Autumn Colour at the Allotments

This is ... Show off Time

I've been thinking about this post since Wednesday because surely all blogs, by the mere fact of their existence and accessibility to the whole wide world, are show-off pieces. A recent post by Domesticali springs to mind when she replied to the question: "what makes you enjoy a particular blog?"

So a post originally entitled "mothers pride", which I deleted last week because I thought it was TOO showy offy went something like this:

Overheard conversation between Jimmy and his friend regarding pending trip for birthday treat:

Jimmy (to friend): You know you said you were going to buy me a nice present in Camden for my birthday? Well I wouldn't bother if I was you.

Friend (confused): Why?

Jimmy: There's so much there, you'll want to buy stuff for yourself. So don't spend your money on me.

With thanks to Katie from May The Cloth Be With You for this week's theme and for more players see Angela at Three Buttons.

The post with no name...

Because i'm not up to speed today and my head is fuzzy..

Today we had the Macmillan Coffee Morning at work. We had a bring and buy sale, face painting, profile sketching, and biscuit decorating, plus special bacon and sausage rolls for sale supplied by a local pub. Being a vegetarian, it was a BIT of a trial for me having to cook and be surrounded by what I can only see as animal carcases, but it was in the name of charity and a good one at that. My grandfather would have been proud of me at least. From the bring and buy sale I bought two glass candlesticks which I have fallen in love with. I'm a sucker for coloured glass afterall. Even Jimmy came home from school and said "oh those are nice"!


I've been commissioned by a friend of mine who makes the most stupendous cakes imaginable, to make some aprons for a special show coming up at Blenheim Palace next weekend. She wants white aprons with pink piping. Oh lordy. How to make yourself paranoid. I'm sure i'm seeing dirt where there isn't any (i think) .. Now I know how she feels when making wedding cakes and chocolate cakes in the same room!

Anyhow, the apron making has given me a chance (if one was needed) to brave the overlocker which I've been avoiding again, mainly because not being able to understand it's little quirks leaves me in a frustrated and tearful rage at times! But she's been very good, and I have now named her "Mrs Wonderful" (this title is subject to change depending on 6 month probation period!). Sewing bias binding around an apron is a bit of dream with an overlocker. The 4 stitch width on the 3/4" binding I used is exactly the size i need to make a half fold over to finish the seam perfectly and evenly.


Here is Madge modelling a couple of the (unfinished) aprons.


With reference to the title, I have finally succumbed to the lurgy that has been lurking about. For the last few days i've had a scratchy throat, thick confused head (nothing new there), sleepy eyes, blocked yet runny nose (grr), and slow bones. It doesn't help that I only ever seem to get ill at certain times of the month. So now, i'm going to have 'sausage' (veggie!!) and mash for tea and then i'm going to put my feet up here ...

with the company of this man

Yes it's Gardners World. The only TV programme I make time for. Normal blog quality will resume soon.

Swaptastic!

I seem to have entered 3 swaps for xmas!! I am surprised at myself and a little frightened.

First of all there's Indigo Blue's Christmas Decoration Swap. She needs ONE MORE PLAYER. Care to join anyone?? All you need to do is make a decoration for tree or door handle and a card.

Then there's French Knots' Christmas swap which entails making a "surprise gift" - anything from a softie, to a mini quilt, pincushion, or bag. I have been partnered up with Anne who makes beautiful quilts with celtic knots - one of my very favourite things!!!!

And then there's the Spare a Square Scrap Challenge over at JC Handmade which involves sending a piece of fabric 12"x12" which will then be cut up into 10 bits. In return, I will recieve 10 smaller bits of fabric and have to make something fabulous. EEEEeeeeK! This one freaks me out the most. I'm a bit worried incase I don't like my alloted 10 scraps! I have sent a piece of Kaffe Fasset which I love:

I'm going to be busy aren't I?!

And an honoroury mention to The Italian Connection who today is celebrating her birthday and also her 14th wedding anniversary. Here we all are, back in 1994.

(I'm the one on the left with black hair)

What's in a Bite?

Honouring the apples which bring us the sharp sweetness of our land concentrated into one delicious bite.

It's been a busy few days here in the MarmaladeKiss household, what with Jimmy's b/day, the sun shining, and the Autumn Equinox. Now that it's all over I am heaving a huge sigh of relief and welcoming the growing darkness which will take us through to Midwinter. Oooh, don't look at me like that. I LIKE it when it's cold and dark, and I know i'm not the only one.

The equinoxes both are my absolute favourite times of year. I like the equality between the day and night, and the feeling of balance that each brings, along with the sense of excitement and anticipation at the prospect of the season to follow. I don't know about anybody else, but I can smell the winter coming on around about August time. It's a whiff in the air every now and then, which sends a chill thrill right down my spine. I mean that in a good way.

The autumn equinox occurs at some point between 20-23 September and is celebrated by the festival of Alban Elfed which in Welsh/Brythonic means 'light of autumn'. It is the end of the grain harvest, the celebration of 'Harvest Home'. Now the high energy we have experienced over summer is slowly ebbing away as the earth prepares for it's rest over the quiet stillness of winter. We can acknowledge what we have harvested so far and that which is still to be harvested over the coming weeks. We can relax a little after our hard work through the growth season. We can celebrate and give thanks for what we have gained over the year and we can find it's value for ourselves and for our communities, as we too prepare for the short days and long nights to come before the start of the next cycle.

Happy Equinox everyone!

Chicken Vogue

We had a fashion shoot. After initial camera alarm....



they soon got used to striking a pose at request

This is ..What I Want to be When I Grow Up

When I was little, I wanted to be a Pans Person. Women of a certain age in the UK will understand this (everyone else refer to here). I was five at the time. My parents didn't think it was a good idea.

The costumes and dance routines of Pans People don't get much better than this:

I still want to be one of Pans People. Preferably the one called Cherry.

Friday Fun

Today I have been mostly making hair slides




I wrote a tutorial for you here:

Hair Slides - Upload a Document to Scribd

Today's Creativity...

I like this .. I want to make one. Calamity Kim will show you how if you have the time.

I want to go to Japan just for this shop where Joleo has been - the lucky lucky devil!

I am fascinated by these dolls over at Magic Bean. Ethel and Edna has a fascination with them too. (Oh and by the way - she has an important message to pass on). I don't know if I could make many, but I certainly have an idea or two for one. I like their voluptuous shape.

I discovered the "followers gadget" in my dashboard - see bottom right. I am amazed that I have two followers already!

I saw this at Aurea - a fascinatingly chic and beautiful blog - and thought of all you doggy bloggers out there ... (say that the other way round and it means something quite different!!)

I made a purse this afternoon using up some scraps from the shopper bag I made last week - or was it the week before?

And I used this for tea - stir fried with tofu. Oh my goodness. Any veggies out there who miss "crispy duck" - get this. It's a taste sensation!!

Time Flies when you're Having Fun

I swear it was only 10 minutes ago that I had this cute little bundle to look after. It really only seems like yesterday. But when I look at this picture, I can hardly believe that my beautiful sleeping baby ever existed.

Because today, he became a teenager. And he had a pizza party. And it was very very noisy. And quite boisterous.

A good time was had by all

With more fun scheduled for the weekend trip to London, where Jimmy gets to use his new wallet..

Which was a pig to make

But which has fast become a favourite possession (phew!)

So far, Kevin has not made an appearance ... we might be ok. Fingers crossed.

Reflections

A lady came into the shop today. I haven't seen her for a long long time. Infact she's had 3 children since. The oldest is probably 7 if i'm right. "Hello!" she said with a huge smile - just how i remember her. "How's Jimmy?" "He's great" I replied feeling very pleased to see her. "Just started his second year of big school". "Wow!" she said, and then with a slight frown of confusion "How old is he now?". "13 tomorrow" said I, at which point I realised I had a bit of a tear in my eye, remembering everything she had done for my boy at such an important time in his life. Still I smiled on hoping she wouldn't think I was about to cry into her coffee! "Gosh! 13 already! And I've known him since he was FIVE!!!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

Later, I told Jimmy. "Guess who I saw today - Miss W". "Oh really! My first teacher! How is she?". I looked up from my sewing and he was grinning too.

Hello? Is There Anyone There?

Non-UK residents will no doubt be aware, but pleased to be joyously informed once more, that this weekend in England it has mostly been SUNNY AND WARM. Perfectly autumnal in my opinion and I have already seen a profusion of happy gardening reports as that is where most of us have been these last two days.

The Marmalade household is no exception.

There was a lorralorra pruning to do

There were a lorralorra snails

and more snails - beautiful but savage

fading beauty everywhere

and a lorralorraLORRA Spiders !

Lunch was Allotment soup with gluten free bread. I was inspired by Florence's recipe for marrow soup. I had never thought to put Cumin with Courgettes. I did. Plus some dried coriander powder. Yum Yum. It was deeeelish.

I don't have a wheat problem, but I do like gluten free bread made with Doves Farm g/f bread flour. Here's my recipe, it's easy peasy:

450g g/f bread flour
12 fl oz milk (i use soy milk)
1 tbsp sugar or honey (if you use sweetened soy milk don't bother with the sugar)
1 tsp salt
60g sunflower oil
1tsp vinegar
1 sachet of easybake yeast (7g) or 2 tsp yeast
2 large eggs

Method: Warm your milk (and sugar if using) to tepid in a large jug, and add the yeast. Leave to one side in order for yeast to disolve and foam. Meanwhile, measure flour into a large bowl and add salt. When yeast has frothed in the jug, and mix in the oil, eggs, and the vinegar with an electric whisk. Pour this mixture into the flour/salt, stir well with a spoon - it will be a bit like a muffin mix, and empty into a lined 2lb loaf tin. Smooth out with the back of a wet spoon or a wet palette knife and leave to rise in a warm place for 30 or so mins. When it looks risen enough, bake in an oven at 220 (electric) for about 40 mins. Remove from tin, put back in oven for a further 10 mins to crisp the sides. Serve hot with fresh soup and butter.