Therapeutic baking

I was roaming around the bookshop the other day, as is my want. Books really are so lovely to look at, hold and admire. My favourites are, of course, anything to do with eating and/or making things so I quite quickly found myself in the cookbook section and this title caught my eye. I have read a lot of books by Marion Keyes and have loved them so the idea of a cookbook from her was enticing. However, this isn't just a cookbook, it's an idea.
 An idea that cooking, or more specifically baking can make you feel better. Marion suffers from depression and I can very gratefully say that I don't so my baking doesn't help me in the same way as her baking helps her. However, when I am preoccupied by something, or stressed by something - I bake. It is my fall back position in times of strife.

 For me, it is incredibly therapeutic. I have to concentrate on the recipe so my worries go out of my head as it is filled with measurments and oven temps. It can be done with lots of action going on around me, music, fighting children,radio. I can do homework help or sort out relationship issues as I bake. And perhaps best of all, I get something delicious to eat at the end, and a sense of satisfaction which sometimes can be very important on a difficult day.

 I truly feel Marion may be on to something here.
On that particular trip to the bookshop I didn't buy any books but I did buy the idea that without baking my life wouldn't be quite the same.

Megan

Books

I love blogs. And books. I can't get enough of either. Over the next few weeks, Megan and I will share some of our favourite spaces and places with you. But, right now, I am in the fortunate position of doing some book reviews over on whipup. The most recent review takes a look at these:

Do you know whipup? Get yourself over there right now and check it out - inspirational stuff.

Cushions and cats

As I think I have mentioned before I am an enthusiastic knitter but not a knitter of complicated patterns. Simple but effective is what I aim for. I like a pattern that can fit into my world, i.e. a pattern that enables me to pick it up, knit a few rows, sling it down again when called away by an urgent child request, then pick it up again at the end of the day when I am feeling a little tired and foggy. However, I still would like it to look good when I eventually finish it!

I rather like knitting cushion covers because they tick most of the above boxes and really, you can't have too many cushions, especially when you are the proud owner of three cats!
Just as an aside, we started with two cats and probably should have stopped there because the first two were very cosy together. However, the RSPCA put a call out to say they had a surplus of beautiful kittens and I took the children down to "just have a look"....you get the picture I'm sure. The addition of Midge, pictured below, has caused angst in our small cat world but truly the occasional cat spats and subsequent cat antics produce a lot of entertainment for my children and my husband so I'm not complaining. We are a family that loves cats.

Anyway, my cushion cover,

Beautiful handmade quilt courtesy of the talented Jules

This gorgeous varigated yarn was bought at a local weekly market, see here. And the buttons came from this beautiful shop which I visited on a recent trip to Bathurst. The pattern is a variation on one from Jo Sharp which I have used often and is very basic but can be dressed up with embroidery, different coloured yarn on each side or buttons.

And finally, Midge, who as soon as I had turned around to readjust and take another photo was settling herslf down for a nap on said cushion

I take this as a vote of approval.