Crocus Blooming

I’ve got a new stove

The boys made it happen. with very little fuss, the 2mm of stone that had to go is gone. 

Early Crocus

Natural Dyeing Adventures

I read a book while on holidays called A Perfect Red by Amy Butler Greenfield which has inspired me to try some more natural dyeing. 

This lovely copper pot made all the difference I think. The copper added to the brightness of the results. 

Everything Is Connected

While we were out of town we had our ceilings painted. Sadly in that process a glass top electric range was a casualty. 

I’m so I’ve been cooking on the barbeque this week. I got to say I’m done. So today we went out and we bought a new induction range.



  

Then we tried to fit it into the slot for the old stove came out… Not so much. We need to slaves to millimetres off a slate tile dammit. 

Last Day in Paradise

Puerto Vallarta Evening

This one is for our friend Matt who is a lineman. 

Vallarta’s Best Lamb Tacos

This was another recommend by Chef Mavi. And lo the tacos were amazing. The lamb is cooked over a fire in a pit overnight then shredded and served in a corn tortilla. I’m only sorry I don’t have the name of the place. 

Shopping in Pitillal Puerto Vallarta

On our shopping list for cooking adventure, chef Marvin Gaye take us to a number of different neighbourhoods in the Porta Vallarta area. One of them that had some interesting looking shopping is called Pitillal. We had fun shopping there.

Spend a Penny

When I was a child, and we visited England and my father’s female relatives would ask me if I needed to “spend a penny” they were asking if I needed to go To the washroom. The public convenience in London at that time still cost only a penny. And that only if you actually need to use the toilet. Each stall door had a sort of parking metre contraption re-put in a penny in the door unlocked.  If you only needed to literally powder your nose, it was free. Here in Puerto Vallarta the cost has risen to seven pesos. Meanwhile, as far as I can tell, there are no public conveniences left in London England. The world changes, but remains the same.

Mavi Graf Chef Extraordinaire

Puerto Vallarta Botanical Garden

Another lovely visit to this botanical garden. Since our last visit four years ago many parts of the garden have grown in beautifully and some new additions have been made. As always it was a fantastic visit.



There is a giant phiranna lurking in this pool. Scary cool. 



This river is a delight to cool off in after a visit to all the lovely garden specimens. 

Yes, that is chocolate. 


The new conservatory is lovely with filtered shade for the orchids. 

Real CocoNut Water

We are in Mexico revisiting Puerto Vallarta and trying to find all our old favourite places and find some new favourites. We were grilled to find the coconut water vendor- last time we were there it was there it was a lady, this time it was a very capable man. After drinking the water you get the moist slimy delicious coconut meat with lime and chilli. Heaven. 

Wooden and semi worsted

With the lovely white fleece I got in Shetland this past fall, I’ve been doing experiments. These two skeins are from my experiment to see if I can personally tell the difference between a woolen spun and a semi worsted spun yarn. lol and behold, I can. Can you?