I've never seen these before...

The allotment plots are looking so cheerful at the moment.  I'm in love with these flowers (Californian Poppies I'm told). I've never seen them anywhere before, have you? They have grown wild and the different shades across the plots look sooo beautiful. I'm drying some pods out so that I can keep the seeds and scatter them in my garden one day.  My fingers are crossed for my own garden as we've been living in a flat with a shared one for the last five years.  My dream garden definitely includes these beauties!

Isn't nature just wonderful?
*Sign of contentment*

Bursting into life

I've been a busy bee of late and am enjoying my first evening in a week at home, chilling. Soooo nice to put my feet up and have a cuppa. The allotment is looking F-A-B and it's getting exciting now that there is produce to eat and more on the way.  Here are some pics so you can see how it's all coming along.
(Ignore the weeds...!!!)

Eat your heart out Mr McGregor!

Where's the Green Giant?

Raspberries are making their way into my morning cereal.

Lavender pouches as pressies for friends this year!

Wow!

My sunflowers are almost ready. Woop!

So proud of my runner beans.  They didn't grow last year but are making up for it now!

Can't wait to cook something using the gooseberries! Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Last week Mr C was away on business so I spent the week catching up with friends. Lovely it was too! One of the jobs I wanted to do was to find elderflowers to make cordial.  It was on my to do list and when I saw Rebecca's post on the cordial I knew I had to do it.  I'd been looking for weeks for the tree but, knowing me, I was worried I'd end up making cowslip cordial.  BLEUGH!

Well.......eventually I FOUND THE FLOWERS! OK, that's a lie.  My friend Han found the tree.....right outside my back door!!! *Can you believe it was there all the time whilst I was googling pictures of the flowers?!*

There are lots of recipes out there on the web and I followed a pretty standard one.  I decided to freeze the cordial in ice cube bags so each time I want a drink all I have to do is pop one cube in and add fizzy water.  It will last for at least a year in the freezer and makes your drinks lovely and chilled. Mmmmm.

The last flowers are still on the trees so there's still time to make cordial!

Fancy a cuppa?

Oh what a dreary day in London it is. 
Bleugh.
I've been busy the last few days on a little crochet project.  I'm still rippling my heart out on my giant blankie but I fancied a mini project that I could start, and thankfully finish! Oh, I could hardly put it down.  My fingers were working overtime on this one.
What is it, you ask? Well.....ok then.....here it is.......

A tea cosy!!! This was a joyous little project! The basic pattern came courtesy of the brilliant Alice at Crochet with Raymond which you can find here.  I used some left over Rowan wool and a gorgeous Liberty button.  Do you love buttons too? They make me feel so happy.

Last night I went out in London and happened to walk past Liberty.  It has the BEST haberdashery department I have ever seen and is packed with amazing eye candy of the crafty variety!
I managed to escape with only a few *modest* purchases including this assortment of buttons.

Oh they make my heart leap!

I remember as a child that sorting my mum's button box was the ultimate treat! She had (and still has!) this huge old-fashioned tin full to the brim with interesting buttons.  I loved touching them, counting them and looking at all the shapes and colours.  They still haven't lost their charm for me!

Anyhoo, I'm desperate for a cuppa to cheer up this dreary day (see the light in the next photo, tsk!!).

See you later!

Liz x

Ripe, strawberries ripe!

As a child I had the part of the strawberry seller in our school production of Oliver! "Ripe, strawberries ripe!" was my one line (I was so proud!). Today, as I picked my strawberries down at the allotment, the song sang out in my head.  The unusually warm weather has led to a bumper crop of the delicious things this year..WOOP!
Check out my beauties!

We've had about 300 strawberries over the past 3 weeks! It's hard to believe that something soo sweet is actually good for you. :-)

As the slugs and snails seemed to be chomping through more than their fair share I decided to pick all the ripe ones today and managed to pick 1500g worth!!!

What to do with all those strawberries????

My first ever attempt at making jam!

The jam pan has been somewhat a cause of tension in our household.  We live in a small maisonette. 

If you open a cupboard be warned, something will fall out.

Our usual scenario begins like this.....

Mr C: ARGH! OUCH! All your things are cluttering up our cupboards! What's this? A jam pan?

But you've never even made any jam! Can't you give it away to someone?

 I'm pleased with my first attempt! And now the jam pan can stay!

Bring on the preserving!

Any ideas about what to do with the next batch of strawberries??

O I do love to be beside the seaside!

 Oh I do love to be beside the seaside! Over the past month or so I have been lucky to visit not one, but two seaside resorts! Perfect if, like me, you heart the sea. It all kicked off with a weekend with my hubbie and parents in Broadstairs.

 I spent much of my childhood here so I get soooo excited as we get within a few miles of Broadstairs.  My mind starts racing with all the things I'm going to do.  There are a few things I love to do each time I go there:
Seaside crazy golf - check.
Run on the beach - check.
Visit to the BEST girlie bits and bobs shop (Arrowsmiths) - check
Fish and chip supper - check.
AND
THE ULTIMATE chocolate milkshake from Morellis (I actually grinned the whole way through drinking this) - check!

Then, the following weekend I went off to Padstow in Cornwall.  What a lucky lady!  This has to be one of my most favourite-ist places on this planet. 

 We stayed in an Elizabethan farmhouse B&B in the hamlet of Crugmeer.  We have been here a few times and just adore it.  There are fabulous views from the house and the beach is a 5 minute walk away. BLISS!
If you look carefully you can see our B&B on the cliff top in the next picture.

Look at the gorgeous view from our room window.

 Within minutes of arriving our stay kicked off with a clotted cream tea - it has to be done, right? The healthy eating went right out of the window this weekend!!

We enjoyed lots of walks, kite flying, rock climbing, cider and ginger beer.  I never realised how yummy ginger beer is, seriously, I'm hooked.  All very famous five (minus the cider!).
 Here are some photos of the gorgeous views for you to enjoy.

This is my father-in-law sketching away. 

Bunting up in celebration of the Royal Wedding.

We rounded off our trip with a visit to Rick Stein's seafood restuarant for a blow out meal.

Very delicious it was too!

 As I'm writing this I feel so happy! *sigh of contentment*.
I cannot wait for my next visit to the sea.

Sunshine makes me happy

We have had the most GLORIOUS couple of days in my my patch of the South East. It has been so hot that it has felt like we're approaching the summer break, not the Easter break.  I've been away from my blog for a while and if I'm honest......I haven't had the easiest few months.  In my head I had my future sort-of mapped out and my life has changed in ways that I didn't anticipate or expect...maybe more about this some other time. But, do you know what? Today I felt good, reallllly good.

The sunshine has inspired me to eat salads and drink homemade lemonade.  Not only does homemade lemonade taste soooo much better than shop bought lemonade, making it is an absolute joy! I love the feel and vibrant yellow of lemons, not to mention the fresh smell that permiates the house.
I recomend this recipe:   http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/party-food/accompaniment/home-made-lemonade.html
It's a winner!

Oh my! Hello 2011

Oh my, It's 2011! Where did that year go? Moreover, where did that decade go?

Well, I for one am very excited about the New Year.  I love that it gives a new start and a time for resolutions (that inevitably I will not achieve..but that's beside the point!)

RESOLUTIONS

1. Spend less time dreaming and more time making!
2. Read more books.
3. Crochet more and finish that ripple blanket, it is going to be H U G E but at the moment it is STILL more like a scarf.
4. Make jam using my fab jam making kit that is still sitting there unused in my cupboard.
5. Try out one new recipe a week.
6. Make cake pops! They look so cute.
7. Grow peas successfully on the allotment.  Other crops grow so well but I haven't managed to produce a good crop of peas yet.
8. A very predictable resolution at number 8 - join the gym.....and actually go.  I've joined gyms before: in 2008, 2009 and 2010.  I'm a serial gym-joiner but not a gym-goer. This year I WILL go and I WILL get fit and healthy, if only so that I can bake and eat more cake.  Surely that's motivation enough, right? Hmmmm.  Watch this space.
9. Make handmade gifts to make friends smile.
10. Learn how to Lindy Hop.

HOPES AND DREAMS

Our flat has been up for sale for 6 months now so my BIG hope is that 2011 might see us move into a larger house with our own garden so that *SQUEAL OF EXCITEMENT* I can own some chickens! Fingers crossed for this one.

Happy New Year! May your year be full of laughter, cake and happiness.