Rosehip Syrup and Leg Warmers

Each year I seem to have a passion that I follow, lets say strongly. In the past wild food or foraging has been one of them, and to my delight I have some amazing recipes that I will seek out year after year, one of those is Rosehip Syrup. I used a recipe from the most fantastic book, Wild Food by Roger Phillips, it is a must in the world of food for free, the photography is stunning and creative.

After completing a lovely Autumn walk this weekend I had enough rosehips to make my syrup. Knowing that this syrup is so utterly amazing I have cut my rosehips by hand for the last few years, but this year I had a new gadget to help. MrPB bought me a little present from the recycling centre which at the time didn't go down to well! But now all is forgiven as this wonderful creation made my job so so much easier.

OOps picture gone a bit funny, sorry! This is the recipe :

1kg of rosehips

4 and half pints of water

450g sugar

. Mince up the rosehips and put in pan

. add 3 pints of boiling water, wait for it all to reboil

. infuse for 15mins

.strain through jelly strainer

. put rosehips back in pan

. add another 1 and half pints of water, bring to boil again

. infuse for another 10 mins

. strain again

. now reduce the rosehip water to a litre

.add your sugar and dissolve

.bottle

eat on everything, but our favourite is with stewed apples, cream and syrup poured over the top.

I have also been busy knitting my first pair of leg warmers. I am not really a knitter although I am keen to improve. I really enjoyed making them, this pair will be off to Kent for my sisters birthday, but I am making myself a pair now.

Changing of seasons

I don't know about you but I personally find that with a change of a season comes a time for some reflection and a time for planning. In my reflection time recently I have found that I am dealing with really big issues like who am I and where do I fit within my communities, also what do I stand for in the way I parent?? A bit scary hey, do you dare read on??................

To put it into a blogging sense I have been asking myself why do I do this? I'm not always sure I have anything of worth to pass on, but I know I enjoy this time to communicate and express myself. So although I may not be tackling huge global issues or putting down a heavy political footprint I think it's ok just to share our day to day. Really what I love most is just that, those of you that read my blog and all those other blogs that I read are massively inspirational just on the way you live your day to day. And of course I'm aware of the wider picture but I am now understanding that I am living in a more conscious or awakened state.
Well that leads me nicely to the more personal me......................

I have been pondering on the differences of my parenting, what I mean is my choices and skills are now very different from how I parented Luke 17 years ago to how I now parent Arthur who is 2. I am the same person and I wanted the same things for my children but how I live now has changed. Yes I'm alot older, wise, confidant, I know how to make things happen. I think that there has been an awakening of my conscious mind, I feel slightly mournful about this as I would like to provide my older children with the connected ness that I now feel. Yet again I would like to celebrate my forever changing journey, my older children have had a lovely upbringing with a spiritual essence but being more awaken I feel this has a real sense of purpose now, so watch this space.....................

What that really means is I'm ready to accept and move on to the new chapter, and at the moment the new chapter is autumn. I have been planning lots of lovely thing to do  but it started with enjoying some local sences in the park today!

Wonderful hey? Well thank you for baring with me, when I have moments of rambling. One last thing I would like to share that I am very excited about is that tomorrow I start my Joy de Berke mother and baby Steiner course, and that in time I will share more of.

Thank you, have a lovely weekend!

My Growing Family

Lets make this clear from the beginning, no I am not expecting another baby!! I think four boys is enough for me.
What I do mean by growing family is that I have noticed during the summer that my lovely boys are moving on. You all know the scene, you catch up with friends through the summer and start to list the changes of the year and plans that each of your children will be partaking in. Well it was at this moment that I realised that as a family we are growing, that we are always changing, and as much as I want to celebrate this I do feel a little sad too.
The run down goes a bit like this:
Luke having just turned 17, yes 17!!! Luke will be starting his second year at college this week in Music technology. He has spend summers at festivals and DJing at friends party's. Wow he is so independent and has a love of music that just keeps him enthused and working hard. I am also really happy for him as he has just got himself a job after looking for many months.
Liam just never stops growing, now 15 he is at least a head taller than me and I'm not that short, and he takes a size 10 shoes, canoes!!! Liam is now heading into his last year of school, I feel for him in this pressured year. I want him to to still enjoy his friends and not to feel bogged down with making life decisions. Although in 6 months time we will have to think if he wants to go to college or stay on at 6th form?
Callum is now 12 and very much staring his journey in to teenager land. He is so very quick witted and makes us all laugh so much. I am still proud to see that he has amazing empathy. He is now settled into secondary school and has a lovely group of friends.
Arthur, no longer the tiny baby but a bouncing boy! I love his long arms and legs and the energy that just makes him want to walk the dog morning, noon and night. Arthur is such a cuddly little boy and can be so gentle when the mood takes but he certainly has a glint in his eye, and who wouldn't having three older brother to copy!
I am so very proud of my children and I do enjoy watching them grow, and grow they have. I can not believe how fast it seems to happen!

Home Corner

With the start of term in just a couple of weeks I thought it was a good time to prepare. I am a childminder to Arthur's friends, and we have had a lovely summer on our own soon the boys and girls will be returning to play with us most days.
I thought a home corner would be really nice as Arthur is really into role play at the moment. I moved everything away. I love doing this makes my living room feel new all over again! Unfortunately I had a small piece of plaster coming off the wall, by the time I had finished it was a rather big space! Knowing i don't have time to deal with this I have made the homely corner more homely by just covering it up!
When I was looking to cover the space up I found an old rag rug the I had many years ago and it fits in perfectly, Arthur jumped on it straight away.

  I think my make do and mend or rather more of the make do effort looks good. A duvet cover and a felt animal scene that I have been waiting to get up somewhere all seems to have come together. Arthur likes the home corner and rushed in to tuck baby into the crib.

I am pleased with my days work, but I feel a little something more is needed. I feel it is good that areas grow over time, I was thinking a table and chairs in the form of a tree trunk and logs for chairs all sandpapered and varnished. A little secret woodland home?

Creative Fridays, Mythic Garden Visit.

I really enjoy taking part in creative Friday, following Natural Suburbia blog.I naturally find I am creative as often as possible and it is good to challenge myself by getting my children to be more creative too.
Today though I thought seeing as the weather has picked up again here in the UK it would be a good time to explore others creative efforts. So of to the Mythic Gardens on the edge of Dartmoor, Devon. I truly love this place, set in 5 acres of woodland, an arboretum with many species of silver birch. The sculptures are wonderful, magical in fact, along with those that are homed here permanently, they have new offerings every year, so it is a great place to go year after year! Although out of my price range, all the sculptures are for sale.
Now you will have to excuse me as this now becomes a photo fest, something I don't normally do is put many many photos up in one go. But this is such an amazing place I wanted you to experience it as much as possible!

The lady on the sheep is actually made by someone I know, not only does she have a smallholding, make here clothes, knit and make everything!! She is also a talented artist, one of my favourite pecies at the Mythic Gardens. If you are ever pass, do pop in !

There's a little place I know..........

Have I told you how much I love this time of year? For the simple fact that there is masses of lovely fresh fruit and veg everywhere. There is always something to make, and my taste buds are buzzing making all sorts to see us through till next year, when I get to start all over again!
There is a little place I know that has three wonderful plum trees. I have never seen anyone else picking from these trees and every year there are kilos and kilos, I pick bag fulls ready to make all sorts. This photo is in fact my second batch of plums.

I have become a plum snob as I can only eat good English and in season plums, nothing else compares. I make a good batch of jam, I like it rather tart! I also add loads to chutneys and I make a plum ketchup which is received with love from Mr PB as he has an allergy to anything from the tomato family, so he often lacks sauces and chutneys  ( but luckily he married the right girl and now his taste buds are happy).

I have also been rather inspired by rag rugs, in the past I have made a lovely wall hanging but what do you think of my rag rose broche?

First week of the summer holidays.

After an amazing birthday party for Liam now 15 we were left a little jaded after tidying the village hall and debris of 30 odd teenagers. The sense of achievement was great but made better I think by the fact that it was the first weekend of the summer holidays and we all needed a party.
I am a stay at home mum, but I stay at home with other people children too, yes I'm a childminder. I love it but I am really excited to spend some time with just my family!
So is it just me, do I find it hard to adjust or am I someone that just can't stop writing lists and ticking those actions off as if my life depended on it? Well yes I am but I think I am torn in many directions. My mind is saying yay its the holidays, do fun stuff and experience life. One of my main aims has to live more in the now, particularly in British summer time. I did manage this I spent two great days on Dartmoor with Arthur, the weather was perfect and I did feel free, I really find it easier to be outside with children. Climbing, pic-nic and sheep spotting with the most amazing views made those lists of things to do just disappear. I wish you could see better but photo's never show off the real thing.

So fun time was had, and it does feel like summer here, really warm! Any time I have been at home has just been filled with things to do, I I my own worst enemy, I create more than I need to. Mr PB has been away working this week and we are also getting everything together to go on holiday to Wales. By the end of this week I will need a holiday! Although I have been shopping and washing and lots of paperwork stuff has been done I did sneak a lovely walk along Tiverton canal where the it was peaceful and the nature was brimming.

So I feel I have been learning about myself this week, little ups and downs, learning to let go of stuff that isn't important (like putting new stuff on Etsy - it's  supposed to be fun!) I find I push myself harder when Mr PB is not here, but my older children do help out more. Maybe I have had a different routine that actually has allowed myself to think differently than the normal term time routine. I think I think to much!!