What's in Your Fridge, and a Giveaway!!

Good morning on this early autumn day. We are having a dry spell at the moment and I am enjoying every minute of it. We are taking Mitzie for her last shot this morning and hopefully after that we will be able to begin taking her for walks. Not sure how far we will go at first as at the moment she jerks around on the end of the leash like a Mexican Jumping Bean, but hopefully she will soon get the idea that she is supposed to walk . . . preferably forward!

I thought it would be fun this morning to show you what is in my fridge. I know, I am a brave woman! I am always fascinated by the types of things people have in their fridge . . . but then again, I think a walk through a grocery store is great entertainment! (I know, I'm just plain old sick!!) Anyways, whether you want to know what I have in there or not, you're about to find out!

Now you have to understand. I have two fridges. One is a small larder fridge that is out in the shed, and the other is a full American size fridge that is in the kitchen. (I also have a big chest freezer out in the shed) Today I am going to show you the American size one in my kitchen. (The one in the shed is boring, boring, boring . . . all that’s in there is eggs, milk, bread and some veg . . . and some things like capers, a variety of mustards and some different kinds of jams)

The big fridge is one that we bought when I was first living in Chester, some almost ten years ago. Having come from North America, I was sorely frustrated with the small larder fridge Todd had when we first got married. It was too dinky and hardly big enough for this serious cook to cram with the necessary ingredients to prepare the culinary feasts I love to prepare. (Todd was a "can in one hand, opener in the other hand" kind of cook before we met!) And so, after a few months I marched him off to Iceland and we bought the huge Bosch fridge that we have now. It has a freezer section on the bottom with four drawers that are stocked full of meats and frozen veg. I have not bothered to take a photo of that because a). it didn’t photograph well and b). there’s not much to see but some frozen packaging of meat etc.



Here is the view on the inside door of the fridge. On the top shelf there is a jar of Harvey Nichols grainy mustard, some M&S cream cheese (that I probably should get using soon!) and not one, but two jars of Hoisin sauce. I opened the second one, one day when I couldn’t find the first….and them promptly found the first . . . sigh. Next shelf down you will see a couple tubes of tomato puree . . . normal and sun dried (the cook’s delight! Well, this cook’s delight anyways!) Then there’s some sweet chili sauce that I love and a big container of Apple Juice. (the fresh squeezed type) Next to that in the butter bin is, surprise, surprise! some gourmet aged Cheshire cheese that I bought in order to do a particular recipe, but can no longer find the recipe, and so it sits there . . . waiting. In all likelihood, by the time I find the recipe I wanted it for, it will have gone off. Maybe I should throw it in the freezer just in case . . . hmmm . . . under that is some more cream cheese and a delicious bar of Green and Black’s milk chocolate, this cook’s secret indulgence. (shhhhh . . . Don’t tell Todd) and under that is my box of Trex vegetable shortening, which is what I use most of the time for my pastry’s and other recipes that require vegetable shortening. Down on the bottom shelf we have (from left to right) Canadian Maple Syrup, Heinz Salad Cream, light whipped cream (left from when Eliza was here, better get rid of that too) a jar of Duchy honey mustard salad dressing, and some delightful French mayonnaise, some white flora and embarrassingly . . . yet another container of . . . Cream cheese!



Now on to the real meat of the matter . . . the actual inside of my fridge proper . . . the top shelf is a mess of jars of various condiments such as Branston pickle (something I had never had before coming over here, but I now love, especially with cold meats) a huge jar of American style sweet pickle relish (A must for on hotdogs and hamburgers!) some pickled jalapeno peppers, a huge container of double cream (probably out of date) and twocontainers of buttermilk. In behind are various other delights such as pesto, olive paste etc. oh and a huge jar of American style Dill pickles that I am hoarding and dishing out to myself as treats when I am a good girl!

Next shelf down you will see a huge jar of black olives, behind which are jars of mint sauce . . . both jellied and regular. Next to that is a can of A&W diet root beer that I am saving for the night when I actually MUST have a root beer float. I found it at the LDS bookstore the last time we were there and just had to buy it. Now I’m afraid to use it, for fear I’ll never find another one again . . . next to that is a huge package of butter with a package of soft breadcrumbs on top and next to that a container of leftover celery soup and yet more butter! In behind I can see a large container of Crème Fraiche peeking out and some broccoli . . . or is that cauliflower??? I know there was about 4 packages of celery in there before, but I have made good use of about 3 of them now!

Shelf three . . . this is where I keep my cheeses and a few vegetables and fruit. There’s feta, and gouda, and emmenthaler, plus some good cheddar and some raclette cheese. Oh, look . . . there’s also some blue cheese and a package of white stilton with cranberries! (that’s a treat I have to look forward to. I just love digestive biscuits with white stilton and cranberries!) There’s another package of soft bread crumbs. I know . . . lazy me, but sometimes you are, aren’t you . . . lazy, that is. Hence the puff pastry and vacu packs of cooked beetroot. One . . . most chef’s buy their puff pastry. It is such a faff to make and the bought one is just as good as home made and Two . . . Cooked beetroot is the ultimate convenience food . . . your hands don’t get dyed red and it’s always on tap and ready to go, no fussing with having to peel it etc. In North America you can buy tinned cooked beetroot, but there is no such animal over here!

Bottom shelf, veggie and fruit bins. In here you’ll find my lettuces, lemons, spring onions, carrots, swede, parsnips, cucumber, radishes and some lovely tomatoes for a nice salad. Under that there is a long open shelf that has my fresh meats on it . . . which consists of a lovely packet of dry cure smoked streaky bacon, a piece of beef brisket and a lovely roasting chicken that I am going to be cooking soon!

And there you have it! I have no secrets anymore . . . you now, know it all! Are you up for the challenge? Come on . . . show us what's in your fridge! If I can do it . . . you can do it!



I did a sweet little painting for a card yesterday of a cute little Witch. She made the sweetest card. I have decided to give away some of my cards! I am going to give away to one of you a set of five of my hand designed cards. All you have to do to get in on the Giveaway is to hop on over to my Art Page and sign up as a follower. I will be picking a winner next Monday, so hop on over to The Artful Heart and sign up now!

I went to a ladies' luncheon yesterday and made some lemon squares and some chocolate brownie bites to take. When it came time to go I thought it might be too much and so I only took the chocolate brownie bites . . . besides Todd doesn't like chocolate and I thought he would appreciate me leaving the lemon ones behind much more. These are really, really good!



*Lemon Squares with Jam Filling*
Makes 15 squares
Printable Recipe

These delicious squares combine a buttery shortbread crust and a tangy lemon topping, all sandwiched together with sweet and fruity strawberry jam. Delicious!

2 cups plus 3 TBS plain flour
1/3 cup icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
¼ tsp salt
8 ounces chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1 ¼ cups caster sugar
½ tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon zest (I use un-waxed lemons, if you aren’t using these wash your lemons well in warm soapy water)
¾ cup good quality strawberry preserves (you can also use raspberry)

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Grease and flour an 11 X 7 inch baking pan. I then line it with greaseproof paper lengthwise, leaving a one inch overhang either end so that I can lift the squares out after baking for ease in cutting into squares.

Stir together 2 cups of the flour, 1/3 cups of the icing sugar and salt. Rub in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into the prepared baking pan evenly and bake for about 16 minutes until just firm.

Stir together the sugar, 3 TBS flour, and baking powder in a bowl. Stir in the eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice, mixing well.

Remove the pan from the oven and spread with the strawberry jam evenly. Pour the lemon mixture over top and return the pan to the oven. Bake for another 25 to 30 minutes until set. Remove from the oven. Let cool in the pan before removing and cutting into squares. Lightly dust with more icing sugar before serving.



Over in The English Kitchen today, Itty Bitty Brownie Bites. Small enough to be imbibed in just a few nibbles, tasty enough to be dangerous!

The Simple Woman's Day book

FOR TODAY, September 21st, 2010...

Outside My Window...
It is dark still and dry. They say it will stay dry until the weekend. Here's hoping! Somehow the world looks a lot better when it is dry and sunny . . .


I am thinking...

"It is the discipline of prayer that brings us in to the deepest and highest work of the human spirit." ~ unknown

I spent some time looking at my prayer journals yesterday, some of them dating back to the early 1990's. My life has changed so much since then . . . I live in a different country, with a different husband. My children are all grown up now and I have four grandsons, another on the way and another grandchild due the end of February. Many of my prayers have been answered. Not always in the way I thought they would be, or even in the way I hope that they would be, but the answers come just the same . . . and always for the best. Heavenly Father does know best.

I am thankful for...
The love that surrounds me daily . . . husband, family . . . friend . . . my Heavenly Father, my Saviour. I don't need gold and diamonds. I have all that I need. If you have love, you have the world I think! Life is pretty meaningless without it.

From the kitchen...
There are some tasty little Brownie Bites that I am bringing to a ladies luncheon today. I just have to ice and decorate them. Other than that the kitchen is pretty bare of goodies. I need to get cracking and bake something soon!

I am wearing...
Black and White Pajamas. Oh so comfy and cosy.

I am creating...



I've been busy creating cards with some of my artwork. There are craft sales coming up near Christmas and I thought perhaps I could get a table at one or two of them and sell some prints and cards at them. Every little helps!


I am going...
I am going to a Ladies Luncheon today and I am quite looking forward to it. I haven't been to a ladies lunch in a very, very long time. I spent the last 7 years cooking for them and watching other ladies have fun so it will make a nice change today for me to be on the receiving end of it all! I did bake some Brownie Bites to take for dessert though and they are pretty yummy! It will just be nice to have the company of other women and to get to know some of the ladies in my church ward a bit better!

I am reading...



Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert

American writer Elizabeth Gilbert begins her memoir, Eat Pray Love with a vivid description of her crying alone on the bathroom floor. She is married to the wrong man (who is asleep next door in their bedroom), has found herself on the repressive suburban baby track and is living a seemingly perfect life that she doesn’t want.

With that image of a terribly private moment, the author captured the attention of a huge female book-buying audience. I think we can all relate, and have been there at one time or another. Gilbert, a journalist and author based in New York, is 34 at the time the book is set.

As her crisis plays out, she appeals to God (“It was all I could do to stop myself from saying, 'I’ve always been a big fan of your work’,” she writes), divorces her husband, has a doomed affair and leaves for a year of self-discovery and healing. “I wanted to explore the art of pleasure in Italy, the art of devotion in India and, in Indonesia, the art of balancing the two,” she writes.

Yes, I am still reading this book. I am about halfway through it. I can't wait to see the film!

I am hoping...
Tomorrow we take Mitzie for her last course of shots and then we should be able to take her out and about. We can seriously start training her to go for walks. I am quite looking forward to that, I think! We shall see!

I am hearing...
Clock ticking, keys tapping . . . Mitzie snuffling next to me here on the sofa. Classical FM is on the telly, playing softly in the background. Life is good

Around the house...
Everythign is tidy and in it's place. We don't create a lot of mess, us two . . . I do have the drying rack set up and clothes drying on it, more ironing etc. I quite like puttering about the house, I do. It beats the alternative!

One of my favorite things...
is sitting down with my pencil and paper and seeing what I can create. I love these images and thoughts that come into my mind. It is so much fun bringing them to life! I wish everyone would catch my vision! Now that would surely put some bread and butter on the table I think! I hope that I don't have to wait until I am dead for them to mean something!

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...
Not a lot really . . . the luncheon today, Mitzie to the Vet tomorrow morning, Primary Presidency meeting tomorrow night . . . the presentation on Sunday. Life happens . . .

Here is picture thought I am sharing...



Mitzie's favourite place on a sunny day . . . yep, right in that patch of sunlight by the back door, looking out at her kingdom and keeping an eye on all that is happening in the back garden. Don't you just love the way she has her back legs splayed! Oh she is a little dear! Very sociable too. She just loves it when we have visitors and will stand in front of them and sing to them until they notice her, which in truth, never takes very long!! I will have to try to capture it with my camera one day!

And just as a closing thought for today . . .

Water and words are easy to pour but impossible to recover.
~an old Chinese proverb

There's a lot of food for thought in those words . . .

And there you have it . . . my day book for this week. Don't forget to hop on over to the Simple Woman to check out the other day book entries! (Or better yet, do a simple day book entry yourself! It's not that hard and I am betting you would enjoy it!)

Ohh, I did make something quite delicious for Todd’s tea last night…not to mention a few other goodies. He hasn't been feeling very well for a couple of days. I hope that he is feeling better today.



*Italian Style Saltimbocca Chicken*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

These chicken breasts are always very flavourful and tender. They’re like a little present on a plate…once you cut them open the cheese oozes out and surprises each guest with it’s simple presence…you get four flavours at once…the saltiness of the ham, the richness of the cheese and the bit of the basil…all go extremely well together and help bring out the flavour of the chicken to a really delicious extreme!

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 slices proscuitto ham
6 slices gouda or other good melting cheese
4 TBS butter

1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs
2 TBS freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 TBS chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
Fresh basil leaves
Freshly cracked black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Put the butter into a baking dish and bang it into the oven so melt while you prepare the chicken.

Put the chicken pieces one at a time into a heavy duty plastic baggie and pound them flat with the side of a rolling pin. You want them all an even thickness, about ¼ inch thick. Don’t pound too hard though as you don’t want to tear them.

Grind some black pepper over each one, then top with the basil leaves, laying them out evenly over top. (check on your butter and remove it if it is all melted, you don’t want it to burn)

Place a slice of proscuitto over the basil leaves on each breast along with the slices of cheese. Roll up each breast to enclose everything and pin shut with a cocktail stick.

Put the breadcrumbs into a shallow bowl, along with the parsley and the grated Parmesan cheese.

Roll each breast into the melted butter and then into the bread crumb mixture, pressing a bit to make the crumbs stick to the chicken. Put them into the baking dish, folded side down as you finish them. Take any remaining crumbs and sprinkle over and pat on. Spoon up some of the melted butter in the dish over top of them.

Pop them into the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are golden brown, basting several times with some of the pan juices. Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes before serving. Delicious!



In The English Kitchen today, delicious Nectarines Baked in Cream!

Monday thoughts . . .

The body is a sacred garment. It’s your first and last garment; it is what you enter life in and what you depart life with, and it should be treated with honour”. ~Martha Graham

I came across this quote recently and it gave me real food for thought. For most of my adult life, I have struggled with my weight and feelings of discontentment about the way I look . . . even when I was a lot thinner than I am now! I look back at pictures of when I was much younger, and wish I had appreciated what I had , when I still had it! I don’t think I am alone in thinking or feeling that way either . . . when polled about their body image, most women confess to not liking some part, or all of their bodies . . . most of us have pounds, real or imaginary, that we would like to lose, (in my case, quite real!) or hair we don’t like, lips we want fuller, hips we want smaller, eyelashes we want longer . . . I could go on and on.

All of this negative self body imagery is fuelled by an advertising media that bombards us daily with images of women, that in most cases are not really women, but girls made up to look like women…with images that are so manipulated and altered with modern technology that there is no way on God’s green earth we could ever hope to look that good . . . and even they (the models) sometimes don’t recognize themselves! The fantasy presented to us in most cases far exceeds the reality . . . I have seen pictures of famous women and models that look quite far removed from the images we usually see and I am always shocked!



Gloria Steinem once said, “If you can learn to like how you look, and not the way you think you look . . . it can set you free.”

I believe that it’s time for us as women, to learn to love and embrace our bodies, and to develop positive self body images. If we can’t love them ourselves, how can we expect others to love them??? It all starts with breaking self destructive negative thoughts and unrealistic expectations. If you were born with child-bearing hips, you will always have child-bearing hips and you should learn to love your child-bearing hips. . . . We need to , as a whole, stand up and say . . . “We are tired of the ideas the world tries to present to us as to what is the ideal beauty, and we’re not going to take it anymore!” There is no ideal beauty . . . it’s an image that is constantly changing and evolving . . . what’s in this year will be out the next!!!! Let us not wait for a world to celebrate us!! Let us begin to celebrate ourselves . . . find joy in our own reflections, concentrate on what’s great about ourselves and forget what isn’t.



Real beauty comes from within. When we take care of our spirit and nurture our soul, it somehow begins to transform our outer image. I have met quite a few people in life that, at first glance, have not been all that attractive, but when I have taken the time to get to know them and seen the beautiful person they are inside, that knowledge has transformed their whole image and they have taken on a whole new appearance to me. Never underestimate the beautifying power of the well developed inner soul. Take time to nurture your soul...read spirit edifying material, spend important time daily in prayer and meditation, giving thanks always for the special person that you are, inside and out. Take time to appreciate what you have, and be happy. Take note daily of your many blessings . . . and we all do have them . . . and in abundance.



The outer transformation can begin with simple things such as deciding to eat healthier food and drinking more water. Make a conscious decision to move about more, to get off the bus a few blocks further away from work and walking them instead. Turn the radio on in the middle of the day for a while and put some music on that you love and dance for a few minutes . . . stretch, skip, play, walk and run more, even if it’s only for a few minutes more each day. It all adds up.

I believe that diets actually don’t work in the long term. Major surveys and studies have shown that most people who diet have regained all of their lost weight and in most cases more than they lost in less than five years after they lost it. It is only the very few that manage to actually keep it off long term, and they are the exception rather than the rule. Every single diet I have gone on in my lifetime has only caused me to get larger. Oh yes, I would lose weight temporarily, but I’ve always ended up putting it back on and then some . . . the only real success I've had is through hypno therapy, and I've even managed to put back on some of the 3 stone I lost through that over these past six months.

Back in the Renaissance I would have had a very desirable figure. . . all my plump curves and rolls would have been the envy of all my compatriots. Right from now, I am going to embrace them and love my body, for it is me, and hey . . . I love myself!!! I deserve to be honoured and treated like the special and unique creature that I am! Today I choose to love and honour this sacred garment I have been given in this journey through life. What about you?

I think the potato has to be one of my favourite vegetables. I know I'm not alone in this! That is probably why low carb diets have never been ones that I could stick to for very long. I always end up missing my potatoes after not too long! This is one of our favourite side dishes. These lovely roasted potatoes go very well with chicken and fish!



*Roasted Honey Dijon Potatoes*
Serves 2
Printable Recipe

This recipe only serves two but don’t worry, it can be easily multiplied! Easy to throw together and full of lovely tangy flavours, they brown beautifully. Everyone I make them for always falls in love with them!

1 lb potatoes cut into pieces (peel or not as you prefer)
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup olive oil
2 tsp honey
1 TBS chopped fresh parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Mix together the mustard, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss in the potatoes and onions and mix together with your hands, coating them all thoroughly.

Line a baking tray with sides with foil and lightly grease. Spread the potatoes and onions out on it. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes are tender and gorgeously browned on the outside with crispy bits. Sprinkle with the fresh parsley and serve.

These go well with almost everything, but I really like them with fish and chicken!

Baking in The English Kitchen today, some scrummy Chocolate Chunk Muffins! There's also a fab competetion from Viners in which you could win a lovely Omelette Pan!

Marie's Sunday Six

Welcome to my Sunday Six Smilemakers Post for today, the 19th of September, 2010. Where has the summer gone? Looking at that date we are almost through September, and it will soon be October! Is it just me or does time seem to be speeding up??????

I thought I would share six special thoughts with you this morning. Six inspirational thoughts that may or may not make you smile. I only know for sure that they make me smile.



"In the long run, pessimists may be proven right, but the optimist has a better time on the trip."

Too true, with me the glass is always half full. If I was not a person that thought that way I may have given up a long time ago! Nobody's life is perfect. Bad things happen to good people all the time. The trick is to learn to enjoy the journey along the way . . . no matter what.



"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich. It is very easy to over-estimate the importance of our own achievements in comparison with what we owe others."

Be grateful for everything in your life. I think you will find that you are much richer than you thought you were!



"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." ~Winston Churchill

I love this quote. It's so true. We had some friends over last night for supper and afterwards we sat down to watch the film, "On The Lord's Errand." It is a film about the life of our present President of our church, Thomas S Monson. Here is a man who has had a very full and happy life and he's done it by serving others. We may be asked to do things in life that we are not always happy about, but if we will do them with a cheerful heart we may find that in the end we were more than blessed for doing so. A life of service is a life well spent and well lived.



"Only one who hopes has a future".

From Wikepedia: "Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life." If we had no hope . . . it would not be worth going on . . . Where would any of us be without hope? I hope many things. Hope is kind of like praying with faith. I pray with sincerity, and then I hope and trust that my prayers will be answered. They always are . . . maybe not as I had wished, but always answered . . .



"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honourable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing." ~George Berhard Shaw

My most valuable lessons in life have all been learned through the process of making mistakes, and I have made some whoppers!! I will probably make a few more before I leave this earth as well. I would rather try and end up having made a mistake, than to not have tried at all.



When I have lost my temper
I have lost my reason too.
I'm never proud of anything
Which angrily I do.

When I have walked in anger
And my cheeks are flaming red
I have always uttered something
That I wish I hadn't said.

In anger I have never done
A kindly deed, or wise,
But many things for which I know
I should apologize.

In looking back across my life
And all I've lost or made,
I can't recall a single time
When fury ever paid.

I'm not sure who wrote this poem. I found it in a little book I have called Friendship, which was a gift from a friend a long time ago. I am not a person that angers easily. I am grateful for that.



I hope that you each have a wonderful and blessed Sunday, and don't forget to smile!

My sister has always been a greatly accomplished baker! She has always made beautiful cakes and pies and cookies. Where I was always really good at putting together the meat of the meal . . . she was always really good at putting together the dessert. So, between the two of us, we made two halves of a whole, and nobody went hungry!!




*Danish Apple Bars*
Makes 16
Printable Recipe

This is a recipe my sister shared with me many moons ago. It’s like Apple pie, only better and somewhat easier to manage, for some strange reason. This pastry is very forgiving. Your family and guests will thank you for these, over and over again…These are best served warm, with some cold vanilla ice cream melting on top!

PASTRY:
2 ½ cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable shortening (Such as Crisco or Trex or White flora)
1 egg, beaten, with enough milk added to make 2/3 cup in total
FILLING:
6 tart apples, peeled and sliced (I Like to use Granny Smith apples)
1 cup cornflakes, crushed with your hands (secret ingredient)
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)
1 cup caster sugar
1 TBS ground cinnamon
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

1 beaten egg to glaze the pastry before baking

GLAZE:
2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F. Make the pastry by sifting the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs. Beat the egg and milk together and stir in with a fork until well combined. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead until it all comes together and is smooth. Divide in half, wrap in cling film and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

Peel and slice the apples. Mix the sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl. If you like you can also add the finely grated zest of a lemon. Mix well.

Roll out half the pastry, on a floured board, in a rectangle shaped to fit into a 9 inch by 15 inch pan. Line the pan with this. Crush the cornflakes evenly over the bottom with your hands and then cover evenly with the sliced apple mixture, pouring any juices that have accumulated over top.

Roll out the other half of the pastry to fit on top and place over the top of the apples. Roll edges together and press shut. I like to crimp it attractively all around. Brush the top with an egg wash and bake in the pre-heated oven for 1 hour,or until nicely browned, the bottom is done and the apples are soft and cooked. Remove from the oven and let cook for about 10 minutes before glazing.

To make the glaze combine all the ingredients together, sifting the icing sugar to remove any lumps first. Drizzle over the top.

Serve warm in nice big squares with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Yummy!



Cooking in The English Kitchen today, a delicious Beef Stew With Herbed Dumplings!

What makes a house a home . . .

Today I am featuring the art of Carl Larsson, who is one of my favourite artists.

“Why do we love certain houses, and why do they seem to love us. It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in our surroundings.” ~ T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbons

From the minute you walk into some houses . . . they wrap their charm around you and tug on your hearts. They emit a certain charm or cosiness that is hard to resist. Welcoming, comforting, restful . . . they beckon us to enter and settle in to our heart’s content. Like a big comfy chair, they sing to your heart and say . . . leave your troubles at the door and come and set a spell . . .

One of the things Todd and I love to do on our off time is to visit old stately houses. Filled with beautiful objects d’art and lovely furnishings, each of the rooms appointed with beautiful architectural detail, they are a fascinating doorway into historical time. As I wander through the rooms, I try to imagine some of the people that may have lived there and the lives they have lived. I think my two favourites are Chartwell, which was the home of Winston Churchill and Hever Castle, which was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. They both have charm and the enduring presence of the people that once walked through their halls. . . but they are no longer homes.



With money you can buy beautiful furnishings and decorative accessories of the finest qualities, but all the money in the world cannot make a house a home. A house is just a house until it has a heart . . . and only then does it become a home. Charm seems to be the quality of the soul that cannot be bought or sold.

Todd and I don’t really have lot in the way of possessions and what we do have is mostly tatty and old, having bought a lot of it in charity shops . . . but people do seem to love to come and visit with us and spend time here in our humble home. I think that’s because it is a home and not a house. I have tried to make our home as comfortable as I can, and as welcoming and as cosy as can be. Most of the pictures on our walls are family pictures, or pictures of the Saviour. We have no real art. A lot of the nic nacs are just small things that people have given us for gifts or that we have collected on our various travels. I have also been a consummate crafter in my life time so there are lots of examples of my handiwork . . . cross stitched samplers and wooden folk art pieces I painted once upon a time. But they are all things that have meaning, and heart, well, at least to us that is.



I’ve been really fortunate in my life in that I’ve had the opportunity to live and move to all sorts of interesting places. My father was in the Canadian Military, as was my ex husband, and I have lived all across Canada and in Europe, and now my adventurous soul has brought me to England these past almost 10 years. For most of my life, my home has been whatever I could carry in a box or two, much like a gypsy . . . except that I didn’t also carry my four walls with me as well. As a child, I was always fascinated with the turtle who carried his own home upon his back. Everywhere I have gone though, has ended up being home to me. Every house I have lived in has become a home and that’s only been through my capacity to instil charm and warmth into each one of them. I didn’t need a lot of money, or a lot of things . . . all I really needed was my heart, and like the turtle . . . I carry that with me wherever I go. Home really is where you hang your heart.



I have made a lot of changes over the past few days with my Art blog. For one thing I have change the name. It is now called The Artful Heart. I have also moved it to a new space, which you can find HERE. Any of you that were followers of the old one, will want to change your bookmarks and or start following the new one as I will no longer be updating the old one. I do hope you will go and have a look at the new space. I've spent a lot of time designing a new header and finding the proper background for it. I've also been making up a lot of cards to send as samples to card companies so that they can see what the designs look like as cards . . . to give them a peek at my vision so to speak. I know it will cost me some money to do this, but it may be money well spent in the long run, I am hoping. I need to find some addresses of rubber stamp companies as well. Companies that both produce and sell the rubber stamps for crafters. Any advice or information that you could share with me would be greatly appreciated!

What do you think of the look of the new one? Your opinion is greatly valued! I want to seriously start looking at this as a business, instead of simply playing around with it. How can I expect prospective buyers of my talents to look at me as being a professional if I don't think of myself as being a professional?

I made these delicious mashed potatoes for Todd the other night. We had them with a simple stew of Beef. He does love his meat and potatoes! This is a recipe that I got from my friend Joy, who lives in South Wales. I would have never thought of making cheesy mashed potatoes before I moved over here, although I did add sour cream and chives to them occasionally!



*Cheesy Mashed Potatoes*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Easy to do and, well, impressive. This version of mashed potatoes is creamy, tasty and a real family pleaser.

2 pounds of floury potatoes, such as a Maris Piper, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large onion, peeled and diced fairly small
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 ounces strong cheddar cheese, grated
1 ounce butter
Warm milk
Salt and pepper

Put the potatoes in a saucepan along with the onion and add boiling salted water to cover. Simmer just until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife and then drain well.

Return the hot potatoes to the pot and mash well with a potato masher. Add the butter and just enough warm milk to make them creamy. Stir in the parsley and the cheese, mixing in well, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

You can also make these up ahead of time, put them in a casserole dish, brush the top with some melted butter and then re-heat them in ahot oven for 20 to30 minutes or until the top has slightly browned. Delicious!

*Note - they also make a delicious topping for casseroles and meat pies!




In The English Kitchen today, scrummy Cappucchino Brownies!