Photo by Foilman
It's still raining...We had a short stop late last week, but we're now back to building the ark. Already the animals are going in two by two mainly over the babygate and onto the kitchen floor. It is Little D's favorite hobby at the moment. We are not sure if he is perfecting his shot put or his over arm bowling skills. Either way athletics or cricket it is pretty impressive as they fly twenty foot across the tiles.
We have been pretty much housebound up to today. We ventured out to a local village in search of life. As you know Little D is a book fan so we popped into the little library there with the intention of finding him some more items of worship. Little D set about building a temple out of stickle bricks whilst mummy and daddy hunted through the books looking for the holy grail of baby books Upsy Daisy's Big Kisses. O.K so shes a dancing girl with an inflatable dress and a blue best friend who squeaks but what's not to like? We were busy checking out this book when the heavens literally opened, hailstones the size of peas fell from the sky as children and parents ran screaming from the park outside falling over each other to get into cars, shops anywhere. Little D just snorted and chewed on a pilfered stickle brick under his rain hood, anyone would think they would melt.
Bath time is a bittersweet occasion in our household. First of all we all get a drenching with the splashing secondly although Little D loves the water he hates having his hair washed and dislikes getting out. Hair washing in particular is usually accompanied by body popping and attempts to flee the country. It has got so bad he religiously smacks the rinsing cup on his morning foray to the bathroom. What makes it worthwhile is his bath time friends. Tonight we were accompanied by eight plastic ducks in various colours and sizes, a swimming frog, and a set of seven stacking cups and Makka Pakka also came along for the ride (he needed a good scrub after all those kisses from Upsy Daisy). As the rain continued to pour outside all we needed was Noah and a dove and we would have been made...
Photo credit: clarita from morguefile.com
There's nothing like a nice pot of the tea by the fireside during the winter months to warm and reassure. It is just right for a chilly day, ideally with a nice tea cake or crumpet. But what happens when summer comes? It has been so hot recently, surely too warm for our normal cuppa, iced tea maybe!
However did you know that a hot drink such as tea is actually just what you need to refresh you in the hot weather? The science behind it is simple,in hot weather tea refreshes you by raising the body temperature momentarily causing perspiration, which in turn cools the skin. Tea also hydrates you, surprisingly as well as plain water does.
So when the sun has got his hat on - don't just say hip hooray reach for the kettle too.
Photo credit: dieraecherin from morguefile.com
Easter Eggs
Eggs have been linked to Easter for centuries partly because they symbolize new life, and because of their abundance as they traditionally must not be eaten during Lent. Eggs that were not used for hatching were available to be eaten preserved or hardboiled as Easter food. In northern England they were called ‘pace eggs’, ‘peace eggs’, or ‘paste eggs’, from pasche, the Latin-based medieval word for Easter. Until late in the 19th century children from poor families would go went from house to house asking in rhyme for eggs to celebrate the death of Jack o' Lent.
Eggs were decorated by various techniques, the simplest being to dye the egg a single colour the dye would ten be scratched away to leave a white pattern or an inscription. On Easter Monday crowds of children would gather play a game like conkers: two eggs would be tapped together, end to end, till the shell of one cracked, where upon it was forfeit to the owner of the uncracked egg. In some places children would roll coloured hardboiled eggs down a hillside, a sloping path, or the beach, until they cracked.. Some people attach religious symbolism to these customs, saying eggs were dyed red to honour the blood of Jesus, or rolled because of the stone rolled away from the tomb, or hidden in gardens because Mary Magdalen searched for Jesus in a garden
The tradition of the Easter bunny leaving a basket eggs on Easter Day comes from America where parents often hide eggs in the garden for children to hide. The idea of an egg-laying rabbit went to America in the 1700's through immigrants arriving from Germany. German tradition tells that the ‘Easter Hare’ comes by night to lay eggs for which children search. Children would make 'nests' before Easter with their caps and bonnets and if they were good the Easter bunny would leave them coloured eggs. The symbol of the hare also has its roots in paganism; It is believed that a symbol of the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring Eostre was the hare. It was Eostre's sacred animal since it was a symbol of fertility and the rebirth of nature following winter. As rabbits are similar to hares and are very common everywhere, It is thought that Christians changed the symbol to the Easter bunny.
Hot Cross Buns
Another Easter tradition is the eating of hot cross buns on Good Friday spiced currant cakes with a cross marked on the top. The cross which is said to symbolise the Crucifixion also has a more ancient orgin as a pagan symbol. It was used by the Anglo-Saxons to indicate the four seasons on loaves baked for the vernal equinox to honour the goddess Eostre (probably the origins of the name Easter) and to discourage evil spirits that might prevent bread from rising.
As a Christian symbol, the buns derive from the ecclesiastical consecrated loaves given in churches as alms and to those who could not take communion. They were given by the priest to the people after the Mass, before the congregation was dismissed. They were to be kissed before being eaten. Protestant English monarchs saw the buns as a dangerous hold-over of Catholic belief in England, being baked from the dough used in making the communion wafer. Protestant England attempted to ban the sale of the buns by bakers but they were too popular, and instead Elizabeth I passed a law permitting bakeries to sell them, but only at Easter and Christmas
English folklore includes many superstitions surrounding hot cross buns. One of them says that buns baked and served on Good Friday will not spoil or become mouldy during the subsequent year. Another encourages keeping such a bun for medicinal purposes. A piece of it given to someone who is ill is said to help them recover. If taken on a sea voyage, hot cross buns are said to protect against shipwreck. If hung in the kitchen, they are said to protect against fires and ensure that all breads turn out perfectly.
Lamb
Lamb is e associated with Easter for two reasons The first is that Christ became known as the Lamb of God in Christianity, atoning for the sins of man by his sacrifice on the cross. The idea of the "sacrificial lamb" is older one according to Jewish lore, the Israelites marked their doors with the blood of a lamb to prevent the Angel of Death killing their first born; their doors were therefore literally "passed over". Jewish temples began to sacrifice lambs ritually to mark the Passover. Lamb is also in season around this time.
Simnal Cake
Simnel cake is a light fruit cake, a bit like Christmas cake. It is covered in marzipan, toasted, and eaten during the Easter period. A layer of marzipan or almond paste is also baked into the middle of the cake. On the top of the cake, around the edge, are eleven marzipan balls to represent the true disciples of Jesus; excluding Judas. Sometimes Christ is also represented, by a ball placed at the centre. Simnel cakes originate from medieval times, they were originally a Mothering Sunday tradition, when young girls in service would make one to be taken home to their mothers on their day off. The word simnel probably came from the Latin word simila, meaning fine wheaten flour with which the cakes were made.
Cliveden House in Berkshire is headed for the Guinness Book of Records with the world's most expensive afternoon tea at £550 per couple.
The tea which has been created by executive head chef Carlos Martinez, includes white truffles (at a mere £2,500 per kilogram), Beluga Caviar (at £4,000 per kilogram, we'll have two lots please) and exceptionally rare Da Hong Pao Tea, which is harvested from one thousand year old plants (at a bargainous £2,000 per kilogram).
In addition the afternoon tea contains the 'Cliveden House Chocolate Cake with Gold Leaf', which uses the most expensive chocolate in the world, Amedi Porcelana. The cake is paired with the most expensive coffee in the world, Kopi Luwak. This unique coffee is so rare that it costs an incredible £50 per cup.
Meanwhile the hotel's Platinum Club Sandwich is also part of the menu, which priced at £100 was von Essen's previous 'world's most expensive…' title. This will appear in a mini canapé version and is made from 30-month air-cured Ibérico ham, described by the Spanish as the 'fourth gastronomic wonder of the world', poulet de Bresse, white truffles, quail eggs, semi-dried Italian tomatoes and 24-hour fermented sour dough bread.
The afternoon tea is washed down by a glass of Dom Perignon Rose, described as the 'King of Champagnes'.
There's just one question on our lips, where are the scones?
Cliveden will be donating 50% of any profit to Marie Curie Cancer Care from each of the 'World's Most Expensive' afternoon teas sold between June 12th and July 12th 2011.
In a recent nationwide survey the smell of tea was listed as the nations fourth favorite fragrance after fresh bread, cut grass and clean laundry. However, we had to do a double take and check the date when we saw that Tetley have launched a new perfume 'Le Brew', yes it's April but apparently it is true.
The perfume which costs £15 features Tea Folk's Tina in a famous Marilynesque pose. Her scent is intended to smell fresh and spring-like.
Tetley’s Senior Tea taster, blender and buyer, Joyce Muendo, said: 'We selected this scent for Le Brew because it reminded us of freshly cut tea and the tropical scents in the tea plantation.
'The fragrance contains tones of tea alongside Oak Moss and Clary Sage to create a relaxing and totally fresh scent… just like a great cup of Tetley.'
The limited edition ‘Le Brew by the Tea Folk’ perfume is available from the Tetley Tea Shop.
Photo credit: mxruben from morguefile.com
Each recipe features as part of the plot, and appears at the end of each chapter (31 in total). Jane actually wrote 'The Love Verb', after her experiences of nursing her best friend Heidi through breast cancer, a fight that Heidi tragically lost. One of the ways Jane supported Heidi and her family during Heidi's illness was by cooking for them - so publishers Penguin have teamed up with Breakthrough Breast Cancer to release a free exclusive recipe booklet this Mother's Day, to encourage people to caringly cook up something special for their mums.
The recipe booklet is available to download and features eight easy-to-make recipes from the novel. Also available to download and send are a selection of Mother's Day e-cards. Featuring mouth-watering photography of each of the recipes, they carry a pledge to make the dish pictured as a Mother's Day treat.
To view the campaign and download the recipe booklet click here
To download the ecards click here
In
Census,
genealogy
Thoughtful Thursday: Don't forget to fill in your census! Your Great Great Grandchild will thank you
A gold miner, shipwreck surviver, father Christmas*, a wicked stepmother, lord of the manor, musical hall performers, royality - this isn't a fairy tale believe it or not this is just some of the cast of characters I have in my family tree.
The key to all this information is records, birth, marriage and death certifications, shipping records, parish records and last but by no means least the most valuable of all census. It tells us so much about people from the past. Depending on the year, their names, marital status, children, age, address, occupation, nationality the list goes on. Without these documents I wouldn't have had the chance to step into the past and 'meet' these people. As an only child from a small family you are unprepared for the feeling it gives you when you explore the past and find uncanny similarities and coincidences. Often we find we are chips off the old block.
Sunday 27 March is a day of opportunity, it comes once a decade and is something I feel passionately about. It is census day. By filling it in on paper or online, not only do you avoid a £1000 fine you also help plan services, plot population, record a snapshot in time. So don't forget to fill in your Census today if nothing more your descendent's will thank you for it.
www.census.gov.uk
* Surname Frost - several sons.
In
cooking in school,
national curriculum
Thoughtful Thursday:Help keep cooking on the National Curriculum
Photo credit: kakisky from morguefile.com
After years of campaigning for food education, the Government finally announced that practical cooking lessons would be part of the school curriculum for all 11-14 year olds.
Every pupil now receives at least 24 hours of hands-on cookery classes during the first three years of secondary school. This helps to ensure that every child leaves school able to prepare basic healthy meals for themselves and their families.
The coalition Government is now conducting a review of the National Curriculum. There is a concern that in a drive to “slim down” the curriculum, this small but valuable provision to ensure that children are taught the skills they need to live healthy lives may be lost. Without basic cooking skills, people are forced to rely on processed ready meals or fast food which is often unhealthy.
Sustain are asking that we take action now to ask the Government to ensure that cooking stays on the curriculum.
Please support this and help children develop a love of cooking from an early age.
Please support this and help children develop a love of cooking from an early age.
Photo credit: Alvimann from morguefile.com
Apart from making us feel hungry and whip up a batch of scones, what do such dreams mean? Here we discover the good and not so good omens related to teatime.
Tea
- To dream that you are making tea, means that you will be guilty of indiscreet actions, and will feel deeply remorseful.
- To see you and your friends drinking tea, denotes that social pleasures will pall on you, and you will seek to change your feelings by serving others in their sorrows.
- To spill tea, is a sign of domestic confusion and grief.
- To find you are out of teabags means there will be much disagreeable gossip and news.
- To see dregs in your tea, warns you of trouble in love, and affairs of a social nature.
- To dream that you are thirsty for tea, denotes that you will be surprised with uninvited guests.
Teapots
- To dream of teapots means that your emotions are going to be tested.
Teacups
- To dream of teacups signifies pastimes that you enjoy and find pleasant.
- To dream that you have broken a teacup denotes your pleasant pastimes will soon see problems. You will no longer enjoy them as much.
Cake
- Dreaming about cakes is a good omen which means that you will be fortunate in your undertaking.
- If you are baking a cake in your dream: you have a tendency to overindulge and need to cut back.
- Dreaming of eating a cake or looking at it: visitors are coming.
- If a woman dreams of a wedding cake, it is a sign of unhappy and ill marriage.
Don't have nightmares, do dream well x
March 2011 is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and The Eve Appeal, which funds essential research into gynaecological cancers, is asking people to get involved with their Make Time for Tea campaign. Ovarian cancer is diagnosed in 6,600 women a year in the UK and some 4,400 die of the disease. The disease is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in UK women and has a death rate similar to the survival rate for breast cancer.
The Eve Appeal are asking people to host a tea party to increase awareness of ovarian cancer and raise funds. There are many ways you can fund raise why not arrange a baking competition amongst your friends or host an afternoon tea? Its a great way of getting people together or meeting new friends and recent research has indicated that tea is a lot more than just a refreshing drink - drinking two or more cups of green or black tea a day could lower a woman’s risk of developing Ovarian Cancer.
ITV presenter Lorraine Kelly has also offered a fantastic competition prize to anyone taking part – the chance to win afternoon tea with her at a top London hotel. You can win a place at the tea with Lorraine for you and a friend in three different ways – by raising the most money, by holding the most creative tea party or by producing the most beautiful baking.
For a Make Time for Tea fundraising pack with everything you need to get you started, including fantastic fundraising ideas, tasty recipes from celebrity supporters and lots of tips and advice on organising your event please visit www.eveappeal.org.uk/maketimefortea or call 0207 299 4430.
We are in a pensive mood over at Dormouse today, we are busy planning the decor for our new garden hideaway, somewhere lovely and inspiring where we can plan new ranges, eat our lunches, hold informal business meetings and generally dream our days away, thats when we are not packing up goodies for our customers of course.
We're getting all girly over this (especially the guys) we've been surfing the net for ideas and have been having fun with the montage facility at www.mydeco.com its great fun, easy to use and here's the result. As you can see the added bonus is most of the products are for sale, with a handy shopping list provided at the end.
Can you smell burning plastic?
We're getting all girly over this (especially the guys) we've been surfing the net for ideas and have been having fun with the montage facility at www.mydeco.com its great fun, easy to use and here's the result. As you can see the added bonus is most of the products are for sale, with a handy shopping list provided at the end.
Can you smell burning plastic?
Our Garden Hideaway
