Jubilee Biscuits

Better late than never, eh? We had a lovely, if cold and wet Jubilee weekend. My sister came to stay and we are both unashamed lovers of the Royal Family, particularly the Queen, so we were virtually glued to the coverage of the celebrations. We also went to Chatsworth House for the afternoon, where we had a very British picnic outside on long tables - umbrellas and all! On Sunday afternoon, whilst watching the flotilla, we iced Jubilee-themed biscuits. I really like Nigella's recipe for iced sugar cookies and they're really easy to make, which leaves plenty of time and energy to enjoy the best part - the icing! See below for the recipe, or check Nigella's website. 

Iced Sugar Cookies (Courtesy of Nigella Lawson)


Ingredients:

• 90g soft unsalted butter

• 100g caster sugar

• 1 large egg

• Half teaspoon vanilla extract

• 200g plain flour, plus more for rolling

• Half teaspoon baking powder

• Pinch of salt

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/ gas mark 4
• Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and as light as a mousse, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. 
• In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and eggs, and fold together. Add a little extra flour, if mixture too sticky.
• Form the dough into a fat disc, wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour
• Roll the dough to a thickness of about half a centimetre. Cut into shapes and place the biscuits a little apart on the baking sheet. 
• Bake for 10-12 minutes, by which time they will be lightly golden around the edges. Cool on a rack
• Ice once fully cooled.  You can use either fondant or royal (I quite like royal as it sets hard before you ice the details). 

Pin up

A while ago, whilst visiting the Ginge's parents, we stumbled upon a little brown paper bag packed to bursting with the badges and patches he earned whilst a scout. Being a sucker for nostalgia, I set out to find a way of using them in the house. Their sheer brightness and variety of colour reminded me, for some reason, of  butterflies displayed in cases. I have therefore been looking to buy a entomology display case for several months, with nothing more to show for myself than a few sharp intakes of breath and some silent gawping stares at the price of the things.  Apparently, taxidermy is an expensive hobby. The grand plan was to put every single badge in one big white case and maybe that will still happen one day, but for now we will have to settle with the smaller version. I found this 'memories case' in John Lewis of all places and apart from it's size, it is exactly what I was looking for. I therefore spent a very happy Sunday afternoon pinning in some of the Ginge's most poignant badges; the first ever Gang Show he took part in, a badge from Andorra where he would one day work as a ski instructor, the Natural History Museum (no explanation needed for geeks like us), a mountain (his most favourite place to be), the scout crest, the Sandringham gates which are just down the road from where he grew up, his 'Sixer' patch and one commemorating the 75th anniversary of the cubs. It's a lovely mix of childhood memories and the things that make him who he is. It's no great work of art and would mean very little to most people, but I am very pleased with it and I smile every time I walk past it. The Ginge loves it too, which is just as well. 

P.S. Thank you so much for all the lovely well-wishes. I am feeling much better this week; all the more so for your wonderful kindness. 

One Whole Year

This time last year, I started A Bushel & A Peck. I had been reading inspirational blogs like Wellies & Vogue and Junkaholique for some time and had toyed with the idea of making a go of it for myself, but had never quite plucked up the confidence to do so. In the end, it wasn't confidence. To be honest, it still isn't. In the end, it was fear that pushed me to blog. The fear of losing my creative, thoughtful side, of neglecting time spent doing things for myself. All the busy, stressful stuff was pushing that part of me into a dark corner, out of sight. So, I did it. I called myself 'A Bushel and A Peck' as a nod to the simpler side of life, which I have never experienced to greater extent than on a family holiday in New England, where they still use old fashioned measurements and it is still possible to buy a bushel and a peck of rosy red apples. I have been writing and photographing ever since and it has been wonderful. When I started this blog, it was primarily for me and partly a way to appease my poor friends who had heard hide nor hair of me for weeks. What I never expected was that people other than my nearest and dearest would find me, follow me or to be so plain lovely. I have been inspired, cheered-up, tickled-pink and teary-eyed because of so many people this year and I just want to say thank you. So, in true blog style, I will be doing a giveaway this week. 

I'll be perfectly frank with you, I am very nervous about this. I had some postcards printed of some of the photographs I have featured on A Bushel & A Peck, this year. I had a trial-run over Christmas by giving a set to some friends. They seemed to like them, though they probably have to. Anyway, I really want to do something to say thank you to my amazing followers, so I am giving away a double set (20 postcards). Here is how to enter:

1. You do not need to be an official follower - many people who read my blog are not and I want everybody to have a chance. 

2. To enter, simply comment on this post by saying which of the postcards images is your favourite. Only one entry per person. If you are unable to comment on blogger, email me on naomicmeardon@gmail.com.  

3. The giveaway will close at 12 midday on Friday 13th (unlucky for some, but maybe lucky for you). 

4. I will draw the winner as soon as I get home from my exam and will announce the result on my blog. 

5. The postcards will be sent over the weekend so that you recieve them early next week. They might still be in time for Christmas thank you letters. 

 

Good luck and thank you again for your wonderful support! 

I am so excited! 

Homemade Christmas Hamper: The Finishing Touches

Well now, what a wonderful Christmas! I don't know about you, but in our house we have been lauding this year's festivities as the best yet. It was all a bit of a rush before I left Sheffield and once I got home, I dropped everything for a few days, meaning that I didn't get round to finishing off my posts about the hampers. Well, I am back now with replenished energy and restored spirits and am feeling very pleased with how my gifts both turned out and were received. I had hoped to buy some vintage hampers from ebay, but failed to find any that I liked or could afford. Happily, we stumbled upon some lovely ones in Harrogate (good old Lakeland). I added some pretty ribbon to the hinges and made some more labels from old book illustrations. We filled the hampers with our chutney, pickled red cabbage, biscotti and sloe gin as well as some local ales, tea and coffee from Pollard's of Sheffield and chocolates from Betty's of Harrogate. I thoroughly recommend making hampers for presents as they were a huge success with everybody. I can't wait to get them back in December so that I can fill them up again with next year's goodies. 

  

Christmas Wrapping

Ooh, we're nearly there and I am so excited! I finished wrapping the Ginge's presents yesterday and have left them under our tree for when we are next together for our own mini-Christmas. He is working on the big day, to which I personally say a massive bah-humbug, but I am sure that his patients will be cheered by his jolly little face on Christmas morning, which makes me very proud. Anyway, I am very pleased with my wrapping this year. A while ago, I bought an old book, which at the time of purchase looked like an innocent nature handbook, but after close reading turned out to contain some rather racist sentiments in the 'homo sapiens' section. Not wishing to have it on my shelf any longer, I decided to cut out some of the beautiful animal illustrations for my labels and used some text pages to make snowflakes. Giving presents is my favourite part of Christmas. I love searching for the perfect present and making things I know people will enjoy. I love making the wrapping look beautiful and most of all, I love watching peoples' faces when they open their gifts. Not long now...

Homemade Christmas Hamper: Spiced Fig & Cranberry Chutney

Homemade Christmas Hamper: Pickled Red Cabbage

This year, the Ginge and I are giving our families hampers full of homemade treats and local produce. I thought that it might be nice if I posted my recipes for you to use for your own Christmas enjoyment. Look out for 'Homemade Christmas Hamper' posts over the next few days. I'd love to hear if any of you are doing something similar, or if you try any of the recipes yourself. 

Pickled Red Cabbage.

This recipe is so simple, but the result is a deliciously tangy and crunchy pickle with a stunning jewel-like colour. It would make a lovely present and would taste great with leftover turkey on Boxing Day. The pickle is ready in a week and best before 12 months, as it loses its crunch over time. 

Pottering About

This weekend has been a bit of a slow one (or a 'sloe' one as I'm sure the Ginge would say). Unfortunately, I haven't been very well and the Ginge has been working nights, so I have just been bumbling around the house on my own for most of the time. I must say that I really hate it when he is on nights as I get so lonely and dislike being limited to seeing him for a rushed two hours per day. It is quite a good opportunity to get things done though. I have made sloe gin, cooked some tasty suppers and comforted myself by baking my mum's dropped scones. I didn't manage to get to any fireworks, but I poked my head out of the skylight and watched the multiple, distant displays exploding all over the city. Did you have more success with bonfire night? 

Happy Halloween

Twit-twoo! Hope you're all having a spooky time. We have just demolished a festive meal of baked mushrooms, braised lamb and pumpkin pie and are currently polishing off the last of the sweets, unclaimed by trick-or-treaters. How do you like my little owl? His name is Harold and he was carved into being using one of the Ginge's screwdrivers (shh, don't tell him). 

Something Old, Something New, Nothing Borrowed, but a Hint of Blue

What I really want to do right now is sit down and tell you all about my lovely Fathers' Day in London, but I really must not let myself get distracted from my work. Here is a picture of my two most recent acquisitions, to keep both you and me going. The picture is a beautiful little print of a much larger picture that I saw at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. It is very simple - the same oriental vase from four different sides - but it enchanted me from afar, so I was very happy to be able to buy a dinky copy of it (not too pricey either, thank you very much!).  The chair was an outrageous bargain, costing a mere £4 from my favourite junk hoard. I think its previous owners used it as a decorating chair as there are boot scrapes and paint dribbles in places. No matter, I am going to give it a bit of love and a lick of paint so that it can become my desk-chair, when I officially decorate and move into my new office/room of Treacle. I can't wait til I have finished my degree so that I can get on with fun things like decorating, renovating and crafting! Roll on July! 

Walls of Words

On Saturday night, I went to the The Lantern Theatre where a friend of mine was directing a version of 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead' - a  very funny play, which I would thoroughly recommend. The theatre itself is tiny. Inside, it almost felt like being inside a dolls' house, especially in the bathroom, where the walls were papered with pages and pages of old plays. The varying shades of aged white, cream and yellow looked so beautiful together and gave me a rather good little idea for making bunting. Now all I need is a few old books that I can bear to cut up. 

I'll let you know how I get on. 

A Wiltshire Wedding

Last weekend, we celebrated the marriage of our wonderful friends; Sarah and Steve. A simple, country wedding, watched by a few generous handfuls of people; a joyful day, glowing with love. 

Photographs by my very talented sister, Eleanor.