Pumpkin jam

My absolute favourite jam. Ever. Always. It reminds me of lazy Sundays with bread and cheese on the side and National Geographic and the golden autumnal light through the window with a cat or two on my lap.

Pumpkin Jam is my favourite jam of all. My brother likes to ask me silly things like “if you had to pick one forever and ever, what would you choose?”. I tend not to have an answer to these questions, but I do in the case of jam – pumpkin jam forever. With or without nuts. With or without cheese on the side. Pumpkin jam rules my jam world!

Ingredients:
1kg of cubed pumpkin
500g of white sugar – I don’t like very sweet jams and this reflects it. You can increase your sugar up to 750g.
3 cinammon sticks
2 oranges
Walnuts (optional)

Preparation:
1. Peel and chop your pumpkin into small cubes to have 1 kg. Place in a tray.
2. Put the cinnamon sticks in the tray with the pumpkin.
3. Cover the pumpkin with 500g of white sugar.
4. Peel and slice the oranges and place them on top of the pumpkin and sugar.
5. Cover the tray so nothing falls in it (with a kitchen board for example) and leave to rest for 12 hours (overnight).
6. When you uncover the tray 12 hours later, you’ll have your pumpkin bits softened in a liquid, with the orange slices on top. You’re good to go!
7. When you’re ready to make the jam, start off by preparing the jars. Wash glass jars and lids (mine are metallic) in hot soapy water and rinse thoroughly. Place everything in the oven, on top of a kitchen towel, at 110C. Remove from the oven only when you’re ready to bottle the jam.
8. From the tray with the pumpkin, leave two small orange slices and remove the rest. Leave one cinnamon stick and remove the rest. Transfer everything (cubed pumpkin and liquid) to a pan.
9. Heat in medium heat stirring occasionally until surface boiling (took 20 minutes). Lower the heat and stir occasionally until you have half the liquid you began with. Remove the cinnamon stick.
10. Transfer to the prepared jars (I used three jars). Cover the jar mouth with a wax disc and close.

Note: I used mashed up walnut in one of the jars. I put walnuts in a kitchen bag and mashed them with a kitchen roll. As I filled the jar with the jam, I mixed in the walnuts and gave them a little stir for even distribution.

I hope you love it as much as me :)

The recipe is also here.

::inspiring Mondays::

Sunshine. 22ºC. More sunshine. Little brother. Parents. Cats. Cuddles. Family. Sunshine. Excellent food. More sunshine. The sea. Sunshine, of course. Can you guess where I’ve been? Home, where all batteries get recharged! Porto, Portugal!

I went home for Little Brother’s birthday. Finally, I could sing happy birthday and give him a cuddle and eat a bit (or a lot!) of the birthday cake. I love Skype, I do, and I use it every day, but nothing beats the real thing. I laughed and chatted and laughed some more. We discussed ideas and strategies and materials and the way forward. I went out photographing windows and cutesy houses with Dad. I went out photographing the sea and then the river with Little Brother. I had girly chats and pasteis de nata with Mum. I saw my little cousin’s belly button and heard about second grade and bike rides. I went out and had nice conversations well into the early hours without falling asleep. I ate amazing food and had excellent wine. And I soaked up the sun until I had a permanent smile on my face which should last for days.

:: Little Brother ♥

:: the parents.

:: birthday cake! Yummy!

:: sunshine.

:: my aunt bringing me brigadeiros to the airport because I asked her to!

:: cat love!

:: the sea. the smell of the sea.

:: Portuguese food.

:: my flight companions giving me their apple juice

:: one more hour in Portugal, courtesy of the hour change this weekend. ta mucho!

It is cold and rainy in Oxford, but I’m ignoring all of it and focusing on the little memory of sunshine I brought bottled up for special occasions. Like today, where I miss home that little bit more because I have just been… funny how that works, huh?

How's this Monday working for you? Hope you are having a lovely start to the week, wet or dry, sunny or otherwise!

going home

Little Brother sent me a beautiful photo from Porto by the river... all the email said was "quem vem e atravessa o rio...". I dare say that every Porto person feels a little tingle when they hear that... especially when one's Little Brother is calling us home. Almost there!

missing Brazil...

Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Rio de Janeiro by Little Miss Joey

Michael Palin, we need to have a little chat. Who told you to go to Brazil and make this amazing programme about it? Who? This poor Joey is left missing Brazil and her LMrJ even more. I could see myself packing and moving next Monday (just because we all know how much I love to start things on a Monday) throughout the programme and you haven't even arrived in Rio yet. Seriously, Michael, this is no way to treat your fans... Giving them wonderful images and deliciously looking foods to dream about and happiness and laughter and blue skies with sunshine and sea. If you fancy coming over for tea, we can discuss how you could improve things, Michael. I'm free next week, Monday will do.

View from the Sugarloaf, Rio de Janeiro by Little Miss Joey

::inspiring Mondays::

Yay for Monday! Or any day not covered in mini polystyrene balls, like… this Monday. I’m having mixed feelings about my Sunday, but the flipside is that Monday feels even better. Yesterday was quite productive, when I think about it, and that’s nice, but then… there was this bit of seeing one’s floor covered in mini polystyrene balls and having them everywhere, shoes, bags, yourself, everywhere, that somehow casts a small shadow on the day’s quality…

The good things? I have sewn yet another puff, and an inner bag for it; there was strawberry cheesecake Haagen Dazs patting me on the back and in the tummy for such achievement; homemade soup is ready for the week; banana + ice cream + chocolate pancakes for Sunday brunch rock; I now have a mental plan for the handling of polystyrene balls in the future; and I have ridiculously funny story of how it all went wrong! I guess the good things top it all. I’m going with that anyway!

:: Little Brother and I swapping breakfast photos and thoughts. It warms my heart every.single.time.

:: testing new puff pattern = new puff to the collection.

:: the hoover. what an amazing mini polystyrene balls nemesis.

:: LMrJ and his patience when LMJ goes into a little fit at the sight of mini balls everywhere. and then makes her laugh at her own silliness!

:: Sunday brunch. genius concept.

:: the smell of freshly made soup.

:: yummy homemade pumpkin jam for Cocina Global and Joey’s belly!

:: pumpkin jam on warm homemade bread. delicious!

:: big sachet windows in my bedroom.

:: my hot water bottle. bedtime is so much cosier!
:: the little guy from the photo above. squeeze!

It’s been drizzly in Oxford and mostly grey. It’s not cold though, and the wonderful deep yellow and orange leaves brighten up an otherwise dull skyline. How’s your Autumn coming along? And your beginning of the week? I’m feeling like having a few of these later… or right now as they're coming out of the oven!

::inspiring Mondays::

I woke up to a pitch black morning today. From dark blue on Friday to pitch black on Monday... eek! By the time I left the house, "normal" levels of light had been achieved, but we're approaching the "leave the house in the dark, return home in the dark" time of year at fast speed. At very fast speed.

To make the most of the season and forget the cold, LMJ & Co went to Stowe Gardens this weekend to photograph the Autumn. Yes, it is still early for the full autumnal colour show, but any excuse will do to photograph a beautiful estate garden. Any excuse... and cream tea at the end, of course!

:: team work with Little Brother.

:: pattern testing. especially when it works at the first attempt.

:: sewing. all day. with these!

:: Autumn photography.

:: housemate dinner. so lovely!

:: collaborating on Cocina Global with Eva Linda. it's so inspiring!

:: pumpkins.

:: satisfied customers of two cute dolls! Yay!

:: morning coffee!

It rained a little today. Just enough so we know who's in charge! How was your start to the week? I'd hope happy, in spite of the morning darkness and the gentle drizzle!

Life is Messy...

Quite messy at times, especially when you're exploding with ideas and need a bit of a guiding light to keep you on track and focused on achieving the goals to your projects. This light is Mayi and her Life is Messy Bootcamp.

Life is Messy Bootcamp is a self paced online course which aims to be an organised solution for messy entrepeneurs. Think of it as a pretty business course; pure eye candy on top of an incredibly practical and well designed business and marketing content! 

You start off with the amazing Life is Messy Planners: a set of worksheets to help you plan your goals and work on your project with intent and direction. In addition to these, you'll have videos and step-by-step guides, exercises and tasks, as well as access to a community of people who are in the same boat as you, paddling away with or without a life saving vest.

All of this to say... I'm doing it. Yes, I have a project. Yes, I have a beautiful folder with all my course materials and a notebook filled with ideas and colour. Yes, I'm ready to be a creative entrepreneur!

::inspiring Mondays::

First Monday of the new LMJ and I'm one happy lady. It's good to be able to make good feelings last for as long as possible, don't you think?

I had a weekend of domesticity and glowing sunshine through the window. I was happy. Making the most of the great area I live in, I made my weekly shopping at small shops selling local meat and veggies; amazing quality, I'm very impressed and shall make it a habit now. I made bread (cheating slightly with the dough by using my beautifully red food mixer; yep, beauty is important everywhere!). And I spent the rest of my time sewing. I made  four dolls whilst watching Homeland (the full season 1, oh yeah!) and most of season 2 of Downton Abbey. Wonderfully productive and relaxing, my weekend!

:: sewing ♥

:: Little Brother's words of encouragement!

:: Autumn sunshine

:: Sunday morning run. I let out the steam!

:: cooking.

:: homemade bread. warm. with butter melting on it. yummy!

:: my sewing machine!

:: my room. just perfect!

:: laughing!

:: pumpkins.

:: drizzle on the cycle home. it cools one's thoughts.

:: the smell of freshly washed linen.

:: photographing two of the dolls. little snippets of life, I've missed you!

How was your start to the week? I hope this Monday has been nice to you, very nice! With tea and ice cream type of nice!

Little Miss Joey

Before the summer, I asked Lije if she could bring LMJ to life. I asked for world-domination cuteness, mixing a little bit of myself and of my favourite cartoon of all time, Mafalda. That was the extent of my briefing. When I opened the email that had my Little Miss Joey my eyes opened in happiness and admiration! Lije captured the essence of what I wanted and made it beautiful and oh so very cute. 

While I sit here admiring Lije's work with LMJ, all I can say is 1. THANK YOU!, and 2. if you ever need anything done for you design wise (or other wonderful goodies), make sure you ask her... she really is AWESOME!

... and she's out!

Little Miss Joey is real!

sneak peek...

Shiu... tell no-one... but LMJ is real and she's coming to a screen near you... soon!

::inspiring Mondays::

It is October! October is one of my favourite months, if not THE favourite. October brought me my  little brother, after three years of boredom as a single child and for that I shall be forever grateful (to Mum and Dad, really!). 

My little brother and I are very close, we talk almost everyday, and I know I can count on him for everything and anything; neither of us will ever be alone because we'll always have each other and that is a very warm feeling. It's also good to know he'll always be honest and kindly inform me when an outfit really doesn't suit me! 

:: chatting to Little Brother about our plans ♥♥♥

:: PJ Sunday ♥

:: preparing fabrics for sewing projects. oh how I missed this.

:: combining fabrics and colours and ribbons and buttons until I smile with the result.

:: receiving a Little Miss Joey on my inbox. she's so cute that I can't wait to show her!

:: my beautifully red food mixer. oh yeah!

:: homemade bread. how delicious!

:: October. lovely.

:: a present from my dearest E., and a very timely one.

:: Autumnal sunshine... pure eye candy!

:: figs.

:: watching seven episodes of Downton Abbey... non-stop.

:: Masons. in real life!

:: running. early morning or just after work, I don't mind.

How was your Monday? A good start to the week and the month? I do hope so!