The Homemade Heart

welcome to my busy week

 

Welcome to

Everybody has personal triggers for change, and mine often occur when I come home after time away, and see my home with fresh eyes. After the beautifully uncluttered space of Sugar Loaf Barn, I felt the sheer quantity of belongings in our house weighing me down.

Being a bit of a clutterbug; book lover, magazine reader, vintage china fiend, charity shop prowler, with the occasional foray into online auction sites, I tend to fill our small house to bursting point without realising the space-eating effect of my habits. As vices go, it's not the worst, but sometimes I need to have a massive clear out, and feeling positive after our summer holiday, it felt like the right time to declutter.

Added to this, Derek and I have, for some time, been discussing the possibility of Jacob and Isaac having a

We thought it was time they had some teen space, a room to spend time with friends, with each other, and somewhere for the

Where would this space be? Our underused dining room was the obvious choice; it is used at christmas, but not very much throughout the year, and although I will miss it (it does look rather nice with the table all set for christmas dinner..)

there was no contest between a pretty christmas table once a year, and the oppportunity to give the boys a room of their own. They, naturally, loved the idea, and so began the Grand Clear Out.

Lots and lots of bags went to the 

Many more went to our recycling centre at the 

And  there were also lots of bulging

Furniture was moved round the house, a bookcase and sofa found their way into the Boys' Room, a new tv was purchased, and a very reluctant (me) and hugely enthusiastic (Jacob and Isaac) visit was paid to Ikea.

Once home, Jacob entered

and with much

the new tv stand and chairs were built.

Then some groovy* art work was added

and with a few finishing touches,

the Boys' Room was declared open for use. It's cosy, welcoming, funky* and most of all

On a more serious note; until now, it has been easy to monitor what the boys were watching on television, or on-line, as our family sitting room is open plan to our kitchen. The advent of the Boys' Room changes that dynamic slightly. We talked to them (as we often do) about on-line

I am satisfied that both boys are very well aware of the potential pitfalls, and I will always discuss and monitor what they watch etc. for as long as they need support and guidance in this area, but I also believe they need a little space too.

So far, the Boys' Room has been a rip roaring success, with a lovely healthy balance between time spent there, and in the family sitting room. 

With all the upheaval, there has been 

but amongst the strange looking pickles, and bumper bags of Dime bars in the Ikea shop, I found these adorable alphabet biscuits. Once home, I couldn't resist tipping them onto a tray and playing with them, I never guessed I could have so much

 

(*I am leading a unilateral movement to resurrect hippy terminology that has inexplicably fallen out of favour, care to join me?)

 

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Thank You Letter to Sugar Loaf Barn

Dear Sugar Loaf Barn,

Thank you for a wonderful holiday. We all miss you. 

We miss the warm, bright mornings,

and peaceful nights.

 

We miss the view.

We miss feeding these little chaps,

and these clucky girls.

(Thank you for all the eggs, ladies).

 

We miss having our lunch in pretty courtyard cafes,

doing our shopping on market days in lively little towns.

Holiday clothes,

holiday toes.

Holiday baking, 

and celebrating. 

We remember laughing, talking, eating outside on warm nights, dog walking by the river, catching up with reading, catching up with sleeping, days out, days in, Jacob and Isaac helping on the farm, visits from the farm kittens for saucers of cream, making a time capsule for the 800 year old barn currently being renovated by the three kind, strong, capable sons of the farmer, Meg chasing the hens, a trip to York to see a dear friend visiting from Australia (yes, it was a long way on the train, but so worth it xx), the deafening thunder and lightning storm on our last night,  and we can still feel the lumps in our throats as we drove away on our last morning. 

We will miss you until next summer,

Love

Penny, Derek, Jacob, Isaac and Meg XX

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holiday check list....

Holiday reading...

Holiday work basket....

Holiday clothes....

Looking forward to our time away....

after a rainy night

After a rainy night Meg and I set off early this morning for our walk. Living in Scotland, we get our fair share of rain (some would say more than our fair share...) but we get sunshine too, and the combination sun and rain, as every nursery child learns, makes the grass grow. 

The world (our little corner of it anyway) looked freshly washed, and there was a wet whippy wind that spoke of rain to come later in the day. Meg ran ahead, in her usual ecstasy of sniffing, galloping, chasing, and running back to me, ears flying, tongue hanging out.

 

Over the stile and along the grassy path by the burn.

Lots of wild flowers with rain still clinging to the petals, and for once I had remembered the camera. 

 

Then home, to continue with preparations for our family holiday to Wales. So glad of my hour in the fresh air before tackling yet another pile of holiday ironing. 

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Year in books; July

Once again, thanks to Laura at Circle of Pine Trees , for hosting the Year In Books project, and this month my choice is 'The Great American Bus Ride' by Irma Kurtz.

I read a warmly written review of this book in the Summer edition of Slightly Foxed , and was intrigued. Anyone who subscribed, as I did, to 'Cosmopolitan' magazine in the '80's will remember Irma Kurtz as the straight talking Agony Aunt from that most illuminating publication. In this book, first published in 1993, Irma takes a journey across America by Greyhound bus, ostensibly to investigate her American roots, and, 'taking only the barest necessities for travel, entered the vast network of America's bus routes and a seething, fleeting world of brief encounters and changing landscapes' . I am very much looking forward to reading this book.

A word about last month's book, 'The Secret Life of Bees' by Sue Monk Kidd.

This book was a wonderful read! It is narrated by  sassy 14 year old Lily,who is badly treated by her embittered father, and runs away from home after local racial violence affects Rosaleen, the black woman who is the only person in her life who is kind to her. Their journey together to escape persecution, and to try in their bungling way to discover more about Lily's late mother is funny, moving, and unpredictable. They find sanctuary with 3 sisters who keep bees, and the book is peppered with information about bees and their behaviour, which adds an extra dimension to an already absorbing story. 

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innocent chocolate hearts and vodka espressos

Chocolate sprinkle hearts are a sweet hostess gift, and would also be a pretty addition to a party table. I made a batch of them on Midsummer's Eve, when we were invited to a friend's house for dinner. Having intended to make iced cookies, then running out of time, I remembered seeing these in Annie Riggs excellent Sweet Things, and quickly made some to take with us.

They were warmly received, and as we nibbled them after dinner with our coffee, my friend's husband (since renamed The Silent Assassin) offered  to make us Vodka Espressos , which suggestion we welcomed with enthusiasm, our defences being already weakened by the champagne and pomegranate aperitifs, and excellent wine with dinner.

A vodka espresso tastes like sweet, cold coffee, but makes your brain feel like you are propelling yourself at speed in high heels into a moving truck. Drinking lots of vodka espressos makes your brain feel like you are propelling yourself at speed in high heels into a moving truck but you don't feel any pain until the next morning.

However, on the topic of the altogether more innocent chocolate hearts; what follows is not really a recipe, more of a friendly nod in the direction of some melted chocolate and a piping bag, if you want to make these pretty little things:

Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and pour in your choice of sprinkles, giving the tin a shake to distribute them in a even, generous layer. 

Melt 200g of plain, white or dark chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water. When it is melted and smooth, remove from the heat and allow to cool, stirring it every few minutes until it has cooled and thickened sufficiently to leave a ribbon trail, at which point you must the act with cool headed efficiency to pipe the hearts before the chocolate becomes too cold and stiff to pipe.

Decant the chocolate into a waiting piping bag (with a star tipped piping nozzle if you feeel so inclined, or just with the end snipped off), and pipe the chocolate hearts on top of the sprinkles. They will dry and harden in just a few minutes, ready to be packed into a pretty box or container.

For maximum effect, enjoy on Midsummer Eve, in the company of friends with a killer streak for making cocktails...

 

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