Strange smells!

I am increasingly irritated (I know that I shouldn't let it get to me!) by some TV advertising for air freshener and laundry conditioner. There is a pair of adverts currently running for new fragrances in the Lenor range - one is White Diamond and something and the other is Black Diamond and Lotus Flower, I think. Now, today, I have seen an ad for a new room fragrance called "Glistening Snow". "Glistening Snow"???????? As far as I know, gemstones and snow don't actually smell of anything........do they? I'd love to know what these manufacturers think a diamond smells like.

I don't use artificial fragrances on our clothes very often - there is an old bottle of cheap store-brand fabric conditioner in the utility room cupboard which I use occasionally in the winter when I know that the FGs' shirts are going to have to be dried indoors, but most of the time our laundry is line-dried outside, sometimes under the verandah but that is still outside - and that gives us the freshest smell: the smell of fresh air! You just cannot beat it, and all the fabric conditioners in the world will never smell that good. Similarly, we don't use air fresheners in the house, prefering to open a window and let some fresh air in to take away any stale or unpleasant smells. I throw open our bedroom windows most mornings, even if it is just for five minutes, and the freshness of the morning air does wonders to wake me up!

The FGs are at home from school this week on their half-term holiday. The EFG has been to a sports centre for the day, playing cricket, benchball and basketball. She has had a good time with some old friends and made some new ones too - she loves going there and goes each holiday for a couple of days. The YFG used to go too but she doesn't like it now, so she stayed at home with me and made cookies. We picked the EFG up at 3 and went in to town to the bank, the Post Office and a clothes shop as the YFG had no jumpers (sweaters) at all for this winter - we were very lucky and got two in her size made of the softest fleece and she is SO happy with them!

On the way home, we did some more rural shopping - we stopped at a farm and bought two bales of straw for the rabbits and hens bedding. Straw has been difficult to buy this autumn but this farm has lots so I will be going back there to buy more but I could only fit two bales into the car today. A mile or two further along, another smallholder is selling bags of carrots and parsnips, and we picked up two of carrots and one of parsnips. These are BIG bags, about 15kg or so, I would guess, and the man gets them by the trailerload from local packing houses where carrots and other veg are processed and packed. These are the ones which don't make it through the quality control and are sold off cheaply. There is nothing wrong with them: there are a lot of odd-shaped ones and a wide variety of sizes, but they all taste great! Last year I made lots of soup with them and we had beautiful roasted parsnips all winter........I am looking forward to them on Sunday with a roasted chicken already.

I wonder whether The Mom who posts comments occasionally would like to share her recipe for pumpkin loaf cake as I have lost it and now is a great time of year to make it...please?