crumpets

My mum used to buy packet crumpets as a bit of a breakfast treat while I was growing up. However, I had stopped buying them in recent years after reading the ingredients list on the back of the pack. Last week I made a successful batch from scratch. Popular with both the kids and adults in this house. They are a little softer than the commercial variety, but quite delicious. As well as being quite inexpensive ( this recipe makes about 24) while also knowing exactly what goes into them. I made another batch yesterday and popped half of it into the freezer for a quick but weekend-worthy breakfast.

Crumpets

1 teaspoon dried yeast

3 cups lukewarm water

4 cups plain flour

2 Tablespoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Dissolve yeast in water.

 Add remaining ingredients.

Beat until smooth with a whisk or electric beaters.

Melt butter in frypan. Coconut oil could also be used. You will need egg rings. I found mine in the supermarket, but you would also be able to find them in kitchenware stores and sometimes hardware stores.

When hot spoon batter in until it is about half to three quarters full (depending on if you want thinner or thicker crumpets). Mine are a bit messy!

Cook over a low heat for approximately 10 minutes or until surface is covered in holes.

Cover pan and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes  to set the surface. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

You will need to pop these in the toaster before serving. Serve with butter, and we like to add a homemade jam to ours.

We served ours with the second last jar of our feijoa jam. But of course any variety of jam, marmalade, peanut butter or vegemite could be used.

Enjoy! And do let me know if you try them.

in the garden

One of my very favourite parts of gardening is the part where you do nothing at all. Every now and again, on a sunny day, there is nothing more pleasant or relaxing than taking a little walk around the garden. Just to look. To absorb the season.

It is amazing to see the different changes over time in the same garden. Some of these changes occur overnight (when did that rhubarb get so big?) and some are much slower with changes from season to season or only really noticeable when compared to the year before. My first walks involved a lot of dust. Everywhere. And foot long weeds. Now we have grass and the beginnings of the bones of a garden.

I took one of these walks a few days ago. I now know which of our blossoms is the first to flower (our ornamental double apricot/peach) and I think our crab apples will not be too far behind. These trees have now grown slowly over the course of the year since they were planted. But they seem to have thickened and grown taller overnight.

I like to notice where the sun hits during the different seasons. Where the shade is. Though there is not terribly much of that at the moment. But as the trees slowly grow up there will be more shade. Building a relationship with your land takes time and I think is best taken slowly. Concentrating on just one part at a time, while planning in your head the plantings of seasons to come.

The vegie patch is one place I like to visit daily. I've been trying to sow a few small crops every week, trying to keep water up. It is satisfying to see the seedlings pushing through despite the frosty mornings. And surprisingly still able to harvest some vegetables, though the garden has laid dormant (and neglected) for over six months.

And dinner that night? We enjoyed a beef stew with kale and broccoli (from the garden) with beef, barley and our roasted beetroot on the side. There is nothing like knowing that the food you are eating has come from your own garden. For years I watched my mum dig a new vegie patch with each different house that we lived at (well into the double digits!).  I really didn't see what all the fuss was about as it just seemed like a lot of hard work to me.  I gardened for quite a few years before I delved into vegetable garden growing. But now I know why Mum dug and re-dug so many vegie gardens all those years ago.

vintage sheet swap and on screen time

Gorgeous vintage sheet goodness from The Vintage Sheet Swap. Let me know if you spot yours in the bundles.  I enjoy wondering about all the different homes they came from. Also in the package was a sweet little vintage dress that I had purchased. Thank you Kellie for organizing the swap.

Off on a tangent (such is my thought processes pretty much most of the time) I'm putting myself on a self imposed computer ban. I find myself drawn like a magnet to my computer too many times a day. I love spending time on the internet. Reading blogs, looking at Pinterest, checking out local farms for sale, checking emails... and I could go on. There is a real lure to those that love to read and those that thirst for information. But there is a point where I need to put some limitations on myself. There is such a thing as information overload.

So, I've decided to limit myself to a bit of time here and there in the morning. No later than ten in the morning. I'm anticipating that the Spring cleaning I need to do may now get finished. As well as having the time to read a few books that are still remaining unread or half-read. It won't be easy, but I think it's time to put the brakes on (for now).

Do you too struggle with the delicate balance of screen time and real life?

weekend : home

 

Trying unsuccessfully to read my new book
while the wind howled outside and the temperature dropped
Sorting out Spring wardrobes..despite the cold snap on the weekend
A little girl's birthday to to attend


How was your weekend?

*

911 has become a significant day in the last decade, and brings back memories of the tragedy of that day. 
But to us, it is also Daniel's birthday. Happy 31st birthday Daniel! We love you so much.

interesting things

Sew : A simple reversible dress for a little girl

Make : The cutest ever garland

Read : The ethics of cut flowers

Paint : The prettiest project for glass jars here and here

Bake : How to make the perfect crumble.  Nigella's is a regular here.

blog hopping

Thank you for all your encouraging words lately. I truly appreciate each and every comment left.

Today I thought I would share a few new-ish (to me) blogs with you that I've been enjoying lately.

• Michelle at mk handmade. Pretty and simple everyday living involving food, crochet, quilting and more.
• Motherwho is a gentle space with simple family living and craftiness.
• Beautiful photography can be found on Veronica's blog Mama Jots.
• A lovely simple living family blog over at piper and poppies.  Click on the "about" section for older posts.
• I Love Buttons By Emma. Lot's of pretty projects here.

Please feel free to add a link under your comment to your new, newish (or not!) blog, as we all like to do a bit of blog hopping every now and then.

Edit : sorry I messed up the links earlier. Should be now fixed.