WIPs…

because Summer is kind of over around here….the long weekend at the end of August with bbq included is over….the patio is being tidied up….school starts of Friday for one of them….so yeah we are in Autumn mode over here….time to deal with all the unfinished crochet projects….so many…..don’t ask….actually, I have got a kind of decent  explanation…..hear me out and if you can’t be bothered just look at the pics…admire my work and get on with the rest of your day….have a good one….xxxxx

First of all I picked up this old friend……until I ran out of blue…

So , I started a little blanket …I don’t do little but this time I’m going for a small stroller or car seat kind of small…and guess what? I ran out of light brown….

So then I remembered this one…

And yes you guessed it right I ran out of yarn…this time the grey one…..and because I’m in the crochet mood and because the allotment is pretty much doing its own thing with minimal input from me, I started a shawl. ….. a very fast and furious kind of shawl…..it almost stitches itself and and the pattern is dead easy too…because sometimes you need something simple…cause life is complicated enough…

I’m using lush wool leftovers from the cowls I made for all the ladies in my family last winter….so yeah…I’m busy with my crochet….for a week at least….cause we’ve decided home schooling starts properly from next week….and this year little one wants to do school too……. like big sister….see how long it lasts….I’m in no hurry…she is only 5 after all…

Enjoy the last days of Summer  and hoping for an easy start to the routine….

Salaams y hasta la vista,

Ines

Feeling blessed…

our first cabbage and our first peppers too!!!! and notice the little aubergines? not your average purple ones but still…..the tomatoes are at their best right now…the ones outside are growing brown cracks…not sure what they are but still edible and delish….the ones inside are just perfect…

lots and lots of chard and kale too….the courgettes are not coming fast and furious anymore but still getting one every two days ….definitely on the way out though….amazing how many courgettes one can get out of five plants…subhan’Allah

I love this time of the year in the garden….

Salaams y hasta la vista,

Ines

Only the finishing touches left…

only the dreaded loose ends that need weaving in and out….hundreds if not thousands of them….it will get done….. eventually…this blanket has a deadline….Eid day….in a month time, roughly…I promised a friend…insh’Allah…

but not right now…right now I’m busy with another blanket…that’s what I do….procrastination they call it….here is my new one…bobble stitch…great texture but more time consuming than your regular stitch…just as well this one hasn’t got a deadline…

Wishing you all a very peaceful and productive week…

Salaams y hasta la vista,

Ines

First ones….

our very own first three plums…..feeling blessed….

humble beginnings but I’m ok with that…it’s only a small tree still….we’ve only had it two years….I know there will come a time when I will have enough for making jams and cobblers and ….insh’Allah

Salaams y hasta la vista,

Ines

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peppers, Pumpkins and Pesto….

oh and parcels with puzzles in them…

They are definitely growing…to the point where I’m not sure if I should be picking some to give the others a better chance…better wait a few more days and see what happens…..wishing for a change in colour to be hones…..insh’Allah

Remember I told you that my pumpkins had flopped but then my allotment neighbour, Mary,  had come to the rescue?  Well , we now have plenty of pumpkins but it turns out they are a few varieties over the patch…I’m not complaining…just saying….love surprised like that….

Today , I picked some kale leaves for the first time. For a while now, I’ve wanted to make my own pesto sauce  and today was the day…kale pesto!!! and let me tell you something….if you think you like pesto after you have eaten it out of a shop bought jar you are missing out BIG TIME….I’ll say no more….

 

And you know by now that the recipe is simple yet delicious…less is more….just a few ingredients blitzed together: kale, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic,lemon and nothing else…

I really needed that kind of dinner after over an hour playing with little ones new puzzles….150 pieces!!! and you know what is like the first time ….they want no help but need you at the same time..frustration followed by pride….highly recommend them…the map is her favourite she said but they are all equally fun and learning opportunities built in them…. the solar system  one I chose it as an intro to a topic I want to go deeper into…she has shown quite a bit of interest…see where it takes us….

Well it has been a perfect day…..slow after quite a hectic but fun weekend….slow is good if you ask me….

Salaams y hasta la vista,

Ines

 

 

Local honey…

literally from down the road….ten minutes walk from our home….from our next door plotter at the allotment…it does not come any more local than that I believe…

The bees have done their thing this year again….must carry on planting flowers they like……lucky me to have a bee keeper nearby who is happy to share her bounty…feeling blessed…..

Wishing you all a peaceful and productive week….

Salaams y hasta la vista,

Ines

When life gives you blackberries….

make jam……but if you are a complete beginner like me do loads of research and find a recipe that you know is going to work….unless you are a confident kind of person and , unlike me, you trust your instinct….what a palaver…first of all, I watched a bbc food tutorial which showed how to make raspberry jam but it did say that you could substitute it with blackberries….secondly , no indication of how long to cook it for and the way it was shown it looks like was done in a matter of minutes ( time lapse and all that)…..oh well, it is done now and I can put it down to experience and all that…I hope it tastes good…..I’ve gone the extra mile and mashed the whole lot through a very fine sieve to get rid of pips…..that I’m dog tired is the understatement of the century….

I got just over one of those jars out of 750 grams of berries….not sure I’ll be making it again…..I think I’ll stick to cobblers…….I reckon raspberry is an easier fruit to work with as no pips

I have promised a friend tea with scones and homemade jam so I will be reporting back in a few days….

Salaams y hasta la vista,

Ines

 

How quaint is this?…

and to think that I wasn’t even keen on growing them in the first place? I didn’t get the whole plant one get one bit…..but now I’m completely and utterly in love with my onions….garlic next me thinks…..when do I need to plant them? Off to do some research…..

Have a great week….

Salaams y hasta la vista,

Ines