sharing is caring

Last week I watched in disbelief and surprise as this stunning bouquet walked down my driveway.
Yes, it really was as if they walked alone and I genuinely couldn't pick out the bearer of them because I was completely entranced by their beauty.



How tragic that my first thought was, "Oh, wrong address".
My second, "Is it my birthday?" (I know whacky hey?).
Then, "Maybe they're for our student? Oh help, is it her birthday?"
Finally they arrived at the door, which I'd flung open, mouth agape.
They seemingly anthropomorphised and announced they were for Emma! Me!
Thirty long stemmed tangerine, and creamy-blushy-rosey blooms edged in soft-lime and crimson, huddled together, smiling at me.



How gloriously beautiful.
How perfectly surprising.
And graciously accepted by me from my very sweet friend.
Completely unwarranted thanks for simply helping out.
Oh, but I am so grateful. They made my week very happy.

They spent part of the week in a huge rose bowl and gradually popped up around the house
in tiny drink bottles, bud vases, specimen jars. Spreading their joy.

So, I would like to spread them a little further.
Pass on their beauty, as thanks to you for spending a little of your time here at Tt today.
I hope your week is magical and filled with something unexpectedly lovely.

E x

self-service

Any guesses?

Yup. If you try to ignore your child on a Sunday morning for just one minute too long
this is what could happen, as it did in our house last Sunday!

Take one loaf and 250 grams butter and slather it all over the top!
I have to say that after I scraped most of the butter off and sliced it properly
it toasted beautifully with the little bit of remaining butter sizzling in the toaster.

Oh, Woo we do love you!

Our dear friends have had a baby girl. Olivia. And as you'd expect she's just lovely.




She was hard fought for and we are so delighted that she's finally here for all of us to love and to cherish. And finally we get to see her parents become the parents they have dreamed of being for so long.

I know you can never have too many bibs with a baby and these linen-topped, lawn-bottomed and flannel-backed bibs that I make have become renowned for both working well and seem to repel even the most tenacious of foods



Olivia's parents have the most fabulous collection of vintage 'objets' and furniture so I knew they'd appreciate the vintage nursery fabrics on the ball. I can't wait to see Olivia playing with it. It has a sweet little jingle-bell inside too!

Thanks for visiting today.
I hope your day is filled with the kind of hope and joy that newborn babies bring :)
E x

mustard chicken pie - the original and the cheats!

I received a lovely message from Kim of Squirrel in my pocket requesting the recipe for this scrumptious pie. 

I decided that it would only be fair to share both the Original recipe and the Cheats version - which is the one in the post I wrote.  If you click on the links you should be transferred to Google docs to access the 'pretty' recipe.  If you're unable to access them for some reason - like I was until I cleared the cookies from my cache  - sounds like I know something IT-ish but actually I just did as Google said. And it worked :) then I've added the recipes below so that you can copy and print them if you like.

Super simple and simply scrumptious - according to my family ;)

Cheats Mustard Chicken Pie – serves 6

From: Emma – www.tiggytwinkle.blogspot.com

Pastry

2-3 sheets frozen puff pastry

1 egg lightly beaten

1 -2 tspn butter to butter cake tin

Filling

30g (1oz) butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 leeks chopped

1 carrot peeled and diced1 plus 25 g (1 c) fresh or frozen peas

OR 2 cups mixed frozen veggies

2 tbs seeded mustard

2 tsp fresh thyme chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

750 g (1 3/4lbs) cubed pre-cooked rotisserie chicken

½ cup sour cream

1 tbsp corn flour/cornstarch

2 tbsp water

Salt and pepper to taste

1.     Melt butter over low/moderate heat, add garlic for 1 minute, stir in leeks, carrot, mustard, thyme and cook for a further 8 minutes

2.    Add chicken and cook for 2 minutes until the chicken is warmed through

3.    Stir in frozen peas, carrots and corn, sour cream, corn flour/cornstarch and water.    

4.    Stir until mixture boils and thickens then set aside to cool.

5.    Butter 20cm spring form cake tin well

6.    Lay one sheet of pastry into tin, there will be gaps that you fill with wide strips of pastry until the whole tin is lined.  I like it to look a bit random and layered J

7.    Spoon filling into lined cake tin. 

8.    Place 3^rd sheet of pasty over filling, tuck edges into tin. 

9.    Make cross-cut into centre of pastry lid and decorate with remaining scraps

10.    Brush with egg wash

11.     Bake in moderate oven (180C/350F) for 45 minutes or until golden brown according to oven.

12.    Allow to cool approx 15 minutes before releasing from tin.  Leave pie on base and serve.  REALLY ENJOY – because it’s every bit as yummy as the original version!

Mustard Chicken Pie - the original– serves 6

From: Emma – www.tiggytwinkle.blogspot.com

Pastry

1 ½ c plain flour (all purpose)

60 g (2 oz) butter

1/3 c sour cream

1 egg lightly beaten

 

1.    Sift flour into bowl, rub in butter, add cream and mix to a firm ball. 

2.   Knead lightly on a floured surface until smooth (or use a food processor to do the whole lot!)

3.    Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes

Filling

30g (1oz) butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 leeks chopped

1 carrot peeled and diced

2 tbs seeded mustard

2 tsp fresh thyme chopped

750 g (1 3/4lbs) cubed chicken

125 g (1 c) fresh or frozen peas

½ cup sour cream

1 tbsp corn flour/cornstarch

2 tbsp water

Salt and pepper to taste

 

1.       Melt butter over low heat, add garlic for 1 minute, stir in leeks, carrot, mustard, thyme and cook for a further 2 minutes

2.      Add chicken  and cook for  10 minutes until the chicken is tender

3.      Stir in peas, and sour cream, then corn flour/cornstarch and water and mix through. 

4.      Stir until mixture boils and thickens then set aside to cool.

5.      Spoon filling into 20cm (8”) pie dish with funnel. 

6.      Roll out pastry on lightly floured board until large enough to cover pie. 

7.      Place over filling, trim edges and crimp.

8.      Brush with egg wash, decorate with pastry scraps

9.      Bake in moderate oven (180C/350F) for 45 minutes or until golden brown according to the speed of your oven.

10.      ENJOY!

Thanks so much for visiting.

E x 

bashed up beauty

Another gorgeous piece inherited from Greg's grandparents!
I should say we salvaged it as his uncle had put this dear little bashed up beauty on the street as rubbish. I swooped it up and brought it in.

It was the little table used for Woo's party and had been in the garage waiting for the summer to use it outside. But after its visit inside I just couldn't relegate it back to the garage again and here she sits proud and happy and now the children's craft table.

It is "naturally distressed" and has about 20 coats of paint, and 40 odd years of  use to give it a genuine old patina.  I love it.

Thanks so much for pooping (why do I always type that first?) popping by today. 

I hope you have a wonderful week.

mid-century memories

This gorgeous mid-century buffet has come to live with us.

It was originally a dressing table with a large mirror attached at the back. We decided to remove the mirror and use it in our dining area as a buffet. We just love its family history . I think of sitting on the edge of Greg's Babcia's bed, the dresser behind me, as we chatted while she lay too frail to get about like she used to. I sat and wrote down many of her famed recipes, as she gave dictation - these were not written recipes that she could give me from a book! And now I am able to make the food that everyone loved for my family. Now I will make her delicious babka and tangy lemon biscuits and care for her dressing table and think of both Babcia and Dziadziu with great love and appreciation.




Greg's grandparents' home was recently sold.
It was so sad to pack everything up and I have to say we all became quite emotional as things that couldn't be kept had to be re-homed and nostalgic over the oddest of things, most of which now reside in my garage!! I mean really, what use do we, or anyone for that matter, have for a non-functional fake fireplace? Yes, the original faux-brass-faux-logs-faux-fire-plug-in-fireplace. Mmm, the one with an electric element for heat and red globe to complete the trick! One lovely surprise was to find a packet stuffed at the back of the laundry which held the original postcards and tickets from Greg's trip to Poland with his Grandparents in the early 70's. Back when tickets were hand written!




What I didn't show is the fab vintage orange floral Contact that lines each drawer! Love it!

Thanks for popping by,

E x

hotties

I've long admired these beautiful linen hot water bottle covers that Kris makes. Tigs always likes to take one to bed. Woo on the other hand is always quite warm but wanted one too. I have usually had to sneak Tiggy's in to his bed as we only had one in the house! Crazy I know as they are one of the most cost effective and quaint ways to warm chilly feet and to take the edge off the cold between the sheets in winter!

So this year while we were away I finally got around to making them. Both of my children love to take an armful of snuggly critters to bed with them each night. Their essentials are the North American Bear Company Baby Cozies that they have both had in their cots since they first made it into our arms.



Woo has this one and this is Tiggy's. Adorable, soft, snugglies. And so I used their precious friends as inspiration for their covers.
I used ultra-velour for their bodies and on the backs of the covers to give the soft and feely quality they love and the linen to appeal to my aesthetic!