SUMMER DELIGHT

Good Morning to you,

This year I have been fit and healthy and I have not been struck down with any of those horrible winter or summer viruses, which seem to be around throughout the year. 

.... but yes you have guessed it,  today I am not well.... I am coughing and spluttering and feeling poorly.  George had a terrible night's sleep.... I think I kept him awake with my coughing, so I decided to get up early this morning, as sitting upright, certainly helps with the coughing and it allowed George to get his rest.

So my words are few, there are no stories today, but what I  want to share with you is,

a lovely summer drink, which I call a Summer Delight.  It is non-alcoholic and perfect for these warm summer days.

So it's on with the pinnie and as I was deciding which album to listen to,  I discovered a lovely surprise,

the fabulous Otis Redding, the album was tucked into the back of the shelf where I keep all our albums and I haven't listened to it in a long time. I remember listening to 'Sitting on the Dock of the Bay' on my transistor radio, as a teenager..... yes really a transistor radio.... that was many moons ago.

So whilst Otis serenades me with 'These Arms of Mine',  I am ready to organise my ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

Enough ice to fill a jug a third full

125ml elderflower cordial

250ml apple juice

125ml lime juice cordial

1/2 litre of sparkling mineral water

1 lemon

1 lime

1 apple

3 sprigs of milk

HOW TO MAKE A

SUMMER DELIGHT

Place the ice cubes into a

large jug

and

add the 

Elderflower cordial,

the Apple juice,

the

Lime juice cordial

the sparkling

mineral water

and 

stir.

Finely slice

 the 

limes

and

 add to the jug.

Finely slice

the

lemons

and 

add to the jug.

Cut the apple into segments

(I have to tell you, I absolutely love

this little gizmo)

and

 then slice the apples.

Add to the jug.

Wash the mint

and

add to the jug.

Stir everything together.

Pour into a

summery glass

and add a 

sprig of mint

and garnish with a 

slice of lemon

or 

a slice of lime.

..... there are a few instructions that will help you enjoy your Summer Delight even more.

Firstly, find a good book to read...  I am reading 'The Vintage Teacup Club' by Vanessa Greene.  

Secondly, find a shady corner in the garden.

Thirdly, place your favourite chair and a little table in the shady corner.

Fourthly,  find a small stool to put your feet on and place in the shady corner.

Fifthly, take your Summer Delight and your book into the garden and place them on the table.

Sixthly, sit on your chair, put your feet up, read your book and enjoy your Summer Delight..... blissful.

Take care and I will see you on Wednesday.

This week I will be joining,

Cathy from A Peek Into My Paradise

and

Lisa from Flour Me With Love

RUG HOOKING

Good Morning to you,

On Saturday, my girl friends and I, spent a lovely day together at the Customs House in Sunderland. We arrived in the morning to take part in a Creative Masterclass for rug hooking and clippy mat techniques.

Our tutor, Kathy, is a very talented textile artist and her exuberance for the art of rug hooking  is infectious. Kathy is the type of person, that after an hour in her company,  makes you feel you can achieve anything.

The course was run as part of the WW1 Centenary and we could choose to make either a poppy wall hanging or a summer garden wall hanging.  I chose a summer garden design, but of course, in the shape of my favourite design..... a heart.

I chose ribbons, lace, cord and net material and as I love pink and blue flowers in my garden, that was the path I followed, but somewhere along the line, I seem to have forgotten that, as I made predominantly pink flowers.... I think I just fell in love with the assortment of pink lace.  I can easily get back on track, as I have blue materials and ribbons here at home, so I can make  a few blue flowers to intersperse with the pinks. 

This is the first flower

I created,

my second flower,

(This photograph does not do justice to the design)

my third flower,

my fourth flower,

my fifth flower,

and

 finally, for now,

my sixth flower.

I love this material, the colour is perfect

and I love the crinkly look,

although to be honest, as much as I love it

for this project, I really do not like

this type material for clothing,

as I always feel I want to reach for my iron and

 give the material a good ironing.

This is not the end result, but I thought you 

might like to see how the colours work together.

Quite nice, I think.

I also need to add some green,

so I am playing around with some

material to see which I like the best.

As you can see, there is still quite a way to go to finish the design.  I am not a fast worker, I like to take my time,  to think about a project.  A couple of my friends finished their projects, so on this occasion, I have to get a shimmy on, as our designs are going to be on the Customs House website.

Have you noticed that there is something missing... there is no music playing.... yes, even when I am sewing, I love to listen to music. I created the sixth flower, here at home, and I listened to, well I won't tell you straight away, I will see if you recognise the lyrics,

'I rode my bicycle past your window last night

I roller skated to your door at daylight

It almost seems like your avoiding me

I'm okay alone, but you've got something I need.

I've got a brand new pair of roller skates

You've got a brand new key,

I wish that we could get together

and 

try them on to see'

Do you recognise the song? I bet you do and if so, I just know you will not be speaking the words, I feel sure, you will not be able to help yourself....  you will be singing the song.....  'Brand New Key'

Do you remember Melanie singing the 'Nickel Song', I'm sure you know 'Ruby Tuesday'..... I can't stop singing 'Brand New Key'....what about you?

There is still a little way to go to finish my project, but I thought you would enjoy seeing how much I have achieved.

When the wall hanging is finished, I am going to ask George to make me a wooden backing so I can hang my summer garden, on the wall, in my sewing room...... all will be revealed....quite soon.

....... yes, you guessed correctly, I am keeping George busy with woodwork.

Take care and I will see you on Sunday.

This week I will be joining,

Patti and Paul from Ivy and Elephants

and

Robin from Fluster Buster

PICKLED CUCUMBERS WITH OLIVE OIL

Good Afternoon to you,

I have to tell you, there is a new diva in this house.

..... and the diva is in the kitchen..... no I am not talking about myself, I am talking about George.

George has decided that after all these years, he would like to learn to cook... but  he never cooks... he enjoys eating, but has never shown any interest in cooking, well apart from the times he cooked using an open fire.

.... but now, he has decided he would like to learn to cook using a conventional cooker.

... and he has requirements.

He has asked for his own apron..... which is fine, but the apron has to have certain additions.  He would like a circular loop attached to the apron, so he can tuck a tea towel into the loop, and when I asked why he wanted to use a tea towel, he said because he had seen chefs on the television use them and he felt it would be a useful item. I think this is strange as I have never felt the need to use one.

I have also been told, he will not be calling it a pinnie as the word pinnie does not sit well with him.

Oh yes and the apron must have a large pocket in the front.... not sure why, but this is what he wants.

So in the near future, under his strictest of guidelines,  I will be making an apron for him.

So while he is waiting for his apron, he is using my older butchers pinnie.... oops, sorry, apron.  The first meal on his list, is his favourite.... a Sunday breakfast.

So with his first Sunday breakfast under his belt, the diva has emerged.  I  have to sing his praises, not once, not twice but with every mouthful of food I eat.  I have to tell him how wonderful the food is, how it tastes and yes, that I am really enjoying it. I have to listen to how each part of the breakfast was made...... I can't help but wonder if he has forgotten that it was me who taught him how to make the breakfast in the first place, but somehow I think he has forgotten that little fact.

Now, I really don't mind teaching George how to cook, but my concern is, what will he want to learn to cook next.....I am hoping it will be nothing too involved, but I have a feeling it will be.  I am really hoping that this is  a 'flash in the pan' (sorry about the pun). If not, I think I have  a really interesting time ahead of me.... mmm, I wonder if I can divert him with some woodwork?

So the breakfast, has been eaten.... and duly praised. The dishes have been washed and put away and George is reading the newspaper, so whilst all is quiet,  I have decided to make,

some pickled cucumbers with olive oil.  They are lovely eaten with bread and cheese or mixed into a salad and they can be stored for a year.... but that never happens in this house as once the storage time has past by, they are usually eaten, by George, within three months.  I do not make a lot of pickled cucumbers, but enough to fill a 1 kilo kilner jar.

So it's on with the pinnie and the music I have chosen to listen to is,

Lionel Richie.  Natasha asked me once who I would like to see in concert and my answer was Barry Manilow and Lionel Richie.  I love 'All Night Long', 'Dancing on the Ceiling' and 'Hello'. To be honest, when it comes to Lionel, the list of songs I enjoy listening to are endless.

So whilst I am listening to 'Sail On', I will organise my ingredients.

Before we start, I wanted to let you know, that this is a two day process.  One day to soak the cucumbers and onions and the second day to complete the pickling.

INGREDIENTS

750g cucumbers

(approximately 2 large cucumbers)

625g onions

75g sea salt

500ml cider vinegar

80ml water

1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds

1 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns

4 dried bay leaves

10 very small dried chilli peppers

75ml olive oil

1 kg kilner jar 

(sterilized in your normal way)

HOW TO MAKE

PICKLED CUCUMBERS

WITH

OLIVE OIL

THE FIRST DAY

Top and tail  two cucumbers

and 

finely slice.

Remove the skin

and 

finely slice

the onions

Place the finely sliced cucumbers

and

the

finely sliced onions

in a large bowl

and

cover with water.

Add the sea salt

and stir.

Cover the bowl with a plate

to make sure the cucumbers

and onions stay submerged.

Then cover with a tea towel.

Leave over night.

THE SECOND DAY

Place the cider vinegar,

the bay leaves,

the

crushed coriander seeds,

the

black peppercorns,

the dried red chillies

and

the 

water

into a non-corrosive saucepan.

Bring to the boil

and simmer for 10 minutes

Whilst the cider vinegar is simmering,

drain the cucumbers and onions.

Rinse in cold water

then

using a colander, 

remove as much liquid as possible.

Ladle the cucumbers and onions

into a sterilized kilner jar.

Once the cider vinegar 

has simmered,

allow to

stand for 10 minutes

then

whisk in the olive oil

and ladle the

vinegar into the kilner jar.

When the cucumbers and onions

are covered, seal the jar

and place in a cool cupboard for 

at least 3 weeks.

The reason I have made these pickled cucumbers today is I was gifted a couple of cucumbers.  George and I would not have been able to eat both of them, so I decided to pickle them instead, as this way, the cucumbers will last much longer.

Oh and just before I go, I have been talking to George about some birdhouses and bug houses which I would like him to make..... and yes, he is going to make some for the garden.  Phew, that was a narrow escape.

Take care and I will see you on Wednesday.

This week I will be joining,

Cathy from A Peek Into My Paradise

and

Lisa from Flour Me With Love

PEAR AND GINGER UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Good Morning to you,

I think it would be fair to say, that I have been 'bitten by a new bug'..... well maybe not so new, if truth be told, it's quite an 'old bug'.

I have decided, that I am going to re-enter the world of dress making.  Yes, I am going to pick up different sewing needles and different threads to the ones I use for quilting, and I am going to branch out and make my own clothes again......  but I have to tell you it has been quite a while since I did any dress making.

When Natasha and Danielle were small, I made some of their clothes and evening dresses for myself.  To buy long, evening dresses, in those days, was so expensive and of course when the girls were small, there was not a lot of spare change to go around. So I would find a design I liked and replicate it, usually with a little twist of my own. I would visit  the market to buy the material and whip the dress up, usually in three or four evenings.  I always received lots of lovely comments from friends, who thought I had paid a fortune for the dress and when I told them the cost, they could not believe it.

Do you know, I kept one of the dresses, neatly folded in tissue paper for years.  Then when Natasha was looking for a dress to go to her University Ball, I showed her my old dress and she loved it. It just needed a little tweeking to make it fit, but when it was finished she looked gorgeous in it..... her dress was individual as no one else had one like it.

The reason for this re-newed interest is, I have been watching a couple of sewing programmes, firstly 'The Great British Sewing Bee' with May Martin and Patrick Grant..... and secondly a new programme which has caught my eye, 'This Old Thing' with Dawn Porter. 

Now as far as the Sewing Bee is concerned, I like to watch the programme to pick up hints and tips, but I could never enjoy sewing under the pressure which the sewers are put under.  I like to do things at a leisurely pace and not feel harassed and stressed, otherwise what is the point, it takes all the enjoyment out of sewing.

..... and 'This Old Thing' taps into my love of not wasting, and the idea of re-using clothes which I already have in my wardrobe, really appeals to me. 

I have never been an overly fashionable dresser, well apart from when I was a teenager and I followed Twiggy, with my hairstyle, my eye make up, the little bell sleeve dresses, white tights, oh yes and not forgetting white lipstick...... really.... did I think I looked fabulous. Well, yes, of course I did.

Nowadays, I prefer classic styles and while I have a number of outfits which are timeless, I have a few things that could do with a revamp.

So I am very excited to sew my first garment..... not sure where I will find the time, between gardening, quilting, knitting, cooking and not forgetting the housework..... but I know I will.  It is amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it.

So while I am dreaming about the clothes I am going to either make or alter, this is what I am making today,

a Pear and Ginger Upside Down Cake.  It is a lovely tea-time treat with either cream, mascarpone or even a little vanilla ice cream.

So it's on with the pinnie and the music I am listening to,

is the Ellie Goulding single 'How Long Will I Love You' and I have to tell you, the minute I hear this song, I think of our daughters Natasha and Danielle and this song just fills my heart with so much love for them.

Ellie also sings a lovely version of 'Your Song' and 'Explosions' is another lovely song to listen to.

So whilst Explosions is playing on my Ipod, I will organise my ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

2 x 410g tinned halved pears in natural juice

90g stem ginger in syrup
(approximately 6 pieceds of ginger)

100ml ginger syrup from the jar

250g self raising flour

250g soft brown sugar

250g unsalted butter

4 large eggs

pinch of salt

25cm loose bottomed, deep cake tin

Pre-heat the oven to 180C

HOW TO MAKE

A 

PEAR AND GINGER

UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Butter and line the base of the

baking tin

with 

parchment paper.

Drain the juice from the

pears.

Finely chop the ginger

and

using half of the ginger,

fill the hollow of each pear

with the chopped ginger.

Place the pear halves,

flat side down,

into the base of the baking tin.

Pour the ginger syrup

over the pears

and

sprinkle the remaining chopped ginger

in between the pears.

Set aside for the moment.

Sift the flour and the salt

and set aside.

Whisk the butter

and

the sugar

together

until pale in colour.

Gently whisk the eggs,

then 

add

the eggs and flour

to the butter and sugar mixture

and

whisk until all the ingredients

are incorporated.

Spoon the cake mixture

over the pears

and smooth the top.

Bake for 1 hour or until the cake

is baked and golden in colour.

Leave in the cake tin 

for 10 minutes

then gently remove

the sides of the cake tin.

Place the cake on a baking tray to cool.

When cooled, using a plate,

invert the cake,

so that the sponge base becomes the bottom

of the cake and the pears become

the top of the cake.

Remove the base of the cake tin

and the 

parchment paper.

Honestly,

you will not be able to resist

just a little slice.

You will have noticed that I used tinned pears.  This is the only tin fruit I buy and it is only used for this cake.  I have tried using fresh pears, but they don't seem to work out as well.  A friend of mine told me she used tin pears, so I tried them and I haven't looked back.

Now I have to give you a little word of caution, please don't do the silly thing I did.  

I have made this cake so many times that I should have known better.  I had decided that I would like some little ripples around the side of the cake, so I thought I would use, what I thought was, a deep enough, cake tin.... big mistake!  It was not deep enough. Everything looked as it should when I put it in the oven, then when I checked the cake half an hour later, I noticed there was a large ring of cake, sitting in the base of the oven....  yes you've guessed it, I did not use a cake tin which was deep enough..... my mind was obviously elsewhere.... was I thinking about the dress I was going to be making, who knows, but it really was a silly mistake. Does that ever happen to you?

So never mind 'it's on with the pinnie', it is now, 'on with the rubber gloves' as I am going to have to clean my oven...... oh how I hate that job...... can you hear me grumbling where you live?

Take care and I will see you on Sunday.

This week I will be joining, 

Kim from Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

and

Natasha in Oz for Say G'Day Saturday
and
Bev from Eclectic Red Barn for Happiness is Homemade