"With Pomp, Power & Glory the world beckons vainly, In chase of such vanities why should I roam?While Peace & Content bless my little thatched cottage,And warm my own hearth with the Treasures of Home."*Beatrix Potter

Monday 30 April 2018

An Amish Chocolate Treat




Dear readers here is the much asked for recipe for the cookies I baked on Saturday & posted on Instagram.
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Amish Chocolate Chip Cookies
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2 cups of brown sugar
2 cups of white sugar
2 teaspoons of salt
2 cups of half margarine & shortening ( I use Trex for my English readers)
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
4 teaspoons of baking soda
6 eggs
4 teaspoons of cream of tartar
7 cups of flour (plain)
2 to 3 packets of chocolate chips ( I used dark chocolate chips & also chopped up a bar of dark chocolate)
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Mix together in order given & drop by a large teaspoon full onto a greased sheet.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 375o
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I put one third into a cake tin & the other two thirds I froze ready for picnics.
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Enjoy
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Fondly Michelle


Saturday 28 April 2018

Springtime In England


Hello Dear Readers
I thought you all might like to see a little update of what has been happening here in the English Countryside.
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In February we spent a truly beautiful break away visiting our friends in Somerset.
We stayed in their beautiful old English thatched cottage & spent each day with them, it will be a little holiday that will always hold a special place in
my heart.
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Our first view of Lilac Cottage when walking in, it is such a pretty & restful place.
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The twins bedroom at Lilac Cottage, Hinton Saint George, Somerset.
We have never been to such a beautiful holiday cottage.
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We missed George so much but there was still a cat at Lilac Cottage.
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Last month the twins turned 9, time is flying by far to fast.
They decided they would like a homemade Afternoon Tea to celebrate.
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Kitty deciding what she fancies.
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They choose a sponge cake for their Birthday Cake with strawberries & cream.
Daisy made these beautiful tea bag biscuits & other treats.
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The birthday girls.
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Still little girls at heart.
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Our Easter Table.
All of our children came for Easter Sunday & our two little Granddaughters.
It was a very special day with all the family together.
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A family photo taken on a day out at Stratford Upon Avon a couple of weeks ago.
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I am sorry it has taken me so long to do this small update but due to homeschooling, health issues & trying to live a more simpler life it just hasn't been possible.
Wishing all my dear readers a very happy Springtime.
~
Fondly Michelle

Thursday 21 December 2017

Autumn & Winter Memories


Dear readers,
This year has flown by & since taking on the twins schooling I am struggling to find time for writing the blog. I plan to write again in the New Year but in the meantime I have just done a post of all the memories we made as a family since late last Summer. We spent many days in the North of Yorkshire & also some wonderful short breaks to Stratford Upon Avon & Birmingham.
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In August once again we went to Woodhall Spa 1940's weekend with our 1939 Wolseley Ten.
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Kitty enjoying the little carousel.
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Mary winning Best Dressed 1940's Child.
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They were so pleased we were able to fit one of their vintage prams in the car.
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A jumper for Kitty made following a 1940's pattern.
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Visiting Askrigg in The Yorkshire Dales.
Askrigg is where All Creatures Great & Small was filmed, here we are standing outside Skeldale House home to James Herriot, Siegfried Farnham & Tristan Farnham.
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The beautiful Aysgarth Falls in the Yorkshire Dales.
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Sewing some dresses for the twins.
I love how they choose their own fabrics & ribbons now.
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A day out & picnic at Clumber Park with family.
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Sweet Charlotte at Clumber Park play area.
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The weather was beautiful.
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Stratford Upon Avon
Anne Hathaways Cottage
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Mary discovered a love of Shakespeare
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We travelled to Pickering in North Yorkshire for a day out in September.
Pickering is a lovely market town with a beautifully preserved steam railway.
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The twins in their handmade dresses.
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In October it was Pickering Wartime Weekend, it was lovely to revisit this beautiful town & to meet up with some friends we met online.
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Here I am wearing original clothes from the 1940's.
The coat is dated to the end of the war.
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There were so many wonderful people dressed in 1940's clothes for the weekend.
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Meeting new friends.
We finally got to met up with Helen & Andy from @henhousehomemade.blogspot.com 
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Here we all are at the end of the wartime weekend.
We will remember 2017 for making such wonderful new friends.
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A weekend away in North Yorkshire.
We visited the Treasurer's House in York for the first time.
This is a National Trust house with a beautiful city garden near York Minister.
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A beautiful cupboard in the kitchen of the Treasurer's House.
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In the garden of the house in York.
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Visiting York National Railway Museum.
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& then a day in Beamish to round off our weekend away meeting another wonderful friend for the first time. So many happy memories to remember 2017.
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Little Charlotte, she is growing up into to the sweetest little girl. We are overjoyed as Amy & Dan are expecting another child next year, our third grandchild.
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Autumn nature walks around our village.
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In late November we met up with our friends we first met in Pickering for a weekend away.
We visited The Black Country Living Museum on the Saturday & then the Birmingham Back to Back Houses on the Sunday, we also managed to fit in some crafting lessons from Helen at the hotel.
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The twins at the 1940's house at The Black Country Living Museum.
This was the first week of the museum being decorated for Christmas.
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Kitty in one of the Victorian cottages with a handmade Christmas tree.
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1930's Christmas Tree at the musuem.
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They have a small town in this museum & each shop is stocked with beautiful vintage & antique items.
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The two Andy's enjoying a Mince Pie.
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Here we all are at The Back to Back Houses with our wonderful tour guide.
These houses are wonderful & are set in different era's.
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It was a hands on museum so the twins could play away until their hearts were content.
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In December we went to Gunby Hall in Lincolnshire, the hall was all decorated for Christmas.
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This years theme was a White Christmas.
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These dresses were simply stunning, they were all made out of paper.
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Such a magical dining room at Gunby Hall.
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There were so many handmade items made by the staff at Gunby Hall.
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Playing with the snow machine.
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                                            A day out for Christmas shopping & afternoon                                                                                                          tea  at Betty's Tearoom.
                                                                                ~
                                                                               

Our first time at betty's.
It was such a special day out, Daisy was with us too & we all felt very festive.
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Betty's Christmas window.
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I started a Sourdough adventure this October thanks to the support of a friend.
We very much love Sourdough & I can't wait to try all different types of Sourdough bread.
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Christmas is starting to creep into our cottage.
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A sunday teatime, our first with the Christmas Tree up.
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The twins are studying the Second World War so they made a wartime recipe for a Christmas Cake last week. It was made with stewed apples rather than eggs.
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My mother turned 80 this December so she had a family party.
Here is Andy with our cute & cuddly Tilly our second Grandchild.
It is not often that all of our eight children are together so we made sure we took lots of photographs. ~


Our four wonderful boys.
Everyone is growing up so fast.
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& our four beautiful girls with me & my mother & sweet Charlotte.
How truly blessed we are to have our wonderful family who we love so much & are so proud of.
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Everyone all together apart from little Tilly who was sleeping.
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We have been married 27 years this year & we have filled those years with so much love & of course our children who we love dearly. Our family keeps on growing which brings us the greatest joy & love, we are so proud of all our children & their beautiful families.
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Myself & Tilly.
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The Christmas Cake is all iced & ready for Christmas Day.
I love using these vintage cake decorations that we have had many years.
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The dining room all decorated for Christmas.
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The heart of the home, it will be a busy heart over the Christmas period.
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Vintage Christmas decorations.
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We have just made up some of this Butter Biscuit dough for the children to make Christmas Biscuits.
This makes a lovely buttery biscuit.
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9 oz softened butter
5 oz icing sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
1 egg yolk
13 ozs of plain flour
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Beat the butter & sugar together until it becomes pale & fluffy.
Add vanilla & the egg yolk next, then stir in the flour.
Chill the dough or you can freeze it.
Roll out until it is 1/8 inchs thick, then cut with Christmas shapes.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 190 oc, 375 of, gas mark 5.
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Enjoy.
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Homemade Christmas Crackers forties style.
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Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to all my dear readers & their families.
~
Fondly Michelle