The first week in February has been a very dry one here. The dark, wet days we associate with February are few and far between. As I type this the sun is shining, allbeit with no warmth but it brings with it a beautiful and dry day. The evenings and nights are cold, with a nip of frost in the air some mornings. Lacking in wind and rain makes this enjoyable! Winter continues for now In the barn, the horses continue to spend their time in the stable block. We turn them out as often as possible, to enjoy fresh air and a nice scratch in the form of rolling on the gravel car park. I guess it’s like ..read more

As January on the smallholding got underway, we saw the Christmas holidays turn in to fond memories. Another year has passed and another is beginning. Don’t rush in to this one I’ve told myself. Life’s going just a little too quickly. Modern life leads us to believe we can order what we want and have it immediately. The seasons don’t work like that, Winter, the darker days won’t be rushed. I hope you have had time to slow your pace down and try not to wish it away. Maybe don’t question feeling tired or thinking you’re being lazy. Remember mother nature takes a break in Winter too. Snow brings ..read more

We’ve had plenty of time to relax over the Christmas holidays, time to reflect on the year gone by and what changes we may want to see in ourselves and surroundings for 2023. For me it isn’t about making New Year Resolutions, I left those behind a long time ago. It’s about resetting myself, concentrating on mine and my families health and well being. In parts, this year has been tough to be honest. I’m not going to dwell on that but I wish you well for 2023 and whatever that means to you. Here on the smallholding, we have a journey for 2023 and this is the start. Health, physical and mental, i ..read more

Hello December, my old friend. I do love December. I love Winter in general, assuming we get a proper one that is. Not wet and windy, but cold and crispy! It offers a time to reflect, to recharge and renew. After a particularly difficult few weeks, even months, I am grateful for the slowing down of the seasons. The view from our barn during 2018 snow stormThe pony still enjoyed itThis is our picnic table!We have enjoyed some beautiful snow during our time here on the smallholding. We have started putting our Christmas decorations up quite early this year. Fairy lights twinkle in many rooms of ..read more

Released Thursday September 15th, 2022 History in the making Welcome to Week 2 of Kitchen and Garden Diary Well! Where to start? The rain that was promised arrived, all be it briefly. The ground was saturated, and you couldn’t go outside without being soaked to the skin. As brief as it was, the land was grateful. We have definitely sensed Autumn in the air once or twice, though Summer has quickly returned. When I was thinking about the format of these weekly posts, I thought it would be interesting to include headlines from the week. Little did I know, I would be including the demise of our ..read more

There are a vast amount of articles, blogs, videos and podcasts all around how to meal plan. They can vary greatly and all have advice on a good way to plan. What I have come to realise, like with most things in life, is that you need to figure out your way to do it. What works for you. I thought for week one of the Kitchen and Garden Diary, I would share how I meal plan and why, in the hope that you find some inspiration or encouragement to try it for yourself. Meal planning isn’t for everyone, but it is for us in the chapter of our lives we are approaching. If you are wondering what the Kitc ..read more

Released Wednesday September 7th, 2022 I love a new challenge! As the August heat wave becomes a distant memory and our new budget and cost of living crisis unfolds, my attentions are turning to the cooler days yet to be bestowed upon us. For many weeks, we have had very little rain, which isn’t unusual given that it is (was!) Summer after all. Droughts have been declared in a lot of places, with hosepipe bans enforced and the lush green grass turning a dry and brittle yellow. Thankfully we are due some rain though. The land is desperate. I’ll have to plan carefully when harvesting food from ..read more

Introduction A very warm welcome to my latest challenge and the revival of the blog! For those who are new to our blog and indeed us, we are a family of 4 living in the North East of England on our little 3.5 acre Smallholding where we raise our own food, including meat, fruit and vegetables as well as working full time away from the home. We have recently been documenting our adventures on our YouTube channel and have decided to include a weekly video, as well as blog posts, dedicated to the Cost of Living crisis and our response to it. Time for change We moved to our dream Smallholding in Ja ..read more

This frugal, farmhouse soup is a pantry staple. Slow cooked to ensure the most tender beef, this recipe is as honest as they come. Add this to your weekly meal plan and you won’t go far wrong! Ingredients 55g Pearl Barley 1.2 Litres stock 1 tsp dried herbs – mixed 250g diced beef, a cheap cut 1 large carrot, diced 1 leek, shredded 1 onion, diced 2 celery sticks Salt and Pepper Directions Rinse the measured pearl barley in cold water. Ensure your beef is diced to bite size pieces. The large the pieces, the longer it takes to cook. Simply add all ingredients to the slow cooker and ser to low ..read more