DAPHNE'S REVIEW OF 2018

Good Afternoon to you,

Each year, around this time, I love to look back on the previous year.  It is not until I look backwards that I realise how many different stories, recipes and moments in my day to day life, that I have shared with you.

When I first began writing Ivy, Phyllis and Me! it was to share recipes with my two lovely daughters, recipes which had been passed down from Ivy my Grandmother and Phyllis my Mother.  I then began adding recipes which I also love to cook.  Along the way, I broadened Ivy, Phyllis and Me! to include an equal passion for gardening.  Slowly but surely, my other love, sewing and crocheting, not wanting to be left behind, gradually found their place in the sunshine.

So today, let us revisit 2018 and enjoy a few of the stories and recipes. As always we will begin with January.  

When Daphne Added a Little Spring

 Colour To Her Home

In this baskets previous life, it contained jams, marmalade and chutneys which a lovely friend had given to us as a Christmas gift.  The goodies had been enjoyed and the little basket was just waiting to be re-used. Later in January, we visited our local garden centre and it was there that I discovered the baskets new use.... the perfect home for these pretty Belarina Primula.  Once the Primula finished flowering, I found them a shady spot and planted them in the garden.

Daphne's Olive Oil Cake

.... and now to one of my favourite topics. I have often spoken to you about my love of the Mediterranean Island of Cyprus, so in January I shared  the recipe for my Olive Oil Cake... it was such a success that if you have never tried Olive Oil for baking, try my recipe.... I think you will be pleasantly surprised just how lovely it is.

In February,

Daphne's Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

my daughter, Natasha, asked me to share my recipe for Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie.  Both Natasha and her husband had enjoyed the meal so much, when they came to stay, that when they returned home, Natasha wanted to add this recipe to her repertoire. 

Daphne's Sweet Potato Burgers

I also shared my recipe for Sweet Potato Burgers, which incidentally I absolutely love.

March arrived,

Daphne's Chia Seed Breakfast Pots

and I shared with you my recipe for Chia Seed Breakfast pots.... as you can see by the last 2 recipes, we were definitely trying to eat healthily.

.... and then British Pie Week arrived, which could have totally scuppered our healthy eating.

Daphne's Vegetable Filo Pie

I told you the story of when George was a little boy, how his father made pies for the family as a way to stretch the food.  My version of a pie was a healthy version... I don't think Bob, George's father would have agreed that this was a pie, but thankfully George loved it. 

Daphne's Vintage Cutlery (Flat Ware)

We also had a little chat about cutlery (flatware to my American friends) as I do love a nice set of cutlery. It was interesting to see how many friends agreed with me.

Daphne's Orange Cake

April arrived and I made this lovely  Orange Cake.... don't be fooled by this cakes simplicity... as it was delicious.

A Postcard From Daphne

May arrived and by the end of the month the garden was bursting into life.  Although winter seemed endless last year, we were rewarded with the most beautiful summer.  Here in the North East of England the winds are notoriously strong, but not last summer, they were kind to us, so the flowers enjoyed a gentle, balmy summer.

Daphne and Her Crochet

Before we knew it, June had arrived and surprisingly in between gardening, I managed to finish my crocheted throw. Which to be honest is unheard of because during the summer months I can always be found in the garden.

Daphne's Carrot and Orange Salad

As the weather was so beautiful, my healthy Orange Salad went down a treat. I also shared a funny story about a young Magpie who visited our garden.

I then took a blogging break due to family commitments, but by October I was raring to go and shared with you,

Daphne's Butter Chicken ~ A Spicy Little Dish

a favourite dish of mine, my version of Butter Chicken.

Before we knew it November was knocking on the door and I told you a lovely story about a little girl I met during a visit to my Thursday Craft Group.

Daphne's Fun Afternoon Making Christmas Decorations

... and then December was here. 

Happy Christmas To You

Christmas preparations were in full swing. Christmas sweet mince pies were ready for baking,

the Christmas tree was dressed and sparkled with twinkling lights.

Red cushions, red throws and red Poinsettias were

 in place

ready for Christmas Day.

Christmas Day arrived and I was thoroughly spoilt with so many lovely Christmas gifts. Our Christmas dinner was eaten.... but there was no space for Christmas Pudding, so we saved the pudding for Boxing Day.

After Christmas Day and Boxing Day had been enjoyed,  it seemed the end of 2018 was fast approaching.

.... and here we are in January 2019.  There will be ups and there will be downs, life will not always go according to plan, but as with previous years, we will ride the highs and deal with the lows when they arrive. 

As always, 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO YOU

Good Morning to you,

My Mince Pies have been made

and are ready for baking.

The fragrance of fresh

and

dried fruits 

fill the air.

Red Christmas cushions

and

bright red Poinsettias
bring seasonal colour
to each of my rooms.

Our Christmas tree
 looks so lovely 
hung with decorations
old and new.

Even my Christmas dress

has been chosen.

With all my Christmas gifts wrapped

and Christmas cards delivered,

there is just one
very important thing left for me to do,
and that is

 to
wish you

and your family

a very

Happy Christmas

and

to say thank you so very much
for taking the time
throughout the year
 to
visit me here
at Ivy, Phyllis and Me!
Your love and support
for
Ivy, Phyllis and Me!
is truly appreciated.


As Always,

DAPHNE'S TRIP TO HARROGATE

Good Afternoon to you,

I had the most wonderful day a couple of Saturday's ago, when I went with a group of friends, to the beautiful Spa town of Harrogate for the Knitting and Stitching Show.

I was up and about at 6.00 am eating my breakfast, drinking my coffee and making sure I had everything I needed for my trip. 

Now I have to tell you, at 8.00am it is usually very quiet in my household and being so early, I expected a quiet journey to Harrogate.  How wrong was I. As the coach filled with ladies, the noise grew louder and the air filled with excited chatter. I have never experienced so much fun and laughter, so early in the morning.

We arrived in Harrogate a couple of hours later to see queues forming in front of the Harrogate Convention Centre, but none of us minded because we were with like minded people, who love to create, so waiting in a queue was no problem at all.  It's amazing how you can strike up a conversation with a stranger when they have the same interests as yourself.

Once we passed through security and were indoors, the fun began.

I had taken a list of items I wanted to buy, because I knew there would be a lot of stalls and I needed to be focused.  I decided,  I would browse first. The problem with browsing, is, you have to remember where you have browsed, especially as there were over 200 craft exhibitors.

.... and whilst browsing  I went completely off piste when I came across,

a stall selling Sashiko templates. I stopped dead in my tracks and knew immediately, that although Sashiko did not feature on my list, I would be buying some cloth.... at which point my list went right out of the window.

Sashiko is an ancient form of sewing using  running stitches.... similar to our quilting stitches.  Now you may think running stitches are easy, but to sew accurate running stitches, well that is another matter.  I will be put to the test when I begin this project.

As we walked on, I saw some very talented exhibitors, but I was intrigued when I saw  a stall with numerous perspex boxes laid out on tables.  I walked towards the stall and discovered under each perspex box, the most beautiful sweetheart pin cushion.... this is something I have never heard of. When I spoke to Diane Grant, she said that the pin cushions were love tokens made by recouperating soldiers during the Great War.  I really feel I cannot say too much because Diane researched this book for 4 years, so I would urge you to buy a copy as I feel sure, like me, you will find the history of sweetheart pin cushions quite fascinating.

Diane's Forget Me Not Book is published by Tandem Books, Wakefield, Yorkshire with the ISBN:978-1-9997950-09.

I spent a lot of time at Diane's stall, but eventually it was time to move on.

Now I think you know I am quite partial to a homemade Christmas tree decoration and so are my daughters, so I was pleased to discover this Christmas Beaded Wreath Kit.... I should say kits, because I bought 2, one for each of my daughters.... a little late to make any headway this year, but this will be something fun to complete next year.

.... and my final purchase was 3 skeins of this beautiful Falkland Aran wool and with a name like Basil it had to come home with me.  This wool is absolutely gorgeous to use.  I cannot tell you what I am knitting because it's a secret.... and if I tell you, then it will not be a secret.... but when the wool is knitted I will show you what I created.

All in all, I had the most fabulous day.  Now I mentioned at the beginning that in the morning the ladies on the coach were in high spirits, so I expected, after many hours of walking, everyone would be quiet on the journey home.... how wrong could I be, everyone was talking about the different items they had bought.... there was so much laughter that I have to tell you my sides hurt when I arrived home. That night I slept like a baby.... with a smile on my face.

.... and talking of a smile on my face, Christmas is really on its way, because yesterday I received my first Christmas card from our youngest daughter..... how happy am I.

Take care and I will catch up with you next Saturday.

DAPHNE OUT AND ABOUT CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

Good Morning to you,

I love this time of year, as I can feel the sense of anticipation beginning to fill the air. Along with most people, my thoughts are slowly moving towards Christmas. Nothing major, just making lists and organising my Christmas thoughts.

....but there is also something else on my mind, which I am getting a tad excited about. I know, that in a short while, the many boxes stored in the loft, will be brought downstairs and each decoration will be carefully unwrapped. I love that each year, at Christmas time, our home takes on a whole new look, when it is filled with twinkly lights and beautiful baubles.

.... but there is a small problem with Christmas decorations being stored away for so long.... I tend to forget from one year to the next, just what I have packed away, so each year, I succumb to maybe one or two new decorations,

and this year is no different.  Well how could I walk away from such lovely Christmas decorations. I mean, it would be such a shame and if I hadn't bought them, I would have only regretted it, so for my peace of mind I decided to buy them.  As you can see,  I can convince myself of anything. 

With thoughts of Christmas lights and Christmas baubles, it is lovely to see the change in our city. The buildings are beginning to be dressed in their Christmas finery. Twinkling lights are hanging from shop windows. Christmas Markets visit our city and life is generally filled with hustle and bustle.

.... and Friday was no exception. I decided it was time to begin my Christmas shopping, as I have Christmas gifts which are to be posted abroad and although I cannot share with you the gifts I bought, I can certainly show you these,

gorgeous little robins, carved from wood. I looked at them, walked away.  I looked at them again on my return journey, and thought to myself, 'Mmm  they are really sweet', but my hands were filled with shopping bags, so I walked away.  You never know, they may be there the next time I go into town.

... and look at this stall.  Each year, we are thoroughly spoilt, because this company travels from Holland to bring us the most wonderful plants.

.... and as I am sure you can imagine, 

I lingered for quite a while looking at these lovely plants.  Do you see the cloud pruned trees on the left hand side of the photograph,  they are rather special aren't they.

What I love about our city is that you never know what to expect around the next corner.  I was amazed to see a young man creating this sand sculpture.  All the work he had put into this sand sculpture and all the pleasure he had given to passers by, would be turned back into sand at the end of the day.

There were Scottish bagpipes filling the air and as you can imagine this drew a large crowd. Around another corner there was a folk singer singing his songs.

... and around another corner I spotted these wooden reindeer,  carved from logs. I thought they were so cute.

All in all I had a lovely day.  I managed to buy quite a few Christmas presents.... but I still have a few more to buy.

Oh well, there is nothing to be done.... I will just have to return to our lovely city next week.

Oh I just remembered, I won't be with you next Saturday as I am going to The Harrogate Christmas Fair, so I will catch up with you later in the week, when I will tell you all about my trip. 

Until then,

As Always,

DAPHNE'S HOUSE PLANTS

Good Afternoon to you,

A couple of months ago, I was watching BBC Gardener's World and my ears pricked up when I heard Monty Don say, that houseplants were coming back into fashion.

Now this surprised me, because I had not realised that houseplants had gone out of fashion, never mind coming back into fashion.

Houseplants for me, have always been an integral part of my home.  I cannot remember a time when I have not grown indoor plants.  Admittedly, the style of houseplant  which I grow has changed over the years, as I no longer grow rubber plants, spider plants or cheese plants, but I do grow plants which suit my smaller home.

For instance,

whilst this Clivia is new to my home, the plant itself is not new to me.  

When I lived in Cyprus, my friend gave me a Clivia as a birthday present. It was in full bloom when I received it, and the plant loved the temperature in my home.  It bloomed, just once a year, and always on my birthday, which was really lovely.  I have since heard from Pamela, one of my Instagram friends, that a Clivia will flower at Christmas and also Spring time.... which will be lovely.  Maybe I will be lucky and this Clivia will flower once again on my birthday.... wouldn't that be nice.

If you have been reading Ivy, Phyllis and Me! for a while, then you will know how much I love growing orchids.

.... many people think that orchids are a difficult plant to grow, so they avoid them.... and this is such a shame, because by following a few simple rules your orchids will bloom over and over again. I have orchids  blooming in my conservatory that I have been growing for years. When each orchid has finished blooming they are transferred to my kitchen window sill. The orchids are then cut  back, where they will rest, it is then the turn of the orchids on my kitchen window sill to be transferred to the conservatory to spend their time in the spotlight.

I have added as my Featured post this week, the post I wrote a few years ago, on how to care for orchids.  I think once you read the post, you will be surprised to find how easy orchids are to grow and enjoy in your home.

Another plant which I find easy to grow, is the Weeping Fig.... it just needs plenty of light.  I have grown these for years and I have never thought they were difficult.  This Weeping Fig is a plaited standard, and to look after it all I do is make sure it is watered once a week during wintertime, but it does need more water in the summer time. I dust the leaves with a cloth and every now and again I spray the leaves with a fine mist of water. When Spring arrives I start to feed it. The plant does benefit from being placed by a window and turned every now and again to make sure the leaves do not grow towards the light, but other than that I think you will be surprised how easy they are.  Maybe buy a small plant and see how you get on.

.... and I am thrilled to pieces with how this Parlour Palm has settled.  I bought 4 tiny plants for the princely sum of £1 each. I repotted them and cared for them until each one reached a good size, I then potted them on to the next size of pot.  When they were large enough I planted two Parlour Palms into two large pots and I am thrilled to say they are growing so well as they love the warmth of the conservatory.  Admittedly their growth will slow during the winter time, but next year they will put on another spurt and in a few years time I am hoping I will have two large Parlour Palms.  If you were to buy a full grown Parlour Palm I know they can run into over £100 for a large one, so why not buy small, nurture the plants and save yourself a lot of money.

Another favourite indoor plant is this Peace Lily.  Although I grow this one on my windowsill, it is quite happy, because this window does not receive any direct sunshine.... plenty of light.... but no sunshine to scorch the leaves.  I have grown Peace Lilies in the corner of a room and as long as the plant is given some direct light, it will survive quite happily.  You will also be treated to some lovely white flowers which will bloom two or three times a year.  An easy plant to care for and one which will reward you with lush green leaves.

A very old favourite and one which my mother Phyllis has grown for years.... a Christmas flowering Cactus. Actually I am sure this is a cutting taken from my mother's plant. I have to be honest and say, 10 or 11 months of the year, this flowering cactus does look rather boring, but during the run up to Christmas the flowers begin to form and before you know it you have buds all over the plant and when the buds burst into bloom, the plant looks spectacular.  I normally stand this plant in my porthole window, but I could not get a decent photograph to show you, so I moved it onto this shelf. It has now been returned to the window, where it sits quite happily.

.... and I could not leave you without sharing this touch of whimsy.... don't you just love Baby Groot. Whenever I look at him he always brings a smile to my face.  

Baby Groot was part of my birthday present earlier in the year and unbeknown  to me, Baby Groot arrived before my birthday with George being given strict instructions as to the type of plant he had to buy from the garden centre.... and I think he did an admirable job as he found the perfect plant.  To care for the air plant, all I have to do, is pop the air plant into rain water once a week and it is happy.

So if you do not grow houseplants, maybe give it a go... it is lovely to have that touch of greenery around the home and not only do the plants look lovey,  they are also very good for filtering the air.

I would love to know which houseplants you have had success with, as maybe the houseplants which you grow are totally different to mine.

Take care and I will catch up with you next Saturday.

As Always,