The inner glow of warm soup

Yesterday's weather was a relief from the wild and wet stuff we'd been having recently. A gentle calm day with hints of sunshine between slowly moving clouds. The chilly breeze was still playing up however it was far less mean and as long as we either moved along with it or managed to find shelter, it was not a problem.

Earlier, I'd made a 'what-is-in-the-fridge-goes-in-the-pot' type soup. One of those that has all the vegetables which although fine but not as crisp or as fresh as they should be. With a couple of handfuls of lentils, a tin of mixed beans and a generous pinch of Cajun spices added in for good measure and the whole lot blitzed to a thick and gloriously warm stick-to-your-ribs soup. 

Himself and I, warmed and full, stepped into wellies, shrugged on a fleece and let a rather excited dilly dog drag us up on to the moors. We jokingly (well only half jokingly) said that we were being weighed down by our lunch, it felt like the gravitational pull of our soup-filled tums was greatly impeding our progress! 

The lower fields are beginning to fill with lambs - making my heart sing.

It was lovely being out, sitting on the edge of a grassy knoll as we watched a male kestrel balance as he looked for his dinner and listened to the curlews and lapwings.  A welcome sound as they return from their wintering grounds. We are lucky that we can just step out of our house and be on the hills in a few minutes. We have appreciated that more than ever over the last 12 months or so. 

Our view was in 'layers', the closest layer being moorland tussocks, stone walls and farms, then the village in the valley, the middle distant hills in shades of dusty blue, then the far hills brilliant white under a thick coating of snow. Despite the sun, still a spring-weak glow, we had to move before we got too cold. 

Still fuelled and still warm from our soup, we continued along the drover's track as it trailed up and over the undulating landscape. We stopped at our furthest point - an untidy and squat pile of enormous boulders which loom over the neighbouring valley. Sitting here feels airy and exposed but today we managed to find a sheltered corner for a break with tea, chocolate and biscuits.

Turning for home, we chose a short and winding path through a predominantly silver birch woodland. It is always quiet and still in these trees. A safe space for the wild folk who live in this valley ...

We felt so privileged to see the roe deer, although I managed to photograph the buck as the doe was slightly lower down in the woodland and difficult to snap. My camera tried to focus on the trees around her, however the buck stood still and watched us curiously. He was still in his winter coat and his antlers still had their velvet covering.  We stood - us and Moss and the deer for what felt quite an age before the spell was broken and the doe quietly stepped away and Moss picked up a stick. Time to go home.

We finally returned home, via the river to swill down a muddy mutt (who thinks this part of the walk is the bestest!). It is one of our favourite local walks and today's gave that little bit extra and we loved it 😊 

Moss

 Hello, 

Moss iz here,

thought I would put paw to keyboard whilst I wuz waitin'

its fur my humuns to has their lunch.

Yesterday I tooks my humuns for a walk coz they did nothing most of the day, 

well it seemed to me they dids nofink. 

Although there wuz yummy smells from the kitchen and try as I might, 

every time I visits the kitchen, I wuz sent out!

Any ways after I tolds them with my eyes (loudly)

that it wuz times fur a walk, they finally gots the message!

 Thank woof fur that!

They mades me wait toooooo long wen they puts their pawcoverings on,

extra pelts and silly hats, where's the fun in dat?

The rains and winds wuz ace!

My humuns wuz wrapped up so I coulds hardly sees them - how silly is dat?

They can't feels the rain on their fur or their faces like dat!

I rans around - faster than da wind, I could feelz it at my tail,

it coulds not catch me !

Oh my dog - the puddles!

The muds! the winds!

 and the fallen sticks and everyfink - 

wuz brill! I loves dit!

Da bes bit wuz havin' a swim to wash off all dat mud 🐾🐕‍🦺

Then, when I relented and led my shivering humuns home, they rubbed me dry wivs a towel and let me sit by the fire and gets some treats - oh my woof, wot a good way to spend an afternoon.

Then, woofaroonie! I gets a new toy - HaPpY Me!!

Woulds I stand still for a photo - course not!

I has to play!

Kate here - apologies for the fuzzy photos at the end - Moss was so giddy and could not keep still when I tried to take her photo.....

Hope you enjoyed your weekend as much as Moss did hehehehe!

 

Welcome to March's second link up party

'Look up/look down'

Just follow the easy link up instructions ☺️

and don't forget to link back to my blog xx

❤️ 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

A quick heads up - this month will be the last Scavenger photo hunt I am organising, my life is getting too busy to keep it up and now I have started an online bee keeping course which is being run in the evenings, giving me even less time. I have loved doing it and loved reading everyone's blog posts and shall miss it. If any one would like to take it over - that would be amazing and I can certainly explain how to do the link up page.

Look up - look down

Look down

An interesting piece of glass which had escaped from the river. I found it after the river had been very high.  It had interesting measurements along the edge and I hazarded a guess that the wording said - taBLE-SPOOn - so wondered if the demarcations were in tablespoons - an old medicine bottle perhaps?

Look up

I love the broom flying witch mermaid weather vane up on a cottage in a neighbouring village. 

A quick heads up - this month will be the last Scavenger photo hunt I am organising, my life is getting too busy to keep it up and now I have started an online bee keeping course which is being run in the evenings, giving me even less time.  I have loved doing it and loved reading everyone's blog posts and shall miss it. 

If any one would like to take it over - that would be amazing and can certainly explain how to do the link up page.

Musing in a gardening vein

 Look. 

Look closely - can you see? 

A lamb. This to me is proof that spring is definitely on her way!

I was working in the village today - there was a bitter chill breeze with the lightest rain.  The type that floats in the air and never reaches the ground. By the time I got to the garden, I was covered in sparkling droplets and my fringe stuck to my face.

A couple of hours clearing over enthusiastic ivy - a thick unruly carpet of tendrils strangling sculptures, shrubs and trees followed by the pleasure of planting spring flowering primula in little drifts of hopeful colour.

Then, this afternoon, another garden, windswept and wild. Moss chased the breeze and galloped up and down with a silly grin on her face with her fur being blown backwards. Sheltering beneath a large native hedge, quietly weeding and finding bulbs popping up, ferns unfurling, cyclamen emerging, all through the thick layer of mulch I piled on last autumn. They all seem so happy and vibrant and cheerful.

I also finally managed to finish the traditional stone wall I'd started in autumn, not a huge wall but a small curving one, distracting the eye from the two compost bays. The snowdrops, planted last year, are absolutely glorious. I must remember to mark the clusters which I can divide and spread - they are too beautiful to keep just in one spot.

Tomorrow's weather is promising to be vile, but who cares - I shall be working the glasshouse, I have loads of annual seeds to be sown. We need to get the 'bee garden' going before the kitchen garden bees wake up. 

Anyway, enough waffle, time to shut the laptop and go to bed. Oh - did I tell you I saw lambs? Woop woop!

And.... the vile weather has just landed, I can hear a howling hooley outside *yay* 🙄

Granny Inkster's Oatcakes/52 New Recipes

We took a rather cool and overcast walk this afternoon where, despite me lugging my camera along, no photos were taken. There is quite a dreary-ness about, a tired post winter colourless look to the countryside. It is amazing how much difference a little sunshine makes to a weary landscape.

As we were on the return leg of our walk I decided that we needed to have something freshly baked to look forward too and scones were suggested.  Once home and oven on, I decided to make not only the scones (seems silly not to utilise the heat of the oven) but to try another new to me recipe.

We like our Scottish style oat based biscuits and have a couple of favourite recipes we reach for each time. I made the 'brave' decision to try a different one.  To be honest - it is not that different but it was still a new to me version of an 'oat cake' and I love the recipe's name ..... Granny Inkster's Shetland Oatcakes 😊

And we rather enjoyed it! I am afraid no photos of the scones - they were scoffed before I even thought about taking any pictures. They were, I promise, rather good with lashings of butter and blackberry jam and did not last long.

So, without any further ado - Granny Inkster's Shetland Oatcakes

Will I make them again? : Probably yes, no reason why not. The other recipes do not require an egg where as this one does, so it would depend on what was in the cupboard

Were there any amendments? No - for a change! I stuck to the recipe and see no reason why it should be altered. 

Any hoo, enough waffle from me, it is the end of the weekend and I have a mug of tea waiting for me - here is to the start of a gentle week - stay safe xxxx

52 New Recipes 

#52newrecipes

March Link up - signs of spring/signs of autumn

image supplied via Pixabay

Welcome to March's first link up party

'Signs of Spring/Signs of Autumn'

Just follow the easy link up instructions ☺️

and don't forget to link back to my blog xx

❤️ 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Signs of Spring

 A quick short post - to share delightful spring jewels - snow white crocus with yolk yellow centres and tangerine stamens.

And a ruby red and jet black gem - a spring time sunbathing lady bird - HaPpY HaPpY me 💐🐞

8/52 New Recipe Challenge - tasty and warming!

 S'funny how sometimes you feel cold and find it difficult to shake it off despite being busy or layering on the clothing, well it was one of those days today, where I felt chilled to the bone for most of it.  Any hoo - I was busy all day (working outside) and when finally I returned home and got out of my gardening gear, put on the kettle, got myself ensconced next to the fire with the plan of gently warming up, when there was a tap at the door - the tree surgeon had landed to check out a tree in our garden.  

We have several indigenous trees which we have planted and a HUGE and ugly conifer we inherited with the garden. This particular tree has dominated our outdoor space in an increasingly unfriendly manner. Sapping all moisture out of the soil, dropping needles and souring the pond and acidifying the soil. However, it's greatest sin is the amount of sky and sun it greedily takes up. Our dislike of it has grown over the years as the tree itself has grown, then last year it had a sudden growth spurt and became even more unsociable ... time for it to go we agreed. We had to wait for the squirrels to leave before we could do anything too drastic and seeing there appears to be no birds nesting in it we decided ... it is now or never!

Any way, where this was leading t,o was, I had just changed out of my work gear for softer trousers and clean top and jumper when the tree surgeon landed and needed to see the offending tree. He is a pleasant chap, we've known him for years however as it has been for most people, we've not seen each other to chat to for over 12 months so there was a lot of catching up of family news. We stood at a goodly distance and asked about each other's families - as you do - and I had to clench my teeth to stop them from chattering. I could barely contain the shivering and as soon as he left I made a beeline for the fire and my tea. I felt frozen! 

I knew I needed a satisfying evening meal to help warm me up and I thought it would be a good way to try another new-to-me recipe. 

Oh be still my beating heart and happy taste buds - it WaS AbSoLuTeLy DeLiCioUs!!! 

We had ...

Image from recipe website

Gnocchi with smoky tomato Sauce.

And, as usual, I amended it to suit our palates. So, no cream - I used a touch of milk instead and added red pepper as there was one needing eating up. I served it with roast sweet potato and parsnips and a half a naan bread and it was wolfed down in record time.

So,

Would I do it again? : oh yes! 

Any changes? Only the ones I have mentioned, the added red pepper and the replacement of cream with milk and instead of the smoked cheese as they suggested, I just used standard mature chedder (using what we had to hand) - it was still very very yum!

Himself's plate - he'd already started when I realised I should have taken a photo so he was stopped mid-mouthful! (cue grumbles haha)

My only gripe and it is a minor one - the combination of the gnocchi, roast tomatoes and sweet potatoes, the plate was a predominately orange one, but the flavours soon blew that gripe out of the water!

But most importantly - I am now warm for the first time today🥰  aaaaaaah bliss.

52 New Recipes Challenge

#52newrecipeschallenge

The wolf inside

Saturday's spring-like weather filled our valley with light and colour and the gentle sunshine was warm and so delicious. It would have been a crime to have ignored it's warmth and brilliance, so after working in the garden, helping her wake up after the winter, we had lunch then we donned boots and coats, because despite feeling like spring in the sunshine, it was still very chilly in the shade with a rather sharp breeze cutting through the air.

What we noticed more than anything else - were the shadows. Something we have not seen recently. We watched with amusement Moss's shadow as it bounced along the gravel track in a rather jaunty way. After a little while - I suddenly realised that there was a long legged grey creature walking with us .....

... and it was Moss's inner wolf. A very Egyptian stylised magical beast. Moss was so happy to be out, that she'd not noticed she had let her true self become apparent to mere mortals ..... 🐾👀

We were fascinated by how her inner wolf looked nothing like her. The elongated legs, hunched back, sharp ears and long nose was quite 'Grimm's fairy tale-esque'.  Enough to send shivers down your spine (or was it that rather sharp breeze! You'll never know!)

෴🌼෴🌼෴🌼෴🌼෴🌼෴

March's words for the Scavenger hunt are based on an 'either or' and you can do either or you can do both :) have fun 🙂

5th March  Signs of spring/signs of autumn
12th March Look up/ look down
19th March Sunset/sunrise

26th March Light / dark

There you are - have fun, plenty to work with and feel free to choose one option or choose both 💗

Land of the Big Sky

Tuesday saw the passing of a fellow blogger, someone I got to know through art and then over the last three years we chatted, and shared artistic ideas and our love of the sea.

Jill - I shall miss you, I shall miss your daily visits to the prom, the gull gang, the dogs going for their walks. I shall miss your dry sense of humour - Jill - The Land of the Big Sky, I shall miss you.