Inspiration Windows

These are my windows of inspiration. Some people have boards I have windows. I've been working on these for a while. Painting around all those little window paynes was a chore. It was my idea to hang these in the basement to hide our old sink, the washer and dryer.

I'm trying to do something with a basement which is over 80 years old, with out spending a lot of money, but making it a creative environment to sew and do things in.

Yorkshire Pudding

My dear friend Zi gave me this lovely blue mixing jug. It's great with a rubber grip bottom. I thought I would christen it with making Yorkshire Puddings.

A little history in reference to Yorkshire Pudding, is that it started as a poor man's food. Not being able to afford that much meat, they would take the drippings from the meat and cook the Yorkshire Pudding in the hot drippings and serve it with a gravy. Serving that first to fill them up and then serve their small portion of meat with vegetables . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorkshire_pudding

Yorkshire Pudding (for about 4 to 6)

8 0z flour

2 eggs

1 pint milk

pinch of salt

Sieve the flour and salt into a basin. Make a well in the centre and break the eggs into it: add a little of the milk and mix it in well. When half the milk is in beat well for 10 minutes, then add the rest of the milk, still beating. The batter should stand for at least 1 hour before it is used. (to be honest I never do that) Add about a tablespoonfull of cold water at the last minute for a really light pudding. get a little fat really hot before pouring in the batter, then bake in a hot oven about 425 f for about 20 to 30 minutes, look and see that they are golden brown and risen, then they are done.

Carrich du Suir

I found this little cruet set in the thrift shop. It says a present from Carrich du Suir. At first with a name like that I thought it might be from France, but no it turns out it's from Ireland. It comes from the Irish translation, Carraig na Suire, which means "Rock of the Suir"
http://homepage.eircom.net/~ancaislean/carrick_history.html

My friend Maria was with me and said that she had seen it a view days earlier when she had been in the thrift, but couldn't make it out, but thought I would know. Well I think it's pepper, the lidded pot is mustard and the open dish is the salt. Do you think it's from before WWI?

Well in any case the little cruet set is sweet.

Carrot Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting

My dear boy Rob made this cake. Grating all the carrots. He has been helping me with making different meals.

Childhood at the Beach

The photo above, of the beach at Blackpool, is about the same time period as the photo of me with my mum and dad, which I'm using as a banner. I chose the photo of me on the beach with my mum and dad because it is quintesentially Brit. Sitting on the beach, with my dad in long trousers a shirt and a jacket. My mum, in what would now be fashionable again, a strapless sun dress. Some of the other men on the beach even have ties on. The old wooden deck chairs, that was the one and only choice as I remember it. And me in my pink National Health issued glasses. I don't know on which beach it was taken. Maybe South-End-On-Sea or Clacton. I don't think we ever went to a beach as crowded as the one on this picture. But don't you just love the little girl sleeping in her sundress, to the child walking along with nothing on, and the man with his sunday shoes and socks on.

Jumping off the Rocks

In my single days there was a lake I went to with friends. It had very high rocks. We would jump off those rocks, but you had to be careful to clear the rocks that jutted out below and make a clean jump into the lake. Of course it was the greatest of fun, if you did it right.

I feel a bit like that with starting a Blog. All the Blogs I have viewed are to do with crafts and the sharing of creative ideas and these have been very stimulating. But in that dive into the cyber-world if you don't clear the rocks it can be very nasty.

I'm going to take that leap, clear those rocks, and just stay in that part of the lake which is creatively sharing and giving.

My have I accomplished my first post, I've been teetering on those rocks for a while.

Somewhere or Other

By Christina Rossetti

Somewhere or other there must surely be
The face not seen, the voice not heard,
The heart that not yet - never yet — ah me!
Made answer to my word.

Somewhere or other, may be near or far;
Past land and sea, clean out of sight;
Beyond the wandering moon, beyond the star
That tracks her night by night.

Somewhere or other, may be far or near;
With just a wall, a hedge, between;
With just the last leaves of the dying year
Fallen on a turf grown green.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Rossetti