Along the canal

Towards the end of July, I spent the day with my friend Sue to celebrate her birthday. Usually we go out for lunch but this time we decided to go for a walk along the canal for a change. As we headed towards our starting point, I noticed this house and just loved how the owners had decorated the doorway.

Our walk started at Parbold and took us along the Leeds-Liverpool canal heading towards Appley Bridge. On the first stretch the canal is lined with houses and a few barges. As we approached the one in the photo, we could see faces in the window...

It's Rosie and Jim!

On the path opposite the barge were some of their little friends :)

More barges and the last of the houses. Some of the barges, like this one nearest the camera, were obviously being used for commercial purposes rather than being lived in.

It was to be a day of brilliant sunshine and showers. It started to rain almost as soon as we set off but it felt quite refreshing in the humid heat so we carried on. By this point in the walk though it was coming down harder so we sheltered under a bridge for a while.

When the rain eased, we carried on and saw this dead tree with its sun-bleached branches highlighted against the dark sky. Is it just me or does the one on the left look like a deer's head?

Pretty wild flowers lined the canal banks. The yellow flower is ragwort but I'm not sure about the white one or this other green umbrella-shaped plant. The pink one is definitely a foxglove though.

While I was taking photos of the flowers, Sue rested on this bench - it's like walking with a combination of David Bellamy and David Bailey, she said! Luckily the magic of the bench meant it came with a smile :)

The cows, however, were unimpressed with my photographic skills.

One thing I like about canals is the reflections you get in the still water.

At times it was difficult to see where the vegetation ended and the water began.

Further along we came across some burdock, though I know it better as sticky bobs. As children we had great fun throwing the bobs at each other trying to make them stick on our clothes.

And I also spotted this lovely blue-flowered Green Alkanet. Surely that should be Blue Alkanet - who thinks up these names??!!

Well, we never did make it all the way to Appley Bridge. We were late setting off anyway and had to get back to pick up Sue's little boy from football camp. It was such a good walk though and we chatted and chatted and laughed and laughed.

This is where we started and finished our walk. The headless windmill is an art gallery. Near the bridge is a cafe which I'd not seen before, selling the most gorgeous ice cream. How could we resist? I had a scoop of sticky toffee pudding and a scoop of blackcurrant and liquorice. Both were divine and tasted just like they should from the description.

Later I sat with Sue on a bench in her garden in the sunshine, a cup of tea in hand, looking out over their vegetable patch, watching her husband and son harvesting potatoes. It was one of those perfect moments of pure contentment that you wish could last forever and I still get a glow thinking about it. Here's hoping we're all blessed with one of those moments this week too :)

Watercolour pears

I'm always up for trying a new craft or idea so, back in May when I saw watercolour stencils on Kate's Creative Space, I knew immediately that I wanted to give it a go. A couple of weeks ago I finally got around to it.

I already had a few watercolour paints including some which had been given to me and turned out to be so old they'd set solid! Kate had used a lovely hummingbird stencil but the only one I could find was a bunch of pears which had come free with a magazine many years ago. Not perfect but good enough to try out the idea.

You tape the stencil into place on the watercolour paper and then carefully paint into the shape. After you've finished, the stencil is left on while the paint dries thoroughly.

Next you stamp onto the painted image, keeping the stencil over the image as a mask. The stamp I used is Postmark from the Urban Stamps range by docrafts.

Because the stencil covered the white sections, the stamp only goes onto the painted areas.

Such a simple idea but so effective and very little artistic skill required. I was really pleased with the result and will definitely be having another go when I find some different stencils. If you fancy having a go, take a look at the stunning effects Kate created and be really inspired. She has lots of ideas on how to use the finished results too. x

Cocktail hour

While I was in Stockport visiting Staircase House, I told you I'd treated myself to a little something on the market. You probably hazard a guess it was something crafty, or made of fabric or yarn. Well, for once it wasn't! Instead, the something was a bottle of Rhubarb and Rosehip cordial. Intrigued by all the unusual and delicious-sounding flavours on display, we stopped to have a look at a drinks stall. I'd already pretty much decided to buy a bottle but, what really clinched it for me, was when the owner told us it made a great cocktail.  I just couldn't resist! Ever since the cocktails in Whitby, I've been wanting to have a go at making my own.

Chickpea already had a book on cocktails, so we gathered together all of the bottles of spirits we and my parents had, including the miniatures which I collect to use in cooking, and looked through the recipes to see which we could make. Not many as it turned out, so we substituted some of the ingredients with the nearest equivalent and I did have to buy some rum to give us more variety. The recipes which follow are therefore a mixture of classics, adaptations and some Home Jules originals.

Before we'd tasted all of these different cocktails, I would have said I'd prefer the gin or vodka-based ones whilst Chickpea much prefers rum. After trying them out though, rum has definitely grown on me! Why not give some a try and let me know your favourite? Don't try them all at once though - we made these over several weekends!

All of the cocktail ingredients are for one person. I used the lid of the cocktail shaker as the measure.

Rosy Gin Fizz

1 measure gin
1 measure rhubarb and rosehip cordial

Shake in a cocktail shaker and pour into a cocktail glass. Top up with sparkling water.

Apple and Elderflower Vodka

My own invention using ingredients I happened to have in the cupboard.

1 measure vodka
1 measure apple juice
1/2 measure elderflower cordial
Splash of apple liqueur

Put all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a couple of cubes of ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

The ingredients make more than is shown but I'd already had a few sips before I remembered to take a photo!

Bee's Knees

1 measure white rum
1/4 measure dark rum
3/4 measure cream
2 tsp honey

Put all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a couple of cubes of ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Chickpea couldn't wait to try this one after seeing it in her cocktails book. Delicious and the cream adds a real silkiness to the flavour.

Sloe Mo Apple Turnover

My version of a Sloe Comfortable Screw. The original uses orange juice but I only had apple.

2 measures Sloe gin
2 measures Southern Comfort
2 measures Apple juice
2 measures Vodka

Put all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour into a tumbler and serve with ice.

I'd say this tastes more of the SoCo than the Sloe gin which is a minus in my view. Chickpea commented that you first get the taste of apple and then the alcohol hits you. My least favourite, maybe because it also has the greatest alcohol content.

Honey Bunny

2 measures dark rum
1/2 measure lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey

Put all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a couple of cubes of ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

My first reaction was 'whoaaaaa!' as the alcohol hit but, after a couple of sips, I liked this one. The lemon really makes a difference even though it contains a relatively small amount.

Warm and Fuzzy

Another Home Jules original, inspired by having half a lime left over from a recipe.

2 measures of white rum
1 measure peach schnapps
1 measure fresh lime juice

Put all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a couple of cubes of ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Fresh and fruity. It seems I like rum after all!

And last but not least...

Caribbean Kiss

2 measures dark rum

1 measure Amaretto

1 measure Kahlua

2 measures single cream

1 tsp brown sugar

cinnamon

Put all of the ingredients except the cinnamon in a cocktail shaker with some ice cubes. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Chickpea commented: The flavour is layered - at first you get the alcohol and then the flavour of the almond. At first I wondered what was the point of the cinnamon? But then I realised that you get the aroma of the spice as you take a sip and it stays on your lips as you finish.

If I made this again, I think I'd try shaking some cinnamon in with the rest of the ingredients so that the hint of spice comes through in every sip. This was one of my favourites: truly delicious.

Staircase & Stockport

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I was meeting some friends in Stockport for the afternoon. It's not generally the first place which springs to mind when planning an outing. However, we're always looking for somewhere new to try and I'd heard about a couple of interesting-sounding museums which were worth investigating. Our destination on this occasion was Staircase House which dates from the 1600s, though there's been a house on the site since the 1400s.

Surprisingly, the House isn't named after its most famous feature but after a cafe, one of the last businesses to operate there - the House has been used both as a family home and as business premises. You might be thinking this staircase looks very new for such an old house, and you'd be right. In 1995, a fire swept through the House and badly damaged a lot of the interior and it's taken them years to restore it.

Carpenters rebuilt the staircase, incorporating as much of the original wood as they could.

The rooms are decorated to represent different periods of the House's life, like this 1650s kitchen.

I really liked this blue dish, complete with fake fish.

One of the best aspects of the house is that there are several interactive elements. In the Counting Room, we practised writing with quill and ink.

In the bedroom, we dressed up in period costume. Well, ok, I did - my friends were less keen on putting on thick wool coats and hats on a very hot day.

Another lovely dish on the chest in the bedroom. Like most of the furnishings and decoration in the House, it's a reproduction which means that you can touch and handle almost everything on your tour round.

 You can also sit on the chairs and be thankful you don't have to sit on hard wooden seats every day. This reproduction was 'dated' 1683. Not the most comfortable, even with this pretty tapestry cushion.

By coincidence, Chickpea and I went to a fete last weekend and, as we passed by one of the stalls, I remarked that one of the chairs on the stall looked very similar to this one. It turned out that the stallholder was the person who made it!

All of the lovely curtains and bed linens were embroidered by volunteers.

They've done such a wonderful job.

A really interesting place to visit. We easily spent over an hour there and didn't even listen to all of the audio guide (which was a bit too long).

Back outside it was still hot and sunny. At the front of Staircase House is the market and the Market Hall. Beautiful Victorian architecture.

There were some lovely stalls and, in particular, this one selling plants. I saw some real beauties and, if it hadn't been such a very hot day, I might have bought a few. As it was, I rationed myself to something from the indoor market which I'll be telling you about next time.

I thought this building toned in beautifully with the awnings on the stalls and had such lovely detailing. Unfortunately, as so many shops in town centres, it was empty. You'll also have noticed that the street around the market isn't exactly teeming with people. However, it was mid-afternoon by this point so maybe the rush happened earlier in the day. I hope so because the market hall in particular is a real gem of a building inside and out, and it would be a shame if it fell into disuse too.

One of the other things I enjoyed about our trip to Stockport was a glass of Dandelion and Burdock. I'll be hunting down some of this brand because it was soooooo good. It was one of my favourite drinks as a child but I haven't had it in years. It made us reminisce about visits from the 'pop man' who used to bring round all kinds of pop in his van. That and the milkman who brought orange in milk bottles. And does anyone remember the craze for homemade ginger beer in the '70s when neighbours would pass on their 'starter' for you to feed up to create your own? Funny the things you remember :)

All in all, we really enjoyed our day out in Stockport and there are some surprisingly pretty parts amongst the urban sprall. We'll be going back in a couple of weeks as we still have a date with the Hat Museum.

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Hope you're all enjoying the weekend. I'm having a long one as yesterday was my birthday :) After shovelling potatoes and carrots on a market stall on my 17th birthday, I vowed never to work on my birthday ever again and have pretty much stuck to that ever since!

I had a lovely day and went for dinner (lunch) with Mum and Dad and Chickpea. The place is known for its enormous desserts and ice cream flavours - we all got a different scoop so we could try out as many flavours as possible.

In the afternoon I wandered around in a tiara, only taking it off to mow the lawn.

If only the birthday glow had lasted. Today I suffered the torture of taking Chickpea to look for shoes for the party she's gone to tonight. She ended up going in some shoes she already had - aaghhh! I'm going to pick her up in the early hours so tomorrow will be a quiet day of sleeping and resting. Hope your Sunday is a bit more exciting! x

Photo Scavenger Hunt: July

Once again joining in with Greenthumb of Made with Love and her monthly challenge.

Black: Snooker ball.

Eleven : Bingo - Legs 11!

Something very old : 17th century cruck barn.

Something bright : Fairground ride.

Coins : Old coins embedded in a piece of wood in the Counting House at the Staircase Museum, Stockport.

Technology: Chickpea's Nintendo 3DS. She didn't get her love of video games from me.

Numbers : Scoring card at a crown green bowling game. My Dad's is the score on the left - 3 points later he won!

Wheels : Sculpture on a wall in Stockport.

The great outdoors : the River Ribble.

Smile : painting on a fairground ride. The wonderful thing about Tigger...

Umbrella : Who would have thought this would be one of the hardest photos to find? In the end though, the British weather came through and I took this at the weekend during one of the many short, sharp showers.

Feet : Teenagers cooling off in a fountain.

It's great fun hunting down the photos for this challenge. Why not give it a go next month? You can find the list for August here. x

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Thanks for the guesses on the identity of the blue flower. I've now managed to identify it as Phacelia tanacetifolia or scorpionweed after seeing a photo of it on another blog. x