"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

Wednesday 9 August 2017

Summer Time in the Country


As Summer draws to a close I reflect on how quickly it passes, soon it will be Autumn & we will be enjoying the warmth of our hearths.
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It is now harvest time here in the country & the fields & lanes are busy with activity.
The last of the Summer flowers are fading & have an aged & worn look to them but one still stands tall & is in full bloom, the elegant Hollyhock peeping through all the other flowers in the garden as it sways gently in the wind.
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Soon it will be our villages Harvest Festival & we can give thanks for the fruits of the fields, our gardens & the hedgerows.
Our own garden has an abundance of apples just waiting to be made into chutneys which will sit on the pantry shelves waiting for Christmas to accompany cold meats & cheeses. Apple Butter will also be made from our apples, it is a favourite with us on hot buttered English Muffins.
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The Summer has flown by, with family celebrations, baking, gardening, preserving, decorating, dress making & lovely days out.
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I have added some recipes as promised, I hope you all enjoy them.
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We had a beautiful family picnic at Gunby Hall in Lincolnshire.
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Some of the children playing croquet on the green in front of the hall.
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Kitty & I loved exploring the beautiful blooms in the gardens.
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Gunby has many different types of Roses.
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The gardens are beautiful, with so many flowers, fruit trees & vegetables.
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Marmalade Cake.
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This is a lovely cake for teatime.
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Mix together in a bowl
6ozs soft dark brown sugar
6 ozs margarine
3 eggs
9 ozs Self Raising Flour
14 ozs of dried fruit {Sultanas, Raisins, Currants, Apricots & Cherries} You do not have to use them all, just a selection.
2 tablespoons of marmalade
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Grease & flour a deep cake tin & bake for over two hours in a low oven 160.
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We have had a few beautiful days in our special Yorkshire Dales exploring all the pretty Dales Villages.
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Beautiful Richmond. The river & castle are stunning, there is so much history there.
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We travelled up to the Beamish open Air Museum Georgian Fair, it was a wonderful way of finishing our history topic ~ The Georgians.
The twins dressed in Georgian Empire Line dresses for the day, here is Kitty having her silhouette done.
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Mary making a Corn Dolly.
There are so many different designs of Corn Dollies, each one having a different meaning.
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Kitty listening to this lovely lady about Corn Dollies.
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This is a recipe for Georgian Gingerbread.
We could taste it in Pockley Manor the Georgian Farmhouse at Beamish.
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Beautiful pantry shelves at Pockley Manor.
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The girls in one of the upstairs bedrooms.
I love how Beamish encourages you to explore & nothing is roped off.
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Outside Pockley Manor.
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In the gardens there. 
We bought a beautiful handmade basket from one of the traditional craft stalls that were selling their wares at The Georgian Fair.
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Georgian Music.
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Home Farm at Beamish Open Air Museum is set in the 1940's.
This cupboard makes me feel right at home, I am always drawn to the kitchens in museums.
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Yorkshire Buns
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I have been making these for many years, they have a buttery crumbly texture.
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Mix 8 ozs of Plain Flour & 2 1/2 tsp of baking powder together.
Add 4ozs of demerara sugar & 2 ozs of sultanas & stir gently.
Add 4 ozs of butter & one well beaten egg.
Work together with your hands to form a dough then cut out using a cutter.
Bake for 10 mins at 180.
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The twins enjoy baking so much, here they are making Fairy Cakes.
All I have to do now is put them in the oven for them.
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Another day in North Yorkshire, this time to Thirsk the home of James Herriot.
It was market day so I took my shopping basket.
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Beautiful poppies on one of our nature walks across the village fields.
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A special treat.
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We very rarely go to the pictures, probably once every two years & always to this little Picture House in Woodhall Spa. It's an old Picture House that has an organ that plays during the intermission.
We went to see Churchill.
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Mincemeat Slice.
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This is another recipe I make regularly.
It is very moist with the mincemeat but sometimes I do it sometimes with chocolate chips.
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Grease & flour a round cake tin.
Mix together 5 ozs of Self Raising Flour or wholemeal Self Raising Flour
3 ozs oats
3 ozs light soft brown sugar
Then rub in 4 ozs of butter
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Put half of the mixture in the cake tin & press down with the back of a spoon, I find a metal spoon best for this.
Spoon on a small jar of mincemeat.
Then cover with other half of oat mixture & press down.
Bake at 180 for 20 minutes. Do not over bake, it should be a pale golden colour.
Whilst hot sprinkle with sugar.
Leave to cool in tin & then slice into wedges.
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I double this recipe up as it lasts well.
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Our Daisy turned 18.
All of the family came & we had a lovely birthday lunch.
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In the garden on Daisy's birthday with one of our darling Granddaughters Matilda Florence.
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Jam Making.
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I used Elderflowers with the homegrown Gooseberries this year, the smell was wonderful.
We have quite a few Elderberry Bushes at the bottom of the garden.
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This is my Gooseberry Jam recipe I made every year.
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4 1/2 lbs of Gooseberries
1 1/2 pints of water
6lbs of sugar
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Top & tail the Gooseberries, then wash & drain them.
Place them into the preserving pan with the water & simmer gently until the skins have burst & the fruit has reduced a little.
Add the sugar while stirring until it is dissolved.
Then boil until setting point is reached.
Pot up into sterilized jars.
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Some of the children getting involved.
Topping & tailing the Gooseberries takes a while.
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All finished & topped off with pretty calico covers.
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I finished a bolero for Mary.
It knitted up quite small so Kitty has chosen another pattern for me to knit for her.
The bolero is an original 1940's pattern.
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A day out at Belton House.
We love to visit this house & gardens & the second hand book shop they have there.
Kitty is enchanted with anything Jane Austen & as Belton House was used in the BBC version of Pride & Prejudice she was very excited to go.
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Sweet Peas in the garden.
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Beautiful dark Hollyhocks, one of my favourite cottage garden flowers.
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Lovely Lavender at Belton House.
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There was an abundance of Butterflies on the Lavender.
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Walking in the footsteps of Elizabeth Bennet.
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The desk where Mr Darcy {Colin Firth} wrote to Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
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This is my recipe for Victoria Sponge Cake, I do hope you like it.
Sometimes we have jam & cream in the middle, it is also nice with some sliced Strawberries for a treat. I also make a thick custard for the filling which is very much enjoyed.
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Mix all together 
3/4 lb of Butter
3/4 lb of Sugar
6 eggs
3/4 lb of Self Raising Flour
& a little milk if needed.
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Grease & flour two sandwich tins, this makes a big cake so the tins need to be quite deep.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 170.
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Leave to cool before spreading jam & cream in the middle & then dust with a little sugar.
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Thank you dear readers for all your beautiful comments.
I hope you all enjoy the recipes & the last few weeks of Summer.
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Fondly Michelle
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65 comments:

  1. Thank you for all those delicious recipes. The Georgian Gingerbread do you put all the ingredients in a bowl and just mix?

    Looks like you have been having a wonderful time. Lovely sunshiny pictures, its absolutely wet here today.

    Julie xxxxxxx

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    Replies
    1. I haven't made it yet Julie but that is how I would do it. Some of these old recipes are just guess work.
      Fondly Michelle

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  2. Always good to see a post from you with the lovely photos and recipes.
    How is the home educating going - it must be fun with your girls.

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    Replies
    1. So much fun, a lot of work in getting lessons ready for them but I wouldn't change it for the world. They are blooming & it is so lovely to see. Hope all is well with you. xx

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  3. You do find such interesting places to visit, and it is so good that the children can be 'hands on', and learn from experiences.

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    Replies
    1. We are very lucky to have these places within a few hours. xx

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  4. I'm in heaven with this Pride and Prejudice style photographic post.

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  5. DELIGHT DELIGHT!!
    I so enjoyed this post <3
    xx oo

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  6. You have such wonderful fun, learning places to visit. I love seeing the 1940's kitchen, and your knitting is lovely. Thanks for all the recipes too! ♥

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  7. wonderful to see how you are bringing up and educating your family, wish I was able to join in... lol... going to try out these recipes, thank you.
    Tilly

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  8. Lovely photos once again Michele , I'm glad the home schooling is going well , I'm still hoping to get to the Black Country museum is it as good as beamish ??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Beamish is much bigger & there is more to do there. The Black Country Museum is lovely but it doesn't have the open spaces and does have so much more.

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  9. What a wonderful post, as always. Some recipes there I shall copy out and try. I love baking - though mostly I give my cakes away in slices to friends at the Antiques Fairs we sell at. I am quite large enough!

    You have visited some lovely places this summer - just up my street. Anywhere historic and beautiful, and like you, the kitchen is always my favourite place. One of these days we will get to Beamish, but it shan't be this year, sadly.

    Good to see your lovely daughters getting so much from your home schooling them. Birthday Congratulations to your beautiful daughter Daisy too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Isn't it wonderful to bake for other people.
      The girls love being at home & just love to learn, they are like little sponges.
      Hope you get to Beamish one day, it is beautiful. x

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  10. What a beautiful and relaxing blog post to read. You do have a wonderful way with words and your photos of the girls and the flowers are wonderful.

    I've printed off the Mincemeat Slice recipe, my Lovely Hubby would love it ...and if I'm quick I might even get a piece myself ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you double the recipe you can have more for yourself, I must admit it is one of my favourite things to eat.
      So glad you enjoyed the post. x

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  11. I am so happy to see a new post from you Michelle. You all seem to be having a wonderful summer.
    I can't wait to try out a couple of your recipes, mincemeat slice and marmalade cake both sound delicious.
    As we go into Autumn I look forward to more of your lovely photos and recipes.
    Enjoy the rest of summer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am already working on another post.
      Hope you enjoy the recipes.
      Fondly Michelle

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  12. Such a lovely description of your summer Michelle, I shall be trying out some of your receipts, thank you xx

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  13. Your daughters are beautiful. The scenery is beautiful. And I am with you - always drawn to old kitchens. What a lovely time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kitchens always tell a story. I find them so interesting.
      Fondly Michelle

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  14. Wonderful post Michelle �� thank you for all the lovely recipes, I'll definitely be trying out some soon! Julia and I just love Beamish Museum too, we could quite happily live there! We're hoping to visit some time soon. Happy birthday to Daisy �� take care, love Melanie xc

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  15. Wonderful post Michelle �� thank you for all the lovely recipes, I'll definitely be trying out some soon! Julia and I just love Beamish Museum too, we could quite happily live there! We're hoping to visit some time soon. Happy birthday to Daisy �� take care, love Melanie xc

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    Replies
    1. Dear Melanie,
      How wonderful to hear from you.
      I think about you & Julia often, I hope all is well.
      Fondly Michelle

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    2. Thank you Michelle, I have thought about you often too, I've missed our chats. I am on Instagram again and am following you on there, I am mammy_and_daughter on Instagram. I've messaged you on there too.
      I hope you have a wonderful day out tomorrow
      Take care,love Melanie xx

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    3. Thank you Michelle, I have thought about you often too, I've missed our chats. I am on Instagram again and am following you on there, I am mammy_and_daughter on Instagram. I've messaged you on there too.
      I hope you have a wonderful day out tomorrow
      Take care,love Melanie xx

      Delete
  16. A really wonderful post. Love all the photos, history, yummy recipes, flowers and your sweet girls' dresses. Your writings and photos are always very enjoyable!

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  17. Hello there. A friend shared your blog with me, and I'm so glad she did! It's really lovely, and also, my children and I are currently in the USA but are waiting to join my husband in England. We can't wait to get there to be with him, and also enjoy many new adventures as a family! Thank you for giving us a glimpse into lovely England.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How exciting to be moving to England, what part are you moving too, there are so many beautiful areas.
      I hope the move goes smoothly.
      Fondly Michelle

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    2. Thank you! We will be moving to the north Devon area. I am still trying to get familiar with all the different places in England. Where in England do you live?

      We hope we get our visas soon. We had hoped to be there already.

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  18. Your lovely blogpost is just right Michelle, wonderful pictures, recipes that are all achievable and wonderful adventures around the country.
    I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you
    Lynn xx

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Lynn,
      Hope you will try some of the recipes.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  19. Oh! I just love all of this! Thank you..
    God bless
    Mrs.O

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  20. Thank you Michelle for the lovely recipes and for sharing your lovely trips out with us.
    Enjoy the rest of the holidays and don't forget to
    put your feet up sometimes! Ha. X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am sitting & sewing this afternoon.
      Hope you enjoy the recipes.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
  21. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  22. What a treat to read about your lovely summer and your photos are always a delight. I am looking forward to trying out some of your delicious recipes, but not until after our family holiday. I am up to the eyeballs in packing for two weeks in the North East of England with our family of six, so reading your delightful blog post was a very pleasant diversion. I hope you enjoy what is left of the summer with your lovely family. Best regards, Paula (Podheim on Instagram)

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    Replies
    1. Wishing you a lovely holiday in the beautiful North of England, I hope you get to Beamish. I can't wait to see your photos on Instagram.
      Fondly Michelle

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  23. Thank you for sharing these recipes and the photos of your lovely life in England. I live in eastern Pennsylvania, formerly from the Midwest - Ohio (U.S.A.).

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    Replies
    1. I love Pennsylvania, we have been to Lancaster County a couple of times.
      Enjoy the rest of your Summer.

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    2. Oh, how nice is that?! I'm in the process of reading all of your past Blog posts, maybe I'll see something of your trip to Lancaster County!

      Delete
  24. A lovely post Michelle lovely to hear from you again. I do follow you on Instagram which is lovely, but your way with words is so gentle and happy

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  25. Michelle,

    What a treat to read this post! You have had such a beautiful and full summer. Thank you for sharing so many recipes. I hope to try some soon. I think my husband would like the mincemeat slice, as mincemeat is one of his favorites. Your gooseberry jam looks lovely! I noticed that you don't use canning lids like we do here in the US. What is wrapped over the tops of the jars? I'm just curious. : )

    May you have a blessed day!

    -Sarah

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    Replies
    1. Hello Sarah,
      In England we use wax circles that sit on top of the hot jam then we put a plastic disc with elastic band on top. I do use the metal lids on Chutney and Apple Butter etc that I do can the American way. I am sure you precious Grandmother would know about the English way of making Jam.
      Fondly Michelle

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  26. What an absolute delight to read your latest post. I especially love to see your beautiful daughters. You are trainings them to be real little ladies which is rather rare these days. I know you must put in a lot of effort in the way you live and I can assure you, it is now and forever will be a great blessing to you and yours.
    We are drawing to the end of winter here in the south coast of Australia. My garden is awash with daffodils and jonquils and the bluebells are just about to bloom.
    Thank you for the recipes and the effort you put into your lovely blog.
    Blessings Gail.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Gail,
      Sometimes I don't have enough time in the day, we know time passes so quickly with children & are making the most of each day.
      Jonquils sound lovely, all the flowers are finishing here now.
      Fondly Michelle

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  27. Any chance of the apple butter recipe please? Thank you

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  28. Lovely. You live an enchanted life!

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  29. I probably won't try any of the recipes - though I probably should - but what a lovely post and what a lovely site. Some of your photos are stunning. Loved the 6th one down - almost other-worldly.

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  30. Do you process your preserves in a water bath and if not do you have any problems keeping them for any length of time?

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    Replies
    1. I do sometimes but not for jam and chutney, they keep fine in England.
      Fondly Michelle

      Delete
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