Holiday countdown

Not done much in here lately, so a bit of an update. Been on my speed awareness course, found it quite interesting and well run. Car started making some very troublesome noises on the way there though and I was worried I wasn't going to make it. Took the car in to the garage the next day and I'm now £450 worse off. 

Got a day off gardening today and I'm having a sort out, making up some jam with a few oddments of fruit left in the freezer, and experimenting with the rhubarb left over after I bottled up the rhubarb vodka. By the way, must go back and make a note about it, as it's gorgeous, can't see me giving much of that away for Christmas!

I tried a bit of the rhubarb that had been picking in the sugar and vodka and even 'raw' it was rather tasty, so I froze it awaiting inspiration.

Might just cook it up and freeze for pies and crumbles...not sure yet.

I've got loads of apples to do something with, not sure on them yet, but might have a go at a chilli jelly or something.

Oh, and we've booked a holiday...setting off 4 weeks today for 24 days, back on 19th December. 

Back in Northumberland

This week I have a week off from gardening and am back up at Northumberland dog sitting for a friend for a week. The weather isn't quite up to what it was in August when I was here last time, but there is a beauty to autumn that you really get to experience up in the countryside round here.

I've brought a few things up with me to be getting on with, a load of magazines to sort through and take cuttings from for my decoupage, a bit of knitting, fed up doing hedgehogs at the moment, so going to either start on some wrist warmers or another of the dogs from the book 'best in show'.

I've brought up a big bag of jewellery making bits to be doing too, but how much I actually get done is questionable.

I have Ita coming up tomorrow evening and staying until Thursday tea time, so we'll get some walking done and hopefully a bit of beachcombing - last time I was here I found some beautiful scraps of blue and green sea glass and I'd like to look at making some jewellery with it.

I've been in touch with Trev and Charlie, who have just got back from a trip to America, so it would be lovely to catch up with them, and another friend from Facebook has suggested a catch up...hmm might to get much crafting time done then!😉

Tomato soup in large quantities

The past few weeks have been. About finding ways to use up the glut of tomatoes and I found a recipe for tomato soup which I actually like, it's a pretty simple recipe, a bit of faffing at the end, but it is a lovely soup and I'm making more today on my day off to put in the freezer for over winter.

Begin by frying gently a chopped onion and chopped potato, just to soften a little, I used some garlic and basil infused olive oil that I make, but any other sort would do, just a tablespoon or so.

While that's happening, chop up a load ( hmm measurements a bit uncertain here, let's say around 750g or so) of ripe tomatoes, I've used the yellow ones and red ones, we decided the yellow ones were a bit mushy for salad type tomatoes...must remember this next year)

Add half a pint of chicken or vegetable stock to the onions and potatoes, then tip in the chopped up tomatoes, add a sprig of thyme and a dash of celery salt and black pepper then stick a lid on and simmer for around an hour.

Then comes the messy bit, push it all through a metal sieve, this takes out the seeds, skins and stalky bits of the tomatoes.

Reheat, and enjoy.