Friday Chat Day

Hello friends

How are you? 

Can someone tell the weather we are in Summer please.

Normal recipe service has resumed this week so

let's start with that.

Recipe:

Not dissimilar to my original Scone recipe, this week it is 

Cheesy Scones.

I don't think there is any point having a cheese scone unless you

can taste the cheese so these are a bit of a calorific treat.

You can also add a dash of cayenne pepper and mustard powder, 

my limited spice rack didn't run to that but I don't think 

it has impaired them..non nom!

125g self raising flour, 1tsp baking powder,

½ tsp salt, 55g chilled salted butter,

100g mature cheddar plus 50g (finely grated)

60ml warm mix of milk and water

Pop a baking sheet in oven and preheat

to 220C, 425F, Gas Mark 7.

Place flour, baking powder, salt and butter (cut into cubes)

Into a food processor, whizz until it looks like fine breadcrumbs.

(Alternatively place all dry ingredients into mixing bowl and

rub in butter with fingertips).

Tip mixture into bowl and and mix in the 100g of grated cheese.

Add the milk and water, mix together until it begins to form

a dough.  Bring together with your hands but try not to knead.

Roll or press out to 2.5cm thickness and cut out scones

with a 6mm cutter/mug/glass. 

Brush tops with milk and sprinkle the 50g grated cheese.  

Place apart on the hot baking sheet and cook for 15-20 minutes.  
Remove from oven and eat as soon as possible -

don’t hold back on the butter!

Click here for the Cheesy Scones printable.

This recipe has also been added to the Recipes page/tab 

at the top of the blog here.

Crochet:

Some progress with this striped blanket in the Harmony pattern

using Deramores DK Studio yarn.

This is an order so I really should crack on a little faster,

I keep getting distracted with gardening.

This is the current situation with my Harmony blanket,
the joining is sloooooow.

At the top of my blog you may notice the Crochet Project page
has a little addition...'For Sale'.

Despite my ambition to make the world's biggest blanket fort I've had 

to concede that we do have too many blankets.

I've decided to put certain designs up for sale starting with these two.

If either take your fancy, all the details can be found here.

There is just one of each but I do intend to add more blankets

so please keep checking back.

Garden:

My gardening bug is not abating.  
This week I ventured to a local garden centre (very impressed with
their management of spacing and safety so it was a double pleasure).
I came away with this beauty. I've never owned a rose bush before and
whenever I see the words 'hardy' on a plant label I am overjoyed!

Thank you to those who confirmed the name of my plants last week,

I'm loving Agapanthus 'Lily of the Nile' and 

I've just discovered they come in white too.

This week I decided to order a small bench for the garden, I'm hoping it will be nice

to sit outside with a cuppa and possibly crochet. 

I do have this bench but as you can see I've somewhat hampered the seating

with a Clematis.

I spent a lot of time online and found one I liked, ordered and then the boys suggested

this idea... I declined.

Telly:

Occasionally on a weekend afternoon I dig out an old

black and white film, it just feels right somehow.

Delighted to discover that on the BBC iPlayer they have many classics.

Suspicion.

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, a shy woman (Joan Fontaine) marries a charming 

gent (Cary Grant) but she then begins to suspects him of trying to kill her. 

I had forgotten how disjointed old classics can be,

the scenes seem to cut out when they shouldn't but putting that aside,

it's wonderful and who doesn't adore Cary Grant.

And keeping it diverse...

Ready Player One available on Amazon Prime.

Science fiction action film directed by Stephen Speilberg.

Set in a dystopia in 2045, follows a young man searching for 

an 'easter egg' in a virtual reality game.

(Not the chocolatey variety, instead a hidden object in a video game).

If I didn't live in a house of gaming fanatics I probably would 

never have seen this film.

Instead I could relate to it, loved it and watched it twice! 

Thank you for your telly recommendations too,

like me many of you have enjoyed The Detectorists and Sinner.

It was my Mum's birthday this week and we are celebrating

properly on Sunday with a safe distanced barbecue in my sister's garden.

I'm going to prepare some veggie kebabs and something far less healthy

in the form of a cake - I'll let you know next week how that works out

and possibly potential blog recipes.

Oh I nearly forgot the pooch (how could I?)

She's been pampered and been to the groomer.

(Us humans here are not brave enough to venture to hairdressers yet).

We call this her 'Meerkat cut'.

Until next week, whatever you are doing  

may it be enjoyable, take care, keep distanced and wear

those masks everyone.

Friday Chat Day

Hello friends

Firstly, wow what a speedy sellout for this month's charity kit.

I increased the number of kits this month too.

I know a couple of you missed it so I will increase the amount again 

for the August kit, hopefully everyone can grab one.

It is always on the first Sunday of the month, the blog post

is published at 6.30am (automatically, I've not quite managed to be awake then)

and I follow it up with notifications by email and on social media.

Crochet:

I seem to be trying to break a record for how many WIPs I have.

I'm slowly joining together the squares for my Harmony Blanket and

then I started this project, a blanket following the 

Attic 24 Hydrangea pattern using Deramores Studio DK.

This is an order so I felt entitled to start it and let other
projects fall by the wayside.

But...in between I thought I would make a start on the squares for an

Attic 24 Summer Harmony Blanket, a brighter design than the original.

This is me organising the squares for round 3 

with very little help from Bella!

The crochet has taken over the lounge, dining table and bedroom.

The boys comment - often!

Recipe:

I've failed on the cooking front this week but I do have a little excuse.

We had an issue in the Emberson household  - no hot water.  

We thought the heating programmer had died but it turns out it

was a fuse in the boiler isolation switch.

It took Mitchell and I three days to work that out.

For those days we boiled kettles, washed hair over the sink,

it wasn't so bad but they balked when I suggested getting a tin bath! 

So with no recipe this week let me proffer up something else - 

a little cooking appliance/kitchen gadget that I purchased and we love.

It's a Tower Mini Panini Press Grill.

  

We've had it for approx 3 months now and it gets used every day.

So far we've used it to cook bacon, burgers, pork loin, 

courgettes, green beans, mushrooms, filled wraps, re-heat pizza slices, 

toasted sandwiches and for what it is actually designed for...

a panini, but that was just the once! 

It is worth stressing it is diddy, but that hasn't really hindered us.

The plates are not removable but it wipes clean very easily with 

just a cloth and warm water. 

Available on Amazon here - price at the moment is £23.00,

when we purchased it was £18.95 - cheeky! 

I'm not affiliated with Amazon, sharing as it is fabulous little item. 

Garden:

Someone please keep me away from the Thompson and Morgan website!

It is safe to say I've got the gardening bug.
These are little Phlox plant plugs that arrived this week.
They do ingenious packaging.

And here's two of my plants from Freecycle.

No idea what they are, hoping the larger shrub survives,

builders had ripped it out of the soil to create a driveway

so it had suffered a little.

And trying my hand at some Passion Flower cuttings.

Chimney pot was also a freebie on Freecyle.

And all our herb seeds have now sprouted.

My garden bin has arrived from our local council,
I’m excited about it – that’s a tad worrying!  

I’ve subscribed to a ‘mini garden bin’ as since I’ve been doing more gardening 

I cannot  dispose of garden waste in my general bin and
trying to get to the tip is like a military manoeuvre,
you have to book a slot online and 

fill out a 25 page form (slight exaggeration). 

Telly:

This week I've stuck with the BBC iPlayer.

Caught up with all episodes of Last Tango in Halifax.

Starring Derek Jacobi and Anne Reid, a couple who rekindle a passionate

relationship after 60 years apart. 

What starts out to be romantic and sweet soon develops to be complicated.

Faultless acting, charming with twists and turns,

British drama at its best.

Still with BBC iPlayer - Strike.

Based on the books by Robert Gailbraith (aka J K Rowling).

A retired soldier-turned-private detective solves difficult cases.

I have read all the books, often in that situation the books are better and

again that is the case.  You imagine the characters in your own mind and 

the casting of this didn't quite work for me but, still watchable and 

crochet-able to!

Bits and Bobs:

And talking of books, Carole Matthews' latest is now available.

Summer Days and Sea Breezes - I adore the cover.
I have every single one of Carole's books, they take up more than half
of my bookcase and look bright and wonderful.

On a ferry bound for the Isle of Wight, Jodie is looking for some peace and quiet on her brother Bill’s houseboat Sunny Days. But from the moment Jodie steps aboard it’s clear she’ll struggle to keep herself to herself. If it isn’t Marilyn, who is under strict instructions to look after Jodie, then it’s Ned, the noisy wood sculptor on the next-door boat. Bustled out of the boat by Marilyn and encouraged to explore with Ned, Jodie soon delights in her newfound freedom.  But out of mind isn’t out of sight, and when her old life comes knocking Jodie is forced to face reality. 

Will she answer the call or choose a life filled with Sunny Days & Sea Breezes?

Carole's books never fail to be uplifting and addictive,
I guarantee if you haven't read one yet go for it and you'll then be reading them all.

Take a look at her website here.

This weekend: some cooking, I'll definitely have a recipe next week.

Hoping the sun comes back out to do some more gardening and,

of course, plenty of crochet to be getting on with.

Take care friends, wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

Charity Kit - July 2020

Hello friends

It's Charity Kit Day!
As always, big thanks for your support and please 
feel free to share kit details with everyone.

Each month a donation is made to a different charity,

and this month we are supporting My Shining Star,

a charity supporting families through the financial

trauma of childhood cancer.

https://www.myshiningstaruk.co.uk/

To keep track of charities there is a tab at the top of my blog 

here with lots more kit info.

Without further ado here's this month's kit:

A 'Love' card featuring Anna Griffin paper, 
layered white and gold foil die cuts, foliage and flowers.

What's included in your kit:

White card base with matching envelope

Patterned mat - double sided - Anna Griffin design
Die cuts - Fancy Scallop Edge Circles x 4 (white and gold foil), 
Sew Sweet Sentiments – Hearts x 4 (white and gold foil), 
Love x 2 (white and gold foil) 
Flowers x 8, Leaves x 4
Full instructions

(Items you will need: adhesive, inks/pens, pearls/gems).

The lovely Anna Griffin patterned mat is double sided so you have a choice of design,
trellis green as I've used or the gold embossed little diamonds.

The kits are packed in recyclable paper bags and sent in a 'do not bend' 

envelope so they arrive in pristine condition. 
To make up the kits you just need a basic craft kit, everything is pre-cut.

The kit cost is £5.85, that's the total payment -

it is inclusive of postage and packing.

Payment is via the PayPal link below.

If you wish to purchase but would prefer not to use PayPal, 

please email me:

hope-chances@live.co.uk  

I'm happy to help with alternative payment arrangements.

Here's the link and it is possible to purchase multiple kits,
there's an option for that too.

If you would like to support the kits but do not need one right now,

there is a 'Ko-fi' button', at the top of the blog,
All donations enable me to purchase card blanks, envelopes, the paper bags,
sticky labels and more - 
very grateful thanks to those of you who help through Ko-fi.

You are all stars for purchasing the charity kits,
every month we do our bit for helping others. 

Take care friends, enjoy your Sunday and
continue to keep safe.

Friday Chat Day

Hello friends.

Pop the kettle on, it's a very chatty Friday Chat Day this week!

Starting off with crochet update.

Crochet:

The squares are done, all 126 of them.

A year ago I couldn't make Granny Squares, 

a year ago I didn't like Granny Squares, oh how things have changed.

It has been the perfect project for warm days, it's a bit much having 

a blanket over your lap, whereas these are very portable.

The joining has commenced, instead of sewing together,

it's 'Join As You Go' method, which creates a sixth round of crochet.

I had to have the room in complete silence to grasp it, well aside from 

snoring from this one.

I'm getting there, it's going to take a while but enjoying it.

I plan to do the same blanket in different colours,

a brighter version called Summer Harmony, all details on 

Lucy's Attic 24 blog here.

Recipe:

This week it is Blueberry Muffins. 

I am a huge fan of Blueberry Muffins, possibly because they are not

as sweet as chocolate ones.

When it comes to shop bought ones I recommend Asda as they use

whole blueberries whereas as other stores seem to blitz them into pieces.

But you cannot beat homemade and, as you can see, I'm rather

generous with the blueberries!  

And good news - you can use either fresh or frozen blueberries.

100g butter (softened), 100g sugar,

2 eggs (beaten), 1tsp vanilla essence,

300g self-raising flour, 140ml milk,

1tsp baking powder, 150g blueberries

(fresh or frozen, if frozen – no need to thaw,

coat in a little flour to prevent sinking).

Preheat oven to 180C, Gas Mark 4.

Line a muffin tray with paper cases.

Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.

Beat in egg gradually.

Add flour, baking powder to make a thick batter, stir in

vanilla essence and milk.

Add the blueberries and spoon the mixture into

The muffin cases.

Bake for 15-20  minutes, leave muffins in the baking tray

for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

Quite possibly one of your 5 a day!

Click here for the Blueberry Muffins printable.

This recipe has also been added to the Recipes page/tab 

at the top of the blog here.

Out and About:

We are still being very cautious here in the Emberson household,

our 'out and about' extends to finding new local places to walk Bella

and that is just fine with us right now.

This week Elliott and I visited Windmill Hill in Gravesend,

it is only about a 20 minute walk from our home and I had forgotten

how lovely it is. (It is also up a steep hill, may have to cut back on those muffins!)

The view goes across the town and River Thames to Tilbury.

And that beacon, well that's pretty special - it commemorates the 

advance of the Spanish Armada.

So Gravesend, not the most beautiful town but it does have some fascinating 

features, I thought I would share a couple with you this week.

  Pocahontas died at Gravesend of unknown causes, aged 20 or 21.

She was en route to Virginia with John Smith (Rolfe).

She was buried in St George's Church, Gravesend and we have a statue to 

mark the possible spot.

Gravesend is also home to the biggest Sikh Temple in Europe,

the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara.

It is not only a venue for weddings and events, right now it is massively appreciated

within the community.  Each day they prepare 850 meals 

which get delivered to our local hospitals, care homes and vulnerable individuals. 

The volunteers start chopping vegetables at 4am!

Under normal circumstances (outside of the pandemic) it is possible to visit the temple,

they are very happy to show you around and always the offer of food.

For now, here is a video tour, it's rather grand.

Telly:

If you have Netflix you may have seen a trailer for

Schitt's Creek?  You may have totally disregarded it, as I did for years,

until recently, I've now watched all 6 seasons!

It's a Canadian sitcom created by a Dad and Son team -

Dan and Eugene Levy.

The storyline - a rich video store magnate, Johnny Rose and his family

suddenly find themselves broke and they are forced to leave their

pampered lives to live in a small town called Schitt's Creek.

It stars Catherine O'Hara known to many of us the neglectful Mum

in the Home Alone movies.

It starts with the typical comedic adjustments of going from wealth to poverty

but builds to be a fascinating comedy with strong characters. 

And I discovered something else I've been missing... 

something huge, 

something wonderful...

Gardeners World!

Thanks to my Mum and Dad who mentioned it (mainly because

Monty Don has a Yorkie) that I've started to watch it. 

20+ episodes available on BBCiPlayer.

And isn't it a gem. I've learned lots and it has inspired me to 

got a little bit mad in my tiny garden.

Gardening:

Fueled by Monty our first extra gardening project has been herbs,

Mitchell and I planted these up from a little kit we bought online.

I noticed this morning that Rocket is already sprouting.

And then I went potty!

I put out a request on Freecycle for terracotta pots and struck gold.

If you are not aware, Freecyle is a website

where you can put items up as 'offers' or stipulate 'wanted'.

It is local to your area and, as in the name, it has to be free.

We've found it invaluable at this time to find new homes for 

some unwanted items too, this week we waved off an office chair and old TV.

A lady local to me messaged and said she had lots of herb cuttings 

so Bella and I walked to collect them.

The rhubarb was a nice bonus.

And then this lovely lot was made available from a huge

garden in Meopham (near Gravesend).

Turns out gardeners are super generous.

Thankfully I've got plenty of soil as Mum had a spare bag

and our milkman delivers garden items.

I admit to forgetting what all the plants are, I recognise the tomato plants,

but there is a distinct possibility that I could have veg growing in lavender!

I have also been in the cabin this week finishing off the 

July Charity Kit.  Here's a little sneak peek.

Please stop by on Sunday for details, this month we are donating to

My Shining Star - 

supporting families through childhood cancer.

Plans for this weekend - yes, more gardening, crochet

and thinking up some recipes to share with you.

How do we feel about savoury dishes or stick to sweet?

If you've made it to here, thank you for reading and

very grateful for your comments - it is always so nice to read your news.

Take care friends, please stop by on Sunday.