How small was the chick?

We found a little egg shell in the garden, I think it's a robin's perhaps...just imagine how tiny that baby chick was! Just look at the size!

Gardening starting in earnest

Look at what Mr Doxie treated me to...aren't they wonderful...I love the idea of making the functional and possibly boring beautiful. I know I will be the only one using them seeing as they are covered in girly flowers, but I don’t care because I love them! We took advantage of the super weather we had last week and the gardening really started in earnest.

During the Winter the garden is a disgrace and only the very brave would venture out there… but come the Summer time it is transformed and we use it most days. If it is warm enough then we have breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner out there. I think of the garden as an extension to the dining room, except we get to redecorate every year! This year the theme is my favourite, the traditional English cottage garden. Okay we don’t live in a cottage but it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the same beauty when we are outside. The seeds above are a small selection of what will be going in this year.

Seeing as it was so dry last week I decided it was a good time to attack the Spiraea which was long over due. The amount of deadwood was amazing…anyway being a true crafter I just could not bring myself to throw away some of the very straight sticks…I have wild ideas of thatching bird boxes ( in my own unique style, eek that’ll be interesting ), or making some nice dangly tree art… we shall see. I have cut some shorter sticks too and tied them in bundles. Hopefully that way they look useful and nobody will think they are rubbish and chuck them in the next green recycling load. Any ideas for what else I could use them for? Answers on a postcard or alternatively leave a comment below. :o)

...and just to whet your appetite if you haven't put any seeds in yet, here are a few french marigold seeds waiting to be covered by a nice layer of compost. They were put in about a fortnight ago and are up already...as are my sunflower seeds and some of the cornflowers. I'll post pics soon.

I am rather slow with my veggie seeds , so they will be next on the list.

It sounds as if next weekend is going to be cold and wet which is a pain just as we are getting used to working outdoors again. Anyway I live in hope...

I hope wherever you are, you are enjoying the first few signs of Spring.

Doxie

Celebrating Celandine

Don’t you just love a carpet of Celandine? It has been very rampant and obvious in the woodlands around here this year. Also in the garden environment. Okay I know some people view it as a pesky weed, but it is sooooo beautiful, a real herald of Spring. I say enjoy it whilst it flowers and then rip it up with great abandon after. Here is a picture just in case you can’t get out to enjoy it.

My Kinda Saturday

This is the result of my pottering around in the garden today. The flowers are primroses and pansies. One of the primroses looks a bit poorly but I am hoping it will buck up now it has it's feet in the ground. Can you see that little fellow there keeping guard?

Meet Edwin, the garden gargoyle...If that is how you spell it. It’s not a word I'm used to writing. We brought him back from a holiday in Cornwall years ago. I fell in love with him as he is so unusual being a cheery gargoyle, not at all scary like those on historic buildings. We have an understanding Edwin and I, he guards the flowers and if he does it well and looks his best I make sure he has pride of place each year. So far he's done a good job.

And here are the flowers before I put them in, just because I thought they looked lovely in a basket.

All in all it has been a good day.I am looking forward to seeing the results of DH’s DIY. He is working on some custom made cabinets to go either side of a shop bought one in the smallest room in the house. The left hand one will be for loo rolls and the right hand one for bit and bobs and cleaning products. I am blessed to have such a handy and obliging DH. So if you are reading this Mr, yes I do appreciate you.

To top it off we have been accompanied all day by the sounds of the genius that is Hans Zimmer.

Until next time,

Doxie x

Gonna cook m'self a tasty waaabbit stew

One of our goals this year is to try new savoury meat dishes. From a personal point of view that means challenging myself to try new meats and cook new cuts that I have never tried before. The past couple of years we have been eating alot more vegetarian meals and they have become a bit predictable and are no longer a challenge.I really like a challenge in the kitchen. We have to eat ( in my book that means cook ), so if it is something you HAVE to do everyday you might as well add a bit of zip and fun to it...to twist a phrase, "spices add variety to life!"

Well today it was the turn of the humble rabbit.

I have decided to start with something really simple, stew. Most of the recipes I could find mentioned cider but I thought I would start plain so we could let the flavour of the meat shine through...so I am following my nose and creating my bunny masterpiece as I go along.

Our friendly local butcher told us that we can cook it like chicken so this is what I have done so far.

1) Rolled jointed pieces in seasoned flour and browned in oil. Removed meat from pan and set aside.

2) cooked a couple of red onions in the pan until soft. Added parsley and thyme, cooked a bit longer.

3) Put rabbit back in pan with onions and poured over some chicken stock ( made from cubes ).

4) Added chopped bell peppers, and a couple of carrots. topped up stock to cover meat and left to cook for a good 1 1/2 hours. The stock has started to thicken so I have put the lid on... it smells good. Will cook on low for at least another hour, chuck in a few minted peas at the end and serve with buttered crusty rolls.

We'll see how it goes, to be continued...