Plum jam recipe

plum-jam-recipe There's something wonderfully homely and comforting about jam made from scratch. Plums are at their best this month so now's the ideal time to boil up a batch of sticky plum jam.

Blogger Yossy from Apt 2b baking has provided us with two plum jam recipes - one for small sugar plums, and a spiced plum jam flavoured with vanilla, cardamom and cinnamon.

If you feel a little odd about using such Christmassy spices in the middle of August, remind yourself that your jam will last well into December and beyond, when there is not a plum in sight. Sometimes a little forward planning pays off!

Braided rug tutorial

braided-rug-tutorial We've just unearthed this braided rug tutorial on A Beautiful Mess and we're itching to get plaiting. This DIY requires no sewing whatsoever, just a little patience and a big scrap fabric stash (check, and check!).

It may not be rug weather at the moment, but we thought we'd give you a little heads up on this one as it looks like it's going to take a little time. We love Elsie's bright colour choices and the fact she's mixed up plain fabric with gingham for a laid back, shabby chic effect.

Summer kids activity: animal print trails

nature-trail-kids-activity Having three young boys has taught Emma Bradshaw the kind of resourcefulness we can only dream of. Her blog, Bradshaw & Sons, is full of ideas for outdoor activities to get children out of the house and exploring.

One of our faves is an animal print trail. Emma's idea combines a little exploring, a little crafting and a touch of detective work - perhaps the perfect formula for a kids day out? It's perfect for British summertime and the prints will show up even better after a bit of rain.

Pop over to Bradshaw & Sons to find out more, then take a tip from Emma, kit your kids out in some wellies and prepare to get muddy.

animal-trail

Postcard shelf DIY

postcard-shelves-DIY The avid DIY-ers at Young House Love are busy filling their home with handmade projects. Our latest favourite is this office shelving DIY.

Using thin, grooved beams, Sherry and John have created a display area which can be switched and shifted around whenever they feel like it. We like to think of it like a giant scrapbook mood-board, perfect for crafty workspaces. Click over to Young House Love to see how they did it.

Vegetable of the month ... lettuce

garlic-scape-dressing-the-first-mess All different types of lettuce hit their peak in the balmy summer months, ready to coincide with the days when we're craving a crunchy, crispy salad. Don't you love it when mother nature does that? We've rounded up our top lettuce recipes for you to enjoy.

Proving first off that lettuce can be the star of the dish, is this garlic scape dressing recipe from The First Mess. Blogger Laura thinks a dressing can make or break a salad, and this is her fave (psst... don't worry if you don't have any garlic scapes, regular cloves will do just as well).

artichoke-and-apple-salad-a-beautiful-mess

Once you've mastered a top-notch dressing, you can go crazy with the extras. If you're having trouble awakening your inner Jamie Oliver, check out Emma's  five favourite summer salads on A Beautiful Mess for some inspiration.

Next we've got something a little different. Sprouted Kitchen's rustic goats' cheese pizza is scattered with a generous handful of dressed lettuce once it's out of the oven. A thin, crispy base and crunchy salad leaves make this pizza light, fresh and perfect for summer evenings.

fig-and-goats-cheese-pizza

Finally (and you'll notice we're getting gradually less and less healthy here), we couldn't have a lettuce round-up without featuring everyone's top sandwich, the BLT.

You'd be right in thinking you don't strictly need a  BLT recipe - the acronym pretty much covers everything. However, if you're interested in elevating the already-mighty sandwich to something even more special, click over to Not Without Salt. A touch of slow roasting, a spoonful of basil and ... oh, we'll let Blogger Ashley share the rest. We can't wait any longer, we're off to make one.

BLT-not-without-salt

P.S. Click to check out the rest of our vegetable of the month posts!

Cosy coffee shops

cosy-coffee-shops-guide 'Where shall we go for coffee?' is one of life's eternal dilemmas. Ensuring we never have to endure a dodgy brew again is Cosy Coffee Shops founder Tom, who has tracked down the best indie coffee shops all over the UK.

We take our hats off to Tom for a number of reasons. Firstly, first rate dedication to the cause (he's even begun extending his hunt abroad when he's on holiday). Secondly, for managing to rope in his tea and hot-choc loving fiancée. Finally, (we imagine) more than a few caffeine-induced sleepless nights. It'd rude not a try a few out, really.

How to use kitchen leftovers in your garden

Lemons-wikipedia-commons This week we have another simple eco-friendly gardening idea for you. Apartment Therapy has collated a list of seven kitchen leftovers to use in your garden.

They’re things which we all throw away on a regular basis (from coffee grounds to citrus fruit peel) so this will make our bins lighter and our gardens happier all in one go. We love it when that happens.

Do any readers have any other nifty gardening tips for using things we'd usually throw away? We'd love for you to share them with us.

Poppyseed lemon pound cake

lemon-poppyseed-pound-cake-recipe Lemon is one of our favourite summer flavours. It's fresh and zingy when we're feeling hot and bothered. This lemon pound cake recipe pairs citrus-y sponge with crunchy poppy seeds and sharp lemon icing, and it's making our stomachs very rumbly indeed.

Click over to Desserts for Breakfast for the recipe. In true recession spirit, master baker Stephanie has gone for a two-for-the-price-of-one recipe post and thrown in a ricotta and chocolate pound cake recipe for free.

Kids go free at the National Trust

National-Trust-free-entry-for-kids Newsflash! The generous people at the National Trust have come up trumps this summer by offering kids free entry to National Trust properties for all of August. Pack a picnic, explore an adventure playground or use the time to tick a few more items off your 50 Things to do before you’re 11 ¾ list - the choice is yours.

Pop over to the National Trust website to download your free voucher and get out and about before the sun goes in!