Card Making

I have a motto "Make Much of Time" . It is actually an old sampler motto, but I have adopted it. This afternoon I decided to create some cards as I wanted to try and create something different! Not sure if these are different, I call them my Collage Cards.

They can now be found here

Simnel Cake

I'll to thee a Simnell bring'Gainst thou go'st a mothering, So that, when she blesseth thee, Half that blessing thou'lt give to meI'll to thee a Simnell bring 'Gainst thou go'st a mothering, So that, when she blesseth thee, Half that blessing thou'lt give to me circ17thCentury

Tomorrow is Mothering Sunday. Originally the Simnel Cake was made for Mother's Day by girls in service who were given the day off to visit their mothers. The name is believed to come from a brother (Simon) and sister (Nell) who wanted to make a cake for their mother. During the Middle Ages the custom developed of allowing people who had moved away to visit their home churches, and their mothers, on the fourth Sunday of the Christian festival of Lent. The Simnel Cake signifies the end of Lent which is a period of fasting and repentance culminating in a feast of seasonal and symbolic foods. This cake is now made for Easter. On the top of the cake, around the edge, are eleven marzipan balls to represent the true disciples of Jesus; Judas is omitted. Marzipan Weight of 3 eggs in their shells Butter, Caster Sugar and Flour 1 lb dried mixed fruit 1 tsp ground cinnamon. 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg. Apricot jam (or any jam that happens to be open!) Line a 7 inch cake tin with parchment or greaseproof paper (like you would a Christmas cake). Divide the almond paste into three and take one portion and roll it to a round the size of the cake tin. Cream together the butter and sugar and eggs till very pale in colour. Mix all of the dry ingredients together and then add to the mixture. Fold in gently. Put half of the cake mixture into the tin, smooth and cover with the round of almond paste. Put the remaining cake mixture on the top of the marzipan smooth the surface carefully. Bake in a warm oven, 140°C (gas mark 1) for about 3 hours,test after about 2hours Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. When cold roll another third of almond paste, again to the size of the tin. Make the remaining almond paste equally into eleven balls. Once the cake is completely cold, remove from the tin and brush the top of the cake with jam and cover with the disc of almond paste. Place the eleven balls of paste onto a heat proof dish and grill till brown. Place the marzipan balls evenly around the edge of the cake.

One Week at the end of March!

One week ago today just as I was opening the front door after returning from work the telephone was ringing. Me - Hello....... Cynithia - I have your dad for you......... Dad - (very slightly slurring speech) What are you and Alex doing on Monday? Me - Working why? Dad - You can take me to the hospital! Me - Why? Dad - I have an appointment at 9.40am at Exeter and Cynthia can't take me! Me- Not sure I can, why? Dad - I had a funny turn this morning? Me - Why didn't they take you to the hospital Dad - I don't need to go till Monday Me - Can I speak to Cynthia.............. Me - I don't understand, if he has had a stroke why hasn't he gone into hospital? Cynthia - I took him to the local hospital this morning, they say he can go home the stroke was very slight, unnoticeable, and rest for the weekend, they have made an appointment for him on Monday I can't take him and he is not allowed to drive (by law you are not allowed to drive after a heart operation or a stroke for four weeks) They have changed his pills. Me - Ok - let me see what I can do. Couple of hours and two phone calls later....... Cynthia - Hello Me - We have Monday off can take dad to the hospital. Cynthia - OK, your dad has booked the room for two nights for you anyway. Me - Ok I will be on my mobile phone all day tomorrow, and we won't we arriving until late afternoon, I not sure what time. Saturday morning, we decided to go to Totnes as planned, the reason being, we hadn't had a phone call over night so decided everything was OK. Everything was he rang me to tell me Cynthia was taking us out to lunch. It takes about one hour and fifty minutes from Minehead to Totnes, some of the journey is on the motorway. Up in the sky we saw a weather balloon . We didn't arrive in Totnes till about 10.30 and parked down by the Quay and walked up the hill as usual calling in the charity shops, managing to kit Liam out for the summer, poor Caitlin didn't fair so well this time which is quite unusual for Totnes! Eventually got to the market and the Civic Hall and to the Nostalgic and Mix Fair run by Lesley. Helen presented me with this lovely gift for the birth of Liam She is having a giveaway on her blog just now, and also the issue 3 of her next magazine is out too, which the next part of her embroidery of Bear has been stitch by me.

I purchased some old magazines from three different stalls.

After lunching at Greys Tea Shop, we continued mooching around the shops. One shop which sells mainly musical instruments I found a set of postcards featuring the drawings by M. C. Escher. I find his work fascinating, and the drawings always turn on a puzzle-page somewhere!

After four hours in Totnes we went on to dads, to find him well. I cooked tea, he didn't want much, but when he saw my Cheese-on-Toast he was hungry! Sunday Cynthia took us to her golfclub for lunch, and afterwards we sat in the sunshine in the local park chatting, then came home.

Monday up bright and early to take dad to Exeter Hospital. We set the sat-nav, because we were approaching Exeter from a different direction from our normal way. If we followed the sat-nav we would have gone down a one-way street the wrong way in a bus lane! We soon recognised where we were and turned off the sat-nav and followed the signs. Arrived at the hospital and eventually found where we had to be, saw the consultant and who was very pleased with him, he didn't need to change his prescription again, and chatted to him asking him questions like have you any children, yes - this is my daughter and my son-in-law and I have great grandchildren! Then he had to go for a CT scan, and a blood test, when all of this was finished he took us for lunch in the hospital restaurant. Exeter hospital restaurant for lunch isn't too bad, can recommend it.

After dropping dad back home and a cup of tea we came home.

Weather this week hasn't been too bad, in fact the sun has been out this afternoon. Went into the garden took some photos to suit the sunshine!

Don't know what this is called - mum used to call it "Billy Buttons"!

Primroses

Forthsyia

Dandelion

Celandine

While at the Fair I bought this old fashioned string bag

circa late 1960's early 1970's for 50p. - mum used to use them all the time.

In the bag is a clue as to what I have been making Tea Cosies!

I will be showing them very soon!

I also saw this Ladybird basking in the sunshine in the garden too

Memories

Tuesday afternoon, reading blogs, drinking tea, I ventured into Millie & Dotties Emporium there in the Nursery was Knitting Nancy. There she sat staring at me from her box, she took me back to when I was about 6yrs old Christmas 1962. I unwrapped presents there was Nancy, the exact same one as I was looking at. I used my Nancy then quite a bit, then as you do I grew up..........but recently I have been using my Nancy again for making the cords to join mittens together so they don't get lost for my grandchildren.

This is the second time I have found my childhood at Milly & Dotties! The last time was an Enid Blyton book.

my Knitting Nancy you can actually spy her here in draw nine

This one I bought here to put away for Caitlin for when she is older

I purchased Knitting Nancy. I couldn't wait to receive my parcel!

I felt like a child getting excited for Birthdays and Christmas!!

She was waiting on my doormat this morning.

I was so pleased

Look what I can make...........

Perfect Day

Today was absolutely perfect. It did start rather early with a brand new washing machine being delivered at 7.45am! It was plumbed in almost immediately, well when Alex had eaten his breakfast, so I was able to finish my weeks washing, our dear friend Jane did the clothes earlier in the week for us. Then we had a lovely afternoon with Caitlin and Liam, well I say today was perfect, granny must be getting old she forgot the camera!

I also finished this brooch, can now be found this on Folksy

I don't have a sweet tooth - honest!

I made this, this morning

Egg Custard Tart

because I had eggs left in the fridge

at this point I would normally put leftover

pastry in the freezer.

I don't know what came over me
because..............

I also made a Treacle Tart.

I buy a French Stick just to make breadcrumbs

my son thinks that is
sacrilege and says it should

only be used for *bacon and baked bean rolls* - don't ask!

But this bread makes decent breadcrumbs and made

a nice centre to soak up the treacle.

and with the leftover pastry I made a dozen Jan Tarts.

*Bacon and Bean Rolls cut the end off of the French Stick enough that you think you are going to eat. Pull out the soft white bread and eat while bacon is cooking and the baked beans are warming through being careful not to put your fingers through the crust, this must be hole free. Fill the cavity with the beans and the bacon. Eat and enjoy*

I understand you can only feed two people with this because you need the ends, apparantly it doesn't work with the bit in the middle! But this bit can be used for breadcrumbs!

My son Robert invented this while being a student. I have never tried this recipe so I really don't know what it is like but I understand it is very nice

Please come in and see........

"Little Shop on the Corner"
has now moved to
new premises here