Gathering Seeds of Hope

I once heard that a true gardener always grows from seed. Not only that, but they will gather their own or swap with friends. Despite the fact that I am not an expert gardener, I am intrigued by this approach. And once I’m intrigued, I feel compelled to try. So this last month, I’ve been carefully collecting all the seed heads from the vegetable patch and flower beds that I would like to sow again next year. Since I’m a novice, I’m starting with the easy ones, but I suspect this might prove a little addictive.

Starting simple – poppies Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

It has taken me the time to collect them (minutes) plus about half a day to prepare them. If my experiment fails, I lose almost nothing; if it works, I gain a great deal in beautiful blooms and crops.

Collecting your own seeds or swapping with friends has a number of advantages: you know exactly what you are planting; that it will thrive in the local soil and of course, it’s free.

Wildlife friendly gardening

My husband and I are currently reading an excellent book called The Garden Jungle or Gardening to Save the Planet that was recommended by a nature loving friend. And if I was starting to waver in my resolve to gather my own seeds, this book put me right back on track.

A book every garden lover should read
Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

Suffice to say that growing from seed beats every other option if you are trying to live a greener life. First, it is absolutely efficient in terms of energy costs. You buy a tiny packet of seeds and it is sent to your door, or you gather your own. Second, you do not inadvertently add pesticides to your garden. Those blemish free plants at the garden centre look that way for the same reason that apples in the supermarket are unnaturally perfect. They have been doused many times with a cocktail of chemicals, which are lethal to bees and a myriad of insects.

We garden pesticide free and yes have loads of little beasties. But the great news is that they all sort each other out. Pesticides, on the other hand, tend to wipe out the good and the ‘bad’ insects – with the annoying ones having a tendency to recover more quickly. So you have to spray again and again.

Do I lose plants to slugs and other pests? Of course I do, but I hardly need my flowers or even my vegetable bed to survive and I am happy to share this little patch of earth with my tiny neighbours.

Learning through trial and error

Perhaps there is a YouTube video or guide to all of this, but if there is, I forgot to consult it. Instead, I happily muddled along and worked out a few kinks on the ways. Some plants are ridiculously easy. My wild poppies, once dried*, were eager to spill their bountiful seeds with only a shake of their little heads. Others, like my purple sprouting broccoli, were more coy and required a bit more brute force. I began, initially, carefully prying the pods open over a large cloth. It was very Zen, but likely to take me an eternity. My husband politely pointed out that the old fashioned way was threshing, but how was I to do that? I didn’t have a threshing machine. But I did have a rolling pin and that worked just fine.

Threshing! Image: Jeff Costello-McFeat

Using a large tea towel to gather the seeds was ideal and then I folded up the corners and tipped them onto a folded piece of A4 ready to be poured into their envelopes.

Packaging

As a compulsive envelope maker, I was delighted to find a use for all my origami projects. This was most satisfactory. I could sort my seeds, place them in pretty containers and label them so that I would be able to easily identify what was what. (Our of their pods and seed heads, they all look disconcertingly similar.)

This was the fun part. Using the folded paper, I tipped what I thought was a useable amount into an envelope. I then added a label and voila! Seeds for next year. Some I will use for sprouts and if they succeed, I’m sure the ones I plant will too.

Jolly packages for spring Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

Share

As you can see, I have plenty to use and plenty to share. If all goes well; next year, I will try to gather even more. And as summer comes to an end, I encourage you to collect some seeds of your own. Placing the ones I’d garnered into their pretty packaging took away some of the sadness one feels at the passing of the season and sowed instead a little hope.

*When drying plants for any purposes, you want to hang or stack them (like a little sheaf of corn) to allow the maximum circulation of air and store in a warm, dry place. Only when they are absolutely dry should you attempt to remove the seeds within.

The Year of the Dog

This week marks the anniversary of our acquiring Hermione. It’s certainly been an interesting year with our new arrival and moving from lock-down back to something resembling normal life. Hermione, of course, has been unaffected by world events. This is one of the main advantages of being a dog. So this post will be about all things doggy – her impact on our lives and how our little furry companions have much to teach us.

Who could resist such a face? Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

Early days

I would be a terrible liar if I were to suggest that obtaining a puppy is a rational or even sensible thing to do. There is a reason that they are this cute. It’s so that you don’t drop them back off at the breeders and run away as fast as you can 24 hours after you have purchased them. Puppies are like small babies, but squirmier and without the advantage of nappies.

The first weeks of ownership were a constant round of cleaning the floors and rushing to get her outside. At one point (and Jeff was the star here) we were taking her every fifteen minutes to half an hour. It paid off, because in a matter of weeks, we could walk barefoot on the wooden floors again without being in danger of standing in a puddle or worse.

The hyperactive child

Another significant difference between puppies and babies is that they come fully mobile. She would catapult around the garden and dig as many holes as she could before being caught and pulled away. In addition, she had an unfortunate habit of having spurts of even greater hyperactivity, rushing around in circles before rushing up and lunging her very sharp puppy teeth in your leg. This was a little distressing both from the point of pain and the fact you had been attacked by something as innocuous looking as a Furby.

Naughty? Me?

Fortunately this phased passed, though not her desire to make the garden look like the Somme. We’re still working on that one.

Teething

As Hermione matured and her adult teeth came though, we both sighed with relief. Teething for dogs, like babies, gives them the urge to chew and for dogs that means blankets, your clothes, shoes and if you let them, the furniture. We escaped from the horrors of the last on my list (though I have friends who were not so lucky) and my sewing skills extended to repairing the bite-size rips and holes her tiny teeth had made.

Teething over, we were on to greater things.

Growing up! Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

Bedtimes

We decided to keep Hermione in a crate at night – not least because she sheds a great deal and spends most of her days covered in mud. And did I mention that dogs are squirmy?

Needless to say, Hermione was not best amused at being left downstairs in the evening, so we adopted the same strategy as we used with the children. We told her bedtime stories and sang lullabies. Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but it worked perfectly. The soothing sound of our voices calmed her and sent her off to sleep almost immediately. It also served as a good wind-down for us before bed too. Bedtimes stories, whether they be from a book, Kindle or voice are all excellent ways to prepare us for entry into dreamland.

Finding a routine

A little unfortunately for us, Hermione contains quite a lot of working Cocker, so in addition to added intelligence (read capacity for mischief) she needs a fairly huge amount of exercise, which she does not like to do alone. Fortunately, we have quite a large garden and much of the winter was spent supervising her there from the shed or from the muddy and rather windswept puppy park. This all worked fine while Jeff was on furlough or mainly working from home, but now he’s returned full-time, it’s back to mainly single parenting.

I’m working on a new schedule with a half hour walk with Jeff before work, an hour or so in the garden with me, an hour at the puppy park and a final walk with Jeff in the evening. So if I look a little wan the next time we meet, you’ll know why.

The puppy park is a wonderful place though and a great addition to the day. It is full of boisterous dogs and friendly owners. It is a sociable activity, which makes the obligation of another exercise a pleasure rather than a chore.

All grown up

Hermione, though still rather small, is now fully grown. Her puppylike disposition remains and I suspect will until she is quite advanced in age. She still digs holes, upturns flower pots to eat the plastic pots within and whirls like a dervish around the lawn.

A ball, a hole and a flower pot. Puppy heaven Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

Clearly, she is hard work, yet if she has taught me anything, it is not to shy away from obligations. There have been plenty times – especially on days I am not so well – that I am less than thrilled at the prospect of heading out into the cold and rain to entertain her. Last week was a classic example. Despite a certain amount of optimism on my part, the weather was not going to get any better. A light drizzle didn’t seem too much of a deterrent, but as we arrived at the park, the heavens opened and the rain tumbled down. There was no way she as going home, so we hunkered down under the trees and played ball. It was magical. Once I accepted my fate, I came to enjoy it. The tympany of rain on the leaves; the childlike joy of finding shelter and in having a huge expanse of space all to oneself.

We arrived home wet and tired, but not disappointed we had persevered.

A dog’s loyalty and forgiving nature is well documented and, in all my experience, true. What is less commented on is a dog’s joie de vivre. No sooner are they awake than their tales are wagging. Meeting up again after a night’s rest is a great reunion full of joy. In a world where misery rather than its counterpart is focused upon, such exuberance provides a very necessary balance.

Dogs live, as we should, absolutely in the moment. All my hours of meditation, reading and thinking have barely brought me within an inch of Hermione’s ability to do that. When I answered the door to the delivery man the other day and she greeted him as a long, lost companion, we both agreed: If we hope to make a better world, we should be more dog.

Hermione having a moment’s rest Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

The 500 Day Challenge

Everything these days seems to be about speed: dating, weight-loss, ways to transform your life. It is as if life is running away from us and if we do not act fast, we shall have missed the opportunity. Yet, we are living longer than ever and have more free time than our ancestors would have dreamed of. If there were ever a moment in history when time really was on our side, it would be now.

Further, easy gains, like fast food, only give us a quick fix. They do not satisfy and they certainly do not endure. For those making these products, this is the whole point. You will keep coming back for more: always hungry, always eager for ways to fill that empty space. We know in our hearts that it won’t work, can’t work, but it just all seems so much easier.

It may fill you up, but does it satisfy? Image: Brett Jordan on Unsplash

What do you want to achieve?

So what I am proposing is this – that in one area of your life, where you would like to explore your creativity or to achieve a particular goal, you give it a real shot at success. The 500 day part is somewhat arbitrary and I’ll explain it in a moment, but 500 days of regular practice of absolutely anything is bound to bring very satisfying results.

According to the European Journal of Social Psychology (2009) it takes between 18 and 254 days to form a habit. The wide variation depends on the person and the new habit that you wish to form, but it suggests that absolutely anyone could achieve a good habit within this time frame.

So what would you like to do? Learn the cello? Paint? Write a book? None of these things can be tackled in an afternoon. They take a life-time. Yet, if we do not start now, when will we?

There is one waiting for you! Image: Mak on Unsplash

All my life, I’ve loved the cello, but I played piano and never thought to ask to add another instrument. I must have mentioned this once too often and my husband called my bluff. For my 45th birthday, he gave me a cello. It was a thing of great beauty and I knew then that I would have to organise lessons and start practising!

My days were crammed with teaching, corralling my teenage sons and running a household. When on earth would I find time to practise? But I did, and I made very good progress until, unfortunately, back problems forced me to stop. Was it worth it? Absolutely. That half hour or so a day puzzling out the intricacies of fingering and bowing and music were often the most peaceful and happiest.

500 days

Which brings us to the 500 day part. As those of you who have been following this blog know, I have been learning Swedish. Why? Because I love all things Swedish and hope one day to spend a good long time in that country. Equally, I know that learning a language is my best defence against the ravages that MS wreaks on my brain. Not the most sexy of reasons, I know, but I am quite certain that it is working: reducing brain fog and increasing my mental acuity.

This week, I shall reach my 500 days of learning through Duolingo. It also coincides with my finishing the course, which I am pleased to say, I now have. Needless to say, I am hardly fluent, but I certainly have at least a basic understanding of the language. Reading Pippi Longstocking in the original will hopefully involve only a foray into the diction every sentence or so rather than every other word.

Sweden here I come! Image: Axel Antas Bergkvist

Having completed my 500 days, I shall continue to learn the language, but the goal of finishing the course was what set me on the right path. If I am honest, I am only just beginning, but now that the habit is formed and I have made such progress, it won’t be difficult to continue.

Commitment is the key to happiness

If I have learned anything in life, it is the above. What brings us real and lasting joy needs to be earned, to be maintained, to be nurtured. Think of your dear friends. They are the ones we have known for many, many years, who have witnessed and supported us in joy and sorrow. We keep them because they are precious and we know committing to that friendship will require a little effort on our part. Yet, I doubt any of us would view it as hard work. The same applies to all our endeavours whether they be in relationships or skills. The time and effort we put in will match the rewards we take out.

It is hard to kick the trend. It is hard to go against the grain of a society in which the disposable is ubiquitous, cheap and so easy. It is hard to say that spending time caring for a garden every day is as scintillating as visiting different ones and certainly is less Instagrammable. But it is (and I love to visit new ones too!)

When we can ignore the hype of the latest, next thing and focus on what our hearts really crave, we will find a joy much deeper and more enduring than any instant experience. So I urge you to join me in committing to a goal you have long deferred. Give it the space and time it needs. 500 days is approximately 16 months, a tiny portion of our lives.

Let me know how you get on. I’m planning to try to play the cello again and hoping my back will cooperate. I will have to return to the beginning and will no doubt make a lot of unpleasant screeching, but I got there before and I can get there again. It will take time, as all good things do. And as we all know, Rom byggdes inte pa en dag. (Rome wasn’t built in a day)

Flowers, Feelings and Friendship

A flower a day keeps the blues at bay. While so many of us are struggling with our mental well-being at the moment, isn’t it good to know that a non-invasive solution is at hand? The power of flowers to dispel low mood and enhance well-being has been well documented. Studies conducted by the University of Vermont, Rutgers and Harvard all came to the same conclusion: flowers lead to an increase in happiness; boost creativity; foster greater compassion and more positive social behaviour. With so much to gain, it’s time to bring some floral healing into our lives and to share it with others too.

Sunflowers always make me smile Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

Flowers at home

According to a Harvard study, having flowers in the home for even a few days can reduce anxiety and lead to a more positive mindset. Flowers are wonderful anywhere, but if you are really needing a bit of a lift, the study recommends you keep some in the kitchen when you will see them at the beginning of the day. Starting with the beauty and serenity of flowers is bound to set you on the right track.

Personally, I like to have flowers everywhere – in my kitchen (where I also have several flowering plants), in the bathroom, the lounge etc. That way, if I can’t spend much time in the garden, I can bring its beauty to me.

Do they require a little attention? Of course they do, but they are the least demanding of residents. Fridays are for flowers, so I check that everything has been watered well, vases refreshed or new flowers chosen on that day. At most, it requires half an hour and I am rewarded with beauty for the rest of the week. Is it expensive? Not at all.

Garden flowers Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

Almost all my flowers are gathered from the garden and others have been generous in giving plants as gifts. I also have a lovely friend who gives me a miniature bouquet when she visits – often made up of wild flowers or tiny blooms from her garden and bound with a pretty ribbon. She uses grasses and seed heads and combines them with her artist’s eye into something exquisite. A stunning posy needs cost you nothing but a little time.

Support flowers

We’ve all heard of support animals, but what about support flowers? Personally, I think they have been overlooked. The same friend that brings the Lilliputian arrangements sends a daily picture of a flower to a number of friends via WhatsApp. Since she lives alone, it is an imaginative way of letting us all know that she is fine. It also gives her an opportunity to express her artistic flair.

When my friend in the States, who works as a court reporter, told me she was working on a grisly murder trial, I thought I would adapt the virtual flower message as one to give her cheer in what would be challenging days. So each morning, I select a joyful flower and email it with a brief note. This way, I can let her know I am thinking of her and I hope these images help erase the rather more gruesome ones she is forced to witness.

Rather more appealing than a crime scene photo
Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

The gift of flowers

I read recently (I have no idea where) that flowers are the one gift that invariably brings a genuine smile to the recipient. So often we spend ages looking for exactly the right present only to discover that they have one already or they no longer favour that colour or design. With flowers, it is always a win. If you are feeling flush, delivered flowers have that extra level of excitement. And with excellent on-line choices, you can send them anywhere and in minimal time. During the first lock-down, when I was unable to go to the shops or post office, online flower services were my gift solution.

Now I am happy to go to the market or garden centre, my choices have expanded proportionately; though since it is summer, I would generally choose to go to my own garden first. The old fashioned and scented flowers I have there are seldom available in the shops.

And if I am just going for a coffee and want to bring a little something, miniature bouquets of the sort my friend brings are always an appropriate thank you. That is if I have no homemade cakes available!

A tiny thank you Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

Flower power

I hope this post inspires you to display, grow and share more flowers. A little natural beauty in our lives; the joy of creativity in arrangements and the flush of success when our flowers thrive and bloom again cannot be beaten. I’ve even started saving seeds to share or even guerrilla garden in neglected areas. Whatever flowers you choose; whichever way you present them, they will always raise your spirits – and I for one am often in need of that.

Close up of a cornflower Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

They think it’s all over…

This week, almost all legal restrictions for Covid-19 have been lifted in the UK. Unfortunately, this is coinciding with cases rising exponentially across the country. So what do we do? Those of us who were vulnerable are still vulnerable. Many will feel compelled to go back into self-isolation. But together, I think we can all allow each other a little freedom.

To mask or not to mask?

So much has been made of the simple wearing of a mask. I know they are uncomfortable and hot, but it doesn’t seem such a great effort to potentially save another’s well-being.

Nurses and therapists show their love. Image: Rusty Watson on Unsplash

Personally, I don’t wear one when out and about outside or even meeting with friends I know have been vaccinated, but I am more than happy to wear them at the dentist (before treatment!) and the hairdresser’s. By maintaining their safety protocols, I am comfortable getting the services I need.

In removing restrictions, the government is essentially saying that we are adults and capable of making sensible decisions. I think that is a little over optimistic, but the choices we make will either further or curb the virus.

Vaccination concerns

While out at a picnic on Sunday, I was rather shocked to see lots of graffiti urging people not to get vaccinated. Of course, whether you choose to be vaccinated or not is entirely up to you. But for me was an absolute gift – allowing me to escape the confines of my house with a modicum of confidence.

No, I don’t like needles either. But a little discomfort seemed a small price to pay for freedom.
Image: Hakan Nural on Unsplash

Vaccines – as with any medical intervention – have a tiny element of risk. When Edward Jenner first immunised a young boy against small pox in the 18th century, his brave subject could not have been certain of the outcome. But, with the hope of avoiding a common and devastating disease, he went ahead anyway. The success of this led to mass immunisations and the eradication of smallpox globally by 1979.

Despite what social media may lead you to believe, vaccination is not new. The Chinese were vaccinating against small pox a century before Jenner and any number of life-threatening conditions have been avoided throughout the last century including: TB, polio, and tetanus. None of these mass immunisation programmes were designed as a tool for governmental control and I’m surprised that anyone (considering all the nations world-wide are doing the same) should think that it is so.

All the other stuff

Perhaps more tricky now, is the decision regarding what constitutes sensible social distancing and how often should we wash our hands etc. I have hugged my mother and a few friends, though I’m not nearly as demonstrably affectionate as I used to be. I have on occasion hesitated to hug my husband!

A safe hug! Image: Marco Bianchetti on Unsplash

Again we are left with indecision and uncertainty. Cases where I live are extraordinarily high, but life is much as usual, with the beaches packed and cafes overflowing. Choosing, therefore, to not join in, seems perhaps a little churlish.

As for personal hygiene, my sanitizer is always available and washing one’s hands regularly is always a good thing. Covid-19 is not the only germ out there with ill-intent.

Which brings me to the heart of this post and the request that we be tolerant. The pandemic has raised blood-pressures and debate to a shrill and disturbing level. They say that the first victim of war is truth; I would say the same for a pandemic. Theories and conspiracies swirl around us until we find it hard to find our bearings. We are all frustrated and anxious and worn out. We would all love to do the things that we normally enjoy. We would all love to be alive and well when this ends to experience life’s great riches.

And the key word in all of this is WE. So often I hear I, but in society one person’s I is another person’s you.

I want to party too – but now may not be the best time. Also, I couldn’t stay awake.
Image: Kajetan Sumila on Unsplash

Scenes like that above seriously give me the wibblies. Is one person’s desire to go to a nightclub more important than keeping another well? I’ll let you decide.

But what I would like, is for everyone to simply accept that whatever choices we make are based on our own best assessment of the situation. If someone comes to visit and doesn’t want to come inside, that’s fine. The summer house is warm and dry even with the doors wide open. If someone wants to keep their distance too, they should and I should not mock them for it. Sometimes people seem overly paranoid. Well, I just try to remember that I don’t know the reason for that: perhaps they are caring for an elderly relative; a sick child or have medical conditions invisible to me. Whatever they decide that does no harm to anyone else, is simply what I should respect.

Trust

And from here, in order to live any semblance of a normal life, I simply have to trust. If someone is unwell – even if it is not obviously Covid – I trust that they will stay at home or at least warn me beforehand and let me assess the risk. If someone has been in contact with someone who has been asked to isolate, I would expect the same. We all want to party and to enjoy ourselves, but sometimes, we just have to wait a little longer.

Wish You Were Here…

Postcards have rather gone out of fashion. When I was younger, no holiday was complete without the obligatory buying, writing and sending of postcards. It was a wonderful opportunity to give a taste of your vacation. Now we tend to send a WhatsApp or Instagram message. More pictures, fewer words and although these are always welcome, I miss the joy of a postcard clattering through the letter box; the professional shot of the location and the quirky stamps.

With our busy lives, I think it is a great time to reinstate the postcard. They only take moments to write, yet have a similar impact to a letter. They are colourful and pretty and make great temporary decorations to mantlepieces and fridges. An image, a few words and a stamp are all you need to show someone that you are thinking of them, and wishing they could join you.

Paperback writer

This one has been taken from the excellent volume, Playing with Books by Jason Thompson. Most of my books end up in the charity box, but occasionally, I keep them for the papers inside to use in craft projects. To make them into postcards, simply remove the front cover (or interior one) and cut so as to contain a complete image about postcard size. Curve the edges if you wish. If possible, find titles or images that relate to the recipient.

From cover to card Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

Art for art’s sake

Art cards can be a wonderful way of remembering a special exhibition – a pictorial souvenir. They are also perfect for short messages to a friend – matching their artistic taste with the card. For a cheap but elegant greeting card, glue the postcard onto card stock.

These are keepers! A wonderful exhibition of Henry La Thangue at my local gallery; a visit to Macau and a poetry/art collaboration

Zen postcards

Few activities are better at stilling the mind than a bit of colouring. No longer the preserve of five-year-olds, colouring is now for grown-ups. Intricate designs and beautiful illustrations are available as colouring-in postcards. I particularly love Johanna Basford’s whimsical designs.

These cards take some time to complete, but the act of colouring is itself a mindful, stress reducing exercise. Since you also get a gorgeous card to send, this is a win-win. One friend, who is particularly adept at these, uses the cards for birthdays and thank yous. I have several adorning my kitchen.

An enchanting activity Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

Miniature watercolours

For those wanting to go a step further and to create their own works of art, watercolour postcards are available at the National Trust shops and other art outlets. I love that this gives you the opportunity to play artistically and to send the result rather than having it languish in a sketch book. As it’s only a small postcard, if it all goes wrong, little is lost. If it goes well, you have a little piece of original art to send.

Whilst drying my poppy heads, I noticed they had a perfect flower shape on the top. What better stamp could I find? I added a wash of colour for the background and then stamped away. I hope you like the result.

Floral recycling! Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

The traditional

The pandemic has rather curbed our travels, but many of us are exploring our own countries and those close by instead. Sending a card from your destination allows us to do a little virtual travelling and to discover what is on offer. If you do manage to move beyond your borders, share the adventure.

New places to explore Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

And after the postcard has been read? Like all cards they can be displayed for as long as you wish or kept as bookmarks or perhaps you can find a more exciting use for them. If you do, get in touch. Answers on a postcard, please!

My Vegetable Love – Part Two

As promised, I’ve made a post (with recipes) showing you how you can make a feast in certainly less than an hour or in fifteen to thirty minutes per dish. Putting vegetables at the centre of your diet need not be boring. The sheer variety on offer ensures that you will never be lost for something new and flavourful. What I’ve given here are dishes that are both easy to prepare and, I hope, appealing to even the most picky eater. They can all go together or be combined with your favourite foods. You are the chef- you decide!

A rainbow of flavour

When starting on a plant-based diet, it is important to ensure that you get all the nutrients you need. If you are uncertain if this is for you, ask a health professional. Some folks like to take a multi-vitamin and or iron supplements. Personally, I don’t take either. Through taking in a broad spectrum of foods, you should get everything you need.

Introducing a large volume of vegetables into your diet all at once can unsettle the tummy a little bit. (I once tried the Wahls’ diet that recommends six cups of vegetables per day and it had serious consequences for my digestion!) If your body is complaining, cut back, and take it slow.

Once you start to enjoy more vegetables in your diet and explore the fairly endless way to prepare them, you will not look back.

Soup for starters

Soups are the perfect place to begin for introducing more vegetables into your diet. They are quick and easy to prepare and are often even better the second day. (You can also freeze them.) All my soups start in the same fashion: saute an onion in water or oil; add the vegetables you like and saute for a few minutes; add 750ml or so of vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and allow to cook through. Season to taste. Frozen vegetables work great too – think peas and corn. For a creamier texture, add dairy-free milk or cream. Blend if you like. Grains like oats, barley and lentils can be added to make an even heartier dish.

Since dark leafy greens are perhaps the hardest to get into your diet, the recipe I’ve given here is for spinach soup. My children, like most kids, were not impressed with the idea, so I renamed it alien blood soup and it was a hit!

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped

250 g of spinach, washed and woody stems removed

800ml of boiling water and two teaspoons/cubes of vegetable stock

Juice of 1/4 lemon

1 tablespoon of corn (maize) flour

Salt and pepper

Dairy free yogurt and nutmeg to garnish

Method

Saute the onion in a little water/oil until soft. Add the spinach and cook gently until wilted. Add the stock, bring to the boil and then turn off the heat to cook for about 10 minutes. Blend with a hand blender or liquidiser till smooth. Return to the pan, if liquidising, and add the lemon juice.

In a small tumbler, add the cornflour and a dribble of water, stirring in more water until you have the consistency of thin cream. Add this to the pot of spinach and heat until bubbles appear at the side. Stir throughout until you feel the soup thicken. Lower the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with a swirl of natural yogurt and a sprinkling of nutmeg.

Serves 4

Spinach soup Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

Mushroom for mains

Almost everyone enjoys burgers and you can make fabulous vegetable ones, but they take a little time to prepare. Since my mission here was to make everything as easy as possible, I thought I would show you how to make a real mushroom burger. These take barely ten minutes and accompanied with good bread and lettuce are a great alternative to a McDs.

Ingredients

1 large portobello mushroom per person – sliced horizontally

Olive oil

Sesame seeds

Salt and pepper to taste

Bread or rolls

Method

Wash and slice your mushrooms horizontally, to make two ‘patties’. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake at 180 C or gas mark 4 for about 8 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the oven, brush with a little olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Salt and pepper to taste and serve between bread with lettuce and vegan mayonnaise.

Would you like fries with that?

If a burger on its own is looking a little bit frugal, make some spicy oven chips to go with it. Prepare these first and they can be cooking away in the oven while you make your mushroom burgers. These fries are made with sweet potatoes and carrots, both highly nutritious and low fat.

Ingredients

1 sweet potato and 1 carrot per person

About 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil per person

Seasonings – Cajun spice, salt and pepper and chilli flakes. Adjust according to personal taste.

Method

Wash and scrub the potatoes and carrots but do not remove the skins (where many of the nutrients reside.) Cut into wedges and place in a mixing bowl. Add the oil and seasonings and coat well. Tip onto a large baking sheet and bake in the oven at 180 C or gas mark 4 for twenty + minutes. When they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, they are done. Serve piping hot!

Spicy fries Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

And a side salad?

Nothing completes a meal like a delicious side salad. A green salad would be perfect here, but since I’m in Midsummer mode, I thought I would share my absolute favourite – beetroot salad. Added to the above, it supplements our five a day and adds a little extra colour to the meal.

Ingredients

1 small jar or 1/2 large jar of sweet pickled beetroot, drained and cut into chunks

2 dessert apples – cored and cut into chunks

2 stalks of celery – cut into bite-sized pieces

1 heaped tablespoon of vegan mayonnaise and 1 heaped tablespoon of vegan creme fraiche or natural yogurt. (You may like more!)

Method

In a large mixing bowl, add the beetroot, apple and celery and stir to mix. Add the mayonnaise and creme fraiche and mix so that all is coated in the creamy dressing. It will become a wonderful bubble gum pink. Chill until ready to serve.

Makes 4 generous servings

Fresh, crunchy and delicious! Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

Over to you…

This post is only a taster of all the possibilities of a plant based diet. I hope that it has given you some ideas that you can take and make your own. Recipes are wonderful things, but we should only really use them as the springboard from which our own interpretations can soar. My greatest resource for ideas is almost always other people sharing what they have enjoyed and what worked for them. I love reading cookery books, but I love receiving tips from friends even more. So please, if they appeal, take and adapt these recipes, pass them on and let your vegetable love grow.

My Vegetable Love – Part One

Vegetables have finally come into fashion. For years they have been the poor relation of the food world, but now it seems that they are having their moment. Celebrity chefs such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall are advocating moving the vegetable element of a meal from ‘a bit on the side’ to centre front. I even read recently that Yotam Ottolenghi considered vegetables as a far more interesting ingredient to cook with than meat. They are, after all, much more varied, colourful and versatile. So this is a celebration of all things vegetable. And I hope, like mine, your vegetable love will grow and grow!

Vegetables! What’s not to love? Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

When I moved from a dairy based to a plant based diet, I confess that it was a struggle at first. My culinary skills revolved around milk, cheese and eggs. How could I achieve anything like the pleasure of a mozzarella smothered pizza or a fluffy quiche? Well, actually, I could. Much to my astonishment, it simply involved exploring a whole new range of ingredients and a bit of chemistry. The plant world, it transpired, included a raft of delicious surprises.

Why bother?

Including more vegetables in your diet is widely recognised as having a significant, positive effect on your health. By consuming the recommended five a day, the NHS proposes that you will reduce the likelihood of the three major killers: heart disease, stroke and cancer. Numerous research studies have also shown that a greater consumption of vegetables reduces the likelihood and severity of a number of autoimmune disorders including MS and diabetes. This is because the gut biome regulates the immune system. The more you feed it with healthy, fresh and fibrous food, the stronger it grows – fighting off invading pathogens and avoiding the body turning in on itself – as it does with all autoimmune disorders. The benefits, in medical terms, are enormous, yet involves no intervention and very little cost. Perhaps vegetables should be put on prescription.

Just what the doctor ordered Image: Nadine Primeau on Unsplash

The reluctant eater

As someone who has always enjoyed fruits and vegetables, it always surprises me how many children (and adults) do not. Frequently, a less than keen family member will threaten to derail our attempts at including more vegetables in our diet. I know. My husband was the pickiest eater when we first met and drove me insane with what he did not like. Now, he happily embraces a plant based diet and eats virtually anything. It didn’t happen over-night and it didn’t happen by accident. But we got there eventually, and so can you.

  • Keep trying. Our taste buds are malleable things. We can learn to love what we originally found distasteful. My first experience of avocado in a very fancy restaurant was that it tasted like soap. Now, I can’t get enough of it. What is important is that we just keep trying it, as it is. Give a tiny portion at a time and sample regularly. Soon it will be on the love list.
  • Sneaky vegetables. Generally, I’m not one for sugar coating or disguising, but if your loved one is simply adamant that vegetables are vile, try to sneak them in to other, more favourable dishes. One friend always added carrots to mash and I regularly cook sweet potato with turnip. Soups are an ideal way to incorporate all kinds of vegetables and if you blend it, who’s to say what went inside?
  • Cook together and make it special. Work and life-styles often make it difficult to cook and eat together, but if we make it a priority, we can. If you are only making one meal – as opposed to one for the children and one for the parents- you can take more time. If we ask those sharing the meal to participate in its preparation, they will see the care needed and hopefully appreciate the finished product more. We will also be teaching valuable cooking skills.
  • Grow your own. Anyone who has experienced the frustrations and joys of gardening, knows that what you grow, you eat. Rainbow chard is certainly not in my top ten or even top twenty vegetables, but it is flourishing and I am certainly not going to allow it to go to waste. Wilted in a frying pan and served with sesame seeds and soy sauce, it’s completely delicious and the more we eat it, the more scrumptious it becomes.

For a more comprehensive discussion of the above, please check out: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-you-can-reprogram-your-taste-buds-to-love-healthy-foods

Everyone in the kitchen! Involving everyone in the preparation of meals, makes them more precious. Image: Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Not just good for you

Sometimes listening to the news is just too depressing. Climate change, weather based catastrophes, mass extinctions seem to always appear somewhere beneath the headline stories. It is easy to feel helpless in the face of such challenges. A little extract I read yesterday, though, helped to bring it all back to a human scale, and I’d like to share it here:

I would love to say that I live a completely ‘green’ life; but if I did, I would be a liar… But if we wait until we can do everything, it will be far too late… Giving up meat is one of the easy things that almost anyone in the first world can do to become more impact-neutral in environmental terms.

Alex Brianson

As someone who used to volunteer for Greenpeace, I was well aware of the need to adopt an animal friendly diet. We were mostly vegetarian but still ate lots of dairy and some fish. I aspired to being vegan, but it just seemed too difficult (not least with a family). Now I want to kick myself for not doing it sooner. I still eat some fish (which I try to source carefully) but otherwise am plant based. And I have never eaten so well. Making the transition required a little extra attention and planning, but it was not long before it became second nature.

Now, in the West, plant based eating is taking off and never has there been so much choice and variety making it easier than ever to switch. What you choose to eat is, of course, entirely up to you, but if you are concerned about the environment and animal welfare, it is good to know that a solution is readily available.

Thoreau was right! The cow is proof that you can grow strong and healthy on a plant based diet. Image: Luke Stackpoole on Unsplash

Quick and easy

A further benefit is that a plant based diet works well within our busy lives. Many vegetables do not need cooking at all, or only a tiny bit and so are perfect for those of us who are time poor. Next week, I will post as wide a variety of dishes as possible (with recipes) to show you how you can enjoy a range of super healthy vegetables in minutes and hopefully, inspire you to create some of your own.

Dancing in the Rain

I woke this morning to graphite skies and rain. Again. Really? We have just passed the solstice, but summer still hasn’t arrived. It flirted with us for a while, made us all happy and confident of long, warm days ahead and then disappeared. My garden is drooping under the weight of all that water. A week ago, my roses were full and resplendent. Now they look like washing that you have forgotten to take in when the weather turns. The weeds, needless to say, are thriving. Today, I have nothing special planned except a Citizens’ Advice meeting in the afternoon. I could feel my spirits, like the rain-beaten roses, droop.

O rose, thou art sick! Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

Also, I had a post to write. Writing, indeed, pretty much anything, is difficult to do when you are feeling low and frustrated. So I took my self-pity in hand and started to think of ways to cheer myself up. What if I took my own advice and tried to see the good in this chilly, damp day? My great nephew, who lives in Newcastle, had just made a hilarious spoof video of a weather forecast (rain) and turned his lemons into a lemon grove. Perhaps I could do the same.

A little pampering

My first step was to do something lovely for myself. I would make a delicious coffee, barista style, with frothy milk and a sprinkling of chocolate on top. Today may not be the day to go out to a cafe, but I could bring at least part of that experience inside.

Coffee comfort Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

A good quality coffee; a mug that makes you smile; a little extra care in the making results in the beginning of a good mood. The caffeine would help too.

If you can’t stand the rain, get into the kitchen

Few things are more comforting than food. Pottering about in the kitchen, watching the magical chemistry that is cooking, always cheers me up. Getting to eat the results is a bonus. So, I’ve dug out the recipe book I made for the kids and decided to make some muffins.

The title says it all Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

True to the lazy cow ethos, they won’t take long, but they will taste good. I can also take some to the friend I am visiting. It’s due to rain that day also.

‘And rain will make the flowers grow’

The irony is that I’d been anxious for rain. We’d had a long dry spell and the garden really needed watering. Suffice to say, it has now been thoroughly soaked.

Rainy days are excellent craft days, however. If the sun is shining, I’ll be outside from morning till night. Sometimes, I secretly hope for rotten weather to give me the excuse to get inside to get creative. Yesterday was craft club and I was too tired to do much, but I’d hauled out my paper craft books and thought I would do something simple, while I chatted. Recently, I’ve become rather fixated on paper flowers and having found some rather sweet roses, I thought I’d try those. The results were surprisingly realistic.

Paper roses Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

It turns out that making paper flowers is somewhat addictive, so I made some crazy, imaginary flowers too. I suspect there may be a few more by this evening.

Enjoying the company of a good book

When the natural light is poor or fatigue is draining your energy, there are few better ways of passing the time than listening to an audio book. You can curl up on the sofa, hot drink to hand and simply allow someone to tell you a story. My library (and I’m sure yours too) has come rushing into the 21st century and offers an amazing online service. Included in this is an extensive audio book range and the cost is absolutely nothing. Currently, I am listening to Ali Smith’s Summer, the final book in her seasonal quartet. It’s challenging, brilliant and engaging all at once. My meeting over this afternoon, it will be my companion until dinner.

And now my blog is finished; my coffee too. My muffins are waiting to be made and I have a plan for the day. This rainy day isn’t turning out so badly after all.

The Longest Day

This coming Monday, 21 June, marks the summer solstice – the longest day in the northern hemisphere. In the UK, we can expect around 16.5 hours of daylight. As you travel further north, the days stretch further, culminating with a full 24 hours at the North Pole. And long, light days are surely worth celebrating. This is something our ancestors understood and which I would love to see again.

Historically, the solstice was an important festival. In the UK, the pagans named it Litha (the standing still of the sun) and the Celts Alban Hefin (light of summer). For earlier, agrarian societies, the sun held a much more obvious significance. Here was the life force that ensured the success of the crops and the difference between plenty and starvation.

As with the other equinoxes, the solstice was seen as a liminal time, when the division between the material and supernatural worlds were at their thinnest. It was a time when fairies and mischievous sprites could cross over.

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream draws upon this tradition.

I must go seek some dewdrops here, And hang a pearl in every cowslip’s ear.’

Fairy Act 2, scene i A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare.
Oberon, Titania and Puck with Fairies Dancing circa 1786 William Blake 1757-1827 Presented by Alfred A. de Pass in memory of his wife Ethel 1910 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N02686

Garlands of herbs and flowers were worn to ward off evil and bonfires were used to keep malignant spirits at bay. The fires had other purposes too. They were seen to strengthen the sun’s energy; brought luck to lovers and on a more practical level, ensured that revellers kept warm. As in almost all other festivals, there would have been singing and dancing and not a little imbibing of alcohol.

Stonehenge

The most famous solstice ritual occurs at Stonehenge in Amesbury, Wiltshire. The stones are aligned such that as the sun rises on the solstice, light floods into the central ring. In pre-Covid times, up to 10,000 people would assemble to witness the event and, on this day, the spiritual rather than the purely touristic appeal of the monument is recognised.

Capturing the mystery that is Stonehenge Image: K Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

The arrival of Christianity saw an end to much of the solstice celebrations, but rather than lose a holiday, they renamed it St John’s Day after John the Baptist. Yet, despite this, Midsummer is still a definitely pagan affair in the Scandinavian regions.

Midsummer Scandinavian style

Technically, Midsummer and the solstice are two separate things, but I have brought them together here in this post. Midsummer occurs literally at mid- summer usually around the 24 June and after the longest day. This year, it falls on 26 of June, though the celebrations occur on the eve rather than the day.

Midsummer is celebrated differently throughout northern Europe, with Finland, Denmark and Norway marking it with giant bonfires on which effigies of witches are burned. The Swedes take a more gentle approach with the distinctive Maypole, dancing and singing.

Here’s a rather lovely summer solstice song from Jonna Jinton

Seven different flowers

One of the sweetest traditions in Sweden and its neighbours is to collect seven different wild flowers (sju olika blommor) and place them under your pillow. That night, you will dream of your one true love. Since I am happily married, I decided to collect them in a vase instead. Just selecting and picking these little blooms in the early morning after rain, seemed like a wonderful way to celebrate the season.

A tiny bouquet of wild flowers Image: Karen Costello-McFeat

Other, stranger, Swedish rituals include dancing around the Maypole – perhaps singing the frog song while mimicking a frog! Rather more usual activities include drinking, talking about the weather, wearing floral garlands or headdresses whilst eating herring and strawberries. When the festivities are winding down, it is traditional to go for a skinny dip. Though I am not sure about all of these celebrations, I would love to reinstitute celebration of the solstice or Midsummer to the calendar.

A modern, British Midsummer

Like all good festivals, we should draw from the old and add or modify the new. Since the Swedes are especially adept at this festival, my list will have a strong, Scandinavian flavour, but you may wish to make it more in line with your own country’s culture. What follows is my suggestions for a modern, British festival.

  • Pick flowers, make daisy chains and enjoy the floral abundance of June
  • Song – find some really good dance tracks, set up a music station in the garden and sing along. Dance if you are able! Maypoles are strictly optional.
  • Make delicious foods. This is all about celebrating summer: so my feast will include lots of seasonal treats: strawberries, salads, smoked salmon, homemade bread and perhaps even cake.
  • Watching the sunset. I’m far to old to get up for the dawn, but watching the sun dip below the horizon is certainly manageable.
  • We have a chimenea – so we can have our own mini bonfire without bothering the neighbours. It will also keep us warm as night draws in.
  • A swim in the sea? This will be weather dependent and I will definitely wear a costume – but a late night dip certainly appeals

Bittersweet moments

Since Midsummer marks the zenith of the season, what follows is a slow and inevitable decline. From this point, there will be an incremental shortening of the days. The brevity of the moment has the bittersweet pleasure of all that is transient. Which gives us even more reason to ‘seize the day’. Be a little crazy, stay up late, party! Enjoy these long, warm days: they are not set to last.