The Lakes

A positive result of all the rain is enjoying the sight of waterfalls in full spate...I had a walk up the side of this one while we were stopping in The Lake District.

And Derwent Water was as beautiful as ever.

I could never tire of these views.

Apple cake

8 oz self-raising flour
6oz butter
6oz brown sugar
Half teaspoon each of ground cinnamon & nutmeg
2 large eggs
I large cooking apple, chopped roughly
Grease and line (just line the bottom) an 8'' tin
Mix all the ingredients and fold in the apple.
Bake for 40-45 minutes in a moderate oven
5 minutes before the end remove from the oven, sprinkle with some brown sugar and return to oven.
Allow to cool in the tin

Very jammy...

...and not just in the pan, unfortunately. 

I do love making jam and filling jars with all that sweet fruit, ready for jam on toast (especially if it's toast done by the fire), or to fill sponge cakes.  But such a messy job...or is that just me?  This is plum jam, one of my favourites, and not too many stones to skim!

Bargain find

This is not exactly a collection (only a few pieces)...but I felt really chuffed to find the oval plate for the bargain price of two pounds.  The design is 'Blossom', and was made by a local pottery, Thomas Forrester and Sons. It's such a distinctive and cheerful pattern.

Harvest

In churches and chapels throughout the country harvest is being celebrated around now. This is particularly resonant for me as I live on a farm - and we have had an exceptionally good harvest this year. This is one of the decorated windows in our church.

Autumn fruits

At last I've found the piece of fruity woolwork I did ages ago...it was well hidden in a pile of fabric. 

Now I'll be able to recover an old footstool, a project that has been on hold until I could unite the two.  If I don't make some haste with this, no doubt one or the other will go missing again!

And on the subject of fruit, we have a few apples this time...not as big a crop as last year.  But enough to make some apple and  blackberry pies and crumbles...something we all enjoy.

Tomato harvest

I've taken advantage of all the ripe tomatoes in our friends' greenhouse (with their permission, of course!) They're  away on holiday and I'm watering their plants in a 40ft polytunnel.

So we now have several jars of tomato and red onion chutney...the chillis came in useful for this.  Should be delicious with some crackers and strong cheese.