Clothespin Pinwheels & The Queen

My home is being bedecked in red, white and blue. I have always looked at my American friends with envy in July when everything is prettied-up with the national colours. But the Jubilee is rolling around the corner and so far I have made pompoms (small and large) and now pinwheels in red and blue.

I enjoyed this project chosen by Sara at Sassy Suppers. They are so whimsical. And I found that the card store had red and blue wrapping paper that had a white back so this was perfect.

I struggled slightly to get the drawing pin into the peg but it was so pleasing when they were done. They are currently brightening up the garden but I’m going to take then to the allotment to ward off the birds around the peas soon.

I also wanted to share a couple of photos from last Tuesday. I took the afternoon off from work and mum and I headed to Richmond Park as the Queen was due to arrive in the afternoon. Friends, I saw the Queen! I have seen her once before, 23 years ago when I was only a nipper, and I barely remember so to see her now was remarkable.

And even though the sky went from blue to black (and rain and hail) it was definitely worth it!

~ Pru

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Strawberry Tart

It was such a hectic weekend that I wasn’t sure if I was going to get time to do this week’s Martha Mondays project, but knowing how much dad likes strawberry jam, strawberry tart, strawberries and cream and strawberries, there was not much chance of me not finding time to make them, and so on Friday night after a very long week at work, I set about making them.  The recipe is here.

 

These were easy to make and although the strawberries in the shops weren’t that great and I ended up mascerating them to bring out their flavour (and therefore my tart doesn’t look as pretty as the Martha Stewart one), they had a lovely feel of summer and I am most certain that they helped to bring out the sunshine at the weekend.

Thanks for a great pick!

Fancy joining us for Martha Mondays?  A super-friendly group of us get to pick a Martha Stewart recipe or craft and then we make it and tell each other what we thought on our blogs.  No pressure, but I can tell you that I have tried so many new things by joining this group.  Go over to Brette’s blog to find out more.

 

~ Pru

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Cinnamon Bun Bites

Evening all!

 

Its a bank holiday today and I have enjoyed a peaceful day – the cinema to see this great film and then lunch with mum and dad at Byron Burger – seriously the best burger in London.

 

I needed this extra day.  Finally, Grandad moved into a care home on Saturday and mum and I were up in Norwich to clean his house and then see him in his new home.  I used to work for a housing association in the care homes department so I know quite a bit about them and I was so pleased to find that it is a lovely home where I am sure the staff will take care of him and that he will settle in well.  He decided to stay in his room on his first day and I thought it was a fine idea, the staff will be encouraging him to come downstairs to the lounge and meet other residents and to eat his dinner in the dining room.

 

But anyway, a three day weekend was needed.  It’s Martha Mondays day and it was Brette’s turn to pick and she chose something that our family absolutely loved.  This was a joint effort with mum helping to roll the balls of dough in sugar and cinnamon and placing them in the baking dish.  It is still cold here and so I kept them in the living room where we still have the fire turned on whilst they grew again in size  – they grow soooo big!

I love this Instagram photo I took of the dough after it had risen.

After rising.  They cracked slightly with the sugar and cinnamon making a great crust.

Crusty on the top and then soft in the middle.  They had a good hit of cinnamon and were gorgeous!

We loved them.  I didn’t use all of the vanilla glaze and kept some stored in a little jug which we used the next day when we warmed the bun bites in the microwave.

 

My only problem?  These are too good.  We kept on picking at it and although I know I will make it again, I need a big crowd of people around to eat it so that I don’t eat it all! And I still think these would be a great pot-luck brunch idea.

 

 

~ Pru

Are you following me on Twitter or Pinterest?  If not, then click on the links.  Also search for me on Instagram my user name is PerfectingPru. It would make my day, possibly my week too!

Rosemary Bread

FULL DISCLOSURE:  I did not do this week’s Martha Monday’s challenge.  My mum did it instead. 

Mum was at a loose end on Friday and so I said ‘why not make the Martha Monday’s project’ and she got right on and did it.  Took photos and everything.  This was Ana’s pick and she chose Rosemary Bread.

Now my mum is very keen to find out what everyone else thought, as we weren’t that keen and mum is wondering if she did something wrong.  But like I have told her, some recipes just don’t work out (and truth be told, I sort of have my fingers crossed that someone else found it a bit cakey too).

So mum said: “I was looking forward to it I must say and reading the recipe it seemed quite easy to follow but I was surprised that the bread didn’t need to be kneaded and I think this may have resulted in us not liking the bread.”

To be fair, we did eat one of the two loaves but threw the other one away, we all thought it was a bit cakey – but looking at the photo in the recipe they look pretty much the same.  So, not a recipe we will do again (unless everyone says that it was great and then we might give it another go – together)!

~ Pru and Julie