:: The patio has been cleaned. The ABO did it himself last year but we had a professional do it this year and the difference is noticeable. The table is back out and the barbecue in place. Just waiting for a day with no rain and we’ll be back cooking (at least) outside again.

:: We’ve actually had lots of time together recently as the ABO has been on a month off for March. Not so good for the school holidays and having a family break but good for us. We enlisted the help of babysitters and went to see Rudimental (who were amazing!!) and Paddy McGuiness. We’ve done ‘jobs’ that are easier without bored children complaining. We’ve stayed up too late watching rubbish on TV. It’s been a good month.

:: We've also had a wonderful child free night away that we’d had to reschedule from last year when LittleR was so poorly. Good food and good company in beautiful surroundings near Helmsley. The girls stayed with their grandparents having too many treats and staying up too late on a school night!

:: I finally made the embroidery/applique for my friend’s little girl who was a year old at the end of February.  Ever critical, it’s a little wonky but was made with love. Plus it’s up in her room so they must like it.

:: This time of year makes me want to get things sorted (I have another push in September too – my life runs on the academic calendar).  We have a small expedit unit that hides many (not all – my children have far too many toys) of the girls’ toys and books downstairs. My plan, under the cloak of darkness, is to clear through this and gain back some semblance of order.  We’re having the living room decorated in mid April (should’ve been done for now but the decorator was unwell) and some more will be going then! I’m sure they’ll get over it...I’ve also been through their clothes and made a note of things that need replacing through wear or growth. I’ve been through my clothes but not much needed to go there! The major reordering plan for me is to move my craft stuff into one place (it’s currently in 3 small places).  This needs a bit of thinking about…

:: Over Easter we were outside a lot in spite of the random rain. Good Friday was gorgeous and we had a fabulous trip to Fountains Abbey. Fuelled by sausage sandwiches we walked the circular walk down from the visitor centre, around the Abbey and the ornamental lakes and back again. In all it was just shy of 5 km which is a lot for little 3 year old legs. She slept soundly that night. We managed a shorter walk at the park on Sunday and a good walk again at Harlow Carr on Monday, where the girls spent some Easter money on books (Matilda - BigR and Stick Man - LittleR). I was restrained and spent nothing on books, mugs or pants in the shop. I felt very virtuous.

:: I rose to Penny’s challenge in February for new dishes and managed two new to me recipes. Both were from Mary Berry’s Cookery course. I made fish pie and used a lamb shank. I altered the fish pie to use only unsmoked fish  as I’m the only fan of smoked fish here and left out the hard boiled eggs. For the lamb I followed the recipe slavishly and it was delicious. I’ll do both of those again! Next up will be some things that freeze easily as the ABO is on lates and needs easily portable and reheatable dishes. March was a rerun of the same things really. Must try harder in April.

:: I’m also planning some new craft things which if I get round to them will share here. I’ve got a list (of course) and I’m ready to crack on. Skirts first I think.  As for the scarf for the ABO – it’s yet to be finished but there’s always next winter!

:: I'm back at work for a day today and then the rest of the week is normal life. The ABO resumes work on Friday just as the school holidays start here in Leeds (ours are fixed for the first 2 weeks in April) so next week BigR is off school, having a 'Daddy and me day' and going to York on the train. I've a surprise planned for the girls later in the week too...more soon...

:: Also the ducks are back on the pond at work. Expect more updates.

Monday Happies

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Once again I’m joining in with the very lovely Gillian.

I’ve finally cast on some new knitting. This time it’s a hat for me. I received the pattern and the wool as a gift last Christmas and then, of course, by the time I’d finished the dog for LittleR it was way too warm to even consider making a hat for winter. It’s an easy knit and is coming along apace. So much so I can already see the finishing line. Maybe I should’ve taken another picture of progress so far? Although it may be too warm for a hat. Although I’ve dredged the boots out of the wardrobe, I’ve actually been coatless today. Outside. In Leeds. At the end of October. The weather is unseasonably warm.

I used a birthday voucher for a trip to Bettys Cookery School last week. It was brilliant. Not only did I make some delicious dishes to take home I was well fed and watered during the day with lots of Betty’s cakes and biscuits. It was a smaller course than normal and I chose the ‘One Pot Wonders’ day – although there were so many tempting courses to choose from. I thought it would be better to try out some things I might actually cook again rather than a patisserie day or elegant entertaining – both brilliant but the former is too much faff for a school day and the latter unlikely to happen until my children leave home.

We ate like Kings for the next 3 days as the ABO and I tucked into; Lancashire hotpot, Steak and Mushroom Pudding (thanks to an IG cry out Sue saved me from a steaming faux pas) and a chicken, chorizo and bean stew. There were also Autumn fruit charlottes. And we didn’t have 2 each. With ice-cream on the same night. No not at all.

I’ve already recreated the Lancashire hotpot – well what I mean is as is often my way I’ve changed it completely but just used the potato topping with what I had in the freezer!! This time it was a hotpot with beef and veggies in the pot.

All this savoury cooking has meant I’ve needed some sweet treats to go with it. The ABO saw an interview with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall somewhere and was hankering after some of his ultra choc brownies (available in his new book). I resisted the book for about a week (I loved Everyday veg but wasn’t so keen on Three Good Things) but it has some interesting recipes in it and lots that can be adapted or are specifically for various ‘free’ diets (e.g. gluten free). 

The recipe for these brownies is gluten free but my supermarket didn’t have any rice flour or gluten free flour and as that isn’t a necessity in our house I just used regular flour. It didn’t seem to make a difference to the outcome. They were (please note use of past tense) very, very chocolatey. The recipe is available online here. 

The garden continues to surprise me. There are still roses about to bloom.

The blueberry leaves have turned the most gorgeous red.

And the chillies continue to ripen (until LittleR picks them and attempt to chop on one…fortunately she stopped before she bit into it!).

I’ve been browsing some seed catalogues and bulb seller websites and getting totally carried away.

Although I’m not usually a fan of the actual day (or the days after) the clocks change (one of my children thinks 4am is a newly acceptable time to put the lights on!), I’m trying to embrace it this year with more coffee opportunities and extra time awake to chat to BigR and read or knit especially as the ABO is on an early shift. Hopefully normal (by that I mean post 5am!) service will be resumed shortly.