It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to grow and blissfully fragrant in the summer months. 
They were my mum’s favourite flower, so growing them now feels like a precious connection. Especially when I pick some and arrange them in her beautiful old blue and gold jug just as she used to do with the sweet peas my dad grew for her every year.
There are some really handy tips for growing success from founder of The Real Flower Company Rosebie Morton over on the blog (link in bio). Rosebie has a whole farm dedicated to sweet peas near Chichester so she knows a thing or two about the subject!
Main thing I’ve picked up from her is to allow lots of depth for root growth at this stage and to make my own supportive wigwams from twiggy branches when the plants are really starting to go for it and need a bit of direction. This photo is making me yearn slightly.
I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying out tiny living for a feature I was writing - this was taken on our way to indulge in a spot of forest bathing. To be totally honest, we were both a little sceptical beforehand. But we were only saying the other day how taken aback we both were by the amazing effect it had. I’m working on some new ideas around the subject - will keep you posted. X
I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole site - which has meant lots of photo editing and reorganising so much content. What’s been lovely (despite the claw hand from so much keyboard work!) is revisiting work and becoming engrossed all over again. I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve been (re) loving - with links in the bio to the old site for now, but not for long…! X
This  image is from a feature about preserving garden roses. I’m going to give this a really good go this year, now I have a better idea what I’m doing. I know there’s nothing quite like a fragrant fresh rose in Summer but there’s a fragile beauty to dried and preserved flowers that I also love, don’t you?
Snowdrops 🌱🤍 . . . . . . #capturequiet #ins Snowdrops 🌱🤍 
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#capturequiet #instabritain #natureandnourish #thewildernesstonic #cornersofmyworld
Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flower Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flowers Forever to be won! My bio has the link to enter as well as to get a peek inside. Beautifully photographed by Laura Edwards, I really enjoyed escaping into the pages and making plans for my own garden - hope you do too! X
To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Cla To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Claire Garland aka @dotpebbles_knits has to be the perfect post Christmas craft project 😊 
If you fancy getting your needles out to make this adorable pair, the link to buy Claire’s pattern is in my bio. Happy knitting! X
Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists for a wonderful wreath making workshop yesterday. Such a special and creative space to spend time. I loved making my wreath - I went for a mixture of greenery arranged quite randomly with red waxed fresh apples, dried hydrangea, dried flowers, poppy and nigella seed heads and a winter white velvet bow. 
There were so many wonderful ingredients to choose from we were really spoiled for choice. 
Sarah’s new studio is such a beautiful, creative space. Think fragrant botanical candles flickering everywhere, mulled wine and apple juice simmering on the stove and containers full of fragrant festive greenery, waxed fruit, dried flowers and oranges, pine cones, lichen covered branches and even tiny gold wax-dipped fresh crab apples. 
Thank you for being so patient with my lengthy ribbon choice deliberations Sarah - and for bagging up a second choice option (dusky pink) to take home! X.  #wreathmaking #wreath #wreathsofinstagram #sustainablewreaths #wreathdecor #christmaswreath #velvetribbon #christmasdecor #festiveflowers
I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - s I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - she came up with the genius idea of embroidering on tulle using nature as her thread - and the results are sublime - like this Autumn colours beauty from her latest book.
I’m delighted that Olga is offering a fantastic prize bundle to my readers. For a chance to win one of her beautiful new dried flower embroidery kits (in collaboration with @driedandfloral ) as well as a signed copy of her wonderful new book(published by @quadrillebooks , pop over to my blog (link in my bio). It’s easy to enter so why don’t you give yourself a chance of winning this very lovely prize? Good luck! 
#driedflowers #driedflowerembroidery #olgaprinku #embroideryhoop #flowerembroidery #competitiontime #signedbooks #embroideryart #flowersontulle #autumn #autumncolours #hoopart #allthingsbotanical #instacraft
This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofp This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofpines and is from her beautiful new book Little Stories of Your Life. 
It’s packed with inspiration and practical ideas to help you become a visual story teller. Because, as Laura says, it’s the little moments that make up the fabric of all of our lives - and those moments are worth capturing and sharing with others.
We have three signed copies of the book to give away - just click the link in my bio to find out more. There’s a peek inside and a lovely film by @xantheb to enjoy too! X 
#littlemoments #littlestoriesbook #alifeofwords #lostinwords #competition #booksarelife #mindfulphotography #bookstagram #booksmakemehappy #booksconnectus #igreads #whatareyoureading #signedbooks
Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has sh Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has shared her wonderfully creative ideas for visibly mending well-loved clothing in need of repair and a little TLC.
She had me at ‘sometimes I like to use giant sequins…’ 
Hope you like Lisa’s ideas as much as I do. The link to head over to my blog and get all her step by steps is in my bio x
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MAKE · November 12, 2016

Easy Christmas lunch recipes by Angela Hartnett cookery school

Easy Christmas lunch recipes by Angela Hartnett cookery school, Lime Wood 

It was a sparkling frosty morning as I drove through the New Forest for a day at Angela Hartnett cookery school, Lime Wood hotel (listed in our directory here). We were to be trying our hands at some easy Christmas lunch recipes and ideas and I couldn’t wait. Headed up by renowned Michelin-starred chef Angela Hartnett and Lime Wood’s Luke Holder, the HH & Co Backstage cookery school offers a wide range of inspirational, unfussy courses.

The scene could not have been more perfect. Baskets full of dark and aromatic seasonal greenery were being uploaded from a florist’s van outside as I walked up the stone steps and into the entrance hall complete with crackling log fire, lanterns and festive foliage.

limewood hotel

The day began with tea, coffee and freshly baked warm pastries before getting to work. The cookery school kitchen itself is down a white painted staircase in the hotel’s basement, with spacious and very well-equipped marble topped work stations around a central demonstration area. A sizeable scrubbed old pine table was beautifully laid for lunch with pretty blue and white china plates, white linen napkins and Christmas crackers. As I tie on my complimentary crisp white HH & Co Backstage apron, I know I am going to really enjoy my day. I am also definitely very up for learning easy Christmas lunch recipes to try this year.

Easy Christmas lunch recipes – starting work in the kitchen

Iain Longhorn was to be our chef for the day and he explained his thinking behind the menu we’d be cooking:  how to take the hassle out of Christmas cooking, whilst maximising traditional flavour and adding in a few new ideas. He asked if any of us had stories of frazzled Christmas cookery and it seemed all of us did. Times we knew we should be enjoying the moment with our loved ones, but were instead slavishly working through endless to do lists.

I have a Delia Smith Christmas book I wouldn’t be without (mainly because my mum gave it to me when I took over doing Christmas from her) that is liberally spattered from years of use. But there’s no getting away from the fact that cooking a whole turkey with all the trimmings is a major undertaking that usually starts with an early morning grapple with the bird to insert stuffing between the skin and the breast. Not a job for the weak or faint-hearted. Always done in my dressing gown and sometimes even before I’ve had my morning cup of tea. In my experience, the work doesn’t let up until it’s getting dark again and the kitchen full of washing up.

Iain’s easy Christmas lunch recipes offer a real alternative. A delicious, festive Christmas lunch full of traditional and seasonal flavours designed to enable the cook to take part in the festivities of the day too. It’s got to be worth a go hasn’t it? Here’s what we cooked, how we did it and the full ingredient list for each recipe at the end.

Easy Christmas lunch recipe idea #1 Frangipane tarts

I’d barely got the lens cap off my camera before Iain was showing us how easy it is to make your own frangipane. We’d need it for the fresh fig tarts we’d be creating later. He was right. Within moments he’d whisked up butter and sugar in the mixer and then started adding a little beaten egg at a time. His tip to stop the mixture curdling at this stage is to ensure the eggs are at room temperature, not cold from the fridge. All is not lost if your mixture does curdle though – Iain suggests adding a little flour to bring it back again.

Next the ground almonds and flour were sifted and then folded in. Frangipane done! Iain added his mixture to a piping bag to keep in the fridge until half an hour before piping. You take it out of the fridge to help it become spreadable again. The tip here for making life easy, is to make the frangipane up to 4-5 days before Christmas so you can make the tart itself on Christmas Eve. So the easy Christmas lunch recipes and ideas are starting well.

Easy Christmas lunch recipe idea #2 Ham hock terrine

If, like me, you have always cooked a whole ham as well as a turkey, you’ll love this next idea for avoiding the queue for the oven. Ham hocks, slow cooked in advance and then made into a terrine to serve as a starter to the main meal with plenty of leftovers to be sliced up with cold cuts afterwards.  The hocks we were going to be eating had been slow cooked for  3 hours until the meat was literally falling off the bone it was so tender.

ham hock terrineham hock terrine

Step one – shred the meat

First job is to take the soft, yielding meat off the bone and shred it loosely, discarding any fat or gristle. The warm, juicy meat smelled so intensely delicious that it was impossible not to eat a few choice pieces as I worked. The still-warm meat pieces were then gently combined with agri dulce red wine vinegar, finely chopped parsley, the cooked carrot finely cubed as well as dijon and wholegrain mustards (Iain had a truffle mustard that was really delicious and I am going to try and track down some for myself as it added an extra, almost earthy, depth of flavour.)

Next, the cooking stock from the hocks was added to a pan, seasoned with pepper (no salt) and reduced down. We didn’t actually add any gelatine as there was plenty from the cooking of the hocks, but if you wanted to ensure your terrine sets, you could dissolve some soaked gelatine in the hot stock at this stage.

Make the terrine

Line a terrine or loaf tin with double layer cling film (to ensure you can get the terrine out when it’s ready to be served) and start to layer in your meat mixture with some of the reduced stock poured over, ensuring it goes in and around the meat. Give the terrine a few sharp taps on your work surface to help this along and the refrigerate for at least 12 hours. This will keep in the fridge for 5 days. As easy Christmas lunch recipes go, this is a great one to have up your sleeve.

roast potatoes

Easy Christmas lunch recipe idea #3 easiest ever perfect roasties

The roasties were next. Best tip of all was that you can par boil them the day before, dry them well and allow to cool before covering and either keeping in the fridge if you have room, or in a cool, dry place – like a garage or shed (but make sure mice can’t have a nibble). As well as saving you from having to peel and par boil potatoes on the day itself, drying them out this way actually makes for crisper roasties.

The potatoes were cut in half and boiled in heavily salted water. I wasn’t the only one who thought Iain was being literal when he said you need to boil them in sea water…!

When you’re ready to roast the potatoes, melt goose fat in a roasting tray until smoking hot, sprinkle the potatoes with polenta and fluff up to ruffle the edges a little and then add to the hot fat and put in the oven to do their thing. Every 20 minutes or so, turn them with a slotted spoon and when they are almost ready, add a few crushed, unpeeled garlic cloves, some sprigs of rosemary and or thyme and a good nob of butter to the pan and toss everything together before returning to the oven until crisp and golden.

Easy Christmas lunch recipe idea #4 Stuffed & rolled turkey legs

stuffed turkey leglove this turkey leg rolled and stuffed with aromatic stuffing - a great idea for an easy Christmas lunch. Click through for the rest of the Christmas lunch menu including turkey, best ever roasties, gravy and fig tart, all with easy step by steps

The solution to under/over cooked turkey

Now it was time to get on with preparing the turkey. The thinking behind this recipe is to solve the problem with roasting a whole turkey – namely that the legs and the breast need different cooking times. If you cook the breast of a whole turkey till it’s perfect, chances are the legs will still be undercooked. Similarly by the time the legs are cooked through, the breast is likely to have started drying out. Easy Christmas lunch recipes don’t get better than this.

The solution: get your butcher to debone two large turkey legs for you, stuff with delicious flavours and cook to perfection in a fraction of the time it would take to roast a whole turkey. Personally I prefer leg meat anyway, but if you like to have breast meat too, Iain suggests you simply cook a crown separately. You could order a whole turkey if you’re going to do this, get the butcher to take off the legs and debone them for you, leaving you with the crown.

First thing to do is to cover the leg meat with cling film and bash out to flatten and make even and ready for stuffing.

Easy Christmas lunch recipe idea #5 festive stuffing

The stuffing was very simply made by combining good butcher’s sausage meat with the caramelised chopped onions, finely chopped sage leaves, breadcrumbs, milk and seasoning. Roll the stuffing into a sort of sausage shape and position at one end of the turkey meat before rolling up and placing the join underneath. We watched as Iain deftly tied up the roll using proper butcher’s knots, but he reassured us that tying up more simply with ordinary knots would work just as well. The aim is to keep the roll tight and the stuffing inside whilst cooking.

A generous glug of oil was poured on top, along with some seasoning to encourage crispy skin. Roughly sliced onions were placed in the bottom of a roasting tin and the turkey rolls on a trivet above. If you don’t have a trivet you can place the meat on top of the onions perfectly well.

Cooking times are 30 mins on high heat (220 degrees) before turning to to 180 degrees for a further 45 minutes. After this, pour in 1 litre of good chicken stock to deglaze the onions and start to form your gravy. Cook for a final 15-20 minutes until the turkey is browned and cooked through.

Best way is to test with a meat thermometer. If the core temperature is 65 degrees or above in the thickest part, it’s done. Alternatively push a skewer into the thickest part. Leave for 10 seconds then remove and gently press the metal to your top lip. If it’s too hot to keep on your lip, the meat is done. If not, put back for a bit longer and test again.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes. Do not cover with foil as the skin will lose its crispness if you do.

Limewood head chef cooks sliced stuffed turkey leg - perfect easy Christmas lunch idea and avoids dry turkey breast as you cook the two parts separately. Click through for the rest of this delicious easy Christmas lunch ideas menu at Angela Hartnett's cookery school, with simple step by steps

Easy Christmas lunch recipe idea #6 perfect turkey gravy

To make the gravy, you strain the cooking juices into a saucepan, skimming off any excess fat with a ladle before bringing to a simmer. Then you whisk in small amounts of the flour/butter paste (known as beurre manié). Keep whisking and adding paste until you have the consistency you like.

cavalero nero and pancettacavalero nero and pancetta

Easy Christmas lunch recipe idea #7 black cabbage & smashed roots

Black Cabbage

Whilst your potatoes and turkey are cooking, you can get on with the Braised Black Cabbage.

You start off by frying the pancetta in a little oil until nicely browned and then add the chestnuts and cook for a further 2 minutes until the chestnuts begin to darken in colour. Remove from the pan and set aside. Now add the blanched cabbage leaves, crushed garlic and white wine and cook out until the wine is almost all evaporated and the caramelised bits lifted from the bottom of the pan.

Add the pancetta and chestnuts back in and pour over chicken stock to cover. Reduce by half on a low heat and then add the cream and continue to cook slowly until the liquid thickens and becomes a glossy coating on the cabbage. It should be sticky and unctuous, not a creamy cabbage soup! Finally, finish with a good twist of black pepper and a handful of sultanas (if using) and a grating of fresh lemon zest.

Smashed Roots

This was really easy and adds a lovely soft and smooth element to the meal. Simply peel and chop all the vegetables to similar sized pieces and place in a large pan of chicken stock with some whole cloves of garlic and simmer until tender. Drain in a colander, then give the veg a good 5-10 minutes to steam off before adding a generous nob of butter to the pan and returning it to a moderate heat. When the butter has melted, add the veg back in to the pan and coat thoroughly in the butter. Mash roughly and and, when happy with the consistency, add salt and pepper as well as a fine grating of nutmeg. Transfer to a serving dish and pour over some good quality extra virgin olive oil.

fig and frangipane tart

Making the Frangipane Fig Tart

It was time for us to get on with our individual fig tarts (the recipe below is for a larger tart which is easier when cooking for larger numbers) and we were each given a piece of sweet shortcrust pastry to roll out and line a tart case. The pastry had vanilla seeds added which I thought was a nice touch and you could easily do at home if you make your own pastry. For convenience, good quality shop bought all-butter frozen sweet shortcrust pastry would be perfect. The important thing to do when rolling out is to keep a border of extra pastry around the top edge to stop the pastry dropping.

Once lined, the pastry cases need to be refrigerated. I knew you were supposed to do this with pastry but didn’t really know why, so often haven’t bothered. Iain explalined that if you bake soft pastry straight away after rolling it, the fat element in the pastry will start melting out before the sugar has a chance to caramelise with the butter and the flour and hold the pastry together.

how to make fig tart with frangipane with Angela Hartnett cookery school at Lime Wood. Click through for easy step by steps as well as the rest of the menu for the easiest Christmas lunch everhow to make christmas fig tart with frangipane and mincemeat at Angela Hartnett cookery school. Click through for easy step by steps to creating the easiest Christmas lunch everhow to make this pretty festive fig tart with frangipane and mincemeat at Angela Hartnett cookery school. Click through for easy step by steps to creating the easiest Christmas lunch ever

Time to get baking

Once chilled, the pastry case then needs to be baked blind. We did this by covering with a length of cling film, adding some baking beans to spread out over the surface, before bringing up the edges of the cling film around the beans and pinching together at the top to secure. Bake at 180 degrees until slightly golden. It will cook some more, so you don’t want to cook completely yet or the finished pastry will be too brown. Don’t worry about baking cling film in the oven. A few of us wondered if it wouldn’t melt in the heat of the oven but Iain reassured us that the temperature needed to do this is much higher than anything you’re going to get to with a domestic oven.

Assembling the tart

Once the pastry cases had cooled, we spooned in a thin layer of mincemeat and then piped over the frangipane we’d made earlier (remember to take this out of the fridge 30 minutes before you want to pipe it so that it can soften slightly again)  before finishing with a whole fig. We’d sliced the stalk  off and then cut into to the fig to create a ‘flower’ effect when gently opened out. The fig was gently pushed down into the frangipane before piping a little more in the centre. If you’re making a larger tart,  top with halved figs closely arranged, flesh side up. Bake for 25-35 minutes until the frangipane is golden brown and the fruit nicely caramelised. Serve warm with the custard.

Iain’s tip is to make the tart itself on Christmas Eve but not to put it in the fridge as it will go soggy. Keep it at room temperature instead and then just warm gently when you’re ready to serve.

how to make festive fresh fig tart with frangipane and mincemeat and custard at Angela Hartnett cookery school. Click through for easy step by steps to creating the easiest Christmas lunch ever

Easy Christmas lunch recipe idea #8 Stem Ginger Custard

Roughly chop the ginger and place in a pan along with the syrup, cream and milk. Bring the pan to a gentle simmer.

Meanwhile cream the egg yolks and sugar together.

When the liquid has come to the boil, remove from the heat and pour half of it onto the egg yolks. Whisk briskly to incorporate the two mixes and avoid the eggs scrambling.

Tip the egg mixture back into the remaining liquid in the pan and continue to whisk.

Return the pan to a low heat and continue to stir with a spatula until the liquid thickens into a custard consistency. Pass through a sieve to remove the ginger and any lumps or skin that may have formed and serve immediately. To make life easier, the custard can be cooked in advance, stored in the fridge until you’re ready to serve and simply reheated to warm.

hambledon sparkling wine

Time to eat!

Work done for the day, it was time to sit together and enjoy tasting what we’d made. A glass of well-chilled Hambledon sparkling English wine (produced at a winery a few miles from where I live and I know it well!) was the perfect way to kick off the meal along with some mushroom arancini and chilli cashew nuts Iain had put together in between making everything else!

The hock terrine was truly delicious, served with some syrupy Mostarda Di Frutta italian preserved fruits, a little salad garnish and crispy toasted sourdough bread. Not too filling either, so I had plenty of room for the turkey, potatoes and vegetables that followed. What I loved about the turkey was how juicy the meat was with salty, crispy skin and all the flavours of Christmas in the stuffing. I can verify that potatoes par boiled and dried out the day before really do make wonderful roasties.

christmas cookery course

We all needed a little break to make room for the fig tarts, so we pulled our crackers, put on our party hats and happily shared our Christmas stories and traditions. That’s what festive feasting should be all about don’t you think?

Time for dessert

It wasn’t long before we we felt like diving into dessert. The fig and frangipane tart was fragrant, rich and utterly heavenly.

Nicely full and feeling very festive, it was soon time to relocate upstairs to the hotel lounge for a coffee or tea and final chat whilst all the washing and clearing up was done for us! In fact, throughout the day, all our washing up was removed by the wonderful kitchen staff and returned again clean and dry as if by magic. If only all kitchens worked like that!

This menu really does what Iain said it would – provide wonderful seasonal flavours whilst allowing the cook to enjoy fuss-free festive feasting. I’ve made a resolution that this year I am going to really enjoy the time spent with loved ones rather than slavishly consulting never ending to do lists and time plans.

Here’s the collected menu and all the ingredients you’ll need.

MENU

Ham Hock and Parsley Terrine

What you’ll need (for 10-12 people):

2 ham hocks

1 large onion – roughly chopped

a carrot

stalk of celery

1 tsp black peppercorns

a bunch flat parsley

35ml red wine vinegar (preferably agri-dulce)

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp wholegraim mustard

25g gelatine (optional)

Rolled and Stuffed Turkey Legs with Proper Gravy 

What you’ll need (serves 10-14)

2 large turkey legs (bones removed)

500g pork sausage meat

2 onions (caramelised and finely chopped)

handful sage leaves (finely chopped)

100g breadcrumbs

50ml milk or water

salt and pepper

string to secure

For the gravy:

1 litre good brown chicken stock

3-4 large onions (roughly sliced)

50g butter

50g plain flour

Crispy Polenta Roast Potatoes

what you’ll need:

Potatoes (you can’t have too many!) Iain recommends Agria or Inca Bella but whatever potato you like to use

coarse polenta

goose fat

garlic

thyme or rosemary

butter

Braised Black Cabbage, Pancetta & Chestnuts

What you’ll need (for 6)

4-5 heads cavalo nero (stripped from the stalks and blanched in salted water for 3 minutes)

150g pancetta cut into lardons

150g cooked chestnuts roughly chopped

golden sultanas soaked in madeira (optional)

1/2 clove minced garlic

half a glass or so of white wine

1/2 pint chicken stock

100ml double cream

Smashed Roots with Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Nutmeg

what you’ll need (for 6):

3 large carrots

2 large turnips

1 small swede

1/2 large celeriac

3-4 cloves of garlic

chicken stock – enough to cover veg in pan (or water if you prefer)

extra virgin olive oil

butter

Fig Tart and Stem Ginger Custard

What you’ll need (tart serves 8-10)

200g softened butter

200 caster sugar

4 eggs, lightly beaten

100g plain flour

200g ground almonds

1 pkt frozen sweet shortcrust pastry

jar of good quality mincemeat or homemade

10 ripe figs, stalk removed, and cut in half

For the custard:

350ml milk

450ml double cream

200g caster sugar

8 egg yolks

100g stem ginger plus 50ml of the syrup

lime wood hotel christmas

Heading home – via the gift shop!

There’s a wide range of cookery courses available at Lime Wood. I can honestly say this easy Christmas lunch recipes class is one of the most enjoyable days I have had in a long time. I left feeling nicely full, festive and bursting with good ideas. The hotel was twinkling with lights as I stepped outside and headed home. I did make sure I made a quick stop at the hotel’s spa shop before I left. I picked up a couple of great Christmas gifts, as well as a beautifully fragrant candle for myself – just like the one that I’d noticed flickering in the ladies cloakroom and filling the entire room with a heady fragrance. What more could you ask?

Resources

Hartnett, Holder and Co Backstage Cookery School is listed in the From Britain with Love Directory

Find out more about what’s on offer there by checking out their listing here>>

Discover more about Lime Wood hotel here >>

Feeling inspired? Take a look at the Creative Workshops category in our Directory, where you’ll find a variety of inspiring courses, from art and crafts to fashion and beauty, interiors, cooking and flower & gardening.

If you’re looking for further easy Christmas lunch recipes, you might like to download this free ebook by Daylesford which is full of beautifully simple, seasonal Christmas recipes. Here’s a taste of what you’ll find inside, which includes Roast organic turkey with proper stuffing and gravy; ginger millionaire slice and leftover turkey, ham and leek pie…I love this traditional organic roast christmas turkey recipe by Daylesford organic - click through to get the free recipe ebook with some simply beautiful and seasonal festive recipes to take the hassle out of Christmas lunch and festive entertainingI love this festive ginger millionaire shortbread recipe by Daylesford organic - click through to get the free recipe ebook with some simply beautiful and seasonal festive recipes to take the hassle out of Christmas lunch and festive entertainingI love this leftover turkey and ham pie recipe by Daylesford organic - click through to get the free recipe ebook with some simply beautiful and seasonal festive recipes to take the hassle out of Christmas lunch and festive entertaining

For the very best smoked salmon, I can heartily recommend Weald Smokery

Check out their easy to make Smoked Salmon terrine recipe which would make a delicious starter and these beautiful Smoked Venison tartlets are a great drinks party nibble or canapé. They take minutes to make as you are really just assembling delicious ingredients into good quality ready made pastry cases. A little smoked venison will go a long way… Easy Christmas lunch recipes don’t get much simpler than this.

love this simple to make smoked salmon terrine recipe from Weald Smokery. Click through to get the recipe and also to find other easy festive food recipeslove this simple to make smoked venison tartlet canape recipe from Weald Smokery. Click through to get the recipe and also to find other easy festive food recipes

I do love a glass of good quality sparkling wine. This English sparkling rosé by Nyetimber is made not far from where I love and it’s totally delicious. Perfect for Christmas too…

love this sparkling english wine by Nyetimber - perfect Christmas fizz

I hope you enjoy these easy Christmas lunch recipes and that your guests do too!

In: MAKE

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It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to It’s not too late to sow sweet peas - so easy to grow and blissfully fragrant in the summer months. 
They were my mum’s favourite flower, so growing them now feels like a precious connection. Especially when I pick some and arrange them in her beautiful old blue and gold jug just as she used to do with the sweet peas my dad grew for her every year.
There are some really handy tips for growing success from founder of The Real Flower Company Rosebie Morton over on the blog (link in bio). Rosebie has a whole farm dedicated to sweet peas near Chichester so she knows a thing or two about the subject!
Main thing I’ve picked up from her is to allow lots of depth for root growth at this stage and to make my own supportive wigwams from twiggy branches when the plants are really starting to go for it and need a bit of direction. This photo is making me yearn slightly.
I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying I love this image of my friend Jo - we were trying out tiny living for a feature I was writing - this was taken on our way to indulge in a spot of forest bathing. To be totally honest, we were both a little sceptical beforehand. But we were only saying the other day how taken aback we both were by the amazing effect it had. I’m working on some new ideas around the subject - will keep you posted. X
I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole I’m currently working on a redesign of the whole site - which has meant lots of photo editing and reorganising so much content. What’s been lovely (despite the claw hand from so much keyboard work!) is revisiting work and becoming engrossed all over again. I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve been (re) loving - with links in the bio to the old site for now, but not for long…! X
This  image is from a feature about preserving garden roses. I’m going to give this a really good go this year, now I have a better idea what I’m doing. I know there’s nothing quite like a fragrant fresh rose in Summer but there’s a fragile beauty to dried and preserved flowers that I also love, don’t you?
Snowdrops 🌱🤍 . . . . . . #capturequiet #ins Snowdrops 🌱🤍 
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#capturequiet #instabritain #natureandnourish #thewildernesstonic #cornersofmyworld
Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flower Signed copies of Bex Partridge’s new book Flowers Forever to be won! My bio has the link to enter as well as to get a peek inside. Beautifully photographed by Laura Edwards, I really enjoyed escaping into the pages and making plans for my own garden - hope you do too! X
To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Cla To the Moon and Back Hares KNITTING PATTERN by Claire Garland aka @dotpebbles_knits has to be the perfect post Christmas craft project 😊 
If you fancy getting your needles out to make this adorable pair, the link to buy Claire’s pattern is in my bio. Happy knitting! X
Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists Thank you so much to Sarah @floribundaroseflorists for a wonderful wreath making workshop yesterday. Such a special and creative space to spend time. I loved making my wreath - I went for a mixture of greenery arranged quite randomly with red waxed fresh apples, dried hydrangea, dried flowers, poppy and nigella seed heads and a winter white velvet bow. 
There were so many wonderful ingredients to choose from we were really spoiled for choice. 
Sarah’s new studio is such a beautiful, creative space. Think fragrant botanical candles flickering everywhere, mulled wine and apple juice simmering on the stove and containers full of fragrant festive greenery, waxed fruit, dried flowers and oranges, pine cones, lichen covered branches and even tiny gold wax-dipped fresh crab apples. 
Thank you for being so patient with my lengthy ribbon choice deliberations Sarah - and for bagging up a second choice option (dusky pink) to take home! X.  #wreathmaking #wreath #wreathsofinstagram #sustainablewreaths #wreathdecor #christmaswreath #velvetribbon #christmasdecor #festiveflowers
I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - s I’ve loved Olga Prinku’s work for ages now - she came up with the genius idea of embroidering on tulle using nature as her thread - and the results are sublime - like this Autumn colours beauty from her latest book.
I’m delighted that Olga is offering a fantastic prize bundle to my readers. For a chance to win one of her beautiful new dried flower embroidery kits (in collaboration with @driedandfloral ) as well as a signed copy of her wonderful new book(published by @quadrillebooks , pop over to my blog (link in my bio). It’s easy to enter so why don’t you give yourself a chance of winning this very lovely prize? Good luck! 
#driedflowers #driedflowerembroidery #olgaprinku #embroideryhoop #flowerembroidery #competitiontime #signedbooks #embroideryart #flowersontulle #autumn #autumncolours #hoopart #allthingsbotanical #instacraft
This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofp This beautiful image is by Laura Pashby @circleofpines and is from her beautiful new book Little Stories of Your Life. 
It’s packed with inspiration and practical ideas to help you become a visual story teller. Because, as Laura says, it’s the little moments that make up the fabric of all of our lives - and those moments are worth capturing and sharing with others.
We have three signed copies of the book to give away - just click the link in my bio to find out more. There’s a peek inside and a lovely film by @xantheb to enjoy too! X 
#littlemoments #littlestoriesbook #alifeofwords #lostinwords #competition #booksarelife #mindfulphotography #bookstagram #booksmakemehappy #booksconnectus #igreads #whatareyoureading #signedbooks
Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has sh Thanks to Lisa from @inthemaking_aprons who has shared her wonderfully creative ideas for visibly mending well-loved clothing in need of repair and a little TLC.
She had me at ‘sometimes I like to use giant sequins…’ 
Hope you like Lisa’s ideas as much as I do. The link to head over to my blog and get all her step by steps is in my bio x
Thank you @therealflowerco for these heavenly swee Thank you @therealflowerco for these heavenly sweet peas - the perfect way to celebrate #britishflowersweek 
I just wish I could share the blissful fragrance with you too 💕🌸
#locallygrownflowers #flowersofinstagram #supportlocal #britishflowersweek2021 #britishseasonalflowers #flowersfromthefarm #sweetpeas
This heavenly knitted lamb is by Claire Garland ak This heavenly knitted lamb is by Claire Garland aka @dotpebbles_knits and just one of the creative spring projects you might enjoy immersing yourself in right now. To discover other inspirational ideas and to get all the info you need - including this free pattern by Claire - click the link in my bio. Hope you find something that brings you a little seasonal joy x
Thanks to Erin at @floretflower for sending me a s Thanks to Erin at @floretflower for sending me a surprise signed copy of her dreamy new book Discovering Dahlias - and another signed copy to share with one of you. 
To enjoy a peek inside - and for a chance to win - click the link in my bio. 
The truly beautiful photographs (including this one) are all by Erin’s husband Chris Benzakein #discoveringdahlias #floretflowerfarm #dahliasofinstagram #flowersgivemepower #giveawayuk
Thanks to @sarahravenperchhill for sharing a beaut Thanks to @sarahravenperchhill for sharing a beautifully simple way to arrange snowdrops and other early spring flowers over on the blog (link is in my bio). I’ve already made my own simple flower grid using foraged twigs and it works brilliantly! 
As well as sharing her simple step by steps, there’s also a video tutorial where Sarah shares more inspiring ideas for creating with early spring flowers. The beautiful photographs are by @jonathanbuckleyphotography - hope you enjoy! X
Last call to enter our Pippa Greenwood Grow Your O Last call to enter our Pippa Greenwood Grow Your Own gift bundle competition!
My favourite #gardenersquestiontime panellist @pippa.greenwood offers a range of totally brilliant Grow Your Own gift bundles - which include garden-ready veg plants sent out at the right time for planting, email growing advice, tips and recipes from Pippa herself as well as signed copies of The Gardener’s Year. It’s the perfect gift for anyone interested in growing their own fresh produce - and comes with the best expert advice!
We have two Pippa Greenwood GYO gift bundles to be won - the link to enter the competition, and to find out more is in my bio - Good luck!
Last call for anyone who’d like to enter our Cla Last call for anyone who’d like to enter our Claire Garland Christmas Mouse knitting pattern competition. The link to enter is the top one in my bio. Good luck!
If you’re finding the world a somewhat shouty an If you’re finding the world a somewhat shouty and overwhelming place right now, you might like to get behind Sarah Corbett @craftivists new project - she’s crowdfunding to create the final part of her Craftivism trilogy: the Craftivist Collective Handbook. It will be a beautiful hardback with 20 gentle protest Craftivist projects and tools to help readers become positive and effective change makers. Because slow and gentle can be more effective in the long run than fast and loud. I am 100% behind Sarah’s project and have no doubt that those of us in the crafty, creative community have plenty to contribute when it comes to making a better, fairer world. 
Stitching a powerful message can be  more effective than shouting it at someone who’s not listening to you. If you’d like to get involved or find out more, follow the top link in my bio.
Thanks to @botanical_tales for sharing beautiful d Thanks to @botanical_tales for sharing beautiful dried flower wreath ideas over on the blog - link in bio. I love this dried mini wreath as natural gift wrapping decoration (you can buy ready-made too) - all the links are in the post.
Thanks too to Kirsten @henthorn_farm_flowers for sharing her step by steps for creating a stunning giant foraged dried flower wreath as well as her beautiful simple wreath in silvery winter whites. 
I’m increasingly obsessed with the idea of growing my own flowers for drying and creating lovely things with them. Watch this space for more dried flower inspiration coming soon... X
One of the joyful things about this time of year f One of the joyful things about this time of year for me is making plans for next spring and summer in my flower cutting garden. After two years of growing cut flowers, I’m ready for some fresh ideas and to raise my game a little more. I would like to fill some gaps in shape and colour and to extend the flowering season in particular. I’d also like to start drying and preserving my flowers... so I am thrilled that Kirsten of @henthorn_farm_flowers has shared a beautiful glimpse into her seasonal and sustainable flowery world as well as lots of fantastic expert tips and ideas over on the blog - the link is in my bio. I hope you find some inspiration too. Kirsten lives in a very beautiful part of the world - the Ribble Valley in Lancashire. It’s an area very close to my heart as I grew up not far away. Loved spending a little virtual time there again, thanks to Kirsten - and I am yearning to go back in person one day soon and breathe it all in again.
To be honest, I’m still clinging on to the last To be honest, I’m still clinging on to the last moments of Summer. I do always eventually embrace Autumn but, this year in particular, I’m wanting to hold on for as long as possible to the quiet bliss of the last few months. 
I do really worry about what lies ahead for us all, but spending time outdoors, connecting, really up close, to what’s going on in the garden definitely helps. I still have roses, sweet peas, snapdragons, zinnias, asters and LOTS of dahlias blooming so there are always jars and jugs of flowers on every available surface. Rose geranium leaves have been a revelation for adding a fragrant green frilliness - and now I’m full of love for abelia. 
This beautiful photo is by @gandgorgeousflowers and captures the between-seasons beauty in the flower garden right now. I am inspired to create something similar as I have many of the same colours. 
I do realise that it’s silly (and utterly pointless 😂) to resist Autumn as it’s actually one of the most beautiful times of year. As soon as the leaves really turn, and everywhere starts to smell like Autumn, I’m sure I’ll be fully on board. 
With that in mind, I’ve shared lots of inspiring Autumn Flowers ideas over on the blog (link in my bio) from some of my favourite flower creatives including @gandgorgeousflowers @simplybyarrangement @therealflowerco @wildbunchflowers @floribundaroseflorists @thesussexflowerschool @electricdaisyflowerfarm 

Hope you enjoy - and find a little bit of creative inspiration too. X

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