Bluebells

I'm really enjoying watching the borders come alive. We've had a swathe of bluebells in front of the house and under the apple trees. When the scaffolding went up, quite a few were trampled so I went out to salvage what I could. Popping them in a jam jar, it was incredible to see the variation in blue - we even had the odd pink and white. So pretty.

Our first bbq

Harissa halloumi, beefburger, toasted bap, coleslaw, tomatoes with Greek basil and mint.

Mr M took delivery of our first gas bbq last week. It's truly a thing of wonder with flippy wooden shelves. Being a traditional charcoal kind of guy Mr M wasn't keen but, with an epic kitchen refurb looming, having a plug and play bbq rather than a 'I'll be leaving in 3 hours, start fanning the coals' bbq was the logical answer. It also helped that we found the model we wanted for half price. I can report that the inaugural grilling was damn tasty. The burgers were juicy, just like Byron. So impressed. And halloumi brushed on either side with harissa is scrumptious!

Lifting the curtain

So to speak. So sorry for the silence. Hope all are well and jolly. Life really has just run away with itself over the last couple of months. Work has been all-consuming - long, taxing hours. Home time has been short - speedy suppers, condensed glasses of wine, sleep. My poor laptop has had a 2 month holiday in the chest of drawers. Friends and family are feeling ignored.

Whilst the curtains have been drawn, we've quietly been making progress. We've given the bathroom a lick of paint. The loft has been fully boarded. And we've officially got builders and an architect. Over the last 6 days, the chimney breast has been knocked out from roof to kitchen. Wallpaper has been stripped (me! I did that bit!) and the bedroom ceiling came down (not quite planned - I didn't do that bit...).

We're currently living in our sitting room on the sofa bed, with the fridge and Miss P. There is a comedy 'slumber party' feel about the set up. Miss P was quite excited on night one, nonplussed on night two and irritated on night five. Tonight - night six - and we're hoping that she'll sleep until 5:30am. One can only hope.

Lots of progress photos to come. And baking - I must share my epic baking day. And our week off - yes, a whole week. No blackberry. Just us. A little bit of pottering, local day trips, sun hats and a smattering of freckles. Some big birthdays were had - Mum turned 60 and Grandpa turned 90. Oh - and I got to see Beyonce - wildly random, but utterly brilliant. Uh oh ohh, oh oh ohh, ohh.

Farmers' Market fare

Pure delight on a plate with fresh sourdough.

Goodbye gas fire

The tip of the iceberg in terms of our project list, but one that could be done by me. Immense satisfaction looking at the gaping hole.

Next stage - sledge hammer. Goodbye crazy brickwork. Hello smooth wall, new hearth and wood burning stove.

Valentine's supper for one

Oh yes. Mr M had to entertain his boss who happened to be in town on Valentine's Day, so I made a romantic plate of posh scrambled egg on toast, followed by a decadent bowl of vanilla ice cream and Nutella* sauce (dsp of Nutella and tsp of creme fraiche over a low heat).

Note - ketchup not intended for bleeding heart message, just that I love ketchup with scrambled egg.

And yes he was forgiven, having left me the most beautiful bunch of white ranunculus and parrot tulips to find when I got in.

*If there is a Nutella Anonymous group that anyone knows, do let me know. I am utterly obsessed.

Simple suppers - pancake day

I do love a pancake. Mr M makes magnificent ones from scratch. This year was slightly different. Time is definitely lacking. We've somehow fallen into the 'time poor' bracket. Work has stepped up for me - which is great but exhausting. Ditto for Mr M. Luckily for Miss P, Mr M can work from home most days - if he didn't, I'm sure she'd be seeking out new laps in the neighbourhood. I digress. Knowing that we'd be pushed for time - me stuck on the 19:02 and Mr M on calls to California, we bought pancakes in advance. We're a little partial to stuffed pancakes. Last year we had these. This year we opted for bacon, spinach, chestnut mushrooms, creme fraiche, nutmeg, vintage gruyere and thyme. Scrumptious.