Friluftsliv ... are you up for this .

#Lockdown 2 - We have added the word "Friluftsliv" to our vocabulary . We are also taking "Friluftsliv " to another degree here at Carr House Farm .... more to follow very soon.

Just in case you didn't know what "Friluftsliv" means -open air living, fresh air and embrace what is all around us in the countryside. We are lucky to have mountains of it around here . Offering another choice of what you do when you come to stay with us here in the heart of the countryside.

So as Friluftsliv opens up into our lives more than ever before, we have something else to thank the Vikings for .

We all need something to look forward to and to get us through this trying time. Everyone will have highs and lows until Spring comes again. We always feel better with sunshine and long light days but I always think if you have something to look forward to ,enjoy something new whether it be an experience or learning something or a small gesture of kindness. It is not about huge expense it is about filling our hearts with joy from the small things in life.

Until then I have been down to Castle Stores -Bentleys Wool shop in Helmsley to buy some wool. I won't be knitting socks for soldiers as the saying goes but I actually find it quite therapeutic until the cat decide to commandeer the ball of wool and wont give it up

Breakfast to try to fend off Coronavirus

Coming to terms with not cooking breakfast for our guests which is a "proper tuck in " . Sausage, bacon, eggs, mushrooms and grandads home grown tomatoes .  As we all are told how to protect ourselves against the virus . I have fore gone the bacon sandwich or the spare bit of scrambled egg on toast leftover from guests.

A few years ago we had lots of bee hives ..but as they take a dislike to me ..we no longer have lots and are down to our last store of honey. So breakfast for me now is hot lemon and a small amount of honey and then some butter and honey and toast... I have to say it that way around as you can see my spreading techniques .

I normally only drink cold water ...we are lucky our comes form a spring but it still comes out off the tap . Last year I made bottle and bottles of elderflower cordial . I wasted the first few bottles or at least I got through it so quickly as I didn't know it had to be diluted ...a bit like Jack when he drank a whole bottle of Pimms  at a friends house and thought it was like wine and didn't realise it had to be diluted with ginger ale or lemonade... he went rather red round the gills.

I have never drunk hot drinks but understand it is better to drink hot drink every 20 minutes so I constantly drink elderflower cordial diluted with hot water . Hopefully it won't be too long before I am making it again .

Sausages and the countryside .This blog is dedicated to Sarah B

Back into the kitchen today as we have locked ourselves at home as much as we can. We will call it being anti -social -say no more.  Lucky to have acres of green...green fields, green trees with green ferns, moss and flora. Huge swathes of wild garlic invading into our flower garden  around us and a mile out of the village wildlife is abound and life is carrying on just like any other March day.

Sausages rolls today .... Joan Sanders do you remember making all that puff pastry for your Mum and and Dad when they used to provide all the food for the hunt balls ?. That would be 50 years ago now .I remember it was roll the pastry, slap lots of butter on it ,fold it out, one, twice and do it all again. And again and again ... I wonder how many chefs make their own puff pastry these days.
I must admit mine today was the snowflakes' way ...out of a packet but I did use some rather nice sausage meat.  We are lucky to have Wass Farm Shop just across the road from us who sell some amazing meat and proper yellow yolked eggs .

We have an Aga and anyone who has used one will tell you if something starts to burn the smell goes up the chimney rather than like a conventional cooker and you can smell it is the kitchen.

As you will see my sausages rolls got... ummm.. slightly well cooked. Jack said as dry as b... and  even I felt if I had tried to hid them under some mushy peas he would still have complained. So I pull some prawn and mushrooms in a leek  sauce with spaghetti for his supper to pacify him.

I hope you can enjoy watching the video which I took trying to catch this little fella for you to see. I took about 10 videos each time getting a it nearer . At one stage I wanted to shout at him as he chewed on one of my fruit trees . By the time he saw me we had eye balled each other for what seemed ages I was less than 15 yards from him. I thought it was a young deer but my dad said it was more likely by how I described it a muntjac. He was darker and more calf like than the usually roes that comes to graze around the house. .Well dear deer, whatever you are,  you showed how marvellous is nature. Enjoying the afternoon sunshine and grazing without a care in the world . And I knew the gate needs replacing, but my uncle made it for me and I am too sentimental to get rid of it . It is held together with moss and over 40 years old . Always quirky and always made with love here.