Gooseberries

I picked the gooseberries! And a few stray strawberries!

Emma's Blackcurrants Jam.

Ooh I was lucky enough to be given a big bag of freshly picked blackcurrants last night when were at some friends' house for dinner...

Remove the stalks and wash the blackcurrants and put in a large pan.

  I used 1.5kg of fruit, cover with 1.25l of water and simmer for 20 minutes until the skins have broken.

Add the juice of 5 small lemons and 1.5kg of sugar..I used jam preserving sugar. Bring to a boil at 220F using a thermometer. I boiled mine for about half an hour testing every 5 minutes for a setting point by scooping a little out onto a cold saucer and seeing if it wrinkled when pushed around. Be careful not to burn the jam.

Pour into sterilized hot jars and seal immediately.

7 jars and a little pot of tasting jam!

Label when cool.

Karate grading.

Different coloured belts for different grades, all ready!

The Senseis discuss the students' performance...

The belts all wrapped and waiting...

The only blue...5th Kyu.....

Garden roses.

The roses are enjoying the current heat.

I can't remember the name of this, but it's a lovely shade of pink and smells wonderful.

New Dawn rambler...tiny yellow buds opening to cream petals.

Campanula..it flags in the heat so I keep chucking a bucket of water over it to keep it perky.

View over the Shibden Valley after hay making.

I had to stop the car as I was driving over Queensbury to take these, the view looking down to the Shibden valley is amazing from there.

Vase of roses

Gorgeous pink roses in my Rob Ryan vase.

Iris

I'm thrilled to bits! I planted a mixed assortment of bulbs and 2 Irises have come up and flowered.

Strawberry Split

Perfect for a hot day, vanilla icecream inside strawberry ice.

Walking home shadows

You're a giant, mum.

Banana choc chip muffins.

10oz self raising flour
5 oz caster sugar
1 tsp bicarb of soda
4 ripe bananas mashed with 1 beaten egg, 2 floz milk, 3 floz oil. Mix in a big handful of chocolate chips.
Bake at 190 c for 15-20 mins.

Baked beetroot and feta salad.

Peel raw beets.

cut into chunks..the juice stains, so be careful.

sprinkle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, (tip from my fab friend) fresh thyme and salt and pepper.

roast for about 45 minutes until soft.

serve mixed with puy lentils, sweet onion and crumbled feta cheese.

Sanpellegrino Pompelmo.

This is yummy..very refreshing sparkling grapefruit drink. Flamingo straw optional...

Christmas in July.

Rudolph and Santa ditch the sleigh in July..

Rudolph gets into the Christmas spirit.

Sunset over the campsite.

Pimms o'clock.

crank up that barby!

Yes, really..

and Mince Pies...well it is Christmas-in-July!

Rudolph hung out to air..

Oil drum bbq.

Light that fire!

Duck!

Santa and Rudolph on holiday.

Goosegogs

Ooh the gooseberries are coming on nicely, first time I've managed to get some! Looking forward to a nice pie or Gainsborough Tart....

Gelish nails

Had Gelish put on, it's a sort of coral/flamingo pink.

White Foxgloves

I love these white foxgloves which have self seeded in the veg bed.

Tub O' Butter

Finally tracked this product down after reading about it. It's supposed to be a wonder miracle product, making your skin feel softer than soft! Liking it so far, it smells chocolatey as it's got cocoa butter in. The main ingredient is petroleum jelly though so it's a bit messy! Applying it overnight seems to be the best option. A bargain at £1.99 a tub, it also comes in a lotion formula too so I want to try that and see if it's more suitable for daytime use.