May at the Cottage

May brings a beautiful abundance of fresh green shoots & leaves to our cottage garden. Each month of the year has their own beauty but I love the month of May the best of all.

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The garden is scattered with cherry, apple & pear blossom. Each tree awaiting the lovely fruits which will hang from their branches. How truly blessed I feel when you see this blossom each year, nature is a marvelous thing.

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Blue Tits are all around the garden bringing their pretty gentle song. Baby rabbits are back hopping around again, they are so sweet to see but we need to make sure the fence around the vegetable garden is secure.

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Lilly of the Valley, Violets, Lilac & Cowslip are flowering in the garden, the smell of May is heavenly.

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Cottage days are filled once again with weeding & planting up the vegetable garden.

The children find such joy in planting seeds & seeing them grow.

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Ma's Plain Cake

This is a recipe I use again & again, it is a 6 egg mixture & makes a lovely large cake.

The recipe is in Ma Larkin Perfick Cooking.

This cook book is on of our family favourites.

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We have had so many special moments since my last post.

We became Grandparent's for the first time.

Meet sweet Charlotte, how wonderful it was so hold her.

This little girl brings such joy to our lives.

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Another tea cosy finished inspired by the colours of one I saw at the James Herriot Museum.

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The twins celebrated their 7th birthday at the end of March.

Time flies, they are turning in to little ladies.

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We had a new addition to the cottage last month, a 1947 Aga.

It cooks like a dream & keeps us beautifully warm too.

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Lambing is now over in our village farm.

There were so many beautiful little babies born.

We were so lucky to be asked to watch as some were being born & Mary was amazed to be asked to pull a lamb out.

Mary is the type of child to just get stuck in, maybe we have a little James Herriot in the making.

This is Mary's lamb.

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We love to walk the lanes & fields around our village.

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Some beautiful magazine's I found from the thirties & forties.

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A selection of cakes using these vintage pre war recipe booklet's.

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Beautiful Bluebells in our cottage garden.

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Early Spring morning at the cottage.

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The twins making Yorkshire Scones.

They love to get involved in the baking.

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I finally finished this 1930's Bow Scarf, it had been sitting at the bottom of my knitting bag for a while.

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Our scullery & sweet George.

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Making London Buns.

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Recipe.

Beat 3ozs of sugar & 2 ozs of butter to a cream. Then add 2 tea spoons of melted Golden Syrup. Add an egg & beat well. Then add 4 ozs flour, 2 tea spoons of ground ginger, 1/4 tea spoon of soda, 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar & 2 tablespoons of milk.

Half fill little patty tins & bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a moderate oven.

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Off to a 1940's event a few weeks ago.

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Blue & white Forget me Nots in the garden.

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Kitty is rarely without flower's.

Apple Blossom.

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Some vintage finds.

I can't wait to use the 1950's picnic hamper.

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A birthday cake for Danny who turned 15.

He asked for chocolate cake with fresh cream & chocolate treats on top.

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Spring blooms in the cottage garden.

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Making Maids of Honor.

These are little jam tarts with a sponge topping.

Line little tart tins with shortcrust pastry & put a small amount of jam in them  I used homemade rhubarb jam.

The beat 2 ozs of butter with 2 ozs of sugar, 1 egg, 2 ozs of self raising flour & 1 tsp of almond essence.

Put a small amount of this on the jam & bake in a moderate oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

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Homemade rhubarb jam.

Our rhubarb has grown so well, it has been going in to all sorts of recipes.

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Baking a sponge cake together.

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Here is the girl's cake all decorated for tea time.

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A country walk last weekend through the church yard next to the cottage.

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& then a ride out to a party in our 1930's car.

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Thank you to all my dear readers for all their comment's, I have read them & am very sorry I have not replied to them all.

There has been a few things going on these last few months regarding our sweet Kitty.

We have decided to full time home school from September as we feel that would be best for the girls.

I hope everyone is having a beautiful Springtime.

Fondly Michelle

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Enjoying Summer Days

The Summer days here are full & we are all as busy as bee's.
The vegetable patch is doing so very well apart from an abundance of little visitors which we have had to pop up a temporary fence for this Summer & will surround it with a picket fence hopefully over the Winter months. The rabbits are beautiful to watch playing in the garden but not watching them eating the leaves of your lovely vegetables.
I am a little late doing a new post, Summer is such a busy time & there is not a lot of time for writing.
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To celebrate Father's Day this year we took a picnic to Tattershall Castle, a National Trust property.

This is a lovely 15th century red brick castle set  in the Lincolnshire Countryside.

The castle was built between 1434 & 1447, you can picnic inside the moat where they have lawn toys for the children to enjoy.

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This is the end of a row of cottages as you walk up to the castle.

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One of the fireplaces in the castle.

This one is on the ground floor.

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While the boys climbed the stairs up to the top of the castle {it has 6 floors of stone steps}, the girls stayed on the ground floor & did some spinning.

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The lady was so good with them & they brought a piece of wool that they spun home.

She taught them how to card their wool too.

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Walking out of the castle over the moat to the gate house were they have a small shop.

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Kitty in her pearls making some fairy cakes for Father's Day tea.

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The first Tomatoes of the year.
They tasted beautiful in a fresh Couscous salad.

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The rhubarb is coming to an end now in the garden, we shall miss it but then enjoy the first of next year.

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The girls working in the scrap books, they are writing about their day at Tattershall Castle.

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Daisy all ready to go to her Prom.

She had a lovely evening with her friends.

She turned sweet 16 last week, it does not seem that long ago since she was a toddler, busy & in to everything.

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Mary had an appointment to see the eye doctor at our local hospital. She needs glasses & here are the pretty red one's she chose. She is getting on with them so well, Kitty would have liked some too.

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Cherry & Chocolate Brownies for our Edwardian picnic on Saturday.

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We went to an Edwardian Fayre at Belton House.

They used to hold fayre's during the first world war to raise funds for the troops.

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Soldiers on horseback dressed in first world war uniforms.

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Mary & Kitty enjoying the fun & sunshine.

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Games on the green in front of the house.

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The more cottagey back of Belton House.

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The Lavender has now bloomed since our visit two weeks ago.

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There was a stall selling plants & flowers.

We bought these little Alpine Strawberries for 50p each.

They give little strawberries that are strong in flavour.

The plants will be a  sweet addition to our Strawberry bed.

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Mary skipping on the green.

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Kitty really enjoyed the entertainment.

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Before we left we went to the second hand bookshop run by The National Trust & came home with a bag full of 50p & £1 books.

More recipes & reading.

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I wish everyone a wonderful Summer, I love to read your comments & hear what you have been doing.

Fondly Michelle

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