Has your secret passion for
pastry or craze for cake decorating taken over your day to day life?
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This week has been one of the best ever for Dormouse and The Teapot.
After all it is not everyday you become a finalist in the Manchester Vintage Awards...
After all it is not everyday you become a finalist in the Manchester Vintage Awards...
We are big fans of Total Greek Yoghurt at Dormouse and The Teapot, we love it with honey and fruit for breakfast, instead of mayo on our lunchtime sandwiches and dolloped on top of a homemade curry for tea.
There's nothing we love more than curling up with a cup of tea and a lovely new cookbook to pore over.
When Little D was born I decided to make him a very special gift.
As you may have guessed food is very close to my heart and I love cookery books and read them like novels. Therefore it won't be any real surprise to learn the gift was a recipe book, but one penned by myself and including all our family favourities. Everything will be in there, from my special Spanish rice to great grandma's treacle toffee, interdispersed with stories and snippets of the family history.
It is still very much a work in progress and I have gone from planning a proper published glossy tome to wanting to produce something handwritten and heartfelt. I may yet do both, but recently I have been looking for off the peg solutions for my research. You would think that this would be easy. What's difficult in finding a plain A5 notebook? But to be honest it's been difficult finding one up to the job. I was looking for something good quality that could stand up to the odd spill, without lines so I could add little diagrams and pictures and things, and last but not least it must have a way of indexing entries.
Quite out of the blue I was very lucky to be given a lovely Moleskine Recipe book that was just the ticket from a lovely friend this Christmas. It has sections for starters, mains and desserts and a section just for wine. It is going to be perfect for my research and recipe development. It also has a handy little pocket for cut outs.
Another option I happened on by chance is Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks. I was sent an unlined A5 book to try and was really impressed by it. Again they have that handy pocket and a really useful section at the front of indexing. The paper is really good quality and a delight to write upon. Because it is plain it is perfect for including diagrams or pictures of items I have made.
I am really looking forward to using my new notebooks now that the kitchen project is almost complete. I just need to find the perfect kitchen table....
We were given Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks free of charge to review.
In
competition,
eccentrics
Dormouse and Tyrrells want to meet your English eccentrics (and a competition to win some yummy snacks)
One of our favorite things at Pig Row is books, not just any books cookery books. Since a teen I have read cookery books like novels, for me they are the ultimate escape.
Photo credit: hotblack from morguefile.com
Dormouse and the Teapot is our name, taste testing tea is our game!
So when the lovely people at Cosy Tea sent us their complete range to try out how could we refuse? Especially as all the tea they produce is organic and the black teas are fairtrade too.
The company produce eight teas in all; Earl Grey, Breakfast, Rooibos and Vanilla, Chamomile, Peppermint, Blueberry and Echinacea, Peppermint, Jasmine Green Tea and Lemon Green Tea.
On first impressions we loved the gorgeous knitted themed packaging, with each box featuring a different type of stitch. The individually wrapped unbleached bags made tea time into an event with their funny little slogans our favorite was "we like it with a splash of milk, Murder She Wrote and a chocolate biscuit (or five)."
So we popped the kettle on got out some vintage teacups and do what we do best. Drink tea.
Our tea tasting notes:
Earl Grey: The king of all teas and our fave. Cosy Tea's version didn't disappoint lovely citrus bergamot notes.
Breakfast: Strong enough to wake up your taste buds in a morning, without being blow your head off strong like some other brands.
Rooibos and Vanilla: Deliciously sweet with vanilla notes, meant we didn't need to add our usual sugar lumps. We tried it with and without milk and loved it both ways.
Chamomile: We must admit we are not usually fans of chamomile teas. But we all felt that this was very drinkable and would be nice as an iced tea in the summertime.
Blueberry and Echincea: Would be gorgeous on a cold evening with a spoon of honey. We loved it's sharp berry flavours.
Peppermint: We tried this after dinner as a digestive. It warded off any potential indigestion and was lovely and minty without being overpowering.
Jasmine Green Tea: A beautiful green tea with floral jasmine notes
Lemon Green Tea: Very refreshing we served it black with a slice of lemon and lime and throughly enjoyed it too!
All in all we were really impressed with Cosy Tea, finding the teas themselves good quality and a lovely drink. They also have a lovely website (where you can even learn to knit a tea cosy).
Bottoms up!
We were sent this tea free of charge to review.
LOVE February Competition - Fourteen days of fabulous prizes!
Tell the team at Dormouse and The Teapot what tea tickles your tastebuds. Post your answer in the comments section by clicking on comments below, make sure you leave a contact email or twitter name otherwise if you win we won't be able to send you your prize!
Today's lucky winner will win a pack of Cosy Tea goodies courtesy of Cosy Tea (a full set of Cosy Tea (eight different flavours), Tea Cosy knitting book, yarn, knitting needles and a limited edition Cosy Tea pin badge).
All winners will go in a draw on 14 February to win a fantastic vintage tea set for two from www.dormouseandtheteapot.com
Remember there will be fourteen days of competitions, you may enter the competitions as many times as you wish over the fortnight but you may only win one prize.
Sorry UK entrants only
This competition closes at midnight on 14/02/2011.
Dormouse and The Teapot use a randomiser to select the winner.
Dormouse and The Teapot use a randomiser to select the winner.
This competition is now closed
We have two winners today...
Winner of the cosy tea goodies
and the winner of the winners draw
Dormouse is having a Valentine's lie in. Here are some Sweet Words from writer Andrew Oldham to go with your morning cuppa.
Photo credit: sideshowmom from morguefile.com
THE GROTTO
They say the roof is made of crystals;
The kind that glimmer when candles are brought in,
But they must be brought in on a summer's evening
When the grass pollen is high,
and the flowers are turning to seed.
I think of the lovers that came here
Clutching jam jars with lights in
Watching the shine in each others eyes in the flickering light
But eighty years on and the grotto is waiting to be restored
The walls have turned to moss and mould and
Instead of lovers turning to each other with flames
You turn to me and say it looks like a witches coven,
We laugh and for a moment we shine.
Reproduced with kind permission from Ghosts of a Low Moon by Andrew Oldham (Published by Lapwing) RRP £10. Signed copies can be purchased here.
Andrew Oldham is an award winning writer and poet. His work has featured in The Sunday Times, Ambit, The London Magazine, Interpreter's House, North American Review and Poetry Salzburg. His poetry has been broadcast on BBC 4's Poetry Please. He lectures on creative writing at EHU and the OU. He lives in Saddleworth where he curses rain and climbs trees to face North winds.
Photo credit: sideshowmom from morguefile.com
THE GROTTO
They say the roof is made of crystals;
The kind that glimmer when candles are brought in,
But they must be brought in on a summer's evening
When the grass pollen is high,
and the flowers are turning to seed.
I think of the lovers that came here
Clutching jam jars with lights in
Watching the shine in each others eyes in the flickering light
But eighty years on and the grotto is waiting to be restored
The walls have turned to moss and mould and
Instead of lovers turning to each other with flames
You turn to me and say it looks like a witches coven,
We laugh and for a moment we shine.
Reproduced with kind permission from Ghosts of a Low Moon by Andrew Oldham (Published by Lapwing) RRP £10. Signed copies can be purchased here.
Andrew Oldham is an award winning writer and poet. His work has featured in The Sunday Times, Ambit, The London Magazine, Interpreter's House, North American Review and Poetry Salzburg. His poetry has been broadcast on BBC 4's Poetry Please. He lectures on creative writing at EHU and the OU. He lives in Saddleworth where he curses rain and climbs trees to face North winds.
LOVE February Competition - Fourteen days of fabulous prizes!
Tell the team at Dormouse and The Teapot where the most romantic location is. Post your answer in the comments section by clicking on comments below, make sure you leave a contact email or twitter name otherwise if you win we won't be able to send you your prize!
Today's lucky winner will win a signed copy of Andrew Oldham's Ghosts of a Low Moon from Lapwing Poetry.
All winners will go in a draw on 14 February to win a fantastic vintage tea set for two from www.dormouseandtheteapot.com
Remember there will be fourteen days of competitions, you may enter the competitions as many times as you wish over the fortnight but you may only win one prize.
Sorry UK entrants only
Also note that this competition is also restricted to over 18s due to some strong language and adult themes within this publication.
This competition closes at midnight on 13/02/2011.
Dormouse and The Teapot use a randomiser to select the winner.
Also note that this competition is also restricted to over 18s due to some strong language and adult themes within this publication.
This competition closes at midnight on 13/02/2011.
Dormouse and The Teapot use a randomiser to select the winner.
This competition is now closed.
Dormouse and cupcakes sitting in a tree K. I. S. S. I. N. G !
Yes it's no secret we have a love affair with cakes and in particular cupcakes. They are so sweet and scrumptious and best of all you don't have to share as they are designed just for one. Needless to say we have tasted more than our fair share in our time!
Therefore we feel are qualified (and proud) to bring you our five fave cupcakeries.
1.Sweet Tooth Cupcakery
Amazing website, amazing vintage decor and amazing looking cakes. Yum yum yum!
34-36 Oldham St, Manchester, M1 1JN
Monday to Thursday – 11 am to 5.30 pm
Friday and Saturday – 10.30 am to 6pm
Sunday – 12 am to 5.00pm
9a Oswald Road, Chorlton, Manchester M21 9LP
Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 4.30pm
Sunday 11am to 4pm
2 Lolas
Based in Mayfair and available in stores across London (Selfridges, Topshop and Harrods) Lola's deliciously stunning cupcakes really stand out from the crowd!
16 Lansdowne Row, Berkeley Square, W1J 8QF
Open Mon-Fri 8am to 7pm
Sat 10am to 6pm
Also at stores across London.
We love this company! Anyone who sells cupcakes from a vintage air-stream deserves to be in our top five in our opinion. Their cakes are gorgeous as well!
81 North Street, Chichester, W. Sussex PO19 1LQ
Mon- Sat 9.30am to 5.30pm
Sun 10am to 5pm
Airstream at events across the country.
Our local cupcakery. That being said they bake some of the tastiest, freshest cakes around. Who could resist this combination of a 99 and cupcake. Mmmm!
39 High Street, Uppermill, Saddleworth OL3 6HS
Open Wed - Sun 10:30am to 5:30pm.
Photo Benjamin C. M. Backhouse
They are famous for a reason, gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous cakes. Oh, and wonderful books too.
47 Old Brompton Road South Kensington, London SW7 3JP
Mon - Thu 9am to 7pm
Fri - Sat 9am to 8pm
Sun 9am to 7pm
Mon - Thu 9am to 7pm
Fri - Sat 9am to 8pm
Sun 9am to 7pm
133 Portobello Road, Notting Hill,
London W11 2DY
Mon - Fri 10am to 6pm
Sat 9am to6pm
Sun 11am to 5pm
London W11 2DY
Mon - Fri 10am to 6pm
Sat 9am to6pm
Sun 11am to 5pm
155a Wardour Street, Soho, London, W1F 8WG
Mon - Sat 9.30am to 8pm
Sun 10am to 7pm
Mon - Sat 9.30am to 8pm
Sun 10am to 7pm
LOVE February Competition - Fourteen days of fabulous prizes!
Tell the team at Dormouse and The Teapot your favourite cupcake flavour. Post your answer in the comments section by clicking on comments below, make sure you leave a contact email or twitter name otherwise if you win we won't be able to send you your prize!
Today's lucky winner will win tea for two and a box of four cupcakes from Sweet Tooth Bakery at The Northern Quarter, Manchester. They pride themselves on their reputation for baking the finest and most varied range of beautiful cupcakes in Manchester. Using the best quality ingredients they are bake in small batches, then hand ice with fluffy buttercreams and decorate with an extensive range of sprinkles, sweets, chocolates, nuts and edible adornments..
All winners will go in a draw on 14 February to win a fantastic vintage tea set for two from www.dormouseandtheteapot.com
Remember there will be fourteen days of competitions, you may enter the competitions as many times as you wish over the fortnight but you may only win one prize.
Sorry UK entrants only.
Competition ends at midnight 12/02/2011.
Dormouse and The Teapot use a randomiser to select the winner.
If you are looking for something unique to do this valentine's weekend and you are a lover of history look no further than this amazing fundraising event at the Brunel Museum in London.
For the first time in 140 years the Grand Entrance Hall to the Thames Tunnel will reopen and you are invited to step inside for a tale of romance. The tunnel was Isambard Kingdom Brunel's first project aged just 19 years old. It was was actually designed to move cargo, but the money ran out and they could not build the ramps to get the cargo down, so in 1843 it opened as a cargo tunnel that could not take cargo. There was no money from the shipping agents, so the Thames Tunnel Company opened the world’s first underwater shopping arcade!
Within less than four months half the population had visited the site now known as the 8th wonder of the world. Sixty arches lined the Tunnel, between the north and south carriageways, and in each archway they built a shop. In each archway they sold souvenirs. When visitor numbers dropped shops fell empty the Thames Tunnel Company organised the world first underwater fair. Amongst the performers were tightrope artists, sword swallowers, fire-eaters, Ethiopian serenader's, Indian dancers, and Chinese singers. A whole section of the Tunnel was decked out as a ballroom, where a steam powered musical organ played dance tunes. It was bawdy and colourful but it was the most romantic of settings. There were dinner parties and secret meetings in the chamber. Here Brunel romanced a famous actress. The Grand Entrance Hall, above the Tunnel of Love, was London’s favourite meeting place for couples.
It is in this space where the Brunel Museum is pleased to offer tale of an underground romance. The story of young Brunel and Fanny Kemble, the story of ‘The Actress and the Engineer’.
Tickets are just £5 and will raise money for a new museum.
No booking is necessary just turn up to the Brunel Museum, Railway Avenue, Rotherhithe, SE16 4LF.
12th & 13th February 14.00, 15.00, 16.00
14th February 17.00, 18.00, 19.00
For more information visit www.brunel-museum.org.uk or call 020 7231 3840
LOVE February Competition - Fourteen days of fabulous prizes!
Tell the team at Dormouse and The Teapot if you could live in any time period when would it be and why. Post your answer in the comments section by clicking on comments below, make sure you leave a contact email or twitter name otherwise if you win we won't be able to send you your prize!
Today's lucky winner will win a digital subscription to Vintage Life Magazine. If you have a passion for vintage, then don't be without your copy of Vintage Life Magazine - this super glam magazine is full of vintage style. From style and fashion, hair and beauty, house and home, to music and film, everything great about the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s through to the 70s - all in one great magazine. With a wide collection of experts sharing their knowledge and many featured articles each issue, VLM really puts you in touch with memories past and brings them alive all over again.
All winners will go in a draw on 14 February to win a fantastic vintage tea set for two from www.dormouseandtheteapot.com
Remember there will be fourteen days of competitions, you may enter the competitions as many times as you wish over the fortnight but you may only win one prize.
Sorry UK entrants only
Dormouse and The Teapot use a randomiser to select the winner.
This competition is now closed
Dormouse and The Teapot use a randomiser to select the winner.
This competition is now closed
