It's been a crazy week with many visitors, reading, gardening, rest and a lot of busyness snaking through my days. The highlight of the week came yesterday when Clare Bowditch visited with her husband Marty and publicist Isabelle. Clare is on tour promoting her first book Your Own Kind of Girl and on their way to Maleny they dropped in for afternoon tea. It was wonderful seeing her again. I met Clare when she interviewed me in 2016 on tour with The Simple Home. She's a wonderful and interesting woman who makes everyone around her feel loved, although it's clear when reading her book, she had a complex and difficult past. If you're looking for a good book with a clear message about life and how it changes, this is the one for you. I'm still reading mine and I don't want it to end.
I make chilli jam at regular intervals throughout the year. I'm a fan of the sour-sweet taste and there are several foods that just have to have a splodge of chilli jam sitting to the side. I've made it so many times now that I don't use a recipe, I go by taste and the number of chillies I want to use. This can be a dangerous move though, in terms of safely preserving the jam, but I only make three jars at a time now, it lives in the fridge and it's all gone in about three months. So far, so good. If you want to make chilli jam, or any other jam, I suggest you follow a tried and true recipe. If you want to follow one of my recipes, please use this one.
I make chilli jam at regular intervals throughout the year. I'm a fan of the sour-sweet taste and there are several foods that just have to have a splodge of chilli jam sitting to the side. I've made it so many times now that I don't use a recipe, I go by taste and the number of chillies I want to use. This can be a dangerous move though, in terms of safely preserving the jam, but I only make three jars at a time now, it lives in the fridge and it's all gone in about three months. So far, so good. If you want to make chilli jam, or any other jam, I suggest you follow a tried and true recipe. If you want to follow one of my recipes, please use this one.
Chillies have been part of the regular planting pattern here for many years and I thought I'd said goodbye to them when I froze some of the last crop. However, I've just been outside picking herbs and noticed several little chilli bushes, about two inches in height, colonising some space under the self-seeding parsley. It looks like my cayennes have had their say and my chilli days will continue. I'm glad I got that nudge because we do love chilli and chilli jam and I prefer homemade chilli condiments over those from the supermarket.
Over the past few days I've been cutting into an old cotton Battenburg bed skirt to make into pillow cases. I added some of the embroidery - it's white on white, it looks really good and fits in with my general aesthetic of the plainer the better. Some people find this style quite boring but it creates a certain calmness that is very appealing to me. While I've been writing this I realised it's a good project for my Instagram Sewing Bee page. If you want to join in and upcycle something in your own home, go to IG and search for downtoearthsewingbee
JennyP asked if I could do a review of our dishwasher and new stove. I'll do that in the next few days. I'm also working on a garden update but I haven't had time when the light is right to take the photos. It will be along soon. Have a great weekend, everyone. xx
JennyP asked if I could do a review of our dishwasher and new stove. I'll do that in the next few days. I'm also working on a garden update but I haven't had time when the light is right to take the photos. It will be along soon. Have a great weekend, everyone. xx
