Things I loved, winter 2016.

This winter I've loved,

Reading - I've been reading the Malory Towers series, I never read them as a child, I liked Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill, but apart from that nothing I've read has really captured my interest, I'm finding most adult fiction too boring, but most YA too kiddy (although I did enjoy a series about a Roller Derby team by Megan Sparks).  Any recommendations?

Learning - I've nearly finished my level 2 in Business and Administration that I'm doing through Vision2Learn (which is government funded so I can do it for free) and I've just started an ECDL, trying to brush up my skills in case my job goes.  I've signed up for Pip Lincolne's Blog with Pip course starting at the end of the month, I've not done a blogging course before but I love Pips books and blog so I'm excited and hoping to pick up some tips.

Home renovating - Our new corner sofa arrived and is SO COMFORTABLE, we got a new rug, and replaced the fridge freezer with a lovely huge one!  Joe has 2 weeks off work at the moment and he and his dad have been getting loads of jobs done.

Guiding - (I'm a leader at a Rainbow Guides unit, the girls are aged 5 - 7) We've done the Upside Down and Back to Front Challenge badge, we made a pancake breakfast and ate it under the tables with our jumpers on backwards, and we're onto our Recycling badge now which pleases me greatly. 

Watching - My absolute favourite thing we've watched recently has been Freaks and Geeks, I loved it so much!  I've also been watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch, the BBC Merlin series, War and Peace, Agents of Shield and Agent Carter.  We saw Goosebumps at the cinema and have seen Jurassic World too, I loved both way more than I thought I would!

Eating - Chocolate reindeer, pancakes, vegan quorn (oh my goodness, I'm so happy about that!) and paprika pringles.  Dreaming of the day my kitchen will be finished.

Auntie-ing - My little neice says 'hiya' and it's counterpart 'Bye-a' and also said 'Susie' for the first time which made me so happy, my big niece is utterly clever, she 'writes' now, mostly i and o but I think that's a good start for a 2 year old!

Wedding planning - Joe asked me to marry him on Christmas day and we're getting married in May.  We're having a teeny tiny wedding, but there's still so much to plan.  We've booked the venue and registrar, and the honeymoon, and just have final payments to make and songs and readings to choose.  Phew!  

Adventuring - We did our traditional trip to the German Christmas market in Birmingham, saw a beautiful E.R. Hughes exhibition at BMAG, had nice meals out with my family and Joe's family, I've caught up with a couple of friends and Joe and I have taken to going on funny little 'dates' to the next big town to wander round the shops then eat chips from Burger King, it's not massively exciting but we both like it!

Listening - mostly to my Taylor Swift 1989 CD to be honest.  Shake it off, shake it off...

Gardening - I've mostly been hoeing the weeds out of the gravel driveway all winter, but I'm dreaming of buying a new shed and a mini greenhouse.

Blogging - my top 5 posts this winter have been,

My retro brooch collection (I also wrote an article for the-thrift.com with some handy tips for creating a retro brooch collection!),

Things I found by the bins,

Top eco-friendly new years resolution ideas (they're good all year round!),

My tutorial for making a cute Studio Ghibli Soot Sprite from a pompom and a pipecleaner!

And this yummy recipe for vegan pancakes made with buckwheat flour and coconut milk.

How has your winter been?

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My homegrown harvest, February 2016.

I last shared my homegrown harvest last October, but I've been eating some things from the garden this month so here they are,

I planted onions and garlic close together in my front garden raised bed with the intention of pulling some of both up early to eat, the ones that are left will have more room now to grow nice and big (I hope!).  The young garlic is really garlicky and the onions are just like spring onions.

I grew a chili pepper last year called Little Elf, the 2 chilies it produced have finally ripened.  The skittle is included for size reference, they're pretty tiny!

I've been picking the swiss chard and perpetual spinach I planted last summer, and eating it all winter.

 

  

Have you been eating any homegrown harvests this month?

Linking up with Harvest Mondays.

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Koko dairy free, a review and an easy vegan microwave cake recipe.

I've been searching for an acceptable vegan friendly 'milk' for as long as I've been vegan (which is 9 years this month!), so I was really glad to be sent some Koko Dairy Free to try - especially as it turns out I really like it!

 

Koko dairy free comes in original (like semi-skimmed), light (aka skimmed), chocolate and strawberry.  They're all UHT, low fat and have added calcium, and vitamins D2 and B12.    

I'm notoriously fussy, and if a dairy free milk has a funny aftertaste I'll always notice and be put off by it.  Koko dairy free milk alternative doesn't have an aftertaste and all the varieties are yummy!    Joe (who isn't vegan and usually has cows milk in his hot drinks) says Koko tastes right in his tea and coffee, and it doesn't curdle either.

I've been using Koko in my cooking too, I made some yummy vegan buckwheat and coconut milk pancakes, sweetcorn fritters and a delicious chocolate microwave cake too.   

Here's my recipe for quick and easy vegan chocolate microwave cake,  

You'll need

3 dessert spoons self raising flour

2 dessert spoons drinking chocolate (the type with sugar and coco powder in one)

1 dessert spoon sugar

1 dessert spoon melted Koko dairy free coconut oil (or vegan margarine)

125ml Koko dairy free chocolate milk

pinch of salt

Recipe

1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

2. Add the melted coconut oil (or margarine) and chocolate Koko dairy free and whisk together until it's a smooth cake batter.

3. Cover the top bowl with a piece of kitchen towel and put into the microwave for approx. 4 minutes.  Check it after 2 minutes, then every 30 seconds to make sure it doesn't burn.  It's ready when the top is firm and you can't see raw batter around the outside edge of the cake or bowl.

Makes enough for 2 or 3 servings.

Koko dairy free also make yummy virgin coconut oil for frying or baking, I think the jar is so cute and it tastes great too, sweet and coconutty. 

You can find Koko dairy free on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for loads of vegan ideas and recipes. 

Have you tried Koko dairy free?  What's your favourite vegan 'milk'?

Disclosure - I was sent some Koko dairy free to try out.  I only write about companies I like and my opinions are, as always, my own.  

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Photo an hour, February 2016.

The day set for this month's photo an hour was Saturday 20th February, and I posted my photos on Instagram throughout the day.

Photo an hour is organised by Jane and Louisa and you can find round up posts on both of their blogs.

Usually I'm at work for photo an hour day, but not this time!  However my plans fell through and I ended up waiting in for a delivery then my Joe had to work late unexpectedly so my day was about as unexciting as usual!

Here's my day,

 

8am - I had to wait in for our new fridge freezer to be delivered.  We moved the old one out of the way last night, so the kitchen is in even more of a disarray than usual!

 

 

9am - Internetting with my breakfast.

 

 

10am - Exciting post, lots of lovely seed for my garden, including Very pink swiss chard!

 

 

11am - Having a little tidy and listening to Taylor Swift and Meghan Trainor.

 

 

12pm - Two photos for 12pm (they're off my auntie so I think that's cheating!)  My domestic goddess-ry was interrupted by texts from my mum, my auntie had found some retro curtains in the charity shop where she works, did I want them?  Yes indeedy I did!

 

 

1pm - The new fridge freezer arrived, but it needed to stand for at least 24 hours.  This was disappointing because I was planning on playing fridge freezer organisation all afternoon.  I cheered myself up by putting my Delft Miffy magnet from Amsterdam on it though.  

 

 

2pm - Joe came home early (yey!) but only because he had to go back to work later to cover a shift (boo!).  So he made me a baked potato for lunch and we watched Tattoo Fixers.

 

 

3pm - Time for a nap.

 

 

4pm - Napping.  

 

5pm - Two fridge freezers in one kitchen do not make for the ideal food prep. area.

 

 

6pm - Vegan quorn burger, yum!

 

 

7pm - Doing a bit of blogging.

 

 

8pm - I put the heating on and lit a candle, so cosy!

 

 

That was my day!  

Did you join in this month, let me know I'd love to see!

 

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Collections, brooches.

I have a lot of collections, so I thought I'd start showing you some of them.  

First off, brooches.  I have a LOT of brooches, retro ones, handmade and charity shopped!  Here are some of them. 

These are my handmade, by indie designers brooches.  Most of them have come from Lucky Dip Club boxes. I love my Daria and Jane brooches - they were a Christmas present and I wear them with pride!

I 'specially like animal brooches, so I have loads of those.  The gold one with purple stones was my Great Aunty Lily's and the silver one with aurora borealis stones was my Grandma's so they're pretty special.  The 'Jim and Ida Owen's School of Dancing' one makes me smile too, anther one that belonged to my Grandma. 

Sadly, my Shakespearean insult badges are too rude to wear to work, but I wear the 'I like big books and I cannot lie' badge quite regularly.

If you like my brooches you should check out Kezzies, she has so many good ones!

I wrote an article for Barnardo's Charity Shop blog the-thrift.co.uk with some top tips for creating a retro brooch collection, don't forget to check it out! 

Do you have any retro collections?

Linking up with Flaunt it Friday, Vintage Charm and Vintage Bliss.

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Library love.

This is what I've been reading lately, 

Love at first stitch - Tilly Walnes

I want to try all the projects in this book, to work my way up to making dresses!  The dress patterns are lovely, and the instructions seem simple to follow too.  I can't wait to unpack my sewing machine and get started!

 

Craft a Creative Business - Fiona Pullen

I'm exploring all my options at the moment, as my job is only safe for the next year.  I don't have an idea for a crafty creative business, but this book gives loads of useful advice should inspiration strike!  It's divided into sections, like tax, legal advice and selling online, which all look really helpful.

Malory Towers - Enid Blyton

I never read Malory Towers as a child, but I read lots of other Enid Blyton books.  I'm really enjoying reading the whole series, they're quick to read, retro and full of adventures!

Only ever yours - Louise O'Neill

Only ever yours freaked me out a bit, set in a society where women are bred and trained to become companions or concubines to men.  It's a mix between The Handmaid's Tale and Mean Girls.  It's so dark but ends on an empowering, if depressing note.  I think, kind of!

Have you read any good library books lately?

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Make one small change - make your own air freshener.

Adopting eco friendly habits can be easier if they're taken one small step at a time.  Lots of small changes add up to a big difference.

It's nice to use air freshener but not so nice to spray chemicals all round your home, some of them can be bad for you and the environment.  

I make my own air freshener and it's super easy.  You need a spray bottle (I've reused an old one!), water and lavender essential oil.  Add 15 drops of essential oil to the spray bottle, top it up with water, give it a shake and you're done.  

I only use my homemade air freshener sparingly, the best air freshener is cost free and chemical free - open a window!

Check out my other small changes to help you live a greener life! 

Linking up with Flaunt it Friday.

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My garden, February 2016.

It feels almost spring-y some days, the bulbs in my garden definitely think so, 

I bought some elephant garlic and planted it in this big pot.  I've never grown elephant garlic before, I hope it grows ok!

I planted this kale last summer, it's been slow to grow.  Come on little kale!

My garden friend has been this little robin again.

 Here's the whole garden, not looking very interesting, but there's plenty of things shooting up and I'm pleased my chard and spinach beet are still there, I've been eating them all winter!

There's not much going on in the garden this month, I've been doing a bit of pruning and tidying up ready for spring to come, and lots of hoeing the weeds out of the gravel driveway!  I have plenty of garden-y daydreams though, I can't wait to get started!

Here are some of my favourite gardening articles from this month,

Did you know you can grow more than one fruit tree in the same hole!?

Alys Fowler on how to grow elephant garlic. 

I love this tutorial for making a hanging planter from a toy egg. 

I'm intrigued by potato onions and I definitely want to grow lipstick chard this year - it's SO pink!

And you might have missed my post on how to fill a raised bed using the lasagna method.

How are your gardens this month?  Got any exciting spring gardening plans?

 

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Vegan pancake recipe, buckwheat flour and coconut milk pancakes.

Pancake day is nearly here again, which I am very happy about.  I decided to try a new vegan, soya-free pancake recipe out this year, to add a few extra nutrients to my usual flour and water vegan pancakes.  

You'll need

6 dessertspoons self raising flour

3 dessertspoons buckwheat flour

200ml Koko dairy free milk alternative

water

1 teaspoon rapeseed oil plus more for frying

pinch of sea salt

lemon and sugar to top 

Recipe

1. Add the flours and a pinch of salt to a bowl and stir to combine.

2. Add the oil, Koko 'milk' to the dry ingredients and whisk together, add a splash more vegan milk or water if necessary, to make a smooth batter.  

3. Set the vegan pancake batter aside to rest for half an hour or so before you use it.

4. After the batter's rested, give it a final whisk and heat up some oil in your pancake pan.

5. Ladle some batter into the hot pan, cook on one side, turn the pancake over (either flip it or use a spatula to turn) and cook the other side.

6. Your yummy vegan buckwheat and coconut milk pancake is ready to eat, top it with whatever you like, my favourite is lemon and sugar.  This recipe makes about 8 large pancakes.

I love these pancakes because they're yummy, and because they're ever so slightly healthy!  The Koko dairy free is enriched with calcium, vitamin D2 and B12, and buckwheat is high in protein and fibre as well as lots of vitamins and minerals, lemon juice has loads of vitamin C.  That makes pancakes a health food, right!?

Vegan pancake tips

I find vegan pancakes work better if you make your batter slightly thicker than you would for non-vegan pancakes, it helps them hold together.  Use a really hot pan to get crispy pancakes that cook quickly and don't stick to the pan.  And don't prod the pancake too much while it's cooking, give it some time to form a crust in the pan before trying to move it around or flip it.

Happy pancake day!  I wish you many yummy pancakes, what's your favourite kind?

Disclosure - I was sent the Koko dairy free milk alternative to try, I only feature products I actually like and would use.  All opinions are my own, and always will be.

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Easy green actions and articles, February 2016.

Here's this month's round up of easy eco-friendly actions and articles,

Sign Greenpeace's petition asking David Cameron to take action on flooding and it's root cause, climate change.

Photo from greenpeace.org.uk

Love this article on why the world needs more disruptive children (and adults!).

Well, this makes me want to never buy fleece ever again!

I found Kathryn's post 'Should we all be vegetarians?' interesting, and the statistics she shares slightly terrifying!

Sign Friends of the Earth's Eat Better pledge, for monthly tips and actions on eating well for your health and to help the planet!

 photo from foe.co.uk

'Yes, you recycle.  But until you start reducing, you're still killing the planet' - do you agree?

"Recycling a plastic bottle doesn’t mean closing the loop. That bottle will not embark on some celestial journey, reincarnated a thousand times. Recycling absolutely has a waste footprint, and it’s not an insignificant one. Furthermore, recycling only works when there’s someone on the other side of the equation, someone who wants to buy the recycled material."

theguardian.com

Use Compassion in World Farming's online form to ask the government to focus it's aims for farming on giving animals a life worth living, protecting the planet, and producing good, healthy food.

Posts you might have missed, 

buy yourself some reusable, stainless steel drinking straws,

collect compostable waste at work, 

my duvet is made from recycled plastic bottles,

and don't forget it's never too late to make an eco friendly resolution for 2016!

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