Pause

I've been enjoying a very relaxed week, and having reached the half-way point in my summer break, a change in the weather has seen me spending more days at home, along with some much needed down time. 

I began the summer without plans and with fewer expectations, other than to enjoy some days out here and there, for Lily to have an opportunity to go swimming again and to maybe climb a fell, or two. I can definitely say that we've already ticked all those boxes, so now anything else is a bonus, although, Lily has asked if we can take a trip on one of the large boats on Windermere before the end of summer. I'm sure that can be arranged :)

Last week, we enjoyed a trip to the sea. It was a little overcast and breezy but we had a lovely walk along the shore, and some very tasty take- away chips for our lunch. 

This one waited very patiently, hoping for a chip.

We've also been swimming at the pool again, and I've booked another session for next week. I'm so relieved Lily has this opportunity, as I've no idea when, or even if, her lessons will re-start.

Mid-week we visited Sizergh Castle. It was a warm sunny morning, so we set off early and took a picnic lunch with us. The gardens are looking beautiful just now, and I especially loved the kitchen garden and the rows of sunflowers which led out to the orchard. 

The following day, again, dawned bright and sunny and, with my overriding desire to make the most of any good weather, we spent a wonderfully carefree morning down at the lake. There was some paddle boarding, there was some swimming, and then there was some hot chocolate - it was a warm day but the water had been chilly!

In between these days out, I've also enjoyed being able to spend some long awaited time with friends once again. 

This week has been much slower paced. We've still enjoyed a few local walks, but I've appreciated spending my days at home. 

We've been reading together, I've been continuing with the decluttering and catching up with household chores, and we've done some baking. Lily made some flapjack, with just a little bit of assistance, and I baked some scones, which were delicious, served fresh from the oven with some homemade raspberry jam.

This week I've sensed a change in the air. I'm trying my best to deny it, but the shortening days are an indication of the changing seasons. Having said that, the blackberries and elderberries here are still a little while from ripening, so perhaps summer will be with us for a while yet. 

I hope so. 

J. X

Courgettes

In the past two weeks I have, very generously, been given a total of eleven courgettes. Six huge ones and five little ones. Now, I do like courgettes - I love most vegetables (I know, technically, they are a fruit but I wouldn't put one in a fruit salad) - but even then I knew I would struggle to use them up before they went bad. I realise they can be frozen, but they would ideally need to be blanched first and I really didn't want to faff about with all that, so I needed a plan or, at least, some recipes. 

The Pasta-less lasagne was delicious but I was looking for something which would use up more than just the two courgettes I'd needed for that. So I decided on some chutney, which would be simple to make and also be easy to store, not taking up valuable space in the freezer.  

After much chopping and dicing, it was soon simmering away on the stove and I was feeling quite pleased that I'd manage to use up another two courgettes, until Lily proclaimed that it smelled very much like my 'cleaning stuff'! It was only a short while later I realised, with much relief, that she meant the vinegar solution I use to clean the windows :)  The chutney filled five jars and needs to be kept for at least two weeks before eating, although I did try just a little bit and I can confirm it tastes delicious.

By this time, I had used up four of the courgettes, when Vix left a comment on my previous post suggesting I try a recipe for courgette loaf cake. I was a little apprehensive at first as it contained walnuts, which I've always thought of as evil things. But I stuck to the recipe and I am glad I did, as it was so delicious. I enjoyed it thickly sliced and spread with butter. I even liked the walnuts, so thank you Vix. 

Next, I chose to make some ratatouille. Possibly an obvious recipe, but for one reason or another I had overlooked it. I added onion, peppers, tomatoes and aubergine, and even included a handful of our own runner beans from the garden. Another simple but tasty recipe, and I now have three meals in the freezer.

Determined to use up every single courgette, I used my very last one to make some courgetti. I simply sliced the courgette into fairly thin strips, put the ribbons into a covered bowl and cooked in the microwave for just two minutes. There was no need to add any extra water, as the courgettes already contain enough. Much as I enjoyed all the recipes this was by far the easiest and quickest of them all. And by using courgettes instead of pasta it left me even more room for garlic bread :) 

J. X

A Change in the Weather

Since our walk up the fell earlier in the week, the weather has turned cooler and we've been experiencing heavy rain showers intermittently throughout the day. It's great for the gardens, which are soaking up the water, but I'd much rather be enjoying some warm sunshine at this time of year. It is for this reason we've been spending more time at home this week. And I can't help but think we may have already seen the last of the really hot days.

On Tuesday, I spent some time in the kitchen attempting to use up several courgettes I'd been given. Although quite versatile, they are not a vegetable I cook with all that often. Usually a recipe will call for just one, and so I buy more than I need, only to discover the rest turning soft and bendy at the back of the fridge, several days later :) Anyway, these courgettes were huge, so I needed a recipe that would use at least more than one, so I had a look online and found this, Pasta-less lasagne. Initially, I was curious, until I looked more closely at the ingredients and realised it was basically a moussaka. Well, I like moussaka and this would use up possibly two of the courgettes, and so I set about slicing and frying, until what felt like hours later I ended up with a very time-consuming-to-prepare, but very delicious meal. 

While it was in the oven, I decided there was no way I would go to the trouble of making it again. But it was so very  tasty, and seeing as it would provide us with enough servings for more than one meal, then it would be worth all the of the faffing and dish washing that came with it.

Yesterday, I had some errands to run in town and while we managed to dodge the showers, we also visited the Library, where I signed Lily up to their summer reading challenge. This encourages children to borrow and read six or more books over the holidays. I'm not feeling all that optimistic, as although she is very good at reading, it is not an activity she really enjoys. In contrast,  however, she was more than happy to assist me with foraging for raspberries that afternoon. 

I thought we would take a short walk along the lane to see if there were any remaining where we would usually pick them. Typically, all the really good ones we're way out of our reach, or behind a large patch of nettles, but we still managed to collect enough for three jars of jam. These should last us a while, once the blackcurrant is finished.

Oh, and there was a knock at my door last night. I've been given another three huge courgettes! 

J. X

Evening Walk

I hadn't planned to do much on Monday. I had some forms to fill in for the insurance claim and then I needed to drive to the car repair centre in order to get an estimate. In all honesty, I also wanted to get some of the housework done - there is only so much I can overlook before it gets too much for me and I feel the need to give everything a thorough clean. The kitchen and bathrooms are now spotless and I also vacuumed the whole house from top to bottom. There is still some dusting to do, but I can live with that for now. 

The next job on my list was to wipe down the paddling pool and inflatables, and put them away for the time being. I always feel a little bit sad to do this, as I never quite know if the weather will be warm enough to get them out again over the summer. The pool has been cleaned and is drying out at the back of the house; I don't want to roll it up while it is still wet. The inflatables are already packed away in their bag. I like to look after them, especially as, aside from the doughnut, they were all bought for Lily's first holiday to France when she was only three months old. I should have realised back then that she'd be a water baby :)  Happy memories.

In between chores, I spent some time catching up reading blogs and I enjoyed a mostly relaxed afternoon. It was while I was eating dinner that I thought about a spontaneous walk up a local fell. With several small fells to choose from we settled on the one farthest from the house which we thought would be the most quiet.

It was a typically bright summer's evening and the air was still very warm. We walked steadily along the path, stopping regularly to take in the views, although we were briefly distracted by the sight of some large raspberry bushes. We might have helped ourselves to a few but I must remember to see if there are any left over where I usually pick mine. 

The fell wasn't only quiet, it was completely empty, aside from some sheep and cows. It is most unusual not to pass the occasional runner or dog walker up there.

It felt so good to be out, making the most of the evening sun. 

J. X