Project...stage 3

At last the greenhouse is almost together. A friend built the bricks round for the base (thanks Pete!) and we've started putting some glass in place. Who needs glass? Started using it already!

Easy Texas Beer Bread

This is a very easy bread recipe that I adapted from a recipe in an American countryside magazine. You can add cheese, oregano or thyme, if you like, with the flour, salt and sugar, to put your own spin on the bread
3 cups self-raising flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Bottle or can of beer, at room temperature
Quarter cup of butter
Grease a 1lb loaf tin. Mix the flour, sugar and salt. Add the beer. Mix. Put in the tin and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Pour the melted butter over the top and return to the oven for an extra 10-15 minutes.

Progress!

Our unique little town - not particulary touristy, only picturesque when you take the time to look, has succumbed to the supermarket plague. Not satisfied with taking the 30 pieces of silver, the council have decided to further despoil, by removing the attractive roundabout - and plan to replace it with traffic lights. Little, by little old England's charm is falling at the feet of Mammon.

But a lot of people do not like the idea, and good on them, took to the streets and protested. A piper stood in the middle of the roundabout and played a lament. People joined hands. It was a dignified protest and felt powerful. "But will it make any difference?" asked a few passing shoppers. We will wait and see

The Lakes

We've been so fortunate with the weather for our weekend in the Lake District...I've not been on the Keswick launch before without need for a jacket (and hat and scarf!)

The views were superb...the fells so clear against blue skies.

 

 And no mud to speak of...you can see from this photo how dry everywhere looked.

Best of all at this time of year though, a host of golden daffodils.

Vintage and cheap

Anyone who looks at this blog will be well aware that Margaret and I love a bargain. The cushion cover was a pound from a charity shop and the wool for the tea-cosy was also cheap - in fact I think there is probably enough wool for a couple.

More make do and mend

Does spring make you want to spruce things up a bit?  Must be all that light streaming through the windows (well, it would to if I cleaned them!) making everything look a bit tired.  I've been on the search for fabric, and decided now is the time to get creative and actually sew some things.

First cushion I made from a bargain find...a child's Ikea duvet cover...using the decorative border and adding a couple of hearts of my own.

Then some flowery ones using a couple of remnants that seemed to complement each other.

 

And another felted cardigan bag...the best part of this is choosing a fabric for the lining and some matching buttons.  Think I'm on a roll now!

Too busy yesterday...

 

to wish a Happy Mother's Day but hope you had a lovely time.  We had quite a few visitors bearing gifts...including a sweet floral heart, made of wood shavings!  And a beautiful planter...this will brighten up our paving and distract me from the mess we have at the moment.

I did have time for a bit of baking - chocolate cake - and a fruit loaf...will post the recipe for this soon as it's so simple, but very delicious.