Tuesday 20 September 2011

There are more uses for a heat tool Horatio....

We've had something of a harvest festival with loads of tomatos, marrows and grapes. The grapes are the very small winemaking variety and I prefer to leave wine to the French and the Ozzies. Brenda Weeks gave me a recipe for cordial and this led on to thoughts of jam.
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Well, jelly to be precise. I'd never heard of grape jelly but it was amazingly successful. We purchased a device (like a milking stool with no seat) to strain it through. I know you can use a chair but ours weigh a ton. It said 'easy to assemble' but we ended up with Clive struggling to click it together while I frantically stirred the mixture shouting, "Hurry up, it's boiling".

Then it set too quickly, before dripping through, so I got the heat tool out. Worked a treat.
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My hand is healing well and I've seen the nurse for a check up. Feeling a bit stir crazy we had a morning at the local stately home, Cranborne Manor.
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All lovely long vistas and ancient apple trees.
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With the odd visual pun - look at the man working in the field to get the scale.


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Love this head by Elizabeth Fink and look at the wonderful stains on the marble.


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Smudge has been poorly (fighting again) and we had to visit the vet. I don't know what was in that injection she gave him but I think I need one. He now needs feeding every five minutes to get back to fighting weight.




Tomorrow we go to London for the photoshoot for Lynda Monk's new book Fabulous Surfaces. I have seen the pics - amazing - and can't wait to see the real thing. I have the text all ready, edited and copy edited so when the pics are done it's off to the designer. Can never tell with the printer but we are hoping for November. Watch this space.

Thanks for all comments and lovely get well messages - I'm sure going to try Livewriter, Celia. Blogger drives me batty.




Will announce winners of the precious book next week.

6 comments:

Heather said...

It obviously pays to be ingenious! Hope the jelly was a success after all your efforts.
Beautiful photos of your day out - wonderful textures - very Maggie Grey! There is a similar sized chair as part of the Sculpture Trail in the Forest of Dean. They are both so well proportioned that their actual size is not fully appreciated until someone stands beside them.
So glad your hand is healing well.

Cda00uk said...

Thanks for mentioning Cranborne Manor - I have driven past it so many times on my way to Walford Mill without realising it was there!

jordi said...

I am laughing hysterically, first at you hollering "hurry up it's BOILING!!" and secondly at the creative use of creating tools. I would never have thought of my heater in a moment like that but it is the perfect tool... What fun.

Lexa said...

Glad to see your wrist healing well. Have never tried to put hot jelly through the strainer but heat tool a great idea.

Virginia said...

I'm still chuckling at the kitchen shenanigans!
You are so right tho - most of my kitchen tools have had stamps made from them and otherwise been misused, so implements from the studio must be able to reciprocate! I've trussed a turkey with heavy thread and a bodkin too!

Glad your hand is healing so well.

Alex said...

What gorgeous old apple trees. Hope your hand is soon feeling better.