"Abigail makes.." is now open for business!

I love my job and I don't want to give it up anytime soon but it's not the highest paid jobs and if I want to be able to start ticking things of my wish list I'm going to have to start getting some extra money from somewhere! 

We have tried eBay - selling anything we don't need or use anymore and that has been successful but I like to make things as you maybe able to tell from my blog and there is no bigger compliment to something you have made, than someone liking it so much that they want to buy it! 

You may also remember that number 4 on my wish list was sell some of my crafts. Which has sort of been ticked, over the summer I made some brooches to be sold at Cafe Create and so far I think one had sold.

Now let me tell you a bit more about Cafe Create, I found out about it from my mum who sometimes volunteers there, it's held on every Fridays 10am - 1pm, it's held in a lovely large room at the back of quite an unassuming looking building called Claremont church in the centre of Bolton, you reach it from the road at the back and ring the bell and wait to be welcomed in, you are then led to a lovely airy room with tall ceilings and a gallery area up some steps, there is a shop selling lots of locally produced crafty makes from jewellery to jams and cushions to clogs! Strung up across the ceiling is brightly coloured bunting and there is a comfy sofa in one corner a craft table in another and a small children's play area. Each week members and volunteers from the cafe create team make cakes to sell. A tea or coffee and a delicious cake is just £2.50 a bargain!, there is normally a craft demonstration where you can have a go, sometimes at a small cost just to cover cost of materials. The Cafe Create members are just lovely, they make it such a welcoming environment and a lovely place to meet new people.

The one downside is because it's on Fridays I only get to go in the school holidays. I had been going since February half term and each time I would show them things that I had made and they said I should make things to sell there and their encouragement has really spurred me on to do it. 

If you want to find out more about it the website is www.createbolton.com. 

     My brooches for sale at Cafe Create

    Cafe Create                    

After lots of deliberation I decided on the name 'Abigail makes' on which to sell my wares. I am selling crocheted, sewn, knitted and felt items and I have decided to open a Facebook page to sell them too and it's doing pretty well I've had quite a few orders, my best seller has been little pudding christmas decoration so I'm going to try some more designs of Christmas decorations. 

Please feel free to take a look and say hi! Www.facebook.com/Abigailmakes 

Thanks for reading, 

Abigail x

Foraging walk

I've really been interested in foraging since last year we picked some winberries and blackberries, I bought a book "Food for free" by Richard Mabey that I take it out with me sometimes to try to identify any berries I see. I don't want to poison myself so I always double check on google that what I've picked is edible.

What's been good about going out walking Max everyday is that you really notice any changes in park. It was mid August when I started to see that there were lots of bramble bushes and the blackberries were beginning to ripen (it seemed earlier than usual and last year I really struggled to find any blackberries on 7 acres at all I picked most of mine from longsight park). This year there has been an abundance of them I put it down to what a good summer we have had and from August to now they have been ripening and I have been picking them. I am a bit obsessed I have filled my freezer with them, made a jam, cakes and put some into apple crumbles - I find it very difficult to walk past a ripe blackberry without picking it! I also picked a handful of raspberries which I will definitely look out for in July next year.

Last week we went for a walk up to Rivington Pike and again there was an abundance of wimberry bushes but as it was coming to the end of season it was getting harder to find them still we managed to find about 250g - enough to put in a cake. 

The more I walk in 7 acres the more I'm looking around at trees and noticing berries or fruits. I noticed some small apple like fruits on a tree, I took one home research it and discovered they were crab apples. I also noticed some elderberries that were green so I've been waiting for these to ripen so I could pick them too, and I noticed some purpley berries and found out that they were sloes - I have been told I must make sloe gin apparently its lovely! But don't try to eat them straight off the tree they taste sharp and it makes your tongue very dry! Yes I did have a go! 

      Blackberries, elderberries, sloes and crab apples all foraged from 7 acres country park

It was a lovely surprise that when I was out walking in 7 acres I noticed a poster for a free foraging walk being held by the 'friends of 7 acres' group and we signed up for it straight away.

It was great, held on last Sunday morning 10.30am - 12.30pm we met at the 7 acres environment centre across the other side of the park to us, there was about 10 adults and about 3 children. 

It was really informative as well as learning about food that is in season now we found out about what to look for in other seasons and discovered how to identify plants, we saw burdock plants of which roots can be used to make dandelion and burdock. We saw a hazel tree without any hazelnuts (apparently there are a lot of squirrels on 7 acres!). Tried the seed of a Himalayan balsam which is high in vitamin c and tastes a bit like watermelon.  Sampled some Haw berry Turkish delight that sounded very easy to make and tasted much nicer than real Turkish delight. Learned that uncooked elderberries have cyanide in them! Thankfully it's only a little bit and it's only harmful if you eat in great quantities! Smelled the leaves of a plant called sweet which smelled of licorice and is high in pectin so good for adding to jams, sampled some (very strong) birch sap wine and learned how to make it. And also told us about rowan berries and rosehips both good for making jams or jellies. Unfortunately the heavens open halfway round and we got drenched but we met some very nice people and had a lovely time. We even made it onto the website - http://www.7acres.org.uk/

I now have lots of ideas of what to forage and what to make next. 

Thanks for reading, 

Abigail xxx

Half term :)

What a busy week off I have had, almost as busy as a working week.

On Monday I looked after my nephew, Joshua for a while we made some valentines cupcakes, took Max for a walk and watched 'Ratatouille' then I had a lovely catch up with my sister and his mum Susanna.

On Tuesday It was pancake day so I had my mum around for tea I made a lovely minced beef pie then for afters we did pancakes, some with lemon and sugar and some with Nutella. I always enjoy pancakes and wonder why we don't have them all the time! Afterwards it was art class and this week we had instructions to draw out a picture ready to paint. We had to paint it using the 3 primary colours and mixing and blending the colours. It didn't turn at all like what I thought it would but I learned a lot about shades. I'm pleased with it technically but I'm not sure I like it, I don't know it something about the colours it's very dark and I'm not really a dark colours kind of girl but see what you think?

On Wednesday it's Matthews half day so we had planned to go out to the cinema and watch 'Les miserable' ( i still haven't watched it!) and out for a meal but it had been snowing since 6am and it was getting deep by the time Matthew got home from work, so we decided not to go out and we got a chippy tea instead and when we took Max out for his walk we went sledging again.

On Thursday I went for a walk with Max around Entwistle reservoir with Sandra and Kimberley from work and Kimberley's dog Finbar. It was dry and cold but because of all the snow melting on the hills the reservoir was very high and in some places it had flooded and we had to wade through luckily we all had our wellies on. We went up to have a drink and something to eat at 'the strawberry duck' last time we went there Max barked so much we had to sit outside to eat, but this time he was much better. We had a lovely time. It was also mine and Matthew's 11th valentines day together, I made Matthew a card and made him some heart shaped Nutella biscuits (his favourite) and he got me a card and some Guylian chocolates (my favourites)

On Friday I went with mum to Cafe create, a cafe that is set up in the hall of Claremont church in Bolton town centre it is open every Friday for people to get together and learn new crafts, meet new people and eat cake and drink tea! They have a gallery where they sell crafts that people have made. We sat crocheting hearts and teaching some of mums friends to crochet it was great I really enjoyed it. I took some of the felt keyrings that I had made to show them and they said they would like to sell some I just need to think of a name and put some business cards with them. I had such a good time I wish they did it on a weeknight or weekend because I'll only get to go at holidays otherwise.

More walks and adventures!

I've lived in Bolton for 31 years and it still amazes me that there are walks and beautiful areas near me that I didn't know about. Every time I drive to my mums I pass a road sign that says 'Smithill's country park' when I was young we went to the restaurant there called Smithill's coaching house, there is also a very old building there called Smithills hall that is meant to be haunted but I didn't remember there being a country park there.
Last Sunday we decided to go and check it out and take max for a walk there.
It was lovely if a little bit muddy, Max loved it chasing sticks and jumping over ditches, unfortunately he fell in one and got very muddy!

This Saturday we took Max on a walk to Moses Gate Country park I have been there many times but mostly just around the lodges, there are loads of geese and swans there, but this time we went on a walk away from the lodges along the river croal and irwell we carried on walking not really knowing we're we were going but letting max lead us he took us up this steep path which levelled off and there was a canal which looked quite old we walked along it for a bit, with the view of old mills in the distance, you could imagine the horses on the paths pulling the boats down the canal in the olden days. When we got home Matthew researched it and apparently it is a section of the old Bolton to Bury canal which was built to link Bury and Bolton to Manchester. Just before we turned on to the canal and just after we turned off it ended, apparently there are conservation groups trying to restore the canal once more.

This weekend, we were going to go away overnight somewhere but instead we decided on going on a day trip, the weather forecast wasn't great but we decided to go anyway.
We chose to go to Ingleton waterfalls after I found out about it from an app I have got called dog friendly Britain it has days out were dogs are welcome as well as other things like dog friendly pubs and hotels.
It is on the edge of the Yorkshire dales about 1hr 30 away from us, we arrived there at 12 and it was £5 each to get in. It is a 4 and a half mile circular walk which takes you past 8 waterfalls, the terrain is very rough at times and there are also lots of steps. The waterfalls are magnificent and the route takes you through glens, valleys and farmland, at the beginning of the route there is a money tree which people have pushed 2 pence pieces in for good luck. The forecast for Ingleton had been dry and starting to snow later in the day, this was completely wrong, it was either light rain or snow for near enough the whole time but it didn't dampen our spirits we even found a sheltered spot beside the stream which had an overhanging tree were we had our picnic whilst it was snowing. It was great.
The trail takes you through the village of Ingleton to which looked pretty and quaint. We will definitely go back sometime soon but we would like it to be sunny next time!

Bonfire Night Party

It has become a tradition of mine that every first weekend in November we have everyone from my both sides of the family around for a few fireworks in the back garden. One of the best things about Bonfire Night is the food. You could do a barbecue or a one pot like chilli or pasties, all of which I have done over the years, but growing up we had the same tradition of having fireworks in the garden and we would always have meat and potato pie or corned beef hash, always served with red cabbage, pickled onions and pickled beetroot. This year my mum came around to cook the meat and potato pie and my sister brought a corned beef hash. It is really simple to make and a lovely warming meal.

Meat and Potato Pie
In an ovenproof dish, fry 500g Mince and onion with a sprinkle of mixed herbs in some oil until the mince is browned and the onions are softened, add potatoes, celery and carrots, seasoned with salt and pepper and cover with beef stock or gravy, cook for 1hr to 1hr 30 until vegetables are softened, leave to cool.
Make the crust 8oz flour, 4 butter, pinch of salt mixed together with some water to form a dough, refrigerate.( we did all this the day before)
The next day about an hour before everyone comes roll out the pasty and place it on the top of the meat and potato and glaze the pasty with egg. Put the oven to 220c Cook at this temperature until the crust is a lovely golden brown (about 15 mins) then turn down until ready to serve.

Corned Beef Hash
This is such a simple and cheap recipe. Take 1 tin of corned beef cut into cubes,1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 stick of celery (all chopped ) a bay leaf, cover with beef stock and season with pepper. Cook for 1hr - 1hr 30 in oven at 200c. It the veg will soften and the stock will reduce down, so it should be quite mushy. If you like you can put a crust on it.

Another staple of a bonfire night in Bolton is Black peas, as far as I know this is just a Bolton tradition, these are basically peas that are black, you have to soak them over night with a little bicarbonate of soda in the water then you rinse them and boil in water until the are mushy, when they are ready stir one tablespoon of treacle in, then serve in a mug or a polystyrene mug with plenty of salt and vinegar. It might sound disgusting but its actually really good.

Of course you must have treacle toffee, this one was made by my friend Sandra.

And its also customary to have parkin cake, but I'm not keen on that because I find it quite dry so I make my signature bake 'Soft gingerbread cake.' I have been making this cake since I was about 13 and it never fails. You need to make it a few days before you need it because the longer after you make the more stickier and moist it gets.

Soft Gingerbread
Melt together 125g butter,125g golden syrup, 150g dark treacle and 125g granulated sugar then allow to cool.
Sieve together 275g plain flour, half tsp salt, 2tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and 1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda.
Pour contents of pan into flour, mix in 1 beaten egg and 225 ml milk.
Pour into a greased baking tin i have a square silicone tray that i use.
Bake at 160C for an hour but check after 50 minutes. Insert a skewer into the middle if it comes out dry its done, let it cool then put in a airtight container for a couple of days. Cut to into cubes or slices, it should be very soft with a sticky top...delicious!

I also like to make
Spicy mulled cider 
Put 3 x 568ml pear cider, 6 long strips of lemon, 1 cinnamon strip, 1 vanilla pod, 250ml clear apple juice, 2 tbsp caster sugar and 100mls brandy in a large heavy based pan , warm over a gentle heat but do not boil. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for at least an hour. Reheat slowly and serve with sliced pear.

This year I did this in the slow cooker and it worked really well.

We had fireworks and sparklers and a good time was had by all, apart from Max of course he hid in the bedroom until the fireworks were over but he was quite happy to come down to play with our nephews before and after and loved all the attention.

My dog, Max.

This is Max, he is a 7 year old cross breed I think part Jack Russell but not sure with what else and now he's all ours!
 He used to belong to my sister she had him from being a puppy but her circumstances have changed which meant she could no longer keep him and we are more than happy to have him with us. Don't get me wrong he isn't perfect he hates travelling in cars and isn't the most sociable dog but whats good about him far outways the bad. He has a real personality and he's very affectionate, he loves nothing more than a snuggle on the couch with us.
One of the best things about having him is that it makes us get out in the open air (although going out at 7 to take him for a walk doesn't always fill me with joy but at least it wakes me up). We normally take him down to the country park called 'Seven Acres' at the bottom of our road, its wonderful there you can walk along Bradshaw brook or there are a few fields for a big run. Its been really good to watch the seasons changing from Summer to Autumn and see the different wildlife, we regularly see herons there.