Fruits of my labours

No jewellery today I'm afraid. I've been being a bit of a domestic goddess over the past few days. Firstly the house needed a good clean, specifically a hoover. My folks came to stay for a few days and the extra footfall meant more mess. Actually the hoovering needed doing before they arrived but I decided not to do it as I knew there would be more to do once they left. The question is can I use this logic to permanently postpone my cleaning - I don't think my braincell would survive, it hurts when I see too much dust on my skirting boards!

I've also spent some time the garden, yesterday was nice enough for us to hack at the bushes down the side. I keep pruning them in order to thicken them out, the idea is eventually the hedge strimmers can come out and we can just wizz down the whole lot, but I think that is a few years in the present.

My veg patch hasn't been all that productive this year. My fine beans got munched my wireworms (I think), I've had a good crop of lettuce, but my second lot is being very slow. The mangtout was okay for about 4 weeks and the the babycorn has yet to do much really. I have yellow and black courgettes growing, the former are finally doing something and the latter look decidedly green! Nothing is producing much per plant though, my potato barrels (first year) did okay anfd my tomotoes though not a heavy crop - in some cases only a few fruit per plant- are starting to ripen. This is my first pick; plums, songold and a baby tom mum inlaw gave me. I am pleased with the plums as this is the first year I have done them and they are the best cropper so far.

I've also been inspired to bake again, something I have not done much off since my son was born (he is now nearly 2 and a half). Before he was born, I used to do lots of baking for the Country Markets but funnily enough I haven't had that much time since he arrived!

Well, reading Lauras efforts at brown ale and cheese bread the other day, I was tempted. So out came my recipes torn from various magazines. I settled on chocolate mayonnaise cake - yes it does work and tastes yummy.

The mayo is used instead of eggs and butter. It actually makes for a really easy recipe and its taste rather good too. It's a little rich so we had it with creme raiche and raspberries - yum. If you fancy trying it here is the recipe - I'm an old style pounds and ounces girl.

Rich Chocolate Cake

• 9.5 oz SR flour
• 8oz caster sugar
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 7oz mayo (I used l.f and it worked)
• 4tbsp cocoa powder dissolved in 8floz boiled water
• 1tsp vanilla essence

Mix all the above together and beat for 2 mins with an electric beater - I did it my hand until it was well mixed. Line a 9inch loose bottomed tin (mine was 8inch) and cook for 35 mins at 180C. Mine took a little longer as it was deeper and it cracked a bit on the top as I think I should have reduced the heat due to it being a fan oven.

Top with 6oz 70% chocolate melted with 9floz double cream which has been melted together and then cooled. This produced too much topping for me, so you could use less. Enjoy if you decide to try it.

Fruits of my labours

No jewellery today I'm afraid. I've been being a bit of a domestic goddess over the past few days. Firstly the house needed a good clean, specifically a hoover. My folks came to stay for a few days and the extra footfall meant more mess. Actually the hoovering needed doing before they arrived but I decided not to do it as I knew there would be more to do once they left. The question is can I use this logic to permanently postpone my cleaning - I don't think my braincell would survive, it hurts when I see too much dust on my skirting boards!

I've also spent some time the garden, yesterday was nice enough for us to hack at the bushes down the side. I keep pruning them in order to thicken them out, the idea is eventually the hedge strimmers can come out and we can just wizz down the whole lot, but I think that is a few years in the present.

My veg patch hasn't been all that productive this year. My fine beans got munched my wireworms (I think), I've had a good crop of lettuce, but my second lot is being very slow. The mangtout was okay for about 4 weeks and the the babycorn has yet to do much really. I have yellow and black courgettes growing, the former are finally doing something and the latter look decidedly green! Nothing is producing much per plant though, my potato barrels (first year) did okay anfd my tomotoes though not a heavy crop - in some cases only a few fruit per plant- are starting to ripen. This is my first pick; plums, songold and a baby tom mum inlaw gave me. I am pleased with the plums as this is the first year I have done them and they are the best cropper so far.

I've also been inspired to bake again, something I have not done much off since my son was born (he is now nearly 2 and a half). Before he was born, I used to do lots of baking for the Country Markets but funnily enough I haven't had that much time since he arrived!

Well, reading Lauras efforts at brown ale and cheese bread the other day, I was tempted. So out came my recipes torn from various magazines. I settled on chocolate mayonnaise cake - yes it does work and tastes yummy.

The mayo is used instead of eggs and butter. It actually makes for a really easy recipe and its taste rather good too. It's a little rich so we had it with creme raiche and raspberries - yum. If you fancy trying it here is the recipe - I'm an old style pounds and ounces girl.

Rich Chocolate Cake

• 9.5 oz SR flour
• 8oz caster sugar
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 7oz mayo (I used l.f and it worked)
• 4tbsp cocoa powder dissolved in 8floz boiled water
• 1tsp vanilla essence

Mix all the above together and beat for 2 mins with an electric beater - I did it my hand until it was well mixed. Line a 9inch loose bottomed tin (mine was 8inch) and cook for 35 mins at 180C. Mine took a little longer as it was deeper and it cracked a bit on the top as I think I should have reduced the heat due to it being a fan oven.

Top with 6oz 70% chocolate melted with 9floz double cream which has been melted together and then cooled. This produced too much topping for me, so you could use less. Enjoy if you decide to try it.

Blackberries and Fairies

Autumn seems to be approaching with vigour, and whilst other may be bemoaning the end of the summer or the lack of it, I am actually in my element at this time of year.

I love the way that the air temperature becomes a bit cooler, having grown up near the sea I find the breeze less summers in Berkshire a bit too stifling. The dew on the grass in the morning and the autumnal smells. Most of all though, I love blackberry picking.

I'm a fickle old thing though as I hate them cooked, so unless I stuff my face when picking they never get eaten. I do indulge my BH with crumbles, but he gets to eat them on his own.

The lure though of just one more big juicy one, just out of reach and through a swathe of stinging nettles is just too much for me. So if I get the chance to go picking I am out there. Recently though it has been a bit too wet for blackberrying , but today we did manage to pick a couple of pounds. It would have been more, but my son certainly has my genes as he stuffed his face big time. one for the pot and two for him. Thankfully mad granny and papa are visiting at the moment, so they can do the nappy changing tomorrow - it could be interesting!

Mad granny has a few things to answer for and one of these is fairies "let them go and fly away". No we haven't lost the plot in this part of the world, fairies are thistle seed heads, like large dandelion clocks and when you blow them they float like fairies in the breeze. So now whenever he finds them my little man picks them and blows.

On a beady note, back in April I went to my first bead fair in Staffordshire. I dragged my poor friend who we stayed with along for the trip and I must say eventually she did enjoy herself. Anyway to appease her a little, I allowed her to choose some beads and said I would make up some bits for her. She choose some chunky cross cut clear Czech beads with amethyst ribbons through them. Above and below are the pictures of what I have finally made for her - maybe I should call them something along a blackberry theme? They are a little different form my normal type of jewellery but she loves it, so I am happy.

Back soon with some more lampwork jewellery.

Blackberries and Fairies

Autumn seems to be approaching with vigour, and whilst other may be bemoaning the end of the summer or the lack of it, I am actually in my element at this time of year.

I love the way that the air temperature becomes a bit cooler, having grown up near the sea I find the breeze less summers in Berkshire a bit too stifling. The dew on the grass in the morning and the autumnal smells. Most of all though, I love blackberry picking.

I'm a fickle old thing though as I hate them cooked, so unless I stuff my face when picking they never get eaten. I do indulge my BH with crumbles, but he gets to eat them on his own.

The lure though of just one more big juicy one, just out of reach and through a swathe of stinging nettles is just too much for me. So if I get the chance to go picking I am out there. Recently though it has been a bit too wet for blackberrying , but today we did manage to pick a couple of pounds. It would have been more, but my son certainly has my genes as he stuffed his face big time. one for the pot and two for him. Thankfully mad granny and papa are visiting at the moment, so they can do the nappy changing tomorrow - it could be interesting!

Mad granny has a few things to answer for and one of these is fairies "let them go and fly away". No we haven't lost the plot in this part of the world, fairies are thistle seed heads, like large dandelion clocks and when you blow them they float like fairies in the breeze. So now whenever he finds them my little man picks them and blows.

On a beady note, back in April I went to my first bead fair in Staffordshire. I dragged my poor friend who we stayed with along for the trip and I must say eventually she did enjoy herself. Anyway to appease her a little, I allowed her to choose some beads and said I would make up some bits for her. She choose some chunky cross cut clear Czech beads with amethyst ribbons through them. Above and below are the pictures of what I have finally made for her - maybe I should call them something along a blackberry theme? They are a little different form my normal type of jewellery but she loves it, so I am happy.

Back soon with some more lampwork jewellery.

More hours in the day please

Where does the time go? When my son goes down for his afternoon nap I get about an hour to an hour and a half (I don't let him have more than that these days, else he isn't too good at bed time) to get my chores done. So, today with him asleep and lunch things tidied away - hubby is working from home today, so I did a proper lunch - not just a sandwich for little man and me eating on the go! I finally hit the computer. First off ordering hubby a new camera - he won't do it on his credit card in case of internet fraud, but for some reason it is okay to do it on mine. Now I know I have a smaller spending allowance, but surely if something was going to happen, it could happen to mine just as much as his?

With that done, I checked my emails, checked freecycle incase any moderating needed doing, checked a couple of lampwork sites incase a spending spree was needed (not that I need any more beads at the moment LOL, but a girl can look and be tempted!) and then was set to have my time.

That is time to update my website, blog or flickr and to ignore the housework which sesperately needs doing! First on my list was to photograph some jewellery I made recently. So outside I went as it is a bit dark inside and then it happened - big heavy drops of rain......so the plan changed as all the laundry needed to come in. I then took some photos and guess what, it is now sunny again aaarrggh, so I will pop out again in a moment and retake them if needs be, after I sort the laundry which was delicately placed on the conservatory floor, in other words slung!

In the meantime, before my son wakes - I have about 10 mins and counting! I thought I would show you this picture of a recent commission.

Really pants photo I know, but I suddenly remembered to photo it before I gave it to the person who ordered it. A simple design of black agate oval beads, snowflake obsidian and sterling silver spacers. I was really quite pleased with how it turned out and I think the person who bought it was as well.

Off to re-photograph my jewellery. Fingers crossed the rain holds off and G stays asleep. A few more hours in the day would be good.

More hours in the day please

Where does the time go? When my son goes down for his afternoon nap I get about an hour to an hour and a half (I don't let him have more than that these days, else he isn't too good at bed time) to get my chores done. So, today with him asleep and lunch things tidied away - hubby is working from home today, so I did a proper lunch - not just a sandwich for little man and me eating on the go! I finally hit the computer. First off ordering hubby a new camera - he won't do it on his credit card in case of internet fraud, but for some reason it is okay to do it on mine. Now I know I have a smaller spending allowance, but surely if something was going to happen, it could happen to mine just as much as his?

With that done, I checked my emails, checked freecycle incase any moderating needed doing, checked a couple of lampwork sites incase a spending spree was needed (not that I need any more beads at the moment LOL, but a girl can look and be tempted!) and then was set to have my time.

That is time to update my website, blog or flickr and to ignore the housework which sesperately needs doing! First on my list was to photograph some jewellery I made recently. So outside I went as it is a bit dark inside and then it happened - big heavy drops of rain......so the plan changed as all the laundry needed to come in. I then took some photos and guess what, it is now sunny again aaarrggh, so I will pop out again in a moment and retake them if needs be, after I sort the laundry which was delicately placed on the conservatory floor, in other words slung!

In the meantime, before my son wakes - I have about 10 mins and counting! I thought I would show you this picture of a recent commission.

Really pants photo I know, but I suddenly remembered to photo it before I gave it to the person who ordered it. A simple design of black agate oval beads, snowflake obsidian and sterling silver spacers. I was really quite pleased with how it turned out and I think the person who bought it was as well.

Off to re-photograph my jewellery. Fingers crossed the rain holds off and G stays asleep. A few more hours in the day would be good.