The Dark Hedges

This spectacular avenue of majestic beech trees near the village of Armoy, County Antrim is one of my favourite stretches of country road in Northern Ireland. Known locally as ‘The Dark Hedges’, the beeches (planted in 1750) form a natural archway above the road with their intertwining branches.




It’s an enchanting place to linger, watching the ever-changing light.

(Photos: Pam)

"Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth. They do not preach learning and precepts, they preach undeterred by particulars, the ancient law of life."
~ Hermann Hesse, Wandering

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

I recently bought some silicone moulds on ebay and have been itching to try out the raw cupcake recipes in Ani Phyo’s beautiful book, ‘Ani’s Raw Food Desserts’. I can never refuse a slice of carrot cake (well, cake in general), so I was intrigued by the prospect of how raw carrot cake would compare with the trusty cooked version. Even though I’ve been having fun making raw desserts for a couple of years now, there are still a few cooked recipes I hold sacred lol!




The cupcake base is a mixture of grated carrot (with some of the juice squeezed out), almond meal, ground cinnamon, Medjool dates and shredded coconut… and it really does taste every bit as good as the baked version!

Ani’s dairy-free ‘Kream Cheeze Frosting’ is made with ground cashews, lemon juice, raw agave nectar and a little water. I’ve used this delicious cream cheese alternative before in raw desserts and it’s perfect for topping any carrot cake, raw or not.

(Photos: Pam)

New Jewels!

I added a whole bunch of lovely new necklaces and a bracelet to the Midnight Raven Artisan Jewellery website yesterday. You can probably tell that I have a thing for chunky beads and pendants at the moment! The faceted citrine nuggets below are gorgeous in person, as is the handcut bornite (aka peacock ore) and pyrite pendant.

Honeysuckle necklace (Enchanted Garden collection)

Out of the Blue necklace (Balsam for the Soul collection)
(SOLD)

Did Someone Mention a Tea Party?

One of my favourite blogs, A Fanciful Twist, has just set the date for this year's Mad Tea Party. Everyone is welcome to join in the fun and general madness - click here to find out more and sign up!