Cranberry Sauce

It was another early start for me today. I don't know why I wake so early but I quite enjoy the peace and quiet of the early morning, a more gentle start to the day. An mug of coffee, toast and marmalade. Unhurried and very much enjoyed.

This morning, once I'd taken Lily to school, I set about making my cranberry sauce for our Christmas Dinner. It's something which, once deciding to do, actually takes very little time and effort but I think tastes so much more delicious than store bought. I just need to be sure I have in the few ingredients I need. At the beginning of the week I noticed the supermarket had got some fresh cranberries in stock, so I swiftly grabbed myself a packet, as often they don't have any out on the shelf. Next on the list was a bottle of Port. I hadn't realised I'd run out but as it's something I only use at Christmas, this didn't really come as a surprise.

I made my sauce using 300g fresh cranberries, 100g light muscovado sugar and 150mls Port. You can substitute some of the port with freshly squeezed orange juice if you like. Then all you need to do is put the ingredients into a large saucepan and boil for ten minutes, being sure to stir all the time, whilst breathing in the wonderful Christmassy aromas. Allow to cool slightly, then decant into a sterilised jar. 

That's another job I can tick off my list and so much more enjoyable than when I cleaned the oven yesterday, although that was very satisfying when I could see the results of all my hard work.

J. X

Welcoming December

The last month of the year is upon us once more, and this time I am looking forward to enjoying the festive season in a somewhat quieter and more mindful way. I was awake early this morning, just as I often am, but today I felt a little bit of excitement at the date, which for me signifies the beginning of the build up to Christmas. I crept downstairs just after 5.30am. as once I'm awake I find it impossible to just lie in bed, preferring instead to get up and enjoy the quietest part of the day with a mug of coffee and, today at least, some bright moonlight for company. 

When dawn eventually broke it was bright and sunny and there had been a light frost overnight, which was a reminder, if any was needed, that winter is almost upon us. Quite a contrast to the weekend, in which the sky was overcast and the air felt damp. On Saturday we went for a walk way across the fields and through the woods, as there was something important we needed to search for. Every Christmas Lily's advent calendar is made up of 24 tiny knitted stockings, and into each one I put a small chocolate wrapped in foil. These are usually hung from a stick which we find on one of our walks in the run up to December. Now, this stick has to meet certain requirements. It needs not to be too long or too short, too thick or too thin, it must be just right. This sounds like it should be straightforward but many have been rejected in the search for the perfect stick : )

Wrapped up well and wearing our wellies, we walked along past the stream and towards the pond where we thought we had found just the right stick, then following the field track, we were soon trudging our way through the mud and into the woods where the carpet of leaves has now lost their bright autumn colour and are to beginning to fade and break down. This is where another stick caught our eye. A little straighter and more sturdy than the last, it was quickly exchanged and, after a quick break for some chocolate (and a visit to the farm shop to collect  something special for this year's  tree) we returned home allowing it to dry out completely before decorating.

I knitted the stockings a few years ago using one of the free patterns available online at jeangreeenhowe.com. It is a simple pattern which knits up really quickly. I've attached each individual stocking in using a short length of jute, then the stick is hung over the fireplace where Lily excitedly reaches for her chocolate each morning. As you can tell from the photograph, I've put out a few of our Christmas things already. We will decorate the rest of the house next week, once we've been to choose our tree.

J. X

Autumn Fading

The last few weeks have been a bit of an uphill struggle. Inconsistent working hours, dark damp weather, together with the general fatigue I often feel at this time of year, have all taken their toll and left me just a bit wrung out and drained. Most evenings I've been completely exhausted, barely moving from the sofa once I've eaten my dinner. Fortunately, after today, my hours are returning to a regular pattern once more and I fully intend to ensure they stay that way as we get closer and closer to Christmas.

I keep meaning to write some lists, aside from the ones in my head. It seems no matter how much I try and pare back our celebrations there is still quite a lot to organise. And even though I keep threatening this will consist of simply a long walk followed by a vegetable lasagne and glass of red wine on Christmas day, I'm not sure I could deal with the complaints from family members. I wouldn't want to disappoint them, so a proper Christmas dinner it will be. Although they are still unsure as to whether or not I am teasing, as only yesterday I had to offer reassurance that the apple sauce was already prepared and in the freezer :)

Anyway, I will definitely be making a start this weekend. I've already bought a few gifts and the rest shouldn't take very long to sort, once I put my mind to it. 

Even though it has been a difficult few weeks, I have been out for some lovely walks. I am so grateful I can do this, as it's a huge benefit to my wellbeing. Online, I saw someone referred to it as the Natural Health Service - this is so very true.

The landscape is beginning to fade, losing much of it's autumn colour and now that we are edging towards winter many of the trees are almost completely bare.

Last weekend, with the weather finally on our side, we climbed Place Fell, overlooking Ullswater. A beautiful morning, we set off from Patterdale walking in shade on the flanks of the fell. Looking up to the ridge line I saw the silhouettes of what I initially thought were sheep but, in fact, turned out to be a large herd of red deer. It was wonderful to see them against the bright blue of the sky, so much that I didn't take a photograph, choosing instead to enjoy the moment.

Following the initial gentle climb, our route took a sharp left turn to continue along the steep but clear pathway to the summit.

On our way up Lily was very happy to discover this heart shaped stone.

Looking into the morning sunshine towards Brothers Water.

It was a beautiful morning but the clouds brought with them some occasional light showers which, fortunately, we had prepared for. 

What I hadn't prepared myself for was the sight of some beautiful rainbows. We saw at least seven while we were out. After a brief detour we descended the fell along the clear path once again, stopping briefly to watch a red squirrel scratching among the leaves and scurrying along the top of a dry stone wall.

This weekend, I'll be taking things easy. I'm excited to make my Christmas preparations and I'm also thinking of posting a little something here each day during December. It might not be much, perhaps a photograph and a few words, just something positive every day.

Would anyone else like to join me?

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