- Today with friends who live in Plumstead. In the afternoon went to Lesnes Abbey Woods for a walk with their two dogs. Wild daffodils and wood anemones out.
- Cycle ride Good Friday and yesterday along the old River Lea south of Leabridge Road alongside the Hackney Marsh football fields. Water high and flowing strongly. Gravel island just below outflow of flood relief tunnel small on Friday and completely submerged yesterday.
- Started moving pots away from conservatory yesterday but was interrupted by rain.
- Have ordered drawf mulberry (small enough for a pot and fruits first year) from The Organic Gardening catalogue.
- Also ordered 3 tomato plants where the fruit will dry on the plan and can be stored in jars of olive oil. Have always fancied drying tomatoes but, without an aga, that means hours in the oven, albeit on a low heat.
- Got the May edition of Country Living magazine which had a supplement "Big ideas for small gardens". The gardens featured in the magazine are always huge so no inspiration for me and my small garden at all. So I was very pleased until I opened up the booklet to find a picture of a large garden! I've emailed to complain, carefully being polite!
- Got an organic lettuce in Tesco's yesterday. Took it out of plastic wrapper to find a load of greenfly!
Showing posts with label Country Living magazine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Country Living magazine. Show all posts
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Sunday 1 April
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Country Living have expanded "Country in the city"
Very pleased the Country Living have expanded their "Country in the city" section from one page to 3.
We can't all live in the country, even if we could get the work, there's not enough room! So we need to make cities work better.
So thumbs up Country Living!
Although this section of the magazine has an environmentally friendly green tinge, the rest of the magazine can be very ungreen - this month a travel section, "Islands of Dreams", covering islands off Norway and Greece, and Madeira. And how are people from the UK going to get to them?!
We can't all live in the country, even if we could get the work, there's not enough room! So we need to make cities work better.
So thumbs up Country Living!
Although this section of the magazine has an environmentally friendly green tinge, the rest of the magazine can be very ungreen - this month a travel section, "Islands of Dreams", covering islands off Norway and Greece, and Madeira. And how are people from the UK going to get to them?!
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Country living should be seasonal!
What distinguishes country living from urban living? Especially country living in the city?
One thing is the seasons. Eating seasonally, dressing seasonally, seasonal celebrations, events, public and family rituals.
I get "Country Living" magazine most months and today, 28 August, have just got the October issue!
Still wearing summer clothes and doing summer things and I am reading a magazine full of stuff about autumn!
One thing is the seasons. Eating seasonally, dressing seasonally, seasonal celebrations, events, public and family rituals.
I get "Country Living" magazine most months and today, 28 August, have just got the October issue!
Still wearing summer clothes and doing summer things and I am reading a magazine full of stuff about autumn!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Sourdough bread - like the bread, not the washing up
The March edition of Country Living has 2 sourdough recipes and I fancied using some of the sourdough starter from the Friendship Cake to make bread.
The Country Living recipe required mixing/kneading 5 times, so I did an online search to try and find a simpler method. All took ages (one including leaving the dough to rise overnight) but decided to try this one
http://www.shipton-mill.com/the-bakery/recipes/article-328/
I made this yesterday as I had the day off and could light the wood burning stove in the late afternoon to start getting the sitting room warm.
My was very wet and the first rising it seemed hardly to have grown at all. The second rising was better but the dough had not risen as much as ordinary bread dough. But in the oven it went, it cooked in the time stated in the recipe and tastes fine. I can taste it slightly sweet, but then I know it is using cake starter. Someone else not knowing this might not spot the sweetness.
Reading the notes at the bottom on the recipe (after cooking!) I see I should held back some of the water to stop the dough getting too wet. But one is supposed to add the water, except for some to disolve the salt in. So to hold some in reserve would have meant another jug - yet more washing up. My washing up as a result of breadmaking is:
Two large mixing bowls
one jug
one wooden spoon & 3 spatulas (I can't remember how I needed quite so many!)
one baking tray and one loaf tin
I don't see myself making sourdough again, but ordinary bread seems easy by comparison so I plan to be making that more often, especially for the next month when I should be having the woodburning stove on so can raise the dough in front of that.
The Country Living recipe required mixing/kneading 5 times, so I did an online search to try and find a simpler method. All took ages (one including leaving the dough to rise overnight) but decided to try this one
http://www.shipton-mill.com/the-bakery/recipes/article-328/
I made this yesterday as I had the day off and could light the wood burning stove in the late afternoon to start getting the sitting room warm.
My was very wet and the first rising it seemed hardly to have grown at all. The second rising was better but the dough had not risen as much as ordinary bread dough. But in the oven it went, it cooked in the time stated in the recipe and tastes fine. I can taste it slightly sweet, but then I know it is using cake starter. Someone else not knowing this might not spot the sweetness.
Reading the notes at the bottom on the recipe (after cooking!) I see I should held back some of the water to stop the dough getting too wet. But one is supposed to add the water, except for some to disolve the salt in. So to hold some in reserve would have meant another jug - yet more washing up. My washing up as a result of breadmaking is:
Two large mixing bowls
one jug
one wooden spoon & 3 spatulas (I can't remember how I needed quite so many!)
one baking tray and one loaf tin
I don't see myself making sourdough again, but ordinary bread seems easy by comparison so I plan to be making that more often, especially for the next month when I should be having the woodburning stove on so can raise the dough in front of that.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Smells of a country home
The new March issue of Country Living magazine has a "Promotion" feature (ie an advert done to look like an article) on 'Refresh your home for spring'. Some nice pictures, but the advert is for something you plug into a socket and it gives out a fragrance. Fake fragrance doesn't seem at all country to me!
The (real) smells I associate with a country home (even a one in the city) are:
Freshly made bread
Home made jam and marmelade
Soup
Cakes made with ginger, cloves, mixed spice etc,
Indoor hyacinths
Sweet peas
Other scented cottage garden flowers
Wet dog!
Geranium leaves (From my memories of A level English, T S Elliot thought geraniums represented dryness and aridity, but as both my mother and my father's mother both loved geraniums to me they represent home)
Herbs, including Lavender bags
The (real) smells I associate with a country home (even a one in the city) are:
Freshly made bread
Home made jam and marmelade
Soup
Cakes made with ginger, cloves, mixed spice etc,
Indoor hyacinths
Sweet peas
Other scented cottage garden flowers
Wet dog!
Geranium leaves (From my memories of A level English, T S Elliot thought geraniums represented dryness and aridity, but as both my mother and my father's mother both loved geraniums to me they represent home)
Herbs, including Lavender bags
Monday, July 25, 2011
focaccia bread
Yesterday I made focaccia bread using the recipe in August's Country Living magazine. It worked well, I was pleased with it.
I used white as the recipe instructed but plan to try half-and-half with wholemeal next time. I also used quick yeast instead of two risings. I would have had time for two risings yesterday, but if I make bread in the evening after work I don't, so the quick yeast is all I have in the larder cupboard.
I used white as the recipe instructed but plan to try half-and-half with wholemeal next time. I also used quick yeast instead of two risings. I would have had time for two risings yesterday, but if I make bread in the evening after work I don't, so the quick yeast is all I have in the larder cupboard.
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