Saturdays On The Ranch

I love Saturdays at home. I never get anywhere near what I want to get done, and usually wander off on some tangent or prolonged tea sessions with Fergal.

But today, I finished my tea cosy, using Debbie Bliss DK cotton-


well named… bliss to use! I really enjoyed working with this- much chunkier than I usually use (4 ply) and the colours were gorgeous! I crocheted the Granny Squares together using a raised double crochet stitch (I will photograph this tomorrow when the light is better- it is fading fast here) and edged it with a simple double crochet and picot edge. Very simple and easy to make!

The raspberries we gathered this morning from the polytunnel- the raspberry plant is like the magic porridge pot!! It keeps on giving!!


Fergal spent the morning chopping logs- we did a “site inspection” to check his progress and our friendly little red robin hopped over to say hello


(this little robin hops around the children when they are playing under the trees; Michael (9) is trying to befriend him with bribes of raisins and oats, which is hilarious) 


Work in progress- some are finished, some have a long way to go! I have a few assemblages and oil paintings on the go too…


It is my friend Rosas birthday today – a signifigant one!!- so I am going to celebrate at her home with her this evening- I made this chocolate cake with white chocolate drizzled on top, and these

White Chocolate and Raspberry Cookies


(I used this recipe here, but since I could find no cranberries or other dried fruit (thank you, dear little savages, i.e. my children), which is indicated in the original recipe, I used the bowl of raspberries I picked earlier and a tablespoon of our raspberry jam. The result was different, but just as good)

Blend together: 160g butter,melted, 250g brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla essence

Mix and add to the above: 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1.2 tsp salt, 280g flour

Add: 50g oats, 150g white chocolate and {either 150 dried fruit} or {I used approx 100g fresh raspberries and 1 tablespoon of raspberry jam}

Put  little heaps of the mixture on baking paper, leaving plenty of space between each of them, and bake in a hot oven (180’C) for approx 12 minutes or until they are golden and soft in the middle. Take them out sooner rather than later- they become firm and lovely within minutes of taking them out.

It really goes without saying: deeee-licious!