Oh My - AWOL for 12 months!

For those of you who have stuck around over the last year, waiting for another post, I applaud you. I can only apologise for the lack of input on my part. It's been a funny 12 months.

Whilst a rather long and mostly dull story, I'll try and condense it into a few basic facts.

We've spent the last year trying to get a diagnosis for our eldest daughter after she was having some 'settling in' issues at school (now in year 1) and finally happy to report we have one. Turns out she has Aspergers Syndrome which is on the Autistic Spectrum. I don't think it came as a shock to me or my better half but it will take a while for a lot of the family to get their heads round it. As I keep telling everyone, she's still our little blondie no matter what the label says. At least they don't mind so much at school now that she spends most of her day drawing pictures (when she's supposed to be writing or reading!)

So, in other news... well, not much else really. I've started doing some craft fairs to keep me busy (because looking after a 4 & 5 year old and keeping house just don't take up enough of my time)

oh, I have a new Facebook page to show my wares.... MumsABitCrafty please do visit and like if you should happen to enjoy it :)

This years batch of wine is on the go (didnt think much to last years, too much like rose for my liking)

Jam making and whatnot has been a success so far...

...and the kids made some cracking Halloween biscuits....

 

Hope everyone is all good and crafty :)

We've discovered a new hobby...

Something new for me to bore my nearest and dearest about......we've discovered foraging! I love a bargain, well, who doesn't? A freebie is better still. I've taken the kids for some lovely walks around the village recently and I noticed that there was still a multitude of jem-like berries hanging from branches everywhere. I noted these places in my mind and went back with the girls to fill our baskets with lots of lovely fruit. This is a pastime I can see continuing for some years to come, it may well become part of our family history. We returned home with purple fingers, muddy boots, pink cheeks and a lovely collection of goodies; elderberries, blackberries, sloes, damsons, rose hips, haws and crab apples.  I was itching to have a go at making something with all this lovely stuff and along with the apples from our tree in the garden, there would be plenty to have a go at. First up was hedgerow jelly which was, I have to say, a great success. I have never made jam before so this was a new venture for me. Second batch I tried apple & rose hip jelly, not so successful, set a bit hard but may be suitable for stirring into hot herbal tea and suchlike. Third attempt was a few jars of apple, blackberry & damson jam which I was pretty pleased with. My little darlings enjoyed helping throughout the process but I made sure they were well out of the way when it came to boiling up the jam or jelly, that stuff boils like hot lava! These had already been earmarked as Christmas presents so I let the children help with the labels and lids for the jars to give a personal touch.

I pinched recipes and some very helpful tips from here -  The Cottage Smallholder

All in all, a wonderful new enterprise. The girls had a great time walking around with little baskets for collecting goodies. We talked about all the hedgerow plants and which berries were edible and which ones they shouldn't touch (very important!). I let them have one of my old nature books so they could try and identify things for themselves and they soon got into it. The children helped with washing the fruit, measuring out the ingredients, stirring the fruit whilst it was reducing to a pulp and finally they decorated the finished jars. They are so proud of what we've made and they can't wait to give these little pots of goodness out at Christmas to our friends and family. I have to admit, neither can I!

I shall have to put my thinking cap on now to come up with some more Christmas gift ideas that the girls can help me make.