These are 5 recipe & cookbooks that I couldn’t live without. We live in a place where you can’t ‘pop to the shops’ or pick up that all important ingredient you need for the meal you planned. Out here I use what we have in the larder to cook dinner so these are the books…
Make a pretty periwinkle wreath
How to make a pretty and simple periwinkle wreath. Our garden is still a work in progress. When we arrived here it was completely wild and unkempt. We’ve been getting it into some sort of shape over the past few months; clearing the terrace outside the house, weeding and replanting the flower beds, cutting back the grass…
Homemade orange cordial recipe using no citric acid
A simple recipe to make delicious orange cordial from fresh oranges. This is my orange cordial recipe using no citric acid. We are still dealing with a glut of oranges over here. Despite making quite a few jars of old fashioned english marmalade, I still had a lot left over. I decided to try my…
A short ride in the Alentejo!
A day out riding horses in the beautiful Alentejo landscape. I had a wonderful day today, out riding a friends horses across the Alentejo countryside. It’s been years since I was on a horse and I’ve wanted to get back in the saddle for a long time. It also gave me chance to see more…
DIY fabric Owlies
Make these wonderfully simple and very sweet little DIY fabric Owlies. Last year I wanted to make some fun Christmas decorations for a craft stall, and came across images of these lovely chaps on Martha Stewart’s website. Unfortunately I couldn’t access the DIY fabric Owlies tutorial so I had a go at making my own…
The Mira River
A walk down one of the most beautiful rivers in the region. Last time we visited Santa Clara a Velha we took the opportunity to have a walk along the picturesque Mira River in the Alentejo, Portugal. The river flows from the Santa Clara Barragem down past the village then on to Odemira and out to…
Old fashioned English marmalade
There’s nothing quite like dark, rich, old fashioned English marmalade on toast. This is a lovely recipe that will make every Paddington Bear happy. It’s orange season here, and the trees are dripping with fruit. I am dealing with quite a glut of oranges so it is the perfect moment to make a few jars…
4 herbs that grow in a hot climate
Find out about 4 herbs that grow in the hot climate of the ‘Desert of Portugal’. When we first found our house in the Alentejo, the garden had been neglected for years. There were lots of weeds and the soil was in a bad state. I love having herbs around my home to use in…
Santa Clara-A-Velha in the Alentejo
A visit to the beautiful village of Santa Clara-A-Velha in the Alentejo. Santa Clara-A-Velha village sits on the Mira River in the south of the Alentejo, and just below the great Santa Clara Barragem. It’s a wonderful village and the people are some of the kindest and most welcoming in Portugal. The old village consist of traditional…
Super simple melt and pour orange and jasmine soap
Making melt and pour soap, scented with orange and jasmine essential oil, is incredibly simple. I love scented soaps, and used to enjoy buying nice soaps in the UK. However, shopping opportunities are very limited around us here. We have 3 small local stores within about 15 minutes’ drive, or we do the hour car run to…