17th Century life - well almost!

Today is a cooking and garden day.

I have already made a loaf. Then made some rosewater (for the first time), see below, gorgeous colour and wonderful fragrance.

I have picked strawberries to have with cream, and some sage with flowers to make the house smell nice,

Plums and pears are growing, so are the potatoes, mint and garlic, alongside the roses and peonies and lavendar. Everything in my garden has a use and is beautiful.

Reading the domestic life of a Goodwyfe of the 17th Century, I find is not so different from what I'm doing today, except I have an electric cooker to work with. I do have a fire pit but it's in the shed.  It's easier obviously in the 21st century. Instead of a huge barrel with soft soap and water I have a washing machine.

But what is missing in this century is that most people don't have the pleasure of eating food they've grown themselves, the fragrance of bread baking in your house, picking fruit and veg as you need it, and the pride you feel in the achievement of a days housework.

There used to be a craze in the 80s for intermediate technology. Perhaps we should go back to that.

I'm off to learn how to use an English Longbow this weekend. That should be interesting.
Have a good week everybody.