From the garden - Hydrangeas, Purple Loosestrife and a stem of Coleus in the centre.
Yesterday was a baking day. Tam wanted a surprise cake and also mentioned my Manderin Orange cake. That's the one on the right below. The one on the left is inspired by a recent post from Sue at The Cottage at the End of a Lane - it's a Marble Cake (memories of mum making these) - with a twist, as I added a finely chopped up Mars bar to the chocolate side.
Above and below, two more recent additions to my Torquay collection. The wee one above dates to about the 1890s and the one below I bought from Malvern last time we went. I haven't seen this design before and so had to have it.
Above and below - sewing projects for the autumn.
Finally, some of the books I've read in the past few weeks. I can recommend all of them. I tried a Colin Dexter too but couldn't get on with his style of writing. The Elly Griffiths are my favourites. Most of them came from either the give a donation table at Tesco or else reduced price at The Works and the Crime novels shop in Hay (Murder and Mayhem).
Below: the latest Elly Griffiths to come my way - hard to put down - and a biography on Queen Victoria I found in the shop & PO at Dryslwyn (they have a couple of bookshelves of books for rehoming.
Finally, the tasty flour I got when we were at St Dogmael's recently. It makes a cracking loaf, so full of flavour and goodness. I got two of each to go on with.
Have a lovely weekend.
That flour makes lovely bread have made it many times.I love St Dogmaels.Rose
ReplyDeleteIt's really filling too. PROPER bread. Nice to meet you Rose.
DeleteI love the new additions to your Torquay collection and the cakes look delicious - I haven't made a marble cake for years.
ReplyDeleteI will check out some of the authors you have mentioned. I do like Elly Griffiths and the Ruth Galloway books and am keen to try more of her work. I've just finished "Voyager" by Diana Gabaldon - a re-read. I had forgotten how long her books were! I think the rest in the series will be new to me but I need a break before reading the next!! :)
I know I should re-read all the Diana Gabaldon books again (though I'm not sure if I could cope with The Fiery Cross a 2nd time!) but I have such a stack of books-to-read that they will have to wait.
DeleteLove the pony jug, not as brown as most of the Torquay stuff.
ReplyDeleteAlso love Luna Lapin and the fact that she has impeccable taste!
We loved our visit to the mill at st Dogmaels many years ago. We were the only people there on a damp day and the Miller showed us round all sorts of interesting things, the children were fascinated.
Need to see the inside of the marble cake to see if it would win a prize!
I knew you would want to see the inside so I shall cut a piece and take a photo and show you tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI am concentrating on the earlier Torquay things now - with a lovely yellowy glaze. I am looking forward to getting to grips with Luna Lapin .
Lovely that you are familiar with St Dogmael's. I would love to see the wheel - she was showing a little boy when we were there, but then shutting for lunch.
Your cakes look delicious! Do you use canned mandarin oranges? Here in the U.S. I have never seen any in a can that didn't come from China. Or do you use fresh tangerines?
ReplyDeleteI love your pottery, too!
Hello Ruth. Good to meet you. Yes, I used canned ones, but there's nothing to stop you cooking up a couple of small fresh ones to use instead. Must check where MY tinned manderins hail from!
DeleteLovely looking cakes. I never thought of cutting up chocolate to add to the chocolate side of a marble cake.
ReplyDeleteLove the books and I am going to see if any are available in the library.
God bless.
Jackie - I have a recipe for Muffins which incorporates Crunchie bars - yummy.
DeleteThe library is the best way to go - our monthly library used to come to the gate - then they changed it so that it would sit down by the school once a month so people could "use the computer" or - wait for it - "charge their mobile phones". For heaven's sake, don't the Council think homes have electricity now? Our main Library is in town, 10 miles away.
I so enjoy reading your blog but have never left a comment before but I wonder if you would print the recipe for the mandarin cake I can see it making a lovely pudding in the colder days
ReplyDeleteMarlene from Speyside