Sunday Sweet Treats

Sunday’s the day for sweet treats. Well, any day really….but mostly Sundays. And to those of you who expressed sympathy because I can’t eat sugar, there’s really no need. Over the years I’ve developed devious ways to make delectable goodies using alternative ingredients.

Funny thing is that when I make ‘real’ chocolates, I stick pretty much to recipes I’ve found, inherited or devised myself. But when I make their healthier equivalent, I never measure or follow lists of ingredients. Instead, I tip in a bit of this, a pinch of that as intuition and fancy dictate. Of course the downside to this is that when I come up with something extraordinary, I can never replicate it exactly. But then that’s half the fun of it.

Today’s delightful confections were a mixture of carob, lucuma, coconut butter, mulberries, honey and orange oil. They were drool-ably good. Like little balls of chocolate orange shortbread.

Still feeling sorry for me?

The Slug and the Caterpillar

A slug and a caterpillar have taken up residence in my camera. They show no signs of moving. Must be cosy in there.

Okay then, we’re talking a picture of a slug and a picture of a caterpillar. Not the real live slithery things. But just as odd. Because despite having erased all photos from the camera’s memory numerous times, the slug and the caterpillar remain. They never download along with more recently taken photographs. Just stay inside the camera and show up on playback.

I’ve clearly done something at some point to imprint these images on the SD card and there they will remain forevermore. I’m sure that someone more experienced in photography than I am could tell me exactly what I’ve done and even - possibly - how to reverse it. But you know what? I don’t want to know. I’ve got used to the company of these tubular creatures whenever I’m wielding my camera and would rather miss them were they to depart.

So just remember in future. All photos on this blog are brought to you courtesy of Helen, a slug and a caterpillar.

Jam Jar Vases

When I needed lots of cheap vases for the wedding I designed in August, I turned to good old jam jars.  Trimmed with hessian bands and lilac gingham ribbon, they were perfect for the country wedding they graced.

Since then, I've used the 'vases' in my own cottage several times.  They suit the rusticity of the place.

But it wasn't until today that I realised the full potential of the jam jar vase.  Wanting to leave a thank you present of flowers for a friend who I knew would be out at work, I went searching for a water container so that the little bouquet could await discovery without wilting.  And there were the jam jars.  Ping!  Revelation!  Jam jars furnish a perpetual supply of pretty vases to give away - which means flowers can be delivered ready-arranged and in water.

Why did that never occur to me before?

Red Woolly Jumpers

So that's where all those red sweaters that appear in the shops at Christmas time come from...

The Knitting and Stitching Show

After our herculean efforts for the fair, it was time to kick back and have fun today.  And what better place to party than the annual jamboree that is The Knitting and Stitching Show?

This sumptuous extravaganza of all things textile-related is always a feast for the eyes and imagination (but can cause a serious famine in bank-balance land).  The best specialist suppliers gather to purvey their glorious goods.  There are exhibitions and galleries to browse; the latest technical innovations on display; colleges showcasing their students' work; and classes and workshops to drop in on throughout the day.

Almost as much fun as revelling in the deliciousness for sale is the age-old art of people-watching.  Put several hundred artists and crafty types in one place and you get an impromptu pageant of skilful knitwear, hand-made corsages, outlandish jewellery, and outfits put together with inventiveness and flair.

The Knitting and Stitching Show runs until Sunday at Harrogate International Centre.