Picking Sloes and Blackberries

We spent a chilly and slightly damp weekend in Ireland, just before Halloween,  but the weather did not prevent me from picking sloes and this week I plan to make some Sloe Gin!

I love  Autumn, the preparation for the cold of winter, making delicious supplies which will be here  for  both  family, and  as seasonal gifts for friends.

This week, as well as sloe gin, I plan to bake my Christmas cake, prepare some mincemeat and make various scrumptious chutneys.

Sloes are mini plums, which grow wild,
be careful when picking as the trees are very thorny!

Some times they can be tricky to pick out
well hidden behind the bare branches.

It's worth the hard work though, there is nothing
as wonderful as warming glass of sloe gin
after a long winter's walk.

The crop was sparse this year,
but I hope I have enough for three to four bottles.

Amazingly the blackberries were still around,
my sister in law made a scrumptious blackberry
and apple crumble.

And it was very wet...

So lots and lots...

of mushrooms

Sadly I didn't have an identification book with me
so left them well alone.

It was wonderful to come into the house
 out of the chill and damp
and sit by the fire

Or the range!

We were joined by some wonderful
Halloween characters

And had a cheerful, fun

 Halloween evening.

Decorating for Halloween

I love Halloween, there's something timeless and magical about it.  Perhaps it's because it's an ancient pre-Christian Celtic festival, and despite my English birth and upbringing I like to think I am spiritually celtic, with Scottish and Irish Grandparents I think I can justify the claim.

I enjoy having a small child who enters into the spirit of the day.  Yesterday she got up and dressed as a witch all day, a good, kind and beautiful witch of course.

We had a lovely lunch to which she had invited the other little girls in her class from school,  they all came dressed up too.

After lunch we went to Ham House to see the Halloween festivities there, and as well as doing a Halloween trail in the garden we spent a while in the kitchens.  While my daughter and her friend spent time 'cooking'  I was able to photograph the magnificent Pumpkins.

An orangey Halloween arrangement

As the girls were mainly in the dining room
I concentrated the decorations there

Lots of pumpkins and spiders

I do love the cobwebs, such great fun

And very effective

More Halloween/Autumnal decoration

Scary!  This was at Ham House

Amazing Pumpkins, all grown in the gardens of Ham House

Beautiful shapes, colours and textures

Fantastic

I'm not sure, but do you know if these are Medlars?
I really want to find some and make some preserves
but I think they are only grown in gardens, and are not
a cash crop?
Any ideas?

Decorating for Autumn

Autumn is my favourite season, I even like the cosy feeling of a drizzly dank day, when I have the heating on in the house  and look out of the window, at the bright bursts of colour as the leaves  are rapidly changing. At the beginning of October I get my autumn box from the garage and begin to garland the house with pumpkins and candles.

I am reserving the more Halloweeny bits until next Monday, when my daughter and I will let rip with ghosts and cobwebs, and other spooky bits and pieces.  We are having some of her friends over for a Halloween Lunch, in fancy dress, so lots of excitement to look forward to.....

I love the mixture of homemade and shop bought
with reminders of the beach

We didn't have much luck with conkers this year
but there is always next Autumn

Isn't orange a cheery colour?

I love the hearts my daughter made with Hana beads

This papermache pumpkin has a staring role every year
I love it so much

Harlequin pumpkins are so rewarding
lovely texture and colours

A bowl of Kentish Cobnuts, 

And no autumn is complete without Quinces

Whichever way you look

It's a true delight

Harvest:- One of Autumn's Joys

I have been so very busy, but now I have time to pause!  Time to think and  enjoy harvest time, full of  the delights of autumn.

We went to the annual  food event at Ham House and it was inspiring, all sorts of wonders to see in the vegetable garden,  the bounty of the plot  being prepared and stored  for the winter.

I will be blogging a little more frequently, and apologies for the huge gap since my last photographs from Brittany.

This Pumpkin was almost red, so beautiful

Plants for sale

And bread from a local baker

The pumpkin patch

Climbing pumpkins

In the Still room

Lots of things to smell and explore

Such great fun for my six year old

Roses

A wonderful still

And in the kitchen more local (foraged) goodies

These pies are baked to a Stuart Recipe

The garlic will be used in The Orangery Cafe

I just wished it was for sale!

An amazing benchful of pumpkins!

Maison Cote Ouest

When in France, I love to buy and read this magazine.  I find it helps my (still very poor) French and the photographs of interiors of houses are so inspiring.  Additionally there is lots of lovely recipes and information about cultural events.

Last  month was the 100th edition of the magazine and it had lots of great articles.  It is available in London, I have bought it from Harrods and the French Bookshop in South Kensington.  If you are interested in Brittany or other regions in the west of France I do recommend it.

Summer Sunset

With a small child we don't often get down to the beach for sunset, but just once in a while we manage it.

I don't think I need to say much more....