I've mentioned once or twice on Twitter that Mr CC is taking up beekeeping, and he is beyond excited about the new course he has just started.  Beekeeping has been experiencing somewhat of an incline in popularity over the last year or so, which is encouraging when you consider that the population of bees is declining; if the decline continues at this rate then the future of bees is bleak.  Greenpeace state that without insect pollination, 75% of our crops would "suffer some decrease in productivity"; the days and joys of eating apples, strawberries and tomatoes for instance, would be over.

So what are we supposed to do about it?  I'll leave you in Mr CC's safe hands... Bee keeping can have a bit of stigma attached to it: namely that only old people, farmers and people with too much time on their hands keep bees.  I'm here to prove that not only is bee keeping making a come back, but that it's also essential if our countryside is to continue to grow and progress in the same way.

So why did I take up beekeeping?  Besides the fact that honey is delicious and has many uses, I wanted to play my part in sustaining the future of a species. Bees are fascinating creatures that have been harvested by man for over 6,000 years; they can provide honey, pollen (pure protein), beeswax for crafting, and increased pollination for plants within 3 miles of the hive. Keeping bees is an excellent way to help save an insect so crucial to the future of the ecosystem, and over the next few months I will be writing about the highs and lows of my new hobby obsession.

So what about all of you non-beekeepers out there; what can you do to help the plight of the bee? Luckily, Help Save the Beeshave produced 10 top tips for things you can do.

I'll be posting over the next few weeks about how you can achieve some of these, particularly focusing on bee-friendly plants and (quite obviously) how to become a beekeeper.  For now, I hope my first blog post hasn't been a disaster, and please do comment or send an email if you have any more questions about beekeeping.  Next time I'll be taking you through what you need to start up as a beekeeper, including how to build a hive.

If you are interested in keeping bees yourself, check out courses in your area via The British Beekeepers Association here.

Happy Monday!

CC x

An indoors Floral Friday this week; courtesy of Mr CC these blooms are definitely brightening my kitchen windowsill.

CC x

Pretty much the entirety of the week leading up to Easter was spent in walking boots.  Mr CC and I went away to Northumberland and met up with some of the CC clan (of which there are numerous members...) for a few days of gorging on local produce, hiking over the hills and long overdue catch-ups.  It was bliss, and the sun shined every day!  We went to so many places that I'll be blogging about over the coming weeks, but first here is a day out with a different: Beamish.

The 'living museum' close to Newcastle explores Northern life in the 1820s, 1900s and 1940s; it boasts a farm, a colliery, a manor house and even a town complete with shops where you can buy real items as if you had truly gone back in time.  If you read last week's post, you will no doubt have gathered that the 1940s farm was by far the favourite spot of Mr CC.  As we arrived at the farmhouse the scents of home-made scones wafted through the doorway and lured us into the heart of the 1940s home: the kitchen.

The best part of it for me was the larder shelves; although they were intended to show a different era it was surprising how many dishes and pots I recognised from our own kitchen!

The town came a close second to the farm.  Boasting a bakery, a co-operative store, a print shop, sweet shop and even a pub, the Edwardian street is the perfect spot to imagine what a pre-war Northern town would have been like.  Unfortunately we missed the morning's bread from the bakery, but Mr CC indulged in a pint of Beamish Gold in the pub and we contented ourselves with an ice cream!

We ended our day with a trip on the waggonway and boarded for a short steam ride through the Georgian landscape, watching the white smoke curl against the vibrancy of the blue sky.

I would highly recommend this as a day out not only for history nuts like Mr CC and I, but also families as there are plenty of interactive activities - you can even take a ride on a tram if little ones don't fancy the walk!  One final word of advice: if you want the fish and chips, be prepared to queue.  The smell was overwhelmingly tempting, but we resisted as the queue snaked around the entire building...

Have you ever visited Beamish; what did you think?

CC X

I'm starting a(nother) new blog series about my garden.  I'm a very nosy person generally, and I like to be able to connect what I read with what I see, so what better way to do this than a round up of things that are sprouting through the soil or in the polytunnel right now. (From top left) Tiny, sweet radishes ripe for eating whole in salads; growth in the polytunnel; buds appearing slowly but surely on the apple tree; mounds covering the early potatoes we recently planted; beautiful blue hiding amongst the long, lush grasses; pea plants emerging; a host of golden daffodils - still gloriously in flower; lots and lots of seed planting; my favourite daffodil in the garden - a late variety so only just flowering now.

How's your garden looking this April?

CC

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Last month I read Hemingway's 'A Moveable Feast' and what a feast it was.  As previously mentioned, Paris is one of my favourite cities in the world; I love the winding back-streets, the elegant architecture and the patisseries.  Especially the patisseries.  Hemingway captured his Paris perfectly; the Paris of Fitzgerald and Joyce, struggling to make ends meet but happy nonetheless, parties of Gertrude Stein and copious amounts of wine.  I finished wishing it could go on another hundred pages, already planning my next trip to the city.

I have also started to read Alistair Horne's 'Seven Ages of Paris' in response to this month's choice, although I feel as though it will be a dip-in-and-out-of book, and as such I have chosen a different book, a novel, for next month.

'The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite' is not a new book (it was published in 2009) however it is one that has been lost at the back of my bookshelf, and as such has been overlooked.  I was recommended to read it by a family member who thoroughly enjoyed the crafting of character and emotional storyline.  Do let me know if you have read this one before!

As always, check out Circle of Pine Trees for more information about The Year in Books or for some more great recommendations.  Happy reading!

CC

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Beautiful blossom for Good Friday; feeling thankful for new life.  Enjoy the Easter weekend! CC

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...returning at the end of a gruelling day to this view: ...the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the windows:

...a pile of books and magazines ready to inspire:

...a place to grow my own:

 ...and a soft somewhere to drift off to sleep.

What's your home?

CC

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P.S. This post was inspired by the writing prompts here - why not join in?

Today's recipe has been a favourite in our household since I can remember, mainly because it takes so little time and effort (there's a bit of a theme going on here with my recipe posts...).  I used shortcrust pastry this time (and I cheated) but you can also use puff pastry if you'd prefer.

Feta Cheese Flan

Ingredients:

• 1 roll of pastry (or make it yourself to fit a standard sized baking tray!)
• 1 block of feta cheese
• 1 large red pepper
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 a courgette
• A sprig of rosemary
• Pepper

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
2. Place your pastry onto a baking tray and score a border around the edges (approx. 2cm).
3. Chop your cheese into chunks and slice your vegetables thinly.
4. Place the cheese, vegetables, rosemary and pepper onto your pastry.
5. Bake in the oven

Mr CC has a little obsession.  It has permeated his being for as long as I have known him, and now it's even starting to rub off on me. It involves one particular decade, and the main event within it - World War II.  Now I'm not about to start referencing names of weapons or browsing uniforms like Mr CC, frequently spending evenings looking for a vintage bargain online.  Oh no.  My affiliation to the 1940's is simply to do with the way of life.

Take the 'Grow Your Own' mentality, evidenced in the poster above, that pervaded the lives of ordinary town and countryside dwellers. It forced many to delve into the world of lettuce seeds and potato drills simply to keep food on their plate.  The world has, inevitably, moved on since this crisis point, but the main principle of the scheme - namely that growing vegetables and keeping livestock is essential to the running of the family home - is still alive and well in our little patch of countryside.

Further, the 'Make Do and Mend' philosophy that seems to be experiencing somewhat of a comeback at present is also at the forefront of our way of life. If a button falls off we sew it back on, if we break a pot we glue it back together, and this concept also features in the preparations for our wedding next year - we have already begun to dry petals to make our own confetti, and we are using my sister's expertise to help make the serviettes and tablecloth out of fabric we already own.

This concept can be tiring but the rewards are so substantial that I simply can't see any change in the future. I'm interested; does anyone else follow this lifestyle and if so how do you find it?

CC

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This was planted next to the north-facing wall of our house last year and I forgot all about it. This week it has made me smile every time I pass. CC

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Earlier in the week I wrote about our first day in York, now here's the second half...

We like to visit places off the beaten track when we're in cities, and this visit was no exception.  After wandering through the crooked streets in the early morning, we chanced upon a sign that pointed to a medieval church.  Mr CC and I are always won over by anything medieval, so it was a no-brainer.  Holy Trinity Goodramgate did not let us down.

Chiefly dating from the 15th century, it also boasts some features from as far back as the 12th century.  I remember when I was younger, my dad took me to visit old, interesting churches and I suppose his enthusiasm has rubbed off on me.  I love the way that light filters through church windows, and here was no exception.

After our unplanned detour, it was off to the York Castle Museum and a trip back to a Victorian street, complete with authentic houses uprooted and re-built within the museum. I am a devout reader of Victorian literature, and the museum reinstated my love for the era. You can buy sweets in the confectioners, and soap in the pharmacy, or simply gaze with wonder in the stationery shop window; you could spend the whole day here if you wanted as the York Castle Prison is adjacent to the Victorian street museum.

Our final morning in York was spent exploring the York Museum Gardens and admiring the ruins of the Abbey and the Hospitium (an excellent wedding venue!).  The remnants of the floods were still lingering by the back of the Hospitium, but the grass was lush and green and spring flowers were poking their heads out of the banks.  In the height of summer, this area would be filled with picnic baskets and children playing, but we pretty much had it to ourselves; just the way we like it.  I'd highly recommend a walk around the gardens if you get chance; a little speck of the countryside within the city boundaries.

Our final stop was at the department store Fenwicks where I excitedly tried out a plethora of perfumes to find the perfect choice for our wedding (I've wanted a new fragrance for a while, too).  Well of course, I chose one of the most expensive bottles; Chanel Allure.  Admittedly a little out of my price range for everyday wear, I fell in love with the simple floral scent and knew the choice was out of my hands.  Now to convince Mr CC to buy me a bottle...

Do let me know if you have any other recommendations for a trip to York; I'm sure we'll be visiting again soon!

CC

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This recipe is so easy and so similar to the Coffee and Walnut Cake Recipe I've previously blogged that it can be whipped up in less than an hour when the family ring and say they're popping round for tea later.  Again, this recipe fits modest metal cake tins, but can be doubled if you are using enormous silicone cases.

Victoria Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 170g (6oz) self-raising flour
• 170g (6oz) caster sugar
• 170g (6oz) margarine for the mixture
• 28g (1oz) margarine for the filling
• 110g (4oz) icing sugar
• 3 large eggs – beaten (duck eggs if you can get them)
• 2 tablespoons jam (raspberry, blackcurrant, strawberry etc.)
• 2-3 drops of vanilla essence

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
2. Grease 2 baking tins with margarine and line with greaseproof paper.
3. Cream together the margarine and sugar.
4. Add half of the egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon.
5. Fold in half the flour mixture.
6. Add the rest of the egg mixture and the flour and fold.
7. Add the vanilla essence and stir in.
8. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden and spongy to touch.
9. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
10. Mix the margarine for the filling with the icing sugar.
11. Spread over one of the cakes.  Then flip the other cake onto its back and smother with jam.
12. Sandwich the cakes together so that the jam sits on top of the butter-cream.
13. Sprinkle icing sugar onto the top of the cake.

N.B. I usually bake by hand because this is how I was taught, however steps 3-6 can be eliminated if you have a food mixer, in which case the margarine, sugar, eggs and flour can all be mixed together.

Happy baking!

CC

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