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Diary of a Country Girl

Living a country life in wonderful Norfolk. Gardening, cooking and farming – as keen as mustard and mad on dahlias…

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Month: October 2018

Autumn sunsets…
Country life · Countryside · Sunset

Autumn sunsets…

1st October 2018 KateLeave a comment

I honestly don’t think there’s a better month than September for sunsets in Norfolk. Throughout the month we have been treated to some spectacular scenes and with the nights pulling in, the sun has been drifting out of sight at about 7.20pm. As it begins setting even earlier, my eyes (and camera) are now firmly pinned to the west each… Continue reading Autumn sunsets…

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a_countrylife

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Life in the Norfolk countryside
🌸 Gardener
🐄 Farmer
👩‍🍳 Cook
As keen as mustard & mad on dahlias…

a_countrylife

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Jan 7

Open post by a_countrylife with ID 17866512948456884
This is just me, realising a long-held dream to ice skate in nature…

When I worked at @wordsworthgrasmere I was constantly inspired by Wordsworth’s penchant for taking to the ice when the lakes froze over. I would often gaze at his rudimentary ice skates in the museum with wonder, imagining what freedoms skating outside on ice would offer the soul. 

So ten years ago, when I found a pair of 1960s ice skates in a charity shop, I whisked them home with dreams of one day experiencing the sensation. Alas, in the decade that followed, winters have been mild and open expanses of water have remained fluid. 

It took until this week for my long-held dream to emerge and shine, as my beloved pond heard my calls and froze solid overnight. 

With all the vigour of Wordsworth, I took to ice ‘as clear as steel’ to ‘give my body to the wind’. I beamed - so joyfully happy and momentarily lost in my own paradise.

Living and breathing Wordsworth and his romantic persuasions during my time in Grasmere has constantly inspired me. This vivid spot of time on the ice will stay deep in my memory, retaining a renovating virtue to nourish my mind and spirit. This is what life is all about.

#WordsworthGrasmere #iceskating #diaryofacountrygirl #wordsworth #norfolk

This is just me, realising a long-held dream to ice skate in nature…

When I worked at @wordsworthgrasmere I was constantly inspired by Wordsworth’s penchant for taking to the ice when the lakes froze over. I would often gaze at his rudimentary ice skates in the museum with wonder, imagining what freedoms skating outside on ice would offer the soul.

So ten years ago, when I found a pair of 1960s ice skates in a charity shop, I whisked them home with dreams of one day experiencing the sensation. Alas, in the decade that followed, winters have been mild and open expanses of water have remained fluid.

It took until this week for my long-held dream to emerge and shine, as my beloved pond heard my calls and froze solid overnight.

With all the vigour of Wordsworth, I took to ice ‘as clear as steel’ to ‘give my body to the wind’. I beamed - so joyfully happy and momentarily lost in my own paradise.

Living and breathing Wordsworth and his romantic persuasions during my time in Grasmere has constantly inspired me. This vivid spot of time on the ice will stay deep in my memory, retaining a renovating virtue to nourish my mind and spirit. This is what life is all about.

#WordsworthGrasmere #iceskating #diaryofacountrygirl #wordsworth #norfolk
...

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a_countrylife

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Jan 3

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A portrait of a snowy, sunny day…

#snow #norfolk #diaryofacountrygirl #snowdays #silhouette

A portrait of a snowy, sunny day…

#snow #norfolk #diaryofacountrygirl #snowdays #silhouette
...

28 1

a_countrylife

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Jan 1

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Hello 2026!

What a sunset to mark the new year…. 

#sunset #norfolk #norfolkskies #diaryofacountrygirl #countrylife

Hello 2026!

What a sunset to mark the new year….

#sunset #norfolk #norfolkskies #diaryofacountrygirl #countrylife
...

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a_countrylife

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Dec 1

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It may be the first of December but the peppers are still loving life in the greenhouse!

#peppers #advent #diaryofacountrygirl #homegrown #norfolk

It may be the first of December but the peppers are still loving life in the greenhouse!

#peppers #advent #diaryofacountrygirl #homegrown #norfolk
...

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a_countrylife

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Nov 23

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Hazel catkins in November - what on earth is happening, we’re all out of sync…

#catkins #hazel #hazelcatkins #springhassprung #norfolk

Hazel catkins in November - what on earth is happening, we’re all out of sync…

#catkins #hazel #hazelcatkins #springhassprung #norfolk
...

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a_countrylife

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Nov 19

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Norfolk sunsets…

#sunset #sunsets #norfolk #norfolksunset #countrylife #acountrylife #diaryofacountrygirl #england #thisisengland #norfolkskies

Norfolk sunsets…

#sunset #sunsets #norfolk #norfolksunset #countrylife #acountrylife #diaryofacountrygirl #england #thisisengland #norfolkskies
...

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a_countrylife

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Oct 29

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When the weather sends you back into the kitchen after a summer off!

This time up, it’s amaretti cookies, inspired by my favourite sweet thing from the glorious @2magpiesbakery 

They’re crisp and chewy, almondy and moorish! When I can’t get to the bakery the magic can live on at home, all thanks to their super cook book!

#amaretti #baking #bakingjoy #almond #almondcookie #norfolk #homecook #diaryofacountrygirl

When the weather sends you back into the kitchen after a summer off!

This time up, it’s amaretti cookies, inspired by my favourite sweet thing from the glorious @2magpiesbakery

They’re crisp and chewy, almondy and moorish! When I can’t get to the bakery the magic can live on at home, all thanks to their super cook book!

#amaretti #baking #bakingjoy #almond #almondcookie #norfolk #homecook #diaryofacountrygirl
...

18 0

a_countrylife

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Oct 20

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The dahlias are still hanging in in there! Are yours? They might not make it through to early December (my own PB) but here’s hoping!

#dahlia #dahlias #dahliasofinstagram #homegrownflowers #cottagegarden #norfolk #gardening #gardeningjoy #diaryofacountrygirl

The dahlias are still hanging in in there! Are yours? They might not make it through to early December (my own PB) but here’s hoping!

#dahlia #dahlias #dahliasofinstagram #homegrownflowers #cottagegarden #norfolk #gardening #gardeningjoy #diaryofacountrygirl
...

35 2

a_countrylife

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Sep 28

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Rainbow season is well and truly here… 

#rainbow #rainbows #storm #stormysky #norfolk #norfolkskies #countryliving #countrylife #diaryofacountrygirl

Rainbow season is well and truly here…

#rainbow #rainbows #storm #stormysky #norfolk #norfolkskies #countryliving #countrylife #diaryofacountrygirl
...

25 1

a_countrylife

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Sep 22

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When lunch comes entirely from the garden…

Courgette and herb frittata, made using homegrown courgettes, spinach, spring onions, basil, parsley, coriander, eggs and tomatoes. A mouth-wateringly way to celebrate the end of summer - on the autumn equinox when it feels like winter is on its way!

#gyo #growyourown #eatwhatyougrow #growwhatyiueat #homegrown #countrygarden #countrylife #diaryofacountrygirl #igrewthat #lunch #itswhatsforlunch #norfolk #autumnequinox #equinox

When lunch comes entirely from the garden…

Courgette and herb frittata, made using homegrown courgettes, spinach, spring onions, basil, parsley, coriander, eggs and tomatoes. A mouth-wateringly way to celebrate the end of summer - on the autumn equinox when it feels like winter is on its way!

#gyo #growyourown #eatwhatyougrow #growwhatyiueat #homegrown #countrygarden #countrylife #diaryofacountrygirl #igrewthat #lunch #itswhatsforlunch #norfolk #autumnequinox #equinox
...

29 1

a_countrylife

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Sep 21

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A cacophony of dahlias!!!

I returned from the Norfolk and Suffolk Dahlia Society Show awash with gorgeously grown blooms and inspired by the flurry of advice from seasoned growers. 

These impressively nurtured flowers are a world away from my homegrown dahlias and it’s just amazing to hear how competition growers tend to their plants to really push them to their best. What an inspiration! 

#inspired #dahlia #dahlias #dahliasofinstagram #blooms #gardening #gardeningjoy #countrylife #acountrylife #diaryofacountrygirl #dahliasociety

A cacophony of dahlias!!!

I returned from the Norfolk and Suffolk Dahlia Society Show awash with gorgeously grown blooms and inspired by the flurry of advice from seasoned growers.

These impressively nurtured flowers are a world away from my homegrown dahlias and it’s just amazing to hear how competition growers tend to their plants to really push them to their best. What an inspiration!

#inspired #dahlia #dahlias #dahliasofinstagram #blooms #gardening #gardeningjoy #countrylife #acountrylife #diaryofacountrygirl #dahliasociety
...

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a_countrylife

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Sep 20

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Did I tell you, I had an interview for the Great British Bake Off?!

So the short story is that I used to religiously bake all the technical challenges on the Great British Bake Off. Then one year, I applied to take part….

• I filled in the application form - 10 pages, 38 questions.
• I was invited to a telephone interview - the questions were hard!
• I didn’t get any further
• When the next series came out, I baked the technicals - again
• I applied for the next series and got an interview! Why? Because they asked the same questions as the year before and I now knew all the answers! 
• I was invited to second interview in person and was told to bring a sweet and savoury bake! 
• I made it to a screen test! An actual screen test for GBBO! 

Sadly, I didn’t make the final step to the show, but I still love the programme! While I’m not making the technical challenges this year, it has inspired me to get my wooden spoon out again, whack on the oven and make some of the more classic challenges we all loved on the show back in day! 

First up, the classic that is Battenberg! I always forget how delicious this is and made more so by the use of homemade fig and orange jam to sandwich it all together. The addition of a @silverwood_bakeware Battenberg tin is a game changer and cuts out all the faff of making sure you get equally-sized and baked sections of sponge! 🍰 

If you fancy trying your hand at the GBBO interview questions, head over to my blog via the link in my bio! 🔗

#greatbritishbakeoff #gbbo #baking #technical #norfolk #homebaking #diaryofacountrygirl #norfolk #battenburg

Did I tell you, I had an interview for the Great British Bake Off?!

So the short story is that I used to religiously bake all the technical challenges on the Great British Bake Off. Then one year, I applied to take part….

• I filled in the application form - 10 pages, 38 questions.
• I was invited to a telephone interview - the questions were hard!
• I didn’t get any further
• When the next series came out, I baked the technicals - again
• I applied for the next series and got an interview! Why? Because they asked the same questions as the year before and I now knew all the answers!
• I was invited to second interview in person and was told to bring a sweet and savoury bake!
• I made it to a screen test! An actual screen test for GBBO!

Sadly, I didn’t make the final step to the show, but I still love the programme! While I’m not making the technical challenges this year, it has inspired me to get my wooden spoon out again, whack on the oven and make some of the more classic challenges we all loved on the show back in day!

First up, the classic that is Battenberg! I always forget how delicious this is and made more so by the use of homemade fig and orange jam to sandwich it all together. The addition of a @silverwood_bakeware Battenberg tin is a game changer and cuts out all the faff of making sure you get equally-sized and baked sections of sponge! 🍰

If you fancy trying your hand at the GBBO interview questions, head over to my blog via the link in my bio! 🔗

#greatbritishbakeoff #gbbo #baking #technical #norfolk #homebaking #diaryofacountrygirl #norfolk #battenburg
...

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