Rain, cupcakes and a good book...

Sunday, one of my favourite days of the week. Restful and indulgent, a time for me!

Its raining, but the rain today is refreshing the plants, bringing out the green of the leaves and leaving them with a clean crisp look about them. Take a look for yourself. I really love the way the way the droplets of rain are clinging on to the lettuce and spring onions slightly sparkling in the dull light.

Before I move onto my our fabulous cupcakes I have to mention the sweet peas. Just look at them now, bless. They are so cleaver and interesting to watch. The way their little arms reach out and clutch on to anything solid to assist their elevation up the metal of the balcony. To think they started seeds in from eBay!

Anyway, plants and weather to the side, it was time for some baking today. Lemon and Lime cupcakes...

Lemon scented sponge basis topped with a refreshing lime butter icing (my own creation...not from a book!) These cupcakes take 30 mins to make and bake with a little time to wait for cooling before you pipe on the icing. They taste fantastic with a cup of coffee and a good book!

Speaking of good books I have bought a new one today - eat, pray, love by Elizabeth Gilbert. You may have seen this book advertised as Julia Roberts is now staring in the film. I'm on a respectable page 25 and loving it. Its a gritty tale of a Woman who discovers she wants more in life, more for her and enters into a period of self discovery. I'll keep you up to date on the progress.

Off to eat a cupcake or two and dive back into the book.

Sunday bliss!

Cloudy, wet, but fabulous things are afoot!

Another strange day in the North! Warm and wet is the best way to describe it with the sun now appearing at 7.45pm as if to let us know that it has been there even if we couldn't see it! More sunshine please!!!!

The plants however are doing well. A surprise spurt of growth over night? I think it must be as I don't remember everything looking so fine yesterday, or maybe I just wasn't as observant yesterday.

The spring onions are finally looking like spring onions...could it be time to pop one out of the ground for a sample? Not quite yet, I've still got some shop boughts in the apartment! Lettuces are really starting to come out I've got them growing in the watering cans and in the metal tubs both looking good!

Not so good was the move of the parsley! Looking rather tired, bit how I feel this evening, I think he needs some TLC and lots of plant food.

Finally everything is flourishing and now I just need the tomatoes to catch up.

Exciting times ahead I think!

If you can't beat em, join em!

I like to think of myself as a healthy eating person, but recently I've been embracing my love of food and local delights and eating habits.

Since moving to the great north, my appetite has definitely increased, in part to a partner who never stops eating, and with it my desire to eat fatty foods! Oooh, on that note, I think I'm going to make cake soon!

Anyway, T and I (T is the other half) went on an impromptu day trip to that great Northern institute, Blackpool! We screamed and laughed at the Pleasure Beach. Lost 8 quid on a completely impossible hoop-la. Bought all manner of flavoured rock (that incidentally does not taste any different to that of a normal sickly sweet stick of rock), oh almost forgot, T bought a rather disgusting looking "fried breakfast" of rock - again sweet and minty smelling!

But, the highlight of this clash of North meets my very much South was the Fish and Chips before coming home...a must in my book!

T and I have been together for nearly 3 years and I mock his Northern habits at times, but on this day of embrace, I selected Steak & Kidney Pudding and chips. T had Cheese & Onion pie and chips...with plenty of tar-thick gravy (I still cant bring myself to cover my chips in it!!!) For those in the South, Cheese and Onion Pie (not Pasty) is another BIG thing in these parts!

What a treat, I left feeling warm and cosy, if a little bloated. You have to love the North, even if its for Blackpool and perfect chips & pie/pudding. YUM!

Sheer excitement of my bounty to come

There truly is nothing more fun than getting down and dirty in the mud! especially whilst spending the whole time thinking of the possibilities that the seeds, mud and water could bring over the next couple of months.

It never fails to bemuse, amaze and excite that 99p can turn into a bush of leaves constantly regenerating and providing for me throughout the summer months.

Not only will this save me money, but more importantly time and my sanity. Time that in the summer after a long hot day at work will mean that I wont be forced to go elbow deep with others in the salad section of our nearest Tesco.

No, I shall be using that time more productive...gin and tonic, or maybe Pimms on the balcony with fresh salad and a bit of gentle plant therapy. More mud and seeds i think.

Oh I cant wait to see the sprouts of growth!

And so it all began...

This time last year I didn't do anything radical, I didn't have a near death experience, get married, have a baby, I simply went to a garden centre.

All I wanted was a new plant for the balcony - yes you've got it, I don't have a garden! Although I do have a rather nice large corner balcony in the city centre.


I returned from the garden centre a change person ready to take on the realms of self sufficiency - well, maybe grow a bit of lettuce and tomatoes!

And so it began, my experimental love affair with my camp edible garden. A year on I get so excited about it, I'm sharing my discoveries, passion and some failures with others who may be interested.

Enjoy!