Cabin Fever

For about a year now I have been thinking of setting up on line.As an avid reader of many brilliant blogs, I will be sharing my favourites soon. For those people a big thank you. You are a real inspiration.

Why navigating by stars? -- Its like setting sail and not knowing where this may go.

I also have been making a series of stitched and screen printed work that uses this working title.

More about this work, along with some images in the next few weeks.

A few bird related items made for my house .

                                                                                                                

Because of the effects of cabin fever I went out to the garden.(haven't been down there for weeks) To give the birds some 'past their best' apples.

To my surprise and delight I found a lovely green patch of self seeded Rocket.

                                                                                                                         

A sign that although this year has only just started, time is moving along and spring will soon be on it's way.

It was also a welcome addition to the salad we had with a homemade roasted pepper quiche that day for tea.

Last spring a family of Blue tits nested here.I hope they will be back this spring.I must claen it out for their arrival.

We have a serious case of Cabin fever.

After a lovely but hectic family Christmas........The Flu!

It was my own fault though(tempting fate),everyone around me went down, even my cat had a cold! A couple of weeks ago, I had been sounding off about getting through to Chistmas without having contracted a virus.(more out of surprise than arrogance I have to say).

My New Project

I started this blanket over the holidays:

Thinking it was time to find out how to crochet. Investigating the matter on line I found some good tutorials.

This is one of my favourites.

It has become a little obsessive.When i have finished one row, i am planning the colour of the next.Then i have to see how it will look.I change colour and then start thinking of the next colour and have to finish that row, so i can start again. So it goes on hour after hour.( i think i need help!)

Today I managed to put it down. Putting it in a draw so I can't see it.

Mike has also had the flu and has been holed up at my place. Along side the flu he also has the dreaded Cabin fever .

He decided to make bread for the first time. Being a breadmaking virgin, he used this great booklet that was free with the Saturday Guardian a few weeks ago.

The results as you can see were very good.Today it was my turn to be bored.(must be getting better)

My solution to cabin fever. Make a cake. An Orange drizzle loaf.

Inspired by beautiful Blood oranges that arrived in this weeks veg box-

The juice of the oranges .............Pink!   

 

I LOVE MY JUICER Found last summer at a local village fair.I cant work out how old it is.It's shape is kind of 30's. But has a quirky 50's feel about it. It has a Goebel,W.Germany, mark underneath.Internet research has not been fruitful. If anyone could help me out with some history that would be great.

Another posession that gives me joy to use is a collection of hand made wooden spoons this one bought in a market in Northern Lithuania.I also have others made from different kinds of wood.One lovely is a giant ladle made fron apple wood. Bought in Latvia from a little old lady outside the market hall in Riga.

Orange drizzle loaf the recipe.

100gms Plain flour

3 teaspoons of baking powder

100gms caster sugar

100gms butter

1 large egg

Grated rind and juice of 2 blood oranges

3 tablespoons icing sugar

In a large bowl blend the butter and the sugar.When pale add your beaten egg. Mix in the rind and juice of 1 orange, save the rest to make your drizzle syrup.

Next fold in the flour and put into a lined loaf small loaf tin.

Bake for 40 mins at gas 5.

Cute matches from Lidl

Whilst the cake is cooking make your syrup. Combine the remaining juice and rind of orange with your icing sugar in a small pan heat until disolved.

When cake is cooked remove from tin and place on a trivet over a plate.To collect the drips of syrup.With a skewer make small holes all over the top of the cake. Whilst still warm spoon over syrup. Any syrup falling onto th plate can be picked up and poured over the cake.

These were another pre christmas find. Soooooo pretty.I found 6 of them in a charity shop for £1.50. Nice to end the year with a bargin.

Anyway back to the job in hand and time for tea and cake ."How very English" said Mike. 

Comments

[mike]

great site starzy

love ya

mike xxxxx

[Pammi and Steve]

Fantastic photos glad to hear your both feeling better but we missed you over Christmas! Hope to see you soon x x

[katie]

Hello! Lovely to find a new blog - thanks for linking to me - Love the stripes!! enjoy the journey!

[aurora fox]

Hi jane--thanks for the nice comments on my blog--you said you found me via the apron swap? i hope i have the correct jane...
on my mac (with firefox as my broswer)--all your photos here a very tiny---can't you make them bigger? they look so good--i want to really see them! but i can't...this is a very good start for a blog.Your crocheted (?) striped blanket is lovely!

[Secret Leaves]

This sounds super yummy! I will have to try this recipe. Although, being American, I will be eating mine with coffee instead of tea. :)

Thank you for sharing!

Sharon

[Secret Leaves]

This sounds super yummy! I will have to try this recipe. Although, being American, I will be eating mine with coffee instead of tea. :)

Thank you for sharing!

Sharon

[Biggi]

Just stumbled in by some other blogs - this recipe sound really yummy.... thanks a lot
Regarding your juicer maybe you can find the trademark for dating on this page:
http://sups-mus.homepage.t-online.de/sups-120.htm#tm

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