Stocked up

Now this may sound odd, but there are few things I find more satisfying (domestically speaking) then a wellstocked fridge or larder, sad but true.
Perhaps it harkens back to primitive times when food was scarse, or of harvest times when all the crops were stored for winter, who knows.
Unfortunately most of my stocks at the moment are not homegrown, although hopefully more of them will be by autumn this year,and more so next.
That is provided I dont make mistakes like last weekend, when I planted out my beetroot and courgette seedling during the lovely weather on sunday,only for it to snow and hail monday and tuesday, killing off all the seedling. I was not a happy bunny.

At the moment I seem to be living off oatcakes and hummus so here was my attempt at making my own with tinned chickpeas. Really pleased with the results and made extra garlicy, yum.

Now these are the first recipe I have tried from my Nigella Lawson - how to be a domestic goddess book, which I bought a few years ago but haven't got round to using yet. I have heard mixed views on this book, with many people saying some of the cake recipes just dont work properly, i will reserve judgement till i have tried them but these 'sweet and salty peanut cookies' worked a treat, very morish and light and crisp like vienese biscuts.

Isbister loch

It was such a beautiful day yesterday that I had to get out and explore, nevermind that there is a huge amount of garden to dig, this is what we moved to Orkney for.

This is Isbister loch which is about 4 fields away, you cant actually see it from here as there is a slight rise between us, but after a walk up the lane and across the fields this is the view, gorgeous. There are a lot of wetland birds as the area has a lot of wetland, and last time i went down to the loch earlier in the year you couldn't get near it for bog, but i may try again now that the ground has dried out some what.

I noticed up the lane that the "blue" bells are starting to flower, although the ones in the garden are not yet open. Can't wait for ours, there is rather alot, ranging in colour from blue to mauve, but I don't think Orkney has any native blue bells.

kingcups (aka marsh marigolds) out in the dykes around here, a welcome splash of colour. Also loads of primroses growing beside the roads.

Poppy bookworm

Poppy apears to be engrossed in reading Monty Halls - Beachcomber Cottage

Recent charity bargains

John has a thing for old fashioned tins, so i picked this one up for only 20p, also got th fab blanket which it is sitting on for only 50p, its wool also not acrylic, i'm really pleased with it as it goes well in the front room, perfect!

Got these four tarten napkins with rings for 5p each, so I have put them away for christmas.

As I was looking at the books in the charity shop I thought to myself that I can't really justify buying any more recipe books unless I find something specific like a Madhur Jaffrey recipe book, 30 seconds later one of the shop ladies put the above book on the shelf !! (insert the twilight zone music here!)

Weekend round-up

Had quite a busy weekend getting loads of seeds planted and seedlings planted out, although I think today's snow and hail may have killed them off. Poppy decided to help out in the garden, but only if John ferried her around place to place heehee.

Second batch of dandilion wine set away, this will be our first brew of the new house. We haven't got an abundance of hedgerow fruit uo here, so its a good job we made loads of elderberry last year. We have got elder in the garden but not enough to make wine so this year we will make elderflower champagne. Hopefully ofthe raspberries which have spread all over the veg plot do well again i'll make a demi-jon of that also, good job we don't drink often.