It Sunday everyone so it’s time for this week’s blog.

Sorry its been posted late everyone, I’ve been quite busy today, as has Lucinda. She’s been up to Milton Keynes today scouting craft makers for the Fire Walk event on 4^th December. Lucinda found loads of handmade and vintage craft makers in front of John Lewis, and some of them have shown some interest in helping her out. I will post a list of confirmed crafts later this month.

The gallery garden has become a hot spot for birds this weekend. Yesterday there were loads of blackbirds wandering about. Lucinda says “Must have been four and twenty at a guess.” In the summer, a partridge laid her eggs in the garden were she raised her young for a bit (enough time for us to coo over them) and then set off on her travels.  ( LB) Ahh, I know I have it somewhere but cannot find the little video I made! sigh..... But to compensate here are some images I took in the garden quite recently. I call number two 'master of disguise!' 

Now, to many of you who do not know Lucinda, you will not know how much of a soup monkey she is. I swear she can make soup out of anything! So she would like to share with you a really nice recipe: Butterbean and butternut squash soup,

About a half of a butternut squash should do it, chopped up into cubes, leave skin on, it cooks down.

 One large red onion chopped 3 large cloves garlic chopped finely ( if you have a problem with garlic breath? and who doesn't ?)  :) cut the cloves in half and score out the stem which is slightly greener and fairly obvious depending on the age of the garlic. This takes out the odor but keeps the flavor.

 A cup of cooked butterbeans, the fresher the better , the older the bean the longer it takes to cook.( Believe it they do have a shelf life!)

 One potato chopped/ or carrot/parsnip will make a different flavor, optional.

three to four cups of water

 salt and pepper to taste

 2 teaspoons of vegetable boullion 

A tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

same of soy sauce

splash of Worcestershire sauce

 okay stir fry the vegetables in a little olive oil until browned, with the exception of the potato, this will stick and burn.Leave the seasonings til later as well.

when all is browned put this and all other ingredients in a big pot and simmer until veg is mushy and beans are broken down. Seasonings should be added last of all. If you are cooking beans from dried, do not add salt until they have finished cooking, this makes them hard.

 this soup is nicer blended and makes a lovely golden color ( unless you burnt the veg! hahaha) enjoy Lucinda B

Lucinda went to the Rex in Berkhamsted last night, she said “It was brilliant, beautifully restored art deco cinema, the original front is now a restaurant but they have kept faithfully to the style. the experience was made all the better for the personal touches , i.e the proprietor coming on stage to greet everyone and do a birthday announcement! I have been dying to go there for years! I would recommend it. They do not have popcorn! I like that, instead they have little tubs of chocolate covered raisins, nuts and olives. ( sorry the olives were NOT covered in chocolate, ewww!) Downstairs you may book a table and watch as if you were at home, but much more elegantly!” she went with two of her artists that she displays in the gallery, Abu Jafar and Ewa Wawrzyniak. Lucinda has some of their beautiful glass work in the gallery, which features plates and abstract sculptures with colourful and classic designs. Their websites are :  http://www.abujafar.com/home.htm and http://ewa-wawrzyniak.com/

And now for this week’s joke(s):

 Dear Noah,

We could have sworn you said the ark wasn't leaving till 5.

Sincerely, Unicorns

Dear J.K. Rowling,

Your books are entirely unrealistic. I mean, a ginger kid with two friends?

Sincerely, anonymous.

Dear icebergs,

Sorry to hear about the global warming. Enjoy the Karma...

Sincerely, the Titanic.

Dear Boyfriend,

I can make your girlfriend scream louder than you can.

Sincerely, Spiders

Have a good week!