Golden Cottage Days & a Trip back to the 1940's

Our cottage garden has a golden glow about it as hot Summer days turn the foliage into mellow yellowness.  The garden has a sunny silence, the birdsong has now dimmed as young birds have fledged to start their lives soaring the skies.

The purples & creams of the Canterbury Bells fill the flower beds as the Oxe Eye Daisies mellow until another year. Hollyhocks now bloom everywhere, how I love the dear Hollyhock & its many blooms standing gracefully tall, elegantly swaying in the cooling Summer breeze. Honeysuckle fills the air from that same Summer breeze, it has such a heavenly smell.

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The beautiful wild cherry trees will soon be laden with red cherries ripe for the picking as long as we get there before the birds. 

Golden wheat fills the many fields around us ripening unto the near harvest. The wheat stands tall with it's heavy ears waiting for full ripeness. as we walk through the corn fields scarlet poppies are still plentiful. Soon our lanes with be busy with farm traffic & we will be thankful for the harvest.

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Banana Chocolate Muffins.

I make these quite often, the children love them.

Fork together 10 ozs plain flour, 1 teaspoon of soda & a teaspoon of baking powder.

In another bowl mash 4 medium bananas, add 4 ozs sugar, a beaten egg, 2 floz whole milk & 3 flozs vegetable oil.

Pour wet into dry ingredients & stir to just combined. Do not over mix.

Cut up in to rough small chunks a 100g bar of milk chocolate & add to mixture.

Fill tins & bake for 20 minutes or a little more at 375.

These are delicious warm from the oven.

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Andy has quickly put up a temporary fence to keep our little friends out of the vegetable patch.

We hope next year to do a permanent fence.

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Our first potatoes from the garden.

They are later this year.

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A funny little chocolate cake.

This recipe came from one of the books I found at Belton House, it is dated 1952 & you can see from the recipes that rationing was still a big part of people's lives.

It did turn out a funny shape but was a nice little cake.

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Our first raspberries picked.

They topped a cheesecake.

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Last weekend we went to Woodhall Spa's 1940's Weekend.

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This event happens every year & has got bigger & bigger.

It is now one of Britain's biggest's 40's event's & what makes it so special is the many fly pasts from the Spitfires, Hurricanes & Dakota's. The Lancaster is not flying at the moment & she was very much missed.

Everyone dresses up & it is such a wonderful happy weekend.

The air was filled with sunshine & many happy faces.

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The butchers shop all decorated for the day.

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A lovely vintage shop selling many beautiful things, I treated myself to a handbag.

There were stalls everywhere selling everything 1940's with live music & dancing.

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A sweet little caravan made by the owners of the classic car.

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Playing on the swings.

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Some of the many pre war cars that came to the event.

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All dressed up for the day.

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Cherry sponge for Saturday tea.

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I have just started knitting a 1936 pattern for a cardigan.

It has long sleeves & a long body & is knit using 4 ply, so it will take me a while as I am a slow knitter.

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The beautiful photo of the cardigan inside the magazine.

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I have just finished reading The Cranford Companion.

I have had this book for a few years now & have never read it fully, it was a great read with snippets of life & manner's from the 1840's.

I don't know why it has taken me so long to read a Miss Read book, I am hooked & am enjoying it just as much as I do the the Nella Last books.

Now I am on the hunt for the whole set, I do love the first edition one's with the beautiful cover's.

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A couple of Sunday's ago there was an open garden day for the Red Cross at our village Manor House. Sybil is a lovely lady & friend who opens her gardens up many times during the year for good causes. Her son has a large collection of classic motorcars, this car was once owned by Cary Grant.

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Sybil has many acres here, some set to gardens, farm land & a perfect lake with boat house.

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Bantams running around with the sheep.

Can you see the sweet dove at home.

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Going in to one of the little gardens.

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One of the many beautiful rose bushes in the Manor House gardens.

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The twins sitting in a  1904 Cadillac & they didn't even notice that big horn!

A beautiful dwarf wall looking down towards the lake.

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Playing in the beautiful sunshine before we walked home.

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I wish everyone a beautiful Summer.

Fondly Michelle

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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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Summer's End & Harvesting

 

Canning Applesauce.

We picked our first apples of the year from the tree in the chicken run, we had to be quick as the hens were enjoying the first one's to fall.

                     This is our solid fuel range, it does our cooking, heating & hot water. 
             I love my Esse range, although this time of year it does get so hot in the kitchen.

 

The recipe I always use is from the Ball Home Preserving book, this book tells you all you need to can & preserve.

 

I use a mix of Kilner & Mason jars which I get from America.

 

 

All done, 7 pints of applesauce for the pantry shelves.

We try to can & preserve as much as we can from the garden.

 

Summer's End in the Garden.

How I love our garden with our pretty church next door.

We have many fruit trees & an Old English walnut tree.

I feel like I am in a period long ago when I am in the cottage & garden.

 

 

Pretty soon all those leaves will be falling, I love Autumn.

 

 

Our old pear tree.

I will be making pear butter with them.

 

The sweet peas have done so well this year, one of the best smells in the world.

 

Another apple tree laden with fruit, these will be made in to apple butter.

 

A favourite fruit cake of ours.

I love this old cook book from Ruth Mott.

Do you remember The Victorian Kitchen & Garden.

We have the box set of dvd's to watch this Winter.


 A rustic cobb loaf for tea.

                                                          
            The twins love decorating cakes & baking. At homeschool they do a lot of baking.

                              

 

Gingerbread, another recipe from the wonderful Ruth Mott.

This is best to keep for a week, so we will enjoy it for Sunday tea.

 

 

 

A trip out to Helmswell Antique Centre, the biggest antiques centre in Europe.

We found some vintage buttons, green being Mary's favourite so we will have to find something to knit for her so she can have some of the green buttons.

The twins love going antiquing & they came home with some vintage dolls house furniture & an old Enid Blyton book.

I found this lovely old sewing basket.

 

 

We have another engagement in the family, our second eldest son Harry has got engaged to his lovely girlfriend Kate.  How times flies, it seems not long ago he was a baby.