What gloomy, murky weather we're having! A chilly, damp fog has descended and walking the dogs this afternoon was like wandering through a strange, quiet, bluey-grey world full of blurred, ghostly shapes. Another couple of inches of snow fell through the night but it's very soft and damp with the rise in temperature so at least walking is a bit easier.
What better way to cheer up a gloomy afternoon than to escape into pile of lovely new magazines and that's just what I did! Not that there weren't masses of other jobs to do, but the lure of the February issue of Country Living was too strong. I've been reading Country Living since it first appeared in the mid 80's and I still have every issue. They're stored in various boxes, bags and piles and some day I would like to file them in chronological order but I can't see that happening anytime soon!
I think the February CL is better than the last few issues. I felt the magazine had been going through a rather stale phase but this is a very bright, interesting and inspiring issue. The Emporium pages feature lots of interesting bits and pieces and there's also a very good piece on food fraud which is something we should all be aware of as it happens a lot more than we might think. I'm particularly delighted to see that Diana Henry is to be their new, regular, food writer as I love her books especially Crazy Water Pickled Lemons which is full of wonderful recipes. There are also lovely crafts, marbled paper, fascinating interiors and all the other usual features.
I started to buy Country Homes & Interiors regularly in late 2009 and I've been enjoying it ever since. I particularly like the food writing and have discovered lots of lovely new recipes over the months. The February issue features egg recipes including what sounds like a delicious goat's cheese and leek souffle. There's an interesting article about glove makers in Somerset and some clever ideas for making bird feed cones, bells, hearts and trays which look really pretty and would no doubt go down well with the birds! There are also the usual interiors features and a lovely article about a collection of snowdrops in Kent.
I know 2 people who gave up their subs to Country Living last year as they were fed up with the same old stuff. I agree this is a really good issue. Diana Henry is my favourite cookery writer and can't imagine my kitchen without her!
ReplyDelete