"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 September 2015

Summer's End


Summer has come to an end once again & the kitchen garden is giving up it's wonderful delights. It is delightful to see how well the marrows, beetroot, tomatoes & potatoes have done.
The days are becoming shorter & have a faded deep glow to them. Hay & wheat is all harvested now & the fields all now have their earth all turned & ready to lay bare all Winter.
There has been an abundance of hedgerow fruits this year & the robins are back in the garden watching you work.
Holly berries are everywhere on our trees that line the front of our garden although at the present they are hard little green berries waiting to ripen into the pretty scarlet colour that we know so well.
The Hazel trees in the lanes & our garden are fruiting well, the squirrels & rabbits are making the most of the fallen nuts.
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Tomatoes from our garden.
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Harvesting beetroot.
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We have an abundance of raspberries so I made some muffins.
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The girls sunflowers have been blooming lovely.
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I made a honey cake from Beatrix Potters Country Cooking Book.
It was a lovely cake, I used honey from our village. We have a man who has bee's & just lives behind the church.
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Molly Cake.
A lovely lady on Instagram made this so I looked it up & used the Waitrose recipe online.
It turned out lovely & uses no fat or eggs.
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A lovely walk last week over the wheat fields, the weather was warm & breezy.
We have never seen cows before in this field, it was lovely to see them.
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The twins enjoying a ride on their scooters along the lane.
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The simple beauty of golden wheat.
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Daisies & wheat.
The wild flowers are beautiful in the fields around us.
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One of the wheat fields halfway through harvesting.
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We spot some blackberries on our way home almost ready for picking.
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Home grown Victoria plums, hedgerow blackberries & home grown raspberries make such a pretty colour for chutney.
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I have never used berries before in chutney. The colour was so pretty & it smelled wonderful when cooking. It is quite a runny chutney, we will see in a month or so when we try some if I will make it again.
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Daisy passed all her GCSE's, we are so proud of her.
She is now going on to study her A levels.
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Over the Summer we have been decorating our bedroom.
There were ten layers of old wallpaper over the beams so it took some work.
The quilt is very precious to me, I made it over a few pregnancies all by hand.
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I thought you would like to see our little 1930's electric cooker, we use this when it is to hot too light the wood fired cooker.
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Victoria Sponge.
I make this using the sponge recipe I have posted before.
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The apples are nearly ready for harvesting.
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The end of our garden is such a magical place.
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Sun shining through our hazelnut tree.
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Fresh eggs.
Thank you ladies.
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The twins enjoying the last week of Summer after we hung the wash out.
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Sweet George.
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Fresh raspberries for the twins breakfast.
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The marrows have done so well this year, I am trying to think of different ways to use them.
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Plum & greengage Crumble.
A few ladies on Facebook & Instagram have asked for the recipe.
This is the crumble recipe I use all the time, sometimes I add a few oz's of oats.
Rub 5 ozs of self raising flour & 3 ozs of butter together.
Then add 3 ozs of sugar, if using oats then mix them in now.
Sprinkle sugar over fruit & then crumble mix.
Bake in a moderate oven for about 45 minutes.
We had it served warm with cream.
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Ruth Mott's boiled fruit cake.
I make this often & would advise anyone to get her book.
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Victoria Plum Jam.
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I do love the sweet taste of this beautiful jam.
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All ready for the pantry shelved.
Both our eldest Son's gave me pretty Cath Kidston jam covers as gifts, they look to pretty on the jars.
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A few readers have asked for a selection of my favourite cookbooks so here they are.
I do have a cupboard full of cookbooks but these are the one's I use all the time, as you can see Ruth's book is in there.
Sorry it has taken me so long.
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I love this time of year when we harvest the fruits of our labour.
It has taken me a while to do this post sorry, the laptop lost it & I had to rewrite it.
Fondly Michelle
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55 comments:

  1. Dear Michelle, I'm so sorry to hear you lost a post--That happened to me one time--it just disappeared.
    Your kitchen is just lovely with all you have put up for winter. You must have quite a garden! Such sweet sons to have gifted such pretty jar covers. Your 1930's stove---what a treasure! I always enjoy seeing your home looking warm and cozy! We are having quite a dry spell and it's hot and humid today--I'm looking forward to our Autumn.
    Enjoy your evening. ♥

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    1. Thank you for you lovely comment. Our garden has done so well, next year we plan to grow more.
      Fondly Michelle

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  2. I, too, have been struggling with Blogger of late. I just don't seem to be able to edit anything. Still, we are all managing, despite the frustrations.
    Congratulations Daisy! Very well done.
    The Girls' sunflowers are quite magnificent too, so well done to them.
    I am curious, Michelle. Did you manage to save any of the ten layers of wall paper? Even small pieces give an insight, and what an adventure in the recent history of your cottage that must have been.
    I have not used fresh berries in chutney either, and wonder if the high juice content contributed to the runny texture? I'll be interested to hear how it tastes after maturing. It certainly looks bright and beautiful.
    I always enjoy my visits to your cottage. They are so welcoming, fun, and I always learn something new too!
    Nos Da ~~~ Good night from Wales ~~~

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    1. Hello Deborah,
      Yes I do think the high amount of juice made it runny, I think it will be nice in sandwiches so that will please Sidney 😊
      Fondly Michelle

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    2. I forget to say yes we have saved a small amount of paper. Most of it was very dirty as the bed had been boxed in, we did not know they were there when we bought the cottage 😊

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  3. I adore seeing your posts, though i must say, i get rather green with envy, your cottage is truly stunning, i love that wee cooker, and those jamjar covers are so pretty!
    We are finally getting a cooker tomorrow after months with just a tabletop mini oven, so i can't wait to get back to baking properly again :) have a lovely rest of the week xx

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    1. Enjoy your new cooker and your baking. Thank you for your sweet words. Fondly Michelle

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  4. I have not successfully grown sunflowers. I think I don´t have enough sun for them. You have been very busy putting up your bounty from your garden and beyond. Lovely!

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    1. Sunflowers seem to do so well in the Lincolnshire soil and the children love to grow them.
      Fondly Michelle

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  5. Hello Michelle! Such a lovely post. I must say all the pictures either made me hungry or had me nodding my head saying "i should like one of those too"...LOL! I adore your 1930's cooker, it must feel quite nostalgic to cook on it. Your quilt is stunning, I can see why you treasure it so! Please take some close up shots of it-I love hand stitched quilts:-) And your on FB-so am I so I shall visit you there. You can also join our Tasha Tudor group Take Peace, you will see some familiar faces there as well. Hope you'll join us. Have a lovely start to your Autumn. It is almost 100 degrees here the last few days with humidity that makes straight hair curl right up!
    Take care,
    Suzanne

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    1. Hello Suzanne,
      Thank you for such a lovely comment.
      We have a glorious day here too so the line is full.
      I will look for that group on Facebook, I don't go on there that often though. I am on Instagram every day though.
      Enjoy the nice weather.
      Fondly Michelle

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  6. Oh my! Could your house be any more perfect? I just LOVE it! I love the quilt you made as well! All the baking you have done looks wonderful ~ how do you keep such a trim figure with all those goodies around?

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    1. Busy I suppose Katy, my Grandfather was the same.
      Thank you for your sweet words.
      Fondly Michelle

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  7. My grandmother used to make marrow and ginger jam ( the WI recipe I think is quite similar to hers) but I prefer to make savoury stuffed marrow. The Hairy Bikers have an excellent recipe online, I think it's called " mums best stuffed marrow". Looking forwards to hearing how your chutney turns out :) Happy days.

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    1. We have stuffed marrow too and I have Andys Grandmothers recipe for marrow jam but have not tried it yet.
      Fondly Michelle

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  8. Congratulations to your daughter on her GCSE success. Love the cooker, a rare beauty. I am in awe of all your beautiful baking, the fruit cake looks delicious. All those preserves put up for the winter will give you a lovely taste of summer during the cooler months.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words.
      Fondly Michelle

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  9. Hello Michelle, I love your blog posts, your life looks idyllic, thankyou for showing some of your favourite cookbooks, I will have a look on Amazon to see if I can find some of them, best wishes Marlene, x

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    1. Well done to your clever daughter as well x

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    2. Thank you Marlene.
      You can get all the books, most are second hand.
      Fondly Michelle

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  10. Hi Michelle, such a beautiful post today and so wonderfully English if you know what I mean. Your description of our ending Summer so lovely and warm. I love your 1930's cooker I would love to bake a cake on there. I love your larder to and your home is just stunning so much history surrounds you daily there. You have been so busy making your jam and chutney I made my chutney last Christmas its now in my drop down larder ready there for Christmas one of the things I love about this year is making preserves etc sauce to make next for me :-) I told my mum about your beautiful blog and she is now following you on facebook my mum was not techno minded up until 2 years ago and even now she finds it hard some times but she and my father loved seeing your photo's there and love your home to and your grand daughters brought smiles to their faces. Best wishes, dee x

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    1. I meant to say I made my chutney last week ready for Christmas :-) x

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    2. Oh they are our daughters, we have a large age gap between the first and the last. Thank you for your sweet words and I loved to hear about your Mother, say hello to her. I am so pleased people seem to enjoy the blog, it amazes me.
      Enjoy this glorious day.
      Fondly Michelle

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  11. Dear Michelle, now not only I follow it across his blog, also I take his news as Instagram. It wanted to give my letter of congratulation to Daisy for his progresses. The quilt is really precious, I am the great one fond of the patchwork and I am charmed with sewing in the majority of the works do not use machine, since I do everything to hand. His ancient kitchen meets precious. Thank you for teaching his books of kitchen to us. Always it is a pleasure to be able to visit his blog.
    Mary Carmen

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    1. Thank you so much Mary for your kind words. I wish IG would translate. So glad you enjoyed the post.
      Fondly Michelle

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  12. I so enjoyed your post I am a brand new follower.

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    1. Welcome.
      So glad you enjoyed the post
      Fondly Michelle

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  13. I do so enjoy your posts and as I was born in 1933 so much of what you do is like reliving my childhood and I love it.
    I do have a question for you if you would not mind and it is how do you treat any fleas that George may have in the warm weather.
    I have an elderly cat called Lily and she has been plagued by fleas this summer and they made her quite unwell.
    I was forced to use Stronghold remedy from the vet, but it is a strong chemical and I would prefer something more natural.
    I wondered if you had any ideas on this. It would be much appreciated.
    Thank you.
    Erna.

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    1. Hello Erna
      Lovely to hear from you.
      George had one horrid bout of fleas when we hot him at eight weeks old and managed to give them to Bobby. It took weeks of treating and combing. We do use the one we buy from the vets as you can use it on dogs too. We bought another sort first then realised it was poisonous for a dog so changed. Luckily George loves to be combed so I can check also he is an indoor cat so maybe that helps.
      Fondly Michelle

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  14. Lovely pictures as always, your blog is such a treat to read.
    Well Done to Daisy for passing her exams.
    I've tried several different recipes for marrow and ginger jam but although they taste delicious it is a poor keeper and often goes mouldy. With so many other fruits to use I no longer make it. I plan to do Marrow and Apple chutney very soon

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    1. I might do that as we have lots of apples.
      So glad you enjoyed the post
      Fondly Michelle

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  15. I so love the end of Summer, the days becoming fresher and shorter little by little, with more time to spend in the kitchen - it's a thing amazing me, Cooking is such an important part of my life - doing preserves, marmalades and so on, taking care of the house while outside the countryside is changing its colours which are becoming golden more and more ... I love your home, your family and your style of living, I'm so happy to have known you and to follow you here, thank you !
    With all my heart
    Dany

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    1. Thank you Dany for your beautiful and kind words.
      Enjoy this beautiful time of year
      Fondly Michelle

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  16. Such lovely pictures and words! I have been busy canning this past week. It is such a nice feeling to see the summer harvest preserved for the winter ahead. Your quilt is beautiful! I love the colors, and what sweet memories of creating it. I also really liked the picture of George. He looks like he has a lot of personality. : )

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    1. Yes George is so sweet and ISO interested in everything.
      Thank you for your kind words and enjoy your canning. I have three apple trees waiting for me.
      Fondly Michelle

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  17. A wonderful comforting post as always. I read it last night but was off to bed - I lingered just long enough to get the details of Ruth Mott's book and treat myself on Fleabay!

    Your garden has provided well for you. Our Autumn raspberries are fruiting well now, and the cooking apple tree has plenty of fruit ripening (if the Jackdaws leave me enough). Some of the other trees are resting this year after a heavy crop in 2014.

    I have an order for Bramble Jelly so I must go and pick some more blackberries, having found a good spot for them FINALLY.

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    1. Enjoy your beautiful book, I love her recipes.
      Thank you for your kind words.
      Fondly Michelle

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  18. Hi Michelle :-)
    All of your baking and preserving looks just scrummy! I do like preserving, especially at this time of year when there seems to be an abundance of everything! Will you be going blackberry and elderberry picking?

    Well done to Daisy on passing all her gcse's, you must be so proud!

    Your bedroom is so lovely, and the quilt you hand stitched is an absolute delight! You are so talented,

    I adore your vintage electric cooker! How I would love to cook on that! Your cottage is simply perfect :-)

    I have quite a few of those recipe books too, the vintage be-ro book was given to me by my grandads elderly neighbour, Doris, when I was very young, she used it in her youth, I treasure it

    I am enjoying following you on instagram :-)

    I hope you have a lovely day,
    Take care,
    Melanie x

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    1. Thank Melanie for your lovely comment, I love hearing from you.
      Your knitting is beautiful, I enjoy following you too on IG.
      Fondly Michelle

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  19. Dear Michelle,
    I just love visiting here and also at your instagram. It's all very heartwarming and interesting to see and read. I'm very happy for you and all the wonderful finds recently dug up in your own yard!
    With warmest regards, Lynnea

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  20. Thank you Lunnea,
    I love to hear from you, yes it was amazing what we dug up, they just kept coming.
    Enjoy the rest of your day
    Fondly Michelle

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  21. At this time I am not on instagram but do check there often. I just saw the photo there of your handsome cat, George. It sounds like he is very similar in behavior to our sweet cat, Oreo. She gives us many things to smile about, for the most part. :-) ~ Lynnea

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  22. Dear Michelle, I found your blog!!! (I am 'tessamusing37' on Instagram) So sorry to not have see the link to it, before.

    I went back to the beginning and yes, you are way too young and tiny, to be the mother of 8 children. But I will believe you. :-)

    As with your IG, I love your photos and words and life style. So happy that you are able to live in this wonderful way. Though of course, it entails much, much work.

    Happy to have found your IG and now, blog.

    Gentle hugs from across the pond,
    Tessa
    Upper NE of the US

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    1. Sorry replied to your next message before this one. Thank you for your kind words. I'm not that young 44 now, we both were 19 when we married. It's been a busy life but I would not have it any other way.
      Fondly Michelle

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  23. September 22

    Happy Autumn Equinox Eve!

    Gentle hugs,
    Tessa

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    1. Hello Tessa,
      Lovely to hear from you
      Fondly Michelle

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  24. Hello dear Michelle.. I read your post here ages ago and thought I had left a comment but noticed this am that I had not.. I must have been using the tablet ,, I don't comment with that.. smile.. Loved this post as I do all of yours.. You have been very busy and inspiring to so many.. God bless you, luv...xo

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    1. Thank you Faye for your kind words.
      I have been struggling with this laptop and have finally done a new post today.
      Happy Autumn.
      Fondly Michelle

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  25. I keep finding myself here at your blog, so I am following, it is beautiful, phyllis

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    1. So happy you are following.
      Happy Autumn.
      Fondly Michelle

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  26. Oh how I enjoy your blog!! Sometime I don't have time to leave a comment but I try to come by and see what you have been up too. I love this post just like all the rest!! LOVE when you share what you have been baking and pictures from your life and your area where you live. God Bless
    Kelly

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    1. Thank you so much kelly for your beautiful comment.
      I am so glad you enjoy the blog. I have just done another post.
      Fondly Michelle

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  27. Hi i found your lovely blog through instragram and I love it. Ive been reading your previous posts and i recognised your wonderful things from a magazine that you lovely former house was in xx

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    1. So lovely to hear from you.
      Instagram is new to me and I am finding it so much easier than doing the blog.
      What magazine did you see our home in, we have been in a few over the years with our old houses.
      Lovely hearing from you.
      Fondly Michelle

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    2. Hi Michelle,

      It was 25 Beautiful Homes Dec 2013 and I adored your home all set for Christmas, look forward to seeing more of your new home too. Yes instsgram is so easy I love it.
      Jan xx

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