Spring foraging

It struck me this last week, what an amazing spring we are having this year. The beautiful array of flowers has been staggering and very much in abundance. For the likes of us foragers, this has meant more delicious pickings :-) So, I thought I would share some of the FREE pickings available to us all to nibble and share.

I have been foraging for many years now, I'm not entirely sure when it started or how exactly but thinking back was probably about twelve or so years ago when I began to experiment with hedgerow jams. When you become enthused with things you naturally want to absorb all the information surrounding that area of interest. So I'm guessing it started with berries and then spread to leaves and other tasty hedgerow finds. Yum!
There's a lot out there and it can be very daunting when you first start out. My advice is (and this is what I practise myself) just get out there and have a wander around. Look at the verges when you go out walking and see how many species of plant you can already identify. You may surprise yourself. What I used to believe to be a mass of weeds now has become a collection of nourishing pickings and as well as the nutritional value, when you explore wild plants further, there are many medicinal qualities about them and much interesting folklore to be intrigued by too.
My ability to take in vast amounts of information; and remember it at any one time, has never been great. Therefore, the way that I have learnt so much over the years is to add about three different species to my repertoire a year.
This year my best new discovery has been Hogweed. Now Hogweed comes in two varieties (I'm sure there are more but these are the two that you need to know). Standard Hogweed and Giant Hogweed. Standard, is the stuff that you are most likely to see out and about and now that I have identified it I realise that it really is everywhere.

Giant Hogweed is enormous! Apparently it was brought over to the UK as an ornamental plant and grows mainly by water. If you need to familiarise yourself do look it up.
When I googled Hogweed; just to confirm that it is safe to eat, I discovered that top British chefs are trying to establish it on the menus of some of the top London restaurants!
You do need to pick this stuff with gloves, not because it stings but because there is something within it that can cause skin irritation especially if the sun reacts with it. This is not a problem for everyone and once cooked is not a reason for alarm, it's merely a precaution.



I fried up some young shoots in a little butter (choose the young over the old as they will be more succulent) and they are rather tasty!

The next plants that you may find in abundance are dandelions. We used to feed these to our bunnies when I was a child. They have quite a bitter taste but if you pick the young shoots and combine them in a salad they are pretty tasty. You can eat the flowers too! Apparently the sap of the plant is good for ridding one of warts ( a poultice of cider vinegar works well for warts too).

Another plant that is quite new to my repertoire this year is Cow Parsley. It's a member of the celery family and can be found growing virtually everywhere at this time of the year. There are some similar poisonous plant varieties so best familiarise yourself before tucking in. The trick I have discovered is that if you pick the plant, the stem is C shaped. The leaves also smell very much like celery if you rub them.

 

 

Do you see the nettle in the foreground? They are amazingly nutritious and are particularly tasty made up into a soup :-)

Hmmm, one of my springtime faves....'Jack by the Hedge' or 'Garlic mustard' as it is often referred. 

I've noticed in the last few days that this plant is currently in flowering mode. Again, look it up if you want to be sure.

This is a picture of one of the flower beds in my front garden. Hmmm pretty weedy hey! Well, right in the centre there you can see quite a lot of Ground Elder. For many gardeners it is seen as a real pain but it is in fact edible and can be used much in the same way as spinach.

A close up :-)

Here's another garden weed right on my doorstep. Clevers/Sticky Willy/Goose Grass. It's the stuff that sticks to you and was the inspiration behind Velcro....useless information!

Small shoots chopped up and added to a salad are tasty but the thinker, older plants...well, they just get stuck in your throat!

One more......

Hawthorn. Right now the blossom is just opening too. The flowers are really tasty and together with the leaves they used to be considered the 'bread and cheese' of the hedgerow.

Okay.....another one slipped in!

Primroses....pretty aren't they. The flowers are fully edible and look lovely added to salads. You can dip them in egg white and then sugar to crystallise them too for cake decorations.

So here it is, my lovely Spring foraged salad. Yummy!

Really scrumptious when accompanied by some stuffed pasta, beetroot and apple bread, halloumi cheese and a little pesto (garlic if you've been lucky enough to find some!). XX

Puffball soup

I love the fact that my children have an astute awareness of the countryside and have fostered my love of foraging. A couple of weeks ago whilst driving home across the estate after an ad hock outing, the children suddenly spotted a collection of puffball mushrooms in one of the cow fields.

Now I'm very cautious where mushrooms are concerned and will only eat those that I know to be edible. There are many varieties out there that have poisonous lookalike, and those I steer well clear of, it simply isn't worth the risk. The giant puffball however is a mushroom that is pretty obvious and rather beautiful really. It's basically a giant ball of pure mushroomy white stuff. They are easy to spot from a distance as they stand out so well from their surroundings as white blobs on the landscape.

Within minutes they returned laden with the autumn delights, their aroma is very distinctly mushroom and can be rather overpowering in the confined space of a car!

Our latest find was turned into soup today and rather scrumptious it was too! Soup is unbelievably simple to make, I rarely use a recipe as most follow the same basic principles. Here's how if you haven't tried it before:

Firstly chop an onion and a couple of cloves of garlic. Fry them in a saucepan until they are soft in with olive oil or I use coconut oil as it copes pretty well with being heated.

Add a stock cube or tablespoonful of vegetable bouillon powder then add some water (I kind of guess amounts here, perhaps half to a pint of water).

Peel and roughly chop your puffball ensuring that the flesh is white and fresh looking.

Add a little salt and pepper and cover and boil.

Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20-30 minutes covered (add more water if necessary) then whizz with a blender, add a splash of cream and serve.

Mmmmmm

Enjoy!!

Sugar free existence

I quit sugar.

'Why?' I hear you ask.......

For quite sometime now I have wondered about the long term effects of a diet high in sugar.
I am indeed an adult raised during the 'low fat' craze of the 80's and 90's, fat causes heart disease right? Well not exactly. If you read the bumf out there it does actually suggest that an idea was born, a seed planted and then the concept literally flew with the wind and now the low fat market is massive and still growing. What has happened as a result is that food companies have replaced their products with fillers and often sugars to entice us to eat them and to make them palatable. It's scary stuff!
I suppose my worries started way back in 2011 when I recognised real highs and lows in my husband; who literally fuelled his body on a diet of high sugar cereals, coke, biscuits - you name it. His highs and lows were very evident with periods of elation followed by moments of despair which he dealt with in his own way. I did a little research back then but didn't act upon my findings until the end of last year when I began to question just why we are becoming a nation of overweight people and why in particular the rate of diabetes, cancer and degenerative brain diseases have become so rife?
When my own mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease I realised that I really had to look further into matters of health to help me understand the condition.
I had also got to the stage when my own sweet tooth was getting the better of me and I too was beginning to gain weight. Cake had moved beyond the realms of a treat and had become the norm, sometimes being consumed several times a day!

Mixed bulgar wheat and quinoa with warmed vegetables and cheese

A good friend recommended a book called 'Grain Brain' by David Perlmutter. Wow! Interesting stuff! It basically shuns the healthy lifestyle that I thought I was living stating that grains and carbs are responsible for so many of our current epidemic health troubles. It suggests that grains cause inflammation in the brain but also in other parts of the body. Sugar of course is high in carbs, in fact the more you read and look at our Western diets, the more you realise that actually out diets are mainly based on carbs. We've been told for years now that carbs should make up the largest part of our daily food intake. Remember that food pyramid with the picture of bread, pasta and grains at the bottom? Which group is at the top? The fats and oils. No wonder our brains have been suffering as a result of low fat diets, our brains need fats to survive and function properly.
I for one have always feasted on a relatively low fat diet, thinking it to be the healthy and sensible option. No wonder all my life I have suffered with poor memory and the inability to retain information. During my formative school years especially, I recall this being a problem.
'Grain brain' suggests a diet based on fat and protein with vegetables (although not the high carb starchy ones). That is all good and well but not so easy if you are vegetarian! It also goes onto say that our bodies are not meant to be fuelled by a diet of sugar. Our early ancestors would have primarily consumed meat with the odd plants and berries here and there (only in season).
Apparently when we eat carbs our brain doesn't register that it is full. How true this is! When I have eaten a plate of pasta and momentarily felt full, within no time at all I would have rooted through the cupboards to find something sweet to follow. If you eat protein and fat your brain does actually register that is is full.

Mashed sweet potatoes with Quorn fillets, beetroot, feta and salad 

Hmmmm!
Intrigued, I felt I had to research these theories further and it seems that others have also adopted the same way of thinking. It makes sense. So before Christmas, I decided to give things a try. I cut sugar from the diets of myself and my children in a big way. We upped our fat intake (protein and good fats - coconut oil and olive oil) and ditched the carbs, big time!
The first week or so was really challenging but I was determined to give the theory a trying practice and see what effects it had on my body.
I wasn't prepared for the amazing results that became apparent.
As a vegetarian it was more of a challenge. I exchanged wheat flour for coconut flour and sugar for Stevia which is made from birch sap. We survived mainly on meatless alternatives, cheese, lentils and eggs; which are considered a super food.
Firstly I had more energy and I wasn't going through  the highs and lows that prior to 'no sugar' I was clearly experiencing. My body plateaued in a way I find difficult to explain. I had a very constant flow of energy and it felt good! I didn't feel periods of tiredness following meals; you know, those 3pm dips; and my muscles felt different. They felt stronger and and more able to endure work. Amazing! The most brilliant aspect of no sugar was no pre menstrual cramps, pains, boob pain or symptoms; not that I suffer much anyway, but all symptoms were completely non existent :-)
The other bonus is that my body became toned, wobbly bits from my arms and the tops of my legs, shrunk and tightened :-)

Warmed mushrooms, peppers, salad and haloumi cheese

A combination of too much coconut flour and Christmas scuppered my plans. Much as I did try very hard around the festive period to resist the carb laden treats, it was extremely challenging. Firstly I was bought a huge box of Thornton's chocolates which were really tough to resist and then there were all the pies, cakes etc etc One thing that I did notice having cut out sugar was the fact that when I now eat sugar it actually tastes poisonous. Genuinely it does and it's not good. It also makes my mouth taste horrid. I guess that I had become resilient to it over the years.
So here I am mid Feb and although I have the odd bit of sugar and some carbs, I'm perfectly happy without it :-) :-), the children have cut back but do have treats :-) :-) It's about getting the balance right!

Words from the mouth of a self confessed sugar addict. 

Asparagus, mixed salad and cauliflower cheese with a dressing

Mmmm lunch for free

Hmmm I've been out and about foraging for scrumptious delights to feast on. Spring time is a fantastic time of year for free food. As the warm weather starts to kick in the green areas become alive with tasty treats.
Way back in May 2013 I blogged about Ramsons (or wild garlic as it is know to most). It grows mainly in woodlands and now at this time it is definitely at it's best when all the flavour is within the leaves. You can forage it right into May but the energy moves up into the flowers in May and the pungent flavour isn't as intense.

A word of caution when picking. Make sure you don't confuse the garlic with Bluebell leaves or those of the Lords and Ladies, which grow side by side.

So our favourite little haunt is laced with Ramsons right now so with the weather as it has been for the past few days, it seems the perfect excuse to take a wander and go picking.

You can add a little layer of grated cheese here. Yummy!

You can add the tasty leaves to salads or my most favourite thing is to make them into pesto. If you look back at the May 13 blog 'If you go down to the woods today.....' you can find my recipe.
Saturday when I made my first batch of pesto of the year, I spread some onto a plain flat great and lightly fried one side, then I sandwiched another flat bread on top and flipped it over. The kids love it too!
Garlic pesto is also scrumptious stirred into pasta or as a pizza base topping.....
Enjoy!!

Mothering Sunday

What I lovely day today has been. Not the weather, that's been rather dull, but the day itself. It's been one of those lovely rolling days that just drifts by allowing for fun and business but also calm and relaxation. Arrrr......

The children woke me up a minute before my alarm with token gifts and cards as signs of their appreciation of my efforts. Handmade trinkets and vouchers for massages..... shall look forwards to cashing those in!

A hand warmer, card and 2.5hr massage voucher from the Little Lady, two beautifully handmade bracelets, a card and a Hama bead photo frame complete with fun photo from Miss P, oh and a further 2 hr back massage voucher and a picture and army coloured loom band bracelet from Small Boy. Such thoughtful children :-)

This morning we headed off to church for the 'All age worship' service, it's always especially lovely on Mothering Sunday. This morning we were armed with 62 mother's of the gingerbread kind all decorated with love and arranged in rows on trays ready to sell.

We host a little cake sale after the family service every month and the proceeds of our sale goes towards the sponsorship of a young eight year old boy called Ravi who lives with his family in India.
We've been doing this as a family for about eight years now. It came about when Miss P was little and as a mother I wanted her to learn about others in the world, especially those in countries less well developed than our own. Back then it cost just £18 a month to sponsor a child, with over 80% of the donations going directly to the needs of the children who are part of the project. It's not a huge amount of money when you break it down into daily increments but to us at the time it wasn't something I felt I could commit too due to our low income. So we put it to our congregation and asked them if they would help us. I committed to bake cakes every month and pay for the ingredients and the proceeds of the sale sponsor the child.
For seven years we sponsored a young girl called Tina who lived in Bangladesh. She wrote to us and told us about her life. She seemed very happy but extremely poor financially compared to us in the UK. When we sent her £10 for her birthday, she was able to buy a goat, chickens, a new dress and books. Amazing!
Upon reaching fourteen, Tina moved away from the area to an area no longer supported by the project we were funding, the financial help that we provided gave her food, education, medical care and religious teaching. Now we are helping Ravi, the monthly fee has also risen to £24, not much per day but in a third world country it can stretch a long way. To find out more visit Compassion UK it's a worthy cause.
During the service, all of the females were given a small bouquet of flowers and foliage, a lovely gesture. I did have to shut my son up upon heading back to the car though. He announced that the bouquets were dead and that the flowers had been taken from someones grave! I questioned his story and he informed me that there were several other similar flowers in the bin.......honestly, that boy!!

From church to my favourite cafe of the moment. The wonderful strawbale cafe at The
Whichford pottery. I knew it would be busy today and imagined we'd have to wait for a table, but as luck would have it our absolute favourite spot on the sofas right next to the wood stove were free :-). It was meant to be! So we spent an hour or so loving our surroundings, chatting, eating the scrumilitious food and me....I found myself totally engrossed in a book on Transition Britain. Food for thought and then proceeded to figure out how the cafe could actually be my home! Oh yes, I've got it all worked out. It would be amazing. An open plan living area downstairs with kitchen at one end and perhaps an added bathroom area/shed on the back and a mezzanine floor area in the roof space to house our low level beds.......dreaming again. I find the place so grounding and peaceful even when it is bustling with chattering mummy's!

Back home for an afternoon of relaxation. Everyone was busy doing their own things, it's perfectly lovely!

Oh, and homemade pizza for tea........

......and entertainment in the form of an air show!

I have to say that I struggle with days like today. Not because I'm n old grump, it's just that I feel we should take time to make our mother's feel special and loved everyday and it's not just mother's. There are many folk in this world who aren't mother's and may never be so but still play a huge part in the role of being carers for children and adults in someway. They should be recognised too :-)

Hope you've had a wonderful day folks!

Ruby's adventures in Wonderland

I cannot believe it! My darling daughter (aka, The Little Lady) celebrated her 10th birthday today. Where does the time go? One whole decade of fun and laughter....oh and of course those rather famous tantrums!
In our house it seems that birthdays are definitely occasions to look forwards to. Planning of parties begins often immediately after the previous birthday has passed. It's a little dull for me as I cringe at the passing of the years in my own life, but as a child, I can see the sheer pleasure and joy of being the centre of attention, planning and attending parties and of course receiving birthday gifts.
So about six months ago or so, The Little Lady began to plan her birthday party. This years theme:- Alice in Wonderland. Wowzers!

Many years ago in a previous life, I used to have time to think about and carefully plan birthday parties, I actually built up quite a reputation for the level of excitement raised as a result of my efforts. It's not like that now. I have VERY good intentions but some how time just seems to whizz on by and I pass from having huge amounts of time to being caught up amidst a mad rush!

It wasn't quite as daunting as it seems, I did get some early ideas together (well in my head anyway).
The costume has been bubbling away in my thoughts for quite some weeks and warranted a trip to my favourite fabric store Mason's! Arrr that store.....I lose myself in there amongst the rolls of fabric and bits and bobs, it really is any creative persons dream place.
So I found the fabrics and trimmings I thought I needed and popped them in a safe little place back home ready for when the moment arose. Of course the time passed and I didn't actually get around to starting it until Thursday last week (with only three days to go) and of course The Little Lady didn't choose a simple design. Oh no! She chose a rather lovely little lacy ballet number. It was rather beautiful. We took inspiration from a picture on Pinterest. However, what I hadn't anticipated was the lack of stretch in my bargain lace fabric. So of course whilst fiddling away (as I do) last week and attempting to craft my masterpiece, we encountered a few minor problems actually squeezing my costume on. With life's busy schedule and a severe lack of time I made a last minute decision to go for plan B. (Well actually there wasn't a plan B but I quickly thought one up!)
A few years back, the girls took part in a rather lovely dance show and one of the costumes I made for the pair of them were beautiful romantic style leotards and skirts. I was really proud back then. So   yesterday I made the decision to use them again. Of course The Little Lady had to wear Miss P's stuff as she's grown quite considerably over the past few years (must be over feeding her!). The only technical hitch was the fact that her knickers were to be visible (now that won't do), the only thing for it was to whip up an over skirt to cover the tutu and create a rather mmmmm pouffy skirt. I'm so glad I saved my last old worn out duvet cover, it worked just perfectly.
Oooops! Almost forgot to say that the costume was indeed for the White Queen. I cannot ever recall there being a White Queen, but I am assured that there is one!

Look! There she is smiling at the camera :-)

A rather empty cake stand...although look at that tea plate!

The other element that we've been planning for a while was a the Mad Hatter's Tea Party. It simply has to be done. I thought it would be rather fitting to use vintage china tea cups for the occasion. I'm in ownership of a couple of sets myself but I rather like them and didn't want to risk breaking them so we set about trawling the local charity stores in search. It's really rather fun shopping for a themed party and looking for vintage china is right up my street I've decided. Having looked on Ebay, sets are really rather expensive (£12 or so for a cup saucer and tea plate), some of the charity shops try charging the same but mostly you can pick up a pretty cup and saucer for under two pounds. Much as would have loved to have kept them all, I figured they could be used for the party and then given as gifts to the children to take home at the end. It worked a treat.

Theming games around Alice in Wonderland was no problem at all. If you have a little imagination you really could go to town and create the most amazing environment and fun menu of past times. When I set about looking for inspiration my mind itself was set into a flurry at the sheer extent of the endless possibilities. In someways for me as a creative person I found that bit the hardest as I am so limited by time and energy these days. I'm not really one to settle for second best but sometimes I realise that I don't have a choice and have to go with it.
So we played croquet in the kitchen......'Play your cards right'- in the sitting room, Alice's game (my take on Kim's game - the memory game where you look at the items on the tray, cover them up and then try and remember them) and pass the parcel with forfeits. My little little house seemed fit to burst with 13 children and four adults occupying the downstairs (note to self - 'This house is not suitable for parties'). The situation reminded me of the book titled 'The Little Little house' did you ever read it? Mama May thinks her house is too small so her wonderful wise aunt suggests that one by one she bring in all her animals and then reverse the process. After much chaos, Mama May realises that her house is just fine :-)

The party went down a storm (in a tea cup - sorry late in the day!), the children rather enjoyed supping lemonade from teacups and nibbling on homemade biscuits :-)
A very generous friend of mine jumped on the waggon and volunteered to make the birthday cake. Now I do actually relish the opportunity to do this myself I have to say, even though I have made some rather disastrous birthday cakes over the years, but the thought of one less job to do was incredibly appealing so I willingly accepted her offer and what a delightful and delicious cake it turned out to be. It seems that it was quite a family affair, with all members contributing their efforts to the decoration. I even managed to get it home in one piece (just) and didn't drop it despite its heaviness.

So all in all a good day - no wait, a good weekend. It seems that virtually the entire weekend has been consumed with one child's birthday and the preparations. Giddy aunt! How glad am I that these marathon events only come around once a year. (Times by three of course in my case!).
With regards to my house......when everyone left (some an hour and a half after everyone else) and the temptation to crash had passed and all  the cleaning up complete, I am proud to announce my house is really rather lovely and just perfect for us :-)

Lily Loula - our very own Cheshire Cat :-)

Back to just us.....

*A week late.......better late then never!!

We've had a rather delightful week this week, just us......that's me plus my three, (oh and Jenny dog, Lily Loula and The Stick!)
I think that we really needed a break from the chaos of late (the chaos of Christmas....isn't Christmas supposed to be  a time for relaxing?? Seems like it's becoming increasingly stressful these days, might have to reconsider the whole workings of the season next time round). So just me and mine.....BLISS!!

Most of our clubs and activities don't recommence until next week, what a spot of luck that is....did I say how lovely our week has been?? Hehe!!

So Monday when the large majority of folk were returning to work, we rejoiced in being able to crawl out of bed when our bodies were ready to do so. A client called by mid morning but the rest of the day was spent just moseying around simply being.......in the afternoon, we exerted ourselves a little with a trip to Banbury to see 'Paddington'. I had a little nap mid way through.....(it's the warmth, dark, moments peace where the children are distracted from inflicting pain on each other and the gentle hum of folk savouring popcorn) but can honestly say I loved it (well what I saw of it anyway). If you haven't seen the film yet, it's well worth a watch :-)

Tuesday saw Miss P out at a friends for a spot of 'teenage catch-up', the Little Lady invited herself to her fiends house to plan her latest business venture so Small Boy and I ventured to on the first of many power training walks in preparation for my marathon Moon Walk (see previous post).

Wednesday....arrrr Wednesday....that was another of those 'stay at home and be' days.....I do so love those days that seem so rare these days.
It was really quite a delight to whop the heating up to 17 degrees (I know, I'm really going for it this year) and just sit back. For once there was no fighting amongst the small people they happily busied themselves for quite a while. I even got to spend a little time hooking away at that blanket. It's coming along quite nicely now and is almost at the desired length. Rather funny how that's happened really. One minute it seemed that I was only just beginning my mammoth blanket project and the next...well, take a peek!

Hehe...stripy socks too!

I shall have to work out how I'm going to edge it next.
So whilst I was busy bumbling about with my things, Small Boy was busy at working drilling, hammering and sawing wood on the sitting room hearth. He worked away for hours quite happily until he had created a bed for his Rara (that's his exceedingly dirty comfort blanket). He's commissioned me to make a duvet and pillow for it when I have time :-)

Mean while, The Little Lady decided to cook up the soup for lunch. She's becoming a useful 'dab hand' in the kitchen and seems to have a real flair for food preparation. So from my little sanctuary upstairs I relayed information on how to create tomato and lentil soup and within half and hour the delightful aromas came wafting up the stairs. She was quite pleased with herself, even more so when small Boy commented that it was better then mine!

She even laid the table too!

Miss P spent a little of the day doing some studying then a lot of the day creating 3D figures with Loom bands. The craze that seems to be coming to a halt the world over is still very much alive in our house with amazing creations being churned out daily. We took a little trip to the local garden centre this afternoon and The Works were selling the bands off at just 10p a pack......we have an even better stash now!

The other little thing that is already proving 'life changing' this week, was my 'on a whim' purchase of a 'Crock Pot' or Slow cooker as they are better known here. Well what a delight. Just ten minutes prepping and chucking in of veg, turn it on and six hours later after going out or busying yourself with whatever....Ta day!!! Dinner smelling delish and ready for tucking into. It's like having your own chef! This really is the answer for a busy single mother with no reliable other to help out when you return late from activities. Thoroughly recommend :-) :-) :-)

Oooh look, there it is....talking of which....... the smell of yummy offerings is wafting up the stairs right now! Mmmmmmmmmmm :-)

I almost forgot our visit from this little poppet...........                    

Sooo cute!

Festive period in pictures

Life has been snowballing along again at rapid speed, one moment we're thinking about the festive period and the next it's all over!
This Christmas seems to have whizzed past faster then ever before and my recent lack of posts has been a reflection of that. Right time to step back and recall the good times.....
Enjoy!!

The Little Lady tried her hand at baking Cinnamon buns......unfortunately Jenny Dog thought they were really rather tasty too and devoured most of these while we were out!!

Small Boy wanted to try his hand at pheasant catching.......I cannot believe that I aiding him in sewing 'dog hair' into raisins!!! (Fortunately he felt his mission was accomplished once the preparation was complete so no harm to pheasants was done :-))

The kids decorated the house this year......

I liked this little feature and have left it up :-)

Even Miss P's dolls house was decorated!!

This year was a little different from others, I had a desperate desire to stop missing the moment, so I embraced opportunities and went with the flow.....much fun was had :-)

The weekend before Christmas we took a trip to the local Crocodile Zoo.......
Interesting stuff........

Luckily no one got left behind!!

The week leading up to Christmas we decided to leave the chaos behind and create some of our own in the form of a camping trip in Fifi (a friends camper van).

I absolutely love the freedom that such an excursion allows. Two nights away and we literally allowed the world to become our playground.

Day 1: Our trip to the medical museums of Worcester morphed into a trip to the South coast.

Hot chocolate in Lyndhurst

A night in Lymington right alongside the marina - just perfect!

Dinner by candle light (because the internal electrics didn't work!!)

Day 2: Spent mostly playing on the beach, crocheting in the van and enjoying the good fresh air.

Small Boy created a nest of 'turtle eggs'....'Swim little turtles and safe you'll be....'

Spent the night on a quiet side street of Winchester.

Day 3: Admired the amazing Victorian shop signs in Winchester.



Discovered the round table that Henry 8th had painted himself at the top of and picnicked in a car park!

The build up to Christmas was good with the usual level of great enthusiasm, but as per normal I got lost in the moment and my good intentions were lost in the chaos of the period. I did manage to get my gifts together in time but the packs of cards I bought lay pretty much untouched until the night before Christmas eve! If you received one, 'my, what luck!!'

My neighbours children joined us whilst their mother worked and we had a rather lovely day creating Lego models, hair bows and pizza.......

Our annual Christmas Eve picnic in the woods was just what was needed to ground ourselves before the big day. Nature has a tendency to do that. Try it next time you're feeling stressed and out of tune.
We consumed simple soup and decorated a tree for the birds before heading back to the warmth of the cottage for hot tea......

Followed by Chris tingle....... 

                              

Our Christmas day table......

New year fun with friends. For the first time EVER, I was invited to three New Year parties. I have likened the invites to buses.....I made two of the parties but three was pushing it somewhat

Can you spot who was who??

A blustery walk around Blenheim Place, always such amazing sight!

Happy New Year folks! May 2015 be everything you wish for and more XXXXX