Swap Goodies & Sunshine Soup

I've finally got some time to sit down and put pen to paper, or rather fingers to keyboard, and say a big thank you to Jo my Back 2 School Swap partner, because on wednesday morning I recieved this beautifully wrapped parcel of goodies all the way from Mexico.

inside was some cute folders with a matching notebook, a length of twine with lots of mini wooden pegs for me to make a little washing line of inspiration, some metallic gel pens, some lovely polka dot pocket tissues, and three cute little badges, which Ella has got her eye on! Thank you so much for all my lovely presents Jo, it was definately worth the wait, and lovely to meet you too!

This week I got a bee in my bonnet about the state of the garden (I started off this year with good intentions, and just before all that awful weather we had, every thing was looking beautiful but with all the rain, both the flowers, and me gave up). On monday afternoon things got a bit ugly, as I cut everything back to within an inch of it's life, and now the garden is looking a bit naked.

So I went off to the local nursery and bought some cyclamen and pansies for my window boxes, as the geraniums are going for their winter break at my grandmothers greenhouse (where they will be fed and watered and meet lots of other geraniums, and fushias belonging to various members of the family, who are all cared for by my grandmother over the winter months, I wish I could go!).
Now I have something pretty to look at when I gaze out of the window, while I'm reading all your lovely blogs, look!

I have to say that I have finally succumbed to putting the heating on, I have been good up to now, and last week was saying to my mother 'why have you got the heating on, just put on a jumper and some slippers' but this week the temperature has really dropped, and the other night it felt freezing, I think it's time to get the 9 tog duvet out and add it to the 4.5 tog one (I have to boast because I am the proud owner of an all seasons, goose down duvet, courtesy of my mother-in-law for our wedding present, and two 100% goose down pillows, so being in bed is like being enveloped in a marshmallow, so cosy!)

Unfortunately the boiler packed up last year (it's about 15 yrs old, and we really need a new one, because as soon as you fix one thing, another thing goes wrong) it still heats the water, but the central heating won't work, so last year we resorted to electric radiators, and I think we will have to do the same this year, until we can afford to stump up the £2000 we where quoted to install a new one!

Anyway keeping with the cosy theme, today I made Sunshine Soup, so called because it's made mostly from carrots, potatoes and butternut squash, and maybe some sweet potato if I've got any, and when all those lovely root vegetables are whizzed up in the blender it makes such a lovely yellowy-orange - hence the name.

I love homemade soup, chunky or smooth, there is just something really comforting, and warming about it, made with good healthy ingredients and love, you can just feel it doing you good, and it's always surprisingly filling. I was watching 'Rachel's favourite food at home' last weekend, a she did a chorizo and chickpea soup, and since I've got a tin of chickpeas and and some chorizo in the cupboard, I thought maybe I'd give it a bash over the weekend!