life flows tranquilly

Mother and I had a delightful day in Bath during the holidays. I'll post about it later but first of all this to put us in the mood

'Deltenham, the country town to which colonels and admirals retire on their pensions, stands in a bowl whose sides are green hills. When a visitor gets out of the train at Deltenham he notices at once the difference in the air: it is fresh and cold, and so it should be, blowing down as it does from those flat summits padded with ancient turf.
The town cannot be said to have fallen asleep in 1760, when most of it was built, because, even then, it was not fully awake. To-day , its life flows tranquilly through wide streets, past pale square Anne and Georgian houses, and pastry-cooks' shops, where the ageing daughters of very old generals sit eating eclairs from silver forks, quietly dying into the background of England's history.' Stella Gibbons Golden Vanity in Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm

silver forks

We didn't see any ageing daughters of very old generals but did have a lovely tea and cake to revive us.

compounding of Christmas cakes

One of my favourite books is Jane Eyre. I re read it this year and saved this quote for Christmas and today on #shareadvent it's read a favourite book.

'My first aim will be to clean down... Moor House from chamber to cellar; my next to rub it up with beeswax, oil, and an indefinite number of cloths, till it glitters again; my third, to arrange every chair, table, bed, carpet, with mathematical precision, afterwards I shall go near to ruin you in coals and peat to keep up good fires in every room; and lastly, the two days preceding that on which your sisters are expected will be devoted by Hannah and me to such a beating of eggs, sorting of currants, grating of spices, compounding of Christmas cakes, chopping up of materials for mince pies, and solemnizing of other culinary rites...' Charlotte Bronte Jane Eyre

home

How will you be preparing your home for Christmas?

The Month of July

Mama and Papa Warmth to lunch, a walk around the garden and a lovely catch up.
Meeting a friend and having the opportunity of seeing the Olympic rings over Tower Bridge whilst eating a pizza at Strada.
Friday night mooching in Selfridges with a dear friend, exploring the beauty halls, the fashion, the home ware and then resting with a beautiful glass of rose and some snacks on the roof garden. Somehow it did stay dry though the blankets in buckets were most welcome by the end of the evening.
Celebrating Warmth's birthday with friends to stay. A BBQ with so much meat that the only pudding was Warmth's Birthday cake - all he wanted was a Gingernut loaf from his childhood.
Watching Murray in the Wimbledon final.
Meeting a friend on a soggy Thursday for drinks at The National Theatre at Propstore pop up bar. The Southbank is looking so wonderful it just needs dry weather for everyone to be able to stand out and enjoy.
A sad Saturday of meeting a dear friend for a farewell afternoon tea at Fortnum&Mason, then a slow mooch up Bond Street window gazing before going to leaving drinks for another friend. Both lovely times but I do wish they weren't leaving.
Hurrah the last day of term, an end of year social in the hall with huge vats of curry from a local restaurant.
My birthday gift to Warmth was a Eurostar trip to Paris.
An earlyish start the next day to cheer on the Olympic Torch as it went down both ends of our road. Then off to dear friends of Warmth's for a BBQ and catch up.
A lovely, lazy sunny Sunday ending with a BBQ in the garden.
First day of the summer holidays and the sun in all its glory shone. Popping into school and meeting a dear friend for her birthday. I'd suggested Inn the Park but alas Beach Volleyball scuppered those plans. So we found a great lunch deal at Maze where we had a cooling glass of fizz, a four course taster, coffee and then a tour of the kitchen. A delicious and lovely way to start the holidays.
Off to Kew to cheer on a friend who'd been nominated to for the Torch Relay. Oh it was hot but what fun it was. Spending a lazy day in Kew. Cooling lime and sodas in a shady pub garden and then to Ask pizza a whole group of us, plus the Olympic Torch.
Sitting in the shade by Blackheath pond meeting Rachel for lunch, book mooching and gentle chatting.
And then to watch the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games. It was amazing. The whole Olympics are amazing and in fact I felt like just writing this sentence for The Month of July as it surpasses everything else this month, yes even Paris.
A family party with fun games in the garden, lots of delicious food but not quite enough Olympic watching.
Sunday lunch with mama and papa Warmth the Olympics were on all the time.
The month finished with Mother coming up for a day of gardening.
Lots of cakes baked for school Fun Day and the cake stall. Lemon Drizzle and iced star biscuits were the biggest success. Lots of fairy cakes baked and a banana loaf. A different banana loaf with added seeds - hoping this one doesn't sink.
Books read Illyrian Spring by Ann Bridge, Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard. The first of my new birthday Vogue subscription and The Mirador, dreamed memories of Irene Nemirovsky by her daughter, by Elisabeth Gille.

Are you enjoying the Olympics?

The coffee had disappeared

On Saturday I went with a friend, before she leaves the country to Fortnum&Mason for afternoon tea in their new Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon.

"The coffee had disappeared and its place was taken by a silver tray with a lace cloth on it. There was a silver tea-pot, and a silver kettle with a little spirit-lamp underneath, and a silver cream jug and a covered silver dish full of muffins. There was also hot buttered toast and honey and gentleman's relish and a chocolate cake, a cherry cake, a seed cake and a fruit cake and some tomato sandwiches and pepper and salt and currant bread and butter." Evelyn Waugh Vile Bodies

afternoontea

The sandwiches were delightful, especially the cucumber, we had our own pots of jam and lemon curd for the scones, the cakes were oh so delicate especially the pistachio, raspberry and white chocolate. I wasn't so sure about the addition of peach to the early grey and chocolate. We didn't even make it onto the large slices of cake. All washed down with copious amounts of earl grey.

 It's sad saying 'au revoir' to friends but good to make excuses for afternoon tea.

Green Paper Serviettes

Perhaps one criterion for a beautiful day is being able to plan for and have a picnic?


"They unpacked the basket and saw that Mrs. Brimsley had done them proud. Nothing that Mrs. Holly had provided had ever equalled this. Hard-boiled eggs, ham cake, cheese cakes and buns and oranges, and even a bottle of milk... 
There was something about in the way the picnic basket had been arranged, in the green paper serviettes wrapped around the cake and buns, in the oranges, and in the bottle of milk, so carefully wrapped and labelled..." Winifred Holtby South Riding

picnic

Oh to spend today sitting in a field munching on a delicious picnic.

The Month of June

The month started with the last day of half term and a fish and chip supper with Mother and Pops before a very early start the next day for our family holiday in Mallorca.
Celebrating our birthday there with lovely gifts, two cakes, being twins there has to be two cakes, being transported out there and easy to pack gifts. Swimming in the pool and then Twin and I took everyone out for supper at Stay restaurant.
The rest of the week was glorious. Swimming, reading, sunbathing, a daily cafe con leche, a mooch in a town, a return to the villa for more swimming and sunbathing. Ending the day with beers, rose wine, communal meals, Scrabble and days filled with happy memories.
Returning to work but made more pleasurable by meeting a friend for Monday evening cocktails at Lounge Lover and then supper at Boundary.
Catching up with dear printmaking friends at Waterstones and deciding that our IRL bookclub has come to an end but long live meeting up for friendship.
Meeting a dear friend who is about to leave for Singapore for Friday night drinks at Dalla Terra  and then supper at Dishoom.
A much needed weekend around the house - somehow being in the garden doesn't feel like a chore. Is this how some people view house work
Party weekend... Pink lanterns hanging in the tree, fizz chilling, amazing cakes, home made lasagne, dear friends, including one friend coming over from New York for it. How wonderful friends are. Re wearing my wedding dress - red nails, barefoot. 
Wandering to Tudor Barn Art weekend on the Sunday, eating cake, left over lasagne, toast and crisps.
Cakes baked started off with ones to take into work for my birthday. Nigella's Lemon Drizzle, Bill Granger's Chocolate Brownie, though I forgot to add the chocolate but it was still delicious, Eat Me! Farmhouse biscuits and Hummingbird Orange and Almond cake.
Books read finally finished Jane Eyre, I'm back in love it on this third read. The Paris Wife a perfect holiday book, Florence Finds Book Club book this month. Cheerful weather for a Wedding in the most uncheerful weather. Starting to try and read some of Warmth's books - Evelyn Waugh Vile Bodies.
Book giftings Persephone Cheerful weather for a wedding by Julia Strachey, a gift voucher to be spent on Daunt Books Ilyrian Spring and a delightful book of photographs of me from birth to now from Mother and Pops. A delightful book London A History in Verse, a bibliotherapy session at Mr B's Emporium.

Tomorrow we're off to a wedding at The Horniman Museum. June has been a truly wonderful month.

Blog Birthday

As it's Flowers and Stripes second birthday tomorrow I thought a cake, flowers, balloons and a new party dress were desired....

 cake

flowers

balloons

Oscar de la Renta

And here's a little gift for you for coming to my party and to say thank you for sharing this year with me.

gift

A feast of cake

'She remembered the great decorated kitchen, with holly hung from the rafters among the salt-rimed shrouded hams and puddings, a fiddler on the back stairs, and a feast of cake and fruit and pasties, wine and whisky.' Winifred Holtby South Riding
cake, fruit
What are your Christmas memories of food?

The Tea Table Waited

In honour of the final GBBO and finishing South Riding. A post dedicated to South Riding cake moments, and there were quite a few.

'...where, before a leaping cheerful fire, the tea table waited, silver kettle bubbling and shining teapot already warmed, caddy of Earl Grey mixture a covered hot-plate of buttered anchovy toast, an angel cake like a snowdrift.'

'Tea was tea at Willow Lodge... the plates were piled high with bread and butter, currant loaf and queen cakes; the cheese cakes and lemon tarts lay on frilled netted d'oylies; the spice-bread was rich as buttered cold plum pudding;'
'Up on the first floor Lily could see ladies in green arm-chairs eating muffins...The tea was good. The toast was hot dripping with butter.'

'And even the so-called plain teas included cheese-cakes, tarts, scones, spiced bread, currant tea-cakes.' 1,2,3,4
Will you be watching The Great British Bake Off?

Verity and Ken

Dear Verity and Ken,
On this your wedding day,

A poem,

Hinterhof by James Fenton

Stay near to me and I'll stay near to you -
As near as you are dear to me will do,
Near as the rainbow to the rain,
The west wind to the window pane,
As fire to the hearth, as dawn to dew.

Stay true to me and I'll stay true to you -
As true as you are new to me will do,
New as the rainbow in the spray,
Utterly new in everyway,
New in the way that you say is true.

Stay near to me, stay true to me. I'll stay
As near, as true to you as heart could pray.
Heart never hoped that one might be
Half of the things you are to me -
The dawn, the fire, the rainbow and the day.

James Fenton

Flowers and books.


A gluten free pink wedding cake for you.


Just Married bicycles for you and Ken, knowing that Ken likes cycling.

And balloons - well what's a virtual celebration without virtual balloons?

Wishing you both a wonderful day, honeymoon, celebration lunch and marriage.

xrachel

I believe in Pink

So this time last year it was my very very lovely hen night. I think you know by now how important my girlfriends are to me so this was an extra special day. Being a quote and gift girl and by way of saying 'Thank you for your continued friendship' and because the theme was 'pink', a truly favourite colour of mine. I decided to give each dear friend a single pink rose, a cherry cupcake recipe and this quotation..

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing
is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing,
kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when
everything seems to be going wrong. I believe
that happy girls are the prettiest girls.
I believe that tomorrow is another day
and I believe in miracles."

Audrey Hepburn

We met for afternoon tea here.

My what delicious food, pink champagne, friendship we had...

And then a red velvet cake.... with heart sparklers

Peonies - my favourite flower in teapots...

After eating loads, drinking lots of pink champagne we left with a goodie bag and went to a private room at The Perseverance for more fizz, food and friendship.

Thank you for a lovely evening x

The Month of June

Henry Moore again but with a different friend. Sheltering from the rain again though.
My birthday!!!
The Crucible at Regent's Park Theatre - a great sunny sunny day. Hurrah for my fantastic wide brimmed black summer hat from H&M.
Nails painted - A list again but that was to match the red polka dot of my....
Boozy, very sunny, friend filled let's finish off the Wedding pimms Birthday Picnic in Holland Park.

Baked my first batch of macaroons - Nigella's chocolate - oh my they were delicious and shall be baked again. Re baked Hummingbird Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes.
Mad Men Series Two - Warmth now loves it too. Hurrah!
A christening and time to catch up with dear friends.
My first Cricket Match - Lords 20:20 and unlike football I would go again.

Grace Kelly and The Quilt Exhibition at V&A
SATC two a chance to watch it with two dear friends who I rewatched all the series with over SATC weekends. Miranda's character just gets better and better and better....
Visiting my father in hospital - a badly broken ankle from sliding down a ladder.
A new job, our offer accepted for a house.
Toenails Tangerine and fingernails Lilacism
A delicious supper in Smiths of Smithfields
To Worthing to visit Granny Warmth. Paddling in the sea, eating 99 icecreams (oh they look so much better than they taste) playing on the 2p slot machines.

RefuTEA

I'm posting today about something that will happen tomorrow. Maybe by reading this today if you see this out and about tomorrow you'll know a little more about it. The Refugee Council are organising this as a fund raising event.

Why your RefuTEA matters
Everyday we meet asylum seekers and refugees who have fled the most unimaginable situations, including war, torture and persecution. They are simply looking for a place of safety, as any of us would. They want to rebuild their lives - to work and contribute to society.
In the UK, the vast majority of asylum seekers are not allowed to work and are forced to rely on government support, typically around £5 a day. As a result, many live in poverty and have poor health.
Flaws in the decision-making process mean too many people who genuinely need protection here are turned down. They then live in limbo – unable to return home safely, forbidden from working and reliant on very limited financial support, or left destitute and homeless. Recent estimates suggest there are around 300,000 destitute, refused asylum seekers living in Britain.
The Refugee Council helps these asylum seekers and refugees in the UK and is campaigning for a fairer, more humane asylum system. Your RefuTEA will help us raise the vital funds we need to continue our life-saving and life-changing work. We can’t think of a better reason to put the kettle on.
Thank you!


And why did they choose tea? because 'Tea is supportive, warm and welcoming - that’s just how we want refugees to feel in the UK.'

Right off to bake my cake.

Little poems of cakes.

One Fine Day - Laura is having a cup of tea and cake in her local cafe. There is only seed cake left. 'toothsome ghosts of food kept floating back from the past'. She is prompted to reminisce on her honeymoon travels in Europe. She remembers eating 'delicious little poems of cakes'. In the age of austerity she's now in she can all but daydream of that time... So, a delightful line and one written for a sunny Friday afternoon.

Which 'little poem of cake' will you choose?

source, source, source, source

Eat Me!

I've treated myself to a new cookery book - Eat Me by Cookie Girl.

Cookery books are a little like clothes and make up. If I haven't bought one for a while I start itching. It had been displayed in Books for Cooks and I'd admired. I know I then read about it on a blog, I can't for the life of me remember which one - I want to go back and say 'Thank you' too.

I'm excited about this new book and shall bake something for a meeting next week but there is one disappointment. This cookery book has no ribbons as bookmarks at all. Now if there are any cookery book publishers out there I have a suggestion, a plea, an idea... Thank you to those of you who put ribbons in to bookmark a page but frankly I need more than one so could we maybe have three, four, five? Just imagine how pretty it would look in this book either different shades of pink or maybe lime and pink together?

Thank you for listening.

source

Happy Baking x

Fruit Cake

'Life she thought, is sometimes sad and often dull, but there are currants in the cake and here is one of them.' Nancy Mitford The Pursuit of Love

Nancy, thank you for being one of the currants in the cake of life.

I hope you enjoyed Nancy Mitford Week. I'll return to a scattering of thoughts from a variety of people and places next week.

Chocolate Cake

As I walked to work this morning I thought I could now post my Mitford quotation about blossom. However now I'm home - it's cold and I'd like tea and chocolate cake and so this quote seems more apt for my feelings.

'Unfortunately, it never seemed to be chocolate cake and silver teapot day when Lady Montdore came.'
Nancy Mitford Love in a Cold Climate
Newly married Fanny in Oxford. When are your silver teapot days?