A Royal Visitation

Honoured I was when this Royal Pair stopped by, truly honoured.   I have to get this photograph made into a Diamond Jubilee commemorative plate or mugs for the kids, it is so funny!   You  gotta love the Great British Family at it's best.

There was a Royal Banquet...here it is in the making and this is Euan's photography!  My apologies if anyone suffers with vertigo.  Her Majesty liked the Hard Boiled Eggs, whilst the Duke gave the pickled Gherkins a bashing.  I would be proud to say I stuck with the healthy salad options but I didn't.  I am likely to actually blub on the scales this week due to all this Jubilee excess.  By my standards I have not been too bad but by Weight Watchers standards I have been hideously naughty!

After the party her Majesty let her hair down a little. . . before she slipped into something more casual to travel on to her next engagements!   In all I think she has had a fantastic weekend and so have we.
xxx

Long may she reign over us!

Jubilee Confession Time!

You can't have a Diamond Jubilee without cake can you?  A once in a lifetime celebration. . .

Euan agrees with me.  A Diamond Jubilee without cake is a no no!  (Euan has placed an order for a cake, exactly like this one, for his birthday in a few weeks).  I will just have to stammer my excuses to the Weight Watchers Leader again!!!  I also made some Lemonade Scones they are too easy to make and too easy to eat but wow...there is a lot of Weight Watchers points in a little Itty Bitty pot of cream!  The Lemonade was Sugar Free though!  Today I believe is the last official day of the Jubilee Celebrations.

My Bunting does not look as Splendiferous as it should for this time of year.  It has got welded to the fence in the drizzle!  Not to worry it adds to the typical UK feel of it all.  You can't have a Bank Holiday Celebration in this country without Cakes and rain.  In honour of the Jubilee it is a special extended Bank Holiday, so you aff to have special extended cake baking!  Today's cake is going to be;

Herman the German.  Tah dah!  Fresh out of the oven this morning.  Poor Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, has been taken poorly.  He is hospital for the rest of his Missis's Party!  In honour of The Duke's German Heritage, I will have a large 
slice  small slice of Herman the German Friendship Cake and send out my 'Get Well Soon' wishes.
Sarah left me a lovely comment regarding my 'Elderflower Cordial', she is quite right, as always. Gin and Elderflower Cordial are a perfect quaffing match for a Summer Celebration.  Don't ya just love the education you get via blogging.
So I am confessing Jubilicious over indulgence!  There it is out!  You heard it hear first.  The Chickens loved 'Lemonade Scones' too.  Today I am expecting very special 'Visitors' and I hope to share the photographs tomorrow (fingers Crossed).
I feel I must also confess on the crafty front, but really that could be a whole new post or five!  I have been decluttering again and bags and bags have headed to clothing banks and shoe banks and the Charity Shop.  It is a good job I have a weeks holiday, but I have at least a months decluttering to do.  I have had some crafting disasters of late.  Nothing to proudly 'Tah Dah' about.  I have had disasters that have been binned and disasters that are awaiting their fate.  Over the Jubilee I have been crocheting 'dish cloths'.  They are a kind of punishment to myself!  I will stick to the humble dishcloth for a while as I can actually complete those and can't go too far wrong!  Why in the 'Land of Blog' do I not see people sharing 'Crafting Disasters'?  Am I the only one having them?  I am sorry to be morbid but I would simply love to see your 'disasters' or at least hear about them. . . .
Well I better go and muster up some energy for the final day of this most 'Jubilicious of Occasions'.  I am glad these 'Jubilees' don't come round too often, I just can't keep the pace.  Her Majesty must be absolutely exhausted!

You are Cordially invited. . .

Do not adjust your sets!  Apologies for the photograph.  The Elderflower Cordial tastes better than it photographs!  I used the tray as a backdrop to hide the rest of the kitchen, that looked like a bomb had hit it.  I found a non Citric Acid suggestion for Elderflower Cordial and that was to use extra lemon.  This was easy peasy to make and it is rather easy peasy to drink too when it is diluted with carbonated water.  I also think it would be delicious drizzled over a Lemon Drizzle Cake or ice cream.  I wish I had Gooseberries...but caterpillars devoured my Gooseberry Bush, elderflower and gooseberries are a match made in heaven.


Recipe For Elderflower Cordial
10 - 20 Heads of Elderflowers ( Do not gather elderflowers that grow near to roads as they will be nasty)!
3 Lemons
1.5 litres of water
1kg of Sugar

Method
Heat the sugar and water together until the sugar has dissolved and the water is boiling.
Wash the Elderflowers well.
Use a sharp knife to cut strips of Lemon zest away from the lemons, then slice the lemons.
Put the elderflowers and lemon in a large bowl, I used my 'Crock Pot'.
Pour over the syrup and stir well.
Cover and leave for 24 hours.
Strain through Muslin or a clean tea towel and bottle.

Quaff with Fizzy Water and Pretend it is Champagne.  Chin chin!  Cheers your Majesty.  Oooh that reminds me, I would like to try making Elderflower Champagne one day.

Jubilicious

Euan and I both seem to be getting back to 'normal' health, thank goodness and thank you for your get well wishes.  They were much appreciated.  Today was 'The Jubilee Party' at Euan's school.  His T shirt says 'Keep Calm and Go For Gold'.  He looks a bit glum in this picture, but it was taken in a hurry this morning!  It was lovely to see the children all dressed in their Red, white and blue finery.  We are not allowed to take photographs in schools which is a real shame.  My Mom remembers 'The Coronation Party' at school where her Mother made her a 'Royal Crown' lined with Velvet.  She says she can remember parading from school to the local church in her 'Royal Crown' and black plimpsolls.  I can remember 'The Silver Jubilee' when I was six.  I had a crepe paper crown and had a picnic on the school field.  Henry can remember celebrating the Golden Jubilee when he was six at school and having a crown.  Henry and I went to collect Euan and the children were having a fantastic time outside with music blaring and lots of food to eat.  Euan took Union Jack plates with 'Mini Sausage Rolls' and 'Cheese and Grapes on Sticks', he said the little kids in Year 1 went crazy for them and ate them all up!  They were having the time of their lives.  One of the School Staff stopped me to tell me Euan had been a Superstar and had been helping to clear away.  He offered rather than was asked and he collected rubbish, stacked chairs and generally made himself helpful.  Bless him.  Henry was very reluctant when I enlisted him in helping to put all the tables away!  He was also very helpful though.  Euan had a few issues with his hand made crown, he made it at school and wore it with pride but all the partying made him sweat, the sweat made the dye run in the crepe paper and his forehead went a lovely shade of green.
Henry is very part time at school now and it is lovely to see more of him, when his brother isn't around.  He has a few more exams to do and then a nice long Summer before he goes back to school to take 'A' Levels.  I am glad he is staying at school because he needs the structure and discipline.  I am trying to get him to do a little more around the house but it is like shoving an elephant up the stairs.  It worries me to think that lad will ever be independent.  He can't even make himself a bacon sandwich.  He can manage 'Cheese and Crackers' and occasionally makes very interesting sandwiches with 'Pickled Eggs, Jalepenos, Reggae Reggae Sauce, Olives, cheese and whatever else he can find that is not a vegetable!   Most of Henry's friends are 16 but Henry is not 16 until the middle of July, so he is too young to find a part time job yet!  Not that anyone would want him!  (I jest he is a lovely lad really)!
I manged to walk the dog today, which was my first walk in a week.  I went to Bloomin Weight Watchers yesterday and despite counting, weighing and measuring all my food I put on 1.5lbs!  Miffed I am! Extremely miffed!  Now my back is 98% better I can exercise again.  The dog transformed from Eeyore to All Terrain Dog!  She has a blast, charging through meadows and woods.  She really has a 'Joie de vivre' when she is out she comes alive.  Back home she flops on the sofa and turns back into Eeyore.  I picked some lovely Elderflowers.

The sight of their frothy lovliness brought out my 'inner forager' again.  I was sniffing them all the way home.  They went in a pot with syrup and lemons and I am hoping by morning they will have turned in to delicious Elderflower Cordial.  How posh will I be sipping 'Summery Elderflower Cordial' for the Jubilee weekend?  If it works out well I will post the recipe and method I used.  I have not made Elderflower Cordial before but have wanted to for years.
Henry really wanted to go swimming tonight.  I am pleased about that because the average British Teenager gets up to all sorts on the average Friday Night.  I have tried the kicking his butt approach to parenting with no great success.  So making an effort to take him out is a small price to pay for an evening without having to worry about what he is up to.  Saturday is his day of freedom and I wait at home 'having kittens' until he is home safe again!  I would rather have noisy teenagers in my house then at least I know where they are and what they are up to.  It is a shame kids have to grow up!  If my parents are reading this they will feel it is justice and pay back for the trouble and worry I caused them!  I really would not want to be a teenager again!  I am happy being a grumpy, frumpy, forty something!  After swimming the kids voted for take away burgers!  I was very good and resisted and made Chicken and Vegetable Skewers for myself when we got home.  This diet healthy eating plan lark aint easy!  How can I celebrate the Jubilee on a diet Healthy Eating Plan?

I hope you are all set for a relaxing weekend.  I am hoping to get some more Jubilicious photographs to share over the weekend.  Have a great one!  xxx

I can't believe May is out!  Here is May's Photo Collage.  :)

The Ninth Weave - Beautiful 'Hand Woven' Give Away

One of my Favourite Blogs / Blog buddies is having a 'Give Away'.  I have been following Sarah at Knits and Crosses since she started her blog and started to weave.  Her Blog never fails to put a smile on my face and I am quite literally in awe of Sarah's weaving and how quickly her skills have progresses.  I wish I had half the talent.  I can not believe how quickly Sarah creates beautiful scarves and fabrics.  She adapts ideas and experiments with her own ideas and I really think she is the most inspirational 'weaver' that I have encountered. Somehow she places a funky, contemporary style into her weaving projects and her enthusiasm is infectious.  It is a joy to follow her work.  Sarah does not run workshops (yet) but it would be a dream to meet up and work with her imparting her knowledge and passion for weaving.  I know she will probably be quite embarrassed by my compliments but seriously don't take my word for it, pop over and search some of her 'Woven Work', see for yourselves.
            Well, I was overjoyed that Sarah is having a very generous Give Away and offering one of her own hand woven scarves up for grabs.  This is not just any old woven scarf, it is a scarf quite literally with a fascinating little twist.

Now tell me you wouldn't love to own this beauty.  I know I would wear it with 'Panache'!  In my mind I can picture myself swishing around in it and I know because of its colours it would be a really versatile piece.    I wasn't going to tell you about it!  It would be mean not to share though wouldn't it?  If you would like a chance to win this scarf just leave Sarah a comment on the link above at 'Knits and Crosses'.  You can get entered twice if you are a 'Follower' of her blog and trust me on this one...it is a blog worth following!  Good  Luck!  Please don't gloat if you win...I will be sore about it!
                  Take a look at Sarah's Etsy Shop too, The Ninth Weave the shop looks beautiful at the moment with a 'Rainbow' of hand woven treasures to inspire you.  If you deserve a special treat for yourself or you are looking for a stunning 'One Off' handmade gift for someone, this could well be the shop for you.  My favourite piece selling in the shop at the moment is 'Jaipur' the scarf in the photograph at the beginning to this post.  It was hard to choose a favourite though.

Just Another Day in Paradise

It is still exceptionally hot here.  I have been going through the mill a little health wise, nothing I want any sympathy for, you understand, it is just I do not really have much other news to share.  Euan and I both have horrible heat rashes/viral rashes not sure which.  The joys of being redheads in the heat!  This morning I got us both a doctors appointment as Euan also has a very painful eye infection that has come on suddenly and I have psoriasis and my 'bleeping' back has decided to be very naughty again!  It is very painful and took about twenty micro moves to get out of bed this morning.  I am taking a veritable cocktail of medications!  Not good.  This evening it ceased up when I was on the sofa and I could not get up, both boys came to my aid and shoved and pulled me,  while I could not help yowling and howling!  Henry got me more pain killers and Euan stuffed a cushion behind me!  Thankfully this is a temporary condition but it is rather humbling being at the mercy of  my children.  Not a great state to be in.
               My parents came down today, my Mom helped with housework and my Dad planted my Runner Beans and Tomatoes.  I am very grateful.  I had to photograph these silly girls!  I do not know where these plastic tubs came from, but we have had them for years and I plant them up with vegetables or flowers.  This tub is/was planted up with the Oca, my new vegetable of the year.  I do not hold out much hope for it now as the girls have adopted this particular tub for their 'dust bathing' and 'sun bathing'.

They do look hot and tired.  Dust bathing is excellent for them to cool off and keeps them free of bugsies!  Of course they are Ginger Ninjas too and I think they suffer in the heat, they do have the option of shaded shrubs and have been spending lots of time hidden from view.  I still only have to whistle and they come running like hungry puppies!  They have been very naughty in the heat and their happy 'We have laid our eggs' song has got louder, longer and earlier!  They are very noisy at about 6.30am until I let them out to run around the garden and then you don't hear them at all!  I am expecting a complaint about noise any day soon!

                My friend popped in this afternoon, to drop off 'Herman the German'.  My friend Sue and I have been friends since we were 11, she is a great buddy, we have lots in common, we both like gardening, cooking and we can happily talk about dogs all day long.  Sue is a professional dog groomer and works to a really high standard.  I am always impressed with her skills.  We go back a long way together.  Time always passes too quickly with Sue and we 'chin wag' a lot with each other.  Herman will be staying at our house for about ten days.  He came with an A4 sheet of instructions that I have misplaced already!  They will turn up. . .

Herman is a 'German Friendship Cake', Sour Dough Starter.  If I look after him right he should be ready to divide into four in ten days time.  One will make a cake, two will be passed on to friends with instructions and one will be kept to do the whole thing again!  Fingers crossed Herman likes it here and does what he is supposed to do.  Little bubbles have appeared over the last four hours.  He is like having a new pet.  Hermy is Mommas new baby!  Have any of you had any experiences with a 'Herman' of your own?  I will keep you posted as to his progress.
Love to All Yall!  xxx