"With Pomp, Power & Glory the world beckons vainly, In chase of such vanities why should I roam?While Peace & Content bless my little thatched cottage,And warm my own hearth with the Treasures of Home."*Beatrix Potter

Tuesday 11 November 2014

Cold November Days



The weather has turned now here in England, the north wind is definitely blowing.
How bare the land looks around our village as the last of the sugar beet is harvested & taken away.
Life at the cottage has been full with jobs this week, there is always much to do before Winter sets in.
~

I made cinnamon flop for breakfast.
It is an old Amish recipe from a book I have for many years.
They are very easy to make & very much enjoyed.
~


I have been cooking pumpkins.

Pumpkin Butter.
I have been making this for a few years now, the children love it especially on hot buttered English muffins.
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The pumpkin butter ready for potting up.
The smell was wonderful, so warm & seasonal.
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The last of the canning finished for the year.
It always feels so good to see all that your garden has produced for you over the year.
I do not can a large amount but enough for us to enjoy the fruits of our labour for a year.
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Canning shelves in our pantry.
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Pumpkin Loaves.
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Some of the pumpkin went in to bread, two to eat & two for the freezer.
This is a recipe I was kindly giving by a friend 10 years ago that lives in Massachusetts.
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Our beautiful cherry tree is such a beautiful colour this time of year.
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Remember remember the 5th of November.
Bonfire night.
This is how a nearby village celebrates the anniversary of the Guy Fawkes plot to blow up the houses of parliament.
It is a very family affair and all the funds raised goes to the upkeep of the little playground.
~


It was so cold, we were glad when the bonfire got going.
The twins in their crocheted scarves I made last year.
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Sidney enjoying his chips.
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Mary enjoying the fireworks.
The girls were so happy watching the fireworks.
We had such a special evening but it was so good to get home & get some warmth in to our toes.
~


I finished reading The Cottage Diaries & found it a very enjoyable book that again I didn't want to end.
Now I am reading Larkrise to Candleford.
I have watched the television series & was enchanted by the stories & sets so when I saw this old edition in the old book shop in town I couldn't resist.
This copy is full of pretty country prints which lets you picture times from a bygone era.
I am really enjoying this book & how Flora describes all the little details of a time long ago just before machines came in to the countryside. She captured the countryside before traditions & a way of life disappeared.
This is a book you can disappear into & imagine yourself there in the cottages she describes in so much detail.
~


One of the old country prints in the book.
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Rice Pudding.
This is such a simple dessert, we had it with home made canned rhubarb.
~


Today it is Remembrance Day, a time to remember our fallen & the families who have lost a loved one. We are going down to the War Memorial Hospital in town to remember those soldiers & read some of the poppy's laid in remembrance.

Keep warm.
Fondly Michelle
~



25 comments:

  1. Have tried again to post a comment and I get so frustrated with it so hope I'm successful this time. Lovely blog again and so glad you enjoyed firework night. The girls certainly look as if they did. Have not been notified about the blog yet but thought I'd check to see. Great again. Love you. Mum x

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    1. So glad you enjoyed the post Mum.
      Love Michelle

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  2. Hello Michelle.. So nice to see that you had posted and couldn't wait to read what you have been busy with.. Looks so wonderful and homey.. We love pumpkin bread here too and when the kids were home I would put a bit of chocolate chips in one,, smile.. Your rice pudding is one of my favorites, too.. Your pantry is nice and full.. We have a cold room in the basement just for canned things but it needs a good clean.. Take care, my friend.. xo

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    1. Hello Faye,
      I have one pumpkin left so I am going to try the pumpkin bread with chocolate chips, thank you for the idea.
      Thank you for your kind words.
      Fondly Michelle

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  3. Cinnamon flop bread has always been a favorite with my family. Growing up mom would often make it for our birthday breakfast. Your shelves of preserved goods look wonderful!

    Sarah

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    1. Like you we have cinnamon flop as a birthday breakfast treat too.
      Lovely to hear from you & I loved seeing your latest post.
      Fondly Michelle

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  4. Dear Michelle, since always it is a pleasure to visit his blog. A few days ago I also have been doing conserves, concretely I have done them of jam of quince and jam of gourd. His pantry meets marvellous with so many conserves. The girls since always they are the most handsome. An embrace. Mari Carmen

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    1. Oh I love quince in a jelly.
      Thank you for your kind words Mari.
      Fondly Michelle

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  5. Dear Michelle,

    Always nice to visit you:-) I love a good rice or tapioca pudding, alas most of my family does not so I suffer...LOL! They do, however, love a good bread pudding finished with a whiskey sauce-but we only get that Christmas day, a special treat. But, you have given me a hankering for rice pudding so I just may put that on the menu today!

    I have never heard of cinnamon flop, but I wonder if it is similar to dutch baby pancakes? I do have an amish cookbook so I must check.

    Here in New England we are enjoying a couple days of temps in the 60's! Tomorrow it is supposed to dip back down and be chilly and 40's.

    I love town bonfires--people do get more friendly over a good bonfire!

    The twins hats are lovely! Did you knit them?

    Warmly,

    Suzanne

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    1. Hello Suzanne,
      Cinnamon flop is a sweet dough but with no yeast. A very simple & tasty treat that I sometimes make the day before & then cover & heat the next day.
      We have a couple of warm days here too but I bet it will not last long.
      Fondly Michelle

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  6. Hi Michelle, Enjoyed your post as usual and always look forward to a new one. Your baking looks yummy and I pumpkin bread is on our menu for tomorrow although in my case it has to be gluten free which is sometimes a pain. Love the pics of your family too. Take care
    Mary

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    1. Thank you for your kind words Mary.
      I have never made a gluten free recipe.
      Fondly Michelle

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  7. I have a copy of the Larkrise to Candleford that you have, but I haven't read it yet. I have another of her books illustrated in the same manner called Still Glides the Stream, but I haven't read that one either! It sounds like I really must set them out on my reading table and read them this winter. I have a wonderful recipe for brown rice pudding, but since I'm the only one in my family that likes it I daren't make it!

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    1. Oh you must, I am nearly finished reading it & do not want it to end.
      Fondly Michelle

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  8. Oh, you have been so busy! I can almost smell all the wonderful things you've been baking and canning in your kitchen. Makes me eager to be a better gardener next year!
    We also have the same Lark Rise to Candleford book! I ordered a used copy not too long ago. I love the detail of the pressed flowers and the old paintings. They really inspire me to paint some spring and summer scenes--- I seem to always be a few seasons off! I was painting christmas in the middle of the summer here!
    Everything you've been making just looks amazing. What a wonderful home you have! And what a fun Bonfire Night!~

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    1. I love the paintings as well in this book, I am nearly finished reading it & do not want it to end.
      Thank you for your kind words, I do love to bake, I have a chocolate chip cake in the oven as I write.
      I am a month ahead at the moment, just a couple more gifts to wrap so December I can spend time baking for Christmas.
      Fondly Michelle

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  9. Enjoyable as ever ~ and I have three pumpkins left to put up in some way, shape, or form for winter eating. I love rice pudding and recently added mashed pumpkin and spices to a rice pudding! It was so very, very good, hot or cold! I am sure you would enjoy it.
    I love Lark Rise to Candleford, both the book and the television series, but have to keep them very separate in my mind as artistic license turns them into very different stories, I think.
    ~~~waving~~~

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  10. Oh yes Deborah such very different stories, the series only seems to use material from the book for a couple of episode's. I will finish reading the book tonight, my quiet time then I think I will start Cranford.
    We all love rice pudding here, now the girls eat the same as us. When they were small I had to make a ground rice pudding too as they would not eat the lumps.
    Fondly Michelle

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  11. I love your pantry! Your home is looking mighty cozy for the cold season. Rice pudding sounds good to me.

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    1. Thank you Jean.
      Lovely to hear from you.
      Fondly Michelle

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  12. hello michelle,
    wonderful photos from your cosy home.you have been busy and i can smell all your baking. I love Larkrise to Candelford ,too.
    thanks for this wonderful post!
    wish you a wonderful time,
    hugs regina

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  13. Hello Regina,
    Thank you for your beautiful comment.
    Fondly Michelle

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  14. The food looks so wonderful. I love rice pudding and Dutch rice pie too by the way ; ) Your pictures look so cozy. Have a wonderful day.

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    1. We love rice pudding too.
      Thank you for your kind words.
      Fondly Michelle

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  15. Dear Michelle, I really like what you write, your recipes, your photographs. And I love your house, it's wonderful, warm and welcoming. A kiss ... you soon.
    Mirtilla

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