Three New Books to me

I should not go browsing on Amazon it is dangerous especially on the book front.  This is what happened the other day as I was having a browse.  I ended up purchasing three books all second hand but in very good condition. Some of you may already have these.  They are as follows:

This book is a real gem.  Lots of interesting information on the lesser known saints but the book evolved from the writer, Julia Jone's love of recipes and of lacemaking, St Catherine, being the patron Saint of Lacemaking her day being commemorated on 25 November each year predominantly in Tudor times with Cattern cakes and Bohea tea (I did not know what this was either but here is a little history about it on this link here bohea.    So it is not just a recipe book, it has scraps of interesting information scattered throughout and I must say I am very taken with it.  It is a little gem. I must also say that it is beautifully illustrated throughout.  There are also lots of snippets of social history contained within the pages and explanations for well known phrases that I had not heard of.  There are also some recipes I want to try out.  A lovely book.

The second book is called the Art of the Natural Home.  Now this is a little gem also.  It is referred to as "A room by room guide".  This is not just about cleaning, with natural ingredients, this is about anything and everything to do with the home.

The book is split into several sections and has some very different ideas for the home preserver, or new seasonal ideas to incorporate into your day to day living.  Very impressed with this also.

Home

Home and Cleaning; recipes for room sprays that once made up will keep a year all utilising natural ingredients.  Candles, pot pourri, wood polish, Soap, home made laundry powders and softeners.

The Kitchen; preserving herbs, no waste ice cubes, infused salts, nut milks and butters, making butter, carrot top pesto, Tapenade, long keeping tomato sauce, making pasta from scratch, making bone broth, bacon, potted pork, cured fish, green curry paste, red curry paste, infusing oils and vinegars, veggie scrap crackers, Fermentation, Chutneys, Pickles, preserved lemons, jams and curds, ice cream, sorbets, natural food colouring.

The Drinks Trolley; Kombucha, Shrub, Berry Cordial, Pink Grapefruit Bitters, Ginger Beer Bug, Citroncello, Herby Floral Lemonade, Floral Hot Chocolate.

The Garden.

Health and Beauty

Face and Body

Hair and Make Up

For Men

Remedies

The third and final book is Making Winter.  I was not sure about this book.  I had noted one or two nice things to do from it on the Amazon drop down.  However the more I look at it the more I like it.  Very different 

As it says on the front cover "A Creative Guide for surviving the winter months".  The author Emma Mitchell, meets up with two very good friends to craft in an effort to chase away and cope with the winter blues.  Some lovely simple projects like preserving autumn foliage with glycerine to decorate the house with.  Something which I intend to try once autumn hits us, there is a Cowl to make in Crochet called a Fennel Cowl it looks very pretty and one which I also intend to have a go at.  I need to get some chunky wool for this project.  I feel a visit to Hobbycraft coming on.  This would also make a nice Christmas present.  Sorry got the photo the wrong way round here.

There are also instructions for Hawthorn Wrist Warmers which would go well with the Fennel Cowl, as well as lots of other crafty projects.

Recipes for Plum, Orange and Ginger Blondies, Apple and Caramel Chelsea Buns, Hawthorn Gin, Blackberry and Almond Streusel cake, Blackberry syrup.

Emma also has a delightful website here : 

https://silverpebble.net/

A really lovely stimulating book to deal with Winter and make things too.  

I shall be delving further into all three books on a regular basis  So glad they have joined my book pile.

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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