Red Gooseberry Jam

Okay, so I thought I would be away from the laptop for a few days over our holiday period but no, it's absolutely pouring down and I refuse to go outside today so instead...a recipe for you :)

I have this red gooseberry bush on the plot of shame (14b) that is so prolific that I think we could be incredibly fed up with the very thought of eating red gooseberries by the end of summer. So thinking ahead I thought; 'well, I've only harvested a quarter of what's there and there's no way I am letting the birds pilfer the rest so I need to think laterally...jam, jam for the miserable winter mornings, jam for my porridge....'

Thus I made red gooseberry jam and this is how. It only made enough for half sized Kilner jar, perfect for storing away as and when I make batches.

I used the basic BBC Good Food recipe which I thought it was fabulous; my weights were different but it's always the same weight of fruit to sugar really with any jam I've made so far. Don't skip that lemon!

 http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2303641/gooseberry-jam

* first sterilise your jar/s by washing thoroughly in very hot soapy water. Rinse in very hot water and put on a baking tray and into the oven at 140C fan oven until totally dry. I usually turn the oven off and leave it/them in the oven until I need it at the end...

* put the gooseberries, juice of half a lemon and water (enough to just cover the berries) in a large wide pan (use a preserving pan if you have one). Bring to the boil then simmer for 15 minutes until the fruit is very soft and pulpy. Put 2 or 3 small saucers in the freezer (these will be used to test the setting later on)

I didn't get any scum and under the activity of top and tailing I just used my nails. I did start out with taking a little knife to both ends but somehow I felt the world was laughing at me and I was seriously wasting minutes of my life, haha.

The time wasting stops!!!

Stuff all the gooseberries, lemon juice and water in a saucepan, cook until boiling - BE CAREFUL

* Add the sugar and stir over a gentle heat for another 10 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Once you can’t feel or see any grains of sugar bring to the boil and boil hard for 10 minutes, skimming the surface as you go and stirring now and again to stop it catching.

* Spoon a little jam onto a chilled saucer, leave to cool then run your finger through it. If it’s ready it will wrinkle up. If this doesn’t happen boil for another 5 minutes then keep testing and boiling until it does.

Add sugar and cook for what feels likes forever. This is how mine looked when the wrinkle test was passed.

 * Do a final skim on the finished jam then pour into the sterilised jars and seal. Store in a cool dark place – the jam will be good for up to 6 months.

Pretty :) Hot jam in a hot jar - the seal works best this way as it contracts.

May the weather be less depressing where you are today but if not - bake or make jam maybe :)
Love and hugs
Carrie

World land Trust Conservation gardening tips

This information sheet was sent to me last week, remember when I promoted the 'Donate your Garden' fundraiser project. I keep it for a slightly quieter time on the blog...say a long weekend... before I shared it. I know many of these suggestions aren't new to us but in reality I have to do much better at not cleaning up, of finally getting a dustbin lid pond sorted etc... It's great to be gently reminded xx

Their list looked dull so I jazzed it up :)

Is it just me or our there 11, not 10 as advertised in their header? :)
Your 

Carrie

Happy Days Project 81 -100!

Can you Adam and Eve it! I've only gone a finished my 100 Happy Days project! What!? Yep it's been just over one hundred days (I wasn't a daily participant, so I sort of failed..) and I love this practise of finding wee moments in the everyday that deserves noting, sharing, remembering. I think I'll just darn gone start all over again and do another 100 :)

So here is the end of the story for my first 100 days..

81 aeroplanes making shadows in the sky. Yep, it's a heat wave! 82 Carrick-a-Rede with Rathlin in the background. 83 Maggie snoring away 84 Lilies in  the long border at Belfast Botanic Gardens 85 Super duper tired today!

86 Andrew's birthday cookies... Oat and chocolate giants :) 87 Sewing with permanent double vision is not easy!  But :) 88 I made it over to the fabric shop - so much loveliness! 89 Just out of the oven...oat and raisin cookies :) 90 The beautiful Ben

91 Fire pit at friends' house 92 Favourite postcard from Barcelona - putting it up in full sun wasn't the best idea. 93 Really pleased I took this guy apart and designed new wings for him :) 94 A little Posey to cheer the soul. Picked by my hubby at the #allotment last night :) 95 My little minty feathered friends :)

96 Maggie chillaxing on the hammock with me today. 97 Coffee out with friends :) Hubby's nails are super dirty from gardening ;) 98 More allotment flowers, I love this time of year!! 99 Maggie playing dress up with Andrew's scarf. 100 My coffee and I are feeling the same way. Sort of confused about life.... 

Loads more everyday photos on my Instagram :) 

It's going to be a long weekend here in N. Ireland but I have the Top 10 Conservation Tips for you via World Land Trust and I shall post them up tomorrow, to carry you over xxx

Hugs

Carrie

Evening delight at the Lottie

Yesterday I woke up with the desire to go to the allotment, on my own, to cut the grass. Menta?!! But it is true. Sadly it was raining, all day off and on and I had other work on my hands anyway so I didn't get there until evening time. It was better after all to go later as it dried up, warmed up, Andrew was home and Maggie had rested all day and felt rather energetic.

We drove over, lazy I know but Andrew was exhausted compared to my 'must go, must work' attitude. Plus he had been the night before and got a harvest gathered so it hadn't been as long for him. 

Maggie was naturally lifted out of the car (remember her bad leg) and then bounded off into the extremely long grass and bounced along running a full speed. I swear that dog is my happiness.

Anyway, I took a few photos and thought it would be nice to share them.

Top left - the view from the car, holy poo, they said it was going to be looked after, that grass is deadly. 

Top right - keeping on top of the grass down by our own plot - I cut back even more after this photo.

Bottom - the plot, 24a - aahhhhhh.

Top left - SWEETCORN doing really well

Bottom left - COURGETTES are in flower, we only have 2, that's all we will need ;)

Right - Pentland Javelin earlies out, LEEKS in :)

Sunflower backlit by the setting sun, ironically. I thought they always faced the sun? Maybe this guy is getting ready for the morning 

Love and hugs

Off to reply to comments on last post (thank you!)

Carrie

xx

I'm feeling good

Its been an odd day but out of it I have fought through the blackness and searched out what has made me smile as I sit here. Its a simple process, and not remotely connected with anything but I thought I'd share.

Maybe it will prompt you too to see more of the happy in this day.

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* The Hammock and Maggie (both on the floor beside me but this was taken yesterday)

* Our new trellis, painted and with a new climber

* The salad spinner :)

* Making things I love

* My new in house watering can

* My flowers, Andrew picked and arranged

Much love
Carrie xx

Remembering Mount Stewart

I was contacted by the charity the World Land Trust yesterday and asked to consider supporting their gardening-themed conservation fundraising campaign, the Great Garden Give. The campaign is simple; it involves making a small donation to save an area of threatened habitat that’s the same size as your garden.

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Running until July 13, the campaign calls on anyone with a garden to estimate its size in square metres, enter the amount into a calculator on the World Land Trust website and then make the suggested donation (2.5p per square metre or £2.50 for the average-sized UK garden of 100 square metres). Each donation will allow the charity to secure the future of the same-sized area of rainforest, or other threatened habitat, in Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia or Mexico through its Buy an Acre projects. 

 Click here to go to the Great Garden Give website and pledge your plot.

 They are also asking people to tell them what their gardens mean to them and to submit photos of their garden (or their favourite garden) on the World Land Trust Facebook and Twitter. Plus there’s a Facebook competition to win gardening vouchers!

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So, anyhow this fits perfectly with my planned post for today wherein I wanted to show you one of my all time favourite gardens - the lake walk at Mount Stewart. Andrew, Maggie and I were there last month twice! The first time is was just us and I had only my camera phone but I think the photos I took are pretty good and I'd love to share them with you ~ prepare to fall in love and forget about this cold and dreary Friday :)

We went back a fortnight later with our dear friends and their children for a picnic and to be part of the plant sale and family fun day. We had a blast and the sun was blazing. I took the 'big camera' and tried to get more captured of that stunning place as we did the same walk (the big house is being refurbished and the pleasure gardens are closed off for safety). 

Love, hugs and kisses - have a fabulous weekend friends. 

Do consider that 'Great Garden Give' campaign, and maybe share it with your social media friends using this suggested tweet:  
'Help save the world’s most threatened habitats by supporting @worldlandtrust #GreatGardenGive 
 http://bit.ly/1uAVLYg '

Carrie xx

Harvest Time - yay!

So I guess Rhubarb was our first new produce from the allotment this year but this post is really about the first 'proper' harvest; you know, those things planted in the rotation beds, new with love and excitement...

* The treasure that is Potatoes! I always think it's a magical time when you go furtling for your spuds and they're like hidden gems under all that foliage and soil. You just don't know how many you'll get, where each one has gotten too and what size they'll be. (Plus, I know I always say this but it reminds me of my Papa and that memory of his garden = happy times) These are our earlies, Pentland Javelin and they are so sweet tasting, I love them and I'm not even a spud fan. (Yes, I am still N.Irish and No, there's nothing wrong with me, hahaha). We have had the joy of also sharing our bounty of these with friends and family.

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* Our garlic :) and I say that as this kind of is our own variety now - it's been grown and selectively regrown in the plot since the start and I believe that makes it our own strain: 'Gault's Wight'. This is basically the softneck variety 'Solent Wight' and eaten in the green like this is too is sweet and yet still mild in it's garlicky-ness. There are some we shall keep from this patch for next year but green garlic is a lovely treat - you just don't get it in a supermarket.

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* It's round one of broad bean glut time! It's not a bad thing but we have loads of these and there is a second later batch doing really well on the plot too. Is there anything more lovely than the shelling of beans and that smell of ultimate freshness? We are firm fans of Aquadulce Claudia, they do so well for us each year :)

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All of the above together =healthy, filling, yum!!

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* I've just realised I haven't taken a photo of an of our lettuces which I guess we've been eating for a month or two now, first as seedlings like one gets in a posh restaurant and now as beautiful big slightly peppery salad leaves. But, hey, you all know what a lettuce looks like, right? ;)

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* This is the last thing I'm going to show off - our utterly delicious mangetout which I suppose is in a glut too at the moment. They aren't cheap to buy in the shops though, so growing them is a delight - thrifty and tasty. These are so lovely Maggie has been know to eat some off the plant if given the chance!

With love and hugs - may you be enjoying the rewards of your hard work too :)

Carrie x

Celebratory Photograph Time!

Yes, it's the morning after the morning before and it did really happen - I was at the lottie yesterday! I still can't quite believe it and I feel so scared at the idea of going alone again that I can't quite understand from whence the strength came from before! Or was it total insanity that grasped me and took me on my 2 hrs long adventure?!

I feel everything about this whole surprising, marvelous event deserves an exclamation mark!

Here, let me share my photos with you, put them out into the world so that it can be seen, remembered and one day, attempted again (eek!)!

And there she was 24a in all her welcoming glory :)

Bed #1 - lettuces, courgettes, sweetcorn, chard, purple sprouting broccoli

Bed #2 - loads of beetroot (various different colours), celeriac, turnips, carrots, parsnips

Blueberries coming into colour under netting - ha, take that pigeons!

Bed #4 - garlic, broad beans, mangetout, french climbing beans

Some of the many flowers that are in bloom, or coming into bloom :) This really makes me happy as I saw so many bees and butterflies on them whilst I was there. I love our plot to be full of colour and helpful insects. Cornflower (purple), dahlia, red velvet rose, marigold, california poppies.

A good hour of my time was devoted to this path and making it safe. All I had was a push mower, hand scissors and my grit and determination. Note how Maggie is NO help :)

2 hrs later and look how sleepy Maggie is (the cheek of her, she didn't do anything!). One last look back and what a happy little sight the marigolds on the shelf under the shed window are :)

All in all I am pleased I pushed and today I have plans for the back garden. Thank you for your comments on the last post by the way and if you are a Facebook follower xxx Harvest photos next time and I have some lovely Mount Stewart nature photos from the weekend too.

Hugs and Love

Carrie x

An amazing thing

Maggie and I were at the allotment today....for 2hrs! I will share the story and more photos later in the week, but you must understand - I needed to share this. My biggest achievement for many years.

My Beautiful N. Ireland

Well, would you Adam and Eve it? This here post, the one you are reading right now is my 777th! That's a bit of happy trivia for you on this fine day. Wow....I don't know if it makes me feel old or just proud that I'm still ticking along. Haha.

So I was exhausted yesterday (I'd walked over to the fabric shop and back and it was super scary and a really big deal) and took a while just lying with my phone, looking through the photos on it and listening to music. From there decided that I wanted to show you some of my beautiful country; photos taken whilst on our staycation, snapshots from the phone. I really couldn't run and play and chase Maggie whilst carrying my 'big camera' ;)

*** We had a great day 'up the coast', one the world's most beautiful drives through the Glens and Causeway coast. The first stop was Carrick-a-rede rope bridge which Andrew had never been to before! The views from there are amazing - these two photos on the left were taken from the mainland, looking at the wee island only accessible by the rope bridge and in the distance is Rathlin Island.

Next we went to the Giant's Causeway but any child brought up here will have been to this site sooo many times that I literally only took this photo of a tiny thing in the gift shop. I have no idea what purpose it was meant to have, so small and not even heavy enough to act as a paperweight, uummm.

Lastly (after a delicious dinner in the Causeway Hotel) we visited White Rocks beach...Maggie loves a good beach. And this one is as clean as you could ever wish for :)

*** We had an evening in Belfast at some super fabulous bars and beer gardens with a glorious dinner in a fancy new restaurant but it was our 9th Anniversary and some things are sacred; so though I have many photos...they are staying relatively private, though there are a few on Instagram :)

*** Our week long heat wave drove us out into the back garden to do very little other than read, listen to music and for me - sew :) I have re-opened my Etsy shop online and lots of new photographic cards and felt birds have been going up recently, it feels so good to be back in action.

*** This is the height of my allotment adventures.....

.....blasted hayfever! I mean really, look at that weather but only now am I truly medicated to the hilt and able to cope with the weeds and flower pollen. Anywho, Andrew was able to go and some maintenance has been done and our first harvest (other than just rhubarb) came in last week ~ roses, lettuces, broad beans and potatoes. Plus we have been able to give some away to family :) I shall be there again soon and then hurrah! this blog will get back to business.

*** This is the most recent day out to Belfast's Botanic Gardens - we love it there. Right in between Queen's University (where we both studied) and the Ulster Museum...

So I hope you liked this pictorial catch up of sorts, personally I think it's much better than photos from a holiday resort on the Island of Rhodes where we were meant to be going. I love my home country; despite it's political problems, it's one of the most beautiful places I know.

Hugs and happy weekend!
Carrie xxx

4th Happy Days Collage

It's been a while hasn't it! Boy, I've been up to lots of stuff and none of it allotment related but I thought I'd share anyway cause I love reading about other people's lives on their blogs when it's truly about them and not the usual subject :)

Andrew had a week off for holidays there which was lovely and happily coincided with a mini heatwave here in good old N. Ireland. We were for heading off to Rhodes but decided against it and it was really and truly the right decision for us, no question. There was lots of sleeping in for Andrew; sitting in the sun reading (and for me, sewing); we visited a couple of National Trust sites and celebrated our 9th Wedding Anniversary!

More about all that stuff in the next few days... First, I really wanted to keep up with my #100happydays project. I may miss a day or two here and there but on the whole I think I'm keeping up pretty good. I'm on day 87 today, but here's the 4th installment for you - 61 to 80 :)

61 - Maggie just not wanting to get out of bed today.  62 - Damn you woman! Cutting my hair without even a warning...though i look HOT! Still, there best be biscuits in this for me....  63 - Found a lovely old anniversary card today in one of our 'random' drawers  64 -  Feels great when you get the washing dried outside :)  65 - solar light up eyes Scottie dog....anyone else creeped out?!

66 - A little bunch of early summer  67 - A bank of these beauties seen on our walk today. 68 - The most utterly delicious cherries ever are being eaten this day!! Yum  69 -Yum yum yum (biscuit)  70 - I'm nuts about fruit and nuts :)

71 - Goodbye crappy old hi-fi.....your time is up 72 - Water lilies, ferns and irises 73 - A little bit of tongue out action today :) 74 - Trying to get back into sewing after 6 month break. Hands are so shaky! 75 -Obviously the lay out of Dunluce castle, town and gardens :)

76 - So sleepy but still trying to keep watch for 'daddy' to come home :) 77 -Maggie loves to snooze in the shade after overseeing the garden work 78 - Fruity punch on such a lovely day :) 79 - Sewing outside in the sun....ahhhh 80 - Hadskis is awesome!

So more to come and a photo of our first harvest too - yay!
Love and hugs
Carrie

The Joys of A24a

Hey there lovely people and welcome to the weekend! I hope you get at least one good wee segment of time to yourself to enjoy your lottie or garden in the next days. May the weather be just tip top!

I told you I was last at my own plot on the 1st June, eeek!, that's only one weekend missed and it feels like forever. I shall definately be at beautiful 24a tomorrow, I'll be easy to spot - just look out for the girl who seems to be dying from the sheer force of nature herself....blasted hayfever!!!! I've been on the medication a month now and doing fine but during this week, something crazy has happened and I often wish I simply didn't have a nose of the a roof of the mouth - arrrghh. She* does is you know, even though I love her, she attacks my face every year to some degree. (*nature)

Anywho, time for a photo update on 24a, I wonder how much it's changed already!?

The four main beds and so much green goodness....

But even better than a few photos I have something special for you all today. Yes, let me revel in the drum roll that is going on in my head right now (can you hear it??) I bring to you a HAND DRAWN PLAN!! (And the crowd goes wild!!!)

pretty awesome plan of the plot June 2014

I hope it's self explanatory; the the brown is bark mulch and then around the shed there are cement paving slabs and pink gravel. OK, it's not as good as when Andrew draws a plan and it's all to scale and perfect but mine is colourful and gives you the same idea :) Feel free to ask questions or complain about my handwriting being hard to read.

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I drew the plan last night and finished it this morning whilst Miss Maggie was with the Vet. Maggie remains 'the wonder dog' but she has been finding it impossible to use her right back leg, it has wasted away and after treatment for arthritis wasn't helping she needed more tests. Turns out she has nerve damage (it may even been in her spine), she isn't paralysed in that leg but she doesn't feel it much apart from some discomfort :( We also discovered she has liver damage. 

As seen on Instagram this afternoon

At least she didn't have to go through with an x-ray as she is a little old for all that and has a heart murmur - the sedation could have been dangerous. So we are much happier to now know what is going on and I have pain medication for her if she has a bad day.

Well must go, my nose needs blowed, again...

Love 

Carrie

Charity Giveaway of RHS Flower Show Tickets‏

I was sent an email yesterday from the people at World Vision the world’s largest, international children’s charity. They have a project called Grow Hope, 'to raise awareness of Ethiopia’s transformation from drought to lush vegetation.' Of course the title really just clicked with me as isn't that what I am doing through ecotherapy? Isn't what we are all doing by growing our own in the first place? Though lucky for us it hasn't all been out of sheer desperation, to basically survive.

'This year marks the 30 year anniversary of the 1984 Ethiopian famine, the worst in living memory. Thanks to the generosity of supporters, World Vision was able to work with local people and organisations to help turn the Antsokia Valley, which was hardest hit by drought, into what is now a lush, green oasis. Hope of a future free from hunger has grown into a reality. Families are able to feed themselves on the crops they grow and can enjoy life once more.'

World Vision will be exhibiting gardens at garden shows throughout this summer to mark the anniversary of the famine and celebrate the transformation of Antsokia. Plus, they are offering an exclusive chance to win a pair of RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show tickets.

All you have to do is register for a Grow Hope pack, on the World Vision website: http://www.worldvision.org.uk/growhope/competition 

For every person who signs up, World Vision will give vulnerable families in Zambia orange maize seeds, rich in Vitamin A, to ensure children can live a life free from the fear of hunger. And you will receive fresh Ethiopian coffee to share with a friend and some beautiful calendula seeds.

Well love and hugs -

Carrie
 

[Just so you know I am not actually affiliated with this charity and am only sharing this story and fabulous competition with you dear readers, as it has been presented to me.]

blood like treacle - a simple catch up of sorts

Over the last few weeks I feel as though my blood has turned to treacle, there is a layer in and around my brain and I simply can't think without being utterly exhausted. My vision isn't even good, more wildly double, with lights flashing in the corners. I think I have been going through another long, laboured break down and well, I'm basically not feeling so great.

I haven't been to the allotment since the 1st of the month and on that day I didn't even take my camera, just took a few shots with my phone. There are some in the May folder I never did get around to sharing - those of how well 24a was doing. Maybe I will put a map and story together this week but honestly I can't promise anything.

So to ease my frustrations with this big pancake batter of a brain, dripping with treacle and these heavy hands and eye lids I am going to fight until I have a record of some of the general beauty that's over there in our space. I really want to share them, it makes the whole thing 'real' to me.

Here are the brightest, most interesting ones from back on May 31st

Little nature loving Maggie with her eyes closed and beard flowing in the breeze; A big clump of mushrooms from the horse manure we had around the raspberries; blueberries coming!; 2 slightly different versions of the California poppy, on the same plant; underside of a mushroom - they are so unusual...

Here are the ones I took with my phone the day after -

Broad beans - so many healthy plants; super poorly honeysuckle - yuck; a net cage around the precious blueberries :) and my stunning purple huge poppy (thanks to my bestie, Rosemary)

I even did some 'proper' gardening and thinned out the beetroot, every other one (Andrew says they are huge now and I can do it again), I was happy to do more than weeding (thanks to not working so much on 14b) I wanted to have a treat but all I had were dog biscuits, so... Maggie got my treat :)

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I'll try to write again on Thursday, oh lordy, I feel so behind! Plus on top of developments on the plot I have some gorgeous photos of a National Trust garden Andrew took me to on Sunday there - a real head clearer..and Maggie was so happy!

Love and hugs - may your potatoes be blight free!!
Carrie xxx