Quince Brandy & a completed creation

Yesterday I picked eleven of our quinces from the little tree in the garden.

So, today, with my boys off at the zoo, I made a quick batch of quince brandy.

I have drunk brandy all of twice in my life, I think, having more of a taste for Scottish Whisky given the chance, but have to assure you all that I am such a horrendously cheap date that a glass of wine is about all I can manage before needing pyjamas and a cup of tea!

However, there is something about this beautiful season and about wanting to use what we have grown in new and long lasting recipes that has seen me buying brandy and pouring it over quartered quinces in jars, adding a cinnamon stick and some cloves.

The recipe called for star anise but two of our local supermarkets failed to provide it so I threw in some cloves instead. Star anise would look much prettier but rustic drinks like this look great whatever you do with them. Here are the home-grown babies waiting for the chop.
Quartered and ready for a brandy bath.

And here they are in a beautiful Kilner jar and an old sauerkraut jar (well washed and rinsed, I assure you!).

And then glowing on the kitchen window sill.

I shall wait for a cold night and a fire roaring in the grate before posting about the taste of this amber nectar.
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Now, brace yourselves!

I competed a knitted, mohair bra the other evening.

Yes, rub your eyes and blink, you read that right.

I belong to a newly begun crafting group called"Stitch This" that aims to highlight issues relating to women through crafted items and occasional exhibitions.

We have the display window of the local Cornerstone, health and lifestyle community resource centre, for a few weeks for Breast Cancer Awareness.

This is my contribution.

I will take pictures of our display window and post them sometime once it is all on show (so to speak!).

And so I leave you with mohair bras floating before your eyes and with the information that February is Female Genital Mutilation Awareness Month (FGM Month).

You can't say I haven't warned you.

I tell you this is crafting on the edge.

With teeth.