Shirts

Today I am mostly thinking about shirts...................

Jon and Fig

A montage for my lovelies.............

Remembering your birthday darling Mum xxx

We are chutney monkeys

HUGE chutney making session on Saturday and Marmalade on Sunday, meaning we are now up to 27 jars done and 23 jars to go.... I'm not going to lie to you, this is quite an epic amount of work we've taken on to do this, but, we are genuinely loving doing it and every jar and each recipe has huge great big oodles of love baked in as standard. I only hope the recipients enjoy devouring the contents as much as we have enjoyed making them.

Two of my favourites.........

Spicy Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:

2 large red onions, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 x 800g cans good quality chopped Italian tomatoes

2 cups white sugar

2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 cup sultanas

1 tablespoon salt

Method:

Place all ingredients, and freshly ground black pepper, into a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until sugar has dissolved.

Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or until mixture thickens.

Spoon hot chutney into hot sterilised jars. Cover jars with a clean tea towel. Cool completely. Top with lids and label.

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Pear Chutney

Ingredients:

3 lb (1.4 kg) pears

2 cooking apples

1 lb (450 g) onions

1 lb (450 g) seedless raisins

1 teaspoon hot chilli powder or cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon nutmeg

Juice and grated rind of 2 lemons

1 lb (450 g) soft brown sugar

1 pint (570 ml) white distilled vinegar

Method:

Peel, core and chop the pears and apples. Peel and chop the onions. Crush the garlic.

Put all of the ingredients into a large pan with the vinegar and stir well with a wooden spoon.

Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a simmer and continue simmering for around 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until it is thick.

Ladle into hot, clean, sterilized jars, cover and seal.

Label when fully cool.

Makes about 4 lb (1.8 kg) of Pear Chutney.

Steak and ale

For a treat on our way home on friday night we called into The Ram Inn in Holme Chapel just down the road and had some steak and ale. Well, Jon had the ale! It was absolutely lovely and we ate early enough that we had the cosy far room all to ourselves and got a corner table by the window. I love the 'Ram, it's got the best beer garden in Calderdale and is just unpretentious and cosy. Simple pleasures my dears, simple pleasures.....

Cometh the cheeseman...

We made a most wonderful trip to Kirby Lonsdale today. To visit John at Churchmouse Cheeses and discuss our cake :) much fun was had tasting and discussing and choosing our cheeses, and we left his lovely shop with a bag full of cheese!

The place itself was very quaint with narrow streets and lovely little shops and pubs, with an almost Cotswold style honey coloured stone used throughout.

It's good to talk.....

For my little blue elephant.....

Thankyou.

I love you very much.

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100 days!

ONE HUNDRED DAYS 'TIL OUR WEDDING DAY!

Invitations sent..........

Fly my pretties.....

Almost there....

The long road of designing and making invitations is nearly run. We've had troubles with the card, troubles with the printer and troubles with the ink.... Jon has done HOURS and hours of guillotining... but we're are 'almost there'....A phrase that I especially associate with Mum and Dad - it being their song, by Andy Williams, and one which Mum had played on forces radio for him when Dad was in Africa.

So dearhearts, we are almost there...

My special thanks in abundance to my dearest Scrib, without whom....

Wraps unwrapped...

Incredibly excitingly Jon has just sent me a photo of the newly FINISHED vinyl wrapping on the RSCO....doesn't it look utterly groovy? - I am so very proud of him :)