What a Fabulous day, it's bright and sunny and there's even a bit of heat too. Grampas trying to finish the trailer he had been working on before rain hail, sleet and snow stopped play !! We finally have a daffodil, how heart warming after this prolonged winter. Lots of buds and catkins are just waiting for the signal to burst into bloom, meanwhile 'we' are repairing and boosting the raised beds with compost. Just a few more weeks and we can get planting 🍅🍓🍆🌱🌽🌞

We have had a wonderful St.Patrick's Day celebrating our no 1 daughter's birthday with friends and family and a fabulous afternoon watching the rugby , Ireland played out of their skins to win the Championship, Triple Crown and Grand Slam, woohooo going to take a while to scrape Grampa of the ceiling !! Enjoy your weekend!

We've been topping up on Pepper Pot Preserve but as soon as the weather picked up we abandoned the kitchen and got stuck into the raised beds. Can you remember our effort at 'trench composting' where we put veggie waste directly into a trench in the raised beds? Well it looks like it has worked really well with the compost looking very rich. It's heartwarming to see the first Spring buds appearing, especially on the elderflower tree, just dreaming of warmer days and cooling Elderflower Cordial (goes really well with a Norwegian) 😉! Grampas been in his element working outside, he's started stripping and repainting the trailer tho rain stopped play on that today. Not be outdone he moved on to creating a new compost with old pallets , woohooo !! Great Granny is back in the house and it was great to see her and our poor auld sickly Logan soaking up the rays !! Number 1 grandaughter is loving her professional beking course at the Met and just look at her new creation using our Beetroot Chutney 😍 !!

We've been so busy we've worn out the jelly bags, but how blessed are we that a neighbour had a load of muslin and made us these ?? That's jelly bags not babies nappies !! 😀 So we christened them straight away with Clove Jelly and Cider Jelly. Meanwhile the first of this years Sweet Chill and Beetroot Chutney have been delivered to Lamont's butchers and Slemish Market Garden, enjoy !!

It may be another new month, March already, but there is no sign of winter loosening its grip just yet. With more snow predicted for this afternoon we may batten down the hatches and stay safe and warm inside ! Our pond is frozen over yet again so whilst many are sharing photos of frog spawn and signs of spring our wee critters must still be in hibernation, very wise ! Let's hope the old saying 'if March comes in like a lion it will go out like a lamb' plays out and we can look forward to spring in all her glory !!

Check out our goodies whilst you are there !!

Oh glory be...clap your eyes on this !! We are impatiently waiting for warmer weather to get started on our raised beds !! Meanwhile we are keeping busy with Spiced Apple Ketchup and Beetroot Chutney !!

Well we've kept on cooking through the rain, hail and snow of this past week, even a forecast from Sean Bean cant bring much cheer, 😨 you really couldn't make it up, could you ?? Poor Logan's looking forward to the better weather too, he's scundered having to having his undercarriage washed down after getting clarried in glar on his walks !! As we wait for the first fruits to appear we are building up stock of our savouries with Sweet Chilli, Beetroot Chutney and Spiced Apple Ketchup! Most of our savoury recipes require long slow cooking and the ketchup goes that one step further. Not content with being cooked on the stove, even after cooking, blitzing and bottling, it requires a further session in the oven. When it comes to quality there are no shortcuts for us !

Hope you are having a flippin great day. It's half term so we have been treated to yummy gf pancakes with lashings of our very own Lemon Curd !! 😊 🍋

Aaaand its all gone again..... so Grampa made a break for freedom and the chance to get outside. He's been digging up and moving rhubarb and just look what he found, the redroosters we planted last year ! Don't worry James-Matthew Fenton we'll hardly put you out of business with these 😆 Our neighbour is obviously taking advantage of the break in the weather and is spreading manure, pheww that's one way to clear the sinuses!! We had our first wander down the lane this year and it's always heartwarming to see the little patches of growth with snowdrops, mini cyclamen and the spikes of the daffodils so full of promise ! Now if we could just get a few more days like today and we could get caught up on some pruning but Frank's been on to give another weather warning for tonight and tomorrow 😨

By yiminy it's colder again today, even the pea nets have frozen😨 but the temperature is up in the kitchen with pots more Beetroot Chutney !!

Well yesterday started as a frosty foggy morning and today we have more snow 😨 no chance of starting in the garden for a while yet then !! Thankfully the kitchen is roasty toasty and we have been working on Lemon & Lavender Marmalade, Lemon & Gin Marmalade and pots more Sweet Chilli !! 😀