So the days are drawing in and the air and light are different. Autumn is on its way. Which, while it means an end to the long days of summer, is still a good thing in itself. New fruits and… Read More ›
Foraging
Blackberry Cake Bars
In my memory, blackberry picking always took place in the cold on the windswept downs of the Isle of Wight. So every year I am surprised when blackberries appear in abundance in August. Luckily we have some at the end… Read More ›
Sloe Gin revisited – and Happy Christmas to all!
I made loads of sloe gin in the autumn with the express intention of giving it as presents. So I have been really pleased with how well it has turned out and how beautiful it looks in proper sloe gin… Read More ›
Deep Blackberry and Apple Streusel – or posh crumble, perfect for entertaining
The picture really does not do this dessert justice. I had thought I would try to take one of a slice the following morning, in the daylight and with time to set it up nicely. As it was I barely… Read More ›
Homemade Sloe Gin, or Life in the Sloe Lane
You will have to forgive the pun – I couldn’t resist it after my recent post about blackberry picking… Once you start looking around it’s amazing how much you can find in the hedgerows. Sloes are the fruit of the… Read More ›
Homemade Blackberry Jam – Life in the (slow) Lane
I suddenly realised the other Thursday that while I had organised my daughter’s 11th birthday sleepover treat in my head for that Saturday, I hadn’t actually shared the details with the two girls that were invited. Or indeed their mothers…. Read More ›
Blackberry Muffins
When I have a freshly picked heap of blackberries I tend to look at them and think either crumble or jam. This year I have decided to try to be a little more diverse and it struck me that not… Read More ›