Picture books, paper goods & pretty things.
"The silence and the waiting and the rush of all aboard
Fifty souls to a carriage I’m trying hard to be ignored
Then my telephone shakes into life and I see your name
And the wheat fields explode into gold either side of the train..."
A perfect discovery for the first Sunday in September...
Autumn makes me want to bake. I fancied making a tea loaf and realised I had a bag of dates that needed to be eaten up so squirreled around until I found a recipe from the fabulous Nadiya Hussain online. It's such a simple recipe and all you do is soak 350g of chopped dates in 150ml of cold, strong tea overnight, then stir in 50g honey, 50g brown sugar, 1 large egg and 225g self raising flour and bake for 35 - 40 mins at 200°C/Gas Mark 6 in a lined loaf tin.
I fancied adding some spices too so popped in 1/2 teaspoon of ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. The loaf filled my flat with the scent of spices as it baked and I enjoyed a warm slice with a cup of black coffee. Lovely.
Full credit of course to Nadiya Hussain for the recipe : )
I'm always looking out for little bits of pretty and these beautiful jewels caught my eye on the commute home. Autumnal colours are everywhere at the moment. If you spot a little bit of pretty pop it on Instagram and use the hashtag #littlebitofpretty : )
"Seasons of mist and mellow fruitfulness..." - John Keats
There are two types of people at this time of year, those who are mourning the end of summer and those who are giddy with excitement at the autumnal chill in the air. I am definitely one of the latter. I love bright blue skies and the sun warming my bones but my ideal time is when I can wear shades and a scarf and the leaves start turning from green to a spectrum of oranges and reds. I love slippers and layers and blankets, stews and soups and roast dinners.
I spent Sunday morning embracing the change of the seasons, turning a punnet of plums and some leftover apples into compote and crumble. As always I looked up a few recipes and then made up my own, chopping the fruit and adding a splash of water, a couple of spoonfuls of light muscovado sugar, a dash of vanilla essence and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. The ingredients simmered for twenty minutes and filled the kitchen with the sweet smell of spices while I read passages from Nigel Slater cookbooks. The perfect way to spend a Sunday.
As the seasons change I love how pumpkins and squashes start to appear everywhere. They represent all the goodness of the earth and just look so bright and pretty!
I can't deny that I get a bit giddy when the temperature drops at the end of the summer. It signals time to dig out my favourite old winter coat and woollen mittens. Time to get ruddy cheeks from windswept strolls through crunchy leaves ending with a mulled cider in a cosy pub.
September for me is a perfect combination of summer skies with winter cosiness. Scarves and shades. The best possible pairing. It feels somehow like a new beginning and a chance to relax after the vibrance of summer.
I love this article from Lauren Laverne on wonderful website The Pool which talks about why September should be the new 'New Year'. I tend to agree.
