Did I blink and miss it?
I’m not giving up yet though. We all know that September can be glorious in Ireland – as long as you bring your cardie!
September 18th last year, at Portstewart.
We certainly are in the midst of a change of seasons though, with it’s most evident feature being the kids going back to school.
New shoes, new uniforms, school lunches, home work (groan) and sports kits occupy our attention. A friend of mine posted on Facebook today about his wife’s battle with sticky-back plastic, which took me back a full 20 years. Was I the only one who always had a crease on the back page of every copy-book? The front cover was fine, but the back told the truth – this child’s Mother was a failure, unable to manage the simplest task. I knew the teachers were judging me..
But enough of my failings… All I can tell you is that while you might not realise it, these are some of the best (and busiest) days of your lives, so try to relax and let the back cover of the home-work notebook be creased if that’s how it goes. You, and your children will survive.
The up-side of cooler weather is that you can start making a few cosy meals and try using up some of everyone’s glut of apples. My Blueberries performed magnificently this year, but are now finished, with a box of them nestled in the freezer, awaiting their moment of glory on Christmas morning (sorry to throw in the ‘C’ word there). But the Blackberries are still coming, and so far we’ve had an Apple and Blackberry Pie (so yum, and hardly any added sugar), and I’m working on this year’s batch of Blackberry Liqueur..
Blackberry Liqueur..
Apple and Blackberry – I think that this is my favourite pie!
Mr Saturday Night has had his longed-for Cottage Pie – I don’t usually make this in warm weather – so he’s happy for the moment, and tantalised by the hope of more cosy, warming dishes to come..
Like everyone, I have those awful ‘what on earth will I make tonight?’ moments, and I’ve taken to looking up my own website for inspiration. That’s probably a bit boastful isn’t it? Still, I’m always grateful when I find a forgotten gem – next time you’re stuck, just have a quick look and see if you can find something to suit you.
All the dishes that I’ve mentioned here (and many more) are available on www.eatingforireland.com so take 5 minutes to have a look every now and then.
To Mr Sat. Night’s chagrin, there is still no advertising on Eating for Ireland (he can’t believe that someone hasn’t snapped me up by now!! 😉 ) And the only cookies on my site are Ginger biscuits and Shortbread!
‘ Cookies’ – sorry, shortbread!
Ginger cookies!
So, Summer is not entirely over yet, but certainly Autumn is on it’s way. There’s so much to look forward to in this most glorious of seasons – golden leaves, abundant local produce, beautiful sunny but chilly days – wrap up, get out and make the most of it! 
Beautiful Rowallane gardens in Autumn..
My sister-in-law’s apple tree..
Young love at Antrim Castle gardens.. :)
Enjoy September!
Love from Becks xx
I started writing down recipes in an old copybook when I was about 16. With 6 children at home, my Mother was always glad of a hand in the kitchen, and really allowed us to experiment - as long as we washed up afterwards, and left the kitchen immaculate! Having a tidy kitchen has followed me through my life, as has the habit of writing down my favourite recipes; except that these days I write them for my website, and add photographs when I can. The website really started when it occurred to me that my daughter might like to have these recipes when I've forgotten them. In my early days of cooking for family and friends, I used to phone my Mum all the time to ask her for the recipe for some of our favourite family dinners. She rarely had a recipe to hand - I think, like me, she made a lot of it up as she went along.. So welcome to Eating for Ireland - these are the recipes that my friends and family having been eating these past 40 years.. yes, I truly am ancient! They are tried and tested, and have worked for me for all that time - I have updated them as new ingredients became available - I really hope you'll find something that you can make into a family favourite of your own. You don't have to tell anyone where you found these great new dishes that you're serving up - it can be our little secret, but I'd really love it if you could give me a sneaky 'follow' on Facebook and Instagram.. So off you go - have a good rummage around, you're bound to find something new! My sincere thanks to all of you who have found a recipe that you liked and dropped me a line to tell me - I really do love to hear from you! Happy Cooking! Becks xx