Looking for love . . .

Source: flickriver.com via Marie on Pinterest

I don’t think there is one of us that doesn’t have an idea or vision of what we think the perfect love is. There are even some of us that feel that . . . at the very least . . . this is something that each person deserves in life . . . our God given right as it were.

We fantasize about having a relationship without any arguments . . . chock full of warmth and understanding, containing total co-operation and a complete and utter propensity for tenderness. There are no negatives at all.

There are lots of us that spend a great deal of time measuring what we really have against our dreams of what we think we should have . . . and feeling sorry for ourselves because it’s totally lacking . . . and not what we ended up with at all.

Source: flickr.com via Marie on Pinterest

I have known people to become so obsessed with finding this perfect person, this perfect relationship . . . that they have left their homes and families in pursuit of it and seeing their pursuit of happiness as their right.

They wander aimlessly through life searching and never finding, discarding lover after lover in their tireless search for their true ideal. If you were to ask them what they are so desperately searching for in a relationship, their answer would be that they are looking for true love. But . . . in reality, they have no idea of what true love really is. Perhaps, at the end of the day, the only person they would truly be happy with . . . would be themselves.

Source: flickr.com via Marie on Pinterest

In reality there is no such thing as perfect love here on earth . . . only human love. And . . . because we are all human . . . we are bound to fall short of the mark of being perfect . . . and loving perfectly.

We will each make mistakes, each lose our tempers from time to time and yes . . . we will, each of us . . . be argumentative, stubborn, selfish, less than entertaining . . . you name it . . . full of warts, from time to time. None of us is perfect, and none of us can love perfectly. We can only do our best and hopefully we will find a partner in life that will do their best in return. That’s as much as any one of us can expect and probably much more than most of us deserve!



I had a list of qualities which I was seeking in a man when I was looking for a new partner in life, all those years ago . . . but Mr. Perfect wasn’t on it. I think I got my wish! Oh I do love the Toddster! He may not be perfect . . . but he’s perfect for me, and that, my dear friends, suits me to a "T!"

Here's a real favourite thing that I make for my Todd. He loves carrot cake and anything with a bit of spice in it. These scones go down a real treat with a hot cuppa for elevenses or an afternoon teatime treat. I like that you only have to mix them up and then drop them on the pan before baking . . . but of course if you are looking for a more structured shape, you can pat them out into a circle and cut into wedges. They are delicious no matter how you shape them!



*Carrot Cake Drop Scones*
Makes 8
Printable Recipe

Your favourite cake . . . in a scone! The perfect teatime treat. You can bake these in wedges as well. Just pat the dough into a circle and cut into wedges before baking. Dropping is so much easier though.

For the scones:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch ground cardamom
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into bits
1/3 cup heavy cream (whipping or double)
1 cup finely grated raw peeled carrot (about 1 1/2 medium sized carrots)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 large free range egg

For the glaze:
1/2 cup icing sugar
2 TBS heavy cream or milk
amall pinch each ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cardamom

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices and salt in a large bowl. Drop the butter into the bowl and cut in using a pastry blender or by using the round blade of two knives and criss crossing them, until the mixture looks like fine bread crumbs. Stir in the cream, carrots, raisins and egg until the dough leaves the side of the bowl and forms a ball.

Drop the dough two inches apart on the baking sheet, using heaped tablespoons. Press slightly.

Bake in the heated oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately remove to a wire rack to cool to warm. Drizzle with the spice glaze and serve.

To make the spice glaze, whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. Delicious!!



Over in The English Kitchen today, some dangerous Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups!

Sleep garden . . . sleep . . .

Source: flickr.com via Marie on Pinterest

We have had heavy frosts the past three mornings . . . all the garden covered as if by a magic brush, each leaf and errant petal, fooled into blooming far too soon by an overly mild winter thus far . . . tinged with tiny crystals, so very pretty.

The garden sleeps now. No splash of colour stains the fallow mould. The trees are stark, the hedges bare . . . the air all damp and cold. It is as if nature, on the quiet, has spread a quilt of crystal ice over all . . . as if to cover and protect the life that hides below . . .

Source: etsy.com via Melissa on Pinterest

How very still it is. No sound, save that of the odd car or bus which passes, disturbs the silence of the day. No sign or hint revealing what lays beneath the frozen clay . . . oh bulbs and roots and seeds from which will come at Winter's close a flurry of bloom . . . flames of gold and crimson . . . dreams of ivory and rose . . . the lavender and pinks and blues.

It seems like a miracle at the moment and doesn't seem possible . . . yet the Camellia is covered with buds, just waiting for the warmth of the April sun to burst out in colour . . . and here and there a snowdrop nods it's tiny white head . . . a tiny promise of what's to come.

"Lone Flower, hemmed in with snows, and white as they
But hardier far, once more I see thee bend
Thy forehead, as if fearful to offend,
Like an unbidden guest."
~Wordsworth

Source: shellsonthebeach.tumblr.com via Joni on Pinterest

Sleep garden . . . sleep. Rest in repose. These are the days of healing peace for all of us. For though the cold is bitter and the wild wind blows . . . there are joys to compensate for fog and frost and sleet. The world of firelight and books is cosy and comforting. Sleep garden . . . sleep.





Now that she has received it, I can show you the Baptism piece that I did for a little girl who was recently Baptised. She has the original piece, but this is the scan that I used to make her cards. There was a full sized picture, the original, with her full name, birth date and Baptism Date on it and then a bundle of cards which were exactly as above for her to use as thank you cards, etc. That is the nearest temple to where they live in the picture and that is the Baptism Dress that she wore on the day. I love doing these Baptism Commission pieces. They are really special to me and a wonderful keepsake for the recipient of their special day.

We are off into town today to pay a bill. I dare say we will have a frosted journey! It is very cold and wintery, although they do say it will become milder as the week goes on and with that will come . . . what else but rain! Whatever you are going to get up to this day, stay safe and warm. Go with God . . .

This has to be my all time favourite cake recipe. It's a lovely version of a Victorian Sponge filled with raspberries and baked, then filled with clotted cream and more raspberries to serve, covered in a sweet drizzle and garnished with sugar frosted rose petals(optional). It is a cake that you bake when you want to pull out all the stops for sure!!



*Golden Jubilee Cake*
Serves 12
Printable Recipe

This delicious Victorian sponge type of cake was developed in the Queen’s Jubilee year. It’s lovely and moist with a delicious clotted cream and raspberry filling. The perfect “tea party” cake.

6 ounces golden castor sugar (3/4 cup)
(Can use regular caster sugar with no problems)
(Caster sugar is fine granulated sugar, I think it is called fruit sugar in North America)
6 ounces butter, softened (3/4 cup)
4 large free range eggs, separated
4 ounces self rising flour (1 cup)
1 tsp baking powder
4 ounces ground almonds (1 1/3 cup)
3 to 5 drops almond essence
1 cup fresh raspberries

FOR THE FILLING:
1-227g container of clotted cream (about 1 cup)
1 cup fresh raspberries

FOR THE TOPPING:
2 - 3 ounces golden castor sugar (1/4 to 1/2 cup approx.)
1 egg white, lightly beaten to a froth
4 ounces icing sugar (scant cup)
pesticide free rose petals

Make the frosted rose petals the day before. Separate the petals and spread the castor sugar over a plate. Holding one petal at a time, lightly paint both sides with egg white. (I used tweezers to hold the petals) Spoon sugar over it, then using tweezers, shake off the excess. Dry on parchment paper for a day. (Use only pesticide free roses)

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Butter two 8-inch round cake tins and line their bases with parchment paper. Tip the sugar into a mixing bowl and add the softened butter. Beat for a minute or so until pale and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks. Sift together the flour and baking powder, then sift over the cake mixture. Fold in as lightly as you can using a large metal spoon, then fold in the almonds and extract. Stop folding as soon as the flour traces have gone.

Whisk the egg whites until they just hold their shape. Gently fold in a third of the egg white into the cake mix, using a whisk. Repeat with another third, then the final third. Take care not to over mix and lose the lightness of the egg whites.

Lightly fold in the raspberries. Divide between the prepared tins and level the mixture using a round bladed knife. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out, peel off the lining paper and leave to cool completely.

Set one cake on a serving plate. Spoon the clotted cream on top. Scatter the raspberries over the cream and put the other cake on top.

Blend the icing sugar with 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp cold water until it is smooth and coats the back of a spoon thinly. Drizzle the icing over the cake.

Scatter the rose petals over and around the cake, dust with icing sugar and serve to some very lucky people.



Cooking in The English Kitchen today delicious Pappardelle with Roasted Winter Squash, Rocket and Pistachios.

“Patience is a godly attribute that can heal souls, unlock treasures of knowledge and understanding, and transform ordinary men and women into saints and angels. Patience is truly a fruit of the Spirit. Patience means staying with something until the end. It means delaying immediate gratification for future blessings.”
― Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Poetry Saturday . . . Spell Bound

Source: ginsui-rin.deviantart.com via Marie on Pinterest

The night is darkening round me,
The wild winds coldly blow;
But a tyrant spell has bound me
And I cannot, cannot go.

Source: weheartit.com via Marie on Pinterest

The giant trees are bending
Their bare boughs weighed with snow,
And the storm is fast descending,
And yet I cannot go.

Source: flickr.com via Marie on Pinterest

Clouds beyond clouds above me,
Wastes beyond wastes below;
But nothing drear can move me,
I will not, cannot go.
~Emily Bronte

Source: bonjour-celine.blogspot.com via Marie on Pinterest

Oh how easy it is to be completely spell bound by a winter's snow when you are out walking and it begins to fall . . . first those fluffy fat flakes like goosedown . . . melting almost as soon as they land on the ground. But then . . . they begin to fall faster and faster . . . and one after another begins to add up and soon . . . the ground is covered, but . . . still it falls.

And you stand there as it accumulates on your shoulders and hair and eyelashes . . . and perhaps you stick your tongue out for just a taste . . . and it tastes like magic. It has you in it's spell, the magic woven around you and over you . . . and under you. You cannot help but stand still and take it all in. That is a winter's day . . . in the snow . . . in the wood . . . on your own. Can anyhting on earth possibly be more beautiful, or serene?

Snowy thoughts for today . . . The wind is blowing again. I can hear it howling down the chimney. We had the fab offer last night of a week in Spain. All we have to pay for is our airfare. It is very tempting. We shall give it some thought for sure . . . but with two weddings coming up and a very strict budget, I'm not sure we dare chance it. Best pray about it I think!!

Have some apples in your fruit basket that need using up? This is a very delicious way to do just that. One of our favourite cakes, this is one from my archives. The picture's not that great, but I can still remember how very wonderful it tasted. I just may have to break down and bake one today. Sigh . . . I am so weak.



*Caramel Apple Cake*
Serves 12
Printable Recipe

Tart apples combined with a delicious caramel glaze are a classic combination. This pleases everyone who eats it. Serve it sliced with some vanilla ice cream, for a simple dessert that will, at once, both impress and tantalize your guests. This one will have them coming back for more!

3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup castor sugar
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
4 cups chopped Granny Smith apples (3 to 4 large apples)

GLAZE:
½ cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup milk

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl; set aside. Beat the brown sugar, castor sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and beat until well blended; mixture will be very thick. Fold in the apples. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan (bundt). Bake in a pre-heated 180*C/350*F oven for 1 hour, or until a wooden pick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack, then invert onto a serving plate.

For the glaze combine the butter, brown sugar and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Pour the hot glaze over the cooled cake. You may also bake this cake in a 9 X 13 inch rectangular cake pan, in which case the cooking time will only be about 45 minutes.



Cooking over in The English Kitchen today, Fat Rascals!

Wednesday Ramblings . . .

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At the start of each New Year I am reminded of a a piece of writing entitled "The Gate Of The Year" by Minnie Louise Hoskins. King George VI quoted it in his Christmas message to the nation and I feel it is every bit as reassuringly valid today as it was then.

"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, 'Give me light that I may tread safely into the unknown.' And he replied, 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand in the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.'"

Todd went to the Doctors yesterday afternoon and they were able to get him an eye appointment with the hospital for 9 am this morning. I am sincerely hoping that it is nothing serious. That is his stronger eye and he relies on it a lot. He had a squint in his other eye as a child which they corrected for him when he went into the army, but it has never been really strong, even though he was a marksman. This is another test of our faith . . . which can move mountains if it is strong enough . . . so we will be putting our hands in the hand of God on this one, just as we try to do in all things.

Did any of you watch the adaptation of Great Expectations which was on the television over the Christmas period?? We had taped it and finished watching it last night. It was very, very good . . . very well done indeed. It just goes to show you how brilliant those old writers were . . .Charles Dickens, Jane Austin, the Bronte's, Louisa May Alcott, Elizbeth Gaskill . . . Shakespeare even. All that they wrote remains every bit as entertaining and interesting today, as it was in their own days. I expect that is the one great test of anything's value is it not . . . Can it withstand the test of time? Will it be worth as much to me in ten year's time, or more than it is right now?

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I expect that would be a good question to ask ourselves when we are faced with making most decisions in life . . . what is the eternal value of this? Unless it is of great long term or even eternal value . . . perhaps we would do better to rethink the situation, or purchase, or whatever it is we are trying to decide upon.

I have been busy over the past couple of days trying to put together a prospectus of all the Relief Society Extra Meetings for the following year. Arranging monthly activities for the Sister's in my Ward falls under the umbrella of my calling as the Second Counselor in the Relief Society Presidency. I have to say I really enjoy my calling. It is a blessing to be able to serve the Sister's in my Ward, and a wonderful opportunity for me to grow and to stretch. I know that some people might think that a church calling is an extra burden, and that some might even be frightened to take one on. I can say, with all honesty . . . any calling I have ever had in my church has been far more for my own benefit and improvement than it has been for anyone else's. I always look them as wonderful opportunities to serve both my Heavenly Father and also my Church. Some of them have seemed a bit daunting to begin with, but I have come to love each of them. I find that as long as one does what they are asked to with love and with strength of purpose, looking to the Lord for help and guidance in all things, then one is quite alright and can even bloom! I have been very lucky in each of my callings to have had the wonderful examples of strong sisters in the church to follow, examples which I have been really grateful for.

Source: funspill.com via Marie on Pinterest

The strong winds of yesterday seem to have died down now. My goodness but it was really wicked! I know that it caused a lot of problems nationwide. It seems odd, coming from a country as wide and as vast as Canada . . . when something happens here in the UK, it pretty much affects the whole country as we are such a small place . . . and yet we have roughly three times the amount of people living here than they have in Canada. It would be unheard of that a Blizzard in . . . say Ontario, would create problems in British Columbia. Here in the UK though, a blizzard anywhere is pretty much everywhere, or at least the whole country would feel the fallout from it.

Well, I am prattling on about not a lot now so I will sign off and get ready to take Todd to the hospital. I say that rather loosely as I am only going with him, my reading student is actually driving us there. Todd would not be able to drive home afterwards, and I am not confident enough in driving our car as I should be . . . so we are prevailing upon our good friend today. I need to drive our car more . . . in truth, I have not driven it once since we got it. I used to be very confident in driving our old car as it was brand new and I felt completely safe in it . . . when we had to give it up and got this really old one, I seem to have lost all confidence and have not driven it at all. I need to give myself a kick up the backside I think!

Here is a recipe for a really tasty cookie! Cookies with jam are my absolute favourite kinds! I know that I have a great fondness for anything with jam in it, but cookies with it are the best! I have endeavored to convert the measurements into North American ones as best as I can.



*Not Quite Jammy Dodgers*
Makes 20-24
Printable Recipe

These lovely shortbread like biscuits have a wonderful light texture and basically just melt in your mouth. Deliciously crisp with a tasty dab of jam in the middle, these are what the British call moreish. You cannot eat just one. I dare you to try!

90g icing sugar (11TBS)
185g plain flour (scant 2 cups (1.84))
60g corn flour (corn starch) (6.5 TBS)
30g ground almonds (1/3 cup)
250g butter, cut into cubes (1 cup plus 1 1/2 TBS)
½ tsp almond extract
Icing Sugar for dusting
Jam such as strawberry or raspberry

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Sift the icing sugar, flour and corn flour into a large bowl. Add the ground almonds and give it a good stir. Drop in the butter. Rub the butter into the dry mixture with your fingertips until there are no visible lumps of butter.

Stir in the almond essence. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured board and knead it a few times to form a smooth dough.

Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. (about an inch and a half in diameter) Using a 3 inch smooth edged cutter place the cutter on top of the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Drop one of the balls inside and push it down to fill the ring, flattening the top slightly with your fingertips. Repeat with the remaining dough balls, placing them about 2 inches apart. You will not be able to fit all of them on one sheet, so will have to do this in two batches.

Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until they are light golden in colour. Remove them from the oven and immediately tamp down an indentation in the middle of each biscuit to hold the jam. I use the tip of a wooden spoon and make an indentation about ½ inch in diameter.

Let the biscuits cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

When completely cool, dust the tops with icing sugar and place a dab of jam in the centre indentations. Simply wonderful!



Over in The English Kitchen today, a delicious Meatloaf Pie.

A most unusual story of love . . .

Source: threeoclockbears.typepad.com via Marie on Pinterest

Once upon a time, what seems now . . . like long, long ago . . . my sister and I used to make Teddy Bears, and from time to time get together at Craft Sales and sell them at a booth we would share. Happy times . . . Our bears ranged in size from a tiny 3 inch bear right on up to a bear that was large enough to wear size 3 children's clothing, each one being a real labour of love on our parts. The best part though . . . was in the doing of it together.

I recently read about a woman named Frannie Pew Hayes. She had a rather large family, which included an abundance of grandchildren and so one year the family came to the decision that it was just not practical anymore to buy Christmas Gifts for everyone and so they would draw names . . . each person then only having one present to buy and exchange.

Her grandson, David, who was only five at the time drew her name and inquired of her what she would like to receive. She chose elastic bands and paper clips. He didn't like that idea, wanting her to pick out something nicer and so, realizing that it was the Chinese Year of the Bear, she finally requested a Teddy Bear.

Source: threeoclockbears.typepad.com via Marie on Pinterest

That very first bear she received from her young grandson delighted her so completely that a Teddy Bear Collection soon began and multiplied . . . with Teddy Bears acquired as gifts from family and friends . . . and collected from her own travels.

Soon there were bears of all shapes and sizes and requests from people of all ages to come and see them began to pour in. This the idea for a Teddy Bear Museum was born.

The Teddy Bear Museum in Naples Florida opened in 1990 with a collection that had expanded to around 5,500 individual bears until the museum closed in 2005, a year after the death of Mrs Hayes.

When I read this story my heart was warmed . . . indeed big oaks from tiny acorns do grow! What began as the tiny gift of a M&M's bear from a young grandson to his much beloved grandmother because something that brought joy and pleasure to so many visitors worldwide. It's a shame that it had to close . . .

Source: threeoclockbears.typepad.com via Marie on Pinterest

I have always loved teddy bears myself. I had a lovely one that I carried with me throughout my life from my infancy . . . but which sadly disappeared during one of my many military moves in my last marriage. I now have three . . . a bear that the young daughter of a friend gave to Todd a few years back, one that I bought for one of my grandchildren, but which ended up too big to post and so I kept it (Winnie the Pooh in a cute sweater) and a lovely little smooshie pink one that my dear friend Lura gave me, each one special and unique in it's own special way. Kinda like us I guess! Unique, special and very much beloved!


These lovely squares have always been our Amanda's favourite treat. She may watch her weight really closely but the girl does have a bit of a sweet tooth. She comes by that honestly as her father has the biggest sweet tooth in the world. It is a Ramsay trait as my ex MIL also has a big sweet tooth. I remember going to a Brunch Buffet with her once and she had no less than 6 desserts. In fact that's all she had . . . dessert!



*Butterscotch Mallow Bars*
Makes about 36
Printable Recipe

These are so easy to do and quick to throw together as well. They are quite sweet, but a real favourite of children. They look really pretty on the Christmas cookie tray though!

1 (12 ounce) package of butterscotch chips (or an equal amount of milk chocolate, good quality, cut into bits. I recommend Green and Blacks)
¼ cup butter
1 cup smooth peanut butter (you can use crunchy if you want little bits of nuts in them. I prefer the smooth myself)
1 package of small multi coloured marshmallows (about 4 cups)
*Note if you are making the milk chocolate ones, white marshmallows are the best to use.

Combine the butter, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Stir until melted and completely amalgamated. Remove from the heat and let cool to warm before stirring in the marshmallows. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch square cake tin that you have lined with cling film. Spread evenly into the pan and press the mixture down. Refrigerate until cold and then cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator.



Over in The English Kitchen today a delicious Marzipan and Mincemeat Tea Loaf!

There was a song in a film years ago with the line “Have yourself a merry little Christmas.” Well, you can give a great and wonderful Christmas if you remember the gifts God has given you and, as best you can, offer them to others as He would. That is the spirit of Christmas and of true happiness every day.
~President Henry B Eyring, The Gifts of Christmas 2011

The Cure for What Ails You . . .

Source: weheartit.com via Marie on Pinterest

Once again today I would like to thank you all so very much for all of your prayers and happy thoughts. I was thinking yesterday and I came over all positive, and a wonderful sense of peace about all things settled into my heart. I cannot explain it, but I just feel that everything will be ok. Your prayers and wishes for me are a very big part of that. Todd and I thank you from the very bottom of our hearts.

Even though we may all complain from time to time about the shortcomings of the NHS and how it is failing us, really we are all so very blessed that we have free medical care in this country, and the freedom to go to a Doctor whenever we need to without having to think about if we can afford it or not. This isn’t the case in a great many places in the world, even today. Just something else we take for granted I guess!

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I was looking through one of my many books yesterday evening and I found these quaint little cures and recipes for what ails you and thought I might share them with you all this morning. Some of them are quite interesting!

The Sick Room:

Egg Gruel - Boil eggs from one to three hours until hard enough to grate; then boil new milk and thicken with the eggs, and add a little salt. Excellent in case of nausea. (Really??? Coz reading this actually made me feel more than a tad nauseous!)

Beef Tea - To one pound of lean beef, add one and one half tumblers of cold water; cut the beef in small pieces, cover and let it boil slowly for ten minutes, and add a little salt after it is boiled. Excellent. (I have heard of people being given Beef Tea in the past and now I know what it is!)

Grandmother’s Salve for Everything - Two pounds of rosin and half a teacup of mutton tallow after it is hard, half as much beeswax, and half an ounce of camphor gum; put all together into an old kettle, and let it dissolve and just come to a boil, stirring with a stick; then take half a pail of warm water, just the chill off, pout it in and stir carefully until you can get your hands around it. Two persons must each take half and pull like candy until quite white and brittle; put a little grease on your hands to prevent sticking, and keep them wet all the time. Wet the table, roll out the salve and cut it with a knife Keep it in a cool place. (insert shocked face here … I’m not sure at all how on earth you are supposed to spread it on any type of sore or irritation?)

Source: art.co.uk via Marie on Pinterest

Cholera Remedy - Mix in a small bottle equal parts of tinctureof opium (laudanum), rhubarb, capsicum (red pepper, double strength), camphor, and spirits of nitre, essence of peppermint double strength. Shake well and cork tight. Dose: From five to thirty drops every fifteen minutes. Dose for children, from two to ten drops. (Interesting but a tad bit scary sounding.)

Fig Paste for Constipation - One half pound of good figs chopped fine, one half pint of molasses, two ounces powdered senna leaves, one drachm fine powdered coriander seed, one drachm of fine powdered cardamom seed. Put the molasses on the stove and let it come to a boil, then stir in all the rest and bring to a boil again. A teaspoonful once in a while is a dose. It will keep, when covered, for a year. (This one might come in handy, lol!! Now all I have to do is find out how much one drachm is!)

Cure for boils - Isaiah 38:21. Go thou and do likewise. (I just had to look this up to see what they were talking about. Nosy me. “For Isaiah had said, Let them take a lump of figs, and lay [it] for a plaister upon the boil, and he shall recover.” Now I know, I can die happy. ☺ )

Source: art.co.uk via Marie on Pinterest

For Canker Sore Mouth - Burn a corn cob and apply the ashes two or three times a day. (I just knew we shouldn't have thrown out those corn cobs!)

Ring Worm - put a penny into a tablespoon of vinegar; let it remain until it becomes green, and wash the ring worm with this two or three times a day. (I am assuming they mean the vinegar, not the penny)

Cure for Corns - The strongest acetic acid, applied night and morning, will cure hard and soft corns in a week. (Might come in handy some day, you never know)

Cure for Chilblains - Place red hot coals in a vessel, and throw upon them a handful of cornmeal; hold the feet in the dense smoke, renewing the coals and meal, til the pain is relieved. This has been known to make very marked cures when all other remedies have failed. (Now all I have to do is find out what a chillblain is!)

Source: flickr.com via Marie on Pinterest

Cure for Rheumatism and Bilious Headache - Finest Turkey rhubarb, half an ounce, carbonate magnesia, one ounce; mix intimately; (sounds interesting) keep well corked in glass bottle. Dose; one teaspoonful, in milk and sugar, first thing in the morning; repeat til cured. Tried with success. (I prefer to take two aspirin I think.)

Toothache - at a meeting of the London Medical Society Dr. Blake, a distinguished physician, said that he was able to cure the most desperate case of toothache by the application of the following remedy: Alum reduced to an impalpable powder, two drachms; nitrous spirit of ether, seven drachms; mix and apply to the tooth.Tried with success. (I am really glad we have dentists to go to today!)

For Sore Throat - cut slices of salt pork or fat bacon; simmer a few moments in hot vinegar and apply to the throat as hot as possible. When this is taken off, as the throat is relieved, put around a bandage or soft flannel. A gargle of equal parts of borax and alum dissolved in water is also excellent. To be used frequently. (Now where did I leave that pig? I've heard that bacon goes with everything. The mind boggles.)

To Stop Bleeding - A handful of flour bound on the cut.

To Prevent Contagion from Eruptive Diseases - Keep constantly, in plates of saucers, sliced raw onions in the sick room, if possible. As fast as they become discoloured, replace with fresh ones. During any epidemic of skin diseases that are eruptive, onions, except for those taken fresh from the earth, are unsafe, as they are peculiarly sensitive to disease. (I found this quite fascinating)

Source: greenweddingshoes.com via Marie on Pinterest

I think I know now where the old saying "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" comes from. Some of these cures sound worse than the complaints! Way back when I lived in London, Ontario . . . there was an old hungarian fellow who used to come and do maintenance work in our home. I had a really bad cold this one time he came and he told me that he never got a cold and that was because every morning he ate a piece of bread and butter with some sliced raw garlic on top. Hmmm . . . he probably never had to worry about Vampires either!

I am slowly bringing some of my recipes from my old Marie's Muses blog onto here, one by one. This is one that has always been one of my favourites. I love cake and I love jam. The two together are pure bliss. I have used blueberry jam in this one, but strawberry, raspberry, cherry or apricot jam are all equally as good!



*Mother’s Coffee Cake with A Lemon Glaze*
Serves 15
Printable Recipe

A deliciously moist cake with a lovely crumb and tasty filling. Tasty because you decide what it is you want it to be filled with. I have chosen to use Wild Blueberry jam here, as that is what I had in my cupboard, and that is what I love most, but you could use strawberry, rhubarb and ginger, lemon curd, raspberry, cherry . . . you decide! It’s delicious any way you fill it!

3 cups plain flour
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup buttermilk
(Alternatively you can add 1 TBS of vinegar to a one cup measure and then add milk to fill up to the one cup. Let it sit for five minutes before using)
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 TBS baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup fruit preserves of your own choice

GLAZE:
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
2 TBS lemon juice

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Lightly grease and flour a bundt cake pan or a large loaf pan and set it aside.

Beat together the eggs, oil and milk. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder,soda and salt together in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients all at once and mix gently together, without over mixing. It does not have to be smooth, but all the dry needs to be incorporated into the wet.

Spoon half the batter into the prepared cake tin. Top with the jam, being careful not to let it touch the edges of the pan. Spread it as evenly over the batter as you can. Spoon on the remaining half of the batter. Take a knife and carefully dip it into the batter all the way around the pan, or down the pan if you are using a loaf pan, swirling the jam a bit through the batter, but not too much.

Bake in the heated oven for about 35 minutes, or until the cake is well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let rest for five minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack to cool.

Mix together the Icing sugar and the lemon juice and spoon over the cake while it is still warm. Enjoy with a nice cup of your favourite hot bevie!!!



I'm slow cooking again in The English Kitchen today. It's Butter Roasted Whole Chicken with Lemon and Thyme!

“Hope is a leg of a 3-legged stool with Faith and Charity.”
~Dieter F Uchtdorf

Wednesday prattle . . .

"Out of pain and problems have come the sweetest songs and the most gripping stories."

~Billy Graham



You know, that's really true and something to remember when things are getting us a bit down. When I look back on some of the roughest patches that I have had to hoe in my lifetime, I can clearly see in retrospect that they have also given me some of my greatest blessings.



If life ran smoothly all the time, without it's many ups and downs, I don't think we'd be near as happy as we are. It is the downs in life that truly help us to appreciate the ups. I am a great believer in "Silver Linings." Learning to recognize them is the key to happiness in all things. It's all about being able to dance in the rain . . .







When we lost our job last year and home . . . lost Jess . . . it was all for a reason. Number one I had not been really happy in my job for a while. Number two, I had had signs of problems in my knees, hips, etc. Number three, Heavenly Father knew that my arthritis was going to begin to kick in big time. Number four, there is no way I would have been able to continue to work with the arthritis as bad as it now is, I would have had to quit my job. Number five . . . had I had to quit my job, I would never have gotten severance pay and we would have never had the money to set ourselves up again in a new place. Being made redundant at the right time was the silver lining in our cloud, even if we were not able to see it at the time. Our faith helped to carry us through that situation from it's dark beginnings to the light at the end of the tunnel.







There were days when we could barely see any light . . . and when our faith was surely tried, but the promise of hope that the Gospel brings, helped to carry us on through those days. I never lost hope throughout the whole ordeal, that my Heavenly Father had a purpose even in what seemed like a horrible trial for us. It was not nice losing our lovely new car . . . but it was replaced with a pretty good second hand car that thus far has given us good service. We have a lovely little home and whilst it's not in the countryside, it's in a really quiet area of the Housing Estate we now find ourselves living on and it has a HUGE garden that we are able to enjoy and use in ways we could never use the one we had down south . . . with our very own fruit trees and a delightful little pond and a vegetable and fruit patch which brings us much joy.



I am now free to serve my callings in the church to the best of my abilities . . . something I could never do when we worked at the Manor. My job required much of me, and most of my time . . . and there was very little leftover for anything else. I enjoy my calling as a Counselor in the Relief Society so very much. I love serving the sisters in our Ward and being able to spend time with each of them. I love being able to do Visiting Teaching. I could not do any down South, and so was only a letter writer. Real Time visits are so much better.







I used to fret because my job was so demanding, and my husband getting ever older . . . and that we didn't have enough time to spend with each other. I felt that our years together were being wasted in service to a person that didn't truly appreciate the sacrifice . . . Todd and I found each other so late in life, each moment spent together, even now when we have nothing but time to spend together . . . is very precious to me.



"I walked a mile with sorrow

And ne'er a word said she

But, oh, the things I learned

When sorrow walked with me."

~Robert Hamilton







We may not always understand the reasons why we need to go through the trials that beset us . . . but they are always a lot easier to bear knowing that one day we will understand, and see the purpose in all things . . . even those. Life is truly sweet when you allow it to be.







Look at the sweet little cruet set my reading student brought me yesterday as a gift. He knows I like things like this and he saw it in a charity shop and wanted to buy me a gift as a thank you. I don't expect any thanks for what I am doing really. I truly enjoy helping him, but my heart was touched yesterday when he gave this to me. It will go in a place of honor on my side board for sure!



I had a lovely time yesterday with my friend Anna. I told her she needs to get herself a craft shed like my friend Sheilagh has! If she can't have a room in the house, she needs a shed. Everyone needs a place, however small, to call their own! Especially if you are a creative type . . . space to create is so very important! Sheilagh, I need to bring Anna to yours one day to see your shed! She would be amazed and uplifted I am sure!



Cookies are one of the things that I enjoy in life. Especially homemade ones. Most especially peanut butter cookies. If you have a peanut butter cookie in the cookie tin, you don't really need much else . . . except maybe a glass of milk . . . and someone to share them with. Cookies shared always taste twice as good!







*Old Favourites Peanut Butter Cookies*

Makes 4 ½ to 5 dozen

Printable Recipe



The kid in me loves these. I have been making these for as long as I can remember. Nothing fancy here, just old fashioned peanut butter goodness. Bet you can’t eat just one!



½ cup butter

½ cup packed soft light brown sugar

½ cup caster sugar

1 large free range egg

½ cup peanut butter (you can use crunchy if you want, but I always use smooth)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

1 cup plain flour (you may need more, I always do)

½ tsp vanilla



Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F/gas mark 4. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set it aside.



Put the butter into a large bowl and cream it really well with a wooden spoon. Once it is quite fluffy, beat in both the sugars gradually, beating until creamy. Mix in the egg, peanut butter, salt and baking soda, mixing them all in and blending them well. Stir in the vanilla and then finally the flour. Mix in enough flour so that the dough is not too sticky. You will need to be able to roll the mixture into balls with your hands. I find that I usually need about 1 ½ cups of flour at least.



Roll the dough into walnut sized balls (or drop with a teaspoon onto the baking sheet) Put each ball on the baking sheet, placing them at least 2 inches apart. Take a fork and dip it into some flour and lightly press each one flat. Bake for ten to twelve minutes. Remove from the baking sheet with a spatula to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat with the remaining dough until it is all used up.



Sometimes you can drop the balls of dough into a small dish of white sugar and roll them around to coat them before placing them onto the baking pan. They are really good done this way too.







In The English Kitchen today, delicious Sticky Glazed Pork Chops.