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Looking through the photos I've taken this month has disappointed me. Despite one of my goals being to make more time for photography, it seems I've almost done the opposite and have fewer images than ever; not the intended aim, but it does reflect how busy I have been. I honestly have no idea where the month has disappeared to - even with two bank holidays I don't seem to have got much done!

Anyway, enough of my deliberations, this month has looked a bit like this (from top left): baking for a visit from the grandparents; beautiful sunsets over the fields; revelling in a late evening walk (this counts as my exercise...) and my parents' new home taking shape (you can just about make out Mr CC on the scaffolding giving a hand!).

What have you been up to this month lovelies?

CC x

P.S. Want to know what I was up to last month? Check out April in Pictures.

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A zing of brights on a gloomy Friday morning; the weekend's finally here! Wishing you lots of sunshine and happiness. CC x

Some inspiring words from an incredible woman. Rest in peace. CC x

The prospect of beauty waiting patiently to unfurl in the heat of an early summer's day. Enjoy your weekends! CC x

Yesterday we officially booked the church for our wedding! It was a day of great excitement, particularly because it had taken so long to reach this stage (confirming holiday dates with work takes so long when it's more than a year away!). So that's it. At 2pm on Saturday 24th October 2015 I will be standing alongside my partner, promising to be by his side forever. Excited much?!

Today's (very apt) prompt was taken from here – why not join in?

CC x

P.S. Check back later for the traditional Floral Friday post!

It seems strange that I haven't posted in a few days, almost like my creativity has been stifled somewhat without its usual outlet. I've come to rely on this blog as an opportunity to develop those writing skills that have festered over the past few years, that have been neglected without good reason. But there has been a reason for my online absence: a horrid cold that has lingered and interrupted what would have been a wonderful weekend full of sunshine and flowers.

It's not all doom and gloom though, and prior to my lapse in health, I had been enjoying the beauty of the countryside as we helter-skelter full steam ahead into the delights of early summer. Here are some of the wonders I've been admiring this month so far...

The evocative smell of the zesty yellow oil seed rape that surrounds our cottage. I love winding my window down in the car and realising I'm nearly home. It also looks pretty spectacular in the late evening sunshine that falls softly on the fields; we've been trying to go for walks at this time of day to really make the most of the lighter nights.

This lettuce that has erupted what seems like overnight is bringing me so much joy right now. The plants that have been in the polytunnel have just started to accompany our evening meals, but the prospect of nipping out the front door for a few leaves is so exciting.

Eating seasonally is something we try to do throughout the year, but it always seems so much easier once you've got over the 'hungry gap' between February and April and the rapture of the year's first asparagus is not to be beaten (except perhaps by the first strawberry). Mr CC cooked up a treat with homemade hollandaise sauce, grilled smoky bacon, asparagus and poached duck eggs on toast. I was in food heaven.

How's your week so far? Done anything exciting?

CC x

In response to my current obsession with the world's most beautiful city - see here and here - I have decided to post about my previous visits to Paris.  I first visited long ago with my parents and sister, but on that holiday the joys of digital photography did not exist.  I later visited in my final year of university on my backpacking trip around Europe with my sister and, periodically, a couple of friends.  We visited the main tourist sights but also took in a couple of off-the-beaten-track cafés and restaurants, although sadly I don't have many photos from these moments. My main memory of the Eiffel Tower is of how much space there is surrounding it.  It was the height of summer and the middle of the day, but we still managed to find a quiet picnic spot to take in the spectacular views of the structure.  We visited twice - once just as night fell and a second time in the middle of the day, and if you have the time and money, I would highly recommend doing both.  At night the atmosphere is incredible - the lights of the city twinkle in the distance and you feel as though you are a whole world away from civilisation. But the views in the day make a second trip necessary in my opinion.  They are vast.  Book online early to save excess queuing - you will still have to wait, but it won't be for as long.

The Notre Dame was also a sight for sore eyes, particularly when viewed from the river.  I'm not usually a fan of boat trips; I prefer to meander the alleys and sneak into bookshops on my way around, but this was one occasion on which I was glad my sister had convinced me otherwise.  You can see the soaring cathedral from all angles too; perfect for photography (next time I go I'm taking so many more photographs!).

The Louvre and the Jardin des Tuileries were a highlight of the trip, and we returned many times to the gardens to soak in the Parisian air.  Similar to the Eiffel Tower, although the gardens were busy, there was always a quite spot under the shade of the trees that line the central pathway, or on rickety metal chair next to one of the fountains.  I'm not surprised that so many writers emigrate to the city with so many spots for pensive moments.

The final two images were taken at Sainte Chapelle - a beautiful Gothic building in the heart of Paris, sometimes overlooked for the bigger sights and sounds.  The stained glass is second to none; and I have seen a lot of stained glass in my time.  Do any of you have any Paris recommendations for my next visit?  We're thinking of spending our honeymoon there!

CC

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Last month I delved through the delights of ‘The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite’ by Beatrice Colin; it was truly a spectacle.  The interweaving plots and moments in time are joined brilliantly by Colin's writing style which is laced with memorable characters and settings.

Set predominantly in Berlin and spanning World War I and beyond, the protagonist Lilly (or Lidi as she is later known) experiences pain and strife before finding her big break, although all is still not as it seems.  The novel highlights the horrific war years but from a perspective I have not previously considered.  Each chapter also opens with a cinematic twist; this structures the book, although in my opinion is not entirely necessary.

This month I have chosen to read 'Burial Rites' by Hannah Kent, recommended by the simply lovely Forum Books in Corbridge when I was on holiday last month. It is set in Northern Iceland in 1829 and tells of the life of Agnes, accused of murdering her lover.  The blurb compares this new author to Margaret Atwood, and if that comparison is anything to go by, I am certain this will be a book not to be missed.  Have you read it yet?

As always, check out Circle of Pine Trees for more information about The Year in Books or for some more great recommendations.  Happy reading!

CC x

I posted about trying to eat healthily but also finding exciting combinations for my lunch menu here and today's post is an addition to the search. I toasted slices of a day-old baguette on a griddle pan and fried up some green pepper with olive oil, but the rest was cold and only took a moment to assemble.

I added to my plate pickled courgettes from last year's surplus in our garden, slices of extra mature cheddar cheese (although I think I'll try feta next time), the first of this year's lettuce leaves and a little salsa dip. It left me feeling energised, which is not always the case with my lunches! I finished it all off with a glass of homemade lemonade (recipe here); delicious!

Have you got any lunch recommendations I can try?

CC x

They are the staple of many a person's diet, can be roasted, boiled, mashed, baked and chipped, and are ultimately not that expensive to buy. Why grow them then? For one simple reason: taste.

I've written here about the delights of early potatoes, but whether you are growing early or maincrop the difference in taste can be tremendous. Picking a smooth new potato from the earth, boiling until tender and then serving with lashings of butter and freshly picked herbs is simply delicious (particularly with meat straight from the barbeque!).  Lifting them from the warm soil and eating not 15 minutes later means that there is no loss of nutrients and no transportation costs (whether that be monetary or environmental) - they are literally fork to fork.

They are also easy to nurture once you've planted them, and if you buy the right variety can keep you in fresh potatoes for a large proportion of the year.

Timeline for growing potatoes:

• Early spring: if you want to chit your own potatoes, buy them in early spring and leave in a cool, dark place so they can sprout.
• Late April/early May: if you are looking to plant potatoes this year buy them already chitted from garden centres or online.
• Early May: dig a trench (3-5in deep) in your veg bed.  If you have comfrey growing near you (it's often by the side of the road) pick the leaves and use shears to chop smaller and line the trench generously. Simply push the potatoes into the earth or if like us you have chalky soil, use a bulb planter as this stops the stones damaging the crop. Plant them with the chitted growth pointing upwards (removing any growth facing other direction) approximately 12in apart. Rake up the surrounding soil to form a ridge over the potatoes.
• Throughout May/early June: continue to earth up the potatoes so that the shoots are just buried. This is to protect the delicate leaves in case of a surprise late frost.
• June-September: harvest your potatoes!

Four helpful hints:

1. Buy blight-resistant varieties to give your potatoes a better chance; foliage blight struck our potatoes in our first year and wiped out half the crop.
2. If it is a particularly dry summer it is worth giving the potatoes a water if possible; it often gives a higher yield.
3. We grow Charlottes for our early potatoes and Cara for our maincrop and have had continued success with these varieties; highly recommended.
4. Pay attention to the soil. When digging your beds make a little note of the insects you see as this may affect the type of potato you should plant. We have a little problem with Golden Eel-Worm which we didn't notice in our first year and when it came to harvest the ones that had survived the blight had been eaten inside out! However all was not lost and since we switched to the Charlotte and Cara varieties last year (which are G.E.W resistant) we have had fewer problems.

For more information on potato varieties, their properties and help on what to grow in your area hop over to this very handy website.

Are there any other vegetables you'd like to see a. 'How to Grow...' guide for?  Please do let me know!

CC x

Generally speaking I drink water or fruit tea and not a lot else.  However, when Dan and I go out I usually order a lemonade; more often than not it's nothing special, but sometimes they actually taste like real lemons! In an attempt to improve these lack-lustre-probably-lemon-free-monstrosities I decided to have a go at making it myself, and I have been pleasantly surprised.

Today's recipe is adapted from Darina Allen's in her book Forgotten Skills of Cooking - it's so easy to make and tastes delicious; I urge you to give it a try.

Ingredients:

• The juice of 3 lemons
• 100g caster sugar
• 150ml water for the sugar solution
• 700ml water

Instructions:

1. Heat the sugar and water to make a sugar solution.  Leave it to boil for 2 minutes before removing from the heat and leaving to cool.
2. Put the lemon juice and remaining water into a large jug and stir.
3. Add the cooled sugar solution and stir again,
4. Serve with ice.

The recipe serves 6 and should ideally be drunk on the day of making.

Good morning! I hope you've awoken on this bank holiday to skies awash with sunshine.  If you're wondering how to spend your extra day off (assuming of course you have one) and are located in the North East, why not try Lindisfarne or Dunstanburgh Castle?  Today's post is the second Go Visit from our Easter trip to Northumberland - you can check out the first here.

Lindisfarne started out life as an old fort before being moulded by Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll into a spectacular Edwardian house; what remains is the latter, complete with a viewing terrace with views out to Bamburgh Castle and beyond.

My favourite room is without doubt the kitchen (why is it always the kitchen?!) with its cosy wooden seating arrangement around the crackling fire and Mrs Beeton cookbooks strewn casually across the wooden table.

There are hidden treasures in every room; from images of the householders, to decadent furnishings and piles of paintings.  Yet by far the most interesting thing about Lindisfarne Castle is that it is located on Holy Island and is only accessibly by a causeway that disappears with the tides.  Check here for tide times to make sure you don't get stranded...

Less than an hour away via a picturesque coastal route lies the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle,  Make sure you're kitted out for a walk, because the castle itself is an energetic 20 minutes away from the village of Craster, although the stunning coastline views make it worth the trek.

Walk to the top of the tower and cast your eye over the horizon that changes almost every moment with the weather; one moment the fields glow golden, punctured by the white coats of sheep; the next the waves are the stars, chasing the shoreline back to the edge of the grass.

Dunstanburgh is owned by English Heritage, but National Trust members also get it for free. As Lindisfarne is also National Trust, they can quite easily form the outline of a frugal day out.

Have you visited either of these castles, or do you have a favourite place in Northumbria to visit?  Wishing you all a bank holiday filled with happiness, good food and the best of company.

CC x