Early March & a day with James Herriot

The days at the cottage are starting to grow longer, the garden is coming back to life & signs of Spring are everywhere. Daffodils, Grape Hyacinths, Hyacinths & Crocus's are blooming in the garden, it's so lovely to see the sun shinning & the Spring flowers in their full glory all around the village.

The buds are swelling & are ready to burst into life along the hedgerows. This is such a lovely time of year with new growth everywhere, things grow so quickly with changes happening every day.

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With the weather starting to change our daily lives gradually move from the kitchen to the garden. The rhubarb is sprouting up & soon we will be picking it to make the first jam of the year.

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Mary decorating cakes for tea.

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The twins learning to use a sewing machine, they are making little pillows for their baby dolls.

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Pumpkin Loaves.

This recipe was given to me by an American friend many years ago & it freezes well.

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This recipe makes two loaves.

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Grease two loaf pans.

Mix all dry ingredients together.

3 cups of plain flour.

2 cups of white sugar.

1/2 tsp baking powder.

2 tsp soda.

1 tsp cinnamon.

1 tsp ground nutmeg.

1 tsp mixed spice.

Mix pumpkin, oil & eggs together.

1 16ounce tin of pumpkin.

3 eggs.

2/3 cup vegetable oil.

Then combine all ingredients together.

Add raisins of wished.

Bake for 1 hour at 350

cool for 10 mins then turn out.

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!920's Vinegar Cake.

A recipe from an old booklet I have.

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Our two Kitty's playing with an old whisk.

A precious moment to capture.

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A friend on IG gave me this lovely recipe for Chocolate Orange Trifle.

It is made using chocolate sponge, tinned oranges & orange jelly.

With chocolate blancmange on top then double cream & chocolate treats.

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We are great fans of All Creatures Great & Small so a few weeks ago we had a day out in Thirsk, North Yorkshire & visited The World of James Herriot.

We have been there before when the twins were two so they did not remember it.

They love to watch the vintage tv show & also read the James Herriot children's books.

We had a lovely day visiting the museum & pottering around the old market town of Thirsk.

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Inside The World of James Herriot.

The house is the actual home & veterinary surgery were James Herriot worked & lived.

1950's sitting room.

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A perfect little tea cosy.

There was lots of inspiration.

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This was the breakfast room complete with the series running on the vintage television.

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Kitchen table with another beautiful tea cosy.
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We were right at home in this house.

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Pantry shelves

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The twins & myself outside the museum.

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We had a hunt round a few of the antique shops in our local town.

I was so pleased to find this beautiful 1940's or 1950's tea set.

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Some vintage finds found in our local antique shop.

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The hens are back to laying with the longer days.

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Fairy cakes for the children's lunches.

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With so many eggs we have had a few quiches, I always bake the quiche recipe in the Darling Buds of May cook book.

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Sidney had his 12th birthday at the end of February, how the years have flown.

He loves chocolate.

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Sidney's birthday tea.

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Apple Cinnamon Muffins.

These are a family favourite.

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Mix with a fork

9 ozs plain flour.

3 tsp baking powder.

2 tsp mixed spice.

4 ozs white sugar.

Then mix wet ingredients together.

5 floz milk.

3 floz vegetable oil.

1 egg.

Fold into dry ingredients.

add 6 oz of finely chopped apple.

pour into muffin cases, sprinkle with soft brown sugar & bake for 20 minutes at 375/390.

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Rearranging the kitchen dresser.

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I made Delia Smith's Chocolate Almond cake a couple of weeks ago for the first time, the children loved it.

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Saturday teatime.

Crisps are a treat on a Saturday.

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Another vintage tea cosy started while Bobby is enjoying the warmth of the fire.

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My family gave me this pretty Mothering Sunday cake.

So pretty with teapot & flowers.

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A rustic cob loaf for tea the other week, we had it with homemade leek & potato soup.

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Making patchwork dolls quilts for the twins for their Easter gifts.

I am using some vintage fabrics & vintage buttons.

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I am going to end this post with some wonderful news.

Early this morning our beautiful daughter gave birth to a little girl. I gave birth to Amy 22 years ago & now at the age of 22 she has given birth to her daughter. Amy & Dan are going to perfect parents, they have so much love to give to this precious little girl. I am so proud of them both & so happy for them.

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Thank you dear readers for your lovely comments, I appreciate them all.

Fondly Michelle.

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Home by the Fire.

February at the cottage has brought beautiful clear bright skies & chilly days.

All along our garden hedge at the side of the church Snowdrops pop up their delicate little heads. Such a pretty gentle pure flower that adds such joy the the garden at this time of year. Soon the jolly sunny Daffodil will be blooming all around the village, already they are standing tall just waiting to open.

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The Rooks in the Spinney at the end of the garden are flocking & starting to nest. They are one of the busiest birds & chatty too while they work building their nests up high in the Pines. 

It is wonderful to hear the songbirds in the early hours when the sun is rising. Spring seems just around the corner & our thoughts are on the vegetable patch & what we are going to grow this year.

Last year we bought a piece of land off our neighbour who wanted to make his garden smaller. Our plans for this land is to make an orchard using old heritage varieties, so there will be much to do once the weather gets warmer. We levelled  & cleared the land of trees & bushes in the Autumn finding some lovely old items from times gone by. 

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Life has been wonderfully busy at the cottage, I do love a busy kitchen & that is where we have been spending most of our days near the wood burning cooker.

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I have been experimenting with different types of bread.

This one was a country loaf with Basil & tomato in it.

A lovely bread to have with a hearty soup.

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A little touch of Spring.

I found this beautiful 1920's tea set last Summer, it's perfect for Spring time.

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The twins decorating little boxes.

They love to be at the table with you.

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I had some coloured glace cherries to use up from Christmas so added them to rock cakes instead of raisins.

The children loved them & they looked so pretty too.

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The smell of fresh bread is one of the simplest joys.

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Fruit Bran Loaf & Wartime Ginger Oat Biscuits.

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This is the first time I have made these little biscuits & they were lovely.

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Wartime Ginger Oat Biscuits.

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In a pan melt 4 ozs of margarine with a dessert spoonful of golden syrup & 3 ozs of demerara sugar. If you can not get golden syrup honey might work or a light corn syrup.

Add to the pan 4 ozs of self raising flour & 4 ozs of oats, plus a tea spoon of ground ginger.

Mix well & spoon small rounded balls on to a greased tray.

Bake for 12 minutes at 325 / 170  

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Making quiche & mincemeat maids of honour.

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A visit to the Maud Foster Windmill.

They sell the most wonderful stone ground organic flour.

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I purchased some strong Spelt flour for bread making.

This is the first time I have used this flour, it has a lovely flavour.

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Making Marmalade.

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The oranges & lemons brought a little touch of sunshine to the kitchen.

I had never made Marmalade before, there was such a wonderful smell while making it.

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Jolly little jars of sunshine.

It tasted beautiful & I will make it every year now.

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We have quite a few meat free days in the week.

This is a favourite of our's Wartime Woolton Pie.

It's root vegetables cooked in stock with a mash potato & cheese topping.

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You can find the recipe on the internet, Lord Woolton was Minister of Food in the Second World War.

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Ma larkin's Shortbread from her little cookbook.

I use this book so much & really recommend finding a second hand copy, they are out of print now.

I use the quiche recipe from that book as well.

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Cinnamon Raisin bread for Sunday tea.

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I use the same bread recipe most of the time & play around with it, this dough was made with half whole wheat flour.

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Little everyday cinnamon buns.

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In a bowl mix 4 ozs of margarine with 4 ozs of sugar until soft.

Add 4 ozs of self raising wholemeal flour, a drop of almond essence & 2 eggs. Add a drop of milk to make a soft dropping consistency.

Fill small cake cases & sprinkle tops with plenty of cinnamon & a little sugar.

Bake in a moderate oven for 15 minutes, check after 12 minutes.

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I have another 1930's bow scarf on my needles.

This one is for myself, I do love vintage greens.

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Wholemeal Madeira Cake from Delia Smith Book of Cakes.

Another wonderful book you can find second hand which I use all the time.

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A new book arrived in the post last week.

I have the others in the series which are wonderful. This book is full of history, idea's & such lovely photo's.

I have been making my way through all the Miss Read Fairacre Series this Winter, such a wonderful series to disappear into each night before bed.

I can see me reading them again & again.

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The twins all ready for a little disco in their new 1950's style dresses.

father Christmas bought them their faux pearl necklaces.

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Homemade sausage rolls & fruit cake.

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Light Fruit Cake recipe.

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Cream 6 ozs of margarine with 6 ozs of soft light brown sugar.

Then add 3 eggs, 4 ozs of plain flour & 4 ozs of self raising flour.

Lastly mix in 6ozs of dried fruit & 2 ozs of glace cherries.

Spoon in to a greased & lined 7 inch cake tin & spinkle top with sugar.

Bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 325.

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Saturday Tea.

A weekly tradition.

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The joy of board games.

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I found some raspberries & blackcurrants from our garden at the bottom of the deep freeze so I made a pie using bramley apples as well.

Lovely for our Sunday dinner.

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We made London Buns for the first time but used lemon zest instead of mixed peel.

The girls love to bake & get great joy from serving them at tea time.

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Last week we popped over to a lovely market town called Louth.

They have a reclamation yard, we are looking for a new old scullery sink to replace our even older one.

It's a wonderful place to have a rummage.

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Another quiche, a great way of using our eggs now the sun is out & the chickens are back to laying.

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Custard cake for lunch.

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This is just my basic sponge recipe that I have posted before but I add a thick custard to the middle.

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My love for this little boy just grows & grows.

He is my shadow & gives such joy.

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Every evening he is here closely by my side.

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A few new finds from our local antique yard the other day.

It was cold but lovely to get out & find some treasures.

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Thank you dear readers for all your comments, I read & appreciate every one.

I hope you enjoy the recipes.

Fondly Michelle

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