Boo! 🐈‍⬛

There is no denying that November is my least favourite month of the year. Dark mornings and even darker evenings. Gloomy, wet and windy weather. Bright, blue sky days, where the leaves almost appear to glow in the autumn sunshine have been too few and far between.

Hallowe'en was quiet again this year. We received several callers, slightly older than I had expected, but all of whom were lovely, polite, and had made a lot of effort with their costumes, so they were more than welcome to some treats.

Lately, most of my weekends have been spent close to home. A busy working week means I need to run errands or catch up with housework. Finding that work/life balance has proved difficult since starting back again after the summer. Still, things should hopefully improve as time goes on - she says optimistically :)

Last Saturday, we enjoyed a trip into town. Unusually for us, we travelled by bus, which was surprisingly straightforward, given as for some reason I am absolutely terrible at reading bus time tables. We found some new winter boots for Lily and I managed to pick up a few less exciting bits and pieces for myself, before rewarding our achievements (I don't particularly enjoy shopping) with lunch out. After which I may or may not have also bought some mince pies from a well known high street bakery :) 

During the afternoon I  made bonfire toffee and later that evening we lit our sparklers in the garden. Fireworks were thin on the ground here this year. Not that I am complaining. I do love a proper, organised display, but most back garden fireworks can be a little underwhelming to say the least. Fortunately, neither of the cats appeared bothered by the few that had been set off nearby. 

Yes, that's right. I said CATS. I now have two!!!

Introducing...Boo.

Boo is just under 4 months old, he has the most velvety soft fur, bright green eyes and besides proving to be somewhat of a house plant menace, he has settled in just fine.  

J. X

Autumn Days

There are many reasons I enjoy writing my little blog. It is especially important in  times such as this, when it feels like all I do is eat, sleep, work, repeat. Weekdays seem to blur into one another with rhythmic ease and  my weekend activity becomes less as the sun sets earlier each day and the nights grow longer. During these dark evenings it's lovely to have a reminder of the bright sunny days and to be reassured I do still get the opportunity to spend plenty of my time outdoors, even if sometimes it feels otherwise.

Recently we have seen some beautiful sunny days. Not enough to dry out the well trodden muddy fields and tracks but enough to enjoy some walks without the need for waterproofs, which at this time of year is often unheard of. 

Disappointingly, with the announcement of the second lockdown, our planned visit to Hill Top didn't get to happen but, having remembered to book in advance, last week Lily and I spent a lovely morning in the grounds of another National Trust property. It was lovely to see the change of seasonal colour throughout the gardens and we enjoyed a hot chocolate along with some delicious home made banana and chocolate loaf at a secluded little spot, overlooking the pond. It felt good to sit for a while in the warmth of the sun and it was hard to believe there had been a heavy shower of hail a few moments earlier.

Hallowe'en was a quiet affair this year, but we still carved our pumpkins and displayed them in the window. This year more than ever before I've been determined to be much less wasteful, and so I made a very tasty risotto with the flesh of the pumpkins and I can definitely recommend roasting the seeds. They don't take a lot of time to prepare and make for a delicious snack. It would have been very easy for me to have eaten them all at once but they do store well in an air tight jar.

On Bonfire Night we wrapped up well and went out into the garden to make some pretty patterns and write our names with sparklers. We could hear fireworks being set off in the distance but there didn't seem to be anywhere near as many as usual, which must have come as quite a relief for many pet owners. I was still anxious, however, as Mog headed out of the cat flap as always, completely unconcerned by them.

Last weekend, on another gloriously sunny morning, we went for a short walk up Gummer's How. It's always been a favourite little climb of ours, especially as for minimal effort we get rewarded with some of the most beautiful views across Windermere and the Lakeland fells. There was barely a breath of wind and we spent quite a while simply sat overlooking the lake, enjoying the view.

A few days later than I intended, I made some treacle toffee. It is something I always love to have at this time of year and is so quick and easy to make but, for some reason, I just hadn't got around to it. It seems to be a common theme with me lately, in that I seem to be constantly playing catch up. With this in mind I have recently turned my thoughts towards Christmas 🎄 and, in an attempt to be slightly more organised than usual, I think I need to start some planning. 

J. X

November 5th

Almost as quickly as it took for me to turn the page in my diary it has turned very November-ish. The once crisp, freshly fallen leaves are gradually turning to mulch and the days have become grey, misty and damp. The air smells earthy and gentle wisps of smoke rise from chimneys. I am trying my best to embrace the dark evenings by hunkering down with a good book and lighting candles. 

At this time of year I often feel like I'm just biding my time. The fun of Hallowe'en is over once again and yet it's still a little too early (for me anyway) to get excited about Christmas.

Last Saturday evening we went to a nearby village to watch a firework display. It was  a cold damp night and the sky was clear, perfect for fireworks. Although it was a little short lived as, because we were stood so close to the action, it was much too loud for Lily. It didn't stop us enjoying my homemade bonfire toffee, however and we will be lighting some sparklers in the garden this evening and drinking some delicious hot chocolate with marshmallows. There might even be some sticky ginger cake left over from when I baked at the weekend.

I've been getting out for a run several times a week and my route takes me past a crate of help yourself apples. Not one to miss an opportunity, I returned later in the day* and transformed them into a delicious apple and cinnamon crumble.

*running is challenging enough for me in itself, without trying to carry apples at the same time 😀

If you're heading out this evening, I hope you have a safe and enjoyable time. And if you'd like to try some delicious bonfire toffee, here is the recipe:

In a large pan melt together 75g golden syrup, 75g black treacle, 150g soft brown sugar, 75g butter and ¼ teaspoon cream of tarter. Gradually increase the heat until the mixture reaches a rolling boil, stirring all the time. When the mixture reaches 145° pour into a lined tin and allow to cool. This was approximately seven minutes for me, although this can also be tested by dropping a small amount of the mixture into cold water. Once cool the toffee should break easily using rolling pin. Store in an airtight container.
Be careful! It's very moreish.

J. X