No wonder..................

I cannot grow lovely flowers and vegetables!

Tea Cosy Covers

Have you ever wonder about these Tea Cosy Covers.........? Too thin to keep the tea warm, about as useful as a chocolate teapot............!!!!!
Well the Victorians are to blame. They covered everything from tables and piano legs to well.....tea cosies!
They made a padded plain cosy for the warmth from old blankets or eiderdowns, and had various covers, so if the cover got dirty or stained they were able to wash them, I think it is a clever idea, one cosy lots of covers. Sometimes the china, tea cloth and napkins would all match.

The tea cosy was probably invented by the Duchess of Bedford who invented afternoon tea, because there was a long time between lunch and dinner. Friends were invited for afternoon tea chatted the tea in the pot would get cold.

You will find these tea cosies here with a few other vintage linens.

Interesting weather for August!

Outside my back door

Outside the front door

The rain brings out all sorts of creatures
Can you see the tiny snail just about to fall off the leaf.
The caterpiller was less than two inches long!

This snail I think wanted to come inside!
He was climbing up the front window.


The reuslts of watering the hanging basket everyday
I eat two between gathering them and photographing them!


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Quick Chicken Pie


can Condensed Mushroom Soup
Just Rol puff pastry (I always buy puff pastry!)
Cooked Chicken
Mushrooms thinly sliced or quatered

Roll out enough pastry for base and top
Line a dish/tin with pastry
(I use the lids to my casseroles to make pies)
Put in chicken, mushroom and soup
Put the top pastry on

cook until golden brown at 180 degrees centigrade

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Last Saturday we went here there was a craft fair on and we also went to the museum

Whilst there purchased these

EGGS, Eggs & eggs!

Last Saturday I entered the local Flower and Produce show. I was quite miffed no-one looked at my Lemon Curd. I couldn't understand it, everyone to whom I have given my Lemon Curd to always said it was perfect - perhaps they were being polite................

The recipe comes from this book. My grandmother used to make it, my mum used to make it and mun introduced this recipe to me when I was about ten. I've been making it for years without a failure........

Well that is till now!

Lemon Meringue Pie................

..................with a soggy bottom!

I know what happened I think I mis-read the recipe and didn't put enough cornflour in, all these years of making it and this happens at the crucial moment! Oh well there is always next year! I will do better! I will do better! Imagine I have written it a hundred times!!!!

You must be asking by now where do the eggs come in to all of this? Well first of all I made an Egg Custard Tart, but instead of using two large eggs I used three egg yolks, and saved the three whites for the meringue. It became a cross between Lemon Meringue and Eaton Mess with lemons, but it tasted very good!

This week

Wednesday

The Red Arrows came to town!

It was a really hot afternoon. The weather was dull Monday

and it rained on Tuesday so wasn't sure if we were going to see them but we did.

The display was spectacular as always.

There were lots of different stalls to see but only one craft stall.

FRIDAY

The sky over our house about 9pm on Friday evening

Saturday

I have a few pegs on my washing line that are left out all year round.

I moved one of the pegs and this white spider fell out!

Two snails doing a trapeze act in the rain on Saturday morning

I entered the local Flower and produce show with five items

Photograph, this Flower Display

Lavender, Rosemary, Mint, Thyme, Bay

Five Varieties of Herbs

Caitlins new jumper and some Lemon Curd

I only came second with the jumper

Its the first time I have entered in about seven years!

Happy Birthday - ONE Today!

Hello everyone...........Do you remember this, this and this?

Well she is a Year Old Today!

Where did that year go?

With her Great Granddad before getting changed

In her new party frock

Being Marilyn Munroe with the skirt of her party frock waving in the breeze!

With her daddy

Saturday afternoon we went to a very noisy play centre

where children play on climbing frames and in ball pools.

Bit noisy for Granny and Granddad - we must be getting old!!!!

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Now what you have all been waiting for - the giveaway

The WINNERS are:~

yes I say winners because I decided it is to celebrate my

500th post and Caitlins first birthday

and well I thought I would have one for luck too............!

So here we go........TahDah............

500th Post - Sal

Caitlins first birthday - Jackie

and one for Luck - Eleanor

Saved from the Fiery Furnace

I have just had a lovely afternoon with my friend Meg, drinking tea, eating biscuits and putting the worlds to right! As it was a lovely sunny afternoon took a stroll round the garden pinching and eating her Raspberries straight from the canes. Picking her Dandelions for my other friend Jane for her tortoises. On the way out to the garden I saw the wood pile of different types of wood for the wood burner, well...............how could this be chopped up for firewood so I asked if I could have it for Caitlin. Think Abigail (aged 16years) was only too pleased to let me have it rather than seeing her dad chop it up. Now I had to get it in our house without Alex seeing it because I know what would happen, he would give me one of them looks where the eyes rolled upwards, they didn't he was asleep in the chair when I got home, he claimed he had only just nodded off!!!!! It was OK he agreed with me there was nothing wrong with it. Caitlin won't get it yet I will probably save it for a couple of years yet so that will give me chance to make bedding for it. I will certainly enjoy myself thats for sure!

Saved from the fiery furnace

Don't forget the giveaway you still have till Tuesday