Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Good Friends, Good Food

Hi Dear Folk,

Sunday we had friends over for an outside dinner/barbeque.  Graham who I've known since I was two and his wife Janine along with Jean visiting from England.  We had a fun time.  Mr. B. helped me get it together.

I prepared the lasagna and potato salad the day before, while listening to Dispatch to a Friend podcasts, it was a cool evening and seemed just right.  The scones and Italian Pie I made on Sunday morning.



Love this set of serving bowls I found at the thrift a while ago, Limoge.


I love this set of pottery old world cabin American scenes.  I bought the flowers at Produce Junction.  I made a special trip because I needed another garden umbrella and that was $25.00 there.  So while there I couldn't resist two hanging pots of red begonias at $3.50 each which is very cheap and this pot of pink mums, I love the shade of pink $3.99.  Plus I picked up a huge pineapple and some portobello mushrooms.


Set up for a nice cup of tea, also iced tea.


I needed a second table but until we sort the garage out it's almost impossible to get one out, so I decided to use my gateleg from out of the house.  I think it looks very Victorian afternoon tea sitting on the lawn.  In fact I know I've seen them used in old Victorian photos, they never had special garden furniture, except maybe for the wicker or bamboo.  I like a gateleg table and they close down so neatly, I might look out for another one to use in the garden.


These trousers/pants are part of a set I bought at the thrift, the jacket top has gold on it, but when I bought it I thought I'd be able to dress them down with a different top.  I found this top at Clothes Mentor and I liked the flower design.


Here I am showing Mr. B. my new thrifted shoes.




I made lasagna, potato salad and the Italian cold cut vege pie along with a regular salad.  Mr. B. cooked chicken on the grill.  Plain and raisin scones for desert along with strawberries, blackberries and cream.  Of course I did not take any photos of the first course set out, one forgets.  Also Janine brought lemon bars.




We were just finishing up and putting things away, when an early evening thunderstorm came through.  A nice watering for the garden.

Christine

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Italian Cold Cuts and Vegetable Pie

Hi Dear Folk,

I had posted this on my Instagram lilbitbrit007 and said that I would blog the recipe for my Italian Cold Cuts and Vegetable Pie.  This is a recipe given to my by an Italian friend Fran who was such a fun person to know and died a while ago so I treasure this recipe.  Everybody who eats it loves it and I had a special request from my son, "Mum make this more often."

Every layer in itself looks lovely.  Rob said the only thing he didn't like was the celery, I think I should have cut that up much smaller and maybe put the ham in a layer lower down.





Italian Cold Cuts and Vegetable Pie

Lettuce Romaine (I used a butter lettuce and that worked well)
Provolone cheese
Cooked salami (I used pepperoni)
Genoa or hard salami
Onions
Green peppers (I used a yellow one)
Celery
Cucumber
Sweet pickles (gherkins in a jar, sliced thinly lengthwise)
Capocollo or pepperoni (I used ham)
Tomatoes (I used cherry as that is what I had but a nice large summer tomatoes would be good)
Olives green or black (I used black from a tin)
Shake on oregano, garlic powder and Crazy Jane Salt (seasoned salt)
I did not have oregano so topped with fresh basil

About a quarter of a pound of each
Layer in order listed above (can be changed around)
Large round serving plate
Cut and serve in wedges, just like you serve a pizza

I think you will like this.
Christine

Monday, June 25, 2018

A Day Out

Hi Dear Folk,

I woke up this morning with such a headache, not quite a migraine, but pretty bad.  We had a busy weekend, but fun, will post about that later.  So a few aspirin and cups of tea later and it is just going away by midday.

Last week I got to visit with some friends.  I'm going to stop putting old friends.  Jean on the far right is a friend visiting from England and staying with some other friends in PA here.  Celestine in the center is in her nineties.


Her daughter insisted we borrow her GPS, but Celestine knew exactly where to take us.  The restaurant we wanted to try was closed, bit of a disappointment, how dare they go on vacation.  We went to another one which was OK, the food was good, ambience not so much.  Stopped off at a little Farmers Market and scored on the one day old section for baked goods, as everything was half price.  So bought a tasty apple and strawberry crumble along with a loaf of Rosemary and Olive Oil bread.  After lunch we stopped off at a dairy and bought ice creams.  I had salted caramel pretzel and the second scoop was rum raisin.

I remember when I first came to the States I couldn't get over the variety of ice creams.  I think in England I only ever had, vanilla, chocolate or strawberry and a great treat was Cornish ice cream.  I know all that has changed now.  A block of Neapolitan ice cream (vanilla, chocolate and strawberry in a block) and a pack of wafers, was our Sunday treat.  We would cut it up and put it between two wafers.

Onto thrifting, and stopped off at an Antique Emporium, I saw a little Victorian painted washstand, but where to put it?  So resisted, still on my mind though, as was a good price.  Jean found three pairs of brown leather shoes $2.00 each.  She said it's hard to find brown shoes at the charity shops in England, and I found a pair of black Clarks sandals also $2.00.  It seems their shoes are cheaper than at the thrifts in our area.

We had a lovely chatty, fun day out together.

Look at that deluxe chicken coop and only two chickens, who are not earning their keep.

Christine

Cooking and Cleaning

Hi Dear Folk,

I am wondering how I ever worked in a secular sense, because it has been all go.  Mr. B. and I got together to clean these kitchen windows, the whole works. screens, jams, stained glass, deep sill, etc. I can't believe it took us a couple of hours, unless we're just getting slow, which could be the case, but they did look nice when done.


I did a little rearranging of things up there, took my soup crocks off and added some pottery.  The jug and dishes I bought in Quendon, Essex.  They remind me of pottery I saw at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and that was all made within a fifty mile radius of where I live now.  Love the English oak leaves on the jug.  The jug on the far right was made on Cape Cod, MA, and of course the pottery to the far left is from Poland, I love the lady cheese dish.  It's hard to find a lovely great wedge of cheese to fill the old fashioned cheese dishes.


In the center my Made in England set of scales, I need a few more weights.  Will have to go on a little search for brass weights.  My mind still thinks in pounds and ounces as we do over here in the States, but I know Europe has moved onto grams.


Mr. B. came home with beets and all the leaves left on, they looked so green and fresh that I decided to cook them up with sausage, in olive oil.  I should have cut the stalks a little smaller.


Served with a wild rice medley and my homemade Branston Pickle.  I love Branston Pickle and you have to be an Anglophile to appreciate it, just a certain taste hard to duplicate, but I thought I'd have a go.

I made this pickle in 2013.  I went to a produce place where everything was in larger amounts, so landed up with a ton of ingredients.  Here is my 2013 post of making the Branston Pickle and the recipe.  Preserves really do keep a long while, and here I am in 2018 still eating Branston Pickle.  When I first made it, it wasn't as dark as the store bought Branston Pickle, but now with age it is, and I can say almost a dead ringer.  Success five years down the road.

Christine

Saturday, June 23, 2018

From Australia

Hi Dear Folk,

I like to share what I find on the Internet and feel is really worth a look and a listen.  This is from Australia the website "Dispatch to a Friend" You must listen to their podcasts, delightful.  They took me back to a gentler time, made me think of my youth, sitting in front of the Rayburn in the kitchen, listening to the BBC, feeling cosy.

Have a wonderful weekend.  You've got Sunday to listen and let me know what you think.

Christine

Chanticleer Part 3

Hi Dear Folk,

Another cool cloudy day and it was like that yesterday too.  Most unusual for this time of year.  I don't mind the coolness but would like to see the sun.  I like the rain, but make it at night.  I'm nothing but fussy.

Back to Chanticleer.  Within the property the parents had two other houses built for their children.  One is now used as administrative offices and the other house burned down, these are the ruins.


They have made use of these old stone walls in such a creative way.  Love the fireplace mantle with succulents on it.


Reflection pool.


These are actually faces in a pool, rather Poe, but interesting.



A bridge made to look like an old fallen tree trunk.



Vegetable and cutting gardens.



Back to the main house.

That was our day.  Hope you enjoyed the journey.

Christine

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Chanticleer Part Two

Hi Dear Folk,

A continuation of my day at Chanticleer.  A shaded mossy dell, with a little A Frame children's play house.



All the inside walls were painted in this vogue.






As I said the attention to detail is lovely, these are the bathrooms/toilets designed in a Japanese style.  Even had fresh flowers on the sink counters.


Here we are in the wooded area.




Now wouldn't you like these stone seats? I would love them in my garden, these are made for a millennium, and quite comfortable.


A whole three piece suite.

Christine

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

A Day Out At Chanticleer

Hi Dear Folk,

I cannot believe that I have lived in this area for as long as I have and had not heard of Chanticleer. 

The Chanticleer Estate was started in the early 20th Century, by Adolph Rosengarten, Sr and his wife Christine.  It was built along the railway corridor called the Main Line, built by the Pennsylvania Railroad, for influential people to escape the heat of summer in Philadelphia and to build a summer retreat.


Ready for my day out, backpack is packed, ready to try out my new camera.  Aurora shoes ready to take on the walking.  Couldn't be a more perfect day, blue skies, low humidity.



This is the main house owned by the Rosengarten's.  He started a pharmaceutical company, that was later sold to Merck and Company.  There are a series of French doors that open onto this terrace.  Very reminiscent of the Great Gatsby, you can just imagine a party inside the doors open and flowing out onto the terrace on a summer evening.



It was a retirement gift for me, a day out at Chanticleer, knowing how much I love gardens.  My friends Amy and Janice.


I have not visited a garden in the States that pays such attention to detail, it is beautiful, look at these railings alone.


The name Chanticleer means Rooster and was especially used in Fairy Tales.


The idea of an outside fireplace and patio is not new.


The pool, with daffodil area, just left to die naturally.  I think you need to visit in all of the three seasons to take in the true beauty of the gardens, I will be back.




Long pool and look at this lovely seating area.


More to come on my day out.

Christine
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