The Homemade Heart

The August Break '16: three

Continuing with The August Break, hosted by Susannah Conway. Today's photo prompt: three.
 
Three little mugs hanging in the kitchen. Spot the odd one out? (It's the self decorated one from here)

 

The August Break '16: my face

Day 23/31 of The August Break with Susannah Conway. Today's prompt, 'my face'. As in "Just give me five minutes to put on my face".

The August Break '16: squares

Day 22/31 of the August Break with Susannah Conway. Today's prompt: squares. I have a lot of fun with my Instagram squares. You can find me there at @penny.homemadeheart

The August Break '16: today is...

Day 21/31 of The August Break, with Susannah Conway, posting a photograph every day in August according to a list of prompts. 'today is...

Today is... the day I started running again.

I wrote about my first experience of running here, and about fracturing my foot during a 10k here. Following the fracture, I encountered further problems when I tried to start running again, and was found to have an underlying foot problem. Initially I was advised not to run at again at all, which was exceptionally disappointing. However, I eventually persuaded my Podiatrist to allow me to start again providing various criteria were met: that I was very, very, very careful, and that I bought trainers specific to my needs, that I complied with my foot exercises, and wore my special insoles. 'I can do all that', thought I.
So, today is... the day I started running again, using the brilliant C25K app, in my new trainers from here. My aim is to complete the 9 week running course using the app, and then carry on as I did before, adding minutes every week. Perhaps I will even be able to run the Glasgow Womens' 10k next May.

The August Break '16: clouds

Day 20/31 of The August Break, hosted by Susannah Conway, prompt 'clouds'. Big skies from the beautiful Isle of Lewis last week.

The August Break '16: my hands

Day 19/31 of The August Break, hosted by Susannah Conway. Today's photo prompt: my hands.
With thanks to oldest son Jacob for obligingly taking the shot.

The August Break '16: 5 years ago

Day 18/31 of the August Break photography project. Today's prompt is '5 years ago'
Every year in late August, when the first leaves are tipped with gold and brown, and the rowans berries are showing scarlet against the green, I start making bramble brandy  (or plum brandy, red currant gin, or some other variation, but most often bramble brandy), for Christmas.
Though I never consciously choose to make it in the same week in August, I noticed today when I took the Kilner jars from the dresser cupboard, that the hand written sticky labels, though faded after going through the dishwasher, show dates within a few days of each other, going back some years. I couldn't actually find one dated 2011, however  I am confident that I was making bramble brandy this week 5 years ago. 
There is a pleasant sense of preparedness which is uniquely associated with making jams, chutneys, cordials and, I can happily report, bramble brandy. It is also very easy to make, and will provide you with beautiful gifts to give to family and friends at Christmas, as well as a gorgeous drink to enjoy as a Christmas treat to yourself.
I wrote about last year's home made brandy here, giving the recipe and method in full, so if you are already dreaming of cosy winter evenings sipping something delicious from a short glass, click on the link. One other note: I use cheap brandy for this (ditto cheap gin if I am making a gin based liqueur), the type that comes in plastic bottles, and at current prices is around £9 for a 70cl bottle. Don't be afraid, by Christmas it will taste like nectar.
 

The August Break '16 bedroom window

 

Day 17 of the August Break, hosted by blogger Susannah Conway. Today's prompt is 'bedroom window'.
Our bedroom in this house was originally the front parlour, and has a small bay window. Our house was built in 1928, and had three public rooms, and only one bedroom, a fact which astonishes me. The public rooms comprised the front parlour, which would have been kept for visitors (or I believe, sometimes used when a family member was ill), the family sitting room, which is also a good size, but with a plainer window, and, I imagine, would have been cosy and comfortable. It is currently the boys' room (television, ps4 etc, I wrote about its transformation from dining room to boys' room here). The third public room was a dining room, and is currently Isaac's bedroom. To compensate for only having one bedroom, it appears that the loft space in the house was used as a bedroom of sorts, as there is a small built in cupboard up there, a green painted chest of drawers, and what appears to be a wooden partition, presumably dividing off bed spaces. I can only imagine how hot it must have been up there in the summer, and conversely, how cold in winter.
Back to today's photo prompt. The bay window in my bedroom is where I keep my sewing machine, on a small painted trolley. Underneath there are a couple of work boxes. The pale blue box holds fabrics, and was originally a gift box from here. The wicker bedroom chair pulls round when I want to sit at the sewing machine (which is from here). Perhaps one day I will have a bigger space, or even a whole room, but for the present this space in my bedroom window will do nicely.

The August Break '16: breathe

Day 16/31 of the August Break, hosted by Susannah Conway, where bloggers post a photograph every day in August, according to a list of prompts. Today's prompt is 'breathe'.

Since returning from holiday on the Isle of Lewis late on Sunday night, I have been in perpetual motion. I have never operated a smoothly efficient system for the start of a new school year. The thought of having new, pristine uniforms lurking in the wardrobe all summer holidays, waiting to pounce, is just too depressing. I always leave things until the last possible minute to mentally delay the return to the school routine for the boys, and for myself. This results in a last minute flurry of activity, but even for me, the two days prior to school re-starting was close to the wire. Two prolonged trips into to town, and a scurry round the local Retail Park, all conducted in uncharacteristically hot temperatures, ensued. Great tolerance and patience were demonstrated by all concerned.

School uniforms needed topping up (what is it that teenage boys do to white shirts?).
School shoes needed bought (note to self: teenage boys do not appreciate maternal advice regarding footwear). 

New school rucksacks were deemed an immediate necessity (the old ones having been judged 'Ok for next year' until closer examination revealed significant structural wear and tear).
Both boys like stationery, so there was slight compensation for all the trudging about in the heat with the purchase of a bundle of Pukka pads, Post It notes, and many packs of new pens and pencils.
Additionally, the hired kilts for the wedding we attended whilst on the Isle of Lewis needed returned to the kilt hire shop . An unexpected pang of sadness caught me as we handed them back in. The much anticipated celebrations and festivities were over. The new term was, inevitably, upon us.

Since the boys started secondary school, and have turned man-sized, school uniform has generally been easier to buy; black trousers, white shirts and black shoes are almost permanently available in the shops. Only the school blazer requires separate ordering and a bit of forethought, and I must here confess that I also delayed ordering new school blazers until the last possible moment, with the result that Isaac is returning to school tomorrow in his tatty old one, and Jacob will not actually have one at all until both new blazers are delivered next week, thanks to my over zealous clear out of his room during the summer holidays.
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In all the running about, it was a pleasure to take five minutes in the garden, looking for a suitable image for today's photograph challenge. The hibiscus flowers I planted in early summer have been an elegant addition to the garden, steadily producing bloom after bloom. As I fiddled with the settings on the camera, the wind stilled for a moment, the bloom settled on the stem, and I could feel myself just breathe.

The August Break '16: unicorn

Day 16/31 of The August Break with Susannah Conway. Today's prompt; 'unicorn'. Some head scratching here (metaphorical only, I try never to scratch my head, it looks so off-putting). Unicorns are challenging to photograph in the wild; being elusive, secretive, proud creatures, who disappear at the mere whisper of the presence of us clumsy humans.
Their natural habitat being bluebell woods, little girls' day dreams and the pages of beautifully bound story books, I had to settle for this particular unicorn, spotted here, on a recent trip to Edinburgh.

The August Break '16: love is...

Day 14/31 of The August Break, hosted by Susannah Conway. Today's photograph prompt is 'love is....'
All I can think about when I read these words is my boys. I remember a friend telling me, before I had any children, that the love you feel for your children is beyond anything you can ever feel for anyone else. At the time I didn't fully understand what she meant. Her words often echo in my head now, however, when I look at my boys. I adore them. 'Love' doesn't even come close. This is one of my favourite photographs, taken about 9 years ago.

The August Break '16: 6 o'clock

Day 13/31 of The August Break. Today's photograph prompt is '6 o'clock'. Evening walk on the sands in Lewis. Evening light on the sand showing the ever fascinating worm casts.

The August Break '16: a secret

Day 12/31 of The August Break, hosted by Susannah Conway. An annual project where bloggers post a photograph every day in August, according to a list of prompts. Today's prompt: a secret.
We are currently on the Isle of Lewis, in the Western Isles of Scotland, and driving round on our various expeditions, we have seen many abandoned houses like this. Who knows what secrets they hold?

The August Break '16: green

Day 11/31 of The August Break, where bloggers are invited by Susannah Conway to post a photograph every day in August, according to a list of prompts.
Today's prompt; green.

Green grass (purple heather and yellow buttercups too) blow in the ever-present wind as we climb up the shallow stone steps towards Shawbost Norse Mill and Kiln, on the splendid Isle of Lewis.

 

The August Break '16: yellow

Day 9/31 of The August Break. My yellow summer dress, ironed. I fold all my clothes with tissue before travelling. It makes such a difference; they arrive at their destination looking fresh and uncrumpled (unlike their owner). This dress is a pleasure to wear; yellow is not a colour I would usually choose, but it is so summery and bright that it makes me feel happy every time I put it on.

The August Break '16: red

Day 9/31; continuing with The August Break, kindly hosted by Susannah Conway, who supplies a list of photography prompts every day in August.  Today's prompt; 'red'. My (mostly) red Russian Doll, from Prague.

The August Break '16: favourite taste

Day 8/31 of The August Break, hosted annually by Susannah Conway. If you click on the link, you will find lots of blogs to visit, and there is also an Instagram hashtag #augustbreak16
Today's prompt is 'favourite taste' and I didn't have to consider my answer for a single second.

The August Break '16: beneath my feet

Day 7/31 of  The August Break, hosted by Susannah Conway. Today's prompt: beneath my feet.
Beneath my feet today, and for the next seven days, is some of the oldest rock in the world; Lewisian Gneiss . We have travelled by road and sea to the Western Isles, for a family wedding. We are staying in Stornoway, where I was (briefly) at boarding school thirty four years ago. When I left a few days after finishing 6th year at school, it was with no desire ever to return.
Time, and circumstances, however, change our outlook, and I am happy and intrigued to be here, looking forward to exploring and re-discovering this beautiful place. The knowledge that the rock under my feet the rock is some three billion years old, makes our human squirmings and frailties seem very insignificant and temporary, which is rather comforting.

The August Break '16: I'm reading

Summer reading is a different from autumn or winter reading. Lighter, perhaps a little more frivolous, always enjoyable. This is my current 'to read' bundle. Nina Stibbe's latest, Paradise Lodge. I read Love Nina, and Man at the Helm, and loved them. Her writing voice is funny, fresh, and original. Slightly Foxed is a quarterly literary review, charming, and a portal to all sorts of interesting literary discoveries. The summer edition of the Enid Blyton Society magazine (I am a member, of course). Uppercase is a quarterly magazine I have not read before, but it looks full of creative inspiration.

The August Break '16: midday

Day 5/31 of The August Break, posting a photograph every day according to a list of prompts provided by Susannah Conway. Today's prompt is 'midday', and it was causing me some mild consternation. In my head were images of cowboys in a dusty western town,  blistering midday sun beating down overhead, trigger fingers itching, but that didn't seem applicable, nor was it actually happening. I was contemplating this minor creative crisis around 11.40 a.m., gazing speculatively at my late brunch of banana squashed on to toast (divinely delicious, but not photogenic...) when the postie came whistling up the path with a delivery. It was my self decorated dishes and baby mug from my recent visit to the Emma Bridgewater factory. 'Midday; Emma Bridgewater delivery. Yep, happy with that' I thought.

The August Break '16 sweetness

Day 4/31 of The August Break: sweetness. Isaac, aged about four.

The August Break '16: handwriting

 

My image for day 3/31 of Susannah Conway's The August Break: a bundle of letters from my pen friend in America. We have never (yet) met in the flesh, we currently know each other solely through our  handwritten letters.

Writing letters by hand is an excellent discipline for both mind and manners, and a delightful way to make friends. There is some effort involved in writing by hand. This is no hasty email dashed off between chores. There is a modest sense of occasion about writing a hand written letter; the gathering of paper, ink, and envelopes, the gathering of thoughts, and the physical sitting down to write. There is the requirement for concentration; if your letter is to be attractive to the eye as well as the mind of the recipient, there is less room for mistakes (unless you send a page full of scored out passages).  There is a sense of conversation, of trying to make your letter interesting to read, of demonstrating, via the written word, that you have read carefully the letter to which you are replying, that you care about what is contained therein, that you are responding appropriately before sharing your own news, views, or opinions. There is the affectionate signing off, with 'Hope to hear from you soon!' or 'Sending love', before the letter is finished, carefully checked, and finally posted. 
I still find it remarkable that a I can compose a letter at my desk or kitchen table, send it from our local Post Office, and a week or so later, my pen friend, in her American house, can be boiling the kettle in her kitchen for a cup of tea to drink whilst she reads it.

Do you still write letters by hand, or send postcards from holidays, or write thank you cards? Something that can be treasured, or at the very least, appreciated, by the recipient? Propped up on the mantelpiece, or on the kitchen window sill, to be savoured again when there's time, perhaps slipped between the pages of a favourite book for safe keeping, or kept in a bundle with other correspondence.

Author Susan Branch writes lovingly about the art of handwriting here , and here is a website devoted to all things snail-mail.

The August Break '16: leaf

The Acer tree in our back garden. Even in August, the leaves are starting to subtly change colour. In Scotland, autumn is never far away.

Day 2/31 of The August Break, hosted by Susannah Conway, where bloggers are given a daily prompt throughout August to inspire a photograph every day, with or without accompanying text. Fun to do, and open to all, to join at any time. A good place to find lots of new blogs to read. There is an Instagram hashtag #theaugustbreak16 too.

The August Break '16: morning light

Today's prompt is 'morning light'. I am a morning person; I love early mornings pottering round the kitchen when the rest of the family is still asleep. Meg, our sweet natured yellow Labrador, trots through from her cosy bed, and relentlessly nudges my arm with a wet nose until I pat her. I hear the wood pigeons in the garden softly cooing their distinctive song. I hear the clock ticking on the mantelpiece, a sound usually obliterated by the hurly burly of family life. The kettle boils for that welcome first cup of tea.  The morning light shines through the slats in the kitchen blinds. All is well.

 

This is day 1/31  of The August Break, an annual project hosted by blogger Susannah Conway.
Susannah provides a prompt for each day in August, from which bloggers take inspiration to post a photograph, with or without accompanying text.
I have taken part in the August Break for the past two years (click The August Break category in the sidebar to see my previous efforts) Being a Completer Finisher I worry about finding suitable images for each prompt, or missing a day, but others probably take a more relaxed view.
The August Break is open to all, so if the idea appeals to you, do drop by Susannah's blog, where you will find many other participating bloggers. There is also an Instagram hashtag #augustbreak2016 

Cookery Calendar Challenge- August

 

Welcome to the Cookery Calendar Challenge for August.

If you would like to take part (and it would be very nice if you did) please take a quick look at the Cookery Calendar Challenge page, which gives you all the information you need.

My chosen book for July was A Year at Avoca.  This book is visually very beautiful . It is a pleasure to browse through. The food photography is exquisite; the overall design is warm, inviting, suggestive of good company, good food, and gorgeous interiors (I am assuming that the images are from the various Avoca Cafes in Ireland)
Initially I wondered if the café recipes would translate well to a domestic kitchen, however this was not a problem. The book is not too 'chef-y', and with very little kitchen know-how, can be easily used by the domestic cook.
The book is divided seasonally, so it is easy to find recipes that suit the month, or just the mood.
My two chosen recipes for the Cookery Calendar Challenge were Pappardelle Salad (augmented with chicken breasts fried off in olive oil and butter for the carnivores in the family), and Pork Meatballs.
The Pappardelle Salad comprised summer vegetables, chargrilled on a griddle pan, served with fresh pappardelle pasta, toasted pine nuts, and shavings of parmesan cheese. There was also some sundried tomato pesto stirred through to sharpen up the flavour. As our house is burdened with highly sensitive smoke alarms (it's disastrous if I ever burn the toast), I did not chargrill the vegetables, but instead tossed them in a tiny quantity of olive oil and quickly cooked them in a thick bottomed saute pan over a high heat. This lent them a smoky, charred flavour, without the need to throw open doors and windows, reassure our dog, our children, and our neighbours that our house was not, in fact, alight, or call off the local fire brigade (see what I mean about the toast?)

It may be summer, and this may have been a salad, but cold pasta never does much for my family (except Isaac, who occasionally has cold pasta pesto for lunch), so I served this dish hot, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it, including me (sans le poulet). It is always helpful to find a recipe which, with a few tweaks/ommissions/additions, will suit the whole family.

My second selected recipe was Pork Meatballs. I love making meatballs; they are savoury, delicious (for non veggies) and freeze well, so I am always on the lookout for variations on my well worn beef meatball recipe. The list of ingredients for the pork meatballs was shorter than any I have seen before, just 800g minced pork, 75g breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 1 crushed clove of garlic, and 2 tbsp. finely chopped parsley, and seasoning. These were a speedy make (further helped by the fact that I keep a few bags of ready whizzed breadcrumbs in the freezer). The sauce was a standard tomato sauce, but with the addition of smoked paprika (1/2 tsp), a diced red pepper, and 100g diced chorizo sausage. It also called for butterbeans, but as I am the lone butterbean fan in the family, I omitted them.
I fried the meatballs off to seal them, then finished cooking them in the sauce. This dish was a big hit with the meat eaters, and I was pleased that I had made a large quantity, as I was able to stash a few portions in the freezer.
The Avoca book surprised me, I didn't expect the recipes to be as good as they are, but I am very pleased that I took the time to investigate this book further, and I suspect it will become a favourite.

My chosen book for August is The Vicar's Wife Cookbook. This is a charming cookbook, written by Elisa Baynon, who, in 2007, entered a competition to write a cookery book, and won. ( Here is a excerpt from her introduction to the book). I have skimmed through this book many times, but have never cooked anything from it. I suspect I will like this book a lot.

Many thanks to those who joined the link up last month, I hope you enjoyed it and will continue the challenge with me. If you haven't joined before, and would like to, here's how to take part.

How it works:

The challenge is simple: the first week of every month, select a cookery book from your shelf, and cook two new recipes from it. The recipes can be for any meal. Cakes and bakes are excluded, but puddings are included. At the beginning of the following month, blog about the recipes you have used, and announce your chosen cookery book for the month ahead. This is an ongoing project, it's never too late to get involved, and everyone is very welcome.
I would appreciate a link back to this Cookery Calendar Challenge post in your post. Grab the Cookery Calendar Challenge badge to display on your blog too, if you like (just copy and paste the code on to your dashboard to display). You can also join via Instagram using hashtag #cookerycalendarchallenge (you will find me on Instagram @penny.homemadeheart ).

 

An InLinkz Link-up