I think September is the best time of year for food. All the warmth and bounty of summer but with a whisper of autumn in the plums, apples, pears and squash. We're inching towards soup season and I am so happy about it.
The fruit bowl has been full of figs, plums and pears along with the fruits that are a constant staple year-round (apples, bananas, grapes). Plums, like pears (and blueberries come to think of it) are an unreliable fruit. One can be ripe, sweet and soft and the next resembles a sour bullet. Pears are the same - either under-ripe or over-ripe with a window of approximately one day of perfect ripeness. So I stewed the plums and had them with porridge and they were very nice.
Our primary school, like all in the UK I imagine, offers free fruit and vegetables as a morning snack to children in Key Stage One. Sometimes, on a Friday night, there is box of leftovers to which we can help ourselves before they are thrown out. I generally ignore it unless it is tomatoes, which I always take.
A couple of packets were roasted with red onions, garlic and basil.
After 40 minutes in the oven I pureed them with stick blender and added some single cream. I didn't even need stock, there was so much liquid in the tomatoes.
I found some croutons in the cupboard so chucked those on top with some grated cheddar. Delicous.
And there was enough for a few lunches for the week ahead too.
Bits and bobs have been happening around the house. Over the summer I crocheted myself a new peg bag when the fabric one disentegrated.
No pattern, just long rectangle of crocheted cotton sewed together up each side. I found an old wooden coat hanger and John sawed the ends off for me so it fit inside.
In the holidays I spontaneously painted part of the wall in the hall pink. I colour matched it to the flowers in the wallpaper.
I love it with the green woodwork and it makes the end of the hall near the front door glow. I am definitely embracing colour more lately than I ever used to.
Towards the end of the holidays, Bella and I went to pottery painting place. It was Bella's idea and a lovely way to spend an afternoon. I decided to paint a plate as it would be an easy flat surface. I found the colours tricky as they change completely after firing so it's a lot of guess work and imagination.
This was the plate before firing - all pastels pinks, blues and yellow.
And afterwards.
Overall I quite like it.
Progress on my patchwork quilt limps along. I have almost finished now and am really confused as to how to properly attach the wadding and backing fabric, quilt it and finish it.
I think that's why I have slowed down - to hang on to the enjoyable, relaxing part f(hand sewing the hexagons) for as long as possible. Once I start having to make decisions, buy fabric, measure things - the fun stops.
The garden has benefitted from a lot of rain in September but ultimately looks a bit tired. My dahlias were not much of a success this year and I have had two blooms from four tubers.
Remember my surprise squash plant, the one that seeded and grew itself?
Every Saturday morning I go out and check on it.
This was how it was looking last week.....
And today. I don't know how big it will grow or when it will be ripe, so will probably pick it in a couple of weeks. I feel like any later and it will be getting cooler with less sun so the growing seasons must be coming to an end.
September has been very mild overall but sometimes, first thing in the morning, there is a suggestion of autumn, The light has definitely changed, even if the temperature has not, with long, sharp rays of sun in the late afternoons and darker mornings.
But I love autumn so am willing it to come, even if it's not warm enough for jumpers.
Blankets on the bed.
Autumn nails.
Tiny pumpkins in my printer's tray.
On high alert for all changing leaf colour.
Walking in the woods whenever possible.
Bandit has had some lovely walks lately now we don't have to constantly worry about the heat. Occasionally, he can come off the lead which he LOVES as you can imagine.
Sometimes, when John and Angus are at work and Bella is busy with friends, it's just Bandit and I. We go out in the morning, stop off for a coffee on the way home, I look forward to it.
This is one of our favourite local walks, about ten minutes away from where we live.
As soon as October rolls around I become obsessed with English villages and crime fiction, reading Agatha Christie and watching programmes like Midsomer Murders. I am sure walking here just adds to my obsession.
It is almost a year since we adopted Bandit and he is making himself very much at home a you can see,
