Reclaiming Paradise

We are still working our way through the pears, trying to savour each one, as they feel so special.

I thought I’d try another pear cake, basically an apple gingerbread with pears, or one big pear actually and a handful of walnuts.

Regular readers will know that November is not my favourite month. This year I am going to try and overcome my Novemberitis, partly helped by having reduced my working hours in the summer so that I can make a point of having more time outside in daylight to fight off the winter gloom. November started well yesterday with a whole day in the sunshine in the garden. Mostly I was...

I’ve made Halloween lanterns from lots of fruit and veg over the years: pumpkins, turnips, squashes, oranges, apples, potatoes and tomatoes.

This year you will be unsurprised to discover that I have added pears to that list:

Alongside a bought pumpkin and a giant Howgate Wonder apple. One year I’ll grow my own pumpkin.

Off to make pumpkin, ...

The storms over the weekend have brough most of the pears and a lot of the apples down from the trees and into the house.

One pear fell into the still amazing cosmos flowers, looking as if it was growing on the plant.

The apples will keep for several weeks but the pears not so long so I had another go at dealing with the fabulous pear glut last ni...

Here in Edinburgh we had the biblical downpour from Storm Austen and are battening down the hatches for the high winds forecast for the next one. Yesterday I spent the day wandering the streets in the rain after a dentist appointment, trying to shake off a frozen face. It didn’t really work but when I got home I made a huge pot of ‘heaven and earth’ (apple and potato) soup an...