Wednesday, September 19, 2012

In Which Connie Is Very Busy.

Summer is beginning to wane here at Scallyville, mornings are a little foggy, night-time is a little chill.  Usually this makes me sad, because I love to be warm, I love the sun, and the endless grey chilly days are difficult. 

I've been enjoying the long summer, working on projects like this beauty -
 it's a shawl, named Bivalve, in a yarn colorway named Atlantic, and I love it!  

this is what makes summer fantastic - look how the light travels through the fabric - gorgeous!!!!

 And so it's a little sad when those fabulous slow days are over and the routine of school starts up again. 

But this year I have Connie, my faithful Aga. 

She's been busy the last 24 hours.  Monday she made plum chutney with the beautiful little sugar plums from our tree.  We had so many we weren't going to be able to eat them all before they went soft, so I preserved about half of them. 

Yesterday she slowly braised chicken in red wine, and last night I threw a tray of slightly sour table grapes into the warming oven. 


This morning when I woke up, I had raisins! 


 Yummy!  Raisins are pretty expensive around here, grapes are a dollar - seems silly not to make my own raisins since I have the tools for the job! 

Right now there's basil drying, and thyme, in the warming oven, and the smell is wonderful! 
 
On the cooktop I have cranberry sauce simmering (I love the sound of popping cranberries!)

 
and there's another tray of grapes washed and ready to be raisined overnight tonight.  Maybe fall is not so bad after all.