I don't want to force you ...

But now is the time for action if, like me, you love to have hyacinths blooming on your windowsill in the middle of winter.

Images: IKEA, Absolutely White, Anetteshus, Sad Ferret

Reading the autumn edition of Sarah Raven's inspiring garden catalogue made me realise that mid September is the deadline for forcing some hyacinth bulbs of my own.
In the past I just bought the hyacinth plants in winter and had one or two on my windowsill.

This year I am thinking abundance, and abundance hyacinth-buying in December is expensive. Hence the bulb catalogues and the haste to order.
Actually we only have to rush if we want them flowering at Christmas, as it takes 14 weeks to get your dormant bulb into flower.

I really love the way a few hyacinths on your windows in January bring colour and scent to the house once the Christmas decorations are put away.

If you want to try a little forcing along with me, these are the basics:

1. Order bulbs from catalogue or buy from garden centre.                                                                        I recommend Sarah Raven and Peter Nyssen for fellow Brit readers. (I love the photos in Sarah's and the prices in Peter's!)
2. Use special bulb fibre to fill your container about three quarters full. You can also grow the bulbs without fibre, in a special glass vase filled with water.
3. Place the hyacinth bulbs in individual pots or closely together in a larger pot.
4. Add  enough bulb fibre to barely cover the top of the bulb and water the pot.
5. Pre-chilling: Now your pots need to be chilled for 12 weeks at a temperature under 40F / 5C ...but above freezing! You can do this in a fridge - but if you are going for abundance like me, this is a non starter. They are best in a cool, dark garage or shed. 
6. Forcing: After 12 weeks bring the pots inside for blooming. First, water thoroughly and then keep them in a COOL place for 2 weeks. (No worries if it is not very light at this point). Just don't over water.
7. When the shoots are 4-6 inches (10-15cm), move the bulbs to a slightly warmer and lighter place. Best to force slowly rather than shock them with a blast of heat. 
8. After blooming, the bulb cannot be forced again next year. Either add to the compost heap or tenderly nurture it and plant in the garden in autumn.

Read more here and here to get the full story of forcing a hyacinth to bloom.

Image: Sad Ferret

I'm off now to get ordering, I going to be all white this year. Maybe there will even be one in a tea cup.

What can I do with a marrow?

Ever asked the question "What can I do with a marrow?"?
Translation for the USA "What can I do with a summer squash?"

My answer is "Stuff it!"

Marrows are like London busses, one minute your garden is barren and the next minute there are loads of them coming along.
Yesterday I stuffed my first one and it was rather tasty, if I say so myself.
In case you feel tempted to stuff one yourself, this is how I did it.

Stuffed Marrow with Chorizo and Couscous


1 large marrow (summer squash)
100g chorizo sausage, sliced and chopped
1 red onion
mushrooms, chopped - 3 big ones or more smaller
1 cup of dry couscous
1 lemon - juiced
1 red pepper, chopped small
2 red vine tomatoes, chopped
big handful of fresh parsley
clove of fresh garlic, squashed
grated cheese for topping
2TBsp extra virgin olive oil
a bit of spice e.g. Ras el hanout or paprika

Action:

1. Preheat oven to 200C/ 390F/Gas 6
2. Cut the marrow in half lengthways. Peel the skin off and scoop out all the seeds and pith from centre (discard). Sprinkle salt over the marrow and leave for half an hour. This draws out any bitter juices from your marrow. After half an hour rinse the salt off the marrow and pat dry.
3. Add the cup of dry couscous to a medium/large bowl, pour over the juice of one lemon and then add enough boiling water to just cover the couscous. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave until all the liquid is absorbed.
4. Chop the onion up small and add it together with the chopped chorizo to your large fry pan in which you have heated about 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Fry for a few mins till the onion is softened but not brown.
5. Add the chopped red pepper, tomato and garlic and fry for a couple of mins and then add the mushrooms frying for a couple more mins. Take off the heat.
6. Once the couscous has absorbed the liquid, fork it over lightly and add the fried chorizo/vegetable mixture to the bowl too. Add a large handful of chopped parsley and a little of a spice that you fancy. I had some Ras el hanout to hand (Moroccan spice mix) but could have added a dash of paprika or cumin. Experiment!
7. Lay your two marrow halves in an oven proof dish and fill both halves with all the mixture. Sprinkle some grated cheese on top of each half and pop into the oven at 200C. I prefer to cover mine with foil for 20 mins and then take the foil away and leave it to brown nicely for another 15-20 mins.
8. No two marrows are the same, so you need to test the marrow with a sharp knife to judge how long to cook it. The flesh should be soft but firm. It took longer than I expected so don't be taking it out too soon and blaming me because you ended up eating raw marrow!

Serve this with a nice green salad and some crusty bread and you have enough to feed 4 gannets or up to 8 with modest appetites.

Variations: add feta cheese, pine nuts, chopped fennel bulb, raisins, chopped apricots, mix up the herbs with mint, oregano and basil. So many possibilities to be adventurous with.

Love to know if you try it and like it.

Thanks AWT at the BBC for the inspiration. 

Even though in his photo you can see the marrow in raw and unpeeled! 

Early Morning

Just wanted to share with you the beautiful morning that has dawned here in Suffolk.

Hipstamatic on Ingrid's iPhone

It is starting to feel like home now.

One container emptied this week and the next one is due on Monday.

Maybe you can spot some touches of China starting to appear 

as we empty the 500+ boxes - only 400+ to go!

I'd best put away the iPhone and computer and get stuck into the next box!

Find your support...

“No one ever got anywhere by themselves. Find your support and keep them close.”

 Anon

Some of my support team

This quote jumped out at me today from the inspiring writing of Scott's blog. It seemed to be a good reminder at this sad time that there are many people supporting each of us, when we need it most.

 When the going get's tough it feels instinctive to hide one's self away or become so busy with life's details. Either way, there's a reluctance to make contact with friends and family. 

When life deals us challenges the only way is to move forward and to move anywhere at all can be very challenging.

 So this is going to be my mantra for now... "Find my supports and keep them close".

How do we find our support? 

• We let people know that we need support
• We start to find a direction we want to go in
• We take a first step
• We look around and recognise who makes contact with us
• We take another step
• Gradually we find we are moving in a new direction.

Remember we don't need to know our final destination, it's the journey and who we meet along the way that count.

Thank you for all the kind words of support since my mother died, it has really helped. I appreciate the kindness of both friends, passers by and strangers, who are just friends I have yet to meet.

In memory

Sadly my lovely Mum died last week. 

She would follow this blog on her iPad and even made a guest appearance once.

Hug someone close to you today.

Apologies for my absence, but will be back again in August.

Let's start getting organised

The thought of several containers arriving in the next month (yes I did say several) is making me feel a little edgy.
Will we find a place for all our things?
Is the garage big enough - in case it won't all fit?
How much can stand outside?
As you can imagine ORGANISE is the key word on my brain.

I started here ...

at my Organise pinboard

Went on to this great blog Storage and Glee
who had lovely ideas like this

via

and ended up writing this blog
to encourage you, dear reader, to do what I have failed so far to do ...

sort out the piles and put the laptop away.

P.S. Any tips for fitting a mountain into a mole hill gratefully received.

I've come a long way in a week

Last week this was my world ... 

millions of people living within a thirty mile radius of me, with all the energy and distraction that provides.

 This week ...

I hung out my washing on a clothes line - the first time for 9 years (the air in Beijing was too dusty/dirty).

Back story for those who don't know me: 
We have lived in Beijing for the last nine years - loving almost every moment of it. I don't miss the crazy drivers or polluted air. Now we are back in the Uk after 13 years away (Copenhagen prior to Beijing).  Our home is in Suffolk, where there are more pigs than people, so we can be sure of bringing home good bacon and enjoying the clean air.

Oh to be in England ...

Adsoftheworld

After 13 years away, we are back in England and planning to stay a while.
Whether you are from the Uk, have been to the Uk or just love "Four weddings and a Funeral" - there should be something to sum up your view of the UK on the map above. Would love to hear your thoughts.
 (Thanks Astrid for sending me this and getting me back in my groove).

It's been a long 5 weeks  away from this blog, but if you saw how far we have travelled in those weeks I think you will understand my absence.
Hope that you will join me again soon.

What brings you REAL joy?

Fresh picked whimsy

Just wanted to share this thought on a Monday in May ... seems so simple.
Thanks to Lori for sharing her creativity.

I should be packing, but ...

I'm sewing.
I find it hard to pack up my creative room, the sewing machine will be one of the last things to box.
Folding up the multiple yards and metres of fabric just makes me think of things that I need to sew... now, before I leave Beijing.

Here is the T-shirt quilt I have just finished a quilt for Alice.

Not only is she graduating from high school this June but she also leaves China after 9 years here in Beijing. Sewing some of her history together in a quilt, seems like a perfect way to keep the memories warm around her.

The squares are all cut from old T-shirts I have saved from her 9 years here in China. They range from her role as the Munchkin mayor in 'The Wizard of Oz', to being a committed member of the school girl's rugby team.

T-shirt quilts are quick to sew.

It's not too late to make one, if there is someone reaching a milestone in your family.
Here's how I did it:

1. Collect old t-shirts (or buy new if you need extra!)
2. Wash and iron them, before cutting a square approx 13 inches (33 cm).
3. Iron some fusible interfacing onto the back of your square. This will help the T-shirt to remain stable and not stretch too much when you're sewing it.
4. Lay out the T-shirts and form a grid. My quilt has 4 T-shirt squares across and 5 down, but you can make it smaller.
5. Choose a cotton fabric that compliments you T-shirts. You will need about 2 metres.
6. Cut this cotton into strips 3inches (7.5cm) wide. This will form the borders to your squares.
7. Gradually sew together to form a quilt top. I used fleece for the backing to make it cosy and quick!
8. Quilt round the squares or simply tie the layers together in places.
9. Add a binding round the edge, I used a chinese red to contrast with the turquoise chopsticks fabric.
10. Check out this link and this one for more ideas on how to make your quilt.

Oh well, enough blogging and back to the boxes!