The evenings are getting longer and colder, and the home can get quite chilly. Most of this time is spend in the kitchen - which is the only room in the flat that provides a bit of warmth during this time of the year. There's often a pot of water boiling, getting ready to give teas and infusions their delicious flavors, or a pie baking in the oven. And there's quite often some knitting involved too.
I'm joining Nicole from Frontier dreams on her Keep Caml Craft Along this week.
More Summer flowers have been pressed, and new woodland pendants have found their way to the shop. I'm so amazed by the wonderful plants and flowers that can be found in these woods.
I had many thoughts on blogging and long-distance friendships lately. And I realised how grateful I am to got to know beautiful souls through blogging.
Acorn knitting needles /Skein, Calico / Skein, Rye / Taproot mag, issue 10: MEND/ Pumpkin Spice Latte
Autumn has always been my favourite season. It's the time of the year when I want to have longer walks in the woods, gathering the last plants to press, mushrooming, and just enjoying the light and warmth. And this year is no exception. I want to try something very seasonal and new to me: acorn coffee. It's the time of the year when I also want to spend more time indoors, looking at the trees though my windows, a cup of pumpkin spice latte between my hands and the smell of the soup cooking on the stove. It's the time of the year when I think of nothing else but knitting cosy sweaters and beautiful yarns, whilst reading an inspiring book.
What do you enjoy the most during this time of the year?
If you remember, a few weeks ago, I had started working on the warble cowl, that I plan to gift to a special person later this year. I had only worked a few rows on it, and then decided to put it aside. I absolutely love the pattern, it is so delicate and precious. But the yarn that I had choosen wasn't the best fit for the recipient. I needed to find a yarn that would be extremely soft, and that would fit her complexion. That's why I went for the Cascade Venezia, which is a blend of Mulbery silk and merino wool. The yarn is not only exquisite, but I feel that the stitch pattern showcases much better.
I'm not going to put updates on that project in here anymore since I want to keep it "secret", but I will definitely make some updates on Instagram from time to time.
Are you already working on some Christmas present?
For this season, I decided to set a new yet simple goal that will help me in the kitchen. I started a "Seasonnal Sweets" journal, where I will add, every season, my favourite sweet recipes. And the first entry of my diary is the Apple & Rhubarb cinnamon jam. For some reason, finding rhubarb has been quite challenging this year. As a matter of fact, the least something is available to you, the more you start craving for it. So after weeks of unsuccessul hunt at my local market, I started to reason myself, and agreed that I had no choice but to wait until next year. So when I saw some remains of the delicious plant last week, you can easily imagine my contentment. I grabbed it all, and rushed to the kitchen.
I used some of the stems to make the apple & cinnamon pie that I was craving for months, but was left with quite enough of the plant to make something else. As my winter larder was only filled with two types of sweets, I thought that more variety of jam would be a fantastic idea, just in case I will crave for more rhubarb this winter.
To capture the smells of Autumn in your pot you will need:
*3 cups of diced rhubarb
*3 cups of diced apples
* 2 cups of sugar
*1/2 cup of water
* 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon of agar-agar powder
1/ In a large saucepan mix together the fruits, sugar, cinnamon and water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the agar-agar powder and cook for another 5 min.
2/ Ladle into hot sterile jars and seals the lids. Put the pots upside-down on a dishcloth and wait until cold. Then you can store the jars in a dark place for months! You can find the original recipe here!
Do you have any favourite Fall sweet recipe?
