Spring Days at the Cottage & Mothering Sunday

This has been a beautiful week at the cottage, a week full of sunshine & all those jobs that need doing after the Winter. 
The tree's although leafless are full with buds just waiting to open. Our magnolia tree is full of large buds, how pretty that looks when it is in full bloom. Hedges around the village are springing to life & the cow parsley is coming back on the sides of the lanes around us. 
March carries all the hope for the year ahead with a lovely fresh smell of all things new in the air.

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Some more sweet delicate flowers found popping up near the old pear tree.

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A little baking for the weekend.

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Hearty soup made with the Sunday chicken bones, we quite often have soup on Mondays. This one is a favourite with vegetables, rice & pasta.

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Banana & Chocolate Chip Muffins.

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I sometimes make these smaller as they last a little longer & the larger size is a little too much for the twins sometimes.

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10 ozs self raising flour

1 tsp baking soda

3 large banana's

4 ozs sugar

1 egg

3 flozs oil

2 flozs milk

Add flour to bowl with baking soda & mix with a fork.

In another bowl mash banana's & add sugar.

Mix oil, egg & milk together then add it to the banana's & sugar.

Pour wet into dry mix & stir gently until combined, do not beat.

Pour in to muffin cases & bake for around 20 minutes at 200 c / 375 f.

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We have wonderfully happy hens, these are a few of them.

There are so many eggs at the moment that we are giving a lot away.

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The mother sheep are in the field just waiting for the babies to be born.

Lambing is due to start on around the 1st of April at the farm over the road.

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Amish Spiced Honey Cookies for the Mothering Sunday church service.

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This is one of our favourite cookie recipes, the children love them.

I have all the Amish Cook recipe books & love them, every recipe I have tried has turned out beautiful.

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George loves Geraniums & sunshine.

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The girls love to bake, on Saturday they made some plain cupcakes from a Mennonite cookbook we have.

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Choosing the one they would like.

These are a lovely soft plain cake & great to fill a tin.

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Diary of an Edwardian Lady.

After our studies in the morning the girls choose what they would like to do in the afternoon.

Painting is one of their favourite things to choose & also crafting.

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I have not picked up an artist brush for fifteen years, there has been plenty of other sorts of paint brushes though. I used to love to paint & did so much of it when I was at art college.

Seeing as I was sitting with the girls I thought I would do a little painting too.

I had such fun painting with them & Kitty even gave me a few flicks of paint to add to my work.

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We had a special service at our little church for Mothering Sunday.

During the service all the children went to the back of the church to make cards & little bunches of flowers for their Mother's.

I put my bunches all in an old jug & have them in the parlour, they are full of Spring.

I received some beautiful handmade cards from the children. more memories for my keepsake chest upstairs.

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I was really spoilt on Mother's Day & received some special gifts.

My wonderful husband gave me a beautiful old miniature of an old gentleman, now my lady is not on her own.

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I hope all the English Mother's that follow me had a beautiful Mothering Sunday. We celebrate it at a different time of the year to the rest of the world, it is always in between Shrove Tuesday & Easter Sunday.

Thank you all for your lovely comments, I love hearing & learning from you all.

Fondly Michelle

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