These are a few photos I took at the weekend, but nothing can compete with the colour and the heady smell of being there, I hope it gives you a little idea of my lovely visit.
Monday, 20 July 2015
Lavender Fields
Snowshill Lavender is just a short drive for me and I love to visit each year. My first glimpse is the shock of purple on the distant hill and as I get nearer and I just HAVE to wind down the car windows, you won't believe the glorious smell as you approach! Then when you get into the fields, the smell as well as the sound of happy bees buzzing away is wonderful, its a great experience and worth visiting.
These are a few photos I took at the weekend, but nothing can compete with the colour and the heady smell of being there, I hope it gives you a little idea of my lovely visit.
These are a few photos I took at the weekend, but nothing can compete with the colour and the heady smell of being there, I hope it gives you a little idea of my lovely visit.
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Almond and Apple dairy and gluten free cake recipe
This delicious gluten and dairy free cake was one of the treats I recently made for a workshop. A number of people asked for the recipe, so here it is.
My daughter is G and D free, a horror of a combination, over the years I have come to realise that substituting things in recipes usually ends in failure and I have had some spectacular failures! Once I realised that success lay in just baking recipes that happened to be without G and D everything worked. I now have some Scrummy recipes which I have tweaked, changed and experimented with and we all enjoy them.
This one is a great favourite and really simple to make.
You need a 23cms or 9 inch loose bottomed cake tin, or a loaf tin. (I think it works better in the round tin) lined with baking parchment or grease proof paper.
Ingredients
1 large cooking apple or two small eating apples, cored and chopped into small cubes.
zest and juice of 1 lemon
6 large eggs
200gms (8oz) caster sugar
240gms (8.5 oz) ground almonds
1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
40gms (3.5 oz) flaked almonds
Yes, that's it, no flour, honestly I haven't made a mistake!
Place the diced apples, lemon juice and zest in a pan and gently cook on the hob until soft but not mushy. (This is really important so that there are lovely soft appley bits in the cake)
Leave to cool.
Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl till light, pale and fluffy, then add the ground almonds, baking powder, vanilla extract and flaked almonds. Mix until well combined then stir in the apple mix.
Pour the cake mix into the cake tin and bake in the oven at 160C 320F for 40 minutes in the round tin 55 minutes in the loaf tin.
Check that a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake, if it's not clean pop it back in for another 10 minutes or so.
Leave it to cool in the tin.
This is a lovely moist cake, but you don't want it undercooked in the middle.
It will naturally sink a little when cool so don't panic!
If you give it a go, let me know what you think of it, post a comment for others.
My daughter is G and D free, a horror of a combination, over the years I have come to realise that substituting things in recipes usually ends in failure and I have had some spectacular failures! Once I realised that success lay in just baking recipes that happened to be without G and D everything worked. I now have some Scrummy recipes which I have tweaked, changed and experimented with and we all enjoy them.
This one is a great favourite and really simple to make.
You need a 23cms or 9 inch loose bottomed cake tin, or a loaf tin. (I think it works better in the round tin) lined with baking parchment or grease proof paper.
Ingredients
1 large cooking apple or two small eating apples, cored and chopped into small cubes.
zest and juice of 1 lemon
6 large eggs
200gms (8oz) caster sugar
240gms (8.5 oz) ground almonds
1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
40gms (3.5 oz) flaked almonds
Yes, that's it, no flour, honestly I haven't made a mistake!
Place the diced apples, lemon juice and zest in a pan and gently cook on the hob until soft but not mushy. (This is really important so that there are lovely soft appley bits in the cake)
Leave to cool.
Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl till light, pale and fluffy, then add the ground almonds, baking powder, vanilla extract and flaked almonds. Mix until well combined then stir in the apple mix.
Pour the cake mix into the cake tin and bake in the oven at 160C 320F for 40 minutes in the round tin 55 minutes in the loaf tin.
Check that a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake, if it's not clean pop it back in for another 10 minutes or so.
Leave it to cool in the tin.
This is a lovely moist cake, but you don't want it undercooked in the middle.
It will naturally sink a little when cool so don't panic!
If you give it a go, let me know what you think of it, post a comment for others.
Friday, 26 June 2015
Trip to Robin Hoods Bay
'Flaming June' we thought when we booked our trip to Robin Hoods Bay on the north east coast, and as we set off in sunshine we thought the same. However, as we drove further and further north the drizzle began and by the time we got there it was cold and pretty wet. Did that stop us? Of course not!
In the back of the car were macks (rain coats for those of you outside the UK) towels and walking gear. Maggie May was with us of course, we could never come to a glorious beach without her.
Robin Hoods Bay is the finish of the famous 'Coast to Coast' walk beginning at St Bees, its 192 miles and takes about 2 weeks, ending up at The Bay Hotel (where we stayed)
My Dad did this walk many years ago and I remember collecting him in the car from here. (Bob Peart runner - Google him) He had a story about collecting his pebble - I should just mention that its customary to pick up a pebble on the beach at St Bees and carry it to Robin Hoods Bay, then pick up a pebble from there too.
As he bent down to pick up a pebble at St Bees he heard an almighty THUD... and lying just feet away from him was a cow! Fallen off the cliff! Honestly, it really happened. None of his walking stories compared with his near miss he said the headlines would have read - 'man killed by falling cow before as he began the Coast to Coast walk'
So it was with fond memories that I walked into The Bay Hotel - a traditional old fashioned pub.
Our room overlooked the beach and slipway which Maggie enjoyed as much as we did.
The following day the sun came out and it was glorious. The tide goes out such a long way leaving rock pools and the beach is fabulous. Its a glorious rugged coast line, magical in all weathers.... but particularly in sunshine!
At 4.30am the beach is particularly wonderful, many people don't see it like this. High tide was 9.00am and the water comes right up to the harbour wall, so looking out of the bathroom window, looking down is just swirling water!
If you walk along the beach (or cliff top walk) heading south the next little bay (20 mins) there is a wonderful youth hostel and cafe where you can get a wonderful cup of coffee in lovely surroundings, really worth stopping there for a break. If you get there by beach and the tide comes in, you can always go back via the coastal path, these little inlets do get cut off by the incoming tide.
Anyway, enough of my ramblings - we had a wonderful three days.
In the back of the car were macks (rain coats for those of you outside the UK) towels and walking gear. Maggie May was with us of course, we could never come to a glorious beach without her.
Robin Hoods Bay is the finish of the famous 'Coast to Coast' walk beginning at St Bees, its 192 miles and takes about 2 weeks, ending up at The Bay Hotel (where we stayed)
My Dad did this walk many years ago and I remember collecting him in the car from here. (Bob Peart runner - Google him) He had a story about collecting his pebble - I should just mention that its customary to pick up a pebble on the beach at St Bees and carry it to Robin Hoods Bay, then pick up a pebble from there too.
As he bent down to pick up a pebble at St Bees he heard an almighty THUD... and lying just feet away from him was a cow! Fallen off the cliff! Honestly, it really happened. None of his walking stories compared with his near miss he said the headlines would have read - 'man killed by falling cow before as he began the Coast to Coast walk'
So it was with fond memories that I walked into The Bay Hotel - a traditional old fashioned pub.
Our room overlooked the beach and slipway which Maggie enjoyed as much as we did.
The following day the sun came out and it was glorious. The tide goes out such a long way leaving rock pools and the beach is fabulous. Its a glorious rugged coast line, magical in all weathers.... but particularly in sunshine!
At 4.30am the beach is particularly wonderful, many people don't see it like this. High tide was 9.00am and the water comes right up to the harbour wall, so looking out of the bathroom window, looking down is just swirling water!
If you walk along the beach (or cliff top walk) heading south the next little bay (20 mins) there is a wonderful youth hostel and cafe where you can get a wonderful cup of coffee in lovely surroundings, really worth stopping there for a break. If you get there by beach and the tide comes in, you can always go back via the coastal path, these little inlets do get cut off by the incoming tide.
Anyway, enough of my ramblings - we had a wonderful three days.
Thursday, 28 May 2015
New workshop and a bit of personal news
Those of you who like to come to my workshops from time to time will perhaps have realised that I am not offering any workshops in September or October this year, this is because at the end of September we are expecting our first grandchild! We are very excited about it of course and perhaps this has inspired me a little with the final workshop I am offering for this year on November 14th. Painting children paddling, we will be painting a couple of paintings during the workshop, of both boys and girls.
This will give you an idea of the kind of thing we will do.
I will be able to paint some more examples for you this summer when the river here in the village is crowded with children many with little fishing nets and home made boats. I will enjoy sharing these lovely techniques with you in November.
This will give you an idea of the kind of thing we will do.
I will be able to paint some more examples for you this summer when the river here in the village is crowded with children many with little fishing nets and home made boats. I will enjoy sharing these lovely techniques with you in November.
Monday, 25 May 2015
Visit to the Lake District
I love to visit Keswick in Cumbria, its one of my favourite places to meet family and go walking with Maggie May and this Spring we had four wonderful days there.
The early mornings can be glorious, no one is about and if there is not a breath of wind the reflections look amazing.
Its funny but I find myself whispering on these lovely mornings, sound seems to carry across Derwent water, the birds seem louder, our footsteps crunch in the pebbles and I feel like we are intruding on nature. Its a truly magical place.
Maggie explores all over and sniffs along the shoreline, she discovers all sorts of things we perhaps would not notice. This is one of the boats you can take out onto the lake.... I have to say, we took the motorised one instead!
You can buy a day ticket for the boats on Derwent water, they go both clockwise and anti clockwise round the lake, stopping of at the little jetties along the way.
We tend to go on one leg (not literally of course) get off at the first stop, then walk along the pathway round the lake till we reach the next jetty, where we pick up the next boat, then we go off to the next jetty.
If we fancy a coffee we get back on a boat again and head for a hotel or an obviously populated place where the boat stops. We meet all kinds of lovely people walking in both directions, often seeing them again later in the day.
The walks take us through some of the most beautiful scenery, very unspoilt. the sheep have all had their lambs which seemed so tame, they were wandering over the paths oblivious to us. Maggie however had to be kept on her lead because she would want to 'play' with them, which would be a disaster! She has never been so close to lambs other than on the farm with a gate in-between.
They were adorable!
We took lots of photos, walked for miles, found some great pubs to eat in and enjoyed being with family, catching up with news and getting lots of fresh air.
The Lake District is so different from Bourton on the Water but both have a lovely slow pace. No one rushes about, and we all find the time to smell the roses.
The early mornings can be glorious, no one is about and if there is not a breath of wind the reflections look amazing.
Its funny but I find myself whispering on these lovely mornings, sound seems to carry across Derwent water, the birds seem louder, our footsteps crunch in the pebbles and I feel like we are intruding on nature. Its a truly magical place.
Maggie explores all over and sniffs along the shoreline, she discovers all sorts of things we perhaps would not notice. This is one of the boats you can take out onto the lake.... I have to say, we took the motorised one instead!
We tend to go on one leg (not literally of course) get off at the first stop, then walk along the pathway round the lake till we reach the next jetty, where we pick up the next boat, then we go off to the next jetty.
The Lake District is so different from Bourton on the Water but both have a lovely slow pace. No one rushes about, and we all find the time to smell the roses.
Wednesday, 29 April 2015
So you think you can't draw?
I decided to offer a drawing workshop and to be honest, I wasn't convinced that it would run, people seem to scarred of drawing that they tend to avoid it, but I was thrilled that the class filled really quickly and I even had a waiting list.
It turned out to be a fabulous day!
I stupidly did not take a camera with me so I asked the participants to email me their drawings so I could show you them, and I am pleased to say, that some did.
Remember these people 'cant draw' and we only had a day.... these were some of the results..
I think they are brilliant!
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| Sue Cooks drawing |
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| Andrew Cooks drawing |
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| Sue Cooks drawing |
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| Sue Cooks drawing |
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| Sue Martins drawing |
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| Sue Martins drawing |
The way we look at our surroundings is so important an influences what we put on the paper. All of the group now have sketch books and are determined that they will draw regularly.
Its so rewarding seeing people achieve such great results, I hope you too think they have done incredibly well.
Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Painting in Portugal
What a lovely week I had in Portugal last week, we soaked up the sun like lizards and did a little painting as well! We stayed in this pretty hotel which was also a farm, fresh eggs in the morning and peacocks on the roofs - it just had to be my first demo.
There was also a natural swimming pool, when I say natural, it was man made, but the water was pumped around channels and filtered through plants, it was so clean that there were terrapins in it... can you imagine, swimming with terrapins? It was a little bit too chilly but I bet its fabulous in the summer. People were a bit sceptical when they saw the terrapins, but like I said, there are fish in the sea, so whats the difference?
The coastline was fabulous, really dramatic sea stacks and tiny little beaches as well as long sandy beaches, real contrasts.
This little beach was a bit special because only three of us made it down there, you got to it by going down steep steps then going through a tunnel adjoining one beach to this one. We felt like it was a secret world, I could have stayed there and painted all day!
It wasn't all wall to wall sunshine all week though, we had two overcast and showery days when we painted under cover.
There were oranges dropping off the trees in the orchard so it seemed like such a perfect opportunity to paint wet into wet bright colours and enjoy the morning.
In the afternoon we focused on figures and various ways to paint them using watercolour as well as water soluble pencils.
This was my little demo using my Classic brush to suggest different figures.
Our subjects during the week were varied, we visited towns, harbours, beaches and dramatic coastlines. At the end of the week I asked which was the place people liked the most and they were all different, everyone found something to enjoy painting or sketching and the week was a lovely one.
There was also a natural swimming pool, when I say natural, it was man made, but the water was pumped around channels and filtered through plants, it was so clean that there were terrapins in it... can you imagine, swimming with terrapins? It was a little bit too chilly but I bet its fabulous in the summer. People were a bit sceptical when they saw the terrapins, but like I said, there are fish in the sea, so whats the difference?
The coastline was fabulous, really dramatic sea stacks and tiny little beaches as well as long sandy beaches, real contrasts.
This little beach was a bit special because only three of us made it down there, you got to it by going down steep steps then going through a tunnel adjoining one beach to this one. We felt like it was a secret world, I could have stayed there and painted all day!
There were oranges dropping off the trees in the orchard so it seemed like such a perfect opportunity to paint wet into wet bright colours and enjoy the morning.
In the afternoon we focused on figures and various ways to paint them using watercolour as well as water soluble pencils.
This was my little demo using my Classic brush to suggest different figures.
Our subjects during the week were varied, we visited towns, harbours, beaches and dramatic coastlines. At the end of the week I asked which was the place people liked the most and they were all different, everyone found something to enjoy painting or sketching and the week was a lovely one.
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