Dream Country Chat

ADAPT AND BLOSSOM

Funny how things grow, alter, adapt and blossom. I have found this with my little range of cards.

I loved the idea of using my photos on cards, but just wasn't happy with how they looked. Think l had the photos too small. They needed more oomph!

So l did a bit of a rethink. I have made the photos bigger and added some extras, a pretty ribbon bow here, some stamping doodles there.

Now l am happy with them. I feel they have grown into themselves. I know that sounds a bit strange but it does feel like that. Now l think they are 'there' and l can at last say l'm happy with them. So far there are only 8 cards, but they are 8 that are very much complete stories. I'll be adding more as and when l can link up my photos to finish off the look.

So there you are, not been sitting here only in Christmas mode, oh no, l now have a stock of cards to hand and haven't even done a Christmas card yet!

Karon  x

STINGING NETTLES FOR SOUP

Hi guys,
Had a few comments and emails re the nettles soup l mentioned on Monday. Yes it is good old Stinging Nettles that are used. You pick the young and tender nettles and just the top tips of them. They are less stingy at this time, in fact they shouldn't sting at all, but best to wear a pair of rubber washing up gloves to be on the safe side. When you have a good basket full tip them into a colander and rinse them out.
Now grab a hand full (whilst wearing those glamorous rubber gloves!) and chop them up. When all are chopped just throw them in the pot to cook as per recipe on Monday.
Re taste, yummy, like a spinach soup but sweeter and softer. Not so strong. More a cross between spinach and parsley.
Hope this helps. I really should have said it was stinging nettles on the recipe.

You can use nettles as you would spinach. Just wash the nettles and toss them into a pot and simmer with lid on. You don't need to add any water. When nearly tender add about 2 oz of butter, plus lemon juice and salt and pepper. You can also add a tablespoon on chopped herbs like thyme, chives or a little mint. Serve hot.

So go on, get out there and gather ye stinging nettles before they can sting you back!
Karon  x

CHRISTMAS HAS STARTED, IT'S OFFICIAL!

Why is she showing us a photo of robins you may be asking. Well every year l promise myself that l will start Christmas in April. I bang on about this fact (usually in October when l am stressed out to the eyeballs trying to get things done for fairs) endlessly, and yet every year l find the summer slipping by and for some reason the Christmas stock is just never being done.

 

Well this year l have done it, it is still April (just) and already l have started to bag up little robin bodies (yes guys, Tweedy Pie will be back yet again, but with a whole new and exciting look!!) and snowy white hearts. This year l have kept my promise to myself, l am amazed.

Now l just have to keep this up and build some stock every week. Have promised myself that even ten items per week is better than nothing. This year l am determined not to be bleating on come October begging for help to get things done. This time l am being sensible and grown up and maybe just a teeny tad boring. Oh what the hell, you can't have everything...............

Karon  x

NETTLE SOUP SPRING SUPPER

Last night l did one of my pay back dinners to even up the score on all the lovely food l seem to guzzle at friends houses. I decided to go for a Spring and herb theme so started my day by picking nice fresh new young nettle tops for soup. This is the only time of year to get just the right new nettles so make the most of it. Here is the recipe l used for my Cream of nettle soup.

1 lb potatoes
1/2 lb nettle tops
2oz butter
1 1/2 pints of chicken stock
salt and pepper
Creme fraiche

Boil potatoes, drain and set aside. Chop the nettles and toss into large pot with the butter, stir until wilted down. Now add the cooked potatoes and chicken stock with your seasoning. Bring to boil and then simmer for ten minutes. Whiz with your blender and then stir in your creme fraich.

It was a Spring Supper so l went for daffodils and candle-light.

Even did menus.

The main course was pork tenderloin with sage and a mustard and sage sauce.

I marinated the pork with a dry rub of dried sage and salt and black pepper. For the sauce l used 8 fl oz of double cream and half a teaspoon of dried sage and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard. Heated cream to boiling and reduced by half. Pan fry the medallions of pork and pour over the yummy cream sauce.

The potatoes are just a slight variation on your usual mash. I used red skinned potatoes and boiled them with their skins on. Then drained and roughly mashed a bit. Add olive oil, butter and salt and pepper and that's it.

Pudding was Idgy's homemade chocolate brownies (they were fab!!) with my lavender-honey cream. The infused cream makes a lovely different topping to your desserts.

5fl double cream
1 tablespoon flower honey
1 teaspoon dried lavender

Bring to the boil and stir as it reduces by about a third. Set aside to cool. Strain and put in fridge. Whip till fluffy and serve on pie, brownies or anything you like. I sometimes use this as an icecream mix and put it in the icecream maker.

So that's it, thought l would share part of my lovely evening with good friends and nice easy food. A nice start to the week.

Happy Monday!
Karon  x

SLIDING DOORS ON ROMANCE

I have been rummaging through my dvd box and digging out movies to watch in the evenings. These past two days I have been adding a touch of romance to the living room with 'Sliding Doors' and Nights in Rondanthe'. Both have been cheapo supermarket buys that l have been meaning to watch for ages and just never got around to.

Well last night l got out a bottle of wine, some serious cheese, crackers, an apple and chocolate and settled down to some romance.

Was really surprised by Sliding Doors, l hadn't thought it would be so funny. But with John Hannah in there l should not have been surprised at all. It was a really good film. A case of 'what if' taken to extremes. You have the leading lady (Gwyneth Paltrow) getting on her train in the morning. In one scenario she just misses the train and thus misses catching her horrible boyfriend in bed with another girl. However in the other scenario she gets on the train and of course walks in on them. It is difficult to describe, but the two stories run simultaneously and it is really good. Some great wit from John Hannah and a nice ending. What more could you want.

Feel a bit like a film critic here, but what the hell. The other film was 'Nights in Rodanthe' with Richard Gere. Boy that man has aged so well. I honestly think he looks so much better nowadays with his silver fox hair and more rugged profile. However that didn't stop me lusting after him way back when he was an officer and a gentleman. Anyway, back to the present and Rodanthe, a small coastal place in USA where Gere goes for a weekend to sort out a legal mess. Fabulous house, you can watch this film for the house alone. It is a wooden inn built on stilts on the beach. All higglety pigglety with balconies, shutters, different levels and the most amazing interior. Anyway, there is a storm, a romance and a serious tear jerker. You know whats coming but what the hell.

Chomped my way through all the food, slurped the vino and generally had a slob out evening. It was great.

More film ideas please, what can you recommend?
Have a great weekend
Karon  x

DOOR STOP ARMY

I have had a busy week building stock. From badges and mirrors to door stops and pillows, those sewing machines have been going non stop. I was determined to get going and have a decent number of each item in stock at all times. Unfortunately this little plan had fallen flat when l made changes to the range a few weeks ago. Oh joy, suddenly l had new ideas and products but no stock of them. Instant problem as they were ordered off the web site right away. So this week was dedicated to stock building. Each day l had a product listed to work on, and l am thrilled to say that l have kept to my regime and not deviated off course too much.

I have even improved the Home Comforts cushion by adding a little vintage fabric heart to it as well as the embroidered one. Really think this lifts it just a tad and brings my vintage look into the kitchen too.

Actually l am wondering if l should just have the kitchen goodies on the same page as all the other stuff. I'm adding the vintage heart to some of the checked things, so there is definately getting to be a cross-over area.  It would break things up and make for a more interesting look on the Goodies page. Your thoughts would be much appreciated on this one.

So what's on the cards for today - It is Wendy's birthday so l am running round to her place with a prezzie on my back this morning. After that, back to HQ.

Have a nice day
Karon  x

DECK DAYS

I am so enjoying working out on the deck of HQ these past few days. The weather has been so mild, in fact it was positively hot on Monday and l ended up with tan marks!!

I dug out the extension cable and the place now looks like spaghetti junction with wires everywhere feeding my glue gun with power. Of course l  trip over the wires every time l get up (that health and safety elf would have me shot!)  and curse myself for my own stupidity.  Really must clean the old garden furniture l use, it has gone way past the shabby chic look - more on the 'needs a bloody good scrub' look. Anyway a job for another day.

Meanwhile back on the deck, l have been making loads of pretty floral badges and mirrors. I have been wearing my own bouquet badge all the time and so many friends and just people l meet have wanted to buy them. Been a bit of an unintentional pr effort on my part. So nice to be able to use even the tiniest pieces of my old fabrics, it makes you think that someone way back in time would be just a little pleased to know that something they created has been used and reused so many times and ended up as a tiny pretty flower on an old fashioned velvet badge.

Other people have been enjoying the sunshine too.  Hank in Supercat pose with Baby in the background looking suitably embarrassed at his manly antics.

By the way, it's raining today..............

Karon  x

NOT JUST A PRETTY FACE

First day back at school yesterday, amazing how much work l got done being able to hole up in HQ all day. I now have my three  sewing machines set up to do different things and scoot between them on my wheeled office chair. A sort of one woman convayer belt system. Yesterday was a door stop day and l fairly whizzed about between the embroidery, applique and sew 'em up stages. Almost feel like a properly organised person with my new system.

After school Idgy was changed and out in the garden like a shot, didn't want to miss a minute of the day. She loves rummaging about in HQ and doing her own crafting, yesterday she made a pair of rather jazzy pair of earrings. Made herself from some  torn up fabric flowers and beads. All stuck together with blu tak and held to her ears with the magnets l have for the Home Cooking magnets. They looked great and stayed put, couldn't beleive she had just cobbled them together in HQ.

Chip off the old block that one..................

Karon  x

AGA SAGA

The Aga - the word is synonymous with living in the country, these huge cooking beasties are something many long to own. This cumbersome, kindly and benevolent giant lurks in many country kitchens, giving warmth and cooking, character and charm. They press your clothing, heat the room, cook the food, dry the logs, warm baby lambs and other small animals (as long as you don't shut the door), dry your herbs, make great toast - the list is endless. Oh and did l mention that they are hot, bloody hot!

Yesterday l had a bit of a run-in with mine. Usually a mild mannered beastie, it decided to get its own back for all the spills, messes and general lack of care on my part, it bit me.

I was making soup (yes l know, hottest day of the year so far and l was making soup) and moving the pot on to the simmering plate. It was a two handled pot so l was sort of juggling the pot and raising the lid on the simmering plate at the same time. You guessed it, slip of the hand holding the lid handle and the heavy cast iron lid crashes downwards. Now it would have been okay if the pot was directly underneith said lid, unfortunately it wasn't. My hand was holding the handle and was in the line of fire.

If l say it was painful that would be an understatement (and l am never known for that!!) oh no, this was eye wateringly, foot stampingly, huge big swear wordingly, burst manfully into tears type total bloody agony.

Try to rush from the kitchen, but my screaching has excited the cats. They too wish to rush from the kitchen (from me) and as we all head for the door at high speed they win the race and l fall flat on my face over big fat Berti. More big sweary words as l hobble out to HQ to get lavender oil for the burn. Grab the bottle and completely forget that it is a big bottle and not wearing one of those dinky little dropper tops. You're ahead of me aren't you - l wear the lavender oil. Approximately £30 worth all over hand, arm and floor. I smell delightful, am extremely upset and the burn cools down a bit.

Clean up the oil slick l have created in HQ. Head back to house. Discover that in all this chaos l have left the pot on the damn aga and that as half the soup slopped out during the incident the rest has now dried up and welded itself merrily to the pot and surrounding hotplate.

Remove pot with caution, close aga and resist overwhelming urge to kick it.

Karon  x

ANOMALY JUMPING

The Easter holidays are almost over. School goes back tomorrow and the weather forcast for tomorrow is rain here. Seems quite fitting as we have had good weather (bit cold last week tho) for the children this time.

Idgy has spent most of her time outdoors, and yesterday almost broke her ankle going through an anomaly (you have to be a Primevil fan for this one) in the garden. Luckily she only landed on the grass (as opposed to another planet filled with dinosaurs) so only bruesed herself and looked a bit silly.

Before the anomaly incident (honestly it could have happened to anyone) we had had a busy day whizzing about in Ayr. Car boot sale (nothing very exciting, did get a pewter cocktail shaker  - yeah baby! and a metal dard display thing for 50p, Idgy got a toy otter in the hope that Harry would think she had bought him a friend - he wasn't fooled!), lunch out (fab cakes, yummy), and two garden centres (clematis for front door area, 2 curry plants to (hopefully) keep cats from pooing on the clematis and some reject herbs (l am a sucker for saving these poor 10p guys). Home to the garden for me to plant things and bask about in the sunshine and of course Idgy to visit her anolmaly.

Today the weather is still gorgeous so might do a picnic later on. We have the post office run this morning with pile of orders from last week. This will please the new girl who is running the village P.O. since Nan retired last month. They have really changed the shop, it now has shelves groaning with a wide variety of food and a booze section that could rival Oddbins. This is a bit of a change from the old display of a few packets of crisps and unknown baked beans.

So it is sunshine all the way here, hope it is nice for you.

Karon  x