Holiday Baking

It's all very informal around here during the hols.

Meals are often not at the usual times and sometimes not the usual fare......

so when there's a cry for pancakes, it's time to don an apron and make your own.....

and very tasty they were too!

School's Out For Summer

At last the holidays are here, with holiday weather to match.

And holiday haircuts are the order of the day.....

Bring on the holiday fun!!!

New Additions

We have two new additions to our little flock.....

Henrietta above and Hermione below...

They are light sussex and quite large hens compared to our regular brown Warrens and, great excitement, Henrietta is broody. Pictured above she is sitting on five hopefully fertile eggs provided by a friend who has a flock running with two cocks. So fingers crossed, in approx 18 days from now we may have some chicklets!

Meanwhile the garden is beginning to flourish. Just look at my little applets above. Aren't they cute?

This is a clematis called Graham something-or-other planted in September and looking lovely at the moment.

Here is our biggest strawberry "Royal Sovereign" just ready to turn hopefully.

Pea pods they are a plenty...can't wait to sample them.

And the boys have had loads of fun chasing bubbles. (Just look at my view, aren't I lucky?)

Hope you all had good weekends too.

Making Me Happy This week....

These gorgeous flowers a gift from my lovely littlest sis.

This baby boy is now four! (and still gets in with me at bedtime. I love it, we cuddle, he goes to sleep,I read for half an hour, blissful!)

And finally finished some knitting. This is Billie from Rowan Pipsqueaks. (I have nearly keeled over in shock when I've just seen how much this book is selling for on Amazon!)

It is knitted in a Bergere yarn and I've lost the ball band, it was totally the wrong tension so I knitted it 2 sizes bigger and it's OK, thank God because I am very poor at pulling things back to correct mistakes.

More to the point, he likes it. A big bonus in my book. It's for school and I am very proud to be the only mother with a child sporting a handknitted garment in our playground, even if it did take in excess of a year to complete!

And of course obligatory baking, for a senior citizens tea party at church this time....

40 scones.....

and two cakes with the last of my home made blackberry jam I'm afraid. Will have to make more this year.

Weekend: The Story So Far.....

Friday evening letting off a bit of steam...

Saturday morning sneaking a sip of Mums tea....

Saturday afternoon a spot of potting on.....

and planting out.....




and admiring the show so far.....



It's going quite well thus far. Hopefully more tomorrow.
Happy Saturday one and all.

Chick,Chick,Chick,Chick.Chicky,...Lay a Little Egg for Me

It's Holy Saturday and the excitement is running high here...

Tomorrow we are celebrating with an Easter Egg Hunt (after church) for 18 children.

We have made these lovely little egg baskets as tutored here by the lovely Lilly.

So far I have knitted 1 of these cute little chicks as tutored here by the equally talented Michelle.
Only 17 more to go! Watch this space.

Baking for Boyfriends

My eldest daughter brought her boyfriend home for tea today, (1st boyfriend, 1st visit) so I thought I ought to try and impress him! Got this recipe for strawberry swirls from Lilly Higgins' lovely blog. They are very easy to make but I think I overcooked mine a little and they were slightly crisp on the outside so we had them with custard.

They were very tasty, and the boyfriend was very nice too. What a relief! I expect I will have a huge baking repertoire by the time my 5th is bringing his girls home,( he is 3 at the moment.)

Birthday Boy

, My biggest boy turned 7 this week

 

Here he is blowing out his candles on his treasure chest cake.

In September my youngest will go to school and it will be the first time for 17 years that I haven't had a little one at home. I'm not quite sure whether to laugh or cry!