Quick and Easy

A scrap of chintzy cloth fell out of my fabric box the other day. I put gesso on it in a rough face shape, and later used inktense pencils to draw a quick face. It was really quick, which makes me think-should I take more time over things? I do often take more time, but get just as much enjoyment out of the quick doodly things too, so maybe not! Inktense pencils are very intense colours-hence the name I suppose. The wet colours are so lovely and you cannot tell from the dry colour.

More quick and easy-this time in the garden-primulas for £1 each from Morrison's-where I also bought some ready grown sweet pea seedlings for £1 each-bargains! I love these primulas and also love sweet peas-but never have much luck germinating them.
Below is some greek basil-with the added colour of a ladybird. This basil is so delicious. It is stronger in flavour I think than the larger leaved basil. These two plants were supermarket basil and completely pot bound and dying because of it. I split the plant and re-potted them and they are thriving. It makes a delicious addition to a cheese omelette-a quick and easy tea!

Two more quick and easy recipes-carrot and coriander soup-a bag of carrots, a stock cube, an onion and a bunch of coriander. Cook the onion in a little oil until soft, add the dissolved stock cube and the chopped carrots. When the carrots are cooked, add the ripped up coriander, blitz in the blender-done-delicious!
Fruity milkshake-handful or two of soft fruit of your choice, enough milk to make it as thick or thin as you like it, a bit of vanilla syrup if you are being bad! Blitz in the blender-yum!

A Poisonous Garden

On Wednesday we met Andy's Mum, Jean, in Alnmouth-only an hour from Edinburgh! We had lunch there, then went down to Alnwick Castle Gardens. After a bit of faffing around with carparks-it was extremely busy and we had to find the overflow field-we found our way to the garden. As soon as we found it we then got a bit lost in the bamboo maze! It was beautifully cool in there. The gardens are the long term project of The Duchess of Northumberland (Here is a less than enthusiastic article about her and the way it has developed. Here is a more positive one!) and are great for a family day out. There were many families having picnics and kids using the various watery facilities-fountains that spurt unexpectedly and streams to paddle in. It was a boiling hot day, and so perfect for this kind of thing.

We had a wander around, enjoying the walled garden, rose garden and various covered walks. We then found ourselves at the ominous gates of the Poison Garden. We were told by the guide not to touch or even smell anything amongst the deadly plants to be found there. The garden is arranged with beds in the shape of tongues of flame and the guide created a suitably scary atmosphere with her gruesome tales of plant related deaths. The most scary plant was Oleander-even a scratch from the wood of this plant can kill, we were told-so if you have it in your garden be very careful! Here is quite a good article about it.This is a cannabis plant and one of the healthiest looking in the garden. A lot of the plants looked a bit unhealthy and undernourished which seemed appropriate somehow. I only noticed the sign when I looked at my photos though-KEEP OFF THE GRASS-ha ha!
This is the treehouse-a huge affair containing a cafe and restaurant.
And this wobbly bridge-one of two we crossed-every child that passed in the opposite direction shook the bridge! We had fun!

Later on, after Jean had gone home, we had our beach walk. The sun was beginning to set and this is the time the Oyster Catchers seem to like the best. They are cute and comical birds who do not eat oysters apparently!
Jackdaws on the phone wires.

I would love to live by a beach-bliss!