"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 14 March 2017

Springtime is Nearly Here.


New life is shooting up all around us here in the English Countryside this time of year.
It's beautiful to see all those little strong bulbs pushing through the frosty earth wanting to put on their show of colour to welcome in the Spring. 
I always know when the warmer weather is on it's way as the Rooks return to the rookery in the spindly pines at the end of our garden. They are busy building their nest's, I have never seen a more busier bird at the task of nest building.
The villages hedgerow are filled with an abundance of things if you take a while & look closely. The girl's have been doing a weekly nature journal which is not only teaching them but me too. 
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Mary studying the Lesser Colendine which we discovered on one of our nature walk's.
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Birds have come back to the cottage garden to sing their sweet morning song, warm day's do not seem that far away. These day's hold many thought's of flower's & our vegetable garden. The girl's have their own idea's of what they would like to do & grow in the garden, I love to watch them blossom with their imagination & thought's.
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Cottage days are filled with nature walk's, baking, gardening & learning.
Each day holds a new experience.
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Kitty on one of our weekly nature walks, that week was looking for signs of nesting bird's.
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We follow Lynn Seddon's Exploring Nature with Children.
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www.raisinglittleshoots.com
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It's a perfect balance between outside work & written work.
The girl's are doing their journal's in the style of Edith Holden.
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Sidney turned fourteen at the end of February.
He chose Chocolate Cake with as many treat's as I could get on the cake, he always chooses Chocolate Cake.
I rarely get a photo of these two boy's, Danny will be 16 in May I can't believe how the time has flown.
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I finished another 1930's Bow Scarf for the twin's beautiful pen friend in America.
This little girl love the 1930's.
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Custard Pie & two Apple Crumb Pie's.
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Now that the hen's are starting to lay more egg's Custard Pie is ideal to use them up in.
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Recipe for the Custard Pie I make.
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Combine 1/2 cup of sugar
3 egg's
2 cups of milk
Mix these ingredient's with a hand whisk for a few minute's.
Then pour in to a pie case.
Sprinkle top with nutmeg & bake for around 40 minutes at 350 o
I find this recipe quick to mix up.
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I helped the twins make themselves a skirt each out of an old skirt of mine.
They are so happy with the end result & they love practicing their sewing skills.
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Spring flowers are popping up all around our village.
These were blooming on our nature walk last week.
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Apricot cake for tea & one for the freezer.
I like to have a few cakes in the freezer in case of emergencies.
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Hand crocheted dishcloths.
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Oatmeal & Chocolate Chip Brownies.
I used The Amish Cook's recipe from The Amish Cook's Baking Book.
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My love of antique linen's.
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An empty farm worker's cottage on one of our walks around our village.
I love to look inside & see glimpses of the former occupant's.
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It has the same window's as our cottage.
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Beautiful fireplace.
Each room has a faded glory to it.
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Old coat hooks in the round porch.
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Entrance way.
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Another old fireplace with Art Deco tiles.
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Beauty found in old age.
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The front of the cottage with round porch.
Around the property are beautiful old apple tree's.
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I love to make pie's from the many Amish cook book's I have.
One of our favourite's is Lemon Sponge Pie from The Amish Cook Baking Book. This is one of my favourite cook book's.
The twin's made some little jam tart's with the left over pastry.
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Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Cookies.
These were very healthy, the children loved them so we will be making them again.
The recipe is from Thy Hand has Provided Cook Book.
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Barm Cakes.
These are a very soft roll popular in the North of England.
We ate them with homemade Leek & Potato Soup.
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The girl's love to bake & quite often take over from me.
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I hope you all have a beautiful early Spring.
Thank you dear reader's for all kind comment's, I feel so blessed to have you all following me.
Fondly Michelle
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51 comments:

  1. What a lovely read , I love you see all your baking xx

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  2. What a treat to read your post after a long day at work! x

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  3. What a fascinating old cottage. It seems sad that it isn't lived in.
    I use a lot of Amish recipes, and they always turn out so well.

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    1. I think the farmer is going to do it up for his daughter, it's in a beautiful spot Elizabeth.

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  4. I'm always hungry after reading your sweet writings. The Pumpkin Chocolate biscuits with two of my favourite ingredients really speak to me!
    Yes, spring is slowly springing everywhere now ~~~xo

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    1. They were very good cookies Deborah.
      It feels so good to get outside & start working in the garden. x

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  5. Good evening Michelle, I was about to say, how sad it was, to see such a lovely old cottage left to deteriorate and then I read that the farmer was going to renovate the cottage for his daughter and that made me feel glad. The cottage will be filled with so many forgotten memories and I can't help but wonder who used to hang their coats on the hooks.
    I love cooking, but I have never cooked from an Amish cookery book. I adore custard tart. I feel a little baking coming on.
    Best Wishes to you.
    Daphne

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    1. I hope you make the tart Daphne, I'm doing another one this morning.
      Yes so many forgotten memories in that little cottage. x

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  6. Hello my dear.. Loved your post and marvel at your baking skills.. Everything looks delicious and your family is precious.. We are in the midst of another storm here in Eastern Canada again tonight as I write.. Oh well.. Spring will get here in time. xooxo

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    1. My friend lives in Albany & they have had an amazing amount of snow, she longs for Spring. x

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  7. Thank you for the custard recipe and for letting us follow along with everything you do with the girls. It's so inspiring and refreshing Michelle.
    Lynn x

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  8. It's so lovely to see a post from you Michelle. Your baking looks wonderful as I remember previous posts. The twins are really growing up and mastering so many domestic chores. I do enjoy seeing England from your point of view. Have a wonderful week. ♥

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    1. Thank you Martha Ellen, enjoy your week too. x

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  9. Happy to see that you are back blogging and sharing your beautiful family and life. Nice to see both Sidney and Danny. No wonder you are always baking with teen boys in the house.

    Take care and God bless you.

    Sandy

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    1. I laugh Sandy & say they have hollow legs as they eat so much. x

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  10. Love reading your blog, I missed you whilst you were away. Your beautiful looking white rolls look just perfect. Is there a special recipe?

    Julie xxxxxxxxxx

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    1. Just look up Barm Cakes, I use a Paul Hollywood book a lot. x

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  11. It's so good to read your posts again! I love the way you bring your girls up and would like to try baking your way. The old farm cottage would be fantastic to live in.

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    1. It's set high up on the Lincolnshire Wolds with field's all around it, perfect. x

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  12. Such a lovely post. I can almost smell the delicious cakes and cookies. I love Amish cooking too, well all things Amish ;)
    I hope you're feeling better ?
    Have a fantastic beginning of Spring.

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    1. I'm still in a lot of pain Monique but getting on, life goes by to quickly.
      I love Amish thing's too. x

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  13. I'm always fascinated with old abandoned cottages and love to imagine what life was like when they were last inhabited. The one near you is a real treasure, if only it could be brought back to life, I would be there regularly to imagine and dream.

    Aren't the girls clever to have made themselves skirts, I was only making much simpler items when I was their age.

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    1. It's in such a beautiful spot. We are going for a walk up there this lunch time & bringing our lunch as the weather is glorious today. x

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  14. My darling Michelle, it's always such a precious moment the one I do spend with you here, your ancient way of living, of 'making' your home, of growing your children, it all really warms my heart and fills it with sincere joy, thank you, cherished friend !

    Wishing you a most lovely remainder of your week,
    with heartfelt thankfulness

    XOXO Dany

    P.S.: what a charm preserves the old building you've visited !!!

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  15. Lovely post as usual !! So sad to see the old abandoned cottage , it needs to be loved and restored !! Are Amish cook books easy to find? I am fascinated with the Amish people .your girls look so lovely in their skirts my daughter has an interest in sewing and crafts (like me) it's lovely to share an interest together . I hope the home schooling is going well they seem happy!!

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    1. We should have done it full time from the start, we started with flexi schooling. It's wonderful to home educate and they are so happy. Ebay and Amazon have loads of Amish books, years ago it was hard to get hold of American books but not now. x

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  16. Hello Michelle, I home educated my children as well - I love the nature journals and wondered if you had discovered Ambleside online - free homeschool resource using Charlotte Mason methods.

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    1. I new that Charlotte Mason came from Cumbria but didn't know about Ambleside Online. Thank you so much I will look today. x

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  17. Another lovely post Michelle. You have such a delightful way with words. Your twins are extremely lucky to be having such a wonderful childhood in such a loving environment. I'm in awe of how you manage to home school as well as have a large family and remain so calm as well as growing your own veg to make those lovely meals. I have a husband, 3 grown sons and 2 dogs but never seem to have enough hours in the day.How do you do it? Any tips on how to be a domestic goddess would be welcome!! You had better start writing a book on how you do it all, I'm sure It would be a best seller.

    Best wishes to you all x

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    1. I don't have enough hours in the day either. My mind is alway's full of what I need to do & what I would like to do. I stay in a lot as that is the type of life I want & enjoy. I just think we decided to have all our beautiful children so they come first. I'm in bed reading each night by 9 though. xx

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  18. We did Nature Journals and took many nature walks during our homeschooling years. Occasionally, I will still make an entry in my journal when I come across something new and interesting. What an interesting old cottage. It should be refurbished and lived in. Nice visiting again. :-)
    Blessings ♡

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  19. P.S. Another source for the Charlotte Mason method is momentswithmotherculture.blogspot.com It is Karen Andreola's blog. She republished and brought Miss Mason's writing to America years ago. Her book, A Charlotte Mason Companion, was very helpful in my homeschool. She has a Facebook page also.
    Have a good day!

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  20. Your home school days look so lovely! It reminds me so much of when I was young and my mom taught my sisters and me. We too had nature books and loved sewing projects with our mom. The skirts your daughters sewed are beautiful! I love the little ruffle sewn along the hem. They did a terrific job!

    Your pies look delicious! I too love to make custard pie from our Mennonite cookbook. It was my grandma's favorite.

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    1. Sorry Sarah I replied to you but didn't hit the reply button x

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  21. I love home schooling the girls Sarah, I wish I had known about it with the other children but it's quite new here in England. I have the More with Less cookbook and another Mennonite cookbook, I use them all the time.

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  22. I love reading your blog. I'm always fascinated by your nature walks and love the girs' nature journals - it's something so lost to a lot of children of today which is a great shame. Keep up the good work! x

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    1. Thank you Norma, so glad you enjoyed the post. xx

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  23. Love seeing a new instalment of your blog drop into my email inbox. I have started collecting whatever I can find from mainly the 1930s but also from surrounding decades too if I can. I got married in my Grandmother's wedding dress which was from 1934! It looks slightly innocuous in my late 1980s modern suburban house but one day we'll move . . . I homeschooled my daughter briefly which we loved and she talks about those times fondly - she's in her last year of primary school at the moment. We are coeliac so I'm eyeing up your delicious custard pie and thinking that I could make a gluten free version of that. I've just given up my job for health reasons (stress aggravating autoimmune diseases) and am looking forward to a slower, simple . . . and more frugal! . . . pace of life. Than you for taking the time to make your blog xxx

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    1. So glad you enjoyed the post Kitty,
      We have always lived on one wage so being frugal & thrifty is built into our lives, I think that helps to make thing's more simple.
      Hope you enjoy your slower simpler life. xx

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  24. Those nature diaries are beautiful and your girls very artistic. I have loved Botany since I was a small child and still love to find new-to-me plants.

    I loved to see all your baking. I love to bake too, and you have some lovely recipes on your blog.

    I'm glad to hear that the old cottage will be renovated. Many Welsh ones were just allowed to fall down, which seems such a waste.

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    1. Oh it does, when a cottage is gone you can't get it back.
      So glad you enjoyed the twins journal's. xx

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  25. I love the twins journal they look amazing. And I loved the visit to the old cottage. Its so wonderful to see things from a different place. Here in the US california there is no place like that. In the mountains some 400 miles away maybe ... can you please share the recipe for the apricot cake, I would love to make it., and going to try the custard pie. So glad your back at blogging I follow on instagram. But this is more and I love it. Thank you for sharing your life. I enjoy it so much. Have a grat new week with love Janice

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    1. Of course I can Janice, what is your name on IG. I am not on there as much now, it was taking to much of my time. I'll put the recipe on my next post, remind me if I forget please. x

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  26. Hi, Michelle, I love your blog! I found you on Instagram awhile back, but just now discovered that you blog, too! Lovely place!

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  27. Oh, what a beautiful nature walk, and I love their journals! That is a great idea. I should start something like that with Audrey.
    And I bet I know what 1930s loving American girl will get that pretty scarf :D
    Thank you for the tour of that old farm house, oh, those fireplaces! I love a good old fireplace!

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