This Yorkshire Life

A Bundt in the oven...

2012-02-12T21:08:00.001Z

Snowy paths and icy roads make for a good excuse for staying home and baking...

I bought plenty of stewed apple at our village Christmas fair for the freezer, so that came out and went towards a Spiced Apple Breakfast Bundt Cake...

I got this recipe from 'Passionate Vegetarian' I'm not veggie but I've been carting this book around with me since my student days as everything I've ever tried out of it is a winner.
We couldn't wait till breakfast though...

Its very dense and moist, half pudding, half cake really. I don't know if i could go to work on a slice of it though - i think i'd need a mid morning nap!

The other reason for hiding out in the kitchen this weekend is the continuing schedule of work going on in the rest of the house. Walls continue to be knocked about, dust continues to fall,so this weekend the kitchen has been my sanctuary, and here it is...

Trust me it doesn't usually look this tidy but as I said there's nowhere else to run to! I've been playing around with furniture this weekend and brought my retro kitchen cupboard back in from the cold

I love it - it was a birthday present from BH but its always needed a repaint. I'm thinking of brightening it up with some colour...any ideas?

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White out!

2012-02-05T12:19:00.001Z

Last night I wrote on the windscreen, this morning I couldn't find the windscreen! The snow has definitely hit East Yorkshire and this morning the scene that greeted us was gorgeous...

The Minifreerangers had to be forced to eat their breakfast as they were itching to get outside. Once amongst it there was no stopping them...

We've snowballed, sledged, rolled around and just got plain cold...now its hot chocolate time...mmm!

The other plus side to the snow...

This is the tidiest my veg patch has looked in months!

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White stuff...

2012-02-04T16:50:00.001Z

Finally...

It's very light but it's here! The Minifreerangers are looking longingly at their sledges and right now there is no way near enough... But it's a start right? And a good excuse to throw another log on the fire - thats if we can get anwhere near it...

These two have staked their claim...

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The inspector said yes!!!

2012-02-02T20:44:00.003Z

After sleepless nights and fretful thoughts we've had the good news we've been waiting to hear...the building inspector says yes - he's happy with our build, it meets all standards...we done good!!!!

So after months of this...

And plenty of this...

Were finally getting to this...

And now the plastering can begin - at last. I know buildings get signed off every day but they usually are built by people with lots of experience and a project manager. BH got a book from the library and watched a lot of grand designs but he's never built a home before and so when the man from the ministry said yes he was a very happy chap- and he might get some sleep now.

And me... Well I can't help it I'm planning cushions and wallpaper and carpets and now I can't sleep for thinking about it - help!!!

This will have to do for starters...

We call him John Deer and he's been waiting to find his home for too long now. We couldn't resist trying him out...

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He knows me so well...

2012-01-04T17:58:00.004Z

Now that I've finally cleared up from Christmas - well almost - I can show you what Santa put under the tree for me this year... My very own Nigella red (I believe that's an official colour now!) lovely chunky Kitchenaid...swoon...

I believe BH finally buckled under ren years of hints and figured it was a bit like self gifting as he gets to be official cake taster! He also got a great bargain online which made it altogether a much more palatable purchase.

As for me I still have to stroke it every time I pass, I can't wait for all the Christmas grub to be used up so that I've got a good excuse to start baking again!

And thanks to freerangenan I've also got a fab new kniferack - the one sitting behind my lovely red Kitchenaid ( did I mention that already!) so thank you to my lovely family for totally totally getting me x

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A little taste of sunshine...

2012-01-03T21:06:00.002Z

Last bakeup of the holidays today and a taste of somewhere sunny was definitely needed. We've been surrounded by rain and wind all day, rattling the windows and blowing the wheelie bins down the garden so i wanted something light and zesty to take away the winter blues ( and to use up some the leftover lemons sitting in the fruitbowl!)

These lovely lemon bars come from a favourite cookbook of mine The Dairy HollowHouse Cookbook by Crescent Dragonwagon - fab name I know! Every recipe has a great anecdote with it so if you ever see a copy snap it up.

Here it is...

And here's the recipe

Mix and press into the bottom of a baking tin

Half cup of butter
1 cup plain White flour
Quarter cup icing sugar

Beat

2 eggs
1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons flour
Half teaspoon baking powder
Juice and rind of 2 lemons ( I added 1 more to the original recipe)

This mixture will be thin. Pour it over the first layer. Bake for 30 - 35 mins. Let cool slightly then sit with icing sugar.

Okay so they won't help with any diet resolutions but they are lush and brighten up the idea of tomorrow's back to work packed lunch.

I did think that a good walk with the dogs would make me feel less guilty about eating cake...I shook the lead, I put my coat on but these two are having none of it!

Oh well i tried!

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Stilton crazy...

2012-01-02T18:36:00.002Z

Today signals the start of cheese week at our house, when the five tons of Stilton that we bought, received and somehow acquired must be eaten up or rendered somehow useful as part of our war on waste.

First up was the thanks to the mega talented Shaheen at Allotment2kitchen. I saw these cheese, potato and kale pasties on her site and new we had just the leftovers to make them...

Then using the same mixture with addition of cranberry sauce I made smaller puff parcels...

These started off bite size but grew... Or maybe that says something about the size of my mouth!

Then I moved on to cheese scones.

Never having made these before I went to Internet for inspiration and followed the recipe from the Stilton website- where else?! They turned out pretty well, they're bound for the freezer so i'll have to see how they fare there.

And to finish, blue cheese pasta, nice and simple after the afternoons bakeathon...

Okay so that's a blue cheese dressing too! Phew - at least the Stilton is all gone now...until next year that is. Now does anyone know what I can do with a wheelbarrow full of Brie?

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Happy New Year!!!

2011-12-31T16:27:00.002Z

What a year it's been here at the freerange homestead - not much blogging done, not much gardening or cooking, but plenty of building, hence the lack of anything else. When we started out on this year we had plans to do all sorts but as those of you who've ever built a large project yourselves will know, once foundations are dug and the plans are accepted you can forget any idea of social or recreational life full stop until the work is done.

Well we're not there yet but we are much closer. The roof is on, the windows are in, the floors are concreted and most of the plasterboard is up. We await a visit from an electrician on the fifth before we can have the final sign off from the planning office and then it's onto the last leg - curtains and cushions still seem an awful long way off though!

Writing about the project is partly what retains our sanity about it and I am very wary of making it all sound like roaringly good fun - oh those halcyon days of cement dust and climbing over wet floors covered with pallets to get to the washing machine - what japes! BH conquering his fear of height (albeit temporarily) to tile the roof in the wind is not an experience either of us would want to repeat, nor is eating our breakfast in our coats as we had to before the blessed insulation arrived. But were almost there now, I won't start ordering wallpaper samples yet, but I might just start looking...

Apologies to those of you who have been kind enough to keep reading during these lean times, I promise to write more in 2012 and to be a much much more frequent visitor to all of you and your sites that I love to read so much, and finally Happy New Year - keep blogging x

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The Barcelona Skirt is finished - at last...

2011-10-30T21:00:00.000Z

At last - a finished item! My Barcelona Skirt was in danger of taking root in the project basket until Freerangenan threw me a helpline and took her favourite grandchildren to a magic show this afternoon. This left me free to ignore the ironing and get sewing! I'm so proud (or should that be sew proud!) of the completed item - not least because I've never read a pattern before making this - or put in a zip! I doubt I'll be offering the zip up for close scrutiny but it works, and that will do just fine...

Part of the reason I hadn't got any further with this until today is due to the upcoming craft fair in our village. I was asked to contribute something and had nervously offered up my own handmade decorations...

...expecting to be turned down or at best be asked for half a dozen, instead Ive had preorders for twenty six and then Ive got to create enough for the stall - yikes!!! It looks like Christmas has come very early in the freerangehouse - The living room has started to look like Santa's workshop with felt cutouts resting on every surface and I'm virtually stitching in my sleep...I'm sure I am completely confusing the kids sense of the seasons, they're wondering when the tree is going up...

So if your in the Rudston area on the 20th of November come and see if they did get made - or if I've thrown in the towel and moved onto the mulled wine...I'll keep you updated!

How we're getting on...

2011-10-13T16:34:00.003+01:00

We not only have a roof - we have windows too!

The big build is getting there at last! After months of scaffolding and cement we have a building that looks like we might one day be using!

The windows and the paint have made all the difference and thankfully they were done before the weather turned - hurrah! The glass is now in all of the doors and concrete floors have been laid. We're getting closer to picking curtains - but as BH assures me we're not there yet.

Our current project is this...

The beloved insulation! Its such a boring topic, task and thing to spend money on - but I know we'll be thankful for it in the cold Yorkshire nights ( which aren't limited to winter unfortunately!)

So that's how we're getting on...and why I've been absent from the blogspace...it's like I said, we're getting there...slowly! But when we get there- oh brother its going to be worth it!

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Getting crafty...

2011-09-29T21:00:00.001+01:00

Wish me luck - after years of threatening to do it I've finally signed up for an evening class in sewing and dressmaking. Whilst I've sold the idea to the family on the premise of stress relief and mum time, I know they're secretly quite worried about the creations I might be foisting on them in the near future! Will my dressmaking muse be Gaultier or Gaga? Or will I go totally Goodlife and start making all their clothes! Tremble they might!!!

Actually they've no need to worry... I've already got my pattern and it's quite family friendly I think...

It's been sat in the drawer for two years now so it's a case of 'get on with it or admit defeat!'

I've got my fabric too, a cloud9 design from a fantastic site called seamster.co.uk. I love it...

Now all i have to do is make it- yikes!

To be honest I'm quite nervous about the whole thing, I've bought a new pencil case and everything just like the start of term! But if I can learn enough in 10 classes to make up for living miles from decent clothes shops than that will do me fine!

And who knew there was a whole world of great online fabric stores, I could be hooked! I'll keep you posted...

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Showgirls and Giants...

2011-09-18T13:20:00.000+01:00

This weekend the gardeners of Yorkahsire gathered en mass at the Harrogate Autumn Flower Show to celebrate the great and the gargantuan of garden produce. It was my first time visiting the show and after hearing tales of the the giant veg competitions I was looking forward to some treats, but nothing could have prepared me for the displays in the exhibitors tent...

Dahlias to die for..

Chrysanthemums the size of footballs...

And the Roses were just about as good as it gets...

the blooms were definitely the showgirls of the day, with every colour imaginable on display, puffed up, blousy and demanding attention. We loved it! and wandering from tent to tent in a Pimms induced state of bliss, we had no idea what the produce tent had in store for us as we quite literally went from the sublime to the ridiculous!

I quite literally have 'never seen anything like it in my life'! Row after row of trestle tables groaning under the weight of veg so gigantic you have to wonder how they got it there!

You've got to really like cabbage to grow these - lets face it you're going to be eating it for weeks!

I didnt know whether to gasp or giggle at these marrows - they were HUGE! We agreed they wouldn't look out of place with a dinosaur chomping on them!

And the onions! The onions were - staggering! This was the record breaker

Yep - thats right 17lb 15.5 oz That's definitely going to make someones eyes water!

All in all the show is a testament to peoples passion for growing things, everything from Delphiniums to Dragons Egg Cucumbers ( I bought some seeds so I'll be showing you them soon!). I loved seeing the individual growers by their stands, guarding their produce and glowing with pride, that feeling that we all have the first time we grow something that makes it to the table - its just that these guys have turned it into an art form! And striving for excellence is something we all share as gardeners whether we achieve it or not - I know I won't be alone in ending the growing season already planning for what i want to do differently and better next year. Im certainly planning a trip to the Spring next year to get me off to a head start...

Summers over, school begins...

2011-09-05T21:38:00.000+01:00

Its official, summer is definitely over. All the signs are around us, the harvest is in, the nights are getting darker, Mums back to blogging...but most importantly the school shoes are polished and ready for the get go in the morning! And what a start to school it will be, one mini freeranger moving into 'Juniors', a phrase I like to use even though she sighs every time I call it that and tells me that was what it was called in the olden days! and one mini freeranger starting school for the very first time, although he doesn't quite believe it yet and just laughs and runs off when questioned!

this doesn't bode well for the shock he's going to get when he has to stay there all day, oh dear!

Fortunately this photo was taken before the weekend when Boy decided to tussle with a neighbours dog, the play was friendly and Boy was avoiding any teasing as he knows its wrong but the old dog got carried away and nipped him in play. Here are the results he'll be sporting for his first day at school...

My poor Boy...One trip to hospital, one very hysterical mother and several ice lollies later he was feeling much better, enough to tell me that he'd had " a terrible time and his head was sore and his tummy was rumbly...a biscuit might help"!

Not to be outdone, Girl has managed to lose 4 teeth this summer. She's mastered the art of speed eating spaghetti and we'll have no problem with her vampire outfit for Halloween, but I can only pray that schools photo wont be for a few weeks yet!

Ive got some foodie and garden blogs to come but for now the only thing in our house is the end of the holidays. We've crammed the days full, playing, adventuring, travelling, splashing, digging, scoffing, snoozing, giggling and most certainly avoinding the laundry mountain thats threatening to take over the sitting room.

But that was then... Uniforms have been pressed and hair clips collected from the bottom of toy boxes, book bags emptied and homework found too late to do much with it. All we have to do now is get out of the house on time and leave them at the classroom door. They'll be fine...as long as I don't embarrass them with my mumsy tears - someone save me a tissue for tomorrow, in fact make it a box...

A walk in the park...

2011-07-31T16:58:00.001+01:00

Today we packed up the Freerangers, Citygirl and the dogs and headed out for a proper grand day out. The rules were it had to be free, fun for everyone
and stand a good chance of tiring out children and animals. Yorkshire Sculpture Park fit the bill on all counts...

We had the awesome...

The magical...

The weird...

And the wonderful Henry Moore collection...

The special exhibition was by an artist called Jaume Plensa and the amazing mesh heads caught our eye...and eerily seemed to look upon us wherever we went!

The Minifreerangers loved these huge sculptures made of letters...

And the treepeople... I could do with some of these around my Hollyhocks to keep them upright!

We walked miles...it's amazing how far kids will walk when they've got something to look at!

And finally, at last, we achieved what I thought was impossible... Pearl and Arthur tired out!

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Wildflower walk...

2011-07-30T07:48:00.001+01:00

I kept meaning to photograph the fields while they were ablaze with poppies but kept forgetting the camera or being in a rush in the car. However, I quite like flowers which have outlived them - just waiting for their moment...

And the bees agree...

Now I just need to take my observer book of flowers with me to find out what they are!

We had a good long walk beyond the village which you can see in the distance. Every time I bring the dogs up here I tell myself I will do it daily before work; there's something energising about all that sky...

But of course its like going to the gym - the hardest part is dragging yourself out of bed to do it. Not for these two though...

The hardest part is keeping up with them! No chance of a face on close up... Just bottoms in the distance!

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Schools out for summer...

2011-07-28T19:42:00.000+01:00

Its taken some time, some sleep, sunshine and perhaps a glass or two of wine, but I finally feel like the last term is behind me and I can finally put my holiday head on - Hurrah! The first few days of the summer holidays are usually spent attempting to scale the cleaning mountain that has been allowed to build up on the last few weeks of term and taming the garden that was so meticulously planned back in January and which has gone wild in the few weeks when I take my eye off the ball. But today all that changed and we took a trip to the beach....just sandcastles, ice lollies and sunsunsun...today we could have been anywhere in the world, we just happened to be in Yorkshire...

We have so many wonderful beaches here, we really are spoilt for choice. Today we visited Hunmanby Gap where there are tremendous views of Bempton Cliffs. Its a great clean beach where we can always find a good spot, no matter how busy it is...and its got great sand for digging in...

So now the summer plan goes like this - beach, garden, odd day out...no work, absolutely no work! I do intend to take a break from my hectic garden and beach schedule to blog, cook and have a week in the South of France (do you like how I just dropped that in as though I'm not beside myself with excitement, which I totally I am), but the golden rule is...no work, just mum time...see, I feel better already...

100 posts and a midsummer mousse...

2011-06-21T22:10:00.000+01:00

I can't believe that this is my 100th post. Like everyone who gets to this point I'm taken aback by what started as a way of letting a few old friends know what we were up to and what has become a part of my life - the blog! Over the past 100 blogs my attention has wandered , my interests have been diverse and at times I've wondered if i would ever get round to blogging again - you know how real life can get in the way of the things you really want to do! One thing has remained the same though - writing this online diary of the stuff we do has made me remember, think about and focus on...the stuff we do, obvious really, but our freerangelives are so busy every day that the plantgrowing, cakemaking, childrenblossoming stuff that happens all the time can get forgotten in the midst of all our rushing around and if bloggin has done one thing for me its to make me take notice of the lovely stuff, so heres to plenty more!

Enough already! Ive written 100 blogs and am just pretty pleased with it, so heres a recipe to celebrate...

Blackcurrant Mousse

I chose this especially as weve just had our best crop of blackcurrants ever, and we got to them before the blackbirds...its also the nicest mousse ive ever had, not too sweet, not too sharp and super light...

250g Blackcurrants
50g caster sugar
2tsp lemon juice
2tsp gelatine
125ml double cream
2 egg whites

Rub the blackcurrants through a sive, then make up the puree to 150ml with water

Combine the puree, sugar and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Place 2tsp water in a small heatproof bowl and sprinke the gelatine on to the liquid. Set aside for 15 mins until the mixture feels spongy. Stand the bowl over a saucepan until it ahs dissolved completely. Cool slightly

Fold a little bit of the blackcurrant puree into the cooled gelatine, then whisk this mixture into the bowl of blackcurrant puree. Leave in a cool plce until the mixture starts to set.

In a deep bolw, whip the cream until it holds its shape, then fold in the blackcurrant mixture with a metal spoon. Whisk the eggwhites in a grease free bowl, just as you would for meringues, and then fold in. Mix it up thoroughly but dont overmix!

The whole thing can then be poured into a glass dish, a wetted mould or individual glasses. Refrigerate for 1 - 2 hours until set, turn out, decorate and your good to go...

Happy Summer Solstice everyone...

A roof at last...

2011-06-18T21:22:00.000+01:00

Finally, the roof is in place, the last bits of pointing have been done and the scaffolding is coming down a tier! At this rate we might let BH down to ground level tomorrow for Fathers Day! To be truthful he did finish cementing last Sunday, but then had to watch as the rains came and washed away all his hard work, we will laugh about it one day, but not for a while!

We've been cracking on a pace here and as usual there doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. Veg are bolting, weeds are rampaging and everything and everyone is demanding more attention than usual.

The borders however are blooming marvellous...

What these pictures don't show, thank goodness, are the showstopping nettles just waiting to pounce and reclaim the land - they're everywhere!

But its not all work and no play, we might feel fit to drop by the end of the day but we cracked open the Pimms today, it is summer after all, and whilst it didn't quite revive us, it certainly made having a sit down more relaxing...

Back to the home front...

2011-05-31T07:47:00.005+01:00

It was a long drive home from London yesterday, with some very tired little ones...

I think the hood was to drown out her brothers singing! We had an amazing time in London but there's nothing quite like coming home...especially when these greet you...

And these...

and even these...

I think my garden must be shy as it always waits till we're away to burst into flower! Every time I look away something else happens- dare I go away again? who knows what will happen!

The peas and lettuces which have been struggling have put on more growth in the past three days than in the last month!

Unfortunately so have the weeds - oh well, they're a good excuse for a morning out doors - the laundry can wait...

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Why I love Chelsea ...part two

2011-05-28T21:37:00.002+01:00

Chelsea flower is a ritual for us, an annual pilgrimage to the place where gardening dreams become reality, and a really good excuse for a top girly day out!

My highlights this year were the
The b and q garden with it's bug hotel...

Cleve Wests gorgeous best in show garden with it's inspired yellow and red planting...

Tom Hoblyns Cornish garden with it's fabulous dinosaur eggs, I mean pots...

And the beautiful Yorkshire art garden...

I also spied my dream car...

complete with picnic and radio- perfect!
We had a fabulous lunch, duck fritters with quails egg

Rump steak with all sorts of lovely stuff...

And a 'deconstructed' cheesecake - which apparently means not put together! Either way we wasted no time in deconstructing it further...

And of course there were the plants, so many plants! We did our best to resist all day but when the four o clock bell rang there really was no stopping us.

Thank heavens for black cabs...

now all I have to do is get them back to Yorkshire and get planting...

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Why I love Chelsea day- part one...

2011-05-28T07:30:00.001+01:00

Can you tell Chelsea day is the highlight of my year? I can't get out of bed all year but today I was up with the larks. The day began with a cuppa and a biscuit with citygirl

...who has the poshest biscuits ever... I'm thinking about buying some just for the tin! The day bodes well if the early morning snacks are anything to go by...

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Countdown to Chelsea...

2011-05-26T20:50:00.001+01:00

It's Chelsea time again and the countdown is on. I'm visiting on Saturday with citygirl who has already been this week on VIP day. I'd love to say my own garden was Chelsea ready but as growing season collides with my busiest worktime it's more shabby than chic!
It has it's moments though... And the alliums that I bought as bulbs last year at the show are amongst them. I only wish they lasted all year round...

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Flower power...

2011-05-11T22:47:00.000+01:00

I've just completed my first ever flower arrangement...and it doesn't matter how many times I say that phrase, it still sounds surreal!
Persuaded by one my lovely neighbours to have a go, I went along after work and gave it my best shot - and after lots of trimming and snipping Im quite surprised ( to be honest I thought it would be so bad they'd ask me to leave!)

I thought I might be asked to do a small thing, maybe in a vase. Instead I was given a pedestal and my display was huge...

It's not as entirely green as it looks but the lilies are yet to open. The Solomons seal was cut straight from our garden.

And the point of all this floral madness? Our villages flower festival is this weekend, so if you're passing Rudston, East Yorkshire drop in and see if my display is still holding up, if the lilies have opened or just enjoy the tea and cakes...

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Up on the roof...

2011-05-08T20:19:00.002+01:00

He has been allowed down since the last building blog - I promise!

The other side is on and the forecasts good - we could be 'roof completed' by the end of the week - not bad for a fella with no roofing training and a bit of a thing about heights ( the less said about that the better...)

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Marvellous Magnolias...

2011-05-05T21:30:00.001+01:00

The time has come this year to tackle our untamed beds and borders in the garden. Year 1 and 2 were all about getting the vegplot active, but now, after living in a building site for what seems like forever, I want something pretty!

The first flower bed we've tackled we actually started last year. It was full of conifers and a huge Ceanothus. I was quite attached to the Ceanothus as when it bloomed it was the striking blue and covered in bees and butterflies, but a hard winter saw it off and it gave us the courage to tackle the rest of the overgrown shrubs. in amongst these were three conifers and a eucalyptus oh and a dried up looking stick. The conifers and the Eucalyptus came out but I had a funny feeling about the stick due to one fossilised looking flower bud. The stick stayed.

And last year the stick grew, it grew other sticks, but on the whole it stayed pretty stickish. That was the end of the story until this spring when the stick burst into life and turned into a beautiful Magnolia.

Magnolias always remind me of North London as we would see the most amazing ones in very everyday places there, and at Easter time they're at there best. I never thought we could raise one in the wilds of the Wolds, so this one is extra special - I'm 'sticking'with it...

A period of adjustment...

2011-05-04T20:43:00.001+01:00

My blogging days have been severely curtailed of late mostly due to the reorganisation of labour in our household. The upside is BH has a job - Hurrah! downside - all of of our household stuff now needs to be squeezed into the time between children going to bed and the hour at which we collapse into an emotional heap - one often follows the other quite rapidly!

I always knew I was very fortunate to have BH keeping the ship running smoothly whilst I was at work but now thats changed, boy do I know how lucky! For one thing, where did all this laundry come from? I have laundry baskets which reload on emptying - is that normal? and as for cleaning... whoever thought of the phrase 'painting the forth bridge' should have tried dustbusting this homestead first if they really wanted to experience an eternally circular task!

In the midst of this I have taken on another plot of land - what was I thinking! I figure digging is cheaper than stress therapy or a spa break and at least i'll have some sweetcorn and potatoes at the end of it. That's the idea anyway...

But for now any spare time has been used to try and tame the borders in our own garden and get the plot ready for the getgo - and making royal wedding cupcakes of course (well...it had to be done didnt it!)

A good Friday and a very happy Easter...

2011-04-24T21:14:00.001+01:00

This is how the Easter break started... Sun and sand and a sit down at last! Its been unbelievably seasonable here, very unyorkshire to be honest! This time last year we decamped to Cyprus to get some sun but no need this year...

We moved outdoors for Easter lunch - unheard of! The little freerangers took a break from egg hunting to join us for dinner but they weren't long before they were back amongst the chocolate!

from our homestead to yours - Happy Easter x

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She wore an Easter bonnet, and so did her brother...

2011-04-12T20:52:00.001+01:00

Its Easter Bonnet time again, time to throw taste, design and the rules of couture out the window and go wild with plastic chicks and yellow ribbon. This year for the first time boy decided he wanted in on the fun...

Never one to be left out!

but he's got big competition from his sister who designed and made her own creation - okay we may have don a bit of supergluing when she went to bed, but only to keep those fiddly bunnies in place!

Bonnets shouldn't be just for Easter - i cant help but think life would be a whole lot more interesting if we wore one of these to the supermarket more often...

These two certainly thought so...

This Ideal Home...

2011-04-11T20:57:00.001+01:00

You know what its like, you get some quality time with your girls and all they do is spend their time on the phone! To be fair Gardengirl and Citygirl had trailed around the Ideal home exhibition with me and were in need of muchio refreshment! Refreshment came in the form of champagne cocktails with gold bits floating in them...very fab and gorgeous as long as you don't think too much about where all that gold is going to end up!

Being anything but an Ideal Home Owner we decided to make this years Spring outing to the Ideal Home exhibition in search of inspiration. I don't know what I was expecting - perhaps the secret to domestic bliss or at least a contraption to make children put their own clothes in the wash basket. Well we didn't find those...but we did find some very nice chandeliers...

Perhaps one day...

and we bumped into Greg Wallace from Masterchef! I managed to resist saying "this is where cooking gets serious!"

We were eating in his cafe when he popped over to our table - Im ashamed to say that id just put a whole pickled onion in my mouth and couldn't speak or swallow the onion for shock! GG and CG did all the talking and then he moved on. I was so mortified by pickle shame that CG made me go and ask him to come back for a photo - which he did, very generously - i didn't tell him about my onion dilemma though - the horror!

We didn't buy much but came back with lots of brochures, just waiting for those lottery numbers to come up now!

Great eggspectations...

2011-03-23T12:29:00.000Z

We're growing eggs at our house!

Or at least finding ways to keep the little freerangers at the table...

I know it means the countdown to Easter has started early but these too haven't concentrated on there dinner for so long in forever!

Arthur plays dead...

2011-03-22T11:00:00.000Z

This is how Arthur has taken to relaxing...

totally still, totally immovable, totally taking over the sofa...

all that he moves are his eyes...which is more than just a bit wierd - crazy dog!

Dads new wheels...

2011-03-21T19:35:00.001Z

BH's days as a househusband are numbered! Hes had an offer of work that's too good to ignore doing what he does best - model making, so its back to the bench for him and soon. This wasn't the plan until our youngest had started school, but as that's in September its not too far away, and when was timing ever perfect? This return to the world of work should also kick start our building work, fingers crossed.

The big surprise was when he cam home with this...

apparently its a necessity to get to work quicker, and it was an unmissable bargain, and hes not really that excited about it (as if!) Honestly, Ive never heard such good purchase excuses since I last spent too much on shoes! But if it gets the plasterboard paid for a bit quicker then I might just turn a blind eye...

that's if these too ever hand it back!

Springing back from the flu...

2011-03-13T20:42:00.001Z

What a week its been! The Freerange house has been hit by the flu this week and were only just resurfacing. I started with it on Tuesday initially thinking I was just a bit 'tired and emotional' but by Wednesday morning I looked like an extra from the Living Dead. Then the little Freerangers started coughing and sneezing, but thankfully haven't been bit by the bug too badly yet. BH insisted that he was fine all week and then all but collapsed on the sofa by Friday admitting that he was a 'bit under the weather' - all this stuff about man flu - he refuses to admit he's ill unless he's got an limb hanging off!

Thankfully its easing now and were back up and about - you wouldnt believe how pleased I was to wear something other than pyjamas! And in the name of recovery it seemed like the perfect time to get some fresh air in the garden - how things have changed in the space of a week, things are busting out all over!

This is just a sample of what greeted me...

I have no idea what this is, and its never appeared before, but it seems to have sprung into action since I did some industrial pruning!

Any ideas? Whatever it is I love it!

The little ole Lupin I planted last year has gone forth and multiplied...

and it won't be long now before we can have a rumble with a crumble as the rhubarb is up and running...

These crowns are only in their second year, we've got some under pots forcing that should be ready even sooner!

And finally it wouldn't be Spring without some of these about to burst into life. Our daffs didn't do so well last year, so I'm a very relieved to see them back in force this year. the lawn has been savaged by snow, dogs and builders, in no particular order, so its nice to have these bloom back to brighten it up a bit...

Its a good job we're all on the mend - there's so much to do!!!

Old School Pancake Heaven

2011-03-08T20:14:00.002Z

I'm always giving BH a hard time for his conservative approach to pancakes. We've tempted him with everthing from bacon to blueberries, Nutella and raspberry coulis but he's not having it. So for Shrove Tuesday we fillers his lead and went back to basics....

Let's face it, it's a classic for a reason!

MiniFG challenged herself to eat six - but she didn't look so confident when they arrived...

Not for long though...

Unbelievably she polished the lot off - I don't know where she puts it all!

Happy Shrove Tuesday whatever your topping!

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Shopping for essentials...

2011-03-06T20:54:00.001Z

Driffield Farmers market this weekend and I promised and solemnly swore that I was only going to be shopping for essentials. I think you'll agree its hard to call these 'non essential' items...

I assuaged my guilt at buying non essentials by buying one as a treat for all the Freerangers - including me of course. Funnily enough nobody mentioned them being extra to the shopping list when I unwrapped this booty...

The creator of these fine treats lives in our local town, so I can feel good about buying local too - who knew chocolates could be so worthy! I placed an order for Easter but no pics of those - little Freerangers might be watching! I'm particularly fond of the strawberry topped chocolate, hint hint BH!

I'm glad to say we did get our essentials too, so the Freerange house wont be starving, but for now my heart belongs to the cocoa!

One perfect Iris...

2011-02-28T20:02:00.001Z

On the last day of February, when the garden still looks to all intent and purposes like a muddy field, i drabness broken only by the the simple whites and yellows, I had to note this plucky little iris braving out the northern winds!

I want to bottle its blueness!

How I wish we grew fields of these. Whats the first sign of colour in your garden, which plants foretell the coming of spring for you?

Snowdrops,snowdrops everywhere...

2011-02-27T20:47:00.002Z

We've been helping out at our local snowdrop walk at Thorpe Hall this weekend. The beauty of being a helper outer is that you get the walk all to yourself at the start of the day...and it was well worth it!

The snowdrops weren't the only showstoppers, aconites were popping out everywhere; the perfect companion to the simplicity of the white blooms.

I got there first thing on Friday so I got the official first sneak peek.I did my shift on the front gate in my fabbiest flowery wellies then made a dash for it before the rains came - good timing or what!

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An Inspector calls and calls again...

2011-02-22T14:55:00.000Z

This is me with my feet up. A rare sight, but exactly where I intend them to be this week, no excuses and guilt free. And this is why...

1. we have finally got our roof structure in place - 'topped out' as they say...After sitting under piles of snow for seven weeks these timbers were lifted into place by BH. I was at work when they had their little ceremony and raised the Yorkshire flag - but was mighty glad to see it in place! So its finally in place and was inspected this week and passed muster - of course!

2...and then on Monday when the world was in a heart shaped haze for Valentines day I got the Ofsted phone call. I don't write about work on this blog for obvious reasons but lets just say when the school inspectors phone to say they're coming for a visit its enough to strike fear into the heart of any school leader. Well, they came, they saw and they left, oh and they said they were very pleased with everything we're doing, so that's good! The inspection couldn't have gone better to be honest but by Friday the adrenaline I'd been running on all week sapped out of me and all I was fit for was to be sent to lie down in a darkened room!

But now the clouds are lifting, there are recipes to be sampled, seeds to be planted, blogs to visit and a whole load of tiles to shift. But first, back to the feet up, for just a bit longer...

Disco Biscuits...

2011-02-08T16:36:00.001Z

I love these Rainy Day biscuits of Nigellas. Firstly because they are so easy, and secondly because their melt in the mouth simple flavour just hits the spot. I tend to make up a big batch of dough with the intention of freezing and using it in batches but so far none has made it to the freezer - funny that!

The recipe is simple

175g unsalted butter
200g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon of almond extract
350g plain flour
50g ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Cream the butter and sugar, add in the eggs and the extract then work in the rest. The dough sits in cling film in the fridge for at least an hour, then its ready to roll.

The biscuits cook very quickly and should stay quite pale. I like them unadorned, I think their paleness is quite elegant. However, my children think this is pretentious nonsense and insist that a biscuit is not worth looking at unless its suitably decorated, oh dear...

the glitter pixies have been at it again - I swear my children will glow in the dark at this rate!

Stained Glass Jelly ...

2011-02-07T17:46:00.001Z

Ive been inspired to new heights since reading the Food Librarian Blog - honestly what that blogger cant do with Jelly isn't worth knowing. Jelly is a big favourite of my minifreerangers and to be honest I don't make it enough for them, so inspired by Stained Glass Jello we gave it a shot.

We mixed up a few flavours of jelly and let them set really hard the night before and then cut them up and tipped into one tray. Then we mixed condensed milk with gelatin, let it cool and then poured it in...hey presto!!!

Who knew that jelly had so many possibilities! The minis are putting there orders in already...does anyone know where I can find blue jelly? They wont be happy until we've made a rainbow, or at least the Spurs colours for dad!

Rainyday Fudge Cake...

2011-02-06T20:47:00.002Z

Sometimes on a Sunday, when its too windy for walking and too wet for digging, theres nothing for it but to throw caution to the diet plan and fire up the ovens. My tribe's cake of choice is always of the chocolate variety, so today we decided to go for it and bake a chocolate fudge cake of staggering proportions...

My assistant chef was in full agreement of course!

We followed Nigellas recipe for Fudge Cake from the Nigella Bites book. The recipe called for:

400g plain flour
250g golden caster sugar
100g light muscovado sugar
50g best quality cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
half teaspoon salt
3 eggs
142 small tub sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
175g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
125ml corn oil
300ml chilled water

For the icing
175 dark chocolate
250g unsalted butter
275g icing sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

The dry ingredients are combined in one bowl, the eggs, sour cream and vanilla are blended in another. Then the butter, oil and water are beat together in yet another bowl. This cake is definitely one to make only if you have space to spread out!
Next the dry ingredients are mixed into the butter and oil mixture and last of all, in goes the eggs and cream. It mixes together satisfyingly well and pours easily into two sandwich tins. These bake for 55 mins until they come out skewer clean!

I was a little surprised at how big they got!!!

The filling is a simple chocolate butter cream with which we filled the cakes up and then slathered all over! We topped it off with icing sugar and glitter - which you can't see on the pictures but now coats everything, everywhere in our kitchen. I think we'll be finding edible glitter for months to come...

The results were delicious; a dense, fudgey, chocolaty reason not mind rainy days so much after all!

Beach Boy...

2011-02-03T20:39:00.000Z

This is what my Freerangeboy gets up when I'm hard at work...

Dog Rustling...

Hard to believe he started life a cityboy through and through...

I am wondering when all this fresh air is going to tire him out though! - still waiting on that one...

Snowdrops and rainbow rice...

2011-02-01T22:47:00.001Z

At last the garden is waking up, not exactly springing into action but definitely rousing from the long winter...

Its been too miserable to explore the garden much so it was a nice surprise to find these waiting to greet us today!

Meanwhile we've been busying ourselves indoors finding 101 ways to entertain children on rainy days, of which there are many here in Gods Own Country! I found the 'recipe' for Rainbow Rice' at Homemade Serenity - a way with rice that involves no cooking, or eating but did keep the little freerangers occupied for ages! All it took were some squidges of watercolour paint into freezer bags of uncooked rice and a splash of water. We gave it a good mix and shake and left it to dry. The results were almost too pretty to play with...

Well okay, not quite too pretty to play with...

Unbelievable, but some leftover paint and a bag of value rice kept them busy for a couple of hours...

Beat that Nintendo!

We'll definitely do it again, maybe making some Diwali patterns later in the year and by then we'll hopefully have hoovered all the bits that these pictures don't show falling off the table!

To Beef or not to Beef...

2011-01-31T21:10:00.002Z

We did resolve to buy local and fresh when we moved here, and then life kept getting in the way and there we were in the supermarket. We also resolved to buy in bulk so we could cut out the weekly shop and spend more time doing fun stuff, but we had to rebuild a house and that left little space for storage. But at last, we're getting there... in the space of a week we've bought half a pig and a big box of beef to see us through the spring, oh and a chest freezer to put them in for the pricely sum of £20! (the freezer not the meat!) The tip for buying such a value freezer is to wait until your absolutely desperate for one and them pray that your neighbour moves house and needs to offload one fast!

Our beef came very local, so local that BH picked it up as he dropped our little one off at Toddler group. Manor Farm Beef are Chris and Charlotte Shipley who run a mixed farm quite close to us and have been nominated for a Yorkshire Taste Award. Charlotte ran a tasting session recently at which their steak was devoured. My littlefreerangers wasted no time in tucking in...

I cant tell you the struggles we've had to get this one to touch her dinner, never mind finish it and ask for more! The joint I cooked was a Crop of Beef and I slow roasted it for most of the day - it was as they say on 'Diners, Drive Ins and Dives'.....Capital T Tender! I would have taken a picture only it was set about too quickly by the hungry herd!

Needless to say I am going to be cooking more beef recipes and going back to Manor Farm. They are having their first go at Driffield Farmers Market on Saturday, so who knows - might see you there. I'll be the blogger taking pictures and loaded down with joints of meat!

Eggs at last...

2011-01-25T10:24:00.001Z

It's been a long wait as our girls stopped egg production quite a while before Christmas. But at last, after much encouragement and perhaps a few waves of the stuffing mix, they're back on line. At least one of them is....

Our first egg of the season - hurrah!

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Adventures in pastry ...

2011-01-24T18:01:00.000Z

Okay it might not sound so adventurous, but Ive never really made much pastry before and I set my self a new year goal, forget cutting out carbs and drinking only herbal teas, I am resolved to master, or if not master at least figure out pastry...Ive made cakes, I'm getting better at bread, I'm having fewer disasters with scones but Ive avoided pastry thus far, or I'm ashamed to admit I've bought it frozen, so I figured it was about time to get to grips with it...

Its not perfect, and probably never will be but I made a chicken pie with the kids (they were on leaf cutting duties)...

It was from Nigellas 'How to Eat' in the children's food section. The filling she recommends is really nice and very child friendly, just stock, milk, butter, cooked chicken and sweetcorn and then topped with pastry. I did double the pastry ingredients as I think her pie dish mush have been tiny, the amounts certainly wouldn't have covered ours.
I must admit I couldn't quite believe how easy it was - and how well it went down with all the Freerangers, I wouldn't call myself a pastry connoisseur but its definitely homemade from now on for sure!

Plant Potty...

2011-01-23T21:50:00.000Z

Who says there's nothing fun happening out in the garden? Admittedly most of my gardening day was spent trying to find the garden under layers of leaf sludge...but my girly had other ideas...

Completely oblivious to onlookers she decided that the trees really needed some decoration and set to work with what she had to hand. That's my girl....born to accessorise!

Her little brother got to work too, rearranging everything that Id arranged half an hour earlier and then scattering tools on a mums only treasure hunt around the garden - result: 4 hours of fun in the garden but very little done - at least when it was snowing our garden looked the same as everyone else!!!

I'm walking on sunshine...

2011-01-18T22:06:00.002Z

I'm thrilled, I'm over the moon, I'm dangerously delirious and at the same time ever so 'umbled. I've just received an award. My first ever, from Jo at jo-throughthekeyhole.blogspot.com who writes not one but two thoroughly good blogs and has taught me a thing or two about gardening I can tell you!

To be honest I had wondered how people received the awards that you see on their blogs, and now I know! I started writing this blog to keep a handful of friends back in London up to date with what we were up to and probably like many of you I've found its taken on a whole different life of its own. In the past six months since I've been writing I've taken more photographs than in my entire life, I've written more often than I ever did when I attempted to keep a diary, I've been visited by readers from 45 different countries and I've discovered a camaraderie through shared words that I never knew existed, so to get an award is way more than I was expecting - Thank you x

Okay so the deal that comes with the award is that I have to share 7 things about myself that you might not already know, here goes...

1. My favourite film in the entire world is Mrs Miniver. Makes me long for a world of hats and gloves and stiff upper lips - brilliant!

2. When I was at school I won a Young Northern Poet award and was presented with my award by Brian Patten and Roger Mcgough. Roger was lovely, but I idolised Brian Patten at the time and he was a right miserable git - early lesson in the inevitable disappointment of hero worship!

3. On a teacher exchange to China I had tea with the Minister for Education and was offered a job by a school director whilst I was on the toilet!

4. As a student I had many jobs, including working at the Body Shop for several years, back when it was still a bit hippyish. I was in charge of bridal makeovers and had an absolute scream doing up brides to be and mother in laws on their big day.

5. My favourite drink is a classic margarita, closely followed by a mojito and of course a good old cuppa tea - Yorkshire Tea of course!

6. When I had my first child I bit so hard on the gas and air that I broke my front tooth in half - you can imagine how lovely those photos were

7. My husband is one of the most amazing model makers in the country and has worked on Harry Potter, Bond and Sexy Beast amongst other films, but he gave it all up to come and raise children and chickens (I will consider hiring him out for a fee though!)

There you go, now you know...

Now its my turn to nominate 15 sites worthy of this award. Apologies if you're not on this list, it may be because you've already been nominated and I can only pick 15. Blimey this feels like way too much responsibility, here goes...

In no particular order...

A City Chicken Farm
Mels Backyard
Our Plot at Green Lane Allotments
Elephants Eye
Our Wee Farm
Well, this isnt getting t''ens fed...
Bellau kitchen
mrsnesbitt's space
A Mingled Yarn
Chocolate Log Blog
BrownievilleGirl
Vanilla Sugar
21st Century urban housewife
Living on the Edge
Corner Cottage Bakery

I could go on...However please do not feel under any pressure to receive the award, just like Jo before me, I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy reading your blogs. And once again Jo, thank you - you made my day!!! I do love getting all of your comments and even if I don't get chance to reply to them all -I really love reading them.

From Rocky to Rockette...

2011-01-17T13:18:00.001Z

Its been a surprising few days on the homestead. We've learnt some very important things...

1. No matter how many books on poultry you read your hens will always surprise you.
2. No matter how many books on poultry you read your children will always surprise you.

I haven't seen much of the chickens over winter. I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark and BH sees to them in between. But I do remember that before the winter set in we had four fluffy young hens, a mixture of Buff Orpington Bantam, Wyandotte and Rhode Island Red - pretty little girls all of them - not any more.

As I was clearing up leaves, mini freerangegirl said 'mum, one of our hens is a cockerel' and it certainly did look like one. We called BH up to ask the same, but he insisted that it definitely wasn't as it had never crowed...

...and on that note the little fella stretched out his neck, shook his beautiful plumage and you guessed it...Cockadoodledooed. Not once, not twice but for the rest of the day and pretty constantly too. Needless to say we have a very embarrassed BH in our midst. Looking at him now its pretty obvious but then hindsight is 20:20 as they say...

My poultry princess got to name him and immediately called him 'David Beckham' which I thought was rather apt as he's got Spurs! But he has gone to live on a friends farm where he can cockadoodledo to his hearts content without driving my neighbours nuts. I think its back to chicken school for us - where my daughter is probably giving the lessons!

January is the cruelest month...

2011-01-16T13:03:00.000Z

I'm finally emerging from the post Christmas malaise that descended upon our rather exhausted household. The decorations are packed away for another year, the cards that never got posted have been guiltily put out of sight and the fridge has been emptied and restocked with things that at least look like they've seen a vitamin!

And at last the snow has gone!

Finally the view is green again!

Like everyone else we were taken by surprise by the amount and the longevity of the snow. We hadn't finished winding up our outdoor jobs and projects for the year so under the snow they've sat - for seven weeks altogether. The last couple of weeks have been all about assessing the snow damage and getting up and running again. So far we've not done badly, the raspberry cage has collapsed, several favourite plants have definitely bitten the dust, but compared to friends with burst pipes we've been lucky so far.

Fortunately for me I have my head gardener to plan the season ahead, even if she does take more tea breaks than she spends digging, she assures me shes thinking very seriously about what to plant this year...

We braved the plot together and after much sighing and oh dearing we've decided upon our gardening resolutions for this year...

mine were - no more big brassicas - we've fed the caterpillar population enough thank you very much! and this year we are going to get better at taking cuttings and collecting seed.

mini freerangers were - she's going to plant her broad bean seed in pots and keep them in the house as last year she lost them all to a hungry vole population and she wants to see more roses - every where!

So after that exhausting brainstorming session we had another cuppa and decided to leave the clearing up for another day!

Happy 2011 everyone, thank you to those of you who kicked me out of my rut and got me back in the garden, I'm definitely back and feeling like freeranging - hang on, is that the thud of a Marshall's seed catalogue I hear on the doormat, Wahay, here we go again!

Our Lapland adventure...

2010-12-23T14:47:00.000Z

Yes, many of you guessed it... our surprise was a visit to Lapland to meet the big man, Father Christmas himself. We managed to keep it a complete secret from the children until we were queuing at the airport. I don't know how we kept it a secret for so long and it was quite a relief to finally tell them. Thank you everyone who wished us luck getting there... we were delayed at Manchester for quite some time due to ...snow of course! But we did eventually take off and arrive safely in the land of more snow... and boy was it cold!

When we finally arrived at Father Christmas's hideaway it was very dark even though it was only late afternoon. Thankfully we were well wrapped up as it was minus 29 degrees Celsius - no wonder Santa has been working the wool and fur look for so long, if it keeps him warm then stick with it I say!

This was the home of one of his helpers...

These guys didn't seem bothered by the cold, they were just building up there strength for Friday night!

We stopped for a refuel and warm up before heading to see you know who...

Bionic and Freerangenan got thawed out...

this Freeranger didn't stop smiling all day, it took her brother a while longer...I think he's had enough snow for now!

Even the Elves and Helpers had there outfits hanging up to warm up!

But finally we made it...we really met him...

he read our letters and amazed the kids when he knew their names. I confess that I am right next to the littlest Freeranger in this picture and according to my family looked as though I might leap on his knee at any second!

He did promise he would come on see us very soon as long as we left him a mince pie and some thing to warm him up - I'm not surprised he gets through all those drinks on Christmas eve, he needs something to see him through another year in the snow!

We eventually got back to Yorkshire, driving through more snow, with very tired children, grandparents and grown ups - to find even more snow ( I think we brought it back on the plane!), so its only fitting that this is our Dec of the day...

because after all, home is where the heart is...

Surprise, surprise!!!

2010-12-18T06:25:00.001Z

This is what surprise looks like...

and you'd look like that too if you'd just realised your mum hadn't got you up at the crack of dawn to go shopping... But you were in fact going to meet someone very special..

As long as this takes off...

fingers crossed we'll be in Lapland for breakfast. Keep you posted...Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The waiting game...

2010-12-17T22:56:00.001Z

I want to tell you, I'm dying to tell you. But right now I'm in Manchester watching the snow fall wondering if I'll have anything to tell you... Fingers crossed and keeping you posted...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Goodbye Prada...

2010-12-16T22:43:00.000Z

I planned to write a Christmas deco blog tonight getting ready for our weekend surprise, but real life got in the way today, as is its want. Our crazy old cat had to be put down today and were all still taking it in really. We got Prada when we bought our first house, she was the kitten that ran up the tree, the girly cat that stayed on my knee purring contentedly during my pregnancies and the family cat that my children wrapped in bandages and tried to sneak into bed with them. She was also the crazy old lady cat who snored so loudly under our bed that I thought it was BH, the hair shedding machine and the culprit who left unpleasant parcels on the landing!

Prada Cat had got very frail recently but nothing suggested that she was terminal when I left the house for work. Today my was busiest day of the busiest week of the year, the day of my big meeting and to get a phone call from BH 30 minutes before going in to the meeting telling me that shed been taken to the vet and it wasn't good...well I certainly wasn't expecting it.
The vet offered to keep her going until I could get there but my meeting ran from 1 till 5, so I said that I would rather she didn't suffer, but pulling myself together to lead our review meeting was something I'd rather not repeat. The meeting ran, it all went very well, all the hard work has been worth it, but all I could feel was sad. Poor Pradacat...her blanket is still on the box at the bottom of the stairs, i don't think I can move it yet. Poor BH had to bring her home and bury her in the rain before the snow set in and the ground got too hard.

Animals huh? Who'd have them....

As for our Christmas Surprise - no baby Jesuses are to be appearing soon but I can tell you it involves some serious thermal underwear...no thats it, no more clues!

The yuletide moose...

2010-12-14T23:51:00.000Z

Decoration of the day...

Today's decoration is a Festive shout out to our friends on the other side of the pond! Mr Moose was carried back from Wolfboro, New Hampshire where good friends of ours live and where great holidays have been had. Although we've only been there in the sunny months Ive seen the photos of their seasonal snow drop and I always feel a little pathetic moaning about the snow we have when I see how much they get! Their beautiful house is only a stones throw from the woods, where they assure me Moose are to be found. I haven't seen one yet, but I keep hoping!

Not long to go now, tonight I'm busy preparing for Saturdays surprise - you wont believe it!

Sticky finger festive fudge...

2010-12-13T22:01:00.000Z

I've been frantically wrapping parcels of Festive Fudge to send back to Leeds with my sister. We used the Recipe from Nigella Express, which is a kind of cheats fudge. Basically its a tin on condensed milk, 350g of chocolate, 30g of butter, a pinch of salt and whatever you choose to flavour them with. Nigella uses pistachios but we were feeling a bit more festive tipped some whisky and maraschino cherries into the mix...how I love a maraschino cherry! You heat, stir and then tip into a foil lined to tray to refrigerate. They never quite set and are best kept in the freezer when they ready. They stay pretty gooey then and can be eaten straight from the deep freeze. I wanted to photograph some of the ones I saved for us, but found they didn't last long enough to get the camera out. The sticky finger marks around the kitchen were the only evidence to be found!

Decoration of the day... in the spirit of all things scarlet, i love these cranberry glass decorations, they totally transport me back to being a little girl and looking up at the lights in the tree glistening through the baubles!

Not long now till the 17th...oooh I cant wait!

The first angel...

2010-12-12T15:49:00.001Z

My decoration of the day...

the first decoration BH and I ever bought, before we had a Christmas tree! I think when we first bought her she was hung on a twig in our first flat together. Most of our furniture at the time was improvised by covering BHs tool boxes in throws and sheets, so Christmas trees were not the highest priority...2 houses, 2 children, 2 dogs a cat and several chickens later - shes still with us and still looking as surprised as ever!

I cant believe its only 6 sleeps until the 17th - when I can reveal our christmas secret...i'm absoloutely bursting to tell you!!!

Saving a seat...

2010-12-10T21:12:00.000Z

The cold snap has left BH at a loose end of late. To take his mind of the building work waiting to be done and to give him a brief respite from swaddling condensing pipes to stop them freezing I asked if he could have a go at reupholstering the chairs we use in our kitchen. I acquired them many years ago and I've been loathe to part with them despite only having three and the fabric being worn out.

This is how they appeared when I went to work...

and this is what I found when I got home...

A perfect fit, and it means I get to keep them for many more years! What BH doesn't realise is that now he's revealed this hidden talent I'm already compiling a list of future upholstering projects!

Decoration of the day

At last, a calorie free pudding!!!

Going snowhere...

2010-12-09T19:07:00.000Z

Why is it that even when it comes at the same time every year, the shops are full of it, the songs are on the radio, I still wake up in a panic and think ' i cant believe its almost Christmas!' Our readiness for festivities has definitely been put out of sync by the weather. Everything has been on hold for the past week, apart from igloo building that is...

We can make igloos that you can go in and come out of, but we draw the line at lids on top! Oh well, its nice to have a room with a view!

At some point we must thaw out and start wrapping some presents!

We did put the tree up this weekend and at last we started to feel the festive fuzziness, I'm going to post a favourite decoration everyday to keep my yuletide spirit topped up! Right now I think I'm most pleased with my Christmas kitchen, whether that's because we decorated the dresser or just because we decluttered it I'm not sure...but either way the end result makes me feel like digging out the cranberries!

Whats are your favourite decorations, Id love to know...is it the hand painted crystal Faberge set or the cotton wool covered toilet roll holder carried back lovingly from nursery school ( I know which mine is, it gets unfluffier every year but he's coming out for many to come!)

p.s. Ive got a secret I'm dying to share about a coming blog - I'm sworn to secrecy until the 17th but I don't know if I'll make it that long!

Our morning walk

2010-12-02T13:57:00.001Z

We went exploring this morning to see just how snowed in we are...

The snow clouds gathering didn't bode well, but it didn't bother Arthur...

True to form the clouds burst before we got home. Very pretty but pretty cold too!

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Chilly chicken...

2010-12-01T20:58:00.000Z

The chucks have taken to freeranging during the day. The idea was to give their diet a bit of variety , but I think they're planning a go on the swing!

Deborah and Jessica spent the morning trying to work out the slide!

But Nancy and Diana were having none of it - far too haughty for their own good if you ask me!

In the end the girls regrouped for a debrief before being ushered back to the homestead. Its one thing being a Freeranger with a chaperone, but its another story entirely when you're on your own with a hungry fox on the prowl - as the recently deceased Rhoda our Rhode Island Red found out when she wandering too far from home.

Oh well - tomorrow we may try the trampoline!

Snow, snow and more snow...

2010-11-28T17:09:00.001Z

The east coast has been hit by the snow pretty badly over the past few days, and although we're inland we were certainly no exception. We've had a bit of a mixed response to it this year. On the one hand I love snow, from the first sight it I start making plans for hunkering down, preparing for a snow in, old movies log fires, perhaps a Baileys or two, whats not to love? But this year we are on a countdown to get our roof in place, the struts have arrived we just need on more day of bricklaying to be at roof height but then the white stuff arrived...

temperatures dropped and building was called to a halt...

Its been very tempting to vent and fume and shake my fists at the sky, after all this could mean tools are down till the new year, but what can you do. If life gives you lemons, make lemonade and if snow stops your building schedule then...

tether up your Airedale and go sledging...

The two little Freerangers got the day off to play in the snow and travelled in style to Freerangenans for cocoa and treats...

Pearl had her first taste of snow, and took to it like, well like a pup to snow of course...

And I got to hear about it all when I got home from work...boo hoo! But I did get the Baileys and an amazing view of the Wolds as I made my way there...

So for now, let it snow...

Red, red, rice...

2010-11-24T21:09:00.000Z

I don't know about you, but I need colour at this time of the year. The golden leaves are now lying in a mud sodden heap, the russet hedges are becoming blackened sticks and as for the glorious hot pink cyclamen I planted, the last time I saw them a small dog was running up the garden with them in her mouth - the less said about that the better. So colour in the kitchen it has to be...

I love Risotto at this time of the year and I'm lucky enough to have a good stock of a really good Arborio rice courtesy of the FriendlyGrocer (who also happens to be Gardengirls husband).

FriendlyGrocer and his family have the most amazing Grocery and Deli in Finchley and we always try to make a trip there when were back in the big smoke to stock up on Cypriot and Mediterranean delicacies that are hard to get hold of. Id been saving my last pack of FGs special rice for a special recipe and this one certainly did the trick.

From Tessa Kiros 'Red plums for jam', the Red rice is actually a Tomato Risotto and very easy to make,

You need

1.25litres Vegetable stock/ broth
Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves (whole)
Half Red Onion, finely chopped
Pinch of dried chilli flakes
200g Risotto Rice
250ml Tinned Chopped Tomatoes
2 Basil Leaves
20g Parmesan Cheese
100g Mozzarella (cut into small chunks)
Grated Parmesan to serve

Saute the onion and garlic over a low heat for a bout 5 mins then stir in the chilli flakes and rice and cook for another minute. Add half the Tomatoes, half the basil and 375 ml of the stock.

Simmer for 10 mins on a low heat and add more stock as needed, stirring it now and them just to make sure it doesn't stick, add the rest of the stock and the tomatoes and simmer for another 10 mins. Fish out the garlic cloves and stir in the Parmesan and mozzarella. As soon as the mozzarella starts to melt your good to go - just sprinkle the extra Parmesan on top!

I served mine with pork schnitzels, but it was just as good on its own and a real winner with the little Freerangers, who whilst quite conservative in their culinary tastes were convinced it was just ketchup and rice, so tucked straight in!

But now my last bag of arborio has gone - so if your listening at Tony's Continental Store - put me some aside for the New Year please, and some macaroni, and some beans, and some octopus, and dolmades and...I tell you what, I'll bring a list!

Rainy days and chocolate cake...

2010-11-23T20:47:00.000Z

As the songs says, 'I don't care what the weather man says, if the weather man says its raining, then its another excuse for baking, and that's alright by me' ...okay, so that's not quite the words but you get the idea! The weather here in East Yorkshire has been pretty filthy of late. Even walking the dogs round the block is a waterproof and wellies job. The temperatures dropping, the days are dark and the garden looks like one big compost heap...

But on the bright side, the fires are lit and glowing

the evenings are longer for knitting and crochet (or putting knots in bits of string as BH would refer to it!)

and all the time I would spend in the garden can be put to good use baking cake...

I made this Double Chocolate Loaf Cake at the weekend with the intention of fuelling BH on the building site this week. The kids loved sprinkling the choc chips and set about scoffing it as soon as it was cool enough to handle. I got the recipe from good food and tweaked it by changing the chocolate chunks to chunks of leftover Toblerone - I know there's no such thing as leftover Toblerone, theres only Toblerone that Mum broke into before Christmas and felt so guilty that she used it up in a cake - there you have it - confession over, I feel so much better that the truth is out there!

Double Chocolate Loaf Cake

175g softened butter
175g caster sugar
3 eggs
140g self raising flour
85g ground almonds
half teaspoon baking powder
100ml milk
4tbsp cocoa
50g plain chocolate or guilt laden Toblerone

chocolate chips for decorating

Heat the oven to 160C and grease and line a 900g baking tin ( I use the Lakeland liners for convenience).
To make the cake batter beat the butter and sugar until fluffy then beat in the eggs, flour, cocoa, baking powder and milk until smooth. Stir in whats left of your Toblerone then scrape into the tin. Bake for 45 -50 mins until risen and ready.

Then devour and ignore the fact its still raining outside!

Bedtime biscuits...

2010-11-16T22:16:00.003Z

Our little freerangers are biscuit addicts. Like most children they have no particlar preference. They're not at all elitist in their cookie cravings and given the chance they would probably opt for the nastiest dayglo additive packed fuel on offer. The answer - home made, at least when time allows!

These chocolate and vanilla biscuits are from Tessa Kiros book 'Apples for Jam'. They are super simple to make and rolling them up into twists makes for great fun for little chefs.

You need

180g butter
150g caster sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
240g plain flour
20g cocoa

After mashing the butter and sugar together, add the flour and work it all together. Then whisk the egg with the vanilla and add it to the dough, kneading it well.

Next split the dough and add the cocoa to one half. This needs quite a lot of working in but it will come together I promise! Wrap each disc in clingfilm and chill on the fridge for half an hour.

Finally, roll it out and let the fun begin! They may not look perfect but they do taste yummy!

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Top and tailing...

2010-11-15T22:03:00.000Z

I couldnt resist this...

Do you think they like their new bed?!

Countdown to Christmas

2010-11-14T20:05:00.001Z

I know, I know, it's only November - but I have a little tradition to kickstart the season in the right frame of mind. Citygirl, Gardengirl and myself head off to the Countryliving Christmas Fair for a spot of dreamy Christmas shopping. We're also joined by Cookgirl, our lovely friend so named because once you've tasted her Sunday roasts you never look back!

The dates marked on the diary all year and I've been saving my spends since spring. On Friday night we packed up the tribe and headed for the big smoke. We all met up on saturday morning and headed for the show - no need for a map, just following the trail of Cath Kidston and Boden.

This is a shot of inside the show...

It was hard to get any decent pics as it is really busy! It takes serious shopping stamina but it's worth it just to soak up the cinnamon soaked atmosphere and hunt out artisan goodies for special gifts.

We do stop off in the foodhall for a pitstop and my favourite snorker makers Debbie and Andrewa are always on hand with tasty morsels to tempt us into filling the freezer!

I'd love to show you some of the things we bought - but of course they have to be wrapped and sent to Father Christmas for delivery (and Freerangenana might be reading this trying to get a sneaky peak!)But I do have a picture of my dream shed...

This was the view through the windows. I suppose shed is a bit of an understatement, more of a grotto...

Either way, it's a good job it was roped off or I might have had to move in and claim squatters rights...

All in all it was a very successful trip, topped off with mojitos in St Pancras. But now were winging it back up the motorway, back to work and real life. To be honest it's a good job we don't do these things too often as I'd probably be bankrupt... But I do feel ready to head into the Christmas season fully prepared...I just have to wrap it all now!

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My little ponygirl...

2010-11-09T19:11:00.000Z

I couldn't resist sharing this. My mini freerangegirl has become ponygirl and I couldn't be prouder. She's been hankering after riding lessons all year but I had to draw the line somewhere as she was dancing and swimming and all the other stuff that seems to be de rigeur for the average 6 year old (Its no wonder they just want to lie down a lot when they're teenagers, they're probably exhausted!) So when she decided to give up dancing we said she could have some riding lessons...and shes loving it!

I know I'm biased as I used to ride a lot as a teenager, but I just think its a great sport for kids to get into. Riding has certainly boosted ponygirls confidence as she proved on Sunday when the pony she was riding was spooked by a stray dog (who knew there were stray Alsatians wandering the country side). Before we moved to the country she was terrified of animals, but now she was able to hold tight and carry on - no tears, no hysterics, she even laughed about it when she got home and was very proud to have a tale of daring do to share at school.

BH is not so sure, he thinks Ponies are like motorbikes with a mind of their own, so why would we put a six year old on one. I kind of see his point but then I'm terrified of motorbikes and I know I'll go nuts when they come home saying they want one of those!

But for now, I'm just going to get my old Thelwell cartoons out and look forward to rereading the Pony Club sagas with my girlie - before I know it she'll be wanting hair straighteners and be too busy texting her friends to talk to mum, so I'm making the most of it!

Hand me down heirlooms...

2010-11-07T20:44:00.000Z

I just wanted to share the surprise parcel I received from my great aunt recently. A cardboard box came home with BH after he'd been to see her and all he knew were there were some 'bits and bobs ' that I might want. After digging through the many layers of newspapers this is what I found...

My Great Grandmas rolling pin!

BH couldn't quite work out why I was behaving as though I'd won the lottery. It was just a rolling pin after all, and one with a pretty extreme squeak at that! But this isn't just any rolling pin, and it wasn't just my Great Grannies either, but the rolling pin that I learnt to roll pastry with every Friday night as a little girl with my Great Auntie.

It was like biting into a Proustian Madelaine and being whisked back through the years in an instant. I had forgotten so much about those Friday nights that all flooded back. The two of us would squeeze into the tiny kitchen, me wrapped tightly in a flour dusted pinny and she directing proceedings from the well worn Bero book. We almost always baked the same things, jam tarts, coconut macaroons and of course the seasonal mince pies and fruit cakes. I don't actually remember us baking much else but I do know that we would occasionally experiment and then try out our produce on my Great Grandfather, who was more than happy to be our guinea pig.

It was my job to roll the pastry, and the rolling pin squeaked on every roll, the cause of much hilarity between the two of us. I look back now and know that Auntie P obviously finished the pastry off but still she made me feel as though I was in charge of it, I've also no doubt that the squeaky roller probably drove her crackers but she played along never the less - bless her!

I know we used the moulds occasionally for blancmanges and the other bits and bobs are all familiar, but nothing quite brought it back like the the squeaky roller! And when It did I looked around my own kitchen and realised how much I owe to those Friday nights, I store my flour the same way as her, I know how to make a macaroon in an egg cup and I do like a dusty pinny - dusty with flour that is!

Auntie P suggested that I might want it for my dresser, but I know it's got another job first - I've got two apprentice bakers who are quite ready for baking night and making some memories of our own!

The road to recovery...

2010-11-02T20:09:00.002Z

Thank you everyone who wished us well. I am very pleased to say that BH is up and moving. It was either that or he was beginning to run the risk of being hoovered by me or having Lego built on him by mini freerangers! He has damaged his back in the past and so these old war wounds tend to flare up from time to time - especially when he moves skips around ( I have to remind him he's not Superman or the Hulk!) We've done Osteopaths and Chiropractors, he's had Chinese ladies sticking needles in him and bruising him with hot suction cups and attended Pilates with the most flexible grandmothers on the planet - but still the back goes! So we're trying a new tack, the no cake for a while diet plan (well we couldn't no cake ever!)

This is the plan...

Inspired by Mrs Nesbitts health kick over on her blog, were going to go for it and see if it makes a difference. I don't know if I can stay away from the oven though, so healthy, low fat, high taste recipes would be much appreciated!

I need to build my own back strength if I'm going to get all the bulbs planted in the garden for next year. The 80 allium bulbs I preordered at Chelsea Flower show arrived this week and its a race against time to get them in. I didn't get much in last year and come spring I was looking longingly at the early colour in other peoples gardens - never again! We've planted forsythia, aubretia, daffs and tulips and now alliums, lots of 'em! I even got round to planting some indoor bulbs ready for Christmas, but it seems they couldn't wait...these paperwhite narcissi burst open over the weekend and have filled the kitchen with a lovely smell.

and thank goodness they do smell nice as Ive got a large bowl of onions soaking in brine ready to pickle, and blimey do they whiff, but more of those tomorrow...

Pumpkins, pasta and plenty of painkillers...

2010-10-31T20:05:00.002Z

Well I feel as though I'm a stranger to my own blog at the moment. Once again being able to sit down and type seems like the greatest luxury, perhaps when I talk you through the last week you ll see why!

It all started pretty well, I was following Jamie's thirty minute suppers and we made porcini tagliatelle, mushroom pasta in fact. The raw materials were assembled, the timer was started and I'm pleased to say that before the thirty minutes were up...pasta was served.

That Jamie really knows his onions, and his mushrooms for that matter. The result was delicious...

The only thing I would question are his portion sizes, this made enough for both of us and packed lunched the following day, Jules Oliver certainly doesn't fit into those frocks on this this diet!

So far so good... then came the day of the great support. No, not a fitting for ladies undergarments, but the the day the steel support were lifted in through the window and put into place ready for the hall wall to be knocked out. Now on Grand Designs this always involves a crane and lots of men in hard hats shouting 'steady on ' - not in this house it doesn't! Instead the sturdiest chaps we could muster were assembled and the thing was lifted in by hand to cries of , well its probably best not to repeat them to be honest!

So the blog was put on hold again...

And then just as the skip arrived and the all of the rubble needed removing BHs back took a turn for the worse. Skips don't fill themselves so sleeves had to be rolled up and wheelbarrows had to be filled. Of course children had to be fed and pumpkins had to be carved too!

So the blog was put on hold again...

So now I'm glad to say wall have been demolished, rubble is removed, children have been fed, pumpkins carved, tricks treated, invalids medicated and were all well on the way to recovery.

Its nice to be back...Happy Halloween!!!

From all of us xxx

National Baking Week

2010-10-19T11:31:00.002+01:00

Did you know that it's National Baking Week here in the UK...I know, any excuse to fire up the ovens!
We got ahead of the game on Sunday and continued our adventures in breadmaking. We started with a bread machine but reverted hand kneading over the past few months. My first loaves were solid little affairs best used in self defense rather than self sufficiency! But I'm proud to say that after lots of trial and error... We're getting there...

But of course Freerangers cannot live on bread alone - they need cookies too, white chocolate and cranberry to be precise ( they started as Nigella white chocolate and pistachio but I'm always looking for a reason to crack out the cranberries).

Since the oven was already on ( that's my favourite baking excuse of the moment) I put some brownies in too. C'mon it's not baking without brownies! Again the recipe is courtesy of Nigellas Domestic Goddess, but this time without the walnuts (little freerangers spit them out - heathens that they are!) I replaced them with cherries and cranberries and I was quite pleased with the end product if I do say so myself. They taste quite Christmas cakey but still with plenty of chocolate loveliness...

The other thing I want to bake this week are some scones - mostly as a challenge as Ive never baked them before...I know shocking! But what about you... What will you be baking this week?...

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A room with a view...

2010-10-17T20:54:00.002+01:00

We are so bogged down in building and chores and trying to keep on top of everything that the idea of taking time for ourselves right now seems very distant and strangely surreal - even sitting down for half an hour to blog is the greatest treat! So today in amongst the building and cooking and cleaning and all the rest of it I thought I better stop and take stock. I was summoned to the build to see where we've got to by my little rebels shouting from the ramparts!

I dread to think how they got up there, but before I could say 'wheres your hard hat?' I was up there too. Well if you cant beat them , join em! This was the first time I've stood in the first floor room - our future bedroom. I was so excited I hardly trusted my self on the ladder!

I think BH must have seen the look on my face and guessed that my mind was skipping on to curtains and cushions as he was very quick to point out that things will take a long time yet - oh if only it was like on the telly and we'd all be sorted by teatime! couldn't resist getting a quick preview of what our view will be one day, so here it is....

I'd love to say the view will be much tidier, but I'm not asking miracles, just a bit of greenery outside the window will make a very very happy mum!

So my top tip for today is to stop - stop and take stock, stop and look around you , stop and climb a ladder if needs to be to get a better view, but definitely stop and smell the roses, or soak up the asters because its all alright really!!!

Nightbuilding...

2010-10-14T22:54:00.001+01:00

Bh has taken the suggestion that there's not enough hours in the day to heart. He's invested in a light rig so that he can carry on into the wee hours. I'll be so glad when it's done just so that he can chill out a bit - no doubt he'll have another project by then so it's unlikely that he'll slow down soon! At least he stops for the occasional cake break - got to keep him well fuelled!

This is the first time I've blogged from the phone. Fingers crossed it will work!

Jack Rustling and late harvesting...

2010-10-10T20:35:00.000+01:00

Its been a busy day in the garden today and I still don't feel like we got all of our jobs done! Before we get to anything we had mountains of leaves to rake up and apples to collect. Arthur our Airedale has calmed down a lot this year and so we managed to avoid having to wrestle the rake off of him - as was the case last year! But Pearl soon put paid to any plans we had of getting the job done quickly!

As soon as raked them, she jumped in and rustle them!

She tried hiding but no-one was falling for it!

At this rate we'll never get anything done!

I did manage to clean out our little green house which had been taken over by the butternut squashes which grew everywhere but never bore fruit. I learnt too late that its better to cut them back and force the fruit on - oh well - there's always next year! We got the lawn cut at last - we weren't the only ones trying to make the most of the good weather, the hum of lawn mowers and the scent of Jeyes fluid was in the air! It does feel like a race to get these jobs done before bad weather sets in - what did you get done this weekend, or are you like me and still have a list as long as your arm to get through?

We are still picking though. Tomatoes, chillis and cucumbers are coming in thick and fast. After dropping half the harvest on the way back to the house I finally got these to the kitchen... that'll teach me to take a basket with me!

Autumn colour at Harlow Carr...

2010-10-06T21:40:00.000+01:00

We had a trip out at the weekend to the stunning RHS garden 'Harlow Carr'. I start to lose interest in the garden at this time of year as it just seems like one chore after another - but this proved the perfect antidote to yet another days leaf raking!

A shot of autumn colour to chase the blues away!

The Harlow Carr Garden is just over an hour away from us, just outside of Harrogate. I wasn't sure if there would be much to see at this time of year, but I was definitely wrong. Shades of Autumn coloured the landscape and the planting was so well thought out to ensure that the very last drops of colour would be around to see out the season...

The long border garden was beautiful - Ive made a promise to myself to go back and see it throughout the year. How did it inspire me - well for one thing I wont be daunted by the size of my border any more, I mean look at the size of these! and I'm determined to plant on a bigger scale. When i put one or two plants in they just get lost in our long border and have no effect - not any more - scouts honour!

I love this tea 'leaf' pot - although I'm not sure how its poured!

My next resolution for next year - to plant more foliage. I didn't used to see the point of plants that weren't showy and flamboyant. My how my tastes have changed!

But I couldn't give up colour completely - these pinks and purples were much brighter than they came out on camera - and a joy on a cloudy October day...

We found these in the woods - sorry - arboretum! I did wonder about something like this as a garden feature, BH just rolled his eyes!

and the Freerangers had the bestest time with miles of garden to run round, log mazes to explore, willow whales to hide in and plenty of ice cream - a grand day out indeed!

Hats off to the WI...

2010-10-03T23:50:00.000+01:00

Reader, I have a confession. I am a member of the WI. No, that's not the whole truth. For the previous year I've been the president of my WI, leading monthly meetings and attending council meetings as and when required. At first I was just offered a taste, just the odd meeting when I could make it so I could get to know people in my village, but before I knew it I found that it wasnt enough and I needed more - what started as a voluntary membership became a fully paid up place on the committee!

Last Thursday we had our group rally where we get together with other local Institutes and enjoy an evening of entertainment together. This evening marked the end of my year as President as I decided that although it was fun, what with my new job and all I can't really give it the time it deserves.

But in celebration of what was a fab year I wanted to share some of our competition entries to show just how creative the ladies of the institute can be! The theme of our competition was 'a hat for all seasons' and every institute interpreted there own way...

This was ours...not a bad effort I thought, in fact we came a very respectable second...

This was our neighbouring village - to be honest I'd wear any of these - I think they're so glam!

this was the winner, and deservedly so... the hats were very detailed and beautifully presented.

I don't know if I'd wear it , but this was definitely my favourite. just a shame that none of the ladies would model it...perfect for a mad hatters tea party!

and it wouldn't be a WI meeting without a bit of a spread - the ladies did us proud...

So there it is, my year as 'El Presidente' has come to an end. Its been good but I'm more than happy to hand the baton on! I wonder how many of you belong to secret societies also! I still have my Tufty club badge and my Dennis the Menace club badge - guess I've always had the joining gene!

My Girl Pearl....

2010-09-29T22:31:00.001+01:00

This is our girl Pearl - you might remember her from her first photos back in July when we brought her home with us. I wanted to post a picture of her with her big buddy Arthur, but Airedales being as they are I couldnt get him to stand still long enough - better luck tomorrow!

Pearl and Freerangenana have a very special relationship (one that involves lots of treats and cuddles!) as a result my supposed Queen Ratter is becoming one precious lap dog. As we speak she's curled up on BHs knee - what a princess!

A busy week and a bleedin birthday...

2010-09-26T20:06:00.001+01:00

Who knows where the time goes? I start each week with a list of garden jobs and house stuff that I either has to be done, should be done or ideally I would just like to do. the list is always ridiculously ambitious which invariably leaves me with a sinking feeling and an unchecked guilt trip.

Earlier this summer I daydreamed about cooking things up out elderberries and brambles, of juicing our apples and stewing up fruit to fill the freezer with pies.

Dream on Freerangegirl - when I finally got out to the hedgerows I found that what hadn't already been picked was shrivelled and dried up already. We haven't plenty of elderberries near us - i know as I planned to harvest them for elderflower champagne but didn't get round to that either! Ive got the bottles, Ive got the yeast, I just need an extra day in the week.

I think its particularly galling in the garden when you don't get round to a seasonal job as you know that it will have to wait another year - I wonder if anyone else missed out on any planned harvests this year, or is it just me!

Last year year BH had his apple juice production line set up by now and we were enjoying the cloudy nectar well up to Christmas, but what with the big build the juicer is still packed away and at the end of the day we can barely crush a grape, never mind anything else!

Friday was BH's birthday and cake was called for, but as it was a school night this called for a late bedtime whilst my freerangers helped out. They left the final stages to Mum but were more than ready for cake action the next day at breakfast (not sure that's on the healthy schools agenda, but I wont tell them if you don't!)

I love to see perfectly iced cakes, but for our own birthdays I love the child decorated look, so the milky way stars and chocolate buttons got put to very good use. We made a red velvet layer cake and covered it in chocolate ganache. It was a nightmare to get it to set as I was cooking it so late at night I dint have time to let the layers cool and they all wanted to slide off - I ended up securing it with kebab sticks in the fridge overnight.

BH loves a chocolate cake but wasn't quite prepared for the red insides - the words 'chocolate roadkill' come to mind! - well at least it took his mind off getting older!

Workers teatime and a sad sunday...

2010-09-20T21:33:00.001+01:00

The building is cracking on a pace. Its unbelievable how quickly things start to take shape once bricks are being laid. Finally our children dont think Dad's building a swimming pool - its going up instead of down at last!

For the longest time BH has been talking me through the finest details of the drawings and plans and managed not to throw them at me when Ive drifted off under the weight of all the technical detail. It was never that I was interested but I just keep leaping too far ahead to the curtains and cushions stage!

But now weve got holes for windows and doors, i'm practically giddy with excitement! We've already practised sitting in various parts of the room to imagine looking out of the window - but I am under strict orders that if I buy any furniture before its finished tools will be downed in protest!

At least I can feel confident that at last we'll have a room with a view!

This doorway isn't quite as huge as it looks - BH is stood quite a way up the hill - either that or our Yorkshire mist is making him shrink!

Despite the rumours, builders dont survive on tea alone - they quite like a bit of cake to go with it. We had a rare trip to the famous Bettys tea rooms and couldnt resist these beauties. The French fancies have gone down a storm, Mr Kiplings won't ever seem the same again! Personally I'm quite quite taken with the chocolate chestnut conkers!

We'd planned a Sunday tea to serve these up at, but alas things didnt quite go to plan, not least but because we made a discovery in the chicken coop which knocked us for six. We lost our favourite baby buff bantam this weekend to the pecking order. We noticed that the Marys (our bossy hybrids who we hatched earlier this year) were getting increasingly dominant with our oldest Buff Bantam offspring. She was beautiful and had just laid her first egg. They bossed her about but it seemed no more than that, only when we checked them Sunday teatime we found that she'd been pecked to death. I know, I know - rural life can be brutal, but right now I could throttle the Murdering Marys myself. BH is really sad too as she was the first chick we ever hatched and he had hoped to show her next year.

So heres to BB, our baby buff, we'll miss her very much.

Dilly Beans...

2010-09-14T20:17:00.007+01:00

Now the Courgette glut is coming to an end Ive been looking for things to do with the runner beans. Even when we lived in a tiny flat in London I've found ways to grow runner beans that have gone straight to the table. But since moving here I swear the Yorkshire air has either gotten to the beans or gone to my head because our beans have gone crazy and are producing pound after pound.

There's not much space left in the freezer (its full of courgettes) so I've turned my mind to pickling. Alys Fowler made Dilly Beans on TV the other night so I thought Id give them a go. Just white vinegar, water and salt brought to the boil and poured in. then packed with some garlic and dill. I did fiddle about with the recipe on jar number 2 and added a packet of pickling spice to try a different taste. They need to stand now for at least a couple of weeks and then we'll give them a try. Let me know if you've ever made these, I'm dying to know if they're worth it!

Now I'm starting on the tomatoes! Pasta sauces are already underway, I guess I'll have to find some freezer space after all.

To top it all our first batch of damson jam arrived to day from freerangenans production line. It definitely passes the taste test. I am very lucky to have the jam maker extraordinaire just around the corner, the damson harvest is so looked forward to for the jam we get I don't think BH trusts me not to turn it into damson soup by accident!

Whats at the bottom of your garden?

2010-09-12T20:52:00.008+01:00

Its been a hectic week here at the Freerange homestead. I started the week full of great intentions, planning to complete my self imposed 7 days of courgette cuisine, but is was to no avail, Monday came - work started and I haven't stopped since. It is great to be back in the swing of things though and I'm gradually getting back to my routine, but I think I'll be a while before I see the end of anything on TV that starts after ten! (I'm not snoring honestly, just breathing rhythmically!)

Also this week we've been watering for two as the freerange grandparents took a long overdue and very well deserved holiday. I love looking after somebody elses garden - have you ever noticed how other peoples gardens are full of flowers and not weeds, and how you seem to stop and stare in them rather than finding yet another job to do.

I wonder how many people have a tree like this in their garden...

It looks like just another tree until you get closer...

and if you're a really determined little explorer you might even find this..

The home of the fairies that eat grandpas strawberries! My little ones have studied this house for hours in the hope of catching one of its inhabitants, but know to never disturb it in case they never return! Amazingly it magics away to warmer climes in the winter, when the leaves drop - fancy that!

The grandparents returned refreshed and a good job too, because we've put freerange nan straight to work on the damson harvest!

The preserving production line has begun as I delivered the rest of our pickings to her tonight. Freerangenan is the Jam Queen! All in all we picked just shy of 10 pounds of fruit, and that was just from the lower branches. Damson Jam here we come!!!

A courgette quickie...

2010-09-06T21:21:00.005+01:00

Just a quickie tonight because I can't quite believe how tired I am after the first day back at work - too tired to cook even the humblest of courgettes - so instead...uncooked courgettes.

These are from Nigellas Forever Summer, and she calls them a carpacciao of zucchini gialli, which she admits is a bit poncey - I called them yellow ribbons, but whatever you call them they're surprisingly delicious. Just ribbons of courgette, a squirt of lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, some maldon salt and pepper.

I made them to share with BH but they were gone before he made it to the table - never mind!

Lunchbox essentials...

2010-09-05T19:11:00.005+01:00

My school bag is packed, pencils are sharpened and shoes are shined and ready for tomorrow. Thankfully the sun has shone all day and the garden gave us a last flourish before term starts - these nasturtiums were looking eaten and ropey a few weeks ago but have really perked up - just in time to provide us with a late summer glow!

To take my mind off first day nerves I cooked up yet another batch of courgettes - this time following Patrices recommendation for courgette muffins from the allotment.com site. Thanks for tip Patrice! BH wasnt convinced at first, he's still recovering from my trying to slip him a beetroot brownie ( I know lots of people love 'em but I must have taken a wrong turn on that recipe because mine were shocking!)

I shouldnt have worried because these were very popular - They taste quite treacly which helps and are very moist. I might even give courgette cake a go after this!

Perhaps I'll pack one in my lunch box - thanks to the courgettes I can pass it off as one of my five a day!

You say courgette I say zucchini...

2010-09-04T21:43:00.007+01:00

Today was Day four in my week of courgette cuisine (i'm determined not to waste any of them). But instead of courgettes today were talking zucchinis, there is a reason for this madness - I promise. For one thing, I figured that if I gave them a different name I might get them past the family for another day running before courgette fatigue sets in - and its in honour of Dom at Bellaukitchen as I believe this recipe came from the states in the first place!

The dish consists of lightly coated fried strips of courgette, loads of mozzarella and a truly gorgeous tomato sauce. The sauce is definitely the secret weapon in this recipe and im going to have a go at freezing some on its own for future use, it has a good glug of balsamic vinegar and white wine in it so it has that sweet and tart taste that you get from seaside ketchup if you know what I mean - lovely!

I topped it with parmesan and then baked until it was ready - the only probelm was waiting for it to cool down before we could dig in! If you try one courgette recipe this season then I would definitely give this a go - it was delicious. BH rated it as his favourite so far ( I think it helped that I didn't call it a lasagne so he wasnt looking longingly for the pasta!)

So it was a big thumbs up from the freerangers - thanks for recipe Dom, we all voted it Truly Great!

But I couldnt end todays post without sharing this picture of freerangenan and bionic grandpas flower baskets - theyve gone crazy this year. I wouldnt be surprised if they get a fine for taking over the pavement without a permit!

Blue skies and Yellow happiness...

2010-09-03T21:45:00.003+01:00

It was the last official day of the summer hols today. Oh I know we've still got the weekend, but that doesn't really count - today was our last freebie, before we have to start thinking about uniforms and getting up on time and brushing hair (oops maybe thats just us!) We'd got stuck into boring old chores today when BH put his foot down and said enough was enough - we were off to the beach before the hols were over! It does help that its just up the road!

Its easy to forget the pleasures of an afternoon on the sands - but every time we go down the beach I do feel so lucky to have this on our doorstep. No more trips to the Early Learning Centre to replenish the sandpit - we just sit and play on the beach instead!

I dont know if it was the sunshine or the blue skies that brought out this little Freerangers crazy side but something definitely had a positive effect on him - even his sister couldn't stay 'oh so serious' for too long!

So after all those blue skies and sunshine our dish of the day had to be the Yellow Happiness soup from Nigellas Summer book...

It is so easy, really unbelievably easy considering the taste it packs in.

All I had to do was chop two large yellow courgettes and cook them in a little olive oil with some lemon zest, then add a good dollop of turmeric, 1 litre of stock ( I used chicken), the juice of the lemon I zested and a cup of rice and cook for about 20 mins...and that was it!

I have lots more yellow courgettes to come so this could well become a freeranger staple! I love it, it's light enough to feel virtuous but tasty enough to feel like a treat...perfect!

Must start thinking about tomorrow and day 4 of the the courgette challenge! Dom at Bellau Kitchen shared his courgette lasagne so it would be rude not give it a go really! (maybe I'll call it zucchini just to confuse the kids)

When is a courgette not a courgette...

2010-09-02T20:11:00.004+01:00

When its a stuffed marrow of course! Tonight was round 2 in our 7 days of courgette cuisine and after a day back at work I was starving hungry so it had to be substantial... and it certainly was that!

I sauted some garlic, red onions and mushrooms, scooped out the centres and stuffed 'em good and proper. I thought that looked a bit too healthy so I wedged plenty of feta and tomato on top and gave them a good glugging with the olive oil (drizzlings for wimps!). They took a while to bake but we really moist and tasty - the feta definitely did the business adding a salty kick. So far so good!

Tomorrow is officially the last day of the summer hols. Although i've been in at work most days this week, this still marks the end of another summer for me and any other teachers out there - so Friday calls for Nigellas Happiness soup to raise the spirits (thanks Mrs Nesbitt and Brownieville Girl for the tip off!)

Buildings a Go Go...

2010-09-01T20:33:00.005+01:00

First of all thankyou for sticking with me whilst I disappeared from blogland for the last week. Citygirl treated us all to a very much appreciated break and we packed up the the tribe and headed for the hills.

Our minifreerangers couldnt have been happier - at last a chance to release their inner princess and pirate without mum and dad moping on about cement mixers!

Bless that Citygirl! She certainly knows whats needed and when! Waiting for planning approval had us both at the end of our tether - I'd convinced myself that it wasnt going to happen, we would have to move and start again and my veg patch would belong to someone else - boo hoo! But Citygirl knows better than to give into amateur dramatics and shoved us on bikes for the week to take our mind off things ( she also knows just when a mojito is called for!) so Mojitos, bikes and lots of rest were prescribed and we certainly feel all the better for it.

Especially because...our building plans have been approved!!!! Hoorah!!!

We got the call a couple of days early and it took us completely by surprise, but now its full steam ahead. Bricks are being laid at last!

Secondly - can I thank everybody who posted suggestions for what to do with my courgettes - in the culinary sense that is! Bionic Grandpa kept watering while we were away and they just kept producing more and more. So in honour of you all I am going to try and cook a different courgette dish from your suggestions every night this week (also Ive run out room in the freezer!)

Tonights was nice and easy - Spicy Vegetable Soup. Onions, Courgettes, tomatoes, Peppers, more courgettes, an anonymous chilli, some basil, more courgettes and plenty of seasoning.

Its very simple but very yum! Its also very low calorie to compensate for all the lovely food citygirl plied us with, but theres no compromise on the taste. Im going to try freezing some as a lunchtime standby...

Im already planning tomorrows creation...

Good Foundations...

2010-08-20T23:45:00.008+01:00

The day of concretion has come at last! The concrete mixer arrived very early (much earlier than we expected!) and we shot out of bed and straight into our wellies to get shovelling. BH was on barrow duty and I was literally up to my wellytops in conc until the Bionic Grandpa arrived with his rake in hand to rescue me. Id love to say that I finished the job off and was responsible for the end product - but I didnt want to get in their way (handy that!) and I retreated to teamaking duty!

After much moving and smoothing we have our first base down and we couldnt be prouder - sad I know - but i cant wait for it to dry so I can put the patio chairs out on it and imagine what it will be like!

Elsewhere, Im glad to say that we have more late colour popping up...

and these are still busting out all over - I wasnt sure at first as the leaves have looked scabby all summer but weve had about 20 courgettes off it and its still going strong - and they taste lovely - much less bitter than the green ones can be.

BH dug up his first potatoes. He's very proud - i think he may end up framing these! I only planted maincroppers this year and Ive been too nervous to dig em up in case they were too small but so far so good...

and at last - the toms are making it from the green house to the table. As usual they'll all come at once. Thank goodness for Tomato salads....and soup...and pasta sauce...and ratatouille (speaking of which has any got a good recipe for this one that will freeze - Ive got to do something with all these courgettes!!!

Birthday blooms...

2010-08-19T16:59:00.006+01:00

Well its finally been and gone - the birthday that is. We had a lovely meal with friends and family and a good time was had by all, until I realised that I was actually getting older and my midlife crisis was looming. Fortunately my little ones had been baking with Freerangenana and surprised me with this - if crisis looms call for cake!

The jug and cushion were my presents too - The freerangekiddlys know mums taste very well!

I took the opportunity of having so many helpers on hand to get a spot of weeding and planting done. Gardengirl was here and she bravely donned the nettle armor and fought back the onslaught of weeds we call our Long Border! We managed to liberate the beans which had been hiding in 'Nettle Hole and this Salvia 'Hotlips' - i'm so proud of this plant as I bought it at the start of the summer with just three reedy prongs coming up from it - hasn't it done well!

We had a birthday trip to Reighton Nurseries. This is not far from us and is amongst my favourite nurseries ever - if there are any Reightonites reading this they'll know why! It's a plant persons paradise - no coffee shop, just fields of plants of every variety under the sun and so cheap. This was Gardengirls first trip and her face was a picture! I think she's coming back with a trailer next time.

I couldnt resist getting a bit more late summer colour...

and a bit more still...

Thankfully I had Gardengirl on hand to tell me what would grow into what and where to stick it (which she did very politely i might add!) - she even planted them out for me (i'm not sure she trusted me to do it right!)

So I blew out my candles, stocked up on anti ageing cream and made my wish...and guess what, it came true...

They've finally gone red!!!

Our Yorkshire Getaway...

2010-08-11T15:46:00.008+01:00

Now I wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong impression and think we're always off gallivanting, but this week is a very busy one for me, my wedding anniversary (8 years1)and birthday (too many years!) fall within 6 days of each other - and if that's not an excuse for a bit of gallivanting, I don't know what is!

We took up the lovely FreerangeGrandparents offer of a sleepover for the Wee Ones and snuck off to Crab Manor over in North Yorkshire. I cant believe I didnt photograph if from the front as its quite a beautiful building, but you can check it out at www.crabandlobster.co.uk Its a Manor House hotel attached to a restaurant, but it's so much more! Every room is themed around a famous hotel around the world and styled accordingly. Even though we'd read the brochure we still didnt really know what to expect, but I can definitely say it was out of this world!

This was the view from our window - I wish my lawn looked that green!

These gardens surrounded the path to the restaurant...

I do love a claw foot bath - I could have stayed in there all weekend...

This was our room 'The Ritz' - well we had to go for a London hotel didnt we!

The restaurant has to be seen to be believed. No photo could really do it justice and I didnt have a flash on me, but it is packed to the rafters with truly eclectic paraphernalia, everything from an antique wicker bathchair to racing paddock passes hang from the ceiling and your eyes are drawn to new wonders wherever you look. We are thinking about going back and sneaking our own memento onto the shelves to see if anyone notices!

There were surprises to be found all over the Manor - a 12 foot stuffed Yeti (described as the 'night porter'!)and gorgeous vintage furniture - but BHs favourite was this little note that awaited him in our room...

Needless to say it was a very successful treasure hunt!

All that Jazz...

2010-08-08T13:50:00.007+01:00

When we left London our friends were all very supportive and oohed and ahhed in all the right places when we showed them pictures of where we were heading, but the one thing they couldnt really get their heads round was 'what would we do here'. Once we'd fed chickens and dug potatoes and walked dogs and built sandcastles - what would we do? How could we leave the theatres and concerts and comedy clubs and galleries all behind us? Fortunately we knew that there is life beyond the M25 and what people so often didn't realise was that although all that was on offer in London, when you've got two small children and are paying a London sized mortgage, you dont go out anyway!

I am very glad to say that is all remedied now. We've just enjoyed a fantastic weekend of culture and all just up the road from us at Burton Agnes Hall.

I love the Hall, its a real hidden gem as so many just dont know what's on offer there. It has the most amazing art collection which has really shocked some of our city friends when they've visited, but also amazing grounds including a walled garden.

I often find my way there - sometimes just to retreat after a hectic week at work. This time I sent my teenage goddaughter into it to explore on her own and find her own treasures. She came back wowed after her own 'secret garden' exploration!

Obviously a garden this size takes some looking after - they take all the help they can get!

This weekend was the fourth annual Jazz Festival. We got tickets as a joint birthday treat between myself and my old girly friend H, she'd had her birthday, mines coming up and we spent Saturday camped out on the lawns. It was a real treat for the Mums - very chilled out, enjoying great music, a great picnic and even greater dancing from our big brood of Jazz Babies!

We had a great view of everything from Big Band Swing to Dennis Rollins - Jazz trombonist (He blew us away - excusing the pun! He may even have converted BH to jazz!)

But a birthday picnic is nothing without a cake, so my own Jazz Girl was very busy the day before making sure we had extra special picnic treats!

So in answer to to my City Friends - its okay - we're finding plenty to do!

Its Showtime...

2010-08-05T19:51:00.008+01:00

I do love a Country Show, I love everything about them , the live stock, the Fur and Feather, the craft stalls, the things you buy that you never knew you needed and above all the chance to imagine i'm a farmer for the day! After our busy schedule over the past few weeks my Better Half said 'enough was enough' and packed us all off to the Thornton le Dale Show in North Yorkshire. We have a great show just up the road from us, the Driffield show, but its often in term time so I can never go. We also have the Great Yorkshire Show which I hear is fantastic, but again its in term time so I only get to read the reviews. But God Bless the organisers of the Thornton Le Dale spectacular - they know that teachers love a good show too!

My mum - FreeRangeNan! and me spent ages eyeing up these Rams as likely winners in their beauty contest

Who could resist this cheeky fella!

They all had star appeal (I think those sideburns should have got a rosette myself!)

But eventually the winner was one from a completely different pen so we never got to see him!

I think we weren't the only ones disappointed...

We soon found consolation however in the form of the tastiest cupcakes I've ever tried ( and i've tried a few as my losing battle to get into my skinny jeans has shown!) I thought I was totally over cupcakes. You know once there in Greggs then maybe the best has already been and gone and I was fed up by being disappointed by sickly sweet creations that were all style over substance; see I said I'd tried a few in my time. But when I found the mama doreens stand I decided to have one last fling with the buttercream!

This cupcake business ( www.mamadoreenscupcakes.co.uk ) is based in Harrogate in Yorkshire and all their cakes are made using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible. I found from their website that they deliver so guess what my relatives are getting for their birthdays! This is Jessica who selected four gorgeous concoctions for me and was doing a great job dealing with the crowds they were attracting.

We had a 'grand day out', the horses, the sheep, the fancy bantams, the tractors, the cupcakes - whats not to love! Ive only ever helped with oragnising school fetes and knowing what a minefield they can be, I certainly appreciate the work that must go on putting on an event like this - its certainly worth it! I felt proud to be a countrygal, proud of my Yorkshire roots and even at times a little bit like a farmer ( im working on my sideburns as we speak!)

We got home shattered, but not too tired for these...

I think I may have found my perfect cupcake - who needs skinny jeans anyway...

All dug out...

2010-08-03T20:53:00.005+01:00

I never want to see another foundation trench in my life - not ever, never, ever! We have dug and dug and dug some more - actually BH did most of the digging with a little help from his friends, but all the same, I do feel that we should strike oil or breakthrough to Oz or something at this rate!

After supplying enough tea to fill the trench I was allowed some time off for good behaviour so instead of lying down in a darkened room , which now sound really good, I got some weeding done at last. I swear my nettles are on magic hormone growth stimulant. they're taking over! I cleared an area of the border which was completely tangled with weeds and managed to get some of the plants which have been sitting waiting in the greenhouse into the ground - I know its late in the year but better than never as they say...

This was my first feelgood spot of the day. I love the blue of this Veronica...

but then I got the Hydrangea Lanarth White into the ground and that became my fave of the day, I cant wait till it fills out more, i've really developed a crush on white hydrangeas...

but then I managed to finish one of the knitting projects thats been sitting in my basket for ages. On their own these wrist warmers are pretty so so, but once my daughter got her hands on them they took on a life of their own and the feelgood factor was decided!

I've been promised a day off tomorrow, we'll see...

One brick at a time

2010-07-30T23:07:00.004+01:00

Now I'm on holiday its full steam ahead with our building project. We are awaiting planning permission and Im trying not to think too much about that. The whole reason for developing this project is that none of the rooms on our house look onto the garden. The house is of its time when picture windows wouldnt be 'wasted' on the back of the house. If all goes to plan we will have a two storey extension built sympathatically and in keeping the rest of things, with views onto our garden and looking up to the church we were married in...aaah. If things dont go well, then ...well like I said, Im not going to think about that!

Either way we had to knock down the existing extension as the damp was horrific in there. I think BH was pleased to be getting on with something but I would rather be doing it with the next stage fully agreed. When you see it at this stage it looks pretty horrific - I keep reminding myself to have faith - I know that BH isnt planning a permanent outside loo!

BH is doing this on his own and I know he's getting fed up with barrowing rubble aready - hang in there BH, it'll be worth it just to get rid of those tiles!

It does mean that the top of the garden is getting some attention as neither of us can bear to look too much at the garden surrounding the gravel pit. I think I will follow the lead of many of the blogs I follow and focus on looking for a beauty spot each day, so that I focus on the right stuff.

Todays feelgood factor came from these...

Scarecrow fever...

2010-07-28T20:48:00.014+01:00

We know how to have a good time in Yorkshire!

Not for us the monotony of the shopping mall and the carousel of consumerism, oh no...when we want to have a good time we make scarecrows!

Scaresheep in fact!

We had a family day out, a brief respite before work starts on the big build, and visited the Muston village Scarecrow festival.
This has been running for a few years now and lots of villagers get involved. I'm amazed by the effort that goes in and by the new ideas people come up year on year. We had a great time scarecrowspotting!

Citygirl was with us and I could tell she wasnt sure and her expectations werent high, but that was before she saw this!

The ScareSnowman!

The Village Green came complete with its own Morris Dancers...

and resident band, (i'm glad to see the moles that were digging up my lawn have found gainful employment!)

I even got to meet my heroes Tom and Barbara from The Good Life (although BH insists I'm more of a Margot - cheek!)

I think we might be in danger of converting Citygirl to country fun, particularly after she found these lovelies!

Meet Pearl...

2010-07-27T16:24:00.004+01:00

BH promised me that we could get another dog just as soon as I was working closer to home...well on Friday I finished my long haul commute ready to take up my new post in September, so on Saturday I kept him to his word!

Pearl is a tenacious Jack Russell pup. She's only nine weeks old but she's already showing us what shes made of. When we first introduced her to Arthur she nipped him on the nose just to let him know she's no push over!

We were worried that they might not get on, or that he might stand on her, but so far so good. He's really taken to being a big brother and he's really gentle with her. I'm not sure who's going to be leading who astray!

Holidays are here!!!

2010-07-24T19:07:00.006+01:00

Hoorah!!! They're here at last - after counting down the sleeps and asking how many 'get ups', the summer holidays are finally here! I intended to write a post each night this week as I counted down the days but what with school discos and Governors meetings and what have you i've been too tired to write my own name never mind anything else. But Friday came at last - the end of the term and for me the end of an era, as I finished the job i've been doing (a long way from home) and prepare to take on one much closer to the old homestead. Hoorah!!!

These were waiting for me when I got home...

...along with balloons and my very own ticker tape parade - bless my tribe - they've seen me through every get up and were still there to blow the champagne corks when it came to an end!

This cake was made by one of my parents - I am in awe of their talents and intend to copy this for all my friends!

Once the champagne bubbles have faded I intend to spend the rest of the summer in the garden - the weeds are gathering momentum and it feels already as though the season is slipping away from me. I cant believe I'm excited about raking and hoeing but there it is! the only thing that looks lush in the border at the moment is this Yarrow 'Summer Berries' and even that is in the wrong place and needs moving next year...

But the best thing about breaking up for the summer, the very bestest and loveliest most smashing thing of all is... no more dashing off before breakfast to commute and leaving these two lovelies in bed; and a whole summer of 'Jesse and Woody' fabness ahead - double hoorahs all round!

YEEHAAH!!!

From Blue to Green...

2010-07-18T18:51:00.006+01:00

Since we returned from our getaway weekend everything has been non stop as I head towards the end of term. Ive hardly been in the garden this week...and its given me a case of the mean blues! Ive got the 'my rockets all gone to seed' blues, the 'my flowers seem to have all bloomed at once' blues, the 'I've lost my first crop of gooseberries to the pigeons' blues and to top it all, the 'its July and it wont stop raining' blues! I told you...the mean blues!

I was too blue to even post anything!

Until...we had a brief interlude of sunshine on Saturday and after donning my wellies and heading to the greenhouse I found some reasons to be cheerful!

I bought this little Hosta about a month ago at the Burton Agnes Hall Garden Fair, and it really is little. Its called Mouse Ears and its leaves arent much bigger in reality. In the space of a week it had sent up these beautiful flowers - just what I needed. I've heard of hope in a jar - maybe this is hope in a pot!

On the plot my heart sank again as i saw a cloud of white butterflies, but was lifted when i discovered these Kohl Rabis starting to swell (this was a real treat, because I'd forgotten what I'd planted and I thought they were cabbages!)

Even in the borders where my favourite blossoms seem to have gone as quickly as they arrived, and which now look faded and shabby, there was a nice surprise in store. I planted these beans in here a while ago to see how they would do in the mixed border and they've suddenly decided to go for it.

All in all we had pretty good pickings for the day and my two little helpers were able to load up the basket for teatime. We had kale and courgettes, garlic, peas and of course beetroot. There were plenty of raspberries too to take our minds off the absent gooseberries!

Of course, no sooner were we inside than the rain came again, but now i'm looking on the bright side - no need to water the lawn! And its inspired me to work on this blanket - the colours are inspired by Violas, my favourite flowers - the hope being that it will remind me of Spring when we're in the depths of Winter...plenty of green to keep the blues at bay!

Urban inspirations (episode 2)...

2010-07-13T19:57:00.006+01:00

Day two of our travels saw BH and CityGirl disappear off to the GrandPrix, leaving me to my own devices. The children were away having far too much fun with grandparents, Arthur was staying in the doggy hotel and the chucks were being fed and watered - what was a freerangegirl to do?! I got to spend the day with my total garden inspiration bud, who started me gardening in the first place - Garden Girl!

GardenGirl is an amazing plantswoman and the array of specimens growing in her urban garden is stunning. This is my second visit this year and everything seemed to have changed again as her successional planting is coming into its own. Earlier this year the garden was alive with allium blooms and hues of purple and lime green,now the colour scheme has transcended into pinks and deep greens. I am, as you can probably tell, a bit in awe of Gardengirl and her borders, my only regret is not writing down the names of these lovely plants!

Whats extra amazing about this garden is that ive known Gardengirl for a long time, since her first garden in fact, where many of these larger trees and shrubs were first planted - when she moved the plants came too and are really established now - its like watching them grow up!!!

This seat came from the original garden - its where we used to have a good old gossip in our youths - boy, if timber could talk! I love the way GardenGirl fits plants everywhere without them ever looking too crowded - genius!

I had to put a picture of this Lavender in, I love GardenGirls attention to detail - I made a new gardening resolution to pay more attention to detail! (lets see how long that lasts!

But I've finally found what GardenGirls secret is for a fantastically well kept garden - Watering Pixies, or is it child labour, i'm not sure! GardenGirl has definitely trained GardenBoys very well!!!

We had such a great day, which left me brimming with ideas and inspiration for our Freerange Garden. Before I gathered up a weary BH to return to the Shires, GardenGirl dug me out some plants and loaded up me up with cuttings - now that's what I call friendship. I cant wait to get digging!