Saturday was a cold, damp day, following on from a string of colder, damper days and in the cottage things were definitely feeling more Autumnal than Summer like and so we made the decision to light the Rayburn for a couple of days, to help dry out the air and warm everything up. Ordinarily, lighting the Rayburn for a couple of days before the usual late September/early October official relighting, normally heralds the return of scorching hot weather. Well it’s Sunday morning and we’re still waiting but as we really do need the house to dry out and warm up, that’s no bad thing in my opinion. Mud, on the other hand is thoroughly fed up because rain has stopped play, or rather painting, in respect of Bonnies body panels….. again!
Tag Archives: rayburn
Raindrops keep falling on my head …….
Cooking at Mudville has always proved somewhat of challenge. For nine months of the year, late autumn to early spring, meals are cooked on the solid fuel, very temperamental Rayburn and it can often take several hours to boil a pan of water for the vegetables, with a further half a day to bring the water back to the boil once the vegetables have been added. Well okay, maybe I’m exaggerating a little but it isn’t unheard of for an entire meal to be delayed by an hour or more because the vegetables aren’t ready yet!
Scones two ways
Growing up, one of my favourite treats was the serving of what I knew as ‘Drop Scones’. As an adult I have seen these under the name of Scotch Pancakes or American Pancakes, as well as Drop Scones. Continue reading
Christmas sparkle
I’ve got a new kitchen, potting shed and dining room
The Rayburn resigned

Our Rayburn had been in situ when we bought the cottage and we had believed, at that point, that it was only 7 or 8 years old and had centuries of life left in it. Over the years we’ve replaced the firebricks, bought a new riddle assembly and gone through 2 ash pans but this year the Rayburn gave up the ghost and resigned without notice. Continue reading
Wash Day Blues
I used to have one, a line that is, but having spent many days/hours toiling away to transform our garden from a bleak hard cored nothingness, into a family friendly, playing, eating and veg’ growing area, Mud decided that the washing line was an ugly addition and it simply had to go.
Fine! But then how, would he mind telling me, was I supposed to get the washing dry?
During winter I can use the old fashioned dryer which is suspended above the Rayburn and washing dries relatively quickly on it, although sheets, towels and blankets are still a problem due to the amount of space they take up and, in the case of towels and blankets, the time they take to dry. Continue reading