Early March at the Cottage

Spring has really sprung here in our small village, the sun has been shining & now the work begins in the garden. How good it feels to be outside working & getting close to nature after the Winter.

The snowdrops are covering the ground all around the village, a beautiful green & white carpet, so graceful & delicate. They grow like they have done for many centuries a pure tender little flower bringing joy to all of us.

New life is everywhere, buds are bursting in the hedgerows, daffodils are nearly in flower & the grass is springing back to life.

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We had strong winds one day last week & one of the huge Rooks nests came down, such a large pile of twigs on the lawn. I felt so sorry for the birds & was hoping it was an old nest no longer used, there was no sign of eggs.
The rooks home at the end of the garden.

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Spring has come to the garden.

We have spent a couple of days clearing & cutting all the dead plants back.

The children love to be outside, it is wonderful to hear them playing in the garden.

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Little flowers tucked under all the dead leaves which we have been clearing.
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The rhubarb is really sprouting now.

The last few days sun has made so much come on in the garden.

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Flowering under the Rose of Sharon.
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Such a bright colour for this time of year & so wonderful to see it.

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Last week we had a day out at Hemswell Antique Centre, it is the largest place for antiques in Europe.

I found a few treasures.

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Cinnamon Flop.

This is an Old Amish recipe I have been making for many years since our first trip to Lancaster County.

Our children love it, it is a favourite birthday breakfast dish.

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All baked & warm ready for Sunday tea.

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My wonderful old Singer sewing machine with knee switch.

Sewing up the girls little knitting bags for Easter.

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I bought a Child's Wartime Cook Book a few weeks ago, Sidney chose to make the Bacon & Leek Macaroni from it.

This is a wonderfully easy recipe & very tasty.

We have Andy's parents coming in a couple of weeks so Sidney is going to make this for his Grandparent's.

We enjoyed it with cabbage.

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Sidney turned twelve last week, he chose a chocolate marble cake for tea.

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My first long sleeved jumper.

I have only knitted one jumper before, so every pattern is a learning curve for me.

I do love the vintage patterns, this one is a simple double rib design.

Daisy chose the deep red wool, I could not make my mind up.

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Our new house keepers cupboard.

We found this cupboard in an antique shop in our small town, we had been after a cupboard for books since moving here & this one was perfect.

The shelves are not perfect inside, they are very old which makes me love it all the more.

I have so many books, some from my child hood that have been read by our children.

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Some of my many books in there new home.

My old Famous Five books are in a back row as the girls are not old enough for them yet, the younger Enid Blyton books are near the front.

It is wonderful to have so many of my books all in one place.

We still need to make more shelves though, we do love books.

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One of my Grandma Betty's paintings.

This one is of the Norfolk Broads.

Since moving it did not have a home as we have very little wall space, this new cupboard has made that possible.

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There is even more business at our cottage as the the twins have their sixth birthday in a couple of weeks.

We like to give each of our children one large party so there is lots of  work to be done for the girls party on the 21st of March in the village hall.

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Thank you my dear readers for all your lovely comments, I love hearing from you.

Happy Spring to everyone.

Fondly Michelle

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A Week of Special Days

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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Early Flowers & a Few Finds

The garden is starting to be awakened here at the cottage, the earth no longer seems asleep & young shoots are pushing their way through the hard ground. Winter has been kind to us so far & the first flowers are starting to bloom. Tiny little delicate flowers, white & pure like snow. 

All along our garden hedge next to the church the snowdrops hang their pure little heads, daring the damp, cold, wintery weather. They bring such joy to watch them flower in the cold days of late Winter. This little flower is the first sign that Spring will soon be upon us & it will not be long before we hear the birds singing & the garden will be an abundance of tulips, hyacinths, daffodils & crocus's.

I love watching the garden come back to life after it's long sleep with the promise of all the good things our Mother earth gives to us.

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A close up of the Early Snowflakes.

I do love these delicate little flowers, they always look like fairy skirts to me.

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We found this lovely set of antique copper pans in a antique centre not far away. They need a polish & then I think I will add more hooks to the scullery shelves to hang them.

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A Georgian miniature I bought with some Christmas money from my parent's.

I saw her before Christmas & fell in love with her painted blue bonnet, so we popped back to the Antique Centre near us after Christmas.

Mary thinks she needs a husband so we are on the hunt for one for her.

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Snowdrops appearing in the garden.

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The rhubarb is popping up it's head,

I can't wait to pick the first stems of the year.

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Snow is in the air.

The old Walnut tree stands stark against the wintery sky.

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Butterfly cakes with home made apple & blackcurrant jam for Saturday tea.

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& chocolate cake.

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I love to collect vintage recipe booklet & have a whole drawer full of them.

Kitty & I chose a cherry cake recipe from a 1930's Brown & Polson recipe booklet & spent Sunday afternoon baking.

The recipe called for an ingredient called raisley powder which I have never heard of before & would love to hear if anyone has heard of it.

At the back of the book there is an advert for Raisley that calls it a raising powder so I used baking powder.

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All ready for Sunday tea & it was very nice, very similar to a Madeira Cake.

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Olde Fashioned Pumpkin Preserves.

I had a small pumpkin stored away in our pantry so when Faye from The Blessed Hearth made some pumpkin preserves I thought that is what the little pumpkin was waiting for.

I replaced the ginger with cinnamon & halved the recipe as the pumpkin was only little. Next year I will make a big batch.

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We found these DVDs in a charity shop in our small town.

We loved the early River Cottage programmes when they were all filmed in the small cottage in Dorset.

I think my eldest Son might be borrowing these.

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This is where you will find sweet George when I am knitting.

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A visit to the wool shop.

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Some finds from our lovely second hand book shop.

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The cottage book is full of inspiration with old cottages all over England.

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So many idea's

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Just settling down now for an evening of knitting & a cuddle from George.

Thank you my dear readers for all your kind words, they all are read & appreciated.

Fondly Michelle

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Early Flowers at the Cottage