Filling the space

The kids are out of school today - like I'm sure it is for many of you across the country.

So to fill the space we started off with the more mundane of stuff like ::


We've been shopping and stocked up on all manner of stuff - little helpers helping to unpack and put everything away....mostly in the wrong places.

I'll sort things as I come across them, I'm sure.

The bigger ones emptied the dishwasher for me - again everything put back in the wrong places......oh well.



I've washed - they've tided and fluffed - and whilst the older two had their heads buried in the comics we bought earlier the smallest one and I went searching in the back garden for 'stuff' to use in her painting project.

Sufficed to say - paint and glitter has gone everywhere - but that's half the fun.....right?




The advent calender has gone up already in anticipation for tomorrow. Lunch has been demolished, spare chocs scoffed and the eldest man dispatched at a friends.

And for this afternoon.......?

Cakes are on the agenda then a DVD and popcorn for afters where I'm hoping to collapse before I start the dinner and then familiar evening routine of bath, books, cuddles and bed.

Phew! I'm exhausted already.


What are you filling your space with today?

xXx

Winter Spring clean

This weekend was a very homely family affair.

It was the first weekend in a very long while that we had (not many) no plans at all.

It was the weekend we saw our lovely new wood burning stove installed - a good old British make - just in time for the cold weather drawing in.

We are still building it up nicely and then letting it go cold (completely) - a kind of seasoning so to speak - breaking it in - and oh boy just that little has improved the warmth of our front room 100%.


I'm hoping that when it really gets going the whole of downstairs will benefit from this method of heating.

We also had a little visitor down the allotment in the variety of Mr (bright red breast) Robin. My favourite of all birds.

I think he lives in the old part of the ivy we decided to leave and for every two fork fulls turned he was right in there, bobbing around and down, finding any little grubs and worms for his tea.


And that was it - a truly uneventful weekend and not many photos to show either, but lots achieved.

A kind of weekend that involves nothing to speak of, but we tackled loads.

Stocking up on wood and coal, clearing out the allotment shed (no treasures uncovered) a mountain of ironing reduced to a few items left at the bottom of the basket, a jolly good clear out of the DVD's - and even the freezer got a defrosting!

I do feel a sense of contentment on weekends like these.

But why 'oh' why do I have the urge to Spring clean in completely the wrong season?!

I hope you had a good one too.

xXx

Chocolate Nut bars

Phew!

What a week it's been - and on that note.........................

This is an adaptation of a well loved and favourite recipe called Chocolate Chip Walnut Bars from my favourite cookie and muffin book and as it's been another busy week - these have literally kept me going - I thought I would share with you how I create them using some 'alternative' ingredients.

:: Chocolate Nut Bars ::

175g oats

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

200g good plain chocolate chips

115g chopped hazelnuts

115g butter

175g demerara sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 x 230g bar Cadbury's chocolate

In a bowl combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, plain chocolate chips and chopped hazelnuts.

(if you are allergic to nut then a good alternative is raisins)

In another bowl cream the sugar, butter and extract then add the egg - blend well.

Gradually mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Just mix long enough to combine the ingredients - do not over mix.

Spread the batter into a lined (greased) pan and bake on the centre rack for 20 to 25 minutes - I find lined easier as you can lift the whole thing out more confidently.

The bars are done when the batter is set and when you touch lightly there is no indentation.

DO NOT OVER BAKE

Remove from the oven and break the Cadbury's chocolate bar all over and leave for a few minutes to melt.

Spread the melted chocolate all over evenly with a spatula then put on a wire rack to cool.

Once the whole thing has cooled, put in the fridge until set.

Cut into bars of your choice and hey presto, the chocolate nut bars are done.

Happy weekend to you!

xXx

ps. blogger is mucking around so if you notice any fundamental errors like - spelling, spacing, font - then I do apologies.

Nina x

Loving

Sometimes it's hard to stay positive in certain months of the year and I always find November and January really hard going.


The build up to Christmas and then the anti climax in January of a previous month that has been full on and chocka block with family, celebrations, over indulgence, parties, expectations, being over whelmed and so much more.

January is particularly hard for me.

I feel drained and tired, counting down the days until it's light again in the evenings.

Don't get me wrong I do love this dark time of the year with its cosy and snuggling, wrapping up warm, open fires and crisp crunchy walks where you can see your very breath - there is something truly magical about this time of the year.


Saying all that, I still struggle with November and January. They seem to go on.....forever.

So with the onslaught and build up of Christmas fast approaching I've been trying to take it a little slower this week, to just stop and pause and appreciate all that is good (on a daily basis) in this month of November.

I'm hoping to (remember) do the same in January.

So here goes ::

Throwing opening the curtains of a morning and not knowing whether it's going to be a glorious day or if we are going to be shrouded in fog and mist for the whole day.



Still being able to wear my MJ's and drink my morning coffee (on the nice days) outside in the sunshine - no coat, hat or gloves required.

It's so mild.

Seeing daisies still pushing their way up and through the lawn and admiring the droplets of dew that gather and collect on any possible vessel.

Whether it be a fallen leaf or blade of grass.

The contrast of colours - golden leaves and crimson berries that laden and weigh down branches eagerly and rapidly being gobbled up by hungry birds all fattening up for the cold season.

If it ever comes!

Berries are normally my marker for the season (old wives tale) and they are in their abundance this year. So when is it going to get really cold?



Buying cheap red carnations on my supermarket shop and arranging them in vases with dark green holly freshly cut from the garden.

It's that red berry and green foliage look that appeals to me.

Twinkling fairy lights are starting to adorn the darkest of corners in our home, lighting and brightening up our way.


And finally (so far this week) an armful of clementines - still with their leaves on - filled full to the brim in an old vintage glass bowl scenting the front room in a zesty and seasonal way.


And talking of scent - my 'other' favourite at the moment is mandarin, clove and cinnamon oil bought from M&S about a fortnight ago and using it to buff up the hearths in my usual daily way.

November - a month to appreciate for all it has to offer.

Do you suffer in the same way as I do?

xXx

Vineyard

OK, so a little stretch of the imagination, but these grapes were grown in our garden by my very own fair hands.


I planted the vine when we first moved in nine-ish years ago in a little patch that we had been tipped off by the previous owners as being a nice little sun catcher. And it is - a nice little sun catcher that is - with grand ideas of wine making

It's a Cabernet sauvignon variety - but up until this year, we had never actually had any grapes off it.


And to be honest this time last year when we were tidying up the garden I had, had enough! The vine had to go.

So I chopped and hacked and slashed it right back until only a knobbly stump was left.


Now I'm not all that green fingered - really - despite the waffle. And I probably took it back at completely the wrong time of year and to the worst possible point on the vine.

Secretly I was hoping it would naturally be no more after the Winter, but I'm not that cold hearted and I couldn't bring myself to completely rip it out and kill it off - hence the knobbly stump that I left behind.


And would you believe it, as nature does - sometimes - it came right on back at me, stronger and more vigorous then ever before.


I didn't have the heart (or the effort) to cut it back again to a knobbly stump because it had survived the wind and the snow and all the other foul elements thrown at us last Winter.

So I left it - once again.

And to our astonishment this Summer it produced grapes - actual round, plump and juicy grapes.

So they were a little sour - not eaters that's for sure. But that didn't stop a hungry little missy giving them a go. Fortunately no upset stomach either.

But wine.......maybe?

The wine was not meant to be as it goes because even though our vine did produced quite a few healthy bunches of grapes they only amounted up to - all in all - about ten or so, not enough for wine.

So I picked just a few - for the pure pleasure of it - and left the rest for the birds to feast on.

A fair deal methinks.

And now I'm in two minds. Do I do as I did last year and completely hack it back, or do I just leave it and see if we get even more bunches next year to make wine?


I'm no expert and I haven't made my mind up just yet, but I'm thinking a good old chop - at the very least - and see what happens. It's entwined in the old apple tree and both could do with a really good cut back.

What will be, will be - I guess.


Bottoms up - chin, chin!

xXx

ps - I was completely overwhelmed with all your good luck wishes with my postcard venture and have already sold out of a few lines. Not to fear though - I will have a fresh delivery coming in around the 30th November so I will keep you posted.

Thank you all and huge big hugs for all your on going support.

Nina xxx

Christmas Postcards

Another reason why I have been absent (minded) recently - oh there are so many reasons - is because a major part of my time has been taken up with getting some of my images into print.

I know it's been mentioned many times before, but I've never been able to find the time and pull everything together - all at once - and boy does it take up a lot of time when you're first starting out.


Plus I have a very specific image in my head of what I would like to offer and it's taken some time to track down and figure out how I can achieve this look, but I think I've got there.....eventually.


I am though - as yet - still trying to get organised and open up my online shop (I think I may need a genius computer wiz kid to help me out with this one) but with Christmas fast approaching and my postcards all waiting patiently to be put into action I just thought I would get on with it and go ahead.

Nothing ventured - nothing gained as they say.

So what I have done is added a tab under my header called 'Shop' - rather imaginatively - and if you click on that you can view the full range I have on offer (at the moment) and maybe even pur-chase?

And to cut a long story short - I wanted to produce postcards.

Old fashioned, traditional Postcards with one of my images on the front and the back specifically designed so you can write your message, fill out the address, put a stamp on and pop it in the post. Hey presto - job done.

I have three of each image on offer at the moment - I thought I would start relatively small and see how it went.

I've tried my best to photograph them in the best light, but waiting for a bright day and on top of the cards being glossy I'm hoping they come across as I visualise them.


All of these images are from previous (December) posts over the past three-ish years I've been blogging. Some are specifically 'Christmas' and others are marking the season.

So if you are interested please click on the link called 'Shop' and take it from there.

xXx

Wish me luck - Nina x