I kind of drifted into writing about food as a result of growing it. I have had a love for edible gardening since working on a market garden on weekends as a teenager. These days I have the privilege of having access to a large allotment where I grow almost all of my own vegetables, and I grow fruit and keep chickens in my small garden at home - ideal pursuits for someone who loves to cook. As I enjoy creating my own recipes, and because I am a list-keeper by nature, I am compelled to write down every new dish I make, but as my jotters began to mount up I thought it would be tidier to transfer my notes to the computer. In doing so, I started to see the possibility of putting together a book that would help other people to learn to cook. My methods were simple, I believe my writing-style to be friendly, and my passion for producing my own food is, I hope, contagious. 

 

My first book, "Teach Yourself to Cook from Scratch without Recipe Books", is aimed at those people who want to give up convenience foods but don't know where to start. I didn't want to overwhelm the reader with glossy photos of perfect dishes, or just present to them a book full of recipes. I wanted to talk my readers through the process, gently coax them into easy recipes that they might have previously thought were too difficult to bother with, and most of all, I wanted my readers to have fun in the kitchen, play with their food, tweak the ingredients lists, and be eager to go back and try something new.

 

My second book, "Make your own Ingredients", is less chat and more recipes. It is aimed at a wider audience - kitchen newbies and more seasoned cooks - and I hope it will inspire people to become more adventurous in the kitchen. The research I had to do when preparing to write this book had my family more than a little excited to sit down to a meal. I even had to rearrange my cupboards in order to fit in new and wonderful ingredients we hadn't tried before, as well as jars and jars of home-made products.

 

And then there's the crafts. Crochet is my main craft, and I do it as a means of relaxation. The changing seasons have a large impact on what I choose to make. Spring has me on a crochet frenzy making anything and everything - as soon as the heat of the sun can be felt, I am outside crocheting while absorbing the long-awaited golden rays. The long days of summer inspire me to make shopping bags and harvest baskets, and winter has me eager to make rag rugs. I do occasionally turn my hand to other projects, and the last year has seen me crocheting 4 baby blankets for family members and neighbours, and brightly striped shawls for my shop, but I always return to my favourite yarn and products - jute bags and rag rugs.

 

 

Julie x