"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

Monday 4 May 2015

Old Fashioned Living


The month of May has brought blossom to our garden, with cherry, pear & apple tree's we have many pretty shades.
The bluebells are blooming in their loveliness & the little glades around us are full of them in this season.
Baby rabbits are all over the garden nibbling the grass & playing, Spring has really sprung.
Blue Tits, Robins, Wrens & Blackbirds are singing heartily in the garden as I write, we have had a heavy shower of rain & the little birds are hunting for food. Darting in & out of the hedgerows which line our garden on the church side, they are such a joyful site. The rain has brought the blossom showering down like snow in little drifts all over the garden, it such a pretty site when the sun shines after rainfall.
~
Pear blossom.
~


Picking the first rhubarb of the year to make some puddings.
~


Rhubarb crumble, this caused such delight as we all love rhubarb.
~


Painting in the garden.
~
The girls love to paint & as it was a glorious day we decided to work outside. They do their studies in the morning & then choose an activity to do in the afternoon, it was painting on this day.
~


Kitty concentrating.
~


They do love to work in water colours as do I.
I brought my jumper outside to do some work on it as they painted.
~


Mary making a flower out of the fallen Magnolia petals & some Daisy's.
Simple things are so much enjoyed when you are small. To watch the children playing & enjoying life brings so much joy to my heart.
~


The first jam making of the year, the smell of the rhubarb was wonderful.
This recipe I have made for many years, it is adapted from a Rhubarb & Ginger recipe, we omit the ginger as the little one's would not like it even though they love gingerbread.
~


All potted up & ready for the pantry shelves.
I love when the fruit starts to come & jam making season begins.
~


My new Bleeding Heart with Forget me Nots in the back ground.
I do love cottage garden plants & found this in our little market in the town a couple of miles away from the village.
~


Apple blossom.
~


Their first knitting lesson.
Such excitement, they are making little blankets for their dolls house.
~


I am knitting a jumper for myself in such a lovely shade of green.
Lucy from 1940's Style for You posted this free knitting pattern, she is such a talented lady & does some beautiful knitting from 1930's & 1940's patterns.
~


More rhubarb with some frozen blackcurrants for some more puddings.
I made a cherry cake out of a wartime cookery leaflet as well.
While the children do their studies in the morning I bake, it works out well as I am around them.
~


It was a lovely cake very much like a Madeira as there was lemon zest in it.
~


The recipe.
~


George loves to play in the inglenook fireplace, it is so warm in that corner with the cooker going plus there is the kindling basket which makes for hours of fun for him.
~


Five O'clock Tea Cakes quickly made for the Sunday tea table.
This recipe came from a 1920's Borwicks Baking Powder book, the recipe called for a quick oven so I presumed that was hot. They turned out well anyway & the plate was soon empty.
~


Enjoy this beautiful month of May.
It is my birthday month so I do love it so.
Thank you my dear readers for all your kind words.
Fondly Michelle 
~

71 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos, I could almost smell your jam.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your lovely comment.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  2. Oh my! George has grown so! He is beautiful. Your baking looks so very delicious! The photos of your daughters are lovely. I can just imagine what fun it was to sit out in the sunshine painting. I hope you have a very blessed birthday!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a wonderful day Sarah, the sun was so strong & the birds so happy.
      Thank you for your kind words.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  3. Your girls looks so sweet as they paint outside :)

    My, your tasty treats have my mouth watering! The rhubarb is slowly coming up here and hopefully in a few weeks my family and I will be able to enjoy some rhubarb delights :)

    Wising you a beautiful week, my friend. Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your kind words Stephanie, hope you can harvest your rhubarb soon.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  4. I have reccently picked our first rhubarb too, such a wonderful taste!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The first rhubarb is always the best.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  5. Hi Michelle I wanted to ask can you recommend any old style cookery and baking books please x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here are a few of my favourites.
      Ruth Motts book
      Readers Digest Country Cooking.
      Any wartime cook books.
      I have all the Amish cook books by Kevin Williams & also the Mennonite Community Cook Book.
      There are so many, I do use a lot of the little vintage booklets that came with flour many years ago.
      Enjoy your day.
      Fondly Miichelle

      Delete
  6. I was hoping to see the girls' flower paintings! You have such a lovely schedule for your day with the girls. And I love that shade of green, too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry Cathy, we got so in to what we were doing I do tend to forget taking photo's.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
    2. I do the same thing! Did you see my comment to your comment on my Morning Musings post about my 3rd Anniversary?

      Delete
  7. We've had our first picking of Rhubarb too,and how wonderful it was to taste it again. Some things really are worth just eating seasonally. Jam making is so satisfying.

    I am sure that the girls did wonderful paintings. They are so lucky to be home schooled and to have you relaxing whilst they do.

    What a pretty colour and pattern your 1940s jumper is. It's good to see the girls learning to knit - a skill worth acquiring as there are so many lovely things to knit.

    The baking looks wonderful - thank you for sharing the recipes. I have a yen for Lemon Drizzle cake so I bought some fresh lemons today and hope to get that baked in the morning. I just love to bake, but life has been hectic recently and I am now having withdrawal symptoms.

    We have a George-lookalike who arrived here as a stray (all our cats have in fact). Ours is called Theo.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your lovely comment.
      The jam smelt so good & tasted lovely too.
      The girls so enjoy painting, all craft things are a favourite. I expect as they get older they will decide what they like to do best.
      Hope you got your lemon drizzle cake done, I ahve a lonely lemon in the fruit bowl so maybe a lemon drizzle cake for us too.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  8. Your photos capture the simple beauty and joy of life. I always look forward to your new posts, they are a highlight in my day:)
    Shirley in Virginia

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Shirley for your kind words.
      Enjoy your day in Virginia.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  9. What a relaxing and peaceful read. Thank you for sharing. I was also a May baby :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jes.
      My birthday is right at the end of the month, I wish you a lovely May birthday.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  10. Hi Michelle, a lovely spring post again.I too just got a bleeding heart in pink from a local barn lovely plants there and coffee and cakes in the barn.I love the green wool , just wish I could knit faster . Great the twins are learning to knit I wish my girls would. It seems to be having a revival a few knitting classes locally for families. I love rhubarb too , mine needs harvesting jam and a crumble but I have a cake recipe too so might try that too. My youngest has just started water colour painting she loves painting birds.I too love this time of year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your lovely comment.
      I love rhubarb cake, it is so moist. I have a recipe somewhere were you have it warm with cream.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  11. An absolutely lovely post! :) I used to bake a lot....but I often ate what I baked and it was causing me to gain much too much weight. Your baking looks lovely!
    Bravo to the girls who are learning to knit! I began teaching my daughter when she was 6. She is now 13 and does really well. :) We both enjoy creating and making things! We have been teaching ourselves to crochet as well. You can never have too many talents! :)

    Warmly,
    Katy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Katy.
      I am going to teach the girls how to crochet too, I am just a beginner really but I can show them how to do a granny square & flowers so a start. I guess we can learn together.
      Enjoy this wonderful day.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  12. Michelle,
    I do love seeing all your flowers blooming! We are still a bit behind you here in New England. Today our trees have green buds and can you believe it was 90 F-why just last week is was still in the 50's! You certainly do make so many lovely cakes, they all sound delicious. My Lydia, who is the youngest, enjoys painting outside also. Your girls look like watercolours come naturally to them:-)
    Kindly,
    Suzanne

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Its lovely to hear from you Suzanne & all about New England.
      Enjoy your long awaited Spring.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  13. It is always a joy to read your lovely posts. Your garden is so pretty in it's spring colors and the little twins are so adorable with their painting. Thank you for sharing such yummy looking recipes. I definitely will try the cherry cake and biscuits. My best to you :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you enjoy the cake & little tea cakes, we did.
      Thank you for your kind words.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  14. I am looking forward to your posts every time you write them,and your pictures are wonderful.It could be my own house only better !!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Rosemary for such kind words.
      Enjoy this beautiful day.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  15. Lovely photos! And thank you for including a snapshot of the 5 o'clock tea cakes in the post- I am definitely making those today. I love when it pops up into my email that you have a new post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The little tea cakes were lovely, you slice them in two & butter them, I forgot to mention that.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  16. I love to watch little ones working, the concentration on their little faces lifts my spirits. I have just pulled the first of the rhubarb crop too to make a crumble one of our favourites.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We love crumble too, we have stewed rhubarb tonight.
      Thank you for your lovely comment.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  17. Oh can I move in with you? Your home is so lovely
    Julie xxxxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Julie, pop round for tea any time.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  18. Love your post, Michelle.. As always, I should say.. That cake is awesome looking and was wondering what size and type of pan you used... I would like to make it.. Your Spring is glorious and ours is coming along fine.. Take care.. xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Faye.
      The cherry cake was done in a 7 inch tin, it was a vintage tin I used.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  19. Dear Michelle, this post has truly warmed my heart...The girls look so lovely taking in the sun, concentrating so diligently in their studies. It brings back memories of when my boys were quite young. I am in the process of creating our own cottage garden. ..so seeing yours is quite inspiring :o)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Mari for your kind words.
      We do love working in the garden, listening to the bird song & of course the church clock every hour.
      Good luck with your cottage garden.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  20. First pickings of our rhubarb today, too. I made a rhubarb and strawberry crumble with it, but will be picking more to make jam for our church sale on Saturday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rhubarb & strawberries go so well together.
      Wish I go visit the church sale.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  21. I'm always happy to have you share your loveliness with Roses of Inspiration - thank you, Michelle!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Dear Michelle, precious photos as always. It gives me a tremendous hunger whenever I see these wonderful pastry, bakes them in the kitchen that one sees to the bottom of the photo?. The girls are precious, always it is good to learn to do many activities. Happy days for all. Mary Carmen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Mary for your kind words, the girls love to make things.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  23. What a pretty and delicious looking post that was! It looks like you have many lovely things to keep you busy and happy. I love your new cupboard: funny how they don't make such practical things nowadays. Who needs a huge kitchen when you have everything in such a nice little spot?
    Jenn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jenn, we are always busy & love to be.
      The new cupboard is wonderful, everything in one place.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  24. Hi Michelle,
    I really enjoyed looking around your beautiful garden, the blossom is lovely!
    The rhubarb crumble and jam both look delicious! I enjoy jam making too and am looking forward to the blackberry season to do just that.
    The jumper you are knitting is very nice, and such a lovely shade of green which will suit the vintage pattern very well.
    I loved seeing your girls learning to knit, it is a joy to see children so happy doing simple things.
    George has chosen a brilliant spot to stay warm and cosy!

    Have you been watching Home Fires? I have watched the first episode ( will watch the second later this week ) and loved it!

    Did your Beatrix Potter cookery book arrive? I've just ordered another Susan Crawford vintage knitting book, the Vintage Gifts To Knit one, so am looking forward to that arriving.

    I hope you are having a lovely day,
    Take care,
    Melanie x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Melanie for your lovely comment, I love blackberries too.
      Yes I have been watching Home Fires & loving it, I do love the dresses.
      My cookbook arrived but I have not used it yet, maybe at the end of the week.
      I looked at the Susan Crawford books but they are very pricey. Maybe I will get one for my birthday, it would be nice to look through one first before spending the money.
      Enjoy this lovely evening, I am making flowers for a Spring tea cosy.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
    2. Hi Michelle
      I agree, the Susan Crawford books are expensive. I was after them for a long time, but what I did was keep an eye on Amazon, and when one came on there at a reasonable price, I ordered it, so I'd recommend doing that as they do pop up on Amazon much cheaper :-)

      Enjoy making your flowers for your cosy xx

      Delete
    3. I will keep an eye on Amazon, are there any good patterns in the books.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
    4. I got the two on my blog for my birthday,bbut all the same I kept an eye on Amazon to get a good deal on them.
      Oh yes, the patterns in them are wonderful! Some of the best I've seen, and so many too! The Stitch In Time books are really thick, jam packed with the most beautiful patterns, enough to last a lifetime I think!
      My latest Susan Crawford book arrived yesterday, and again it is fantastic, there's a beautiful vintage Christmas jumper in there I'm wanting to make.

      I'm going to watch last Sundays Home Fires tonight, can't wait!

      Hopefully I'll get round to doing a blog post tomorrow,

      I hope you have a lovely night,
      Take care,
      Melanie x

      Delete
    5. I forgot to ask, are you on Ravelry? Because on there you can view all Susan Crawfords patterns from her books.
      I've put up a new blog post today, with a few pictures from my latest knitting book xx

      Delete
    6. I will keep an eye our for those books.
      No I am not on Ravelry, I will have a look.
      Just going to look at your blog now.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  25. hi michelle,
    i harvested rhubarb too and made jelly,cake,jam and compote.my family love rhubarb.lovely pics from your garden.your knitting looks
    lovely,love the colour!
    have a nice week,
    take care,regina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rhubarb Jelly sounds lovely Regina.
      I have just finished the knitting part of the jumper today, so just the sewing up & a bit of crocheting to do now.
      Enjoy this beautiful sunny evening.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  26. Hi, Michelle. I found you from Mari's blog. What a lovely blog you have! I loved my visit here. I saw that many of your favorite books and DVDs echo mine, especially Joan Hickson's Miss Marple. Not only a very clever lady but she can knit up a storm! I will be back and I have you bookmarked.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome Melanie,
      Yes I love Joan Hickson too, thank you for your lovely comment.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  27. Helo there Michelle. I have found your blog by chance and so happy that I have. Lovely Pear blossoms and apple. One day im going to make something with Rhubarb i was always afraid of it being i believe the leave are posion but it looks wonderful. And i barel knit, wish I could do more. I have taught myself to make fine thread doilies by sight dont understand the instructions to well. I enjoyed your post thank you with love Janice

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome Janice,
      Thank you for your lovely comment, so glad you enjoyed the post.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  28. I'm so glad that I found your blog!
    I found you on the blog from Mia, Aspiring Homemaker.
    Thank you for this inspiring blogposts!
    You live in a very lovely house, and in the land of my dreams!

    Love from the Netherlands.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome Carolien,
      Thank you for your lovely comment, I love Mia's blog too.
      Enjoy the rest of this lovely day.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  29. Hi its lovely to meet you. I love all things old fashioned as well.
    Your site is so beautiful. I am inspired. Julie (Australia)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Am short of words for the amazing profit you helped me earn in just a week with binary options strategy am so sorry I doubted at the beginning, I invested $200 and earn $2,500 in just one week, and kept on investing more, today I am financially successful, you can contact him via email: carlose78910@gmail.com
    Via whatsapp: (+12166263236)
    I advice you shouldn't hesitate. He's great.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I really like your blog and you shared the whole idea very well. And beautifully written, read by the soul! Thanks for sharing. Automatic Clicker

    Casino Online

    ReplyDelete
  32. I really like your blog and you shared the whole idea very well. And beautifully written, read by the soul! Thanks for sharing. Automatic Clicker

    កាស៊ីណូអនឡាញ

    ReplyDelete
  33. You managed to hit the nail upon the top and defined out the whole thing without having side
    effect , people could take a signal. Will probably be back to
    get more. Thanks
    english stories

    ReplyDelete

  34. I am cured from [Herpes] 100% herbal.

    Empower your journey to herpes health free

    with naturally herpes remedy.

    [Robinson.buckler]@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete