Elderflower Cordial

The beginning of Summer is here in Devon and the froth of Elderflowers cover the hedgerows. We have had such a cold Spring that the flowers are about 5 weeks later than normal.

You would be amazed at the lovely things you can make with these pretty flowers, including cakes, biscuits, fritters, elderflower sugar and of course delicious  Elderflower Cordial. So I have been out harvesting the blooms to make cordial, a favourite with my family. Mixed with ice cold, still or sparkling water, Elderflower Cordial makes the most refreshing thirst quencher or freeze it to make ice pops.

The left over flowers I have mixed with sugar and will make little elderflower cakes.

Inspired, I was doodling in my sketch book and ended up illustrating the recipe, which you can find They Draw and They Cook. All in one weekend!

wendy howarth©

Elderflower Cordial Recipe

20 - 30 freshly pick heads of elderflowers
zest from 3 lemons
juice from 4 lemons
1 1/2 kg sugar
1 teaspoon citric acid (optional but it helps to keep longer.)

Shake the eldeflowers to remove insects
Put the elderflowers in a large pan
Add the lemon zest
Cover with boiling water
Leave overnight
The next day, strain through a cloth, squeeze all the juice out
Add the sugar, lemon juice and citric acid
Heat until the sugar has dissolved
Once cool strain again through a cloth and pour into sterile bottles

Easy!

Cornish rock

 

The colours and textures of the rocks in Cornwall were wonderful. Even the hole we dug and lined with stones created a fascinating tactile thing! But wow! the ancient walls built from Cornish slate are stunning!

Cornish Camping at Keveral Farm

At the risk of sounding smug we have just spent a blissful week camping in Cornwall U.K. We stayed at Keveral Farm Campsite. It literally is off the beaten track, on a 40 acre farm of mostly fruit trees and veggies. It's so quiet and mellow, a reflection of the lovely enigmatic host Oak who looked after us and runs the camping and firewood side of things.

Not many campsites allow fires but here we had this one to toast our marshmallows.

 

And at this time of year there were pink campions, buttercups and wild garlic.

 The walk down the ancient path to the beach was stunning, I even found time to fiddle in my sketch book.

I have a strange preoccupation with seaweed. This is Bladderwrack otherwise known as Fucus Vesiculosis.

 This beautiful beach is part of the National Trust at Lansellos, and I couldn't resist a pic of the fishing village, Polperro.

Colour - Pink

Pink is not my favourite colour but today, it seems,  has a pink theme. My garden is full of gorgeous pinkness.......

 ....and walking my smallest to school we found the Wills and Burke monument covered in pinkness reminiscent of Christo.

 .....and my lovely and beautiful and talented friends Bethan Matthews and Paula Cloonan are part of Totnes and Dartington Open Studios this weekend.

©Bethan Matthews

How to make a Monster's Party

 1. If your smallest son is 6 years old and wants a Monster's Party..... let him design his costume!

 

2.  Make his costume with some poetic licence, following the plan as best as you can.  Apparently spray in red hair dye is necessary!

3. Games need creating. Try including a monster target game with a big piece of cardboard and some poster paint. Fill old socks with sand to throw at the target holes.....scoring is not compulsory!

 4. Take new clean paper potato sacks. Cut a face hole and two arm holes in each sack, then let the party guests draw and paint their own monster costumes.  Leave to dry in the green house if rain is threatening!

 5. Once dry small people can wear them and take them home as a 'party bag.'

6. And don't forget the party food. How about monster cupcakes?

Campervan Buttons?

I have just had a lovely surprise package arrive through my letter box from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland. This is a gorgeous ceramic button hand made by Skye from Button It. She got in touch a while ago and asked if she could use my little campervan toy design, (from my cut and sew fabric)on her buttons, and this is the result. So cute and so clever! You can buy them (or any of her other pretty buttons) from her facebook page.

I love the little coincidences that life throws at you. The project I am working on at present has many buttons as a theme all the way through!

Monster Party Invitations for you

It's that time of year when my smallest son is planning his birthday party. Can you guess what his chosen theme is this year?

So with monsters in mind I have created some monster party invitations for him and tweaked them for you to down load as a jpg and print, if you are so inclined!

Have a lovely party!

(Right click on the image and save to your computer, then you should be able to print it off)