Spring has been showing its pretty face here in our small English village.
Little green shoots are popping up all over the garden bringing hopes of warm days full of sunshine.
All the fields around us are either filled with wheat or ploughed ready for this years sowing.
Soon the two grass meadows next to our garden will be busy with Spring lambs & their mothers.
Our hazel trees are so pretty with their catkins all golden in the first real sunshine of the year.
Hazel nuts are said to be the nuts of knowledge, wisdom & inspiration.
This I read in The Country Calender by Flora Thompson.
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The sacred hazel's bloom is shed,
The nuts of knowledge harvested.
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A Country Calender & other writings was a lovely book about the changing seasons which included the book Heatherly about Flora's {Laura's'} life after she left Candleford.
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This past week has been filled with some special celebrations, knitting, baking, reading & special family times. Soon those days inside will become days outside, filled with planting & digging.
The book I am reading now is Betty's Wartime Diary 1939 ~ 1945.
The name Betty drew me to this book as it was my grandmother's name, she was such a special lady who has inspired my life so much.
Betty lived in Norfolk & had a wonderful cat called Albert that she adored.
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Wartime Chocolate Pudding.
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We watched the Wartime Kitchen Garden last week after Melanie from Cosy Living told me it was available again.
After watching Ruth Mott making this wartime pudding I thought I would make it, we do love a good old fashioned steamed pudding.
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This recipe is low in sugar, the carrot replaces some of the sweetness.
Recipe from my Wartime Kitchen Garden book.
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The finished pudding with custard.
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I was a little nervous at how it would go down with the children, I should not have been.
It all went, with calls for can you make it again Mum please.
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I made the seed cake again this time with lemon zest in the cake mixture.
Then I drizzled it with a glaze made with lemon juice.
We preferred it with the glaze.
Thank you Deborah from A garden in the Shire for your lovely memory of seed cake & telling me about the icing. I didn't have any orange water in like Deborah remembered but had some lemons left from Pancake Day.
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A few treats for a family Valentines Day.
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The twins made small heart shaped chocolates with fudge inside.
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A little Valentines Day tea.
The girls made little decorated hearts for a lovely table decoration.
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Mary's tea cosy.
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Bless her she was so excited when this one was finished, it makes a cheery note to the kitchen table.
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Wholemeal Cherry Cake.
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I had the last of the beautiful ground flour from our trip to Lode Mill to use by the end of this month so made a cherry cake.
I always use white flour for this cake but after using wholemeal flour this is the way I will always make it.
It was so moist with a lovely flavour.
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Another church family fun day, this one was for Shrove Tuesday.
Daisy & Mary decorating pancakes.
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The children made their own pancake batter.
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Kitty loves pancakes.
She enjoyed orange juice & sugar on hers.
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Making some pretty masks using ribbons, glitter & jewels.
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Kitty wearing the mask Daisy made.
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A fun pancake game.
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It is just around the corner, Spring time & warm sunshine.
We popped to our little garden centre & got a few supplies for the garden.
It is such fun to choose with the children what we will grow in the garden this year.
We still need to get some beetroot & tomato seeds & when it is warmer strawberry plants for our new bed.
I can't wait to get outside.
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Thank you dear readers for all your lovely comments & kind words.
Fondly Michelle
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