If you find a wild plum tree, make sure you take full advantage of its delicious fruit. I found a yellow plum tree a few years ago near my brother’s old house and made pots and pots of jam and put… Read More ›
fruit picking
Blackberry, Lemon and Yogurt Cake
I always try to make sure I have extra foraged or pick-your-own fruit to put in the freezer so we can enjoy it throughout the winter in baking. Then I either forget to use it or “save” it for a… Read More ›
It’s all about that Quince: Jelly, Paste and Brandy
If you are lucky enough to have a quince tree in your garden (or know someone who does) it is worth making the effort to use them. And it is quite an effort as they are difficult to peel and… Read More ›
Quince and Ginger Cake
When I moved into my new house I was really pleased to have a “mature” garden, full of interesting plants, bushes and even a pear tree. It has a real cottage garden look to it. It was actually a little… Read More ›
Wild Plum Jam – from the hedgerows
I absolutely love the turn of the season when the hedgerows start to go wild and there is fruit everywhere. Not just blackberries but sloes, elderberries, hawthorn, rosehips and crab apples, amongst other things. I spend a lot of my… Read More ›
Blackberry and Lime Polenta Cake
The hedgerows where I live are full of ripe blackberries at the moment and I have discovered new places to pick them not too far from home. I didn’t manage to do any fruit picking this year as I found… Read More ›
Baking Birthday Cakes in a New Kitchen
Having recently moved house, not only do I have endless boxes to unpack, I also have a new kitchen and oven to get used to. So making birthday cakes for friends and family was a good excuse to try them… Read More ›
Chocolate Birthday Cake with Strawberries and Cream, and New Adventures
If you’re a regular follower of my blog you’ll have heard me mention my friend Frin who, amongst other things, runs the Boot Camp I struggle to get through twice a week. But there will be no more Boot… Read More ›
Apple and Pecan Cake with Maple Syrup Icing
My friend Vana has given me a lot of apples already this year and has just brought me another couple of large bags-full from her Grandad’s apple trees, as her Grandad very sadly passed away recently. He had two apple… Read More ›
Making fruit jellies: Redcurrant and Blackberry Jellies
I haven’t made a lot of jellies in the past for a couple of reasons. Firstly they seemed all a bit too much effort, and secondly I thought it was a waste of good fruit: a lot of it gets… Read More ›
lovinghomemade 